As you may recall from a few weeks back, I was unhappy with the
creeping weight (re)gain that I experienced during my last year
on Neanderthin, so I decided to experiment a bit.  I intensified
my exercise program considerably, increased my protein intake,
and decreased my fat intake. I also introduced a small amount of
cheese into my diet.  This resulted in about 6 pounds of fat loss
in 2 weeks.  The third week passed with no discernible change.

Anyway, I had mentioned the _Steak Lovers' Diet_ book, by Melvin
Anchell, and over the weekend I decided to buy the book and read
it through.  Anchell's ideas are very similar to Neanderthin in
some respects, and very different in others.  In particular, his
theory about obesity is that it is caused by the excessive
production of pyruvate in the body.  Actually, it's not *his*
theory; it's what he was taught by his mentor in the 1950s.
I can't say that I understand either this theory or its
application very well, but Anchell claims that the foods allowed
on his diet are allowed for the theoretical reason that they
don't cause much production of pyruvate and for the practical
reason that "they work."

The diet is simple to describe: Three meals a day of any meat in
any amount (he recommends a minimum of a half pound), plus one
"ordinary portion" of one of the following: potatoes, rice, sweet
potatoes, grapes, watermelon, blueberries, strawberries.
Unsweetened butter is allowed in cooking or as a condiment.
Seasonings are allowed, as long as they contain no sugar.  And
that (from memory) is it: no nuts, no greens, no substitutions
(Anchell specifically comments that it doesn't work if, for
example, you substitute canteloupe for watermelon), no other
vegetables, no eggs.

Again, this makes very little sense to me, but being an
inquisitive person I decided to try it for a week and see what
happens.  After three years of Neanderthin it felt odd to have a
baked potato with butter with my steak.

As of this morning I had been on this diet for two whole days,
and in that time somehow dropped five pounds.  I am completely at
a loss to understand this.  It could be a coincidence, and my
weight was in some sense "due" to drop at this time, but it's
spooky anyway.

Todd Moody
[log in to unmask]