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Paleo Diet Frank Vascellaro's Food Log

Want to see how WCCO-TV's Frank Vascellaro lost nearly 20 pounds in a month on the Paleo diet? Check out his food log below.

Hello,

I began writing this log at the suggestion of a WCCO-TV producer. I began the Paleo diet on Oct. 14, 2011. I began keeping this log about three weeks into the diet. I wish I would have done it right from the beginning. The log is a good tool to track your progress and for me it actually began to serve as a planner and not just a log.

I found when you are going to have to write down what you are going to eat you are even more conscientious about planning ahead to eat good meals. While I didn't weigh portions, I did try to guess amounts where need be.

Please also note, I ate far more eggs than called for by the diet. The Paleo Diet book says our Paleolithic ancestors ate eggs seasonally and they could be difficult to find. I'm not sure why I decided that meant I could eat 21 eggs a week. Maybe I thought I had a chicken living in my cave, but that was a mistake. The book said one egg every few days.  I've now just switched to just egg whites.

I should also note that I did not give up coffee. I still drank it nearly every day, with some creamer, and I liked it.

By posting this food log I hope it may give you some insight or help on your weight loss journey. I feel great and look forward to continuing this diet as a healthy way of life.

Best wishes, Frank

Saturday Nov. 5, 2011

Morning weight 228.6

Breakfast:

3 range free Omega –3 eggs, scrambled

5 walnuts

Coffee

2 omega 3 fish oil capsules

5 small meatballs

11 a.m.

Apple

12:30 p.m.

10 oz. Shrimp in olive oil/garlic

5:30 p.m.

Spinach salad w/ assorted veggies and walnuts plus 10-ounces chicken breast

Exercise; 8 miles on elliptical machine, 56 minutes

One vodka tonic at a charity gig that night.

Sunday Nov. 6, 2011

Morning weight 229.0

3 omega-3 fortified eggs scrambled in extra virgin olive oil

Lunch 11:30 a.m.

Spinach salad w/ mixed vegetables and 4 ounces chicken breast

Orange

3:30

walnuts

6:15 p.m.

shrimp/ cocktail sauce

5 raw walnuts

1 small grilled zucchini

Monday Nov. 7, 2011

Morning weight  227.6

Breakfast

3-egg omelet with steak, mushrooms, shallots, asparagus. Grapefruit.

Six miles on elliptical level 6 at 7 minutes per.

Lunch 11: 45

Copper river salmon, zucchini, apple, 12 Italian olives

Snack: banana, apple

Dinner 7:30 p.m.

3 pieces roast beef, eye of round,

1 ½ roasted peppers

12 olives

Tuesday Nov. 8, 2011

Morning weight 228.6

Breakfast

3-egg omelet with steak, mushrooms, shallots, asparagus, grapefruit

10 a.m. Workout with T.J.

Today, T.J. says I should not eat fruit alone without a protein and fat and he recommends eating more good fats like avocado, nuts, or almond butter.

Lunch 11 a.m.

Roast beef

Grapes

1 p.m.

12 Shrimp

Zucchini

10 Italian olives

32 grams Almond butter

4:30 p.m.

1/4 lb. eye of round

½ avocado

1 roasted pepper

8 p.m.

One roasted pepper

¼ lb. eye of round

32 grams almond butter

Wednesday Nov. 9, 2011

Morning weight 227.8

7:20 a.m. breakfast

3-egg omelet with steak, mushrooms, shallots, asparagus, grapefruit almonds and walnuts

Workout, biceps-shoulders-triceps

Noon - protein shake

1:15 p.m.

20 shrimp, 10 olives, ½ avocado, 1 ½ cups steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

One red grapefruit

4:10 p.m.

Apple, grilled turkey patty, 32 gram almond butter

8:00 p.m.

½ Grilled hamburger patty, zucchini, almonds and walnuts

Thursday Nov. 10, 2011

Morning weight 227.6

7:20 a.m. Breakfast

3-egg omelet with steak, mushrooms, shallots, asparagus, almonds and walnuts

4 miles on elliptical at level 6 for 28-30 minutes

Noon

Hamburger patty, broccoli and cauliflower, ½ avocado, 10 olives

2 p.m.

10 shrimp.

Almonds and walnuts.

Bite of pumpkin pie and stuffing for TV cooking segment with my mom.

Cup of pistachios. Bad, that's a breakdown.

6:30 p.m.

Shrimp, apple, walnuts and almonds

Friday Nov. 11, 2011

Morning weight 228.8

3-egg omelet with steak and asparagus.

Pineapple with almond butter

Workout with T.J.

11 a.m.

Blueberry protein shake, no soy. TJ says the soy is not allowed. I had the shake made with water only.

Saturday Nov. 12, 2011

Morning weight 227.6

3 eggs scrambled

11 am, 2 pieces eye of round beef

2:30 p.m.

2 McDonald's grilled chicken breasts

5 miles on elliptical at level 6 35 minutes

6 p.m.

12 shrimp

8:30 p.m.

Grilled chicken breast with zucchini and sweet potato one glass of chardonnay at Ronald McDonald house charity gig.

One margarita at home

Sunday Nov. 13, 2011

Morning weight 226.7

3 eggs scrambled

Pineapple

Almond butter   2 fish oil capsules

11 a.m.

Banana

12:30 p.m.

Apple, shrimp ¼ lb.

3 p.m.

Eye of round sliced meat steamed mixed vegetables.

7:30 p.m.

Yoga tape for exercise

No evening meal, finished yoga late and didn't feel hungry

Monday Nov. 14, 2011

Morning weight 224.8, Wow!

Breakfast 7:30 a.m.

3-egg omelet with steak, asparagus and mushrooms

10 a.m. chest and back work out

2:30 p.m.

1 roasted pepper

¼ lb eye of round beef

1 apple

32 grams Almond butter

7 p.m.

Turkey burger patty

½ roasted red pepper

½ avocado

Lots of bad popcorn from Mark Rosen's B-day while watching Packers destroy Vikings. Bad!

Tuesday Nov. 15, 2011

Morning weight 224.6

8 a.m. Breakfast

3 egg omelet with steak, asparagus and mushrooms

11:30 a.m. workout shoulders, Biceps & Triceps

1:45 p.m.

15 shrimp, ½ avocado, grapefruit, 2 grilled zucchini.

4:30 p.m.

Eye of round beef, 10 deli slices. 4-5 almonds and walnuts

7:30 p.m.

15 shrimp, 1-roasted red pepper, 4-5 walnuts and almonds

Drinking much more water the last 2 days at work

Wednesday Nov. 16, 2011

Morning weight 225.4

Breakfast

3 egg omelet with steak, asparagus and mushrooms, grapefruit, walnuts and almonds

Workout, legs and back and ab-ripper

Thursday Nov. 17, 2011

Chest, bicep, tricep workout today. 10 a.m.

Friday Nov. 18, 2011

Morning weight 224.0

T.J.'s mom died so Kali helped me with the final weigh in at the firm today.

No food in the morning. I had to fast because of the cholesterol blood check at the doctor.  I had several slices of turkey right after she took the blood at 11:30 a.m. and a blueberry protein shake.

1:30 p.m.

Turkey burger and ½ avocado

4 p.m.

Apple with 32 gram almond butter, eye of round beef

6:30 p.m.

Eye of round beef with 1 roasted pepper

Saturday Nov. 19, 2011

Morning weight 223.2

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