In Search of Better Health: Part III
Well, by now I'd hoped to be a lot further along. Still, the good news is .. I'm a lil' further along!
I was just about under 300... it was right in front of me... then, I ballooned up a couple of pounds and I'm still sitting at that number. What happened? My sodium intake was down, so my water weight was down. When I got my diet 'back on track' my muscles filled up with water like sponges. Basically, had my hopes up for nothing.
Now that all being said, my pants fit better. Shirts fit better. Leather vests are comfortable. But those elusive 'smaller waist' size jeans in the closet .. are gathering dust. But, I'm not frustrated. My only ... concern .. is I need more options in the foods I'm eating. You can only eat so many omelettes during the week. So many burgers ( bun-less). You get the picture. We were out at an Italian restaurant last night with family and that one was a bitch. I love Pasta and it was all around me; but I stayed strong.
Well, back in the gym doing aerobics and working my back. The last two trips threw me a curve ball. I was reviewing my workout log book and realized I hadn't been in the gym in 30 days; WTF? I could have sworn it'd only been a few weeks.. but ... 4 weeks it was. Still, got a great aerobic workout in. Taking care of the back. Diet is on track. My next obstacle is 2 weeks out. I really need to get to the 300 mark before then... it's an easily achievable 5 pounds away. Then, my plan is to eat normally for a week due to the event I'm participating in. But, keep the portions in check, alcohol intake in check, and then back in the gym after a week, back on the diet.
Diets. I'm actually not a big believer in diets because .. .well.. they don't work. Most people get to their target weight then say .. 'aaaaah.. Finally!".. then go back to 'normal'. But Normal is what got them into a bad place to start. The trick as obvious as it may sound is .. a Lifestyle Change. And for me, that's the hardest. Though, it's achievable if I keep my back healthy. Keep my old injuries at bay. Staying in the gym, kicking up the metabolism, keeping carbs in check .. one can maintain their weight. I've realized over the last decade that carbs are not our friend so to speak; I just don't listen well.
Back in the 70's I remember reading that low carb diets were a bad thing. That when your body goes into a ketosis state, that was a bad thing. You could get pretty cut up, but ... at the risk of losing muscle. Decade or so ago, Atkins diet was a big deal ( still is?). The South Beach diet was ( still is?). Now the Keto diet is ( big time!) What do they all have in common? Reduction / Elimination of carbs. Historically, this has been a bitch for me. I'm not talking talking white breads ... biscuits ... plate fulls of Pasta. But, I like my wheat bread. I like my wheat buns. I like moderate amounts of pasta. Problem is... most of this crap is PROCESSED. Loaded with sugars.. Which brings me to the 'other' carb; sugar. Sugar is in just about EVERYTHING in a can or box nowadays. Processed food has become evil. Okay .. sort of.
So, I'm on a KETO diet of sorts now. I've researched it and for the life of me I can't find any info that ties back to what I'd read decades ago about Ketosis being a bad thing. One could argue it's a good thing; your body forced to use it's own fat stores for energy. That's KETO in a nutshell. Now, it's apparently an art form, because it's all you read about. Macros, Net Carbs, High Fat, etc, etc, etc. But I'm finding just cutting out all the breads .. pastas ... sugars .. fruits (which is hard for me!) .. the weight is coming off. And by hitting the gym.. the weights ... and keeping my protein intake up ... will keep me from burning off my muscle. This one thing, is why I don't like to diet. I mean, losing weight via diets is simple. Honest. Problem is, I don't want to lose an ounce of muscle that I spent 45 years putting on and maintaining. Not an ounce. I've convinced myself over the years I'd rather be 'fat' than skinny. But, I've rethought that. I'm more focused now on leaning down.... while maintaining muscle Question is .. how far will I go .. can I go . There's a six pack hidden inside this keg; I just don't know at what weight it'll reveal itself. I'm pretty sure I need to go south of 270. But will 250 be enough? Or have I put on muscle over the years that will show well above that weight? I don't' know... but plan on finding out.
When folks lose weight I always ask them what their target weight is. Most folks will throw a total body weight number out, or pounds to lose out. I honestly don't know. I don't care. My first target is a certain waist size for dress slacks. I assume I'll be under 270 when I get to that finally. But weight is just an indicator. Our abdominal muscles showing up after losing the body-fat in the waistline hiding them .. is the golden goal. It's been a long time since I've seen 'em .. long time. But, they are there... and I'm on a mission to rediscover them. What I don't want .. never want ... is to end up looking anemic .. frail .. I've seen that happen to a lot of folks over the years. I just wonder if they realize what they did. I wonder what the hell they were thinking.
