The Author

Turning 50
I turned the "Big 5-0" this year so it seems about time for me to grow up and admit a few things about myself. Somehow, deep down, I don't feel 50 years old. For some reason I still feel that I've got lots of time to figure things out about the complexities of life. The reality is much different. When I was young I thought that people who were 50 were old folks who were on the downhill slide...to death. I expected that they were stable, reliable, and set in their ways. I certainly didn't think that people in their fifties would still be experimenting with diet, exercise and lamenting all the wrong decisions that were now causing them problems.
I don't feel 50 years old and there is a part of me that seems unchanged from those youthful days growing up on a dairy farm in Southern Ontario. I seem to be stuck in a rut and as I see my body aging, I must admit that the SAD has done me no favors. I just returned from my annual vacation in Canada, and it would appear that I really enjoyed my eating on this trip. Tim Horton's stock has likely surged.

Disclaimer
Since this blog is about eating (one of my favorite pastimes), and what may seem a very extreme way of eating, I have been puzzled about how best to describe my recent activities in the world of zero-carb (ZC) or Very Low-Carb (VLC) eating. I don't want to have to try to explain this to people who notice the weight-loss (or my giddy excitement at this discovery). I don't want to argue, don't want to preach, don't want to cajole, don't even really want to influence anyone...but, I do want there to be a place that people can browse to their heart's content and learn from my experiences. If anyone decides to follow in my footsteps and embark on a similar journey, understand that I am not a doctor and I have absolutely nothing in the way of medical training. I simply have the God-given giftedness to be able to read, and an inquisitive mind. Proceed at your own risk!

Why?
Why would someone with no real health issues, embark on an extreme and (if you listen to some) dangerous way of eating? Here are my reasons in no particular order:
#1. I'm overweight. To be polite, you can call me "big-boned," "husky", or simply fat. I am 6'2" and, at the beginning of this adventure, I weighed 248 lbs. I have weighed as much as 265 lbs. I have always been a big guy and was "husky" as a child. A flashback memory is Grade 7 or 8...wearing velour. (What a horrific fabric for the husky ones!!) Yes, I was a big boy.  I was raised on a dairy farm and grew up loving my food. I had an endless supply of raw milk and fresh beef, chicken, eggs etc. The farm life is good eating! Whenever meat was low, a cow or pig would step forward and offer themselves for the freezer. In addition to dairy and beef breeds, we raised rabbits, chickens, goats, sheep, and horses. (We didn't eat the horses...although...I'm wondering...) At this stage of my life I have come to realize that unless something changes, I could very easily end up with a host of medical problems in the near future, all caused by my undisciplined eating of the SAD.
#2. I Travel...sometimes a lot. I travel, solo, on average, about 100-150 days per year. Now traveling solo, with an expense account, with no checks and balances other than your own impressionable self, can be a recipe for disaster. When I'm home, with my wife of 30+ years and our children (7 boys from 9-29), there is no end of accountability. Should I go out and buy a dozen donuts at 10pm for a late-night snack? (not that I would ever do this on the road...at least not a whole dozen) I can guarantee you that if I ever even considered suggesting something so absurd, my DW would quickly set me straight. However, when one is traveling extensively, there is this little issue of self-discipline that can very easily be swept under the rug. Late-night ice cream, limitless food delivered to the comfort of your fancy hotel room...room service etc. etc. All recipes for disaster from a health perspective. So one of my goals for this journey is to have a focus while traveling. A focus on eating meat and drinking water. How simple is that?
#3. My Cancer Experience. In 2013 I was perplexed by a sore on my face that wouldn't heal. It was discolored and waxy in appearance, and would frequently bleed for no reason. I tried different topical ointments but nothing would heal it. I went to a dermatologist and was diagnosed with Basal Cell Skin Cancer. Shortly thereafter I had a chunk of my cheek removed. With a hole the size of a 50-cent piece in my left cheek, I was advised that this would likely be the first of many such operations that would eventually be required. I sat next to a woman in the waiting room that was in for her 30 or 40th operation, this time on the bottom of her foot. She was literally in surgery 6-8 times per year! I have done some preliminary study on cancer and it seems that cancer cells (which we all have within us) love one thing most of all...SUGAR! Thus, it is my hope that this WOE will reduce the sugar available to my cancer cells.