Day 28 – Week 4 Day 7: Up 1lbs, N/C .0in (Down 2lbs & 0.5in To Date) – At The Margin

I apologize in advance for the length of this post…  These posts are getting pretty repetitive (and not in a good way.)  If you’re not particularly interested in my thoughts on my current diet, please feel free to skip this post…
It’s the evening of Day 28 of my current diet.  One pound increase in weight.  No change in waist.  As usual, just to be sure, I stepped off the scale and then back on.  Same result.  Both feet are mostly normal and there’s no pain (gout or arthritis).
Diet:  I woke up this morning feeling with a swollen inner ear and vertigo.  I took a water pill and a meclizine (vertigo pill) today as I’m not planning to go anywhere today.  I skipped the coffee.  As expected, I’m VERY sleepy and have been nodding off constantly.
The rash on both my arms about four inches on either side of my elbows on the outside is still there (just barely now).  They rarely itch or hurt.  They’re just feeling crusty, and even that is going away.  The bumps are fewer.
A better night of sleep, but I’m extremely tired due to the meclizine.
I had a bowl of muesli (“pebbles and twigs”) for breakfast, a moderate salad for lunch (about 2:30pm) and chicken in red sauce over rice for dinner.  We finished just after the window (6pm) closed.
Personal laps:  No laps due to vertigo.
Shiva’s walk:  pulse avg 91bpm, max 133bpm for the dog walk;  11:56min walk.  Short dog walk;  around the corner to the intersection and then home.  Shiva seemed to do better than me.  I felt like I was constantly tilting off balance.  LoL
Evening Jog / “Niko Niko”:  none today.  Vertigo
Health:  two small morning phlegm.  1lb increase in weight.  No change in waist size.
Day 27:  Day 7 of Week 4 – weight 370lbs (up 1lbs, down 2lbs total);  today’s (muffin) waist 58.5 inches (n/c .0in, down 0.5in total).  Last reporting day, switching to reporting only 1 day per week (on Mondays).  I do still intend to go to 40hr water fasts, so I may have short posts reporting on those.  We’ll see…
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On This Day In:
2022	Vive L Différence
2021	At Least Not Until Sunset
	Rain On The Leaves (Laughter In The Rain
2020	At Least A Little Less
	Two For The Post (Please, Mr. Postman & Return To Sender)
2019	Promises, Promises
2018	You Mean There IS Something Else?
2017	Be Good
2016	Raise Yourself
2015	A Kids Movie Rip-Off
2014	Ready, Action!
2013	Responding To Challenges
2012	Abnormal, adj.
2011	Large Families
	On The Brink

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Day 27 – Week 4 Day 6: N/C 0lbs, N/C .0in (Down 3lbs & 0.5in To Date) – No Change

I apologize in advance for the length of this post…  These posts are getting pretty repetitive (and not in a good way.)  If you’re not particularly interested in my thoughts on my current diet, please feel free to skip this post…
It’s the evening of Day 27 of my current diet.  No change in weight.  No change in waist.  As usual, just to be sure, I stepped off the scale and then back on.  Same result.  Both feet are mostly normal and there’s no pain (gout or arthritis).
Diet:  I woke up this morning feeling much better all the way down to my feet.  I skipped the water pill today as I’m not sure it made much of difference the last two days.  I did have a large (30oz) coffee in the late AM.
The rash on both my arms about four inches on either side of my elbows on the outside is still there.  They don’t itch or hurt.  They’re just starting to feel crusty.  The bumps are fewer.  The plateaus are what feel “crusty”.  I still have no clue as to what may have caused the rash.
Another poor night’s sleep.  Up once at 2:30am, and then wide awake at 5am (-ish).  I lay there until 5:30am, when I got up.
I had a bowl of muesli (“pebbles and twigs”) for breakfast, a moderate salad for lunch (about 2:30pm) and fried eggs and French fries for dinner.  We finished just after the window (6:10pm) closed.
Personal laps:  Since I was up early, I went for a good long walk before the dog walk.  Pulse avg 86bpm, max 111bpm for the laps;  1:16.13min walk;  5K / 3.12 miles.  Two sections:  first 12 minutes over 100bpm;  the rest was under 95bpm.  9Laps.  Some chest discomfort and shortness of breath – but brief and not bad.  Discomfort / shortness of breath was gone before the end of the walk and none during the rest of the day.
Shiva’s walk:  pulse avg 108bpm, max 129bpm for the dog walk;  15:43min walk.  Two sections:  1)  <2min and <100bpm;  2)  >2min and >100bpm.  Short dog walk;  around the corner to the intersection and then home.   Shiva continues struggling on her walk, but she’s still game.  She was kind of walking with her hips sideways with one hind leg directly under her belly, like she didn’t trust the other leg to support her weight.
Evening Jog / “Niko Niko”:  none today.  Very tired (sleepy).  I’ve got to get back into it.
Health:  No morning phlegm.  No change in weight.  I did take a water pill yesterday, but (again) I didn’t feel like it make me “go” that much more.  No change in waist size.
Day 27:  Day 6 of Week 4 – weight 369lbs (n/c 0lbs, down 3lbs total);  today’s (muffin) waist 58.5 inches (n/c .0in, down 0.5in total).  My plan (since yesterday) is to finish documenting this week (one more day) and then switch to reporting only 1 day per week (on Mondays).  I do still intend to go to 40hr water fasts, so I may have short posts reporting on those.  We’ll see…
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On This Day In:
2022	Teaching
2021	First Ask For Courage
	Shadows And Darkness (At The Dark End Of The Street)
2020	My 2 Cents
	You Do It (The Way You Do The Things You Do)
	Must Be Why I Like Dreamin’
2019	The Opening Step
	Day 17/18: That Didn’t Take Long
2018	I’ll Trade You…
2017	Luv Me Some Meat Loaf (I Couldn’t Have Said It Better Myself)
2016	Unless Your Name Is #AmnestyDon
2015	A Tentative First Step
2014	Making People
2013	On Reading Books
2012	On America
2011	Shiver, Me Timbers!
2010	Fiduciary Breakdown

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Day 26 – Week 4 Day 5: Down 5lbs, Down .5in (Down 3lbs & 0.5in To Date) – Water Pills

I apologize in advance for the length of this post…  If you’re not particularly interested in my thoughts on my current diet, please feel free to skip this post…
It’s the evening of Day 26 of my current diet.  A moderate fluid drop – down 5lbs!  As usual, just to be sure, I stepped off the scale and then back on.  Same result.  Both feet are mostly normal and there’s no pain.
Diet:  I woke up this morning feeling much better all the way down to my feet.  I bit the bullet and took another water pill today (after 12pm).  Second day.  Timing my morning pills was off today as I had to take my car for an oil change / tire rotation in the AM.
The rash on both my arms about four inches on either side of my elbows on the outside is still there.  It didn’t bother me but I felt it every now and then to see if there was any change.  The “plateau” areas seem to be getting smaller, but the bumps still seem pronounced.  I didn’t need / take Benadryl today.
I felt like I had a good night’s sleep but I was up once about 3:40am.
I had a bowl of corn flakes and toast for (late) breakfast, a moderate salad for lunch (about 2:30pm) and pot pie, peas and carrots and boiled potatoes for dinner.  We finished just after the window (6:10pm) closed.
Shiva’s walk:  pulse avg 100bpm, max 127bpm for the dog walk; 13:47min walk. Short dog walk; around the corner to the intersection and then home.  Shiva continues struggling, but she’s still game.  None of her legs seem good, but they’re not all bad on the same days, so she gets by.
Personal laps:  no morning laps.  (Car repair.)
Evening Jog / “Niko Niko”:  none today.  Just lazy.  I’ve got to get back into it.
Health:  No morning phlegm.  Five pounds weight loss today was a pleasant surprise.  I did take a water pill yesterday, but I didn’t feel like it make me “go” that much more.  Same today.  A late pill, but I wasn’t going every 15mins like I usually am.  It was also good to see I dropped a bit around the waist:  .5in decrease to my waist size (at the “muffin” top).
Day 26:  Day 5 of Week 4 – weight 369lbs (down 5lbs, down 3lbs total);  today’s (muffin) waist 58.5 inches (down .50in, down 0.5in total).  My plan (now) is to finish documenting this week (two more days) and then switch to reporting only 1 day per week (on Mondays).  If anything “major” happens, I’ll add a post, but for now, it doesn’t seem to be motivating me to “do” more and the frequent “bouncing” is depressing to go on about in what are essentially “copy and paste” posts.  I do still intend to go to 40hr water fasts, so I may have short posts reporting on those.  We’ll see…
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On This Day In:
2022	A Duty To Disobey
2021	Vote NO In The California Recall
	On And On (Don’t Stop Believin’)
2020	The Importance You Can Have
	Slow Dancin’ (Let’s Get It On)
	Trump Reaffirms His Administration Is The Cause Of West Coast Wildfires
2019	A Lifestyle
	Day 16: Cheat Day
2018	The Children Are Our Future (The Greatest Love Of All)
2017	And Three
2016	Nine Parts Mystery
2015	Little Or No Common Ground
2014	Just Between Me
2013	Beyond The Strings
2012	Saving The Union
2011	Still And Too Often

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Day 25 – Week 4 Day 4: Up 7lbs, Up 1.0in (Up 2lbs & 0.0in To Date) – Uncertainty

