Dalando's Diet Blog

Plateau verses Rebound; a Dieter's Choice

2011-10-14T14:00:00.014-12:00

The inevitable flat lining of a dieter's weight-loss is a test. If we allow frustration and boredom to overcome our enthusiasm for our diet, we will rebound. We know this from past experience. I have documented several cycles of weight loss and my inevitable rebound, the pattern is always the same.

When my weight loss is dynamic and steady, I am inspired and diligent. But when life gets in the way, when dieting conflicts with work and social activities, I face a choice. Buckle down and stick to my current dieting methodology, or slip into the dark side.

My pattern may be familiar to you. Quietly I seek solice in comfort foods, temporarily escaping the tedium into old soothing addictions, sweet creamy tummy stuffers. I forget to pay attention. Lost in the oblivion of oral orgies, my weight line rises, defeating months of success... confirming again my own self-contempt. This is crazy, yet this has happened too many times to ignore.

My advice to myself? Play with the variables, eliminate obvious leaks in the system, persevere. Plateaus are inevitable, even unavoidable as our bodies adjust to our current metabolical state. Let the plateaus happen. Don't panic. Don't run away into an old abusive relationship with food. Reconfirm diet fundamentals, the rules that have carried you this far, and stick to your guns. If only to preserve the new you, that was so reassuring, when the pounds were melting away.

"This too will pass."

133.4kg>115.8kg What's in a number...

2011-08-24T07:16:00.003-12:00

I started a modest goal of descending from a crest of 134 kg (over 21 stones/near 300 pounds) to a weight of 115 kg (18 stones or about 250 pounds) and now, after 6 months, my goal is in reach. Of course, this present weight has me moved from Clinically Obese into merely Obese. Breaking the next goal of being under 100 kg (less than 16 stones and under 215 pounds) may well be another 6 months away... and still have me, squarely, within the Obese category... a wide trough of despair where most Americans live.

Considering some of the sacrifices, death by a thousand lost habitual oral gestures, one may question whether the journey is worthy of this extended footnote. Yet there has been so many small yet memorable moments, a small necklace of successes and learned lessons. In a life where progress is hard to detect, it is fun to feel progress... to learn more of the subtleties of cuisine, the addictive powers of common foods, the actual limits of my will power, and the humor of our human condition. Dieting is fun when it isn't outright miserable.

The Low-Carb experiment survived an American Southern States road trip, and now the next journey is more of the same, augmented by more actual exercise, in the Isles of the Philippines.

http://www.filipino-food-lovers.com/

Texan BBQ Low-carb benefits

2011-08-11T12:51:00.000-12:00

The fast food chains are just too tough to find a good option for the low-carb dieter. Fortunately, when traveling through Texas, and some of the neighboring States, there are fantastic barbecue restaurants. Texans know how to prepare meats to be tender and savory. The trick is to remember to put the sauce on the side for moderate dipping. The sauces are strong so you won't need much for seasoning. Sides (side dishes an option of two or three in most restaurants) have vegetable options to replace the ubiquitous breads and potatoes.

In the fast food chains, almost all the fish and meats are breaded and deep fried, and accompanied by massive buns and hills of potatoes. This makes any home-style BBQ truck stop, or family friendly diner, a blessing of delicious low carbohydrate options. Usually the staff are also more enthusiastic, and helpful, in these family owned and operated establishments. I love eating in Texas as long as I can find a good family owned BBQ and can avoid the more common chain eateries.

Dieting on the road

2011-08-09T00:58:00.000-12:00

Traditionally, when my Japanese friends visit the USA, they add on a few kilo. This is understandable, as most of us love to try the local cuisine when on the road. For a returning expat like myself, the temptation is more nostalgic, wanting to eat the favorite foods of my childhood.

Curiously, I've discovered these sentimental treats taste better as a memory, than in actuality. Very little of what I gobbled down as a child was all that special. What was special was being young and hungry and active, the perfect storm of delectability! Now at 60, I am mostly sedimentary, and I really do not need, nor even enjoy, the sugary carbohydrates of my youth. I deserve, and can afford, better.

I have discovered eating primarily a choice protein, a great well prepared steak, for example, or fresh un-breaded seafood, matched to a choice selection of well prepared vegetables, or a creative salad, beats the traditional poor boy grub of massive piles of breads, potatoes, grits and assorted greasy goop, designated to most of the American plate.

The trick to healthy eating while on the road is diligent scrutiny of grocery store labels, and restaurant options. Fail safe old habits, or following the suggestions of advertisements or fast food marketeers, is a formula for disappointment. There are great treasures in the American horn of plenty, it just takes scrutiny. Feeling satisfied beats being stuffed by bad choices. Too bad it took me so long to learn this lesson.

Staying Low Carb while holidaying in the USA

2011-07-29T06:15:00.002-12:00

The very first challenge in my summer quest to keep my low-carb diet was high above the Pacific. Airplane food is laden with delicious but inappropriate goodies. The Chinese family seated nearby had the right idea. Take what you love to eat with you, when you fly. I immediately was forced to end my self-regulating restrictions, if I wanted to eat enough during the full day of multiple flights, from Osaka Japan to Albany New York.

The next blockade to Paleo perfection was the free continental breakfast at the Howard Johnson Motel, absolutely 100% CARBOHYDRATES, with stacks of bagels, loaves of bread, plates of donuts, bowls of cereal, and a splash of dairy or jugs of sweetened juice. In another time, on another diet, I would have been in pig heaven... but as a potential caveman in quest of bacon and eggs, I was plane out of luck.

The third obstacle to continued weight loss was lunch, having made breakfast with no 'break' but simply an unintential 'fast'. Lunch in an all American Shopping Mall FOOD COURT... every food stall was something potentially good wrapped in, covered in, stacked with gluten manifestations, soaked in sugary sauces. Only the pseudo-Japanese booths, owned and operated by competing Chinese chefs, allowed quasi-low-carb variables of meat and vegetables, laden with the obligatory MSG and sinister sauces.

Soon we will take to the road, after a family barbecue, and a day at the country fair. Doing America on a low-carb diet should prove a crash course in improvisational shopping. Thank God my medical statistics confirm why I prefer this style of eating.

Can't beat Success

2011-07-23T08:58:00.000-12:00

My low-carb adventure, which I now more often refer to as Paleo, primarily because the sound is a bit more snazzy, has been a real plus in my life. I jokingly refer to it as age regression, as I started at 134 kg, quicky moved into the 20's (platforming for a while at 122), and most recently been in my teens (dancing betwen 118 and 119). I am striving for infancy, achieving a long held dietary goal of breaking below a 100 kg after too many years overweight.

No matter what variant, Low-Carb, Atkins, Paleo, et al. the basic formular works for my particular dietary needs and preferences. I imagine a great deal more of us unhappily oversized could benefit by experimenting with this 'eliminating carbohydrates' aesthetic. Becoming aware of the sugar factor in our habitual over-eating, aware of the starch/sugar relationship to our body weight, reading food labels, and simply remaking old patterns... all play out well for apple body-shape types like me.

This direct assault, on my metabolic syndrome wasted waist line, has improved my medical statistics in under six months. This is the actual goal, to be further away from the threat of diabetes, heart disease, and all the many nasties of obesity. And though I am not yet in the green zone, I feel good getting out of the red hot danger zone. Perseverance furthers.

This summer I have scheduled a three week road trip with my dad and my son through the wilds of the USA, where delectable carbs wait in ambush at every diner dinner, fast-food courner, and family feast. I would love to continue to lose, but maintaining my present weight may be accomplishment enough.

My digestion of Paleo/low-carb literature, along with the ample informative podcasts available on the low-carb lifestyle, helps both to articulate my understanding and to keep me focused. There are many celebrates in this minority world of exotic nutritionists and fitness gurus, many are quite entertaining. It will take me months to work through my ever expanding book collection on this subject. But first... the challenge of traveling America and applying the lessons I have already learned, about avoiding those foods that make me fat, while enjoying the fats that satiate and satisfy... living the life... is key.

And... as an added bonus, playing with T'ai Chi & QiGong as my summer fascination, an exercise experiment as beautiful as it is enjoyable i.e. keeping cool by being cool!

Wish me luck.

A snapshot of Tai Chi instructor Roberto Paredes.

The Liberation Diet

2011-06-09T21:09:00.000-12:00

If you are looking for a grand overview of the low-carbohydrate dieting world, with specifics on the history of conflicting opinions, said in a straight-talk tone, this book may suit you. The Liberation Diet explains in layman terms the historical reasons why high carbohydrate, low-fat thinking has dominated our current dietary culture, while, simultaneously, obesity is epidemic.

For current devotee of the low-carb life-style, this book will provide you with a way to debate your friends, as well as, providing a slew of pragmatic tips for your Low-Carb/High Fat lifestyle. This is an overall good choice reader if you want a full understanding without getting lost in scientific jargon. I am thankful I have plowed through the other more famous authors on this topic, but for a simple yet thorough understanding, and a practical manual for your own diet, consider this book.

Coming to grips with obesity...

2011-05-29T18:59:00.000-12:00

The transition, from 20 to 60 years old, brings with it added Adipose tissue... unsightly fat. The possibility of metabolic syndrome, extra weight around your waist, places a strain on our liver and heart, and a real possibility of developing type 2 diabetes. It ain't pretty, no matter how you look at it. Yet to ignore the issue of excess tissue is a death wish.

Fundamentally, there are three options.

Do nothing and face the symptom menagerie: sleep apnea, sluggish energy, high blood pressure, diabetes, sexual impotence, poor self-esteeme... the list of consequences for middle-age obesity seems endless. But there is an end, earlier death.
Do the conventional solution, try and restrict calories: This can be a logistical nightmare as participants are perpetually hungry, as they laboriously calculate all they eat. Appetite suppressants can help but leave you edgy. Exercise will burn a few calories, in most cases, too few to mention. The premise is 'calories in' must be much less than 'calories burnt'. Considerably less, than what most people are use to, and much less than satiation, thus an endless nagging hunger.
Do the popular, yet controversial, alternative, a low carbohydrate diet.

My choice has been to Low-Carb the challenge.

I have averaged a kilo per week lost, from an initial weight of 134 kilo to my present 120 in 14 weeks. The advantage is: both protein and fat create a feeling of being full and satisfied.
The disadvantage is: adjusting to a life-style different form before, and different from the popular culture. No sugar and starches, like potato, spaghetti, bread, and rice requires a keen awareness of what you are eating. A useful skill, yet one that requires vigilance.

Fortunately, Option 3 works for me. And nothing beats success!

