Tuesday, September 09, 2003
Solution at hand?
Went to a urologist today - for a 22 year old problem, a problem that has plagued me for 22 years that is! I've been to dozens of doctors over the past two decades, been on a dozen different anti-biotics - for the standard "10 day regimen" - still, the "problem" rears it's ugly head at least once a month or more, sometimes mildly - sometimes very painfully.
Chronic Prostatitis - almost constant infection or enlargement of the prostate gland (one illness you women will never have to worry about), NORMALLY occurs in men over the age of 45 but more normally begins to affect men in the 60's.
Mine started at age 22 - lucky me.
Today, I went to a different doctor - everyone told me that he was good, that he knew his "stuff". We'll see how it all works out. Here are the things that he told me:
When I got my first infection at the age of 22 (it was very, very bad - urinating blood, severe pain, etc.) - it was probably caused by two different kinds of bacteria - "typical" and "atypical". The typical was easily treated by the standard 10 day regimen of anti-biotics - the atypical simply took a rest - but stayed resident. It (atypical) would then flare up, causing the typical to come back and take up residence. Again, 10 days of anti-biotics and the typical would die off - but not the atypical.
Thus the Chronic issue.
You'd think, in 22 years and after living in all parts of the country - some doctor (before now) would have know about this issue?
So what am I supposed to do now? I'm to take an heavy-duty anti-biotic for at least 3 months, and stay away from all sugar and caffiene (no one ever mentioned those substances before - in relation to my prostate problems), which isn't a problem - since I gave them up four months ago.
Well, I guess we'll just wait and see what happens.
P.S. I've been wondering about how I received the infection - and I just remembered, I was actually spending 8-10 hours a day in a perfect breeding ground for bacteria - a hospital. My 4-month old son had undergone open-heart surgery and we had spent 4 months in that hospital, while he was recoverying. I started showing signs of the infection about 2 days before we left the hospital, by the time we got home - I was very, very ill.
Went to a urologist today - for a 22 year old problem, a problem that has plagued me for 22 years that is! I've been to dozens of doctors over the past two decades, been on a dozen different anti-biotics - for the standard "10 day regimen" - still, the "problem" rears it's ugly head at least once a month or more, sometimes mildly - sometimes very painfully.
Chronic Prostatitis - almost constant infection or enlargement of the prostate gland (one illness you women will never have to worry about), NORMALLY occurs in men over the age of 45 but more normally begins to affect men in the 60's.
Mine started at age 22 - lucky me.
Today, I went to a different doctor - everyone told me that he was good, that he knew his "stuff". We'll see how it all works out. Here are the things that he told me:
When I got my first infection at the age of 22 (it was very, very bad - urinating blood, severe pain, etc.) - it was probably caused by two different kinds of bacteria - "typical" and "atypical". The typical was easily treated by the standard 10 day regimen of anti-biotics - the atypical simply took a rest - but stayed resident. It (atypical) would then flare up, causing the typical to come back and take up residence. Again, 10 days of anti-biotics and the typical would die off - but not the atypical.
Thus the Chronic issue.
You'd think, in 22 years and after living in all parts of the country - some doctor (before now) would have know about this issue?
So what am I supposed to do now? I'm to take an heavy-duty anti-biotic for at least 3 months, and stay away from all sugar and caffiene (no one ever mentioned those substances before - in relation to my prostate problems), which isn't a problem - since I gave them up four months ago.
Well, I guess we'll just wait and see what happens.
P.S. I've been wondering about how I received the infection - and I just remembered, I was actually spending 8-10 hours a day in a perfect breeding ground for bacteria - a hospital. My 4-month old son had undergone open-heart surgery and we had spent 4 months in that hospital, while he was recoverying. I started showing signs of the infection about 2 days before we left the hospital, by the time we got home - I was very, very ill.
Monday, September 08, 2003
Status Report:
There have been a number of viruses (stomach mainly) spreading through town (Clovis, NM) these past few weeks. Quite a few members of my family have been infected and very sick. I sincerely believe, that because of my diet and exercise plan - that my immune system is functioning much better than just a few months ago. I've shown slight symptoms of the viruses at times, but as soon as I take additional vitimans - I feel better. If this would have been the same scenario (viruses) - 4 months ago, I would have been sick with every one of them - for weeks.
One key factor in my increased immunity - the removal of sugar from my diet! A number of scientific studies have show that sugar intake can reduce the immune system's ability to fight sickness and disease. I definately concur - in the past, because of my high sugar intake - I was sick very, very often. I'd come in contact with someone with a cold or flu and within hours I would be sick.
Not anymore - people can just keep their "bugs", I don't want them. I don't want sugar either - it is poison to me.
There have been a number of viruses (stomach mainly) spreading through town (Clovis, NM) these past few weeks. Quite a few members of my family have been infected and very sick. I sincerely believe, that because of my diet and exercise plan - that my immune system is functioning much better than just a few months ago. I've shown slight symptoms of the viruses at times, but as soon as I take additional vitimans - I feel better. If this would have been the same scenario (viruses) - 4 months ago, I would have been sick with every one of them - for weeks.
