One Man's Battle: weight

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P90X - Day 46

I want to stay true to the intent of this blog. My goal way back when it started was to talk about try to find a way to live healthy in an unhealthy world. A world that is constantly tempting you to take a short cut to happiness, health and wellness, and yet continues to produce more and more people who live unhealthy lives. Over the last 4 years I have made many great starts towards a healthy live style. I have also blown it and given in to the many messages around me. As a result i have yo-yo'd up and down with weight. I have been bordering on being diabetic, I have joined the ranks of those taking blood pressure medicine, and have like so many, resigned to the lie, that this is how life is going to be. Well no more.

This blog is about the battle. The biggest battle is the one I have with myself. I am determined to win this battle, to regain my life, and to start living the way I was meant to live. With that in mind, I started P90X back on January 5th. It is now February 19th and I just completed day 46 of the 90 day workout. While I am lossing weight, and changing the way my body looks, I am learning so much more. I am learning that by working hard I can change the direction things are going in my life. I am talking about more than health and fitness. I am learning that when I feel good about myself it has a direct impact on my job performance and my relationships. I am realizing that I do have the strength to stick with something and am determined to see it through to its completion. I am in my 7th week of P90X. I have lost 26 lbs. I feel like I am finally doing something important for myself that will reap life long consequences. This is all about becoming the best me I can be. I was looking at the pictures of me on the header at the top of this page. The picture on the far right is from me in April of '07. I had gotten down to 211 pounds. This morning I was 210 lbs. The difference is that I have been converting fat to muscle, so my build is much better today than it was when I was 43. I am starting to realize my dream of being in better shape when I hit 50 (yes, 2 and a half years away) than I was at 30. I am trying to decide if I will do another round of P90X after I finish in April, or if I will start training for a Marathon. My goal is to develop a life style of health, wellness, and fitness, that will carry me through the rest of my life. I am well on my way to winning this battle.

P90X Day 33 - Starting to see the difference

I'm just over a month into the program. I've been sweating, I've been jumping, I've been doing push ups, and using bands (instead up pull ups). I also have been modifying the routines, taking breaks, doing my best and forgetting the rest. I have been stuck at 215 pounds for a week, but my kids and wife tell me they are noticing the changes. I can tell you I am feeling better about who I am as a person, my outlook on life is changing and I am excited about the future. Today I looked at my pictures I took on day one and compared them to day 31 (yes I was a day late). Guess what, there is change. Muscles are starting to show up, the man boobs are not as pronounced, the waist is starting to look different. There is a long ways to go, but I am definitely on my way.

My question now is how will I sustain this as a life style change. I don't think I will be able to do extreme workouts 6 days a week for the long haul, but how will I continue with what I have started? One thing I have been thinking about is my long term goals, and I have finally defined it in a nice little statement. "I will enter into my 50's better physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually than I entered into my 30's." I am currently 47 and a few months from 48, so I have time to work on this goal. I am currently working on my physical and emotional state of being. These impact my relationships and where I am spiritually. As I make progress physically with P90X, it is opening the door for growth in the other areas as well.

I can't wait for these next 4 weeks to fly by and hit the 60 day mark. I am excited about what is happening to me both outwardly and inwardly. My your battle go well.

P90X Day 11 -

I'll admit it, I have been a couch potato for the last 17 years of my life. I surf a little, I ski a little, some years I try jogging, some years I try soccer. But for the most part, I enjoy tortilla chips, salsa, the couch and the tv. And, I can't forget to mention beer, who could resist all the Oregon Micro Brews. As a result I have made a long climb from 178 pounds in 1985 to 236 pounds at the start of 2011. That is 48 pounds in 16 years, or 2 to 3 pounds a year. It happened slowly, just crept up on me. Actually it surprised me when I really took a look at it. So I decided to take a different path. I realized I needed to do something dramatic to get moving in the right direction. With the gain of weight has come blood pressure medication, the inability to do as much physical activity as I want (even though I am still pretty active, its just not as easy), and a hard time bending over in the middle. Not the way I want to live the next half of my life.

