At workout on Friday, April 17 I decided to check my weight. A couple of trainers noticed me doing so. I weighed, and looking at the number, I pulled off my shoes and weighed myself again. Then I pulled off my shirt and did it again. I considered closing the door and pulling off my shorts, but noticed them watching me and thought better of it. So as I walked out, they asked, so did you lose or gain?
The answer was lost, in fact 5 lbs in a week. I explained that the first time the scale said 271.5. So I thought, hmm, can I get below 270? So I started stripping. For me, being able to say I am in the 260s, is a big deal. I don't think I have been in that range for at least the last decade. I couldn't get the scale to budge below the 270.0 mark however. Still, that is almost a 5 pound loss just in a week.
Things are still heading in the right direction. Just 20 lbs to my original goal of 250lbs. =)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Blood Work
As I posted back in January, I had some blood work taken at my doctor's insistence. The results were not good. In fact, they were plain horrible. So horrible, that he called me at home within 48 hours of having the tests done.
My Blood Glucose was 130 mg/dl. “Normal” values 70-110mg/dl. Anything above 125, is considered Diabetic. My doctor stated that at this point I was essentially a Type 2 diabetic, and that if my next test was above 125, then he would have to diagnose me as being diabetic.
HDL was 35 mg/dl. This is your “good” Cholesterol. Normal is 30-80. Higher is better.
LDL was 152 mg/dl. This is “BAD” cholesterol. Normal is 50-130. Lower is better. So mine was way BAD.
My Triglycerides were 284 mg/dl. Normal is 30-150. This is a measure of your blood fats and an indicator of your insulin resistance. You want this number to be LOW. Mine, almost twice the high limit, again, VERY, VERY BAD
These bad numbers did help me focus on really being strict on my Paleo Diet. For me, it was my last chance to try and reverse these bad numbers, or face having to go on to a number of daily medicines that I really wanted no part of. My doctor is also a very conservative Seventh Day Adventist, who counseled me about becoming a vegetarian and avoiding meats. When I explained to him that I was 1 week into the Paleo Diet, he told me to read the China Study, (vegetarian)and that was the only diet he recommended.
So, having put off the second set of tests until I could really feel and see all of the positive changes that were happening due to following the Paleo Diet, I went in 2 weeks ago and had the follow up tests done. I kept waiting for the call from the doctor. I was expecting good news, but you never know. Finally, after not hearing anything, I called my mother last week, (who works for my doctor), and asked her if she could check on it for me. She told me that the Dr. would call me as soon as he got the tests back, as that is what he always did. So on Tuesday this week, I went by to see my mother and remembered to ask her again. So she pulled my file, and found all of my tests. She was very surprised that the Dr. had not called me. I suspect it is because he had no way to explain the results. He actually told my mother that I was jeopardizing my health by being on the Paleo Diet, (due to my high cholesterol). So when he saw the new numbers, I think he decided to avoid calling me, since he did not want to hear me gloat about the benefits of living on a Paleo Diet.
So, 80 days after my first tests, here were the changes:
Blood Glucose-115 mg/dl. Still higher than normal, but down 15 points from last time, and most importantly, NOT in the Diabetic Range.
HDL-40 mg/dl. Up 5 points! A good start.
LDL-104mg/dl. Down 48 points!! That is a 32% drop, and HUGE. So anyone who says eating "meats" increases your cholesterol, needs to rethink their biases.
Triglycerides-95 mg/dl. Down almost 200 points!!!! That is over a 66% drop.
So in 80 days, ALL of my blood tests substantially improved. The only difference between the two tests, was my continued paleo diet. I had already been working out twice a week for months and had already lost 31 lbs from my highest weight when I had the first set of tests taken. Exercising and losing weight alone were not enough to fix my body's bad chemistry. I needed to change my diet, and that was the only change in my lifestyle that happened between the two tests. The Medical Tests prove that my body is substantially healthier due to the change in diet.
Having already discovered how much better I feel, and now seeing this scientific evidence confirming my body's improved health; I have to concede that I am wholly convinced that the Paleo Diet is the way to go for me.
Now all you need to figure out is if it is the right choice for you.
Good luck and good health.
Dave
My Blood Glucose was 130 mg/dl. “Normal” values 70-110mg/dl. Anything above 125, is considered Diabetic. My doctor stated that at this point I was essentially a Type 2 diabetic, and that if my next test was above 125, then he would have to diagnose me as being diabetic.
HDL was 35 mg/dl. This is your “good” Cholesterol. Normal is 30-80. Higher is better.
