40 hours...

...without eating. Now time to start eating (low carb) w/o going nuts. Salad w/ grilled chicken is on my mind, and on the menu at B. Good. An on my agenda within the next 15 minutes.

Not So Fast -- 224

So I fasted all day today, and the best I can say is that I averted absolute disaster, weigh-in-wise. By extreme last-minute effort, I managed to GAIN only a quarter-pound over last week. If I'd eaten "normally" today (whatever that means) I'm sure I would've been right back around 230 right now.

So it was a bad week, but I snatched mediocrity from the jaws of failure. A gain is a gain (and a bad thing), but a quarter pound means it's small.

Nothing short-term matters. I need to regain ketosis, which I suppose will only be a half-day or so away now, and stay there for more than a day or two this time.

The Horror, the horror...

Think I'll be fasting tomorrow.

No. No. No.

The obsessive weighing is getting out of control. I just hopped on the scale, thinking I'd be south of 220, and I was 225!!!!

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting it Back Together

Ok, I didn't eat at all until dinner. (Strangely, I wasn't as hungry as normal at 6pm, and after fasting all day I'm usually ravenous. I don't have a good theory on that one.)

Anyhow, I was pretty good. I did have a very small portion of rice and of chicken pot pie, but we're talking tiny. Mostly I had just leftover beef, pork, and chicken. :o)

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a bad 36 hours or so. Everything is relative, and I've actually eaten fewer carbs, and fewer calories in general, than "normal". But it's been a far cry from ketosis.

A little cereal. Cereal!
A slice or two of pizza. Pizza!
The "pommes frites". Fries!

Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pants tight. Heavier this morning (still 219 though, not hopeless). This has to be a near-zero carb day.

Frites!

Who knew "Steak Frites" wasn't fried steak?!?! The (only) good news is that Nunzio ate some of my fries, and I left some uneaten as well. But I had too little slices of bread, too.

It was a bad meal, carb-wise (though tasty!)

Good news, Bad news

Last night I did an unofficial weigh-in -- after not eating all day and having only some steak, pork, and green beans for dinner -- and I was around 218.5 !!

But, bolstered by this, I had half a bagel w/ cream cheese later on last night.

So... I think something crazy like 215 could be within grasp this coming Sunday. On the other hand, it's very hard to keep the "eye of the tiger" for weeks. (And it hasn't even been a week yet!)

Call me "Ketotish Man".

What's Food?

Haven't eaten today...
Could be headed for disaster, but will try to be careful.

Monday morning and all is well

I'm not even hungry yet today. So far so good.

223.75

So, I lost 4.5 pounds in the last week. (And all of them undoubtedly in the last 4 days, in fact.) And I'm under 225, which was a goal for today.

But I weighed only 218 on August 3rd!! So I don't feel that great about where I am.

Onward and downward!

PS:
Diana is my weight-loss inspiration. She's lost 11.5 lbs in 13 weeks (while growing half an inch!) -- dropping her BMI by 2.1, which is awesome.

T-minus not much

The kids are keeping me waiting...

I'm ready to weigh in. Without going into great detail, let's just say that I've lightened the load just about every way I can think of, save amputation.

SHould be weighing in within the hour...

stix

And I swear my arms looked thinner* to me this morning, as I was lying in bed, trying to summon the energy to get up**.

*No, arms aren't probably where I'd choose to lose weight, but it always goes equally from everywhere. Smaller waist will mean smaller neck, et al.

**And no, I can't say I'm feeling extra-energetic so far. Not less, bit not more, either. But I wouldn't read too much into my laziness this morning. This was my first chance to sleep in in weeks. And I've been up late lately.

D-Day

Today I've had a banana, and several apples. (We went apple picking today.) I frankly didn't realize how high-carb those fruits are. I bet I've had 100g today, which is way, way too many. I think I want to stay under 40 or so per day. Oh, well.

