Thursday, July 25, 2013

CYCLING FAT FASTING WITH ATKINS INDUCTION

Today is my second day fat fasting. I am doing it by the book which means I'm keeping my calories under 1000 and a ratio of 2% Carbohydrate, 8% protein and 90% fat. Very radical but then that's how I roll.

I'm also posting progress on Livin' La Vida Forums. I really, really want to see some progress.

I'm not a stranger to fasting but fat fasting is another ball game and I find myself constantly working out what I can eat and drink to keep my ratios within the limits I have set. My general well-being on a fat fast seems to be good. There are moments of hunger and those I have to tough out but they do not last very long. The biggest challenge is breaking habits. The one I am finding the hardest right now is not having enough calories to munch on nuts when I go to bed. I have got into a habit of reading or filling in the days Sudoku and munching until I feel sleepy. It's just a habit and not a good one at that.

I have a diet tracker which allows me to work out recipes and save them ready to log them n the da with no further calculations. It freaked out when I put in my calorie target and ratios but it seems to have settled down and I find it easier to use than say Spark People or others that I've seen mentioned. I did pay to download it but from here on it is supposed to be free and it does seem to be worth the small sum I paid. I might add I'm not very clever when it comes to this kind of thing and it has taken me months to work out some of the features. It's kind of cool to fill in a food and work out the nutritional content and have it stored to use at any time. The program also has many foods already listed but not always the brands we have available so I do read labels and check the stats. Sometimes a more vigorous search is needed and I guess at best the break-down of nutrients is approximate anyway.

I usually fill in my menu for the day first thing in the morning and then I forget about it until the next meal is about due to be prepared. It's quite liberating in a way because I have a written plan which is flexible according to the activities of the day. When I do not do this I am obsessing on food day and night.

I do have problems on the days we are not in our own home whether it be a day out shopping or visiting, or living in a different environment. I am disappointed that I am challenged so easily. It means that on the days I go to church, for instance, I need to be extra vigilant and aware of pit-falls. We are staying in other people's homes for several weeks in the next 4 months and although I will be almost 100% in charge of meals I find that after a while I begin to feel stressed and it becomes difficult to follow my plan. I am guessing this has something to do with just being out of my known environment. Somehow I will find a way through this one and come out the winner.

Today's food is mapped out. I begin with Keto Coffee. We bought a Coffee Maker a month or two ago and I am finding it brilliant. I grind my own beans and set it up so that I have at least 4 large mugs of what many people would call weak coffee. Then I get out the container that goes with my new whizz stick and get it ready with 30 gm coconut oil and 30 ml of unsweetened trident coconut milk. To this I add enough coffee to make 2.5 mugs and whisk it all together. When I remember I add a pinch of cinnamon. This keeps me satiated for hours. The remainder of the coffee I drink black and often cold.

For lunch I have developed a concoction of 50 gm Easiyo Greek Yoghurt, 10 gm berries, 50 ml cream and 15 ml cod liver oil. I only use Arctic Lemon flavoured and the yogurt seems to blend well with it. I am noticing the cream and find the colder this is the more palatable it is. Today I might add a few drops of fresh lemon juice and maybe even a little zest.  Easiyo is a brand of yoghurt we make at home using sachets. I am not sure whether it is the best yoghurt we could have but it works for us. I am finding that good plain Greek Yoghurt harder and harder to find on the SuperMarket shelves and Easiyo works every time. What is even better is that for some reason John has taken on the responsibility of making it so all I have to remember is to tell him when my container is down to the last serving.

Dinner is where I have variety. Last night I made an omelet with two eggs and cream filled with silverbeet/chard, parsley and parmesan. Today I am having mushroom stuffed with spinach and cheddar cheese with lots of butter and some olive oil. I also have some broth in the slow cooker. I have no idea how to work out the nutritional count so will probably not be counting it. John will have the meaty, veggie part and I will have the clear liquid.

Although the plan suggests you eat 5 x 200 calorie meals I find this a chore and am content to continue my normal pattern of Keto Coffee, 2 main meals and a snack. Yesterday my snack was a Fat Bomb made with butter, coconut oil and a dark chocolate bar. Today it will be a 25 gm  piece of cheddar cheese.

Because I believe exercise or physical activity is an important part of maintaining my health I am working at developing good habits around this too. I am so much of a couch potato that it's embarrassing. My excuse right now is that I am knitting John a jersey. Right! But I have much gardening to do and the cross-trainer sits waiting in a corner not too far from the TV. I am also supposed to be getting cycling fit for a rail trail ride in September. Yesterday I did 30 minutes on the cross-trainer and was pleased that I could do it so well. Will have another go today.

I need to rebuild healthy routine into my life. Trouble is, I do lose the plot when the pattern is interrupted for any reason.

My best plan is, get up and put on the coffee. Turn on laptop and record blood ketones, weight and blood pressure. Do the meal plan for the day. Blog, both reading and writing while I drink my coffee. Exercise. Whatever else I am working on whether it's gardening, knitting or reading. Dinner is around 5.30 - 6 pm and then the evening is spent watching TV. It sounds really basic and boring but believe me, I treasure the boring days. There are never enough of them.

And I guess that's about it for now.

I am interested to see how this works out in results.

2 comments:

  1. Awesome!
    I love how high fat diets make me feel. Even if I never lost a pound. The feeling of being in ketosis - is worth 1000 words!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have NONE of the strictness you show. Good for you.

    ReplyDelete