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Just a journal for my Keto experience and fitness journey. |
| This is it, page one on my journey through Keto and fitness. I tried blogging in the fitness/diet site but it's difficult to link to and they do not have the formating and editing qualities found here. Since I'm just setting this up, and want to share the link with others outside of WdC, this is merely an introduction to my journey and the items I blogged over there. |
| It was cooler out today and a bit windy, but sunny; a nice day to take a hike. We didn't travel to the park but instead checked out a side road close by that went to a Wildlife Production Area. We parked and walked the trail that went back in by the lake, then hiked back out. The terrain was fairly level and the trail was grassy with little mud, about seven tenths of a mile long. It was a nice hike to break in my new hiking footwear and let me take it easy on my troublesome ankle. The trail ran through some open areas as well as wooded and even some swampy ground, so the two dogs had a blast running and exploring. I brought a backpack with, loaded down with bottled water and a few items even though the trail today was less than a mile and near impossible to get stranded on. I want to add the pack to get used to wearing it, add some weight, and get a better workout. "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
| Yes, today is judgement day, the day I weigh and measure to see how my Keto diet is going. According to the scale, I've not had any results after the first few days. But, in measuring, I find better results: 02/17 02/24 245 lbs 245 lbs Neck: 17" 17" Chest: 49" 47" Stomach: 50.5" 49.5" Hips: 43" 43" Thigh: 25" 25" Yes, 2 inches lost off my chest and one of my waist. Not bad results after one week. I'm not sure why my weight isn't changing, but suspect it's water retention. We purchased a wood pellet smoker grill and have been getting a lot of use out of it, but smoking foods means more salt. I did look into some lower sodium rubs for grilling/smoking, and am eager to try them out. I am also planning on creating some spices for the grill/smoker after I try a few different purchased ones to aid me in determining what spices we like best. So far, I'm feeling good, and feel the Keto plan is working great. I know more walking will also help. I purchased new hiking shoes and tried them out on a mile hike yesterday. Today I'm just wearing them around the house to break them in better and hope to get a bit longer and more challenging hike in tomorrow or Monday. "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
| Never mind the title, it's true and I'll cover that later, but for now, it's Friday, things are going well, and tomorrow is measure day. My ankle is feeling better, but I still think there's something amiss with it, since it's been hurting for some time now, even before twisting it. I'm not sure if it would be best to see the MD, or the Chiropractor, but I have time to think about it while I wait for insurance. My wife has passed her tests and goes in Monday morning to discuss what shift she wants and to fill out paperwork, etc... So we are hoping to get insurance again soon. As for the "New Shoes" thing, it's a long story, but in summary, I was approached by a person I didn't know, who began telling me all sorts of semi-private things in conversation. After a bit he stopped and asked, "So, what's new with you?" Not knowing the person and a bit agitated by the intimacy of the conversation, I pointed down at my feet and said,"I got new shoes". Then I turned and left. But I did go out and buy a new pair of hiking shoes today and we took the dogs out for a mile hike. It was an easy to moderate trail, so a good opportunity to try out the new hiking shoes and to see how my ankle would hold up. I also wore an ankle brace for added support, and the hike was fine. Winter has re-arrived, so the cold north wind had a bite, but the sunshine was nice, and the dogs loved getting to run free through some grasslands. "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
| I'm not logging anything yet today, it's not been enough time since my last entry of logging last Saturday; I'll likely get on the scale and do some measurements this coming Saturday. But, I did want to log that my wife and I have been going out walking. Well, hiking! We take the two dogs out to the state park near us (45 minutes away) and do a bit of hiking. The first hike was moderate, about a mile with some challenging hills. It went pretty well, but I sure could tell I was out of shape by the time I got home. We skipped a day to recoup and then tried a different trail, making a couple of miles, a bit more challenging of a trail with more hills and uneven terrain. It went well, and I wasn't as stiff and sore the following day which was today. So, today we decided to drive to the back side of the park and try a trail there. According to the map, we could do a nice hike around a small lake, about two and half miles. This started out fairly easy, but soon we had hills and more difficult trail conditions. We also had a lot of mud since it was in the fifties today. This made hiking even more of a challenge. Since it's still the