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Nearly a year into it


fansince88

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just found this club on here, and was excited to see it.   Been all over the map in my life weight wise.   6'1 and my highest was 295 junior year of high school.  My lowest was 165 the year I got engaged to my wife.   Never thought I'd get over 200 again, but stopped being a vegetarian, stopped working out daily, and started having a few beers.   Six years later and I am 235 and my doctor told me last visit I need to fix it.

 

Hoping to lose about 50 pounds, my goal weight is 185.    Glad to see there is a place to track progress and see how everyone else is doing.  Great job everyone who is losing it.  My thirties has been a killer.  Don't eat awful, but have a stressful job with a lot of hours and not a lot of opportunity for exercise. 

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4 hours ago, thenorthremembers said:

Just found this club on here, and was excited to see it.   Been all over the map in my life weight wise.   6'1 and my highest was 295 junior year of high school.  My lowest was 165 the year I got engaged to my wife.   Never thought I'd get over 200 again, but stopped being a vegetarian, stopped working out daily, and started having a few beers.   Six years later and I am 235 and my doctor told me last visit I need to fix it.

 

Hoping to lose about 50 pounds, my goal weight is 185.    Glad to see there is a place to track progress and see how everyone else is doing.  Great job everyone who is losing it.  My thirties has been a killer.  Don't eat awful, but have a stressful job with a lot of hours and not a lot of opportunity for exercise. 

 

I’m also 6’1”, and weighed 165# in HS. Got married at around 185#, and stayed there for many years. Hurt my shoulder and couldn’t play tennis for about 18 months and slowly ballooned up to 205#. Shoulder healed, back down to 185 for years. Moved to Atlanta where it’s too cold for 1/3 the year to play, and I got close to 195, before recently dropping back down closer to target (as my wife has apparently given up food in her own weight battle). 

 

It would appear the tennis is critical for my well being. I feel so much better with the exercise, but I’ve tried so many other things and that’s the only thing I can stick to. 

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10 hours ago, Augie said:

 

I’m also 6’1”, and weighed 165# in HS. Got married at around 185#, and stayed there for many years. Hurt my shoulder and couldn’t play tennis for about 18 months and slowly ballooned up to 205#. Shoulder healed, back down to 185 for years. Moved to Atlanta where it’s too cold for 1/3 the year to play, and I got close to 195, before recently dropping back down closer to target (as my wife has apparently given up food in her own weight battle). 

 

It would appear the tennis is critical for my well being. I feel so much better with the exercise, but I’ve tried so many other things and that’s the only thing I can stick to. 

 

It's hard.   I've never eaten too poorly, but if I dont exercise it's over.   I love to work out, but finding time really is an issue.    Going to try and use my lunch break, when I have them, to work out.  I've started running in the mornings again.  Cold in WNY but have to bite the bullet.   Kind of to the point where I am embarrassed to go to a gym, but need to get over that as well.

 

I'll be 36 this year, and if I dont start losing the weight now I know Ill be in big trouble.  My Dad passed at 38 from a massive heart attack and I'd rather not go that route.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 12/27/2018 at 9:13 PM, Augie said:

 

I’m also 6’1”, and weighed 165# in HS. Got married at around 185#, and stayed there for many years. Hurt my shoulder and couldn’t play tennis for about 18 months and slowly ballooned up to 205#. Shoulder healed, back down to 185 for years. Moved to Atlanta where it’s too cold for 1/3 the year to play, and I got close to 195, before recently dropping back down closer to target (as my wife has apparently given up food in her own weight battle). 

 

It would appear the tennis is critical for my well being. I feel so much better with the exercise, but I’ve tried so many other things and that’s the only thing I can stick to. 

Isnt it interesting that we gain weight when we are less active...

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On 1/13/2019 at 12:38 PM, fansince88 said:

@Gugny, found the fix for my BP too. Magnesium and Hawthorn Berry. Brought me from 155/108 to 128/84. Still adjusting. I believe it was you that said that was an issue.

 

Two things I can eat that bring down my BP are celery and watermelon. Celery will do it in modest amounts. I've only noticed it in watermelon during the summer when I eat a boatload of it.

 

Celery can be magical though.

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5 hours ago, SDS said:

 

Two things I can eat that bring down my BP are celery and watermelon. Celery will do it in modest amounts. I've only noticed it in watermelon during the summer when I eat a boatload of it.

 

Celery can be magical though.

Thanks. I assume you lay off the salt? 

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17 minutes ago, fansince88 said:

Thanks. I assume you lay off the salt? 

