Day One - Not excited at all

I'm only six hours into the diet, and I'm already fed up with the diet.  I didn't go grocery shopping yesterday, so I'm preparing my list now.  I'm already feeling defeated.  I've been reading message boards and recipes online, and it's been discouraging.

Apparently, women have a hard time seeing results from this diet.  And the recipes all sound disgusting to me.  At this point, I feel like I'd rather not eat at all.  I guess that's one way to lose weight.

This morning for breakfast, I had 3 whole eggs and half a can of black beans.  I probably used too much fat when cooking both the eggs and beans (ghee and grapeseed oil respectively).  It didn't taste horrible, but it didn't taste fantastic.

Some people, including Tim, recommend putting salsa on top of egg whites.  After developing an aversion to huevos rancheros somewhere along the way, the very thought of this combination makes me gag.  I think I can make an "egg bake" with omelet-type ingredients, but how do I incorporate the legumes?  

I was thinking about eating stir-fry a couple of nights this week, but most stir fry sauces require starch/sugar.  And did you know they put wheat in some soy sauces?  Am I really going to have to worry about every little fucking thing?  

And this is why I hate diets.  "The devil is in the details."  You think you find a recipe that works, and bam, there's wheat hidden in it, or corn starch is required as a thickener.  And apparently, details like these are tripping up a lot of women out there, most of whom are seeing modest results, if any, even by the fourth week.  

Will I last till the fourth week?

Background information

Missing Statement

This blog will document my efforts to drop 30 pounds before I turn 30 years old (hence the title, "Dropping 30 before 30"). I have approximately eight months (by October 2011) to complete this task, and I think I've chosen a diet that will get me there by the summer.

How this started

Last month, author Timothy Ferriss visited Google to introduce and promote his new book, The 4-Hour Body. He kept his talk short, and focused mostly on the chapters covering weight loss, specifically, "Subtracting Fat". Apparently, after lots of research and personal testing, he developed a diet--the Slow Carb Diet--that would help its user lose 20 pounds in 30 days without exercise.

The idea of losing so much weight, so quickly, without exercise was especially seductive because of my back injury. This time last year, I was running regularly--about 3-4 days a week--and was in the best shape of my life. I then moved to NYC for a temporary assignment, and fell out of my workout habits, and re-injured my back (herniated disc at L4-L5).

Since then, even upon returning to California, I have not pushed myself to work out beyond some physical therapy exercises. I'm in constant pain, of varying severity, and my mobility is shot. I have gained a startling 10-15 pounds. I'm no where near my heaviest, but feel like I might as well be. I feel like shit, to be honest.

I have no self-control, no energy, and am stressed to an unhealthy level. I'm unhappy with myself and my body. I'm in a bad place.

So, I purchased a copy of Tim's book for something like $15 - well worth the risk of it becoming a paperweight. I've read through the fat-loss chapters, and have collected notes in a small notebook, which I plan to carry around with me. And now I'm ready to begin.

Here are some challenges

1. Having to cook for myself at home

2. Being addicted to carbs and sugar

3. Being lazy

4. No self-control

Here is how I plan to overcome those challenges

1. Eat the same few meals over and over again (per Tim's recommendations), so can cook in batches rather than every night

2. Eat whatever I want one day per week

3. Cutting out some of the crap foods I eat every day will help boost energy

4. Ask my fiancé and friends to keep me in check, and write this blog so I am accountable to the Interwebz

What makes me nervous

My main concern is that diets don't work in the long run, or at least that's what I've been taught. If eating a certain way causes rapid fat loss, you can expect to gain what you lost, and then some, in return. I'm hoping that if I lose the weight and discontinue this way of eating, I can use calorie control and exercise to maintain going forward. At this point, I've run out of patience, and rapid fat loss is worth the risk.

Why it's worth the risk

I've been overweight my entire life. My weight has been a constant struggle, and has always made me miserable, from teasing classmates to depressing fitting rooms. Through exercising and minor diet changes, I managed to lose 40 pounds over 4 years--10 to 15 of which I've gained back recently.

This will neither be easy nor fun. There will be numerous obstacles along the way, and perhaps added stress and frustration. The hope is, though, that it will all be worth it.

Next Steps

1. Develop a menu that will get me through the next week

2. Go grocery shopping

3. Start the diet tomorrow morning, Sunday, February 6th