So, after watching a few infomercials, talking to a few friends, and knowing I needed something to kick start by sorry ass, I have begun P90X. I figured extreme is what I needed to make a 180 degree turn in direction (as well as get down to 180 lbs.) As I type today my chest hurts, I feel lame because yoga is not my thing, but I am relaxed and already seeing my fitness improve. I have never done more push ups on my knees, but I am going to keep doing them until I can do as many normal push ups as the guys in the video. I can keep up on the shoulders, I'm not doing pull ups and instead using the bands. Not sure I could pull up 230 pounds more than once if I had to. I almost stayed up for all the plyometrics the second week, and I can tell you it will probably take me all 90 days to get to the point were I can do the yoga and actually bend and balance to the point I feel like I can say I do yoga.

The hardest part so far is the amount of time. Most workouts are more than 50 minutes and yoga is much longer. Lucky for me I started as soon as I got the CDs, without thinking and yoga lands on a Saturday. I have to get up at 5:30 in the morning which is also a huge change in lifestyle for me. But I figure I have 17 years staying up late, sleeping in, eating junk, and basically not doing what I need to do for me. I should probably plan on spending most of the next 17 years working out, eating right, and thinking long term instead of immediate gratification. At this point I am 11 day in with 79 left to go. In this Man's Battle I am determined not to be beat. If you want to partner up for encouragement or to share stories just leave a comment. Here is looking to April 4th, my 90th day.

P90X Day 2 - Can you say Plyometrics

Ok, sleeping last night was hard. Every time I rolled over or tried to push myself up in bed my arms screamed out. Day 1 was still hitting me. But once again the alarm went off at 5:30 am. Today I found myself jumping, bouncing, basically it was almost an hour of sweating. Wow! I again did my best. I couldn't do it all, but I tried it all, and I did it as long as I could until I could do no more. I would rest for a few seconds and jump back in. I wanted to through up as it all ended. Arms still sore from the day before, and know the rest of me wiped out. Drinking water like mad, sweating it all out, making my lunches and eating according to plan. Two down and Eighty Eight more to go. I found myself walking around the house making the P90X sign with my arms. My wife and kids think I am a nut. I feel like This is going to be a long haul. They say no pain no gain. I am just hoping my arms are ready for tomorrow. Not sure what shoulders and arms will be all about, but my arms are hurting.

P90X Day 1

Its the night before I start P90X, and I am questioning my sanity. Why do I think I can do this, why do I need to do this, isn't life ok the way it is? The reality is I am 231 pounds and fall into the clinical definition of obese. On New Years Day I was 236, but I started working the South Beach Diet plan, which in many ways is not to different from P90X's Phase 1 Fat Shredder plan. I haven't been working out consistently for almost three years, and then it was only for about 5 months. I am 47, and I would say when I was 19 is when I was in the best shape of my life. I hate getting up early, and I like to eat. So it feels like everything is stacked against me.

However, I took the pictures that they want you to take, the front, back and side. When did I get so overweight. I don't see it when I look in the mirror, but there I am in pictures looking larger than life, and definetly larger than I ever wanted to be. I also feel myself becoming less able to do the things I want to do as a result of being to heavy, and to out of shape. Sure I can hike miles, I can do an elliptical trainer, but I want to be able to run with my wife, play a little soccer with my adult sons, and feel like I can sit in a hot tub and not feel shame. So there is my motivation

So at 5:30 am my alarm rings, the disc goes in and I start warming up. Not so bad. I am huffing an puffing but doing it. Soon the workout starts, and we do a few push ups. I listen to Tony Horton say "Do Your Best," and to pace yourself. He asks the people working out how many push ups they are going to do, and they are all in the range of thirty. I think to myself 10, at 10 I am still feeling good and try two more before stopping. Then to pull ups. There is no way I am going to be able to lift this heavy body up and down for pull ups, so I opt for the bands. Then they go back to pull ups, then bands, then pull ups, then bands, and on and on and on. Pretty soon I am only able to do three or four push ups while on my knees, and even then my arms are shaking, but I push through with sweat pouring off me. Of course Tony and company are still pumping out 30 at a time, but Tony states that a few of those on the video when they were newbies struggled like me. There is hope. I Did My Best and Forgot the Rest. Then I realized I was suppose to do the Ab Ripper routine as well. I tried to do the first set with them and realized I would never make it, so I turned off the video and vowed to do it after work.

