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  • Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 5

    Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 5


    Windsor Ontario is near the US Border.

    Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 5
    This is interesting. I went back strictly on the diet plan the day following the 2000 calorie whoopsie and it feels like I never deviated at all. This is most odd. It’s hard to tell what’s affecting my system more. Is it the stricter cut off of eating in the evening? Is the exercise – I upped the weights at the gym – causing (finally) a more efficient metabolism?

    Or, am I hallucinating small kittens?

  • Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 4

    Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 4


    Ucluelet might be a good place to recover.

    Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 4
    Wipeout!

    It was interesting trying to estimate calories when you blow up. The situation? I held a parent advisory council meeting in a bar. I brought chips and brownies. I think I ate more of them than anyone else at the meeting. It’s not like I didn’t know the risks. I was planning on one beer.

    I’m thinking the tallying of the calories was punishment enough.

    But, it’s back in the saddle today. Good news when you have done lots of fitness the calorie blowout does not change the fact you worked out. In my case 12.1 km on the bike and a yoga class. I’m still sore in that good way.

    The real trick is to maintain a decent attitude and return to the process.

  • Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 3

    Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 3


    Hulk, Rhino, Spider-man and Captain America. I’d like to visit the inner harbour of Victoria.

    Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 3
    OK. Day 2 sucked not because of being too bad but being miserable. I was right that Day 1 was a freebie – a day where you are thrilled because you actually kept to your plan. Each day in a fence post to be dug, where the reward is another damn fence post the next day.

    Despite the chocolate almonds, I was under the 2500 calorie limit.

    Attitude has to be managed or there will be some sort of hostage taking where the ransom has to be paid in gourmet cookies.

    The personal trainer pushed my limits yesterday on the weights and I have to develop more shoulder flexibility. But the old body likes growing muscle. I can feel things changing. She weighed and measured me but I haven’t looked. I’m going to measure every month and report the results in November or December.

  • Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 2

    Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 2


    Yes, I want to see a Hulk/Spider-man movie scene. Send calming thoughts to Toronto.

    Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 2
    I am glad that Day 1 didn’t have a major mistake. The wine was the minor mistake. But the calorie count, which I was pretty anal about counting, came in well below the 2500 limit.

    It’s strange that my body feels the changes so fast. I don’t know anyone else whose system reacts as quickly. The good part about such a strange feeling is that you know you’re doing the diet correctly right away.

    The cravings weren’t too bad but, yesterday might have been a freebie. The level of concentration to stay on track and document was intense. Can it be maintained?

    I see the trainer today for the blind weigh-in and to see where we can take the strength training.

  • Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 1

    Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 1


    Mark Ruffalo suggested a Hulk/Wolverine movie. Check out a very nuts-and-granola market in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood.

    Mutant Diet Phase 8 Day 1
    I tried to prep last week for this week. The food was a disaster but the gym was OK until Friday when I was doing the high intensity workout. I was just about to start the second set of walk-out-planks when my mind said, “you are kind of done.” I negotiated and said to myself “one more set of walk-out-planks and kettle bell swings”. Well, on the way back from the first walk out plank my back on the right side tweaked.

    It’s back to normal now, but I have to be careful. Lesson learned: I know which voice to listen to. There’s a whiny “I don’t wanna” voice and there’s a more adult tone that knows the truth.

    What’s different in this phase?

    • Better food weighing; I bought a food scale
    • Planning for an 8 PM to 8 AM “fast” or break from eating
    • Workouts with muscle building in mind. Can I trick out the metabolism to grab more fat to build more muscle?

    Here’s what the new diet sheet looks like.

  • The Phase 8 Pre Show

    The Phase 8 Pre Show


    If I’m lucky, I’ll be more green by the end of this phase. I wonder if this museum in Toronto could find shoes for The Hulk.

    Mutant Diet Phase 8 Pre Show
    So, I ate a lot this summer and that sucks. Now there is lost ground to make up. Oh well. Most of it tasted good.

    I also thought about the next phase. Here’s a contradictory set of feelings. I was visiting a farm and a giant truck load of straw arrived that had to be loaded into the barn. I had no problem slinging bales of straw off the truck. I had slight muscle ache on the right side.

