Going Full On Douche Mode For A Selfie

     I have made some good head way on the new bookcase wand stand. I shaped the wood out by sanding it to the way I want it, and I finally drilled the holes for the actual posts that will hold the wands up today. That drill press I bought really paid off big time for that. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to get the half inch bit in it, but it was the absolute limit of it's capabilities and it worked like a charm. I did the mock up today, and I need to etch out the spots for the base of each wand and shape the stands, and then I will basically be ready for final assembly.

  I went subtle, with a touch of a worn down look for this one, and I really like it. I have some more big ideas for this, I just hope that I can pull it off, if I do, you will of course see it right here. I'm thinking I have about 4 more days on this project before it's finished. I need tomorrow for the shaping left to do, and then the rough sanding and final sanding, then it's all about assembling it together for good. That means wood glue and clamps for a day, then comes the staining, and that is when I'm going to take a bit of a risk to pull off one of these big ideas that I have. I don't know if it will work, but if it does, I think it will look incredible.

     I should share a picture of the drill press, since it did it's job today, and I can't remember if I ever shared a picture of how I put the dowel pins in, so here is one of those as well.

     Things have gone too well on this project so far, so I'm expecting bad things before I finish it up. I'm hoping that nothing happens, but the specter of failures of the past are getting in my head.

     The 28 day challenge is going great so far. I don't have a weight update, since the official weigh in is on Saturday, but I'm feeling good, and I think I'm already looking better, but I'm sure that is my own vanity saying what isn't real. I'm still looking forward to that 3 day fast, and I have been doing research on how to come out of a prolonged fast. It's not pretty people. Just because you can eat when the fast is over, you have to ease yourself back into it, otherwise you could end up very sick and possibly die. I'm going to do this right, so that means my caloric intake for the few days after the fast will be incredibly low and consist of broth the first day, light vegetables the 2nd day, a little more intense vegetables on day 3 with the possibility of some yogurt, or something along those lines, and then on the 4th day I will be able to eat general solid foods again. It's not going to be easy, but anything worth doing is never easy, so bring it on.

     I finally took the obligatory in the gym photo last night, so I guess I can share that. Back in the day when I went to the gym, it would be in clothes that showed off as much of my skin as possible, so that I could see what was being worked, and how the blood was flowing into that area. That isn't me anymore, and you can see that by this photo.

     You can also see, that I have a very long way to go before I'm in the body I want to be in. I'll get there, it's just going to take some time. Oh, and yes, the gym is empty, except for one persons way up in the front on a recumbent bike. I prefer to have the gym all to myself anymore, because I don't want to be around people. I don't think I could go to the gym during the day now. It used to be no big deal, but even the thought of it gives me a panic attack. That is why I'm glad my gym has 24 hour access. This was at 11:30 at night, and if I didn't wake up so early in the morning, I would try to go in later, so that no one was in there except for me.

     I will have an update on Sunday with my weight and maybe some ketone levels. I did test myself a few days ago, and only pulled a .80, which is in ketosis, but it's at the lower end of it. That could also be because I don't have the massive fat stores I once had, and it could be that I was at a low level for that time of day. Ketone levels can fluctuate, so I'm not worried as long as I'm somewhere in the ketosis band. I have said before that ketosis is when your body is actually burning off the fat as energy and that is what releases the ketones into your blood stream right? If not, I just did there. Optimum level is around 1.3, but anywhere from .60 to 3.0 is a great place to be. Anything higher than that and you could run the risk of some serious health conditions, but that is only if you have those high levels for prolonged lengths of time. I have only topped out at 3.0 once, and have usually been in that 1.5 range. I'm ok with that. This isn't a quick fix, so I'm in for the long haul of overall improved health and body. Still looking for people to join me on that 3 day fast. I'll be that support you can lean on when things are getting sketchy. Anyway, I'll talk about the whole experience here, so even if you don't do it, you can get an idea of what it's like.

     The short story still has me stumped, and I was thinking last night of rewriting it with a different person in mind at the focal point. I'll see how that goes tomorrow. I still have a little over a week on my self imposed deadline, so I hope I can work this out and have something for you to read on the Saturday after next. I think I'll post the final draft on Medium the same day. As with The Patchwork Knight. I will put the rough draft here, and the final draft there. The only difference this time, is that I'm not going to monetize this one, so everyone will be able to read it without being a member of Medium. I'll post a link on here so you can check it out.

