Month: June 2024

First morning without back pain

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It’s been a weird couple of weeks. I somehow hurt my back without doing anything at all. Yeah, yeah: I know. I’m old. But c’mon! I’m not that old.

In the office and thinking, “I need more coffee.”

But anyway, this morning was the first morning I awoke without any back pain. My right Achilles heel still has pain, and I think it always will. I’m learning to just live with it. But while I can do my exercises and even ride my bike with the Achilles heel pain, I can’t do either of those (and more) with the back pain. That it is now gone is significant.

I’m not sure when exactly I’ll start back up my exercise routine; maybe next Monday. I want to give my back enough time to fully heal and feel better. I want to make sure that I’m not rushing things and getting back into exercise too quickly. At the same time, I really want the benefits of exercise as it pertains to my health. I just feel better after a good bike ride or a good session in the gym. But I also don’t enjoy working with injuries, so I will wait.

Weight-wise, my weight didn’t change from yesterday, but that’s a win. I know that not every day will see a loss. I remember from my very first Whole30 that sometimes, I’d go 3-4 days without losing and then WHOOSH 2-3 lbs would disappear. I don’t know why it works like that, but it does. Now that I know what to expect, I’m good with these mini-plateaus and fluctuations.

As for food, today started with my Keto cereal with blueberries, and my lunch with be a Whole30 chicken parmigiana (without cheese or breading, obviously) with zucchini cut up like spaghetti noodles and a tomato sauce. This is one of our favorites, and I’m looking forward to it. Dinner will likely be the carnitas tacos again (one of my ultimate favorites). I will also have an apple after lunch, and likely a peach after dinner. We picked up some peaches on our way home from Dallas on Saturday, and they are the sweetest peaches I’ve had in years.

Cheat Meals are Sabotage

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Plain and simple: cheat meals are sabotage. Let me explain.

A cheat is defined as a way to gain an advantage by behaving dishonestly. Cheat meals don’t help you gain advantage over anything. In fact, what you actually do when you have a cheat meal (or worse, a cheat day) is you sabotage your hard work and your progress by setting you back. How so?

First, you’re reinforcing bad behavior and habits and continuing to make it okay. A lot of cheat meals are (and you know this or you wouldn’t even call it a cheat meal) bad for you or contains foods that contain ingredients that aren’t healthy.

Second, any progress you’re making in breaking those bad habits is being discarded because you’re still clinging to your old way of eating which got you into trouble with your weight or your health (or in my case, both).

Third, it can stall your progress, or worse, set you back. If you’re doing Keto, this can throw you out of ketosis and set you back as much as two weeks. For me during a Whole30 or when I’m on my regular Paleo Diet, it can erase days or even a week or more of progress in weight loss.

Fourth, it is a slippery slope. It’s how I always end up having to do another Whole30. By allowing one cheat meal, you start to rationalize not eating healthy and say to yourself something like, “Oh, it’s just this one meal,” or “It’s just this one dessert.” The problem is that the one meal turns into two which turns into days which turns into falling off the proverbial wagon altogether.

I tend to have cheat meals on vacations. I do this as a treat, but I do so knowing full well that I will need to do a sort of detox by doing a Whole30 afterwards to mitigate the emotional and physical damage done by not watching my diet closely. This is precisely what got me to this most recent Whole30: my last month of deployment to Kosovo, my two months back from my deployment and reintegration into my civilian life, and then a two-week trip to the Balkans. Now, I’m back to eating healthy, and resisting any suggestions from friends about, “Oh, c’mon, just have a cheat meal!”

I can’t, and I won’t. For me, sabotage is what it is, and it’s why I always frame cheat meals as sabotage meals. This morning, I was at 202.2 lbs. That’s almost 8 lbs in just over 2 weeks that I’ve lost already. While it hasn’t been hard, it hasn’t been easy, either. I’ve had to resist a lot of temptation and at a few social events, I’ve had to refrain from indulging in the way that our culture does at gatherings and get-togethers. Some people don’t understand my level of commitment, and they infer it as me being unsocial. It’s nothing of the sort; I’m just taking care of me.

