13 Weeks: Week Eight — Plateaus and Diets and Goals, Oh My!
Episode VIII: A NEW HOPE. It is a period of gluttony and excess. The Taubes rebellion, striking back from a hidden base of scientific papers, anecdotal stories, and statistics, has managed to win its first high-intensity battle against body fat and blood glucose, only to find itself stymied by the holiday season, plateauing weight, and coffee cake. Follow Our Hero at PJ Lifestyle and Facebook as he enters the eighth week of his thirteen week experiment.
Yeah, okay, it’s a little cheesy, but it sure worked for Lucas. So this is Week Eight, and you remember all that stuff about plateaus for the last two weeks? Well, you can forget about it. This morning’s weight was 272 pounds, which is 5 pounds or more off in the last week and within a hair of 30 pounds off since I first had my mortality wake-up call in October. Blood glucose has a bigger variance, so since day numbers aren’t as useful, but my average morning fasting blood glucose for the first week of the experiment was 142; for the last 7 days, it has been 122. This is progress.
Twelve-steppers are told to “trust the process” and it’s good advice, but it sure is a helluva sight easier to trust the process when it’s actually visibly working.
Now that I’m well past the halfway point, however, and the end of this experiment starts to be something foreseeable, people are starting to ask me what my next goals will be. This goes along with the people who ask you what your New Year’s Resolution will be?
My New Year’s Resolution is not to make any New Year’s Resolutions.
As I’ve said a couple of times, the physiology of this whole low-carb eating plan is interesting, but the longer I go into the experiment, the more the psychology of “dieting” and weight loss, and socially-conditioned feelings about diets and weight, and my own personal baggage (two steamer trunks, three suitcases, and an extensive scrapbook) involving all of this has become the most interesting part.
This week, in addition to the sudden weight loss itself, I had what I think has to be described as a therapeutic insight about my weight and that baggage. How I came to that realization would be a long, extraordinarily geeky but eventually boring story involving, of all things, MMORPG computer games, but the upshot is that I realized that in my day-to-day life, when I’m interacting in person with other people, I’ve always — always — had a subconscious awareness that I was fat, and that being fat was disgusting, so therefore I was disgusting.
I suspect this may have had some impact on my confidence in social situations.
As always, remember to read on to the second page.
Great job, Charlie.
Remember, walking is a “do-no-harm” exercise.
Even if you start walking 3/4 mile a day in quarter-mile increments you should start seeing some benefits.
Charlie, This is my favorite post of the series so far. Your words expressed my inner voice PERFECTLY. I’ve always called it my inner Don Rickles. I’m so happy to see the progress you’ve made on all fronts but the cracking and weakening of the prison walls in the mind are, to me, the most important. You give me hope.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Getting down to a really good weight takes a long time. My peak was about 235, but I lost 10+ via traditional dieting, but the feeling of being hungry all the time was hard. I get referred to Gary Taubes on an internet gun forum and decided to give it a shot. I went from 220some to 190 at a steady clip. Then things got slow. Along the way I spent a month proving that enough nuts and cheese will cause you to gain weight. Anyhow 18 months or so later I’m still slowly losing weight, down to 164.4 today. (I was 169 at the end of basic training, but I had more muscle and less fat then).
I went from size 40 to 32 pants, and XL shirts to mediums, and a 44″ instructor belt to a 35″ belt (which is too loose now). So yeah, it took years to put on the weight, it will take a long time to get it off.
Kevin,
This sentence made me laugh;
“I get referred to Gary Taubes on an internet gun forum and decided to give it a shot.”
enough nuts and cheese will cause you to gain weight: Yes, I proved this too!
Last Nov 2011, my doctor told me that if i did not get serious about my fitness, i was going to become diabetic and have other major problems. On that day, I weighed 273 pounds, had a blood glucose # of 122, cholestrol # of 206, trigylcerides of 304 and my hemoglobin A1C was 6.6. i Am just under 6 feet tall.
I bought a TreadClimber as a Christmas present to myself (and my wife) and started to walk. It was really hard at first. for the first few weeks I could only go for 10 minutes at 1 mph. it took until March for me to be able to walk 1 mile on it and that took 31 minutes… but i stuck with it.