Addictive Coke, Addictive Diet Coke, perpetuating Obesity

2011-05-28T13:47:00.000-12:00

People always tell you Coke isn't good for you. That is... everyone except the people who earn their living selling Coke. They spend billions advertising how very wonderful Coke is. But, as any addict will tell you, once you are addicted, no one needs to tell you the advantages of Coke. Your body screams the good points. Quick energy rush from a high sugar flush of your system, unregulated stimulation coupled with caffeine, an ingenious blend that can only be matched by more of the same.

But inevitably, Coke becomes fat on your hips and around your belly, even for those gorgeous models in the Coke ads. So the conscientious model, wishing to stay slim, switches to Diet Coke. In fact, soon the weight conscious Coke consumer begins to prefer Diet Coke. Diet Coke is an even better high, squelching the anxiety of fat gain by an illusion of justifiable consumption.

But now, try and stop. Oops... It isn't easy. Coke machines, Coke ads, Coke coolers, Coke blends are everywhere. But even more important is that thirst, that craving, that inexpensive temporary solution to our nagging addictive urge for a quick 'Pick Me Up'.

And then people explain, that sugar substitutes do not eliminate our sugar dependency. Non-caloric sweeteners exacerbate the problem, they trick our system into needing more. Great for the soft drink industry, but havoc for our bodies. There is no nutrition... just an inadequate solution to our natural urge for water and nourishment. Just the cyclical mania of malnutrition in the innocent practice of a well establish piece of Americana, drinking Coke and being obese.

2011-05-26T23:13:00.002-12:00

Paleo Diet for the 21st Century

Here is a quick read ebook by Douglas Robb. A great addition to your library, for anyone curious about Paleo. Douglas writes straight, no fluff, clear and honest... Good Caveman-like style.

Here is his message to readers:

"...Click here to download the ebook.

Any feedback would be appreciated.
And if you do like it, feel free to spread the link around (hint hint)
If you're interested in more info about the Paleo Diet, click here to check out the Health Habits paleo archives.
Best Regards,
Douglas Robb Health Habits"

Made me hungry for mammoth!!

Why We Get Fat... best book for a deeper understanding

2011-05-26T19:33:00.000-12:00

There are books I am glad I have read, to help me get a handle on the complex issues of low-carb science, but only one I'd recommend without hesitation. Gary Taubes "Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It" is designed specifically to make the science of dieting accessible to the lay-person and as suggested reading for your doctor. Doctors are, more often than not, ill-educated in nutrition. As my doctor said to me here in Japan, "Just tell me the drug you need for your diet and I will prescribe it" suggesting a willingness to find a solution, as long as I do the research... and so I have.

Researching the complexity of the human body, in a realm that combines psychology, sociology, and a myriad of specific body sciences, requires more reading than most of us have the time for. Thankfully Gary Taubes combines science know-how, thorough research, and a refined writing skill, to create an ideal starter kit in one single book. To make it even easier on the eyes, I 'read it' as an unabridged audio book. I have a growing library of thick and heavy volumes, but this single text best sums up what the dieter needs to know, about how our body works and why conventional dieting doesn't.

Perfect Health Diet, a demanding but rewarding read

2011-05-14T14:41:00.000-12:00

Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet have created a challenging yet fully rewarding book detailing their design for a perfectly healthy diet. This is a plan well within the low-carb, ketogenic, and Paleo perspectives on weight loss, and their research appears consistent with many of the specialists producing nutrition/diet oriented podcasts and books. There is much science to be digested along with their dietary suggestions, so a meticulous attention to detail is necessary, along with a heaping dose of biological vocabulary. Yet, in the end, a truly rewarding read for anyone wishing to better understand their dietary options, with a goal of maximizing their health.

On a lighter note, I was amused to finally discover why Cannibals eat people. I recall as a young boy wondering why island cultures might want to eat their neighbors. My neighbors never seemed very appetizing. Yet the Perfect Health Diet parallels the make up of our own bodies (as it does mother's breast milk) and, in fact, eating people can be beneficial to your health... particularly, when the tribe on the beach won't willingly share the seafood, with their fat and protein starved neighbors, living deep within the island jungle.

Marisa's Kitchen Talk

2011-04-30T14:38:00.000-12:00

Marisa's Kitchen Talk has an interesting list of blogs, called BLOGROLL, all specializing on Low Carb cooking... a tempting assortment of personalized solutions for this life style. One amusing discovery was this 'GingerBread Log Cabin' a traditional speciality in many Christian homes during the Christmas holiday season, courtesy of Tracey and Katie of UNBREADED.

Atkins-friendly "gingerbread" log cabin, made from cream cheese, Slim Jims, meat snack sticks, and nuts: (originally posted with construction instructions at GEEKOLOGIE.)

Bacon Toothpaste Anyone?

2011-04-26T11:02:00.000-12:00

Low Carb High Fat – The Swedish LCHF diet

2011-04-25T23:55:00.002-12:00

A very popular Swedish diet is Low Carb High Fat – The Swedish LCHF diet.
Eat all you like

Meat: Any type. Beef, pork, game meat, chicken. The fat on the meat is good as well as skin on the chicken. Try to choose organic or grass fed meat if you can.
Fish and shellfish: All kinds. Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or herring are great. Avoid breading.
Eggs: All kinds. Boiled, fried, omelettes. Preferably organic eggs.
Natural fat, fat sauces: Using butter and cream when you cook can make your food taste better and make you more satiated. Béarnaise, Hollandaise, read on the packages or make it yourself. Coconut fat, olive oil and canola oil are also good options.
Vegetables growing above ground: All kinds of cabbage, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts. Asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, olives, spinach, mushrooms, cucumber, lettuce, avocado, onions, peppers, tomatoes and more.
Dairy products: Always select high fat options. Real butter, cream (40% fat), sour cream, fat cheese. Turkish yogurt. Be careful with regular milk and skim milk as it contains a lot of milk sugar. Avoid flavored, sugary and low fat products.
Nuts: Good to eat instead of candy in front of the television (preferably in moderation).
Berries: Okay in moderation, if you are not a super strict /-sensitive. Good with whipped cream.
Dietdoctor.com/lchf

Erwan LeCorre's MovNat (Move Naturally)

2011-04-24T23:11:00.000-12:00

About the Zoo...

The “zoo” is a modern, global and growing phenomenon generated by the powerful combination of social conventions, technological environment and commercial pressures. Increasingly disconnected from the natural world and their true nature, zoo humans are suffering physically, mentally and spiritually.

Are you experiencing chronic pains, are you overweight, do you often feel depressed or do you suffer from frequent illnesses and general lack of vitality?

These symptoms indicate that you are experiencing the zoo human syndrome. Modern society conditions us to think that this is normal and unavoidable.

We don’t think so. Our true nature is to be strong, healthy, happy and free.

We have designed a complete program that empowers zoo humans to experience their true nature.

It is called MovNat.

the Pillars

Natural :Respecting the laws of Nature
Evolutionary :Trusting our primal heritage
Situational :Satisfying real-world demands

Daily Weight Fluctuation

2011-04-22T20:23:00.000-12:00

According to Jayson Hunter, creator of the Carb Rotation Diet, our body weight fluctuates between 3 to 4% on a daily basis (woman more than men, due to hormonal variations). Therefore someone like myself, at approximately 125 kilo, may have a daily variable between 3 to 5 kilo (7 to 11 pounds). This is good to keep in mind, when checking your body weight frequently. That said, you can get a feel for your own fluctuation patterns, if you can bare the emotional ups and downs of daily weight checks.

Gizmo Celeb Scale

Is Exercise Relevant to Weight Loss?

2011-04-22T16:32:00.000-12:00

Listening to Dr. Larry McCleary in an interview on The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show With Jimmy Moore I am reminded of the two correct answers to the question... "Is Exercise Relevant to Weight Loss?" Yes and No.
If we are talking about attempting to burn calories to neutralize caloric intake, then the answer is 'Get real...No way!... It would take every bit of your spare time to counterbalance the body mass of the average over weight person with exercise... Hours on a treadmill to match a single coke and burger. "

Yet conversely, Yes... exercise truly does compliment dieting. Let's face it, dieting can be pretty damn depressing, and it has been clinically proven exercise fights depression. In fact, one such study has exercise as effective, as the major anti-depressant medications. It is no secret some of us over, and under, eat for emotional reasons. Bringing exercise into our daily routine makes sense.

But also, according to Dr. Larry McCleary, exercise brings body awareness. We can sensitize our feeling of fullness, our awareness of how our eating is impacting our body, helping us to intercede in our habitual eating patterns. Exercise wakes our body up. And for some of us, like in the experience of Low-Carb podcaster Jimmy Moore, exercise can re-channel the exhilaration and increased energy that major weight loss can bring. It is true, many of us obese are couch potatoes, or the computer-age equivalent of online junkies, and we need to be coaxed out of our rooms. But in the end (literally)... Yes we need to exercise.

Cultural Patterns verses Scientific Truths

2011-04-22T11:31:00.000-12:00

If you join the minority cult of Low-Carb eating, you are obliged to take the minority view against massive cultural assumptions about 'calories as a measurement for weight loss', 'fat in the diet as something bad,' 'the necessities of grain,' 'the innocence of fructose,' et al. It is exhausting to defend against cultural assumptions, like fat makes you fat and high carb is the way to go. Yet for the individual in need of solutions, there isn't an alternative to taking the road less traveled.

This parallels the skeptical intellect's tendency to be atheistic, in a world dominated by fundamentalists. To buck the world preference for theological non-logic, faith in what our tribe believes, what we were taught in our youthful innocence, is also quite exhausting. Answering those who have always assumed the existence of a benevolent force called Jesus/Mohammed/Shakyamuni, with a doubting Thomas persistence, is an energy draining responsibility.

Yet, if you are someone who actually enjoys having their assumptions rocked to the core, read The Vegetarian Myth, food, justice, and sustainability by Lierre Keith. Here is a scientific, philosophical, and experiential blend of volatile notions. An ex-Vegan's journey from hell and back to basics. The kind of book you will either reluctantly embrace or holistically pooh-pooh.

Review lesson... Sugar: The Bitter Truth

2011-04-21T21:04:00.000-12:00

Worth watching, as a reminder why you should be avoiding sugar (and fructose) in your daily choices.

The Connectivity of Food Research

2011-04-21T15:29:00.001-12:00

First I was looking into Low-Carbing, which led me to Paleo and their relationship to meat-eating, which in turn turned me on to Lierre Keith's controversial book The Vegetarian Myth, food, justice, and sustainability... ending me up to my neck in permaculture. What, you ask, is Permaculture? Here is a song that attempts to answer that question.

http://www.permacultureday.info/

Scottish Egg Log; a low-carb lunch

2011-04-21T01:14:00.001-12:00

In my quest for delicious low-carb meals to take to work, I have just learned of

Scottish Egg Log. The beauty of this snack like food is its portability, and general delectability.

Scottish Egg Log from the Drunken Gourmet blog

A hard cooked egg peeled, rolled in flour, then covered in pork sausage and deep fried. It's sliced in half and served with a whole grain mustard.

