1 YEAR LATER STILL NEED TO LOSE 100 LBS!

Here I am a year later. Yes I suck at diets or changing my eating behavior. I am eating too much. I have recently been back up to about 325 and then now back down to 305. I am dedicated to make it happen this time! I am going to start a great exercise program- Insanity or P90X but the real issue is eating less food. I eat too much and get overfull too often. I am going to be successful!

BACK FROM CHINA

I was in China from May 28 to June 28. Let's just say it is very hard to stay on my diet in China. I did my best but many times the food made me sick. Strange Bacteria flushed through my body too many times. Now back in the US I got on my scale at home and weighed in at 303 lbs. I am back on my program and will try to weigh in next week. This time now I am trying to eat less at dinner time. Go light in the evening. I need to up the exercise.

Trouble Losing Weight- Lack of Sleep and Exercise

I feel like I am not losing weight fast enough. So my focus is going to change! Recently I have not been sleeping enough. Working too late and going home very late. Staying up and going to bed late. So I am going to try to get to bed earlier and get some more sleep at night. I think lack of enough sleep has been hurting my weight loss. I have also been eating late at night- but I am not sure if that is really a problem. Maybe eating too much! I have also not been exercising enough. Last week I did a stress-echo and never got back into the gym. On the weekend I fished on Saturday and tried to sleep and recover on Sunday from 2 hours of sleep the night before- driving and early rising for fishing. I did get some sun and exercise out fly fishing for stripers- it was a ton of fun as my friends showed me how to catch fish. We caught about 25 fish and they let me land about 6 and finally I caught one on my own while wading on a sand bar. A super fun way to fish. So I have not been doing any long bike rides on the weekend. That needs to change.

Today I made it to the gym and did 60 minutes on the bike with a 4 minute Tabata that was tough- I rode the recumbent and started at level 15 for the first 3 intervals then I kicked it up each time, level 16, level 17, level 18, level 19 and finally level 20. It was only 4 minutes but my heart rate was near my calculated max of 175. I recovered during the last 8 minutes- after about 2 minutes I had recovered and was going easy again to finish the hour with 800 calories down. My goal is to do 1000 calories an hour. I will get there. I like to take it easy and go Paleo/Primal with cardio. After my bike ride I really wanted to do a little "Bruce Protocol"- I was disappointed that the treadmill only goes to 15% grade at my gym. I made it to 18% grade during the stress test. The protocol goes to 22%. So I started at 10% and did what I could going for 10 minutes total time with an increase of stress every 2 minutes. At 15% grade all I could do was speed up the treadmill so I was running slowly at about 4.3 mph. That was enough for me- I was spent! I feel like it is a pretty good interval training although it is only 1 interval with high intensity. As I lose weight I am sure I will be able to run a little better- but I don't want to hurt myself. So for the next 30 lbs or until I am down to the 260 level I am going to focus on cardio. I will lift heavy things if I can, but my time and energy will go into cardio and try to fat burn for now.

I weighed in and met my goal this week! 292 lbs! I really want to break into the 280's next week. I plan to fish on Saturday and do a long bike ride on Sunday. I probably should not have eaten so much- but I had another BAS day at Sweet Tomatoes. BAS is a Big Ass Salad. Which is taken from Mark's Daily Apple Blog (link on the right). I felt full but not stuffed from all the salad. I will have a small dinner tonight and do some more Cold Therapy. Funny how I found a machine now that does Cold Therapy for spot fat burning. The biggest question I have is what temperature does it use for an $800 1 hour session? And can I simulate the same therapy with a bag of ice for $1? I am doing both ice therapy and actual cold therapy in a cold tub of water. Let's see if I can become "cold adapted". I will report in 3 months time if my fat cells have been reduced by ice therapy. It seams like there is some science behind it- enough to develop an expensive machine and market it to those desperate for spot burning. I just need to make some commentary about the crazy K-E Diet.

