Category: Scoop

It looks like Sherry and I have inadvertently started a Whole30 again. We started on Wednesday last week, the day after my birthday. We were talking Thursday night, and we both realized that as we both rededicated ourselves to sticking very firmly to the rules of the Paleo lifestyle, every meal we ate has been Whole30 compliant.We had been planning on doing another Whole30 in September, but the more we talked about it, the more it seemed like a good idea to just do it now. Also, she’d reacquired some bad habits mostly in the form of snacking and eating more and more foods with sugars in them, so she felt it was time. She has always been such a strong supporter of me and my health that I decided that I was going to do this with her. Besides, I could use a reset, too.

This time around, it’s been a lot easier for us to get into. Since we have already eliminated foods with added sugars in them, and we very rarely ate anything sweetened with honey or maple syrup, we aren’t experiencing the sugar withdrawals. Sherry has had some snacks here and there while I have not, however, and this round of Whole30 is going to help her reset her cravings and her food amounts.

For me, it’s more about just reiterating the fact that food is fuel, and that I need to stick with the basics. I thought about this while eating my two eggs and two slices of bacon this morning. I realized that I felt satisfied and full after eating, it made me think of how far I’d come in the past ten months. It also reminded me that if I eat slowly, and I eat good, filling foods, I will be fine and my body will be sufficiently fueled until the next meal.

I haven’t picked up any really bad habits in the past nine months since my last Whole30 other than perhaps eating past when I feel full or satisfied (I’m looking at you, baked sweet potato!), but I figure it can’t hurt to be a little more strict with my diet for a month. Doing a Whole30 once a year may be a good thing. We’ll see what my results are afterward, and if I feel any different. I am predicting that I won’t really feel as much of a difference this time around, but it’s a good exercise to go through to just reset things a bit.

So far on this Whole30, I’ve lost all the weight I gained over the holiday weekend and I’m once again back to my lowest weight. I’m ready to get into the 180’s and then onto the homestretch. I have two more months to go before my one year anniversary, and I’d like to have this done by then. It’d be a great accomplishment, and one I will be very proud of.

I have a friend from high school who likes to post pictures of non-Paleo foods whenever I post a photo of some Paleo meal I ate, and this last time, he posted a photo of some rice and beans with the caption, “I have to have my rice and beans at least once a week.”

I get it. I love rice and beans, too. Heck, one of my favorite foods EVER is Hungarian bean soup (bubleves). I used to think I couldn’t live without it, too. I used to believe that if I can’t have certain foods in my life, it’s not a life worth living. I used to justify all the bad food I ate by thinking I wasn’t as unhealthy as other people. I looked fine. I was a little overweight, but nothing that serious.

In the photo above, on the left side, is Sherry and I in 2007. I thought I was healthy and just a little big. I had convinced myself that this whole “Eating right” thing was for other people, and that they were making a big deal out of nothing. Then, the doctor said I have elevated levels of a liver enzyme that is indicative of non-alcoholic fatty liver in my blood. The next year, I was what he called, “Pre-diabetic.” The following year, I was Type-2 Diabetic. My eyesight began to get worse at an alarming rate. I began having nerve pain in my leg and numbness in my toes. Throughout all of this, I had to have my rice and beans, too. And bubleves.

I discussed at length the reasons I decided to do a Whole30 and go Paleo, so I won’t rehash that here. However, I do want to address something here and now that I think anyone who dismisses good eating does: delusion.

We delude ourselves in thinking, “Health problems from eating lots of sugar and carbs will happen to the other guy or girl because I’ve been eating this stuff all my life and I’m fine!” We delude ourselves in thinking, “Well, I’m only 50 lbs overweight. That’s not that bad.” Delusion is how we defy logic. It’s how we drown out that voice at the back of our heads that says, “You really should eat better food,” or that says, “You know, you could stand to lose some weight.”

I was delusional for a long time. I thought I was healthy. I thought I looked normal. The worst part is that even when looking at myself in the mirror, my mind made me look thinner to myself. This is not an uncommon thing among people who are overweight, and a recent study even confirmed this.

It’s a harsh reality, and it’s tough to swallow, but not giving up a high-carb lifestyle will end your life sooner than if you eat good, healthy foods.

Eat better. Cut the carbs. Stop deluding yourself. I’m not asking you to give up everything good forever. Just greatly reduce it from your diet. Rice and beans once a week? Maybe if your body fat is 15%. I’ve got a ways to get there, and when I do, I will reintroduce a few treats into my routine perhaps more often than I allow myself now, but I will never go back to the “Old ways.”

I read the sensational report a few months back about how 14 of 15 “The Biggest Loser” contestants had experienced a massive reduction in their rate of metabolism which made the majority of them regain the weight. I read this (and this article was sent to me by more than a few people) and I have to admit, I was a little concerned for a moment. But then that moment passed, and I realized that I did not do what those people did, nor did I lose the weight as quickly as those people did. My body has had time to absorb the change and to get used to it. I lost my weight naturally.

