broom's blog

I started a keto diet on Jun 1 and have lost 10 pounds so far, after 6 weeks. One motivation is to cut some weight before a backpacking trip I planned for late Aug. Every extra pound will count at that time. Another reason is my weight has reached a peak number in the past 10+ years, which is how I got vaccinated in an earlier batch… I Gotta do something about it.

I did an Atkins diet years ago and lost probably 15+ pounds in two or three months. Keto’s basic idea is not so different from Atkins except keto recommends taking in more fat. So I know this kind of low-carb diet will work for me. On the other hand, I know exercising without diet control doesn’t really work for me. I did quite a lot of exercises earlier this year, then stopped after the fever from the second vaccine shot, then my weight peaked.

After starting keto, I found it much easier than when I did Atkins in China. In this work-from-home era, it’s easy to cook my own meals. My cooking style has switched to a mostly American style over the years: bake bacon and salmon and all kinds of vegetables in the oven; pour some balsamic into a box of leaves and call it a salad; grill a ribeye steak or lamb chops. All of these are pretty convenient options. Unsweetened almond milk, pine nuts, and chia seeds are my go-to snacks.

I probably still order half of our meals from delivery. Options are much more limited, especially for Asian food (bye noodles, rice, and sandwiches…) but there are still some options. Restaurants that mainly serve salads and mark themselves as “healthy” usually have plenty of safe choices. Midterrianian and BBQ places are more keto-friendly. Chinese/Japanese/Korean restaurants have very limited low-carb options in general…

Social occasions can be challenging when doing a strict keto diet. Alcohol is a big no-no, so I’m often drinking some almond water or club soda when hanging out with friends. I also become the picky person when picking restaurants. Fortunately, there are fewer social occasions these days due to the pandemic. Last year was really a good opportunity for doing a diet.

I went into ketosis pretty easily this time. No “keto flu” or any other uncomfortable feelings in the first few days, unlike the last time. And the urine strip turned very purple when I tested at the end of the first week. The weight loss progress was as expected, rapid 4~5 pounds of water weight loss in the first week, then a gradual decline of ~1 pound per week. I weigh myself a lot more these days, usually before sleep and after wakeup. I’m surprised how much my weight changes after a night of sleep, often 2 or 3 pounds! I’d imagine myself emitting steams at night.

I do drink a lot more water these days. The theory is after losing those water weight, I don’t have as much “reservoir” as before. Having a big water bottle at hands definitely helps… I use a 2-liter jug and go through about 3 jugs of water every day.

I’ve been also doing regular workouts about 5 or 6 days a week, mostly with Apple Fitness+, alternating between HIIT and strength exercises. I make sure to get some workout at night if I don’t go out all day. It makes me feel more energetic.

I plan to continue on for 2 more months. See if I can hit my goal of losing 20 pounds, then probably continue with a limited-carb diet. From last time, I knew I’d quickly gain all the lost weight back if I just go back to my previous usual way of eating…

木木来家也有四个多月了，我们对他的称呼从开始的“子墨”，“墨墨”逐渐变成了平时“小木”，讨喜的时候叫“木宝”，干坏事的时候就是疾言厉色的“木木”。

我觉得小木还是挺天使挺乖的。主要表现在不叫不闹。四五个月大之前跟小哑巴似的，急了才咩咩叫两声，整天整天都很安静。晚上也是在床脚乖乖睡到天亮（虽然xw表示他会起来闹一闹只是我睡得很死不知道而已……

小木的技能满多。刚来我就发现他跟个小狗似的，会把一些小东西叼给到我面前放下要求玩抛接。

然后是小木刚来就喜欢站着，后来又解锁了招财猫一样的作揖技能。动不动就到处拜。墙上有个光斑，镜子里看见自己，窗外飞过架飞机，他没准都会拜上一拜。

小木虽然上个月变了公公，但还是野性尚存。在家偶尔对上眼的话，一定会不躲不闪跟你对。对个几秒之后还会“嗷”的突进一下，爆发力惊人。。即使我们都很熟他这一招了，还是每次都会被吓一下子。

前一阵天气暖和的时候，我们隔三差五还会带小木上阳台遛遛，或者去附近的一个公园。小木的表现还可以，虽然不会像狗那样到处跑，但也算是从容镇定。今年开春了再带他去遛吧。