Here is the latest controversy that is getting bad press- the K-E Diet. A ketogenic diet- which in my opinion is a good diet principle. 800 calories for 10 days. This is pretty severe way to go low-carb. And could be a shock to the system. I think it is getting too much criticism. For 10 days one could simple fast with plenty of fluids. 800 low-carb calories is probably better. What I think is crazy is paying $150 a day for a feeding tube! Heck just eat 4 low carb meals that are 200 calories each in an 8 hour time period for your 800 calories. You can do this by eating Quest bars- Maybe I can start a new diet- THE QUEST BAR DIET. Or mixing some small protein shakes with a little half/half in a hand shaker. But I guess if you did this nobody would think you are crazy and it would not be in the news. Anyway the principle is solid- Ketosis burns fat! What is not solid is after you paid $1500 and lost some weight after 10 days- WHAT NEXT? The doctor should include a copy of the Primal BluePrint in the program. So in honor of this latest controversy I am going to mix in a couple of 800 calorie days- I HATE counting calories- so it may be hard for me. I am sure my salad above had way more than 800 calories! I may do my 800 calories in 1 meal or maybe 2 or split it up with a couple Quest Bars and a small meal.

So that is my plan! I really want to hit 280 soon.

Coughing Pink Frothy Blood

Last week on Tuesday night I was doing some horizontal exercise and at the end of the exercise session my lungs started to fill up with blood. I could feel my lungs filling with every breath and then I could hear the gurgling coming from my lungs. I coughed then swallowed and tasted blood. I did this a couple times before I coughed into a tissue and could see the pink liquid froth. I immediately got up and started coughing into the sink. After a couple minutes I called the advice nurse at Kaiser Permanente and since the coughing and blood stopped we agreed to monitor the situation until the morning. My primary care doctor did not know exactly what it was and thought maybe it either was a heart condition or was acid reflux and prescribed medication. Since I am an asthmatic I know my lungs and told her no-way- I could feel it filling my lungs and my breathing became difficult until I coughed and cleared them. After researching the web- I thought it was pulmonary edema which can be associated with heart failure or left ventricle congestion. She agreed that it could be transient pulmonary edema that had resolved. This has been reported to occur for unknown reasons during (after) sex or exercise (running without warm-up). More reports have been from triathletes as it is known as SIPE (swimming induced pulmonary edema). The web has been a wonderful tool for investigating this situation. I insisted on seeing a cardiologist to make sure some virus in years past did not cause lasting damage to the left ventricle of my heart. I got a referral to see the cardiologist.

I saw Dr. Ethan Daniels at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara CA. It was incredible- I told him about my diet and I thought I was going to have to defend myself. I told him I am doing a low carbohydrate diet. It clicked! He said "That is the best diet out there!" WOW- I found a low-carb Doc! We chatted about different diets and then he threw down the challenge- He set a number much higher than my goal and said I will schedule an appointment in 1 year to make sure you hit this goal and maintain it! He did his normal check up and an EKG and all was fine. Then ordered a Stress-Echo for the next day. I felt really confident in this Doctor- he knows his stuff! I came in for my Stress-Echo and read up about the Bruce Protocol but this lab did it a little different using a higher stress test ramping faster in intensity. I wanted to try to do the full test- but the doctor monitoring the test said even some Navy Seals have trouble with the full test. I am in no condition- since I have not been working out that long- plus I don't run- I ride a bicycle. But the test is a thread mill test. I know I am not a runner- I have asthma and have always had trouble breathing but I gave it my best shot. I told them I was going to finish the test. I think I surprised the technicians and the doctor as I passed stage 4 into stage 5- I had to start running. Instead of pushing me they started to try to talk me into stopping- I am sure I could have went to stage 6 and maybe stage 7...but I was more than half way through stage 5 when they finally got to me and I agreed to stop the test about 15 or 20 seconds short  of stage 6- I was above my maximum calculated heart rate of 175. I hit 190 BPM and was breathing very hard but not wheezing- I think my supplements are working. This test was HARD! I laid down and they did the ultrasound. GREAT NEWS! NO ISSUES FOUND! I think they thought I might collapse or pass out- but it did not matter much since my heart was pretty much maxed out but I thought I had room for more!

Here is the protocol from what I could remember: I was at 18% grade going 5 mph for about 90 seconds about 9.5 minutes of testing. Wow- that was an awesome interval workout- it took me at least 10 minutes to settle down from that stress level and get my breathing back to normal. I felt the stress the next morning as I woke up hungry- which does not happen unless I fast, plus I ate more than I should last night...I will definitely have to try this again in the gym- 10 minutes of exercise and I was hammered!