 

In general, I haven't because historically I just put stuff like hypertension and weight gain out of my mind. I'm probably consuming less now that I am 3 weeks into an eating better, losing weight state of mind. Hoping to make lifestyle changes where I nail all my breakfast and lunch meals, decent dinners and then just have stuff I want Fri/Sat night.

 

With regards to celery:

 

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/celery-may-help-bring-your-high-blood-pressure-down/

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1 hour ago, SDS said:

 

In general, I haven't because historically I just put stuff like hypertension and weight gain out of my mind. I'm probably consuming less now that I am 3 weeks into an eating better, losing weight state of mind. Hoping to make lifestyle changes where I nail all my breakfast and lunch meals, decent dinners and then just have stuff I want Fri/Sat night.

 

With regards to celery:

 

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/celery-may-help-bring-your-high-blood-pressure-down/

So how do you plan ot into your diet? Daily? How many stalks? Willing to try anything nessassary.  Between that and my Triglycerides being off the charts naturally (without intervention of herbs) Im a walking time bomb

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On 1/13/2019 at 12:38 PM, fansince88 said:

@Gugny, found the fix for my BP too. Magnesium and Hawthorn Berry. Brought me from 155/108 to 128/84. Still adjusting. I believe it was you that said that was an issue.

 

I do a banana and skim milk every morning hoping to get my magnesium. What the heck is Hawthorn Berry? Long story, but I have no doctor now, and I hate doctors, but I’m pretty sure I need to get my BP down. 

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On 1/15/2019 at 4:13 PM, fansince88 said:

So how do you plan ot into your diet? Daily? How many stalks? Willing to try anything nessassary.  Between that and my Triglycerides being off the charts naturally (without intervention of herbs) Im a walking time bomb

 

I wish I was better at it. The hard part, in this case, is what to do to make it a habit. I haven't figured that out, but I haven't tried either. 

 

regarding celery, for me at least, I can be at 135ish/87ish and be at 120ish/80ish after a week of eating a stalk or two. I think if I had it once every couple weeks, I could maintain, but I would need to try and repeat to prove. I just forget. Or I buy it and don't wash it and cut it up. 

 

I have a monitor at home that I break out every once in awhile and I just cut some last night. I should try and do a daily check.

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15 hours ago, Augie said:

 

I do a banana and skim milk every morning hoping to get my magnesium. What the heck is Hawthorn Berry? Long story, but I have no doctor now, and I hate doctors, but I’m pretty sure I need to get my BP down. 

 

That's like only 10%. Why not just supplement if you are concerned? A banana a day makes but a small dent.

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40 minutes ago, SDS said:

 

I wish I was better at it. The hard part, in this case, is what to do to make it a habit. I haven't figured that out, but I haven't tried either. 

 

regarding celery, for me at least, I can be at 135ish/87ish and be at 120ish/80ish after a week of eating a stalk or two. I think if I had it once every couple weeks, I could maintain, but I would need to try and repeat to prove. I just forget. Or I buy it and don't wash it and cut it up. 

 

I have a monitor at home that I break out every once in awhile and I just cut some last night. I should try and do a daily check.

If you do let me know. I will do the same. My BP was nuts when I did a blood screening at work. All the men in my family have bypass surgery by 50yo. Im doing all I can to regulate all my numbers naturally.  I too will report my findings on the celery

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1 hour ago, SDS said:

 

That's like only 10%. Why not just supplement if you are concerned? A banana a day makes but a small dent.

 

I actually eat a surprisingly healthy diet. Most often fish and vegetables. (What I drink might be less ideal.) I have done supplements at times. My wife has one of those enormous pill organizers like your parents/grandparents. Daily AM and PM. I’d be full just on the pills she consumes! 

 

I have promised myself once spring arrives I’ll get better weather and exercise more I’ll get in for a new doctor. I’ve chosen a guy I like, and confirmed he’s on our plan. Progress. I feel great, but I need to get a long term healthcare plan. I don’t dare leave my wife without coverage in case of anything long term and catastrophic. You could bankrupt anyone with the way those costs pile up. I’d rather just die. 

 

As for the banana and skim milk, it doesn’t hurt as part of my regular diet, and it’s actually become part of my little morning routine I look forward to. 

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4 hours ago, fansince88 said:

If you do let me know. I will do the same. My BP was nuts when I did a blood screening at work. All the men in my family have bypass surgery by 50yo. Im doing all I can to regulate all my numbers naturally.  I too will report my findings on the celery

 

Made three measurements when I got home. 130/89, 121/86, 121/87

 

ive been eating better for almost a month and although I’m not avoiding salt on purpose, I’m definitely eating less as a by-product. Ate about 6 pieces of celery tonight. 

