Bulletproof. Days 10-12. Damn holidays...

Okay. I mostly remained bulletproof. Or at least paleo. But the booze got me. Wine every day. Looking forward to Monday when I'll be back on track. And I will be back on track.

Bulletproof Day 9. I am a superwoman!

I started my morning with the real bulletproof cofee and happy to report that I am finding it more filling than the coffee I did until today. It's been a very active morning for me: I ran 5 miles (this cold is finally gone!) and walked for 2.5 more. All this on BP coffee alone and now at 11:30 I am not yet starving. Planning to last until 1pm today before I eat lunch.

Also, need a bit more carbs in today, so I'll be making butternut squash soup for lunch & having a bit more fruit than usual.

I feel very good: full of energy, thinking fast, and very happy about coming back to my runs. I've missed this: I usually run 10-15 miles a week but have been walking instead for the last 10 days.

Day 8. Bulletproof: 3 pounds gone!

I know, I was not planning on weighing myself but it was too tempting not to so I did this morning and was very happy to see three pounds gone. If I keep this pace, I'll be at my ideal weight by New Year's!!! This makes me feel happy, determined, and motivated.

Altogether, today is looking like the good news day: my bulletproof coffee + brain octane + cacao tea arrived this morning. While I had already had coffee, I am excited to have the real Bulletproof coffee tomorrow morning!

I am also feeling great today because I did not drink last night and I ate well throughout the day. In fact, my energy level is so good that I took the dog out for a 1-hour walk, regardless of the rain!

I am planning to last through at least noon and then head out to get sushi for lunch, since both Sergei and I are working from home today. I will bring my tamari with me: I know it's weird but who cares.

I lasted until 12:30 but was really hungry. Sushi was delicious and my own tamari was welcome since they did not have it. I've noticed that I am eating less than before: as if my own food control has improved and I stop before I eat too much. I did eat eel today, since it is my favorite, but also sushimi to balance the rice. The sushi lasted me through 5PM. Not bad. Dinner was chicken & sweet potato, plus some avocado + some Bulletproof ice cream. I made a new batch tonight: this time with liquid coconut oil & froze it in individual batches so I can just take one out and enjoy. Also made vanilla custard ice cream for the kids. They love homemade ice cream!

I was tempted to pour myself a glass of wine tonight as we watched The Chronicles of Narnia with the kids, but happy to report I resisted the temptation & now very happy I did not give in.

Now, a half working day tomorrow and onward to Thanksgiving days. May the force be with me!

Day 7. Bulletproof: One week in.

Today marks my first week on Bulletproof. So far, a couple of learnings:

• Bulletproof and alcohol do not mix. I am not feeling horrible but I am not nearly as mentally sharp as I normally am on Bulletproof coffee. My advice: try not to drink at all if you can.
• Plan ahead: it'll be much more fun if you play with new foods/recipes (Bulletproof ice cream, I love thee!)
• Buy in bulk: it is cheaper (Costco has avocado and coconut oil, most veggies and meats you'll need, uncured bacon)
• I have not weighed myself (I will at the 30-day mark) but I think I did lose some weight. My pants feel loose and my stomach seems to have slimmed a bit. 

Now, back to my day.

I am not feeling 100% today and I am blaming two glasses of wine I had last night and this cold I seem unable to shake. While I am not drinking at all during the week, I might will myself into not drinking altogether. I seem to always feel crappy afterwards, which is new to me: I used to be bulletproof when it came to hangovers.

For some reason, I am really hungry today. I had my Bulletproof coffee at 8 this morning and now I am starving (it's 10:40). I am going to stick to it at least until noon (drinking like a fish too, already on my second 24oz glass of water) and then head into lunch. I'll also go for a walk before lunch: trying to make this a habit.

11:30AM

I did not go for a walk but went down & grabbed lunch from the cafeteria. I also polished this with some grapes since this was very meat-heavy.

3:30PM.

