Paleo Marine

It’s been a long time since I’ve lost any real weight. I’ve hovered between 165 and 170 lbs for the past few months after reaching a low of 160 lbs earlier this past summer. I’d like to get back to the 160-165 lbs range, but it just hasn’t been happening. My eating habits have been good, but I’ve also had more opportunities for social drinking and some of my planned runs have been cancelled due to injuries and other events. The result is that my weight is up. After the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, it’s up especially high: 172 lbs!

OUCH!

To combat this, I’m re-dedicating myself to strict portion control on a strict Paleo diet coupled with adding bicycle days to my non-running days. It seems to me that the only real difference between me maintaining and being able to drop a few more lbs past 160 lbs is to do a little more exercise. I may throw in a kettlebell routine once or twice a week in place of the bicycle riding, but either way, I’m going to try for at least 5-6 days a week of some sort of physical activity.

Diet will get you 90% there. That last 10%? It looks like I’m going to have to sweat it off.

I was asked this question today, and it really made me think. Usually, I get questions that are pretty easy to answer, but this one was pretty deep. I thought about it for a while, and I think that if I were to answer honestly, I really wish more people knew that the weight loss I experienced is possible for anyone with perseverance.

When I tell people I lost 150 lbs, they act as if I performed some sort of miracle, or that the results I had are not typical. Well, they can be. The problem is that people aren’t willing to sacrifice or feel discomfort. I’m not talking about the discomfort of exercise or post-exercise, and I’m not talking about sacrifice meaning starvation. The discomfort and sacrifice is in saying goodbye to foods that are bad for us, and substituting them with safer, healthier alternatives. The discomfort is in having to turn-over your life to learn a new paradigm in eating, health, and yes, fitness.

None of this is impossible. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty simple, really. But it does take effort, it does take motivation, discipline, and yes, it takes perseverance and some sacrifice. I have said goodbye to some of my favorite foods: pizza, breads, and croissants. There are Paleo alternatives for pizza that are okay, some Paleo bread that is actually pretty darned tasty and amazing, but there’s no substitute for croissants. They are dead to me. And it hurts.

I’ve also given up any sweet drinks, for the most part. Unless I’m imbibing spirits in a social setting, my drinks never contain any sweetener. And that stinks, because I used to really like my sugar with coffee and cream! I also used to really enjoy iced tea with sweetener (preferred the pink or blue packets; the yellow never tasted quite right to me). But, giving up these bad foods and drinks has been totally worth it for me, and honestly, I’ve not looked back. Getting rid of them from my life has become easier and easier with time.

Anyone can do what I’ve done. It’s not impossible. It’s not too hard. It’s not atypical. It just requires getting out of your comfort zone and doing it.

It’s been a strange trip these past 20 years, but without having done a Whole30 and adopting the Paleo Diet, there’s no way I would be where I am today. Heck, there’s a chance I wouldn’t be HERE today.

After leaving the Marines, I quickly became overweight by the USMC height and weight regulations. While I was always on the heavier side of the regulations, I rarely was over the standard for long. I did struggle with my weight due to poor eating habits, long hours, and not enough PT, but as I look back, had I known about the Paleo Diet back then, weight would not have been a concern. The past is what it is; the past. I can’t change that, but I can change my future.

As a civilian, I let myself go. My weight ballooned, my health was in a steady decline, and the most mundane things were starting to become difficult. Doctor after doctor told me that my health was a result of having borrowed time. I was in such good health earlier in life that I had credit, so to speak. However, the bill would soon come, and my credit would run out. When I started experiencing health issues related to Type-2 Diabetes, I knew it was time to do something about it. Surrender was not an option.

I did a Whole30 and adopted the Paleo Diet. A year after starting my first Whole30, I began running. Five months later, I enlisted into the National Guard. Today, I am well within the Army height and weight regulations (which are the same as the Marine Corps), and I score in the top 10% of my unit for our physical fitness tests.

I am 50 years old, and I’m healthier today than I have been since I was a teenager. That’s no accident. It’s not genes, it’s not luck, and it’s certainly not something that happened by accident. Like anything valuable in life, good health is something you have to work at. Wishing or hoping to stay healthy and eating without regard for nutrition and a lack of exercise will work out for a very small percentage of people. For the rest of us, it results in obesity and poor health. I didn’t accept that, and neither should you. You don’t have to have been a Marine or be a soldier to get healthy and lose weight. All it takes is motivation, determination, and perseverance.

