Magnetic's Journal

[magnetic]

Today I had a bit more energy than yesterday, which must be due to the slightly larger meal that I ate last night. I think that I still have an energy deficit from not eating enough at my meal to give me energy until the next evening. Hunger struck a little earlier than yesterday. I was very hungry by the time I got home. I ate 4 eggs, a pound of high fat beef with extra fat added and about 1/4 pound of buffalo heart. I am very full and it will be interesting to see when hunger returns tomorrow. I had my first bowel movement in 3 days this evening. It was diarreah-like but only mildly discomforting.

I am still adapting to my current metabolic state. I read in a textbook on metabolism that the human brain uses more ketones only gradually, rising to 75% after 40 days of fasting (which I assume is the metabolic state I am in or entering). There was no further information on whether the brain continues to use more ketones and what the upper limit is (or conversely, the lower limit for necessary glucose).

[magnetic]

I woke up fully rested and with a lot of energy today. I did wake up after only 4 hours sleep, but I was able to get back to sleep after about 10 minutes. This is the first day I feel fully rested in the morning in a few weeks. I hope it continues.

[magnetic]

Yesterday my energy was the same as the day before. My mood was steady, not high but not low either. I had a bowel movement in the morning, a Type 3 on the Bristol Stool Scale and a very dark brown color. At times I have experienced what feels like a shortness of breath, but it passes quickly. I at about the same amount as the day before, but I did not feel as full. Maybe my stomach is adapting to eating such a large volume of food in one sitting. I also drank about 8 cups of water yesterday. This morning I had another bowel movement, which appeared the same as yesterday's, but larger. I am not sure if they are my meals from before eating RZC or bodily waste from burning fat, but I do not think that they are from my raw meat meals; the transit time would have been very fast.

Last night I ate the last of my 78/22 ground beef from Slanker's. I have 20 lbs. of grass-fed ground beef from a local farmer that I was getting raw grass-fed milk from. I do not know the fat content of the beef though, so I will have to experiment a little to make sure I am getting adequate fat and not too much protein (if that is possible). From what I understand, excess protein is converted into glucose, and protein requires the most energy to digest, which are both reasons I want to eat a moderate protein, high fat diet.

[magnetic]

Yesterday I had good energy and my mood was elevated. I ate 2 big kefir grains around noon. They were left over from making raw milk kefir and I could not find anyone to take them so I just rinsed them off and ate them. For my evening meal I ate 1 lb. of yellowfin tuna, 2 chicken eggs, then a dozen raw oysters a few hours later.  I also spent an hour at the beach in the sun, but was driven off by biting flies in the end. I did not have a bowel movement. I feel like I am getting pretty used to eating one meal a day. The only reason for the spacing in my eating yesterday is that it took me a long time to get the oysters all opened. Last night I ate only when I started getting hungry (around 6pm), whereas the last four days I noticed hunger creeping in earlier in the day (usually around 3pm) and I was really hungry by the time I ate (between 6pm and 8pm). Perhaps my body is learning to use the food I am giving it to last longer, so it no longer "expects" to get more food earlier in the day.

Yellowfin tuna is 92% protein and 8% fat:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/finfish-and-shellfish-products/4150/2

Eggs are 35% protein, 63% fat and 2% carbs:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/111/2

Oysters are 44% protein, 33% fat and 23% carbs:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/finfish-and-shellfish-products/4189/2

So my food was lower in fat and higher in carbs than it has been. I did not realize how much carbohydrate oysters are! I did know that scallops, one of my favorite seafoods, are high in carbs. Well, tonight I am having beef, beef fat and liver.

I added it up and I ate 6-7g of carbohydrates yesterday.

[magnetic]

Today my energy was a little lower, I think this is due to my meal yesterday being low in fat. Tonight I ate a pound of beef with a good 1/8 lb. of fat added (I estimate), and 1/5 lb. of liver.

[magnetic]

No bowel movements yesterday, but I had one this morning. It was large (bulky), somewhere between a 3 and a 4 on the BSS, and a bit moist. I have good energy, better than yesterday, which I attribute to the extra fat I ate with my meal last night. I have been sleeping well, around 8 hours a night.