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I'm going to dive in by telling you where I was about a year ago and where I am now.  Then I'll tell you how I did it.

 

Where I was...

 

In December of 2017 I went to the doctor and got my labs back.  The news wasn't good.  After coasting along for years as a pre-diabetic I was in full blown diabetes along with the accompanying high cholesterol and blood pressure.  So my doc pulled out his pad, upped my oral diabetes meds, prescribed a statin and told me to lose weight.  The same damn story told to millions upon millions of Americans each and every day unfortunately.

 

Where I am today....

 

I'm 45 lbs down.  I reversed the diabetes...as in I'm no longer a diabetic (A1C from 10 to 5.5) .  My cholesterol is around 120-130 (down from 210) and my blood pressure is typically 115/70 (140/90 previously).  I accomplished all of this by taking zero medications.  That's right... I haven't taken meds for diabetes, cholesterol or blood pressure in about 10 months.

 

How I did it...

 

Coming home from the doctor that day I vowed that I wasn't going to go back to any of the diets I had tried over the years that ultimately didn't work, and I certainly wasn't going to use Dr. Google and decide to start on yet another one based on someones popular blog or a news story.  Instead I decided I was going straight to the hard science in the peer reviewed literature and to make up my mind based on that.  I'm a biochemist so I have access to and read scientific papers every day, surely if there isn't an all out consensus, the preponderance of the published nutrition research data must point in one direction as to what is the optimal diet for humans for weight loss and long term health, right? As it turns out there is indeed a diet that the overwhelming body of nutrition data supports for weight loss and long term health, but it definitely wasn't the answer that I wanted to hear.

 

First let me say that I am, or I should say I was, a backyard bbq enthusiast and nerd.  Ribs, briskets, butts, wings, you name it and I cooked them all and geeked out with all the fancy grills, smokers and gadgets.  I'd cook for my family, and often would have friends ask me to cook for their parties and gatherings. I was affectionately known as the "meat man" by my neighbors. I loved everything about it ....all while it was slowly killing me.

 

It turns out that the healthiest way to eat is a way we all really know deep down. Most of our mothers always told us to eat our veggies growing up, it's just that most of us consider getting our veggies as maybe a small portion of green beans slathered in butter next to our main course of processed food and/or hunk of meat loaded with saturated fat. Or maybe we get our veggies as a small salad that we then proceed to douse in a fat laden dressing.  The healthiest diet for weight loss AND long term health is a whole food plant based diet.  I'm here to tell you that the data is clear and it's not even close. 

 

Like I said, this is definitely not the answer I was looking for as there was no way I could give up all the bbq...it  just was not going to happen.  Yet I kept reading and found story after story of people who had done this and reversed chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.  A common mantra was to just give it two weeks...your taste buds will adjust and you'll feel so much better that you'll want to continue.  I thought to myself that I can do pretty much anything for two weeks, even something so drastic as this. So two weeks is what I decided to give it and I did it hard core...no meat, cheese, eggs, dairy or processed foods.  I replaced those with lots of leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and nuts.  I didn't obsess over protein, carbs or fat. I just ate until I was full.  I'm 47 and after eating this way for just two weeks I already felt like I was in my 20's, with just way more energy and a lot of chronic back and joint pain had subsided.  In just two weeks I could now go for a run or get on the elliptical and go twice as long before getting winded.  So I decided to keep going for two more weeks until I had my follow up with my doctor.  I was astounded by my labs at the follow up, in just one month of radically changing my diet and exercising my fasting blood sugar went from dangerously high 170 to 115, my cholesterol from 210 to 110 (LDL bad cholesterol down to 40) and my blood pressure was down to 125/80.  If big pharma could invent a pill that yielded those results, calling it a blockbuster drug wouldn't even come close to describing it.

 

So here I am nearly 13 months later and I'd say I eat whole food plant based 90-95% of the time.   I'm not a vegan like some friends and family like to say to me.  First I hate the term vegan because you can be a vegan and still eat a bunch of junk processed foods and I don't eat any of that ***** anymore.  Secondly I'm not a vegan because I still eat meat!  It's just drastically reduced from where I was before eating meat, dairy or eggs at pretty much every meal my entire life compared to maybe the 10 times I ate meat over this past year.  I can honestly say that I don't miss it.  Nothing tastes as good as you feel, it's really that simple.

