February Weight Loss Summary

I will remember this month as one in which I became more mindful of balance. At the beginning of February, I was preparing vegetable juice so that I could have three portions per day. Within two weeks, I had stopped completely. The cramps in my stomach had become too much to bear.

I went off dairy for ten days. I had hoped the condition was lactose intolerance. It made sense because the feeling was incomplete digestion, incomplete emptying of my stomach. I felt good and happy and then, ten days in, had some brussels sprouts in the morning. The cramps came back.

But by then I was already becoming aware of the need for balance. I was eating a can of beans in the morning, and a chicken avocado sandwich for lunch. My weight wasn't spiking upward. I wasn't in ketosis, and burning fat, but then again, I couldn't maintain ketosis the way I was going.

So I ended the month today at 184.49. Reversion to the mean, I guess. I began the month at 183.94. So I gained 0.57 pounds. That is what, two thousand calories? I could burn that off in a weekend. And I learned that I could eat brussels sprouts in the evening.

There were nine days of weight gain during the month, twelve days of weight loss, and five days of no change. The no-change days were aggravated by fluctuating scale readings. If I couldn't get a static weight on two consecutive weigh-ins, then I would use the previous day's reading. The days of weight gain represent huge spikes, which explains why they brought the rolling average up so far.

So, what is the plan for March? I am five pounds away from my goal, and it feels like it is beyond the horizon. I'm not quite ready to quit. But I don't know if I am going to aim for ketosis. I think I would rather have some protein mixed into a can of beans early in the day, so I want those low-glycemic carbs.

Sherry bought a Vitamix as an anniversary gift for us, so I do plan on re-introducing a juicing regimen. I think for now I will eat my brussels sprouts cooked well, and use other nutrients in the juicer. I have to lose one pound to get below my lowest low of 183.54. That happened six weeks ago. Since then, I have had higher highs and higher lows. But I never give up.

January Weight Loss Summary

Already the fourth of February. Haven't acquired the gift I intend for my beloved Sherry. Still haven't written up my January weight loss progress. Sometimes I wonder if I should track my progress daily; on those days I should recall this day.

I didn't record my weight today. I think the batteries on the scale need changing, because I stepped on it and got four different numbers. That has happened before; in those cases I entered the previous day's number into the spreadsheet. I still haven't decided what number to submit.

Days like this make me want to quit. My stomach ailment is flaring. It's possible there are worse things to suffer. Not knowing what it is makes that hard to say.

I just feel like I have to write something. I wrote a comment to Althouse's blog yesterday, then stared at it for five minutes. Then I deleted it. There were too many boxing references, and I couldn't let my words stand.

Words freak me out that way. I don't like when I put words out into the ether, and they don't go down well. As though there are universal adjudicators out there who will stuff the wrong ones back down my throat, if I am not careful.

I have been ruminating about Bill-O's interview with 44 for two days. While I walk the dogs, I formulate syntax that would describe my feelings about the interview, for the people who read the comments of the blog.

The interview disturbed me deeply, and I am still thinking about it. My first impression was that Bill-O has not a scintilla of charm, and he tipped his pitches. The network should give the next interview to Megyn.

The interviewer should decide beforehand what they want out of the meeting. Whether they want a "gotcha" moment, or do they want the subject to honestly reveal something about themselves. I believe that both of those goals were unattainable with Bill-O. He doesn't have the ability to put his subject at ease.

I thought about quitting my diet today. I could have eaten a bunch of carbs and just said fuck it. But I couldn't really eat anything. There were some salted almonds in the morning. After lots of chicken broth. My stomach feels like it hasn't emptied completely. If I were completely faithful and mindful of my perceived hunger, I wouldn't eat at all. Then around two, my blood sugar would bottom out, and I would eat, then, bad food choices the rest of the day.

It feels like acid reflux without the burning, and there is a cramp between my stomach and intestine. If I push on the cramp, then I can make myself pass a little gas. But I get tired of that, and tired of eating vegetables to lose those last five pounds, and dream of day after day of foot-long subs loaded with vinegar.

Tonight I decided on twelve-year old scotch, hoping that the alcohol would kill whatever parasite took up residence in my duodenum. I started 'juicing' in January, using the magic bullet to pulverize beets and brussels sprouts and daikon radish and kale and ginger. I ended the month at 183.97 lbs, after beginning the month at 185.17. That was a net loss of 1.2 pounds, which was about the same as December.

There were fifeteen down days in January. There were twelve up days. And there were three days unchanged. Hm, only makes thirty, oh well.