LDL was 152 mg/dl. This is “BAD” cholesterol. Normal is 50-130. Lower is better. So mine was way BAD.
My Triglycerides were 284 mg/dl. Normal is 30-150. This is a measure of your blood fats and an indicator of your insulin resistance. You want this number to be LOW. Mine, almost twice the high limit, again, VERY, VERY BAD
These bad numbers did help me focus on really being strict on my Paleo Diet. For me, it was my last chance to try and reverse these bad numbers, or face having to go on to a number of daily medicines that I really wanted no part of. My doctor is also a very conservative Seventh Day Adventist, who counseled me about becoming a vegetarian and avoiding meats. When I explained to him that I was 1 week into the Paleo Diet, he told me to read the China Study, (vegetarian)and that was the only diet he recommended.
So, having put off the second set of tests until I could really feel and see all of the positive changes that were happening due to following the Paleo Diet, I went in 2 weeks ago and had the follow up tests done. I kept waiting for the call from the doctor. I was expecting good news, but you never know. Finally, after not hearing anything, I called my mother last week, (who works for my doctor), and asked her if she could check on it for me. She told me that the Dr. would call me as soon as he got the tests back, as that is what he always did. So on Tuesday this week, I went by to see my mother and remembered to ask her again. So she pulled my file, and found all of my tests. She was very surprised that the Dr. had not called me. I suspect it is because he had no way to explain the results. He actually told my mother that I was jeopardizing my health by being on the Paleo Diet, (due to my high cholesterol). So when he saw the new numbers, I think he decided to avoid calling me, since he did not want to hear me gloat about the benefits of living on a Paleo Diet.
So, 80 days after my first tests, here were the changes:
Blood Glucose-115 mg/dl. Still higher than normal, but down 15 points from last time, and most importantly, NOT in the Diabetic Range.
HDL-40 mg/dl. Up 5 points! A good start.
LDL-104mg/dl. Down 48 points!! That is a 32% drop, and HUGE. So anyone who says eating "meats" increases your cholesterol, needs to rethink their biases.
Triglycerides-95 mg/dl. Down almost 200 points!!!! That is over a 66% drop.
So in 80 days, ALL of my blood tests substantially improved. The only difference between the two tests, was my continued paleo diet. I had already been working out twice a week for months and had already lost 31 lbs from my highest weight when I had the first set of tests taken. Exercising and losing weight alone were not enough to fix my body's bad chemistry. I needed to change my diet, and that was the only change in my lifestyle that happened between the two tests. The Medical Tests prove that my body is substantially healthier due to the change in diet.
Having already discovered how much better I feel, and now seeing this scientific evidence confirming my body's improved health; I have to concede that I am wholly convinced that the Paleo Diet is the way to go for me.
Now all you need to figure out is if it is the right choice for you.
Good luck and good health.
Dave
Broke 275 lb barrier
On Saturday, 4-11, I volunteered to help out the regional work out for the up coming CrossFit Games. It was a lot of fun. Boy let me tell you, I may think of myself as being competitive in nature, but what those athletes put themselves through that day was nothing short of HELL. I have absolutely no inclination to ever want to try those kinds of work outs. It was amazing to see them push themselves so hard. I don't think anyone left the gym that day without a raspy voice. There was no way you could watch these men and women push themselves to the incredible work outs they were turning in, without getting emotionally charged and yelling, screaming and doing everything you could to help keep them going.
As part of my plan to help, I brought a big batch of the Polynesian Beef Tip Stew that I have previously posted and a bunch of Oranges that I cut into wedges. When I participated in the Fight Gone Bad workout for charity last fall, someone had brought orange wedges. After nearly killing myself with the workout, those oranges were like the food of the Gods. They really helped me recover that day, so I wanted to make sure that they were available to the athletes. Apparently both were good choices, as there was nothing left of either by the end of the day.
Now to my weight. When I got to the gym that morning, I checked my weight. I was 272 lbs. That makes a total of 52 lbs I have lost since starting at CrossFit and 22 lbs since January 1st of this year. I can't wait to get into the 260's. Its been a long time since I saw that weight on the scale. =)
As part of my plan to help, I brought a big batch of the Polynesian Beef Tip Stew that I have previously posted and a bunch of Oranges that I cut into wedges. When I participated in the Fight Gone Bad workout for charity last fall, someone had brought orange wedges. After nearly killing myself with the workout, those oranges were like the food of the Gods. They really helped me recover that day, so I wanted to make sure that they were available to the athletes. Apparently both were good choices, as there was nothing left of either by the end of the day.
