Diet Within a Diet

I’ve essentially been on one straight diet for over twenty-four years now. However, from time to time, I “go on a diet,” as they say, just to mix things up a bit. I define this diet within a diet like so: adopt a specific methodology, aiming at a specific target weight, for a specific purpose. For example, “I’m starting a low fat diet to lose forty pounds before my high school reunion which I’m forcing myself to go to for the sole purpose of showing everyone I just lost forty pounds.”

Last post I talked about how my current diet hit a plateau, like so:

It wasn’t that I was doing anything wrong, per se, I was just plain stuck.

Ha ha! Just kidding. Of course I was doing something wrong: I was eating too much. Not in the sense that I was eating three pizzas and drinking six beers a day. (It was only two pizzas and four beers.) But when your body wants two thousand calories in a day and that’s what you give it, you’re just going to get “stuck.” No mystery here, that’s just how it works.

That Other Problem

Long time readers might remember my little friend here. The 161 figure was a blood sugar reading I took back in 2009. I check my blood sugar more or less regularly, simply because I don’t want to end up one day with a surprise case of the sugars.

Well, I admit I slacked off a bit. During chemo treatment, I had my blood tested about thirty-seven times a week, so what was the point? Blood sugars were always in the 110-120 range or so, but these were never proper fasting readings (since that wasn’t the purpose). My occasional at-home fasting readings were always between 80 and 100 so I never worried about it.

Once the thirty-seven times a week blood draw stopped, I kinda forgot to start checking again. That is until about six weeks ago. We got a new glucose testing unit. I fired it up, put a tiny little drop of my crimson lifeforce on it and it came back: 566.

Wait, whut? I figured if that reading was anywhere near real, I probably wouldn’t even be conscious. I wrote it off as new-unit jitters and tried again a couple days later.

Next reading a more sane 112. The day after that 109. After that 120. Hmmm… not horrible, but certainly a lot higher than the 80-100 I was used to. Five samples taken over a month averaged out to 112.

Now What?

Well, two things: 1) exercise more and 2) reduce carbohydrate intake. I was able to vastly increase my daily exercising by raising my eyebrows every time I took a reading. As far as reducing carbs that only meant one thing: it was time to go on a diet. A diet within my diet within my diet.

A new plan typically doesn’t start until I’ve totally screwed up the previous one. But that hadn’t happened this time around. Sure, I hit a bit of a plateau, but still I’m down fifteen pounds since I started Diet #113 back in March. (And heck, let’s not forget I’m down fifty-nine pounds from my all time ever high. Perspective, man, perspective.)

The new plan?

• Eat more veggies.
• Cut out meat, dairy, eggs, etc.
• WATCH THE CARBS.
• And . . . no artificial sweeteners at all.

As of today, I’ve completed fourteen days on this plan. Let’s look at the latest chart:

So much for that plateau, huh? Seems like if you reduce caloric intake, you actually can lose weight. Sure, it’s only three pounds, but heck, I’ll take it. Slow and steady wins the race.

And for the data freaks out there, here are two interesting charts:

The “before” numbers represent a three month average, between June 30 and September 29. (Funny how Friday, Saturday, and Sunday all average above the 2,000 calorie mark.) Total “before” average: 1962 calories a day. Total “after” average: 1429 calories a day.

Oh, and current daily carb intake is hovering around 100 grams. (I don’t have detailed stats on that yet.) Next up, weights:

That “New Boundary” is just the next “weight decade” and I’m happy that all my numbers over the last two weeks are under that. Net difference: negative 4.4 pounds.

So that’s that. For anyone still reading this overlong post, please to enjoy the poster I made for my new diet plan. I’ll start producing the infomercials next week.