I just stopped keto last week. I read that more than 6 months straight can have unfortunate side effects, so I’m transitioning to a slightly less restrictive low carb. It’ll still keep me from eating my own weight in pasta, so I’m calling it good.

David Cameron

David Hameron, rather.

Which apps do y'all use?

I use Carb Manager, which is fine for any diet, you just plug in the goal percentages for carbs/fat/protein, or anything else like fiber. They have most restaurant menu items, and it is easy to add your recipes.

The last time I did Keto for a full year and lost 60 pounds. (Docs thought that was a perfect rate of loss, sigh) I've only been on it again a month, but I'd like to just stay on it forever. It is easy enough now with so many keto products. My doctors feel it is good for me with the family history of diabetes (all 3 siblings are diabetic) and the seizure history. They say I can stay on it forever. Not only did my sugar numbers go down but my cholesterol dropped too. That could be my focus on keeping my fiber numbers high.

I lose weight when I track, but doing that also tips me back into flirting with an eating disorder, so I really shouldn't do it. I need to get back to making sure my meals are heavy on protein and veg, but both Mr. Loomy and I are bad at meal planning. And cooking.

In related news, I have found a physical therapist! My intake appointment is next week. Best of all, the PT place also has a gym with a pool. Water aerobics, here I come.

Ah, pool. I want to get back to swimming. I will get back to swimming!

I just wrote my first ten of 500 postcards to swing states. State. Arizona. If I write ten per day, I will have them all done by... wait a sec. I think I calculated wrong. Hold on. Yup -- I think I left September out! If I write FIVE per day, I will be done by Oct. 17, and then I mail on Oct. 26. Plenty of time.

And I have a head start of five today, heh. I'll need to catch up on putting stamps on when the stamps I ordered get here, but that's a breeze.

We're going to see Beck at Wolf Trap tonight with the Natn'l Symphony Orch. Should be fun. And while it's hot, it's not super humid, so it'll be pleasant. Tomorrow is Deadpool & Wolverine!

The Maintenance Phase episode about how the obsession with getting “enough “ protein started is fascinating. Well, like all their episodes are.

For me, my doctor wants to make sure I'm getting enough protein because of the Ozempic and potential muscle loss. One of my numbers was a little low most recently. Fat restriction is because of my funky gut and metabolism post surgery.

I've never listened to Maintenance Phase. I'm going to check it out. (Er, I'm assuming it's a podcast.)

Huh. Apparently, I have listened to it before; some eps are partially done when I hit "Follow." Weird. What should I be eating for memory, is the REAL question.

ETA: OK, yeah, I've listened to this before. I remember now.

Tracking is the only way I have ever successfully lost weight. Which apps do y'all use?

I use Lose It. Good integration of the Apple Watch, etc., large database, easy importing of recipes. The trick, I've found, is to look at your daily intake as a target you want to hit as closely as possible, not a maximum that you want to go under. I'm still shit at my macros, but I slowly lost much of the middle-aged spread, and I've kept it off for over a year. If I get back to exercising, I can probably get back to the target I set for myself (not the initial goal weight) before I horked my knee last year.

Yes, great point about the target. Takes away the fretting over "going over."

"Stay on target...stay on target!" Go Star Wars on it!

Also takes away the urge to go under. Or at least reduces it. Also helpful was recognizing that for ever 5-10% of bodyweight lost, you'll usually plateau for a few weeks. I figured out those milestones ahead of time and prevented a lot of freaking.