Weight: 210.8
Water: 128oz (+/-) with 3 lemons squeezed into it (three bottles at home, plus one at work without lemon).
Sauna: 30/10/15 (30 sauna, 10 cooldown, 15 sauna)
I am still continually amazed at my body's ability to absorb and flush water. I drank nearly 6.5lbs of water on both Monday and Tuesday. I experienced a net loss of 5lbs between Monday and Tuesday and 2.2lbs between Tuesday and Wednesday. That's 7.2lbs of water in two days. However, when you add to it that I also drank at least 13lbs of water (6.5lbs each day) then the weight loss is really remarkable. That's over 20lbs of water in and out of my system in two days.
Yes, I am peeing a little more, though my frequency is much less than when I was experiencing diabetic symptoms. And the Natural Calm that I put into one bottle each day is loosening my stool (I've had several bowel movements that are obviously due to the Natural Calm--I can tell based on texture.)
My intent is to stay on my water-only fast until the evening of May 18th. After that, I will return to paleo eating style through at least Memorial Day. I'm undecided how I will proceed after that--though I'm considering another water-only fast between May 29 and June 15. That would be my longest water-only fast and another step working me toward a 30 day water-only fast.
I feel incredible. My muscles continue to become more visible in my arms, shoulders and especially my legs. I still have my spare tire, but instead of it being firm, it's loosening up--which indicates to me that my body is starting to tap into it. I'm still not doing any specific exercising of targeted muscle groups. I'm just increasing my activity levels slightly as the days progress. The gardening has been my biggest effort so far--and it was, indeed, a big effort!
My sleep has been intense. Lots of interesting dreams. Sleeping very soundly and still. My snoring is nearly non-existant. I don't suffer from sleep apnea anymore. Today I awoke 30 minutes before my alarm went off. I lay there and dozed, enjoying the relaxation of just lying in bed with no pressure or demands on me. Even though I'm short on the number of hours I should be sleeping, I'm much more rested than I have been in a long time.
Fasting significantly improves my sleep. I sleep much more soundly and more deeply when my body is not processing food.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The Surprising Shortcut to Better Health
I just discovered this information, I have not read the book. However, what I read sounds very interesting and fits in line with my thinking on the matter.
The Surprising Shortcut to Better Health By TARA PARKER-POPE
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/the-surprising-shortcut-to-better-health/
For more than a decade, Gretchen Reynolds has been writing about the science of health and fitness. Her weekly column, Phys Ed, is one of this paper’s most popular features, regularly appearing on top of the “Most E-mailed” list. Now Ms. Reynolds has distilled the knowledge gained from years of fitness reporting into a new book, “The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer,’’ published last month.
While the subtitle alone makes bold promises about the potential of exercise to protect the human body, the most surprising message from Ms. Reynolds is not that we all need to exercise more — or at least not the way exercise is typically defined by the American public. Ms. Reynolds makes a clear distinction between the amount of exercise we do to improve sports performance and the amount of exercise that leads to better health. To achieve the latter, she explains, we don’t need to run marathons, sweat it out on exercise bikes or measure our peak oxygen uptake. We just need to do something.
“Humans,” she writes, “are born to stroll.”
I recently spoke with Ms. Reynolds about the science of exercise, why standing up is good for you and why, after writing a book about fitness, she began to exercise less. Here’s our conversation.
Q. Why did you choose “The First 20 Minutes” for the title of a fitness book?
A. The first 20 minutes of moving around, if someone has been really sedentary, provide most of the health benefits. You get prolonged life, reduced disease risk — all of those things come in in the first 20 minutes of being active.
Without being evangelical, I wanted people to understand that this is a book about how little exercise you can do in order to get lots and lots of health benefits. Two-thirds of Americans get no exercise at all. If one of those people gets up and moves around for 20 minutes, they are going to get a huge number of health benefits, and everything beyond that 20 minutes is, to some degree, gravy.
That doesn’t mean I’m suggesting people should not exercise more if they want to. You can always do more. But the science shows that if you just do anything, even stand in place 20 minutes, you will be healthier.
Q. Is part of the problem that people equate exercise with trying to lose weight, and many of them have given up?
A. I think a lot of people look to exercise to help them lose weight, and when they don’t lose weight immediately with exercise, they quit. They return to the couch, and they basically never move again. What is lost in that is that fitness is almost certainly more important than fatness.