I was just about under 300... it was right in front of me... then, I ballooned up a couple of pounds and I'm still sitting at that number. What happened? My sodium intake was down, so my water weight was down. When I got my diet 'back on track' my muscles filled up with water like sponges. Basically, had my hopes up for nothing.
Now that all being said, my pants fit better. Shirts fit better. Leather vests are comfortable. But those elusive 'smaller waist' size jeans in the closet .. are gathering dust. But, I'm not frustrated. My only ... concern .. is I need more options in the foods I'm eating. You can only eat so many omelettes during the week. So many burgers ( bun-less). You get the picture. We were out at an Italian restaurant last night with family and that one was a bitch. I love Pasta and it was all around me; but I stayed strong.
Well, back in the gym doing aerobics and working my back. The last two trips threw me a curve ball. I was reviewing my workout log book and realized I hadn't been in the gym in 30 days; WTF? I could have sworn it'd only been a few weeks.. but ... 4 weeks it was. Still, got a great aerobic workout in. Taking care of the back. Diet is on track. My next obstacle is 2 weeks out. I really need to get to the 300 mark before then... it's an easily achievable 5 pounds away. Then, my plan is to eat normally for a week due to the event I'm participating in. But, keep the portions in check, alcohol intake in check, and then back in the gym after a week, back on the diet.
Diets. I'm actually not a big believer in diets because .. .well.. they don't work. Most people get to their target weight then say .. 'aaaaah.. Finally!".. then go back to 'normal'. But Normal is what got them into a bad place to start. The trick as obvious as it may sound is .. a Lifestyle Change. And for me, that's the hardest. Though, it's achievable if I keep my back healthy. Keep my old injuries at bay. Staying in the gym, kicking up the metabolism, keeping carbs in check .. one can maintain their weight. I've realized over the last decade that carbs are not our friend so to speak; I just don't listen well.
Back in the 70's I remember reading that low carb diets were a bad thing. That when your body goes into a ketosis state, that was a bad thing. You could get pretty cut up, but ... at the risk of losing muscle. Decade or so ago, Atkins diet was a big deal ( still is?). The South Beach diet was ( still is?). Now the Keto diet is ( big time!) What do they all have in common? Reduction / Elimination of carbs. Historically, this has been a bitch for me. I'm not talking talking white breads ... biscuits ... plate fulls of Pasta. But, I like my wheat bread. I like my wheat buns. I like moderate amounts of pasta. Problem is... most of this crap is PROCESSED. Loaded with sugars.. Which brings me to the 'other' carb; sugar. Sugar is in just about EVERYTHING in a can or box nowadays. Processed food has become evil. Okay .. sort of.
So, I'm on a KETO diet of sorts now. I've researched it and for the life of me I can't find any info that ties back to what I'd read decades ago about Ketosis being a bad thing. One could argue it's a good thing; your body forced to use it's own fat stores for energy. That's KETO in a nutshell. Now, it's apparently an art form, because it's all you read about. Macros, Net Carbs, High Fat, etc, etc, etc. But I'm finding just cutting out all the breads .. pastas ... sugars .. fruits (which is hard for me!) .. the weight is coming off. And by hitting the gym.. the weights ... and keeping my protein intake up ... will keep me from burning off my muscle. This one thing, is why I don't like to diet. I mean, losing weight via diets is simple. Honest. Problem is, I don't want to lose an ounce of muscle that I spent 45 years putting on and maintaining. Not an ounce. I've convinced myself over the years I'd rather be 'fat' than skinny. But, I've rethought that. I'm more focused now on leaning down.... while maintaining muscle Question is .. how far will I go .. can I go . There's a six pack hidden inside this keg; I just don't know at what weight it'll reveal itself. I'm pretty sure I need to go south of 270. But will 250 be enough? Or have I put on muscle over the years that will show well above that weight? I don't' know... but plan on finding out.
When folks lose weight I always ask them what their target weight is. Most folks will throw a total body weight number out, or pounds to lose out. I honestly don't know. I don't care. My first target is a certain waist size for dress slacks. I assume I'll be under 270 when I get to that finally. But weight is just an indicator. Our abdominal muscles showing up after losing the body-fat in the waistline hiding them .. is the golden goal. It's been a long time since I've seen 'em .. long time. But, they are there... and I'm on a mission to rediscover them. What I don't want .. never want ... is to end up looking anemic .. frail .. I've seen that happen to a lot of folks over the years. I just wonder if they realize what they did. I wonder what the hell they were thinking.
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