Chiquita Again

Penned 12/9/18, but forgot to post

My diet:

Eggs. Mainly eggs. Well, I guess there are other items too. But lately, my list of staples has been getting shorter. On a semi-regular basis, I consume (besides eggs), beef, pork, butter, sour cream, mustard, mayonnaise (made with avocado oil), heavy whipping cream (in my coffee), avocado, cucumbers, spinach, red and green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, black olives, salsa, stevia drops, nuts, and different cheeses (lately, bleu, cheddar and jack). This is my diet. Occasionally, I vary it a bit by having turkey, chicken or fish (but that is rare) and also by adding other greens like green beans, cabbage or broccoli (and occasionally onions, green preferred). This is not because I crave greens, but rather to add variation. My semi-regularly splurges are nut butters (almond, cashew or peanut – these foods are a yummy dessert!)

I don’t keep track of my macronutrients (proteins, fats & carbs) – I would go crazy if I did that, my schedule is hectic busy right now. When I first began this journey however, I did measure and record everything. I figured that if I was going to try something so radical (as it was to me – believe me, fats were the devil’s seed), that I needed to make sure that I followed a recordable method. 

The most significant result that has come out of this way of eating . . . that’s easy, I stopped napping. For years, and I mean YEARS, I regularly napped. I napped as a child, as a teenager, as a young adult, as a middle aged woman. I have ALWAYS napped. I felt like I could not help it – I was just too dang tired. I used to fall asleep in the parking lot waiting to pick up my sons from school. In the last few years, I began to feel so fatigued that I struggled to walk even up the steps of my front porch. Yet, I could run twenty plus miles in the mountains (bizarrely true) but every single time it came with a price, a crash price. The first thing that I did when I got home was sleep. It was nap time, and just like that, 3 to 4 hours in the middle of the day were gone. This was a great hardship for me. Extra recovery-sleep hours only added to the many hours I was away from family hitting these trails. We (my husband and I) tried many things to help with my trail running recovery – salts during, then replenishing calories as soon as possible after, or hot baths, or cold baths, etc., etc. Eventually, I could no longer run twenty or more miles in the mountains. I was on and off again in recovery for a long time (recovery from neuroma, back spasms, plantar fasciitis, broken arm, torn foot tendons, and then just overall weakness and fatigue).

Other significant changes since changing the way I eat are: 1) No indigestion, which was nearly a daily thing, and 2) No brain fog. So, why list my diet at the top of this post? I list it because I am pretty certain that it has much to do with my overall well-being (or at least self-perceived well-being). I can assuredly say that I am out of recovery mode. I no longer suffer from plantar fasciitis. The foot where I haven’t had the nerve surgically removed, seems to have recovered from its neuroma. I can put in strenuous hikes. I can run for several miles (not much, but it’s definitely not starting from scratch). I feel substantially stronger than I did 6 months ago. And I really have to say that I think diet is to blame.

So, with this newly found energy and mental clarity (and let us not forget, no more indigestion!), the trails are becoming increasingly more comfortable. I cannot tell you how important it is to me to get my strength back. I am actually far from where I have been strength-wise in the past, but I am much closer than I have been in a long time. Much. Thanks to a mainly ketogenic diet (and fasting and sometimes a purely carnivore diet – I know – Yikes!!), I can hit Chiquito Trail again and again, as I have for the past several months, and still love the beast.

The weather was perfect for such a tough course – nice and cool, and even a tad cold to begin. I was hoping to see water flowing in the creeks, as we had recently gone through 2 solid days of rains. The trails were wet for sure. And there were even plenty of puddles, as well as, small bits of water here and there in the creek. The moss was bright green, and the floor was littered with brown, yellow and orange leaves. Chiquita/Chiquito is a must do trail if you like trails. It is like an enchanted forest in some parts, and then gorgeous desert in other parts. There aren’t too many 9 mile courses as tough as this. It’s not straight up difficult, but those first 4 1/2 miles, they are definitely moderately difficult, lots of boulders and continual climbs. I was hoping to cut this hike significantly in time compared to my last trip on the same route. I ran some to catch up on time. And so, of course, I took a good tumble on the way back. More of that is explained slightly in my video recaps below. I really love these two trails, they fill my heart, and really just replace my anxiety with tranquility (but alas, only momentarily – that that is indeed worth it).