If you are overweight but fit, meaning you have a reasonably good V012 max (a measure of oxygen uptake), then your risk of premature death, all the chronic diseases — diabetes, heart disease, cancer — will drop. If you have to choose, choose to be fit, whether you lose weight or not.
If someone starts an exercise program and improves his fitness, even if he doesn’t lose an ounce, he will generally have a longer life and a much healthier life. It would be nice if people would look at exercise as a way to make themselves feel better and live longer and not necessarily as a way to make themselves skinnier.
Q. In researching this book, what did you find are the biggest misconceptions about exercise?
A. One of the biggest misconceptions is that exercise has to be hard, that exercise means marathon running or riding your bike for three hours or doing something really strenuous. That’s untrue and, I think, discourages a lot of people from exercising. If you walk, your body registers that as motion, and you get all sorts of physiological changes that result in better health. Gardening counts as exercise. What would be nice would be for people to identify with the whole idea of moving more as opposed to quote “exercise.”
Q.A regular theme of your column is the risks of being sedentary. What’s more important to health: exercise or sedentary behavior?
A.It’s also an important theme in the book. There are two things going on: One is activity, and the other is inactivity, and they have different effects on the body. There is a whole scientific discipline called inactivity physiology that looks at what happens if you just sit still for hours at a time. If the big muscles in your legs don’t contract for hours on end, then you get physiological changes in your body that exercise won’t necessarily undo. Exercise causes one set of changes in your body, and being completely sedentary causes another.
Q. Has writing this book changed your own approach to fitness?
A. It validated some of the things I was already doing, like not stretching before a workout, which I always hated doing. I hated sit-ups and found out they were bad for your back. I was pleased to learn that. It has changed how I approach hydration in exercise. Now I drink when I’m thirsty, and it seems to be completely fine.
I also exercise a whole lot less. Partly it’s because I have less time, but it’s also because I have learned that I don’t have to do more to be healthy. My main goal now is not to be competitive. What I really want is to be healthy and to set a good example for my son. I want to be around for the next 40 years, and the science seems to show very clearly that you don’t have to do a lot to make yourself a whole lot healthier.
I run a couple of miles most days. I used to feel like if I didn’t run five miles it didn’t count. Now I’m very content to get out for half an hour or 20 minutes, and I feel reasonably healthy after that.
Q. And you told me that you also stand more?
A. I really do stand up at least every 20 minutes now, because I was spending five or six hours unmoving in my chair. The science is really clear that that is very unhealthy, and that it promotes all sorts of disease. All you have to do to ameliorate that is to stand up. You don’t even have to move. I’m standing up right now as I talk on the phone. I stand during most of my interviews now.
Q. I’m finding this very inspirational. What is your advice for people reading this — what should they go do today?
A. If people want to be healthier and prolong their life span, all they really need to do is go for a walk. It’s the single easiest thing anyone can do. There are some people who honestly can’t walk, so I would say to those people to try to go to the local Y.M.C.A. and swim.
There are always options for moving. You don’t have to do anything that hurts. You don’t have to buy equipment. If you have a pair of shoes, they don’t even have to be sneakers. People have gotten the idea that exercise has to be complicated, and that they need a heart rate monitor, and a coach, and equipment and special instruction. They don’t.
The human body is a really excellent coach. If you listen to it, it will tell you if you’re going hard enough, if you’re going too hard. If it starts to hurt, then you back off. It should just feel good, because we really are built to move, and not moving is so unnatural. Just move, because it really can be so easy, and it really can change your life.
The Surprising Shortcut to Better Health By TARA PARKER-POPE
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/the-surprising-shortcut-to-better-health/
For more than a decade, Gretchen Reynolds has been writing about the science of health and fitness. Her weekly column, Phys Ed, is one of this paper’s most popular features, regularly appearing on top of the “Most E-mailed” list. Now Ms. Reynolds has distilled the knowledge gained from years of fitness reporting into a new book, “The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer,’’ published last month.