     The TPR launched another review today, so I got a video for you to watch. I'll put it right below so take a little time and view our escapades into a new pizza location.



     I just saw the numbers as I was fetching the code for the video, and it's performing pretty well, based on our last few videos. That makes me happy. I would love it if thousands of people were watching, but that just isn't the case right now, and maybe never well, but this one is doing ok right now. Hopefully it will pick up some steam by Sunday and I can say that it is truly a success. I'll let you know. In the meantime, I need to go to bed. Big day of woodwork, writing, and working out. Peace in and goodnight.

Oh Yeah, I'm Going There

     A lot of things today, are telling me what I should write about tonight, and I will get to that, but I should update you on the bookcase wand stand.

     I did some more work on the bookcase today, and it may seem like something small, but this is one of the most time consuming and difficult part of this whole thing. It takes hours just to get the symbols etched in the way I do it. I'm sure there are easier methods of doing it, and I may even have some of the tools to do it, but I like the way it comes out when I do it this way, so it is worth the time. Here is the picture I have of what the sides look like now.

     I put a small difference in each one, so that they stand apart from one another. It was purposely done and there is a reason for it. I'm not going to tell you the difference yet, nor will I tell you why, but in due time you will hear the tale of the difference. If you can see it, then kudos to you for having a keen eye.

     I've been keeping a friend up to date on how it has all been going, an he asked me how I do it, so I took another picture that shows one of them partially completed with the Dremel next to it.

     Now that really doesn't show you how it's done, but you can get a rough idea of how I etch the whole thing out. I still have a lot to do to it, but the most difficult part is done, the second most difficult part is next, and that is wen I start drilling holes in it, for the way I put it together. This is when things can really go wrong, and I can screw the whole thing up, so I'm hoping that I nail it, and yes, no nails will be used in this one either. I should have more pictures for you on Thursday, let's just hope they are happy completed pictures and not big giant screw up pictures.

     Now, onto that subject I was talking about earlier. It all started this morning when the woman that comes to watch my mom told me a story about a cousin of hers that took a trip to Thailand, because he wanted to buy a boat and explore the world. The story didn't go well, He was a robbed and ended up in the hospital, but he took a chance and lived his life. Actually, that's not how it started, that was the second thing. I'm remembering things out of order. The first was when I dropped off my dearest of all friends at the airport, where she was taking a plane to Africa for a photo safari. The outcome of this one is days away, but she took a risk and is taking that chance to liver her life. She is on the adventure of a life time, and it is what she wanted to do, and now she is doing it. The next was when I was watching America's Got Talent. A comedian came out, who was hitting a really big stage for the first time. He had spent a good portion of his life locked up in his house, because he suffered from agoraphobia. That is the fear of crowds. He would have terror and panic attacks with even the thought of going outside. With the help of his therapist, he was able to take small steps and made it to a comedy club where he would do open mics. He made his way onto the stage at AGT and he killed it. He has a Steven Wright type of delivery, and it is bold and refreshing. He took a risk and took his chance and is living his life in a way he didn't think possible.

     What does all of this mean? It means you are about to get hit with one of those inspirational posts that tell you to go out and live your dreams. Yeah, I've said it before, and I have done it. I myself took that big leap of faith to see just what my talent could bring me. It didn't go as I had planned, but I learned so much about myself and my own capabilities. I have always said that you should learn something new every day. Well, learning something about yourself is the greatest achievement you could reach. It gives you a better understanding of who you are, and what you are capable of doing. You push yourself to new unheard of limits. Taking risks isn't about succeeding, they are about testing yourself, to see how you handle the outcome, good or bad. I think everyone should take a risk from time to time. It can be as simple as trying a new food that you would never try before. It may be something you end up loving. It can be something as difficult as quitting your job and chasing a dream. It can be what appears to be the most difficult task in the world for me to do, and that is asking someone out on a date. I'll do it again some day, I just haven't built up the strength for that one again yet.

     Even if you fail the experience you had in doing that thing is far greater then the actual failure. It isn't always about the destination, but the journey you took to get there. Don't let life pass you by while you just sit back and stay comfortable. Step out of that comfort zone and find something out about yourself. You might just find that you are a better person for the experience. Peace in and goodnight.

