Tag: carbohydrates

Experimental Fun

While you are experimenting, do not remain content with the surface of things.

–Ivan Pavlov

In the last post you’ll perhaps recall our Calorie Math™ conundrum. I had exercised about 400 calories worth and then eaten over 2,800 calories that day. Despite being told that I should eat 1,300ish calories to lose a pound in the course of a whole week and 1,660 calories to stay at the same weight, I somehow managed by the next day to reach the smallest number I’ve yet seen on the scale.

After eating all that, I wasn’t particularly hungry for a few days. I ate what I wanted; and I have now gone to the trouble of figuring out that it ran around 1,500 calories a day. Yet despite under-eating for several days, I didn’t lose any weight. Stayed the same. This is fairly typical.

The other day, however, I wondered: What if I ate 2,800 again, only this time with a large proportion of carbohydrates?

LET’S SEE!!

Continue reading Experimental Fun

Some One Had Blunder’d

‘Forward, the Light Brigade!’
Was there a man dismay’d?
Not tho’ the soldiers knew
  Some one had blunder’d:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
  Rode the six hundred.

–Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Before we begin, calm yourself by watching the video delicious sardines. I took it at an aquarium in Japan. It’s called the Sardine Tornado, which would be a great thing for Aquaman to be able to create, if you ask me.

Continue reading Some One Had Blunder’d

Ours Is Not To Reason Why…

In the information society, nobody thinks. We expected to banish paper, but we actually banished thought.

― Michael Crichton

The Peanut Butter Conundrum

I was at a friend’s house earlier in the week, and she being a lovely person had thoughtfully made a dessert that didn’t include any wheat. Chocolate on the outside, peanut butter and butter on the inside, she said. I had several. I had several because I really appreciated her going out of her way to make something without wheat in it, we were having an engaging conversation at the time she brought them out, I was a guest in this woman’s home. I know her to be a person who thrives on knowing that what she’s made in the kitchen is enjoyed by those who eat it.

But after eating two, I found myself having a sudden urge to eat the entire tray.
Continue reading Ours Is Not To Reason Why…

The Wisdom of Crowds

Tom Naughton has put his recent speech at Springfield college up on Youtube. This is 45 minutes that are worth your time, as he explains how we went from a nation where people knew pretty much what to eat from experience and common wisdom, to one that is disgustingly fat and sick after The Anointed told us all how to eat; and why we’re going back again.

It’s an easy watch/listen (throw it on while you’re doing the dishes or something if you don’t have time to sit and look at it).

Holiday Decisions

Wait for that wisest of all counselors, Time.

― Pericles

Here’s hoping that none of you cared that I haven’t written another post till now, because you were so busy enjoying friends and family that you didn’t even notice!

Let’s talk about sugar and holiday gorging eating. I had some people over for Christmas and all around Christmas. It’s an important time of year for the line of work I’m in. And let’s face it: at Christmas people expect dessert. You simply cannot invite them over for a meal of just meat, maybe a vegetable or two ,and candy dishes full of cheese and pepperoni cubes instead of…you know…candy.

Of course on the day The Roommate and I actually celebrated Christmas–primarily by not eating sugar, resting quietly, and not having anyone over–we actually did have cheese and pepperoni slices in the fancy Christmas candy dishes. And almonds. The spicy ones. And we ate ham. Pounds and pounds of ham. I had a jar of pickled peppers in my stocking. The roommate had a can of roasted pecans under the tree.

Anyway, if one is going to swear off all sugar forever and ever, fine. But if one is going to ever allow it all, Christmas is the time.

Continue reading Holiday Decisions

Fallout II

There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don’t.

–Unknown

After the catastrophe that was yesterday’s loss of all my writing (catastrophe to me; relief to some.) I am going to try again on the subject of idiocy that gets thrown about over the holidays.

Continue reading Fallout II

Finishing Up Cholesterol

Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.
–Albert Einstein
When I say “finish up” of course I don’t mean that there’s nothing more to say. There’s always more that someone can say. Hence the continued existence of the Internet. And Alex Baldwin.
In the last few posts we talked about what cholesterol is, why you need it, why LDL and total cholesterol levels are not reliable markers for heart health, why HDL and your ratio of HDL to triglycerides is important, and that the real culprit in heart issues is ultimately inflammation.

Continue reading Finishing Up Cholesterol

No Hospitality For Trouble

You can’t keep trouble from coming, but you don’t have to give it a chair to sit on. 

–New England Proverb

When I was visiting Brother #3 in this summer he asked me:

Is there anything your magic diet doesn’t help with?

We both laughed–it was meant in jest, and he himself had seen some real benefits from changing up his way of eating. But what I said and thought at the time is: No. It does help just about everything.

Even though you weren’t there at the time, I’d like to clarify that statement for you. By it, I do not mean that I think eschewing grains, sugars, and Frankenfats and eating lots of saturated fat and meat is a miracle cure of any ailment. There are three things I do mean:

Continue reading No Hospitality For Trouble

Sång till Norden

Ensam är stark. “Alone is strong.” 

–Swedish Proverb

Forgive the long silence. I cracked my head on a wall last week and writing has been difficult till now.

My favorite Swedish proverb is actually Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder. “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing.” However there’s no doubt that the Swedes are standing alone just now; they are certainly also standing strong.

Continue reading Sång till Norden

Weight Watchers Scam

I used to moderate a weight loss community and we had this whole Weight Watchers trend a while ago and 20 women or so joined it. Only one that was 270lb or so was told to eat above 24 points… Everyone else was supposed to eat under 24 points. 24 points is 1,200 calories, so they were supposed to eat less than where most starvation diets begin. 

–JV1311

This summer I met a number of people doing Weight Watchers.

I also met a number of people doing Weight Watchers for the second, third, fourth or fifth time.

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