While the subtitle alone makes bold promises about the potential of exercise to protect the human body, the most surprising message from Ms. Reynolds is not that we all need to exercise more — or at least not the way exercise is typically defined by the American public. Ms. Reynolds makes a clear distinction between the amount of exercise we do to improve sports performance and the amount of exercise that leads to better health. To achieve the latter, she explains, we don’t need to run marathons, sweat it out on exercise bikes or measure our peak oxygen uptake. We just need to do something.
“Humans,” she writes, “are born to stroll.”
I recently spoke with Ms. Reynolds about the science of exercise, why standing up is good for you and why, after writing a book about fitness, she began to exercise less. Here’s our conversation.
Q. Why did you choose “The First 20 Minutes” for the title of a fitness book?
A. The first 20 minutes of moving around, if someone has been really sedentary, provide most of the health benefits. You get prolonged life, reduced disease risk — all of those things come in in the first 20 minutes of being active.
Without being evangelical, I wanted people to understand that this is a book about how little exercise you can do in order to get lots and lots of health benefits. Two-thirds of Americans get no exercise at all. If one of those people gets up and moves around for 20 minutes, they are going to get a huge number of health benefits, and everything beyond that 20 minutes is, to some degree, gravy.
That doesn’t mean I’m suggesting people should not exercise more if they want to. You can always do more. But the science shows that if you just do anything, even stand in place 20 minutes, you will be healthier.
Q. Is part of the problem that people equate exercise with trying to lose weight, and many of them have given up?
A. I think a lot of people look to exercise to help them lose weight, and when they don’t lose weight immediately with exercise, they quit. They return to the couch, and they basically never move again. What is lost in that is that fitness is almost certainly more important than fatness.
If you are overweight but fit, meaning you have a reasonably good V012 max (a measure of oxygen uptake), then your risk of premature death, all the chronic diseases — diabetes, heart disease, cancer — will drop. If you have to choose, choose to be fit, whether you lose weight or not.
If someone starts an exercise program and improves his fitness, even if he doesn’t lose an ounce, he will generally have a longer life and a much healthier life. It would be nice if people would look at exercise as a way to make themselves feel better and live longer and not necessarily as a way to make themselves skinnier.
Q. In researching this book, what did you find are the biggest misconceptions about exercise?
A. One of the biggest misconceptions is that exercise has to be hard, that exercise means marathon running or riding your bike for three hours or doing something really strenuous. That’s untrue and, I think, discourages a lot of people from exercising. If you walk, your body registers that as motion, and you get all sorts of physiological changes that result in better health. Gardening counts as exercise. What would be nice would be for people to identify with the whole idea of moving more as opposed to quote “exercise.”
Q.A regular theme of your column is the risks of being sedentary. What’s more important to health: exercise or sedentary behavior?
A.It’s also an important theme in the book. There are two things going on: One is activity, and the other is inactivity, and they have different effects on the body. There is a whole scientific discipline called inactivity physiology that looks at what happens if you just sit still for hours at a time. If the big muscles in your legs don’t contract for hours on end, then you get physiological changes in your body that exercise won’t necessarily undo. Exercise causes one set of changes in your body, and being completely sedentary causes another.
Q. Has writing this book changed your own approach to fitness?
A. It validated some of the things I was already doing, like not stretching before a workout, which I always hated doing. I hated sit-ups and found out they were bad for your back. I was pleased to learn that. It has changed how I approach hydration in exercise. Now I drink when I’m thirsty, and it seems to be completely fine.
I also exercise a whole lot less. Partly it’s because I have less time, but it’s also because I have learned that I don’t have to do more to be healthy. My main goal now is not to be competitive. What I really want is to be healthy and to set a good example for my son. I want to be around for the next 40 years, and the science seems to show very clearly that you don’t have to do a lot to make yourself a whole lot healthier.
I run a couple of miles most days. I used to feel like if I didn’t run five miles it didn’t count. Now I’m very content to get out for half an hour or 20 minutes, and I feel reasonably healthy after that.
Q. And you told me that you also stand more?
A. I really do stand up at least every 20 minutes now, because I was spending five or six hours unmoving in my chair. The science is really clear that that is very unhealthy, and that it promotes all sorts of disease. All you have to do to ameliorate that is to stand up. You don’t even have to move. I’m standing up right now as I talk on the phone. I stand during most of my interviews now.