One key factor in my increased immunity - the removal of sugar from my diet! A number of scientific studies have show that sugar intake can reduce the immune system's ability to fight sickness and disease. I definately concur - in the past, because of my high sugar intake - I was sick very, very often. I'd come in contact with someone with a cold or flu and within hours I would be sick.
Not anymore - people can just keep their "bugs", I don't want them. I don't want sugar either - it is poison to me.
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
Status report:
It's been a few days since I've posted to this blog - I've been neglectful. I've also been sick. Hadn't felt well, beginning last Thursday night. I was at Gym-X, working out and when I started to strain - I felt an extremely sharp shooting pain, the pain shot from you upper abdomen down through my groin. Even after I put the weights down - the pain would subside, and then suddenly shoot through me again. It was very difficult walking home that night - I cut my work-out short to say the least.
I did not walk my normal 2.5 miles on Friday at lunch, nor did I work out that night. I tried to relax and not strain - to allow my body to rest. I would still get the shooting pains every couple of hours. Then the headache started, the one I get when I have a prostate infection, then I got the chills and had trouble urinating. I rested over the weekend, took massive amounts of vitimins (mostly C, A&D, and E); and drank lots of cranberry juice. I began to assume that the shooting pains were probably caused by a urinary tract infection. By Sunday evening, I was in pretty bad shape. Just standing up in church Sunday morning was quite painful.
I went to the emergency room at the local hospital. Prognosis: Prostate infection and a small hernia. The prostate news wasn't a surprise, the hernia part was! Maybe I've been overdoing it with weights and abdomen exercises. The attending physician told me, that if the hernia is small enough, once the inflammation subsided - it may not bother me much. I'm praying that that is so. I was perscribed an anti-biotic and started taking it Monday morning - I do feel better, the headache is there but not near as strong and the shooting pains stopped a few hours after the medication was taken.
I'm not taking many chances this next few days. No weights this week, and I'll cut way down on the mileage I walk and the pace at which I do it. The slightest tinge in my abdomen and I'll rest. If I can just force my self to take it easy this week - maybe, I'll be able to start working out again next week. I've really got to watch what I eat this week now - since I won't be doing a whole lot of physical activity to burn up the carbs and the calories.
I'm gonna' have to THINK myself thin this week!
It's been a few days since I've posted to this blog - I've been neglectful. I've also been sick. Hadn't felt well, beginning last Thursday night. I was at Gym-X, working out and when I started to strain - I felt an extremely sharp shooting pain, the pain shot from you upper abdomen down through my groin. Even after I put the weights down - the pain would subside, and then suddenly shoot through me again. It was very difficult walking home that night - I cut my work-out short to say the least.
I did not walk my normal 2.5 miles on Friday at lunch, nor did I work out that night. I tried to relax and not strain - to allow my body to rest. I would still get the shooting pains every couple of hours. Then the headache started, the one I get when I have a prostate infection, then I got the chills and had trouble urinating. I rested over the weekend, took massive amounts of vitimins (mostly C, A&D, and E); and drank lots of cranberry juice. I began to assume that the shooting pains were probably caused by a urinary tract infection. By Sunday evening, I was in pretty bad shape. Just standing up in church Sunday morning was quite painful.
I went to the emergency room at the local hospital. Prognosis: Prostate infection and a small hernia. The prostate news wasn't a surprise, the hernia part was! Maybe I've been overdoing it with weights and abdomen exercises. The attending physician told me, that if the hernia is small enough, once the inflammation subsided - it may not bother me much. I'm praying that that is so. I was perscribed an anti-biotic and started taking it Monday morning - I do feel better, the headache is there but not near as strong and the shooting pains stopped a few hours after the medication was taken.
I'm not taking many chances this next few days. No weights this week, and I'll cut way down on the mileage I walk and the pace at which I do it. The slightest tinge in my abdomen and I'll rest. If I can just force my self to take it easy this week - maybe, I'll be able to start working out again next week. I've really got to watch what I eat this week now - since I won't be doing a whole lot of physical activity to burn up the carbs and the calories.
I'm gonna' have to THINK myself thin this week!
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
On being pro-active:
There are days when the weather around here isn't so nice. Not much rain, but the wind can blow very hard for days - and the dirt just fills the air. When Winter finally shows up - we don't get much snow, but again - the wind is incredible! When it is 30 degrees out, and the wind is blowing at 30 miles an hour - well - you get the picture. It's COLD!
With these things in mind, I got the idea - that I should purchase a treadmill or a stepper for my office. That way, if the weather wasn't cooperating - I could use the equipment at on my lunch break, instead of my normal 2.5 mile fast walk. Not having much money, I started - a few weeks ago, popping into the local Salvation Army and looking for used exercise equipment. Yesterday, I hit paydirt!
For the very small sum of $10 - I purchased a used Stepper, it is in great shape - and, the computer still works perfectly - it can count the number of strides, calories burned, and time used. The equipment is very sturdy and heavy - it was good exercise just carrying it out of the store, throwing it into the truck, and then unloading it and then carrying it into my office.
