Dear Friends,
Went to the gym last night... barely. When we got there, we just couldn't face the weights yet - so played 40 minutes of tough racquetball. I kicked Heather's ass (this time). She says that the sun got in her eyes... which is weird 'cause racquetball courts are inside.
The moment of truth... I've been using the gym scale exclusively for consistency, and because I don't own one and have no intention of buying one.
So let's recap: Started at 312 about 3 weeks ago.
Last week I weighed in at 304.
Last night's scale verdict was 296.
Progress so far: 16 pounds lost.
Now here's the really good news: I haven't been starving myself, but concentrating on eating "clean" 6 days a week. The seventh day is my "free" day and I get to have whatever I want. This week it was a couple of breakfast rolls, a Wendy's hamburger and a handful of Oreos (ok, a BIG handful) .
I haven't had any alcohol at all, simply because it hasn't sounded good to me... but I make no promises for the future... there's a new micro-pub that I just learned about and I'm a total sucker for a good Weitzen with a slice of lemon on a hot summer day.
We're focusing on eating several meals of quality protein, legumes and vegetables per day. I know we're theoretically supposed to be able to lose 30 lbs in 2 weeks on this diet... but that entials a level of caloric restriction that I'm simply not ready for. Besides, what good is losing weight quickly if you end up with a manslaughter rap? Seems counter-productive to me.
We drink at least a gallon of super-purified water per day (each) and take the Isagenix anti-oxidant mix each morning and evening.
We've been going for a 20-30 minute walk several times a week in the morning to get the blood pumping.
This "diet" is easy, quick and extremely adaptable. I've felt no privation and no grumpiness about food - as long as I make sure to indulge my taste buds on my "free" day.
The next step will be to incorporate either Tai Chi or Qi Gong into our morning routine. I have a Spring Forest Qi Gong DVD, anybody have any thoughts as to what Tai Chi routines or teachers would be worth taking a look at?
Other suggestions/input would be wonderful.
I really appreciate all your input... you guys are making this a lot of fun!
Cheers,
Erik
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Just Back From the Gym...
Dear Friends,
Just got back from the gym after a 6 week lay-off. Actually, we went Monday as well.
Played 3 games of Racquetball, Sauna and cool shower. Whew! I'm beat!!!
Dinner is grilled chicken, Broccoli and Quinoa.
Keeping a food journal is going to be really easy/boring. We're taking the advice of having a few standard meals over and over again.
Last night, it was mixed veggies, Seafood medley and Quinoa.
Breakfast is eggbeaters, some kind of dark green veggie and black beans with a tablespoon or so of salsa.
Lunch is generally some left-overs or a couple of no-nitrate hot dogs.
No wheat, no flour, no sugar, no sodas (we didn't drink any anyway) Lots of pure water.
For a snack, I'll have a handful of raw nuts with a few raisins (very few) and maybe a stick of string cheese, or a small bowl of low-fat cottage cheese.
I probably ought to add more fresh fruit, and more salads.
Next week, we'll be starting to lift weights (it's hard because the racquetball is such fun, great stress relief and we really enjoy playing together). On the other hand, the weight lifting is crucial to our long-term success.
I got on the scale Monday and was 302, so there's some progress - but most of that is just water.
My edema is improving remarkably, which feels great.
That's about it for now,
Erik
Just got back from the gym after a 6 week lay-off. Actually, we went Monday as well.
Played 3 games of Racquetball, Sauna and cool shower. Whew! I'm beat!!!
Dinner is grilled chicken, Broccoli and Quinoa.
Keeping a food journal is going to be really easy/boring. We're taking the advice of having a few standard meals over and over again.
Last night, it was mixed veggies, Seafood medley and Quinoa.
Breakfast is eggbeaters, some kind of dark green veggie and black beans with a tablespoon or so of salsa.
Lunch is generally some left-overs or a couple of no-nitrate hot dogs.
No wheat, no flour, no sugar, no sodas (we didn't drink any anyway) Lots of pure water.
For a snack, I'll have a handful of raw nuts with a few raisins (very few) and maybe a stick of string cheese, or a small bowl of low-fat cottage cheese.
I probably ought to add more fresh fruit, and more salads.