It Has Begun

     I started on the bookcase, and due to rain today, I haven't done anything more than getting the wood cut, and shaped out to the basic design. I wanted to get the Deathly Hallows symbol etched in, but I just couldn't do it. I do have some pictures of the progress though. They will give you an idea of what it could look like with a little patience and some delicate hands.

     I like the progress so far, and it seems to be going a little faster than the last time. That is mostly due to much better tools, and basic knowledge of knowing what I'm doing from past experience. I already have my measurements for the Deathly Hallows symbol, which is something a sort of winged the last time. I did use measurements, but not like this time. Since this one is going to be centered at the point of the X. I got my measurements for height, width, from the center point, diameter, and all that good stuff. That should make things easy on me when I transfer the symbol onto he wood and then begin cutting it all out. If everything goes right with this, I should be done in about a week, which would be lightyears ahead of what I did last time. We will see though, things could go horribly wrong. I"m down to the part where things get hairy, because it is all about shaping and fine-tuning, and making sure that pieces fall into their proper place. There is no room for error, or mistakes, otherwise I will have to start all over from scratch, and I don't want to do that.

     Solid plans that I have for it right now are of course the Deathly Hallows symbol, I'm also going to round the top edge so that it flows from the side piece to the top. I'm going to leave the bottom squared off, because I like the way it looks, I may dull the inside edge where the books will go, but no big radius on the bottom this time. That is all for the top. I'm thinking about doing some cut out elements on the side, but I have no idea what they are yet. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get the symbol in and see what kind of room is left for some kind of patter or what not.

     Today was the first day of my 28 days of strict Keto. I did my official weigh in yesterday and I was at 175, that means I have 10 lbs to lose to hit 165, and that is the new goal. I took my before pictures this morning, and no, I'm not sharing them with you. I"m saving those for the final day. I will have them as side by side comparison of what 28 days on strict Keto can do, and trust me, there is lots of room for improvement. They make me wish I had done before photos when I started 30 lbs ago. It would have been disturbing to see what I looked like. I was disturbed by what I looked like this morning. If you ever want a hard dose of reality, just take pictures of yourself front and back in your underwear. It's not a pretty sight, and I was rathe shocked and disgusted by my appearance, but all for the sake of information, and how my body is going to change. Plus it adds content to this, that will probably make you throw up. A reaction of any kind is still a reaction right?

     The big difference this time from last time, is that I will be going to the gym as part of all of this, plus there is that 3 day fasting challenge that I'm going to do. By the way, I've only heard from one person that wants to join along for that added support of a group. What are you afraid of, you can do this, and I'll be right her to help encourage you to keep it up when you are craving that whatever your favorite food is that you aren't eating. I'll be in the same boat, but I plan wholeheartedly to see this 3 day challenge through. I may even take before and after pictures for the challenge was well, so that you can see what a difference (or lack of a difference) 3 days fasting can do for you. This is going to be a lot of fun and I'm really looking forward to it. Join me for this adventure. Either way, I'll still be writing about it, but you once again, won't see the photos until the end of the 28 days. I'll post them all on July 7th. That will be the Sunday after the 28th day, so day 29. I'll still take my final photos on day 28 though.

     I got my supply of salt in for the fasting challenge, and I've already tried it out. It's really good salt, and it came with these tiny little viles of salt that you can carry around with you anywhere. I plan on taking them with me anytime I go out from now on. If I need salt on my food, I'm using this stuff, not that iodized processed crap that they have at every restaurant. This is from Redmond, which mills it's salt from a salt mine in Utah. They do not refine it, and leave all the natural minerals in it, and it tastes better than the table salt you are using. I've been using pink Himalayan salt on everything since starting Keto, and I'm switching over to this from now on. I'll use the pink in a pinch, but this salt is really good. If you watch the video I posted on the last post, Thomas Delauer put a link in his description for that salt. It was $14.99 for a large bag a normal size shaker and 5 of the mini shakers, all are refillable from the bag. Trust me, good salt is key in fasting and Keto, and this is good salt. I should say that I'm not getting paid for or getting anything free for talking about Redmond, I just became an instant fan after tasting it for the first time a day ago.

     The big problem I'm going to have, is of course, doing the TPR while I'm doing this strict 28 days of Keto. That means I'm going to have to stick to my 2 slice rule and then only having fat and protein for the rest of the day. Way too many carbs and calories in pizza. 2 slices are around 600 calories. Let that sink in. Oh, that is for pepperoni pizza. If you have more stuff on it, of course that caloric number will go up. That number means that the rest of my day will have to consist of fatty protein coming in at another 600-700 calories. It's not easy to do. Either you get too much fat, or you get too much protein. I will figure this all out when the time comes, but it's not going to be easy.