I'm now all set - come rain or shine.
Using the stepper is going to take some getting used to - it works the leg muscles in a whole different way, which is a good thing. To get used to it, I've decided to work at it gradually. For awhile, before I go take my walk - I will use the stepper for like 15 minutes beforehand. It was a very long 15 minutes today - I set the resistance settings down to "1" and will slowly work my way up - as I increase the amount of time I use the machine.
The goal here is - to make sure that I have available, a means to exercise daily - in some form or fashion. I've got to stay active - to create the energy that I need to get through each day. I now use walking, stepping, biking, and weight-lifting. I'm thinking about adding swimming in a week or so - there is a pool at the community college where I will be taking some night classes.
I'm always looking for avenues and options.
There are days when the weather around here isn't so nice. Not much rain, but the wind can blow very hard for days - and the dirt just fills the air. When Winter finally shows up - we don't get much snow, but again - the wind is incredible! When it is 30 degrees out, and the wind is blowing at 30 miles an hour - well - you get the picture. It's COLD!
With these things in mind, I got the idea - that I should purchase a treadmill or a stepper for my office. That way, if the weather wasn't cooperating - I could use the equipment at on my lunch break, instead of my normal 2.5 mile fast walk. Not having much money, I started - a few weeks ago, popping into the local Salvation Army and looking for used exercise equipment. Yesterday, I hit paydirt!
For the very small sum of $10 - I purchased a used Stepper, it is in great shape - and, the computer still works perfectly - it can count the number of strides, calories burned, and time used. The equipment is very sturdy and heavy - it was good exercise just carrying it out of the store, throwing it into the truck, and then unloading it and then carrying it into my office.
I'm now all set - come rain or shine.
Using the stepper is going to take some getting used to - it works the leg muscles in a whole different way, which is a good thing. To get used to it, I've decided to work at it gradually. For awhile, before I go take my walk - I will use the stepper for like 15 minutes beforehand. It was a very long 15 minutes today - I set the resistance settings down to "1" and will slowly work my way up - as I increase the amount of time I use the machine.
The goal here is - to make sure that I have available, a means to exercise daily - in some form or fashion. I've got to stay active - to create the energy that I need to get through each day. I now use walking, stepping, biking, and weight-lifting. I'm thinking about adding swimming in a week or so - there is a pool at the community college where I will be taking some night classes.
I'm always looking for avenues and options.
Sunday, August 17, 2003
Weight lifting:
I have lifted weights in the past. I just got in there amongst the other "Arnold" wannabe's and did what they were doing. I have, in fact added quite a few inches of muscle to my body over the years - but nowhere near the number of inches of fat! What I'm discovering right now is, I do have a pretty good layer of muscle underneath all of this "insulation". I'm using a different "tack" this time.
This time, instead of using heavy weights and a low number of repititions to build muscle, I'm doing the opposite - I'm using lighter weights, and higher reps - and I'm doing them faster and without resting much between the sets. My goal is, to burn off the fat covering the muscle, and to tone the muscles up - get them tight and get some shape into them. Almost everyday, I can see a small transformation taking place on my body - my arms have gotten thinner but yet look a lot more muscular. My chest is losing a lot of fat and is starting to show the muscles - as is my abdomen. My shoulders and upper back are also starting to change shape - I'm methodically stripping away the fat, I'm seeing my muscles flex for the first time in twenty years - I can see blood veins in my arms and chest that I've never even seen before.
My goal - get rid of all of the fat, shape my muscles to look strong and healthy - and then, once I'm down to the weight I want to be at - start building the muscles up. I'd like bigger biceps and tri-ceps, I'd like to get that "V-shape" in my back, I'd like to have a "six-pack" for the first time in my life (at 44 years of age, that is quite a challenge).
When I go work-out, I don't have time to spend hours upon hours in there. I get in - work-out hard and get out in about 45 minutes. I don't use free weights right now - too much time consumed getting them set-up and taken down. I use weight machines - quick and easy to use. I don't work on my legs at all (I work them with the 2.5 miles a day that I fast-walk, and when I ride my bike) - I focus on routines that will work as many as my upper body muscles as possible - chest/shoulders, biceps/triceps, abds/back, shoulders/chest - etc. I normally do about 4 sets of each exercise and I do them quickly with high reps.
Did you know, that the medical field will tell you that one cannot "spot reduce" a particular area of the body? That is, that just working one particular set of muscles will not burn the fat off of those areas? You know what I say to that? Poppy-cock! I've seen it happen, I've experienced it myself. There is no doubt, that the area that you put the most work into - is the area that will change the quickest. I reckon' these "professionals" have never worked-out enough themselves, to learn the truth.
I have lifted weights in the past. I just got in there amongst the other "Arnold" wannabe's and did what they were doing. I have, in fact added quite a few inches of muscle to my body over the years - but nowhere near the number of inches of fat! What I'm discovering right now is, I do have a pretty good layer of muscle underneath all of this "insulation". I'm using a different "tack" this time.