Despite this, I feel good. I'm slightly hungry, but nibbling cheese is controlling that. We may eat out tonight, but I should have no trouble going zero-carb, given that my first weigh-in (on this latest kick-within-a-kick) is tonight.

I guess, given all those carbs, I must not be in ketosis right now, but I dunno. I don't feel different, or very hungry right now.

24 hours to weigh-in

The short-term key is to not blow it tomorrow -- or tonight!

The beauty is that I'm not hungry. But I've been in ketosis at least twice, probably 3-4 times minimum, and I haven't been able to keep it up.

I think 8 days is my record. In fact, that was 8 days on Atkins, so maybe 6-7 days in ketosis. I must've entered ketosis yesterday, Friday Sept 19, at about noon. So another short-term goal would be to stay "in the pocket" all week, through Friday night, which would definitely be my longest stint in ketosis.

To Diana & Bill: You can comment. :o)

[You're the only people I've given the url, so I figure you 2 -- at the very most -- are my readership.]

Anyhow, don't forget that you can leave comments. That would really freak me out. (And don't worry; no one will see them but me. And perhaps you two. Until I spill more beans.)

Mirror, Mirror

Yes, I'm (A-L-R-E-A-D-Y-!-!-!-!-!) looking thinner in the mirror! And I'm just talking about my face here.

But I know, from at least 40, if not 140, diet initiatives, that nearly any new try, if it has some kind of energy behind it, results in some, um, results. In the first week.

If I were to total all of my "first week" weight losses, from all of my various initiative, the sum would undoubtedly exceed my entire current weight. By a factor of two. Easily.

So let's not get excited. 200 will be reason to get excited.

Natural Man = Ketotic Man ?

It seems to me (when I read this) that it must be a natural thing to be in ketosis periodically. Perhaps not for months or years on end, but, then again, I wonder if even that would be more "unnatural" than existing in a virtual "carb-bath" for an entire lifetime, as I, and many other Americans, and Mexicans, have.

Given the fact that, objectively, the odds would seem to be high against me staying in ketosis for much more than a week, if that long, there's no cause for worry.

I suspect that it's completely healthy to go in and out of ketosis for periods of days, or even weeks. It would make sense that this could be a -- or the -- natural state of things for our ancestors. Find a bountiful fig tree one week, kill a mastadon the next week. And in between starve a little.

Hope and Goals

I'm hoping to be around 225 when I officially weigh in tomorrow (Sunday) night. My (recent) low was 218 lbs on Aug 3rd -- which seems incredible. If I really stay ketotic, maybe I can get there again by the end of September.

Getting crazy, and possibly aspirational (I can hope!), maybe I can reach 200 by the end of the year. I'll see my parents, and entire family, for Thanksgiving, and -- as every year -- it's exciting to imagine that I could be noticeably (dramatically!?!?) thinner by then.

[Of course the one time I actually went to SC light(er/ish) the lack of comment was deafening. But I was probably around 205-210 then. The point is I need to be actually thin to make a real impression on anyone. 200 might do it, 195 for sure, I believe.]

Ok, fun with math:
We leave for our Thanksgiving trip in 9 weeks, i.e. 63 days. Reaching 200 would mean losing about 30 pounds in about 65 days, so nearly half a pound per day, or 3ish lbs/week. I think that rate is in the realm of possibility, if I stay in ketosis.

So, How am I Feeling?

I think I'm enfolded in the warm embrace of ketosis.

Minimal hunger -- though I can't say it's zero. But I've only had 2 scrambled eggs, 2 slices of cheese, and 2 slices of ham today, and I'm not particularly hunger. (Of course, my stomach did just rumble... I suppose that reaction may be completely unrelated to hunger per se.)

I feel a little more tired than normal -- and that's not what I expect in ketosis.

My back also aches a little. Maybe that's unrelated to anything. I did do a lot of driving today.