12/8/18 Stats

Route: San Juan Loop to Chiquito Trail, out to falls location and back (taking the other half of San Juan Loop).

9.2 miles / 14.81 km, 1,739 feet / 530 m elevation gain

Thanksgiving Epilogue

I know for certain these two things about myself: 1) I am a sucker for a routine. And why wouldn’t I be? Routines have proven to give great returns. I am focused, accomplish more and am generally more content if I follow a regular routine. 2) I am productive, have greater energy and am clear headed when I spend very little time consuming food (& when I do eat it’s high fat, lo-carb).

As soon as you mess up my routine, with things like pesky vacations, I start to flounder. Ha! ha! I love vacations; I even think that I need vacations. Just recently I was camping for three days, and then wham, it’s Thanksgiving – which meant (besides a really wonderful time with family) a feast with desserts. One of the things that is so relaxing with my way of eating is that I can always partake in the celebrations if I chose. And I do chose, but when I do nowadays, I consume much less calories than I did in my youth during celebrations. When you never ever eat potatoes, you can only eat so much when you give yourself the occasional treat. The same with pie – I ate a lovely slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but it only took a thin slice with a few dabs of whipped cream to do the trick (& even that was too much!).

The thing with these celebration routine interruptions is they need to be quick. If they are quick, I bounce right back into my routine and get back to my “regular” diet. I feel fine, my energy is good, and my weight is maintained, and even overall on the downward trend (which is my wish). I know that quick interruptions are okay, and even desired, from experience. But I have been watching (& very closely!). And this is what I have found: my diet affects my mental condition. Note that diet and routine are very closely related. When I change my routine, my eating habits naturally change. Inevitably, my eating window changes and my macros fluctuate too (for various reasons when a routine changes). In a nutshell, when I move away from a low carb diet, darkness moves in. I see everything in a different light when I change my diet to include carbs and desserts. High fat, low carb, I roll with the punches. I keep busy, and I try to move positivity even if things are fucked. When that changes, I don’t want to get out of bed. I feel hopeless and sad. I am 53 years old, and only now do I fully understood how much diet affects my mood. Vacations and celebrations need to be quick.

So! Back to the subject, which was I took in a hell of a lot more carbs during Chimera and then Thanksgiving than I am used to. And that was due mainly to my routine changing. Even though I knew the depression was coming, it didn’t help me any in recognizing it.

After Thanksgiving, I had three days to get out and hit trails. I didn’t. I slept in. I got a few things accomplished, but not nearly as much as I had hoped. But on the good side, I got to see more of my oldest son who was home for Thanksgiving break. Friday evening, I knew that it was time to get out and put one foot in front of the other. As dense as it seems that I am sometimes, this I have realized: I MUST WALK (or drive, or run, or move in some manner!). I walked with my husband down to the harbor to take in the Christmas lights. The lights were beautiful, especially their reflection on the water. Total miles on this night time stroll: 2.4

Walking even a short bit did wonders, but I was back in the same funk pretty quickly. Not having fully shut-off the carbohydrate spout, I knew that I had to at least take the minimal step to get back to a routine. The easiest step was to shorten my eating window – it wouldn’t change my melancholy mood immediately, but it would be a step in the right direction. While I did that (shortened my eating window) I tried to focus in on what was bothering me. Aside from all personal tribulations that I do not wish to list here (because though life is wonderful, it also sucks to the same extreme), a main problem is my list of things to do is enormous. ENORMOUS. I had been crossing things off that list during Thanksgiving break – but not nearly as many cross-off’s as I had intended. Step 3 in getting back into my routine (step 1 being shorten my eating window, and step 2 get out and move) was to focus in on this list and start crossing things off. That helped immensely.

And then ice cream set me back, French vanilla. And I really only ate a tiny amount, but a tiny amount times two. (Oh, but it was so creamy, rich and delicious!) That certainly didn’t help the melancholy blues. So, Saturday night, I headed out again for another walk to the harbor – this time solo, and adding a bit more in distance from the night prior. On the way back up the big incline on Golden Lantern, on a whim, I decided to run. I picked a spot and pushed until I arrived, only tiring at the end (it was uphill after all). I was amazed that I was able to do it even for that short distance. Total miles for Saturday evening’s walk: 3.75

Sunday, the last day of my vacation, my mood was minimally better. Then out-of the blue (and really out-of-the-blue, as I had actually lay down to nap!) I decided to go for a run. Not a walk, a run. It wasn’t that difficult at all, which was really surprising. Thank God I had the wits about me to get out and get moving. It did wonders. Total miles run: 4.04.