Q. I’m finding this very inspirational. What is your advice for people reading this — what should they go do today?
A. If people want to be healthier and prolong their life span, all they really need to do is go for a walk. It’s the single easiest thing anyone can do. There are some people who honestly can’t walk, so I would say to those people to try to go to the local Y.M.C.A. and swim.
There are always options for moving. You don’t have to do anything that hurts. You don’t have to buy equipment. If you have a pair of shoes, they don’t even have to be sneakers. People have gotten the idea that exercise has to be complicated, and that they need a heart rate monitor, and a coach, and equipment and special instruction. They don’t.
The human body is a really excellent coach. If you listen to it, it will tell you if you’re going hard enough, if you’re going too hard. If it starts to hurt, then you back off. It should just feel good, because we really are built to move, and not moving is so unnatural. Just move, because it really can be so easy, and it really can change your life.
Drugs that can make you gain weight
Drugs that can make you gain weight
Pharmaceuticals and fat
About 70 percent of people in the United States are overweight and, in a cruel catch-22, many of the drugs used to treat obesity-linked conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression can themselves cause weight gain.
"Patients and doctors need to be more aware of this—it's an under-recognized driver of our obesity problem," says Lawrence Cheskin, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, in Baltimore.
Here are 13 drugs that could cause you to gain weight. But don't stop taking your (possibly life-saving) medicine! There are strategies for keeping off the pounds.
Paxil (paroxetine)
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) generally don't cause weight gain because the antidepressants boost serotonin, which helps you feel full. Paxil is an exception.
Paxil is one of the best anxiety treatments, but if you gain weight while using it you could talk with a doctor about switching to a more weight-neutral SSRI such as Prozac or Zoloft, says Louis Aronne, MD, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, in New York City. (Dr. Aronne is a consultant for the maker of Paxil.)
Depakote (valproic acid)
Depakote is used to treat bipolar disorder and seizures, and prevent migraines.
A 2007 study of epilepsy patients found that 44 percent of women and 24 percent of men gained 11 pounds or more while taking Depakote for about a year. The drug affects proteins involved in appetite and metabolism, although it's not clear why it appears to affect women more than men.
Lithium, another mood stabilizer for treating bipolar disorder, is also associated with weight gain, albeit less than Depakote.
Prozac (fluoxetine)
Although Prozac, an SSRI, is generally associated with weight loss, it can have the opposite effect in the long term.
A 60-week study found that, although patients on Prozac shed more than the placebo group (up to 11 pounds in the first six months), they started to regain the weight about halfway through the study.
Dr. Cheskin says the reason could be that patients develop tolerance to the satiety effect. "If someone is trying to lose weight, and is on an SSRI for depression, I will often switch to Wellbutrin (bupropion)," which is associated with weight loss, he says.
Remeron (mirtazapine)
Remeron is an antidepressant that enhances serotonin and norepinephrine, which are linked to weight loss. Yet the antihistamine activity of this drug may tip the scales toward weight gain.
This side effect can be a good thing, however. Remeron is sometimes given to elderly people who are underweight to improve their appetite, Roerig says.
Zyprexa (olanzapine)
Atypical antipsychotics, such as Zyprexa and Clozaril (clozapine), can pile on the pounds. A 2005 study found that 30 percent of people on Zyprexa gained 7 percent or more of their body weight within 18 months.
These drugs, used for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, have potent antihistamine activity and inhibit serotonin, which may trigger weight gain.
The diabetes drug metformin may help keep weight off, as can switching to weight-neutral antipsychotics like Geodon (ziprasidone) and Abilify (aripiprazole).
Deltasone (prednisone)
Oral corticosteroids, such as Deltasone, are more potent than inhaled forms and carry a higher risk of weight gain, particularly with long-term use.
A 2006 survey of long-term oral-corticosteroid users suggested 60 percent to 80 percent had gained weight. Higher doses, such as those for asthma and inflammatory bowel disease, are more likely to have this effect than lower doses, such as those for rheumatoid arthritis.
It can be hard to counteract the side effects of long-term steroid use, but exercise, diet, and, in some cases, taking metformin can help, Dr. Aronne says.
Thorazine (chlorpromazine)
When the first-generation antipsychotic Thorazine entered the market in 1954, it was clear that it could cause weight gain.
