I’m back! But I’ve never been away…..

Tomorrow will be 5 weeks since my surgery, and I can say that last week I began feeling very close to 100%, which is magnificent.

I am still having to watch myself in the gym, and be very very mindful of which actions cause pressure – things like pull downs and seated rows actually cause quite a bit.  I am mature enough to be patient with my weights and take it steady.

Yesterday was my first full-on Metcon Session in 5 weeks, so naturally I was a little bit munted by the end, but it felt good.  Even sprints felt OK.

I have also started a slightly pathetic but worthy goal for me – 5k in 4 weeks.  Doing it via intervals – last week was 1 min on 2 min off x 10, today 1.5 min on 1.5 min off x 6, will make it to 2 min on 1 min off x 10 by end of week…..

Not being able to run either physically or psychologically has been difficult for me, and reaching this goal will be very satisfying methinks.

My PM Ketone reading has been between 0.7 – 2.1 last week.  my FBG ~5.3

Been onto my green smoothies for breakfast during the week.  I need to watch my fibre intake when I do that though…..also focussing  on trying not to eat much protein in the earlier part of the day.

Last week I focused on cutting nuts down which was good.  This week need to focus on less mindless nibbling in the mid-late afternoon.

R2/Day 14-15-16

Thursday  – Good session at the gym – power lower – then Body Balance.

PM Blood Ketones 1.6  – I still can’t pick the variance.

Friday – Peak Bagged Mt. Williams in the Bombay hills.  Pretty gnarly climb up, but great view from the top

Thought that the exercise would boost the ketones,  but um no.

PM Ketones 1.1

Saturday – SUP YOGA!  It was pretty cool.  I couldn’t quite get my head round how it would work, but you get a little bag of stones that acts like an anchor.  It was tough!  Everyone got wet – but it’s a real challenge and I loved it, and look forward to doing it again.  Afterward went for a little paddle for about half an hour.

Didn’t measure Ketones last night as we were out.

However, I have started measuring my Fasted Glucose in the morning.  I was 5.3 today which is OK.

R2/Day 12-13

Tuesday morning training – power lower ~1 hour at the gym, and Body Balance later in the day.  Ketones lower than they have been in the afternoon and I think too much protein was the culprit – I think I need to focus on a proper protein portion for 2 of my 3 main meals.

Blood Ketones 5PM = 1.3

Wednesday a big solo tramp out of North Piha through to Anawhata return.  Experiment with fuel went well – Chia seeds soaked in tea, add MCT oil and good green stuff.  Started at 9 on BCAA’s – had pudding at ~9:30, BCAA’s at 10:30 and 12:30.  Intra walk – Tuna bunnuce at Anawhata (where I paddled in surf) then a coconut butter packet at around 12:00.  Felt great, perfect energy for a 3.5 – 4 hour effort.

Blood Ketones 5PM – 3.1

R2/Day 10-11

Sunday was another great day, perfect conditions for a local SUP out from French bay and probably did 5km total over 2 hours.  Saw stingrays in the harbour – very cool!

PM Ketones 2.1

Yesterday went for a 2 hour tramp, didn’t need any food and felt great the entire time, even with the uphill at the end.  Also had a catchup with Mikki which was encouraging and positive!  We both feel like I’m onto it!

The biggest revelation that’s come forth recently is that for me, not counting macros makes me less hungry.  When i am counting and have a ‘goal’ or ‘target’ everyday, I think more about how and what to eat to hit those targets.  That makes me more hungry.  The intuitive approach I’ve adopted has been great so far – not eating until 9:30 – 11 AM, stopping before 7 is really ideal for me.

PM Ketones 3.8!!!!  Couldn’t quite get my head around that one but I’m not complaining!

R2/Day 9

I don’t want the holiday to be over!  We’ve spent every day at the beach this week, and it’s bee blissful.  Today at gym did a lower body power session, then 2+ hours SUP at Cheltenham beach.  I got dumped for the first time, and thankfully managed to not lose my sunnies 🙂

Mood has been good, energy good but I have been putting it out there this week averaging 2-3 hours a day of exercise.

Afternoon blood ketones 2.0

R2/Day 6, 7 & 8

Just catching up here.  Wednesday was strength in the Gym, felt great, didn’t push max but still pretty cool. Thursday NYD was lovely, went for a cruisy 5km walk at Shakespear on Whangaparoa, and today Friday Upper body Power session this morning, then about 2 hours SUP on Lake Pupuke.

