Blog

Yes, I did not see the Justice League movie this weekend. Tofino is advertising their storm watching season.

Mutant Diet Phase 5 Day 8
Time to start the second week. It’s been odd so far. Sunday was the planned cheat day and I tried to keep it real but I had sushi with the evil rice. The yoga class was way harder than I expected. The hernia repair area only told me to take a hike once. It’s nice that it gives warnings. The area does not like being squished and twisted at the same time.

I am going to run out of supplies mid-week so I have to be organized. I also have to plan to have the bison and turkey plan ready to roll. That will be interesting to see what happens to my system.

Rain, rain go away. It’s really hosing up my step count.

I’m curious about how Aquaman will really look. Rain Rain Go Away in Vancouver.

Mutant Diet Phase 5 Day 7
OK folks, I’ve been at this diet/fitness thing for a long time and the way my body reacts to changes in diet are peculiar. Normally after a cheat day I have a day where I feel like I cheated. Yesterday felt like a normal ultra low carb day. I was not hungry for lunch until late and then was starving for dinner and then starving before bed. It makes no sense because sufficient fuel was consumed and the hungry was not the traditional sugar cravings. (These signals for regular fuel versus sugar are subtle but distinct.)

What. The. Hell.

I have no idea if this is being effective. My exercise levels are way down. I won’t know for a couple of weeks if the scale shows any improvement. I am not going to depress myself by weighing when I see the trainer on Tuesdays.

In The Department of The Obvious, by no longer having a hernia, the few push-ups I do seem easier.

Lots of Justice League and Justice Society heroes here. Ontario is next for data cleanup. BTW the way, cheat evening happened at Sophie’s

Mutant Diet Phase 5 Day 6
OK, that sucked. I did semi-OK at lunch yesterday but made a classic mistake of holding off dinner and then giving up when family members were later coming home and going out. Fatigue also played a role in this.

However, today, I’m starving. It almost feels like the error didn’t happen. I ate late bacon and eggs this morning and it doesn’t feel like it’s holding. What gives?

So, today hope for simplicity and plan for success. I have to shop and will buy some veggies to steam.

There’s also a ton on the to-do list. Ack.

The Justice League movie doesn’t seem to have any Green Lantern characters. Whitecourt is alphabetically the last town on my Alberta travel site.

Mutant Diet Phase 5 Day 5
Later today I have a chance to play the dieter’s game, “Dodge the Carbs Because The Team at Work is Going For a Cheap Lunch Special.”

I’m a bit suspicious of this Phase 5 because I feel like the process is working similarly to, if not slightly better than, Phase 4 (pre hernia operation). Where the logic goes off is my exercise level is about a third of what I was doing before. Weather and surgery recovery have been the limiting factors.

So, what’s the deal? I have no intention of weighing-in until near or at the end of this phase because I know I indulged while recovering from the hernia repair.

This chemical soup of a body I live in is highly perplexing.

The Justice League movie is out and I’m on media blackout for it until I can see it for myself. I’ve been reviewing data on the Alberta site. I’m on Wainwright.

Mutant Diet Phase 5 Day 4
Someone has my carbs. Find them.

I have a good news story. I had to lead a Parent Advisory Council meeting last night starting at 6:30. I planned ahead and filled up on protein and vegetables in advance. I drank coffee. I skipped the treats at the meeting. The real challenge came afterward when my family, all of whom have a late Wednesday, decided to go to Siegel’s Bagels. I was a bit hungry again but there’s really nothing there that isn’t delivered with a bagel. I kept the family company, had a tiny nibble of a rugelach, but otherwise ate nothing. We went home and I had more meat and more vegetables.

This is where the combination of planning mixed with some minor self-control can keep you on track.

The chemical changes that dropping the refined carbohydrates have kicked in, which include looser joints and less tight skin. Hopefully the middle will shrink as the process continues.

Hulk vs Thor from a comic I have. Man, it was pouring at 7:15 AM in Vancouver and now the sun’s out 50 mins later.