Last September, I began running. I began very slowly at first, and I never did push myself for fast gains. I allowed myself to get faster naturally, and to run longer distances as I felt able to. If I was up for a long run, I’d run farther. If, during a run, I felt more tired or worn out than usual, I’d cut it short. I also only ran every other day, and took two-days off on the weekends. The result: I run sub-9 minute miles consistently for over 3.1 miles/5km every time I set out.

Something I learned on some of my earliest runs is that, even though I am listening to music while I run, my mind wanders, and I’m able to think about things and those things eventually get worked out and it clears my mind. Coupled with the physical activity and being unable to do anything else other than think while running, it’s allowed me to have some really amazing post-run meditations on my front porch.

I smoke a pipe. Many find this to be surprising for someone who is into health and fitness as I am, but I am a firm believer that the meditative qualities of smoking a pipe in the evenings has been instrumental to my success in my diet, improved health, and fitness plans. I know that tobacco is known to cause cancer. I know it’s not the healthiest thing I could be doing. But I also know that my risk is much lower than that of someone who smokes a cigarette or who smokes a pipe or cigar all day long. Heck, there’s even a study that came out of England recently which found the same as a Surgeon General’s report that pipe smokers had a lower risk of death from cancer than non-smokers.

The following is a quote from the US Surgeon General report “Smoking and Health” (No. 1103, page 92) “Among the pipe smokers…The U.S. mortality ratios are 0.8 for non-inhalers and 1.0 for inhalers;”. So what does that mean, their study was using a mortality ratio of 1.0 as the mortality ratio for a non-smoker, and what they found is that pipe smokers that don’t inhale have a slightly lower mortality ratio which means that they live slightly longer.  That needs repeating…Pipe smokers that don’t inhale live longer that non-smokers according to that study.

Source

Weird, right? I thought so, too. But, I accept the risks for any actions I undertake including eating red meat daily, eating coconut oil, and not eating grains: all things my doctors have told me may be bad for me.

One thing I am certain of, however: meditation is good for the mind, body, and soul, and I enjoy being able to do so while running and also when not running, sitting on my porch with my pipe in hand and my dog at my side.

“No one has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for anyone to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which their body is capable.”

— Socrates

(Is it just me, or does anyone else read it “So-Crates” in Keanu Reeves’ voice from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure?)

I was in pretty good shape as a teenager. I was a swimmer, and I kept pretty active. As a young Marine, I was in great shape as well, but as the years passed, I allowed my body to get soft and I relied on youth to get me through my physical fitness tests more than on any fitness regimen. I stayed in decent enough shape while I was on active duty, but I can’t say I allowed my body to really reach its full potential of beauty and strength. It took me until I was 48 years old before I would work at it.

I’m not into body building or anything like that. My sister is, and she looks amazing, but that’s not for me. I am more into running and just being fit and trim. I would be happy if I could lose a last 10 lbs, but honestly, I’m pretty pleased with where my body is at right now: in the 160’s. As long as I don’t go past 170 lbs, I am happy. That keeps all my clothes fitting properly, and it keeps me looking the way I want to look.

It’s amazing seeing the muscles I’ve developed in the past year since I began running last September. My legs look strong, and my abs are actually showing. If I didn’t have the spare skin from when I was obese, I’d have the most amazing torso. My arms also look great, even though I haven’t been able to do push ups in months due to an elbow injury.

It was true thousands of years ago, and it’s true today. It’s a shame to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which their body is capable. Thanks, Socrates.

Motivation is an area most people ask me about in regards to losing weight. Often, the first or second question I’m asked when someone finds out that I’ve lost 150 lbs is, “How did you stay motivated?” or “How do you stay motivated?” It’s easy: I hate how I felt and I never want to feel that way again.

While I was losing weight, I immediately began feeling better. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Within a week of starting my Whole30, I began feeling increased energy. I slept better, and I woke up feeling more energized. I no longer had cravings for sugar, so I no longer had the ups and downs: no more sugar highs and sugar crashes. As I lost weight, my knees felt better, and my joints began to feel the reduced load. These little successes fueled my motivation and left me wanting more.

From there, it snow-balled. The more I lost, the better I felt, which in turn motivated me more which led to more success which led to more motivation, etc. In short, I got addicted to the successes.

