Paleo Marine

Today, my business partner and I went to lunch with a prospective client at a Chinese restaurant. I love Chinese food, but it is full of carbs and foods that I’m no longer willing to incorporate into my diet, so this presented a challenge. Rather than calling attention to my dietary needs in the face of a prospective client who moments before told us that he loved Chinese food, I rolled with it.

I decided to have the Mongolian Beef as it had beef, onions, shallots, green onion, and a “brown sauce.” The brown sauce likely had sugar and starch in it, but I figured it was the least bad food there for me. I didn’t touch the rice or the fortune cookie (THAT WAS HARD!) so I wasn’t as bad as I could have been, but the point is this: sometimes you can’t avoid having to eat foods that are not 100% compliant with your eating plan. Sometimes,  you just have to eat what is put in front of you. If at all possible, you can minimize the impact by either eating less of it or selecting parts of the meal that are compliant or close to being compliant, but all of these can be done on the sly and without calling attention to your dietary needs.

At one point, the prospective client asked why I didn’t order the lunch plate which included rice, egg roll, soup, and the main course to which I replied that I only wanted the main course. That satisfied his curiosity without going into why I’m eating what I eat. I have found that most people really don’t care about my dietary needs or don’t want to hear about my weight loss, etc. It’s easier to just say,  “I prefer this over that.”

It’s easy to be scared of social situations at which food is the center of attention, but by sticking to some simple answers, navigating these events can be far less stressful than we build them up to be with the bonus of not destroying your progress or your willpower to stick with it.

Even if you don’t know how Dave Grohl is, he’s absolutely right about this. Set your mind to it and focus and you will accomplish anything you want. It’s that way about eating right and losing weight, too.

When I set out to get healthy just over six months ago, I never dreamed that I would actually be where I am today. I hoped, and I had the right mindset, but still, it seemed out of my grasp. Why did I think that way? Because I’ve tried in the past and failed every time. I did make an effort to avoid sodas, and that was helping me with about a 2 lb per month weight loss, but at that rate, I’d be 90 before I got to my target weight, so I had to do something more drastic. Enter Whole30 and Paleo. They changed my life.

The overall weight loss is since 2013 when my wife and I got the scale, and this is the app that works with the scale. Since September 1, I’ve lost 83 lbs. Since my heaviest, I’ve lost 106 lbs.

What is different between all the times I’ve tried to lose weight in the past and this time? If I had to pick the top factor, it would be that I get to eat foods that are delicious, that fill me up, and that I enjoy. It also helps that the food I eat now make me feel healthier, more energetic, and are actually improving my health.

In the past, I’ve been on diet after diet that was restrictive in one way or another. Almost without exception, the diets were forcing me to eat foods that were just not that delicious. On top of that, they contained a lot of carbs and were missing the mark in terms of hitting the root of the issue of my weight gain: sugars. Since I’ve cut out sugars, I’ve changed my mental attitude, lost the cravings, and I’m able to go from meal to meal without starving or needing a snack.

I know people who think that Paleo cuts out a food group, and they feel that it is unhealthy. Well, carbs are not a food group. I guess if there are two food “groups” that we avoid, they are legumes and grains, but otherwise, I can (and do) eat fruits, meats, and vegetables.

Paleo is popular right now, but it’s no fad. It’s not a diet to make you lose weight that you can then get off of. It’s a lifestyle that is easy to adapt to once you learn some basics and accept the fact that you have to work a little harder to eat healthy. Like Dave said, if you’re driven and focused, you can do pretty much anything you want to do. Do you want to be healthy? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to feel more energetic? Then do it. Nobody can do it for you.

The cycle is holding: After losing two inches off my waist, I’ve now lost almost three pounds this week in the past two days. I’m now down to 209.9, and that makes it an official 80 lbs lost since September 1. Overall, since I was my heaviest, that’s 102 lbs lost. I can’t believe how far I’ve come, and how little I have left to go. However, I know the hardest part is the last part.