Yesterday I felt really awful, bad stomach ache, acid indigestion, just really pretty unwell, and mood was very black too.  Felt better after the walk, and then in the afternoon had some baking soda in water, some ACV.  Felt better today but still not 100% – think maybe I had overdone it on eggs and avocado and cheese?  Ate a very small dinner last night and felt a lot better this morning.  Ate only moderately today as well, and I’d say tummy feels at about 70%?

Very interesting results with Blood Ketones – Wednesday 1.4, Thursday 2.1, Friday 3.3!  I think 3.3 is high and I’m wondering what that is about?  Possibly something to do with my breakfast of Paleo Bread with lashings of butter? More exercise?  Energy is good and hunger is non existent……

BM’s haven’t been fantastic, have gone every day but not a huge amount.  I’m going to have a big spinach salad with lamb for dinner though.

R2/Day 5

Same lovely summer pattern – Kitesurfing yesterday, Had a great run but then something went a rye with my lines.  It was still a brilliant day and riding in the surf is something I love and will get better at again the more I practice.  Unlike Brighton however the beach is very crowded and makes for nerves when launching and landing around people who are seemingly oblivious to the danger.

Measured blood ketones on return, 1.2 today.  Feel great, tired in a good way!

R2/Day 4

Another stunning summer day.  Big session this morning:

AMRAP – Round 1: 8 min – KB Swing, Med Ball Ab Pass, Burpees  Round 2: Bear crawls forward & back with tube, Box Jumps, Burpees.  Round 3: KB Pistols, KB Single leg Dead Lift, KB Round the worlds, Round 4: Renegades, Plank Side Raise, Swiss Ball Hammies.  Then Treadmill Sprints, 10 rounds 10 on 20 off.

Went up to Orewa to scope it out, had lunch on the beach, then back for a SUP.

Blood Ketones at 6PM = 1.8

I LOVE SUMMER.

R2/Day 3

Great day today – getting so confident with my SUP – was out for best part of 2 hours, but the conditions were perfect, not quite glassy by very still and I was able to practice hard out paddling and heaps of tacking.

Used Blood Ketone meter and was at 1.3 which was totally fantastic, and then tried to correlate with Ketonix which was just 4 green flashes!  Plan now is to test blood every day around 5, just once a day and see how I go.

Mood, energy, mindset all fantastic.

Food yesterday roughly was bacon & Avocado for breakfast, coconut milk with chia seeds and coconut, macadamias, and liver/prime rib in butter for dinner, followed by berries and cream with a little 100% chocolate.

Round 1 reflections and Round 2 goals

Overall, my first round of 64 days was a really positive experience.  I well and truly got over my fat phobia, for the most past I was not hungry, I learned how to and that moderating my protein intake was not impossible.  I believe that I transitioned to fat burning mode.  My moods were good, far and away mainly content, positive, and calm.  My exercise and training did not suffer and in some areas improved.  I shed about 1kg.  Sleep was good…..and I think that for the most part I managed not to fall into that obsessive trap.  But I also understand that is a continuum, and weighing and measuring is well up that scale for the average person.  What I did not do was stress out about eating out, I was really confident about being able to make good choices, and I really did that.  I also did not stress about drinking when the occasion arose.  I managed a good deal of time with friends and house guests, and feel for myself that people who have known me for a while know that I have always been gluten free and am mindful about what I eat.  I have had heaps of praise for the food I prepare and feel great about that.  Colin doesn’t even really notice – because he enjoys what I prepare and feels the benefit, and is probably 90% grain free now, and doesn’t even think about it.

My break with my mum here was as I said in the previous post a chance for me to see how I could cope with road trips and days away from home.  For the most part it was fine, but I definitely went a little crazy on the protein.  I have been thinking more about what the ketogenic long term looks like for me, and 70-80% fat for the longer term.  The way I am thinking at the moment is that the pros far outweigh the cons.  I am committed to this and if I can continue to keep inflammation at bay, I really believe that I will sail through Menopause.

The other big revelation is that this is not a quick fit weight loss plan.  Although I have lost a bit, eating more calories than I have in at least 7 or 8 years, it’s certainly not a quick fix.  That’s why for the next few weeks I am going to try to eat intuitively, get back into ketosis and just eat to appetite rather than a macro target.  I will start measuring ketones later today (I splashed out on blood strips) and try to do it that way rather than counting.  Of course I reserve the right to start up again if I’m not getting to where I want to be.

So, my goals for this next period are to find a sweet spot in terms of eating to stay in Nutritional Ketosis without weighing and measuring, to keep slowly shedding weight, to increase my performance and fat adaptation, and to be happy!