This is the year I train to complete Ironman Cozumel.   I am incredibly excited and nervous.  Technically, I started preparing to train last summer.  In preparation, I’ve eliminated sugar from my diet, for the most part. Last June,  I got a full physical. Except for my heart rate and weight, my doctor was happy with my results.  His words to me were, “keep doing what you’re doing.”

Since I recently enrolled in my company’s insurance, I have another physical scheduled on Friday.  I’m getting the physical so that I can get a 5% discount on my family’s insurance.  However, I’m curious to compare my new results to the results I got 6 months ago.  In June, I weighed 180lbs and I still was just progressing off sugar.

Now I weigh 169lbs and I’ve limited my sugar intake a lot.  However, I’ve concurrently increased my fat intake.  So instead of eating cereal or a muffin for breakfast, I eat eggs or leftover meat and a salad.  Instead of eating a sandwich with potato chips for lunch, I usually eat a mixed greens salad with eggs, olives, assorted vegetables, cheese, and olive oil and red wine.  For dinner, I eat some sort of mean – chicken, beef, fish – and some sort of starch and/or salad or vegetables.  For snacks I eat lots of assorted nuts.  I also only drink three things, for the most part – water, coffee, and beer.  I’d like to know if my cholesterol numbers have increased since I eat so much fat now.  Or do I?

Eating this way has balanced out my blood sugar.  I don’t get “hangry” anymore.  I don’t get so hungry toward the evening that I can’t workout and can’t get filled up.  It’s a novel and happy feeling to be able to feel normal in the evenings even if I’m sort of hungry.  It’s also awesome to be able to jog a few miles without feeling famished during the run because I’ve run out of carbs or something.

Now, to be sure, I am not trying to lose weight.  I am, however, trying to reach my Ironman goal.  So this way of eating helps a lot.