Paleo Is The Way To Go...

Weight: 214.2

I didn't eat anything till I got hom from work last night.

Dinner consisted of 2 cans of tuna, 1 1/2 avacados, diced onion, diced tomato, diced jalepeno, minced garlic and spices made into a "tuna salad".  I used cabbage leaves as "edible spoons" to eat the tuna salad.  I could only eat about 1/2 of it and gave the rest to my daughter.

I also made a bowl of steamed veggies--broccoli, brussel sprouts and onions.  I put ghee and coconut oil on it and sprinkled garlic salt on it.  I ate about 1/2 of it and gave the rest to my daughter.

I also ate a whole canteloupe--small, but I did eat the whole thing.

I drank two 32oz of Bengal Spice tea with a little stevia and another 32oz bottle of lemon water.

Aside from that, I spent most of the evening relaxing, playing a game on my computer and watching a movie.  I haven't had a relaxing night in a long time...

Add Years to Your Life

Ways to Add Years to Your Life

We've been told that the only sure things are death and taxes. But just as creative accountants have helped many men triumph over their 1040s, we can help you outrun the reaper. Maybe it's a game you can't ultimately win. But by following these tips, you can send it into overtime.

Drink 5 8-Ounce Glasses of Water a Day
Scientists at Loma Linda University found that men who drank this amount of H2O were 54 percent less likely to suffer a fatal heart attack than those who drank two glasses or less daily.
(Add lemon and/or ice if you have trouble drinking that much plain water.)

Take a Laugh Break
Watching 15 minutes of funny video can improve bloodflow to your heart by 50 percent, report researchers at the University of Maryland. "This may reduce blood-clot formation, cholesterol deposition, and inflammation," says study author Michael Miller, M.D.

Don't Go to Work Sick
Over a 3-year period, men who clocked in despite feeling under the weather had double the heart-attack risk of guys who stayed in bed, according to a U.K. study.

Put Out the Fire in Your Chest
Untreated heartburn can lead to a heart attack, according to a study in the International Journal of Cardiology. Scientists discovered that as acid levels in the esophagus rise, the incidence of blocked bloodflow to the heart also rises by 20 percent. A natural remedy: Analyze your diet. Don't make a habit of drinking wine, juice, or carbonated beverages, all of which are highly acidic and may trigger heartburn, say South Carolina researchers.

Indulge Your Chocolate Craving
In a 15-year study, Dutch scientists determined that men who ate just 4 grams of cocoa a day had half the risk of dying from heart disease than those who ate less. That's the equivalent of two 25-calorie Hershey's Kisses -- an amount that can fit into any diet.
(Just be aware that it's *dark chocolate* with *almost no sugar* that helps.  Milk chocolate or highly sweet chocolate is extremely damaging -- as noted below in the "avoid sugar" entry.)

Say No to Froot Loops
In a review of 53 studies, Australian researchers found that regularly eating cereal made from refined grains raises insulin and C-reactive protein, and lowers good cholesterol -- all factors that boost your odds of developing heart disease. A better choice for your morning bowl: Post Shredded Wheat cereal, which is made from 100 percent whole grains and contains no sugar.
(Sugar is what fat is made from. Carbohydrates is what the body uses to put fat on your body. Low carb, high fat, high protein diets are where you need to look for good, sustainable health.)

Take a Magnesium Supplement
Over an 18-year period, French researchers determined that men with the highest blood levels of magnesium are 40 percent less likely to die of any cause than those with the lowest levels. Magnesium can make multivitamins too bulky, so add a 250 milligram (mg) pill from iherb.com or GNC to your daily regimen.
(I use "Natural Calm" -- which is a "fizzy drink" -- which also helps me down those glasses of water...)

Burn 1,100 Calories a Week
Duke University scientists discovered that this amount of exercise prevents the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue -- the dangerous belly fat that causes arterial inflammation and hypertension. Falling short? Join a league: A recent British Medical Journal study reported that people who exercised in groups boosted their average calorie burn by 500 a week.

Take a Daily Multivitamin
Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley discovered that this helps prevent the DNA damage that causes cancer. We like Centrum Silver.
(I take a lot more than just a daily multivitamin...)