[magnetic]

Tonight's meal was the same as yesterday's, eaten a little later because I was not hungry until later. I am going to place an order soon for grass-fed meat/organ mix and marrow bones, which will be my food for awhile, once I have exhausted the ground beef, beef and pork organs, ground pork, and wild fish in my freezer. I don't have much fat so I am going to order some suet to eat with the meat in my freezer. I really like fatty meals and want to settle on a regimen that's 80-85% fat for awhile and see how I feel. I also ordered a scale so I can weigh my food and have a better idea of how much I am eating.

[magnetic]

I ate much the same meal today as yesterday, but a bit more liver and more fat. No bowel movements. I put in an order for ground beef and bone marrow. Energy was pretty good. Since I ate a bit more than yesterday it will be interesting to see how my energy is tomorrow. I have been increasing my caloric intake a little each day by adding extra fat. Once I can go a whole day, have high energy and not be hungry at my normal feeding time (6-7pm) I will know I am eating enough fat, and can back off a bit on the amount of the previous day. Then I might weigh the food until I get a better feeling for how much to eat. The volume is far less than what I am used to (SAD).

[magnetic]

I finished reading Lex's journal last night (currently at 136 pages, 1353 posts). It was an interesting read.

One thing he mentions is that for him, energy levels have more to do with mood than anything else. While this may be true for him, I find that energy levels and mood are completely disconnected. I can have a high mood and low energy, or low mood and high energy, and many variations in-between. He has been eating ZC for much longer, however. It may be individual (biological) differences between us, subtle differences in our diet, or the fact that I have not been eating ZC for long. Time may tell.

I did not see any mention of depression in his journal either, so we do not have that in common (I think). My reason for eating this was is that it is the only thing that seems to help with my depression (as evidenced by eating LC/VLC). I have not tried any prescription drugs or herbs, nor do I have any desire to take them (and I do have health insurance). No animal gets depressed (the mother that loses its child is only temporarily saddened). I theorize that if I eat the diet that my physiology has evolved to process then that might alleviate or extinguish my mental problems. For me, depression is extremely debilitating, more so as my diet approximates a standard western diet (high in grains, legumes and dairy).

I have been eating RZC for a week now. I feel good. But it is too early to tell whether this way of eating will solve my problem with depression.

[Busgrw]

I finished reading Lex's journal last night (currently at 136 pages, 1353 posts). It was an interesting read.

One thing he mentions is that for him, energy levels have more to do with mood than anything else. While this may be true for him, I find that energy levels and mood are completely disconnected. I can have a high mood and low energy, or low mood and high energy, and many variations in-between. He has been eating ZC for much longer, however. It may be individual (biological) differences between us, subtle differences in our diet, or the fact that I have not been eating ZC for long. Time may tell.

I did not see any mention of depression in his journal either, so we do not have that in common (I think). My reason for eating this was is that it is the only thing that seems to help with my depression (as evidenced by eating LC/VLC). I have not tried any prescription drugs or herbs, nor do I have any desire to take them (and I do have health insurance). No animal gets depressed (the mother that loses its child is only temporarily saddened). I theorize that if I eat the diet that my physiology has evolved to process then that might alleviate or extinguish my mental problems. For me, depression is extremely debilitating, more so as my diet approximates a standard western diet (high in grains, legumes and dairy).

I have been eating RZC for a week now. I feel good. But it is too early to tell whether this way of eating will solve my problem with depression.

Stick at it Magnetic. You're doing a brilliant job and I for one am enjoying your posts. Hope you get all the health and happiness you search for. 

[magnetic]

Stick at it Magnetic. You're doing a brilliant job and I for one am enjoying your posts. Hope you get all the health and happiness you search for. 

Thank you for the words of support. Only time will tell whether my chosen diet is successful, so I thought it would be a good idea to post regularly so that I do not fool myself about what I am doing.