Thorazine, along with Mellaril (thioridazine), has antihistamine activity, which increases your appetite and is sedating, says James Roerig, associate professor of clinical neuroscience at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, in Fargo.
These drugs may cause less weight gain than Zyprexa and Clozaril. Still, they aren't as effective at treating schizophrenia, and may have other side effects, such as motor problems, says Roerig. (Roerig gets research funding from Eli Lilly, the maker of Zyprexa.)
Elavil, Endep, Vanatrip (amitriptyline)
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), such as amitriptyline, are linked to weight gain more than other antidepressants or migraine meds.
TCAs affect neurotransmitters involved in energy and appetite, such as serotonin, dopamine, and acetylcholine, but their antihistamine activity is probably the reason for weight changes, Roerig says.
These drugs are given less often for depression because an overdose can damage the heart. Lower doses can prevent migraines, but a 2006 study found that 30 percent of people taking amitriptyline for migraines gained more than 5 percent of their body weight in 26 weeks.
Allegra (fexofenadine and pseudoephedrine)
The antihistamine activity in psychiatric drugs often is what causes weight gain, but it turns out that this property is not important for these drugs to be effective, Roerig says.
Antihistamine activity, however, is crucial for the effectiveness of allergy drugs. A 2010 study found that people taking prescription antihistamines such as Allegra and Zyrtec were 55 percent more likely to be overweight than those not taking the drugs.
Blocking histamine can disrupt an enzyme in the brain that helps regulate food consumption.
Diabinese, Insulase (chlorpropamide)
Some type 2 diabetes drugs cause weight loss. Others have the opposite effect.
Sulfonylurea drugs such as Diabinese and Insulase—and others such as Actos and Prandin—stimulate insulin production or activity, which lowers blood sugar and may increase appetite.
Metformin, Byetta, and Januvia are more likely to cause weight loss, Dr. Aronne says. (Dr. Aronne receives research support from and consults for the companies that make Byetta and other drugs.)
Insulin
Insulin tends to promote weight gain. But certain types, such as the long-acting insulin Levemir, have less extreme effects.
One study found that people gained nearly 11 pounds on average during their first three years taking insulin. About half of the weight gain is thought to occur in the first three months.
Dr. Cheskin calls the weight-promoting effect of insulin paradoxical. "The things that we use to treat some conditions that are the result of obesity, like [type 2] diabetes, are prone to make you more obese," he says.
Tenormin (atenolol)
Beta-blockers are among the go-to drugs for high blood pressure, but the older ones, such as Tenormin, Lopressor (metoprolol), and Inderal (propranolol), can expand the waistline.
One study found that people taking Tenormin gained about 5 more pounds than the placebo group, and research suggests that most of the weight is gained in the first few months. These drugs can slow calorie burning and cause fatigue.
Newer beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and ACE inhibitors are less likely to cause weight gain, Dr. Cheskin says.
Birth control
Birth-control pills are often blamed for weight gain, but it is largely unwarranted, Dr. Cheskin says.
In fact, only the long-acting, progestin-only injectable called depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) has been consistently linked with weight gain.
Research suggests that young women who were obese to begin with are most prone to weight gain on DMPA.
Down the Slope Again
Weight: 213
5 lbs of water weight lost yesterday. Even though I drank in excess of 100oz of water yesterday. 100oz of water is 6.5lbs. So, not only did I eliminate 5lbs of water on my body, I also eliminated the 6.5lbs of water that I put into my body. For a net loss of 11.5lbs of water yesterday. Wow. O.O
I also eliminated processed food a couple times yesterday. No, I didn't lose 5lbs of fat. I probably didn't lose any appreciable amount of fat yesterday. Too much food still in my system for that. As I continue with the fast and my body has nothing in the digestive tract, it will start to feed on the storage, and I'll enjoy some fat burning.
I'm taking quite a few supplements. I've listed them all before, but I'm making sure that my body has all the vitamins, minerals, fats and protein it needs in supplements. I also have a few carbs. In my drinks, I'm getting 1-3 lemons a day. Not only fresh vitamin C, but some small amount of carbs. Enough to keep "priming the pumps" but not enough for complete operation--thus, forcing the body to eat into the stores.
