Zach Rules!

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** The following words are a record of my personal journey and are not intended to replace or circumvent any recommend guidance provided by your health care provider. Before starting any life changing endeavor, such as a diet and/or exercise regimen, please start by having an honest conversation with your doctor. Oh and please don't ask for cave locations. Believe me, if I can find them, so can you.**

So, let's jump right in, shall we?

I weighted in today at a full 299 pounds, somehow draped over my 5' 9" frame. And while this is slightly less than when last measured by my doctor, it is 100 pounds more that I'd like to be responsible for. For the most part, I am in good health for a forty-six-year-old - if I discount the pack of cigarettes I seem to go through every 2 days. I do not have blood pressure, sugar, or lipid issues, but in the last 15 years, I know I have lost muscle. Once upon a time, I was a far more active guy. There is not an inch of concrete in the greater Portland Metro area I had not beaten to death with a skateboard by the time I was 21, spending the rest of my time in the electrical construction and engineering industry when I wasn't being lazy – but that’s another story. I also use to drink quite a bit. Well, more like a lot. A lot a lot, plus one. But having served no real purpose in my existence, I ended up leaving that behind a decade ago. And despite every assurance that doing so would thin me out some, I immediately gained a further 60 pounds. Go figure.

But this tale isn’t about the past. It’s about the commitment I’ve decided to cling to for next 30 days. And if I do well, beyond. I have an advantage in this that I am well in tune with my metabolism, having tried this before, albeit on a smaller scale. Just like mom warned us all,  my activity level, energy and metabolic rates have changed with age. More like they both nose dived, finding a cozy home in a pound cake with a loud splat. At 23, I could drink beer, choke down frozen burritos chased with bourbon and skate dawn till dusk with not but a hard sweat to show for it. At 27, the world started demanding that I drive more and skate less , having the net effect that not only was I putting on pounds, I suffered from depression often. The day after my 30th birthday, I started buying pants 2 inches larger. Skip forward a decade and a half, if I smell flour or glance at anything with corn syrup lurking in solution, my joints start to ache, my waistline bulges and I need a nap. Fortunately for me, while trying an Atkins diet, I discovered that my body can and does slide into ketosis in less than 40 hours. Almost, no, exactly like it wants to or should be in such a condition…yeah. But this is not to say that a ketogenic this is a good fit for everyone, and I know opinions are heavy & broad on the topic. Whatever. I'm doing me - you do you.

So here are the rules:

1. My first 30 days start today, December 16, 2021
2. I will replace 2 meals a day with low carb shakes and will allow myself one snack and will have a well thought out meal. Tonight, I had my first Cobb salad ever…
3. I will drink water when I am thirsty and will limit myself to two cups of coffee a day
4. No soda. That means none. Zero. Off limits. If anyone hears me saying that I think I am going to die, just point and laugh.
5. My next doctor’s visit will cover a frank discussion on cigarette smoking. Yeesh.
6. 15 minutes a day on the treadmill in the living room a day to start. It was 'spensive, damn it.

Holidays are hard on fat guys that have a preference for savory meals and home baked sweets (hey that’s me!) , but I am ok with limiting social situations, if that’s what it takes to start. Some months ago, I was gifted a bag of supplements and concoctions designed to aid curious ketogenic diet dabblers. While I don’t intend on becoming a slave to pills whose contents can be fished out of a well-engineered diet, a few of them will help me adjust to the inevitable shock the body feels when some of the overabundant minerals present in processed food are lowered. They call it ‘keto-sick’. I call it annoying. It isn’t fatal. Whatever.

And on January 18th, I plan to reward my progress by having a cheat meal at dim sum shack that my wife and I frequent on special occasions. Let’s be honest – if we ate there once a week or even lived a mile closer, I’d be on one of those fat people TV shows and not blogging. That’s just real talk.

Here we go… Stay tuned for tomorrow's Fat Man Caving! Oh, and don't forget to check out our Youtube channel from time to time here --> Dead Canary Caving

Keto Chow – I love this stuff!
 
#ketochow #caving #keto #fatmancaving #midlifediet #deadcanarycaving #mtsthellens #lavatube #lowcarb

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