Category: Phase 7

Deadpool generally drives other superheroes mental. Niagara-on-the-Lake takes a long time to type but it’s worth the visit.

Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 38
A lot of this process makes no sense. My trainer was ill yesterday so I did my full on high intensity workout and the lower back allowed me to go to the full weight and frequency on them. I then rode the 9 km home in record time. The diet was OK. There were some “treats” but the calorie count worked out.

My attitude went weird though. I felt great having powered through the workout and then later after about 9 PM my self-image collapsed. Terrible thoughts. I won’t share them here to avoid giving them power.

The chemical soup that our bodies have is far more complicated than I thought. For example, I found these articles on ketosis that were heavy on bio chemistry I don’t understand, but they illustrated the fact that the process of making energy for the body is freakishly complicated.

https://peterattiamd.com/ketosis-advantaged-or-misunderstood-state-part-i/
https://peterattiamd.com/ketosis-advantaged-or-misunderstood-state-part-ii/

So, which part of the molecular chain helped my attitude to myself fall back into the cesspool?

I could not help but look up a Deadpool-Punisher crossover. Kamloops, it’s a funny name.

Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 37
The doctor prescribed me some fresh blood pressure medicine. Then I did some reading. It is common to find old white men like me, who have no other medical issues, to have high blood pressure.

Because I rode my bike to the appointment, and have been bashing at diet and fitness for over two years, the doctor can’t ask silly stuff like “do you smoke?” He did ask about cardio and told him what I do at the gym and cited cycling and sometimes 58 bpm resting heart rate. He looked over the blood work again and there’s nothing indicated that would be holding me back from weight loss.

However, in a month if I still can’t budge the scale, he’ll refer me to an obesity clinic to see what they can make of me. In speaking with other people, the wait lists are long but we’ll see. The doctor did say not to get stuck on the number on the scale, but the blood pressure would likely improve if I could lose 20 pounds. The general message was keep working at it.

My theory of what’s up with me on this is multi-pronged.

1. Genes.
2. Allergies. My immune system is always on. Always defensive. Weight retention is a defensive response.
3. Habituation. My body has been excellent at optimizing to always store extra for decades. I am thinking it’s very good at reacting to change (e.g. my dietary twiddles)

I think I’m shifting my attitude to be more scientific and more experimental and less judgmental. I have so much data that when someone throws out suggestions, (e.g. “have you tried cutting out sugar?”) I can discuss from documented experience.

Mentally, this is a much better place to be dealing with what is still frustrating beyond belief.

Apparently there’s a scenario where Deadpool joined the Avengers. I was working on Sault Ste. Marie last night, a town most likely to be mispronounced by tourists.

Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 36
I have strong anecdotal evidence that the type of calories has a big effect. Yesterday was a carb fest as a result of insufficient planning. My son had his birthday party and I simply didn’t put in the time to prepack my food.

But I was careful of how much I was eating. However, I felt at the end of they day I had a “wheat tummy” and could tell that I’d indulged.

Knowing my luck, it’ll take all week to offset this. Grrr.

Wish me luck. I am now sitting in the Starbucks next to the doctor’s office so that I can go wait in his office for a 15 minute consult.

Time for an inappropriate Deadpool comment. Also a good day for a birthday party in Richmond BC.

Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 35
It’s a Sunday with a marathon in Vancouver and a trip to Richmond for my son’s 10th birthday party.

The real birthday is later, so cake will be made later. I outsourced for today.

It’s also Stop Beating on Yourself Day, Robert, you cloth-eared git.

Clearly, it’s not working but at least I’ve toned down the insults I deliver to myself.

I was hoping as I aged to have a sort of I’ve-seen-this-all-before zen quality to my thinking, but instead the anxiousness seems to increase. I think children had a lot to do with it. No one has ever said, “now that my children and 16 and 10 years old, I’m just so much more chill than I used to be.”

Chronic nerves, lead to chronic nervous habits. Time to gently change the course of this.

The connection to diet and fitness is that there are so many more diet/fitness opportunities to beat up on yourself. There’s motivation – i.e. I want to look and feel better – and then there’s masochism.

It’s a challenge, not a personal failing.

Time I think for a Deadpool series. I seem to recall Deadpool making fun of Regina in the first film.

Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 34
Now that was a cheat evening. A good friend turned 50 and we celebrated and it was beer, chilli, pizza, cake, WOW. The best part of being super strict for over a month is that, when you cheat, it tastes really good. You are eating it because you enjoy it, not because your body thinks you need it.