I apologize in advance for the length of this post…  If you’re not particularly interested in my thoughts on my current diet, please feel free to skip this post…
It’s the late afternoon / early evening of Day 25 of my current diet.  A consecutive large bounce – up 7lbs!  That makes 17lbs total in two consecutive days.  As usual, just to be sure, I stepped off the scale and then back on.  Same result.  Again, both feet were swollen when I got up.  At this point, I really have no idea what’s going on…
Diet:  (Same as yesterday…)  I woke up this morning feeling heavy and thick – from my lats all the way down to my feet.  I bit the bullet and took the water pill today.  …The first time in 25 days.  I had about 35ozs of coffee today.
The rash on both my arms about four inches on either side of my elbows on the outside is still there.  It didn’t bother me until early afternoon (itchy).  Then it just stopped itching about 4pm.  The “plateau” areas seem to be getting smaller, but the bumps still seem pronounced.  I didn’t need Benadryl today.
I felt like I had a good night’s sleep.  I am recovered from the Cystoscopy.  No pain.  No tint of blood.
I had a bowl of corn flakes for breakfast, a moderate salad for lunch (about 1:30pm) and I’m expecting we’ll have fish for dinner (later).
Shiva’s walk:  pulse avg 109bpm, max 133bpm for the dog walk; 16:28min walk.  Short dog walk; around the corner to the intersection and then home.  Compared to yesterday, the dog walk was painless for me.  Shiva was struggling.  It’s been a few days since she’s had a rough time of it.  Shiva stumbled a couple of times and has taken to throwing her right rear leg forward, instead of walking and pushing off of it like normal.
Personal laps:  no morning laps.  Just not feeling “right” and I didn’t want to push through it.  I may go out for an evening walk.
Evening Jog / “Niko Niko”:  none today (so far).  If I do go out later, I’ll have to decide whether to jog or walk.
Health:  No morning phlegm.  Nine pounds weight gain today and 1in increase to my waist size (at the “muffin” top).  Lots of morning foot bloat.  My feet don’t hurt very much when I’m on my feet and walking.  The bloat in my lats went away during the late morning / early afternoon.
Day 25:  Day 4 of Week 4 – weight 374lbs (up 7lbs, up 2lbs total);  today’s (muffin) waist 59 inches (up 1.0in, same as initial measurement 0.0in total).  So much for my “moral victory”.  At the end of twenty-five(25) days, I’m two(2) pounds heavier and no change in my waist size.  The “only” good news is that “something” has moved “somewhere” as my pants are still a little bit looser on my thighs.  Oh well, another day…
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On This Day In:
2022	Reversing Climate Change Before It’s Too Late
2021	Said The Anti-Vaxxer
	Ceiling Mash (Dancing On The Ceiling)
2020	Is #45 In Good Spirits?
	Alone With My Tears (The Long And Winding Road)
2019	Learning To…
	Day 15: Die By The Scale
2018	Just Wondering
2017	Until I Think Of Something Better
2016	Who Are You?
2015	Renaissance Reptiles
2014	Book Return
2013	Keep Writing Your Truths
	Perilous Times For The U.S. Military
2012	The Victor
2011	Forging Away At My Deadlines
2010	Try This With Your Shoes…

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Day 24 – Week 4 Day 3: Up 10lbs, N/C 1.0in (Down 5lbs & 1.0in To Date) – Bloat Gain

I apologize in advance for the length of this post…  If you’re not particularly interested in my thoughts on my current diet, please feel free to skip this post…
It’s the night of Day 24 of my current diet.  Large bounce – up 10lbs!  Just to be sure, I stepped off the scale and then back on.  Same result.  Both feet were swollen when I got up.  It doesn’t feel like gout because it’s in both feet and mine gout is almost always concentrated in just my left foot.  I don’t know if it’s “simple” fluid retention related to my heart / obesity, something more complicated related to the Cystoscopy or another symptom of whatever is going on with the rash on my two arms…
Diet:  I woke up this morning feeling heavy and thick – from my lats all the way down to my feet.  I felt like my feet needed clown shoes.  I skipped the water pill again today, because we were due for our monthly trip to Costco for bulk food shopping.  (24 Days on the run.)  No coffee today.
The rash on both my arms about four inches on either side of my elbows on the outside is still there.  It bothered me all day (itchy), but it didn’t get worse while we were out in the sun (shopping).
I had a good night’s sleep  I am recovering from the Cystoscopy.  It is still pretty painful to pass fluid, but not nearly as bad as yesterday.  (Thank the Lord!)
Because we were going out, I only had water while taking my morning pills.  I had a big salad for lunch (about 3pm) and then steak, fried bell peppers and onions, and white rice for dinner at 5:30pm.  I finished dinner just within my 6pm window.
Shiva’s walk:  pulse avg 108bpm, max 123bpm for the dog walk;  17:37min walk.  Short dog walk;  around the corner to the intersection and then home.  Compared to yesterday, the dog walk was almost painless.
Personal laps:  pulse avg 128bpm, max 154bpm for the laps;  2.73mi.;  59:27min walk.  Both average and max were among the highest since starting the six(6) laps.  No light-headedness or dizziness.  My body feels “heavy” today.  Not fat, just heavy (and sore).  A little chest discomfort and a little shortness of breath.
Evening Jog / “Niko Niko”:  none today.
Health:  No morning phlegm.  Ten pounds weight gain today, but no increase to my waist size (at the “muffin” top).  Lots of morning foot bloat.  My feet don’t hurt very much when I’m on my feet and walking.  The bloat in my lats went away during my laps, but my fingertips were almost blue (without feeling bloated).  I was constantly flexing my hands to get the circulation moving.
Day 24:  Day 3 of Week 4 – weight 367lbs (up 10lbs, down 5lbs total);  today’s (muffin) waist 58 inches (N/C 0.0in, down 1.0in total).  The “only” good news is a 1lb weight loss per week is the ideal rate of loss for maintaining one’s BMR.  That’s what’s called a “moral victory” if ever there was one.
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On This Day In:
2022	Brilliantly Disguised
2021	Dreaming Of You
	Sweet Memories (Sweet Caroline)
2020	He Ought To Be Unemployed
	May I Have A Little More, Please (All We Need Is Love)
2019	Cash Only, Please
	Day 14: End Of Week 2
2018	House To Home
2017	Got Education?
2016	Necessary Company
2015	Reality Vs Imagination
2014	Penalty Period
2013	Theft
2012	Cranky Old Man
2011	A Man’s Got To Know His Limitations

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Day 21 – Week 3 Day 7: Up 1lbs, N/C .0in (Down 7lbs & 1.0in To Date) – First Jog

I apologize in advance for the length of this post…  If you’re not particularly interested in my thoughts on my current diet, please feel free to skip this post…
It’s the night of Day 21 of my current diet.  Small shock – I am up 1lbs!  Just to be sure, I stepped off the scale and then back on.  Same result.  Obviously, this doesn’t mean yesterday’s big increase (11lbs) wasn’t “just” water gain / retention, but it’s not a particularly favorable sign.  Anyway, again, this morning there is no gout pain in my left foot and swelling is gone from right foot and almost completely gone from my left foot.
Diet:  I woke up this morning feeling normal (again).  …Not good, but not fat.  I skipped the water pill again today.  (21 Days on the run.)  I decided (spur of the cuff) to try my old standard of increasing fluid intake to reduce fluid retention.  (Fluid retention can be a serious issue for people with heart issues.)  In addition to my “blend”, I had a pot of coffee.  Since coffee is also a diuretic, needless to say, I was “going” all day.  I’m hoping it worked and I’ll have lost at least a couple of pounds tomorrow morning.  If not, I’ll definitely have to take a water pill.
The “oily” / wax candle skin feeling is almost completely gone today – even around my nostrils.  The rash on both my arms about four inches on either side of my elbows on the outside is still there.  I wore a long sleeve shirt for my walk (again).  I skipped the Benadryl as there is almost no itching.  The bumps are still there, though.  My GP said I should go to “Urgent Care”, but it’s feeling much better today, so I’m just going to give it another day…
As it turns out, I just realized I’ve recently started taking a Vitamin B supplement (once a week) and I just looked up the effects of sunlight on VB6.  It turns out, B6 can increase skin sensitivity to sunlight and causes cancerous lesions on lab rats!!  Who’d a thunk it?  So, now I know I need to cover up better – particularly my arms.  I can’t rely on sunblock…
I had “juice” until lunch, a big salad for lunch (about 2pm) and then broccoli, white rice and a tomato-fish sauce for dinner at 5pm.  I finished well within my 6pm window.
Shiva’s walk:  pulse avg 102bpm, max 122bpm for the dog walk;  13:03min walk.  Slightly longer dog walk;  around the corner to the intersection;  turn right and down two houses and then home.
Personal laps:  pulse avg 107bpm, max 152bpm for the laps;  52.16min walk.  Two main sections:  15min well above 120bpm, and 37min below 105bpm.  My body feels normal today.  Not not light and not fat / heavy.  No chest discomfort or shortness of breath.  No light-headedness or dizziness.  Day 21 of diet.
Evening Jog / “Niko Niko”:  2.06mi;  99bpm avg;  140bpm max;  49:18min.  12:30min > 95bpm;  36min < 95bpm.  Some shortness of breath, but it was all after my bpm had fallen below 95bpm, so I think it was just me not being used to “jogging” and not because of my heart ablation / AFib.  I don’t remember I tried jogging (and I don’t feel like looking it up – LoL.)  This is my first “jog” of this year, anyway.  My electrical cardioversion was in early January and my cardiac ablation was in early April.
Health:  No morning phlegm.  One pound weight gain today, but no increase to my waist size.
Day 21:  Day 7 of Week 3 – weight 365lbs (up 1lbs, down 7lbs total);  today’s (muffin) waist 58 inches (no change .0in, down 1.0in total).  The “funny” thing is two(2) pounds of weight loss per week is considered to be fairly optimal for health and long term loss maintenance.  More than that and you “generally” will be risking lowering your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which will make it easier to regain whatever you’ve lost in dieting.  Go figure…
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On This Day In:
2022	When The Truth Hurts
	MAGAs Are The Real RINOs
2021	Access Is Good
	The Sun Is Shining (Since I Lost My Baby)
	No Recall
2020	Give Me A Minute To Think About That…
	November 3rd Is Coming! (Wake Up Everybody)
	An Eye For An Eye
2019	Is #45 Warning Alabama Again?
	Day 11: 49ers Win
2018	Worry (x2)
2017	Still Working
	Gold In The Morning Sun (I’m Just A Country Boy)
2016	Power Inside
2015	Sometimes I Feel Small
2014	It Slipped Away
2013	Corollary
2012	Working Retired
2011	The Web Is Not Authoritative! (Really?)