I was in the sauna yesterday for 25/20/15. That's 25 minutes suana, 20 minutes cooldown, 15 minutes sauna. I never did get my bpm below 100. I was consistenly at 125-130bpm for at least an hour, if not longer. I'm sure it also spiked into the 140 range toward the end of each of my sauna sessions. Interestingly, I was tired, but not *wiped* as I've felt before. My current heartrate is 76.
I've also noticed that walking up the two flights at work (with my laptop on my back) is less of a strain by the time I reach the top. Sure, I'm starting to feel it, but I'm not wobbly or feeling a burn in my legs anymore. I'm also not anywhere near feeling a need to increase my breathing whereas before I'd be starting to feel like I needed to breathe faster. (Not quite panting, not quite breathing hard--but now it's even easier.)
My legs, arms and shoulders continue to show more definition--even though I'm not doing any specific exercises there.
Oh, I have added a new supplment that I haven't talked about yet.
J. Crow Lugol's Iodine Solution (I bought the twin pack)
http://www.amazon.com/Lugols-Iodine-Solution-oz-Twin/dp/B001RRH814/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1336487901&sr=1-2
I take 20 drops a day. I just slip it into my lemon water and don't notice the flavor. I tried initially to put 5 drops under my tongue--but I ended up irritating the sensitive flesh under my tongue and chose to start mixing it with water instead. It was recommended by a friend of mine who has been using it for over 3 months and swears by it.
5 lbs of water weight lost yesterday. Even though I drank in excess of 100oz of water yesterday. 100oz of water is 6.5lbs. So, not only did I eliminate 5lbs of water on my body, I also eliminated the 6.5lbs of water that I put into my body. For a net loss of 11.5lbs of water yesterday. Wow. O.O
I also eliminated processed food a couple times yesterday. No, I didn't lose 5lbs of fat. I probably didn't lose any appreciable amount of fat yesterday. Too much food still in my system for that. As I continue with the fast and my body has nothing in the digestive tract, it will start to feed on the storage, and I'll enjoy some fat burning.
I'm taking quite a few supplements. I've listed them all before, but I'm making sure that my body has all the vitamins, minerals, fats and protein it needs in supplements. I also have a few carbs. In my drinks, I'm getting 1-3 lemons a day. Not only fresh vitamin C, but some small amount of carbs. Enough to keep "priming the pumps" but not enough for complete operation--thus, forcing the body to eat into the stores.
I was in the sauna yesterday for 25/20/15. That's 25 minutes suana, 20 minutes cooldown, 15 minutes sauna. I never did get my bpm below 100. I was consistenly at 125-130bpm for at least an hour, if not longer. I'm sure it also spiked into the 140 range toward the end of each of my sauna sessions. Interestingly, I was tired, but not *wiped* as I've felt before. My current heartrate is 76.
I've also noticed that walking up the two flights at work (with my laptop on my back) is less of a strain by the time I reach the top. Sure, I'm starting to feel it, but I'm not wobbly or feeling a burn in my legs anymore. I'm also not anywhere near feeling a need to increase my breathing whereas before I'd be starting to feel like I needed to breathe faster. (Not quite panting, not quite breathing hard--but now it's even easier.)
My legs, arms and shoulders continue to show more definition--even though I'm not doing any specific exercises there.
Oh, I have added a new supplment that I haven't talked about yet.
J. Crow Lugol's Iodine Solution (I bought the twin pack)
http://www.amazon.com/Lugols-Iodine-Solution-oz-Twin/dp/B001RRH814/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1336487901&sr=1-2
I take 20 drops a day. I just slip it into my lemon water and don't notice the flavor. I tried initially to put 5 drops under my tongue--but I ended up irritating the sensitive flesh under my tongue and chose to start mixing it with water instead. It was recommended by a friend of mine who has been using it for over 3 months and swears by it.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Busy, Busy, Busy (again)
Weight: 218
I've not been eating the best, and been slipping off here and there--a little cheese, a little rice, cashew butter, etc. And it's showing. I've packed on a bit of water weight, my belly is still full of food from several days before. I haven't been sleeping properly, so I'm taxing and stressing my system.
I'm back at it, now. Fasting for the next 10 days. Even though I'm up a bit, my energy levels are still outstanding. :)
Something I've noticed, and this is kinda hard for me to
admit....