Now, when I eat more, I gain weight. When I eat right, I lose weight. I have not yet reached an equilibrium point where my intake matches my caloric burn, but I do know it’s coming. At that point, I’ll either have to reduce my intake or increase my activities to burn more calories. Knowing me, it’ll be more of the former than the latter.

However, I am also starting a kettle ball program this week to work muscles in my body, and Sherry and I are going to start more active walking/jogging/running very soon.

The main point is, however, that I’ve noticed that my body responds quickly to changes in diet. It’s predictable and reproducible. My results are not out of the ordinary or unusual; they echo the results many people I know are experiencing as well.

Eat right and your body will treat you right. Eat badly and your body will go bad. It’s pretty simple. I’ve nearly lost all the weight I gained after the long holiday weekend just by being careful, and NOT by starving or depriving myself of anything. I’m just watching my portion sizes and not eating treats. It’s neat to see it work so well.

It sounds kind of funny; camping on Paleo. I can picture a caveman looking at the modern equipment we have for camping today and saying to himself in some caveman language, “Wow. Look at all this stuff!” The thing that the caveman would find in the average modern cooler would be the most shocking; none of it would resemble the food he was familiar with. Looking at packaging, containers, and even food items would be perplexing to him. He might even throw it away, not aware that it was edible.

My friend Steve and I were talking about his upcoming camping trip, and he was lamenting the fact that it would be difficult for him to stick to the Paleo lifestyle while camping. I had to laugh, because at least to me, camping is sort of reaching back to our Paleo backgrounds, isn’t it? Sleeping under the stars, close to nature, and with some luck, catching some food to eat.

With some standard staples that will store well at room temperature or in a cooler, it’s quite easy to go camping Paleo-style. Some ideas I gave him were:

Breakfast

• Bacon and eggs
• Paleo pancakes (if he takes the ingredients which are mostly dry)
• Sausage and eggs
• Fish omelette (assuming he can catch some fish!)

Lunch and Dinner

• Steak
• Fried or baked fish
• Vegetable packets (carrots, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc)
• Burger wraps
• Baked sweet potatoes
• Pork chops
• Sausage (no added-sugar)
• Chicken
• Chili (needs a little more prep, but with a pot, can be done)
• Veggies on skewers

And that’s just a list to start with to get the ideas flowing. After we discussed it, he was happy that there were options and in a way, hearkens back to the cavemen making their food from whole ingredients.

I added a link in my Blogroll (on the right side of my site if viewing on a PC or tablet) to my wife Sherry‘s recipe page. It contains links to our favorites, and she has also marked all Whole30 compliant recipes as such.

Whenever I post about a delicious and filling dinner that she or I made, there is a good chance you can find the recipe there. It’s well worth taking a look at if you’re wondering what kind of foods you can eat on Paleo and Whole30.

I had a great holiday weekend, and I truly enjoyed seeing all the family and friends who came by for the birthday celebrations and the Fourth of July festivities. Sherry put together a menu that was delicious and primarily Paleo as she talks about in this post on her blog. I helped with the grill work, but it was mostly her effort. What that resulted in was my grazing for two of the days over the weekend and eating far more in volume than I normally would.

The food I ate was all Paleo, but in large quantities and throughout the days. I knew I was going to regret it afterward, and sure enough, the scale punished me with an ugly reading. However, my clothing still fit properly, and contrary to what the little voice in the back of my head told me, I didn’t get fat overnight.

I have to remember that it’s just a minor setback, and it’s back to the normal eating. The strange part that was unexpected is how happy I am to be back to eating “right.” I actually feel better, and not as uncomfortable. I don’t know if it’s the smaller amount of food or the lack of carbs in all the fruit and veggies I ate, but I already feel more like myself today than I have over the past few days.

Eating right is not only good for the body; it’s good for the mind. Knowing I’m eating good foods calms me, makes me feel like I’m making progress toward a goal, and knowing that I’m actually following the rules and being good is also satisfying.

Today, I turn 49 years old. I don’t feel that old. Heck, I feel better than I did in my 30’s.

People ask me all the time what feels different now versus my fat self. The first thing that comes to mind is that I feel younger: I have so much more energy, flexibility, and mobility. I feel like I can do anything I want to with no physical limitation. Losing the amount of weight I have has truly been a liberating experience.

As I look back on the past ten months, I can’t help but to wonder where I’d be if Sherry and I hadn’t taken the leap to try a Whole30 and then to adopt the Paleo lifestyle. I am certain that I wouldn’t have had all the amazing experiences I’ve had this past 10 months as my fatness would have limited me quite a bit as it had in the past. I’m also sure I wouldn’t have been able to see some of the things I saw due to my inability to hike long distances. I’ve lived more in the past 10 months than I have in the past few years before I lost the weight.

As I look forward, I see a bunch of good years ahead with Sherry and I being able to do so much more, experience more of life, and to have a quality of life we haven’t had since we’ve been together.

This truly is a happy birthday.

Today is the Fourth of July, a big deal in the U.S. It’s a day we celebrate with friends, family, and our communities. Traditionally, we celebrate this holiday with barbecue foods, which is to say foods that are cooked outdoors on a grill. This includes hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, chicken, and ribs. Some folks may even go the extra mile and smoke some meats (we do this annually) for their barbecue. Then there are the sides: rolls, potato salads, coleslaw, baked beans, some kind of potatoes, and of course dessert.