Lunch lasted me well. I am starting to get hungry so eating an apple now. My hangover is mostly gone but I was feeling crappy well into 2PM today. Pretty sure Bulletproof is making my alcohol tolerance weak.

10:30PM.

I survived drinks with colleagues (I drank water and now they are all suspicious). I also did not eat too much for dinner. Some shrimp, roasted butternut squash, and bulletproof ice cream. Note to self: next batch will go into small dishes with individual portions. Getting it out is no fun.

Other random thoughts for the day:

- I felt crappy all day. Looking forward to tomorrow.

- I will be trying intermittent fasting tomorrow & Wednesday. Then just Bulletproof diet over Thanksgiving and the long weekend. We have friends coming over. I might try not to drink at all... 

- I need to be running my miles. Last week was the first week in a long time when I did not run. This cold has sucked and needs to be over.

Day 6. Bulletproof Sunday.

I went to bed really early last night (asleep by 10pm) so I let my husband sleep in and took care of the kids this morning. I woke him up at noon (lucky, isn't he?). 

Bacon & eggs for breakfast, with half avocado on the side, lasted me through 2pm. 

I willed myself to take the dog out for a 5-mile loop to the lake. I regretted not running but then again he can't anymore (11yo and it really hurts him afterwards). 

We came back and I then had some shrimp with tamari, and made baked asparagus with short rib steak & sweet potatoes. Not bad but also not the best meal I've made so far. I marinated chicken drumsticks for tomorrow night.

I also skipped dinner today; wasn't feeling all that hungry; but I did grab two glasses of dry Pinot Grigio with a movie. I followed the protocol for supplements & stopped at the right time, so I am not expecting to feel it tomorrow morning. But we'll see. Now drinking my green tea & putting the kids to bed. 

It's been a fun week. I am looking forward to sticking with Bulletproof. I feel better, I think better, I am making better decisions, I don't drink much. And hopefully I am losing some of my extra pounds.

Day 5. First Bulletproof Saturday.

Let me start by saying that drinking last night was a huge mistake. While I followed the supplements protocol and did not drink much (a glass of red wine, 4oz Remy Martin), I woke up feeling super crappy and will a very nasty headache. Granted, I did not drink tonight, even though we had friends over.

I am also not doing intermittent fasting and bulletproof coffee on the weekends, so my day started (after Advil) with eggs and bacon + half of avocado. Yummy!

I was not hungry until 2pm, which really surprised me, then ate a salad with bacon (uncured and all the ra-ra). 

We had friends over and made dumplings. While we made a small batch with gluten free flour, they sucked. I sinned a little by eating the regular dumplings, dipped in butter. I also had some blueberries and fresh coconut milk (yum!). 

Washed all this down with a falling of tea and off to bed at 10pm. Tired.

Day 4. Bulletproof Friday.

I came down with a cold. Started late last night and I took NyQuil before I went to bed. I am not sure if NyQuil is Bulletproof (in fact, probably isn't) but it had to be done. I slept really well and got in ~8 hours and I am feeling better this morning, though still far from 100%.

I started the morning by taking my supplements (I set everything out the night before, so I don't have to think about dosage and what to include in the morning), took the dog out, and drank my Bulletproof coffee. Since I've learned to do it right, it tastes almost delicious. I've talked my husband into trying it one of these mornings instead of his regular coffee. My real Bulletproof coffee should be here next week: I am excited to see if it makes me feel different.

I made Bulletproof custard last night. So excited to try it tonight! 

1PM

It rained very heavily so instead of going for a walk my husband and I went to lunch at one of our favorite sushi places (we are very fortunate to work next door to each other!). Confession here: I brought my tamari with me but it turned out they had it, you just had to ask. Good to know as I was a bit on the fence with bringing my own sauce to a Japanese restaurant. I know that ideally you drop the sauce altogether but I love it too much to do that. Since white rice is okay, we ordered a clean combo of rolls (avocado, salmon) and nigiri/sashimi. I like unagi (eel) and California, but decided to avoid for now. Best. Lunch. Ever. Extremely tasty. See for yourself:

I've noticed that I am feeling full very quickly: a new sensation for me, since I am usually the person that goes for dessert after a very satisfying meal. 

