I was an avid runner from around the age of 16 or 17 up to around the age of 33 or 34. Then I started cutting back and then around the age 37, I switched to just walking and occasionally playing basketball.
Around the age of 30 is when the atrial fibrillation started. At the time, I did not know it was afib. All I knew was that after running a warm-up mile, my heart rate was really fast and gave me the sensation of flip-flopping around. I would walk it off and then finish my run just fine. This didn't happen regularly. Sometime I would go on my run and nothing would happen at all. Sometimes, it would be around mile 3 or 4. But the times I remember it most was during that warm-up mile.
Around the age of 31, I asked my doctor about it and she referred me to a cardiologist. They hooked me up to the stress test machine and my heart beat just fine. I think I was running maybe a 6 or 7 on a steep incline on the treadmill - nothing. I described to him what I felt when I did happen. He said I'd be fine and keep exercising.
So for the last decade, I've been running, playing basketball and walking with this afib. I thought it might have been my diet or maybe it was caffeine intake or stress. But there was no rhyme or reason to it whatsoever. It came and went as it pleased.
It progressively got worse. I began to notice it in the morning after waking up. Some days it persisted all day long. Other days, not a peep. One time, while playing in a basketball league game, I nearly passed out. It was going all crazy on me and I barely made it to the bench. My ear were ringing and I was dizzy. That was the worst it got until this year.
In February, I was bit by a copperhead. While in the ICU the first night, the nurse saw my heart all over the place - irregular, fast, slow. She was really freaking out about it and I just didn't think it was a big deal. A cardiologist came and saw me and said I was fine. They did a sonogram of my heart and weren't too concerned, but that I should schedule a visit with Dr. Morales as soon a possible.
Towards the beginning of March, I was wearing a heart monitor for a week. By Thursday of that week, I got a call from the doctor asking me to start taking Xarelto. This was to thin my blood to prevent a stroke. When I saw him again, he diagnosed me with atrial fibrillation. There are two ways to deal with it: medication or ablation. Medication would not work so well with me. The medication is supposed to slow the heart down, but my heart rhythm is already slow (around 50 resting, 60 normal). Ablation would fix the issue and since I'm younger, I would be a good candidate. So I opted for the ablation.
Monday July 3 was my pre-op. They took blood and a chest x-ray. The rest of the time was just paperwork.
Wednesday July 5 was a CT scan of my heart. I arrived at 8am, but the machine had been down when the nurses came in, so I had to wait 50 minutes. I went back to the room, had an IV in my right arm and then she gave me a nitro glycerin pill under my tongue. When the iodine was administered in the IV, it felt like a peed my shorts, but that was expected. About 10 minutes later, I was done. But the nitro glycerin pill gave me a nasty headache all day long (the nurse said this might happen).
Thursday morning, we were at the hospital by 6:30am. They took me back, put the gown on and laid down. They needed to get 3 IVs in me. My wife was there for support since I hate IVs so much. She did a great job helping me through. I was fasting, so finding a vein was difficult to say the least. After 7 pokes, they got the 3 they needed. But it was a little too much for my dear wife and she passed out! After a few minutes, she came to and on we went with the show. Chest, back and groin shaved; anesthetist then got me hooked up and they wheeled me back. I kissed my wife good bye and the next thing I knew, I was awake and groggy. The nurses were putting a lot of pressure on my groin to stop the bleeding. My wife was by my side again too. It must have been around 11:30 or noon.
A few minutes later, they wheeled me to my room. I could not move my legs at all for the next four hours - I just had to sit perfectly still to ensure the groin incisions did not open. The hardest part of laying there was the ache in my lower and mid back. I wanted to bend my knees to relieve my back, but I could not. I watched Wimbledon and golf while I lay there with my wife by my side. Dr. Morales came to visit me. I asked him how many he's done now, and he said he's lost count. He said I asked that question before I was knocked out. I vaguely remember asking him. He said it was standard procedure - everything went well.
4pm came and I could move around a bit. The catheter came out - and on my heavens - that was the worst part of the whole two days. For a few seconds it was extremely painful and uncomfortable - I yelled out. I was still quite dizzy and needed to take things really slow. I started drinking water and nibbling on some food. The next goal was to urinate by midnight - piece of cake! Otherwise, they would need to put the catheter back in!
I drank and drank. My stomach was getting pretty full. I got up, walked around. Nothing. Also, my room was not cooling off. Eventually they were able to move me down the hall and that room was much cooler! 10pm came - no need to urinate yet. 11pm - nothing. I started walking up and down the hallway to try to work that water out. I just needed the anesthesia to wear off and let me pee before midnight. I told the nurse I really didn't want the catheter. So at midnight, when I still had not urinated, he did a sonogram of my bladder and said about 200ml was in there. He said patients can go up to 1000ml, so he would wait a little longer to put the catheter in - hallelujah! I dozed off. 2am - the urge came! I was never so happy to pee. Every 90 minutes from then on I needed to get up and go.
Friday morning came, they gave me all the info I needed before being discharged. I took my meds and then the nurse wheeled me out to the car and I came home. Friday at home was just sitting in the recliner. I walked around the house quite a bit, but the headache just would not go away.
Today is Saturday July 8 as I write this. My sleep last night was good. I was so glad to be able to sleep on my sides! My headache is much more mild than yesterday and I feel my strength returning much more quickly. Today I will take it really easy. Tomorrow will probably be the same.
The doctor said to lay low for two weeks. Then I'll have a check-up with him and see what he says.
Flutters and a higher beat rate is expected these next two days. I've had flutters every so often, but things return to normal very quickly. I'll post back here in two weeks and again in a month.
The ablation will have been a success if I can run and play basketball again with little to no issues. The doctor was saying that in a month I could be back to basketball. That would be amazing!
