Table of contents
- Life Update
- Tools and Tips
- Readers’ Favorite
- Stuff
Life Update
A quick apartment-moving update: We're behind schedule with only 6 days left.
Life is just too busy.
My original plan was to move some of the stuff on my own over two weeks, but that hasn't worked out as planned. I will have to do it in less time.
On the bright side, we're down to our final 6 days.
In times like this, I like to think about "Parkinson's Law"—work expands to fill the allocated time.
I prefer the reverse: Even with less time, I can still accomplish everything I want.
It might be wishful thinking. We'll see.
This move reminds me of our Boston to Portland relocation just a few months ago. For those unfamiliar with American geography, Boston is on the east coast, and Portland is on the west coast— 5,000 km apart.
I drove those 5,000 km in 4 and a half days.
And I gained 5 kilograms.
FIVE!
Why?
It's pretty obvious.
I sat in the car all day and ate at the only restaurants I could find in the middle of nowhere. McDonald's was almost always the only option.
When I got to Portland, I decided two things:
One - start running again
Two - Lose 5 kg by eating well
This week, I finally reached my target weight.
How did I do it?
Let's find out!
Number 121.
Tools and Tips
Diets, losing weight, maintaining your weight— there are so many ways to do it. And most of them fail.
We all know that.
But today, I want to share how I did it.
There's no magic here.
No extreme changes.
These are just minor, easy adjustments that I could stick to.
I see some of my colleagues bring lunch boxes from home every day.
This is a great way to maintain your weight and health.
But it's not for me.
I don't want to stand in the kitchen the night before (or wake up before 5 AM, my regular wake-up hour). I don't want to carry a box to work and put it in the fridge. I don't want to time my schedule to be near that fridge during lunch.
Some of you may think it's ridiculous. How hard can it be to prepare lunch and bring it to work?!
You may be right.
No, let me rephrase. You're ABSOLUTELY right.
But that's me. It doesn't work for me.
Today, I want to share what works for me.
Let’s start with the “where”, and then discuss the “what”.
First, I eat in the hospital's cafeteria.
I don't have to prepare anything, wake up earlier, or wash dishes. It's there, and it's great.
I didn't have such healthy options when I was in Boston. Everything was either deep-fried or drenched in oil and cheese.
So far, nothing special, right?
I eat at the hospital's cafeteria.
But now I want to share WHAT I eat.
Because my food choices were the main thing that contributed to my weight loss.
And it goes like this:
🔵 (Almost) No Red Meat
I NEVER eat red meat for lunch.
Red meat is fattier, it clogs your arteries (believe me, I see it during the surgeries I perform), and it substantially increases your risk for cancer.
Instead, I choose chicken or fish.
Have I completely given up red meat?
No. And that brings us to our next point
🔵 Red Wine as "Get Out of Jail Free Card"
You know that card in Monopoly that gets you out of jail?
This is how I use red wine. If I drink red wine, I allow myself to enjoy red meat.
I won't go through all the physiology here, but red wine counteracts some of the harmful effects.
It also makes it easier for me in the long run. I can still enjoy a good steak here and there.
🔵 No Fried Foods
That's the only type of food I NEVER eat. Even if I'm hungry and there's nothing else to eat. Even if I drink red wine.
🔵 Very Little Carbohydrates
When I eat lunch, I take a tiny amount of rice or potatoes, if at all. I don't miss it much, and there's no way I'll ever have a carbohydrate deficiency in a Western country. It's everywhere.
🔵 A Lot of Vegetables and Tahini
Instead of carbohydrates, I fill my plate with salads and soup.
And whenever there's tahini, I take a good amount. Tahini is a superfood that will lower your cholesterol. Yes, LOWER it.
So this is how I do it.
Am I going to change anything now that I've reached my target weight?
No.
I will continue doing exactly that— hospital cafeteria, no boxes from home, (almost) no red meat, no fried foods, little carbs, and lots of vegetables and tahini.
Easy to maintain and quite tasty.
This newsletter got me hungry.
I'm going to check out the fridge now 😃.
Readers’ Favorite
How do I keep calm?
Meet my very own 2-20-2-20 Rule.
You can read all about it here.
Stuff
💡Gear I use - Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker II
Yes, this speaker is OLD.
I've used the same one for the last 10 years, and it still serves me well.
The sound quality is excellent— which is what matters most to me.
I'm sure newer versions have better specifications, and I recommend checking those out.
But to sum up this long-term review: this speaker is really great.
Epilogue
If you received this newsletter from a friend and would like to join Friday's Digest, visit https://newsletter.shaysharon.com
That’s it for this issue.
See you next week!
Shay
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