Now to my weight. When I got to the gym that morning, I checked my weight. I was 272 lbs. That makes a total of 52 lbs I have lost since starting at CrossFit and 22 lbs since January 1st of this year. I can't wait to get into the 260's. Its been a long time since I saw that weight on the scale. =)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
New O-Lifting Personal Records
This week is a "Max Lift" week at Nor Cal Strength & Conditioning. We have been focusing on building up our "body strength" for the last few weeks. These lifts, (back squat, dead lift, and push press), are not designed to build "muscle" as much as they are to tone and increase our body's general athletic abilities. At 43, I certainly don't have any interest in trying to be a body builder, but I get excited seeing how far I have come since I first started working out there.
I never realized how physically weak I had become. I have already written about not being able to even do a single pushup when I first started. On Monday I set my personal record for the Back Squat at 275 lbs, and today I bested my previous dead lift record with a 375 lb lift.
I can't help it, that old competitive beast within me is now rearing its ugly head....because what's even more cool, is that I posted the highest lifts in both events so far. =) Everyone else can run circles around me doing everything else, but at least I can hold my head up high about topping this list, (well at least so long as Rob and Fraguso don't participate).
My weight has been holding steady still, so I am tweaking my diet a bit. Increasing protein, cutting back on the fruits. I thought the extra work outs would allow me a little more leeway, but apparently such thinking was only a pleasant delusion. I still have 4 months to go until the end of the 7 month paleo challenge, but there are a lot of people working very hard, so I need to really buckle down. See, sometimes being competitive can be a good thing.
I never realized how physically weak I had become. I have already written about not being able to even do a single pushup when I first started. On Monday I set my personal record for the Back Squat at 275 lbs, and today I bested my previous dead lift record with a 375 lb lift.
I can't help it, that old competitive beast within me is now rearing its ugly head....because what's even more cool, is that I posted the highest lifts in both events so far. =) Everyone else can run circles around me doing everything else, but at least I can hold my head up high about topping this list, (well at least so long as Rob and Fraguso don't participate).
My weight has been holding steady still, so I am tweaking my diet a bit. Increasing protein, cutting back on the fruits. I thought the extra work outs would allow me a little more leeway, but apparently such thinking was only a pleasant delusion. I still have 4 months to go until the end of the 7 month paleo challenge, but there are a lot of people working very hard, so I need to really buckle down. See, sometimes being competitive can be a good thing.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Still dropping inches
I've been a bit frustrated for the last couple weeks, as I don't seem to be losing any weight. However, I have upped my workouts to 3 and 4 times a week. I have been noticing my muscle mass increasing, and try to convince myself that I am losing fat, just replacing it with heavier muscle. Well today, I found some proof of that.
Today, knowing that I had to appear before a local City Councel, and wanting to wear green for St. Patrick's Day, I was looking through my clothes looking for something green to wear when I came upon these brand new pants hanging up, with tags still on them. At the time, I could not remember where they had come from, but decided to try them on. They fit perfectly, and my thought at the time was, "Oh cool, they are not stretched out and falling off me like all of the others".
So later I am talking to my wife, and ask her where these pants came from. She reminded me that I had gotten them for Christmas, and they were way too small for me. Then I remembered that when I tried them on at Christmas, I could not even come close to getting them to button. Now they fit perfectly. So that is a 45" waist to a 42 inch waist in 9 weeks.
Not sure I will ever get back to the 32" waist I had when I graduated from college, but I am now 30% closer to doing so. =)
Today, knowing that I had to appear before a local City Councel, and wanting to wear green for St. Patrick's Day, I was looking through my clothes looking for something green to wear when I came upon these brand new pants hanging up, with tags still on them. At the time, I could not remember where they had come from, but decided to try them on. They fit perfectly, and my thought at the time was, "Oh cool, they are not stretched out and falling off me like all of the others".
So later I am talking to my wife, and ask her where these pants came from. She reminded me that I had gotten them for Christmas, and they were way too small for me. Then I remembered that when I tried them on at Christmas, I could not even come close to getting them to button. Now they fit perfectly. So that is a 45" waist to a 42 inch waist in 9 weeks.
Not sure I will ever get back to the 32" waist I had when I graduated from college, but I am now 30% closer to doing so. =)
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Sirloin Stroganoff
My mother made this last Saturday for a family dinner, wherein I was the only person on a Paleo Diet. Everyone loved it, and there were NO leftovers.
