The fourth eleven days of Lent 2021.

Tuesday 23rd March

Ketosis Weight Variance Fat Variance
0.25 77.7 -0.3 13.4 -0.1

I woke up feeling under par again. I had to get up at 0130 but slept through to 0600. Someone speaking outside woke me up. The mornings are getting lighter and the days are getting longer. This weekend we have the luxury of losing an hour to daylight savings, which I need to compensate for. I’m not getting good sleep at the moment.

On inspection first thing this morning, my face looked gaunt and my skin looked loose. I need a couple of coffees to get going usually but energy levels are low. I will take a vitamin B supplement later.

My weight stats are heading downward again and my fat weight is the lowest since the start of Lent (and actually for as long as I recorded it on my tracker since August 2019).

I took Luna for a walk and listened to two podcasts. The first was a podcast I follow about East Germany. It’s fascinating to hear what life was like there from people that lived there and historians. The other was Cal Newport’s regular podcast on Deep Work and organisation. I got in made coffee and started on my work, and now I’m here typing this.

We had a portion of chilli (the same that I made on Friday) with cheese and salad for dinner yesterday, and I will have the same again today to finish it. I have so much to do today that it’s for the best that dinner just needs heating up in a saucepan for 5 minutes. I need to bottle some beer, write a presentation and attend several meetings.

I got as far as finding the bottles for the beer and decided that really I need to buy some new ones. I have enough for the barley wine, but will get some more for the porter. It doesn’t help that I have dry skin on my hands, something that happens this time of year and the skin keeps cracking. Washing a load of bottles won’t help.

I supported a kickstarter project yesterday, a potentially “unnecessary” purchase I suppose. It is setup to produce a book on Douglas Adams and will be published next year in September. Just the thought of September 2022 as a thing was a little mind blowing. We don’t even know what we will be doing this September. I would like to go to a conference in Vienna, but we will not know until June if it is happening.

On that note, I would just like to be able to go to a library or a coffee shop and sit and do some work away from everything. Just before the lockdown I got a pass to my University’s library as a former member of staff and former student. It’s sometimes easier to work in the quiet environment and have access to the wealth of books, bizarrely but expectedly in the same places they were when I studied there over 20 years ago.

I popped out yesterday afternoon to the shopping centre for a walk and bought a couple of magazines, and ended up in bed around 9 reading. Let’s hope today I can regain a bit of energy.

Wednesday 24th March

Ketosis Weight Variance Fat Variance
neg 77.5 -0.2 13.4 -0.0

My ketosis test was negative this morning for the first time in Lent. It was the last strip in the pack and it looked past its best. I think I have some more test strips somewhere but they’ve probably been kept in the bathroom. They need to be kept in a dark cool place or they go off very quickly. Anyway, if there aren’t any further ketosis results this Lent from me it’s because I’ve run out of strips. Poor planning on my part.

Despite the lack of apparent ketones, the figures are still going in the right direction. I woke with brain fog yesterday and it didn’t clear until later in the afternoon. Very irritating. I had dinner early at 1330 and spent the afternoon feeling a bit fed up with the dieting. I was also overwhelmed with the list of things I had to do and couldn’t get started on anything. Sometimes I have days like this. The best thing to do (as I did), is pick something small and achievable on the list and get it done. Build up the momentum and move forward.

At around 1800, I had two meetings at the same time… one with the Spectator on sanctions and one with the BCS on the GDPR. I ended up dropping the Spectator event in favour of the GDPR event and listened to it whilst I washed bottles. The worst bit about brewing is bottling. I washed the bottles (probably the most annoying bit), retrieved the barley wine and after sanitising the bottles, I bottled the lot. I’m not sure if the barley wine has worked but you have to be in barley wine for the long game. It won’t be ready for at least another 6 months. Added to the complication, I usually add fresh yeast to each bottle to ensure it carbonates.

Anyway having done all this and having used the superb bottle capper my brother and sister-in-law bought me for Christmas, I had the momentum to clean the demijohn of Barley Wine and move the Porter I made over a week ago into it. I’ve also taken six bottles of the Porter, but the idea is it will condition and rest for two weeks in the demijohn and improve its flavour. Then I cleared up. I ended up enjoying the process for once.