     Alright, I'm going to go and relax and ponder more on this short story that I'm working on. I should try and write myself out of block, but I'm out of practice for that, so I need to give it some deep thought. Peace in and goodnight.

   

Join Me And Succeed

     Got me a stack of wood today. Work will begin on my own bookcase wand stand tomorrow morning.

     The only thing I am working out in my head right now, is what the outer sides going to look like. You may remember the swooping design I did for the other bookcase wand stand. I don't want to repeat that, but I still want to show movement in design. I have an idea of something, but I'm not sure it will move enough. When I say move, and movement, I mean that the shape itself conveys motion. A straight up and down box, doesn't convey movement, so you create that movement with manipulating the shape to create a flow. 

     There are a few ways you can do that. One is the way I did it with the last one. I didn't have sharp edges to create an illusion of flow. Another way is with static shape edged, or jagged points. It create an electric type of feel to it. I already know that I'm going to stay away from this one. The last way I can think of, is by using negative space. Creating openings in the material to show a flow through the wood. I'm not against this one, but I may add elements of it into whatever shape and design I finalize on. 

     I am going with the Deathly Hallows symbol on it. I know, it's a bit of a cop out but not doing the dark mark, or the Death Eaters skull and serpent. I can still practice that symbol but when it really comes down to a Harry Potter book case, nothing symbolizes that more than the Deathly Hallows. I haven't settled on a finish for it either. I may go with a clear stain to keep that natural wood tone, but I may go with that deep red I used on the other one. Oh, I forgot to tell you. I went with a cheaper hard wood. Instead of the Red Oak of the last one, I chose Poplar wood. It's quite a bit cheaper, and not quite as pretty, but it doesn't have some solid graining to it, and should look really good when it is stained. Like last time, I'll take you along for the process as I complete each step. Right now is design and cutting the wood out into basic shapes, then it is about fine-tuning those shapes into the final shapes, and then finally assembly. After all that is done, it is all about the stain and clear coat to finish it off. I do need to get a second wand for this piece, and I tried to order it today, but the site crashed. I didn't get to order it. Any guesses on what wand will be my second for this wand stand? I already have the Elder wand that Dumbledore used in the series, so what is that second wand going to be. Oh, and no fair to the one person that already knows what the other wand is. You aren't allowed to answer this one.

     I did go out for a little clothes shopping yesterday. With all the weight loss I've had recently, my clothes are literally falling off of me. I needed some new jeans, and I wanted to try some one, to see just what size I was now. When I started all of this, I was wearing a 36, and truthfully, I should have been in a 38. I choose two pair of jeans to try on of different size. One I knew I would fit in for sure, and another that I thought would be tight. I was wrong about the tight ones. I put on a pair of 32's and they fit a little loose. I bought them on the spot. I couldn't believe that I actually fit in them. I went from, let's be real here, a size 38 to a size 32. 

     That whole experience made me come to a decision, that should be a fun one. I'm going to go strict Keto again starting on Sunday. I'm going to make a push for 165 lbs. Will I hit that goal? I have no idea, but I'm going to give it everything I got. I'm also going to join a group project that one of the people I follow on YouTube is doing. I'm going to post the video he put up yesterday so you can check it out.

     That's right, I'm going to jump in on this 3 day group fast. I'm also going to ask you to join me. Only do this if you are prepared for it. What I mean by that, is do a little research and prepare your body for this type of stressful impact. I have been doing OMAD (one meal a day) and intermittent fasting for a few months now, so I'm in prime shape for this. There is also that fact that it will be right in the middle of my new 28 days of strict Keto. Fasting like this is not for the feint of heart. Thomas Delauer has several videos on how to prepare yourself, and he will be posting a video or two to prep for this challenge. This guy knows what he is talking about, and is the reason for my success. Or at least the science and knowledge that I followed for my success. Check his videos out, and if you are going to do this along with me, and Thomas, let me know. I will be there for you to support you to help see you through this. It's not going to be easy, but it is going to be so satisfying. This will start on the 23rd of June, so you have time to prepare. You can do this.