Modified High Stress Bruce Protocol

Stage	Minutes	% grade		MPH
1	2	10		1.7
2	4	12		2.5
3	6	14		3.4
4	8	16		4.2
5	10	18		5.0
6	12	20		5.5
7	14	22		6.0

BIG ASS SALAD (BAS) ON CHEAT DAY

Okay here it is- I did an IF until lunch and missed my workout because I was busy with work. I was not that "hungry" but felt compelled to hammer Sweet Tomatoes on one pass through the salad bar. 2 plates, spinach, veggies, blue cheese crumbles, blue cheese, other dressing's, and a load of chicken from the premium area.This is my BAS- Big Ass Salad- but I think the veggies must chew up to take up less space- this is how I "carb" up on a cheat day. I was actually too busy to get to the gym and had to go to a business meeting where I ate some Indian food for dinner- I stuck to the chicken dishes and what I thought was cauliflower- it was so good I went back for a second round. I know I am eating way too much! But after the meeting I went back to the gym and walked on the treadmill for 3.5 miles and then road 30 minutes on the stationary bike with a 4 minute 90% Tabata- I did not go 100%...it still hurt the legs though and got me out of breath with my heart rate close to 150 bpm.

I am doing a 36 hour fast day today (it is almost 8 pm and I am heading to the gym- I want to lift arms and do slow cardio for 1 hour- then eat a normal meal- so it will be a 24 hour fast). And I have been reading about the BulletProof Rapid Fat-Loss-Protocol which is an improvement of the Atkins "FAT-FAST" concept. For my program I try to do a 24 or 36 hour fast once per week- but this week I need to see if I can kick off some real fat loss (more than 4 lbs)- I decided I am going to try to do two 24 or 36 hour fasts- Today Thursday 4/26 and on Monday 4/30. I am kicking around the idea of loading up some coffee- but I am not quite sure how to do it. Typically I try to drink green tea all day long during a fast day. This seems to help me stay not so hungry and of course I take my supplements. I have not taken BCAA's since I thought the shorter fasting period would not affect much muscle tissue- but maybe I will add some if I am working out heavy the day before the fast I need something to keep the muscle recovery going. I don't think I will be able to gain much muscle if I am doing 2 fast days per week. But what I really want right now is to drop an additional 20-40 lbs right away! I want to get down below 260! If I can do that I will really know I am on my way! And my dream of a "six-pack" and sub 10% BF will be a reality!

I want to be clear about "cheat days"- going forward I will only "cheat" with either low-carb approved foods or "safe starches". I won't be hitting the junk food like I did last week eating corn chips and quesadilla's. The shear volume of my BAS is like a cheat day or a warrior meal.

I am doing another thing that I thought I would try- Cold Thermogenesis Living An Optimized Life Dr. Jack Kruse I started this program last week. I think I am somewhat cold adapted since my body typically runs hot and I don't need a jacket or sweat shirt when most other people need them. But I thought I would try to get my body fully cold adapted- I know during the winter time when I duck hunt I become cold adapted since I spend a lot of time out in very cold conditions and can get acutely cold for a few hours. But I know there is nothing that makes a person more mentally tough that enduring a cold shower or plunged for 10 or 20 minutes in  ice cold water. So far- cold water still sucks! But my low back is certainly feeling better. I am taking a cold bath in 55F water and using a couple of ice packs on my gut that does not get exposed to the cold water. I keep my head out of the water right now and my arms and hands- it will take a few more weeks before I go in all the way. When I feel a little hypothermic with a shiver coming on I end the session between 35-40 minutes.

I have not hit the "groove" yet in my weight loss since I feel like I am just eating too much- but it sure is a fun and satisfying "diet"...I hope I can get in the groove and lose 6-8 lbs per week. I think with 2 fast days per week, daily IF (skipping breakfast) and cold thermogenesis  while going low-carb (Paleo/Primal) <25 grams 4 days per week, with a ~100-150 carb gram leptin boosting day/meal (cheat day) and probably less than <50 grams the other 2 days along with supplementation. I should be able to put myself into an optimal fat burning groove. Looking back at the salad was HUGE!

MISSED MY WEEKLY GOAL!