I’ve repeatedly been successful on Whole30’s, and over the nearly 8 years I’ve been on the Paleo Diet, my health has never been better. I’ve kept off the vast majority of the weight I gained, and right now, I’m well on my way to getting back down to a weight I’m much more comfortable at. This will not only make me feel better in my own skin, but allow me to fit back into all my favorite clothes (and uniforms!), but will also allow me to do my exercise much easier. Riding a mountain bike with an extra 30 lbs is much harder than when I weighed 180 lbs!

So, there will be no sabotage for me. I work too hard for this progress. I will not throw it away for the short-term satisfaction that a meal brings. I prefer the delayed gratification and long-term benefits of being healthier and weighing less.

End of week 2 and the result is…

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203.3. That’s nearly 7 lbs in two weeks. It’s keeping me on track for the 10+ I was hoping for this Whole30. Now, here’s the crazy part: Sherry and I are considering this a pre-Whole30 because we have a summer party in two weeks where we will imbibe alcohol and probably eat some things we aren’t supposed to. But the plan is for us to then start our REAL Whole30 the following day which will lead us into a strict Paleo for the rest of the summer and fall going into the holiday season just like we did on our very first Whole30. That first Whole30 led me to lose 110 lbs in a year without exercise and shoehorned me into the Paleo lifestyle which saw me lose another 40 lbs and reverse my Type 2 Diabetes and fatty liver disease.

I’m incredibly excited and motivated to see 203.3 lbs on the scale this morning for another reason: I forgot to weigh myself when I woke up, so that was after eating breakfast and 10 oz of coffee as well as needing to *ehem* go to the bathroom. So… I could have weighed up to half a pound less! But, I’ll put that loss off for tomorrow.

Mushrooms are a great ingredient for Whole30 foods.

Today, Sherry and I are doing meal prep for the week. We are making some Carnitas, Al Pastor, and a deconstructed cheeseburger. All of these are Whole30-compliant, and among some of our favorites. Whole30 is really not that difficult to get through when the foods taste as good if not better than the non-compliant foods. Even my daughter who was staying with us last week commented on how much she liked the food. She was even happier to know that it was all very healthy for her.

My success is only possible because of the teamwork with my wife. Between her being the driving force behind our amazing menu and the cooking, to the portion sizes she’s been helping me with (my biggest problem is over-eating), the nearly 7 lbs I’ve lost is in large part due to her support. Teamwork makes the dream work.

Trusting the Process (Again)

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This morning at my daily weigh-in, my weight remained the same (yay!), but my pants are already definitely feeling better, and my shirts are fitting better. It seems the inflammation of my body which manifests with swelling has been decreasing enough that my “Puffy” look is going away.

As for my back, it continues to feel a little better but I think there is an underlying issue I will have to see a doctor for. I don’t want to venture guesses publicly, but I think it’s better to be checked out to know for sure.

Food-wise, I started the day with my Catalina Crunch Keto cereal (chocolate) with a handful of blueberries sprinkled on top with the Califia Better Half coconut/almond milk. I really enjoy this quick cereal breakfast and it tastes great and keeps me sated until lunchtime.

Speaking of lunchtime, today I will have a deconstructed chicken with salsa verde bowl with riced cauliflower and grilled pepper, onions, and mushrooms. It’s a new-ish recipe that Sherry started to make recently and I love it!

Dinner will likely be a salisbury steak with mushroom sauce over mashed cauliflower. I had this a few times this week, and it’s really tasty and filling!

Although my weight remained the same, I am happy about how my clothes are feeling. It’s a process, and it takes time. I just have to continue to trust the process and monitor my progress and adjust as necessary. So far, no adjustments have been necessary; I’m eating the right foods, getting enough sleep, and making sure I’m properly hydrated. I look forward to being able to add exercise back after my back (and possible other issue) gets better.

Two steps forward…

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So, the progress with my weight loss is going back in the right direction with a new low; 204.9. That’s over 5 lbs now in just over a week. That’s what I expected. I’d hoped for more, but in the first month, if I can get 10+, that’s a victory, and I’m well on my way to that number.

