March 2017 Update

Blood Test results are in for 2017

I haven't posted ANYTHING here in over a year. And while I haven't lost any significant weight which I would love to....the good news is that I haven't really gained anything either. Weighed in at the docs @ 210 - My scale an hour before - sans clothing was 207.5lbs. Within any normal person's margin of error.

Weight continues to stay in a low 200 pound range with a low of 202.5 I managed to hit on October 12 of 2016. STILL can't crack that 200 pound mark after almost 5 years at this but I also haven't been killing myself in making the attempt.

I had my annual physical and once again I was pleased. This time it came with no notes from the doc. Either to eat less fatty foods (actually ate more - went more ketogenic in 2016 vs simply low carb) or to watch my sugar intake in 2015 (I ironically had an elevated FBG of 114 that year but my A1C showed 5.2  - I was fasting for ~ 24 hours before that test - go figure)

2017 Blood Test Results

Shirtless Fat Guy to Less Fat Shirtless Guy Pictures

Not much progress photo wise to provide but I can update this blog with a perspective from 2011. Originally took the larger photos in August of 2011 to post on the refrigerator with the believe I'd scare myself from eating. Well...I took the pictures but I didn't bother posting them on the fridge.I mean who wants to see THAT, right? It would be another 7 months before I began eating a very low carbohydrate diet. I hadn't yet got the shit scared out of me with a pain in the ass Type 1 D kid telling me to "check your own glucose DAD! You probably have Type 2 Diabetes!!"

Anyway it puts things in some perspective. So here they are.
Pictures on the left side were taken in August of 2011 - On the Right - Feb 2017

So....as I continue on in attempting to someday hit a goal weight of 181 pounds, the health benefits alone - how I FEEL ABSOLUTELY GREAT PHYSICALLY  - I'll continue on and will hopefully be more diligent about posting my progress or failures regarding this way of eating that has changed my life for the better.

Yearly Physical Resuls for 2016

Blood Test Results

So I managed to get a physical squeezed into a doc appointment on 2/1/2016. Was glad I had fasted overnight so they could do the blood work. Here are the results after almost 4 years of a low carb diet.And good news! Still alive from what the doc says! Blood Pressure was 100/70 (on meds - Lisinopril-HCTZ 10/12.5 once a day ). Weighed in at 220 fully dressed which is in line with morning weigh ins in just my birthday suit. This would be after 1380 days eating low carb (~3.75 years)

I did get a kick out of the advice to avoid fatty cuts of meat, avoid cheese and do regular exercise. I did read one way to lower my LDL. Get this....RAISE MY TRIGLYCERIDES!!! SERIOUSLY?  (Google Calculating LDL for more info if you're interested). 

Here are the  results from my 2015 blood test results for comparison:

Test                                          Goal                                      Your Result        

Total Cholesterol                       Less than 200                         161

HDL (good) Cholesterol             Greater than 40                       57           

LDL (bad) Cholesterol                Less than 100                         94

                                                Less than 70 (Diabetes)                                                            

Triglycerides                             Less than 150                         49

Cholesterol/HDL Ratio               Less than 4.0                         2.82

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone     Between 0.358-5.04               

Free T3 (thyroid)                        Between 2.30-4.20                 

Free T4 (thyroid)                        Between 0.7-1.5                     

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)                                             Less than 4.0      

SGOT/AST (Liver)                      Between 8-34                         20

SGPT/ALT (Liver)                       Between 12-78                        32

Sodium                                     Between 135-145                    139

Potassium                                Between 3.6-5.1                      4.4

Chloride                                    Between 98-107                      104

CO2                                          Between 21-32                        30

BUN (Kidney)                            Between 7-18                        

Creatinine (Kidney)                    Between 0.6-1.3                      1.1

Glucose (Sugar)                        Between 74-106                      114

Hemoglobin A1C (Diabetic         Less than 7.0                         5.2

                     3month avg)

Urine Microalb/Creat Ratio         Between 0-30                        

                  (Urine Protein)                                                     

Calcium                                    Between 8.5-10.1                    9.5

Uric Acid (gout)                         Between 3.5-7.2                     

Hemoglobin (Anemia)                Between 13.0-18                     15.1        

Hematocrit (Anemia)                  Between 36.7-47.1                  44.4

White Blood Cell count              Between 3.6-10.2                    6.1          

Platelets                                   Between 140-400                    199

Vitamin D,25-Hydroxy                Between 32-100                     

                                   

Assessment and Recommendations:

Your spot sugar was high, but luckily your 3 month average was normal.  I advise that you follow a diet low in concentrated sweets [HA!! IS THIS A JOKE OR WHAT??!!}

End of January 2016

January Summary

January can best be summarized as "steady as she goes" I guess. No real progress in wight loss. 