This time, instead of using heavy weights and a low number of repititions to build muscle, I'm doing the opposite - I'm using lighter weights, and higher reps - and I'm doing them faster and without resting much between the sets. My goal is, to burn off the fat covering the muscle, and to tone the muscles up - get them tight and get some shape into them. Almost everyday, I can see a small transformation taking place on my body - my arms have gotten thinner but yet look a lot more muscular. My chest is losing a lot of fat and is starting to show the muscles - as is my abdomen. My shoulders and upper back are also starting to change shape - I'm methodically stripping away the fat, I'm seeing my muscles flex for the first time in twenty years - I can see blood veins in my arms and chest that I've never even seen before.
My goal - get rid of all of the fat, shape my muscles to look strong and healthy - and then, once I'm down to the weight I want to be at - start building the muscles up. I'd like bigger biceps and tri-ceps, I'd like to get that "V-shape" in my back, I'd like to have a "six-pack" for the first time in my life (at 44 years of age, that is quite a challenge).
When I go work-out, I don't have time to spend hours upon hours in there. I get in - work-out hard and get out in about 45 minutes. I don't use free weights right now - too much time consumed getting them set-up and taken down. I use weight machines - quick and easy to use. I don't work on my legs at all (I work them with the 2.5 miles a day that I fast-walk, and when I ride my bike) - I focus on routines that will work as many as my upper body muscles as possible - chest/shoulders, biceps/triceps, abds/back, shoulders/chest - etc. I normally do about 4 sets of each exercise and I do them quickly with high reps.
Did you know, that the medical field will tell you that one cannot "spot reduce" a particular area of the body? That is, that just working one particular set of muscles will not burn the fat off of those areas? You know what I say to that? Poppy-cock! I've seen it happen, I've experienced it myself. There is no doubt, that the area that you put the most work into - is the area that will change the quickest. I reckon' these "professionals" have never worked-out enough themselves, to learn the truth.
Status report redux:
I'm now beginning my 8th week of diet and exercise. I weighed myself and took my measurements this morning, here are the results:
Weight: 250 (-30 pounds)
Neck: 16" (-2)
Chest: 48" (-4)
Stomach: 45" (-8)
Waist: 43.5" (-4.5)
Forearms: 11.5" (-1.5)
Biceps (unflexed): 15.5" (-.5)
Thighs: 24.5" (-3.5)
Calves: 16" (-1)
* The numbers in parenthesis indicate how much weight/inches I've lost since I've begun this program.
Total weight lost so far: 30 pounds
Total inches lost so far: 25
I have always been big (not always fat), by the time I was in 6th grade - I stood at 5'11" and weighed 150 pounds. By my senior year, I was 6 foot and weighed 175. My weight began to creep up on me quickly once I graduated high school. Within one year of graduating from H.S., I weighed in at 220 pounds. But then, I joined the U.S. Coast Guard - in the nine weeks of bootcamp - I lost 40 pounds! I came out of there a lean, mean, fightin' machine - had muscles that I never even knew that I had.
For the nine years that I was in the military, my weight stayed between 180 and 200 pounds - my government authorized limit was about 205, so - I tried to stay below that enough to not get into any trouble.
Once I got out of the military in 1987, my weight quickly started to rise. I was in extremely poor health, the V.A. was pumping me full of anti-biotics, tranquilers, and pain killers. Between 1988 and 1992, my weight zoomed up to 299 pounds, my waist size was a 48 going on a 50 - that scared the heck out of me! I spent the next couple of years getting my weight down to 260 - and from then on, it has fluctuated (greatly), between 260 and 280. That twenty pounds can really make a difference between feeling real bad and OK.
My goal now is, to get down to 210 pounds, and to stay the 210-215 range for the rest of my life. If I do go beyond that range (weight wise) - it would only be because I've added muscle and not fat. It would really be nice to walk into a clothing store and to purchase Large or Extra-large shirts (not 2XX or 3XX and paying more), to wear pants with a waist size less than 40" and for them to fit nicely. My waist size at graduation was 34", during the military years (9) it was between 36-38", I've been wearing over 42" waist pants now for over twenty years - that's about to change! So far, in 8 weeks - I've lost 4 inches off of my waist, just another 6 inches and I'm at 38"!
I'm almost half-way there.
I'm now beginning my 8th week of diet and exercise. I weighed myself and took my measurements this morning, here are the results:
Weight: 250 (-30 pounds)
Neck: 16" (-2)
Chest: 48" (-4)
Stomach: 45" (-8)
Waist: 43.5" (-4.5)
Forearms: 11.5" (-1.5)
Biceps (unflexed): 15.5" (-.5)
Thighs: 24.5" (-3.5)
Calves: 16" (-1)
* The numbers in parenthesis indicate how much weight/inches I've lost since I've begun this program.
