I Am The Locust

[realexplodingcat]

The next experiment in my constant quest to feel awesome involves a diet adjustment. For years, I have been more often tired than not. Discovering my reactive hypoglycemic tendencies helped me shake out the worst of my heartbreaking highs and lows (mostly lows). Still, I typically feel just shy of good on a good day. Also, it seems I can tire myself rather quickly and severely if I attempt to step up my exercise habits (which I really want to do).

Occam's Razor states: Given two equally predictive theories, choose the simpler.

So, the simplest possible solution to my fatigue might simply be: eat more. I did some research, talked to some doctors, and learned that someone my age and height who wants to maintain his weight (which is a nice number) and exercise several times a week should consume as much as 2200 calories. I added up what I consume on a daily basis and it only added up to 1800.

WTF? I eat six meals a day already!?! Apparently, my genetic predisposition to being a new age hippie, which requires me to eat all whole grains and absolutely no sugar to keep my blood sugar happy, also makes it challenging to load up on calories. Well, that answer seems simple enough. If I've been shorting myself 400 calories a day, that could explain some extra fatigue.

But I already eat six meals a day! I wish it were as simple as going to Burger King and eating a couple Whopper's a day. That would screw up my blood sugar. So, it's going to be tons and tons of beans, grains, veggies, nuts, and (yes) meat (protein is essential for balancing the blood sugar) for me.

I will be the scourge of Virginia's organic farms, upon which I will descend like a plague of insects, consuming all and rendering the land unfit for use. I will be to produce stands what the woolly adelgid beetle is to hemlock trees. If a nation refuses to free its slaves, prophets will call me down from the sky to blight the land. Eat all I can eat. I am a plague of one.

I am The Locust.

Comments

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

I might have misspelled it. Seitain...something...I usually call it satan. It's basically the wheat version of tofu. Concentrated wheat protein. It makes a good fake meat substance. If you go totally veggie someday, you ought to try more tofu and seitain. Legumes do have protein, but you need to eat a lot of them to make up for what you miss in meat. Consider, 1/2 cup of great northern beans = 8 g protein. Only 1/4 cup tuna fish = 14 g protein. Plus, the beans are a carbohydrate, if you pay attention to carb counting (they are a good carb though, low on the glycemic index). It's been a long time since I looked at tofu or seitain but I'm pretty sure it packs in a denser amount of protein per serving, closer to actually eating meat.

[twilight-spirit.livejournal.com]

I suspect I'm going to stick with meat at least a little just for that reason. However I really wonder if the amount of protein the average person consumes is really necessary in a healthy diet.

BTW, I bought that book today. Looks like some good stuff! I'll have to check out her other books, too.

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

I have one of her Indian cooking books. There are some good recipes in that. Glad to hear you're enjoying that book already.

If you mean the average American, I think the amount of anything the average American person consumes is often unnecessary.

The best way to do things is to really examine yourself and figure out what works best. I do believe we're all different, some people need more or less of certain things. It's up to each of us to take information and advice when its available, but ultimately pay the most attention to what our own bodies are telling us.