This is me right now in my office at work.

As for how my pants feel, they’re much looser. Things are fitting better already. I look forward to being able to wear all my clothes again soon. It’s ridiculous how quickly I was able to pack on weight with just a few months of being marginally careful. I guess I need to remain eternally vigilant and really stick to the Paleo Diet. It has done well for me for nearly eight years. Just two months off of it and my weight soared and my health declined quicker than anything I’d ever experienced. There’s no better endorsement for the no added sugar/low-carb diet than what I’ve just been through over the past two months.

The one step backward is my back pain. This morning, my back pain was pretty bad when driving into the office. Now as I sit in my chair (very upright with good posture, I might add), it doesn’t hurt, but as soon as I try to move or get up, it will be sore again.

I think the spasm is, once again, tightening up. I did some stretching exercises in my bed before getting up, and it may not have had the effect I was hoping for. I will continue to be careful and move slowly and deliberately, but if this persists, a visit to a doctor or a chiropractor may be in order.

Weekend and back pain

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This weekend was supposed to be full of me doing some chores and tasks I’ve been putting off for a while and ended with me in bed taking muscle relaxers.

Ugh.

So, how did I get into this predicament? The best I can guess is that I was using poor posture at my desk on the first half of Friday. At noon, it was sore, and by Friday evening, I was in excruciating pain. I then spent the next two days either on a couch propped up with pillows or in bed laying down.

The good news is that today I feel a lot better, although there is still pain.

As for my Whole30, it has been progressing as planned. I’ve been eating only compliant foods, and I feel my body being less swollen or inflamed. As for my weight, the last time I checked on Monday morning, my weight was up a little to 206.9, but this is why they tell you on Whole30 to not weigh daily; your weight fluctuates naturally, and some people can get discouraged or demotivated by weight gains. I do not. I use them as fuel to further motivate me, and to take a very close look back on why my body is reacting the way it did to not only what I ate, but what I drank and what activities I did. It makes sense that my weight was up a little on Monday; I was sedentary all weekend.

I’m still not 100%, so I’m still taking it easy, but I’m looking forward to this weekend to do some more activities. I am really looking forward to getting back on my bike and getting back to lifting, but this back spasm really threw a monkey wrench into those plans. However, I know Whol30 works without exercise, and I lost 110 lbs without any exercise at all doing Whole30 and Paleo, so I’m not discouraged. If anything, I’m looking forward to getting started again at a lower weight. Running/biking are so much easier when you’re lighter, anyway.

Embrace the Suck

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Wow. What a great way to start the day. I did my (illegal according to Whole30) weigh-in this morning and found myself to be at 205.4 lbs. I started at 310 lbs on Monday! I know, I know: a lot of that is water weight. Of course it is; I was eating foods containing sugar, grains, and dairy, and on top of that, the portion sizes were, well, a little crazy. All of those things cause me to swell and retain water. BUT!!!! The bottom line is now I’m not carrying that almost 5 lbs of water weight! I can already notice the difference in my gut and face.

How do I feel? Sluggish, a little bit, but it’s to be expected. I won’t really start feeling more energized for another week, and this weekend, the worst of the flu-like symptoms should start to hit.

I was talking to Sherry last night, and I told her that the worse the symptoms get, the more I feel satisfied that the process is working. I’m embracing the discomfort. Anything worthwhile involves discomfort: want a degree? You’re going to spend a lot of time and late nights studying and writing papers. Want to get fit? You’re going to spend a lot of time exercising, whether it’s in a gym or on the pavement. Want to become a Marine? Boot camp isn’t easy and involves a lot of discomfort before you earn the title and the right to wear the eagle, globe, and anchor.

If you want to accomplish anything that’s valuable in life, you have to be okay with sacrifice. In this case, I’m sacrificing my comfort and my apetite to eat ceaselessly and carelessly. In some ways, I’m sacrificing some happiness, but at the same time, the happiness I’ll gain by being healthier, fitter, and lighter will outweigh the happiness I’m giving up. In the Marines, we say, “Embrace the suck.” The more you get used to and embrace things being hard, difficult, and sometimes illogical, the better off you will be emotionally. When it comes to this Whole30, I’m definitely embracing the suck.