Between Jan and Aug I had 1 number to watch.. my weight. I went back to the doctor in August, the weight was 239… 34 pounds lost. I was a lot more nervous about the numbers I could not see and anxiously awaited his review of my blood work. Oh that date, my blood glucose # was 106, my cholesterol # was 137, trigylcerides 119 and my hemoglobin A1C was 5.7. His message in August to me was 1) don’t stop what you are doing and 2) your actions for the past 8 months made a big difference in your health.
Its now almost Christmas 2012.. just about 1 year after I bought the treadclimber. My weight is now at 222# and I am now spending 45 minutes on the treadclimber 4-6 nights a week. I just hit a new max distance of 2.81 miles in 45 minutes topping out at out at 4 mph for the last 7-8 minutes.. Most weeks, i am getting as far as 12-14 miles on this machine.
I am 52 years old and feel fitter than at any other time in my life. I am not yet done with losing weight… and hope to be below 200# by spring. I am NOT dieting, I am changing the way i live. Stick with it!
Way to go, Dave. You’re right about the dieting…this isn’t something you do and then stop when you’re done. That’s an invitation to go right back where we started out. This is a life change, one that becomes easier once you figure out how to eat and act in social situations.
I went off my low carb eating habit for some indulgence during Christmas and I saw a negative impact almost immediately. Bloating, headache, weight gain of a couple pounds and just a general feeling of discomfort. For New Year’s Eve, I’m going to toast the year in with very dry Champagne and protein-based snacks.
Hey Charlie,
You wrote: I’m learning from the experiment, however, that it’s clear lots of wheat is hard on my body. I’ll continue to avoid wheat after the thirteen weeks are up, but I’ll avoid it because wheat clearly makes me sick. I’ll stay with a low-carb diet because lots of easily-digested carbs make me fat and sick.
You just think that carbs are easily digested — in fact, they are not for a lot of people — that’s the reason that you have had GI complications. You should buy the book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, by Elaine Gottschall or Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell McBride, and that will explain the science. Also, being overweight can also correlate with the particular pathogenic bacteria you have colonizing your gut. Some bacteria seem to break the food down in such a way that it causes more weight gain. This is one reason that one possible future use for fecal transplant is weight loss by replacing pathogenic bacterial pathogens with healthy ones.
It may also be that you have a low thyroid issue complicating your health picture — for more on that, buy Hypothyroidism Type 2 by Dr. Mark Starr or visit the Stop the Thyroid Madness website, for a list of untreated thyroid complications.
I’m glad to see this is working well for you. Happy New Year!
Low Carb v Plants http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_741592&feature=iv&src_vid=Q9k7VhM_Oh8&v=2zVxA6yipv4
Perhaps a different way of looking at it.
Congratulations on the good work you are doing for your physical fitness. Keep in mind though that all the “Risk Factor” numbers are essentially meaningless if your genetics are such that you either are or are not prone to heart disease. Since you have a family history of heart disease that could be a clue to genetic disposition. If you _really_ want to know the health of your heart have your doctor refer you for a Coronary CTA using at least a 128 slice MRI machine. That will give you a diagnostic quality scan of your heart and arteries that will really show you the health of your heart and arteries instead of the third hand nonsense of “risk factors”. that way if you are starting to get occlusions you can do something about it and if you aren’t you can keep up with the weight loss and fitness regimens for the personal satisfaction value. I had mine done Feb 2012 and know I only have two small locations in two arteries that are about 20% occluded (which no cardiologist will even give the time of day to)…cost? About $750, which the insurance picked up $530 of. PenRad imaging, cash on the barrel price.
I’ve thought about doing that. The thing about the cardiac imaging stuff is that I’m not sure what actions I could take if I did show up with bad stuff. My BP is at the bottom end of normal, my lipids are pretty good and I hope going to be better shortly, and while I do have a history of cardiac disease in my family, my father on PM didn’t have significant cardiovascular atherosclerosis, and my mother had pretty severe alcohol-related cardiomyopathy and a long history of arrhythmia. Both smokers, both drinkers, both severely obese.
I’ve had a stress test and several EKGs, and other than a single PVC that may have been an artifact, there’s no sign of any trouble.
Right now at least I think the glucose is the bigger issue.