 

I've rambled on too long, but I'm going to end with two short videos.  Not long after I dove deep into reading the nutrition research I came across this website that essentially does what I was trying to do on my own.  Nutritionfacts.org distills down the latest in evidence based nutrition research into short videos that show you the data.  All sources are cited so that you can go and read the actual studies for yourself and look at the study design, methodology etc.  This is an invaluable resource and I highly recommend watching these two short intro videos and considering giving this way of eating a shot, even if for just two weeks.  If I can do it then anyone can.

 

 

 

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On 1/15/2019 at 1:50 PM, SDS said:

 

In general, I haven't because historically I just put stuff like hypertension and weight gain out of my mind. I'm probably consuming less now that I am 3 weeks into an eating better, losing weight state of mind. Hoping to make lifestyle changes where I nail all my breakfast and lunch meals, decent dinners and then just have stuff I want Fri/Sat night.

 

With regards to celery:

 

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/celery-may-help-bring-your-high-blood-pressure-down/

 

There's some evidence that increasing potassium in the diet, or possibly the ratio of potassium/sodium in the diet, may lower blood pressure and improve health in a number of ways.  For example:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2104250

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Potassium_and_sodium_out_of_balance

 

I worked for a guy who meticulously tracked and ate foods high in potassium like apricots and almonds, but truth is, almost any veg or fruit that is not processed with sodium added will have a proper ratio of  potassium to sodium - something on the order of 6:1 vs 20:1. 

 

Not trying to dis off the celery notion, but I would find it difficult to eat 4 stalks of celery a day vs. switching from canned to frozen or no-salt-added veg, and eating more fresh fruits and veg generally/eliminating processed foods that are sky-high in sodium.  Biochemically, there is a lot of evidence that the ratio of potassium/sodium in the diet is important.  The natural ratio in un-salted plants is what the human body evolved to handle.

 

Especially if one covers the celery with cheese spread or other stuff people often use to make the celery more palatable. ?

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On 1/17/2019 at 1:57 PM, BillsFanNC said:

I'm going to dive in by telling you where I was about a year ago and where I am now.  Then I'll tell you how I did it.

 

Where I was...

 

In December of 2017 I went to the doctor and got my labs back.  The news wasn't good. ( ...)

 I reversed the diabetes...as in I'm no longer a diabetic (A1C from 10 to 5.5) .  My cholesterol is around 120-130 (down from 210) and my blood pressure is typically 115/70 (140/90 previously).  I accomplished all of this by taking zero medications.  That's right... I haven't taken meds for diabetes, cholesterol or blood pressure in about 10 months. (.....)

 

How I did it...

(......)

 

Like I said, this is definitely not the answer I was looking for as there was no way I could give up all the bbq...it  just was not going to happen.  Yet I kept reading and found story after story of people who had done this and reversed chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.  A common mantra was to just give it two weeks...your taste buds will adjust and you'll feel so much better that you'll want to continue.  I thought to myself that I can do pretty much anything for two weeks, even something so drastic as this. So two weeks is what I decided to give it and I did it hard core...no meat, cheese, eggs, dairy or processed foods.  I replaced those with lots of leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and nuts.  I didn't obsess over protein, carbs or fat. I just ate until I was full.  I'm 47 and after eating this way for just two weeks I already felt like I was in my 20's, with just way more energy and a lot of chronic back and joint pain had subsided.  In just two weeks I could now go for a run or get on the elliptical and go twice as long before getting winded.  So I decided to keep going for two more weeks until I had my follow up with my doctor.  I was astounded by my labs at the follow up, in just one month of radically changing my diet and exercising my fasting blood sugar went from dangerously high 170 to 115, my cholesterol from 210 to 110 (LDL bad cholesterol down to 40) and my blood pressure was down to 125/80.  If big pharma could invent a pill that yielded those results, calling it a blockbuster drug wouldn't even come close to describing it.

 

 

I spent a decade working in process development at Big Pharma and you're damn straight, if they had a pill that would do that (or even 2-3) it would be a blockbuster.

 

I wondered if you have any particular recipe collections that were helpful to you?  I have changed to cooking almost entirely without added salt because my mother has CHF and is prescribed a reduced-sodium diet and I'm trying to help her adjust, but I admit I often find the food lacking in flavor.  Also while we primarily eat vegetarian, a lot of what we eat is still dairy/egg or refined (white flour, white rice).  One of my food goals for the New Year is to change that. 

 

We got an Instant Pot for Christmas which I am hoping will help with adding more beans/veg.

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