How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

When most people think of a “cowboy”, they picture a white American man [think Roy Rogers or Buffalo Bill Cody]. That’s too biased. When people think “cattle rancher”, they picture a Texas white man [think Richard King of Texas]. That’s too parochial. When people think “superb horseman”, one might picture the orphan boys who rode the Pony Express. That’s too limited. If you want someone who was all three at once, think John Ware — and then remember that he was Black. And Canadian. After being freed from slavery by the US Civil War, Ware went to Texas, where he learned about ranching and became a cowhand. In those days, cattle were raised far from the stockyards of Chicago and Omaha, so the animals had to be ‘driven’ [slowly walked] from their home ranch to a train terminus, then shipped to the slaughterhouse. These were known as ‘cattle drives‘ and they were feats of logistics. A bunch of cowboys had to control hundreds of steers for weeks on end, finding forage and water for them so they would be healthy at the end of the trail, all while avoiding predators or rustlers. One of the longest cattle drives ever was headed by John Ware, driving 3000 head of cattle from Texas to Montana in 1882. From there, he drove steers to the BarU Ranch in Alberta, Canada. Once Ware was in Canada, he stayed, working for large spreads at the dawn of cattle ranching in the province, as ranchers took over Indigenous lands. Like the Native population, Ware faced racism, but he worked hard and saved to buy his own land. Along the way, Ware gained a reputation as a master horseman, who had never been thrown by a horse; as a very hard worker; as an exemplary cowboy; as a pioneering rancher. He popularized the sport of calf roping/tie-down, which is now a standard event at any rodeo. By the 1890s, Ware had a wife, five children, and a cattle ranch of his own at the Red Deer River. In a terrible irony, his horse stepped into a badger hole on September 11, 1905, falling and crushing and killing Ware. He was named a National Historic Person by Canada.

Eggs ‘n’ sausage, at home or on a cattle drive. And as the iconic TV advert intoned: “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.” What else?!

Sausage Bake: 142 calories… 10 g fat… 0.5 g fiber… 15 g protein… 8 g carbs… 39.4 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. –PB GF– Quick and yummy, can’t beat sausage and egg.

++1 two-oz egg ++++ 1 chicken breakfast sausage [33 calories/link], cooked ++++ 1 Tbsp 2%-fat cottage cheese ++++ pinch marjoram + salt + pepper ++++ 2 oz unsweetened applesauce ++++  Optional:  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++  Optional:  5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Whisk the cheese with the egg and seasonings. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray. Dice the sausage and put it into the ramekin. Pour the egg mixture on top and bake in the toaster oven at 350F 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Pour a beverage, and plate with that lovely applesauce. Nice start to your day.

Mixed Sushi: 275 calories… 11.6 g fat… 5 g fiber… 16 g protein… 28 g carbs… 39 mg Calcium…  PB GF  Our younger son introduced us to this recipe. Imagine: ‘Sushi’ without raw fish or seaweed. Good use for leftover beef and avocado. HINT: This serves 2 [two]. Invite a friend or save for lunch or dinner another day. Made to be served at room temp.

++ 1 cup brown rice, cooked and cooled HINT: Make the day before and refrigerate or use leftovers from a previous meal. ++++ 1 tsp rice wine vinegar ++++ 1 egg ++++ 1 tsp soy sauce. ++++ 3 oz avocado, in long slices ++++ 1 oz grilled beef, in long strips OR substitute grilled chicken ++++ 2 oz smoked salmon, in long slices ++++ 2 oz cucumber OR zucchini in long slices. ++

Combine the rice with the vinegar and let sit. Whisk the soy sauce with the egg and cook the egg as a flat omelette in a lightly-spritzed non-stick pan. Remove from the pan and cut egg into long strips. Slice the avocado, beef, salmon, and cucumber in long strips, but not longer than the diameter of the bowl in which you will serve it. Put the rice into two bowls with a wide diameter. Distribute the rice evenly over the bowl. Lay the other ingredients on top of the rice in what ever arrangement pleases you. Serve with extra soy sauce and enjoy a quick meal.

<<<<<<<< Ingredients for next week >>>>>>>>> Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg = US large + uncured streaky bacon	1.5 two-oz eggs
mushrooms + garlic + scallion + baking powder	roast ham [11%-fat] or 3%-fat ham
dry mustard + Worcestershire sauce + Parmesan	mushrooms + Gruyere cheese
white whole wheat flour+ non-fat milk + green beans	raspberries
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

salad greens + grapefruit	delicata squash: 5 oz per person
avocado + 2-oz egg	melon
chicken + lime-flavored oil	Bison chili or chili non carne
white wine vinegar
Sparkling water	Sparkling water