Hit the Weights
University of Michigan scientists found that men who completed three total-body weight workouts a week for 2 months lowered their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by an average of eight points. That's enough to reduce the risk of stroke by 40 percent and heart attack by 15 percent.

Set a 3-Drink Limit
Harvard researchers determined that downing more than three drinks in a 24-hour period increases your risk of atrial fibrillation, a condition that may boost your odds of a stroke fivefold during that time. An important note: When the average man pours himself a glass of wine, it's typically twice the size of a standard drink (4 ounces), report researchers at Duke University.
(Two drinks should be the limit for men--and one for women and men over 45.)

Plop an Alka-Seltzer . . .
If you think you're having a heart attack. It contains 325 milligrams of aspirin, the same as a regular aspirin, and begins fighting blood clots almost 3 minutes faster than a pill, according to a study in Thrombosis Research.

. . . and Call a Ride
Walk-in patients wait almost twice as long in the E.R. as those who arrive by ambulance, according to a University of New Mexico study.

Treat a Killer Bee Sting
You may not know if you're allergic to the venom of a bee, wasp, or hornet until you've already been stung. But if you start to experience the symptoms of a life-threatening reaction -- hives, wheezing, abdominal cramping -- you can save yourself in 3 steps:
Step 1: Call 911.
Step 2: Take a Benadryl.
Step 3: Lie on your back and elevate your legs while you wait for help, says Steven Kernerman, D.O., an allergist at the Spokane Allergy and Asthma Clinic. An allergic reaction can constrict your blood vessels, and our three-step strategy counteracts that by improving bloodflow to your heart.

Eat Produce at Every Meal
If you consume more than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, you have a 26 percent lower risk of stroke than people who eat fewer than three servings, according to a recent U.K. study.'

Monitor Your Blood Sugar
Johns Hopkins University researchers recently determined that people with the highest blood-sugar levels have twice the risk of heart disease as those with the lowest. A warning sign: fasting blood sugar that's greater than 100 mg per deciliter.

Think Positive
Purdue scientists discovered that constant worrying shortens your life span by 16 years.

Busy Summer

My last weigh in on Sunday was 211.2.  I fasted through Saturday.

I know that my weight on Monday would've been higher--because I had Hooters wings, a dinner at IHOP with my wife and a bunch of fruit.  However, due to remodeling taking place at my house, my scale has vanished...

So, here it is Tuesday and I don't have a lot to report.

Monday evening for dinner, I had some steak, onions, guacamole, steemed broccoli, onions, brussel sprouts and cabbage. 

I've been enjoying some tea with a little stevia in it lately.

I've also been drinking lemon water and add Natural Calm to the water sometimes.

As soon as the scale has been located, I'll weigh in and see how things are going.

I'm currently fasting.  I haven't eaten anything today.  Planning to maintain this for a few days.  Going out of town this coming weekend and I'll break my fast while out.

Day 4, Thursday, July 19

Weight: 215.4

The water weight is pouring off.  Nothing but water (and some lemon juice, pulp and seeds) for the last couple days.  Tuesday I ended up having dinner with my step-dad and thought it impolite not to eat.  Baby-back ribs with broccoli and rice. I avoided bread.  I didn't have dessert. However, later that night I had some sliced tomatoes, canned salmon and guacamole. It was a healthy dinner, but I should've just gone to bed.  I also stayed up way too late that night.

I'm trying to get back to a proper night's sleep. I'm reading a book called "Lights Out" that talks about how important sleep is to good health and fighting obesity. If you want to lose weight, sleep--and at the right time--is more important than exercise.  It probably ties for importance with eating properly.

I can feel a difference in how I think and feel between fasting and eating.  I feel a lot better.  I think more clearly.  I'm less stressed.  I sleep better. 

But why is it that all my cool, creative ideas for making food come to me when I'm fasting! LOL

I'm really trying to crash my weight hard before my trip August 15th.  I am hitting my diet harder than usual for this reason.  I know I'm not going to have much chance to eat properly on the trip. (Not that I couldn't, but that won't want to...)  I'm planning for it to be my "cheat week".  Though I'd still like to avoid sugar.  I have a goal to go at least a year without sugar, and that means January 10, 2013 is the next time I can consume sugar.