As for last night’s dinner, I didn’t eat the planned meal-prepped dinner because my daughter and I had an impromptu father-daughter date for dinner. We went to a Greek restaurant, and I had beef tenerloin on a skewer with vegetables on a skewer with a side salad. I skipped on the Feta, dolmades, the pita, and the tsaziki. The meal was actually Whole30 compliant and very tasty! It’s nice that there are options out there for me to enjoy a dinner outside the house that is healthy enough to not derail my process or progress.

Today, I had my standard two eggs, bacon, and tomato breakfast along with some coffee. For lunch, my plan is to hit the refrigerator for another meal-prepped container of goodness. I haven’t quite yet decided which one I’ll eat, but I’m leaning towards the Picadillo. As for dinner, my wife returns from a one-week business trip tonight, and we plan on going out for a steak that I’ll have with half of a baked sweet potato.

All in all, while the actual end of Week 1 will be Sunday night, I’m already jazzed with my progress. I know that body weight fluctuates naturally, and sometimes I’ll weigh myself and wonder how my weight went up, but if the past is any indicator, those days will be very rare and few and far between.

Day Four

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First, a quick recap of yesterday (Day 3). Dinner was a rather generous portion of the Chicken Tikka Masala that my wife and I made on Sunday. It was yummy, but it seemed like a pretty big portion. Either that, or I’m being very hard on myself and being very thoughtful about portion sizes. But I was not only sated, but it was delicious. This week, my wife made all our favorites; okay, she made all MY favorites, and it makes rolling into this Whole30 a lot easier when the foods are delicious.

This morning, I skipped weighing myself. Not because of any particular reason other than I woke up about 30 minutes later than I like, and I got dressed quickly before I realized I hadn’t weighed myself. Oh well; I’ll do it tomorrow morning.

Today’s breakfast was the Catalina Crunch (keto cereal) with blueberries. I know: cereal is SWYPO according to W30, but I NEVER eat real cereal. Heck, it’s been nearly eight years since I had real cereal, so I’m not replacing anything from the “Pre-Paleo Diet” days. I do stick to the rules on ingredients, portion size, and 99% of the SWYPO rules, but I can’t give up the one quick breakfast I have that sates my appetite until lunchtime with almost no prep.

Lunch will be chili. I freaking love chili. I have since I was a kid. I loved it so much that my grandmother used to tease me about it. Whenever I spent the weekends with my grandparents, most times we’d go out camping if the weather was nice. On those trips, they’d always stop somewhere; usually a diner or some non-fast food place. I was kind of picky about food; I didn’t like hamburgers or cheeseburgers, and not many places had hot dogs, so my go-to was chili. It was almost always great, and I grew to really love it. I remember going somewhere and my grandmother saying, “This time, try to pick anything other than chili.” I went through the menu and explained to her why each of the other items didn’t meet my culinary expectations or needs. She sighed and relented; “Fine. Get your chili.” She loved telling that story. I honestly think of her every time I eat chili.

Dinner will likely be the meatloaf and sweet potato hash. It’s another one of my absolute favorites, and a food I didn’t really grow to appreciate until my mid-20’s. My mother cooked almost exclusively Hungarian cuisine for my family, with the occasional exception of French or Italian food. I loved all kinds of food, but when it came to hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and meatloaf, I had an aversion. They seemed so pedestrian compared to the amazing meals I was accustomed to from my mother. School lunches were a challenge; there were days I didn’t eat the main portion if it was one of those three food items and I’d just eat the sides. I’d trade away my burgers for chips or fruit.