But my head is a little "buzzy", and that as much as anything convinces me that I'm in the zone.

In yesterday's lingo, I'm feeling about 75% normal.

What happened last night?

Things are good, I think.

We ate dinner at some friends' house. I drank about 4 glasses of wine, had 2 tostitos w/ guacamole, about 3-4 tablespoons of rice. Otherwise I've been very good.

Zero carbs so far today.

More on Ketosis

This is a great overview of ketosis.

1:30pm Feeling Better...

Down to 55% on the "Normal-Meter". But I'm at 85% on the "Feel-Good-Meter".

Much happier than an hour ago.

60%

This has to be ketosis kicking in. I guess I'm about 75% certain.

It's played out in different ways for me in the past. The last time, which was just last January, I felt pretty weird and a little bad for about 12-24 hours I think. Then I started to feel great.

The very first time, when I first tried Atkins, I seemed to enter ketosis suddenly, almost like a light switch, and I went from feeling totally normal to feeling really good. At least that's how I remember it.

When I say "good" I mean I remember feeling:
•no hunger
•elevated energy
•sharpened mind
•positive mindset
(Though this last one could have been a secondary effect of feeling I was accomplishing something. On some level it doesn't matter, I suppose, whether the effect was a direct result of my physical state or a secondary psychological result.)

Anyhow, I'm not feeling great right now. A bit fuzzy-headed and tired. Hope to feel great (see above) by tomorrow.

80% and dropping...

I'm down to 80% normal. In fact as I write this it's closer to 70%, 67% even.

I think ketosis has walked in my front door. Or I suppose the better metaphor is me walking through its door. But, then again, I've been the one waiting for it, so maybe I'll stick with version A.

Still not certain, but I think this could be it.

Early Lunch -- 40 hours and counting...

I had a Slim Jim and cheese-stick. Didn't feel up to roast chicken (yet) so got some Irish cheddar at De Luca's. Nibbling that now.

Still feel 90% normal. Maybe starting to get that ketotic feeling; hard to say. I've paddled out, now waiting on the big wave...

From Dad

Dear Mike,
I continue to be vitally interested in my diet , but lack anything approaching certainty.
Our culture and lifestyle have changed markedly over the past tens of thousands of years ........ but I don't believe our basic biochemistry has had time to evolve much. If there was any good way to find out how the average of out distant ancestors ate we would have far better guide lines.
PROTEIN I cannot believe that humans of even 50000 years ago were efficient hunters of meat animals. They lacked running speed and endurance and even a good sense of smell. The only credible evidence is that of primiitive man digging pit traps where they may have even been able to trap animals as lerge as a mastodon ...... that would keep the tribe and surrounding tribes in meat for a few days of feasting ....... but no way that could be a steady and reliable source. If game animals are well equipped to survive predators as swift as the cheetah or as strong as the lion what chance did a human have.
Only with the domestication of the hunting dog and invention of the bow and arrow did humans become effective hunters, but that was 15-20 thousand years ago. The domestication of the horse, less than 10,000 years ago was another major step ........ then came agriculture, settled villages and herds of meat animals, all in the very recent past.
Much of our physiology, biochemistry and anatomy leans toward a herbivore wih a touch of omnivore but certainly not mch for carnivore.
Excessive protein in the human diet is almost certainly a slow poison to the kidneys and bone strength.
Plus a high saturated fat intake that goes with much of meat eating is a slow poison to blood vessels.
All fats were probably as difficult for very primitive people to find as animal protein ...... and they were likely to avidly eat insects, especially insect larvae and other small sources of fat and oil.
CARBOHYDRATE
Almost certainly primitive people had no access to the abundant carbs we get from wheat, corn, potatoes and a host of other sources ....... although the San people of the Kalahari (one of the last hunters and gathers that could be studied before civilization totally distorted them) showed that they got a big fraction, perhaps 50-80%, of their calories from starchy tubers. This is also supported by studies fro the Transvaall Museum, in Pretoria, of human tooth structure and dentine being almost identical to the teeth of the hairless rat-mole of Africa, that has a diet very high in starchy tubers. These primitive tubers are in general nothing like the potato in that they have far more fiber and require much chewing and saliva production before digestion.
MY BEST GUESS AT PRESENT is that real low carb intake (enough to suppress the appetite by developing ketosis) in not the way to go. Also pigging out on high carb foods is equally bad in that the excessive amounts of insulin released stimulate more hunger ....... which is OK if there is no loaded pantry. In the Fall our ancestors may have come across a wild fig tree, for example, and gorged themselves but there was probably not another tree at hand for the rebound, whereas we have carbs in excess around the clock.