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9 (40) Redux – And Tips To Make It Through The Day

[Disclaimer:  Please remember I am NOT a medical professional and the “tips” in this post are based on my anecdotal experience(s).  Consult your personal physician before starting any diet or exercise regime.    —    kmab]
My last 40hrs water fast did not go well.  I didn’t complete the 40hr;  I only made it about 19 – 20hrs.  On the “full-day” portion of the fast, I had a late morning doctor’s appointment and some shopping chores.  The sum of this left me tired and HUNGRY.  I ended up breaking the fast just after noon.  Then I didn’t want to start over at 5pm, so I carried on normally through yesterday and started over at 6pm.  Today is the “new” 9th cycle full-fast day.
Why 6pm instead of 5pm?  LoL…  I took a nap and over-slept.  I was reading.  I felt tired.  I donned my CPAP mask and closed my eyes…  Next I knew, it was 4:55pm and I’d not eaten my dinner.  So, I rushed a couple of dogs onto the boil and had a cup of mint chip ice cream for dessert.  (Yes.  I know it’s a heck of a diet…)
My tips for successful short water fasts:
1)  Get the start time right…  Breakfast and lunch don’t matter, but you’ve got to be organized or you’ll never get the dinner cooked and eaten by the 5pm start time.  The later the start time, the later the end time.  (You want to end as close to getting up as possible.)
2)  Stay up a little later on the start day / evenings.  You’ve eaten a couple of meals that day and staying up a bit longer isn’t that much more difficult (hunger / eating wise).
3)  If you are allowed to…  sleep in a little later on the full fast day.  The less time you are awake, the less time you have to think about eating.
4)  Coffee / tea:  I drink a LOT of coffee – about 60 fluid ounces between getting up and 2 “ish” pm – on the full-fast day.  Coffee is a mild appetite suppressant and the volume makes your stomach “feel” full – which may itself BE the appetite suppressant.
The stomach doesn’t have a calorie gauge.  It does have a volume gauge.  If you eat (or drink) a lot, your stomach will tell your brain to turn off the hunger hormones simply because you are full.  The gauge doesn’t know about calories, proteins, carbs, nutrition, sugar, or any of that.  It only knows full, not empty and empty.  And it seems to have a bit of a delay processing between switching from “not empty” to “full”.  For most folks this delay seems to be about 15 to 30 minutes.
The “interesting” thing about black coffee is it gets to be an acquired taste.  I’ve been drinking “stand-up” coffee for about 40+ years and Bailey’s coffee most Saturdays for the last 20 years, so straight-up black coffee was something I had to adjust to.  Now, I must admit, I prefer it to my normal coffee.  (Although, I still enjoy my Saturday’s Bailey’s.)
Some readers may be asking:  “What’s a ‘stand-up’ coffee?”
A “stand-up” coffee is when you add enough CoffeeMate and sugar to your coffee so the plastic stirrer stands-up in your mug.  Super sweet / super creamy.  (And, yes, I have had people ask if I want a little coffee with my sweetened creamer.)  For those of you who may foolishly think to try this at home, I stopped it about 30 years ago when I developed kidney stones.  I (perhaps falsely) attributed the stones to the powdered creamer.   In any case, I’ve not used powder for well over 20 years and I still get kidney stones (grains).
5)  Take a nap on the full fast day.  I’m not a big “bed-napper” myself.  I’m more of TV watching me in the easy chair for a half-hour napper, but it does make the day go by faster.  The simple fact is most of your burned calories is your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) – how many calories you burn just to stay alive – and those get burned whether you’re awake or asleep.  And, I’m generally not aware of food / hunger when I’m asleep.
6)  Avoid watching sports on TV.  Sports are on TV to sell you cars, booze and food.  And, not necessarily in that order.  Except at dinner time:  then all TV is off limits – for the same reason, but mostly take-out food ads.  If you have to watch the evening news – watch public broadcasting.
7)  At meal time, go sit outside or to the far end of your house (away from the kitchen / dining area) when everyone else is eating.  It’s much easier to not feel hungry if you don’t smell the food cooking, being eaten, or lingering in the air.
8)  Drink at least two 8oz glasses of water in the evening.  I drink about 6pm and 8pm.  It fills the tummy a little and helps move anything in your digestive tract from the prior day.  Plus water is just good for you and most people don’t drink enough of it.
9)  You should probably “break fast” the following day with something healthy.  I almost never do.  Mea culpa, mea culpa… but it’s the truth.
10)  And this is probably the most important tip:  Lighten up and learn to forgive yourself.  If you don’t make it through the day – who really cares?  You are NOT a personal failure (in life or even “just” dieting) just because you didn’t make it through the day.  Your imagined state of self-discipline (or lack thereof) is just that:  imagined!  Eat slowly.  Enjoy the flavor(s) and the sensations of eating (smells, tastes, fullness, company) and being alive.  Start again tomorrow (or soon).
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On This Day In:
2023	Even A Trickle Wears Away The Stone
2022	Or The Day After
	9 (40) Redux – And Tips To Make It Through The Day
2021	And Yet I Still Pray
	I’m Still Listening To It (Heard It In A Love Song)
2020	What Am I Missing?
	If Only
2019	For Most #IncompetentDonald Followers
2018	I Dare You
2017	To Republicans Who Choose Party Over Country
2016	All About Control
2015	Liberty Is Extravagant
2014	Always Remember To Reach
	Have You Registered To Vote Yet?
2013	Ripples From The Water’s Edge
	Because I Was Alone
2012	POI vs Reality
	Dear And Sacred
2011	Chilled Again

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5 – 40hrs

[This post is one of a series of posts about my current diet / lifestyle choice of performing 40 hour water fasts to try to lose fat and get healthier.  These posts are not intended as medical advice as I have next to no formal medical training.  The posts are based on my personal experiences / opinions and are purely anecdotal.  Please consult your personal doctor or other REAL health care professional before starting any diet or exercise regime.    —    kmab]
Yesterday morning (9am) I completed my latest 40hour water fast (#5).  My first one started on the evening (5pm) of 19 April and I weighed 355lbs.  Today’s morning weight:  347lbs.  So, that’s down 8lbs.  This should be good news, but, in fact, it’s actually very mixed (if not bad) news.  The projection for ALL “healthy” weight loss is NOT more than 1 to 2 pounds per week.  In other words, with the exception of a daily dog walk (15 – 30 minutes) and a single swim (80 minutes), I’ve done next to no exercise, yet still lost about 4lbs per week.
The issue / problem is if I exceed the 2lb per week loss rate – for an “extended” period of time – my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) will drop at a faster rate than would be indicated by the weight loss alone (the main factor in BMR is your weight) and I will set myself up for much more difficult on-going weight-loss.  Like I said, losing too much, too quickly is not necessarily a good thing…
Part of the “problem” is I don’t (science doesn’t) really know what the definition / parameter is for “extended” period of time.  I’ve read it may begin after as little as 96hrs of dieting with a reduction of only 200-300 calories per day.  Of course, one answer / response to this problem is to begin exercise (actually JUST weight / resistance training), which is supposed to raise your BMR by increasing your muscle mass.  (Muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells, even if you’re doing nothing but breathing to stay alive.)  Cardio exercise also burns more calories (during and after the exercise period) than simple rest, but cardio doesn’t necessarily promote muscle increase.
As stated in a prior post, I am monitoring my weight loss and will be re-evaluating the current protocol after another week or so.  …And I’ll be starting cycle #6 at 5pm, this evening.
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On This Day In:
2023	What The World Needs Now…
2022	Relegated To Study Hall
	5 – 40hrs
2021	And Initiative Gets You Started
	Here’s My Story (Runaround Sue)
2020	#IncometentDonald Says The Economy Will Rebound Quickly
	A Family Horror Story
2019	A State With No Business
2018	Reflections
2017	Opposites Attract
2016	Completely Unreasonable
	Starting To Be A Reacher
2015	Avengers Assemble II
	But If I Had To Perish Twice…
2014	Turning Pages
2013	We Are All Accountable
2012	American Sign Language
2011	Happy Disproof
2010	Book Review – Managing Your Government Career