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Monday, February 22, 2016
read two things related to stoicism and food today
i did a fabulous job losing weight from march to august of 2015. i kept the weight off from august to november. but then from thanksgiving until today, i've been gaining about 0.4 lbs a week. so, last night, while i was trying to fall asleep, i was meditating and thinking of ways to eat less and eat better.
then today, while reading, i came across two food-related stoic thoughts.
first, in reddit, this post discussed food meditation.
and secondly, while reading stoicism and the art of happiness, i read this:
"here's a novel idea ... try eating a more healthy diet for the next week. there is an important 'stoic' twist, though. when you're trying to stick to your plan, rather than motivating yourself by thinking about some desired outcome, such as losing weight or improving your health, etc., focus instead on the inherent value of developing self-discipline. losing weight or improving your health isn’t guaranteed with any diet; it’s not directly under your control, but partly in the hands of fate. it’s also something that’s off in the future, a ‘hope’, a consequence of your actions rather than something happening ‘here and now’. by contrast, prudent self-discipline is good and praiseworthy in itself, whatever the long-term result.
you don’t need to imitate an ancient stoic or cynic diet, just challenge yourself to eat more healthily for a week or so, using your own common sense to guide you. for the record, though, the stoics followed the advice of socrates that we should ‘eat to live’ rather than ‘living to eat’. in his lecture on food, musonius rufus argued that mastering one’s appetite is the very foundation of training in self-control. he says stoics should drink only water and avoid gourmet meals, preferring vegetarian food that’s nourishing but cheap, convenient to obtain, and easy to prepare (for example, milk, cheese, honey and certain fruits and vegetables, etc.). he says Stoics should eat slowly and with mindfulness, exercising moderation and self-control. for some modern readers just having still water for a week, instead of other drinks, might be a good initial challenge.
remember, the goal is to improve your self-discipline and related ‘virtues’ or character strengths, rather than to lose weight or gain physical health. if you’re exercising self-discipline and perseverance, though, it makes sense to do it in a healthy direction, doesn’t it? stoics refer to physical health and fitness as something ‘preferred’ but ultimately irrelevant, or ‘indifferent’, in relation to true happiness and fulfillment. cultivating a healthy character, is infinitely more important to them than cultivating a healthy body. nevertheless, we develop self-discipline precisely by trying to do healthy and appropriate things in the world, whether or not they turn out as we’d have preferred."
Friday, June 6, 2014
Fasting for a Healthier Immune System
Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system
“When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged,” Longo said. “What we started noticing in both our human work and animal work is that the white blood cell count goes down with prolonged fasting. Then when you re-feed, the blood cells come back."
"Prolonged fasting forces the body to use stores of glucose, fat and ketones, but it also breaks down a significant portion of white blood cells. Longo likens the effect to lightening a plane of excess cargo."
"During each cycle of fasting, this depletion of white blood cells induces changes that trigger stem cell-based regeneration of new immune system cells."
“When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged,” Longo said. “What we started noticing in both our human work and animal work is that the white blood cell count goes down with prolonged fasting. Then when you re-feed, the blood cells come back."
"Prolonged fasting forces the body to use stores of glucose, fat and ketones, but it also breaks down a significant portion of white blood cells. Longo likens the effect to lightening a plane of excess cargo."
"During each cycle of fasting, this depletion of white blood cells induces changes that trigger stem cell-based regeneration of new immune system cells."
Friday, April 18, 2014
WIR 2014 4.14-18
Super busy week - full of meetings during the day as well as meetings at night. The highlights are below.
health
worse than the week before. only did monday, tuesday, wednesday and saturday. i'm about 7 hours or 11 miles behind my goal. if i run two miles every night this week, along with the usual four miles in the morning, i should be able to make up the 7 hours. thankfully, the weather is nice this week.
leadership development
the big item was getting out the questionnaire survey to my co-workers. unfortunately, out of the five people i sent it to, only two have responded. the goal is to get the book read over the next month to two months.
work efficiencies
the biggest work task i have going on now is this little proposal of mine to save the company about $500K. i've talked to one other manager about this, as it impacts her group as well. she confided in me that she had similar thoughts as i had described, so this validated what i've been thinking. i then gave my manager an update on this initiative and have set up a meeting for the first week of may to fully discuss this. she has a follow-up with another supervisor, before meeting, to ensure we are all on the same page.
air conditioning unit
we're going to get the upstairs system a new set of coils as the old ones have rusted quite a bit. the company wanted us to replace the whole system, but that would have ran us about $10K. instead, i opted to go with the simple coil replacement which is about $3K.
health
worse than the week before. only did monday, tuesday, wednesday and saturday. i'm about 7 hours or 11 miles behind my goal. if i run two miles every night this week, along with the usual four miles in the morning, i should be able to make up the 7 hours. thankfully, the weather is nice this week.
leadership development
the big item was getting out the questionnaire survey to my co-workers. unfortunately, out of the five people i sent it to, only two have responded. the goal is to get the book read over the next month to two months.
work efficiencies
the biggest work task i have going on now is this little proposal of mine to save the company about $500K. i've talked to one other manager about this, as it impacts her group as well. she confided in me that she had similar thoughts as i had described, so this validated what i've been thinking. i then gave my manager an update on this initiative and have set up a meeting for the first week of may to fully discuss this. she has a follow-up with another supervisor, before meeting, to ensure we are all on the same page.
air conditioning unit
we're going to get the upstairs system a new set of coils as the old ones have rusted quite a bit. the company wanted us to replace the whole system, but that would have ran us about $10K. instead, i opted to go with the simple coil replacement which is about $3K.
Friday, March 28, 2014
WIR 2014 3.24-28
Not much to report on this past week.
Health
My wife and I got to walk pretty much every day this week. My son B and I were only able to play basketball once this week; one day was really nice, the other day it rained. The pine pollen finally got washed away with a nice rain storm. I ate pretty good this week and tried not to stuff myself.
My new shoes came - they are nice! My feet and knees feel much better now that I have some cushion under them.
This is the 5th year in a row I've bought Brooks and the 3rd year in a row I've got the trail running version of the shoe (Brooks Adrenaline ASR).
Work
Pretty average week. The big event was writing the retirement eulogy for my boss. It was his last day at work today. So I had to write up some praises for him as well as some "stats" about him. My new boss was very impressed with the write up. Today, she delivered the "retirement eulogy" at the end of our big weekly and monthly meetings - it was really good.
News
Still no word on the missing airliner. The news stations are all over the road guessing what happened. A big mud slide in Washington killed 10 people. A huge fire happened in Houston - a video went viral of a construction working barely escaping the flames. Obama and Pope Francis met this week.
Food
My wife's good friend came over the other day to cook Venezuelan food. It was really delicious - that was all I ate yesterday. Tonight, wife and I are going out to dinner - probably Chuy's.
Not much else for now. The weekend should be relaxing - some yard work, soccer game, NCAA basketball games.
My wife and I got to walk pretty much every day this week. My son B and I were only able to play basketball once this week; one day was really nice, the other day it rained. The pine pollen finally got washed away with a nice rain storm. I ate pretty good this week and tried not to stuff myself.
My new shoes came - they are nice! My feet and knees feel much better now that I have some cushion under them.
