Fat Man Caving

Thanks for joining me again! It's been an interesting bunch of days so far... I am sleeping better. Partly, because my ribs are now a month into mending, the rest I attribute to the weight I know I have lost. Although I don't plan to weigh in officially until I see my doctor next week, there are hints of progress, long buried in my soft flesh that are beginning to surface as the excess fat on me loses its grip. I am stepping lighter, sitting taller and have a little more energy to expend in the realm of managing my life. I've been sticking to 'the plan' as rigidly as I can; two shakes a day, a snack and a reasonably fatty, low carb meal in the evening. Over the last few days, I've been eating less as well. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it seems that I've been subconsciously reducing my portion sizes to what I assume is a more normal level, based on the actual needs of my body. This has mostly affected eating in the evenings. I feel li...

Steve's a clever guy. He sent me a link to a keto diet website he's been working on - ahealthyketodiet.com - and I found good deal of useful tidbits. From a diet calculator to a 10 day diet plan, it's a true stash of accessible guidance and easy to follow instructions for all; from a casual investigator to the die-hard keto adherent and everyone in between. How he ever finds the time to indulge in so many projects, I will probably never know. But I can say with absolute confidence that he's good at everything he sets his mind on. His ketogenic diet info is no different.  I spent New Year's smoking a smaller cut of brisket that I'd prepped and rubbed the night before. Between spritzing and buzzing around the kitchen, I happened upon Steve's Keto Eggs Florentine ( day two of his meal plan, click here to read ) and found myself thinking about it over the heavy haze of hickory* and rendering beef filling the house. Having an open hour, we decided to go to brun...

I didn’t post at all the week of Christmas. I wrote some, but I had the day after off for the first time in an age and digging in with family was a perfect distraction. I needed it. Next time, I’ll let y’all know that I’m off chasing daisies before I do. Or schedule a movie. Anyhow… We're now fourteen days in and on track... I have never been a big fan of turkey. Thanksgiving being the single exception and even then, I follow a predictable and formulated routine: I take a helping of unoffensive light meat and stew it in with sides and eat until overtaken by sleep, repeat the next day with whatever leftovers are afoot. That's the norm, right? But the actual turkey part of this has always been to me, more of an obligatory custom rather than a matter of exercising personal preference. New adventures in diet aside, my wife and I have been modifying family traditions over the last few years. As the eldest children of our families and a half a dozen kids of our own, we have tried...

** 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.** I had a fairly horrid afternoon. But I'm choosing not to dwell on it. I have to keep moving. I sat last night at my desk writing what would become this post, unable to gather my thoughts beyond a handful of reflections and witticisms from my past that. I have pages of such dribble spread out in drafts scattered across every digital storage medium available to me, like a handful of dry rice stomped into a throw rug. And while some entries are inspiring and relevant, for now they need to stay left in the margin. Maybe some of those ideas might find a home here, but cert...