Been talking a lot to my husband about how I am feeling on Bulletproof. He told me that it's got an interesting effect for him, too: he's stopped drinking beer with most of his dinners because he does not want to drink alone. Also told me it's fun to see me not drinking. This is, sadly, the first full workweek that I've gone without a drink. Very proud. 

And I've been reading the Bulletproof forum when I have time and bookmarked a great summary of the Bulletproof principles: here it is. BTW, I ordered my ceramic cookware today!

10PM.

Amazing dinner cooked by truly yours. Baked potatoes for my guests, sweet baked potato for me. NomNom drumsticks. Delish! And a kale salad with bacon and beets. 

We did open a bottle of wine. I had a glass but didn't love it. Either the wine was so-so or I am sobering up about drinking. Well, probably not since I want a little brandy as after dinner drink. :) I am following the Bulletproof protocol for drinking in terms of supplements. 

A couple more thoughts on the day:

- the sushi lunch lasted me a long time. I wasn't starving till dinner at 7:30.

- my new ice cream maker arrived. Bulletproof ice cream tomorrow night!

- I am loving this whole local grass fed organic thing. Our food has never tasted so good. My in-laws kept talking about the bacon I used for the kale salad (local organic grass-fed uncured). Even my husband said that our dinners are now much more fun, with lots of new, cool foods. Music to my ears!

Now, I am really looking forward to my first bulletproof weekend.

Day 3. Bulletproof: We have lift off (I think).

I feel like I am getting into the groove of things here. Slept really well last night. I think taking magnesium shortly after dinner vs right before bed was a good idea.

7AM.

Started the morning with vitamin D, vitamin k2, and selenium, followed by Bulletproof coffee (well, I still haven't gotten the real thing, so the closest thing to the real thing, which is our home coffee with Kerrygold butter and MCT oil). Had my husband try a sip as I think it tastes much better than you'd expect: he approved. I also made it in the blender this morning (vs just whisking). I like the blender version better. I finished my coffee at 8AM so hoping I can stick it out at least until 1PM today before I have lunch. Hoping to go for a run before lunch: I usually run 10-15 miles a week but have not gotten any miles in this week yet (except a 2-mile walk earlier this week).

11AM.

I had a session with my counselor this morning and talking about what I am doing was an interesting experience. I think she was happy with my progress (I have a plan for addressing most of my issues) and it was good practice for when I need to explain Bulletproof to my friends and clients (coming up very soon since we are about to hit holiday season).

1:30PM.

I did not go running for a number of reasons BUT I did go for a 3-mile walk, so all good for now. I might go for a short run later today, but who knows... I am not low energy but at the same time it would be an act of self-discipline if I do.

I lasted on coffee through 1PM today. Frankly, I am usually pretty hungry by this time, so going through 2PM would be hard. Sometime in the near future I might experiment with more butter in my coffee, but not yet.

Lunch was almost over when I went to the cafeteria and my options were disappointing. I ended up grabbing a plate of steamed broccoli, salad mix with some cabbage, and grilled chicken breast. We had olive oil and other dressings but the thought of olive oil over my food did not sound good (too bland), so I decided to sin a little and added a tbsp of blue cheese dressing and a slice of ham.

Surprisingly, or not really surprisingly, I did not like the whole concoction. I made myself get through maybe half, mostly regretting the dressing as it tasted weird (I used to like it so maybe my test buds are adjusting to bulletproof?). I did not like the chicken and the ham either. The whole experience made me firmly decide that I am cooking dinner tonight: I am thinking fish, baked brussel sprouts, and maybe braised kale with mushrooms and leeks... I know kale is not well favored by Bulletproof but it's not in the red and I like it.

I threw away the remainder of this food, and grabbed some raw almonds and a couple of fresh figs from the micro kitchen. That worked much better, I think: I got in ~20 almonds and 3-4 figs. I washed it down with a 24oz cup of water.

