Amanda has been embarrassed that I have chosen “medication over modification” in dealing with my high blood pressure. I agreed to seriously change my diet and lose weight. I seem to remember that my agreement came after the culmination of many things (threats perhaps?) but I do not recall the details.

Regardless, starting from last Monday I am using a service track my eating habits and help me adhere to my 2000 calorie daily diet. Which is still a lot of calories really. My weight loss program is supposed to allow me to lose one pound a week.

After one week, things have changed. I have lost four pounds. Amanda is angry that I have such a metabolism that allows me to lose weight so fast while still eating 2000 calories. Counting calories has definitely modified my behavior as it forces me to control portion size. It also has changed what I will eat as I vastly prefer “high yield” foods: those that have high enjoyment or high fullness or both per calorie.

Unfortunately, as might be expected I am “hungry” all the time (physically or psychologically… does it matter which?). I think about food pretty much all the time, kinda like my thought patterns while hiking (although hiking also produces thoughts of where is the next water source and the like). My preference for high yield foods could also potentially cause friction in the family, such as when Amanda wanted to eat bfast in Columbia City the other day. Frankly, no bfast food is high yield for me, especially highly caloric restaurant bfast food. Calories are a scarce resource that much be used wisely! As it turned out, I ate bfast out anyway because I love Amanda.

All of this weight loss has occurred without what I would call exercise. I have been doing a lot of carpentry, but it is not like I have been running or the like. I do need to get back into the habit of daily violent aerobic activity, though.