Two things though. 1. I have too many old bottles with labels. I discarded some last night and ordered new ones. It is not the right thing to do, but sometimes you have to make life easy. Was this an essential purchase? Well, yes because I might have to bottle the Porter before the end of Lent and I will need the bottles. 2. The bottle washing. Argh. I’ve seen a bottle washer for £60 on Amazon and it does 12 bottles at a time. I think this is probably worth it. If the £60 makes it easier, why not? But I will wait until after Lent - I need to get a grain mill first to improve my beer.

I had to taste the beer to check it. I know this sounds like a joke, but I only took a sip. There’s no point going to the trouble of bottling it if it is off. The beer is not the finished product and it is flat. I sipped both beers - the Barley Wine had a slight edge to it which will disappear with time and the Porter was a sweet full-bodied dark beer. I’m hoping both will improve with ago.

I trying to setup a bulk build of software for another out-of-work project and it is causing me a lot of grief. The first part of the process involves building a tree of dependencies that can take over a day. I’ve done this three times and something isn’t working. I spend 20 minutes with another coder on this yesterday and hopefully I have a fix.

You can see that despite a one meal a day diet, I’m living quite an active and varied life. There is no impact to any brain capacity. The brain fog is something that happens to me regularly anyway. I’ve never got to the bottom of it. Today I’m feeling better.

I now have eleven days left until High Saturday and I think I will make it through. We need to have something different to eat on Sunday though and I haven’t figured out what. I’ve also started to book up social engagements. We have to think positive - the lockdown will end. I will be going to the pub for lunch on the 12th April as soon as they open and hopefully be going away in June for a mountain walk

Thursday 25th March

Ketosis Weight Variance Fat Variance
neg 77.6 0.1 13.4 0.0

I woke up this morning just before 7 because an animal was jumping around downstairs. Of course, when I got down there the animal was sat in her crate looking patiently as if butter would not melt in her mouth. Anyway, she did me a favour - she got me up and moving. I let her out, fed her and then read in bed for half an hour with a coffee.

I feel more energised today. Last night I had the last Russian lesson of the term before Easter and felt pretty tired throughout. Worse still I needed to finished a presentation afterwards. I worked until about 2200 before heading to bed and reading a magazine briefly. The good news is the effort I put in means today is a bit easier. I have a couple of meetings and I just need to be prepared.

My weight has gone up very slightly and I’m at the point where I’m not sure how much further I can go. I can clearly lose a bit more fat. My ketosis test was negative. I found some strips but as I wrote yesterday, I’m not sure if they are any good. I may order some more later on (from Amazon and yes I’m counting it as an essential purchase).

But generally I’m feeling better in myself. I’ve felt tired for the past two days and that has passed.

We had chicken wrapped in bacon with salad and green beans for dinner. We had this just before 1700. It’s a favourite of ours. We have managed to find bacon without nitrates and the combination with chicken is filling.

I’m thinking about what to do in April and it definitely involves getting back on my bike. The weather is getting better and I will be able to tolerate the temperatures. Nevertheless, I need to get on the bike again because I have a long ride planned later in the year.

Friday 26th March

Ketosis Weight Variance Fat Variance
1.5 77.4 -0.2 13.4 0.0

Having bought new ketosis strips (scheduled for arrival later today), the old ketosis strips have started to work. They are ganging up on me. This morning I was in ketosis according to the test and both my weight and fat weight are descending again.

I had a very busy work day yesterday. We ate dinner between meetings and had salmon with vegetables and salad. I also had some peanuts. When the meetings were over, I went to the local DIY store and got some bits and pieces for the garden. That is as much fresh air as I got. I’m hoping to get out into the garden this afternoon.

By 2100 I was sufficiently tired to crash into bed with my kindle and iPad. I read until 2300 before going to sleep. I bought some things online today but they are Easter presents. I’m hoping to have a relatively relaxing weekend and don’t have any plans for once.

Saturday 27th March

Ketosis Weight Variance Fat Variance
4 77.7 0.3 13.4 0.1

I honestly do not know how to describe it other than a hangover. I have a headache and I’m struggling to get going. It must be ketosis. It’s bizarre that I feel like this despite living cleanly, but I think it is evidence that OMAD needs to be done differently. Only one week to go and we can relax a bit.