[magnetic]

I wanted to note that I have experienced headache-like symptoms. But unlike actual headaches, they never fully develop and always go away within 15-20 minutes. I have been getting them on average every other day since I started eating RZC. Otherwise, I have not had problems with headaches in years. I used to get migraines a lot but some change I made in the past ended those. It was either quitting smoking or cutting down on sugar.

Also, I remember reading (I think it was in Lex's journal) about small, hard deposits behind the lower front teeth. It supposedly is calcium (if I remember correctly). Well, I can feel such deposits with my tongue, they have been there for a few days now. Not sure what to do (if anything). Maybe they will go away eventually. I am going to take a picture of my rotting gums to post here, as I am curious if they will show improvement eating RZC.

[eveheart]

Also, I remember reading (I think it was in Lex's journal) about small, hard deposits behind the lower front teeth. It supposedly is calcium (if I remember correctly). Well, I can feel such deposits with my tongue, they have been there for a few days now. Not sure what to do (if anything). Maybe they will go away eventually. I am going to take a picture of my rotting gums to post here, as I am curious if they will show improvement eating RZC.

Those deposits sound like dental calculus. Are you against cleaning your own teeth or having your teeth cleaned by a dentist? I believe that rotting gums can be a source of toxins to your own body, and you can pass toxic dental bacteria to others by kissing.

I had a lot of gum problems in the past. I believe that, if I had had a better diet, dental problems would have never started. My father lost his teeth at 40 due to bad dental hygiene. Losing my first tooth to root decay convinced me that I wanted to take better care of my teeth. I have practiced dental self-sufficiency for almost a decade from information I learned at mizar5.com. I get low-cost dental cleanings with my dental insurance, and the dentist always compliments my good dental hygiene.

[magnetic]

Those deposits sound like dental calculus. Are you against cleaning your own teeth or having your teeth cleaned by a dentist? I believe that rotting gums can be a source of toxins to your own body, and you can pass toxic dental bacteria to others by kissing.

I have some tooth decay, which I am hoping can be halted or reversed by eating RZC. I dont't know if I need to clean them eating this was, there is almost no sugar in my diet. Just the tiny amount of glycogen here and there in liver and such.

I had a lot of gum problems in the past. I believe that, if I had had a better diet, dental problems would have never started. My father lost his teeth at 40 due to bad dental hygiene. Losing my first tooth to root decay convinced me that I wanted to take better care of my teeth. I have practiced dental self-sufficiency for almost a decade from information I learned at mizar5.com. I get low-cost dental cleanings with my dental insurance, and the dentist always compliments my good dental hygiene.

I have not been to a dentist or a doctor since I was 18 or 19 years old. I am now 32 years old. If my diet is healthy I should be able to avoid such practicioners for another decade. I do want to see a doctor to have him check my various vitals.

[magnetic]

Tonight I ate a pound of 22% fat beef, about 3-4 oz. of buffalo heart and a lot of bone marrow (about 1/3 lb.) from a buffalo leg bone. The bone marrow was extremely rich, it has been awhile since I had raw marrow, I forgot how delicious it is. The only thing I can compare it to is eating butter.

I had good energy and my mood today was excellent. Tomorrow I am getting a large shipment of meat and fat so I should be set on food for awhile. I also should be getting a scale soon so I will have more accurate records of what I am eating.

I also have been looking into getting beef brains. I have contacted several farmers and I might have to talk to some USDA inspectors. I am prepared to pay a lawyer to write up something for me if I meet a lot of resistance from the inspector. Hopefully I can find a reliable source.

[magnetic]

I felt great today, mentally and physically. I ate the same as yesterday. No bowel movements since the morning of the 31st of July, over 4 days now. I expected this so I am not surprised. I have been feeding my cat a raw meat diet and he only goes about once a week.

I should mention that I have been drinking about 2 liters of water a day since I started eating RZC. I am not sure how much I was drinking before, but I have been keeping track since I started eating this way. I am usually thirstiest in the morning and drink a lot of water then, but the amount tapers off by the afternoon. And I never drink water and am not thirsty after my meal, unless I go to sleep at a late time.

