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It also happens when you're sleep apnea is controlled enough to let you get enough REM sleep, which is where I think I'm at! Finally!!



You aint kidding! And it's 144 pounds.

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Went for a trike ride today. 15 miles. I'm TIRED and my back hurts. I think I can adjust the seat better to be more comfortable on my back. It was really nice getting back out on the open trail with the trike! I'm really going to enjoy it this summer!

-Norm

you are doing great! and very nice that you work at a food bank too. have a great weekend!

The freedom you will have with the trike alone is worth it all! So glad to hear about your new venture.

Fulenn

Norm, I am so excited for you that you are sleeping better/dreaming more. Not only because it is fun, but also because it will have great benefits to your overall health.

Yay! Tricycle!!

Cost of Switching to this WOE: Becoming Different from the rest of Society
Years it takes to convince others to Make the Switch: 1-20
Amount of Personal Adaptation Involved: Fair to Middling
Being Healthy Again: Priceless

Doctors appointment today!!

There is no more hiding my weight loss from my doctor. She's on to me!! How has it been possible to "hide" it this long? Let me explain! This doctor didn't have a scale that went high enough to weigh me until about a year ago. Between then and my summer visit I had lost 27 pounds. At my size, not significant and it went unnoticed. By fall, when my weight loss was really picking up steam, they were transitioning away from paper records to computerized records. The nurse entered my weight into the computer, but not my prior weights, so even though I had lost a good chunk by then the doctor didn't see the other numbers to compare. In December she'd noticed the weight loss between then and the last visit, and asked about it, and I told her I was eating better and trying to exercise. She saw only 30 or 40 pounds difference on the computer, when my actual weight loss was 100 pounds. She went into her standard lecture on diet which gave me no motivation to talk further about it.
But this time... she noticed another big drop on the computer and took a closer look at me. My sagging skin and the big change in my shape was impossible to hide. I've lost about 150 pounds and she realized it for the first time. She wanted to know what I was doing. I asked her if she'd ever heard of Dr. John McDougall. She said she hadn't. I told her he advocated a vegetarian diet heavy on starches and low on fat. I could tell she wasn't happy about that, so I went on and said "I find this way of eating very satisfying. I can eat as much as I need to satisfy my appetite, yet I still lose weight!"
I'll bet everyone here can guess her next question.

"Are you getting enough protein?"

I assured her I was. She was doubtful. She's concerned this diet will harm my liver, my kidneys, and who knows what else. I wasn't scheduled for any blood work since I had a complete work up done in December, but she decided I needed lots of tests!! Four vials of blood and a urine sample. She also poked, prodded, and examined me much more thoroughly than usual. I decided to humor her. I have no reason to expect that my blood work will be any different than it was 3 months ago, when things were fine! Perhaps I'll be able to have a teaching opportunity with her! We'll see.

My blood pressure was 120/80, No meds, the lowest it's ever been in a doctors office, even when I was on meds.

My weight was.... NOT TELLING!! Weigh-In Day is Wednesday, you get to wait. Hopefully they'll have my blood work back by then and I can report on that.

-Norm

Norm - one heads up about the blood tests so you can be prepared. People who eat like we do encounter less inflammatory substances in our food, and therefore our white blood cell count may be below normal levels.

So in case that is true for you and she gets worried...no need for you to worry!

Wow, it has been way too long since I've checked your journal. Congrats on your progress! Now I'm going to go back and start reading.

Go Norm....You rock! Can't wait to read the results.

Weigh-In Update: 3/21/12

Today's weigh in had me at 337.0 pounds, a drop of 5.0 pounds over the past two weeks. That is about 0.7% of my body weight per week, short of my goal of 1% per week. You may remember that I've been exceeding the 1% per week goal in the recent past and made some changes to steer it back towards 1%. I guess I overshot!! I am finding it amazing that little things can affect weight loss as much as they do. I was honestly thinking I hadn't changed enough to steer things back towards 1% and now I have to steer it back the other direction! I am learning a lot in the process, and expect I'll put every bit of that knowledge to good use as I inch closer and closer to my goal weight.
Even though I fell short of the 1% mark these past two weeks, it still puts me about three pounds ahead of the 1% per week mark as measured from February 8th, when I first set the goal of 1% per week, so this "correction" brings me pretty close to the longer-term goal, for which I'm pleased.
Still, it would have been nice to hit the 150 mark. I'm almost tempted to weigh in again sometime in the next few days to make it "official", but I probably wont.
If you remember, I really obsessed over the 100 pound mark and pushed myself hard to reach it. I COULD have reached the 150 mark today if I had put it as my #1 effort. But to be honest, I am rather enjoying not being obsessed about the numbers. This isn't about short term goals for me any more. This is about the rest of my life, and I am VERY PLEASED with my state of mind about that these past few months.