·                    2 pounds plain pork sausage
·                    2 pounds thick cut bacon
·                    4 hard cooked eggs, shells removed
·                    3-4 Tbs whole grain mustard
Sounds like it is worth experimenting with, as pocket food when in a hurry.

Great Opportunity for Me

2011-04-20T10:09:00.000-12:00

I have reached a plateau in my diet fluctuating between 121 and 123 (267 lb & 271 lb), ten to twelve kilo less (22 lb/26 lb)... than when I initiated my low-carb experiment at 133 kilo (293 lb)... two month ago. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce my second phase, a rigorous consistency to a minimum amount of daily exercise.

Spring has sprung, and here in Japan we have the infamous Golden Week holiday (first week in May) when all of Japan takes to the highway. No better time to stay close to home, and get some walking done. With a more consistent schedule, progress should be possible.

Meanwhile... I have focused on finding snack and lunch habits while working, to assure a consistent energy level as I proceed through a day of teaching. Walking was a reliable friend when I was younger, but back pain has stole this solace from my life. Little by little, I need to reclaim our friendship. Loss of weight and a steady reclamation of my physical prowess is my path to a more Paleolithic aesthetic. Anyone care for some Caveman shuffling in the foothills of Kyoto?

John Durant occupation Caveman

2011-04-19T23:00:00.002-12:00

John Durant creator/participant of the New York barefoot run, and a great urban caveman lifestyle, can be seen here discussing insights from the Chilean mine disaster (as an example of Paleo life-style survival skills). There is a fun interview of John Durant by Stephen Colbert here. Visit his site http://www.hunter-gatherer.com/.

Be a caveman too...

Go Paleo!

http://www.meetup.com/barefootnyc/

Protein Power the audio-book

2011-04-17T10:13:00.000-12:00

Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades are both author and readers to their popular 'three-tiered nutrition' Protein Power Life Plan audio-book. As a quick over-view of Paleolithic perspectives this 3 hour recording is a helpful crash course. Uncharacteristically, my audio download from Audible.com feels flawed, a bit wobbly, as if recorded on out-dated technology. But the material is worth hearing despite the wobble. The reviews in Amazon.com are also worth reading and you may find one of their many other books useful, if you are interested in low carbohydrate eating and Paleo rings true for you.

The Quickest Read in Low-Carb Dieting

2011-04-15T11:04:00.000-12:00

I have talked before about the remarkable life of the author of this dieting classic The Drinking Man's Diet Robert W. Cameron. Cameron became wealthy and lived a long vibrant life as a publisher and photographer, to the age of 98. Much of this prosperity attributable to a copy of an old diet given to him by a friend. But what I find most remarkable about this story is that the book is the cheapest to buy, easiest to read, and yet still provides a solid introduction to low carbohydrate dieting. For $4.95 you can buy this book, which fits into your pocket and can be read in a couple of hours. It is the perfect pass-it-on format for friends who love an occasional (or more) alcoholic beverage yet want to watch their weight. "Also recommended for Teetotalers". If you are looking for the formula to publishing longevity this book is worth studying. You may also lose some weight while maintaining your happy hour life-style.

Grocery Store Wars (2005)

2011-04-13T22:36:00.000-12:00

Not long ago in a supermarket not so far away.

Help fight the dark side of the farm. Rate the film, favorite the film, comment the film and subscribe to our channel for the freshest Free Range films.

The Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Guide for the Dieter & the Practitioner

2011-04-10T22:59:00.000-12:00

Some books become the gold standard for certain dietary disciplines, particularly those used in the body-building communities. One such text is The Ketogenic Diet A Complete Guide for the Dieter and Practitioner by Lyle McDonald. This takes the low-carb regime one step further. Here is a link for some clarification. In Japan this book is sold 'used' for $150 but may be found elsewhere for less. Also part of this text can be found on line via Goggle Books.

Other descriptions of the Ketogenic Diet can be found on line, particularly in the Epilepsy community where, when drug therapy fails, this diet has proven effective.

The Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Guide for the Dieter and Practitioner is the first book to objectively examine the ketogenic diet. This book serves as a reference for the dieter who has questions regarding the physiology, adaptations, and effects of a ketogenic diet. The contents are fully referenced for health professionals such as dietitians, physicians, personal trainers and nutritionists. Anyone interested in the ketogenic diet will find this book a valuable resource. (1998)

Topics include:
Human fuel utilization and changes that occur during a ketogenic diet.
Adaptations during the development of ketosis, including a detailed discussion of protein sparing.
The impact of the ketogenic diet on body composition in terms of weight, water and fat loss.
An examination of the potential metabolic effects of ketosis including in the kidney and liver, brain function, and cholesterol levels.
Guidelines for optimization of a ketogenic diet for various goals such as fat loss, bodybuilding, and endurance athletes.
Basic exercise physiology concepts for aerobic exercise, interval training and weight training. The impact of exercise on fat loss is also addressed.
Two modified ketogenic diets, which integrate carbohydrates while allowing the adaptations to ketosis to occur.
Sample exercise routines for beginning, intermediate and advanced exercisers, as well as guidelines for pre-contest preparation for bodybuilders.

Always a Surprise

2011-04-09T10:57:00.001-12:00

Body Scales, the haunting mechanism of bathrooms and club locker rooms, are the bane of the obese. But, when the stars align and a diet works, the scale can be your friend. Today I weighed in at 123 kg (271 lb), down 10 kg from my original 133 kg (293 lb) less than two months ago. In the great scheme of things to crawl from "terribly obese" to "a little less so" is hardly an achievement. Yet to confirm my life-style choice, to take on a low-carbohydrate challenge and see results, is quite a rush.

By the way, I am a Withings diet scale user. These are the scales that links via the internet to a personal body-weight data base. The Withings scale is extremely accurate (in decimal points) and in our kitchen is a second scale (also digital) to reconfirm the statistics. Many dieters avoid scales, as there is fluctuation and some people find this frustrating, but in my case I want to confirm my choices while observing my daily dietary changes as closely as possible. I am attempting to root out self-destructive patterns while highlighting positive daily strategies. Learning more about my personal patterns and finding new ways to live healthy is a worthwhile hobby for my senior years. Seeing success on the scale is certainly reassuring and brings a smile to my face.

The Atkins Diet - safe, effective?

2011-04-07T12:20:00.001-12:00

If you google "Is Atkins safe" you will arrive at a personalized essay by Kevin Davidson titled The Atkins Diet - safe, effective? Having worked seriously with the Atkins' low-carbohydrate approach twice, I can verify, experientially, much of what he writes. Read the essay if you are interested in a low-carb approach to dieting and want a simple-to-read, fairly balanced, analysis.

For a more 'scientific' analysis from Stanford University is the classical presentation by Christopher Gardner available on YouTube (January 17, 2008)

The Battle of the Diets: Is Anyone Winning (At Losing?)

A bit of diet humor...

2011-04-05T01:39:00.000-12:00

Imagining Head Smashed In

2011-04-04T18:35:00.000-12:00

Some useful comments about this book from a Paleo perspective were made on the Panu blog.

About the Book

At the place known as Head-Smashed-In in southwestern Alberta, Aboriginal people practiced a form of group hunting for nearly 6,000 years before European contact. The large communal bison traps of the Plains were the single greatest food-getting method ever developed in human history. Hunters, working with their knowledge of the land and of buffalo behaviour, drove their quarry over a cliff and into wooden corrals. The rest of the group butchered the kill in the camp below.

Author Jack Brink, who devoted 25 years of his career to “The Jump,” has chronicled the cunning, danger, and triumph in the mass buffalo hunts and the culture they supported. He also recounts the excavation of the site and the development of the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre, which has hosted 2 million visitors since it opened in 1987. Brink’s masterful blend of scholarship and public appeal is rare in any discipline, but especially in North American pre-contact archaeology.

Brink attests, “I love the story that lies behind the jump—the events and planning that went into making the whole event work. I continue to learn more about the complex interaction between people, bison and the environment, and I continue to be impressed with how the ancient hunters pulled off these astonishing kills.”

About the Author

Jack W. Brink is Archaeology Curator at the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, Canada. He received his B.A. from the University of Minnesota and his M.A. from the University of Alberta. His interests also include the study of rock art images of the northern Plains, and he enjoys working with Aboriginal communities on heritage issues.

Staying on the Paleo Pyramid

2011-04-03T18:45:00.000-12:00

There is something very gratifying about maintaining a Paleo-style diet, and, for many men, the point of reference are notches on a belt. The most dismal sign is when the very last hole, self-made often, no longer works. I discover how over sized I have become often just prior to formal events, when I drag out my Sunday best. Obesity is best hid in casual ware.

But, sometimes, when diets are being maintained, there are those surprised moments when the belt easily slips closed.

Fitness Insights by Jamie Atlas

2011-03-31T14:35:00.000-12:00

jamie atlas

Personal Australian Trainer and Health expert blogger...

Former professional athlete, some fun weight loss comments, and bits of humor.

“The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.” - Julia Child

2011-03-30T21:57:00.000-12:00

“The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.” - Julia Child

The primary advantage, besides losing weight, of a low-carb diet? Ask men who love their meat.

Living with a killer diet

2011-03-30T13:50:00.000-12:00

To others, the diet you are attempting is about as tedious a subject one can imagine.

Low-Carb diets are a curious exemplary of tedium to the uninitiated.

What... you eat primarily meat and green vegetables? No white stuff like sugar, potato, rice, spaghetti, or bread? Is that suppose to be a balanced diet?

Well ... yes ... it has actually proven effective, there has been weight loss.

But mostly water weight and of course you have reduced your calories?

Yes, all diets lose water weight initially, and, with the removal of the highly sugary mass-marketed junk foods, calories are seriously reduced... but there is more to it than that. It has something to do with insulin, and how we burn fat when on a low carbohydrate regime.

But how long can you maintain such a discipline, and what about the inevitable bounce-back, when you take down your guard?

We shall see. But considering the dangerous collection of physical symptoms we obese suffer, and the obvious self-esteeme issues, what real choices do any of us have? The low-carbohydrate diet allows me to feel satiated, and to enjoy my meals, while simultaneously keeping my weight in check. Raw Veganism, calorie counting, and all the variations between, could never leave me feeling satisfied... none ever fit into my lifestyle, nor complimented my sense of self. Paleo is plausible, and is more me, than the mathematics of weighing foods and counting calories.

The final ingredient in the dietary mix is being physical.

Exercise is my last frontier and most elusive nemesis.

Much of Dieting...

2011-03-29T13:04:00.000-12:00

Much of dieting is standing in place. Simply holding on to the dietary principals established, and avoiding one's lazy-boy addictions to quick-fix satiation.

