Stoptober 2012

[El Gordo]

My diet continues into week four - eight to go on this current path.
No cereals, bread, beer or spuds; lean meats, high protein/ low carb meals, snacks restricted to nuts and dried fruit and as much fruit & veg as I want. Sugar has also gone (I was taking one unrefined brown sugar cube in coffee). Results so far are mixed. My weight has barely shifted (though weighing myself on the freight scale at work may not be quite what I need). I feel like I've shifted some lard. Perhaps the fat is turning to muscle? Heh heh. Perhaps not, but I do feel better. I have more energy and sleep better, so that's something. My aim was to lose ten kilos in 12 weeks. The sojourn to Ireland was a set-back, but even allowing for that early results are disappointing. I'll plod on and see what happens.

Firstly, congrats to the Team Moyleman. Beachy Head sounds like one heck of a tough race, and with the weather changing across Europe over the last few days (we have snow on the rooftops here in Horgen this morning), I can imagine it being quite an ordeal. (And they should be posting some info here about the race and the charity -- I'm sure they would pick up some donations.)

Second, congrats to you too for an impressive burst of sustained running. These regular lopes seem to be getting you back into the groove. Your timing for an assault on Almeria and a spring marathon looks good.

On the weight front, I'm puzzled. It's often been remarked that your running feats and attitude make you a bit of a one-off, and perhaps this singularity extends to your biology and the behaviour of your body. But other options first.

It's pretty hard to argue against the accepted fact that fewer calories mean a drop in weight. So... I can only assume that even though you have cut out a lot of processed and starchy foods, you are over-compensating elsewhere. I'm putting my main bet on the 'snacks of nuts and dried fruit'-- both highly calorific. Nuts and seeds, while healthy in moderation, and a great source of protein, omega 3/6 and essential oils etc, are very high in calories. Usually 150-200 cals per ounce. You only need a couple of handfuls a day to equal 1 or even 2 main meal in terms of calories.

Second culprit is the limitless fruit and veg. Firstly, how you cook veg. Veg roasted in the oven slathered in olive oil and served with just a little coating of grated cheese (say) is thoroughly delicious but won't come in as a low-calorie meal unless the portions are small. Which is the next area to think about. I'm the world's worst for thinking that mega platefuls of veg must be OK. Fact is, a lot of vegetables (and beans) besides potatoes are starchy, and eating a lot of them isn't helpful, particularly if not eaten raw or steamed.

The unconditional healthiness of fruit, likewise, can be a bit of a myth. Filled with natural sugar, and can be quite carby, especially bananas and apples. Fruit juice in large quantities has you absorbing excessive fructose and calories.

It's a painful process that I'm also having to undergo, but portion size is the key thing for me. If I eat 'healthy foods' but still feel bloated after a meal, I know I've done something wrong. Usually that means having too much of the stuff.

Like you, I'm eating far more protein than I might have done in previous times, but obviously many high protein foods are calorific and fatty, so again, quantity is key.

And yes, the freight scale at work probably isn't ideal :-)