This is the 5th year in a row I've bought Brooks and the 3rd year in a row I've got the trail running version of the shoe (Brooks Adrenaline ASR).
Work
Pretty average week. The big event was writing the retirement eulogy for my boss. It was his last day at work today. So I had to write up some praises for him as well as some "stats" about him. My new boss was very impressed with the write up. Today, she delivered the "retirement eulogy" at the end of our big weekly and monthly meetings - it was really good.
News
Still no word on the missing airliner. The news stations are all over the road guessing what happened. A big mud slide in Washington killed 10 people. A huge fire happened in Houston - a video went viral of a construction working barely escaping the flames. Obama and Pope Francis met this week.
Food
My wife's good friend came over the other day to cook Venezuelan food. It was really delicious - that was all I ate yesterday. Tonight, wife and I are going out to dinner - probably Chuy's.
Not much else for now. The weekend should be relaxing - some yard work, soccer game, NCAA basketball games.
Friday, March 21, 2014
WIR 2014 3.17-21
So, I'm going to try something new and see how I like it. It's called Week In Review, in which I talk about the big things that happened this week; the big things I learned and made an impression on me. I'm also gong to try what I'll call Weekend Postmortem; same thing as the WIR, only it'll cover the weekend. The WIRs will be on Fridays and the WPs will be either Sunday night or Monday morning.
Tech
I recently posted about my new VPN. So, last Saturday, my internet went down hard again. After a few reboots, it seemed all back in order, but by Sunday night, I was only getting 0.1 or 0.2 download speeds. The technician was going to come out on Monday, but then my speeds returned to normal. On Tuesday, they were back to a trickle. Finally the technician came out on Wednesday and found the modem was broken. It was an old 2.0 protocol modem; he replaced it with a 3.0 protocol modem which could handle 50mbps as opposed to 15mbps. After it was up and running, I tested speeds again and I have consistenly been getting 30+ speeds. Today I was able to download several files quite fast :-)
News
The big news lately has been the missing 777 airliner which left Kuala Lumpur on March 7 and never arrived at Bejing. They have still have not found the plane nor any debris. The story is truly odd.
Work
I got recognized at work 3 times this week - by three different managers! One of them sent me a thank you note with a $25 Amazon gift card. The other two "sung my praises" in various meetings I had. I feel really on top of things right now at work - and I'm busier than ever.
Shopping
Along with that $25 gift card, I had another $30 in Amazon gift cards sitting around. I finally decided what I was going to use them on - a new pair of running shoes. I have bought my Brooks running shoes directly from the brooksrunning.com site the last 4 years or so. I learned this week that Brooks also sells their shoes on Amazon. So I was able to knock off $55 from my new shoes. I'll post sole pictures when they come. Old Navy had a polo shirt sale this week - I bought two Jersey Polos - my favorite kind of polo.
Health
The weather has finally warmed up this week. My son B and I have started a new tradition. Every Tuesday and Thursday we go to the middle school outdoor basketball court and play 3-5 games. We play by ones and go to 11. He then practices his one-hand shooting while I go on a short run. I then finish with 10 pushups. I have a new secret goal. I am starting off with doing 10 pushups, twice a day. Each week I will increase the number of pushups by 1. In a couple of years, I should be to 100 pushups. We'll see how it goes. Also, I'm going on a little 2 mile jog 2-3 times a week (at night); along with my 4 mile walk with my wife in the mornings.
Wednesday Night
I help plan activities for my church youth group. This Wednesday they did floor ball hockey. They boys had tons of fun.
March Madness
It started yesterday. The games are all streamed via the NCAA app. So my question is: why can't all the stations (local / free) do this? How hard would it be to stream all the local 2, 5, 8, 11, 13 channels to any device?
Books
Still reading the Immortal Game. Once I finish, I'll post the book review to rockyrook.blogspot.com
Food
My wife made corned beef and cabbage this week. My mom used to make that all the time, but this is the first time my wife made it. I love corned beef. My favorite sandwich is the Reuben at Jason's Deli.
Tech
I recently posted about my new VPN. So, last Saturday, my internet went down hard again. After a few reboots, it seemed all back in order, but by Sunday night, I was only getting 0.1 or 0.2 download speeds. The technician was going to come out on Monday, but then my speeds returned to normal. On Tuesday, they were back to a trickle. Finally the technician came out on Wednesday and found the modem was broken. It was an old 2.0 protocol modem; he replaced it with a 3.0 protocol modem which could handle 50mbps as opposed to 15mbps. After it was up and running, I tested speeds again and I have consistenly been getting 30+ speeds. Today I was able to download several files quite fast :-)
News
The big news lately has been the missing 777 airliner which left Kuala Lumpur on March 7 and never arrived at Bejing. They have still have not found the plane nor any debris. The story is truly odd.
Work
I got recognized at work 3 times this week - by three different managers! One of them sent me a thank you note with a $25 Amazon gift card. The other two "sung my praises" in various meetings I had. I feel really on top of things right now at work - and I'm busier than ever.
Shopping
Along with that $25 gift card, I had another $30 in Amazon gift cards sitting around. I finally decided what I was going to use them on - a new pair of running shoes. I have bought my Brooks running shoes directly from the brooksrunning.com site the last 4 years or so. I learned this week that Brooks also sells their shoes on Amazon. So I was able to knock off $55 from my new shoes. I'll post sole pictures when they come. Old Navy had a polo shirt sale this week - I bought two Jersey Polos - my favorite kind of polo.
Health
The weather has finally warmed up this week. My son B and I have started a new tradition. Every Tuesday and Thursday we go to the middle school outdoor basketball court and play 3-5 games. We play by ones and go to 11. He then practices his one-hand shooting while I go on a short run. I then finish with 10 pushups. I have a new secret goal. I am starting off with doing 10 pushups, twice a day. Each week I will increase the number of pushups by 1. In a couple of years, I should be to 100 pushups. We'll see how it goes. Also, I'm going on a little 2 mile jog 2-3 times a week (at night); along with my 4 mile walk with my wife in the mornings.
Wednesday Night
I help plan activities for my church youth group. This Wednesday they did floor ball hockey. They boys had tons of fun.
March Madness
It started yesterday. The games are all streamed via the NCAA app. So my question is: why can't all the stations (local / free) do this? How hard would it be to stream all the local 2, 5, 8, 11, 13 channels to any device?