    However, there was a photograph of me doing the work and I really hate the look of me. Still too big around the middle. That’s the polite way of expressing it. Frankly it put me in a funk. How the hell could I have made the progress I’ve made and still look like something that should be on the end of a harpoon?

    Phase 8 will have a modified approach. My body does not like to lose weight, but it’s happy to build muscle. It occurred to me that if I have a lot more muscle, I’ll feel better and it might trick my metabolism to kick itself up a notch. These two articles contradict each other a bit so I keep open the fact that it might not work.

    www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/get-more-burn-from-your-workout#1

    www.self.com/story/how-much-does-strength-training-really-increase-metabolism

    I had my trainer change up my routine to include work that would be intense strength building. This includes deadlifts, chest press and shoulder press. There’s nothing odd here except that I am to do four sets each to exhaustion each time. My first run at this showed me that my shoulders seriously lack flexibility and my traps, pecs and lats really reacted aggressively. They were sore but you could feel the muscle building.

    As to diet, the plan is to do the 2500 calories based on meat and vegetables, but with the added discipline of intermittent fasting. This notion scared me until the idea was that fasting could occur while you are asleep. The popular articles want a 16-hour fast window, but I don’t think that will work for me. My trainer suggests 12 hours from 8 PM to 8 AM. This might be do-able for me. I’m never that hungry in the morning anyway, so deferring breakfast a little works.

    However, ironically, an MD who’s specializing in obesity tweeted that intermittent fasting is another fad that doesn’t replace watching the calorie counts. I see the no-eating period more as a way to give ones’ innards a rest.

    Phase 8 starts on Monday, Sep 10 2018 and goes to Friday, Dec 7 2018. 89 Days.

  • Mutant Diet Phase 7 Finale

    Mutant Diet Phase 7 Finale


    I was looking for a 1980s era Wonder Woman and found this instead. Vancouver is nice this time of year.

    Mutant Diet Phase 7 Finale
    Welcome to the least interesting finale of a phase yet.

    I have to leave for Toronto in 2 days and I am not ready and so I’m going to sign off this phase with the following advice to myself.

    • Keep the regular working days routine for food and exercise
    • On holidays or days off try to minimize the damage from recreational eating

    Well, that was boring. I am down the pant size so I’ll call it a win. I also want to have some time to think about what tweaks I can do the diet/fitness plan for the Fall.

  • Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 85

    Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 85


    Supergirl and Brainiac 5 from a very old comic. He’s a regular on the TV show come the Fall. Let’s go hide in a cottage near Parry Sound.

    Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 85
    I bought new pants on the weekend. Is this a win? They are a full size down from what I was wearing last week to work. These are black cotton casual pants from Marks.

    This pant size change and 1.5 belt notches is what I am qualifying as the outcome for Phase 7. I figure I have about three more days of Phase 7 as there is travel happening Thursday for the long weekend.

    I was slightly ill on the weekend and had to take naps and so forth. I’m not able to say this phase ended with a roar. But, it does show the process works. I’m going to ponder refinements for Phase 8 which is a post Labour Day.

  • Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 81

    Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 81


    Incredibles 2 was funny. Is Victoria funny-ha-ha or funny-peculiar?

    Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 81
    There’s a new theory to weighing.

    I am going to weigh and measure but not look at the numbers until I’m happy with my appearance/results as I perceive them. This was really my trainer’s idea. I did warn her not to hold her breath. However, since she and I spoke, I realized what I want is a reduced belt overhang. At this current stage, I have to buy new dress pants because they’re too baggy. I was today looking for a belt notch that wasn’t there. But I’m convinced the scale won’t represent that fact.

    This change in approach came from the idea that no matter what I do, I don’t think the scale will ever tell me what I really want. (See below.)

  • Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 78

    Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 78


    Terrific Avengers and more montage. Looks like good weather in Edmonton.

    Mutant Diet Phase 7 Day 78
    I am not getting a cold. I am not getting a cold. I am not getting a cold.

    Last night I felt something so I went to be early-ish, took all the supplements recommended by my wife. I don’t care if there’s no evidence of effectiveness. If it tricks my mind into producing more of an immune response, bully for me!

    The blood donation I think taxed the system a little. My throat is a little scratchy so I’m going to take it as slow as possible despite how busy things are.