Go All-In or Go Home

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That’s pretty harsh, I know, but I’m PaleoMarine, not PaleoBeatAroundTheBushGuy. I get tired of seeing people working out so very hard without making a commitment to eating right and then seeing these same people complain that they can’t get skinny because they have “Fat genes.” Seriously. Someone actually told me that.

Weight loss is 85-90% diet and only 10-15% exercise. Tops. I lost over 100 lbs without lifting a finger! Since I started running three months ago, I’ve lost maybe 10 lbs. I can’t really attribute that weight loss to either exercise or diet, but I know that at this point, it’s got to be a combination. I continue to be very careful with what I eat and how much I eat. I still do not allow myself cheats (or as I call them, sabotage meals) and I very rarely allow myself any indulgences (holidays and special events are exceptions, and even then, I try to be careful).

When you are really heavy like I was, you have to go all-in. You can’t half do this. You have to commit. If you don’t, then you’re setting yourself up for disappointment, failure, and surrender. There is no place for any of that on my journey, so I stay the course. Even when I’m stalled, I take solace in knowing I’m doing what is right, what needs to be done, and that I will see a return of progress. At the very minimum, I’m not gaining anything back, so there’s that.

Currently, I’m at my lowest weight in over 30 years: 177.0 lbs. These last 5 lbs have been VERY slow going to lose, but I’m losing them. The biggest change has been losing over 2″ off my waist. I am now into 32″ trousers, and even these are starting to feel big. I can wear size medium shirts and jackets, and more recently, all my new shirts and coats are smalls.

If you endeavor to lose weight, go all-in. It’s hard at first, but if you use some of your ample willpower and motivation (you know you have it in you; you just need to tap into it and USE it), you will get through the hard part and make it into the phase where you lose weight and make steady progress. I’m not saying you will lose weight fast, but you will make progress. Remember, progress isn’t always just what’s on the scale, either. But commit. Go all-in. Do it right. Don’t waste your own time. Each day we burn? We don’t get those back. Make the best of each one you get.

Another exercise post: this one about rest

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file_000-52A common mistake that nearly everyone I know has made when getting into exercise is doing it too much. Being motivated and wanting to make progress quickly is something we all go through. I wanted to hit the road every day when I started running again, but this time, I let my brain override my overwhelming desire to get out there every day and I sat out every other day. This turned out to be the single most important key to my success in being able to continue running without injury for my first three months of running.

How I started back into running

The only plan I had was for 30 minutes of nonstop running. I didn’t care about my pace or speed: just shuffled along for 30 minutes. Looking back, it was a laughably slow pace, but I did it; I made it all the way through without stopping.

I continued by increasing my pace every time until I started noticing that the distances I was running were creeping up. I hit two miles, then two and a half, then three… and I was up to four and a half when I got sick and had to stop running for nearly two weeks.

That two week break was hell for me. There’s no other way to put it. I wanted to get out there so badly to run. I had time to think about what was compelling me to go, and I think it came down to the following:

  1. I had begun to enjoy running. It was something I was looking forward to every other day, and not being able to do it actually made me feel anxious.
  2. Didn’t want to lose progress. I had been increasing my pace and distance nicely, and I was very proud of the progress I was making. I was feeling good after runs, and sometimes, even during them. I didn’t want to go back to when runs were difficult.
  3. Had a 5k coming up I was training for. I was hoping to be in as good of shape as I possibly could before the run. With the cold hitting me when it did, I was unable to train until a week before the run.

Where I am today with running

Now, I’m back to my regular running. My last run was 3.53 miles at a 10 minute mile pace. It’s not my fastest, but it was comfortable. I will not push myself; I will do as I did before I got sick which is to allow my body to gradually get used to the distance and increase the pace enough to remain comfortable. I’m not competing with myself or in any hurry. I do push enough to keep improving, but I’m not looking to win any races, so I’m allowing my body to make its increases naturally. I am also making sure to take a day off between runs. This seems to be helping so much with regards to the progress I make. By giving my legs time to heal and strengthen, I am better able to get back out and run a little harder each time.