The initial phase of my weight loss was hard only because I had to re-train my brain to get off sugar and I had to learn to listen to my stomach and eat only when I was really hungry. I had to learn to ignore cravings before they went away completely.

The intermediate phase of my weight loss was relatively easy in comparison, and I think of the three phases, will be remembered as the easiest. No cravings, delicious foods, and steady and effortless weight loss (Effortless in the sense that I didn’t have to do any exercise; just use discipline and motivation to not do anything stupid food-wise). All I had to do was eat my regular-person portions and I would lose weight and size. Then came the last third.

I have now entered into the final phase of my weight loss: the last 1/3 of the weight I need to lose. I’ve lost 80 and have 35 more to go to reach my second goal (my first was to lose 50 lbs by Christmas, which I did!) which is to be 175 lbs by my birthday. I have three months to go, and I don’t know that I’ll make it, so I’ve decided that I’m okay with not getting to 175 by my birthday as long as I do it this summer. I will, however, still be trying to get there by my birthday; it just means I have to actually put some elbow grease into it.

First, I’ve started by trying to get 5,000 steps in a day. I know that’s half of what most people do and what the government recommends, but my knees are bad, and for now, as a (still) heavy guy, I need to not overdo it. Second, I’ve added bike riding into my schedule a few times a week. I’d like to get it up to three to four times a week, but I’m not there yet. Third, I try to run a little bit with the dog when we go to pick up the mail in the evenings. It’s amazing what that little bit of getting my heart rate up has done for my stamina, walking up stairs, etc.

When I looked at the scale and then in the mirror, I was happy. I’m looking like I did when I was 30 (except I have a beard, now). My waist size is almost back to what it was when I left the Marines; 34 (I’m currently at 36). When I get to my final goal of 165, I should be back into 32’s which is what I was for the vast majority of my young adult life.

I’m very fortunate that my wife is in this with me. There’s no way I would be as successful at this if she weren’t there to cheer me when I’m down or push me when I need it. Her love of cooking and finding new and delicious foods for us to eat that are healthy for us is a definite help as well. She’s a hawk at finding sugar in foods, and without her on this journey with me, I’m sure I wouldn’t be where I was today.

You should check out her blog if you haven’t done so already. It’s full of great info, thoughts, and recipes for foods that can help you get back to being healthy!

It’s been an annoying few weeks sitting at the same weight, but I’ve lost two inches off my waist and size large shirts are feeling looser now. Not quite enough size lost for me to be in mediums yet, but larges look good now.

So, from 38 to a comfortable 36 in the waist. That’s no small feat. I haven’t been in a 36 in a very long time. Once I get to 34, I’ll be back in the same pants size I was when I got out of the Marines. Admittedly, I was on the large size of what was allowed when I got out of the Corps, but at least I’ll be back in the same size clothing as I was in back in 1997. That’s exciting!

I am continuing to try to get some exercise in every day. The past few days were through walking and doing work around the house, or bumming around with Sherry. Before that, it was raining here so I didn’t get a chance to do any walking or bike riding.

So… I’m still seeing progress, although it’s not on the scale. I expect that to happen soon, though. After losing a big bunch of “size” is when I typically start seeing weight loss on the scales again.

Perseverance is the key, here. Sticking with the plan and not even thinking about eating or drinking anything bad is what’s getting me through. Oddly enough, I seem to get a little depressed when I’m not seeing progress on the scale, but getting into the smaller pants comfortably was quite a morale boost.

As Sherry posted on her awesome blog, this weekend was quite busy for us. Friday night, we went out to a Hungarian Happy Hour here in Houston where I got to hear and speak my first language with some new acquaintances. It was nice. Afterward, we went to Corner Table to eat some amazing Paleo food. Saturday saw me doing some chores outdoors while Sunday was visiting with friends. On both days, I ate what is what I would call our new normal, and felt great. On the negative side, I didn’t lose any weight, but I did lose another inch from my waist and I could tell my arms got a little smaller yet again.