Next week, we'll be starting to lift weights (it's hard because the racquetball is such fun, great stress relief and we really enjoy playing together). On the other hand, the weight lifting is crucial to our long-term success.
I got on the scale Monday and was 302, so there's some progress - but most of that is just water.
My edema is improving remarkably, which feels great.
That's about it for now,
Erik
Monday, June 23, 2008
First Week's Experience...
Dear Friends,
I'm here to report on the first week's progress.
To review: Heather and I have modified our diet to a "Slow-Carb" configuration. That means no bread, pasta, tortillas or anything with flour or wheat.
Our breakfasts have been as follows:
Egg-Beater (approx 3 eggs), Nuked chopped spinach (handful) and 1/2 cup of organic black beans. Topped with 1 tablespoon of sour cream and liberally splashed with hot sauce.
This is surprisingly good, and feels great in your tummy. For those worried about becoming a methane factory, I've got good news: after a few days, your intestinal flora change to be able to accommodate the legumes and we've had no problems at all.
Lunch is generally a salad with some leftover meat of some kind, grilled pork, chicken or whatever is on hand.
Snack of 3 low-fat mozzarella string cheese, handful of raw almonds and an apple.
Dinner is skinless grilled chicken, roast pork loin or fish. Sides of green beans, broccoli or edemame beans. No dessert.
Lots of purified water, at least a gallon a day for me.
So far, I'm finding a significant reduction in my edema and somewhat elevated energy levels.
I did find that I'm more sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations, and am having headaches. I'm assuming it's from detoxing and will fade over time. I'm not taking any aspirin or painkillers, just more water.
Often I'll have a glass of wine in the evening, but this week it just makes me feel terrible, so I've stopped.
Exercise was going for a walk a couple of times, but tonight we hit the gym for real (Yea!)
We'll be focusing on Static Contraction lifting and I'll be on the exercise bike for 15-20 minutes following.
My thinking is that the weight lifting uses up the glycogen stores in the muscles and primes the cardiovascular system. By the time I actually get on the bike, the glycogen stores are depleted and the muscles will have to shift over to burning fat right away.
I don't know that this is true, but from my limited knowledge of cellular respiration and androgenic cycles... it sounds good so what the hell!?! If I'm all wet, please correct me.
My goal is to avoid the normal 15 minute "warm-up" that conventional wisdom states you need in order to start burning fat with your aerobics. There is nothing quite as boring as sitting on an exercise bike watching Jerry Springer re-runs.
I'll be weighing in this evening so I can share all the gory details with everyone.
That's it for now,
Erik
I'm here to report on the first week's progress.
To review: Heather and I have modified our diet to a "Slow-Carb" configuration. That means no bread, pasta, tortillas or anything with flour or wheat.
Our breakfasts have been as follows:
Egg-Beater (approx 3 eggs), Nuked chopped spinach (handful) and 1/2 cup of organic black beans. Topped with 1 tablespoon of sour cream and liberally splashed with hot sauce.
This is surprisingly good, and feels great in your tummy. For those worried about becoming a methane factory, I've got good news: after a few days, your intestinal flora change to be able to accommodate the legumes and we've had no problems at all.
Lunch is generally a salad with some leftover meat of some kind, grilled pork, chicken or whatever is on hand.
Snack of 3 low-fat mozzarella string cheese, handful of raw almonds and an apple.
Dinner is skinless grilled chicken, roast pork loin or fish. Sides of green beans, broccoli or edemame beans. No dessert.
Lots of purified water, at least a gallon a day for me.
So far, I'm finding a significant reduction in my edema and somewhat elevated energy levels.
I did find that I'm more sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations, and am having headaches. I'm assuming it's from detoxing and will fade over time. I'm not taking any aspirin or painkillers, just more water.
Often I'll have a glass of wine in the evening, but this week it just makes me feel terrible, so I've stopped.
Exercise was going for a walk a couple of times, but tonight we hit the gym for real (Yea!)
We'll be focusing on Static Contraction lifting and I'll be on the exercise bike for 15-20 minutes following.
My thinking is that the weight lifting uses up the glycogen stores in the muscles and primes the cardiovascular system. By the time I actually get on the bike, the glycogen stores are depleted and the muscles will have to shift over to burning fat right away.
I don't know that this is true, but from my limited knowledge of cellular respiration and androgenic cycles... it sounds good so what the hell!?! If I'm all wet, please correct me.
