I weighed myself this morning as per my normal routine, and found that I’ve reached a new low weight: 166.9 lbs! That puts me at just under 2 more pounds until I reach my goal of 165 lbs! I’m really excited!
At my current sustained rate of weight loss, I should be there within the next week or two. I will celebrate once I’m there!
Wow.
This morning’s weigh-in was pretty spectacular: 168.0 lbs. That’s a new low for me, and just three pounds away from hitting my final goal! I’m thinking that I should be able to get there by the end of this month.
What got my weight loss started again? Sleep, I think. Now that I get at least 8 hours a night, the weight loss has started back up. I also cut out desserts for a while and I haven’t had a whole sweet potato in a few weeks, but I think that it has more to do with sleep than anything else. Sherry made an amazing chocolate orange tort that I had after dinner this week almost every night, and I still lost weight. So… sleep, it is!
Since cutting out the sweet potato, desserts, and getting more sleep each night, I’ve lost a good 7 lbs within the past month or so. When I look back on my 10 lbs/month weight loss rate and compare it against the months I didn’t lose any weight, the only real difference was the lack of sleep. If I keep this up, I should be below my goal soon.
Three more pounds. Three more. It’s so close…
Two weeks ago, I was approached by five men who I fly RC airplanes with, and I was told that I played a large role in being the impetus for change in their diets and lifestyles to become healthier. The majority of them have gone Paleo or some variety of it while a few have just started watching their food quality and quantity and have started exercising. Each of them have lost a significant amount of weight as compared to their starting weight, and I was very humbled by them. It felt great to have been a force for good in the lives of these men.
When I started this blog, I did so because I had so much to say and I felt the need to get it out without bugging my friends and co-workers incessantly about the evils of sugar and the benefits of good, clean eating (and Paleo). The blog allowed me to spew every time I had something to get out, kind of like a release valve on a pressure vessel. As time went on, people began asking me questions, and it helped me tailor the content a bit to develop it into what it is now.
I try to give motivation and inspiration where I can. I know that this weight loss journey is only made easier with a partner or help from the outside, and I hope to be that help. Once we reach the point where we have given up on all the hype and promises of the different fad diets and products out there, we turn to the most basic. That’s where Whole30 and Paleo come in. There are no gimmicks or tricks here. Whole30 is designed to be followed for (you may have guessed it) 30 days while Paleo is meant to be adopted for life (and it’s easy to do once you get past your hang-ups about no longer eating grains, beans, dairy, and anything with added sugar or artificial sweeteners).
Nearly all my friends have adopted Paleo in some way. Some are stricter than others, but all agree that they’ve seen very positive effects from the Paleo diet. It feels great to be around them and not have to worry that they think my food is weird because the bread was made with almond flour instead of grains. But when people you are only acquainted with follow your lead based on your example and a few quick talks about your lifestyle? That feels really special.
The same goes for this blog. I’m always humbled and very flattered when someone online tells me that my blog has helped them in their journey. It’s like a small flag I get to place in my heart that tells me that I’ve done some good for someone, somewhere. It matters. Thank you to those who have let me know that I’ve helped you in some way. It means a lot.
As we celebrate our fourteen years of marriage, I not only look back at the great memories, but to the journey yet ahead of us. I can only imagine how awesome it will be, and I look forward to many more years of annoying and molesting her.
For the first time in many, many years, my visit to the dentist wasn’t completely filled with sadness and despair. You see, this time, the dentist (a SUPER nice doctor at Gentle Dental Care in Spring, TX named Dr. Ali) had some great news for me: NO CAVITIES! My cleaning was also not nearly as bad as the last four or five I’ve endured in the past.
What’s different between this last visit and all the others before it? I no longer eat sugar. I have completely adopted the Paleo Diet, and I no longer eat foods with processed or added sugar or sweeteners. I also no longer eat grains, dairy, legumes, soy, or drink alcohol (except for social occasions, and even then, rarely). This diet has had many profound positive effects on my health, and this is one I didn’t expect.
She said my teeth were in good shape, and aside from some normal wear for a guy my age, nothing looked amiss. That made me super happy, and quite excited! Dental visits are something I’ve never been a fan of, but now, I don’t have to dread them anymore. If this last visit is any indication of what’s in store for me as someone on the Paleo Diet, then add easy dentist visits to the list of benefits!
Do you hate getting cavities? Hate bad news at dental visits? There’s a good chance that by adopting the Paleo Diet, you can help your teeth be healthier, too!