A bit annoyed as I've tried more morning exercise, less exercise. Watching the diet. So on the one hand I am very very happy that my weight is very stable. On the other, I would really like to get under 200 pounds by April 21st - the 4th year anniversary of my ketogenic/low carb diet. And it seems so close (actually it IS close). But unlike (and as expected) the less weight you have, the harder it is to lose. When I was 300 poinds, I was dropping 10 pounds in no time. Now 10 pounds takes significantly more effort.

January 2016 morning weigh in record

As is shown above, I started at 218 pounds (didn't track anything over the Christmas Holiday, but on Christmas morning I was 217.5 pounds). Tomorrow begins a new month. I am going to track more details in my diet - make an effort to record everything I eat. Also, Lent begins on February 10th, and it's an opportune time for me to perhaps take on a fast of some sort. Both for spiritual and health reasons. I'plan to schedule a physical tomorrow as well.

I am hoping I make better progress in February of 2016. 

To Lift Or Not To Lift? Do you even lift, bro? (NOPE)

This week I'll think about lifting weights!

Took off this weekend and didn't do any exercise until this morning. I swear, there is some water retention I am seeing on the scale. Upwards of 5 pounds. Not sure if from salt, exercise or what...but this morning I was 213.5 pounds. Had hit 218 on Friday 1/8/16, 218.5 Sat, 216.5 Sunday. Yesterday I hit 216. No real diet change, just no exercise. What's up with that?

Was going to begin using a set of dumbbells purchased in 2003. 25 pounders and 40 pounders. Just looking to try something different - break up the monotony but continue to lift something challenging other than my chin over a bar. 

I'll just look at them for now! THEY LOOK GOOD!

Diet today was 2 chicken drumsticks for lunch and a chicken thigh with 3 small pieces of salmon. Dinner was 3 chicken thighs. Snacked on a few scoops of Shoprite Natural peanut butter. Ate some yesterday and a coworker "caught" me today. Swears I get blotches on my face after eating peanuts! The joys of Irish skin! I had some today anyway! Ha! :-)

So far, so good

Exercise....I hate it...but it makes me feel good

7 days into the new year, I've been doing the following each morning:

10 Chin ups - can only get to 7 or 8 cleanly - then rest for a minute and get last 2 or 3 in

40 push ups. These I have no problem. Should really probably try to push it higher, but I am looking for consistency. I am in competition only with myself. Some mornings it's tough but most I am fine. 

50 jumping jacks.

20 sit ups. I understand these are a no no, but I feel fine afterwards. Might look into something else as what I keep being told is that "sit ups are bad for your back" A coworker suggested I do burpees. THAT is a funny name for an exercise. Funny name, but looks like a good exercise from the YouTube videos I see as examples.

I am getting my exercise in before I begin my day. I was doing it into Christmas and slacked off slightly between Christmas of 2015 and New Years but I'm back to my daily routine.

It really makes me feel good and a great way to wake up and begin the day. If you told me 4 years ago that 4 years from now, I'd be almost a hundred pounds lighter and exercising daily I would have laughed in your face in total disbelief and skepticism. Nice thought, but not a chance buddy! And once again, like so many many things in life...I'd be wrong! (e.g." NOBODY named Barack Obama will become President in THIS country", [telling my sister that I'll never be a father as I broke her chops about her son - my wife found out she was pregnant a few days after this] "Not in the cards Terrie! Not in the cards!")

Today's diet was low carb as usual. 2 hardboiled eggs, a couple of sausage patties. Lunch was a nice Cobb Salad from the local diner with an unsweetened iced tea. I still do not calorie counting which I think might be why I'm not skinnier. Used to be SO easy to knock off 10 pounds just by not eating carbohydrates!! Even after all this weight loss, I am still a member in good standing of the Clean Plate Club. Today's lunch was no different. No dinner because I wasn't hungry (THAT'S THE CRUX OF LOW CARB - TOTALLY KILLS MY HUNGER!!!) but had a large cup of Cafe Bustelo instant coffee w 4 packs of knock off Splenda and half and half. 

My weight today was 215.5 pounds. My lowest ever was 205.5 pounds back in 2013. Would absolutely LOVE to hit 200 before the end of February. 

Today's shirtless mugshots. For posterity. 

Me on January 7th, 2016 - 215.5 pounds

Now..about that clutter I gotta get rid of.

I got crap in my house I stored in the early 1990's. Going to start tossing it. I mean books I haven't touched in 20 years in one place, clothes nobody is going to wear in the attic. Utensils from my wife's apartment that I thought "we could use this someday!!!" - Tossing this crap two bags at a time on garbage pickup day. If I can donate it (most of it no way) I will. But two bags at a time I should be done relatively quickly. Like losing weight in a way....that's the goal. 

Back to the diet plan

It's not a diet. I think....

According to the internets, I have been on my diet now for 1353 days. That's a record for me sticking with any diet. With this one though, it's been easy. I've been eating a low carb diet now for all this time. There's been a handful of times I've had a slice of pizza or pumpkin pie  or something "carby", but it's a very rare event since 1353 days ago.

