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.
