Discussion Board

Day 79

B: oatmeal with flax and cinnamon
2 cups of herbal tea
S: herbal tea
L: mex veggies with corn and salsa
apple
herbal tea
D: baked potato and sweet potato
orange

E: 46 mins walking - 5244 steps. Total steps for day - 8760
M: 10 mins

Great day. Legs not as tight as yesterday, no soreness. Work was pretty stress free today. Felt strong during walk but it was a bit warm.

Watched Jeff's Fast Food II dvd and it was really good. I'm surprised the burgers didn't need any more cooking than he gave them. The burgers are so simple to make I can't wait to try them. But no time this week, so probably next week.

I've ordered up my bloodwork tests. I'll probably go take it around the 28th of May as that will be the 3 month mark in my journey. I'll be taking the same tests as I did when I started this woe so I'll have a good comparison of exactly what changes occurred because of MWL.

I'll be taking a lipid panel (chol/hdl/ldl/trig's), a comprehensive metabolic panel of 14 tests (checks kidney and liver and glucose functions), and an hs CRP test to check for inflammation and heart disease.

Day 80

B: oatmeal with flax and cinnamon
Herbal tea
L: rice with mixed veggies and salsa
orange
D: baked potato and sweet potato
banana

E: 89 mins walking - 10572 steps. Total steps for day - 13524 steps
M: 10 mins

Great day. Only a little tightness in legs today. Had a nice walk in early morning before work and then walked again in early evening after work. Felt pretty strong during both walks. it was nice and cool during the morning walk which I much prefer.

Also did some food shopping today. Needed to stock up on potatoes and some veggies and things for my dau's practice dance recital this weekend.
I get to see 2 new dances this weekend that I haven't seen her practice at all this year so it should be pretty fun. One will be a ballet routine and one a tap routine.

We may also go see the Avengers movie tomorrow as well. Everyone says it a great action packed movie and hopefully the crowds have died down. So it should be a great weekend!

Day 81

B: oatmeal with flax and cinnamon
herbal tea
L: rice with mex veggies and salsa
banana
D: baked potato and sweet potato
half a small cantaloupe

E: 91 mins walking - 10600 steps. Total steps for day - 13313 steps
M: 10 mins

Another Great day. Took a morning and evening walk. A little tightness after evening walk but continue to feel stronger everyday. Wife was a bit tired today so we took a nap rather than going to the movies

I've noticed from my walks that more people are doing walks and riding bicycles as well. Faces are starting to become familiar.I'm beginning to enjoy the "alone" time to just think while I walk. I think thats as useful if not more so than the meditation I do. It really relaxes me and lets me clear my head.

My dau is really excited about her practice dance recital tomorrow. She's invited a couple of her friends to watch her which we'll take with us. She's always trying to get her friends involved with dance which is nice to see.

Day 82

B: oatmeal with flax and cinnamon
herbal tea
L: rice with mixed veggies and salsa
banana
s: baby carrots
D: Baked potato and sweet potato
1/2 small cantaloupe

E: 45 mins walking - 5317 steps. Total steps for day - 7506
M: 10 mins

Good day. Was a little stiff in the legs but no soreness. Did an early morning walk only as I knew the rest of my day would be pretty busy. The walk was good and I felt strong during it. I really do like the early morning walks, rather than the early evening ones. I feel stronger then.

Dau's practice recital went really well. I liked her new dances, especially the ballet one. She looked so graceful and fluid in it. Afterwards I took them all out to eat at subway. I know its not great but its what the girls wanted so what can I do She has her real recital in a couple weeks. I always look forward to that

I've scheduled my next blood work for the 28th. I'm really looking forward to it for once. I know the McDougall diet works for weight loss. Hopefully this test will prove that it works for regaining health as well. It will be the last piece of motivation I need to stay with this lifestyle forever...I don't think I'll be disappointed!

Day 83 - Week 12

Its been 11 complete weeks now and here are my numbers:

Weight: 214.6 down from: 217.8 started at: 261
BP: 120/71 up from: 104/64 started at: 153/92
Pulse: 48 down from: 67 started at: 88
BMI: 29.1 started at: 35.4

Didn't take my blood pressure or pulse yet. Need to have my wife help me with the cuff so I can get an accurate reading. Hopefully later today I'll come back and edit in the numbers*. At any rate, I'm still steadily losing weight, another 3.2 lbs the past week. That rate is more than I need to stay at to get to my next goal so I'm quite happy I am hoping to maintain 9-10 lbs/month to reach my next goal. I know that's aggressive but should be doable.