Last night I went to the sauna and pool.  I was in the sauna for about 35 minutes (25, then pool for 10, hot tub for 5, then sauna again for 10).  I used to be able to sauna for 30 minutes, cool down for 10 and then do it again for 15 without any issues.  However, it's been awhile and those last few minutes are really hard for me, now.  I have to build up my resistance again. :)

This is the book that I recommend:

http://www.amazon.com/Lights-Out-Sleep-Sugar-Survival/dp/0671038680/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1342707894&sr=8-3&keywords=lights+out

(Note that it is a direct link and there is no commercial gain for me if you decide you're interested.  I don't make money on any kind of suggestions that I make on this blog.  My interest is in freely sharing what I have learned with others--not profiting from them.)

2 Ways to Lose Fat, Only 1 Way to Get Ripped

2 Ways to Lose Fat, Only 1 Way to Get Ripped
by Nate Miyaki – 6/15/2012

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/2_ways_to_lose_fat_only_1_way_to_get_ripped;jsessionid=26D1529CF96FEC8E9D3355B311BF8CF2-mcd01.hydra

It's that time of year, when even the most anti-cosmetic guy thinks a little bit less about his lifting totals and a little bit more about how he looks in his spandex lifting suit.
If that just made you throw up in your mouth, or made you want to punch me in the face, you don't have to keep reading.
Then again, maybe maintaining your functional lean muscle mass and strength while dropping some non-functional fat will allow you to perform better in a lower weight class, thus giving you a competitive advantage.
At the very least, it could help you improve your health profile, prolong your career – and maybe even your life – if that type of insignificant stuff matters to you? Unless of course, you're still just a teenager at heart that thinks immortality awaits everyone.
We're all fighting an uphill battle in Y2K America. Every human being shares a common problem, and current statistics prove only a very small percentage are able to overcome it.

Fat Loss Nemesis

Your biggest enemy in the war against body fat may be the one that you're not even aware of – it is you, or more accurately, your internal instincts.
Make no mistake about it – human beings are preprogrammed to overeat.
There was no portion control for most of our existence. When you had access to food, you ate it, and stocked energy reserves to prepare for times when you didn't have access to it.
Going crazy at an all-you-can-eat buffet is not weakness or a cheap way to bulk up. It's simply a survival instinct. That may be cool during the off-season, but it's a liability when trying to cut the fat.
In an environment where resources are limited, and food is real and scarce, this natural tendency to overeat leads to survival.
In an environment with unlimited access to highly refined, fake foods, it leads to chronic overeating, and the health and body fat struggles associated with living on the wrong side of excess.
I don't care what the ADA says the arbitrary serving size of a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles is (3/4 cup), human instinct dictates it's the whole damn box.
When you combine the natural evolutionary instinct to overeat with the following:

• Refined foods that have weak effects on the hormones that regulate appetite and energy intake.
• Unlimited access to those foods (The 5 AM mocha and muffin run to the 3 AM post-drinking taco truck stop).

You have yourself one big, modern problem – an obese country with biomarkers of health that resemble the zombie apocalypse in an episode of The Walking Dead.
When analyzing the root causes of this problem, it becomes clear there are two different ways you can lose fat and get on the right side of the energy balance equation.

Fast Loss Strategy #1 – The Food Choices Route

I don't want to beat a dead horse. I'd rather indulge my inner Francophone and eat it. I mean, look at the nutrition analysis and essential fatty acid profile of 1 pound of raw horsemeat:

603 calories
97g protein
0g carbohydrate
6.5g saturated fat
7.3g monounsaturated fat
1,632mg omega-3 fatty acids
1,315mg omega-6 fatty acids