Spring Break Readings on Health and Dieting

2011-03-23T12:19:00.000-12:00

Continuing my research, into the delirious smörgåsbord of dietary options, keeps my head spinning and my stomach confused. Here is a bit of my recent reads:
To the moderate middle of Paleo-Atkins is The Sugar Busters written by a team of sympathetic doctors, with concrete advice on our cultural abuse of sweeteners... and some half-way measures negotiating between both the pro and anti-fat consumption communities. The scientific dietary debate, whether fat is best enthusiastically consumed or rabidly avoided, still simmers on the stove.
An enjoyable journalistic approach to the conflicting dietary sciences is New York Times author Gina Kolata's Rethinking Thin. I can not say I felt any more reassured, to the correct dietary solution, but I was told being fat may not be as dangerous as I fear. Is that an encouragement to diet or to surrender, like most, in the plateaus of dietary futility? Perhaps I need to read her Ultimate Fitness: The Quest for Truth about Health and Exercise or, better still, Sex in America: A Definitive Survey.
But beyond my reading in the Zoned world of South Beach Dieting there was a temporary diversion into HGH (Human Growth Hormone) introduced to me with enthusiasm by a fellow traveler in the Philippines. Another massive topic and one requiring still more research. If I insist on not eating when reading, while continuing a steady diet of weight-loss podcasts when walking on my treadmill, perhaps there is still hope in all this nutritional and fitness research.

Calorie Creeps

2011-03-03T16:38:00.001-12:00

From Dr. Bert Herring's Fast-5 lifestyle:

"Calorie creeps are foods that are casually consumed when location or labeling obscures the calorie content of the food, letting a lot of calories creep into your body, hampering your efforts to lose weight...

Calories can also creep into your diet using alternative names for sugar or substitutes that have significant calorie content, such as dextrose, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, glucose, lactose, maltodextrin, maltose, sorbitol, sucrose, invert sugar, juice concentrate, and molasses. Check the nutrition label for calorie content if you’re not sure."

At a restaurant with friends:

"Eat, but practice damage control. Restaurant chefs pile on the calories to make the food taste the best possible at the lowest practical cost. The portions are often excessive because the food cost for a typical restaurant is only about 10 percent of the total. Serving large portions lets the restaurant boost apparent value without adding much in cost. It’s culturally Un-American to serve a plate with room on it for more food.

One method of damage control is to order the thing on the menu that you like the least. It’s likely to still be palatable fare, but it won’t compel you to push any more of it into your belly than necessary. Choosing from the low-carb options or the salads can help with damage control, too.

Apply the Sunk Cost Rule. Once you’ve ordered an entrée, the economic principle of sunk cost applies. No matter how much of the entrée you eat, the amount you have to pay will be the same, so you should make choices that maximize your benefit. Enjoy the food and savor each bite. There is no reason to eat it all. You’re better off with the excess in the trash than on your waist. If millions of people eat less, the portion size may decrease, leaving more supply at the source for the starving people of the world."

"An imaginary friend can help. As a last line of defense, try to mentally divide the portions in half, and imagine you are sharing with someone who is expecting to eat the other half. Leave half of everything behind."

The Lemonade Diet (Master Cleanse Diet)

2011-03-03T14:30:00.001-12:00

I am a child of the 60's, so new-age fads were an integral part of my development. The Lemonade Diet, Master Cleanse Diet, or similar variations, were always around in the greater alternative medicine/life-style community.

What could be more 'natural' than Lemons? Throw in some cayenne pepper for zing, and organic maple syrup or perhaps honey for that sugar rush, filtered water for authenticity and, in the words of the great guru Steve Jobs, "Magical and Revolutionary" things happen.

Usually diet blogs and diet analysis are tailored to the prejudices of the author, often with an e-book to sell... but occasionally I find a review impeccable. This one on the Lemonade Diet by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD for WebMD feels quite reasonable!

" The Lemonade Diet has been around for more than 50 years, but its popularity soared a few years ago after Beyonce announced she'd lost 20 pounds on the diet for the movie Dreamgirls.

The Lemonade Diet, also known as the Master Cleanse, was developed by the late Stanley Burroughs as a detoxification and fasting program. Originally intended to rid the body of toxins and internal wastes brought on by "improper diet, lack of exercise, and negative mental attitude," it's now also touted as a quick weight loss plan. "
Read the whole article for a deeper understanding of this classic de-tox.

The Fast-5 Diet

2011-03-03T12:18:00.000-12:00

"Living a Fast-5 lifestyle means setting a window of five consecutive hours in which you do all your eating for the day. It doesn't mean binge eating or overeating. The long fasting period (19 hours) lets your body use stored fuel instead of fuel being delivered from digestion. That time also lets your body measure how much fat is stored and turn your appetite down if there's too much around. With a lower appetite, weight loss becomes easy." The Fast-5 Diet is available on line for free or as a book. There is a Facebook community experimenting with this life-style diet, as well as a forum. Both seem to be carefully monitored by the creator Bert W. Herring M. D.

He does have his detractors, like Alan Aragon, yet the muscle-building blogger world, and various testimonials, all seem to take much of what he says to heart and have applied variations in their own lives.

Intermittent fasting and Lean-gains

2011-03-03T11:08:00.000-12:00

Fasting and feeding cycles are used by body builders such as Leangains blogger Martin Berkhan. I won't describe his receipt here, as extreme body development is well outside my area of expertise... my life being mostly a 'BEFORE' photo. Yet 'doing without' is 'food for thought'. Consider Intermittent fasting, after all it wasn't long ago the entire Christian world practiced fasting once a week (prior to communion, Fish on Friday) and something the Islamic community still practices with one month of Ramadan. Throw in most of the other world religions and the practice of some animals and there seems a great deal of circumstantial evidence for...

Intermittent fasting.

http://thesameffect.com/my-experiences-with-intermittent-fasting/

Birthday Parties as a test of concept in low-carb dieting

2011-03-02T16:01:00.001-12:00

Last night was my first test of my new low-carb diet at a social engagement. The 60th birthday of a good friend couldn't be missed, and I, and another friend, were first to arrive at the French Restaurant in downtown Kyoto. The first test question was "Drinks?" "Do you have diet soda?" I ask. "No... " so, no rum and coke. No diet beer either, though that too would hardly be Atkins.

I suppose I could have ordered whisky and water, but not being much of a drinker that would have pushed me over the top too early. There was Perrier, but I personally hate carbonated water. I suppose I could have had a glass of water... but it was a party after-all. The moral of the story 'next time be prepared', with a greater knowledge of appropriate liquid refreshments. Thus a new reference book...

Robert Cameron at 93 author of The Drinking Man's Diet. A book written in 1964 but still relevant today.

Drinking Man's Diet: Sample Menu ( from Alan Farnham's Forbes.com article The Drinking Man's Diet )

(With grams of carbohydrate)

Menu planning, the Dean Martin way!

Breakfast

1/4 cantaloupe or 4 ounces of tomato juice (5)
Ham or bacon, 2 slices (0)
Egg, fried, boiled or poached (trace)
Coffee or tea (0)

Lunch

Dry martini or whiskey and soda, if desired (trace)
Broiled fish or steak or roast chicken (0)
2 glasses dry wine, if you wish (trace)
Green beans or asparagus (1)
Lettuce and tomato salad with French or Roquefort dressing (4)
Coffee or tea (0)

Dinner

Martinis or highballs, if you desire (trace)
Hors d'oeuvres of 2 stalks of celery stuffed with pâté (5)
Shrimp cocktail (4)
Beef, pork, lamb, veal chicken or turkey (0)
Green beans, 1 cup, brussels sprouts, 1/2 cup, or cauliflower, 1 cup (6)
2 glasses dry wine (trace)
1/2 avocado with French dressing (8)
Cheese: Roquefort, Camembert, Swiss or cheddar (trace)
Coffee or tea (0)
Brandy (trace)

Total grams of carbohydrate: 33

Robert W. Cameron, died November 10, 2009 at his home in San Francisco at age 98.

Many Promises but no Guarantees

2011-03-01T17:33:00.000-12:00

Thanks to the 'psychology of returns', customers seldom return unsuccessful products, for weight-loss companies offering a guarantee provides promotional advantage with little risk. The world of weight-loss products has an additional built-in advantage. If you lose weight you 'shout to the heavens,' but if you fail you fail alone, secretly, and often in shame.

I remain enthusiastic about my Low-carb experiment. Primarily I like the simplicity of avoiding white, that is, all sugar-added products, and high-carbohydrate staples such as bread, rice, potato, and pasta. Sacrificing the convenience foods of quick-rush satisfaction, many of which I have woven into my daily routine, remains a challenge. I need to be creative and on-guard to remain true to the low-carb formula.

Fiber too is a real issue. Meats are accessible, but green vegetable consumption relies on having time and access to cooking. I may need to habituate raw-food consumption of high fiber vegetables to guarantee regularity and a nutritional balance. This feels the most challenging and reminds me of my false start as a raw-vegan.

I had been in a sad state of hopelessness and now, at least, I feel there are ways I can be proactive. I see what I am doing, what the implications are, and what alternatives I can muster. It may be a fool's strategy in the end, there are no guarantees, yet I am enjoying experimenting, and that at least is better than before.

Frida Kahlo’s final painting “Long Live Life” Viva la Vida

2011-02-28T13:51:00.000-12:00

These are the titles of her last paintings, loosely translated:

“Nature Life”

“Fruit of Life”

“Long Live Life”

Here is Frida Kahlo’s final painting, with the words “Long Live Life” written into the slice of life front and center:

Viva la Vida

Mark Parisi cartoonist at OffTheMark.com

2011-02-27T00:31:00.000-12:00

The brilliance of a cartoonist is a day-to-day grace easy to take for granted. But where would we be if magazines and newspapers, and now blog posts, did not share a few.

Please visit Mark Parisi's website.

http://www.dietbites.com/

2011-02-25T23:44:00.000-12:00

Day by Day chatting about the narcissistic tale of dieters

2011-02-25T23:05:00.000-12:00

At this time I am meticulously updating my enormous website, a tedious yet enlightening process... revisiting the changes in a life time... The Lov-e.com website includes hundreds of pages, created in the early years of web development, with thousands of now deactivated links and antiquated information. It doesn't take long for information on the web to be irrelevant.

In this reflective process, I am witness to my many hand-to-hand bouts with my obesity, my many false starts, great progress and the sad losses of gaining weight step by step in reaction. For older heavy people one's yo-yo dieting for a life time is a bitter closeted recollection.

But I am happy to be playing at dieting again. I need to survive and learning the state-of-art dietary opinions, of the various camps, can be fascinating. Presently I am practicing a low-carb regime. I often feel over-full, because I still eat impulsively, and am undoubtably accustomed to regular refueling with sugar-enhanced carbohydrates. Whether I can ever develop a six sense of awareness, where I might intercede between my compulsive nature and the practical reality of healthy self-maitainance... time will again tell.