Books
Still reading the Immortal Game. Once I finish, I'll post the book review to rockyrook.blogspot.com
Food
My wife made corned beef and cabbage this week. My mom used to make that all the time, but this is the first time my wife made it. I love corned beef. My favorite sandwich is the Reuben at Jason's Deli.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
honey & cinnamon: the benefits
this is a direct copy and paste from a friend who reposted this on their facebook page. i bolded the sections i found particularly interesting.
It is found that a mix of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also note honey as very effective medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without side effects which is also a plus.Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, when it is taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm even diabetic patients. Researched by western scientists:
HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, put it on toast instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol and could potentially save one from heart attack. Also, even if you have already had an attack studies show you could be kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of cinnamon honey strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.
ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients can benefit by taking one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken daily even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week (out of the 200 people so treated) practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain -- and within a month, most all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis now started walking without pain.
BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder....who knew?
CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol-could be cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.
COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses, and it's delicious too!
UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also is said to clear stomach ulcers from its root.
GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that when Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.
IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases.
INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food is eaten relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals
INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural 'Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.
LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of boiling water to make a tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans increase and even a 100 year old will start performing the chores of a 20-year-old.
RASPY OR SORE THROAT: When throat has a tickle or is raspy, take one tablespoon of honey and sip until gone. Repeat every three hours until throat is without symptoms.
PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm water. When done daily for two weeks, it removes all pimples from the root.
SKIN INFECTIONS:Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin Infections.
WEIGHT LOSS:Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.
CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder three times a day for one month.
FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, even when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, when taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M., the vitality of the body increases within a week.
BAD BREATH: People of South America, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water first thing in the morning so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.
HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. be sure to click SHARE so it will store on your personal page.
It is found that a mix of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also note honey as very effective medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without side effects which is also a plus.Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, when it is taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm even diabetic patients. Researched by western scientists:
HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, put it on toast instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol and could potentially save one from heart attack. Also, even if you have already had an attack studies show you could be kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of cinnamon honey strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.
ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients can benefit by taking one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken daily even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week (out of the 200 people so treated) practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain -- and within a month, most all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis now started walking without pain.
BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder....who knew?
CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol-could be cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.
COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses, and it's delicious too!
UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also is said to clear stomach ulcers from its root.
GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that when Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.
IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases.
INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food is eaten relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals
INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural 'Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.
LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of boiling water to make a tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans increase and even a 100 year old will start performing the chores of a 20-year-old.
RASPY OR SORE THROAT: When throat has a tickle or is raspy, take one tablespoon of honey and sip until gone. Repeat every three hours until throat is without symptoms.
PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm water. When done daily for two weeks, it removes all pimples from the root.
SKIN INFECTIONS:Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin Infections.
WEIGHT LOSS:Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.
CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder three times a day for one month.
FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, even when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, when taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M., the vitality of the body increases within a week.
BAD BREATH: People of South America, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water first thing in the morning so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.
HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. be sure to click SHARE so it will store on your personal page.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Shangri-La Diet in a Nutshell
Reading Seth's blog post (link here) led me to this forum (link here) where on this page of that forum I found the following two summaries of the SLD:
The theory seems to be that the body finds 2-300 excess calories and can't figure out where they came from, so shuts down your hunger and resets weight setpoint over time. Kind of like your body thinks you went from eating slim pickin's in winter to having plentiful food in summer...it just knows you are getting more energy from the food you are currently eating so it can up the metabolism and lower the weight setpoint since it figures you found a good supply of chow and wants you to keep eating without getting fat.
...
The idea is that flavourless calories do NOT give the message of abundance, as they would in nature. So the body reduces the weight setpoint as a survival mechanism in hard times. Once your body weight is sitting above your setpoint, you naturally are not hungry, you eat less and your body loses weight to the setpoint. If your actual bodyweight is sitting below your setpoint, you are excessively hungry and eat until you regain to where your body wants to be. A protective mechanism.
How many times have we lost 5 or so lbs below where we usually sit, through a major struggle of restraint and intake reduction, then blow it all in a fit of uncontrolled appetite and eating and regain the weight? I know that 148-152 lbs is a huge sticking point for me and the first time I started SLD, I slid right past that point, going from 150-146 in a few days and then remaining with the lowered appetite for months, as I lost to my goal of 133-135 lbs. Took only 3 months. It was rather amazing.
Seth Roberts took the theory of the impact of flavourless calories on setpoint and bent it in various ways to try and "trick the brain" into lowering the setpoint. He tried things like flavour without calories, calories without flavour, using a flavour that is sometimes taken calorie free, then combined with calories at other times of the day. "Platinum Calories" as devised by one of the forum readers is a twist on the theory. It is based on the idea that fat calories provided alone will provide calories without triggering any insulin response at all - not such a strange concept around here. They are tasty (coconut oil in coffee, "oilmilk" - oil and water blended with lethicin, as examples), but I never found them as effective as the flavourless calories. Bulletproof coffee is the same concept - lots of fat without any other dietary calorie sources, and hence satiety that lasts for hours.
I want to try this one more time using Spectrum's refined coconut oil. I think I saw a jar of this at the local Kroger, selling for about $7 or $8.
The theory seems to be that the body finds 2-300 excess calories and can't figure out where they came from, so shuts down your hunger and resets weight setpoint over time. Kind of like your body thinks you went from eating slim pickin's in winter to having plentiful food in summer...it just knows you are getting more energy from the food you are currently eating so it can up the metabolism and lower the weight setpoint since it figures you found a good supply of chow and wants you to keep eating without getting fat.
...
The idea is that flavourless calories do NOT give the message of abundance, as they would in nature. So the body reduces the weight setpoint as a survival mechanism in hard times. Once your body weight is sitting above your setpoint, you naturally are not hungry, you eat less and your body loses weight to the setpoint. If your actual bodyweight is sitting below your setpoint, you are excessively hungry and eat until you regain to where your body wants to be. A protective mechanism.
How many times have we lost 5 or so lbs below where we usually sit, through a major struggle of restraint and intake reduction, then blow it all in a fit of uncontrolled appetite and eating and regain the weight? I know that 148-152 lbs is a huge sticking point for me and the first time I started SLD, I slid right past that point, going from 150-146 in a few days and then remaining with the lowered appetite for months, as I lost to my goal of 133-135 lbs. Took only 3 months. It was rather amazing.