Total weight lost so far: 30 pounds
Total inches lost so far: 25
I have always been big (not always fat), by the time I was in 6th grade - I stood at 5'11" and weighed 150 pounds. By my senior year, I was 6 foot and weighed 175. My weight began to creep up on me quickly once I graduated high school. Within one year of graduating from H.S., I weighed in at 220 pounds. But then, I joined the U.S. Coast Guard - in the nine weeks of bootcamp - I lost 40 pounds! I came out of there a lean, mean, fightin' machine - had muscles that I never even knew that I had.
For the nine years that I was in the military, my weight stayed between 180 and 200 pounds - my government authorized limit was about 205, so - I tried to stay below that enough to not get into any trouble.
Once I got out of the military in 1987, my weight quickly started to rise. I was in extremely poor health, the V.A. was pumping me full of anti-biotics, tranquilers, and pain killers. Between 1988 and 1992, my weight zoomed up to 299 pounds, my waist size was a 48 going on a 50 - that scared the heck out of me! I spent the next couple of years getting my weight down to 260 - and from then on, it has fluctuated (greatly), between 260 and 280. That twenty pounds can really make a difference between feeling real bad and OK.
My goal now is, to get down to 210 pounds, and to stay the 210-215 range for the rest of my life. If I do go beyond that range (weight wise) - it would only be because I've added muscle and not fat. It would really be nice to walk into a clothing store and to purchase Large or Extra-large shirts (not 2XX or 3XX and paying more), to wear pants with a waist size less than 40" and for them to fit nicely. My waist size at graduation was 34", during the military years (9) it was between 36-38", I've been wearing over 42" waist pants now for over twenty years - that's about to change! So far, in 8 weeks - I've lost 4 inches off of my waist, just another 6 inches and I'm at 38"!
I'm almost half-way there.
Thursday, August 14, 2003
Status Report:
I'm now seven weeks into my diet and exercise program. I've lost 25 pounds and 21.5 inches of fat - my clothes (shirts and pants) are getting quite loose, in fact my belt just about won't hold my pants anymore. I sorta' hate to go buy new jeans now, and then again in a few months when I've lost another 30 pounds! I may have to though - thought about suspenders, but based on my wife's reaction to that idea - I probably shouldn't consider that option - an option.
I ran into a few fellas' that I hadn't seen in 3 or 4 months. Coincidently, they had began dieting and exercise programs right after I'd seen them last. They both look great - one has lost 50 pounds and the other around 30. Both are staunch believers in the Atkins Diet and are pretty strict on their carbohydrate intake. Up until this week - I had been basiscally doing a modified atkins diet. By modified, I mean that I've adhered to the concept to avoid sugar, caffiene, white flour and anything with empty carbohydrates. I had, by just doing those things dropped by carbohydrate intake drastically and had dropped quite a bit of weight, but I had noticed that the weight loss had slowed down considerably these past two weeks. After talking with them, I decided to go ahead and remove the other foods from my diet that are high in carbs - yet good for my health. Things like my daily bananna, a glass of pure orange juice, all bread, and baked potatoes. My carb intake, right now is very, very low. But, so is my energy level - even though, I'm eating food with high protien levels. My weight loss has begun to accelarate again - but at what cost. I don't feel as energetic and healthy (vibrant, peppy, etc.) as I did up until I dropped those foods.
In fact, by the end of the day - I'm not doing real good mentally. I'm sorta' restless and I get agitated easily - my wife Susan has also noticed this and thinks that I'm not eating enough. Where I was probably consuming 3000 calories a day, 6 weeks ago - I'm probably averaging maybe 1200. And what's ironic - I'm three times more active than I was back then (now I walk, work-out and the gym, and ride a bike). I think what I'm going to have to do - is raise up my carbohydrate intake a little - enough to make me feel better and yet not too much so that my body will continue to burn fat and not carbs. I started my new strategy today - I purchased sugar free wheat bread today (I'd never tasted it before). It did not taste bad - there are only 7 carbs per slice (compared to 22-25 carbs in regular WHEAT bread) - so, I was able to make a sandwhich with sliced turkey lunchmeat and it tasted good. So, I've taken extra carbs today but haven't overdone it. It may take a day or two for my body to respond positively, but I'll just have to wait and see.
I want to get this weight off so badly, I'm so tired of carrying it around - I'm so tired of looking in the mirror and seeing the Blob. When I started this diet 6 weeks ago I was at 280 pounds, today I'm at 255 - my goal is 210. I'll be a lean, mean, fightin' machine when I hit that weight! I want to look like a battle hardened soldier - not Santa Claus.
I'm now seven weeks into my diet and exercise program. I've lost 25 pounds and 21.5 inches of fat - my clothes (shirts and pants) are getting quite loose, in fact my belt just about won't hold my pants anymore. I sorta' hate to go buy new jeans now, and then again in a few months when I've lost another 30 pounds! I may have to though - thought about suspenders, but based on my wife's reaction to that idea - I probably shouldn't consider that option - an option.