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4 – 40hrs

[This post is a LONG one…  If you are not interested in diets or my specific notes on a diet / lifestyle / fasting, feel free to leave now and come back some other day.  You’ve been warned…  (LOL!)
This post is one of a series of posts about my current diet / lifestyle choice of performing 40 hour water fasts to try to lose fat and get healthier.  These posts are not intended as medical advice as I have next to no formal medical training.  The posts are based on my personal experiences / opinions and are purely anecdotal.  Please consult your personal doctor or other REAL health care professional before starting any diet or exercise regime.    —    kmab]
This morning I completed my fourth 40 hour water fast.  I hope at some point I’ll start looking forward to them.  So far, they are more of just a grind (before I start).  Once I get going, they are not too bad.  The time does go by more quickly than you would think – and it “really” is just one day.  Then, you have “effectively” two days to eat.
General reaction…  I’m feeling fine.  Maybe a little healthier, even.  I’m not losing any significant amounts of weight (qualified statement), yet.  When I do veggie-juice fasting, I tend to lose a pound a day (sometimes two pounds).  This makes jumping on the scale every morning VERY psychologically encouraging / re-enforcing.  This method of fasting (40hr water fast) is not “intended” (by me) to lose weight as much as it is for losing fat.  The weight will come off as a by-product of fat reduction and is itself not the primary objective / goal.
The morning before my first 40 hours (Tuesday 19 April), I weighed in at 355lbs.  Today, I’ve had my second consecutive day at 350lbs.  This is 5lbs in roughly 11 days.  That is actually excessive!  The short term goal is .5 to 1lb per week.  This rate is meant to ensure I don’t over stimulate my metabolic response to a lack of calories.  For anyone who doesn’t know:  a prolonged shortage of daily caloric intake stimulates a “starvation reaction” in your body which results in a lowered metabolic rate (BMR).  This lowered BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) means you will burn fewer calories to maintain / retain as much energy (fat stores) as possible.  Your body doesn’t know you’re fasting.  It thinks you’re starving and therefore it starts “shutting down” / reducing cellular activities to extend the calories (fat) it knows it has.
More specifically (as I understand it…):
Triglycerides (in your bloodstream) provide energy for warmth, but they also provide energy for all of the other functions of the cell.  We all have cells, called “fat cells” (brown and white) whose job it is to extract “extra” triglycerides and cholesterol from the blood and convert them into “true” fat for longer term energy use when called on / needed.  First we burn the energy in the cell.  Then we burn the energy in the bloodstream.  Then we burn the energy in the fat cells.  The body – as an organism and as individual cells – is continuously monitoring how much energy is available and sending out messages (via chemicals / hormones – mainly insulin from our pancreas) about the needs for energy.  There is a spectrum of reaction.  It is not a true “light-switch” – on or off.
Fasting:  I start each fast period at 5pm…  (Info about hours in the fasting process is from various fasting websites.  All times should be taken as “about / around”, and not as absolutes.  No one’s body reactions function as on-off switches set to fixed timers.)
12 hours.  Food consumed has been burned. …  (to me 5am)
14 hours.  Body has converted to using stored fat as energy. …  (to me 7am)
16 hours.  Body starts to ramp up the fat burning.  …  (to me 9am)
18 hours.  Human Growth Hormone starts to skyrocket.  …  (to me 11am)
24 hours.  Autophagy begins.  …  (to me 5pm)
36 hours.  Autophagy 300% increase.   …  (to me 5am)
48 hours.  Autophagy increases 30% more.   …  (to me, 40 hours ends at 9am)
72 hours.  Autophagy maxes out.   …  (I don’t go here / this long.)
During autophagy, the cells remove unwanted molecules and dysfunctional parts.  Sometimes, autophagy destroys some of these molecules and parts.  Other times, the cell recycles these parts into new components.  The term “autophagy” derives from the Ancient Greek for “self-eating.”
Depending on the individual’s metabolism, significant autophagy may take two to four days of fasting in our bodies.  Autophagy is believed to begin when glucose and insulin levels drop considerably.  Animal studies have shown evidence of autophagy after 24 hours of fasting, which starts peaking at around 48 hours of fasting.  (These last three sentences are “evolving” science.  I have not found a definition of “significant autophagy”.  As near as I can tell, we don’t know the trigger levels or the peak point(s).  I think there is likely to be a spectrum for both.)
A key sign of autophagy is reduced appetite.  It’s likely due to changed levels of hormones like glucagon and insulin.  Specifically, levels of glucagon tend to increase during autophagy.  Glucagon helps manage your blood sugar levels and has been shown to suppress appetite.
Cells use autophagy to get rid of damaged proteins and organelles.  Autophagy “may” counteract “some of” the negative effects of ageing on the body.  Despite advertising claims, I don’t believe this (anti-ageing claim) is settled science.
While it may be difficult to properly measure autophagy, here are some signs of autophagy:  Low blood glucose – When your blood sugar drops, your body raises cortisol, growth hormones, and ketones.  This can enable the beginning of autophagy.  Elevated ketones – as your blood sugar lowers, your ketones elevate.  You can buy strips over the counter (OTC) for home use in measuring ketones in urine.  You can also get OTC blood meters.  I do not currently use either method for testing and am not planning to.  I do get blood workups prior to my doctor appointments at least twice a year.
Because you are fasting and you need a source of energy, your body will use stored fat.  Ketones are chemicals made in your liver.  They are known as “endogenous” ketones because they’re produced by your body.  Your liver turns fat into ketones, then sends the ketones into your bloodstream.  Your muscles and other tissues can use the ketones (energy molecules) for fuel similarly to glucose / sugar.
You produce ketones when you don’t have enough of the hormone insulin in your body to turn sugar (or “glucose”) into energy.  An insulin response (increase) occurs whenever we eat.  The level of response varies, but seems to relate to the amount of sugar molecules in the food.  Insulin regulates the use / burning of carbohydrates, fats and protein by promoting the absorption of glucose / sugar molecules from the blood into liver, fat and skeletal muscle cells.
All of this is kind of a circular explanation and very much a lay-person’s explanation for how (I understand) our bodies work.
Basically, AFTER 72 hours, your body has reached the maximum RATE of self-healing / anti-ageing.  Depending on the amount of fat you have in your body, you will continue to burn FAT (and other tissue) until your body chemistry says “I think we’re starving!”  At that point, your metabolic rate will start to fall as the body first tries to reduce energy consumption.  If that fails (you don’t resume eating), the body will begin to digest muscles and organs for their energy and proteins to protect the most critical body functions (mainly the heart and kidneys).  At this point, fasting for fat / weight loss is self-defeating, because you are losing proportionately more non-fat cells than fat cells.
Because I cut off my water fasts at 40 hours, I “only” have a maximum of 4 hours at the 300% increase rate in each cycle.  It remains to be seen how long it will take my body to adapt a long term response to this fasting regimen.  According to the fasting proselytizers, I (we) can continue the cycle indefinitely until I (we) reach a desired weight / fat level and then I / you simply play with the number of hours between cycles to establish a personal maintenance level.  I guess I’ll find out…
In the meantime, my plan is to continue my current alternating cycles for another 10 days to see how much weight I lose.  If it continues at this rate (5lbs lost over 10 days), I will extend the number of hours between fast cycles by 24 hours to slow down the loss (goal is .5lb to 1lbs per week).  Remember, the “goal” is fat reduction, NOT weight loss, while maintaining my metabolic rate (BMR).  This will (hopefully) maximize fat loss, weight loss and health all at the same time…
Two final points:  1)  Bile is stored in the gall bladder.  I had my gall bladder removed 10 years ago.  The body uses bile to emulsify (mix) fat in with water (blood) for transport around the body.  The gall bladder does not make bile.  Bile is made in the liver (like ketones).  Bile is made continuously and excess is stored in the gall bladder for quick release when we ingest fatty foods.  Bile use (gall bladder) and production (liver) is increased when we eat fatty foods, but it is a delayed response.  I have not been able to determine how this (use or production) effects fasting per se.  I do know if I “binge” on something fatty on breaking fast, I will have indigestion and get the trots – at least that’s what these first four cycles have shown.  Your response to renewed eating may vary.  And…
2)  I have seen numerous videos about “one-meal-a-day” and “alternate-day” fasting, which state most people cannot eat sufficient calories on an eat-day to make up for the calories not eaten on a fast day.  This is NOT true for me.  For whatever reason, I seem to be more than capable of making up for calories missed over a single day of fasting.  I spent almost two years trying OMAD, intermittent timed fasting and alternate day fasting.  All three seem to work (for me) for maintenance (slowed regaining) periods, but none of them worked for extended weight loss.  In other words:  they would help me maintain a plateau, but they didn’t help me continue to lose weight.  I should restate:  my goals for those diets / fasts / lifestyles were weight reduction, not fat loss;  and, both the intermittent timed fasts and the alternate day fasts were severe calorie restriction diets (days) – typically between 500 – 700 calories, NOT water fasts (days) – 0 – or near 0 calories.  I NEVER got to the 18hr (let alone the 24hr) mark without eating something.
Why do either of these points matter?  1)  because I am trying to reduce body fat, so it seems reasonable (to me) to assume fat transport is a factor.  And, 2)  because while 0 and near 0 days sounds more extreme than restriction, at least they offer an explanation for why you need to do it.  It appears physiological time (time between meals) is at least as important as calories.  This is an interesting wrinkle for me.
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On This Day In:
2023	Faith Is A Challenge For All
2022	Looking For Solutions To Climate Change
	4 – 40hrs
2021	Our Identity Crisis Continues
	There’s No Hiding Place (Don’t Look Back)
2020	In Need Of Concerted Action
2019	Anything / Everything
2018	Touching A Nerve
	Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
	I Have Realities In My Past
2017	Did I See You In Chapter 13?
2016	As I Recall (I Got It Honest)
2015	Less And More Irritation
2014	That Marvelous Feeling
2013	Exceptional
2012	A Wild And Crazy Believer
2011	A Lack Of Scarcity
	The Joy Of Prevention

