Desert Biking and Food - Low Carb Style

Single Track mountain biking in southern New Mexico. Here is the trailhead. It got very dicey hereafter. This trail is rated a 3 out of 5 in difficulty, and I probably could have used a 2 or a 1 rated trail. I ended up busting my rear several times. It was 5 miles to the mountain in the distance. I had to walk it a few times. But a year ago, at 360 pounds, it would have been impossible. A year and a half ago, at 405 pounds, it would have been unthinkable. Thanks to low carb foods, which is a fantastic way to eat and live, combined with recovery from food addiction, I can get out and enjoy doing something that I always wanted to do - get sunburned and bust my rump on boulders and cactus.

Here's a recent low carb meal. Doesn't it look like I am suffering? This is Atkins at its finest. Those are stuffed (ground beef, cream cheese, garlic, parmesan cheese) Mexican Jalapenos - delicious. 6 ounces of grilled top sirloin, medium rare with Chicago steak seasoning, a green salad with tomatoes (Ceasar dressing added shortly thereafter). This is really eating and living well, according to my needs!

Too Much

I've been eating too much. For the past several months, weight loss has ebbed and halted, although I am still down a pound or two since last fall. Yet the dieter in me craves more, faster, stunning, amazing, pounds lost every day and preferably overnight while eating desserts and laying around the house.

Uh uh. I hit a spell of traveling and work commitments in February and March that pulled me away from home, routine, and my home groups of recovery. Not good. I think I pushed up in weight during this time because I was eating foods that were "legal," but I was eating way too much of them. I stopped writing down my calories and carbs and used the old "eyeball" method of estimating. My eyeballs are faulty because they always estimate about 30% lower calories and portion size than actually present, and any judgment call goes in my favor. It's called addictive thinking.

After 2 weeks back at home and with my back into my recovery work, I've managed to right the ship and list no more. Weight is back below baseline in January, and calories are at a reasonable 2500-2900 per day, given my activity level. I am back at an induction carb level of 20 grams a day, but will eventually pop back up to the 40-50 mark. I have to make the effort to keep my calories and carbs legit though - no sugar free, sugar alcohol candies and meal replacement bars - these get me in trouble double quick. My body can't tell the difference between a Russel Stover's sugar free coconut chocolate candy and an Almond Joy. I get tricked into acquiring a taste for sweet and more, which always seem to go together for me.

For today, I'm back on track, and that's the best I can do for this 24 hours ahead.