Seth Roberts took the theory of the impact of flavourless calories on setpoint and bent it in various ways to try and "trick the brain" into lowering the setpoint. He tried things like flavour without calories, calories without flavour, using a flavour that is sometimes taken calorie free, then combined with calories at other times of the day. "Platinum Calories" as devised by one of the forum readers is a twist on the theory. It is based on the idea that fat calories provided alone will provide calories without triggering any insulin response at all - not such a strange concept around here. They are tasty (coconut oil in coffee, "oilmilk" - oil and water blended with lethicin, as examples), but I never found them as effective as the flavourless calories. Bulletproof coffee is the same concept - lots of fat without any other dietary calorie sources, and hence satiety that lasts for hours.
I want to try this one more time using Spectrum's refined coconut oil. I think I saw a jar of this at the local Kroger, selling for about $7 or $8.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Dis-jointed Week
Essentially, I didn't eat anything all day until dinner time. I just drank water, Crystal Light and hot herbal tea. For dinner, I'd eat my fried eggs and an avocado.
I didn't do any exercise on Monday. On Tuesday and did some weight lifting and a little bit of jump rope. On Wednesday and Thursday, I did 45 mins and 60 mins of spinning (stationary bike). So the calorie reduction combined with the cardio workouts has caused me to drop down to 211.
Overall, from January 3 to today, the decline has been steady, interspersed with spikes. The upper horizontal line is 220lbs while the lower is 210. The red lines indicate the time period between January 3 and 27. The yellow line indicates the trend.
I've not been hungry the last two days. But I don't know how much the CO has played in that assessment. I plan go back to the CO next week.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Coconut Oil Links
My main staple for "tasteless calories" as I'm doing the Shangri-la diet again will be coconut oil (CO). CO is not tasteless - it definitely has some taste to it. Last summer, when I first heard of the benefits of CO, I texted my wife to see if she could pick up some at the store. She happened to be at a friend's house and this friend buys and sells virgin CO in bulk - she's a big believer in CO - what are the odds? So my wife asked her friend if she knew where she could buy CO. Naturally her friend offered my wife some of the CO she buys and sells.
When I got home from work that day, I tasted the CO - directly into my mouth. It wasn't too pleasant. It tasted like I just took a bite of a bar of coconut flavored soap. So I put it in a smoothie and the taste was still there.
So when I take my CO, I will always pinch my nose and then drink and swish water in my mouth to get the taste out. By the time I un-pinch my nose, the taste is either not there at all or there is only a faint hint of it.
Yesterday morning, before I started my 'routine', I weighed in at 215.5. Then I successfully went through my routine yesterday ... hunger wasn't an issue at all. However, I am getting a cold - it started yesterday - so I felt a little weak by the time I got home from work at 5:15pm. I ate an apple and then took the dog on an hour-long walk. I felt just fine after that.
This morning I weighed in at 213.4.
My main question yesterday, with regard to CO, was how much coconut oil should I ingest daily? Yesterday, I took 2 tablespoons at 8:00am and 2 more at 3:00pm. I wasn't sure if that was too much or too little. Before, when I was taking ELOO, I think I took about 4 tablespoons a day.
This link suggest 3.5 tablespoons a day. That same site as a lot of other good info on the benefits of CO.
This link is heavy on the benefits of CO for the brain and for curing cancer. But at the very bottom, the author suggests 2 to 4 tablespoons a day.
This link is excellent! Not only does it confirm the 3-4 tablespoons a day, but it has a very succinct list of all the benefits of ingesting CO.
By the way, all of these links are from the first few hits from a google search (click here to see all the search results.)
When I got home from work that day, I tasted the CO - directly into my mouth. It wasn't too pleasant. It tasted like I just took a bite of a bar of coconut flavored soap. So I put it in a smoothie and the taste was still there.
So when I take my CO, I will always pinch my nose and then drink and swish water in my mouth to get the taste out. By the time I un-pinch my nose, the taste is either not there at all or there is only a faint hint of it.
Yesterday morning, before I started my 'routine', I weighed in at 215.5. Then I successfully went through my routine yesterday ... hunger wasn't an issue at all. However, I am getting a cold - it started yesterday - so I felt a little weak by the time I got home from work at 5:15pm. I ate an apple and then took the dog on an hour-long walk. I felt just fine after that.
This morning I weighed in at 213.4.
My main question yesterday, with regard to CO, was how much coconut oil should I ingest daily? Yesterday, I took 2 tablespoons at 8:00am and 2 more at 3:00pm. I wasn't sure if that was too much or too little. Before, when I was taking ELOO, I think I took about 4 tablespoons a day.
This link suggest 3.5 tablespoons a day. That same site as a lot of other good info on the benefits of CO.
This link is heavy on the benefits of CO for the brain and for curing cancer. But at the very bottom, the author suggests 2 to 4 tablespoons a day.
This link is excellent! Not only does it confirm the 3-4 tablespoons a day, but it has a very succinct list of all the benefits of ingesting CO.
By the way, all of these links are from the first few hits from a google search (click here to see all the search results.)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
SLD 2012
The weight is back - especially after the holidays (Halloween-Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years). I've been doing lots of reading on Seth Roberts' blog as well as other sites. My exercise options have been limited and I need to make minor changes that are sustainable for the long-haul, but that don't interfere with life in general.
So I'm firing this blog back up again ... to track; to post thoughts; to book-mark important things I've read and found.
The day after New Year's, I weighed in at 220 lbs. Through exercise and not eating cookies, I've backed off that weight a bit and am now at 215 lbs. I need to get back to about 175-180.
Today, I tested the feasibility of ingesting virgin coconut oil while plugging my nose and then rinsing with water. It worked out quite well.
Here's the plan:
After waking up, eat 3 fried (in butter) eggs - at around 5:30am
Next would be two tablespoons of virgin coconut oil - at around 8:00am
Next I'd drink water while an hour passed. Then I could drink my Crystal Light at 9:15am
Lunch would consist of an apple and protein - 12:00pm
Next would be another two tablespoons of virgin coconut oil - at around 3:00pm
After getting home from work, I'd exercise (long walks, spin on the bike and weights) - around 5:00pm
Dinner would be light and made mostly of protein - at around 6:30pm
The day would be capped off with a Diet Canada Dry - at around 8:30pm
Weigh-ins are crucial for me - so I will usually weigh-in every day after I wake-up.
So I'm firing this blog back up again ... to track; to post thoughts; to book-mark important things I've read and found.
The day after New Year's, I weighed in at 220 lbs. Through exercise and not eating cookies, I've backed off that weight a bit and am now at 215 lbs. I need to get back to about 175-180.
Today, I tested the feasibility of ingesting virgin coconut oil while plugging my nose and then rinsing with water. It worked out quite well.
