Week 5 results

Good morning.  Week five is in the books and my current weight is 317, which makes this a three pound week.    A solid week, but I was really wanting four pounds this week.  That would have brought me to a total loss of 50.  So I'm kind of disappointed with myself.  I did start cardio this week and I'm sure as I increase the number of workout days, it will only help my weight loss continue.

Tried a couple of new things this week.  I'm not much of a vegetable eater, so I tried some green juice (Simply Green Juice on this blog).  If you don't like these things raw, chances are you won't like them as a juice.  I'll try a couple of the other ones in the near future.  Also made some of this BBQ sauce that I used to eat some left over pork I had in the freezer.  It is pretty good.

Not much on tap for the weekend.  Will probably watch some football today and mow the lawn.  I'm sure my loyal hound will want to go out for a tour later today, too.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Week 4 update

I am a couple of days late in posting, as I was traveling all week.  The week was spent in Dallas, where I attended a Microsoft Lync class.  It was a good glass and I learned a lot about a product that I've been selling and talking about all year.

And now for the real update.  I weighed in on Saturday morning and the scale read 320.  I owe a big thanks to our scheduler in our Dallas office who arranged special meals for me, as they catered in lunch each day.  I did try a gluten free pizza, without cheese, which turned out to be pretty good.  It was topped with beef, jalapenos and onions.  My plan for starting cardio last week was thwarted by a gout flare up in my right big toe.  Hopefully this week I can get going on that front.

Also, to update the doctor's visit on the 9th -- he took me off fenofibrate!  Obviously this is awesome news.  I even had a beer on Saturday to celebrate.  He is impressed with my results thus far and if I continue, the trips to the doctor should get fewer and fewer.  My next goal is to get off one of the hypertension meds on the next visit.  Exercise will help that effort tremendously.

Week 3 results

324.  This brings Paleo weight loss to 20 and overall weight loss since March to 42 pounds.  I recently looked back at my stats from March, and things have improved.

• Blood pressure then 152/89; now 120/75
• Fasting blood sugar then 135; now 85

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning.  It will be interesting to see my blood work results.  I'm curious to know how my triglycerides are doing given my new diet.  My hope is that he takes me off the meds for that, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high.  Another significant change comes in my lower legs.  Three weeks ago, I had circulation issues.  Swelling around the ankels; pressing in my skin with my fingers on the lower parts of my calves would result in the indentation staying there for several seconds after removing my hands.  This is all gone.

On the down side, it was tremendously difficult to watch football Saturday.  I can't tell you the last Saturday during football season that I didn't have at least one beer.  On the upside, I wasn't in bed by 9 that day either, as has been the case in the past, so it was certainly more productive.

New things tried this week:  crock pot chicken, apple glazed pork loin, stuffed green peppers (minus the usual cheese and rice) and turkey on the grill.  Everything was very good.  I didn't get to the chicken pancakes -- stay tuned on that front.

Assuming that I receive the blood work results before the weekend, I'll probably make another entry letting you know the updated stats.

Week 2 results

The results are in...and they would of course be hard to beat the first week.  When I stepped on the scale this morning, I weighed in at 328.  That meant a loss of three pounds during week 2.  Not bad; still in the right direction.  Here's what I've learned (or learned again):

1. Losing weight is simple math.  Calories in < calories out.  Period.
2. I know what my number is in order to lose weight with little or no exercise.
3. Track everything, it will help you figure out why things didn't go the way you had planned.
4. Try new things.  You may be surprised.
5. It is no fun to go to The Palms and not be able to "enjoy" myself as I have in years past.
6. I make a really good, hot and spicy burger.

This next week I plan to increase my activity level by going to the gym at least three times.  I'm also going to try chicken pancakes this weekend.  New things tried this past week:  homemade fajitas (needs some work), paleo chocolate cake (wow, really good), red curry chicken (not bad, needs improvement), yellow peppers on the grill (delicious).  I'm going to make crock pot chicken tomorrow, finally, assuming my bird is thawed.  Being that I'm cooking more, my dishwasher is certainly getting more work.  The old thing works like a champ -- the best one I've ever owned.

Side notes:  I took back my glasses.  They have rubber socks at the ear.  On the outside of the sock are raised circles that hurt my ear after I wore them a couple of days.  Oakely is shipping some new socks, but they weren't made for these glasses.  I'm having them ship a different frame, too.  My trusty old glasses appear to be better than the pair I spent all sorts of money on.  Figures.

GO BIG RED!