I feel like I am still hungry but also kind of full, so want to give it another hour to let my body figure out if what I put in would work for now. I remain thirsty so it's possible another 24oz is coming soon. It would be my third for today so far.

10PM. 

I made dinner. Wild sockeye salmon & Brussels sprouts baked with bacon. I think it helped that I was really starving (I actually wolfed down a turkey meatball while cooking) and that the Brussel sprouts were local, organic, and fresh, and bacon grass-fed & uncured. Anyhow, lovely meal. Decided to make Brussel sprouts again for Thanksgiving.

We ate a bit later than I'd like (~8:30ish). I also baked macaroons (basically raw honey, unsweetened coconut, and egg whites). Not bad! Two of these really enhanced my tea.

I've also baked custard (it's almost done in my slow cooker) and marinated chicken drumsticks. Looking forward to trying both tomorrow. I think the key to bulletproof (even more so than paleo) is cooking. I want to make bulletproof ice cream this weekend!

I've decided not to weight myself until I've gone bulletproof for 30 days. Really hoping I drop 10-15 pounds but don't want to get my hopes up yet. In any case, it's worth it. This is the first week in a really long time where I did not drink at all. I've decided that I'll allow myself a glass of my favorite vino Friday and Saturday night. Looking forward as it is well deserved. It is my goal to learn to drink in moderation.

Day 2. Bulletproof. Let's see how this works when I am on the road.

It was a weird night. I bounced between really deep sleep and really light sleep, and had such realistic dreams that I was surprised to wake up. 

An early day for me so up at 5:30. Started the morning with vitamin D and K2. My Bulletproof coffee this morning was much closer to how it should be done (I think) with almost 3 tablespoons of Kerrygold and 1.5 tablespoons of MCT oil + just a pinch of xylitol. Chugged it down over my 30-minute drive to the airport. 

Initially feeling a bit queasy (it's 7am and I am at the gate waiting for my flight to board), but hoping to feel better as the day progresses. I am, just like yesterday, feeling really thirsty.

9pm. What a day! First off, I had to get through a business lunch with folks in my party enjoying fresh bread with dipping oil & all kinds of deep fried goodness and other carbs. I had wild salmon with steamed veggies and tea. One small sin of the day: I drizzled my veggies with light soy sauce.

Once lunch was done (~1:30ish), I had to live through drinks with my colleagues at the airport (I drank tea) and my first class upgrade where I had another tea & a Caesar salad (I had to leave the cheese & the croutons on my plate and got another sin in for the day by eating the dressing: I needed the calories since lunch was so light). I also had a piece of 85% chocolate. While I am not usually a fan, it tasted surprisingly good.

Since I got home around 7, I did not really have time to cook. I tossed a quick salad with arugula, dill, cucumbers, avocado, pepper, and tomatoes, with a mix of MTC and avocado oil + pink salt. And I had a piece of grass fed steak from the previous night. While it was not big, I could not eat it all. 

Learnings of the day:

1. When going to an Asian restaurant, consider bringing tamari sauce.

2. Bring nuts to snack on. I was aware of my hunger though it did not bother me much.

3. Not drinking but seeing other people drink was interesting. I liked it. So far, this is my third booze-free evening. I've thought of having a drink but it hasn't been crazy difficult not to.

4. I haven't weighed myself but I feel like my body is operating better.

5. I am definitely being honest with myself & that's a good step in the right direction. I want to get my older self back: the better looking and lesser drinking version of me. With every day, I am getting closer.

6. I am curiously looking at what my kids are eating. If I end up adopting some version of this as a lifestyle, we are up for a good revolution. I'll try it out by making bulletproof macaroons tomorrow. 

With this, I sign off for the night. 

Day 1. Bulletproof: How I got to this point.