Here's the plan:
After waking up, eat 3 fried (in butter) eggs - at around 5:30am
Next would be two tablespoons of virgin coconut oil - at around 8:00am
Next I'd drink water while an hour passed. Then I could drink my Crystal Light at 9:15am
Lunch would consist of an apple and protein - 12:00pm
Next would be another two tablespoons of virgin coconut oil - at around 3:00pm
After getting home from work, I'd exercise (long walks, spin on the bike and weights) - around 5:00pm
Dinner would be light and made mostly of protein - at around 6:30pm
The day would be capped off with a Diet Canada Dry - at around 8:30pm
Weigh-ins are crucial for me - so I will usually weigh-in every day after I wake-up.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Tactical Victory
It's been a tough week with regard to exercise and eating, but it has ended on quite a high note.
All week long I've been fighting the urge to pig out at night. I've not pigged out per se, but I have been eating more than I should have. My goal is generally follow the adage, "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper." I gather I simply don't need the calories at night. I get home from work, do homework with kids and watch TV or play chess ... no need for lots of calories to do those activities. I tend to eat out of boredom at night.
So my plan is to either stay out of the kitchen when I get home or to simply make myself a large cup of Crystal Light with crushed ice and drink that and chew on the ice. After drinking that much Crystal Light, I should feel full.
Monday through Wednesday was horrible. I was eating cookies, ice cream, Cheetos, hot dogs, toast and anything the kids were eating for dinner. On Thursday, however, I changed things up a bit. I ate a bigger lunch, drank lots of water in the afternoon and then actually followed through on the plan ... I got home, made myself a large cup of Crystal Light with crushed ice and sipped that and munched on the ice. That did the trick. I left the kitchen, watched TV, folded clothes and then played Bejewled Blitz on Facebook. As a side note, I earned one of the highest scores in the world ... over 350K! I was pretty proud of that. My wife and I then watched The Office and went to bed.
I wasn't sure I was going to get up to run this morning, but I set my alarm as usual (4:30am). When it rang, I actually got up, got my running clothes and shoes on and ran my 4 miles. Now to back up a bit, my heart has been really palpitating this week during running and I suspect it has something to do with gas and what I ate the night before. My theory is even stronger now, because this morning I had no heart palpitations during my run and I did not eat dinner last night. After my run and before hopping in the shower, I weighed in at 206 lbs. It made me feel so good!
I continue with the sugar water in the morning and afternoon. However, I've now been adding in ELOO to the drink and that has helped a bit more.
All week long I've been fighting the urge to pig out at night. I've not pigged out per se, but I have been eating more than I should have. My goal is generally follow the adage, "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper." I gather I simply don't need the calories at night. I get home from work, do homework with kids and watch TV or play chess ... no need for lots of calories to do those activities. I tend to eat out of boredom at night.
So my plan is to either stay out of the kitchen when I get home or to simply make myself a large cup of Crystal Light with crushed ice and drink that and chew on the ice. After drinking that much Crystal Light, I should feel full.
Monday through Wednesday was horrible. I was eating cookies, ice cream, Cheetos, hot dogs, toast and anything the kids were eating for dinner. On Thursday, however, I changed things up a bit. I ate a bigger lunch, drank lots of water in the afternoon and then actually followed through on the plan ... I got home, made myself a large cup of Crystal Light with crushed ice and sipped that and munched on the ice. That did the trick. I left the kitchen, watched TV, folded clothes and then played Bejewled Blitz on Facebook. As a side note, I earned one of the highest scores in the world ... over 350K! I was pretty proud of that. My wife and I then watched The Office and went to bed.
I wasn't sure I was going to get up to run this morning, but I set my alarm as usual (4:30am). When it rang, I actually got up, got my running clothes and shoes on and ran my 4 miles. Now to back up a bit, my heart has been really palpitating this week during running and I suspect it has something to do with gas and what I ate the night before. My theory is even stronger now, because this morning I had no heart palpitations during my run and I did not eat dinner last night. After my run and before hopping in the shower, I weighed in at 206 lbs. It made me feel so good!
I continue with the sugar water in the morning and afternoon. However, I've now been adding in ELOO to the drink and that has helped a bit more.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sugar Water
My intent is to drink about 6 tablespoons (not the measuring kind, but the silverware kind) of sugar mixed with water during the day every day. Then at night when I get home after work, I'm supposed to drink 2 tablespoons of extra-light olive oil (ELOO) with water before I eat anything. I've got the sugar water part down. But when I get home, I dig into the food right away.
The thing is ... I'm not even that hungry. I just eat out of boredom. I'd like to not even go into the kitchen and instead go into the office and play on the computer, but that is not an option because I cannot leave my dear wife to tend to 4 hungry kids while I'm off playing games on the computer.
So I'm thinking out loud here ... maybe I can try drinking a large cup of Crystal Light again when I get home ... put lots of ice in it so I can chew on ice ... maybe that'll satisfy my need to masticate.
Other than that, the Shangri-la diet is going well. I'm still hovering right under 210 despite eating Church's Chicken, potato salad, ice cream, brownies and pretty much anything else laying around the house this weekend. I thought I'd be back up to 215 on Monday morning, but the scale went right up to just under 210.
I figure if I can "be good" during the week, I can then go on an 1 to 2 hour workout Saturday morning and then "relax" the rest of the weekend.
One other thing to write ... just a few days before I hopped back onto the diet, I discovered a song by The White Stripes entitled Sugar Never Tasted So Good. It's a catchy song like most White Stripes songs. I kept chuckling the first time I heard it which was the day after I started Shangri-la again.
The thing is ... I'm not even that hungry. I just eat out of boredom. I'd like to not even go into the kitchen and instead go into the office and play on the computer, but that is not an option because I cannot leave my dear wife to tend to 4 hungry kids while I'm off playing games on the computer.
So I'm thinking out loud here ... maybe I can try drinking a large cup of Crystal Light again when I get home ... put lots of ice in it so I can chew on ice ... maybe that'll satisfy my need to masticate.
Other than that, the Shangri-la diet is going well. I'm still hovering right under 210 despite eating Church's Chicken, potato salad, ice cream, brownies and pretty much anything else laying around the house this weekend. I thought I'd be back up to 215 on Monday morning, but the scale went right up to just under 210.
I figure if I can "be good" during the week, I can then go on an 1 to 2 hour workout Saturday morning and then "relax" the rest of the weekend.