*Note: I took my BP and pulse about 2 hours after eating lunch and in the middle of my work day. It seems a bit higher than normal which basically shows the variability in the number depending on when you test and other factors such as eating/exercising/stress level/etc...But my pulse seemed really low at 48. I'm wondering what the normal variability is during the day and what the best time to take it is? Early morning after waking up or later at night before bedtime when I'm relaxed?

B: oatmeal with flax and cinnamon
2 cups herbal tea
S: herbal tea
L: mex veggies with corn and salsa
herbal tea
banana
D: baked potato and sweet potato
orange

E: 45 mins walking - 5222 steps. total steps for day - 7740 steps
M: 10 mins

Felt great in the morning. Strong and energetic. Legs a little tight around the hips, just a tad soreness. Towards lunch I was feeling a bit bloated, like I was retaining water. But that went away by the time I got home. Day was uneventful and rather boring. It was a struggle to keep my attention focused on anything. Took my walk after I got home and felt better but was feeling hungry also. Ended up going to bed early as I was just so tired. Felt run down and sleepy by end of day.

I also failed to notice that the 28th is memorial day and my lab for my bloodwork is closed then. So now I need to decide whether to go on Friday this week, the 25th or wait till Tuesday the 29th. I think I will go in on Friday just to get it over with

Day 84

B: oatmeal with flax and cinnamon
herbal tea
L: baked potato and sweet potato with mixed veggies and salsa
banana
D: rice with mex veggies and corn with salsa
orange

E: 89 mins walking - 10437 steps. Total steps for day - 13191
M: 10 mins

Felt great today. Just a little tightness in legs near hips, otherwise felt really good and strong. Did a morning walk and an early evening walk and didn't feel so tired like the other day. Worked from home and stress levels were relatively low and the day went by fairly fast. It always seems the days go by quicker when I work from home. At work the days just drag on forever and my mind seems to wander a lot.

Next Monday, Memorial day is when our local pool opens and my Dau is already begging me to take her and asking me to swim with her as well because I promised her I would last year (and I did). I will go swim with her but probably not till later in the season, when my weight is down a bit more. I am looking forward to it

Day 85

B: oatmeal with flax and cinnamon
2 cups herbal tea
S: herbal tea
L: mixed veggies with salsa
banana
herbal tea
D: baked potato and sweet potato
orange

E: Walked down 17 stories of stairs, twice. Total steps for day - 4626
M: 10 mins

Felt great today. Legs a little tight around hips but no soreness. Was very busy today so did not have opportunity to do my 3 mile walk However I did try something new at work today. I work on the 17th floor of a high rise so when I got bored, I decided to walk down the stairs to the bottom floor. And wow what a leg workout!

After the first time my legs were shaking and my thighs were burning (lactic acid buildup). I did it twice and I could barely walk after. It was that intense. I never expected walking down stairs would be that much of a challenge. But then I never expected to be so out of shape too The second trip down I had to hold on to the hand rail to keep from falling over.

Its weird I can walk 6 miles in 90 mins and my legs will be a little tired but no burning. But walking down stairs for less than 10 mins makes my thighs burn a lot. I guess that indicates intensity of exercise and seems to show the difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise even though both are walking exercises. Its all about methodology.

So now I have a good exercise to do at work. In a few weeks, when I get used to this, I'll try walking up stairs for exercise and see how that goes. That should greatly up the intensity.

Day 86

B: oatmeal with flax and cinnamon
2 cups herbal tea
S: herbal tea
L: mex veggies with corn and salsa
banana
herbal tea
D: baked potato and sweet potato
orange

E: 45 mins walking - 5240 steps.
Walked down 17 floors, twice. Total steps for day - 8912
M: 10 mins

Good day. Thighs a good bit sore and legs tight from the stair walking I did yesterday. Definitely a good workout. Today I did an early evening walk as usual and during the day I walked down 17 stories. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon. So I got a good bit of exercise spread throughout the day which I really enjoyed. Of course my thighs were really burning again after the stair walks.