I ran into a few fellas' that I hadn't seen in 3 or 4 months. Coincidently, they had began dieting and exercise programs right after I'd seen them last. They both look great - one has lost 50 pounds and the other around 30. Both are staunch believers in the Atkins Diet and are pretty strict on their carbohydrate intake. Up until this week - I had been basiscally doing a modified atkins diet. By modified, I mean that I've adhered to the concept to avoid sugar, caffiene, white flour and anything with empty carbohydrates. I had, by just doing those things dropped by carbohydrate intake drastically and had dropped quite a bit of weight, but I had noticed that the weight loss had slowed down considerably these past two weeks. After talking with them, I decided to go ahead and remove the other foods from my diet that are high in carbs - yet good for my health. Things like my daily bananna, a glass of pure orange juice, all bread, and baked potatoes. My carb intake, right now is very, very low. But, so is my energy level - even though, I'm eating food with high protien levels. My weight loss has begun to accelarate again - but at what cost. I don't feel as energetic and healthy (vibrant, peppy, etc.) as I did up until I dropped those foods.
In fact, by the end of the day - I'm not doing real good mentally. I'm sorta' restless and I get agitated easily - my wife Susan has also noticed this and thinks that I'm not eating enough. Where I was probably consuming 3000 calories a day, 6 weeks ago - I'm probably averaging maybe 1200. And what's ironic - I'm three times more active than I was back then (now I walk, work-out and the gym, and ride a bike). I think what I'm going to have to do - is raise up my carbohydrate intake a little - enough to make me feel better and yet not too much so that my body will continue to burn fat and not carbs. I started my new strategy today - I purchased sugar free wheat bread today (I'd never tasted it before). It did not taste bad - there are only 7 carbs per slice (compared to 22-25 carbs in regular WHEAT bread) - so, I was able to make a sandwhich with sliced turkey lunchmeat and it tasted good. So, I've taken extra carbs today but haven't overdone it. It may take a day or two for my body to respond positively, but I'll just have to wait and see.
I want to get this weight off so badly, I'm so tired of carrying it around - I'm so tired of looking in the mirror and seeing the Blob. When I started this diet 6 weeks ago I was at 280 pounds, today I'm at 255 - my goal is 210. I'll be a lean, mean, fightin' machine when I hit that weight! I want to look like a battle hardened soldier - not Santa Claus.
Today's topic - Caffeine:
The opinions about the use of caffeine are wide and varied. For every article published that slams caffeine - there is another article proclaiming it's benefits to the human race. I guess, caffeine usage is strictly an individual thing - everyone reacts differently to the substance. For example, I grew up drinking lots of iced tea - being a southern boy, that was the most popular drink. It was also because our family was too poor to buy soft drinks very often. Regular tea, the kind used to make iced tea, contains caffeine. It was during my childhood years that I began to suffer from chest pains - sometimes once a month, sometimes more often. The military doctors never could find a cause - other than to say "it's probably all in your head". No, the pain was not in my head - it was most definately in my chest and at times the pains were so severe that I could hardly breathe. Normally, I'd have to lay down and just try to relax - I'd eventually fall asleep, and then when I'd wake up - the pain would be gone. This "ordeal" began around the age of 11 or 12 - escalated during my teen years and then basically disappeared until I was around 22 or 23 years of age.
The connection? I quit drinking iced tea on a regular basis and drank very little coffee or soda - my favorite sodas were 7-UP, Sprite, and Fresca - none containing caffeine (hindsight sure is something). When I hit my early twenties - I was in the military, I worked 12 hours shifts and around 70 hours a week. I started drinking coffee - heavily. There were times that a pot of coffee (or two) was the only thing that would get me through a 12 hour night shift. The chest pains began to creep back up on me, then - one night, the pain was the worst it had ever been. I ended up on the floor, my heart rate was over 180 beats per minute - it was as if someone was hammering a very large nail into my chest. The incident scared me pretty good - as it did my fellow Coastguardsman who were on duty with me. They made me comfortable, gave me oxygen, and called an ambulance. By the time the ambulance arrived, my heart rate was back down to normal and the chest pains were gone - that is, until they insisted that I have an I.V. and ride in the ambulance to the hospital - suddenly my heart rate accelarated and I was in pain again. But, by the time I reached the hospital - I was fine.
An EKG and ECG were performed that night - they indicated that I had not had a heart attack - everyone's top thought of course. What was found though, was a very rare heart condition called Wolf-Parkinson-White Syndrome - it has something to do with an extra electrical signal present in the heart - if it's triggered or aggitated, it throws the whole heart off. Guess what - for me, was the primary trigger for the syndrome? You guessed it - caffeine. To say the least, I quit taking in caffeine pretty darn quick. Now, the only time I suffer from chest pains - is if I have consumed food or drink with caffeine in it.
Caffeine and sugar are my enemies - I must never forget that!
I found a Web site, that is pretty darn informative about caffeine and coffee, it's entitled The Coffee Science Information Centre - you might check it out.