     I began working on the short story, but I'm having a little trouble with it. I haven't seen the end yet, and that is giving me no direction on where to take this, so I have been heading in what feels like a zig zag pattern to an unknowing conclusion. I need to visualize an ending so I can get a direction. The start I have probably seems good, but when I started working towards the next act, I was pulled out of the moment, because the path is unclear. This is going to be a tough one, but I'll get it, and I'll share it with you when it is done, or maybe it will be done in three parts. I like the idea of a three part story, Each act distinct from the other and released over time as opposed to all at once. Either way, it will be coming soon. With in the next two weeks, is the deadline I'm putting on it.

     I also posted another picture today on the ol' Instagram. Of all the pictures I took the other day, I only got 3 that I liked, so I need to find more photographic inspiration, so if you want to model for my lens, let me know. We can work something out. Here is that second picture.

     I'm posting this one up early tonight, because I want to get to bed early. I want to wake up and get started on the new bookcase at the crack of dawn. I'm hoping to have some photos for what its going to look like on Sunday, so look forward to those. Peace in and goodnight.

Well, There It Is

     It's Tuesday night and I'm back with another post. I also have the announcement of the big change, just like I promised. Let's just dive into it. I quit my job, and today was the official last day of it. I went in early this morning to turn in the van and all the proprietary tools. Everything went really well and I left under good terms.

     Now for the why I quit. The job was simply taking too much of my time away from my mother. I was working 6 days a week and very long hours. I would see my mom in the morning before I left and then maybe see her when I got home in the evening. With her dementia getting worse, that time was shrunk to even smaller amounts of time when she actually knew who I was. I would play along each night as to who she thought I was. Some nights I would be her son, other nights, I was her brother, and yet other nights I was just the guy that worked there. Depending on what stories she would tell me, I would go along with who I was supposed to be. I have no idea how much time my mom has left, but I plan on being around for her as much as possible, and this job didn't allow for that. Saturday was a great example of why the job was getting in the way and for no reason.

     I had a service call and a job. I went to the service call first which was 2 hours from my house. When I got there, I couldn't perform the service call, because the information about the job was incomplete. I dealt with the customer and left her feeling good about the fact that the job would be done, and that it would be done right when someone came back, with all the supplies that were needed. I then went to the job site for my full job. When I got there the customer said that she had cancelled the job and that she didn't want the job to be done at all. I called the people I have to call and they told me to sit tight. That is code for, sit in the van and wait a really long time and we may remember that you called with a problem. After a half hour of just sitting there, I called back and asked if there was any news, and I was told to just call someone else and let them know of the situation before I left for the shop to unload my van and then go home. I did as I was told, and managed to get home at noon, That meant I was on the road for about 5 and a half hours for absolutely nothing, and there is a good chance that I won't be paid anything for my time, because now services were actually provided. I don't get the commission for the job, and I had to leave the service call without any work being done other then me writing notes about what the job needs to actually be done.

     The long hours and the distance away from my home location led me to the point where the money didn't matter and that the time with my mom was far more valuable to me. I will look for a job that is close by, and won't pay anywhere near as much, but in the meantime I will be writing and doing woodwork and photography. I might through a video in from time to time as well, if I can get Saki going again. The battery went dead from lack of riding, and I'm having trouble getting it charged again. It could be the battery, it could be the charger. The charger is the cheaper of the fix, but if it's not that then I wasted money, so I'm not real sure what I'm going to do to fix the problem.

     Speaking of photography, I did get some in, and here is the picture I posted on Instagram today.

     I have been wanting to get that very shot for a long time now, and I finally just went and did it. It made me realize just how much I missed being behind the camera. Yes, I take pictures when I'm doing the TPR, but it's not the same. Those photos aren't about a vision, they are about displaying what we are promoting. I want to do more model shoots, but I don't know if anyone is interested in me shooting them right now. I can ask around, but I'm going to put a call out right here. If you are interested in doing some modeling, and it doesn't matter what you look like or whether you are male or female, we can figure out a great shoot and background for you to be in. I will make you look good. That is my job as a photographer, and I won't let you down. Get in contact with me through either email, my address is at the top of this page, or if you know me personally, hit me up on my phone. Let's do this.