Does sound like the glucose is the chief concern, but you could easily have compromised or near compromised heart or arteries and start treatment for it before the inevitable heart attack. A bad CTA such as 70% occlusion or more you could take to a cardiologist and get a preemptive angioplasty, especially if you opted for the excimer laser angioplasty which reduces the plaque to its component parts flowing through your blood stream instead of balloon angioplasty that squishes the plaque up against the arterial walls. The CTA will also show any problems with the walls of the heart and such. The resulting images are so high in detail that it’s incredible what you can see. My radiologist also gave my upper lungs a clean bill of health…which was nice as a former smoker. It’s a piece of change and the equivalent of a few chest x-rays, but you’ll know whether to be aggressively treating the heart or arteries or worry about other stuff.
Disgusting? BS. I think you look cute.
Happy New Year
You have my permission to say that just as much as you want.
Reply to RC regarding coronary CTA:
You might also go to Houston, Texas to have K. Lance Gould, M.D. of the Weatherhead P.E.T. Center for Preventing and Reversing Atherosclerosis conduct a non-invasive P.E.T. scan of your heart. http://www.healyourheart.info
A cheaper and more accessible alternative would be a carotid artery ultrasound. It is an excellent proxy for coronary arteries scans and is useful in and of itself to assess your current risk of stroke. It shows plaque thickness and whether it is soft or hard.
Anything that gives diagnostic quality results that is non-invasive is a good idea. Actually knowing the condition of your coronary system vs paying attention to phony baloney “risk factors” is a good thing. Treating occlusions before the heart attack hits makes it preventative medicine instead of post “event” physical therapy.
Good luck, Charlie. I’ve been through all this, too, off and on since I discovered Atkins in 1998. (I recommend his book, by the way, despite attempts to discredit it; much of it reads exactly like Taubes.) I don’t like the word “diet”, either, since the meaning has become perverted over time. A diet is just the foods one eats, but over time has come to be perceived as a *temporary* eating regimen used to lose weight.
People will say “but when you go off the diet, you’ll gain the weight back”. Well, duh. Of course. Name a “diet” that doesn’t have that feature.
John
Denver
So, when do we get an updated bio pic at the top of your articles?
Congrats on your progress and your insights. Insights are worthless on their own, but priceless in how you apply them. You seem to have the right perspective.
I’m down to somewhere between 204 and 207, depending on how trustworthy the scale is here at Disney. Just before I left home a week-and-a-half ago, I was at 207. A few days ago, I found a scale in the mens locker room. It says 204. I’ve been walking a lot, and focusing on a meat-heavy, carb-light “diet,” so I may very well have lost additional weight. We’ll see in a couple of days when I get back home.
The last few weeks of your regimen will be intriguing to watch, as will the following few weeks. Are you planning on blogging about the “post-diet” experience? You’ve already indicated that you’re pretty committed to some of the core aspects of this new regimen, which is good. I’ll be curious to see how you react to the perceived lack of structure.
Excellent question. I really need a new head shot. I’ll slip in something in the next post.
Charlie,
I hope you have a base A1c average blood glucose reading from the start of your life style change. Seeing progress on that measure every month with an at home test helped me greatly in getting my blood glucose under control.
I have not seen a mention of that measure, but I could have missed it.
Bob, I had an A1c shortly before this of 7.5 percent. (I think I mentioned it in the very first post.) I’ve got a doc appointment on Thursday at which I expect i’ll get a new one done.
Good going Charlie. I just fell off my ‘diet’ [I don't call it that, either] due largely to my in-laws coming for a holiday visit. I’ll be back on tonight. I’ve found the longer you go with changed eating habits the easier it is to ‘fall off’ for a day or two but get right back on. After 9 months a couple of days and a couple of pounds is no big deal. A week’s worth of the routine takes care of it.
Here’s to your future good health.
Congratulations on recognizing the need for health. It seems to keep happening especially with those who are about to or just recently hit 50. That’s good. One of the best things I did was take a product called Body Balance–knocked off one of my BP meds in about three months and dropped LDL from 130 to 102 in another month of use.
My wife is on their weight loss program, BENew, which focuses on health and nutrition to achieve weight loss. She has gone through the “stall” phase with similar feeling to you. She has lost over 25 pounds (almost halfway to her goal) in about nine weeks. Better yet, she is healthier than ever. She is more active and has freedom of movement unlike she has had for about 18 years. She is literally a transformed person. This is making a positive life changing impact. Here’s to you . . .
