Cha-, Cha-, Cha-, Changes

Ever since my moments of Inspiration, I had been toying with the idea of making a dietary lifestyle change.  I had become tired of yo-yo dieting, could not justify hiring a personal chef, and simply needed to make lasting changes.  


Several people were influential in helping me get some direction: 
one, a vegan foodie who helped me realize the pitfalls of eating fatty meats; 
a second, an in-shape orthopedic surgeon who decided to cut out processed foods and eat lean meats and lost 20 lbs.; and,
another, a sales rep who basically starved himself to lose 40+ lbs. in 6 months to catch the eye of a girl.  


The first diet was too regimented for me, the second seemed to offer some promise, and the third was an example of what I DID NOT want.


But, how do you even begin to formulate a plan?  In the back of my mind, I was thinking...okay, I have the motivation today, but I've been here before.


My stack of books to read had been piling up for a long time.  With vacation coming up, I figured that the best thing to do was read something.  The book in my stack that had come highly recommended was "On Target Living: Nutrition" by Chris Johnson.  (Buy it here. It will change your life!)  Over the next couple of weeks, I poured over the book and eventually formulated the plan below.  Over the last 8 weeks, things have evolved to fit my lifestyle better.


1. Whole foods are good.  And, they don't have to be more expensive.
2. Fats are actually good. Good fats, that is. 
3. Never count calories.  
4. Eat 6-7 meals per day.  
5. Many, many foods are available in substitution for bad foods.  (Ex. agave nectar over sugar)
6. Where possible, eat organic foods.  
7. Eat lean meats like fish, ostrich, buffalo, wild game, venison, and organic chicken over more common meats like deli meats, beef, steak, etc.
8. Never drink a soft drink, sports drink, or energy drink ever again.  Coffee, milk, green tea, spring/mineral water are my drinks.
9. Building muscle will burn fat.  Don't watch the scale.
10. Follow these principles 4 out of every 5 days.  The 80/20 rule.


Since July 4th, I have lost 18 lbs. to arrive at my current weight of 220!  During that time, my exercise has been inconsistent and my eating habits have been good overall.  There have been a couple of times that I've stretched the 80/20 rule (i.e., eating bad things is easy on the weekends sometimes).  


I am following my plan, but it does not feel restrictive, especially during weekdays.  There are many foods that taste great and are easy enough to find that meals are not a problem.  More on that next time...

Goals

Current stats:
Blood pressure - 125/85 (already reduced from all-time high of 140/100)
220 lbs. (already down from all-time high of 257 lbs.)
18.9% body fat
Somatotype - Endomorph
0 pull-ups, cannot dunk, "keg" abs, 38-inch waist

Goals:
Blood pressure - 115/75
195 lbs.
12.5% body fat
Somatotype - Mesomorph
30 pull-ups, dunk a basketball, six-pack abs, 34-inch waist

Baseline

On Friday, I had my body composition tested using the bioelectrical impedance method.  This will be my baseline test to assess progress throughout the next six months.  Every six weeks, I will re-test and my reports will be trended.  I hope to link them on this blog.

I was unable to get a copy of my report because the printer toner was down, but I remember some of the key metrics...
18.9% body fat - better than I expected
56% water by total weight - lower than expected, target is 61%
7.1 Phase Angle - 7.0 or more represents above average cell health

Takeaways:
1. Drink more water to cleanse.
2. To lower body fat, increase muscle.  Eat more protein.
3. Cell health can be improved by eating better foods.  As my bad eating habits of the not too distant past are further and further in the rear view mirror, this score should improve...

Any thoughts on bioelectrical impedance testing for body composition?
Read more on Body Composition Testing Methods

I am looking for suggestions for an affordable, undenatured whey protein isolate (prefer: individual packets).  Any suggestions?

Inspiration

In early 2009, my doctor and I seriously discussed putting me on blood pressure medication for the first time. My family history of high blood pressure was finally rearing its ugly head -- 140/100 was the highest I had ever seen. I had long ago eliminated salt from my diet, I told him. After all, I never put table salt on my food, and I do not eat high-salt foods! Right?

Sure I was under a lot of stress, but I was working out 2-3 times/week doing elliptical, swimming, and stationary bike. In 2008, my weight had ballooned to 257 lbs., an all-time high for me. Since that time, I had lost some weight and was feeling good about myself at 240 lbs.!

Still, SOMEthing was wrong. Why had I reached a plateau at 240, peaked at 140/100, had no energy, and looked like a beached whale? I had to find a better way.

Inspiration #1: no blood pressure meds.

Inspiration #2: get off plateau to feel and look better.