Retro Diet Humor Note Cards

Easier said than done... but worth a try!

2011-02-23T02:11:00.000-12:00

from Marisa's Kitchen Talk

Primal Body - Primal Mind hosted by Nora Gedgaudas

2011-02-21T18:41:00.000-12:00

A peleo podcast, optimal nutrition...

Primal Body - Primal Mind Radio hosted by Nora Gedgaudas

Raw Vegan Blogger "Become a Healthier You"

2011-02-21T14:02:00.000-12:00

Evelyn Parham has a gentle southern-style warmth as she advises people toward a plant based diet, stressing the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. She is making a life from her blogging while keeping fit. The trick for all of us is the best way to face our addictions and cultural predispositions. With Evelyn the issue she first focused on was the corruption of black hair by chemical straighteners. Her awareness of the beauty and healthfulness in being natural is reminiscent of the primal/paleo philosophy, be who you are. Evelyn understands how important it is for us to also begin where we are. What the raw vegan community offers us is a refreshingly new way to objectify the distinctions between our culturally assumed values and what is really possible. Healthy living examples, like Evelyn Parham, living in the real world... and nothing is more real than a black mother from Tennessee trying to talk nutrition to her Southern peers in Georgia... are the front line in changing the American diet and defeating obesity before it defeats us all.

Marathon fantasy

2011-02-20T23:19:00.000-12:00

Listening to a Low-carb advocate's fight against cancer... he mentions he is doing a marathon this year, something radically out of his life long pattern... and I was reminded of how I too would fantasize full physical expression... to complete a marathon... this would be a beautiful miracle for me.
Years ago I purchased a high quality treadmill, imported from Taiwan because Japanese treadmills could not handle my weight. I have used it off and on, mostly off, for years now, but recently I have been enjoying it very much. I have situated my computer monitor in such a way as to permit me to watch video podcasts while walking and running on the treadmill. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the terrible back pain, I feel soon after walking on the street, could be cured by a combination of low-carb dieting and moderate exercise. The key may be in the treadmill and my continuing on my quest to rid myself of this uncomfortable blanket of fat banding my internal organs.

The Low Carb Connoisseur

2011-02-20T00:08:00.001-12:00

The Low Carb Connoisseur is dedicated to helping the low carb, sugar-free dieter obtain the highest quality and best selection of products available. Low Carb Connoisseur is proud to offer Atkins Diet products, as well as all your other favorite low carbohydrate brands.We are constantly seeking feedback from our customers in order to make available any new found low carb, sugar free products that our customers may be searching for. We encourage you to contact us and let us know of any low carb or sugar free item you have been searching for! We love to ship to International destinations and Military Addresses!
Why Can't I Lose Weight?
_{An Article by Atkins Center writer Sheila Buff.}

Alcohol on a Low Carb Diet

"Candy Is Dandy; But Liquor Is Quicker!" - Ogden Nash

The Yogurt Exception

Why Fermented Milk Products are different. . .

Low Carb Articles By April S. Fields

Author of 101 Low Carb & Sugar Free Desserts

Low-Carb Humor

2011-02-19T20:26:00.002-12:00

Here is some of the Low Carb Humor out there on the internet
Cartoon from offthemarkcartoons.com by Mark Parisi

A must see low-carb cartoon collection from shinyhappyhead.com

Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human body is more than 90 percent water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your body being taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy, gooey bread-pudding person.

(A well-dressed woman and her teenage daughter are out to lunch at one of my tables. I have already brought them their drinks.)
Customer: *waving me over* “Miss! I asked for a diet soda.”
Me: “Oh, I’m so sorry. I must have picked up another server’s order by mistake. Let me get you a new one.”
(I fill a diet soda myself and deliver it. Before even tasting it, she speaks up.)
Customer: “No! This isn’t diet soda! I’m on a very strict diet and I can’t have carbs!”
Me: “I filled it myself. I assure you that it is diet.”
Customer: *poking the drink with a straw* “Then what are these? I can see the carbs everywhere!”
Me: “You can see the carbs, Ma’am?”
Customer: “Yes! Are you blind? Can’t you see the bubbles?”
Customer’s teenage daughter: “Oh my God, mom! ‘Carbs’ mean carbohydrates, not carbonation!”

Low Carb Humor Gifts

Now try Comedy Central's Nick DiPaolo - Food Poisoning

& Nick DiPaolo - Obese People

On my Low-Carb booklist

2011-02-19T17:07:00.002-12:00

Here is Jan McCrackens, and her For Dummies publisher's, own extensive description of "Healthy Carb Cookbook for Dummies":

"According to USA Weekend, over a quarter of the adults in the U.S. have tried a low-carb diet. Many people have enjoyed lasting success. Others have felt mystified or deprived and given up!

Whether you’re a first-timer or a “try, try-againer”, this book helps you get with the low-carb program and stick with it! Building on the success of Low-Carb Dieting For Dummies, it gives you loads of nutritional information plus more than 100 sumptuous low-carb recipes like Crunchy Brunch Oatmeal Pecan Waffles, Caribbean Chicken, Chile Spiced Broccoli, and Lemon Torte with Raspberries. Low-Carb Cookbook For Dummies includes:

A complete nutritional analysis for each recipe so you can’t go wrong
Lots of recipes for dishes with 5 carbs or less
Recipes that de-carb no-nos like Southern fried chicken and Philly cheese steak sandwiches
Recipes for soups, seafood, and meat dishes, including pork chops, lamb and steaks (with a steak chart so you can chart a low-carb course)
Recipes for great desserts, including chocolate specialties and cheesecake
Vegetarian recipes and crock pot specialties
Terrific wrap recipes using lettuce, tortillas, or crepes
Guidelines for eating low-carb when you’re dining out or brown-bagging it

Author Jan McCracken, a health advocate and low-carber for more than ten years, has written two low-carb cookbooks and is a contributor to numerous low-carb publications. Having fallen off the low-carb wagon several times herself, she alerts you to things that can sabotage your success and clues you in on carb counting and techniques that have worked for her. You’ll get started right with:

Mini-courses on low-carb math and on low-carb nutritition and the glycemic index
A shopping list for stocking a low-carb kitchen
The scoop on different kinds of carbs and artificial sweeteners
Tips on using spices creatively for variety and flavor
Advice on incorporating exercise, including taking the first step (and lots more steps) with a pedometer
Tips for reducing stress (a common cause of bingeing)

With this information, you won’t be mystified. With the fantastic recipes, you won’t feel deprived. You will be inspired to stick to a low-carb lifestyle—one that can help you lose weight and feel healthier!"

Half Ton Man, a thought provoking story

2011-02-19T16:35:00.000-12:00

Patrick Deuel, and his fascinating sub-plot 'enabler' wife, are a story you may want to absorb into your body as you evaluate your own relationship to food. The film Half Ton Man has an equally thoughtful follow-up msnbc.com Fitness article online titled

Half-ton man loses 573 pounds in one year

'I look a little more like a human being'

Eat Meat or Not? Which is best for me or you?

2011-02-19T14:53:00.000-12:00

Within the website Acu-cell, in their Vegetarianism section, is a helpful comparison titled
"Nutritional pros and cons of Meat-based and Vegetarian Diets". A recommended read!

Alden Smith's opinion is available at DoItYourself.com.
A simple but fair appraisal, stressing nutrition.

Pros And Cons Of Vegetarianism
in list form... Clear and helpful for reflection, a quick read.

With very few exceptions, the issue of 'meat verses no-meat' on the web is dominated by Vegetarians, Vegans, and Raw-Vegans. The USA, which is historically a meat loving culture, is comparable to Japan in its cultural assumption of fish and fish bi-products. True vegetarians are a radical minority with few commercial consumables, in most of middle America, and in Japan where I live.

The most advertised source of Low-carb products on the internet, Netrition.com, is a US based company out of Albany New York. They cover a wide diversity of dietary disciplines, along with products that supplement muscle-building nutritionalists. The site provides full disclosure of all ingredients for their many products, so consumers have a fighting chance at knowing what to expect before ordering. This would seem a prerequisite, yet there are many on-line sellers, particularly in the legal-gray area of 'supplementation and nutrition,' which provide superlatives but few actual facts.
As an international consumer, shipping costs can be somewhat discouraging, as are the sacrifices needed to give products a shelf-life. All schools of nutritional radicalism, from Raw-Veganism to Paleo-Primal, encourage buying local, fresh produce... label-less real food.

Steak...Why not the best...

2011-02-19T11:31:00.000-12:00

Mark Schatzker, a Canadian food critic with a passion for quality steak, has a book appropriately named Steak. He is the go-to guy in the greater realm of bloody oral gratification. If you are going on a low-carb carnivore life-style, why not learn where and how to find the most orgiastic experience!

Low-carb Vegetarians/Vegans actually Exist

2011-02-18T23:33:00.002-12:00

Though it is not the ideal marriage, Atkins-like variations exist in the Veggie-only community. Without the satiating characteristics of fat and protein via meat, one can only admire these sacrificial abstainers and their quest for both beauty and philosophical consistency. This is the book I have ordered to better learn their culinary perspective.

"Rose Elliot is Britain's foremost vegetarian cookery writer and is the author of many bestselling titles. She has written more than 50 books, including Fast, Fresh and Fabulous, Rose Elliot's Vegetarian Meals in Minutes, The Bean Book, Vegan Feasts, and Vegetarian Express. She lives with her husband in Hampshire and London."

Visit sarahcox77 Studiov for an online low-carb vegetarian cooking series from Australia by Sarah Cox.

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

2011-02-17T21:12:00.002-12:00

In his lecture, available on YouTube, Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin.
"Dr. Lustig is a nationally-recognized authority in the field of neuroendocrinology, with a specific emphasis on the regulation of energy balance by the central nervous system. He is currently investigating the contribution of biochemical, neural, hormonal, and genetic influences in the expression of the current obesity epidemic both in children and adults. "

Statistical Review as a Reality Check

2011-02-17T20:34:00.000-12:00

In the painful analysis called BMI (Body Mass Index) or Quetelet Index, I have not been of appropriate weight since 'ever'. Now I am still within the clinically obese category and will be for the rest of the month. To actually leave the obese category I would need to be at a weight I have not been in my entire adult life, or at least not since college. To be below overweight I suppose I would need to regress back to high school, where, according to this index, I may have been OK.
It is hard for me to accept that I have not been 'OK' at my present height 'ever' according to the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet developer of "social physics".

At half my present weight I would be considered 'NORMAL'.