Fat chance:
Youth establishes our number of fat (adipose) cells. Each adipose cell last ~9.5 years before replacement. A pre-adipose cell gets processed to “mature” as a replacement adipose cell.
Irregardless of whether one is slim or obese, our individual mature adipose cells shape can be characterized as either predominantly large or small in size. Large size adipose cells can have up to 70% less annual turnover than small size adipose cells.
Even in one individual there can be varying amounts of both large & small size adipocytes, it is not a standard ratio. Adipose tissue with predominatly large size adipocytes tend to contain numerically less individual adipocyte cells & conversely adipose tissue with predominately small size adipocytes tend to have numerically more adipocyte cells. But, it seems the obese individual will add numerically more adipocyte cells per year than thin people.
How those small or large adipocytes behave (morphology, as distinct from size conformation) is a whole different issue. Morphology of adipocytes is how quickly they fill with “fat” stores & is NOT determined by BMI (or gender).
Large adipose morpholgy is due to how they are prone to load up inside with more fat (lipid, as storage molecule triglyceride). They are slower over time to be replaced, but more relevant to dieters harder to pull “fat” out of (& more prone to insulin resistance). Thin, low BMI, people can get adult onset Type 2 diabetes when they have predominantly large adipose cell morphology.
Small adipose cells have a quicker turnover, are loaded with less fat & not prone to insulin resistance . Thin people with small adipose morphology don’t hold any weight gained from spells of big meals – even when eating a diet that produces excess post-prandial blood sugar (like carbs cause).
Obese dieters who progressively lose weight are favored with a higher % small adipose cell morphology – they can pull the “fat” out easier from adipose cells & respond with improved insulin sensitivity. In fact only a fraction of obese adults are going to go on to develop Type 2 diabetes.
Another feature relating to the average duration each adipose cell completely turns over its own internal load of “fat”(triglyceride). On average an adipose cell will completely turn over it’s lipid load every 1.6 years.
In terms of whole body insulin resistance it is not the exact total volume of triglyceride load in the adipose cell, but more precisely the rate of triglyceride turnover in adipose cells that is implicated (rather than merely how much “fat” stashed). Unfortunately, the obese are more prone to perform a slow triglyceride turnover since they usually have also exhibit large adipocyte morphology that pushes those cells to keep topping up with diet derived triglycerides (which are distinct from an ingested fat molecule & often a byproduct of high carbs ingested).
Your mileage may differ is the dieters paradox.
So, if I’m following this, I can’t possibly lose weight and have my blood sugar improve, especially over only 8 weeks?
Certainly there is potential for blood sugar change & weight loss – the adipose tissue mass just doesn’t respond uniformly. Individual adipose cells don’t work on an either or basis; they don’t just all give up stashed “fat” or just pile more triglycerides in).
Dieters look at intake (whether calories or ratios of fat/protein/carbs), but can’t see their internal rate of turnover of adipose cells. As you loose body fat weight (not water, nor broken down protein)the different size
(large/small) individual adipose cells are being replaced at your personal rate (human average is about 10% new “mature” adipocyte cell in a year, your turnover may vary).
Although not an absolute governing factor, the replaced adipose cell (whether large or small sized) if once “mature” has the characteristic behavior (morphology)of performing fast turnover of it’s triglyceride (“fat” molecule stored) you will more easily keep losing weight. If morphology on new replacement adipose cell (whether large or small) is slow triglyceride turnover you can still lose weight by dieting, just not so easily.
(Calorie restricted diets work for some people, not because dietary fat is bad for them, but because a very low calorie intake forces steady turn-over of their individual adipose cells triglyceride “fat” content. Their annual ~10% replacement adipose cells is meanwhile giving them a % of a “fresh” adipose cells to train under low triglyceride storage load.)
Dieters don’t think of small things:
Melatonin supplementation is popular for poor sleepers. Fasting blood serum glucose varies with genetics of MTNR1B (melatonin receptor 1b in brain). Melatonin binds to MTNR1B & the rate of this activity going on lessens the degree of insulin secretion. The end result shows up as higher fasting glucose. Many take over the counter melatonin & of course a dieter is not going to know if they are feeding into a “too busy” MTNR genetic variation.