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180 Day Health / Weight Update (Mar 2020)

The following is the 6th monthly (180 days “-ish”) update on my attempt to lose weight and get healthier.  As always, it’s a longer post than my “normal” daily post, so if your not “into” reading about “another person’s” diet (again and again!), I’ll understand if you stop here and come back another day.  You’ve been warned!!  Here goes…
(As in previous posts:) On September 16, 2019, I switched from my 18 days of “juice / blend” fasting / diet to an Intermittent Time Fasting (ITF) “Diet / Lifestyle”.  My starting weight on 29 August, for the juice / blending fast was:  373lbs.  My starting weight for the ITF was:  356lbs.  My current weight (this morning) was:  360lbs.  Based on these “initial” numbers, I’ve lost 13lbs from the end of August, 23lbs from the start of the ITF and gained 27lbs in the last 30 days.  [Note:  I have made a “determination” that my home scale is 30lbs light vis-a-vis the digital scales used at my doctor’s office.  Because of this, as of 1 February 2020, I have begun adding 30lbs to my weight on my home scale.  This means my “true” 29 August starting weight was closer to 403lbs than to 373lbs.  It also means my starting ITF weight was closer to 386lbs, not 356lbs.  My weight 30 days ago was 333lbs…  Adding 30lbs to that would make it 363lbs.  Today’s adjusted weight of 360lbs, means I’ve lost 3lbs in the last 30 days and not the 27lb gain indicated in the sentence prior to this “note”.  I know…  I know.  This is all confusing (and frustrating).]
Calories Chart from last 30 days (Feb / Mar) of ITF
The observant among you may (again) notice in the above chart I had two(2) days where my calories-in exceeded my calories-out…  This is, one day less than the past two months, but there is a marked increase in the number of days where (indicated in pink) I exceeded my calorie ratio (good vs bad). Remember, it’s not a diet, per se, as much as it’s a lifestyle, so I’m happy to have been able to maintain my weight while eating and (still) not working out.  The plan, of course, is to start working out again…
In prior months, I spent a paragraph describing my calories in and out and my BMR and the differences between starting, last month and the current month’s BMR.  With the “adjustment” to weight, it doesn’t make any sense to continue that discussion this month.  I may resume it next month.  The only thing which needs reporting is the 2,424 calories / day.  That plus 500 calories-out is my daily goal to achieve a weight loss of 1lb / wk.
BMR on 15 Mar 2020 at 360lbs
Anyway, the chart below shows I still have a calorie deficit of over 1,000 calories per day (albeit just barely this month).  That times seven(7) days is 7,000 calories.  Divided by 3,500 calories (1 pound of human body fat) equals to 2 pounds of loss per week.  My actual weight loss over the last month is negligible.  As mentioned above, I’m still “playing” with my home scale.  I started off trying to get as accurate a measurement as possible by placing my feet together with my toes at the base of the scale.  Over time, I found I was “balancing” on my toes and the rear of my feet to get a “lower” scale reading.  I then switched to bending my knees and leaning slightly forward and then straightening my legs and leaning as far back as possible while maintaining toe contact.  This gave me a “high” reading and a “low” reading and I was recording the high reading as I found this more closely matched up the digital scales at the doctor’s office or at the Urgent Care Unit (where I was going for vertigo treatment).  Along the way, I found that moving (or bumping) my scale was throwing the high / low weightings off by 15 to 25 pounds for no discernible reason.  At this point, I went back to just recording my weight as “balanced”.  Last month, I went to two doctor’s appointments and got corresponding weigh-ins which were both 30lbs more than my home scale, so I began adding 30lbs to my daily weight.  Which worked fine for a while…  And then I bumped my scale and it jumped 25(ish) pounds (more).  At which point, I gave up on accuracy until this month when I again had two visits with corresponding weigh-ins (with shoes and clothes) at the doctor’s offices.  They roughly match my weight on my home scale with shorts and bare feet, feet wide at the side of the scale.  I believe I’m more or less within 3 to 5 pounds when I alternate between shorts and sweats and shoes and bare feet, so now I am just going with whatever the home scale says.  (Yeah, I know…  Still pretty confusing.)  Bottom Line:  no balancing or leaning and no exact placement of feet.  I just try to get them close and stand naturally / relaxed on the scale.
Calories Chart for Last 12 Months
The goal of my long-term weight loss is (remains) to drop 1.5 to 2 pounds per week.  In theory, this will prevent the two worst parts of extreme weight loss:  a permanent (and excessive) drop in BMR (which makes it easier to regain lost weight) and a large amount of floppy / saggy skin (pure vanity).  It looks like I’m continuing my promising start from the first few months.  (The addition / adjustment of +30lbs from last month is clearly visible on the chart as is the “bump” of +25lbs from this month.)
Weight Loss Chart (Oct – Mar)
Equally important:  how does it feel?  Not good.  As stated in prior months, I was very good in November and December in my daily jogging.  I haven’t been “good” since.  Other than walking the dog, I haven’t done any exercise this month.  I am definitely losing my chest and shoulder muscles and (now) increasing – my stomach fat.  My shirts no longer look or feel looser.  It’s hard psychologically to see the scale go up.  I continue to have a nagging feeling I’m losing muscle and bone density instead of body fat even though the scale is not “changing”.  My “reason” (as opposed to my excuse) for not jogging has been a mini-flare-up in my AFib.  I reported it to my cardiologist and he ordered a monitor for me.  I wore the heart monitor for two weeks and then waited almost three for the follow-up appointment.  The results are that I am in AFib quite alot (sever hundred times during the two weeks), but for very brief periods – my longest session was 14 seconds and my average was 2 seconds.  My highest heart rate was over 200 beats per minute.  My average is in the mid-60’s.  I reported I was mildly surprised because I really didn’t feel any palpitations and was afraid the monitor would not show any AFib.  The bottom line is my cardiologist says I don’t need any change to my medications but I could definitely lose some weight and get more exercise.  He recommended swimming as strenuous but not wearing on my knees or spine.  My local pool opens in May and he’ll see me again in the fall.
Obviously, I’m making little progress on my secondary goals (which remain) going forward:  to smooth out the “calories-in” numbers and to eat more healthy on my one-meal-a-day / all-you-can-eat day.  If there is a silver lining to my cloud, it’s that I (still) didn’t have a single OMAD opportunity when I over-stuffed myself to the point of feeling sick, as I did in my first month of the MITF.  That makes two months in a row.  I guess you can say I am improving there, at least.  Slowly, slowly…
A final observation:  my waist is growing (but still smaller than when I started), but my legs, ankles, shoulders and forearms “feel” like they are getting smaller to me.  The pants I was comfortable in (at the waist), are now uncomfortable (again) and I need to begin to push myself (physically) again now that I’ve been given the “all clear”.  More significantly,  I’m only VERY loosely following the modified intermittent time fasting.  I am still eating later in the morning, but I am rarely otherwise following the schedule or stopping at the designated evening hour.  Realistically, I’m off the program.   Even more than working out, I need to get back on the program as I felt it made a significant difference when I was actually adhering to it.  Slowly, slowly…
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On This Day In:
2023	Even If I’ve Gone
2022	Somebody Should Have Warned Putin About Ukraine
2021	No Plan And Less Sand
	It Might Sound Strange (I Wish It Would Rain)
2020	Why #45 Is In The Dark
	180 Day Health / Weight Update (Mar 2020)
2019	Tonight I Am All Blacks
	In All Its Messy Complexity
2018	Danger = Opportunity
2017	True And Great
	Sand At The Beach
2016	There Is A Difference Between Dangerous And Frightening
2015	Always A Goal
2014	Standing Strong
2013	Shaken And Stirred
	The Bird With The Broken Wing
2012	Friends In High Places
2011	Objective Independence

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150 Day Health / Weight Update (Feb 2020)

