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Macronutrients of the day

Posted on February 23, 2018February 23, 2018 by Tony T

I went over on my carbs today, or tonight rather. I went to a big band jazz concert. There was an intermission they had cookies. I had three. I was actually surprised that I didn’t go over my sugar limit.

It will be better tomorrow. The goal is to reach ketosis so the body which is a sign that the body is burning fat for fuel. Ketones are a byproduct of that process and can also be a source of energy for the body and brain. The amount of carb intake has to be low for this to happen.

So, I lost out to my addiction again.

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My Fitness Pal

Posted on January 26, 2018January 23, 2018 by Tony T

One of the reasons I was so successful in 2015 with my diet was the MyFitnessPal website and mobile app. It lets you set your nutrient goals, calorie intake, and helps you to see exactly how you are doing as long as you are inputting your meals.

During that year I recorded every meal. I got instant feedback about my nutrients. I knew exactly where I stood throughout the day and could adjust accordingly. It is an extremely helpful website and app.

One of the reasons I began to falter was the holidays; Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. The other reason was that I thought I was able to do without the app. Sure, once you have been doing your diet a while you should be able to do without having to depend on an app. But if you are like me the app helps to remind you that you are trying to accomplish something. It reminds you that you have a goal. And it helps to keep on track.

Will I ever be able to go without the app? Maybe, but, why mess with success. So this week I have resumed using the app to monitor my meals, food & nutrient intake through MyFitnessPal. There are also other apps that are just as helpful, but my favorite is the one I’ve been writing about here.

There are others you can check out. All of these apps are available on both iTunes & Android:

I find that I need all the help I can get.

Diet

Logging Meals

Posted on October 19, 2016May 17, 2017 by Tony T

I have found that logging meals are key to my success. For the past several weeks I have had difficulty remaining true to my keto-diet. To fail on this diet is simple, consume too many carbs. And it is amazing how much weight gain happens just by adding carbs. In the last two weeks, I have put on 6 pounds. The other easy fail on the keto diet is not eating enough fat. Eating the amount of fat needed on this diet can be rather difficult. The diet doesn’t work without the fat.

What I know about myself is that I am more successful when I log the meals I eat. When I am logging my meals I am more likely to plan my meals. And planning usually goes hand in hand with success.

When I can look at the meals I have logged throughout the day it also enables me to adjust my macronutrient intake if I need to do so. If I haven’t consumed enough fat I can adjust. Or, if I have consumed too many carbs I can adjust my other nutrients to catch up.

In the last few weeks I have not been logging meals, and I have not done very well on the diet. So, beginning yesterday, I have begun again to log my meals. Even beginning to log meals is not an immediate return to success. Once you begin to consume food types you are addicted to, it is very hard to stop.

I am truly addicted to carbohydrates, such as bread, sugary snacks like cookies, or popcorn, or potato chips. So when I start in on those things it is very hard to get things under control again. For the most part, I keep these things out of the house, which is key to my success. However, sometimes when those urges come, there is nothing to stop me from jumping in my car and running down to the store for a quick fix.

Carb addiction is a real addiction and can wreak havoc on your health like any other. Damage may not happen as fast as drug or alcohol damage, but, it is happening and can kill you.

High carb, sugary diets lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other complications. So it is not just weight that I am interested in. Recovering good health is my first goal. Weight loss is just a byproduct of improving my health. If the only way I can succeed is by constantly logging and monitoring my meals then that is what I will have to do.