There were times when I had plateaus in weight, but while the scale didn’t reward me, my pants and shirt sizes continued to get smaller, and I continued to feel great. I continued to have more energy than I had felt in the previous 20 years, and I had grown accustomed to feeling this way. I decided I didn’t ever want to jeopardize feeling so good again. That makes it easy for me to turn down sweets and non-Paleo foods when I’m offered or tempted. It also drives me to run on the days I may not really be feeling super-motivated. The alternative is untenable to me now.

Motivation comes in many forms and from different places for different people. Find your motivation, grab on to it, and use it. It may be the same as my experience, or it may be completely different. Whatever it is, find it.

First and foremost, I want to say that if you do Crossfit, that’s cool and I have nothing but respect for you! I respect the program for its ability to motivate, push, and allow people to set and reach goals they thought they could never reach. It’s a great extreme fitness program! But… it’s not a weight loss program. Most of you Crossfit people know that, but sadly, there are a lot who don’t. They think it will somehow make them lose weight while allowing them to keep eating the food they ate prior to taking on Crossfit.

Crossfit will not transform you magically. It will not make you thin, skinny, or otherwise lean. Exercise will make you stronger, and cardio exercise will improve your heart health, but it will not make you lose weight unless you CHANGE YOUR DIET AND EAT HEALTHIER FOOD WITH FEWER NET CALORIES AND LESS SUGAR.

In case that wasn’t clear enough, instead of me restating it, go back and read that last part in all caps and bold again. Is it confusing? Read it again. Repeat as much as necessary until you get it.

If I had a dollar for every friend on Facebook who is doing Crossfit to lose weight and not losing weight, then I could buy a new car. It’s really making me sad and upset. Sad for them that they’ve bought into Crossfit as a way to lose weight, and upset that Crossfit takes advantage of these people and giving them hope that “If you work hard enough, you will use more calories than you eat and you’ll lose weight.” Sure. First law of thermodynamics. Physics. Sounds solid, right? Well, the problem is that the QUALITY of the food you eat is nearly as important as the quantity. 100 calories of sugar is not nearly as good for you as 100 calories of chicken or pork. The way they affect your body is completely different, too.

Please, for the love of anything you hold dear, stop eating high-carb foods. Stop eating cake, cookies, brownies, protein shakes, rice and beans, oatmeal, pasta, pizza, bread, and anything else with lots of sugar or easily soluble carbs in it. Try meat and vegetables. Stop eating as many fruits as you want (because it’s natural, right?). Too much fruit is the same as eating candy. Just because it comes off a tree or vine doesn’t make the sugar less harmful in large amounts.

Crossfit is great to make you stronger and to strengthen your heart. You will gain a lot of muscle and endurance, but you won’t necessarily lose weight unless you change your diet and lifestyle. You will end up wasting a lot of time and money trying to reach a goal you just won’t get to.

Think about this. If you were able to control your food and calorie intake and eat only healthy foods, wouldn’t you have been doing it already? If you’re overweight and unhealthy, do you think that thinking about your food options or merely reducing the quantity would have kept you healthier and thinner? Do you think that it’s necessary to eat food from “Each of the four food groups?” Is whole grain good for you? Fruit juices? Oatmeal? Rice and beans?

If you said yes to any of those above, you’ve been fed (sorry/not sorry for the pun) a bunch of bad info. Moderation is a myth because it’s so hard to do, and nobody is really able to do it successfully. Of a group of people in a study who practiced moderation, the majority of them were unable to properly estimate the appropriate amount of food to eat and ended up over-eating the vast majority of the time. Most people really don’t know what portion sizes of different foods should really look like, and they misjudge and over eat more often than not.

Eating the same food that you eat now will get you the same results. Eating less of it will leave you with cravings, hunger, and with willpower that will erode over time culminating in failure, falling off the wagon, and returning to your former eating habits. To truly make a difference and improve your chances of losing weight for the long-term, you need to adopt a healthier lifestyle eating better foods.

There are no food groups. That was made up by a marketing group for the US Government in the 70’s as part of an initiative to get people to eat more grain. The US was (and still is) heavily subsidizing wheat and corn, and needed the demand for these products to rise so that the government could stop subsidies, or at least reduce them. The result was great success for what and corn farmers but ultimately a loss for the average American: 68% of whom are now considered obese.