Exercise sometimes doesn’t live up to fat burning expectations. Vitamin C & E (anti-oxidants) supplements (even just 4 days in a row) largely stop the contracting skeletal muscles’ release of the peptide Interleukin 6 (IL6). Muscle’s IL6 decisively raises the ability to oxidize fat stored in between the muscle cells. Statins, although not universally taken, also depress IL6 production. (Note: muscle generated IL6 is not an auto-immune product, being distinct in origin than one’s immune cell monocyte’s IL6.)
Dieters often try to consume low salt daily for less water retention. However, low salt diet are associated with worse insulin sensitivity. This is because low salt up-regulates 2 dynamics that act to provoke insulin resistance, namely the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone linkage.
Oh, now that’s interesting. I take melatonin regularly as a treatment for seasonal affective disorder. I’m certainly seeing some “dawn effect”. But the big shiny thing is coming back from the underworld, maybe I’ll try cutting the melatonin for a week or two and see what happens.
This stuff really is interesting. Have you got some citations or papers you could point me to?
“Google Scholar” search engine is best for technical leads – not all papers allow full access for free. Since you exercise here’s details of IL-6.
In response to muscle contraction (not eccentric action) the myo-cyte cells (both Types 1 & 2 fibers) located near tendons perform a nuclear transcription that secretes IL6. Rising IL6 put out by muscle is part of the signalling indicating muscle reserve of glycogen is running down & primes cells to get ready for new energy.
((Technically: muscle IL6 increases cyclic AMP, a second messenger inside cell & alters the ratio of ATP:AMP. Then AMP kinase, or AMPK, cascade causes acetyl-CoA carboxylase Beta enzyme phosphorylation, which inhibits acetyl-CoA carboxylase action, allowing a decrease in % of malonyl CoA, that then frees from inhibition carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 enzyme so that there is an increase of fatty acid oxidation. This means muscle IL6 raises the ability to oxidize fat stored in between the muscle cells that we are naturally designed to store as di-/tri- acyl-glycerides for back up energy.))
50% of muscle derived IL6 levels rise is due to exercise duration, but the intensity also plays a part – as does muscle mass involved. Notably running’s coordinated muscle groups use raises IL6 best, rather than when do isolated muscle groups’ contraction. (Distance runners get skinny & wind sprints are great, if knees allow, to integrate into an existing weight loss exercise regimen.)
The promoter of IL6 as well as the receptor of IL6 have genetic poly-morphisms, so people do differ a lot. Normal resting IL6 blood levels are ~1-2 picograms/mL, while obese blood plasma IL6 levels can be up to 3 times greater. Both advancing age & metabolic syndrome have serum IL6 levels rising.
After hard exercise IL6 in blood will be ~5 times higher than one’s baseline, but comes down readily. Exercisers see lower resting (baseline) IL6 levels circulating in blood; in contrast to low activity individuals showing elevated resting IL6. Meanwhile training & physical activity involving large muscle group contraction (not clicking/tapping the remote, mouse or screen) measurably increases the number of receptors of IL6. Muscles thus become more responsive with use. Yet high doses of anti-oxidants may hold that dynamic back if they stymie the exercise spike of IL6 (ex: supra-physiological doses of vitamin C & E largely abate muscle IL6, even though they usually only drop blood circulating IL6 by half).
Over-exercising (daily, extreme) during dieting bears comment:
In addition to increasing fat oxidation muscle’s IL6 augments glucose uptake & the transporter GLUT4 coming from deeper inside muscle cell to cell surface for pick up of glucose. It does this without stopping the gluco-neo-genesis (internally made glucose) program to meet skeletal muscle needs.
However, chronic elevated IL6 can actually provoke liver insulin resistance (note: this is distinct from skeletal insulin resistance), since IL6 up-regulates the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOC)3 & SOC3 inhibits insulin receptors. This is one reason why the pattern of obese high baseline IL6 is detrimental (& insulin resistance creeps up with age related rising baseline level of IL6).
In other words, when the liver can’t essentially hold off from performing gluco-neo-genesis the skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity is going to be less (worse). Some may find over-exercising (obviously an individual standard in time) which holds IL6 level constantly high risks crossing over into a transitory insulin resistant state, essentially from too much gluco-neo-genesis.