I used to hate stairs. We live in a split-level house and I would routinely stand at the bottom of the stairs on the lower level and call up to my kids to bring me things. I dreaded them asking me to come up and look at their rooms. In fact, we even put a second refridgerator in the laundry room to accommodate easier access for drinks, snacks (though we excused the purchase with it being for "extra storage of leftovers" for our large family).
Now, I hike up the stairs routinely.
I still have that "dread" that comes over me when I see a flight of stairs, or a hill, or something that would have required extra effort to accomplish before--and I'm often surprised when I realize how easy it is and nothing to dread anymore.
All this to say that my energy levels are better -- but I still have the trained impressions of someone without energy. I walk up the two flights of stairs to my office instead of taking the elevator, now. I park at the furthest end of the parking lot (and up a hill) every day. I used to cruise around the parking lot for the closest spot, now I park way at the end of the aisles routinely.
My daily energy levels are up and I'm also more inclined to do harder physical labor and tackle big jobs--like planting a big garden.
And my taste-buds have changed. I ate some steamed cauliflower, onions and garlic the other day with some coconut butter and salt. I cannot describe how amazing it was! I had as much joy and pleasure from eating that bowl of delicious veggies than I've ever experienced eating french-fries or mashed-potatoes with gravy. In fact, the potatoes kind of turn my stomach thinking about them...
I used to hate stairs. We live in a split-level house and I would routinely stand at the bottom of the stairs on the lower level and call up to my kids to bring me things. I dreaded them asking me to come up and look at their rooms. In fact, we even put a second refridgerator in the laundry room to accommodate easier access for drinks, snacks (though we excused the purchase with it being for "extra storage of leftovers" for our large family).
Now, I hike up the stairs routinely.
I still have that "dread" that comes over me when I see a flight of stairs, or a hill, or something that would have required extra effort to accomplish before--and I'm often surprised when I realize how easy it is and nothing to dread anymore.
All this to say that my energy levels are better -- but I still have the trained impressions of someone without energy. I walk up the two flights of stairs to my office instead of taking the elevator, now. I park at the furthest end of the parking lot (and up a hill) every day. I used to cruise around the parking lot for the closest spot, now I park way at the end of the aisles routinely.
My daily energy levels are up and I'm also more inclined to do harder physical labor and tackle big jobs--like planting a big garden.
And my taste-buds have changed. I ate some steamed cauliflower, onions and garlic the other day with some coconut butter and salt. I cannot describe how amazing it was! I had as much joy and pleasure from eating that bowl of delicious veggies than I've ever experienced eating french-fries or mashed-potatoes with gravy. In fact, the potatoes kind of turn my stomach thinking about them...
I'm looking forward to this fast with anticipation and not dread. Like visiting a long-lost friend. The clarity and "comfortably empty" feeling associated with fasting is something I strongly desire. I'll be taking a trip out of town on the 18th, so I'll go off my fast at that time. Then I'm planning an event on Memorial Day weekend that will involve food, no doubt. :)
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Paleo Living
Weight: 214.2
I made a stir-fry last night with leftovers from the freezer--bacon, chicken breasts, hamburger--and chopped up some veggies. It would've been better over rice, but it was *delicious*. :) Wish I'd only eaten one bowl, however. I'm feeling very full this morning... I also had some honey-dew last night. And some cashew butter with an apple.
Work will involve going to lunch today with my team as well as a pot-luck on Friday. I'll be eating paleo through this week.
I've recently been talking to someone who is actively interested in trying the juice fasting approach and I thought that some of what I said could help others:
Be prepared to use sick/vacation time the first three days. You may not need it, but be prepared. I came down with, essentially, "stomach flu" as the toxins fled my body. I'll spare you the details, but sitting on the toilet with a trash-can in front of me was the bulk of my memory for the 2nd and part of the 3rd day. The headache I had kept me abed for most of the time. And the following weekend, I was still dealing with caffeine withdrawal headaches. I lost 7 pounds in the first three days. All water, sure--but not a pleasant way to lose it, let me assure you.
Now, I did not have the benefit of any kind of decent diet or eating prior to the juice fast--in fact, I'd had a big Hooters meal the day before after visiting with friends for the weekend and eating anything and everything set before me (and even rooting out stuff on my own). And I mean *junk*.