But then something crazy happened. When I was 13 or 14, I used to ride my bike a lot. Like 30-40 miles a day. I would ride my little 12-speed to neighboring towns, and most days, I’d find myself far from home and hungry. I started asking my mother for lunch money on those days I rode far, and since it was summertime, she was glad to give me the money to make me disappear for the day so she could focus on her housework. One day, I was riding and got very hungry, and as I was riding past a McDonald’s, I could smell the fries. I loved fries. So I went inside and as I was about to order fries, the person in front of me ordered a Quarter Pounder with no cheese. I thought that was a good option, and I’d work my way through it with the fries and a Coke. So, I got the Quarter Pounder, fries, and a Coke and I sat down. I took a bite of the burger expecting to be repulsed, but it was amazing. I don’t know if it was because I was so hungry, so tired, or both, but it just hit different. From that point on, burgers were on the table.

Meatloaf took a little longer. I was in the Marines and as an MP, we were not allowed to eat at the chow hall (dining facility) due to our work schedule and because we were paid a stipend for food in lieu of dining privileges. So, the other Marines and I would search out the best places to eat that fit within our budgets. One was Bob’s Big Boy, and the other was Norm’s, a diner in Santa Ana, California. One day at Norm’s, I asked what the daily special was (these were always very generous portions for an incredibly reasonable price), and on that day, it was meatloaf. I didn’t have much cash on me, but I had enough for the special and the tip, so I went for it, and it was amazing. Once again, I marveled at having missed out on meatloaf for so long (at the time lol) in my life. Like hamburgers before it, meatloaf was now on the table.

Cheeseburgers never quite made it. I can abide a swiss burger, but I prefer my burgers without cheese. I don’t know what it is. My wife thinks it’s because I respect cheese too much, and maybe she’s right. I do like cheese; just not on burgers. I love nachos, Mexican food, French food, and even Hungarian foods with cheese on it. Just leave it off my burgers.

Anyway, that’s a stupid long explanation of why the meatloaf tonight is going to be a treat, and I’m looking forward to it. Fortunately, my wife sets the portions, so I wont’ over-eat. But I will eat slowly and savor it.

I have a slight headache today that I recognize as the Whole30 haze. But on the positive side, the cravings were much lower yesterday than the day before, and I expect them to be even less today. I also feel less bloated; I measure this with what I call the “Ring test.” I check to see how easy it is for me to take my wedding ring off. If it comes off easily, then I’m not bloated. But if it is hard to remove or doesn’t come off at all… well, then I know I’m bloating, and it’s usually from grains, dairy, or sugar (of which I had all of while in the Balkans).

I’m excited. The more I get into this Whole30, the more motivated I am becoming. I don’t look at the foods I can’t eat; I actually prefer the Whole30 foods because I know they’re healthy for me, and I know that in between meals, I will feel so much better in a few weeks. There’s no replacing that with bread or a dessert.

Found my starting weight

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So, I decided to weigh myself yesterday: 209.4. Being that the weigh-in was nearly two days after I started, I’ll round it up to 210.

Oh. My. God.

That means I have 35 lbs to lose. I know, I know: it’s not about weight, it’s about health. And yes, I get it, and I sincerely subscribe to that idea. But… I am still in the military, and they care about numbers which means I have to care about numbers.

So, I will trust the process, play the game, and I will reach my goal just like I have every time in the past on Whole30’s prior.

I also broke the rule I said I would follow yesterday; I weighed myself this morning just as I always did on previous Whole30’s. What did I find? 208.5. This is also as I expected after 2 days. The first week is always the best week for pure weight loss as my body recovers from the gluten and sugar overload it was experiencing through all the amazing breads, desserts, and alcohol (we won’t mention all those double espressos with sugar).

Why do I continue to break the “Don’t weigh yourself” rule? Because for my personality type, it fuels my desire to reach my goal. It is an immediate feedback that shows me I’m doing the right thing, or if the scale goes in the other direction, it allows me to more closely analyze what I put into my body and its effect on my overall health.

As for exercise, I was supposed to start that on Monday, but I didn’t. Then, I was supposed to start that on Tuesday and still didn’t. Today is Wednesday, and if I’m being honest, I likely won’t start today either. Why? Well, my heel is still recovering from an injury I sustained about a month ago during a sprint from one building to another avoiding a devastating storm here in Houston in which 7 people lost their lives. I was downtown, the epicenter of the storm, and I sprinted far too hard and ended up injuring my right Achille’s tendon. It didn’t rupture, but it definitely was strained.

