Working hard...

What is group of working dogs called?  A Business?  A Corporation?  A Wrassle?

Frankly with the inclusion of Cinnamon, we are being very generous in the use of the word "Working."

One week back in the saddle...

So I have resumed my 4HB program, after being in a sort of maintenance mode (besides losing most of July to a Pancake and Rum binge.)  July was a bad month. 10 lbs of indulgence and self pity.

However, since I restarted last week I have lost 6.4 lbs already.  That is with just cutting out processed carbs from my diet again.  One cheat day on Saturday*.

I have modified the diet a bit.  There is a similar program put forth in It Starts with Food by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig.  Like the 4HB it is basically a modified Paleo diet.   I found their explanations excellent, but as one friend pointed out they are a fair amount preachy.  However I particularly like how the explained that there is no food Switzerland.  All food is either net beneficial or net harmful.  Twinkies are harmful (not that I eat Twinkies.)  They break down the food is to satisfying one of four criteria, if it doesn't meet it... you don't eat it.  (go read the book if you want to know about the criteria)

Some key differences between their program and the 4HB:

No legumes of any sort, including lentils, kidney beans, and peanuts (which means no PB)
No seed or nut based oils (not a big deal I mostly cook with olive or coconut oil already)
No cheat days.  They recommend 30 days start without any cheat days whatsoever.  In fact they reckon that once you make it past the 30 days you won't need any cheat days.
No Red Wine, in fact they go so far as to suggest cutting all alcohol out of your diet forever.
Fruit is allowed, and even encouraged.
Processed proteins such as whey protein are Verboten.

In any case I am switching to that eating model, but keeping the cheat days, and maybe the protein powder in the form of fruit smoothies in the morning (otherwise realistically I won't have any breakfast.)

I'll give it 30 days with and see how I feel.



*Cheat day is sort of a misnomer.  I actually still am not going crazy on Saturdays.  In this case the only thing different was I got an eclair from the coffee shop Saturday morning.  Otherwise it was perfectly normal food day.

Aaaaand we're back

So here we are again.

Lets get some questions out of the way, shall we?

Why Go Dark?
I had series of personal, financial, and professional events that derailed me and I didn't think it was good idea for me to be blogging at that time.

So things are better now?
Actually probably worse.

So why restart the blog?
I have been strictly forbidden to go on a homicidal, suicidal, or any other -idal based rampage. So I figure I might as well start sharing the random thought my head produces with you again.

Are you still in Architecture school? Is the blog title going to change? Who is your pick for the Superbowl?
Whoa whoa whoa! So many questions! One at a time.

Architecture school is on hold for at least two years (unless something magical happens.) I may however be starting up IT courses in January so in a few months you will see me making cranky noises about subnet masks instead of masses.

I was tempted to change the title of the blog. But frankly everything I came up with sounded either whiny and self-pitying OR revealed to much about my master plan to take over the world. For now the title stays.

Superbowl? DIEINAFIREKTHNXBYE

So what ARE you going to write about?
Technology, geek life in cowboy-land, progress with the studio (or lack there of), weight loss (new program starts today,) and whatever else strikes my fantasy.

What about the dating thing? We want salacious details!
I appear to have better odds of winning the Superbowl, K? Besides this isn't MySpace, get your mopey schadenfreude elsewhere.

Got any other questions?  Post em below.