But alas, horsemeat is not available in my city yet. I'd have to pull up stakes and move to Quebec and kick it with Coach Thibaudeau. Sadly, that would also require swapping my striped Hotskinz unitard for a throwback Quebec Nordiques jersey. Sorry Thibs, not going to happen.
For now, I'll have to settle for kicking that dead horse one more time.
Improving your food choices is the healthiest and easiest (after a rough transition phase) way to lose fat. It's also the most sustainable approach for the long-term.
If you hate counting calories, calculating macronutrient percentages, measuring and tracking foods, etc., your only choice is to start making better food choices. It's way too instinctual and easy to overeat refined foods.
It's much harder to overeat real foods. I'd argue it's almost impossible. Without any tracking or measuring, I've had female clients struggle to eat 1200 calories a day and male clients had a similar problem getting 2000 calories a day when cutting out all refined foods, and only eating real, natural foods.
They couldn't believe how so much food volume led to so few total calories. That's the beauty of real food.
Here's the thing: fat boys like to eat (they used to call me Baby Sumo, so I'm not trying to be a jerk).
A client of mine called me last night complaining about having to eat too much for dinner. What was on the menu?
It was 3/4 pound of top round steak and 2 pounds of potatoes. Remember, my overall approach is to eat lighter during the day and eat the majority of calories and carbs at night – which allows us, at least once a day, to satisfy that natural urge to feast like a beast.
That's a crap-load of food to eat; yet it's still less than 1500 calories. No late night, starvation-induced binges here.
This guy couldn't lose weight when he was on his ketogenic, unlimited fat diet pouring oils on everything. Why?
Refined oils are much easier to overeat than real food, so he was always in a caloric surplus despite treating carbs like rat poison.
On his new plan, he's lost 50 pounds.

Simple Eating Templates

If you're sedentary, eat like a caveman: animal proteins, vegetables, whole fruits, whole food fats (nuts, shredded coconut, avocado), and muddy pond water.

If you're active, follow the patterns of a Japanese village-style diet, which simply means adding in some low sugar, gluten-free starches to the above caveman diet to support anaerobic training: sweet potatoes, potatoes, or rice.

Now I'm sure I'm going to get some nit-picker saying something like epidemiological research shows no culture has a universal diet and food intake varies across geographical locations, etc. My response?

• When was the last time you got laid? Seriously? And Palmela Handerson doesn't count.
• "Themed" approaches to eating aren't meant to be 100% historically accurate dogmatic scrolls. They're simply educational tools to give people simple templates to remember.

The bottom line is that emphasizing lean proteins, vegetables, whole fruits, whole food fats, and a select few starch foods if you strength train is good advice regardless of historical era or geographical location.

Fat Loss Method #2 – The Portion Control Route

Here's the tough love reality: 90% of the foods available to us these days aren't that great for either body composition or biomarkers of health. That's why people are always shocked, or even offended, when I give my honest opinion about certain food choices.

"Nate, what do you think about this high fiber cereal or low glycemic bread or low-carb chips or pro-biotic yogurt?"

They suck.
If I didn't list it, I don't like it. And the list is relatively small. But remember, I'm not the be-all-end-all of nutrition. To paraphrase the Dude, well, that's just my opinion, man.
And for a lot of people, a full-blown real-foods diet may seem too restrictive or extreme.
There are some people out there who just don't want to eat better, despite their knowledge of the health effects of food. It's mind blowing to me. But I get it at some level – refined foods and sugar have drug-like effects. Like any addict, we scour the earth for justifications for including them into our plans.
Some people just aren't going to give up their cereals, wheat bread sandwiches, fruit juices, high n-6 cooking oils and salad dressings, pastas, etc., no matter what. Fair enough.

Fake Foods and Real Instinct Don't Mix

If you think you can take an instinctual approach to eating while making less-than-ideal food choices, you're in for a rude, belly fat awakening. See beaches and poolsides everywhere.
Because it's so easy to overeat refined foods, you'll have to do the ol' measuring, calorie counting, macro-calculating, and tracking thing if you have any real shot at dropping a visually significant amount of body fat.
My ears are already ringing from all the complaints.
Quit whining. Damn, am I talking to a T-Man or my Auntie? If you don't want to eat real foods, you're going to have to measure your fake foods.
I like to make fat loss as easy as possible for people, but you can't be completely lazy and expect to achieve goals. If you refuse to fight one battle, you're going to have to fight another one. You can't win a war from the sideline.
Besides, all it really takes is one extra step. If you're on a carb-based diet, is it backbreaking to pour your cereal or pasta into a measuring cup first instead of directly into a bowl?
If you're on a low carb, fat-based diet, how hard is it to pour salad dressing into a tablespoon measurer instead of directly onto the salad, or count out twenty-four almonds?
I'll even help you. I have two nuts for you right here for you to get started with.
For most foods, especially the energy nutrients (added fats or carbs) that are the most important to measure, it takes an extra 10 seconds to get an exact measurement, instead of just winging it.

