Time to update the blog….there hasn’t been much going on…..2 weeks of rain will do that. I got the grass cut and now it is time to do some racing. Took the car down to Race City last night and made 4 passes. They are using 1/8 mile only because of water seepage on the upper part of the track but half track is better than nothing. The car worked well and I think we are ready to have some fun today. There is racing in Medicine Hat and in Edmonton this weekend so I don’t know how many cars they will have but it should be fun.

Lee got his truck going yesterday and is going to run in street class so it will be a good weekend….as long as the rain stays away.

Another good run….Had to take advantage of the nice day….went up to the Kanaskis again. I never get tired of that run. I saw a nice sheep at the gate. The fishing was good at the hydro dam. Two guys got nice trout (at the same time) while I was there. Very little traffic in the park…..but the Highway was busy…. but it is always busy….. 

Dr Bernstein diet is a low carb, low fat, low calorie diet. What little food you eat is lean protein with very little carb and some vegetables. You can have a couple of fruit as well. You get about 900 to 1200 calories per day. If you can stay on the program you will lose weight in a hurry…..3-5 lbs a week is common.

I should mention that you get a vitamin injection every visit (3 times a week) This injection is a trade secret but is basically B6 andB12 with whatever thrown in…..I have asked but got no more answer than that. It does seem to help….maybe they throw a little clinical speed in there…..hehe….

You get regular blood work and meet with their Dr. on a regular basis….each visit is with a nurse and you do go over your file and they check your food record…..yes they make you keep a food journal as well.

The hardest part for me is that this low of calories really turns my demons loose…..I get a really bad case of head hunger on occasion but I think I can handle it better this time. With the knowledge that I have from the clinic and from many discussions with the group I have a much better understanding of the mental part of weight loss. The Dr. B clinic does nothing in this aspect of their program and I think it is a real mistake. As we have talked about many times at meetings the mental part is so important. If you can’t get your head wrapped around the weight loss you are not going to succeed.(IMO) At least the Edmonton clinic is making a effort at addressing this issue…..I think they need to pursue it more but they seem to going in that direction.

Oh and thanks for the support…..it is huge help.

Had a great ride on Sunday…..Went out and around the Red Deer river again…went out thru Drumheller and took the 570 to 41 and across the bridge at Empress and the 565 back to Bassano, then the 1 to Calgary. It was a great run…..approximately 900 kms. I left at 7:00A.M. Rode steady and was home by 5:00. Soon it will be warm enough to do some riding in the mountains. That is when the fun really starts.

Well…..I’m done the first week of Dr. Bernstein and things have gone well…..took me till yesterday to get into ketosis but finally made it. I have lost around 10 lbs from my first weigh in but a bunch of that was water….still 10 lbs is 10 lbs and it feels great to finally be moving the scales. The challenge is to stay dedicated and stay in ketosis and the weight will fall.  By staying in ketosis the hunger is manageable and you feel pretty good. If you let yourself fall out of ketosis the hunger returns and you have to go thru the painful couple of days to get back into ketosis. It is much easier to stay dedicated and committed and ride the program as long as you can. I will be in Edmonton racing for the weekend and I have to do some food planning so I can have enough Bernstein food to get me over the weekend.  

The cost of the Dr. Bernstein program…..It is $599.00 for 4 weeks….or $50.00 a visit. It is not cheap but maybe that is what makes it work……if you spend that much money you have that much more incentive to stick with the program. The accountability aspect of the program works for me as well. You know that you have to get on the scale 3 times a week and you want to see a weight drop each time so you have to stay in ketosis. It’s as simple as that…..the same as any other diet…..it works if you stick with it. By using my band and all the knowledge that I have acquired the last couple of years I have a reasonable chance at losing this weight and keeping it off. I will be giving it my best shot.