Mutant Diet Phase 5 Day 3
I’m trying to become intolerant of negative body image. In everyone. Therefore when members of my family complain about any body issues, I try to communicate that even though there might be an issue, we should be grateful for the bodies we have that work so well. If there’s an issue, then try to do something about it.

Of course I’m a giant hypocrite because I have the worst self-image of almost everyone I can think of.

Yesterday I did have a moment to appreciate what my body can do. With distinct trepidation I went to the gym for the first time since the hernia repair. I was curious about trying the dead bug abdominal exercise that had been impossible during while I had an active hernia. No problem. I did other of my standard set but not touching anything heavy. It all worked except when I picked up light weights from an already bent over position. That fired up the ring of fire.

I’m thankful for the body I have and still working toward a healthier lighter frame.

Valkyrie does not look like this in the new Thor movie. But it does not matter. It was so blustery yesterday on Vancouver Island that BC Ferries had cancellations.

Mutant Diet Phase 5 Day 2
It’s Day 2 and do you know where your refined carbohydrates are? With yesterday not being a normal Monday there were a fair few temptations and I managed to dodge all except finishing the last glass of wine. Now it’s dry time.

The yoga class was much harder than I expected and I definitely pushed things, but I feel like the strength I built up prior to the hernia repair is waking up. The yoga teacher did remark it looked like I was pushing through pain. Generally that’s a true thing about yoga anyway, but the knots from the injury mixed with tight muscles from less activity were a pretty nasty combo.

Today I may just walk to the gym, change and then maybe leave again. You never know.

Hela really trashes the place in the new Thor movie. Joe Fortes was good as a pre diet treat.

Mutant Diet Phase 5 Day 1
It’s a stat holiday in BC for Remembrance Day and as a result not the normal pattern for starting a diet on a Monday. The objective for day one is to remove the refined carbohydrates and not fall into the oh-it’s-OK-I’ll-start-tomorrow trap.

I ate a little too well yesterday so I’m not expecting a full-on carb/sugar craving attack until later in the day.

The post hernia operation exercise regime has to work slowly to a new level. I’m hoping the repairing area will let me ramp up soon.

The Justice League Movie comes out this month. New article for Vancouver food people.

Mutant Diet Phase 5 Preparation
Nothing inspires going back on a diet and doing more fitness than getting a new driver’s license photo taken. OMG. What … a … horse.

Of course as some of you who have been following this space will have noticed that I had a hernia repair on October 6. Well, that was just over a month ago and I can say it was successful.

However, the recovery was tough in that my body stole every erg of energy from everywhere else, including my brain. I barely remember the first two weeks. Apparently, according to the surgeon, this is not uncommon – although I got the impression my recovery from the exciting drugs they gave me was slower than normal. She did say that doing a yoga class (on Monday) completely without major modifications to the poses is a really good sign. She recommends starting with yoga and swimming for exercise.

So, preparation for Mutant Diet Phase 5 starts now. The official Day 1 will be Monday November 13. Last day will be Monday December 11. That’s 28 days.

I’m going to need the rest of this week to stock up and see if I can get back into the gym and test what I can do. I won’t start with the personal trainer until I feel like I can actually get my money’s worth on the session.

I also want to test what happens when I knock off coffee, beef and chicken for a week.

Spider-man in Hong Kong with Mockingbird being his usual goofy self. I’m going to lower my blood pressure by going (mentally) to Tofino and looking at the ocean.

Mutant Diet Phase 4 Finale
I just ate a timbit. (Should it be timbit or Timbit?) Anyway, it tasted pretty good.

Yes, Phase 4 is over and Phase Hernia Repair starts tomorrow at noon when I show up to the hospital to have my xenomorph removed or whatever.

The uncertainty of what condition I’ll be in is a bit nerve-wracking. A thirty-minute procedure is going to precipitate a 6 week recovery. Good grief.

So we shall see. In the meantime, I’ll just try to chill.