Category: Phase 9

Spider-man Noir is really cool. Victoria BC at -4°. Panic in the streets.

Mutant Diet Phase 9 Day 30
I have discovered that this long persistent cold has put a barrier around my high intensity workout. I haven’t fully completed one since either early in this phase or late in Phase 8. At the gym yesterday, I wanted to see if I could push past it. It was going better but the SI (sacroiliac) joint complained when I overdid it on a new contraption that simulates you pulling a sled. I stopped and stretched and the SI joint seemed fine. I moved to the kettle bell portion and on the swing that I had declared was the last, the SI joint complained again, so I stopped and called it a session. I broke through a plateau but I am not back to where I was. Truly this bug is a bear.

Of course I was worried that the joint would give me grief but when I got back to the office, it felt like those times when you stretch, a clunk comes from your back and then there’s a new looseness. That was a bit of luck.

And diet … not 100% by-the-book, but not a train wreck either.

Not bad for a grumpy Monday. Now let’s set what Tuesday has for me.

A crossover that won’t happen in movies. Vancouver sees winter. -3°

Mutant Diet Phase 9 Day 29
We start a Monday with a communications challenge. I’m exposing myself with this blog and the journey always includes notes from people that observe that the diet process is stressful and I should find an easier way to do it.

In my experience “easy” ways to diet are accompanied by the sales of useless products by snake oil salesmen with a side order of swamp land in Florida. I.e. there is no easy way. I’m committed to that.

At risk of exposing myself to further ridicule, I have almost three years of data that show my body is resistant to easy weight loss, regardless of how I restrict calorie intake, what type of diet, etc. The assertion made by many that exercise alone does not always lead to weight loss I have illustrated to be true. At least for me. However, I do enjoy the increase in strength.

When it comes to stress, I think perhaps the stress associated with some exceptional goings-on, which are utterly unrelated to diet/fitness, may in fact be subtly related; there is only a small amount of energy for an individual’s stress management and willpower. In other words (one example only) dealing with the shit from the kids’ schools eats into my ability to concentrate on, plan and execute a strict diet.

The goal for this week? Accept that stressful things have to be dealt with, but try to do so with calm and aplomb. And stay away from the fucking chocolate and refined carbohydrates.

Retro Spider-man always helps my mood. Light snow in West Vancouver. Unacceptable for February. Sorry rest of Canada.

Mutant Diet Phase 9 Day 28
No blog post yesterday. I was too messed up by situational stress and feeling crappy. Eating is off. I am grabbing carbs for basic fuel – so it feels. Is that real? I went to the gym but could not get near a deadlift station. Most annoying. I did a second set of three bench presses and I really felt it later even though I lightened the weight for the second set.

The problem is I feel worse off than when I stopped before Christmas. This cold thing is going on for a month and I’m struggling with it every day. I try to imagine what this would be like without it.

I know I can hear people saying I should see the doctor. He’d say get more rest.

Ya think?

I stumbled across this image on the web. I’m not sure if it’s real.

Mutant Diet Phase 9 Day 26
Anger and diet. Not a good mix. Frustration and diet. Not a good mix. What is a good mix? Peanuts and chocolate.

I wonder about institutions. The Vancouver School Board could not be annoying me and my fellow parents any more than if they hired a Mariachi band to play outside our windows while we were all collectively having a migraine headache.

Don’t. Make. My. Diet. Harder.

When I’m stressed, I like Spider People. North Bay Ontario has an extreme cold warning.

Mutant Diet Phase 9 Day 25
Yesterday has diet fail all over it again and today we merrily start again. Well, maybe not merrily. If I can’t wrestle my situational stress under control, I am dubious I will have the eating under control.

I can however present good news on the fitness front. Yoga class was hell because the chest muscles were still exhausted from the personal trainer session the day before. Normally it’s the smaller muscle groups that whine during yoga following the personal trainer session.

I am keen for purely vanity reasons to increase my strength. I also like being able to lift all the bags out of the trunk of the car with less risk to my lower back.

Spider-man and Fantastic Four would be great to see on screen. Thunder Bay is -26°. Brr.

Mutant Diet Phase 9 Day 24
So, on a day about mental health, I’m looking for the positive in my diet/fitness process.

OK, so, what about those Jays?

I have this comic. People in Winnipeg are tough. -34°

Mutant Diet Phase 9 Day 23
Train wreck. It was interesting going to the gym because it was the first time I didn’t feel actively ill. However, I was aggressive with the kettle bell and mountain climber combo and realized I was not as healthly as I thought. I had a chance to walk home but it was a bit cooler than I’d dressed for and I realized I was not close enough to feeling normal.

Then at home, one member of the family was delayed, I was trying to sort out work problems and dinner became dinner down the street.

I hate feeling guilty about this all the time, but then if you want me to do better, come and help.

I really needed a retro Spider-man image today. Ajax … -14° and snow. Brrr.

Mutant Diet Phase 9 Day 22
I am going to start food tracking again today. I think the sugar madness induced by stress has lessened. The cold has receded to a manageable level. Sleep disruption is huge between urine manufacture to truly screwed-up nightmares.

Back to work. There’s enough of it.

I was pretty surprised Black Panther got a best movie nomination. 2° in Lunenberg today. Not bad.

Mutant Diet Phase 9 Day 21
Another day, another dietary restart. The stress has dropped a little and I might be able to kick off the week. I have supplies. There’s nothing that unexpected difficulties can’t totally mess me up. I had a nightmare in which I was in a RV and it went over an embankment into water. In Australia. My family was stuck in water and I could get out but the people I asked for help said that no one responded to that kind of call and they all wondered how my rental insurance would work in such a case. It was one of those dreams in which you woke up, tried to change position and go back to sleep, but it kept on coming.

I don’t like excuses for diet fails. What I like even less is being in situations that inspire me to make excuses.

I needed an angry Wolverine image. Victoria BC has a spending scandal starring a log spiltter.

Mutant Diet Phase 9 Day 20
Well, this is going badly. I tried today to catch up on workouts. I can positively say that one workout can’t make up for two missed days. It was good to push the limits though. The food is just off the rails awful. I just can’t bear to document it as it inspires some truly powerful mental health issues.

The vibe at the gym I go to on Saturdays is odd somehow. I should try to approach it next time with an analytical eye to see if I can figure out why and how to better ignore it.