My sleep has been a little erratic due to socializing with friends, I have lost a few hours here and there from staying up late. Tomorrow I do not have to work so I will probably take a nap in the afternoon and get recharged. I usually want to take naps in the afternoon but cannot on days when I work.

[magnetic]

I had a bowel movement today around noon. It was pretty normal looking, a type 3, normal dark brown color. It has been just over 5 days since my last BM. Everything seems fine without fiber so far.

[magnetic]

I ate a half pound of 78/22 ground beef along with 2 large pieces of heart (about 8 oz.), and about 1/3 lb. of bone marrow, washed down with blood from the heart. It was very satisfying. I felt great all day, doing some strength exercises earlier in the day. My mood is very good. The higher amount of fat I have been eating keeps hunger at bay for a long time. I was hungry today but not nearly as hungry as yesterday or the day before. If this continues I will not be hungry until Sunday. If that happens I may cut down on the fat a little, but for now I am enjoying it.

[magnetic]

I had another one of those "fake headaches" today. It was notable only because it lasted a little longer, about 1.5 hours. But it went away without developing into anything seriously painful. My guess is that my brain exhausts my liver's store of glucose, then becomes glucose-starved and that is when I begin to feel a "headache." Eventually, my body gets the glucose by breaking down fat or from the protein in last night's meal (through gluconeogenesis). The glucose is fed to my brain and the "headache" goes away.

I am not sure if that is what is happening, it is really just a guess.

[magnetic]

So my estimates of the amount of marrow in my marrow bones was incorrect. I was told by the vendor that they were about 1/3 marrow, which might be correct by volume. By weight, the number is much different. I got my scale recently, though, so now my food can be weighed.

I ate:

3 oz. of marrow which was all of the marrow in 17 oz. of beef leg marrow bones
16 oz. of 78/22 high fat ground beef
3 oz. of beef heart

According to NutritionData, this is 1950 calories, broken down as 80% fat and 20% protein. It includes 93g of protein and 172g of fat, with 0.1g of carbohydrates. It is only 88% of the calculated necessary calories for my body, so I may need to increase my food intake. I do notice that hunger begins to creep in a few hours before my meal. I just calculated that 3 raw eggs brings me up to 98% of caloric requirements, so I am going to eat 3 eggs now and see if hunger is kept at bay a little longer tomorrow.

EDIT: I am using the NutritionData information for suet because there is no entry for marrow. I may make a customized entry for marrow, if I can get good data to use. Fitday has elk marrow, which might work for this. Ounce per ounce, raw marrow has a little more fat and calories, and more protein than suet according to Fitday.

EDIT: With the eggs added, I am at:
2165 calories (98% of DV)
78% fat, 22% protein cals
112g protein
187g fat
1.3g carbohydrate

[Tsurugi_Oni]

  Hey chump =P

[magnetic]

  Hey chump =P

Well hello, I thought you might lurk here. 

[Tsurugi_Oni]

  Hehe very rarey, but I do hunt for some good information here occasionally =]. 

  I decided to hop on to check ur journal.  Love reading dietary journals.

[magnetic]

  Hehe very rarey, but I do hunt for some good information here occasionally =]. 

  I decided to hop on to check ur journal.  Love reading dietary journals.

It's boring but it's something. I hope to get more gadgets in the future so that I can post more information, pictures, etc. Also, some blood work, testing for nutrients and all of that would make things more interesting.

[magnetic]

Yesterday I did not have a "headache", I had loads of energy, my mood was great. I did not get hungry until about 7pm, and my meal times have been between 6pm and 8pm, so it seems like the extra eggs I ate the day before helped stave off hunger until meal time. I had a good meal last night, lots of marrow, heart and ground beef. I did not get to measure it because I was away from home. But I ate more heart than usual, about a double serving (6 oz. instead of 3 oz.). I should be satisfied all day today. No bowel movements since the last one. I slept on a futon instead of the floor (my usual "bed"). I did not sleep as well on the futon, but maybe I will get used to it.