Take a look at tis article ...... which has some good points ....... but overall is still far from a complete answer:

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/diet_and_fitness/article4523487.ece

Ketosis

Here's what wikipedia says:

Ketosis (pronounced /kiːˈtoʊsɪs/) is a state in metabolism occurring when the liver excessively converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies which can be used by the body for energy.

In this state hunger nearly disappears, which is why it's great from a dieting standpoint. My Dad is one of many who worry about liver damage from prolonged ketosis. However, it seems clear that short stints are not dangerous.

And, more importantly, even Dad agrees that I'm better off "risking it" if it's the only way I can lose weight. 230 pounds is not good, and I'll be 44 years old in December. Too fat to be this old, and to old to be this fat.

The Science - my understanding

I realized I haven't really laid out my understanding of nutrition on this blog yet. Here goes, in the shortest form I can manage:

I believe that carbohydrates are the major obstacle to weight loss, and perhaps health in general for most people.

Eating carbs elevates insulin levels in the blood, which does 3 things: inhibits fat burning, triggers fat storage, and increases hunger. The effects are almost immediate and last for several hours.

These three effects of insulin are undisputed and clearly demonstrated in humans as well as dozens of animal species. It's also undisputed that consuming carbs raises insulin levels. So it's really an "open and shut case".

I suspect the world would have far less obesity, perhaps hardly any at all, if there were no such thing as processed sugar and high fructose corn syrup. So perhaps blaming all carbs goes too far. However, taste and hunger and biochemistry being what they are, I suspect if those 2 evil things didn't exist, we'd find a way to put potato, or rice, or apple juice concentrate or something in everything we eat.

So carbs = bad.

How Long?

According to these guys, it takes "1-4 days" to enter ketosis, and they say people usually need to be "under 30-40 grams" per day to make it happen, and to stay there, though there's lots of variation.

The 2 times I'm certain I got there I believe it took me right around 48 hours, or perhaps slightly less. So I'm going to hope to enter the ketotic zone this afternoon. Very exciting!

red wine's better?!?!?!?

Ok, I could've sworn that white wine was lower-carb. But apparently it varies a lot. And in fact "dry red" is the lowest, at half a gram per glass. I'm not even sure what I drank yesterday, but I'm going to guess all the wine added up to somewhere in the 10-20 gram range (of carbs). So I've probably had no more than 25-30 in 36 hours. That should keep me on track...

Friday morning -- 36+ hours in

I came through last night with flying colors, all things considered. At the Sel de la Terre opening party I only ate 2 things: rabbit with bacon (1st rabbit for me ever), and a little "vial" of corn soup. So the soup was bad, but extremely small. I also had about 3 glasses of red wine.

Still, I'd call that a victory.

So I doubt I've had more than 30-40 grams of carbs in 36 hours, and maybe less...

Feel normal. Had to get up early to take Diana to school extra early (chorus). But I'm not yet Ketotic Man. Maybe I've had too many carbs w/ all the wine??? Though it may also take a bit more time than this...

6ish pm - almost 24 hours since (lots of) carbs

My first carbs of the day were in the form of white wine at "Thirsty Thursday" at work. I chose the lowest-carb choice (apparently white is lower than red, despite the fact it generally seems sweeter), and avoided the pizza entirely.

