First, I'll summarize my current status. My current status is: All is Well. I feel better than I have in about 10 years. My mind is sharp and clear. My soul is peaceful and happy. My body is healthy and fit. My overall, general disposition is positive and I am not just simply happy with my life; I am truly thrilled with my current life and I am excited about all of the potential paths that lay in front of me to choose from for my future.
Clothing Sizes:
With the return of warm weather, I had to get out my shorts the other day when we had high's in the 80's. I have not worn any of them since last summer and, as expected, they all fit looser. The pairs that fit comfortably loose last year don't fit at all now. The pairs that were borderline too tight last summer fit between just right and a little loose now. I've been anxious for the season change because the pairs pants that purchased last fall are slowly but consistently becoming looser and have went from just a little loose to at least a full size or two too large to the point that I have to do the belt-cinching thing and that doesn't look too hot. I'm wearing my shirt's un-tucked now for a completely different reason than before.
I was hoping to make it to summer so that I only needed to buy new shorts and can wait out the new pants purchases until this fall when I should be settled into a waist-size that doesn't continue to shrink. Of course different cuts and styles fit differently, but in general I have dropped form wearing 34 inch waist pant to 32's.
For another positive note, I am Medium again. When I went to get some new workout pants a month ago, it was so nice for the waist of mediums to fit right. The larges are too long in the legs for me resulting in having to roll up the bottoms or have them taken up. At 5' 7" I find it much easier to find proper-fitting pants in length now that I can fit my waist into the mediums. Jeans are not that difficult because they make them in different waist and length combinations, however things like motorcycle leather suits, workout clothes, sporting equipment and such sometimes are only made in limited sizes of S/M/L/XL/etc.
Nutrition:
I liked all of the recent articles I've read talking about concept of "Paleo 2.0" from those that I read. I agree that it can get ridiculous when you take your food selection criteria basis so extreme as to become dogmatic. That is getting away from the spirit of what all of this is about. I generally eat in a LeanGains style IF pattern with my evening meal being the largest and I do my best to not consume refined sugar, wheat, and industrial-age vegetable oils. A new hash tag that Sean Croxton is using on Twitter is #JERF, which stands for Just Eat Real Food. I like its simplicity and this is basically the point that I have come too as well.
No more caffe mochas every morning now, but I am beginning to enjoy a good Americano with heavy cream and a little cinnamon. I have given into the occasional urge for ice cream a couple of times, but I no longer crave cookies, brownies, or cakes. It seams that the combo of flour and sugar bothers me much more than fat and sugar so ice cream get a pass every once in a while. Pies still have a little siren song left in them. Nobody can deny the amazing combination that is warm pecan pie with vanilla ice cream on top. I know that it is not healthy to consume deserts on a regular basis, but I think a once per week treat just makes life much more enjoyable than complete abstinence.
My favorite meals recently have been:
- Steak medium-rare with steamed broccoli and carrots
- Half of a Rotisserie chicken and a baked sweet potato with butter and cinnamon
- Grilled Pork Chop stuffed with smoked Gouda cheese and bacon with baked slices of sweet potato
- Chipotle: 2 steak tacos with pintos and hot sauce and 2 carnitas tacos with black beans and hot sauce all on soft corn tortillas
- Home-made chili
- Steak and chicken combo fajitas
Data Comparison:
Well, its time to take a look at the numbers. Below is the updated data table:
| 7/1/2010 | 8/1/2010 | 1/1/2011 | 4/1/2011 | |
| Measurements | ||||
| Weight | 195 | 185 | 170 | 165 |
| Body Fat (Scale) | 22.4% | 20.8% | 18.9% | 18.2% |
| Body Fat (Calipers) | 17.3% | 14.2% | ||
| Exercise Max | ||||
| Chin Ups | 0 | 4 | 8 | 10 |
| Pull Ups | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Standard Push Ups | 10 | 25 | 40 | 50 |
| Diamond Push Ups | 4 | 10 | 20 | 30 |
| CVS Minute Clinic | ||||
| Fasting Glucose | 69 | 83 | 71 | |
| A1C | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | |
| Total Cholesterol | 237 | 200 | 333 | |
| LDL | unable to calculate | 145 | 250 | |
| HDL | 45 | 45 | 37 | |
| Triglycerides | < 50 | < 50 | 96 | |
| TC/HDL Ratio | 5.3 | 5.3 | 8.9 | |
| Blood Pressure | 121/86 | 118/80 | 100/72 | |
| Waist | 36 | 35 | 31 | |
| Framingham Risk | 3% | 1% | 1% | |
| 10-yr Heart Disease | Moderate Risk | Low Risk | Low Risk |
Analysis:
All numbers seem to be going in positive directions except for the lipid panel test results. I have been listening to many different opinions on lipid panel tests and interpretation of resits, so I will keep a watch on these numbers at the next test in 3 months, but for now they do not concern me that much. I feel healthier than I have in years and I think that counts for much more influence on perception of my current health than one single test result which some experts argue is not really a valid test for what it is used to measure.
Additional Info:
I didn't get around to taking photos at the time this was written and I am just now, a month later, getting this update posted. Currently, I am I little leaner that the last photos, but there has not been significant visual changes so I have chosen to delay photos until next month.
As of today, May 1st, 2011, I am still following the same general nutrition and workout rules and I still feel great. One of the things that I am wanting to convey by tracking my progress as I am is that I am not undertaking any extreme lose X pound in Y days plan. I am just eating real food that our ancestors would recognize and avoiding things created by people in the last couple of generations that are created in factories instead of by nature. I only workout about twice per week. These are very intense workouts, but only consist of 15-min warm-up, 30-min intense, then 15-min cool-down. On other days I do get some kind of physical activity in, but more in a style of casual play than intense workout.
I will get more blood work done in a month on 2011-06-01 for a mid-year report. I will also post updated photos at that time.
I didn't get around to taking photos at the time this was written and I am just now, a month later, getting this update posted. Currently, I am I little leaner that the last photos, but there has not been significant visual changes so I have chosen to delay photos until next month.
As of today, May 1st, 2011, I am still following the same general nutrition and workout rules and I still feel great. One of the things that I am wanting to convey by tracking my progress as I am is that I am not undertaking any extreme lose X pound in Y days plan. I am just eating real food that our ancestors would recognize and avoiding things created by people in the last couple of generations that are created in factories instead of by nature. I only workout about twice per week. These are very intense workouts, but only consist of 15-min warm-up, 30-min intense, then 15-min cool-down. On other days I do get some kind of physical activity in, but more in a style of casual play than intense workout.
I will get more blood work done in a month on 2011-06-01 for a mid-year report. I will also post updated photos at that time.
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