A history of Jimmy's diet if you're interested

In 2012 I began the year Obese. I later learned I was Obese Class III. Sounds like a military classification but it is called "morbid obesity". A pretty scary classification but I could get around fine, no back pain, no joint pain but I could feel inflammation. And it varied on intensity. Salt and carbohydrates made my fingers feel like sausages. I could see my ankles swell a bit. Annoying to say the least, but not a real concern. See, I was looking for a job in a very tough job market. I had more important shit to do than worry about my weight. Had things to do and bills to pay that took priority. Plus, more importantly, I needed medical insurance. Not for me, (I was just fine as you can obviously tell) but for my daughter who has Type 1 diabetes.

 Me and Cardinal Timothy Dolan back in the day (2/28/2012)

2012 went on like this where I was networking, looking for work and meeting some great people. One was a gentlemen named Ed M. who had a group of folks he would meet with to help organize their job search. Ed was talking to the group of us about this importance of taking care of ourselves. Not just for looking for a job, but to take care of ourselves and take care of our families. I don't know why...but the message clicked with me. But I figured that was that. I'll do it soon. I mean look! I was happy! What? Me worry?

 My Daughter and I - St Patrick's Day 2012

Later, could have been the same week - I'm not sure though - I asked my daughter to check her blood sugar/glucose. I had asked her a few times. She was getting annoyed. And so was I. I then insisted she check her glucose right then and the words that changed everything came from her mouth:
"Check your own glucose Dad! Look at the SIZE of you! You probably have Type II diabetes!!!"

Well, she dd check her glucose. But....I also checked mine. And it was high. High enough that were it my daughter, she'd need insulin to bring it down. High enough that I knew a doc would be putting me on metformin immediately. No questions asked. BUT...I had A LOT of info on how Type 1 diabetes worked. And...rather than go to the doc...I cooked up 4 eggs and bacon. I was done with carbs for a few days. HAD to try and lower that glucose number without hearing from a doc how I was fat...and here's your prescription buddy.  You should lose weight! Good luck!

Well, 3 days of bacon, eggs, chicken, steak my glucose responded immediately. Normal. Under 100. But...I figured I was KILLING MYSELF eating all this fat and meat! But that's not exactly what happened. I didn't really know how a low carbohydrate diet worked. I just keenly understood how carbohydrates affected blood glucose. And a very low carbohydrate was like treating my blood glucose issue with a giant hammer. Fixed!!! The weight loss however, was a great unexpected and unintended benefit.

Fast forward to today and here's a graph of my weight loss. This morning I was 218 pounds (haven't weight in since Christmas day where I was 217.5 pounds). I am still maintaining a 90+ pound weight loss. Below is a graph from an app I use to track my weight called Libra. It works well for me.

 As you can see from the trend line, if I work hard I can be 285 pounds by New Year's Day 2017!

2016 brings new opportunities to improve myself and my goal is to at least get below 200 pounds. 181 pounds is the blue line (I'm 6'1") I'd REALLY like to get to which would put me at a BMI of 23.9

Here's me in my underwear to show where I am starting from  (not sure if that's NSFW or what...but you havebeen warned!!!  I apologize in advance for any offense taken! Ladies....I'm married...sorry)

 

Onto the blue line!!! See ya soon!

There's only "Now" - So let's begin

Purpose

So here I am on the 3rd of Januay Anno Domini 2016. Beginning a blog about...well...me I guess. Or my experiences. Or something. I don't know exactly, but I feel compelled to begin this.

Intention

My intention is to try and plan out how the year 2016 goes. Set goals. Write down a path to travel and follow this road map into 2017. My goal is to create positivity and to grow personally in a positive way. And while at it, attempt to help others if at all possible.

Some simple goals for now

1) For the last almost 4 years, I've been on a low carbohydrate diet. Lost over 100 pounds at my lowest weight (205.5) and have maintained a weight between 210 and 215 for over a year. Continue with that. I'd like to be 181 pounds at some point (that would put my BMI at ~24) but for now I feel fine. But adding exercise  and continuing morning regimen of chin ups, push ups jumping jacks and sit ups. (I'll be damned if I join a gym!)

2)Declutter my life. I've got more shit that can shake a stick at. Most of it needs to go. It's driving me nuts

3)Project Mustang Resurrection. My 1990 Mustang GT must get back on the road. I've had her almost 25 years and been neglecting her.  This could probably be it's own blog unto itself, but it needs to be done before 2016 ends. Preferably before the summer of 2016 begins.

4)Start blogging (CHECK - AMIDONE?)

5)Make at least a video a week on Youtube. Possibly guest on my kid's YouTube channel. (Shout out to RavenFireLordAzula100!!!)


And with that....save and post....I'll be back.