My weight loss has been plateaued for quite a while now, and after increasing my portion sizes didn’t yield as much progress as I’d hoped for, I posted here some things I felt needed to be changed to restart my weight loss. Well, after just three days, I’ve dropped 4 lbs. I’ve been getting more sleep, I’ve cut out the sweet potatoes and almond butter, and I’ve been eating proper portion sizes.
The biggest challenge so far has been the almond butter. That little sweet after dinner became a little too comfortable and common, and for the past two days, I’ve missed it. I know that I will miss it less and less as time goes by, and that’s how I get through the cravings for it after dinner. It’s insidious how sugar can creep back in and get its claws back into you. Even if it’s a “Good” sugar, it’s still sugar.
The same can be said for sweet potatoes. I love them, and they are on both Whole30 and Paleo’s good lists, but for me, it’s a food that I have a hard time controlling myself with. If there is a whole sweet potato on my plate, I will eat the whole thing. Regardless of how big it is, or how hungry I am; it will all disappear into my stomach. For that reason, I’m keeping it off my plate for now.
I ran two days ago and will be running again later this afternoon. I typically weigh myself after my runs, so I am looking forward to seeing what my weight is then. I’m hoping for a new low this week and perhaps hitting my final goal within the month. If I can get there, then I’ll be happy and able to resume a little more flexibility in my diet. Until then, I’ll continue to be very strict. The progress is worth it.
Just 4.1 lbs to my final goal of 165 lbs! It’s so close, I can taste it!!! Is there anything that can stop me? Well, there is. Tomorrow is Easter.
As with all holidays, I tend to over-eat. The food is special, Sherry does an amazing job with it, and it’s all so delicious. It’s rude of me to not eat a little bit of everything, and to not partake in the holiday with our friends and family. So, I will eat. Fortunately, the vast majority of the food she’s making is Paleo (except for a few portions of sides for her mom who isn’t too keen on anything that is even remotely healthy).
I will likely throw in a quick 2-mile run to burn up some calories later in the day. Or maybe just get in the pool for a few hours and act like a fool. Either way, I’m going to have to do something to burn calories, because I don’t want to give up this progress. I’m so close!!!
Before September of 2015, I thought I was happy. Heck, I was pretty happy overall, but there were aspects of my life that troubled me. I was overweight, and not by a little bit. I was morbidly obese. My body was in serious danger of failing on me. Because of this, I was unable to do any real strenuous activity including things like going up more than a flight of stairs at a time, doing any serious home projects, or even exercise.
I couldn’t buy clothes off the rack at any normal store or section of a department store. I had to shop at the “Big and Tall” stores or sections. I was never quite able to fit comfortably in a seat of an airliner or fit into a booth at restaurants. There are activities I wanted to do that I was just too heavy for. I had literally become a safety issue.
My doctor told me to not engage in any cardio until I lost weight because he was worried I would have a stroke or heart attack. I never quite thought my health was that bad. Heck, I felt okay, for the most part. And then I was diagnosed with having diabetes. That changed a lot in terms of my perception of my overall health. Then the nerve tingling in my toes began.
Then, my world changed. I adopted a new mindset, a new diet, and a new lifestyle. I decided that I was going to make a permanent change in what I ate, and eventually in getting fit. I knew that it would take some time before I could do some exercise, but one day I would get there and I would make it happen.
Within the first month, I already saw positive changes. My energy levels increased dramatically. My diabetes literally disappeared. My weight dropped 20 lbs. I was already fitting into pants I could no longer wear. I felt the difference in my weight; I could feel how much lighter I was. My knees already began feeling better, and I was able to tie my own shoes without holding my breath.
By the sixth month, I was down 70 lbs. I was visibly thinner and I was able to start doing things that I couldn’t do just half a year earlier: zip lining, hang gliding, and hiking.
A year later, I began running. Two months later, I was able to attend the Marine Corps Birthday Ball for the first time since leaving active duty. I was able to do so in uniform, within the Marine Corps height and weight regulations, and with my wife and best friend. It was Sherry’s first ball, and we had an amazing time.
Then, five months later, I enlisted into the National Guard. This was a goal I had set a year earlier, and was the culmination of a lot of work to get within Army height/weight regulations as well as fitness standards. I was fortunate to get in, and I am looking forward to the new adventures being in the National Guard will bring.
In my personal life, I’m very happy. I have a wife who supports me at every turn, and who is my partner in every sense of the word. She is uplifting, loving, and is there to hold me up when I need it. She has positive words of encouragement and advice, and listens intently when I talk about my experiences with our diet and exercise. We are a true team, and without her, I’m certain I wouldn’t have achieved the amount of success I have so quickly.