Portion Precision Tactics

Here are some thoughts about how to implement this process in the real world. It's not as hard or inconvenient as you think:

• Buy a couple sets of measuring cups (1/4 cup to 1 cup) and teaspoon/tablespoon measures.
• Use measuring cups as serving spoons instead of traditional serving utensils, particularly for starch foods and added fats like nuts.

There's no need to weigh your meats, poultry, and fish on a scale. Simply buy these foods one pound (16 oz.) at a time and cut them up according to your dietary needs.
If you're supposed to be eating 3 oz. servings cut into 5 pieces, 4 oz. servings = 4 pieces, 5 oz. servings = 3 pieces, 8 oz. servings = 2 pieces. It doesn't have to be exact; we just want the right range. Food scales seem a bit excessive to me.

• Pour oils, dressings, and condiments into teaspoon or tablespoon measures before cooking or topping food.
• When you don't have access to measuring cups and spoons, like eating at a friend's or at a restaurant, you'll have to eyeball portion sizes.

4-6 ounces of meat, poultry, or fish is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards. 1 cup of starch is about the size of a closed fist or a baseball. 2 tablespoons of dressing is about 2 spoonfuls, or about 1/2 of most of the cups they use for the "dressing on the side."

• No need to measure non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, lettuce, spinach, onions, etc.) unless they're cooked in butter or oil. Plain vegetables are pretty much free foods that can be eaten in unlimited amounts.

Halftime Report

The first half summary is really simple. To lose fat you can either:

1. Make better food choices.
2. Start measuring your crappy food choices.

For health, and overall ease of the program, I prefer route #1. You're always going to be hungry trying to diet on refined foods, and your biomarkers of health probably aren't going to be great either.

The Lethal Combination – The Only Get Ripped Method

Now all of that's for losing some fat – a relatively easy process, right? The problem is with summer coming up, the approaches to just lose some fat start to get marketed as effective approaches to get ripped. I respectfully disagree with that.
Getting ripped is a whole different ballgame in a completely different stadium than just trying to lose some fat and get healthier. It's an athletic endeavor that needs to be treated as such.
The only way I know of for most people to achieve this higher-level goal is to combine fat loss strategies #1 and #2. You must make good choices and measure/track your food intake so you consistently hit targeted calorie and macronutrient numbers.
Extreme fat loss nutrition is all about details – portions and ratios. It's about a well thought-out plan based on science that gives our body exactly what it needs without any excess.
Why do you think there are serving sizes and measuring cups in your Surge® Recovery containers? Because the people that use Surge® are most likely advanced athletes with more advanced goals, not just average goals.
And advanced goals require way more details and precision.

Don't Follow the Exceptions to the Rule

Many fitness professionals proclaim that you don't need to count calories or macronutrients to get ripped. Really? Those are generally the ones who are:

1. Blessed with great genetics, and could do whatever they want and would still be in shape.
2. The drug enhanced, that still have to work hard, but have a lot more leeway than the average dude.
3. Have never been ripped. Trust me, there are plenty of fitness experts, dieticians, and PhD types who write about getting ripped because they know it sells well, but have never successfully gone through the process themselves.

Theory is different from real world application and results. What looks good on the chalkboard doesn't always end up looking good in the streets.
I'm not interested in theory or opinion. I'm interested in real world results. And if you look at the diet plans of the most ripped people on the planet – bodybuilders – you'll see that they all measure their food. Whether they're as natural as grass-fed beef or a Salisbury steak TV Dinner is irrelevant.
Eight ounces of this, 1 cup of that, 2 tbsp., etc., are used for the good food choices that make up the bulk of their diet. If you're serious about reaching elite leanness, follow their example.
Saying you can't learn anything from bodybuilders is just as ignorant as saying you should learn everything from them.
Because of the negative association with the extreme chemical experiments that have become bodybuilding, the industry as a whole seems to have this subconscious need to dissociate from anything related to its core principles. Anything even remotely resembling old school bodybuilding methods gets blasted. This is ridiculous.
The truth is, measuring food is a bodybuilding habit that will serve you well in your get-shredded efforts.

