Category: Phase 12

Convergence Crisis. I was looking for Wonder Woman and Green Lantern who were both missing in the TV crossover. St. John’s Newfoundland received 69 cm of snow yesterday.

Mutant Diet Phase 12 Day 6
Day 6. The first work week was tough, but – without having to go through 900 blog entries – I think this was most consistent week of any phase. I stuck to the plan. Last night in the mirror I noticed a leaner face; the jaw line was more visible.

Today is a bit of a mess as we have dinner at a friend’s so I’m trying to keep things sensible during the day.

I am not going to the gym today because I am sore from yesterday. I did for the first time since before Christmas the full high intensity workout. 3 sets of kettle bell burpees (70 lbs), 3 sets of mountain climbers, 3 sets of kettle bell swings, 3 sets of step ups, 3 sets of over head ball toss-and-slam, 3 sets of walk out planks. Put that in your donut and spin it.

However, the left shoulder is still not working right so I see the massage therapist on Monday to see what part of my body is causing this.

My second last Crisis image. Oh boy, is Newfoundland in for some weather.

Mutant Diet Phase 12 Day 5
Thursday was difficult due to being hungry and I stole a few extra calories as a result. I don’t feel like it was a major deviation. What’s challenging is the impact on mood. I am finding myself more reactive to small frustrations, which leads to poor outward behaviour.

Part of the mental conditioning is to look for the good side. For example, despite my hyper re-activeness to change, my body adapts fast. I also recover quickly from exertion despite age. Does this offset the allergies, which is an overactive immune system? Maybe.

One of the notes-to-self in my diet sheet today is “The pain is not a judgement.” That’s not a bad notion; the discomfort is real. It will pass and maybe I’ll take a step in the right direction toward the short term and long term goals.

I found that my massage therapist has a spot Monday morning. The left shoulder is not letting me do things. I figure she’ll figure out that a pulled muscle in my calf is causing it. The body is so weird.

I finished seeing the TV version of Crisis. One cameo shocked me. I was amazed they kept it out of the Vancouver press.

Mutant Diet Phase 12 Day 4
Yesterday was a snow day in Vancouver and I walked to work via the chiropractor in Yaletown. This is why there’s a huge number of steps in the diet sheet. I was going to have another walk home, but I scored a lift most of the way.

There was a reduced sense of distress in my mind and body as a result of the diet change. I had a near miss yesterday afternoon with bad-for-you-snacks, but I scuttled out of Urban Fare in time. This saves me beating myself up.

This morning was the first time I was registering hunger in the morning. This indicates to me that any easily accessible fuel from festive eating has gone away. It might also be the indication that stopping food and water intake at 8 PM is finally doing its job.

Another benefit of cleaning up the diet is better digestion. I have to write these down because it helps motivate me not to revert to old habits.

Continuing the Infinite Crisis image series. Snow day in Vancouver and Victoria.

Mutant Diet Phase 12 Day 3
Day 1 was the all pee-pee day and Day 2 was the Hangry Day. Seriously, yesterday by 2 PM I was a grumpy, rude mess. I’m not happy about it.

Today, it’s a snow day in Vancouver. Honestly this place does not handle snow well.

The good news is that I walked to the chiropractor, walked to work and nearly met the step count goal for the day.

But how to handle the mood swings? I was dysfunctional by 9 PM last night, which helps for getting enough rest, but I’m not getting enough done.

I did a blind weigh-in with the personal trainer yesterday. My shoulders are not cooperating and it’s depressing because I have strength training goals I want to reach.

And what will today bring? Hallucinations? A sudden interest in botanical gardens?

Infinite Crisis finishes up soon and I grabbed some images from the comics. A tad cold in Edmonton it seems.  (-33° feels like -42°)

Mutant Diet Phase 12 Day 2
It’s a relief that Day 1 went (mostly) according to plan. My body reacts to change fast and aggressively. My diet change was like I had taken a massive diuretic. By 3 PM I was a walking Niagara Falls. This persisted, unfortunately, into the night. I’m feeling less waterlogged this morning.

I also started phone counselling sessions through my employer’s EFAP. This is a pre-emptive strike against the negative self-talk that is virtually inevitable based on past experience. I also want techniques to stay mindful when the mindlessness of food cravings strike.

To retain focus, I am recommended to imagine a box into which you place errant thoughts for later processing. Quietly in your head. Repeat. A lot.

I also have my notes-to-self embedded in the diet sheets. See below. I need to embrace the process and remind the inner child that it’s all OK.

I’m not sure about the Morbius movie … Snow in Vancouver!

Mutant Diet Phase 12 Day 1
Nothing starts a phase off well better than forgetting one’s pre-prepared breakfast.

Of all the . . .

I did, however, remember the pre-cooked lunch. Too snoozy in the AM. So Starbucks egg bites at 300 calories. The cheese contained in it in violation of the plan, but what the heck.

Last week, which was supposed to be the warm up week, was great for fitness (6 days from Sunday to Friday, Saturday rest, and yesterday yoga). But the food. It was as if I was on a mission to eat everything I shouldn’t.

In about 3 hours, my body is going to start whining about the change in chemical intake. I am trying to prepare the mind to try to say, “Oh, well, this is normal. Remember the objectives.”

Wolverine was the inspiration … Still pouring in Vancouver.

Mutant Diet Phase 12 Pre-Show
Welcome to 2020. In three months it will be four years since I started this process called the Mutant Diet.

[ Insert daunted-sounding profanity here. ]

I searched the over 900 posts in my diet blog and found that on March 22, 2019 I invented and proved that 2000 calories from non refined carb sources worked. That was Phase 10.

This process was:

• 2000 calories per day from non-refined sources. I.e. sugar, wheat, rice, corn and potatoes are banned. (New: I did find 2000 really tough. 2200 with weight training seemed to still work. We shall see.)
• 11 PM bedtime
• 8 PM to 8 AM fast
• Strict weighing of food
• A mini cheat with sushi on Sundays
• Meditate. 10 mins per day using an app
• 2 L of water per day (New: Changed from 3 L due to nocturnal trips to the bathroom and fluids also limited or eliminated by 8 PM)
• No alcohol
• Blind weigh-in via the trainer on Tuesdays
• Current gym routine plus – weather permitting – getting back on the bike

I also added to the diet sheets some goals statements that I wrote out over the holidays that hopefully will remind me why I’m doing this. There were three categories, Vanity, Mental Health and Physical Health.

Two examples are:

• The feeling from eating something off the plan is very temporary.
• Whatever is in your head, is it helping?

What drew me to try this is that I find when I’m in the middle of a craving, all thought is gone. Whatever I’m drawn to seems to blot out the goals of the process. Since I have data that proves the process above works, it seems I need mental reinforcements to remind me at crucial moments (e.g. the 2 PM snack attack time) why the hell I’m doing this.

Phase 12 starts in a week. This week I need to sort out supplies and remove festive temptations from the apartment.