Paleo Marine

I feel relieved. After the crazy food-fest that was Saturday, I wanted to be able to run yesterday. The weather was conspiring against me, however, and it appeared that I wouldn’t be able to run due to non-stop rain. Fortunately, the weather gave me a break at around 7:30 pm, and I took that opportunity to get a 3.3 mile run in. I even had the best pace of my time here at Fort Indiantown Gap! Better yet, I felt great afterward!

I’ve been trying to maintain my 3+ runs a week since falling off that routine last year, but things like some minor injuries, vacations, and activities have gotten in the way. Fortunately, I’ve had ample free time after my classes here to get my runs in every other day, and my body is rewarding me with getting fitter, faster, and stronger.

The other benefit is that I’m burning more calories on the days I run which, in turn, hopefully is burning some of the excess calories I’ve taken in on those days. The food here has been healthier than I expected, but my portions have been bigger than normal, and while I don’t have a scale here in the barracks, I expect to be up as much as 5 lbs when I get back home later this week. I plan on getting right back to my home-cooked meal routine quickly and sticking to a very strict portion-size Paleo diet when I get home.

Running is great. I never thought I’d say that, let alone think it, but I truly believe it. It’s free (with little expense in shoes and socks), can be done just about anywhere, and is something that can be done in 30 minutes three or four times a week. I highly recommend people work up to being able to run for 30-minute stretches if at all possible. the difference in my mood, mental acuity, and in the quality of rest I get on the days I run is noticeable.

So, how did it go in Philly? It went great for tourism and for seeing the city, but as for my diet? Not so well. I ate so much bad food, that I am certain I will be feeling the effects for at least three to four days.

I started the day with two sausage links (small ones) and some scrambled eggs. Good enough, right? Well, when we got to Philadelphia, I had a cheese steak sandwich (which was AMAZING by the way!). I followed that up with a dinner consisting of fried chicken and waffles that I coupled with a chocolate shake that had Creme de Menthe in it. DELICIOUS!!! For dessert (yes, there was dessert!), I had a chocolate mousse cake.

Do I feel bad? Emotionally/psychologically, a little bit. I worry that this will make me gain some weight. But logically, I know it’s all temporary water weight, and it will go away in a few days. Also, I plan on running later today, weather permitting. If it’s raining, I may go to the gym on base here and try to run on a treadmill (which I hate, but I have to do SOMETHING).

So, in short, I had a great time, but now I will have to pay the piper. But it was worth it!

Today, I’m headed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We have a rare day off, and we’re using that opportunity to go to Philly to check out the Revolutionary War Museum, the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall, and a place that’s important to Marines: The site of Tun Tavern (where the Marine Corps was founded in 1775).

While there, I have decided that I will have to try some Philly Cheese Steak, and a cheesecake. I know: they are DEFINITELY not Paleo, but at age 51, this is only the second time I’ve been in Philadelphia, and the first time I’ve actually had time to visit, look around, etc. I’m sure as heck going to try some of the local cuisine the city is famous for.

I’m going to make sure every other meal is strict: it’s all about mitigating the impact of some bad foods on my overall diet and health, but I’m willing to take the detour to experience the city. This is what I always recommend: take the chances, go off the path, but mitigate the impact as best as you can.

I was excited to get orders to go to school for fire direction control in the field artillery, but I wasn’t very excited about the prospects of having to eat at the Army Dining Facility (aka DFAC). I had memories of the food they used to serve us when I was on active duty in the Marines, and I had heard horror stories about the carb-heavy offerings.

To say I’ve been positively surprised would be an understatement. At every meal, without exception, I’ve been able to find options that would fit nicely into a Paleo profile, or even into a Keto one if I wanted to. The food has been delicious and plentiful.

Tonight, I had grilled chicken breast with Brussels sprouts and green beans along with a side salad and an apple for dessert. Most of my meals are similar, but with different meats like Italian sausage, fish, pork, beef, etc.

So, I’m doing well with the food here. I’m actually enjoying it, and not suffering (like I thought I would be).

We all get there. We all reach it at some point: the plateau. When our weight loss stalls, and we reach a point, typically 10-15 lbs shy of our final goal, where no matter what we do, our weight won’t go any lower. It’s annoying. It’s aggravating. And while it may be all of these, it’s something more important: feedback.

It’s our body telling us that what we’ve done to that point has been great to get us to where we are. But to get a little more, to lose a little more, we need to do more. We need to really think about that goal. Is it realistic? If we are at a healthy equilibrium, is it a good idea to reduce our food intake below a level we are currently comfortable at to reach an arbitrary number?

