Day 26: Fault line!

Today was day three on xylitol, and I think my body is finally getting used to the stuff. No runs! Yeaaa! For these small blessings we are grateful. I cut back my xylitol dosage to just over 100 calories worth for my morning flavorless calories. The AS was, yet again, very very strong. A few hours later I got some dangerous tummy rumbling action but nothing with serious side effects, if you catch my drift.

However, I think cutting back the caloric intake on the dosage is affecting me later in the day. It was supposed to be a “down” day of juice mix with maybe some fruit in the evening, but that plan got derailed. I took my fish oil caps in the afternoon as usual and that gave me some AS (never that strong anyway, with the fish caps) but by 7pm I was ravenous. I did not have any cravings of the usual kind, and in fact if my head had been on straight I would have chugged my fruit juice/ACV mix to take the edge off. But no, the training runs deep: I went for the double+good peanut butter spoon. The hunger was not so fierce after that but for dinner I did end up scarfing down some sushi, which is NOT what I had planned at all.

Displeased.

I think the problem is that with the xylitol, I’m just not getting enough flavorless calories (and how ironic is that, I ask you?). Between that and the fish caps, my SLD dosage comes to just over 200 calories; when I was doing old fashioned sugar water the total was closer to 350 calories. But UGH the xylitol is so filling, I cannot fathom dosing 200 calories of it in a sitting. No way. So I think I’ll split it: 100 calories worth in the morning, and then another 100 calories in the afternoon with the fish caps. I suspect that will give me AS like there’s no tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I think I’ll try for a “down” day again, as this one got blown to smithereens. Honestly my overall caloric intake today was less than 2000 calories total, so I cannot bitch too much. Still, hardly a “down” day as planned. Tomorrow, start fresh! I need to weigh in, too, but probably will do that on Thursday.

Day 24: The Runs!

Alas, the subject title for this post is NOT in regards to my jogging. No.

Due to a thread in the SLD Forums on Xylitol, I decided to try it in place of sugar for my SW dose. The claims that it might induce mild laxitive results are not overblown, I warn you! I had the runs all morning. Ugh. However I will say this, as someone who is used to intestinal purges (via senna tea or the MasterCleanse program), this was as inconvenient as a purge always is but not as painful. No cramps of any kind, which in my book is great! I am informed that such a reaction will pass (uh…no pun intended…) once my body acclimates to the Xylitol.

If you are curious, I am trying this because I am one of those people who thinks that refined white sugar is just short of evil. Inescapable, I know, but evil nonetheless. I was very unhappy about using the SW for my AS, because I did not want to run all that corrupting sugar over my nice, pretty teeth or into my chemical system. But the oils (ELOO, walnut) do not have anywhere near as strong AS for me; I can get by with 150 calories in SW while the same yet shorter-lived AS by oil requires 300 calories. I think that Xylitol may be the solution I am looking for.

I will say this: I used about 200 calories of Xylitol for my morning SLD dosage, in about a liter of water. OMG the AS was incredible, so much so, in fact, that it was almost uncomfortable. I mean, I felt full. I think I’ll back down the amount I use. If anything, so far, Xylitol beats sugar hands down on AS and health benefits.

For that, I can take a few days of “running.”

Day 22: Omega-3 Effects

Today is mostly a “down” day, drinking my fruit juice concoction (2c fruit juice, 2T Braggs ACV, 1T honey, and water to fill container). I think we might do dinner somewhere tonight but that’s okay. We did a dinner at Applebee’s last night and I ordered the veggie pizza (it is listed as an appetizer on the menu, and is about the only thing other than french fries that a vegetarian can eat at the restaurant). Ate half. HALF! That’s it! HALF!!!

…I don’t know why it is so hard for me to mentally adjust to this. I just keep thinking that I will be more hungry than I am. I need a reset button for my brain.

Went for a short jog this morning (slept…through…alarm!!! ohno!!) and will be playing racquetball at 7pm. I am feeling really, really good doing my jogs, better than ever before in fact. And my sleep pattern seems to have changed since I started taking the fish oil caps (amost 2g a day of Omega-3 oils) too. I have always been able to sleep; in fact, that has been the problem: sleeping too much. Give me leave and I’ll sleep for 12+ hours. But not anymore, because I’m automatically waking up after about 8 hours. That, I assure you, is very peculiar for me. I also feel more rested. Hard to judge that objectively, of course, but it is my impression. So many people have talked about their sleep patterns becoming “normal” after upping their Omega-3 intake, I have to believe it is all related.

Right now it is near lunch time and I am not even hungry. The SW took off the edge of hunger that crept up on me around 11am; soon I’ll go dip into my juice/ACV concoction. I just have to say: I’m feeling really, really GOOD these days.

Day Fourteen: Stuffed Again!

Yesterday I finished out at a Mexican restaurant. I had not eaten any breakfast (normal for me) and ate a little over a cup of rice and cheese for lunch, so by dinner time I was righteously hungry. Went to our favorite Mexican dive and stuffed myself…on less than half than what I used to order. Ate one cheese quesadilla and a side of salad (with guacamole! Yum!) and snacked on the chips. Normally it would be two quesadillas, one enchilada, rice, beans, and all the chips I could stuff into my face. In fact, between me and Husband, we did not even finish the bowl of chips they put out. We usually ask for refills (plural).

Now get this: Husband was driving and as we left he said the Magic Words of Wonder: “Dairy Queen?”

Me: “No way, I’m stuffed.”

Yes, folks, that was ME turning down a DQ Blizzard! That’s right, ME. Yes yes, you read it correctly: I said “no” to DQ!

You see the heavens parting over there? :::grin::::

Today I did the sugar water for morning, and then forgot to bring any oil to work. So I guess a small SW for afternoon too. I can see where people fall off the SLD wagon when trying to stick with the oil regimen: it’s damned inconvenient. But SW? Heck go down to the coffee pot stand in your office and steal 10 sugar packs – don’t feel bad, Joe in Accounting puts that much in his coffee every morning – and make your SW right there at work! Easy. I like that.

Today I ate my little (tiny!) bowl of rice and beans for lunch, with one slice of gouda cheese on the side. Full. But wait, there’s more! A section group meeting at work decided to order in food and left a lot of leftovers lying all over the group kitchen area. I’m talking about serious yum-yum, such as coleslaw and yeast rolls and corn on the cob. It smelled great, I’ll be honest about that, but I did not try any of it. Not the least bit tempted. Need I say, in the past I would have engorged myself on a double-lunch special with second helpings. I just feel so relieved not to be a slave to those outrageous cravings!

Side Effect Note: One thing I have not seen on the SLD boards, except for a few passing comments, is tongue rot. I have the absolutely worst taste in my mouth after the dosages, both SW and oil. It tastes like iron, nearly as if my tongue is leaking iron. I cannot for the life of me understand it, and I think it is a recent development. I sure don’t remember tongue rot when I started, anyway. Sometimes it will go away when I eat, but sometimes not. My diet has not changed considerably (just the portion sizes!) so I have to think it has something to do with the dosages. But what? Mystery. Yucky, annoying mystery.