Arguments Against Purely Instinctual Eating

We've used caveman, village, and farmer-style eating as templates to help people lose fat. But these demographics were eating simply to survive.
Modern athletes are eating and training for much more than just the fulfillment of the general life cycle. They're trying to reach the pinnacle of physique development, and "get ripped."
If you want to reach peak condition and ultra-low body fat percentages, then certain sports nutrition principles must creep their way into a 100% natural or instinctual eating plan.
And sports nutrition is all about numbers, calculations, and details.
Look, I get it. I have a genetically elite colleague who is about as honest as it gets, and he always says to me, "People don't get it Nate, I could do anything and be ripped. I don't need to measure anything, especially doughnuts. But that's not what I recommend to other people."
While we'd all like to dream that could be us, and a lot of us use those 'exceptions to the rule' as examples of why we don't need to do certain things, the reality is, it's not.

Simple Summer Shredding Tips

I'd rather go outside and look at some bikini babes than continue writing, so let's wrap this thing up.
Debate could go on forever about what the best plan is to get ripped. Who cares? It all needs to be tested and refined in the real world, for you personally, anyway.
Here's a decent starting point, assuming you strength train 3 or more days a week:

1. 12 calories/pound of lean body mass.
2. 1-1.5 grams of protein/pound of lean body mass.
3. 20% calories dietary fat mostly as byproduct of protein sources and maybe some Flameout™.
4. Remaining calories to carbs.
5. Have a cheat meal/re-feed meal once a week.
6. Choose the meal frequency pattern that's most functional and sustainable for you.
7. Aside from your peri-workout nutrition, I think the easiest plan is to eat lighter during the day and eat the majority of calories and carbs at night.
8. Try measuring your foods and making sure you're consistently hitting the above recommendations before you think you need some crazy, triple-carb rotating, ketogenic cycling diet to get ripped.

Chances are you just need to be better with the basics.
Until next time, enjoy your summer loving! It happens so fast.

Day 2 Back At It

Weight: 217.4

Lemon water with Natural Calm is all I've had to eat all day. 

Today I may have some food because we're being taken out to eat by my step-dad on my late-mom's birthday, so it's a significant event.  Not sure what to expect, but it would be very impolite not to eat something with him.

It's really much easier than I expected.  I have not felt hunger pangs.  In fact, my body is feeling ... relief?  I am already feeling much less stressed and much calmer emotionally.  I'm also experiencing a much better clarity of thought.  My dry skin on my nose is better.  Can all this come from just one day of fasting?  That seems odd. 

Still, I slept much better last night than I have in a long time.

I went to the sauna and swam in the pool last night. 

I'm reading a new book -- "Lights Out" -- chich discusses how bad light pollution is to the human hormone systems.  The fact that we stay up late, with electricity adding hours to each day's total of light tells the human hormone system that it's "summer" which sets in motion specific hormonal reactions--putting on weight for the expected famine (winter), stresses that include a high demand of the mating instinct and since we tend to work more in the summer, the body interprets it as "danger" which urges us on to even more stress. All of this works to put the body into a state of packing on pounds, specifically around the mid-section.

I've been making a point to keep my alarm clock in the bathroom and eliminating all electronic lighting in my bedroom at night. I need to work toward getting room-darkening shades installed, as well.

Last night I slept from about 10am to 7am.  I'm facing a sleep debt because of the weekend.  I'm going to make a special effort to give my body the sleep it needs.

The bottom line of the book is that your body has a specific number of waking hours that you can be alive. Period. You can burn them up by staying up late at night and prematurely aging your body--or you can sleep and extend your life.

Starting Over Again

Weight: 220.2

I'm past the six month mark. I have only maintained 12 pounds off.  However, it's 12 pounds consistently throughout this six months.  Even when I was eating more than I should've and stopped completely keeping track of what I was doing. 