A few hours later, knowing I had done my best, I couldn't forget the rest. Soreness started to settle in to my arms.. At lunch I was having trouble lifting a glass of water to my mouth without feeling the pain. I hurt in places I didn't know had muscles. In some ways it felt like two a days for high school football. I laughed at myself and again thought, what is a 47 year old guy like me thinking.

I came home and tried the Ab work out. At one point my stomach completely cramped up. The muscles in my stomach were so tight I couldn't move. After relaxing them a minute I went on to the next routine. I did my best, stuck with it till the end. I didn't do nearly the reps they did, but tried all the exercises. I have survived day 1 of P90X.

PX90 - This years resolution

I have been looking for a weight loss program or workout program for over a year now. I have tried South Beach Diet, with really good success, I have a 24 hour fitness membership, but I get going and then I stall. I love to see quick results, but sustaining something over time has always proved the challenge for me. As I realized a long time ago, something has got to change, and that something is me. A few things that I realize as we head into 2011:

I will be turning 48 this year - that seems really old, but it doesn't have to be.
I weighed 236 lbs as I stepped on the scale yesterday morning, that makes me obese.
I know what it means to eat healthy and smart but I chose unhealthy and stupid
My job is full of stress and it will only increase not decrease
I have stopped doing some of the things I enjoyed doing because I am out of shape.
My self esteem is affected by all of the above

So my goal is to be in better shape when I hit 48 this June, to weigh less at my Birthday this year than I did last year, and to do something that I can sustain when the days get warmer, when BBQs start being the weekend norm, when beer starts to flow more often than water. I figure I have to figure out healthy living before I get to fifty, or I may have a much shorter life than I am planning on having.

Having tried a few things over the past few years, I have listened to friends talk about Medifast, I have watched them bomb out on Atkins Diet. But I have been intrigued by a few people I know who have tried PX90. My son and daughter in law, cousins, etc... I am intrigued at how many complete the program and then go back for another round. Most of them don't talk about the weight loss, although that happens, instead they talk about how much better they feel, their strength and energy. There are many testimonials out there, I have not found any that say it is a sham. So today I have signed up for PX90, asked for my free resistance band, and will start following their diet. Should be here in 5 days or less. If I push I could by half way through my second round by my birthday. I am doing it for weight loss, energy, self esteem, and to feel younger. I'll keep you posted on how I am doing.

My Biggest Dieting Obstacle

We all have obstacles that keep us from pursuing or achieving our goals. We point the finger at other people, circumstances, gender, family of origin, you name it we have probably heard it used as an obstacle for achieving. Examples in my life include, "If I had more money I could drive the car I wanted" "If I had started sooner I could have owned my own business." I call it the IF ONLY SYNDROME. When I realize I am stuck in that syndrome, I realize that the real obstacle isn't the money, or the time, or the...., the real obstacle is me. I will admit there are legitimate obstacles that might keep us from getting to where we want to go, but in my experience, most of my perceived obsticles really have to do with excuses that I make up to justify my giving up.

This is so true of Dieting and Me. I have had some great runs at weight loss with the South Beach Diet. I have dropped many pounds with nothing more than exercise. I have often been heard to blame the fact that I am as heavy today as I have ever been, on how South Beach is unrealistic for the long haul, or that no one could really exercise 45 minutes a day 5 times a week. Today I am blaming all the Christmas Parties and Cookies that others put in front of me and make me eat. The reality is that I choose not to stay on the South Beach Diet Plan because I value something else more than being at 175 lbs. I would rather enjoy eating vast amounts of tasty food than insure my health. I would rather relax, or watch tv, than go to the gym. The reality is I am making choices every day to not reach my goal. I sabotage myself. If I am ever to achieve my goal of weight loss, I have got to come to grips with the fact that it is not others, or circumstances, or unfortunate events that keep me from my goal, it is more than likely me. Once again my biggest obstacle is me. I am my biggest battle. Here is to getting it right. May your battle be easy.

