Dieting From Home

Today is the last day of the Very Fast 800 diet. My last two weighings were 78.8Kg and 78.9Kg about 1 week apart even though I have been consistently on the diet in that time.  I will do one more weighing tomorrow morning but anyway end the diet at that time. By those measurings I have lost over 29Kg.  I believe it is within error of my target of "over 30Kg".  Certainly it is well below the maximum "normal" BMI weight for my height of 82Kg. So, given that, and based on this calorie calculator , I should now move to 1993 kcal/day to maintain weight. My plan is to work up to this level, following, broadly, Mosley's Mediterranean Diet  - so still keeping attention on approximate caloric intake.  I will check my weight weekly.  Possibly, I will go to 800 kcal/day again if my weight seems to be spiking. In the short term I will allow myself some luxuries - and, for instance: a beer.  I feel that reward is in fact appropriate. I do not see this as the end of...

This last week - and it will be my last of the diet proper - is the first that I've unambiguously felt the mental  effects of ketosis. It's quite profound. It's been very clear: a drug-like effect.  Searching through my youthful experiences, during which, at various times, I sampled most mind-altering drug/chemical types, the closest similarity would be Betel nut .  Betel nut (consumed in Taiwan and other places in East and South East Asia) gives a significant and pleasant euphoria.  Such is Ketosis for me this week. According to some research  the Ketosis mechanism has similarities to the date-rape drug GHB!  Betel nut's active ingredient is  Arecoline  - it's brain chemistry is likely not much related to the Ketosis effect in fact.  My experience resembles it however. It's a pleasant fairly continuous positive mood that is quite noticeable.  Others notice it too: my wife says that I speak and move more slowly.  As an adaptation to...

This post is a sort of TL;DR for the whole blog thus far - I'll dispense with most of the discussion.  Some of this includes corrections from what I actually did with the benefit of hind-sight.  I'll briefly note those parts. Fundamental Rule : eat very low carbohydrate food.  So cut out bread, rice, pasta, most fruit.  Check the ingredients lists and avoid anything with a carbohydrate level above 10% by weight. You should : Drink great amounts of water.  An effect of the diet (part of ketosis) is to dehydrate rapidly.  You must drink many litres of water per day. Add salt - a significant amount.  Another ketosis effect. Take vitamin pills. You should not : Change your activity level.  If you don't exercise much - don't suddenly start doing so in conjunction with the diet.  You will lose weight more rapidly if you do add exercise - but will likely regain it afterwards.  You can start extra exercise after the diet has concluded.  You...

I was pleasantly surprised that my weight loss proceeded linearly for the first few weeks - not just the first days of the Very Fast 800.  After those weeks however it did  taper - so I took the decision to reduce calories to 700, which did have the desired effect and my weight loss rate has basically been maintained. Now, however as I come to being within (based on BMI) normal weight range, but wish to continue weight loss to be closer to the middle of that range, my body seems to be reacting again and restraining my weight loss.   The exact mechanism for this is interesting - it must, basically, be that I'm using less energy.  Therefore one solution is to voluntarily use more  energy - to exercise.  However I prefer not to do that since it requires me to change my normal habits and it will potentially destabilize the next phase of the diet process (in which I come progressively out of the diet).  I should counter the lower energy use by trying t...