When the over-exercising dieters skeletal muscle doesn’t need to burn fat (once self made glucose abundant & since skeletal muscle primed to burn it – due to pumped up IL6), the body naturally holds stored triglycerides (naturally just preserving reserve energy) & then dieter wonders why weight loss seems too slow for the amount of dedicated exertion performed. It’s, in this instance, largely a complication from induced liver (not skeletal) insulin resistance causing transitory systemic programs in the metabolism.
Editing correction, sorry:
2nd to last paragraph (starts “In other words..”) change “skeletal” to read “liver” (“..insulin resistance….”)
How about fish oil? Omega3. I swear by it. It has kept my hair dark at 45, mis heramos have all turned gray. Joints limber, skin young, fingernails strong, general bienestar.
Try it out. When you buy, buy quality. Take it with your meals.
Charlie, I’m very proud of you. As someone who has lost 60 lbs so far, your story is even more inspiring because of the thoughts expressed along your way. Way to go dude!
Congrats, Mr. Martin. Glad you’ve moved from talking about weight to health issues. They tell us it’s about lifestyle, not dieting. That’s what I hear you saying today. Changes that are lifelong, every day, every week. For the rest of your life. Daunting to think about it, but necessary. Continuing best wishes to you.
I lost 22 pounds in four months, and took my A1C number down from a near-diabetic 6.8 to the top of the normal range at 6.2. I plan to stay on the limited-carb plan for the rest of my life, and let my weight land where it lands. I expect I’ll lose another 20 or so and then stabilize at a level not too much higher than my youthful weight four decades ago. I agree, this isn’t a “diet,” it’s a change in my eating habits. I have not been hungry, and the cravings for carbs are dying. Thanksgiving and Christmas have passed, with a few moderate servings of mashed potatoes and stuffing consumed, without ill effect. It seems carbs in modest quantity as an occasional treat do no harm.
Keep it up, and congratulations on your success!
Congrats and keep up the good work. You’re one of the reasons I’m back on the low carb elevator again. See you at the bottom, pal.
Way to go, Charlie, you’re doing fine. Don’t give up, it’ll come. If you’re like me, you’ll find that you become **very** sensitive to carbs, especially refined carbs. Avoid them like the plague, because to a large extent, they are.
I think it’s dawning on you that this is a lifestyle change, something you’ll do for the rest of your life. I came to that realization after I ate some Thai food that I thought was vegetables, but which turned out to be noodles, spiking my glucose to 133 (it’d been a nice, steady 100 or so for weeks). I knew then that, for me, carbs are like kryptonite to Superman.
Thanks. Yeah, I had chocolate last night. It was good though.
Ghirardelli dark chocolate “Midnight Reverie” is very low-carb. One or two squares gives a chocolate hit without damage.
Congrats on your discipline and progress.
And gringojay thanks for your posts.
I have less to lose, but to make a long story short, even cutting my fat, carbs, and calories by 50% and more has made no impact. Guess the next step is further cuts until it works.
Josh, paradoxically, you may have reduced too much. Try adding more protein and fat, but holding the carbs down.
Charlie,
Keep it up. It sounds trite, but it is that simple. Slog through the plateaus and difficult days because being healthy is worth it. Feeling better than “I’m fat and disgusting” is a whole new life that you’ll gift yourself. I know, because I have gone through it. 60 lbs. I don’t even really know how I found the determination THIS time to slog through, but I did, and now I’m having a hard time not kicking myself for not doing it sooner. At the same time, I do want to mention that those who haven’t been there have no idea how hard it is to lose a significant amount of weight. It’s like your mind and body fight you the whole way, as you know.
You can do this. Bless you.
if your strength training is going well, you have lost more weight(fat) than the nominal number of just 300-30=x pounds of fat/success. you probably have picked up 5-10 lbs of muscle, depending on weight training intensity and your weight loss ‘of fat’ is far more significant than you give yourself credit.
at 8 weeks, you are at the point where it is quite possible that you have reached the hockey stick acceleration on an exponential growth chart of metabolism.
patience, perserverance. you are further along your path than when you began.
Good Job, Charlie.