Waiting to Lose Weight

Ok, I know that sounds like a huge cop out. But, waiting to lose weight actually makes sense at this time in my life. I have been busy researching things like Medifast, Weight Watchers, NutraSystem, and a number of others you can find on the internet. In fact, I might just post a whole bunch of them right here on my page. Next to "How to Make Money on the Internet," "Losing Weight" is the most popular topic. With so many people claiming that they can all help you drop 10 pounds in a week, or 50 pounds in 12 weeks, how do you know which to chose?

Last week I was listening to the Oregon Public Broadcasting Channel. On one of their programs they were discussing the weight gain that occurs over the Holiday Season. The person being interviewed stated that it wasn't the quick weight we gain during thanksgiving that we should worry about. He said that can be lost quickly by returning to a normal eating pattern. He said we should all be concerned about the two or three pounds we gain every year, and never lose. That would me that for someone who has been gaining slow weight for the last 25 years (someone like me), they could easily have put on between 50 and 75 pounds. I did the math and was angry that he was right. He said weight gained like that is very hard to lose and keep off. The quick weight lose choices may drop you quickly, but they don't help you make the lasting changes needed to keep it off. Over the years I have done a number of diets, I usually lose between 20 and 25 pounds in a 8 week period of time. The problem is, I can gain it all back over the next three months, and usually add a few more pounds on top. With that being the case, I need a plan that I can sustain, that will stay with me for life. That means it can't be powders and formulas. It can't be food I will not want to eat the rest of my life. It has to somehow fit with my lifestyle, or help me change my lifestyle.

At work I have a coworker who is nearing the 50 lbs lost mark. She has accomplished this in 12 weeks. What has helped her is that she attends a group once a week that talks about nutrition and strategies for losing weight. The group competes against each other to lose the most weight with some significant prizes. She takes what she learns about sugar, and pop, and metabolism, and so many other things, and puts it into practice. She is exercising and doing what she needs to do. She said today, that she is learning how to eat, rather than just eating a packaged food. It makes sense to her. The next group starts in January. It sounds like what I need. Again, my approach to this next round of diet has to do with it being sustainable, doable, allowing me to still enjoy the taste of food and to be able to cook. And, it also must allow me to lose weight and keep it off. 50 pounds would be nice, 60 would be awesome. I think I will be signing up in January. In the mean time I am waiting to lose weight.

Sparkpeople.com

We all need a little help sometimes when it comes to staying on track with our goals of diet, exercise and weight lose. I have tried for years to do it on my own and have not had the success I would like. My wife has encouraged me to join weight watchers or some other group, believing that the social environment and accountability would be a big plus for me. Off course the big minus is they cost. Then along comes http://Sparkpeople.com. This website puts all the tools at your finger tips. There are meal trackers that will even print out the weekly grocery list. There are workout programs. There are specialty groups. Are you a mom of teens, do you have high blood pressure. Do you skip breakfast. There are others out there to connect with. Community is a big part of the program.

The fact that it is free made me a bit skeptical, but as I wondered through the pages I was not asked to pull out my credit card once. I can have my own blog on the sight, I can share my success and failure on line, and get encouragement to push on. It may not be exactly what you are looking for, but for free it is an awesome site. Take a quick look and tell me what you think. To bad I can’t just push a button and have the weight disappear.

Technorati Tags: Weight loss tool

Seasonal Weight Loss

Just like the earth goes through its round of seasons each year, I have found that we as people do as well. Living in the Pacific Northwest, many go through cycles of depression due to the dark rainy weather. As the sun shines more moods become brighter as well. For me, there is something about spring that triggers a desire to focus on my health, to get outside and be active, to consider the way I look and treat myself. As a result in April I once again began a focus on changing my lifestyle. The way I drink, eat, sleep, deal with stress, etc... All of these play into a healthy lifestyle. So far I have been very successful. For some reason in the spring it is easy for me to focus and be successful. As summer starts to swing into gear, the summer parties with beer, chips, dips, and all the other unhealthy great tasting food easily knock me off track. Then it is the seasonal food of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years that keeps me from getting back in gear.

To be successful, it is more about the upcoming seasons I will be facing, then about the current season I am in. The excitement of losing weight and looking better each day is motivating. It is what happens when I plateau, and others are enjoying those foods that I used to crave that I need to figure out. So when I say I am looking forward to summer, it is in a whole new way.