My goal is to avoid the normal 15 minute "warm-up" that conventional wisdom states you need in order to start burning fat with your aerobics. There is nothing quite as boring as sitting on an exercise bike watching Jerry Springer re-runs.
I'll be weighing in this evening so I can share all the gory details with everyone.
That's it for now,
Erik
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Fresh Start...
As of Monday (yesterday) I have embarked on a new series of health-habits.
I will be detailing some of the highlights and (probably) lowlights during the next 90 days. After the 90 days, we'll have a review and I'll share what I've learned.
Some vital statistics:
I am 5'11" with a moderately heavy bone structure.
Currently, I weigh 312 pounds. I'm "Apple" shaped and carry most of my excess around my middle.
My resting blood pressure is around 170/130... with Meds!!!!
I currently take:
Clonidine .4mg 3x day
Hydroclorcothyizine 25mg 1x day
Furosemide 40mg 1x day
Exforge (combination of 2 meds) 10/320 1x day (morning)
Exforge 5/160 1x day (evening)
Klor-Con 10 1x day
Yuck!
For most of my adult life, I've never been on any kind of medication; preferring to seek natural methods of healing. However, I ended up in the emergency room with BP of 265/172 and nobody could figure out why I wasn't dead.
Interestingly, my BP has fluctuated quite a bit over the last several years. When I first moved to Charleston, I was definitely on the high side.
But with a regular exercise routine, consisting mainly of lifting weights 3x week and exercise bicycling for 25 minutes directly afterwards, my BP went down to 130/90 without any meds... though I was taking "Quinn's Blend" herbs.
This is a combination of Cayenne, Garlic, Hawthorne and some other stuff.
Then, two things happened:
I started focusing more on bicycling and aerobics...
And I added moderate alcohol back into my diet.
BANG! up it went.
Hmmm...
You'd think that alcohol would relax the blood vessels, thus lowering BP. But apparently not. So now I will have one glass of wine with dinner, maybe once per week - if even that.
I've been procrastinating getting back into the gym for a very good reason... I'm being petulantly lazy.
Let's finish with a small talk about diet. I'm probably one of the worst examples of typical "American" diet there is. I am a firm advocate of the "Fat=Flavor" school. My mother always said, "Dog turds would taste pretty good if you added enough butter".
I have a deep weakness for really good hamburgers and hand-cut French fries. The best I've ever had was in Seattle from a weird little stand named, "Dick's". The closest I've found otherwise is Wendy's.
Frankly, I'm squashed in the middle of a little paradox: I love fresh veggies from the garden, but don't have the time, nor the space to grow one. Because I know how glorious these are, I pretty much disdain grocery store fodder. I never claimed to be reasonable. Even organic foodstuffs aren't close. But I'm working on it.
So, ok... enough of the background
My activity level has been almost nil for the last 6 weeks, but before that I was very regular in working out at least twice per week.
Yesterday, being my big start - I immediately got up and put off going to the gym. Seeing how well this went, I proceeded to diligently skip my 20 minute walk, and followed up by a long session of not stretching.
However, in a fit of weakness, I did drink over 1 gallon of water with lemon juice and chlorophyll which made me end up feeling like an intermittent fire hose.
Topping the day off, I noticed that there was some left over Ben and Jerry's in the freezer and since I didn't want to leave it there for temptation; I ate it.
I was, however very dedicated in most other forms of dietary discipline.
For Breakfast, I had egg-beaters, spinach and black beans with a tablespoon of salsa.
Lunch was a green salad and 2 hotdogs (theoretically good hotdogs without a lot of nitrates and crap).
Dinner was two grilled chicken thighs and a big handful of non-salted trail mix.
I had one glass of mediocre red wine while sitting at our fire ring in the back yard while giving Nicholaus tips on the fine art of Pyromania.
Life was good.
I will be detailing some of the highlights and (probably) lowlights during the next 90 days. After the 90 days, we'll have a review and I'll share what I've learned.
Some vital statistics:
I am 5'11" with a moderately heavy bone structure.
Currently, I weigh 312 pounds. I'm "Apple" shaped and carry most of my excess around my middle.
My resting blood pressure is around 170/130... with Meds!!!!