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Blood Work Results

The other day my doctor ordered lots of blood work because she was concerned with my weight loss. Most tests came back within normal ranges, with the exception of the following:

BUN ----------------- 5 --------- Normal Range: 7-25
ESR (Sed Rate) ----- 20 -------- Normal Range: 0-15

I've never had a low BUN test before so am not familiar with it. A quick Google search doesn't alarm me too much, but it might bother my doctor. Who knows. Anyone?
I find my ESR to be great news!! ESR is a marker for inflammation, and I don't ever recall having it as low a 20. It's always been in the 30-35 range as long as I can remember. So while a bit higher than normal, it's definitely better than my "normal". I am surprised by this reading, to be honest, because I don't FEEL like I've had an overall reduction in my inflammation levels. Maybe this gluten free thing is actually paying off!

Other blood tests that might be of interest: Fasting Glucose - 88, total cholesterol - 116, up from 101 in December, but still pretty dang good!

-Norm

WOOO HOOOO! Norm, that's the best news yet. You've mastered the the secret of success. Congratulations.

Congratulations, Norm!!! You are doing AMAZING!! Your numbers look great, and your outlook is even greater!! I love your attitude and your drive! You're an inspiration!

Norm, so good to see you posting again. I love your outlook and success. The 1% idea is resonating with me.

Most excellent, Norm!

I think it is one of the secrets of success!! I have others to master! All in time!
Thank you! There are others here who inspire me so I know what that means, and I am honored you think so!
The 1% is a great goal, and having it gives me direction that I didn't have before. It also gets me out of the "here and now" and lets me see exactly where I'm going.
Thank you!!

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I've been very busy the past few days. Friday was the busiest day I've had yet along my journey!! I was up at 6:30am to catch a walk before my shift at the food bank. I actually did physical labor while at the food bank, a departure from my usual job! Then I had 2 and a half hours to kill after my shift before taking a shift at a Food Drive we were having, so I decided to ride my trike along the bike path. My best time to the next town and back is two hours and twenty minutes. That was too close for my comfort so I decided to really put the effort in and see just how hard I could push myself.
My trike has 3 speeds, and I usually spend most of the trip there in 2nd gear, as it is slightly uphill, and almost all of the return trip in 3rd gear, as it is slightly downhill. Even so, the trip there is always more work and the trip back is easy and more enjoyable. This time I wanted to see how much of the trip there I could spend in 3rd gear. It was hard work, and I really had my heart pumping, but I spent more than half the trip there in 3rd gear and I shaved 14 minutes off my best time getting there. I amazed myself!! I had enough time on the trip back to stop and have a leisurely lunch.
Then it was off to the food drive at the local grocery store. I had a two hour shift which meant standing on my feet handing out fliers to people as they went in the store. That is a lot of standing for me, and it was not easy after having just pushed myself so hard on the trike. I did have to sit down part of the time and I left a bit early because one of people from the next shift arrived a bit early.
I was wore out, and by the time I got home I was very stiff. I took a slow walk after a while to keep from getting any worse, but I did not do my 4 miles walking that day. I figured I had done enough! I went to bed early and slept more than 9 hours, which is a lot for me.
Saturday I was still moving slow. Partly from all the activity of Friday, and partly because of all the time sleeping. It was a beautiful day and I wanted to do some work around the house. I walked 1.5 miles but did not do any more. I figured being on my feet outside, cutting boards, nailing, standing on a ladder, etc, was just as good, and probably better, and I finished some things that really needed doing. So while my walking ticker suffered, I think I had a very productive day.
Today is Sunday and I will do no work outside. I have church this morning and a 3 hour meeting this afternoon, but other than that, nothing. I will do my 4 miles today, and otherwise take it easy and rest, as tomorrow is another busy day again.

-Norm

Sound like things are all falling into place, Norm. It is a good feeling to push yourself physically and find out that you can do it. Congrats on the trike trip!

Fulenn