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I guess it’s a good sign when I had to find a smaller belt. The question is, how will any changes I’ve made show up on the % body fat and weight numbers? I am sceptical partly because the scale has been mean to me in the past and the effort for Plan C seems less somehow.

However, this could just be the Diet Blues talking. When I was having my hair cut yesterday, there was a different face looking at me in the mirror. That old guy actually had a jaw line, whereas about 2 haircuts ago he showed a puffier visage. These small changes have to be used for self-motivation. Oh, don’t you wish it was possible to go into an electronics store and buy a motivation chip to shove in one’s brain?

If there was ever a test of perseverance and patience, this is it. Plan D is coming. But I’m unsure how to make it more fun than the original Mutant Diet, Plan B and Plan C. Fun, being a relative term that really translates to “not so annoying that I give up.”

Ten minutes in a Starbucks with a view of Kits Beach – that’s what I have.

Kits is still the neighbourhood of the beautiful beach people and, despite some of the folks with triple-shot-‎no-foam-half-sweet drinks wearing expensive yoga gear, I wouldn’t have Kits any other way.

I was debating if the Vancouver fitness “thing” was influencing my diet/fitness tenacity. If it is, it’s about 20 years late. So I conclude that simply not wanting to feel like a useless blob mixed with the fear of premature agonizing death from preventable causes is the root cause of my new behaviours.

Although, my poor personal trainer was cut off by another cyclist and hurt her arm!‎ Who knew this fitness thing could be so hazardous?

It’s amazing what the difference a wind makes. (Yesterday there was a breeze – today little.) The ride over the Burrard Bridge was toxic with car fumes and it was hot. And I wonder why environment and commerce are not better connected. I am thinking a lot of work is needed to add trees to cities to help take the pollution out and dammit it looks and feels nicer.

Isn’t that worth the money?

Speaking of mysteries, I was cycling down a bike lane that connects York Street to the mini park that gives me access to Burrard Bridge. A police officer was in hiding with a ticket book. Are they finally enforcing helmets? I didn’t have time to stop and ask.

And as for diet. Well, I cooked a lot of meat last night at home and had the fans on. The vegetarians don’t come home until Saturday AM where all the olfactory evidence will be gone. Check out a new article. Vancouver Farmers Markets.

Today is the day to go back on track mentally and physically. I am running out of supplies so I have to hit Costco and I need to cook it while the family is away. It’s going to get stinky in my apartment tonight.

Much to do. Gotta run.

Please check out Nakusp BC.

Anatomy of a dietary train wreck.

I had a chance to have dinner with a friend and see Suicide Squad. I’m not sure what the critics were looking for in this film. Did they get fooled by the hype? Did they not actual ever read a comic book? Anyway, I enjoyed it. Smith, Leto and Robbie were all great.

Back to the diet. I had a dinner train wreck because the sheer cost of having a healthy meal that might possibly taste good was double what it would be for a burger and fries meal.

I would have taken a chance on the side kale salad instead of fries had it not cost more. And, seriously, I don’t think it would have been appropriate to ask to do a taste test of the salad.

Speaking of things I don’t like paying extra for, I don’t like 3D movies. The glasses don’t fit and the effect is distracting. For me 3D glasses are to movies what kale salad is to a burger.

Yesterday was a Monday with all the traditional unpleasant surprises traditionally associated with the first day of the work week.

However, as I was doing a course correction diet-wise, it was interesting that I lost my appetite at lunch when faced with not having anything prepared and just being kind of stressed out. A protein bar and a coffee did the trick.

However, the hernia is random. Some days it’s all pissy and other days it can take extended effort. What’s the deal?

With only a week to go, I thought it was time for a progress chart.

Here’s today’s comic book vs live action comparison. Considering Newfoundland? Try St. John’s.

Two weeks in. One to go.

I am unsure how I could have sore abs when I skipped yoga and we did a 10.2 km round trip from Science World, as a family, but at a very modest pace.

Yesterday was a non diet day. An unexpected lunch invitation and an expected make-your-own dinner date made for a rather wheat-y day.

Back at it today but the challenge is that I did not have time to prep food. I must stay conscious of what I’m doing
today or risk a mess up.

Refinement is good in clothes and manners but not wheat, sugar, opium and other commonly used products. An Economist article I read recently talked about there being too much opium-based drugs in rich countries and almost none in poor countries from where, ironically, most of the raw material is produced.

I took a sip of my daughter’s favourite iced Starbucks drink and it was so sweet I yelped. Perhaps I’m pulling back my own refined sugar needs? How quick to re-acclimatize to old levels?

I spend a lot of time feeling daunted. I feel the progress. A golf shirt is baggy where a few months ago it was tight, but the finish line (or perhaps next milestone) seems so far away.

Any ideas on during that daunted feeling into motivation?

There’s a good news story on the fitness front I forgot to tell. On Thursday when I rode home from the Chiropractor, I was on Beach Ave and to connect with the Burrard Bridge bike lane, you have to ride up Hornby Street. For those of you familiar with that area of Vancouver, this is a steep block. According to Google Maps it’s 150 m with a 12 m elevation gain. In the past when I tried this block, it was a for sure dismount halfway through.

On Thursday, I dropped the gears way down and hit Hornby from Beach on a right hand turn and just pedalled and pedalled and made it to the top. Yes, I was winded, but nothing like in the past.

Message: if you’re looking for changes in your fitness after protracted trying, you may need to try something you haven’t in a long time and see what happens.

Oddly, I just noticed I only have 10 days left in Plan C. I guess I better plan for Plan D ’cause I know I ain’t done.

Now, no one wants to hear about one’s physical problems, but what the heck. This is a diet/fitness blog entry.

Yesterday was a good day. I did a gym work out and I included stair master and battle ropes, so I was feeling pretty good. I rode home via the Chiropractor and she worked on my annoying hip. It’s funny because after and adjustment you sometimes think, “Did this do anything?” However, in this case the hip was feeling quite open.

Could I have found the solution set of physio, physio homework and chiropractic? It was karate night so I realized I was feeling rather tired. But I wanted to see if I could do the class and keep the hip in the location the Chiropractor put it. And maintain the postural elements of each move such that the stupid, lazy, gone-on-vacation glute muscles could actually help.

About 15 minutes before the end of the class, I was lying flat on a table asking my right leg, where it connects to the glutes, to relax. It was on fire and the message from the leg was “Get off me.” I think I was semi-catatonic for about 5 minutes.

Upon returning to the class, I realized my stomach hurt. It took a 15-minute rest period at home for that to settle down. Of course I wondered all along, “Jeez, is this the time to ask to be driven to Emergency for the hernia?”

It wasn’t until today I knew why rest was the answer, not the hospital. Your hernia is strangulated when there is a sharp pain when you cough and you can’t apply pressure to the hernia without sharp pain.

I think my name of this diet, “the hernia diet” is appropriate.