I currently take:
Clonidine .4mg 3x day
Hydroclorcothyizine 25mg 1x day
Furosemide 40mg 1x day
Exforge (combination of 2 meds) 10/320 1x day (morning)
Exforge 5/160 1x day (evening)
Klor-Con 10 1x day
Yuck!
For most of my adult life, I've never been on any kind of medication; preferring to seek natural methods of healing. However, I ended up in the emergency room with BP of 265/172 and nobody could figure out why I wasn't dead.
Interestingly, my BP has fluctuated quite a bit over the last several years. When I first moved to Charleston, I was definitely on the high side.
But with a regular exercise routine, consisting mainly of lifting weights 3x week and exercise bicycling for 25 minutes directly afterwards, my BP went down to 130/90 without any meds... though I was taking "Quinn's Blend" herbs.
This is a combination of Cayenne, Garlic, Hawthorne and some other stuff.
Then, two things happened:
I started focusing more on bicycling and aerobics...
And I added moderate alcohol back into my diet.
BANG! up it went.
Hmmm...
You'd think that alcohol would relax the blood vessels, thus lowering BP. But apparently not. So now I will have one glass of wine with dinner, maybe once per week - if even that.
I've been procrastinating getting back into the gym for a very good reason... I'm being petulantly lazy.
Let's finish with a small talk about diet. I'm probably one of the worst examples of typical "American" diet there is. I am a firm advocate of the "Fat=Flavor" school. My mother always said, "Dog turds would taste pretty good if you added enough butter".
I have a deep weakness for really good hamburgers and hand-cut French fries. The best I've ever had was in Seattle from a weird little stand named, "Dick's". The closest I've found otherwise is Wendy's.
Frankly, I'm squashed in the middle of a little paradox: I love fresh veggies from the garden, but don't have the time, nor the space to grow one. Because I know how glorious these are, I pretty much disdain grocery store fodder. I never claimed to be reasonable. Even organic foodstuffs aren't close. But I'm working on it.
So, ok... enough of the background
My activity level has been almost nil for the last 6 weeks, but before that I was very regular in working out at least twice per week.
Yesterday, being my big start - I immediately got up and put off going to the gym. Seeing how well this went, I proceeded to diligently skip my 20 minute walk, and followed up by a long session of not stretching.
However, in a fit of weakness, I did drink over 1 gallon of water with lemon juice and chlorophyll which made me end up feeling like an intermittent fire hose.
Topping the day off, I noticed that there was some left over Ben and Jerry's in the freezer and since I didn't want to leave it there for temptation; I ate it.
I was, however very dedicated in most other forms of dietary discipline.
For Breakfast, I had egg-beaters, spinach and black beans with a tablespoon of salsa.
Lunch was a green salad and 2 hotdogs (theoretically good hotdogs without a lot of nitrates and crap).
Dinner was two grilled chicken thighs and a big handful of non-salted trail mix.
I had one glass of mediocre red wine while sitting at our fire ring in the back yard while giving Nicholaus tips on the fine art of Pyromania.
Life was good.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Loving Yourself and Body Consciousness
Is my body a reflection of who I am? Or is this simply a meat-robot that carts me about from here to there?
I see a paradox forming; on the one hand, we are spiritual beings that merely inhabit this plane of existence for a brief moment...
And yet, we are animals inextricably intertwined with the DNA of our reptilian ancestors. We share the same Fight-Flight-Freeze instincts that all animals have.
Or is there a third way? Another alternative that encompasses both paths?
Can you be a spiritual animal... or an animalistic spirit?
More to the point, what does this have to do with losing weight and getting healthy?
Well, it seems to me that everything in life can be a spiritual journey. I certainly believe that about business! Why not diet and exercise... after all - what is Yoga or Tai Chi? Every religion in the world has some sort of dietary dogma, why not me?
I worked out Friday morning. I started out with a warm up of stretching and limbering, went to the treadmill and did 10 minutes of inerval training. Easy for a few minutes, then faster and steeper, then easy, and again for two more cycles. By the end, I felt warm and my breath was threatening to start huffing.
On to the weights. I've been reading Elsworth Darden's High Intensity Training. He makes a lot of sense.
The Cliff's Notes:
Work large muscle groups first, starting with the legs.