This isn’t a novel concept. It’s what I’ve been taught since I was in the Marines: a run/rest cycle is important to safely build muscle and stamina.It has been working for me for the past three months. I recommend you try it yourself.

Achievement Accomplished: 175 lbs

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goalmet

Well, 174.2 lbs, actually. I blew past 175 and into 174’s. I know, the stars aligned and conditions must have been perfect, because I lost 2.8 lbs this past week alone after going months with that much total.

175 lbs was my initial goal when I started before I reduced my goal weight to 165 lbs. 175 is still a big deal to me, though. It is the max allowable weight as a Marine according to MCO P6110.3 (the Marine Corps Order on body composition and military appearance), and at a minimum, I wanted to be within the order. Now that I’m there, I will continue to work to 165 lbs. If I get there, I’ll be happy. If not anytime soon, it’s okay. It’ll be my goal to hit at some point, but I’m not going to go through any crazy lengths to get there. 175 lbs is a good weight for me, and I’m okay with it. My clothes all fit nicely, I feel good, and I am getting more and more fit by the week.

So, it was happy dance time for me on Saturday (when this actually happened). I almost cried. Yes, it was a big deal. Before Whole30 and Paleo, I never thought I’d be this light again. Ever.

Yet, here I am.

It feels good. Really good.

The Spare Skin Update

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This post may be a bit into TMI territory. If you don’t want to read about extra skin and my body image, then I suggest you skip this post. Continue reading “The Spare Skin Update” →

Cost and Paleo

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File_000 (41)Once again, someone told me today, “I love Paleo, but I can’t afford it.” I asked them what they were buying, and they said, “Well, all the organic, free-range stuff is so expensive!” I asked them about buying the non-organic stuff and just cooking them as Paleo, and they reacted as if I were speaking Martian to them.

Yes. You can do this. It’s allowed.

Is it better for you to eat the “Good” stuff? Of course it is. But why go completely off-plan and back to a diet that you know is not good for you just because you can’t afford the more expensive organic or free-range foods? All the recipes that Sherry and I post are just as doable with the non-organic foods as they are with organic.

Yes, adopting a Paleo lifestyle can be expensive, but it’s getting better. More and more places (like Kroger, Sam’s Club, Costco, and H*E*B to name a few) are all carrying more and more Paleo friendly or even Paleo-focused foods for good prices. The prices are even dropping month-over-month, and going Paleo is getting more and more affordable.

Don’t let cost convince you to look elsewhere. You can do this on the cheap. Sure, you have to use some ingredients that aren’t as great for you as they would be if you could get the organic, free-range, no hormone or anti-biotic versions, but at least you will be cutting out grains, beans, dairy, and foods with added-sugar and soy. The benefits are overwhelming.

Perspectives on Diets

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I don’t mean weight loss diets. I’m talking about the way we eat. There are many diets out there: Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Ketogenic, etc. Every devotee of their respective diets get pretty evangelical about the benefits and virtues of these diets (guilty as charged!), and tries to recruit others to “See the light.” Some (I don’t do this) even look down at others not eating the way they do and diet-shame them. “Eww! You eat MEAT!?!? That’s SO BAD FOR YOU!”

I have adopted the Paleo Lifestyle, and while I think it’s right for me and possibly could be right for you, I won’t preach it unless you want to hear it. Well, except for this blog, because it’s my mouthpiece, and I figure if you don’t want to read it, you’ll click elsewhere. But beside that, I never tell people about my diet unless they ask. And even then, I start with a very short blurb about it unless people want to go deeper with it.

I recently encountered someone who was a vegetarian and they admonished me for being Paleo because it was “Bad for you, bad for animals, and bad for the environment.” I didn’t feel like arguing with them because everyone I know who is Paleo tries to take our environment and the treatment of animals into consideration. Sherry and I prefer organic and free-range food that is free of antibiotics and hormones. We prefer that any meat we eat has been ethically treated or wild-caught. Are we able to conform to this 100% of the time? No, but we try, and we do when possible.

