Ryan's Ruminations

[Ryan]

What a terrible title for a journal! At least it's alliterative.

I've been here about three months, with eight weeks of it ZC, and have almost 200 posts, so I guess it's about time to start a journal. I have been tracking my ZC progress in my blog so that some of my e-friends can follow along. I will probably keep posting there and just copy it to here but I can post some more personal stuff here too.

Actually, the main reason I am starting this is because Katelyn wanted me to post more cat pictures in my journal.

[Satya]

Yay, Ryan! How did Katelyn get you to start a journal when she doesn't even have one herself? Oh well, glad you did.

[MoxieKat]

Yeah, what Satya said!

(many times I take off running to K-Low's (non-existent) journal to say that I loved something she posted elsewhere and then I remember she doesn't have a journal. that only took about 15 times of searching for her journal for it to finally stick in my brain. lol)

Anyway, great that you, Ryan, have a journal!

[Willeke]

terrific, Ryan this is much easier to reply to!!!
Will your wife be journalling as well <g>. How is she doing, by the way?

[Ryan]

Okay, now for the background.

I am 45 years old, married to my beautiful wife (who is also doing ZC) and have two boys, aged 12 and 14. We also have two cats and a dog (Australian Shepherd). We live in NE Washington state, out in the sticks.

My stats currently are 5' 11" and 186 pounds. I started ZC at 199.6 pounds eight weeks ago tomorrow.

I started my blog a year and a half ago when I turned 44. The idea was to count calories and workout to be in great shape by the time I turned 45. I wrote out all of my health and diet history there. If anyone is interested, it is here. Ignore some of my theorizing in there and the first year of my blog. I keep it there to remind myself of that year of EPIC FAIL.

I turned to ZC carb after finding this site after looking into an elimination diet to try to cure some stomach issues I was having. I had always been resistant to giving up all carbs, mostly because I am a huge ice cream hound. However, between health issues and weight frustrations, I guess it was time for the message to sink in.

I blogged about the reasons for going ZC here and here. The second one contains scary pictures of me, logging my starting point, so beware.

I was sailing along for the first six weeks, except for a weird week after I gave up diet soda, and had dropped to 184.2 pounds by Memorial Day. The day after Memorial Day, though, it was like God flipped a switch. I gained two pounds overnight and have flopped around between 186 and 188 over the last two weeks and my energy level went to crap. I have been pretty much beef and water only the last couple of days in an attempt to get it back on track and it seems to be working.

I'll have to admit that I was starting to lose my religion a little there. However, the advice on this board always seems to be don't bitch until you have been on beef and water for a while, so that is where I am (reluctantly) heading. So far, so good.

My oldest son is having his 8th grade graduation next week and we are going to have a house full of relatives, so I have a little extra motivation to see if I can have more progress by then.

[Ryan]

(06-05-2009 01:35 PM)Satya Wrote:  Yay, Ryan! How did Katelyn get you to start a journal when she doesn't even have one herself? Oh well, glad you did.

Cat pictures!

(06-05-2009 01:46 PM)MoxieKat Wrote:  Anyway, great that you, Ryan, have a journal!

Thanks.

(06-05-2009 01:49 PM)Willeke Wrote:  terrific, Ryan this is much easier to reply to!!!
Will your wife be journalling as well <g>. How is she doing, by the way?

She's doing okay, though she isn't as strict as I am and does more dairy and lunch meat. She doesn't do forums or read blogs, so I'll have to chronicle her progress myself.

[Ryan]

(06-02-2009 09:30 PM)klowcarb Wrote:  I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE cats! Ryan, those cats are so precious. I wish I could have a cat right now. Please post more pics in your journal

Okay, here ya go:

Pepsi is a little confused on where he fits in in the order of life:



Aggravasion cat is .... aggravating.



The cats love the lunch meat. The gray one, Pearl, isn't with us anymore.



Early picture of Cola with our dog, Molly.




Boys love their video games.



Pepsi is an official lolcat. Here he is contemplating how best to get to those gluten free cookies.



That's probably enough for now. There are lots more.

[Angela]

LOL - love the 'I iz about to delete your cookie'!

[Ryan]

(06-05-2009 02:51 PM)ilovemeat Wrote:  LOL - love the 'I iz about to delete your cookie'!

I wish I could take credit for the caption but I just submitted the picture to icanhascheezburger.com and someone else came up with it.

Here's one a friend on a different forum did for me.

[Angela]

ahaha! That site is classic, I read an article about the guy who started it ages ago and he has some seriously high traffic there - no wonder as it's so original and hilarious.