Defeated and cheated: Xymogen 28-day cleanse

On Tuesday, I went in for a visit with my psychiatrist. I had changed into my workout clothes while I was at work, just in case I ran out of time. I'm glad I did. I didn't get in to my 4:00 appointment until shortly after 5. I mentioned to my shrink that I was doing pretty well, and that I recently started an exercise program. He asked me if I had been losing weight, and I told him not much yet, but that I hoped that would change with some extra effort. He then asked me if I would be willing to try a simple diet with supplements. I made the mistake of saying that I would. He had me weigh myself. Granted, I was dressed, but only in light-weight workout pants and t-shirt, so I was disappointed to see the scale level off at 216. I felt someone defeated. He basically told me that Zyprexa, one of the medicines I am taking, changes your metabolism and effects the way your body handles calories. He briefly explained to me that it would be a low-carb diet. I asked him if it was something similar to Atkins, but I guess he didn't hear me because he just kept writing something in my file. He did tell me that he had one patient who lost 10 pounds in one week on this diet. He then sent me to the front desk and told me that he'd meet me there in a minute with my supplements. After waiting a little bit, he joined me at the counter with a big bottle of Xymogen protein shake powder and gave me a pamphlet explaining what I could and couldn't eat. He then left me, and I paid my copay plus $70 for the magical supplement. I'm supposed to return in 2 weeks to rejoice in the wonders this supplement will no doubt work in my body.

I didn't really get a chance to thoroughly read the pamphlet until I got home after my workout that evening. On a side note, before I left the gym, I asked my Krav instructor how long his cardio class. He told me it was a full hour, and implied that it was pretty intense. He then told me to just hit Krav really hard for two more weeks, and then add the cardio to it back to back. I'll take his advice. My body was having a really hard time with my Tuesday Krav workout. It was still very sore from Monday's cardio class, and it still is. So, two more weeks, then cardio.

Anyways, I read the pamphlet after I got home and became horribly depressed by what I read. It's basically a gluten-free, dairy-free diet, with a list of a bunch of other things you can't eat. No more whole-wheat pasta. No potatoes. No garlic, no salt, which kinda throws out some of my basic seasonings. No raspberries (so no more raspberry vinagrette), no citrus, no strawberries, no mango, which kills my occasional fruit smoothie treats. No sweetened fruit drinks. No brown sugar, no honey, no artificial sweeteners, etc. No beef or pork. No bouillon-based soups. No tomatoes or peppers of any kind, which are a staple of mine. And a bunch of other no-nos.

I broke the bad news to my sweetie. We had one last dinner of wheat spaghetti and went shopping for diet-safe items. I was in a foul mood because of the whole thing, and it was only made worse my the feeling that I was coming down with a cold. I was also pretty pissy, because I weighed myself at home, and it verified what the doc's scale said (pretty much). The ugly number was 215. I told myself it was because I hadn't pooped.

Yesterday, I went home sick from work. Achy, worn-out, sniffly, sore throat, etc. A crappy day to start a new diet. And those damned shakes are horrible. The idea is. that you have 5-7 small meals a day. It starts off with breakfast always being a shake. Then it progresses to nothing but shakes for all snacks and meals for days 12-14. Then it goes down to 2 a day. I have a special schedule to follow. And I'm already hating it. Last night, I had horrible diarrhea, and I really want to blame it on my shake. Funny thing is, though, I weighed myself this morning, in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, and my weight was 211. Checked again, because sometimes your stance can throw off the scale, and it came up with 211.5. So I stripped down to my undies to take my nekkid weight: 209.5. Either the diet was already working, or it was the diarrhea from the night before. Or maybe a combination of both. I still think they're linked.

Last night's supper: grilled salmon with dry salad with a few walnuts thrown in (no bleu cheese, no dried cranberries, no raspberry vinagrette allowed).

I stayed home sick today. Had a few slices of Boar's head chicken (from the allowed list). Some walnuts here and there. An apple. A few grapes. And yes, I started off with that dreaded shake. I hope to God I get used to them. I'm hungry now, and was looking forward to making a couple of tuna steaks for dinner. Unfortunately, I must have gotten confused at the store, because they are on my no-no list. I thought fresh tuna would surely be allowed, but I was wrong. So I guess it's bison burgers with no buns tonight. And let me just verify that really quick—yes, bison is allowed.

Fortunately, this diet is only 28 days. At least, it specifically states "The plan should not be followed beyond 28 days without proper reassessment." So, in other words, unless my doc hates me, this will be over with in one month. So wish me luck.

I'm starting to feel a little more alive this evening, so hopefully I'll be back at work, and working out, tomorrow.