I worked most of the day yesterday, tidied the office and got out with the dog in the evening. We had pork belly, vegetables and salad for dinner. I also had some peanuts. I think I need to cut down on the peanuts. In addition to the headache, I’m having digestive issues again which will hopefully resolve themselves this weekend.

But the key is to keep busy. I’ve had coffee and read this morning. In about an hour or so I will get up and do some gardening, and that will be it for today.

The statistics have risen slightly and I don’t expect them to be much lower next week when I finish Lent. My waist measured in at precisely 36” (91.5cm), up on last week’s measurement but I’m slightly bloated today. Here are the summaries for the week:

By and large, the Fitbit tools say I’m getting good sleep but I don’t always feel that way everyday. I’m usually sluggish in the mornings:

Sunday 28th March

Ketosis Weight Variance Fat Variance
0.5 77.2 -0.5 13.4 -0.1

Unusually, I’m typing this in bed with my laptop. I try to keep the bedroom free of normal daily activities, but today I’m failing because I’m feeling tired. Yesterday I worked on the garden and got everything I wanted done. I took Luna for a walk in the afternoon and then felt exhausted, actually over exhausted for what I’d actually done. I also felt cold and had to wrap up and turn the heating up.

Dinner consisted of two rib-eye steaks, two eggs, fried mushrooms and tomatoes with green beans and plenty of cheese and peanuts. I needed a good feed. You can see that it hasn’t affected my weight in the slightest. Afterwards, I ended up on the sofa with Luna catching up with podcasts and watching films.

I was going to paint the garden furniture today, but it is windy and chilly outside, and I don’t fancy it. I’m going to make sure I get some rest today instead. Of course, we’ve “lost” an hour today due to daylight savings changes and it is best to sleep in naturally unless you absolutely have to be up at a certain time. There are more heart attacks on this day due to the abrupt change to sleep patterns (see [DST]).

We will have pie and mash later on for our meal. One of my home brew clubs is announcing the winners of a competition at 1600 today and I will attend that by Zoom. But other than that, no plans really other than a bit of reading and relaxation.

This time next week I will have finished Lent. I intend to break my period of OMAD fasting and have a “normal” Sunday.

Monday 29th March

Ketosis Weight Variance Fat Variance
0.5 77.2 0.0 13.4 0.0

My weight has not changed overnight. We had our dinner early before 1500 and it was a carb fest. I started with porridge and finished with steak and ale pie with mashing potato, mushy peas and salad. I also had a few handfuls of peanuts. And the result is I feel a bit better in myself and my digestive system has sorted itself out, multiple times.

We didn’t do very much at all yesterday. I had intended to paint furniture in the garden but it was too windy. I took Luna for a walk and spent the afternoon planning brewing. I’m going to brew 15 beers between now and March. It’s quite an aggressive plan but I’m going to have a go at competing again. It took me over two hours finding recipes and choosing yeasts. No doubt I will tune it again before I start.

This morning, I’m still a bit tired due to the time change believe it or not. I’m quite sensitive to time changes. I woke up after six but couldn’t get up straightaway. After letting Luna out, I read in bed for a bit with a coffee.

This is the last week of dieting and I’m sure it will flyby. Today I have lots of meetings and a software release to do. I’m going to make sure that I have finished by 1900 and I’m winding down to make sure tomorrow is successful.

Tuesday 30th March

Ketosis Weight Variance Fat Variance
neg 77.4 0.2 13.5 0.1

Despite doing everything “right”, namely getting some exercise, eating early and working hard, I ended up with a bout of insomnia. I could not get to sleep until after 2am and this morning I feel tired as a result. Lack of sleep tends to affect my weight and it is no surprise that I have a negative ketosis test and my statistics have increased slightly. Tomorrow I will use fresher ketosis strips just in case.

I spent the day releasing software, attending meetings and working out who we need to hire to get the future work done. I took Luna for a walk in the evening and had dinner (chicken wrapped in bacon with green beans and salad) in the late afternoon. And that is all there is to report. Today will be fuelled by coffee.

