What's the money for?
How long did it take you to start excersise? I worked outside today and I am so sore and tired tonight, I can't fathom going for a walk...

Goal parameters:

1) Track and log my food daily (with few exceptions)
2) Average less than 30 net carbs and keep calories within reason (< 2400)
3) Get some form of exercise in daily

Day 2 was on target as well. Two days in a row... I'm on a roll. $2 is in the jar.


I have 88 days to figure that out. The idea is to pay myself a $1 for each day that I accomplish all three objectives of my challenge as an incentive to adhere to my goals everyday. If I do this challenge right I will have $90 spending cash to celebrate with.

Back into the regular routine and on the first day of an IF. It will be a short one (36 hours), as I've got a breakfast meeting tomorrow. Resistance training this afternoon and with the weather being gorgeous in VA at this time of year, it's a good time for hikes and walks and soaking up vitamin D.

Basics are what got me here, and basics are being followed. Nothing exotic in the way of experimentation other than working in different gut cultures by making whole milk kefir. While I've had positive benefits from limiting dairy, kefir appeals to me as the fermentation process brings lactose down to 1% after a short (24-48 hour) fermentation period. The beneficial bacteria far exceeds that found in yogurt, and the prep time is very short.

There will likely be some sauerkraut jarring for me in the near future as well as doing a kimchee batch at some point. So, the theme is back to basics with emphasis on gut health.

Meditation still plays a prominent role and is an important element in daily life. All good.

Cool guys! Rob I can give share my limited experience with making kimchi when you get to it. I have a head of napa in the fridge that needs fermenting. It's a real treat to have it around but one of those things I keep dipping into as a snack or "pre meal" warm-up

here's the most sexy shot I have of some finished product...

Wow! The kimchi whisperer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sX_wDCbeuU

Some ingredients I'd omit, but adding squid, priceless!

Good stuff Rob! Here's a little tutorial I did. Hope you find it humours http://downhaul.com/lowcarb/kimchi/ use or don't use NOH powder or make your own. pepper flakes can be found in many stores. I use half pack of mix (less sugar) and extra pepper flake.

Have fun!

looks very nice...

Thanks, Thud. That's a good tutorial and what they say about pictures is true. A bit different than sauerkraut prep, but many similarities. I'll check my local Asian groceries for the NOH Kim Chee, looks good! How long did you let it ferment? Sauerkraut (real sauerkraut) is best at around 3-5 weeks at room temperature before refrigeration, usually 4 weeks for me depending on temperature. So, I get a few time-staggered batches going to have a steady supply.

for me between 4-7 days at room temp. Certainly can go longer especially without the sugar in the mix. I simply can't wait longer than that to eat it. Here's my little pretend underground place where I stash it just incase of leak, explosion or sunlight...



So far I have got gotten sick from it

Goal parameters:

1) Track and log my food daily (with few exceptions)
2) Average less than 30 net carbs and keep calories within reason (< 2400)
3) Get some form of exercise in daily

Weight: 207. Day 3 and 3 pounds down. $3 is in the jar.

Meditation this morning and read CC - squats is what I'll be working on it appears. I thought the next thing was bridging. I was wrong

Short fast of 36 hours stopped at breakfast this morning. I was not hungry in the least, so after having a very light breakfast, I'll start again today and see where that takes me. Typically, when I start an IF, I establish a specific duration in order to ensure follow through and planned re-feeding. Will figure that out this afternoon.

Started last night to "season" the kefir "grains" I received, so I should have something consumable by the weekend. Will work in the kefir as part of the probiotics portion of my WOE.

No meditation yesterday. Today will include a session.

Goal parameters:

1) Track and log my food daily (with few exceptions)
2) Average less than 30 net carbs and keep calories within reason (< 2400)
3) Get some form of exercise in daily

Weight: 207. $4 is in the jar. IF ended well. Yesterday was 10 net carbs, 1400 calories, and 20K steps. My strategy was to go "sweet free" at dinner, eat an appropriate amount of food (keeping the net carbs low), and go for a walk when I finished the planned meal. That's what I did. I wasn't hungry when I got back from the walk. I did go to bed slightly hungry - that not quite hungry, not quite satiated feeling. I remember enjoying that feeling back when I was steadily losing weight. That feeling meant that I had a good eating day for weight loss.

1) Daily meditation practicing a technique called the 6 "R's" - It sounds practical and interesting. For explanation go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egFZO2e799w

2) Read and begin working on "Big Six" progressive bodyweight strength exercises from "Convict Conditioning". Work the exercises in suggested order.

I tought the next exersise in CC was bridges but it's squats. Who knew that the progression will start from the back! Time for a perky buttocks and ripply thighs now... hahah! Seriously, this progression looks like really good stuff, ultimately ending at full one legged squats.



Meditation and Dhamma talks going good. I hearned one thing that struck me yesterday talking about "control"

to paraphrase, "...fear creates (contributes to) control and control creates ego..." something to think about and look at backwards in the chain.

Goal parameters:

1) Track and log my food daily (with few exceptions)
2) Average less than 30 net carbs and keep calories within reason (< 2400)
3) Get some form of exercise in daily

Weight: 207. $5 is in the jar. 20 net carbs and 2050 calories yesterday. I also got back into the gym for a little elliptical workout.

One interesting aspect about returning to a VLC diet: I'm waking up with the sun again. I've said many times that this WOE turned me into a morning person for the first time in my life. That has been true since the first months of the diet. But after adding back more carbs, 75-90 total/35-50 net for over 2 years now, my circadian rhythm didn't appear to be as glued to the rise and fall of the sun as it had been during my first year when I ate fewer daily carbs. I could stay up a little later and sleep in as late as an hour past sunrise. The past few days I've been ready to nod off by 10pm and I've awoken to the birds chirping at the crack of dawn. This morning that was before 6am. I'm not complaining. I've been sleeping great. I also managed to get a 7 mile walk in this morning and accomplished several chores before anyone else in the house stirred awake. I just find it interesting that eating VLC appears to have a significant, immediate effect on my circadian rhythm. As a carb eater I could easily stay up to 2am on fa Friday night and sleep in past 10am on Saturday. That pattern is not possible when I eat VLC.

Thud: about that meditation position... I tried to imagine myself doing that at 400+ pounds. It wasn't a pretty sight.