Progress, Concern, and Home Work

2011-02-17T16:15:00.000-12:00

After one full week, on this Low-Carb life-style, I am down 5 kilo. A routine scheduled visit to my doctor had him complimenting my loss... yet increasing my blood pressure medication. I have been increasing my exercise (from zero to 'some' on my treadmill) and playing with my body chemistry, so there will be changes. I will go along with the medication this month, as I drop more weight. But my medium term goal is 'to do without'.

Here are the two books I am presently reading in this quest to understand the greater Low-Carb community of Primal/Paleo practioners.

Melissa McEwen

2011-02-16T21:47:00.000-12:00

"Hi! I originally started eating paleo to heal from chronic health problems and well...it worked! This blog is about the intersection between evolutionary biology and food. But also about practical applications, sustainable agriculture, and general tasty things. These days I'm a co-organizer for NYC's Eating Paleo in NYC Meetup Group." – Melissa McEwen

This site is as handsome as the author, well written, graphically titillating, and chuck-full of right-on info. Follow her step by step for an informative journey through the primal jungle, living Paleo. Brilliant!

Compare Atkins Diet with Low Fat Diet

2011-02-16T13:13:00.000-12:00

Compare Atkins Diet with Low Fat Diet and Mediterranean Diet, Which One Works Best?

There are many type of diets in this world but which one works best? In this video, you will see the result from the study of Dr. Meir Stampfer from Harvard school of public health that comparing Atkins diet with low fat diet and mediterranean diet to see which type of diet is work best, most effect and safest in the long run?

Low fat diet – Eat little fat and cut their calories.
Mediterranean diet – Cut calories, vegetable eat.
Atkins type diet – Replace carbs with protein and fat.
Which one works best? Find out the answer in this video.

BBC Documentary – The Atkins Diet

Does the Atkins diet really work and is it dangerous? The most controversial diet in history, a new low carb diet revolution from Dr. Robert Atkins, author of the Atkins new diet revolution. Dr.Atkins’s experimental found that you could eat as much as you desire and still lose weight.

In this video documentary from BBC will show you what is Atkins Diet and how it works.

Biography – The Story of Dr. Robert Atkins and His Theory “Atkins diet”This video is a biography of Dr. Robert Atkins and his theory “Atkins diet Revolution” that changed the way people think about food and eating that help people lose their weight.

CarolineJhingory.com

2011-02-16T10:40:00.000-12:00

Steve's Original

2011-02-16T10:08:00.000-12:00

"Steve's Original is, at its core, about journeys. Our story is the result of years of searching for a healthier way to live; and eat. Our Originals are about the journey that we all take to find a better way to live our lives and fuel our bodies."

OPTIMAL DIET

2011-02-15T20:55:00.001-12:00

Translated from Polish by the Czech creator of the best Optimal Diet website:

"Jan Kwasniewski was born in 1937 in Poland. He graduated from the Military Medical Academy and specialised in Physical Medicine.

For many years he worked in the Military Sanatorium in Ciechocinek as dietician where he introduce famous in Poland and at present all over the world his nutritional method which gives the humans good and long health. This method was named "Optimal Diet" which is the cornerstone to the nutritional theory. The principles of the optimal diet at first shock people because the diet recommends eating large quantities of fats along with a radical cut of carbohydrates. The basic premise is that the dieter should keep the proper proportion among the three fundamental nutrients in food: protein, fat and carbohydrates. He found that the ideal proportion is from 1:2.5:0.5 to 1:3.5:0.5 meaning that with every gram of protein 2.5 to 3.5 grams of fat and half a gram of carbohydrates should be eaten. In another words, optimal nutrition is a high fat, low carbohydrate diet."

PāNu: paleonutrition - emulating the evolutionary metabolic milieu

2011-02-15T19:56:00.000-12:00

Kurt G. Harris MD defines his blog:

"PāNu means paleonutrition. The "paleo" here signifies "old" and not necessarily paleolithic. The PāNu approach to nutrition is grounded on clinical medicine and basic sciences disciplined by knowledge of evolutionary biology and paleoanthropology. The best evidence from multiple disciplines supports eating a pastoral (animal-based) diet rather than a grain-based agricultural one, while avoiding what I call the neolithic agents of disease - wheat, excess fructose and excess linoleic acid."

LINDA'S LOW CARB MENUS & RECIPES

2011-02-15T18:42:00.001-12:00

From 'Fat Head; You've been fed a lot of bologna' the low-carb website of comedian Tom Naughton... Some recipe options Linda’s Low Carb Menus. Jan’s Sushi Bar, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Atkins Recipes, Hold the Toast Recipes (by Dana Carpender, who also wrote a low-carb cookbook we use all the time), and Atkins Diet Recipe Videos from Atkins Diet Geek.

Mark’s Daily Apple

2011-02-15T14:44:00.000-12:00

Mark Sisson is an institution in the Paleo world, a position he deserves and maintains in style.

His dietary position in a nutshell:

- fresh, organic, unprocessed food – no junk!
- daily activity – whether it’s the gym or a walk along the beach, it all counts
- plenty of quality sleep
- plenty of water, no soda or sweetened drinks
- antioxidants galore – the key to limiting stress
- a good fish-oil supplement
- lots of essential fats, reckless amounts of vegetables, and clean protein
- time for fun – don’t take anything too seriously – ethical behavior – because what goes around comes around
- taking responsibility for yourself and your life – openness to new things and ideas

Latest in Paleo, The Weekly Paleo Podcast

2011-02-15T14:02:00.002-12:00

"This Week in Paleo is a dynamic new blog and weekly podcast. "At the intersection of scientific evidence and evolutionary clues left to us by our ancestors, the Paleo Diet and Lifestyle is a unique approach to nutrition and fitness."

Angelo Coppola, the voice and force behind this Paleolithic diet podcast, is a deep voiced and entertaining joy... each issue is well researched and well produced. In its recent recreation Angelo has three timely podcasts, but for even more see the archives which includes 22 earlier shows.

Paleolithic diet

2011-02-15T01:16:00.000-12:00

Paleolithic diet (abbreviated paleo diet or paleodiet), also popularly referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various human species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic—a period of about 2.5 million years duration that ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture. In common usage, such terms as the "Paleolithic diet" also refer to the actual ancestral human diet.

A Blend of what I have learned

2011-02-14T00:24:00.000-12:00

I believe I am finally ready to blend what I have learned and formulate my own culinary vision. I have revisited "Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days" an inspirational documentary based on the raw vegan retreat Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center run by Gabriel Cousens, M.D. and felt the exhilarating optimism I knew when I visited the Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute in Puerto Rico several years ago with my children.

Maximizing my exposure to raw fresh wholesome vegetables, while allowing myself the dietary joys of high quality meats and cheese in the world of a low-carb regime, I feel I can find a compromise with my real world addictions and culinary passions. I can never fully appease the dictatorial expectations of any one dietary discipline, yet never-the-less there is a blended balance consistent to my individual needs and what can work. Being trim and healthy, as well as, physically satisfied is not only possible but in pragmatic reach. I feel I am finally coming to an agreement between my inner needs and my external environment. A potential master of my own compulsive eating disorder.

a diet completely without carbohydrates

2011-02-13T13:35:00.000-12:00

It is worth noting that while there are Essential fatty acids (EFA) and Essential amino acids (EAA) there are no essential carbohydrates of any sort and while a diet devoid of EFA or EAA will result in eventual death, a diet completely without carbohydrates can be maintained indefinitely without health detriment.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/low-carbohydrate-diet#ixzz1DtOsaovf

Drink, Drink, Drink that w..a..t..e..r

2011-02-11T11:48:00.000-12:00

YouTube: Basics Of Low-Carb

2011-02-11T10:48:00.000-12:00

How To Start Low-Carb

Jimmy Moore's "Livin' La Vida low-carb" a blog, podcast, and general overall resource for low-carb living is a great kick-off place. iTune it, google it, you-tube it and all will come tumbling down.

2011-02-10T23:38:00.001-12:00

Laura Dolson's Low-Carb Food Pyramid

Once Again yet New and Fresh

2011-02-09T23:23:00.000-12:00

It was quite obvious, for a very long time, I felt defeated and acquiescent to never being thin again. Yet again I feel ready to reenter the battle field and attempt the challenge.

There is no need to fully articulate all the pain I feel in my body, and in particular my back, which has nudged me brutally into hopelessness. These are the symptoms shared with an embarrassed majority in my native America. The fact that I live in Japan only highlights the cultural, sociological, psychological, and physiological factors that have spawned an epidemic on America's biggest generation.

So crestfallen, at our image bombasted via a hundred casual cell phone photos, I and my fatty peers now must fortify with pragmatic solutions... or die too soon. What other choice if no choice leaves me as I am today, obese and in despair. Both as part of a worldwide army of the misshapen and as an individual bludgeoned by his own self-image, hard core dieting is my only realistic choice.

A grueling somethingness

2010-09-02T12:05:00.000-12:00

My actions are laughable though prophetic.
These words utterly inadequate.
My process a snail crawl to a promised resolution,
though my ability to keep promises questionable.
A circle dance, theoretical musical chairs...
The theories all having impact like bumper pile-ups on crowded highways.

Nothingness vs Somethingness

2010-08-18T12:51:00.000-12:00

There comes inspiration and none at all, as all is forgotten. The intake we understand is causation compounding desire and need, all suggesting a hungry ghost's endless appetite. But fat is not a suggestion, it is a diabolical fact, a wasted energy source on an overextended societal debt... a wasted waistline.

Swirling within the Whirlpool

2010-08-03T19:29:00.000-12:00

Massive wall of impotence and frustration. Hiding in air-conditioned tombs, watching the world through the window of the internet... Eat through the chain, not likely. Creation is the only way out. Defecate my fears and follow a muse through the skylight to the moon. Be the cow that jumps over. Be the man willing to die, to quiet forces founded on self love. Be, before non-being takes precedence. Before this prophecy of death hits the heart. Too late, always too soon, sing the chorus, preserve the tune, loosen the lyrics... let me be again, as before, an artist, free and naive, self-propelled and self-satisfied.

Buddha's warning of inevitable old age, sickness, and death

2010-03-17T13:03:00.000-12:00

I lost three teeth in the last month or so. A problematic back molar eventually worked itself loose. More problematic, one of my two top front teeth hung loose prompting a cosmetic necessity of replacement, ... and while at the dentist I decided to eliminate a space from an earlier fall out. In the process of replacing my old bottom front teeth caps an additional tooth came out. Forgive this graphic explanation (more than you probably care to know).

My point being... the misfortune of aging pounces, and we have only so much we can do to prevent the onslaught. This belligerence of nature is terrifying, and I find myself scrimmaging for philosophical insights to shield from depression. Sure wish I had some god to offer to. Perhaps the inevitable sacrifice is our own human form, as in Christ on his cross. Nobody gets out of here alive, and seldom in good form. The bones in our necklace at death are often our own.

