Low carb / Maffetone / other regimes

[El Gordo]

Thanks All.

I'm still going strong, and finding it not just easy, but actually enjoyable and liberating. I've not signed up to any strain of low carb, and have no carb targets. The notorious Atkins 'induction' phase of max 20 grams of carbs a day seems just too extremem to me, though there have been a few days when I happen to have been under that. I suppose <50 is a rough guideline.

I'm down around 13 pounds so far, and it should have been more. I had two slips, and on two successive days, so it took a few days to work that through the system. Last Thursday, I indulged my dirty little secret, that I really should write about sometime, namely being a regular at FC Vaduz, the main town of Liechtenstein. They play in the Swiss League, but were relegated last season. Somehow, they still managed to get a Europa League place, and I had to get along to see the struggle against Odd. Yes, Odd, from Norway. We lost 0-1, though the lads put up a good fight. (Lost again, by the same score, tonight, in the second leg, so our Europa League dream is over for another season.)

Er, but anyway, at half time I realised I was starving, and went in search of appropriate nutrition. After rejecting the usual hamburgers and Bratworst und Brot (I couldn't countenance asking for just the meat), I started surveying the snacks. For some reason I got it into my head that popcorn was low carb. In fact, there is a variety that is, that I'd read about, but this most definitely wasn't it. After I bought the thing, I saw that it contained about 70g of carbs, but I was so hungry, I couldn't stop myself. Would actually have been better to have got a hamburger after all, but there we are.

Next night, I had to fulfill a long-standing social engagement, meeting a couple of friends in that big bar at Zurich HB. You know the one. I'd gone there with the intention of having a couple of glasses of wine, which are mercifully lowish carb, but Swiss wine prices in the on-trade are shocking, so I caved in and had a few beers, then some wine I got home. It took about 4 days for my body to forgive me, despite immediately getting back on track. The steady weight loss finally kicked in again a couple of days ago.

Like others have said, I also don't like complicated instructions for these things. Essentially, I'm not eating bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and other starchy stuff -- all things I used to love, but seem not to miss at all now. The ability to consume butter-fried meat and have cheese omelettes for breakfast, is more than adequate compensation. I also had a serious low-calorie fizzy drink habit, and have had to swap that for water. Fortunately, our tap water here is purer than the stuff you buy in supermarkets, so I can't complain.

Net result is that I'm feeling a lot better and, while I'm very reluctant to get too ambitious (seeing that I've made something of a career of announcing intentions which crumble shortly after), it does seem that this one could work. I'm 222 pounds today -- down from 235 when I got back from Blighty. I've never been lower than about 201, even when I was marathon-plodding, and even 201 is way more than my 'healthy weight' which is apparently between about 165 and 180. If I could get anywhere below 200 I'd be delighted, but let's see.

We're off to Verona tomorrow for a couple of days -- seeing Placido Domingo in the Roman Arena -- but have no qualms about missing on the pasta and gelato.

As for exercise, I've managed a few 30 minute rowing sessions and they seem to be getting easier. At this rate, I might end up actually going for a run.

Will post updates.