I’m not back to my “regular” self. Needless to say, I am stressed. Slowly but surely (because that is my manner), I’ll climb out of this funk. I’ll climb out of this funk, just in time for Christmas vacation. On the good side this time, I was sad enough to actually go out and run, not hike-run, but RUN. And for that, I am thankful.

Robber’s Cave (and also the Ketogenic Diet)

I am just about caught up with my recent trail blogs, this being the final outstanding one. Though it is late, I am sleepless at the moment. I am sitting in a hotel room right now after spending the day with my oldest son in Ventura County. He plays violin in a university symphony which had its spring concert tonight. It was a lovely concert, and an even better dinner with my son at The Outback Steakhouse. As I sit here pondering what to write about my last trail adventure, I’m not really sure where to start because I have other things that I'd like to report.

How about first, the last trail adventure? That was this past Sunday (4/22) when I ventured out for a hike (no running) in Wood Canyon. (Read further for more on the Ketogenic diet if that is why you are here). It was evening. The temperature was mild. And at about two miles in, I ventured off of Wood Canyon Trail onto Mathis Trail so that I could catch Dripping Cave Trail.

Dripping Cave Trail, is a short trail (I’m guessing about a mile or more in length). There is some elevation gain basically all in one spot. And there’s a nice size shallow cave toward the end (or beginning depending on which way you take the trail). The cave is named “Dripping Cave” officially, but also “Robber’s Cave” due to an infamous group of thieves who took it as a hideout in the late 1800s.

Dripping Cave Trail:

Dripping Cave is a lonely trail, which makes it all the better, sometimes even eerie. It’s shady and at times exposed. It’s quiet and unassuming. Quiet frankly, it’s a lovely and tranquil place to be -- I thoroughly enjoyed this careless hike. Especially liked seeing Robber’s Cave once again. In all, I enjoyed 6.42 miles of trails with 532 feet of elevation gain.

Aside from Dripping Cave (more pictures below – please scroll down if that is why you are here!), I really wanted to report on the progress of my ketogenic diet. For those of you who haven’t heard of a ketogenic way of eating, it is basically this: a diet high in fat, extremely low in carbs with a moderate intake of protein. My calories have been distributed pretty much like this: 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs. I know that probably sounds ridiculous, mainly because it goes completely against everything that I have been taught about nutrition. And because it goes against everything that I have learned, it was quite difficult to begin this regimen. I began this way of eating on February 14, and really want to share my experience (as briefly as possible, though I’m not sure that it will be brief since my results are so profound).

I began this way of eating because I was desperate to loose some pounds. But it ends up the unintended consequences of this diet have far outweighed any weight loss. Below are my results. Some of them are provable (measureable) others are subjective, but be assured, I feel them, subjective or not. Eating this way has made a tremendous impact on my life. It really is like a drug:

1. I lost 26 pounds, and I don’t even care about losing weight because I feel so much better.
2. I am absolutely never, ever hungry.
3. I have shrunk 6 inches from my hips, 6 inches from my waist, 3 from each of my thighs and 6 inches from my bust.
4. My focus has improved (tremendously).
5. My insight has improved (I can read a map, typed text and my garmin without glasses which is really, really bizarre. Vision isn’t perfect by any means, but it used to be that I could not decipher words at all without my glasses. Now I can.)
6. My fingernails are thicker.
7. I wake in the morning refreshed.
8. I am able to small talk with ease (where it was always a great chore for me historically).
9. I never nap (whereas I always used to nap).
10. I frequently go 24 hours (with ease) without eating (refer to #2 above).
11. I have greater patience.
12. I am calmer. (Not to say that I am calm, but way more so than ever)
13. I no longer crave sweets or breads and can easily walk down the candy aisle without even flinching.
14. I love things like brussel sprouts and broccoli (used to hate).
15. Anxiety has decreased.
16. No more lethargy.
17. I forgive easily and don’t hold grudges.
18. I self-reflect with ease and am more accepting of myself.
19. I am okay with not accomplishing everything I want to accomplish in a day (before keto this was a great anguish of mine).
20. My skin is softer and clearer.
21. I no longer have aches and pains (there had been a couple that were worrisome).
22. I am hopeful (or at least much more hopeful that I have been in a long time).