Whole grain, fruit juice, oatmeal, rice, and beans are all full of carbs. These foods are very high in carbohydrates for their volume. Carbs, in and of themselves, are not bad for you, and are actually necessary. However, those foods have exceedingly high amounts of easily-soluble carbs which allows the sugar to go directly into the bloodstream with very little effort on your digestive tract. That means your body is bombarded with sugar and forces the liver and pancreas to work to store all that excess energy that the body is unable to use at the time. The result: fat.

You do not get fat from eating fried or fatty foods. You can eat bacon and eggs for every meal, day in and day out, and you will not get fat unless  you eat too much of it. When you eat too much fat, you typically get the runs because the body expels the extra fat. What many people don’t know  is that fat is a result of increased sugar intake. Someone who eats oatmeal can be fatter than a person who eats bacon and eggs because of the sugar in the oats.

With a little bit of searching, you can find the truth behind common food myths, and find yourself a healthier and happier lifestyle. Being healthy doesn’t magically make you happy, but it can help remove stresses that keep you from being your happiest.

I drink coffee, hot tea, iced tea, and water. I don’t ever drink sodas, fruit juices, or anything with sweeteners in it anymore. Sometimes, after a run, I will have some coconut water, but that’s pretty rare.

The area in which I’ve taken the biggest hit in terms of satisfaction has been drinks. I really enjoyed a good iced tea with lemon and sweetener. Mind you, I was never a sweet tea fan as I always found it to be too sweet even when I was drinking sodas. But I did like the taste of iced tea with sweetener in it. Now, I drink my iced tea with lemon and nothing else. It’s good, and I enjoy it, but it doesn’t seem to satisfy as much as iced tea with lemon and sweetener. I find that iced tea made with mango tea seems to be pretty darned good, but again, I miss the sweet aspect.

With hot teas, I seem to accept them being unsweet with more ease just as I do with coffee. Don’t get me wrong: I was the epitome of, “He likes his sugar with coffee and cream.” Now, I’ve gotten used to coffee black, and I can now taste the subtle differences in beans and roast. With that said, as much as I like coffee now, I used to love it more when I could sweeten it. Oddly, I preferred sugar in my coffee and hot tea while I preferred sweetener in my iced tea.

Why not fruit juice? From a caloric level, and when you consider the sugar and carbs in fruit juice as compared to a soda, they are almost analogous. The only difference is the soda is typically sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup instead of more naturally occurring sugars, but the bottom line to the body is it’s still sugar and still very high in easily soluble calories. It’s a shock to the system, and the body quickly converts this extra sugar into fat. Apple juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, and yes, even grapefruit juice are all full of sugar (even non-sugar added varieties). I avoid these like the plague.

I drink lots of coffee every day, and the longer I’m drinking it black, the more I’m getting used to it and learning to enjoy it. I don’t know if I’ll ever enjoy it as much as I used to enjoy my mochas and cappuccinos, but it’s coming pretty close. Very close.

Something that’s happened to Sherry and I is that we’ve turned our lifestyle into hobbies. Well, I can’t speak for her on fitness being a hobby like it is for me, but I know that the cooking and food aspects of Paleo has definitely struck both of us as not only something of a necessity as part of our healthier lifestyle, but it’s crossed over into being a hobby as well.

We went from being knowledgeable about the Paleo Diet to going to Paleo|fx not just once, but twice (and likely next year, too! Or maybe Colorado for the Paleo Magazine convention?). We enjoy finding new products, companies, and restaurants that have Paleo offerings, and we enjoy sampling products and foods that are Paleo compliant. Heck, even my tooth powder and deodorant are healthier now as a result of us adopting the Paleo lifestyle.

For me, running has become something I enjoy, and something I try to learn more about all the time. While I don’t have crazy amounts of workout or running gear, I do own two pairs of good shoes, a bunch of shorts and shirts, and I track every run carefully. I analyze my runs, and compare them to previous runs. I try to utilize different techniques I learn when I read about running, and I am constantly trying to make improvements in pace or distance. I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed but I’m definitely more than casually interested; I’m a hobbyist.

Turning health and fitness into hobbies is a natural progression for people who want to continue to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Finding new recipes, restaurants, and products that are Paleo makes our lives richer, adds enjoyment, and allows us to experience new things to keep from getting bored. I have found in the past that restrictive diets get boring which leads to people falling back into old habits. So far, after over two years on Paleo, there’s nothing I want to go back to. I honestly enjoy the Paleo lifestyle so much more!