I didn’t get to ride my bike since last week due to a very busy schedule, but I plan on getting back on the bike tomorrow morning if the weather is willing. We are supposed to be getting some very bad storms here tomorrow through Friday, so I might be stuck with indoor exercise. I don’t know what that will entail just yet, but I’m looking at basic exercises (push ups, sit-ups, etc).

Keep up the good work out there! I know it’s tough in the beginning, but you can do this.

I received this message on Facebook from a friend that contained a lot of great questions.  I was going to answer him in Messenger, but I felt that these questions were really good, and that perhaps it might be a good idea to post them on the blog as well.

(1) how soon did you notice weight loss?

Well, I noticed in the first month that I lost about 15 lbs, but I didn’t really feel like I lost weight until I hit 30 lbs gone. Even then, I was still a big guy. I think when I hit 70 lbs gone, that’s when I looked in the mirror and actually saw a different face than what I was used to. It felt like an overnight change (after five months!).

(2) I’ve seen/heard of people that lose a lot have baggy/excess skin. Has this happened to you (or were you not heavy enough to have this problem)?

I was heavy enough, and I am experiencing some of this, but it’s not as bad as some people I’ve seen. I have a bit of a roll under where my stomach was, but I’m using St. Ives Collagen and Elastin cream and it seems to be helping the skin to shrink as I lose weight.

(3) Suppose you go and donate blood and need to load up on juice/cookies after. What then? Those items sound like a no-no.

That’s correct; no-go for me. In that case, I would prepare a water bottle and perhaps some “Fasirozot,” or Hungarian meat balls to take with me. I could also take a few cooked pieces of bacon in a bag. Fruit isn’t bad, but I try to avoid sugar as much as possible, even in fruit.

(4) Since you are looking for a “real job”, what would you do if part of the job interview process included having lunch somewhere. Would you be “trapped”?.

Fortunately, eating Paleo leaves me with plenty of options almost regardless of where I wat. For the main course, I can have steak, pork, chicken, brisket, ribs, fish, shrimp, chicken wings, etc. For sides, I can have butternut squash, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, sweet potato, spinach, salad, etc. Most restaurants have some sort of basic meat dish (mostly steaks) with some grilled vegetables (mostly zucchini, onions, and red/green peppers). I always skip appetizers and desserts.

(5) While briefly looking at Whole30, it said no processed meats. But then on an “acceptable” food list it showed ‘deli meats’. So, is it okay or not okay? I’m confused!

I can see how this would be confusing. The main thing is to look for deli meats that have no added sugar. It’s surprising how many deli meats will have added sugar of some sort.

I think my biggest hang-up about weight loss (and perhaps other challenges in my life) is the fact that I expect too much too soon. I think part of the problem is also that most stories are success stories w/o hearing a lot about the struggle and so when I struggle I feel like “why can others do this and not me? what’s wrong with me”?

I am, like most people, like you in that we want to see results quickly. For me, I began seeing weight loss on the scale within a day or two of starting my Whole30. Now, Whole30 daily weigh-ins on a Whole30 is technically against the rules, but I weighed myself daily, so I was able to keep a good log. It helped keep me going since I started seeing results so quickly. With that said, you’re right; there is a lot written about how easy something was or how great the results are, but not so much about the struggles. My wife has been doing a great job of writing about that aspect of it on her blog, and I recommend you take a look at it. As for me, I posted a while back about some of the emotions I’ve felt throughout this journey of mine, and not all of it is rose colored.

February was the hardest for me in terms of losing weight. I’ve been averaging almost 12 lbs lost a month until February where that number dropped to 7 lbs. For three weeks, my weight was hovering at 217 lbs, and it was aggravating. Psychologically, it was hard doing everything right and not seeing results. Of course, I did lose about an inch off my waist in that time, and the lack of weight loss is what eventually pushed me into riding my bike to help me kick-start my metabolism. It worked; I’m back to losing weight almost daily again and my 30 day average is up to almost 9 lbs.

Thanks for the questions.

