The Underworld franchise did itself a solid by releasing this movie after the botched job of the previous one. It was like a gothic Gladiator meets Braveheart meets First Knight, just without the charisma of Mel Gibson's and Russell Crowe's characters.

While, I'd argue I was already in ketosis with 30 net carbs, I've taken over 11 off that number and reduced the percentage of calories coming from carbs by 42%, from 26 to 11. That may contribute to the challenges of kicking off my day.

I'm hoping that this shift will lead to greater weightloss than my prior approach, though there is no way of knowing. It's not like I've got a control just laying around or an interdimensional portal to hop through. While I can find the research of what works, my application is just guesswork. While I know my first diet shredded some serious weight, I'm leaping into the abyss with this new one. But, in makes sense and the theory behind it is well supported. In the days to come, I'll be listing all the papers that I base my approach to awesome blossom weightloss.

This morning's feature: meh. The writing failed to meet expectations—yeah, that brings me back to my English days. But, if I'm honest, do I expect much out of a vampire movie with characters running around in patent leather? Or even just choosing a movie to accompany me through my morning cardio? It depends on which side of the line it falls upon: a detriment or a catalyst? I dunno...I just found myself not carrying what the outcome would be. It was like an A-Team show: 1000s of rounds of ammo being rat-a-tat-a-tatted off and only the red shirts are dying. Even when one guy was dead, he popped again later in the movie. sigh

But, I never intended to write movie reviews or endorse movies just because i watch them. No, the reason I share them is to share my weightloss adventure. Maintaining a journal keeps my daily focus up.

It's the beginning of Week 4 of the Second Expedition, marking the half-way mark before my 2nd weigh-in. Toward the end of today's workout, I admit, I was tapped—which is good, because that's what I WANT from my cardio. The last 1/2 hour involved managing my left foot's ache. Generally, the blade of the foot gets worse when I roll it, so I have to focus on lining it straight as I move, whether its the treadmill or the elliptical. It's more intense on an incline, so I spent some time this morning with the treadmill set to 2% instead of 4% and even did some -1% stuff. Of course, this was already after an hour on the elliptical. It sucks and it reminds me how good I had it with my youth with workouts as hard as I wanted. Though, the same could be said for the present, just sans my feet.

I feel good and look forward to the future, even if this foot needs to take a breather afterward as its ache slides down from its crescendo. I look forward to September—not just for Facebook (and ultimately reconnecting), but the things that I would like to do then. I hope to be in the position to run along the Mississippi just for the fun of it, not to reach another goal on the way to get where I'm going, but to glide upon the Earth and be me.

When I get to where I'm going...both not so much the Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton duet AND with that song, both as it relates to this transition I'm making to a new me AND the new me beyond glorification, I'm going to be an encouraging person. This old world beats us down and it is by far too easy to be critical, or worse, jealous of others. We treat our lives and each other as players in a realm of scarcity, a zero-sum game of "me, me, me." Oh, that Agent Smith! And yes, we can manifest artificial scarcity: I need gold! I need uranium! I need McDonald's Double Quarterpounder with Cheese!

But, look: we've got a lot of sunshine out there...a lot of air to breathe...water...and with a little prep, there's food. Somewhere along the way, we fouled all of that and inserted scarcity into the system...thereby causing fear...thereby causing hate. We're more than that, much, much more.

But, I fail. I think how I can protect my little fiefdom, my little domain of a little king. it's far, far too easy to snarl at each other. It's far too easy to cling and tear down with gravity and entropy, than to lift up and build. There are a lot of broken people out there. By breaking you, I better me? What logic is this?

There, strapped like a watch on my wrist
That's finished with gold but can't tell time
Was all or what little pleasure exists
Seductively sold and uselessly mine

-mewithoutYou

In the end, this tearing down of each other, whether in some silly, non-specific political anger...or a corporate ladder to nowhere nonsense...or the Hey Jealousy of bygones ago...or anything else really—including the clothes we root for, ultimately shows a lack of self-awareness and self-confidence. It is...a scarcity mindset that corrupts our body and our soul. And I'd make a guess, that it is the symptom of an old wound that we keep picking at instead of allowing it to heal. Or just low intelligence stemming from a head being at the business end of a tack hammer.

In this whole, body transformation thing of mine, it's more than just taking a six-pack off the shelf. It's about forging the character within as well, be the person that I want to be around, and as the Tim McGraw lyric goes, become "a friend a friend would like to have."