The opinions about the use of caffeine are wide and varied. For every article published that slams caffeine - there is another article proclaiming it's benefits to the human race. I guess, caffeine usage is strictly an individual thing - everyone reacts differently to the substance. For example, I grew up drinking lots of iced tea - being a southern boy, that was the most popular drink. It was also because our family was too poor to buy soft drinks very often. Regular tea, the kind used to make iced tea, contains caffeine. It was during my childhood years that I began to suffer from chest pains - sometimes once a month, sometimes more often. The military doctors never could find a cause - other than to say "it's probably all in your head". No, the pain was not in my head - it was most definately in my chest and at times the pains were so severe that I could hardly breathe. Normally, I'd have to lay down and just try to relax - I'd eventually fall asleep, and then when I'd wake up - the pain would be gone. This "ordeal" began around the age of 11 or 12 - escalated during my teen years and then basically disappeared until I was around 22 or 23 years of age.
The connection? I quit drinking iced tea on a regular basis and drank very little coffee or soda - my favorite sodas were 7-UP, Sprite, and Fresca - none containing caffeine (hindsight sure is something). When I hit my early twenties - I was in the military, I worked 12 hours shifts and around 70 hours a week. I started drinking coffee - heavily. There were times that a pot of coffee (or two) was the only thing that would get me through a 12 hour night shift. The chest pains began to creep back up on me, then - one night, the pain was the worst it had ever been. I ended up on the floor, my heart rate was over 180 beats per minute - it was as if someone was hammering a very large nail into my chest. The incident scared me pretty good - as it did my fellow Coastguardsman who were on duty with me. They made me comfortable, gave me oxygen, and called an ambulance. By the time the ambulance arrived, my heart rate was back down to normal and the chest pains were gone - that is, until they insisted that I have an I.V. and ride in the ambulance to the hospital - suddenly my heart rate accelarated and I was in pain again. But, by the time I reached the hospital - I was fine.
An EKG and ECG were performed that night - they indicated that I had not had a heart attack - everyone's top thought of course. What was found though, was a very rare heart condition called Wolf-Parkinson-White Syndrome - it has something to do with an extra electrical signal present in the heart - if it's triggered or aggitated, it throws the whole heart off. Guess what - for me, was the primary trigger for the syndrome? You guessed it - caffeine. To say the least, I quit taking in caffeine pretty darn quick. Now, the only time I suffer from chest pains - is if I have consumed food or drink with caffeine in it.
Caffeine and sugar are my enemies - I must never forget that!
I found a Web site, that is pretty darn informative about caffeine and coffee, it's entitled The Coffee Science Information Centre - you might check it out.
Monday, August 11, 2003
Mercury:
Here is something else to think about.
Did you know that states and communities across this country are working hard to have all traces of Mercury removed from our air and water - that's a good thing. Mercury contamination mainly affects the nervous system and kidneys. Symptoms may include hand tremors, visual or hearing loss, memory deterioration, irritability, and difficulty with sleeping. Kidney damage can result in oedema, particularly in the ankles and legs. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort may also occur. Mercury can also pass from the mother to the fetus resulting in impaired brain development. Some neurological effects can be long-lasting, while other health effects are usually reversible.
Now, you are probably wondering where I am going with all of this?
If the government is so concerned about the dangers of Mercury - why does it not address the issue of the Mercury that is present in 90 percent of the population of the world? Where is that mercury located? In our mouths! Yes, that's right folks - those "silver" fillings that we received - to fill our teeth, are not really made of silver - they contian mercury. The same compound that has been scientifically linked to numerous health issues. For example, I've only had to fillings put in my mouth in my 44 years of life, but - they were put in when I was 6 years old. Now think about it, for 38 years - I have had an extremely dangrous compound residing in my mouth. Doesn't sound right does it? Is it implausible to think that possibly, that mercury has somehow contributed to all of my health problems? Is it any coincidence - that my health problems started in the sixth year of my life?
Lots of questions - not enough answers.
Here is something else to think about.
Did you know that states and communities across this country are working hard to have all traces of Mercury removed from our air and water - that's a good thing. Mercury contamination mainly affects the nervous system and kidneys. Symptoms may include hand tremors, visual or hearing loss, memory deterioration, irritability, and difficulty with sleeping. Kidney damage can result in oedema, particularly in the ankles and legs. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort may also occur. Mercury can also pass from the mother to the fetus resulting in impaired brain development. Some neurological effects can be long-lasting, while other health effects are usually reversible.
Now, you are probably wondering where I am going with all of this?
If the government is so concerned about the dangers of Mercury - why does it not address the issue of the Mercury that is present in 90 percent of the population of the world? Where is that mercury located? In our mouths! Yes, that's right folks - those "silver" fillings that we received - to fill our teeth, are not really made of silver - they contian mercury. The same compound that has been scientifically linked to numerous health issues. For example, I've only had to fillings put in my mouth in my 44 years of life, but - they were put in when I was 6 years old. Now think about it, for 38 years - I have had an extremely dangrous compound residing in my mouth. Doesn't sound right does it? Is it implausible to think that possibly, that mercury has somehow contributed to all of my health problems? Is it any coincidence - that my health problems started in the sixth year of my life?
Lots of questions - not enough answers.
Got Milk?
