Shrimp Asian-ish Spaghetti (squash)

1 Onion: 40 calories
3 cloves of Garlic: 15 calories
1tsp ginger: 10 calories
600g spaghetti squash: 185 calories
200g prawns: 180 calories
1 tbsp coconut amino: 20 calories
1 tbsp sesame oil: 120 calories

Total: 570 calories (photo is half the recipe)

Cut the spaghetti squash in 2, and bake in the oven for 40min at 400F. Scrape the inside to make spaghetti noodles. Keep aside.
Pour the sesame oil in a non stick pan and cook the shrimps until pink. Add minced onion, garlic and ginger. When cooked, add spaghetti squash and coconut amino. Let it rest a bit (my leftovers were actually tastier than the plate that was eaten hot as the coconut amino and sesame oil sunk in and made the dish more fragrant).

Low carb shrimp pad thai

My diet down version of shrimp pad thai, all ingredients sauteed together in a non stick pan:
13 prawns:  129 calories
1 tbsp of ketchup: 20 calories
1 egg: 70 calories
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar: 25 calories
380g zucchini noodles: 65 calories
250g of bean sprout: 58 calories

Total: 366 calories (the photo shows only half of the recipe)

Ground bison meatball

100g ground bison meatball: 155 calories
140g of cauliflowers and onions: 35 calories

Total: 190 calories

I make my bison meatballs with salt, pepper, garlic powder and some minced onions mixed with the ground bison. I had some extra onions so mixed them with the cauliflowers. The cauliflowers have this nice color because I used them as a bed for the meatball and juices from the bison mixed on the cauliflowers giving them a bit more flavor.

Sockeye salmon

135g of sockeye salmon baluchon: 200 calories
(sprinkle of salt, wrapped in parchment paper and oven baked for 12min)
150g of steamed cauliflowers: 35 calories

Total for the meal: 265 calories

A small lobster is 115 calories

1 whole steamed lobster (small, about 1 lb): 115 calories
1 medium apple (I had a Braeburn): 80 calories

Total for the meal: 195 calories

Pros: super delicious, lobster was on sale at 9$ a piece, you eat it slowly so you feel satiated by the end of it.
Cons: it is messy to eat if you are not used to it, it is expensive if not in season.

If the idea of eating lobster without garlic butter is making you pout, try it the asian way with a dash of lemon juice, salt and pepper. It gives it a nice refreshing taste, and you might not miss the high calorie butter anymore.

Bon appetit!

About the hiatus, and back on the 5:2 diet

Hi Everyone,

I don't know if anyone is still following this fast diet blog. So many things have happened in the last few years. Life was so hectic that I didn't feel like counting calories anymore... and it unfortunately showed with a lot of weight gain in the past 4 years.

So why go back to the fast diet now? Well, my doctor just told me my blood test show I might be prediabetic, and recommended I go on fasting to reset insulin sensitivity. So here I am back on the fasting diet, and after just 4 weeks, I have lost 15lb and returned back to a normal insulin level.

There are no doubt in my mind that this works. And to make it easier on myself and everyone, I will start posting what I am eating on diet days again. Like that it can give you ideas and maybe make it easier for you to not count calories on fasting days if you decide to eat the same thing, and it helps me remember that diet doesn't mean eating boring food.

Good luck on your journey!

PS: The doctor told me to try any type of fasting as they all help with diabetes and insulin sensitivity. Intermittent fasting is all the rage right now, so I did give that a try... it didn't work for me. I have work obligations and a lot of business traveling, so I couldn't fit it in my schedule as easily... moreover, I found myself pigging out on food close to the end of the eating time slot because I was afraid I would be hungry later at night or the next morning, so there was no weight loss at all. It just wasn't right for me.