Nine weeks in. The scale is hovering around 12 pounds down, give or take water weight depending on the day. Still a long road ahead, but the direction is right.
Let’s start with the Memorial Day barbecue. The 90/10 lean beef burgers were different than what you’re used to — not as juicy, not as greasy as your typical backyard burger — but still enjoyable. Thick, substantial, and honestly not bad for what it is. The chicken hot dogs held their own, the avocado was a nice touch, and overall it was a solid diet-friendly barbecue. The keto buns though? Hard pass. Those calories are better spent on a good whole wheat bun next time.
Now for the confession that explains a lot. I’ve been thinking about how I got to 265 pounds, and one of the biggest culprits wasn’t restaurant food or any single bad habit. It was finishing my kids’ plates. For years, when the kids didn’t finish their meals, Dad cleaned it up. Every single time. And years of that accumulates quietly. Switching to white bread because the kids preferred it. Half a pint of ice cream on movie nights just because it was there. None of it felt like a problem in the moment.
That’s what this diet is really undoing — not just the calories, but the mindless eating patterns that built up over years of cooking for a family. The scale, the portions, the AI plan — they’ve made me aware of things I used to do completely on autopilot.
Coming up in week 10: Costco rotisserie chicken week. AI built three meals around one bird — chicken quesadillas, chicken fried rice, and wraps — all stretched across the week. That’s the kind of efficiency that makes this feel sustainable for the long haul.
Stay tuned.
The Video Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA6sZBWN_Sw