Professionally, I’m very happy. I have a job I enjoy, and being able to serve in the National Guard realizes a dream of mine to continue my military service through to retirement. I will be learning a new occupation, and I am excited for everything that entails. I also honestly enjoy the environment. It’s challenging, and there are difficult moments punctuated with the threat of danger, but I thrive on that.
I feel younger than I have in the past 15, or maybe even 20 years. I am definitely more fit and lighter. There are things about myself I continue to work on to improve or correct, but they have more to do with habits. The only person I am trying to be better than is the person I was yesterday, and for the first time in a very long time, I feel like I have a real chance to do that.
I’m happy. I know you hear that happy is something you feel every now and then between the regular moments of existing, but I can honestly say I’m happy. I’m happy with how my life has turned out, where I am right now, and the relationships I have. I am happy with myself, how I feel, and where I am. That’s a good place to be, and I never would have gotten here had it not been for the change in my diet.
“Such a little thing, but the difference it made was great.” – Morrissey
Yesterday afternoon after work, I had one of those runs that really sticks out from the rest. I’ve been experimenting with eating some dried apricot 30 minutes to an hour before a run, and the results have been blowing me away. I had no fewer than five personal records yesterday and I felt great during and even after the run.
I also weighed myself after the run and I came in at the lowest weight I’ve been at since I began this weight loss journey back in September 2015: 170.6 lbs. That’s over 142 lbs lost since my highest.
Wow.
This morning, the scale was still very nice to me at 172.2 lbs (my previous lowest weight which I hit before going to Spain in February), which is to be expected. We ate a rather big dinner welcoming my daughter back home on her visit from NYC and some of the weight loss I experienced yesterday was surely water weight I sweated out during the run.
Regardless, hitting a new low in weight is a new high point for me. I’m just 5 lbs away from my FINAL GOAL! It’s also been very educational to me in demonstrating the following:
I’ve been doing EVERYTHING right this week, and the weight has been coming off me like it did in the beginning. There were things I was doing wrong and some bad habits I allowed to slip in, but since I’ve gotten rid of those, I’m back to losing weight.
Five more pounds. I can see the finish line now. Just a little bit more and I’m there. It feels great.
I lost 100 lbs in 10 months, and that anniversary is approaching in July. I will be entering my second year at more than 100 lbs less than I was in September of 2017. A big measure of a person’s success at weight loss is keeping that weight off long-term. Well, I’ve been keeping it off and even lost more since July 2016. I still have 7 more lbs to go (that stubborn 7, I call it), and then I’m at my goal weight. I am hoping to hit that before my 2 year anniversary of starting my first Whole30.
I was recently looking at some old pictures of me, and I am having a harder and harder time recognizing myself in those pictures. Slowly, my self-image is being replaced with this thinner and healthier person that I am today. I don’t ever want to go back to being that unhealthy again. I couldn’t handle it physically or emotionally.
My life does not revolve around food, but food is at the center of our existence, so this is something I’ve had to learn. Without food, we obviously wither and die, so how do we deal with all the temptation of foods that are bad for us while continuing to fuel our bodies? For me, as time goes by, it’s been getting easier. I see food in a whole new light: it’s fuel. Sure, some of it tastes better than others, and sometimes I want to enjoy some tasty food, but ultimately, it’s just fuel. Everything that goes on outside of meals is life. Eating is sitting at a gas station. At least that’s what works for me.
Don’t get me wrong. My wife Sherry and I enjoyed a great meal last week at Pappadeaux here in Houston, and everything was delicious. We both had Paleo-friendly options as our main courses, but the Caesar salad we had was definitely not Paleo. Even though we both eat them without croutons, the dairy in the dressing caused some water weight gain for me the following morning. We both enjoyed our food, our dinner experience, and once again, enjoyed each others’ company. That’s what life is about. But this was a treat.
What works for me may not work for you. My mind hack is that food is fuel. I get hungry when my fuel tank is near empty, so I refill. I just ate lunch and I feel sated, but I know that when I get home tonight, I will be a bit hungry. I won’t eat right when I get home as I’ll be running, but typically by the time I’m done running and through with my cool-down and shower, it’s time to eat dinner. Besides, running actually removes hunger. Pretty cool! With all that said, find what works for you to keep from eating too much, too often, and of foods that are not good for you.
I’m getting close to having a year at -100 lbs. I’m looking forward to that anniversary and beyond.
Paleo Marine 