Endless Reminders

2009-09-24T17:34:00.009-12:00

The calcium deposits may be the cause or the symptom, but the diagnosis is gout ('Tsufu' as we say in Japan) and the result is painful steps and inflammation. So a day spent in the hospital clarified what I was facing... dietary 'issues'. What I love, meats and seafood, creates gout, and what I crave, creamy desserts, helps make me fat. The solution would be to enjoy sacrifice, skinnism, fasting, I sense what I really need is an adventure, a daily process, a goal fully absorbing. A challenge I believe in, love doing, want to follow through. Unfortunately too much in my life is abstracted into dry toast. I am listening to a book by Gail Blanke titled "Throw Out Fifty Things". This was a process we attempted this summer with considerable success but apparently it is far from over. I can't believe how much more I need to get rid of.

http://www.throwoutfiftythings.com/

Terrible struggle of complacency

2009-09-08T20:59:00.002-12:00

I returned desperately to meat as if the successes of a summer as a fish eating vegetarian was not value enough. Now my weight rises in a dance with depression and many many small actions to break the spell and invite back a long lost vitality. My reflection terrifies me. Yet in my terror I hide my mind with mountains of distractions. I live in paradise but the character I choose to play is utterly despicable. What color madness am I painting on this precious canvas... is tearful empathy my only answer?

Sometimes Simple is Best

2009-03-09T16:17:00.002-12:00

As simple as A... B... C...
SMART Recovery ® (Self Management And Recovery Training)

ABCs- a crash course.

If you get some paper and a pencil to use while you read this, you can learn this technique in 10 minutes.

The "ABC's" are an exercise from REBT, which is a form of cognitive therapy that is simple enough and effective enough to be used by anybody and- it works. You can learn to do this straight out of a book, or off the computer screen. We use it to examine the beliefs we have (or the thinking we are doing) as some of this may be causing us problems. The "ABC's" are an exercise that helps us to stop being victimized by our own thinking.

A common example is the issue of someone else's behavior "making us angry". This is a very common way of expressing something and we hear it often, but in fact it distorts the situation it attempts to describe. A more accurate description of "someone making me angry" is to say that I feel angry about their behavior. They are not making me anything- they are simply behaving in a way that I am getting angry about. I notice their behavior and then I become angry. The responsibility for the anger is mine, not theirs. This can sound strange at first, but dealing with problematic anger and frustration this way works.

REBT theory says that it is generally irrational and self-defeating to get all worked up about someone else's behavior. The anger is based on a faulty assumption, which is that the other person SHOULD behave in the way I want them to. If you think about it, what the other person SHOULD do is not necessarily what they DO do. This is a very important element of the equation- reality. They do what they do, and then I/you automatically get angry about it, and feel quite upset for a while- possibly very upset. It's like walking around with a big pushbutton on your forehead that says "Push here to aggravate". Is this a useful response to others' behavior? Probably not.

Since they are very likely going to do that (whatever it is) anyway, it seems, then it would make life a great deal easier if I/you didn't get angry about it and lose our peace of mind. This is what REBT can accomplish, in many such situations. The missing part of the puzzle, and the part that is the really crucial part, is what WE THINK about what they do.

For example, if I really believe that they MUST NOT do whatever they are doing, and then they still continue to do it, then the DEMAND that I have inside my head that says; "they MUST NOT do that" will put considerable pressure on me from the inside to do something about it, which I am very often unable to do. Often, it just isn't possible to control other peoples' behavior. So this will automatically make me feel bad; frustrated, ineffective, angry, desperate, hurt, enraged, and so on because I cannot translate the DEMAND "they MUST NOT do that" into reality. Most external phenomena I simply cannot control. The problem is that I am DEMANDING something that I cannot get. It is better for my peace of mind if I simply PREFER to get what I want than DEMAND it.

How much easier it is if I can become aware of this and make a choice to change the DEMAND "they MUST NOT do that" into a more rational alternative, which actually means something; "I PREFER that they don't do that". Once I downgrade the DEMAND to a simple PREFERENCE, the heat is turned down and I can function again. After all, it's now only a preference!

REBT has a simple exercise to help us make this adjustment, called "the ABCs". It is used to analyze the situation and change our thinking about it so that without trying to change external reality, we can feel better about it. This doesn't mean that we should never try to change external reality- sometimes it is appropriate- it's when it isn't an appropriate or effective response that we can choose to have a different response instead in order to feel better. To use this ABC exercise for yourself, just pick any situation where someone's behavior is "making you angry" and take a look and see what it is you are thinking about it that is DEMAND-ing and irrational, and change it into something more rational- a PREFERENCE. It is irrational to demand that people behave in the way we want them to! Here is an example using drunken people making a lot of noise late at night as they pass by outside where I live.
SMART Recovery® is: Self Management And Recovery Training

A. (Activating situation)
Drunk people outside, making some noise.

B. (Irrational Belief I have about A) They MUSTN'T make any noise.

C. (Consequences of having those beliefs about A)

When noisy drunken people pass in the street outside late at night and wake me up I feel angry. It feels bad. I lie awake feeling angry and upset and don't get back to sleep for a long time.

D. (Dispute the irrational Beliefs in B by turning them into questions and answers)

WHY shouldn't they make any noise- where is that commandment written in stone? Well, it isn't.

E. (Effective new thinking- substitute something rational instead of B)

Drunken people often tend to be noisy, but it's no big deal. It is very common that they make some noise on their way home. I will CHOOSE to not upset myself about this, and I will stop even noticing it because it is not a problem for me. When this happens I will say "Ah, the drunk people who pass in the night" (taking care to spell it right) and go back to sleep.

You can make an ABC exercise really short;

A. (Activating situation) Drunks walking past outside, making some noise. B. (Irrational Belief I have about A) They SHOULDN'T make any noise C. (Consequences of having those beliefs about A) I Feel angry, etc
D. (Dispute the irrational Belief/s in B) WHY shouldn't they make any noise?
E. (Effective new thinking) Drunk people do make noise, it's what they're good at- its like a natural talent for them. I will CHOOSE to not upset myself about this.

And you can do this on many situations that bother you and reclaim your peace of mind, just look for the DEMAND and turn it into a PREFERENCE. Here's another one...

A. (Activating situation) I tried to do something and failed
B. (Irrational Belief I have about A) I must always be successful
C. (Consequences of believing B) I feel bad, depressed, etc
D. (Dispute the Irrational Belief in B) where is it written in stone that I must I always be successful?
E. (Effective new thinking to replace B) I would prefer always to be successful but let's be realistic- that isn't very likely, is it- so when I'm not successful I don't need to make myself feel bad.
SMART Recovery® is: Self Management And Recovery Training

That's it- that is how to do ABC's. Try this technique with something that is bothering you. Try to keep it as simple as you can while you get used to the ideas involved. Be aware of "should- ing" and "musterbation" (these simply mean the occurrence of problem-causing "should" and "must" DEMANDS in your thinking). Here are some things you might think or believe, in which case these could be your "iB"s;

I MUST NOT feel overwhelmed with responsibilities
I CAN'T STAND IT when I feel (bored, sad, lonely, whatever) People MUST not take me for granted
Email lists SHOULD be how I expect them to be Other people SHOULD behave in the way I want I SHOULD be able to have a drink
I NEED a drink ("NEED" is often interpreted as MUST HAVE- be aware of such invisible
MUSTS)
They MUST see it my way
I MUST NEVER display weakness
The sun MUST shine tomorrow
People who do bad things MUST ALWAYS be punished etc.

Try to find some Activating situations, iB's and Consequences of your own and do this exercise with them. Often is easier to start with the C- the Consequences of the A and B and work back to see what they were. Whenever you feel upset it can be a useful exercise to see if an ABC can be done on the situation and your thinking about it. You never know, you might just feel better. Get into the habit of doing this regularly and you might feel a lot better overall. And do please note; this is a tool not just a theory. Success with this (and other) cognitive techniques is dependent on your writing out your own examples and making it part of the way you think.

© 2006 - 2009 SMART Recovery® All rights reserved by SMART Recovery®

Tubes

2008-07-06T07:04:00.002-12:00

To be part of an epidemic of obesity, to be a walking manifestation of a cultural dilemma, or not to be... my personal question of survival. My diversion to exertion, my proactive self-destruction, comes down to a betrayal, a neglecting of a court order from the evolutionary process of perseverance.

Gluttony, sloth, and greed, deadly sins as old as written reflection... a mirror, a magnification, indisputable evidence, a proclamation of guilt throughout the week. A sad journey of wobbly stunted motions, arthritic feet, and short breath panting.

Cut loose, cut calories, increase motion, change something fundamental inside where the sun don't shine... where a voice goes unheard, where some lie lays undisturbed, some rotten anti-truth decaying still salvageable flesh. Demons dance on a corpse of this living being, laughing and teasing 'Wake-up! Wake-up! You foolish old pig on a stick, or we will roast you in the flames of your own decadent sins!'

But I am intoxicated with diversions, and beat myself down with my spiralling stupor. Lamentable lard laid out on the pit, a luau for angry lost souls and mocking Asian crows.

A feast for the dismal self-righteously hungry, or one more blessed witness to God's rule? A Rumi poem of a lion eating a greedy ox, allowing the fox a chance, to know it is better to sacrifice all of the hunt's bounty, in order to be allowed to be left in the hunt. Better to sacrifice today’s pleasures in exchange for life, in agreement with the punishable laws of our universe.

Get off my merry-go-round while I still can.

No Direction Chose

2008-06-08T09:52:00.002-12:00

I choose. Dubious such as it is. Lack of exercise, lack of caloric discipline. Choosing web work, driving... choosing to feel the stiff, the crystallizing joints, the out of breath sweating encumbered soul. So easy to tumble under the weight of sadness. Wondering if I have the spirit to counter-attack this summer. To make hard choices before I am chosen by nature as another bad example.

Small Successes Small Setbacks

2008-04-27T05:58:00.002-12:00

There There, Big Boy... sometimes you go to the scale and there is good news, and you just do not know why. The very fact that you have not been paying attention may be the reason for your success, just as when you neglected the scale you gained all that weight. Go figure.

Marauding Anxiety

2008-04-02T12:39:00.002-12:00

I will need to weed the planters on the terrace, toss the dried weeds into the recyclable trash. All part of an illusion of normalcy. All above an underlying theme of angst, a perpetual percolation of anxiety. There is such a magnificent spring outside, seeping through the windows.

We allow the world in, for better or for worse. We must. Life is a participatory phenomena. To walk as a ghost on the parameters of existence just doesn't cut it. We need to be in the game, to make any sense of what it is we are doing here. If we make it a meditation then there needs to be a front line of analysis, somewhere the rubber meets the road. Better we are the one directing the motion, initiating the interaction, living the life that suits us best.