One other thing to write ... just a few days before I hopped back onto the diet, I discovered a song by The White Stripes entitled Sugar Never Tasted So Good. It's a catchy song like most White Stripes songs. I kept chuckling the first time I heard it which was the day after I started Shangri-la again.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Working
I've been diligent thus far this week ... at least with taking the SW during the day. The plan is to take 2 tbsp of ELOO when I get home from work at night, but I didn't drink it the last two nights.
Monday night was kind of bad. Although I didn't eat as much as before getting on the Shangri-la Diet, I still ate quite a bit. Last night was much better. I was still slightly hungry when I got home, but I decided to eat some tortilla chips with a cup of a bean-rice-corn stew my wife had made the other day. It was quite delicious, but I felt incredibly stuffed after eating it. After that, I drank two full glasses of water and was done for the night.
This morning I went on the usual jog. After I got home, I weighed in. Since we have an analog scale, it is really tough to tell what the exact reading is, but whatever it was, it was lower than I've ever seen it when I've stepped on that scale. To me, it looked like it was halfway between 205 and 210, so I called it 207.
Monday night was kind of bad. Although I didn't eat as much as before getting on the Shangri-la Diet, I still ate quite a bit. Last night was much better. I was still slightly hungry when I got home, but I decided to eat some tortilla chips with a cup of a bean-rice-corn stew my wife had made the other day. It was quite delicious, but I felt incredibly stuffed after eating it. After that, I drank two full glasses of water and was done for the night.
This morning I went on the usual jog. After I got home, I weighed in. Since we have an analog scale, it is really tough to tell what the exact reading is, but whatever it was, it was lower than I've ever seen it when I've stepped on that scale. To me, it looked like it was halfway between 205 and 210, so I called it 207.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Outrageous Quotes from the Book
Since I decided to go back on this diet, I pulled out the official Shangri-la Diet book authored by Seth Roberts. As I read the book, I had forgotton a lot of what he had talked about.
As I re-read parts of the book, I am shocked at his intial findings when he began experimenting with fructose.
Looking at his chart on page 28, it looks like he took about 10 tablespoons of fructose a day.
Here are two more outrageous quotes:
He was at 185 lbs when he started the fructose. He goes on to state,
Wow!
As I re-read parts of the book, I am shocked at his intial findings when he began experimenting with fructose.
The fructose water caused an astonishing loss of appetite. This was clear within hours. (I started with a dose that in retrospect was much larger than necessary. With a better, lower dose, it can take longer to notice the loss of appetite.) I ate much less than usual and lost weight fast. Fructose water suppressed my appetite much more than I expected. I halved my daily intake of fructose several times over the next few weeks, yet my appetite did not return. I continued to lose weight quickly, more than two pounds per week. (page 26)
Looking at his chart on page 28, it looks like he took about 10 tablespoons of fructose a day.
Here are two more outrageous quotes:
I ate about one meal every two days.
He was at 185 lbs when he started the fructose. He goes on to state,
I reached 150 pounds in three months.
Wow!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Carinos and the Weight Scale
Friday is when my wife and I got out to dinner (usually). We wanted Italian so we figured Carinos would be good since we've not been there in about 10 years. I had sugar water in the morning (the usual ~3 tbsp). For lunch, I ate a Gala apple that had been sitting in my office the past few days.
After I got home from work, we went out. We ate the bread, the Italian sodas, the lasagne and everything else they dished us. Our conversation was almost entirely on the subject of the Shangri-la Diet. I told her that when she has some time to open Picasa and look at pictures of ourselves from back in 2006 and 2007 when we were both doing the diet. She had a lot of questions, but I talked her through them. I think she's on board. She decided to start on it Monday.
After dinner, we went shopping for groceries (how romantic huh). We got some ice cream. When we got home, we turned on the TV and watched The Office and ate ice cream. In other words, we ate a lot of food last night.
This morning was absolutly beautiful ... 60 degrees, clear blue sky. We went on a jog. Before I headed out the door, I hopped on the scale ... 210. I was pretty shocked because after all we ate, I expected to be over 210. We went on our jog and did about 4 miles. After the jog, I was just under 210, but I'm sure I would have been a little lower because I chugged a very large cup of water before I weighed in.
The only SLD I did today was drink a glass of sugar water. I've just snacked most of the day and have not felt hungry at all.
After I got home from work, we went out. We ate the bread, the Italian sodas, the lasagne and everything else they dished us. Our conversation was almost entirely on the subject of the Shangri-la Diet. I told her that when she has some time to open Picasa and look at pictures of ourselves from back in 2006 and 2007 when we were both doing the diet. She had a lot of questions, but I talked her through them. I think she's on board. She decided to start on it Monday.
After dinner, we went shopping for groceries (how romantic huh). We got some ice cream. When we got home, we turned on the TV and watched The Office and ate ice cream. In other words, we ate a lot of food last night.
This morning was absolutly beautiful ... 60 degrees, clear blue sky. We went on a jog. Before I headed out the door, I hopped on the scale ... 210. I was pretty shocked because after all we ate, I expected to be over 210. We went on our jog and did about 4 miles. After the jog, I was just under 210, but I'm sure I would have been a little lower because I chugged a very large cup of water before I weighed in.
The only SLD I did today was drink a glass of sugar water. I've just snacked most of the day and have not felt hungry at all.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Immediate Impact
After just two days back on the Shangri-la diet, I've seen serious results.
I drank about 3 tbsp of sugar water (rough measurement since I'm using the sugar dispenser at work) in the morning and another 3 tbsp in the afternoon right before I go home.
During the day, I am just not hungry. Of course I've been able to control myself during the day before Shangri-la, but I'd still be thinking about food. On Shangri-la, I'm not thinking as much about food. Yesterday, all I had to eat at work was a small Gala apple and a V8 (I figure I need to get vitamins some way).
The big challenge for me, however, is when I get home from work. I usually eat whatever my wife has cooked, or I'll scrounge for food in the fridge. The plan with Shangri-la is to drink 2 tbsp of ELOO with water as soon as I get home and then see how I feel in an hour.
So on the first day, I drank the ELOO and an hour later, I ate just half a sandwich and I was done.
Yesterday I did not drink the ELOO because my wife had made her famous chicken broccoli casserole. I ate a kid's bowl size of it (just over a cup). Afterward, I felt like I had just eaten Thanksgiving dinner. I drank a few glasses of water the rest of the evening and I was done.
This morning, I ran my normal 3.1 miles. It was perfect weather ... 68 degrees and low humidity. When I got back, I weighed in: 208 lbs!!
It has been over 4 months since I've been under 210 and I did everything I could to exercise and reduce my calories to get under 210. After four months of that, I'd still fluctuate between 215 and 210. And now after 2 days on Shangri-la, I'm below 210.