Let me start by talking about all the exercise I have been doing. This last week I was hitting the stationary bike with Tabata and lifting heavy- chest, back, and abs. On Friday I did a low intensity ride for 60 minutes with a 4 minute Tabata. Then I drove 2.5 hours to my parents ranch on Friday night and did the 27th Annual Bike Around The Buttes I only got about 4 hours of sleep which was not much. Since I have not been riding I did the 40 mile loop. I have done the 100 mile ride in years past- many years past...I have been doing this ride for more than 20 years as it is a good fund raiser for diabetes plus it is the biggest bike event in the town I grew up in which is not that bike friendly. I made sure I ate a big protein meal Friday night and hydrated with plenty of water. I did the ride without eating anything and road slow since my friend was having a worse time than me and riding even slower. This was a good experiment of long distance cardio with low-carb. It did not work that well- I tried to recover eating chicken, polish dog, salad, right after the event then about 3 hours later I had a tuna, cheese, tomato, olive, green salad. I was eating strict Low-carb and I felt wiped out. I was really feeling bad. I finally got tempted by some corn chips and chicken quesadilla's that my Mom had bought for the family dinner. I had a hard time saying no! The minute I ate the chips I felt relief in my brain- my head felt better. I ate the carb-loaded corn tortilla dinner and my body felt better but I was still tired. I guess I was bonking- but it felt different than bonking from what I am used to- I was hungry but not ravenously hungry. Maybe next time I should eat a sweet potato? or some "safe starches".

On Sunday I got up and planned to not eat- but about by 11 am I was really hungry from the previous days ride- I made bacon, eggs and sausage. I wanted to go for a ride but kept waiting as I was really tired. Finally in the afternoon I went on a 25 mile ride that took over 2 hours- I was going really slow. I took 2 small apples and a banana with me as an experiment. If I felt bad I wanted to see how I felt after I ate these. I stopped at the half way point and decided to eat the fruit. My head felt better and my legs felt like they got some energy although I was not pedaling fast by any means. I made it home in pain in my feet and butt! I need to lose weight so I am not so heavy on the bike!

So I essentially cheated both days on Saturday and Sunday. I needed a fast day to make up for it but it did not happen on Monday. I road 1 hour on a stationary bike in the gym easy and was really hungry so I had Vietnamese PHO Soup- NO NOODLE! Extra Chicken. I did do an IF for 16 hours before the workout.

So how did I do last week. The scale LIES! I know I am gaining muscle- my strength is going up! I lost only 2 lbs. Down to 297. But I will take what I can get. My goal for this week is 293- a solid 293! I think I look better with my shirt off than my cover photo- but I have a long ways to go. I really want to get to 280 lbs! This will represent a successful strategy in my opinion.

CHEAT DAY(S)

Well I need to talk about "Cheat Days" these are not really a day but rather a day you eat 1 blow out meal. Typically I eat at lunch but sometimes it is more social to eat at dinner. The "cheat day" is a day you up your calories and can eat other carbs also. I like to do mine most of the time using low-carb food. I up the quantity and get really, really full. I will hit Sweet Tomatoes loading up on 2 plates of salads- one specialty and the other spinach with all the veggies smothered in blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing. I have not tried it with Pizza, but maybe I will have to in the not so distant future- I make low-carb pizza with Atkins bread mix- the way I make it is awesome! I spent $90 making 2 pizza's that started out almost 3 inches thick on a thin crust. Loaded with cheese, meat and veggies. So we got it- 1 big meal whatever you want to eat. The next day is a FAST DAY! NO FOOD! Water, green tea and light exercise. Lots of water!

This last week because of a business meetings I found myself at dinner on Thursday having Sushi- I cheated. It was a "cheat meal"...I fasted on Friday for 24 hours then ate my typical chicken and broccoli with cheese for dinner. On Saturday I had another business dinner with a 20 oz porter house, 3-4 glasses of Guinness and some garlic bread that was off the chart- I had to try it- I wound up polishing the rest of the garlic bread. I fasted until mid afternoon and was sucked into eating a sandwich with sourdough bread, since I cheated I had sushi again for dinner and fasted only 18 hours before I had lunch and now have fasted about 24 hours. Okay this is not how I want to run the program. I was cheating and fasting and cheating and fasting. I want to do 1 cheat day per week. But I did a pre-weigh in this morning and I am almost at my goal. I think by tomorrow I will hit my goal of breaking the 300 lb barrier. I weighed in later today and hit my goal of 299! Not a great week for me but I still did it! I lost 4 lbs. This next week I want to hit 295 my NEW GOAL! 295!

So that is the basics of a "cheat-day" one or two meals that are more calories and more carbs than you would normally eat. Followed by fasting and light cardio.