Use multiple joint exercises first, and then move to more isolationist exercises. Use short range of motion to protect the joints, one single set to complete failure and heavy enough weight that you can't possibly get past 10 reps. If you feel you've got more in you, do 6 reps, drop the weight, keep going. Burn yourself out completely until you are consumed by white heat and death would be a relief.
Lower Body
Cry, whimper, sniffle and beg for mercy... then keep going
Upper Body
The entire trick is to recruit as many muscle fibers as humanly possible. That means you must have ultimate intensity.
My challenge is that I must gradually ramp up the intensity because of my blood pressure. I don't want it to go too high. So we are starting out with less intensity than I would prefer, but I trust that time will be my ally.
On my off days, I will be continuing my aerobics by biking, walking the dogs, and later in the summer, swimming in the local pool.
My goal is to be at 235 lbs. by August 12th 2008.
I see a paradox forming; on the one hand, we are spiritual beings that merely inhabit this plane of existence for a brief moment...
And yet, we are animals inextricably intertwined with the DNA of our reptilian ancestors. We share the same Fight-Flight-Freeze instincts that all animals have.
Or is there a third way? Another alternative that encompasses both paths?
Can you be a spiritual animal... or an animalistic spirit?
More to the point, what does this have to do with losing weight and getting healthy?
Well, it seems to me that everything in life can be a spiritual journey. I certainly believe that about business! Why not diet and exercise... after all - what is Yoga or Tai Chi? Every religion in the world has some sort of dietary dogma, why not me?
I worked out Friday morning. I started out with a warm up of stretching and limbering, went to the treadmill and did 10 minutes of inerval training. Easy for a few minutes, then faster and steeper, then easy, and again for two more cycles. By the end, I felt warm and my breath was threatening to start huffing.
On to the weights. I've been reading Elsworth Darden's High Intensity Training. He makes a lot of sense.
The Cliff's Notes:
Work large muscle groups first, starting with the legs.
Use multiple joint exercises first, and then move to more isolationist exercises. Use short range of motion to protect the joints, one single set to complete failure and heavy enough weight that you can't possibly get past 10 reps. If you feel you've got more in you, do 6 reps, drop the weight, keep going. Burn yourself out completely until you are consumed by white heat and death would be a relief.
Lower Body
- Squat Machine
- Leg Extensions
- Leg Curls
- Calf Raises
Cry, whimper, sniffle and beg for mercy... then keep going
Upper Body
- Bench Press
- Back Row
- Lat Pulldown
- Chest Fly
- Military Press
- Shoulder Raises
- Bicep Curls
- Tricep Extensions
- Ab Machine
The entire trick is to recruit as many muscle fibers as humanly possible. That means you must have ultimate intensity.
My challenge is that I must gradually ramp up the intensity because of my blood pressure. I don't want it to go too high. So we are starting out with less intensity than I would prefer, but I trust that time will be my ally.
On my off days, I will be continuing my aerobics by biking, walking the dogs, and later in the summer, swimming in the local pool.
My goal is to be at 235 lbs. by August 12th 2008.
Getting Started
Today was my second real workout on this road to health. This time, I'm determined to do this right. Ease into it a step at a time, not overdoing it, not sluffing it.
I got to the gym at 7:00am. Started stretching myself on "The Octopus's Nightmare". That's just my name for this contraption that turns you into a pretzel over and over again. In 10 minutes, you will find that you can stretch yourself in more ways than you ever thought possible. Any thoughts of dignity go right out the door. Pretty girls walk past with an expression of horror and fascination, grown men turn pale and shudder.
Then, once we're all loosey-goosey, it's time for the treadmill or recumbent bicycle. I think the recumbent bike ought to have a disclaimer on it... You'd think that because you're sitting down, it would be easier. It's not. The only advantage that I can find is that it doesn't put your balls to sleep after 1/2 hour in the saddle.
10 minutes of progressive interval training and on to the weights.
At this point, I'm just trying to get my body used to the idea of exercise again, so I'm not too concerned about what weights I'm handling; just focused on form
For most of my exerciese, I use a limited range of motion to keep strain off my joints. I have no interest in competitive weight lifting, so I simply don't care about full-range lifts. I care about keeping my shoulders, elbows and knees intact. I don't worry about lack of flexibility, not with all the stretching I do every day.