I'm hungry (and buzzed), but otherwise feeling normal.

Unfortunately, my biggest (foreseeable) test is coming. I'm going to a restaurant's grand opening party, and there will not only be lots of food, and drink, and food, but there will be a certain amount of social pressure to eat a wide variety of what's offered, if not necessarily a huge quantity, per se. I will do my best to navigate the territory between rude and fat...

Lunch -- 17 hours since carbs

This is when I made the decision to go ketotic. I've been struggling with the meat thing, but I put my foot down. Today I searched out just meat, and found it at the Rotisserie place in the mall food court. I had the "1/4 breast plate" which included 2 sides. I got green beans and broccoli w/ carrots. But I didn't touch the sides, only the chicken.

It tasted quite good, esp the skin. And this was only about the 2nd or 3rd time I've eaten meat off the bone in 24 years!

So far so good. Felt totally normal.

Breakfast - 12 hours since carbs

I ate no breakfast. This is normal. (And probably bad.) I felt normal.

22 Years

An hour after I decided to start this latest push, including creating this blog, I realized that today is my 22nd anniversary in my job. And 22 has always been my favorite number, so I guess this is a big one.

Not sure if this had any subconscious effect on my thinking, but in any case it's nice to have that much more psychological weight behind me saying, "This is important. This is the one."

I want to be Ketotic Man

I'm starting this blog out of desperation. Here are my goals, in stream-of-consciousness order:

1. lose weight
2. live longer
3. look better
4. fit in my pants
5. be a better role model for my children
6. demonstrate the same discipline and focus I have in most other areas
7. stop taking lovastatin
8. get under 200 pounds before I really start to suffer the health consequences
   
9. ultimately get to my high school weight of 163 pounds
10. increase my energy level, for myself, my kids, my wife
11. increase my happiness index, which I believe will happen if the above happen

So basically I want to lose a ton of weight. I weigh about 230 pounds today, so I'm 67 lbs from where I want to be. Ouch.

I have woken up every morning for at least 25 years thinking about losing weight, getting in shape, getting thinner. And in those years I've gained about 45 pounds. I've tried a lot of things which I won't detail here.

I was a vegetarian for 23 years, 1984-2007, only making that change last December, right before New Years. This was a direct result of reading "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. I'm now convinced that limiting carbohydrates is the best way to lose weight. More, much more, on this later.

So I started 2008 with a plan to eat very few carbs, enter the state of ketosis -- in which fat is burned for fuel, and hunger is suppressed -- and stay there for a long time, losing weight with ease.

But a funny thing happened on the way to 163 lbs. I don't like meat too much. Or at least I'm not at all used to eating it. Meanwhile, I have a L-O-V-E of carbs. I would tell people even when I was in high school that my favorite foods were all carbs. At the time I was pretty thin, and this statement was basically a point of pride; I thought carbs were the healthiest thing in the world. What could be better for you than bread???

So here I am, in September, heavier than ever. I know the theory, but I need to put it into practice. So I want to become Ketotic Man. I tend to agree with my Dad that this isn't the way to live longterm. But I am truly worried that I will die soon if I do not lose some significant weight, and I think the benefits of the "ketotic lifestyle" well outweigh the risks on the short-term, as even Dad agrees.

Essentially I want to stay in ketosis for weeks or months at a time lose tons of weight, and eventually find a way to eat a more balanced diet once I'm well below 200 lbs. Or not. Obviously I'll have to play all of this by ear.

And that's where the blog comes in. I don't know if I'll even share the url with anyone. (Maybe Dad? Maybe Bill? Both of them are interested in my weight loss process...) But in any case I want to be able to do something that keeps my focus. And I like to write. Writing without (much of) an audience takes any pressure off, so I can think of it as more of a diary.

So here goes... everything?