off season for the parks, they have not been out grooming trails or ensuring trail signs are still up. This resulted in missing one turn on our journey. Instead of the two and half mile loop, we were on a five mile loop and an extremely challenging trail for most of the extra two miles. Another trail marker sign was knocked part way over, so it was difficult to tell which way it was indicating. As a result, we hiked another mile in the wrong direction before we realized it and had to turn back. What was supposed to be an hour to hour and half hike on moderate trails turned into a bit over two and a half hours, half of which was twisting trails up and down some big, steep, hills; some parts where more like a goat trail than a hiking trail. The dogs had fun, but even they were exhausted by the time we returned to our vehicle. Luckily there were a few streams with flowing water for them, as we had not planned this extended hike and only had one bottle of water to share. In crossing one of these streams, I stepped wrong on a slippery rock and twisted my ankle with almost two miles left to hike, so that was kind of a downer. Despite the throbbing ankle, I focused on the beauty we were sounded with and enjoyed the hike. I tied my hiking boot tighter which helped give more support which helped a lot. But while climbing a very steep grade that was very muddy, I was having difficulty because I was favoring my sore ankle, which put more strain on the other leg. This caused an old back injury to flare a bit, and I found myself wondering if I would make it out on my own two feet or if I would have to wait for someone to come rescue me. But, my back held up. It was sore and difficult going, especially the hills, but I made it. Even though I over did it, was not prepared for the problems, and had not brought enough water, I enjoyed the hike. I also feel very accomplished that we overcame the problems and made it through. I doubt we will do any hiking tomorrow; I'll likely need a day to rest up, but we may go for a walk on a paved, and pretty level, walking path just to work off the stiffness and get ready for our next hike. Oh, and I will start bringing my pack with a few provisions, tools, and supplies just in case. "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
| Just a short entry today to add in some exercise. My wife and I took the two dogs over to the state park to walk them and decided to hike a trail instead of just walking on the roads. We parked and walked about a half mile before turning back; about an hour hike. It was a beautiful sunny day, but a bit chilly. The trail was fair with a little mud in spots, a little snow in shaded areas, and a couple of big hills. It was quite a work-out! I definitely need to get out hiking and walking more. If the weather permits, I'd like to go walking daily. It will be good training for the dogs and great exercise for me. I also want to go out on the trails at least once a week. "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
| Weight: 245 Fasting: None recent Sleep: Sleeping sound Health/How I feel: Feeling good Logging Food/Nutrients: 12 day streak Body Measurements: 02/17/2024 @13:45 Neck: 17" Chest: 49" Stomach: 50.5" Hips: 43" Thighs: 25" Body Fat: 38.7% (Military Method) Not much to add today; not much has changed since my last entry. But, I did want to record my measurements now that I have them. I feel they are a more accurate measurement of my journey. I still need to become more active, but I'm waiting for it to warm up more. We are having nicer temperatures but today was very windy. Tomorrows looking like a better day to start walking. "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
| A short entry today just to log my breakfast experience. I woke early feeling fine, but I had a craving for carbs; nothing in particular, just some type of high carb food. I decided to have a bit of oatmeal, since it's healthy and lower in carbs than many other grains, a quarter of a cup was well withing my daily limits. Being early, I was feeling lazy so I just cooked the oatmeal in the microwave, then added some butter and heavy cream to provide the fats I need for ketosis. I enjoyed it, the taste was nice and it ended my cravings. Logging it in Cronometer, I was happy to see I had only reached one third of my calorie intake, my carbs intake, and my fats intake. I was very low for protein, but lunch and dinner would balance this out. But, withing about an hour of eating, I started feeling tired and sluggish, and my stomach was a bit upset. I don't know if it was the oatmeal (eating that many carbs in one meal) or not. It's something I will have to look further into, but that's for another day. I'm thinking I want to try this again just to see if starting the day with more carbs is the culprit, so I will start one day with a quarter cup of oatmeal. However, I will restrain from having anything with it to ensure it is the carbs. I will also, if this proves true, try a small amount of oatmeal for lunch or dinner on another day. I'm curious if eating other foods for breakfast and then having the oatmeal will be different. "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