Wishing you success in this season.

South Beach Diet Success - Week #4

Another week of my life style change and still moving in the right direction. And while the real purpose of my life style change is to avoid becoming diabetic, to reduce blood pressure without medication, and to live past 56 (when my Dad died), I find that the loss of weight is becoming almost an obsession. Each morning I get up and head right to the scale. My mood for the day is determined by what the dial reads (I hate the control that scale has on my life). I spend a lot of time thinking about combinations of foods,their affect on digestion and fat retention. Gone are the days of sitting down and just simply enjoying the taste of a steak or piece of Salmon. A glass of wine is no longer thought of as a Shiraz or Merlot, or talked about regarding its quality, instead it has become a Carb and calories. Yet this is exactly what I enjoy. Eating has become another process to gain control over or system to tweak and master. So far I am figuring it out.

As of today when I jumped off the scale the dial stopped at 211lbs. That is another 3lbs in a week and 19lbs in four weeks. The only bummer is that my official weigh in day wasn't yesterday when I woke up and saw 210. While 200 lbs is out of reach for my birthday on June 4th, 205 could be close.

The cool thing is I am making progress, feel that I am eating very well, seeing visible results, and realizing the benefits of healthy choices in terms of blood pressure and blood sugars. That is huge and very motivating. Ok, the comments of people noticing is also motivating. This is so worth the battle.

South Beach Week 3

Another week down and a few more pounds dropped. This week allowed for the reintroduction of fruits and carbs back into the diet. I have to admit, with the first two weeks calling foods high in sugar bad, it was almost scary to add them back in. I have been very limited in how much fruit and bread I eat as I try to figure this part of the diet out. I went mostly with a piece of 8 grain toast and red grapes. The toughest part of the week was a party at our house last weekend. Chips, pasta salads, french fries, cheese cake, brownies, more chips, beer, wine, and hamburger buns, made it hard to find the vegetables and chicken. They were there but you had to look hard. Yes, I had a brownie, and a couple of chips. The real problem was the beer, after two weeks of no alcohol I went overboard and really indulged in this area. However, after my slip up I went right back on the diet and continued on.

I find that I love grilling food on the BBQ. I just like the taste better. Even veggies taste better that way. I am also getting smarter in how I store food before freezing. I am anticipating nights that I will need to eat differently from the rest of my family and as a result am putting single steaks in a freezer bag so I don't have to thaw full slabs and then figure out how to deal with it. My wife is also enjoying the fact that I am cooking and tries to have me cook for the entire clan a few times a week. I am beginning to find it enjoyable.

So, week three found me weighing in at 214lbs this morning. for my height of 5'11" that puts me at a Body Mass Index of 28.4. I am now officially overweight and not obese (not sure if that is something to cheer about or not). That is a three pound drop from last week and 16 pounds overall. My birthday is June 4th, and while I won't be under 200lbs by then it sure would be great if I could get down to 205. Anyway, I have been lax on any kind of exercise, so adding that back in should make a difference. Although, adding muscle actually increases weight. Still, I feel a lot better. It is definitely worth the battle.

Dealing with Diet Setbacks

It was a gorgeous day Sunday. Friends were coming over for a barbeque, the grill was ready to go, and the first guest to arrive comes in with a wonderful cheese cake for desert. Each guest to follow brought something equally off my diet like chips, rolls, you name it all the foods showed up calling my name. Earlier in the day I had developed a plan on how to have just one beer, stay away from using a bun, stay with the veggies and not the chips. It was all going well until I noticed I was drinking beer number three and the party was still young.

As you can guess, with the resolve broken soon the chips and fries were on my plate, a brownie and who could pass on the cheese cake. That night I felt like a loser, taken out of my game, I had blown it. So now what? My definition of a setback is something that impedes progress for a short time. I have determined the time for the setback is over and it its time to resume with the original plan of living healthy, so, back on the diet.

With South Beach you can move back and forth between phases. I am going to jump back on the strict phase for a three to four days and keep moving ahead. I am anticipating set backs along the way, however, I resolve to have a game plan to deal with them before they occur. And, if I should fail to stay with the plan, I commit to getting back on track the next day. Again, I am talking about a change in lifestyle, one that corrects my blood chemistry (to the extent it can), that gets me off the obesity chart and even the overweight chart, that helps me lower my blood pressure, and results in a healthy life style. It is worth the battle over set backs.