Not taking the bull by the horns, or the balls, or, as in Zen, as a gentle friend, lead by its ring... is a fundamental error. Yet choosing among the options, when cloaked in a trench coat of despair, is daunting for the depressed. The chicken to egg cycle, of impotence due to the blues, needs to be disrupted somehow. The old hen needs to be beheaded or the damn egg scrambled.

In someway an initiative followed by an ignition is called for... a fire under our procrastinating perplexity... A self-anointed rite of passage, out the door, and into the mix of things. Spring awaits, but only for one season. Summer sits simmering just around that pertruding bend up ahead. Best to pull weeds while we still have fingers.

Best to express what you are really thinking, what you really want to be doing... and then, do it.

No Place to Go

2008-03-31T13:49:00.002-12:00

To go out... I seem to have no romance with place, unless there is a high probability that I might meet someone. So the best place for me is a centrally located coffee shop where I know friends go. Since I am sedimentary at home, this means I end up being sedimentary when I go out. I love sedimentary activities. Computers, movies, chatting with friends, watching strangers, reading, listening. All are, more often than not, a study in still life.

Taking a walk with a friend, or dancing, as well as walking in dynamically different environments as a pilgrim or a tourist, are ways in which I combined my love of society with exercise. This is one reason I often fantasize purchasing a small place as residence downtown (either here in Kyoto or New York, though other dynamic centralized urban centers might work equally well) or to have a storefront where passersby may stop in and chat, as we watch the passing strangers, together over coffee.

There are many people watchers as myself... I wonder what it all means... what purpose do we serve in the organism of humankind? Is there some greater purpose, than just passing time? Are we meant to do more than watch life go by?

No Satisfaction

2008-03-30T15:30:00.002-12:00

Futility. What could be... expletives. There is no... definitiveness, only bloated disgruntled negativism I'd prefer not to share.

Model by example.

Be the Man.

Spring Salvation

2008-03-23T13:30:00.002-12:00

This has been a long and emotionally challenging Winter.... as has been my conscious 'un-participation' in this blog. In fact, I came close to destroying all records of my struggle.

Firstly, instead of using this time to lose weight, I rebounded back to my highest weight ever. I seemed to languish in a self-destructive pattern of over-eating and avoiding motion, knowing full well I was manifesting symptoms of a depression. As my body manifested the sickly physical symptoms of obesity my emotional fatigue and social self-conscientiousness festered.

There are personal events that I might attribute this to, but that would be unfair, as I believe in 'taking responsibility for my actions' (and in this case in-action). Therefore I will take this time to try and analyze my behavior.

I began by genuinely attempting a raw vegan style cleanse. While my intentions and initial actions were both genuine and extravagant, flaws appeared and undermined my progress quickly. The pendulum swing between my 'Natural' cultural diet (i.e. meat and potato fast food, American raised in the 50's heritage) and the enviable ideals of the New Age 'Natural Vegan' diet, remains absurdly wide and profoundly ludicrous. I am unhappy on either end of the spectrum, and shaken even in the middle. I do not trust nor fully believe the radical claims of conspiracy and psydo-science professed by the left and intrinsically mistrust the established nutritionists and marketers on the right.

In my fantasies I hunger for a support group where I might eat in peace... yet what I love in most indigenous food cultures is less than what is best for me, and the dietary lifestyles of dietary scarcity, where I might again rediscover health and physical potency, all leave me feeling desperately out of sync. I feel inordinately hopeless and ashamed, having tried so many paths short of my goal. My website and personal history is a burial ground of failed methodologies.

There are moments in most days when I make a gesture toward moderation and pro-action, but these are all so short of what is needed. Thus the parallel to depression is obvious. I would so much like to fall into a pattern of healthful behavior, when what is really needed is a climb up into a precise long-term commitment, to what inevitably would be a brutally uncomfortable sacrifice.

A commitment and sacrifice which must span a longer time then I am presently prepared to make. Yet my survival depends on it... Witness the downwardly spiraling logic of the defeatist. How much I'd love to blame someone besides myself, to be swallowed up in a cult who would lavish me in supportive sensuality while purging me of all my addictive patterns. But instead I am being asked by circumstance to heal myself.

How tedious reality... how unmovable... how frightfully real. How the hell can I beat this looping mania?

Life Time Leads to Now

2007-12-31T14:15:00.000-12:00

A year old Victoria Boutenko podcast (a celebrity in the raw food movement) plays on this computer, as I mentally try and prepare for a raw vegan cleanse. I will do this purge starting next week, on January 6th. I just need to do something to help myself... already I have begun to revisit the research material of the last two years. I will meticulously coordinate my eating for 21 days. Needless to say, already I feel my resistance building. Already I have had odd mood swings and obsessive oral fixations.

I have been struggling with food and exercise all my life, never quite getting it right. I have my eyes now on a retreat to Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, run by Gabriel & Shanti Cousens in Patagonia Arizona. Cousens is another celebrity in whole food circles. It will be helpful seeing his operation, spending time alone with my thoughts and feelings, and experiencing their eating rituals. I hope I can draw my resources together to allow this to happen in the coming months.

Quietly talking to oneself

2007-12-26T13:39:00.000-12:00

There is the slight airy hum of a hard disk on my desk. The house is quiet with my two teen children relaxing during their winter-break holiday. Hieidaira, where we live, is usually always fairly quiet during the day and I have done what I can to insulate my bedroom studio from the harsher street sounds of roaring engines and barking dogs.

I love having this time to update my website sections, reflect, and refocus on the core issues in my fast paced life. Fast paced only from the perspective of a turtle slow consciousness, a mind that hardly learns and must spend time recycling lessons over and over again until they sink in.

Today, despite a rather usual meaty concoction for breakfast, I reevaluate the merits of a 'living food' holiday, away from the destructive eating patterns I normally consume. Doctors have doubled my blood pressure medicine with the all too often repeated caveat, all I really need to do is lose weight. Exercise and moderation will work wonders to restoring my health and prolonging my life.

So daily, I hear a voice inside asking, why I hesitate to rise up and move, why I hesitate to bring a higher level of awareness to my eating choices. This resistance is a childish residue hardened into habit, yet it is for me, a key psychological battle. Whatever forces spun me into 'living foods' last year to take a 'Living Food' retreat to Puerto Rico with my children and equally cynically drew me away this year, returning all my old nasty physical symptoms, again need confronting.

This suggests a couple very pleasant, though deeply challenging puritanical programs, of overt counter measures. One or two specific planned campaigns back to normalcy (healthy normalcy verses habitual self-abuse) could launch me into a better year, allowing a more positive self image and less fear of my early demise.

I rightly fear too early and too bitter a death, in the shadow of my mother's legacy. I need to be proactive in very pragmatic ways, to allow exercise and nutrition back into my life. To allow myself to again feel handsome and healthy, virile and fluid...{to be my best, so I may do my best, to those whom I love including myself}.

No martyrs permitted, shape up or painfully watch this ship of life sail without me.

Should I care?

2007-12-02T10:15:00.000-12:00

Taking care, being one's own care giver, TLC (Tender Loving Care)... I am left with the dilemma of loving the man I am being placed in charge of, an adamant over-eater/under-exerciser. The cure of addiction is one firm 'cease and desist' order. The options are what?... some imprisonment scheme, some maintainable vigil, some powerful plan to override tendency (to eat everything, any chance I can, while hardly ever moving my butt) for solution (NOT to eat everything, any chance I can, while frequently moving my butt). How does this fox watch the hen house, when hens are what I live for?

Today a Crystal Clear Saturday

2007-10-05T13:41:00.000-12:00

That feeling of over full. That distance, where my mind skips among tangents. Outside is so clear. A large box on the kitchen table sent from grandma in Saitama. Kai asleep in her friend's house, where math help was the pretext while solidarity and friendship more likely the inspiration. Zen is now hidden away in his bed has awakened and come up to use the upstairs toilet. The sweet silence of Hieidaira on a sunny Saturday late morning. I have been up for hours moving between podcasts, sorted microphones and cables, cleaning dishes, stuffing my face, napping, watering plants, folding laundry, all the gestures that slice my time into manageable distractions. All I have planned is to make some kind of movie to document our life here for my dad, and later meet a friend. Monday is sports day here in Japan. I am off. My life is a mystery, my obsessive behavior some textbook model for lessons being taught on another planet. A strange disturbing odor whiffs through my window. Is it vent gas, a dead cat, or a rancid planter.

Frankly, I haven't a clue

2007-09-23T11:04:00.000-12:00

I take great joy and a considerable amount of pride in making appetizing and fairly nutritionally balanced meals for myself and my kids. I love an audience, so I welcome having a guest or my kids home to prepare a meal.

My one year exploration into alternative food patterns, from Atkins to raw veganism, has unfortunately produced no lasting radical alternative. Instead I have reverted back to childhood standards and patterns, though with a bit more insight into nutrition.

My flirtation with exercising side shows has been even less transformational. My only lasting, so far, physical activity outside the home has been gardening... though, even here, less than physically demanding. Right now I have some over-elaborate idea of having a bike mounted to my car, which I would use to commute to work after driving down the mountain and parking.

A more practical solution might be to take a bus to a bike. Unfortunately, because I work in a completely different location every day of the week (and sometimes at great distances) this idea will most likely never come to fruition. Using mass transportation alone would be a major improvement, though considering the life style change necessary, I can't see this happening any time soon.

Surreal Progression; Spinning Wheels

2007-09-10T17:48:00.000-12:00

Briefly I maintained a goal, yet so short lived. The matrix of self-management is beyond me. Yet I am playing with alternatives in a desperate dance of confused values. There is a bizarre blend of being aware of the religiosity of diet yet having no solid alternatives. There is no secular vision, dominated as I am in my aesthetic bound lust of preference... taste over truth. Creamy meaty fantasies makes food a daily play land of inconsistencies and frustration.

There is no trust in the captain of my being i.e. me, wishing I had the naive faith of a twelve-step advocate. A God I could lean on, to win the mind game.

Master Cleanse

2007-08-28T16:33:00.000-12:00

"Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days" by Peter Glickman, sounds ridiculous, yet a friend recommends this 'Lemonade Diet' and I am so in need of a fast... and I have the perfect window for a cleansing. Two weeks before my next physical check for my hemorrhoids. This is an excellent opportunity and will allow me a chance to prepare for school as I reflect at home. Let’s see where this leads me.

Old Age ain't for Sissies

2007-08-02T19:29:00.000-12:00

The title is a quote from my Dad. I just took gout medicine. Decided to take it out of storage as meat eating resumed that tingling feeling in my toes. I also took my blood pressure medicine, medical reports made that eminent. I am in pain from broken hemorrhoids. Humidity fills my room despite my air conditioning as a typhoon circles through Japan. Is it wasted time this perpetual maintenance of car, home, body and job? Surely there is a more efficient way... or is it a matter of slow walking acceptance?