| Weight loss: 5 pounds. Fasting: no new fasts. Sleep: I'm sleeping sound, and only waking once a night to use the bathroom. Health/How I feel: I'm feeling good today. I had a couple of days of feeling a little under the weather, but I believe it was from the sausage I blogged about a few days past. Logging Food/Nutrients: I have been consistent with logging and measuring my food. I still tend to go over a bit on proteins, and I've had a couple of days I was slightly over on calories, but I have stayed within my carbohydrate levels. Body Measurements: I still have not done this, but need to get it recorded so I can see my progress. So far, everything is going well. "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
| Just a short entry today, it's only been a few days since my last entry. I found myself feeling famished the day after my last fast, so I'm not fasting again for a while. I'm not sure why I was so hungry all day long the following day, but perhaps I jumped into fasting too soon after my restart of Keto. Despite being famished, I did well on my eating, going over a slight bit on calories, protein, and fats, but not a significant amount. I did stay a bit under on my carbohydrate intake, which is the main thing. I've been feeling good, sleeping sound, and everything is going well. Until today. I was up early, feeling rested and refreshed. I felt great! I had a bit of a late lunch, around one in the afternoon, and after I ate I began to feel tired, bloated, and my stomach isn't settling well. I had purchased some breakfast sausage at the locker plant, and I think it may have been something in the sausage that's not agreeing with me. I've shopped there before and never had any problems, but the sausages tasted a bit different, a different spice blend, one that had a bit of heat. I'm thinking they may have added some type of hot pepper to the recipe, which explains why it didn't settle well. Yesterday I had fried up some bacon I had gotten at the same time, and again, I wasn't happy with it. They've always had very good bacon, but this time it was so salty I could hardly eat it. It looks like it may be time to find a new source for fresh meats. "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
| Besides just journaling my Keto experience, I want to include a few specifics: Weight loss Fasting Sleep Health/How I feel Logging Food/Nutrients Body Measurements Today is the fifth day of my Keto restart, so not even a week yet. Here's how it's going. Even though I made a sudden change to my carbohydrate intake, I did not get the Keto flu! Keto flu is flu-like symptoms from the sudden drop/change in glucose that results from lowering carbs, that usually lasts a few days to a week. I read that taking B vitamins can prevent this, so I began taking them on Tuesday and I'm assuming they worked. Even with the sudden change, it took a few days to reach ketosis, a metabolic state that occurs when your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. I noticed the change Wednesday night, I slept better, but was up numerous times through the night to urinate (as glucose and insulin levels drop, excess water retention drops). This may take a few days. By Thursday morning I was feeling better, had less pain and stiffness when I awoke, and I had more energy through the day. I got on the scale this morning even though it hasn't even been a week and discovered I have already dropped five pounds. Yes, five pounds in four days, but this isn't fat, it's the excess water I'm retaining, and explains why I have less aches and pains, and why I'm already feeling better. Along with Keto, I'm also incorporating intermittent fasting to increase my metabolism. I'm still doing research on this to find the best fasting schedule, but for now I'm doing it like this; two days of three meals a day, then a short fast and two meals, followed by a longer fast and one meal. So, the first fast is 18 hours from dinner at 6:00 p.m. to lunch the next day at noon, followed by dinner again at 6:00 p.m., the next day is one meal, dinner at 6:00 p.m. so a 24 hour fast, then back to a couple of days of regular, three meals a day, eating. I completed one cycle yesterday, and it was difficult. I did pretty well up to about 3:00 p.m. then the hunger started in. But, I made it. Now I have today and tomorrow of regular eating before starting the fasting cycle again. I'm logging all my food and beverage intake with Cronometer, https://cronometer.com/ and have purchased the premium membership so I can take advantage of all the features; it just makes monitoring my calorie and nutrients easier because the premium has settings for the Keto Diet. It's going great so far and even though this is my second time with the Keto plan, I'm surprised how much better I feel and how much my energy is already increasing. I know the large weight loss at the start is just water, or mostly just water, but it still feels good to see the scale dropping. I have not taken any body measurements yet, so I still have to get them logged so I can blog on them as well. "Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J. |
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That's awesome. I really need to start doing that as well. You're inspiring me. 
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