I also hurt my back prior to my vacation: a painful spasm that stayed with me for nearly two weeks. That one happened after a workout when I didn’t stretch properly after a personal best for the year in lifting, and I moved suddenly when the spasm appeared.

As for my shoulder injury I’ve been working with for the past year, it is actually the one bright spot. Because of my weightlifting, it actually has healed more and the range of motion has increased. It still hurts, but nowhere near as much as it used to, and I can use my arm and shoulder a lot more today than I have been able to in almost two years.

Today’s breakfast was 1 cup of Catalina Crunch (a keto breakfast cereal that I really enjoy when I don’t want to make my two eggs, bacon, and tomato breakfast that has been a staple for me since my very first Whole30 nearly 8 years ago) with blueberries and Califia Better Half creamer (a mix of almond milk and coconut cream). For lunch, I will have a Picadillo that my wife and I made this weekend (the recipe for it is on her website, and I highly recommend it; it’s one of my favorites!). For dinner tonight, I will likely have either the meatloaf and sweet potatoes she made, or a chicken dish with riced cauliflower. As for drinks, I limit myself to either coffee with the Califia Better Half or LMNT, a drink powder with no sugar but it has salt, potassium, and magnesium which is important when you’re doing heavy exercise when on a diet like Whole30 or Paleo.

But wait, you’re thinking: you said you aren’t exercising right now! That’s right, but I will be starting any day now as soon as my motivation for it returns, and I have to be ready. My body has to be ready. And when it and I am, I won’t have to worry that I don’t have the proper elements in my body.

So. Day 3 on Whole30. I’m starting to feel some of the flu-like symptoms, but that’s to be expected. The worst is yet to come, likely this weekend, and that’s okay. I’m here for it. I actually embrace it, because then I know I’m doing the right things.

Another Whole30

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Well, it’s time for me to do another Whole30. I need to reset my diet, my health, and take control of my appetite and my health once again. I’ve worked hard these past 7 years to maintain my healthy eating habits and exercise, but the past 4 months have been really hard on me and this led to me eating a lot more foods I normally don’t eat.

As a deployed Soldier to Kosovo, I resisted all the local breads and pastries and as much of the carbs as possible for 8 out of my 9 months there. In the last month, I decided to allow myself to experience the local cuisine, and while it led to weight gain, I don’t regret it. I experienced so much about the Kosovar/Albanian culture through its food, and I will forever treasure those memories. However, it led me to lowering my guard and allowing myself to eat all kinds of foods when I got back to the US. This led to a dramatic weight gain and made me feel generally unhealthy.

Now, it’s time for me to reset again. I’m currently on Day 2 of my Whole30, and my mind is back into it 100% is it was on my very first Whole30 almost eight years ago. My wife and I did meal prep on Sunday, and yesterday and today, I am back at eating only Whole30 foods and avoiding everything else.

The weird part: it feels good. I remember on my first Whole30, I was hesitant and worried about how satiated I’d be after meals and how good they would be. I was worried about feeling hungry or not getting enough food. Now, having done multiple Whole30’s, I not only know what to expect, but I now look forward to them. I know that within the next few days, I’m going to feel like I was hit by a truck. But you know what? I look forward to feeling like crap. Why? Because I know that the process is working. It’ll be a physical reminder that I’m doing the right thing, and the predicted things that are supposed to happen when I’m doing it right are happening.

It helps that my wife has done a great job in identifying the foods we enjoy and love on Whole30, and she’s started us off with a solid selection of amazing and delicious foods. Portion sizes are also set by her, which helps me, because I have a problem with that. I always take more than I should, and I always finish everything on my plate. When she sets the portion sizes, I only eat what it served, and somehow, it is always enough.

So here we go. I forgot to weigh myself before I started, so I’ll do that later today. I will likely not weigh myself through this Whole30, unlike past Whole30’s. I am going all-in, and knowing what’s ahead of me, I’m excited. I can’t wait to be on the other side of this and feeling so much better, healthier, and vibrant.