The following is the 5th monthly (150 days “-ish”) update on my attempt to lose weight and get healthier.  As always, it’s a longer post than my “normal” daily post, so if your not “into” reading about “another person’s” diet (again!), I’ll understand if you stop here and come back another day.  You’ve been warned!!  Here goes…
(As in previous posts:)  On September 16, 2019, I switched from my 18 days of “juice / blend” fasting / diet to an Intermittent Time Fasting (ITF) “Diet / Lifestyle”.  My starting weight on 29 August, for the juice / blending fast was:  373lbs.  My starting weight for the ITF was: 356lbs.  My current weight (this morning) was:  333lbs.  Based on these “initial” numbers, I’ve lost 40lbs from the end of August, 23lbs from the start of the ITF and gained 15lbs in the last 30 days.  [Note:  I have made a “determination” that my home scale is 30lbs light vis-a-vis the digital scales used at my doctor’s office.  Because of this, as of 1 February 2020, I have begun adding 30lbs to my weight on my home scale.  This means my “true” 29 August starting weight was closer to 403lbs than to  373lbs.  It also means my starting ITF weight was closer to 386lbs, not 356lbs.  My weight 30 days ago was 318lbs…  Adding 30lbs to that would make it 348lbs.  Today’s adjusted weight of 333lbs, means I’ve lost 15lbs in the last 30 days and not the 15lb gain indicated in the sentence prior to this “note”.  I know…  I know.  This is all confusing (and frustrating).]
Calories Chart from last 30 days (Jan / Feb) of ITF
The observant among you may (again) notice in the above chart I had three(3) days where my calories-in significantly exceeded my calories-out…  This is, however, back where I was before the X-mas season / holidays.  In the first three months, I was blowing my calories about once per week, and it looks like I’m back in that area again.  Remember, it’s not a diet, per se, as much as it’s a lifestyle, so I’m happy to have been able to lose weight while eating and (still) not working out.  The plan, of course, is to start working out again…
In prior months, I spent a paragraph describing my calories in and out and my BMR and the differences between starting, last month and the current month’s BMR.  With the “adjustment” to weight, it doesn’t make any sense to continue that discussion this month.  I may resume it next month.  The only thing which needs reporting is the 2,307 calories / day.  That plus 500 calories-out is my daily goal to achieve a weight loss of 1lb / wk.
BMR on 15 Feb 2020 at 333lbs
Anyway, the chart below shows I still have a calorie deficit of over 1,000 calories per day. That times seven(7) days is 7,000 calories. Divided by 3,500 calories (1 pound of human body fat) equals to 2 pounds of loss per week.  My actual weight loss over the last month is 15lbs.  Divided by four(4) is 3.75lbs per week.  Over the last 2 weeks I’ve lost 7lbs (3.5lbs per week) and over the last month (as mentioned above) 15lbs (2.5lbs per week).  I would like to mention that at least once a month I have a one-day gain of 7-10lbs and this month I’ve had several such occurrences.  I initially believed this was water weight, but I’ve not been able to “prove” this, so I only record it as happening.  I will add one day I bumped my scale and it registered a jump of 10lbs (350lbs) from the prior day (340lbs).  The following day, it was back where it was (340lbs).  My other theory was a correlation with the passing of kidney stone (grains), but (this month) I haven’t had any issues with this (grains) which lined up with the weight bounces.  The vagaries of analog scales I guess…
Calories Chart for Last 12 Months
The goal of my long-term weight loss is (remains) to drop 1.5 to 2 pounds per week.  In theory, this will prevent the two worst parts of extreme weight loss: a permanent (and excessive) drop in BMR (which makes it easier to regain lost weight) and a large amount of floppy / saggy skin (pure vanity).  It looks like I’m continuing my promising start from the first few months.  (The addition / adjustment of +30lbs is clearly visible on the chart.)
Weight Loss Chart (Oct – Feb)
Equally important: how does it feel?  Still so-so.  As stated last month, I was very good in November and December in my daily jogging.  I haven’t been “good” since.  Yesterday was actually my first day back at jogging (5K == 3.15 miles).  I seem to be losing my chest and shoulder muscles and retaining – if not increasing – my stomach fat.  My shirts “feel” looser, but they don’t really look looser.  It’s hard psychologically to see the scale go down, but not see a bigger drop in clothes and photos.  I continue to have a nagging feeling I’m losing muscle and bone density instead of body fat.  My “reason” (as opposed to my excuse) for not jogging has been a mini-flare-up in my AFib.  I reported it to my cardiologist and he ordered a monitor for me.  I’ve been wearing it for a week now.  I’ve not been feeling ANY palpitations, so I’m starting back up on the jogging to see if that shows anything on the monitor.  Unfortunately, it’s a “black-box”.  So, even if it shows something, I won’t know about it (the issue) until after I return it (the monitor), they read it and then they send the report to my doctor.  I am still walking my dog 30-to-60 minutes a day six or seven days a week – which is better than nothing.
Obviously, I’m making no progress on my secondary goals (which remain) going forward: to smooth out the “calories-in” numbers and to eat more healthy on my one-meal-a-day / all-you-can-eat day.  If there is a silver lining to my cloud, it’s that I (still) didn’t have a single OMAD opportunity when I over-stuffed myself to the point of feeling sick, as I did in my first month of the MITF.  I guess you can say I am improving there, too.  Slowly, slowly…  (Full disclosure:  I got pretty close on Super Bowl Sunday.)
A final observation (again, pretty much the same as the last two months):  although it is theoretically “impossible” to spot lose weight (or spot gain weight), I seem to be losing “size” in areas which correspond to my activity.  My waist is not shrinking much, but my legs, ankles, shoulders and forearms “feel” like they are getting smaller to me.  I was feeling discouraged, so I tried on some pants…  I can now fit in my 48in waist jeans.  They are comfortable on the legs and butt, but while buttoning easily, they remain snug on the waist.  I could wear them, but I’d rather feel comfortable everywhere.  This is down from my 54in waist pants / jeans of last year.  This bucked me up a bit, but I look at my 48’s, 46’s, 44’s, etc. in my closet and just have to shake my head.  Slowly, slowly…
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On This Day In:
2019	Sunlight Stream
2018	Wars Without Taxes
2017	Multiplication And Division
2016	I Went To The Woods…
2015	I’ve Got To Run
2014	Which Is It?
2013	Making You Stronger
2012	Sick Of Being Sick
	Greater Than Power
2011	Clear, Specific And Measurable
2010	The Runner’s High
	Into The Dark…

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120 Day Health / Weight Update (Jan 2020)

The following is the 4th monthly (120 days) update on my attempt to lose weight and get healthier.  Again, it’s a longer post than my “normal” daily post, so if your not “into” reading about “another person’s” diet (again!), I’ll understand if you stop here and come back another day.  You’ve been warned!!  Here goes…
(As in previous posts:) On September 16, 2019, I switched from my 18 days of “juice / blend” fasting / diet to an Intermittent Time Fasting (ITF) “Diet / Lifestyle”.  My starting weight on 29 August, for the juice / blending fast was:  373lbs.  My starting weight for the ITF was:  356lbs.  My current weight (this morning) was:  318lbs. Basically, I’ve lost 55lbs from the end of August, 38lbs from the start of the ITF and 11lbs in the last 30 days.
Calories Chart from last 30 days (Nov / Dec) of ITF
The observant among you may (again) notice in the above chart I had seven(7) days where my calories-in exceeded my calories-out…  This is double (per month) than I did in each of the first two months, so definitely off the wagon for the X-mas season / holidays.  In the first three months, I was blowing my calories about once per week.  This month it was almost twice and it wasn’t “based” on my “one-meal-all-you-can-eat” day.  Again, it’s not a diet, per se, as much as it’s a lifestyle, so I’m happy to have been able to lose weight while eating and not working out.  It seems, sometimes “life” just happens and I go with it.
As mentioned in my prior monthly updates, when I switched to the ITF, I also began using my FitBit (FB) to begin tracking my food and gauging my calories-in versus my calories-out.  I’m not sure why, but the FB has set my calories-out “objective” at 3,800.  The on-line BMR calculator I use said my initial BMR was roughly 2,370 calories.  At my current weight (318lbs), my BMR is 2,239 –  about 50 fewer calories lower / less than the prior month and 130 from the starting calories.  This means I have to burn an additional measure of 1,550 calories during my waking hours to reach the FB objective.  In any case, FB is showing my daily calories out for the last 30 days at 3,940 (about 230 calories less than prior month).  By this reckoning, I am exceeding the FB calories (3,800) by 140 per day and my BMR by almost 1,700.  Multiply this by 7 days in a week and we get 11,900 – which works out to about 3.4lbs per week of weight loss.  My actual weight loss for the last 30 days is about 11lbs.  Divided by 30 days and multiplied by 7 days is 2.57lbs per week of “actual” loss.  So, the FitBit is either scoring my calories-out to high or I’m not inputting the calories-in correctly.  I feel I am diligent about the input, but I may be underestimating the portions and therefore the difference still isn’t as great as the charts suggest.  It is also still possible the difference is in both cals-in and cals-out.  Finally, it may just be my body is not burning the calories at the “normal” rate (meaning my calories burned is lower than the heart beat is suggesting it should be because of my AFib).  Basically, I’m saying the actual weight loss is about 1 pound less than what would be predicted by the FitBit calories burned…  (Still, 11lbs in a month is pretty good!)
BMR on 16 Jan 2020 at 318lbs
Anyway, the chart below shows I still have a calorie deficit of about 1,000 calories per day.  That times seven(7) days is 7,000 calories.  Divided by 3,500 calories (1 pound of human body fat) equals to 2 pounds of loss per week.  My actual weight loss over the last eight weeks is 20lbs. Divided by nine(9) is 2.22lbs per week.  This is roughly the same average weight loss per week as recorded at the end of four and eight weeks.  Over the last 2 weeks I’ve lost 7lbs (3.5lbs per week) and over the last month (as mentioned above) 11lbs (2.5lbs per week).  Again, the numbers are more reflective of weight fluctuation (gain and loss) due to the holidays than from progressive weight loss due to MITF.
Calories Chart for Last 12 Months
The goal of my long-term weight loss is (remains) to drop 1.5 to 2 pounds per week.  In theory, this will prevent the two worst parts of extreme weight loss: a permanent (and excessive) drop in BMR (which makes it easier to regain lost weight) and a large amount of floppy / saggy skin (pure vanity).  It looks like I’m continuing my promising start from the first two months.
Weight Loss Chart (Oct – Jan)
Equally important:  how does it feel?  So-so.  I was very good in November and December in my daily jogging.  I haven’t been very good since my 90-day update.  Sometimes life got in the way and sometimes (most times), I was just “tired” (lazy).  Is it noticeable?  Yes.  I’m not getting “fatter” in my normal areas (legs and hips), but I do seem to be getting a “little” bigger there.  More importantly, I seem to be losing my chest and shoulder muscles and retaining – if not increasing – my stomach fat.  My shirts “feel” looser, but they don’t really look looser.  It’s hard psychologically to see the scale go down, but not see a bigger drop in clothes and photos.  I have a nagging feeling I’m losing muscle and bone density instead of body fat.
Obviously, I’ve made no progress on my secondary goals (which remain):  I am still working on my secondary goals going forward – smoothing out the “calories-in” numbers and to eat more healthy on my one-meal-a-day / all-you-can-eat day.  If there is a silver lining to my cloud, it’s that I didn’t have a single OMAD opportunity when I over-stuffed myself to the point of feeling sick, as I did in my first month of the MITF.  So, I am improving there, too. Slowly, slowly…
A final observation (again, pretty much the same as last month):  although it is theoretically “impossible” to spot lose weight (or spot gain weight), I seem to be losing “size” in areas which correspond to my activity.  My waist is not shrinking much, but my legs, ankles, shoulders and forearms “feel” like they are getting smaller to me.  It’s not that big a deal, except it would be nice to imagine I was losing fat around my internal organs and not just legs and shoulders.  Oh, well, time will tell…
PS:  I went to Urgent Care for a pounding ear and then to my cardiologist about 10 days later.  My weight at the Urgent Care was 30lbs heavier than my home scale on the day.  Between that visit and the Cardiologist visit I lost 5lbs on my home scale.  At the cardiologist’s office, I had lost 5lbs from the Urgent Care, but it was still 30lbs heavier than my home scale on the day.  The bottom line is my home scale is probably 30lbs too light and I am 348lbs and not 318lbs.  While this is mentally hard to take, it means my home scale is consistently incorrect and therefore reliable for showing weight loss (and gain), even when it isn’t showing my “medical” weight.
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On This Day In:
2023	A Little Advice On Blogging…
	Two Thoughts For The Holiday
2022	What Do You See?
2021	Lite It Up
	Some Day (O-o-child)
2020	No Answers Yet
	120 Day Health / Weight Update (Jan 2020)
2019	Stationary Target
2018	And Firmly
2017	Nearer My Goal To Thee
2016	Relatively Simple Actions
2015	And Yet, You Did
2014	Difficult Learning
2013	Four Things To do
2012	When I Was Young…
	Emergence

