Cornell, Carb-Free (mostly), and Courteous Cops

Last time, I was just getting through my first week of TKD - eating mostly protein, some leafy greens, etc. I haven't been strict about it, but have mostly eaten under 30 carbs/day and low fat as well. After 2.5 weeks, I feel AMAZING! I never get blood sugar swings and am therefore never tired after lunch; have extra energy most of the time; and actually don't get hungry much. I'm not bored with the chicken because I mix in fish and treats (beef, chocolate) enough to keep it interesting, and use a lot of hot sauce. I've leaned up and ran a 5k within 1 second of my all-time PR (12 years ago), and scored 100 on the Air Force Physical Fitness Test with my fastest 1.5 mile run in ages. I have lost a few pounds but nothing drastic; I'm probably leaner, though. I can't believe I have been eating carbs for all these years and only just unlocked the no-carb lifestyle. It's too bad that most of the population won't do it and won't believe it, and that crap food prevails, but at least I found it and I can get my kids eating better. I don't even crave the berries that are everywhere, though would like to eat more of them, and more tomatoes (I love tomatoes!) so will start working these back in sometime soon...maybe. Wine, sugar-free (mostly) chocolate, and almond butter (fresh-ground) are my treats.

Speaking of treats, I attended my 15th college reunion last weekend. Verdict - FUN FUN FUN, so glad I went! Everyone (mostly) looked the same, and the campus had changed a lot, but the spirit was the same. I ate Hot Truck - French bread pizza/garlic bread with pizza sauce and toppings and cheese, absolutely delicious and well worth the treat. Saw a lot of friends, walked everywhere, slept in the dorms...nostalgia can do you good, and it certainly was a great recharge.

I'm now in Montgomery, AL for a class. I actually got a notice on my car from the police, thanking me for securing my car. I see that they check to make sure windows are up, doors are locked, etc. I'm not sure how to react - after the initial speechlessness wore off, I think I was more surprised than anything. People sure are nice here! The shrimp is excellent too, and I really hope it stays that way, though listening to Alabama Public Radio leads one to believe that they're screwed down here and clearly Obama has no freaking clue what he's doing (as usual). It's quiet and I don't see much to do besides work, work out, and sweat, but it's not nearly as awful as I expected. Actually, it's a nice quiet little place so far. I don't want to live here, but a visit is just fine.

Targeted Muscle-Sparing Ketogenic Diet so far

I'm a CrossFitter. I have CrossFit friends who went on this diet back in February. They weren't exactly blimps, and after a month of lots of chicken and few carbs, they got amazing results (huge body fat lost) without really losing strength. Inspired, I finally decided to try it, starting as a short-term solution to get me from vacation foodie-ness to college reunion - 9 days, 5 lbs as a goal. Sounds nuts? Sure. However, I was at the top end of my rather narrow range of tolerance (142 at 5'5") and wanted to see what I could do fast.

Tuesday, June 1 - Day 1. Chicken, chicken, chicken. Hungry, then eating, and got through the day but felt hungry a lot. As far as I can remember. Salmon for dinner, which is fattier than the diet allows but I already bought it.

Weds, June 2 - Day 2. More chicken. Feeling weird in the afternoon, spacey, could have been low sleep too.

Thurs, June 3 - Day 3. Felt horrible in afternoon, hot (I am usually freezing) but not really hungry. Hm.

Fri, Day 4. Upset stomach!

Sat, Day 5. Felt great! No problem sticking to it now. Chicken, chicken, chicken. Some fish and egg whites, protein shakes, and lots of water. Leafy greens and vitamins too. Ran a 5k in very hot weather and did fine, despite pushing 90 lbs of double stroller.

Sun, Day 6. Decided to try a cheat day - supposedly to jack up leptin, which burns fat and decreases when you starve. Made cheese souffle for breakfast. Yum but not many carbs! Supposed to be getting carbs. Went shopping, checked out the baked goods and nothing looked good! Read labels on ice cream - I don't want to eat that! Ick. Can I do a clean cheat? You're not supposed to do that. Lunch: pizza, even a few fries. Yum, but felt guilty guilty guilty.

Afternoon: drank milk! Made chicken, green beans, mac/cheese (mainly for kids), biscuits (leftover) with roasted garlic (fresh), and agave-sweetened brownies. Yum on the brownies but I feel horrible now and apparently put on something like 7 pounds today. Eew! I don't think I will do this again. To get the cheat benefit you have to eat carbs and what not for 5 hours minimum. I'd rather stick to chicken, thanks. Sounds crazy, doesn't it?