What most people don't think of, is that weight lifting, done correctly, is good for your cardiovascular system. So 10 minutes of aerobic may not sound like much, but that just gets the joints lubricated and warmed up.
I'm only using one set of each exercise with a weight that is heavy for me after 12 reps or so. This is a moderate workout, and I'll ramp up the intensity bit-by-bit each week.
In about 6-8 weeks, I'll be using really heavy weights for about 4 reps max. This is where the limited range of motion (2-4) inches really pays off. Well over 80% of all weightlifting accidents happen at the point of extreme stress on a joint. My solution is to never have the weight in this range in the first place.
I've been reading High Intensity Training by Ellsworth Darden and Static Contraction Training by Pete Cisco. Both stress the importance of short-duration, high intensity workouts designed to recruit the maximum number of muscle fibers possible as quickly as possible. This is what fires up the metabolism and burns fat.
I'll be posting pictures and stats soon.
I got to the gym at 7:00am. Started stretching myself on "The Octopus's Nightmare". That's just my name for this contraption that turns you into a pretzel over and over again. In 10 minutes, you will find that you can stretch yourself in more ways than you ever thought possible. Any thoughts of dignity go right out the door. Pretty girls walk past with an expression of horror and fascination, grown men turn pale and shudder.
Then, once we're all loosey-goosey, it's time for the treadmill or recumbent bicycle. I think the recumbent bike ought to have a disclaimer on it... You'd think that because you're sitting down, it would be easier. It's not. The only advantage that I can find is that it doesn't put your balls to sleep after 1/2 hour in the saddle.
10 minutes of progressive interval training and on to the weights.
At this point, I'm just trying to get my body used to the idea of exercise again, so I'm not too concerned about what weights I'm handling; just focused on form
For most of my exerciese, I use a limited range of motion to keep strain off my joints. I have no interest in competitive weight lifting, so I simply don't care about full-range lifts. I care about keeping my shoulders, elbows and knees intact. I don't worry about lack of flexibility, not with all the stretching I do every day.
What most people don't think of, is that weight lifting, done correctly, is good for your cardiovascular system. So 10 minutes of aerobic may not sound like much, but that just gets the joints lubricated and warmed up.
I'm only using one set of each exercise with a weight that is heavy for me after 12 reps or so. This is a moderate workout, and I'll ramp up the intensity bit-by-bit each week.
In about 6-8 weeks, I'll be using really heavy weights for about 4 reps max. This is where the limited range of motion (2-4) inches really pays off. Well over 80% of all weightlifting accidents happen at the point of extreme stress on a joint. My solution is to never have the weight in this range in the first place.
I've been reading High Intensity Training by Ellsworth Darden and Static Contraction Training by Pete Cisco. Both stress the importance of short-duration, high intensity workouts designed to recruit the maximum number of muscle fibers possible as quickly as possible. This is what fires up the metabolism and burns fat.
I'll be posting pictures and stats soon.
First Steps
The journey of a thousand miles begins right here. And here is an overweight, out-of-shape, middle-aged guy.
So, we lead with our strengths. One of the things I am good at is research. Another is that I'm willing to be my own best Guinea Pig.
I also know that conventional wisdom is almost always wrong. Add to this that the 80/20 principle tells us that we can achieve 80% of the results we seek for 20% of the effort (in this case time).
I have no desire, nor the ability, to be a full-time gym rat. In fact, I need to be able to get in, work out and get done within an hour... maybe a little more if I indulge in a Sauna (I love sauna's).
Luckily enough, I have a gym near me (less than 10 minutes away). Inside can be found every type of self-torture device ever created by the sick and twisted minds of men.
So, we lead with our strengths. One of the things I am good at is research. Another is that I'm willing to be my own best Guinea Pig.
I also know that conventional wisdom is almost always wrong. Add to this that the 80/20 principle tells us that we can achieve 80% of the results we seek for 20% of the effort (in this case time).
I have no desire, nor the ability, to be a full-time gym rat. In fact, I need to be able to get in, work out and get done within an hour... maybe a little more if I indulge in a Sauna (I love sauna's).
Luckily enough, I have a gym near me (less than 10 minutes away). Inside can be found every type of self-torture device ever created by the sick and twisted minds of men.
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