I drank about 3 tbsp of sugar water (rough measurement since I'm using the sugar dispenser at work) in the morning and another 3 tbsp in the afternoon right before I go home.
During the day, I am just not hungry. Of course I've been able to control myself during the day before Shangri-la, but I'd still be thinking about food. On Shangri-la, I'm not thinking as much about food. Yesterday, all I had to eat at work was a small Gala apple and a V8 (I figure I need to get vitamins some way).
The big challenge for me, however, is when I get home from work. I usually eat whatever my wife has cooked, or I'll scrounge for food in the fridge. The plan with Shangri-la is to drink 2 tbsp of ELOO with water as soon as I get home and then see how I feel in an hour.
So on the first day, I drank the ELOO and an hour later, I ate just half a sandwich and I was done.
Yesterday I did not drink the ELOO because my wife had made her famous chicken broccoli casserole. I ate a kid's bowl size of it (just over a cup). Afterward, I felt like I had just eaten Thanksgiving dinner. I drank a few glasses of water the rest of the evening and I was done.
This morning, I ran my normal 3.1 miles. It was perfect weather ... 68 degrees and low humidity. When I got back, I weighed in: 208 lbs!!
It has been over 4 months since I've been under 210 and I did everything I could to exercise and reduce my calories to get under 210. After four months of that, I'd still fluctuate between 215 and 210. And now after 2 days on Shangri-la, I'm below 210.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Trying to Get Back on the Bandwagon
So I've been running 3 miles most mornings for the past 3 months and I've been trying to control what I eat. But no matter what, I'll occasionally binge eat. Then I'll feel guilty and then I get in my groove again.
Now the last three weeks, I've been quite religious about exercising and eating less. However, regardless of how little I eat and how much I work out, I cannot, for the life of me, break the 210 lbs barrier.
So I decided yesterday to pull out the old Shangri-la diet book and remember how it all worked. It occured to me that the last time I tried SLD back in May, it didn't work because I probably didn't take big enough doses.
I started yesterday and ended up taking about 3 tbsp of sugar with water twice ... once in the morning and once in the afternoon. And since my biggest weakness is eating at night when I get home from work, I took 2 tbsp ELOO with water as soon as I got home. About an hour later, I ate just half a sandwich.
In total for yesterday, I ate a banana, a granola bar, a small box of raisens and half a sandwich. Before I run in the morning, I usually weigh just over 210 and then after my run, I'm right at 210. This morning I did not run and I weighed exactly 210 ... so it seems there is a small victory right off the bat.
I'm actually determined this time to keep this up.
Now the last three weeks, I've been quite religious about exercising and eating less. However, regardless of how little I eat and how much I work out, I cannot, for the life of me, break the 210 lbs barrier.
So I decided yesterday to pull out the old Shangri-la diet book and remember how it all worked. It occured to me that the last time I tried SLD back in May, it didn't work because I probably didn't take big enough doses.
I started yesterday and ended up taking about 3 tbsp of sugar with water twice ... once in the morning and once in the afternoon. And since my biggest weakness is eating at night when I get home from work, I took 2 tbsp ELOO with water as soon as I got home. About an hour later, I ate just half a sandwich.
In total for yesterday, I ate a banana, a granola bar, a small box of raisens and half a sandwich. Before I run in the morning, I usually weigh just over 210 and then after my run, I'm right at 210. This morning I did not run and I weighed exactly 210 ... so it seems there is a small victory right off the bat.
I'm actually determined this time to keep this up.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Round 2, Day 2
For Wed. May 27
@ 6:10am - 2 tbsp of ELOO with water. 3 Acai berry and 1 fish oil capsules
@ 10am - SW
@ 11:30am - wheat crackers, 2 small apples, yogurt
@ 5:00pm - SW with 3 Acai berry and 1 fish oil capsules
@ 6:00pm - 2 bit-sized quesadillas
@ 6:20pm - ~3.7 miles jogging (very hot and humid)
@ 8:15pm - 4 bit-sized qusadillas, pita chips with hummace
@ 10:00pm - small bowl of ice cream ... it's gone ... no more temptation :-)
@ 6:10am - 2 tbsp of ELOO with water. 3 Acai berry and 1 fish oil capsules
@ 10am - SW
@ 11:30am - wheat crackers, 2 small apples, yogurt
@ 5:00pm - SW with 3 Acai berry and 1 fish oil capsules
@ 6:00pm - 2 bit-sized quesadillas
@ 6:20pm - ~3.7 miles jogging (very hot and humid)
@ 8:15pm - 4 bit-sized qusadillas, pita chips with hummace
@ 10:00pm - small bowl of ice cream ... it's gone ... no more temptation :-)
Round 2, Day 1
For Tue May 26:
@ 6:00am - 3 Acai berry & 1 fish oil capsules
@ 10am - ingested ~ 2 tbsp of sugar water
@ 11:30am - ate lunch (wheat crackers, yogurt, 2 small apples, water)
@ 3:00pm - ate small bag of mini cream cookies
@ 5:00pm - ingested ~ 2 tbsp of sugar water with 3 Acai berry & 1 fish oil capsules
@ 6:30pm - went on jog with wife and kids for 40 minutes
@ 8:00pm - ate dinner (two bread sticks, smoothies, can of V8)
@ 10:00pm - bowl of ice cream
I need to cut desert out of my diet for the week. I can accept eating ice cream on the weekends, but not during the week.
I also need to not eat late at night. With our family living so close to the lake park, we're getting home late and eating late. I'm really not hungry ... I just eat. So I need to be a litte proactive about filling that gap with something other than food.
@ 6:00am - 3 Acai berry & 1 fish oil capsules
@ 10am - ingested ~ 2 tbsp of sugar water
@ 11:30am - ate lunch (wheat crackers, yogurt, 2 small apples, water)
@ 3:00pm - ate small bag of mini cream cookies
@ 5:00pm - ingested ~ 2 tbsp of sugar water with 3 Acai berry & 1 fish oil capsules
@ 6:30pm - went on jog with wife and kids for 40 minutes
@ 8:00pm - ate dinner (two bread sticks, smoothies, can of V8)
@ 10:00pm - bowl of ice cream
I need to cut desert out of my diet for the week. I can accept eating ice cream on the weekends, but not during the week.
I also need to not eat late at night. With our family living so close to the lake park, we're getting home late and eating late. I'm really not hungry ... I just eat. So I need to be a litte proactive about filling that gap with something other than food.
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