I don’t really care what you do, what you’re eating, how you’re eating, etc. That’s your business. If you ask me about my diet, I will tell you. If you want to go in-depth about it, I will. I refuse to go into debates on the different diets, though. I honestly just want people to eat in a way that allows them to be healthy and is conducive to being fit and living longer. If you can do that and you’re happy with your method, then more power to you!

I will say that the cabbage soup diet and any of these single-food weight loss diets are the only diets I will openly look down on and speak out about. They are stupid, have no basis in science, and fail miserably. Every person I know who has done any of these “Diets” has failed and packed on more weight afterward than they began with. They are all horrible and dumb.

All the others? Rock on. Do what you do. As long as it’s making you healthy, helping you lose weight, and aiding your journey in getting fit, then I’m all for it.

How Strict Do I Need To Be?

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sushi
A course of non-Paleo food won’t ruin your progress.

People attribute my success in weight loss to my Marine Corps background. They think that I possess some sort of super-ability to resist temptation and to stick to my diet. While I will admit that some of that comes into play, I think my ability to stick to the Paleo lifestyle has been more due to my desire to reach my goals. To that end, I’ve been very mostly Paleo, but I can’t say I’ve been 100% Paleo.

When I eat lunch on Fridays with my friend Steve, we eat steak. With that steak I normally eat a baked sweet potato with plain butter, but as an appetizer, I order the Caesar salad without croutons. This salad comes with Parmesan cheese and the Caesar dressing which I’m pretty certain is made with some kind of dairy. I normally pick off all the cheese I can, but some of it gets into my mouth. I allow myself this small indulgence once a week and it doesn’t seem to have a detrimental effect on me or my progress.

Every now and then, I imbibe alcohol or cheese. This past weekend, we went to a dear friend’s birthday party, and they served wine, cheese, and meats. I ate a lot of it. Fortunately for me, they had Paleo crackers on which to eat these foods, and I took advantage of that. Again, every now and then is not going to derail my progress. I took into account that I had a very small breakfast, a small lunch, and I ran a 5k at max effort that morning (and got a personal best pace, time, and splits!). I figured that I had earned a little extra allowance that day.

When people ask me if I’m strict, I tell them that I am because I really am. However, there are times when I allow myself either a little alcohol or some non-Paleo compliant food. I don’t allow myself an entire day to go off-plan, however. Not ever. One meal or one course of a meal is okay, but I never go an entire day off-plan. That’s just unacceptable to me.

Having fun with it (part 2)

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lo-stabOn Sunday, my wife and I went to H*E*B (a supermarket chain here in Texas) to buy a specific coffee blend that I enjoy (Houston Blend, btw; it’s AMAZING and has coconut in the grounds!) and to shop for our week’s worth of food. We went in without a plan and decided to shop the sales. It turned out to be a lot of fun and hugely successful!

We found lobster tails on sale for $4.97 each, so we bought four for lunch. I grilled them with an Italian herb mix and butter on our grill and they were delicious beyond description. It’s become our new favorite way to eat lobster tail, and frankly, any other way they are prepared now falls short for us.

Wild-caught salmon was also on sale, so we bought a few filets. One for smoking to be used in omelettes over the course of the week and another for use as dinner to be baked in the oven.

Free-range organic chicken was also available at a good price, so we bought some to be used in an as-yet undecided grilled chicken dish. I suggested doing it as some sort of Mexican-inspired dish, perhaps marinading the chicken in some sort of lime juice and then grilling it and serving it with an avocado relish. We’ll see if that’s how we make it, or if it will be prepared some other way.

The only planned meal this week is chili. I love chili (as my grandmother always recalled) and can eat it for every meal without issue. Sherry has come upon a great recipe of her own that was inspired by some chili recipes she found online that I really enjoy and have decided is the best I’ve had. The fact that it’s 100% Paleo is icing on the cake.