12 to 16 oz. of boneless beef sirloin steak, thinly sliced into bite sized strips.
8 oz. of sliced mushrooms
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp Butter
4 small apples, halved and cored or 2 large apples quarterd.
1 cup apple cider or juice
8 oz. sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1. In large skillet, cook bell pepper, onion, and garlic in hot butter over medium high heat about 8 minutes or until nearly tender. Add meat slices and stir about 4 minutes or until meat is desired doneness. Using slotted spoon or spatula, remove meat and vegetables to serving platter, Cover to keep warm.
2. In same skillet, cook apples, cut side down, in pan drippins about 2 minutes or until browned. Stir in apple cider. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer covered 6 to 8 minutes or until tender. Using slotted spoon or spatula, remove apples from skillet to serving planner, Cover to keep warm.
3. For sauce, whisk sour cream, salt and pepper into pan drippings in skillet until smooth. Spoon sauce over steak and apples and serve.
12 to 16 oz. of boneless beef sirloin steak, thinly sliced into bite sized strips.
8 oz. of sliced mushrooms
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp Butter
4 small apples, halved and cored or 2 large apples quarterd.
1 cup apple cider or juice
8 oz. sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1. In large skillet, cook bell pepper, onion, and garlic in hot butter over medium high heat about 8 minutes or until nearly tender. Add meat slices and stir about 4 minutes or until meat is desired doneness. Using slotted spoon or spatula, remove meat and vegetables to serving platter, Cover to keep warm.
2. In same skillet, cook apples, cut side down, in pan drippins about 2 minutes or until browned. Stir in apple cider. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer covered 6 to 8 minutes or until tender. Using slotted spoon or spatula, remove apples from skillet to serving planner, Cover to keep warm.
3. For sauce, whisk sour cream, salt and pepper into pan drippings in skillet until smooth. Spoon sauce over steak and apples and serve.
Chipotle Steak and Tomatoes
Another recipe from my mother, (from whom I aspire to have just some of her culinary talent). I am very lucky to have my mother close by, and that she is so supportive of my gluten free and paleo lifestyle. Everytime she has us up for dinner, she comes up with a new recipe that both satisfies the appetite's of the non-paleo eaters as well as mine.
Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapenos. Find chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce at the supermarket next to the canned chili peppers, or buy the chipotle chile peppers separately and make your own adobo sauce.
2, 6-8 oz beef shoulder petite tenders or two 6-8 oz. beff ribeye steaks
1 Canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 2 tsp. adobo sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 medium tomatoes, cut in thick slices, (app. 1 lb.)
2 medium avocados, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup of thinly sliced red onion
Pinch of salt and pepper
1. Sprinkel steaks lightly with salt and pepper. Spread each with 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce.
2. BBQ steaks on the uncovered grill directly over medium coals, (or if using gas fire, directly over the flame with the cover down), until desired doneness, turning once. Allow 10 to 12 minutes for medium rare or 12 to 15 minutes for medium.
3. Meanwhile, for dressing, in screw-top jar combine chopped peppers, olive oil, and vinegar. Shake well to combine.
4. Serve steaks with tomatoes and avocado slices. Top steaks with onion slices and drizzle with dressing. Makes 4 servings.
Variation: For a creamy dressing, omit olive oil and cider vinegar and stir cipotle peeper into 1/2 cup bottled ranch dressing.
Enjoy.
Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapenos. Find chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce at the supermarket next to the canned chili peppers, or buy the chipotle chile peppers separately and make your own adobo sauce.
2, 6-8 oz beef shoulder petite tenders or two 6-8 oz. beff ribeye steaks
1 Canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 2 tsp. adobo sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 medium tomatoes, cut in thick slices, (app. 1 lb.)
2 medium avocados, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup of thinly sliced red onion
Pinch of salt and pepper
1. Sprinkel steaks lightly with salt and pepper. Spread each with 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce.
2. BBQ steaks on the uncovered grill directly over medium coals, (or if using gas fire, directly over the flame with the cover down), until desired doneness, turning once. Allow 10 to 12 minutes for medium rare or 12 to 15 minutes for medium.
3. Meanwhile, for dressing, in screw-top jar combine chopped peppers, olive oil, and vinegar. Shake well to combine.
4. Serve steaks with tomatoes and avocado slices. Top steaks with onion slices and drizzle with dressing. Makes 4 servings.
Variation: For a creamy dressing, omit olive oil and cider vinegar and stir cipotle peeper into 1/2 cup bottled ranch dressing.
Enjoy.
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