I had to face this realization recently. My goal weight is 165 lbs. I haven’t seen that since last year. My weight has hovered steadily between 168 and 172 lbs. In the past month and a half, it’s been upwards of 175 lbs. I know why: I’ve been eating larger portions, I’ve allowed myself to drink alcohol at social functions, and I haven’t been as strict with my diet as I used to be/should be. I’ve accepted all of those things, and I am slowly reigning myself in to get back down into my comfort zone of the 160’s.

When I was 160 lbs for a few days back in 2017, I was being VERY strict with my Paleo, not allowing myself to drink alcohol at all, never varying from my very strict diet, and honestly, I missed out on a few things. Was it worth it? At the time I thought it was, but in retrospect, not really. While I look back at the photos of myself from that time and think I was probably at a weight I’m most comfortable with, the level of deprivation was pretty high. Maybe too high.

Really think about what your target weight is, and why you set it to that. Think about how you feel at your plateau weight, and if it is something you still really want to get past, think about what you need to do to lose more weight. Typically, it will mean eating less, and being more careful with your macros. Every time I’ve hit a plateau, I’ve been able to break it by analyzing my food intake in not only amounts, but in makeup as well as fitness level and (this is my secret ingredient) sleep amount.

I have many interesting conversations with people about health, nutrition, and fitness when they find out I lost 150 lbs and went from morbidly obese to being within the military height and weight standards. Just today, someone quipped that it must have been helpful to be in the military to help me lose the weight. I smiled and asked them, “What do you mean?” They replied, “Oh you know, with all the PT we do and stuff, it probably made losing weight so much easier.” I explained to them that I had to lose all the weight before I was able to join the National Guard, and further, that I lost all the weight without a single drop of sweat or raising a finger for exercise.

I see friends and others join extreme fitness programs, purchase gym memberships, and go through all sort of fitness leaps to try to lose weight, yet they are all missing the most important ingredient: Diet = weight loss, exercise = fitness. I write about this often in an attempt to educate people about it, yet I keep seeing friends starting programs that are not going to help them lose weight. It will make them sore, it will make them tired, and when they don’t lose the weight they want to lose, they will get discouraged, quit, and they will mistakenly think that it’s impossible for them to lose weight. That somehow, for some reason, they’re not meant to ever be thin again. I know this, because that was me. Many times over.

Don’t get me wrong; fitness is GREAT for you! I just ran 3 miles today after two days off (normal rest interval for me), and while I took it easy and slow, it was still a good workout, and I felt great afterward. Heck, there were times when my legs were burning from running up the steep hills here in Pennsylvania, but it was exhilarating! But did it help me lose weight? Nope. Eating well is helping me maintain my weight. Exercise is keeping me fit, making my heart and legs strong, and keeping me in shape to pass my Army physical fitness tests.

I didn’t lose my weight due to the military; I did the military because I lost the weight. I didn’t start any exercise program to lose weight: I started exercising to get fit. I used diet and lifestyle change to lose weight and to keep it off for almost three years now. If you are one of those people who recently started or are thinking of starting some sort of boot camp, P90X, or fitness program, please also change your diet. Without it, you will not see the results you’re looking for, and you will become tired, demotivated, and quit because all you’ll be doing (without having changed your diet) is make yourself very hungry, tired, and worn out.

I was talking with a soldier today about water intake. She asked me how much water I drink, and I told her I drink when I’m thirsty. She was incredulous, and said that I was probably dehydrating myself because I wasn’t drinking a gallon of water a day. I told her that I do drink a lot of coffee, tea, and water throughout the day, and I always drink when I’m thirsty. She said her coach told her she needs to drink water all day long, to which I told her that it’s probably overkill.

The reality is that our bodies are good at communicating to us. We just have to listen. When we are thirsty, our body is telling us we need to hydrate. When we are hungry, our body is telling us we need to eat more. Maybe we didn’t eat enough at the previous meal, or we’ve been exerting ourselves and we used up more calories than we took in at our previous meal. Now, let’s not confuse huger with appetite which is a false signal from the brain after we eat foods high in carbs. That’s what leads to snacking, which leads to more eating, which leads to more snacking, etc.

The same holds true for injuries. When we experience pain, we need to recognize the difference between good pain and bad pain. Good pain is muscle burn after a good workout or exercise session. Bad pain is when you feel a pulled ligament or muscle. Right now, I’m experiencing a bit of the bad pain deep in my right calf. I overdid it a little on Friday, so I took Saturday and Sunday off from running. Depending on how it feels today, I might have an easy run, or I might skip it entirely. I will listen to my body and let it tell me what the best course of action is. Ignoring bad pain can lead to serious and long-term damage that is counter to what I’m trying to accomplish: to remain fit, to gain distance, and to increase my speed.