Let me start by saying this: I think I have a drinking problem. No, for real. I do not get shitface drunk and I hold my liquor very well but somehow over the last 6 months I got to a place where I drink every day. I've definitely drank a full bottle of wine (and sometimes more) on my own. I've done multiple shots of hard liquor, to be followed by more shots. I've had a couple of evenings where I can't remember going to sleep. I've gained 10 pounds along the way (or should I say, I drank in 10 pounds?). Anyways, thinking about all this has made me realize I need to stop. But it's easier sad than done.

And then, I happened across this post about how to drink without paying for it in the morning. Curious concept, but what got me really interested was the whole idea of bio hacking. It makes perfect sense but somehow I'd never thought of it. At all.

So here I am: giving this a shot.

I am a strong willed person but it's not my natural state (if that even exists...): rather, it's a result of rigorous self-discipline. I am trying to mold myself into this person I really want to be. I am a runner by choice (it took me a year to get to this point and I will never let it go now that I have it). I am a mom to two kids (9 and 3.5 yo). I am a business person who travels 100K+ miles every year. And now I want to add Bulletproof to this list.

While I've ordered Bulletproof coffee and Brain Octane oil, they have not arrived yet, so I had to be a little creative to try out Dave's intermittent fasting.

I prepped myself last night by having a Bulletproof dinner: a large salad with avocado oil + baked sweet potato with butter. Delicious! And I did not drink. (very proud of myself!).

Oh, and I forgot to mention I am not a coffee drinker. Never was. But I am willing to try this out: can't imagine that drinking coffee is worse than a bottle of wine every night.

So, this morning, I brewed myself a cup of coffee, added 1.5 tablespoons of Ghee (I've been cooking with ghee for years!), a little xylitol (as I really don't appreciate the bitterness in coffee), and a small handful of cocoa nibs. I am happy to report that it's 10AM (and I had my coffee at 7:30AM) and I am doing fine so far. A couple of things to note:
1. I am really thirsty so I've been chugging down water.
2. I love tea (there's a big cup of mint melange brewing on my desk)

I am feeling a little cold (which usually happens when I am low on sugar) and I am feeling a little weird. Trying to figure out if this is good or bad weird. Not sure yet.

The plan is to go through 2PM with just tea and water, then have a Bulletproof lunch. Thankfully, I work for Google and there's a ton of Bulletproof-friendly options at the office and in our cafeterias.

May the force be with me!

12:30 PM.

I went for a brisk 2-mile walk before lunch and stopped by PCC to do some supplement shopping. Picked up a lot of stuff from this list. I'll start taking these tomorrow. Also picked up MTC oil to use with my coffee until Brain Octane arrives.

Now, I have meetings starting at 1:30 and going through 5PM, so I've decided I'll eat now. I am feeling a bit hungry, but feel like once I start adding MTC oil, running on coffee 'til 2PM will be doable. Going down to the main cafeteria, was very happy to see a huge selection of foods to choose from. Maybe it's not perfect, but close enough.

Look what I got!
[cabbage salad with olive oil, butternut squash in oil, steamed cauliflower, fresh broccoli, braised kale, gree arugula and baby kale salad leaves, sprinkled with olive oil, and all this topped with steak. YUM!]

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some eating to do.

1PM. I did not finish my food (granted, it was a big plate!) but I added three figs as dessert. I feel very full but a little shaky: probably a combination of coffee and lack of sugar. 

9PM. I did well today. Lunch kept me going well until about 4:30 when I realized I am really hungry. Being stuck in a business meeting and then traffic on my way home helped me last until almost 7 before I got to eat dinner. And then between kids' homework and demands, I wolfed down a huge salad, half a sweet potato, and a piece of grass fed steak. All topped with avocado and MTC oil. I washed it down with a ton of tea (like 4 cups) but I have a feeling I'll have more tea before I am in bed because I remain thirsty.

Going to LA for work bright and early tomorrow morning. We'll see how day #2 goes and whether adding MTC oil to my coffee will make it last longer. 

Last but not least, I do think this stuff works to boost brain activity. I've been amazingly productive and focused today.