Current weight status: 212.5 lbs
Total lost since September 1: 77.4 lbs
Total lost since August 2013: 96.1 lbs
BMI: 33.3% (Starting BMI: 45.4%)
BF: 26.4% (Starting BF 47.4%)

I keep seeing posts on Facebook posted by friends and people whom I respect or admire that contain rather dubious advice regarding nutrition and diet. I know they think they’re doing us all a favor, but what troubles me most about these posts is that they are fine for those who are already in good shape and at an ideal weight, but for those of us who are still trying to lose weight? Horrible advice. Here’s an example:

“It’s okay to have a cheat day.”

NO. It’s NOT okay to have cheat days. Our bodies don’t like it. When we’re making progress, the LAST thing our bodies want or need is to be taken off the rails by a cheat day. Like I’ve said time and time again, it’s actually sabotage.

Here’s another example: “Just eat what you want. If it has carbs, eat it, because your body knows better than you what you need.”

Not if you’re addicted to sugar. Sugar tricks the brain and creates cravings for more (you guessed it) SUGAR! You simply need to cut out sugar and greatly reduce carbs. To ignore this fact is to ignore the root cause of  your excessive weight.

My final example: “Eat whatever you want. Just eat less of it.”

I used to believe this, and I got to 312 lbs at my heaviest. “But I only ate four pieces of deluxe pizza. That’s better than eating six!” Calories are not created equal, and foods of equal calorie amounts have different net calories. What’s worse is the effect of sugar and carbs on the brain, as well as how the body processes and stores it.

Look; I can’t spell it out any more clearly for you: reduce your carb intake. Eliminate foods that have added sugars. Don’t eat processed foods. Don’t eat foods made in vegetable oil. Eat more wild-caught fish. Eat whole foods. Try a Whole30. Try Paleo. Try Keto. Do SOMETHING that changes your eating habits and embrace a more healthy lifestyle. To do otherwise will make weight loss very difficult and will likely result in failure.

You cannot exercise all the fat away while eating horribly. You can try, but you will be very, very tired while I sit here losing weight with all kinds of energy and with less sweat because I went Whole30 and then Paleo.

So, I’ve been writing with advice and motivation, but I haven’t been as forthcoming with how it has felt to be losing all this weight. I will rectify that oversight with this post.

It’s amazing.

I feel great. I look great. I haven’t felt this youthful since I was 30. I am able to jump, run, and stretch in ways I could only dream of doing a mere six months ago. I literally feel like they took my brain and put it into a younger and thinner person’s body. The irony is that I’m still not “thin” by health standards, but compared to where I was almost 94 lbs ago (from my highest) and 75 lbs ago (from August 31), I feel thin, and it feels great!

It’s scary.

My wife has never heard me say that, but as much as I enjoy the new me, the new clothes, and my reflection in the mirror, there is a fear that somehow, this is a fluke. That at some point, regardless of what I do, it’ll all come back and I’ll be as heavy or heavier than before. That I’ll let myself and everyone I care about down.

That is what fuels my drive to never let that happen.

That is why I keep my “head in the game” to conquer that fear and to never let what I fear come to pass.

It’s motivating (technically not an emotion, but…).

Seeing the results, whether they are on the scale or in how my clothes feel on me, motivates me to keep going. There’s nothing that puts a smile on my face as easily first thing in the morning as seeing smaller numbers on my nemesis, the scale. On those days when the number doesn’t move (which has happened a lot to me in the past three weeks!), I have to take solace in knowing that it’s a long-term process, and that just because the scale isn’t rewarding my hard work, the loose fit of my pants are.

It’s aggravating.

Like I was saying in the paragraph above, when the scale doesn’t give me lower numbers, it is aggravating. When I eat a little too much in a day, I get aggravated with myself. When I allow myself to eat something questionable (not completely out of our eating plan, but not within), I become aggravated with myself.

It’s heartbreaking.