Wednesday 31st March

Ketosis Weight Variance Fat Variance
0.5 77.5 0.1 13.5 0.0

Grrrr. I feel grumpy and grotty. I’m not sure why but I suspect it is down to not sleeping well and the change in temperature. At the weekend it was almost winter cold and now it is summer warm. I struggle a bit with the large change. I think, generally, that people are fed-up of the lockdown and just want it to be over.

My weight is slightly up from yesterday just to add to the grumpiness. I got up at 0720, showered and got ready for the day, let Luna out and made coffee.

Yesterday I had to park a problem I was solving (because I couldn’t solve it) and go for a walk around the lake at the shopping centre. The walk focused the mind and I was able to get back onto the problem when I got in. Given my lack of sleep, I deployed a vitamin B tablet. We had dinner slightly later and ate salmon with vegetables and salad. I then fiddled with Amazon Web Services whilst eating a few peanuts.

I’m looking forward to getting a break this weekend, but I have a lot to do and I suspect work will stray into the weekend. I could just do with a second meal occasionally. If I’ve felt like this before, I would have had an omelette and salad mid-morning and would have felt better. However rules are rules.

Maundy Thursday 1st April

Ketosis Weight Variance Fat Variance
0.5 77.5 0.0 13.5 0.0

By lunchtime yesterday the grumpiness had subsided. I spent the day working on a presentation and then at 1330 I started to paint some garden furniture. Now one needs to do two coats within 8 hours and that is achievable, except that I needed to turn the furniture over and so the other side. So effectively I needed to do four coats with the first side ideally touch dry. I got ambitious and finished it all yesterday. There were two small rain showers as well, but it didn’t put me off. I finished as the sun went down. In fact, I had to get a torch to check everything as I ran out of sunlight. This morning, the furniture doesn’t look bad but it is still drying.

Unfortunately with all the squatting and bending, I’ve hurt my back. It’s a reoccurring problem that has more to do with my leg muscles being tight. But this lockdown has meant less exercise so less flexibility and more susceptibility to back problems. I had a hot bath last night but it hasn’t helped. I suspect it will have passed by tomorrow.

We had chicken (marinated and roasted) with vegetables and salad. I had some cheese too. Before bed I had valerian tea to try to help with my sleep. I’ve slept relatively well but could do with a few more hours. Hopefully I will reset this weekend.

There is no change in the stats and I suspect at the weekend when I record the last set of statistics, they won’t be much different. I’ve taken the edge off and I just need to be careful not to put it all back on. We are going to have Sunday off dieting and then I will probably resume a low-carb diet from Monday or Tuesday.

Good Friday 2nd April

Ketosis Weight Variance Fat Variance
1.5 76.9 -0.6 13.3 -0.2

My statistics have dipped considerably overnight and if I’m being honest there’s probably two reasons. Some digestive backlog appeared during the day yesterday and I shaved my head. I suspect my hair alone was 200g as I’ve not had a haircut for 160 days or so. I simply could not wait until lockdown relaxes on the 12th April to get to a barbers.

Painting the furniture on Wednesday has given me a bad back and I didn’t do very well yesterday. Furthermore I’ve done something to my left eye and it is cloudly. If it doesn’t resolve itself, I’ll have to go and see someone about it - which of course at Easter is tricky. And as a result of all this I failed to get some proper fresh air yesterday. The best I could do is 15 minutes outside with Luna playing fetch.

Anyway, the end of the abstinence is in site. I’ve put two beers in the fridge ready for Sunday and we intend to have eggs royale in the morning and a curry in the evening. I’ve started to reflect on how I’ve done with the rules I’ve put in place, but I won’t write about that until Sunday. I want to buy a couple of books on the BSD operating system. I can see them on eBay but I’m not allowing myself to buy them. Strictly I do not need them - they will be for historical interest, but I enjoy the warm feeling of reading books, so if a book is the price of a couple of pints of beer or a meal, actually it isn’t too expensive in the scheme of things.

I did make some purchases yesterday. I tend to wear black T-shirts almost exclusively and most of my T-shirts are getting old and stained. In fact, one of my pristine ones got covered in paint on Wednesday. Duh. Anyway I have ordered some more and I will go out to collect them later on today. I’m not sure if I will be able to walk all the way comfortably but at least I will get out. Look after your back folks - you only get one of them.