Now, I don't want this to scare you--but I want you to be prepared in case you face a difficult course. Hunger dissipated after 3-4 days. Occasionally at meal-times, I'd get a little hungry--but the juice was very satisfying. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
If you're already accustomed to the pleasure of eating veggies and acclimated to the tastes, then it will be an easy transition. I had to relearn how to appreciate "real" food. Now, the juices taste like pure pleasure to me. At the time, however, there were some juices where I just had to pinch my nose and slam it down.
I seem to have programmed myself to run in 10 days segments. It's hard for me to push beyond 10 days. I still want to push into a 30 day (or longer) fast. That's a future effort, however. :)
I'm also taking more supplements, now--which may help to prolong my ability to fast.
On a completely different note, I'm also reading a couple books by a real-life "forager" about finding edible, naturally growing, non-farmed plants--which he contends have 2-3x as many nutrients as the "agricultural" plants.
It helps to have someone to encourage you while you're on this. Even if you can just text someone and say, "I'm having a hard time right now..." and get an encouragement back, "Juice kan dew eet!" (What my wife usually sends back to me...). You'll find a lot of strength knowing someone is rooting for you. :)
I also discovered that if I'm hungry or facing cravings and I *do* something--sauna, walk, clean, play a game, drive to the store, whatever--just *something*--it relieves those pangs and cravings quite a bit.
Last night in the sauna, I had been very hungry before I went and realized an hour and a half later that I hadn't been thinking about food at all...
I made a stir-fry last night with leftovers from the freezer--bacon, chicken breasts, hamburger--and chopped up some veggies. It would've been better over rice, but it was *delicious*. :) Wish I'd only eaten one bowl, however. I'm feeling very full this morning... I also had some honey-dew last night. And some cashew butter with an apple.
Work will involve going to lunch today with my team as well as a pot-luck on Friday. I'll be eating paleo through this week.
I've recently been talking to someone who is actively interested in trying the juice fasting approach and I thought that some of what I said could help others:
Be prepared to use sick/vacation time the first three days. You may not need it, but be prepared. I came down with, essentially, "stomach flu" as the toxins fled my body. I'll spare you the details, but sitting on the toilet with a trash-can in front of me was the bulk of my memory for the 2nd and part of the 3rd day. The headache I had kept me abed for most of the time. And the following weekend, I was still dealing with caffeine withdrawal headaches. I lost 7 pounds in the first three days. All water, sure--but not a pleasant way to lose it, let me assure you.
Now, I did not have the benefit of any kind of decent diet or eating prior to the juice fast--in fact, I'd had a big Hooters meal the day before after visiting with friends for the weekend and eating anything and everything set before me (and even rooting out stuff on my own). And I mean *junk*.
Now, I don't want this to scare you--but I want you to be prepared in case you face a difficult course. Hunger dissipated after 3-4 days. Occasionally at meal-times, I'd get a little hungry--but the juice was very satisfying. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
If you're already accustomed to the pleasure of eating veggies and acclimated to the tastes, then it will be an easy transition. I had to relearn how to appreciate "real" food. Now, the juices taste like pure pleasure to me. At the time, however, there were some juices where I just had to pinch my nose and slam it down.
I seem to have programmed myself to run in 10 days segments. It's hard for me to push beyond 10 days. I still want to push into a 30 day (or longer) fast. That's a future effort, however. :)
I'm also taking more supplements, now--which may help to prolong my ability to fast.
On a completely different note, I'm also reading a couple books by a real-life "forager" about finding edible, naturally growing, non-farmed plants--which he contends have 2-3x as many nutrients as the "agricultural" plants.
It helps to have someone to encourage you while you're on this. Even if you can just text someone and say, "I'm having a hard time right now..." and get an encouragement back, "Juice kan dew eet!" (What my wife usually sends back to me...). You'll find a lot of strength knowing someone is rooting for you. :)
I also discovered that if I'm hungry or facing cravings and I *do* something--sauna, walk, clean, play a game, drive to the store, whatever--just *something*--it relieves those pangs and cravings quite a bit.
Last night in the sauna, I had been very hungry before I went and realized an hour and a half later that I hadn't been thinking about food at all...
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