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30 Day Health / Weight Update (Oct 2019)

On September 16, 2019, I switched from my 18 days of “juice / blend” fasting / diet to an Intermittent Time Fasting (ITF) “Diet / Lifestyle”.  My starting weight on 29 August, for the juice / blending fast was:  373lbs.  My starting weight for the ITF was:  356lbs.  My current weight (this morning) was:  347lbs.  Basically, I’ve lost 26lbs from the end of August and 9lbs from the start of the ITF.  There is need to mention two minor qualifications.  1)  My initial weigh-ins for both starts (juice and ITF) were barefoot and with shorts on.  My weight this morning was with sweatpants and cross-training / “fake” leather shoes.  I would estimate the “extra” weight to be between 3-5lbs.  Having said this, I did not subtract this from the morning’s weight.  And, 2) after the end of the juice / blend fast, I regained 11lbs the first week – which I’ve had to re-lose under ITF.
Calories Chart from start of ITF
The observant among you may notice in the above chart, I had four(4) days where my calories-in exceeded my calories-out…
When I switched to the ITF, I also began using my FitBit (FB) to begin tracking my food and gauging my calories-in versus my calories-out.  I’m not sure why, but the FB has set my calories-out “objective” at 3,800.  The on-line BMR calculator I use says my BMR is roughly 2,400 calories.  This means I have to burn an additional measure of 1,400 calories during my waking hours to reach the FB objective.
BMR on 16 Oct 2019 at 347lbs
Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) is defined as 220 beats per minute (BPM) – your age (64).  This makes my MHR equal to 156bpm.  “Elevated” heart rate is defined as 70% of MHR.  In my case, that would be 109bpm.  According to my FB, my active time (i.e. “elevated heart rate”) per day is 71 minutes (on average).  I’m not sure how this level is met as I only walk my dog for 30 minutes per day and 45 minutes (maybe) 2 or 3 times per week.  My FB “step target” is 7,500 steps versus the 10,000 “normally” recommended.  I miss my step target about once every couple of weeks.  I can only imagine my AFib is raising my heart rate at various points during the day and this is being read as active time by the FitBit.
Anyway, the top chart shows I have a calorie deficit of about 1,300 calories per day.  That times seven(7) days is 9,100 calories.  Divided by 3,500 calories (1 pound of human body fat) equals to 2.6 pounds of loss per week.  My actual weight loss over the last four weeks is 9lbs.  Divided by four(4) is 2.25lbs per week.  (If we subtract the 3lbs for the shoes worn in this morning’s weigh-in, the result is 2.75lbs per week.   Just saying…)
The goal of my long-term weight loss is to drop 1.5 to 2 pounds per week.  In theory, this will prevent the two worst part of extreme weight loss:  a permanent drop in BMR (which makes it easier to regain lost weight) and a large amount of floppy / saggy skin (pure vanity, it just looks terrible).  It looks like I’m off to a promising start.  IF I can keep this up, I should be under 300lbs for my 65th birthday at the end of March 2020.
Equally important:  how does it feel?  Today I was able to get into my wife’s Toyota Corolla without having to put the seat back-rest almost flat and contort my body to get into her car!  So, yeah.  It feels pretty good.  🙂
My secondary goals going forward are to work towards smoothing out the “calories-in” numbers and to eat more healthy on my one-meal-a-day / all-you-can-eat day.  I won’t say I’m “abusing” the OMAD opportunity, but…  Okay.  Yeah, I am ABUSING it!!  And, I know better.  At least two of the days, I ate beyond feeling stuffed to the point of feeling sick.  So, yeah, I can do better there, too.  Slowly, slowly…
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On This Day In:
2022	Good AND / OR Bad
2021	And Fields Of Green
	Success Has Been So Easy (Don’t You Want Me)
2020	Build It To Last
	Thumpin’ Bass (Get The Funk Out Ma Face)
2019	30 Day Health / Weight Update (Oct 2019)
	When Reason Comes
2018	One Of The Great Ones
2017	Mirror In The Oval Office
	True Courage
2016	What’s Your Excuse?
2015	Some Meaningful Resemblance
2014	Bloom
	Orange October (VII) – The Giants Win The Pennant!!
2013	Walking The Walk
2012	Legacy Of Star Trek (TOS)
2011	Tolerating The Intolerant
	Passionate Germs
2010	Giants Win Game 1 In Philly (4 to 3)!!

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A Dynamic And Adaptable System

[The following are two excerpts from an article I recently read on the benefits / effectiveness of increasing exercise on long-term weight loss.  I highly recommend clicking on the links to read the original article(s).    —    kmab]
University of Alabama obesity researcher David Allison sums up the research this way:  Adding physical activity has a very modest effect on weight loss — “a lesser effect than you’d mathematically predict,” he said.
We’ve long thought of weight loss in simple “calories in, calories out” terms.  In a much-cited 1958 study, researcher Max Wishnofsky outlined a rule that many organizations — from the Mayo Clinic to Livestrong — still use to predict weight loss:  A pound of human fat represents about 3,500 calories;  therefore, cutting 500 calories per day, through diet or physical activity, results in about a pound of weight loss per week.  Similarly, adding 500 calories a day results in a weight gain of about the same.
Today, researchers view this rule as overly simplistic.  They now think of human energy balance as “a dynamic and adaptable system,” as one study describes.  When you alter one component — cutting the number of calories you eat in a day to lose weight, doing more exercise than usual — this sets off a cascade of changes in the body that affect how many calories you use up and, in turn, your bodyweight.
…
There are three main components to energy expenditure, (Alexxai) Kravitz explained:  1)  basal metabolic rate, or the energy used for basic functioning when the body is at rest;  2)  the energy used to break down food;  and,  3)  the energy used in physical activity.
We have very little control over our basal metabolic rate, but it’s our biggest energy hog.  “It’s generally accepted that for most people, the basal metabolic rate accounts for 60 to 80 percent of total energy expenditure,” Kravitz said.  Digesting food accounts for about 10 percent.
That leaves only 10 to 30 percent for physical activity, of which exercise is only a subset.  (You can read more about this concept here and here.)
“It’s not nothing, but it’s not nearly equal to food intake — which accounts for 100 percent of the energy intake of the body,” Kravitz said.  “This is why it’s not so surprising that exercise leads to [statistically] significant, but small, changes in weight.”
—     Julia Belluz and Javier Zarracina
From the article:  “Why You Shouldn’t Exercise to Lose Weight, Explained With 60+ Studies“
The article appeared in (on):  “www.vox.com“
I found the article at:  https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-you-shouldn-t-exercise-to-lose-weight-explained-with-60-studies
The original article appears at:  https://www.vox.com/2016/4/28/11518804/weight-loss-exercise-myth-burn-calories
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On This Day In:
2022	You Just Need To Look A Little Farther
2021	Republican Big Lies On The Internet
	What Did They Say? (Walk On The Wild Side)
2020	We Are All Fish
	Should We Take Another Reading? (Me And Paul)
2019	A Dynamic And Adaptable System
2018	Speak Your Mind
2017	And I Thought It Was Just Me Getting Old
2016	One For Whole
2015	A Good Present
2014	And Your Point Is?
2013	Our Never-Ending Task
	Furloughed
2012	More Mature Than I Thought
2011	Outlaw’s Music
	Can Do!

