The Home Stretch

Last weekend we went to a great Sichuan restaurant in Paris' Chinatown - which, by the way, is the biggest in Europe.  Most residents are actually from Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia (though of Chinese ancestry).  Tian Tian Wang however is a legitimately Chinese establishment.

I did my best to keep to my diet, however I had no real way to determine either the true caloric content of what I was eating, nor the quantity.  But I felt I was over-eating and simply the sense of fullness I had after the meal, I had to admit, confirmed the fact.

Lamb hot-pot

Of course, there's no disaster in breaking the diet in such circumstances.  I simply go on with the same routine as the previous days and forget this slight aberration to have a good time with my family - no drama.  Yet, I felt the need to compensate.

Beyond that, I'd realised my rate of weight loss had tapered somewhat.  I'd expected this, but I'd been pleased to see it hadn't happened as early as I'd thought - not until about the half-way point of the (nominal 12 week) diet.  I had reasoned that, as I lose weight, my caloric needs actually reduce, therefore the 800 kcal daily intake is a lower proportional reduction in calories - one reason for the tapering.

So, I made the decision first, to try to even out the weekend's caloric intake by reducing to only 400 kcal for the Sunday.  Further, I would reduce to 700 kcal per day henceforth for the diet.  If these changes had too severe effect on me I would relent.

The background objective is to increase weight loss in the hope that I reach my weight target by about week 12 - i.e. in 4 more weeks.

(Additionally - through separate decision making - I decided earlier to change to 16-6 intermittent fasting: I eat now at mid-day and 5pm)

After one week I can say there have been effects.  I had a single 400 kcal meal at about 4pm on the Sunday, then didn't eat until mid-day Monday.  I was certainly hungry by that time.  I felt signs of lightheadedness on some occasions that morning.  It may also have been the effect of ketone burning that can have effects on cognition - though, seemingly, mostly positive ones. 

Possibly I've been lightheaded at other times during the week.  Certainly, I've felt hungry - but still, not overwhelmingly.  I've been very strict on the lowness of carb content - I expect that has helped.

The big test is today.  What is my weight?  I weigh myself every two weeks, just before eating on the Sunday.

Today I weigh 90.8Kg - a reduction of 3.4Kg over about two weeks.  This seems to re-establish approximately a trajectory towards my weight target (especially since the 700 kcal daily limit has only been for the last week).

So - approximately 4 weeks to go.  I have to say I'm looking forward to the end!