I changed my diet about a year ago to meat, eggs, cheese, meat, salad, meat and green vegetables. Condiments are olive oil and vinegar, salt, and pepper. I recently added sweet and white potatoes during the early part of the day, rarely for dinner.
I dropped 30+ pounds and am maybe 10lbs above my weight as a junior in high school. That 10 or more years longer ago than yours was.
The biggest change was really finding that the only thing I buy in a can is tomato sauce and mushrooms. It has removed almost all processed food items from the diet. Physical coming up so I will get some numbers on the blood work. The fasting glucose has gone from 120+ to below 80 most days. We don’t count the days following Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Gary Taub’s book was very helpful, and this site http://paleodietlifestyle.com/ provided some insights and possible recipes.
Best wishes for your continued success.
I’m not sure that’s enough meat though.
“My New Year’s Resolution is not to make any New Year’s Resolutions.”
I made that one 20 years ago – and it’s the ONLY New Year’s Resolution I’ve kept (and 20 years isn’t even nearly half my life.) I’d highly recommend keeping it. Lowers stress, which helps in far more ways than making resolutions you’ll only feel guilty about not keeping.
As Mark I said, muscle weighs more than fat, so do some of your stats on…erm…your figure rather than your weight. Keep in mind that some body-builders weigh as much as some considered obese – but the body-builders aren’t obese (although I think they are a bit too much–moderation is the key here).
Dude, you’re doing great. Lift heavy weights; squat, dealift, bench. Keep with the protein, fat, and low carbs. If you don’t smoke and if you don’t drink too much, life is beautifal. You’re already experiencing it.
Good job! Oh, BTW, talk to Steven Crowder about simple weight lifting. Not body building, but power lifting. It will help. God bless.
Great job! I’m so proud of you and happy to say that I knew you before this amazing transformation began, you are an amazing inspiration to me and everyone, and I’m so happy for you
Bravo, Charlie! You are going through an amazing series of epiphanies, and I applaud the generosity of spirit that prompts you to share all of this with us. Your odyssey is both comforting and inspiring. I hope as they continue to unfold, they bring with them the full glory expressed in Browning’s “Grow old along with me, The best is yet to be.” Life really does get better and better with every passing year.
Here’s some grist for your new self-talk: take it from me, anybody who doesn’t see the intelligence, humor, and kindness in your eyes is not worth your time. Best, Your Aunt Maudie
> I’ve always — always — had a subconscious awareness that I was fat, and that being fat was disgusting, so therefore I was disgusting.
To some degree at least, this seems like an arbitrary societal norm rather than an absolute. I’ve read that during colonial times, a man sporting a nice thick gird around the middle was considered prosperous, and hence attractive. On a documentary, I witnessed an African tribe where the young men were fattened up in order to attract a mate. In Japan, they worship their sumo wrestlers, who admittedly are athletic (for fat guys) but who are also admittedly quite porcine in appearance. South Sea islanders seem quite comfortable with their (generally) large girths.
However, in the society you and I grew up in, fat is considered disgusting, and we are both carrying the baggage for that.
I’m ten months in on the Taubes approach, and hit a plateau a couple months ago. Started at 240, have been having trouble breaking past 200. It’s not Taubes’ fault. More like holiday eating and drinking, particularly the latter. But that’s over now and I’m hopeful we’ll break through. I’m not approaching this as a diet but as a life change. I know that if I go back to carbing it, I’ll be right back up to 240 as fast as you can say “Make that two scoops!”
But forty pounds is still significant. No longer obese by BMI standards. I look better in my clothes and that’s helping me to shed the baggage you spoke of.
Also, my theology helps, I think. Reformed Christians believe that human nature is depraved. That includes even thin people. If being fat is a sin, well, it certainly isn’t my only one — it’s just a more visible sin than the ones we all carry on the inside. (I’ve actually heard that from the pulpit a time or two, that being fat is a sin. Closest I can come to justifying it is the sin of gluttony — but I think gluttony is often misunderstood. It’s a question of dominion, I think. Do we control food, or booze, or our spending, or our lusts, etc. — or does it control us?)
Part of having dominion — taking control — is knowing what you can’t control. I know I can’t control my carb intake. If I give into that particular food lust, it will own me forever. But if I avoid it, I have the helm.