103.5—uh-oh

It was going to happen at some point: I apparently lost barely any weight this week, although I did lose something. This morning's weigh-in put me at 103.5 kg. I also took my blood pressure and blood sugar. BP was 137/82, and blood sugar was 93 (even with the help of nighttime metformin). Yes, I think getting rid of SlimFast is definitely a necessary next step. Any sugar in my diet has got to go.

The near lack of weight loss is saddening, but not surprising. I've been expecting this for weeks as my body has metabolically adapted to the strictures of my current diet. I'm honestly curious as to what's going to happen once I re-paradigm and switch to the Dr. Fung-style T Diet, which will be full-on keto combined with intermittent fasting and 24-hour fasting, with cheat days twice per month (except this month: I'm having only one cheat day because I have a doctor's appointment on September 16, and I don't want to screw up my numbers too close to the appointment). Will this shake my body up and kickstart the weight loss again? I have no clue.

This coming week, I ratchet up the stair work to 20 floors. Whenever I enter stair work into MyFitnessPal, I'm always disappointed by how few calories I burn. But my heart rate goes through the roof during my stair-related activity, and I'm told that intense activity has metabolic and hormonal repercussions throughout one's day.

I watched a cautionary video for keto beginners that went over five common keto-newbie mistakes. The first is not tracking one's macros, which is understandable. Tracking macros is tedious. MyFitnessPal allows you to set macro goals and to track your macros, luckily, so I think I'm covered. The second mistake, which speaks right to my naughtier tendencies, is indulging in too many keto treats. It's going to be very tempting for me to make those keto puddings, pies, and other sweets, but even if they contain no sugar, they are calorific and can cause the cephalic reaction, which I've already talked about several times. The third mistake is not watching one's dairy intake: heavy cream, cheeses, etc. are also calorific, and you can indeed gain weight despite being on the keto diet if you're stuffing your face. This is why I've talked about the importance of not dismissing CICO. It's still a thing, and weight loss can't happen without a caloric deficit. But it's also important to remember that that deficit is not the whole story. CIM is a thing, too. The fourth mistake is one I haven't thought about much: forgetting to consume electrolytes and minerals. Keto, strictly followed, can deprive you of certain aspects of nutrition that your body needs, and keto practitioners acknowledge this. I already take God-knows-how-many pills and supplements, but it appears I might have to invest in even more. Finally, the fifth newbie mistake is the misuse or overuse of artificial sweeteners. While the presenter doesn't get into the cephalic reaction, she does talk about bad-for-you sweeteners like maltitol (bad when used in excess) and dextrose (high in carbs), mainly in relation to gut health. She again cautions us not to go overboard with sweets, even if those sweets are sugar-free. It's all pretty good advice, and I'll try to keep it in mind.

So I have a lot to think about as I embark on the final two weeks of the Newcastle Diet. I've learned a lot during this period, and I aim to apply that knowledge as I move into what will basically be the rest of my life. More news later.