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Day 17/18: That Didn’t Take Long

This is a long post!  (You’ve been warned…)
The end of day seventeen and the morning of day eighteen…  Elvis has left the building, folks…
Morning weight:  348lbs.  (on Day 18)
I am down / down “5/25”.  As in, 5lbs down from yesterday and 25lbs down from my fasting start weight:  373lbs (the morning of Day 1).
Yesterday morning (the early morning hours of Day 17), I didn’t sleep well.  I got out of bed a little before 3am and by dawn I’d “cheated” on my blend fast by having a two handfuls of nuts.  The rest of the day I was able to stick with my juice blend and felt pretty good in saying the cheats were aberrations and I was continuing my fast count.  Well, today the desire to chew (and taste something different) got the better of me and I had two slices of toast and two slices of pizza.  I said (in yesterday’s post) if I cheated again, I’d have to call the blend fast done, so that’s what I’m doing in this post.
The “interesting” thing is I’ve now had two five(5) pound changes in the last week.  I gained five pounds overnight a few days ago, and between yesterday and today, I’ve now lost five pounds.  It is routine to lose 5 to 7 pounds in the first day or two of a fast.  This is due to loss of stomach contact and some initial water weight loss (due to decrease of sugar and salt in the diet).  It is not common (in my experience) for this to happen after the first week without some significant change.  I have not restricted water or exercised excessively, so I have to assume there is “something” else going on in my body which is beyond my experience.  As such, and because of my prior comments about “cheating again and ending the fast”, I’m going to modify my behavior to more moderate eating habits (i.e. I’m going to start consuming / chewing food).
Below are the images from my scale to mark the end of the fast:
High end of Blend fast (348lbs) Low end of Blend fast (343lbs)
As per normal, there is a five(5) pounds variance between my “high” and “low” weights.  As explained in previous posts, the high is from me pressing my toes and the low is from pressing my heels.  When I last took my weight on a digital scale at my doctor’s office, their scale showed two(2) pounds less than my low for that day.  I wasn’t pressing forward or backwards.  And, again, I don’t know if their scale is programmed to subtract estimated clothing weight (or how much they might have subtracted).  As I’ve been using the “high” weigh-in, I feel I’m being conservative (and fair).
To summarize:  I started my “blending” fast with the parallel goals of completing one week without chewing while sticking to a plant (vegetable, fruit and legume) based liquefied diet; and, to jump-start myself on my Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) diet which I had started way back in February, but had not stuck to fairly.  I’ve ended up completing the first of the original goals and, in fact, doubling the time to two full weeks.  I said at the end of the second week, I’d like to push through for a third full week, but I was considering the process as “day-to-day” from there on.  I ended up making it through two days (Days 15 and 16), and now have cheated on two consecutive days (Days 17 and 18).  At this point, I’m calling the fast done and moving on to the second goal:  switching to the Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) or a “Modified” ADF or to a Intermittent Time Fasting lifestyle – maybe trying “One-Meal-A-Day” (OMAD).
So, which will I choose?  I don’t know…  I’m not sure I have to choose one over the others.  With the exception of having a defined protocol, I’m not sure there is any advantage to picking one of them over the others, so for the time being, I’m leaning to trying a bit of a mix and match to see which “works” for me.
Having said that, what will be my criteria:
1)  Although only specifically stated for the ADF protocol, I believe it is necessary for me to establish a longer and more consistent sleep period and schedule.  I’m therefor committing to trying to get a minimum of seven(7) hours each night.  I will set my start time for 11pm and end to 7am.
2)  A “strict” ADF or MADF has a low-calorie day and a normal-calorie day, with both tending to use windows to extend the daily fast time period.  The preference is to wait until 10am or 11am to break the fast each day and to close the window for eating (and drinking) at least three hours prior to going to bed.  For me, this would mean, no more eating or drinking (the exception being the water required to swallow my heart pills and vitamins before bed), after 8pm.  This will give me a fasting period of 15 to 16 hours each day, with eating windows of 9 to 8 hours on both the “fasting” and “normal” days.
3)  No matter which day or time period, water, black coffee, black tea and green tea are allowed —  EXCEPT during the three hours before bed, when I am only allowed enough water to take my heart medications.
4)  On “fasting” days I will try to limit myself to between 700 and 1,100 calories per day.  These numbers are fairly arbitrary:  the low end is the “recommended” fasting number for adult males doing an ADF.  The upper number is from my prior experience using the “Fat Smash Diet“.  This “high” number is not a caloric limit that many people could live with for very long.  I no longer believe dieting is simply “calories in < calories out = weight loss”.  I now believe limiting “calories in” too severely, over too long a period of time (one or two weeks), simply tells the body to lower your normal basal metabolic rate (BMR – how many calories you need to sustain life in a state of coma).  This makes it difficult to continue to lose weight and even more difficult to continue to keep the lost weight off.  It has also been shown that it is much more difficult to restore or raise the BMR to a previous level once you have lowered it than it was to lower it to start off with.  Basically, we must somehow lose weight while not lowering the BMR.  This means your body must not sense it is ever in a prolonged period of caloric deficit.  The “trick” is to lower the average caloric input over time while convincing the body you are never “really” dieting.  This is the goal of the ADF and the ITF methods.  On ADF, you eat as “normally” as you wish during your eating window.  On the ITF, you not only can eat as much as you wish, you can eat anything you wish – as long as you stay within your eating window.
5)  I must also maintain a reasonable protocol for increasing and maintaining my “calories-out” portion of the formula.  I currently walk my dog each day for 30 minutes (about 1 mile).  I also swim a couple of times a week for 60 minutes per session.  Our local pool will be closing for the winter soon, so I will need to commit to using a “gym” more frequently.  Swimming has a natural advantage over typical gym workouts.  I believe the three main ones to be:  swimming tends to be a continuous whole body workout;  swimming tends to be less damaging to the support joints (feet, ankles, knees, hips, and spine;  and, finally, water transfers heat energy significantly faster than air, which means you will burn more calories to maintain your own body temperature in water than you will do in air of equal temperature.  The combination of these advantages means I will need to go to the gym more frequently and stay (exercise) longer than I would have to by swimming.  The only advantages of the gym (that I know of) are:  you can increase your muscle mass to body weight ratio and you can increase your flexibility.  Swimming tends to make bodies long and lean, but not strong and flexible.  Weights and calisthenics will tend to increase muscle density, muscle size and flexibility (if done in conjunction with proper stretching), but not provide a long and lean appearance.  Bottom line:  go to the gym 4-5 times a week and stay for 90 minutes, including weights, stretching and cardio work in each session.
6)  My new protocol will be a rotation of fast day, eat day, OMAD day.  All three will be time restricted, but the window will vary between days:  fasting(8 hrs), eating(6 hrs) and OMAD(5 hrs).  Most fasting days will be two eggs, beans(1 can / 1.5 cups) and rice(1/2 cup), and fruits and veggies(no limit).  Most eating days will be two eggs or oatmeal, salad or fruit(no limit) for lunch, normal dinner.  Most OMAD days will be egg(1) and fruit, large dinner (all I can eat / anything I want);  if I want a “snack / desert” on my OMAD, it must be eaten 75 minutes to 1 hour before the daily eating window closes.  Water, black coffee, and black tea are any day / any time.  Fruit juice or veggie-fruit blends are only allowed on eating or OMAD days and only during the windows.
I will begin the protocol tomorrow.  I will continue to post images on my MADF page each day and my weight on my “Sweat Equity” pages, but I will not be creating a daily post specifically about this protocol.  I will try to update (via posting) a couple of times a month if I have anything interesting to say.  If I have any significant health changes as a result of the protocol, I will post about those.  And, so it goes, a “lifestyle” with the simple acknowledgement that vacations, holidays, birthdays, and exceptions will happen…  And, you just deal with them.
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On This Day In:
2022	Teaching
2021	First Ask For Courage
	Shadows And Darkness (At The Dark End Of The Street)
2020	My 2 Cents
	You Do It (The Way You Do The Things You Do)
	Must Be Why I Like Dreamin’
2019	The Opening Step
	Day 17/18: That Didn’t Take Long
2018	I’ll Trade You…
2017	Luv Me Some Meat Loaf (I Couldn’t Have Said It Better Myself)
2016	Unless Your Name Is #AmnestyDon
2015	A Tentative First Step
2014	Making People
2013	On Reading Books
2012	On America
2011	Shiver, Me Timbers!
2010	Fiduciary Breakdown

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