The Edge Of Control -- 192 lbs (-37) [3X]

"So what is the role of alcohol in this diet?", a colleague asked yesterday. A mighty fine question for which I've done a mighty poor job of answering thus far.

A few diets, such as the Banting Diet and Drinking Man's Diet prominently feature alcohol, as well as diets that have been practiced by contemporaries such as Lady Gaga and Christian Bale, but mine is decidedly different. These other diets include food restrictions, carb and/or calorie counting, and/or exercise--none of which would work for me. Instead, I use alcohol as a tool to avoid all of these things.

As mentioned previously, I practice a form of "intermittent fasting". Usually, intermittent fasting involves consuming no calories for at least 16 hours, and while I do this sometimes, it can get uncomfortable. I find that alcohol in moderate doses does a fabulous job of turning the discomfort of hunger into an enhanced pleasure, and that whisky has a mental simulation effect beyond that. This is no secret--whisky drinkers have known this for hundreds of years. It is also no secret that alcohol in excess leads to all sorts of bad effects, the least of which is over-eating, so you can see where drinking to lose weight takes a certain amount of discipline, and is not even an option for many people's situations.

So anyone who thinks this diet is about getting drunk is mistaken. It is about riding the edge of control for maximum gain, like a tow-in surfer, formula racer, base jumper, or anyone that wants to push the limits of what is possible. But I'm not remotely as crazy or skilled as these extreme sport folks. It is rare that I pull off the perfect whisky diet day--if you go over my consumption logs you can see that I've over-eaten on many occasions--and yet, I have achieved impressive weight gains in spite of my follies. While I am certain someone more disciplined could do much better, a more rapid weight loss may be too much strain on the body, so perhaps I am striking the right balance here. Perhaps the key to a successful whisky diet is riding the crest of hunger, alcohol, and feasting--let's call it "alcohol surfing".

What I consumed yesterday:
● 2 coffee w/ 3 tbsp whiskey & 2 tsp fiber
● 3 cups syrah (I forgot to note the brand)
● 5 buffalo chicken drumettes w/ small cuts of assorted cheese
● .6 cup Lauder's scotch whisky
● 4 slices Boboli pizza w/ 3 slices bacon
● Apple slice dipped in Jif peanut butter