I realize this sounds a little crazy. Especially when I tell you what I do eat. My diet consists of:

1. Eggs
2. Avocados
3. Butter
4. Heavy Whipping Cream
5. Sour Cream
6. Beef, pork and chicken (sometimes fish)
7. Bacon (I list separately from pork because I consume bacon more frequently than other forms of pork)
8. Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, bleu, parmesan, dubliner, etc)
9. Broccoli
10. Brussel sprouts
11. Spinach
12. Romaine, Green Leaf and Red Leaf lettuce
13. Cabbage
14. Cauliflower
15. Zucchini
16. Pistachios, almonds and cashews
17. Coffee, tea, water (occasionally diet coke)
18. Salt
19. Salad dressings (Bleu cheese, Italian, Caesar or any other that I fancy)
20. Onions (on occasion)
21. Occasionally shrimp, crab or lobster.
22. Occasionally turkey.

These are the things that I absolutely never consume (and at the moment have no desire for):

1. Bread
2. Pasta
3. Beans
4. Fruit or fruit juices
5. Tortillas
6. Chips, crackers, etc, or any other food in a box or bag.
7. Soda (non diet)
8. Rice
9. Corn
10. Potatoes
11. Yogurt
12. Milk
13. Candy, pastries, cakes, ice cream etc.

Crazy? I should say!! (Watch The Magic Pill on Netflix or do more research on the internet for more information – I have only touched on the topic. The topic is tremendous for me, and some other time, I will surely say more!). For now, some more of Dripping Cave . . .  

Five Weeks on a Ketogenic Diet

I changed my way of eating five weeks ago, and I have dropped 15 pounds. So much more important than those 15 pounds are some other wonderful side effects I have experienced since changing my way of eating.

Before the diet change, I was dragging, most often tired, and napped every chance I got. I found it difficult to focus, and would frequently forget things (felt like a “brain fog”). Before changing my diet, I struggled to wake in the morning, and I was always hungry. Now, I have energy. I am focused. I get things done. And I am rarely tired (except when I’m supposed to be, like after a long day), which means I never nap. Amazingly, I wake in the morning refreshed, with no groggy time. And I am absolutely never hungry. I am calmer. I am more accepting. I have more patience.

All this from changing my diet? Yes indeed. This is 100% true, and it took me way too long to realize that such a change could impact my life so drastically. Who would have thought? Not me.

So, what is my new way of eating? It is called a ketogenic diet, which is a very low carb diet with adequate protein and high fat. I know to some this may sound absurd, but my calorie intake is basically: 5% carbs, 20% protein, and 75% fat. In a nutshell, I stay at or under 20 grams of carbs a day. If you are a label reader, you’ll know that 20 grams of carbs adds up very quickly. A piece of whole wheat bread for example could be 17 carbs, an apple, I believe is around 10. Good thing I have never been a big fruit eater. I should add that restricting my carbs doesn’t matter one bit to me right now because I am never, and I stress “never” hungry.

With all that said, I got out for another trail run/hike before the rains came down. The day was Tuesday, and my legs were still sore from Sunday’s adventure. It was a tough loop in Aliso/Woods Canyons -- up Mathis Trail, down Meadows. Fortunately, I recovered very quickly after a long difficult trek up Mathis. Recovery time has decreased a great deal as well since beginning a ketogenic diet. I am finally really enjoying the trails once again (hallelujah!). Looking forward to getting back out there after the rain dry up.

Miles: 9.37, Elevation gain: 1,181.

Feeling optimistic. And so are the plants in Southern California. Look at all the green popping through:

View from Aliso Cyn Trail:

Climbing Mathis Trail:

View from Mathis Trail into Wood Canyon:Approaching Meadows Trail:Top of Meadows Trail:

Hurt so Good

For me the toughest thing to conquer is the mountains. I mean the toughest thing out of all the physical challenges I put myself through (not talking about the mental challenges here). There’s the gym workouts, runs-hikes in the coastal hills, and occasionally the same in the desert, oh and also, runs down at my beaches (which are completely flat). Now, I’m not claiming that runs down at the beach, like my last 4 mile run (not blogged), aren’t difficult. They are difficult. All of these physical challenges are difficult to some degree. But the mountains -- they kick my butt.