     I have a woodworking project in the works as well, and it's going to be a cool one. I'm not going to tell you about it just yet, and I may even wait until it is completed, but I can tell you, that it's going to be bigger and better than the book case.  I know, how can anything be bigger than a Deathly Hallows book case wand stand. Trust me, if I pull this one off, it will be. I still have my own book case wand stand in my head, but I'm not sure when I will get to that one. I am considering scraping the idea of doing the Death Eaters symbol on it, and going with the Deathly Hallows myself. I'm not firm on that yet, but I'm definitely leaning that way.

     Another new adventure begins for me, and I honestly have no idea where it's going to take me, but you'll hear about it as soon as I do. In the meantime, I'm back to the whole creative side of things, and that does make me smile. I have missed it so much. Especially the writing. Just writing this tonight is a big thing for me, and I have the first sentence to the short story written, but I feel some changes need to be made in order to get the story going where I'm seeing it in my head right now. I will post it as soon as it's ready, or maybe I'll announce it first and then set a date for it's release here, and then on Medium. I don't think I'm going to monetize it this time, so it will be free for all.

     The world is wide open once again, and I have so many places to look for inspiration. Starting new adventures in life is always a scary thing, but it is also one of the best things you can do in life. With out adversity, there is no growth, and I plan on growing. Peace in and goodnight.

Big Changes Are Afoot

      I have made a lot of big changes in my life in the past year, so why not one more. Unfortunately, I can't tell you about the new just yet. I can tell you about some of the outcome that should be expected from this new big change. I have been delinquent in writing on schedule lately, and that is going to change and get back to my normal schedule. I am also going to start working on some short stories to share with you and also on Medium. I haven't done anything with Medium since The Patchwork Knight finished, and I miss writing in a creative way greatly.

     Let's get off the what I can't tell you and talk about a Keto update. I did my official weigh in today since I had to work yesterday and I pulled a 172.5 lbs. Not bad for someone who is only maintaining and not trying to lose weight. That still keeps me in the range I was telling you about last week. I began hitting the gym this week. I'm keeping it very simple and body safe. I did what I call the core exercises: Squats, Deadlifts, and Bench Press. I kept the weight and the reps at a low and doable rate. I don't want to overly stress my body, while I'm getting it used to the stress that it will be under for paper weight training. The biggest mistake most people make when the start going to the gym again, is over doing it. I went in and began, within 45 minutes I was walking out the door. I kept my breaks between sets to around a minute, and my break between exercises to about 2 minutes. I focused on paper form and movement of each exercise, so that I didn't put anything out of position that could cause any undo stress on my joints. As I said, I kept the weight very low, but not so low that I wasn't getting anything out of it. I made sure that it was a weight that I could do 10 reps for 3 sets, in rapid fashion. I didn't want my body to completely recover between sets, I wanted it to be in movement. I didn't sit down between sets either, this is a habit I was in when I worked out before. I pace back and forth like a caged animal when I'm working out. I always have my body in motion. For me, it's a thought that I keep the blood flowing and not give it a chance to cool down. I want to generate heat, and heat means power. I will incorporate more exercises as I feel they are needed, for the next month though it will be those core that I'm going to do.

     I know that this blog has been centered on diet and working out a lot lately, but that is what is important in my life right now. I did sign up for another dating site, to test my luck again. I'm sure I'll be off it in a few weeks. I think I like the torture form time to time of putting myself out there with diminishing return.

     How about a mom update as well. She is doing great. We have to use the nursing service this week, but the family friend that has been staying with her during the most recent weeks is doing great. She is taking a vacation this week, so the service was necessary, but I set the hours to much less than they had been here in the past. I got to save that money some how, and that is how I'm going to do it. She has been eating well, and loving the meals I prepare for her. Best part of going Keto, is that every meal I make is super clean and healthy.

     I am hoping that I will have the information that I'm keeping from you on Tuesday. I promise to tell you everything when the time is right, it's just not right right now. I can share with you the latest video from the TPR. It went up last Thursday and I've been told that I did a great job on it. I hope you think so, and if you do, go on Youtube and click that little thumbs up button for us. Each one helps us out a lot.



     It never hurts to let me know what you thought of it right here either, but it's better if it's on YouTube. Ok, I need to start washing clothes and making dinner. There is an adventurous week ahead for me, so I better prepare for it. Peace in and goodnight.

There Are Options

     It has been a week since I have written anything. This week has been jam packed and left me quite  exhausted at the end of each day.  I really didn't have anything to write about either. It seems that each day is kind of the same with nothing outstanding to talk about. Since I am in maintenance on the Keto lifestyle, there isn't anything to really update there either.