Weight Loss in Pictures

A week at a time

South Beach Diet - Week 2

I have just stepped off the scale at the end of week #2 on the South Beach Diet. The first two weeks are the strict phase where you cut out the high carb, high sugar items. Translated that means no bread, cereal, fruit, candy, pop, alcohol, chips, tortillas, etc..... (you know, all the things that used to make up my diet). The purpose of this strict phase is to change you blood chemistry, change your metabolism, and to reduce cravings for the wrong types of food. Obviously, the byproduct of those three things happening should show up in weight loss result and the claimed reduced inches around the middle. Those who know I am on the diet have asked a number of questions, so let me list a few answers here before giving the results from the week.

I am on the diet because my Doctor said I am pre-diabetic and need to make a change in my diet and lifestyle. Also, my weight has crept up and in reading I find I am no longer overweight, but am considered obese at 230 pounds.
There have been two really tough days on the diet so far. The first was during a day of work meetings in which the tables are full of candy bowls, there are soft drinks galore, lunch is provided, and we all go out for drinks afterwards. The second tough day was yesterday following my son's soccer teams state cup victory. While we celebrated with pizza and wine as a family, I ate a salad and drank water (those who know me, understand that I could live on pizza)
I am typically a stress eater - however, I have found that eating small snacks throughout the day has helped me control this some what. I think I am grabbing a cheese stick, or a handful of peanuts instead of making a plate of nacho chips.
I am having to change a number of bad habits like..... not eating breakfast or lunch, and coming home and attacking the fridge for the next two hours at the end of the day, eating lots of bread to try and stop the hunger, eating as fast as possible, large portions, and going back for seconds.
I am no longer eating without thinking. I find as we have been out to eat a few times I am really looking at the menu to see what is a healthy choice, and not just what sounds good. I am making my lunch before I go to work rather than being forced to run across the street at lunch to the McD's
You may laugh but No, it is not a diet, it is a life style I am trying to develop.

So what has happened this last week? I started the week at 221 pounds, and this morning as I stepped of the scale I was at 217 pounds. I weighed without any clothes, without eating anything yet this morning, and having just gone to the bathroom. That is a 4 pound loss. Total weight lost to date is 13 pounds. The loss should start slowing down as I introduce some carbs and fruits back into my diet. My goal is to lose a total of 55 pounds over the year. That is a simple one pound a week loss. if it is faster than that you won't hear me complain. It is worth the battle.

Winning at Weight Loss

I found myself getting a little discourage with my attempt to lose 45 pounds this last week. Obviously I would like to see it melt off instantly, but as I have mentioned in earlier posts sustained weight loss usually occurs in those who have changed their lifestyle and reached their goal slowly over time. So to get myself out of the funk I was in I started to ask myself the same questions I ask when I run into similar feelings with my plans/strategies at work.

Is the goal specific - Have I really defined what I am shooting for? In my case the goal is bigger then weight loss, it is about brining my metabolism back on line, changing my blood chemistry, and living healthy.
Is the goal attainable - Can I really make it happen? If the goal is to drop 20 pounds by tomorrow, you probably won't be successful. If the goal is to reduce your calorie intake by 500 cal per day, now you might make it. If it is to lose 1 pounds per week over over 45 weeks, you have a fighting chance.
Does the goal allow for setbacks - In other words, what happens if you fall short? Do you give up and quit or does your goal allow for the ups and downs of life? For me and weight loss there will be weeks of 1 pound loss followed by weeks of one pound gains. Sometimes I might have a three pound loss and be back on track. Perfection is not my goal.

If you are like me you can be easily discouraged and want to give up. The trick is to see the long term goal and the outcome it will produce, recognizing that it is worth pursuing. Short term focus, while necessary, has a tenancy to trip us up. It is worth the battle.