Now I'm starting over.

I'm starting with a fast.  For the next 3 1/2 - 4 weeks, I'll be water-only-fasting and juice-fasting.  I'm starting with a water-only fast.

Things I've noticed that I'm curious to see how they resolve...  The dry skin on the sides of the bridge of my nose is back with a vengeance.  After one day fasting, it's already better.  That's odd.

My body has spent the day "purging"--its the only thing I can think to call it.  I've had to sit on the toilet three times today.  I've peed a lot more than I've taken in. 

I'm planning to go to the RecPlex and do some swimming and sauna tonight.  I'm really curious to see how much water-weight comes off this week.  I'm predicting close to the 10lbs mark in just water weight.

I have  big trip slated for August 10 - 19.  I'm planning to hit my diet hard until then--relax a bit while I'm traveling (still keeping to the paleo lifestyle) and then back at it again on August 20th.

Encouragement would be helpful.  It means a lot to me when I am encouraged and it really helps me keep going when I know there are others who care. :)

Taking a Break...

Summer has kept me very busy.  I'm planning to write more soon.  I have not forgotten nor forsaken this blog.  I'll be starting up again very soon. :)

http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/10/get-up-sitting-less-can-add-years-to-your-life/

Get Up! Sitting Less Can Add Years to Your Life

Whether you exercise every day or not, you still need to cut down the time you spend sitting in a chair

By Alice Park

Sitting for more than three hours a day can cut two years off a person’s life expectancy, even if he or she exercises regularly, a new study finds. Watching TV for more than two hours a day can shorten life expectancy even further, by another 1.4 years.

The findings suggest that when it comes to gleaning health benefits from physical activity, it may not be enough just to get the recommended amount of daily exercise — the government advises about a half-hour of moderate activity a day for adults. But what about the other 23.5 hours of every day? Researchers say it’s important not to spend it sedentary or sitting.

In the same way that both pushing the gas and hitting the brake can adjust the speed of your car, researchers say that physical activity and sedentary behavior independently affect your health and life expectancy. Whether “you’re physically active and meet the exercise guidelines, or if you’re not active,” says Peter Katzmarzyk, professor of epidemiology at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and lead author of the new paper published in the online journal BMJ Open, “sitting is bad.”

Katzmarzyk’s isn’t the first study to document the ill effects of sedentary behavior. An Australian study published last August found that people who watched an average of six hours of TV a day lived 4.8 years less than those who didn’t watch any television; what’s more, every hour of TV that people watched after age 25 was associated with a 22-minute reduction in their life expectancy.

The current analysis differed from previous research in that it took a broader look, calculating the cumulative effect on overall life expectancy of a sedentary population. Recent surveys show that worldwide people spend about 300 minutes, or 20% of their day, sitting; many people spend much longer. Shaving at least a couple of hours off that time — by turning off the computer, TV or other digital media, for example — could add years to life expectancy, the new study suggests.

To gauge the effect of being sedentary, Katzmarzyk and his colleagues pooled data from five studies that asked participants about their sedentary habits, including how much time they spent sitting, watching TV or using the computer screen. The researchers folded in the mortality risk associated with sedentary behavior, and then calculated how many years of life would be gained if these risk factors were removed from life expectancy calculations.

Sitting, it turns out, can shorten life expectancy almost as much as smoking can, which highlights just how damaging inactivity can be, particularly for the heart. “What the results mean is that we got everyone in the U.S. to sit less, our population life expectancy would be two years higher, so instead of living to 78.5, we would be expected to live to 80.5 years old,” says Katzmarzyk. “That’s a really big deal.”

But getting people to spend less time in their chairs isn’t easy, especially for those who work sedentary jobs at an office desk. Even people who meet the government’s exercise guidelines may spend most of the rest of their days parked on a sofa or chair.

You can start by getting up from your chair intermittently at work. Take walks around the hall in your office or try holding walking meetings instead of sitting around a table. Get up to chat with your colleague instead of sending an email. Standing doesn’t take the place of exercise, but it should replace a good chunk of time you spend in your chair. The key is to spend as little time as possible sitting down.

Alice Park is a writer at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @aliceparkny.