Coming up with a plan can be fun. It doesn’t have to be drudgery. The best part: we’re both looking forward to these impromptu dishes that we will be having this week. They are rather exotic, but we got everything for great prices, so that makes it even better! Paleo doesn’t have to be expensive. You can come up with some great meals on the cheap if you just allow yourself to think outside the box and do some of your planning on-the-go as the deals present themselves!

Have fun with it!

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file_001-12I think one of the reasons Sherry and I are as successful as we are with the Paleo lifestyle is because we have turned it into sort of a game. We try to find new foods all the time, and we experiment with recipes and flavors we wouldn’t have otherwise tried. It makes meal time interesting, and it also makes failures a little easier to take. If something turns out less than expected, then we chalk it up as a failed experiment and move on to the next meal.

So far, it’s really helped us. We are always challenging ourselves to find new things, or to come up with new recipes on our own. Sherry, traditionally a holiday baker extraordinaire, has been experimenting with and coming up with some really great cookie recipes that are 100% Paleo compliant. She’s begun the second part of the process: verifying her recipes. Once she’s finished, she will be publishing her recipes online for all to use! The cookies really taste great, and are a wonderful alternative for those of us who don’t want over-sweetened cookies for the Holidays that happen to be made with good ingredients.

Three months ago, I incorporated running into my lifestyle change, and it’s added an element of fun I never expected. I look forward to my runs now, and I’m now looking to add something on my off-days from running to do as exercise. Maybe some Yoga may be the answer. I am not into weight lifting and I don’t want to bulk up (heck, I want the exact opposite, frankly!). I just want to let my muscles get leaner and maybe increase my flexibility. I also don’t want to do physical activity that leaves me sore afterward from over-exertion. I’ll continue to research this. Oh, and it has to be FUN!

We’ve also been taking part in a lot of activities that we couldn’t do when we were heavier, and it’s helped fuel our desire to continue on the path of our lifestyle. We want to continue being able to do these fun things and we know that we couldn’t do them if we went back to being heavy again. Hang gliding, indoor skydiving, zip lining, hiking, and running are among some of the things we enjoy doing now that we couldn’t do even a year ago.

Make it fun. I believe in, “Fake it ’til you make it,” and it’s served me well throughout my life. If adopting a healthier lifestyle doesn’t appeal to you, make it fun. Make a game out of it. If that doesn’t work, then just fake being happy and excited about it until you are. It hasn’t failed me yet, and it can work for you, too!

Don’t Try To Keep Up

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us20072016I’ve noticed people getting discouraged in their own weight loss journey because they find themselves unable to keep up with the rate of weight loss someone else has achieved. STOP! Don’t be this person! We all start at different weights with different body types, conditions, and amounts to lose. I started at over 290 lbs and my ideal weight is over 130 lbs less. My body was more than happy to let go of the weight at a fast rate because I was so far overweight. For someone who is only 50 lbs overweight, it’s going to be  harder to lose the big numbers fast than for someone 150 lbs overweight.

If you have less to lose, your number of pounds lost per week or month will be less than mine was in the beginning. However, it’s the rate as a percentage of the whole you should be looking at. When I weighed 290 lbs, I lost 20 lbs in my first month. Sherry was nearly 100 lbs less and lost 10 lbs. Who lost more? Actually, she did, because she weighed less and her loss percentage was higher than mine.

Don’t try to match my numbers or anyone else’s numbers. Don’t try to match any numbers. Just stick with your plan and you will see results. Sure, they almost always never live up to your expectations or goals, but success is success, and when we’re talking about health, we need to take any and all successes we can. It all adds up, and in the end, these little losses accumulate and add up to big losses. At fifteen months later and 113 lbs lighter, I still can’t believe that I’ve lost as much as I have. It’s a great feeling and I am proud of the accomplishment. Most of all, I’m happy that my body is no longer at war with itself trying to keep all systems operating properly.