With all the rain that we’ve been having, I thought that I’d check out Chiquito Falls on Sunday to see if it was flowing. Originally, I had planned to go up Maple Springs Road on Sunday (my go-to favorite), but I wasn’t really in the mood for the 1 hour plus drive. So, I opted for the 30 minute commute to the San Juan Loop trailhead (which is across the street from the Ortega Oaks Candy Store on Ortega Highway). I was happy to see the parking lot was crowded because I’m not so accustomed to the mountains like I used to be. The way I see it, the more people, the safer. Ends up, I did not see many people on the trail at all though. And Chiquito falls was but a trickle. But the trip was worth it still.

I really had forgotten what a difficult climb I would encounter going up Chiquito Trail. My memory just remembered the beauty, not the pain. And oh was it beautiful. The pain, well it wasn’t so bad at the moment. Still in a fasting state, I considered breaking my fast at one point with the emergency almonds in my pack. But as usual of late, I quickly rebounded for a strong return. I felt it later that day in my legs. And even the next day, my legs were sore, especially my calves. They hurt so good. Really! I haven’t had a workout like that in ages. (But I did NOT nap when I got home! In the five weeks eating a ketogenic diet, I have only napped once. Huge improvement!)  In all the trip was 9.13 miles with 1,609’ of elevation gain.

Here are some of my favorite pics from that rugged, yet beautiful trip:

High Energy!

Saturday (2/24) was ten days since switching to a ketogenic diet. My energy is still sky high, and mental focus so much improved that it really is kind of freakish. In addition, my appetite is oddly suppressed, like no other appetite suppressant that I’ve tried. Just think, if someone would have concocted a pill to do all this -- get rid of the brain fog, give tons of energy, and act as the best ever appetite suppressant to boot, I would have taken that pill. I would have taken that pill because I have been raised in a culture where we are always looking for that magic solution, one that works without even trying. I have never found such a pill. Instead, I stumbled upon something called a ketogenic diet.

Who knows if these are all temporary side effects. I’m hoping not of course. For now, I enjoy experimenting with the high fat/low carb diet effects. Since now when I wake in the morning, I am awake, I have more time in the day. Seriously, I experience no grogginess upon waking. I also no longer nap. I have been a napping girl for years. YEARS. I stopped napping the day I switched my diet.

So, on Saturday (2/24), I decided to run-hike a loop in Crystal Cove/Laguna Wilderness that has been a struggle for me over the past few years. I chose this loop because 1) It’s relatively close by and I had limited time due to the fact that I needed to get my two youngest boys to their music lessons, and 2) I wanted to see if my newfound energy would affect the misery level of this run. The route: From Ridge Park in Newport Beach: No-Name Ridge to No Dogs to the Pacific Ocean (all pretty much down hill). For the climb out: El Moro Canyon to Slow & Easy to Boomer Ridge back to truck.

I got out of the house fairly early (about 7:10 am). The temperature read 38F in Dana Point. It had warmed up a bit by the time I arrived to Ridge Park in Newport Coast. The streets were already lined with cars dumping out cyclists, runners and hikers onto the trails. The mood was definitely festive! I hit the dirt on an empty stomach being that I am also intermittent fasting, which basically means that I fast for 16 hours before eating (this by the way is simple because much of the 16 hours is done while I’m sleeping!). Anyway, I have never put in a grueling run or hike without some sort of fuel. I packed calories (almonds) just in case my body began breaking down.

The results: I ran down to the Pacific Ocean with very good energy. I didn’t miss the gloves that I accidentally left at home, as I warmed up pretty quickly. The ocean was beautiful with a crisp horizon line. I lingered there with the sand beneath my shoes for a bit, not looking forward to the climb out. I will not deny that the climb out was tough. But the thing that I noticed was that after the really hellish parts, I rebounded very quickly. Pretty much as soon as I hit flat ground. I never once needed to sit at the side of the trail to rest (that’s how bad it had gotten for me!).  And I never felt the need for fuel. But I did drink up, more so than I usually do.

 

The trip was 9.75 miles long with 1,284’ of elevation gain. I had more energy than I’ve had in years. I rebounded quickly. I did not need fuel. And I did not nap all day. I promised myself at least a month of ketogenic dieting. Today as I write this, I am on day 14, and as it stands now, the benefits of ketogenic eating are too great to go back. (5 pounds down also)

Link to my shaky video diary of the run: My More Energy Run