     I will try to do it any way. I have maintained my weight so far. I am fluctuating between the 171 (the lowest I hit) to 175 (which was my goal weight). I have opened up my menu a little bit. A slice of toast here, a sugary snack there, but for the most part I have kept eating along the same lines that got me to this low weight, and the OMAD (One Meal A Day) way of eating. Even though my weight is bouncing in that small range, I have noticed that my body is getting more defined. I'm not seeing any bloating or water weight being added, but more fat being stripped off. I have thought about doing another full days of strict Keto like I was doing and seeing if I could set a new goal of getting to 165, but I'm not sure if I want to take my weight that low. Notice I said take, not try to get my weight that low. I'm pretty sure that if I kept going on a strict high fat, moderate protein, and low carb diet, I would hit 165 if a matter of weeks. I have no doubt about it, but I feel and look pretty good at the weight I'm at, so I see no real need other than curiosity, to do it. Now is all about getting that shredded definition that I have always wanted, and I'm well on my way to that. So what I'm saying is, that the new goal is a low body fat content, not not basing anything on any particular weight. I got rid of the majority of my body fat, and now it is time to just fine tune and then start maintaining that.

     Oh, I did hear about and find some new snacking options for me that are either Keto friendly or vegan friendly. I was told about Nada Moo's ice cream, which is a vegan ice cream that uses no animal products, and it is quite tasty. My one problem is that it has a coconut flavor to it, and the sugar content is a little high. They use coconut milk as a substitute for the normal milk, and it has a creamy very ice cream like texture. The second one I found is called Rebel, which is a Keto ice cream. High fat, low carbs. They use cream for their base, and it's good, but it tastes more like frozen whipped cream as opposed to ice cream. In both cases, they are delicious tasting ice creamyesque treats that I can indulge in without breaking to far away from Keto. I won't have it every day, and these two pints that I got will last me a few weeks probably, so it is all good.

     I also tried a vegan mayonnaise last night on my Kobe beef patties, and it was remarkable. This gives me another fat source that is also animal friendly. It is made by Helmann's and if someone gave it to me and didn't tell me that it was a plant based mayo, I wouldn't know that it was any different. That brings up something I saw to day while grocery shopping. I told you about the avocado oil butter that I have been using, that also tastes exactly like the real thing. I saw an avocado oil mayonnaise that was made by Kraft. I thought, "good" another option. I picked up the container and checked the ingredients, the fourth one on the list, was eggs. That isn't animal friendly, and is a little misleading for Kraft to do. Granted it didn't say that it was a vegan mayonnaise, but by putting Avocado in big letters on it, it would lead you to believe that it was. The lesson here is, always read the ingredients, so that you know exactly what you are eating.

     Speaking of ingredients and food in general. I was talking with a friend about why I think anyone can do what I did, as long as you are determined. I was a person that got the vast majority of my calories from snacks, whether it be sugary candy bars, ice cream, or carb loaded chips, popcorn, or what not. It was truly an addiction of some sort, and I was able to get rid of it, and not even really want it anymore, due to finding other options. Quest Nutrition was a big part in that. They have their Quest bars, which I love, that gives me that candy bar like option, and they also have their chips, that I'm really liking. They aren't as good as real chips, and they do have a little bit of an after taste, but they give me a crunchy texture that I have been missing on Keto. I think that is what I really missed from chips, that crunch. I don't need the carbs from them, but that crunch is so satisfying, and these protein packed chips give me what I need.

     What I'm saying with all of this is, that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. There are other ways of doing things out there, especially when it comes to eating. I can see myself going to a more plant based diet in the future, and I know that it's possible. Right now, with Keto I'm sticking with what I know, but I am looking for those big fatty protein substitutes, and once I have the knowledge of what is out there, and what tastes good, I can see myself going vegetarian or even possible vegan. That will be something that I've always wanted to do, but didn't know how, or believe that I could ever do. I was limiting my scope of possibility. That is the biggest lesson I have learned from going Keto, is that possibilities are endless. Oh and yes, even if I go vegan I will still maintain a Keto based diet. there are vegan Keto options out there. I just have to do more research on how to do it properly, and once I have that information, I will be in. I've already substituted my protein powders that where milk and whey based to pea protein, which is a slower and fully digestible protein where milk and whey are not. Like I said, there are options, you just have to look for them, and I'm looking. Peace in and goodnight.