July 7, 2025

Slept alright on an air matress. Tightened to 31.0" at 8:30am. Leaving campsite to work in an air conditioned lodge so I can keep it on.

Writing in my tent. Took the waspie off for a walk at 7pm, took a shower and re-applied the waspie to 32.0" at 9:00pm. I think that qualifies as a full day for the first time. It took a long time for my body to settle in to the 31.0" cinch. It wasn’t until 3pm or so that it felt less pinch around my ribs, as the corset finally sunk underneath. I worked in a lodge lobby and found it terribly difficult to get comfortable most of the day.

As I looked out the window, distracted from work, an old analogy from Dave Ramsey took hold in my mind - if you were the CEO of your money, would you hire you? Or more to this diary, if I was CEO of my health and body, would I hire me? Then I found a milkshake vendor in camp and had a 20oz chocolate milkshake, that was very good. 1350 calories eaten, 1950 out. The math worked.

I’ve been eating this week on the Oregon Trail equivalent of “meager” mode. I intentionally didn’t bring enough calories to be filling. I planned for a 1000 calorie deficit every day. Fitbit says that I should lose 2 lbs over a week of 1000 calorie daily deficits. With all the brain fog, anxiety, and peeing I’m doing, I hope it is more. I’m roughly following an intermittent fasting schedule I read online, the best play to find trustworthy information. I only consume the 1000 or so colories between noon and 8pm. Trying for the week in the name of science.