I get my blood work tomorrow at 8AM so I had my final meal a little early at 6PM. That will give me a 14 hour fast, exactly what I did when I took this test 3 months ago. I want to make sure that I replicate the same conditions as the last time so I can accurately compare the results of how this woe has changed me and my metabolism.

I will say that I feel a little bloated the past couple days. I've been eating more potatoes I think as a result of the extra exercise I've been doing (walking down stairs). I think I will need to carefully cut back my food a little as I definitely dont need as much as I'm eating lately.

Its interesting that my food concerns over the past three months has shifted from worrying about eating too much to worrying about not eating enough. Exactly the oppisite of what you would expect from a diet. And of course the fact that I just don't get hungry any more but instead often feel too full causing me to have to continue eating a little less over time. It seems my body is really starting to regulate itself much more normally now than it ever has before. Yet another good side-effect of the McDougall lifestyle.

Day 87

B: nothing, fasting for blood work
L: rice and mixed veggies
orange
D: baked potato and baby carrots
pineapple

E: 43 mins walking - 5176 steps. Total steps for day - 9216
M: 10 mins

Felt great. Legs tight and thighs a bit sore still from the new stair walking. was a busy day today. Went and had my blood work taken, then did some grocery shopping, then did my morning walk. The walk was good and felt really strong. Finished it in 43 mins which is my best time yet for a 3mile walk. Thats just over 4 mph, not bad I think

Then I followed that up with another clothes shopping trip. Got me another size down in pants and shirts. These hopefully will last me the next 3 months or so. I shouldn't have to buy too much more new things as I have saved older clothes that should fit me through to Christmas I hope. Then it will be time to get a whole new wardrobe...no I don't look forward to spending all that money, but it will be fun

The blood work was uneventful except for the ease of getting it taken. The first time, 3 months ago, it seemed like it took forever to get my blood flowing and I had to squeeze my fist a lot to get the tubes filled.

This time it went very quick. No fist squeezing and it was over in like 10 seconds. I bled very fast into the tubes and there was no residual blood leaking after the blood extraction. All very quick and clean. Not sure if that means anything really but it was much better than the first time. Now just have to wait 24-48 hours for the results.

And last but not least I took my dau and one of her friends to the pool opening this year. She seemed to have a lot of fun and I think enjoyed showing off her new swim suit. I'll be taking her again the rest of this long Memorial Day weekend. So I should be getting a lot of sun

Wow! I'm sorry that I've stayed away from your journal for so long!! You are doing so great. I love the great details that you've kept on your progress, and you're not obese! I'm waiting on pins and needles (ha ha) to hear the results of your blood work. Visit my journal when you get a chance, and I'll be commenting more on some things that I've learned from you. Thanks, and take care, LauraA

Well I got my results back on my blood work. First I'll give the before and after numbers and then make some comments and finally questions:

The Numbers:

First test done on Feb 27 2012 and new test done on May 25 2012
(3 months of being on a strict MWL plan)

Serum Glucose 131 to 77 went from high to normal
Creatinine 1.5 to 1.4 slightly lower but still high
eGFR 52 to 56 slightly higher but still low
Serum Protein 6.9 to 6.2 Went from normal to low
AST (SGOT) 19 to 14 Went from normal to low

Chol 273 to 170 Went from high to normal
Trig's 559 to 173 Went from very high to high
HDL 37 to 29 Went from low to even lower
LDL not calculable to 106 Went from bad to slightly high
VLDL not calculable to 34.6 Went from bad to slightly high
Chol ratio 7 to 6 Went from high to borderline high

CRP 7.15 to 2.46 Went from high to average

All other metabolic factors were normal on both test dates (BUN/calcium/sodium/chloride/potassium/bilirubin/albumin/globulin/alkaline phosphatase/ALT(SPGT))

Comments:

1. My fasting glucose is now normal (actually at the lower end of normal)! It was in the diabetic range. Thats a significant improvement!

2. My creatine and eGFR are improving and only a little out of range still, but they do seem to indicate that I may have some kidney disease. However, I'm not sure how this might relate to the fact I have only one kidney. It may be more normal than I know.