Effects of Weight Loss on Blood Pressure

Over the last few weeks I have been very interested in finding non pharmaceutical ways to control my blood pressure. Without to much surprise, weight loss through proper nutrition seems to be the number one thing you can do for yourself. A 10 pound weight loss is said my some experts to reduce your BP by 8 points. Eating the right types of food can also have a dramatic impact on your blood pressure.

Most of us resign to the using of medications to control blood pressure because it means we don't have to change our live style. However, I would rather spend the $50 - $100 a month I would have to pay for medications, on a gym membership, a mountain bike, healthier foods, etc....

This last week I was able to lose 9 pounds following a diet plan. While this is a fast drop in weight my goal is to lose another 45 pounds over the course of this year. In the first week alone my blood pressure dropped by 5 points systolic and 7 points diastolic. While that still puts me in the category of Pre-hypertension (Pre-hypertension is 120-139 over 80-89), to me that is significant. I am not sure if it is a result of the weight or the change in foods. Next I will be adding a little more exercise, but weight loss does make a difference. I am proof. For more info on Blood Pressure go to Workings. They have some great thoughts on this topic.

South Beach Diet Excitement

I have just stepped off the scale after 7 days on the south beach diet. I have stayed away from weighing myself because in the past I had trouble emotionally handling the 2 pounds lost, one pound gained cycle I typically find myself in. So here are some quick facts about my past week.

I started the week at 230 pounds and my goal is to be at 178-175lbs
I started by going to the store and buying the food I would need to be successful
I kept a jar of unsalted penults at work for quick snacks and always had a glass of water close by
I made one mistake, I without thinking grabbed a piece of taffy out of a bowl in one of my employees offices without thinking.
I tried very hard to anticipate situations that might mess up my diet attempts
I have a very supportive family - wife and kids - and a few supportive friends.
I felt hungry often, but found that a slice of thin ham, or cottage cheese, did a great job of helping me get rid of it.
I took a few walks, but not as many as I had planned

So what were the results??? I am at 221 pounds this morning. I have not eaten yet or drank anything this morning, but I am at 221 pounds on 4/29/07. I am off to a very satisfying start to this diet. As I mentioned before, my real reason for being on the diet has more to do with overall health then weight loss. As I have been reading, those who have lost the weight and keep it off generally lose small amounts of weight each week, 1-2 pounds, over 2 years or more, not as a result of a fad diet, but as a result in a life style change that effects how they view food, how they use food, what they think about food, and ultimately what they do with their food.

So what did a typical day look like for me? I started each morning with a large glass of water. I then would make breakfast with a variety of sauteed vegetables ( I love onions, mushrooms and bell peppers), two slices of lean thin sliced ham, two eggs, and a small amount of cheese. I also gave myself a small cup of coffee with some 1% mild. While breakfast was cooking I would start making a salad for lunch. I tried to always add chicken, shrimp or ham to the salad for protein and then olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the dressing. I would grab a cheese stick out of the fridge for a later morning snack and by the time that breakfast was ready I had lunch ready to go as well. My kids laughed at me because I was outside grilling chicken at 7am. I would try to eat the cheese stick around 10:30 and lunch at noon. The second half of the day is tough for me. I would find myself getting hungry around 2pm. I would have a handful of peanuts but be hungry again at 3pm. With only peanuts around I would have another handful and hope to make it until dinner. At home around 6pm I would grab another cheese stick or some cottage cheese so I wouldn't be so hungry at dinner I would eat uncontrollably. Dinner would be some form of grilled beef or chicken, I will buy fish this week. I also would fix up a large amount of vegetables steamed or sauteed, and then make a crispy, crunch salad. Throughout the day I was drinking glass after glass of water. Sometimes it would help with the hunger, but I swear most of my exercise was walking back and forth from the bathroom.

I found that yesterday I was a little bit bored of the same type of food every day, but after next week will be adding some fruit and carbs back in.

Weight is coming down and so are the blood pressure numbers. I am excited. I wish you success this week in your diet endeavors. It is worth the battle.

South Beach Diet - Obstacles to Success

I am officially on the South Beach Diet, Day 4 is just beginning. I notice I woke up less hungry than the first few days, and after eating I am full. This is great, because during the first few days I almost had to tie myself down to keep from heading to the fridge, convenience store, or fast food restaurant.