Listen to your body’s signals. Our bodies have been talking to us since the beginning of time. It’s up to us to learn how to read those signals, and it’s up to us to listen to them to get the most out of our nutrition and exercise.

I’m a former active duty Marine, but now I’m a soldier in the National Guard. I’ve been in the Guard for over a year and a half, but I haven’t had a MOS (military occupational specialty). While I was a military policeman (MP) in the Marines, I was awaiting training from the Army to become a Field Artillery Fire Direction Control specialist. Well, I’ve been training for over a week, and I just completed the first phase of my training to become a 13J (Fire Direction Control specialist). I will be finishing up my training in just under two weeks, but as of now, I’m a nominally trained Phase 1 complete 13J.

As a Staff Sergeant, I have to learn a lot more and become proficient so that I can ensure that my troops are properly trained and that their skills are maintained. Further, I have to ensure that when we are operating in a field artillery environment, that I am able to best lead my soldiers and watch them to ensure their jobs are performed properly and safely. This puts a lot of responsibility on my shoulders, but I’m up for the task.

It fees good now that I’ve completed the first phase of my training here. To give me the best chance to succeed, I’ve used diet and exercise to ensure my body and mind were up for the challenge, and I’ve been running every other day while eating very strict Paleo at the dining facility (DFAC) here. While I initially intended to go Keto, I settled on Paleo (which is my preferred diet, anyway). I’ve been feeling very strong, and mentally sharp. Getting a good amount of sleep has helped, too.

So, I’m doing well, achieving what I’ve set out to do, and soon, I’ll be back home and able to start training my soldiers and leading them to further success. It feels good.

Let me be perfectly clear: there is no wonder product to help you lose weight and get fit. There are only TWO things in the world, known to be 100% effective, that will help you lose weight and get fit. I will list those two things here:

• Diet
• Exerise

What you eat: the quality of the food, the quantity of the food, and its wholesomeness is what will determine whether you will gain weight, lose weight, or maintain weight. What you it is also known as your diet.

Physical activity will determine your level of fitness. The more you exercise, the more fit you will become. This is good for your muscles, joints, and even your emotional and psychological health.

NOTHING else is effective. There are pills, powders, packaged products, and medical procedures that can help with artificial or quick weight loss, but none of these are known to be as effective as changing one’s diet. Plain and simple.

I keep seeing ads on Facebook for weight loss related products, and they really get me wound up. They are selling false promises and lies. I sincerely hope that people realize that weight loss is within their grasp as long as they use a little bit of perseverance.

I am often told that the reason I was able to lose the weight I lost and get fit was because I have the mindset of a winner. This struck me as strange, because I never thought of myself as a winner. I’ve been in competitive sports as a kid, but my events were all individual, and while I did my best, I didn’t have a very motivated mindset. I just did what I had to, tried my best, and hoped that the results were worthy of the effort. I didn’t always win, and I used to wonder what it took. Later in life, I realized that when I didn’t win something, it was usually because I didn’t put in the requisite effort.

What is the mindset of a winner? I think what people are referring to is actually called perseverance. Winners are people who put in the work, but then put in a little more effort. When studying for a test, practicing a skill, or preparing themselves physically for some sort of match or competition, people who are winners go the extra mile. When it comes to losing weight, there’s not much extra studying, preparation, or extra miles that will help you lose the weight. What does it is a mindset of not allowing yourself to cheat.

If there’s any one piece of advice I would give to anyone who wants to be successful at losing weight and getting fit, it’s that you have to stick with the plan. Give it time to work. Give yourself the best chance of succeeding by not varying from the diet, by doing the exercise every day you have a planned workout, and don’t let anything get into your way.

It’s easy to come up with excuses for not doing something. I can justify just about any reason to not run, and sometimes, I allow myself to do just that. Of course, I feel guilty about it, my muscles actually ache for movement, and my run times (and distances) suffer for it. It’s because of those negative results that typically, I just put on the shoes and running clothes and hit the pavement.

To do anything less is letting myself down. I don’t want to fail myself, and I don’t want to put myself into a situation where I need to do a lot more work to catch back up to where I was. I’ve lost 150 lbs: I don’t want to have to lose it, or any large portion of that, ever again. Therefore, I eat right, I exercise, and when I go off the plan, I get back on as quickly as I can and work hard to keep on the path as best as I can.

So, do I have the mindset of a winner? I don’t know about that. But I do know that I don’t allow myself to fail, I prepare as much as I can and as much as I need to allow myself to succeed, and I don’t accept anything in my diet or behavior that is contrary to me being healthy. If that’s the mindset of a winner, then perhaps I do have it. I just call it wanting something more than the alternatives.