I sincerely believe that part of my health improvement these past 6 weeks, has been due to my avoidance of milk. Cramping, bloating, indigestion are all but totally gone. Instead of daily bouts of each symptom - I may have one of the symptoms once a week when I eat something that doesn't agree with me. After talking with my younger brother Terry this weekend, I'm even more convinced that milk can be determental to one's health. Terry also gave up drinking milk a few weeks ago and has begun to feel much better, he had all of the same symptoms.
We discussed the availability of pills that one can take to help with lactose intolerance, but the question in our minds is - IF a person needs to take a pill to help them digest a substance, should that substance be consumed in the first place? After a thorough search on the Internet - I've begun to develop even more questions about milk consumption. Is is possible, that the only milk humans should drink - is mother's milk when they are infants? That once we are weaned from our mother's breast - that is it for milk? That consensus seems to be a growing one.
Is it possible, that the dairy industry has done a most excellent job of creating an absolute myth, when it comes to the benefits of drinking milk? Some folks consider it a down right conspiracy of mis-information.
I'm not telling others to not drink milk - I'm just bring up questions, that maybe should be pondered, researched and contemplated. Questions like, do all of the hormones that are injected into dairy cows - affect us (the human race) in a negative manner? What about the heavy doses of anti-biotics that the cows receive - could that be a contributing factor in why people seem to become less and less affected by anti-biotics when they are sick? Did you know that we humans, are the only species on the planet that drinks the milk of another species? We are also the only species that continues to drink milk after infancy. Did you know that the consumption of whole milk has been scientifically linked to prostate cancer and heart disease?
Please, don't just take my word on this milk issue. Go to the search engine Google.com, and do your own research. Also, here are a few links to get you started:
http://www.mercola.com/2000/jul/30/milk.htm
http://www.mercola.com/article/Diet/milk/no_milk.htm
http://www.rense.com/general26/milk.htm
I'm basing my opinions on milk though personal experience. I was allergic to milk by the time I was 6 or 7 years old - couldn't drink it without feeling ill until I was about 19 years of age. Still never could tolerate whole milk - 1 or 2% on a limited basis was OK. As I got older, my low fat milk intake increased - as did my stomach problems, hypoglycemia, and prostate problems. Now that I've been off the milk totally - going on my seventh week - I'm having none of the associated problems. I'm not saying that everyone's body has an issue with milk, but what I am saying is - if a person has a lot of medical issues, maybe they should consider going without milk for a period of time, and see if any of the problems clear up.
Worth a shot at least I'd think.
I sincerely believe that part of my health improvement these past 6 weeks, has been due to my avoidance of milk. Cramping, bloating, indigestion are all but totally gone. Instead of daily bouts of each symptom - I may have one of the symptoms once a week when I eat something that doesn't agree with me. After talking with my younger brother Terry this weekend, I'm even more convinced that milk can be determental to one's health. Terry also gave up drinking milk a few weeks ago and has begun to feel much better, he had all of the same symptoms.
We discussed the availability of pills that one can take to help with lactose intolerance, but the question in our minds is - IF a person needs to take a pill to help them digest a substance, should that substance be consumed in the first place? After a thorough search on the Internet - I've begun to develop even more questions about milk consumption. Is is possible, that the only milk humans should drink - is mother's milk when they are infants? That once we are weaned from our mother's breast - that is it for milk? That consensus seems to be a growing one.
Is it possible, that the dairy industry has done a most excellent job of creating an absolute myth, when it comes to the benefits of drinking milk? Some folks consider it a down right conspiracy of mis-information.
I'm not telling others to not drink milk - I'm just bring up questions, that maybe should be pondered, researched and contemplated. Questions like, do all of the hormones that are injected into dairy cows - affect us (the human race) in a negative manner? What about the heavy doses of anti-biotics that the cows receive - could that be a contributing factor in why people seem to become less and less affected by anti-biotics when they are sick? Did you know that we humans, are the only species on the planet that drinks the milk of another species? We are also the only species that continues to drink milk after infancy. Did you know that the consumption of whole milk has been scientifically linked to prostate cancer and heart disease?
Please, don't just take my word on this milk issue. Go to the search engine Google.com, and do your own research. Also, here are a few links to get you started:
http://www.mercola.com/2000/jul/30/milk.htm
http://www.mercola.com/article/Diet/milk/no_milk.htm
http://www.rense.com/general26/milk.htm
I'm basing my opinions on milk though personal experience. I was allergic to milk by the time I was 6 or 7 years old - couldn't drink it without feeling ill until I was about 19 years of age. Still never could tolerate whole milk - 1 or 2% on a limited basis was OK. As I got older, my low fat milk intake increased - as did my stomach problems, hypoglycemia, and prostate problems. Now that I've been off the milk totally - going on my seventh week - I'm having none of the associated problems. I'm not saying that everyone's body has an issue with milk, but what I am saying is - if a person has a lot of medical issues, maybe they should consider going without milk for a period of time, and see if any of the problems clear up.
Worth a shot at least I'd think.