When adhering to a Paleo lifestyle, barbecues are not very hard to do or to go to. Most hamburger meat is on the plan, as is most chicken, ribs, and meats. Sure, some hot dogs or sausages may have sugar in them, while some rubs and sauces or the chicken and ribs may contain some sugar, but honestly, not in large quantities. Eaten reasonably, you can have these foods without worry. It’s the bread of the buns that are the trouble spot. Also, potato salad and coleslaw may contain sugar and/or dairy, but again, in small quantities, I will have some.

I’ve talked about holidays and special occasions in previous blog entries: these are those times in life when it’s okay to go off plan a little. When you look at photographs from the past, the vast majority of the people in them were fit, which is to say not fat. These people at whole foods, worked hard, and they naturally stayed at their ideal weight for the most part. They also ate foods full of sugar, but they did so only at special occasions or as a rare treat.

A strategy I use is to eat reasonably at breakfast and maybe have a handful of nuts or a slice of Paleo bread made with almond flour before the barbecue. Then, since most barbecues are late afternoon/early evening, I eat anything there, but in reasonable amounts. Typically, this is enough to not cause my weight to spike or to  stop any progress in my weight loss until I introduce one ingredient: alcohol. Sticking to a single glass of wine has typically been okay and not too much sugar, but if I go past one glass, I can guarantee either a slight weight gain, a stop in weight loss progress for five days, or both. Again, this is my personal experience, and this is something I’ve paid close attention to over the past ten months. It’s predictable and repeatable.

In the end, as we say, “You gotta live.” Losing weight is not a race; take the holiday to enjoy that time with family and friends, and eat some foods that give you emotional comfort. Just don’t go overboard, and try to make good decisions when you can. Oh, and enjoy that slim slice of apple pie.

I’m going to apologize in advance if you feel that this post is directed toward you. I promise, I have no single person in mind when I write the following.

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There is a common thread I see on Facebook every January among my many Facebook friends: it’s time to lose weight. Many go about doing so by taking on an exercise regimen while others attack the problem through diet. I watch through the month and into February the majority of these people quit. Some quietly while others find the humor in their failure and post a funny meme about having fallen off the wagon. Some persist.

 

Into March, April, and May, there are the die-hards who continue to post their motivation and their progress. For many, the progress is slow but they keep up hope. For a smaller bunch, they are doing well and happy with what they’re experiencing.

Spring arrives and turns to summer, and we start to see the big progress photos and posts. There are now a handful who have lost 30+ lbs, some through diet, some through exercise, and a few through both. There are still the die-hards who post they’re still trying but they aren’t seeing much progress.

What is the difference between those who have experienced success and those who are posting about their long walks, hard workouts, and deprivation diets but who have not really lost any weight? As they say, read between the lines. In this case, I read between the Facebook posts.

The one thing I’ve noticed is that the die-hards who continue to try, try, and try yet fail are also posting enticing photos and videos of these recipes for pastries, cakes, desserts, and other treats. They literally want to have their cake and eat it too.

I don’t begrudge anyone who wants to enjoy treats or posts about it. What I do see as counter-productive is those who are spending all this time and energy trying to lose weight and get healthy while not truly committing themselves to it. It’s a waste of that time and energy.

Look: I can be politically correct and sugar-coat it and say, “Well, as long as you’re trying, at least you’re not eating all bad foods and you’re getting some exercise.” I could say that, but I’m not. If you want to get healthy and lose weight, there’s no good reason at all to go half-way. I don’t care about how hard it is to break free of bread, pasta, rice, beans, or sweets. You just need to do it. You ARE strong enough. You ARE able to do this. You are choosing not to, and your health is going to cash the check that your cravings are writing.

I am hard on this because I used to be this way. I used to go half-in, and instead of getting half-results, I got no results. In two years, I was only willing to give up sodas for sugar-free sodas which let me lose about 12 lbs in two years. At that rate, I’d need another 9 years to get down to 250lbs. That’s just ridiculous. It was also dangerous. I had developed Type 2 Diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver. My blood pressure was rising, I was experiencing nerve pain in my right leg, and my vision was going bad due to my elevated blood sugar. My joints hurt and I was always in some discomfort or outright pain. It was no way to live. And yet, I justified it by telling myself that a life without good food is a life not worth living. I never considered that there is delicious and wholesome food available to me and that all I needed to do was cut out carbs.

I can’t say enough how much I understand that giving up sugar and carbs is hard. I will challenge anyone who says they love pizza more than me. But there is a point that I reached where my quality of life could so easily be changed just through diet that it became silly to continue with the diet I was eating. I had to go all-in.

Commitment. Go all-in on your health. Stop messing about and just do it. Don’t wait; start now. Start with your next meal. There are menus and information available online. The only thing holding you back is your preconceived notion that you will be miserable. You won’t. There is so much good Paleo food out there, you’ll be shocked at how much of it is already part of your diet and how many of those foods are things you already love and enjoy.

Commit. Make it real.