3. My protein measured low, not sure what this might indicate yet

4. My AST was low as well. Again not sure what this might indicate either but will need to do some reading.

5. Lipids have improved quite a bit! Total cholesterol is in the normal range after being so high and amounts to a 38% drop! Trig's are still high but I had an almost 70% drop in them which is amazing. HDL took a bit of a nose dive, but given the latest studies that just came out last week I'm not concerned. LDL and VHDL are also slightly high but they went from outrageous to significantly better, so I can't complain. And finally my cholesterol ratio is now only borderline high which is a huge improvement. So overall lipids are all moving in the right direction quickly.

6. CRP is now normal. Which indicates significantly lower inflamation levels and takes me out of the high risk for a heart attack and into the average risk area. Thats a 66% drop and a great improvement

So overall a significant improvement in my blood work in 3 months of the MWL.

Questions:

So what does the drop in protein and AST mean? I know the McD diet is lower in protein and lower protein is good, but if serum protein levels are low does this indicate a real problem to be concerned about? Could the fact that I exercise regularly now be a factor?

Day 88

B: oatmeal with flax and cinnamon
herbal tea
L: baked potato and sweet potato
apple
D: rice with mex veggies and salsa
pineapple

E: 87 mins walking - 10266 steps. Total steps for day - 15084 steps
M: 10 mins

Great day. A little tight and sore in thighs and hips but had lots of energy. I really look forward to walking in the mornings. I took a morning and early evening walks today. Had my fastest walks as well. I'm walking over 4 mph for 6 miles which I think is pretty good. Also made 2 trips to the grocery store to pick up a few things I kept forgetting to get. So got quite a bit of walking in today.

Also went to the movies with the family. We saw The Avengers of course. Really great movie, funny with a lot of action and spectacular CGI. We all had a great time.

Now that I've posted my new blood work and seen what MWL can do, I'm even more committed to regaining my health. I've taken it slowly with the exercise part of the lifestyle to date with just walking basically. So now I'm ready to amp up my fitness routine.

I've decided to go ahead and start adding a more rounded exercise routine now to include strength training (body weight exercises), aerobic training (via HIIT) and stretching/flexibility work via static stretching and some yoga type moves, That hopefully will greatly improve my fitness level.

Also I plan to further my meditation/relaxation efforts by increasing that to about 20-30 mins/day. That should help relieve my stress levels and help me focus and concentrate better, especially at work. Fun days ahead

Hey Geo, it all sounds great. Keep it up!

Day 89

B: oatmeal with flax and cinnamom
herbal tea
L: baked potato and sweet potato
orange
D: bean chili over rice
watermelon

E: 88 mins walking - 10,547 steps. Total steps for day - 12,140
M: 10 mins

Felt great today. A little tight but no soreness in legs. Walked in morning and evening and felt strong both times. I'm noticing more and more folks taking walks along the same path these days, many my age or older. Guess its a summer ritual for many. Weren't that many out there with me a month ago lol.

Was a lazy day today, basically just caught up on some tv shows with the wife. Did a little light reading and web surfing. Made the chili I've been wanting for a while in a slow cooker. It actually came out all right for once. I think the low and slow cooking method probably helps a lot to increase the flavor Still needs some tweeking but it was good. At least my dau liked it

Day 90 - Week 13

Its been 12 complete weeks now and here are my latest numbers:

Weight: 211.8 down from: 214.6 started at: 261
BP: 109/71 down from: 120/71 started at: 153/92
Pulse: 47 down from: 48 started at: 88
BMI: 28.7 started at: 35.4

So another week another few pounds Almost 3 more pounds this week. Weight loss is slowing a bit as expected, but is still doing well. I should be under 200 lbs by the end of June and thats great. Its a psychological goal to get under 200 lbs and I'm almost there.

B: oatmeal and flax and cinnamon
herbal tea
L: rice with chili
banana
D: baked potatoes and sweet potato
Watermelon

E: 54 mins walking - 6516 steps. Total steps for day - 8677 steps
M: 10 mins

Felt great today. Did an early morning walk today. Was so focused on some issues I have to work on at work tomorrow that I got off on the wrong walking path and had to go back some to get back on path It was funny really. Walking definitely gives me a lot of time to just think, kind of like "mindless" walking.

Basically another lazy day today. Took a nap in the afternoon. Did some laundry, reading, some web surfing, and watched some dvr'd shows with the wife. Its nice to just relax once in a while.

This coming weekend is my dau's dance recital. She will be dancing on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. 5 dances in all. I've seen them all throughout the year but now they should be honed to perfection Really looking forward to it.