When I see people who are morbidly obese like I was, or when I talk to people who tell me they could never do what I am doing, it breaks my heart. I feel sad for them because I know anyone can do this. I am not super-human, nor do I possess any super-strength or motivation. I am not an expert or pro at losing weight. I’m just a guy who found a way of eating that works for him that requires very little physical effort. Watching people put away the horrible sugar and carb-rich foods when they are obese yet trying to do what they think is everything in their power to lose weight yet continue to fail, it is heartbreaking.

It’s satisfying.

In the end, I’m happy with where I’m at. I was unhappy as a huge guy, and yes, I’m happier as I’m thinner. I’ve read that losing weight will not make someone unhappy magically become happy. Of course, that’s true; weight loss in and of itself doesn’t bring happiness. What it has done for me, however, was give me more confidence, give me a better body image which in turn makes me feel better about myself which in turn makes me generally happier. I am satisfied with my journey so far, and I’m optimistic for where I’m headed. Sure, I expect the trend to slow as I get closer to my target weight, but progress is still being made, and at a rate that is both acceptable and exciting.

Total progress so far:

Current weight: 214.9 lbs
Weight lost since September 1: -75 lbs
Weight lost since highest: -94 lbs
Target weight: 175 lbs
Loss to go: 40 lbs

If there’s any one thing you should get out of reading my blog, I hope it is this: Sugar IS the ENEMY. In no uncertain terms, and without beating around the bush, I say it loud and clear:

SUGAR IS THE ENEMY

Can I be any more to the point? It’s in foods that should never have, or historically have never had sugar in them, yet the food industry puts it in there. Doesn’t that make you wonder why? I know some of you are saying, “Well yeah sugar is in there; it makes everything better!” Or, “I love sugar in things like bacon, barbecue, French fries, and even my omelettes.” Of course you do! That’s what they wanted to happen. As you get addicted to the sugar, your brain makes the association with the food, and thus you want more. You crave it.

Sugar is every bit as addictive as hard drugs like cocaine or opiates. There have been studies that not only show the similarities, but prove that it works on the brain the same way drugs do. Heck, even the Federal Government has recently started advocating a low-sugar diet instead of a low-fat diet which (Surprise!) it turns out, isn’t the best diet to be on. Why? Because it’s sugar that drives our fat storage, not our intake of fats.

Sherry and I now know first hand what it’s like to kick a drug habit. Both of us have never been addicted to any illegal drugs, but when we both kicked sugar, we went through some serious withdrawals. Our Whole30 experience was a good one, but I’ve said it before that the first week was hellish. For Sherry, it was worse, because she ate more sugary foods than I did, but it was bad for me, too.

I see people online and on Facebook advocating exercise plans and diets that don’t require you to, “Give up any food groups,” and they consider carbs to be a food group. Okay, all carbs aren’t necessarily bad. I have carbs every day, but in very limited quantities. But… But… But… Carbs aren’t a food group!!! Limiting carbs isn’t depravation given all the evidence we now have on how it affects our bodies. I have not been deprived or starving or craving ANYTHING since I kicked my sugar habit. If anything, kicking sugar has liberated me and that is a huge part of why I feel so energetic and why I feel so great.

Anyone can do what I am doing. Anyone. It doesn’t take any special skills. Okay, so maybe you have to be able to read, which, and I’m going to take a huge leap here, but if you’re reading this right now, you can read what it takes to cut sugar. It also takes a few things I’ve mentioned recently like discipline and determination sprinkled with some motivation, but those are things I think all of us have inside of us. It is just a matter of how well we listen to that nagging voice in our heads telling us to do the right thing.

Don’t believe me? Try a Whole30. I’ll be honest: I know people who already ate well before trying it, and honestly, it didn’t do anything for them. For the rest of us who eat anything put in front of us that looks delicious, it’s worth doing. The way you feel afterward will be your motivation. The weight loss and change in your body will give you the discipline to keep going. You will be determined to live healthy, and to eat right.

The only thing holding you back from your own weight loss and healthy life is you. Once you can convince yourself to be all-in, it’s all down-hill from there. I’ve been there.