And the fitness yesterday was good. A lot of walking around plus 6 km on the bicycle and a battle ropes workout.

Today was very restrained but not carb free.

Even the monsters had a bad go of it in DC’s Futures End. I just think Bragg Creek is a funny name.

Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 33
It’s not raining but it’s the kind of day that invites going back to bed. I had my lower back shoved around by the chiropractor and I’m thinking it’s in place now. Time to be careful because I want it to settle in place. She’s also suggesting Orthotics and I’m on hold trying to figure out what my coverage is. I decided to look up the blood pressure med to see if it’s covered and it’s not!

Today won’t be a great diet day. One person is leaving and there is a soiree after work plus a friend’s birthday party this evening.

I think today, mentally, the process I’m undertaking has me tuckered out.

I guess that means I have to be super careful I don’t go way off side.

DC’s Futures End with a girl Firestorm. Ingersoll is just hard to say.

Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 32
Yesterday was a small things causing big irritation day. In the morning I forgot my breakfast so I had to eat at a place that charged a lot for so-so quality. Then at yoga class I realized I has washed and destroying my prepaid punch card and now have to get a new one.

Dieting is hard enough without this kind of stuff.

But, let’s focus on the good stuff. My blood pressure is down. The pills work and now I have to take the time to remove the extra weight that’s causing this. My pants are still loosening so I can tell that – despite the truculence of the scale – I am headed the right way.

All I need to do now is convince my lower back to chill out.

DC’s Futures End with scary Supergirl. There’s a crazy election coming to Ontario.

Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 31
OK. Here’s the news. I fucking gained weight. You can’t have this much fun dieting your fucking ass off only to gain weight.

One my great pleasures, it turns out, is confusing the living shit out of my personal trainer.

According to all analysis, since Dec 12, 2017 (my last weigh-in), I have gained about 3 pounds of muscle. The reason I know it is muscle is that the % body fat and water weight is basically the same. Other indicators are my pants falling down and my gut is not hanging over my belt as much.

But it’s still ludicrously frustrating.

The mistake I made was not weighing in on Day 1 of this phase. In retrospect, I should have done a blind weigh-in where the personal trainer would have kept the numbers and not shown me until I was ready. I definitely gained 1.5 belt notches over Christmas and January through February during which time my mother passed away.

The plan going forward? Keep on this diet because my body tells me regularly that it’s working. Let’s see what next month holds.

My theory is that my Anglo-Saxon DNA at age 55 is saying, “Nice try, mother-fucker. I don’t give up lard. I told you that I’m storing for winter. Because you still need to lift things for chores, fine. I’ll build muscle. It takes longer but it works just as well when I’m storing for winter. God you’re dumb.”

Here’s a comparison photo from the beginning of this voyage and now. You can decide if it has been worth in.

Click on image to see the larger one. I should also learn to stand up straight.

DC’s Futures End image 2. Did you know there was a place in BC called Horsefly?

Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 30
The doctor’s visit illustrated the frustrations that diet/fitness can produce. My blood chemistry is good. My mobility is good. (Apparently not all big 55 year olds can squat down to the ground and stand again without assistance.)

However, after over two years of relentless effort, my damn blood pressure is wrong. And it’s not the lab coat syndrome (I had 20 minutes yoga breathing in advance and I had not been riding for an hour before the test.)

Again, the damn weight. And age. I can’t do anything about time. WebMD writes that “For every 20 pounds you lose, you can drop systolic pressure 5-20 points.” I need to drop the 20 points or more. Actually for normal BP I need to drop 46 points.

So, little BP pills are in my system and I’ve changed my diet chart to track blood pressure.

My weigh-in and measurements are later today. I guess I’ll need those numbers as the new baseline to see how to knock down the blood pressure.

DC’s Futures End reality is this week’s theme. I made some updates in Ottawa.

Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 29
This post is during the waiting period before I see the doctor. I got rained on riding here. 20% chance of rain. Sure – damn weather network app.

I need to get in there, get the needed referrals regarding sleep apnea and ride soggily to work. The things I do for fitness.

I have to be super strict today because I don’t want some stupid amount of dairy or wheat to cause me to hold water. My planned weigh-in tomorrow is simply a mark in the sand, but I want it to be representative of the past month’s effort.

Yes, I’m overthinking it. Damn, there I go again.