There were a few things I didn't anticipate or have a plan for going in, that you might want to be aware of as you start out on your diet, South Beach or other type):

Co-Workers Candy Jars - Many offices where I work have candy jars. Some full of taffy, others M&M's. Prior to my diet I would take a few whenever I was in one of those offices. On day one I, without thinking, picked up a piece of taffy and popped it in my mouth. You need a plan to deal with your environment.
The Mother In Law - Day two I got a call at work that we were going over to the In Laws for dinner. Not a problem because we do this almost once a week. However, when at someone else's house you lose control of what is being prepared. Noticing it, I quickly mentioned I was on a diet. We were having Hamburgers, Potatoes, lots of wine, and cake. With her ok I went for the Hamburger without the bun and Ketchup and instead put on some mustard, took some extra tomatoes and onions, poured up a big glass of water, found the makings for a salad, and skipped out on dessert. Since it was only one hamburger patty and I was on day two, I went home a bit hungry. I quickly made up a SB dessert and made it through the day ok. You need to be able to improvise when needed.
Today I have an all day meeting away from my facility. Of course I am in the medical field so all the healthy snacks will be there like; Costco Muffins - 100% Carb, small little candy bars, hard candy, pop, etc... I am known for eating a good amount of these items as I am a stress eater and these meeting produce a lot of it. Also, I lose control of lunch again. So, I will bring a few of my cheese sticks, and try to grab a bag of nuts on my way in to the meeting. I'll grab some water as well. Think ahead when you know what your walking into.
After the meeting a group of us usually go out for drinks, and we can drink a lot. Since alcohol is off the diet at the moment, and this is an area of weakness - not the drinking, but the hanging out with friends and having a few, I will probably need to avoid the temptation all together and head home early tonight. Avoid your areas of weakness when possible.

There are many obstacles to success in dieting. My list is growing and I am only starting day four. I anticipate things like boredom with the food choices, the desire to go out to eat, etc... will soon make my list. It would be great to hear from you what obstacles you have faced and what you are doing to keep them from hindering your resolve to live healthy. I will make sure your thoughts get posted.

Picking the South Beach Diet

I have been researching diets for sometime now, looking for one that isn't just hype, but makes sense. There were a number that stated I could lose 20 pounds in 30 days. Others promised I could eat whatever I wanted and lose weight at the same time. I figured that the diet I chose needed to address the health issues that are beginning to creep up on me. Those issues are:

Obesity - In my research a few weeks back I discovered that my height and weight but my Body Mass Index just into the range of Obesity.
Diabetes - My last visit to the doctor I was informed that I am pre-diabetic and need to make some changes before I become diabetic.
Family History of Coronary Heart Disease - May Grandfather died of a Heart Attach, my Dad had open heart surgery.
High Blood Pressure - My BP has crawled up there and I would love to avoid medication if at all possible. My Dad and Grandfather also had High Blood Pressure.

The South Beach Diet was developed by Cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston. As a result of problems he was seeing with the Heart Healthy Diets, he went to work on something that was simple and addressed the issues he had identified with the growing Obesity issue he was seeing. Through his research he determined that the efficiency in which our bodies break down food into useful energy, makes the difference in wether or not we gain weight and place ourselves at risk for Cardiac Issues, Issues Related to Diabetes, and other problems that affect those who are overweight. At the center of how our bodies breakdown and store food is insulin - the production of, and our bodies acceptance of or resistance to the insulin we produce.

The South Beach Diet appears to be more about changing habits in how we eat and what we eat, then it is about losing weight. It is more about overall health then a fad that everyone is following for a season. The South Beach Diet seems right for me because it addresses some of the specific issues I am facing. I encourage each one who is thinking of dieting to research the diets out there and to chose the one that addresses the medical and genetic issues that you are facing. I don't believe that one diet fits all. I also know that for me to stick with something over a long period of time, it has to make sense to me. I'll keep you posted on how it works for me. Weight will be something that I am expecting to see drop, but I also expect to see my cholesterol and triglycerides come into line, as well as my blood sugars. With those areas being controlled I trust Blood Pressure will be affected in a positive way. My goal is improvement in my overall health and wellness. If that doesn't happen I won't be on the South Beach Diet very long.

One Man's Battle