Thursday, October 22, 2009

The Disney Diet - 5 Pounds in 5 Days!

Some of you may know that I spent an extended Columbus Day weekend with my family at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. We stayed at the new Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort. It seems that Disney is building resorts faster than we can stay in them, but we are certainly trying our best to keep up. Our next trip will probably be at the new Tree-house Villas at Saratoga Springs.

This trip, though planned, essentially destroyed Week 6 of The Cure. Not only did I abandon The Cure during my vacation, as you can see from the post title, I found a new diet. Unfortunately, the pounds went on and not off. The good news is that nine days later, most of the weight I put on has already come off, with the resumption of Week 6. My goal is to continue this week as Week 6 and then report my "final" weight and measurements early next week.

I also just received my blood lipid panel results back, which will be the focus of one of my next posts. The results are as expected, as is my physician's reaction.

For those of you who are interested, this is a sample of what I ate to gain those 5 pounds:
  • Tutto Italia, Epcot - The best lasagna I've ever tasted, with samplings of two different gelati: Gianduja chocolate and zabaglione (don't ask).
  • International Food & Wine Festival, Epcot - Pork Skewer from Brazil; Beef Skewer from Argentina; a chicken dish from China; Beef tenderloin and sweet potatoes from South Africa; and Chocolate-Milk Creme Brulee from France.
  • Yak and Yeti, Animal Kingdom - Kung Pao Beef and rice
  • Whispering Canyon, Wilderness Lodge - The Canyon Skillet, an all-you-can eat pile of spare rips, BBQ chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, corn bread, corn on the cob, beef brisket, and pulled pork. I followed that up with a S'More Cheesecake.
  • Ohana, Polynesian Resort - The Ohana all-you-can-eat breakfast: eggs, bacon, Mickey waffles, sausage, fruit, muffins, and more.
  • 1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian - An all-you-can-eat buffet with just about anything you can imagine.
  • Chef Mickey, Contemporary Resort - All-you-can-eat breakfast buffet.
In addition to those meals, there were other "quick service" meals that I didn't keep track of. All in all, I think temporarily gaining 5 pounds to eat like that is a small price to pay. In fact, I wish I'd spent more time in World Showcase sampling the international foods.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Diet Coke is Dead. Long Live Diet Coke

I'm writing this outside of The Yak and Yeti at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It's hot and crowded, though I've seen much worse here. We're having lunch, waiting for our Fast Pass time for Expedition Everest.

I'll have more to say on these subjects when I get home, but I succumbed to the allure of Diet Coke today. It was like pure, sweet nectar! I've also been eating like a pig here a t WDW this weekend. To make matters worse, I completely blew week 6 of The Cure.

When I get home I'll update all my numbers and see how badly this trip messed me up.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Week 5 Report - Entering the Home Stretch

Week 5 is over and done with, and I've found myself dropping back into a more typical Low-Carb lifestyle. The weight loss has all but stopped this week, but looking at the chart, you'll see that key measurements have dropped again. This is empirical evidence that my body is reshaping itself, even as the numbers on the scale haven't changed much.






Start

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

*Weight and Body fat taken on a Tanita Body Fat Monitor immediately upon waking.

Weight (lbs)*

216.4

211.0

208.0

205.4

201.4

201.0


Body Fat % *

32.0

31.4

31.0

29.7

28.8

28.5


Waist (inches)

46.5625

45.875

45.75

43.375

45.5

43.875


Hips (inches)

45.875

44.0

43.5

43.6875

43.4375

42.25


Chest (inches)

44.0

43.50

43.0

43.5

43.6875

41.75


SAD (Standing)

12.0

12.0

11.875

11.75

12.0

11.375



SAD (lying
down)

11.375

10.25

9.875

10.125

10.5

10.0



Neck (inches)

-

-

15.75

15.75

15.5

15.25



A note about the body fat percentage above... As mentioned at the bottom of
the chart, I use a Tanita Body Fat Monitor I bought more than than ten years ago (only on its third set of batteries, incidentally). It is notorious for over-estimating body fat when you're dehydrated, which of course you are first thing in the morning. I've read that the percentage can swing as much as 4% throughout the day. However, the nice thing about estimating high is that you know it's a worst-case scenario.

Assuming the 28.5% number is valid, it puts my lean body mass at roughly 144 lbs. Using 15% as the maximum healthy body fat for an adult male and solving for weight, my target body weight comes out to approximately 170 lbs. At the beginning of 2009, I was 231, so I'm halfway to my goal.

I bought a new belt this week and am about to move to another notch. My last too-small dress shirt once again fits perfectly, but I have another wardrobe problem. My suit jackets and sport coats are all too big. I guess I'll have to call Jos. A Bank and see how much it'll cost to tailor them.

On a positive note, I do have two pair of Levi shorts that have been too tight for a long time. They fit now, and will be the staple of my wardrobe for next week's family trip to Walt Disney World.

This is also the week I'm supposed to get my blood work done. I've signed up for a complete lipid panel. Hopefully the results will be here before I leave next Thursday.

One last thing, concerning the upcoming WDW trip. We're going during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival and will be staying at the new Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort. I have already decided that during this trip I will eat just about anything and everything offered to me, and that includes every dessert I can get my hands on. I'm looking forward to all of good eats that WDW has to offer: cheddar soup at the Canada pavilion; Tutto Italia's cinnamon cheesecake; Germany's apple strudel with vanilla cream sauce; Mickey Waffles at Ohana; and definitely the all-you-can-eat Canyon Skillet at Whispering Canyon.

I fully expect to come back heavier than I am now, and will report upon my return. On the other hand, it is estimated that people walk anywhere from 5-10 miles per day there, so maybe most of it will burn off. We'll see. Wish me well.




Monday, September 21, 2009

Week 4 Report & Assessment

Week 4 (the second of two "meat" weeks) has come to a close, and it's time for a report and assessment of my progress thus far. I consider my results this week to be quite peculiar, to say the least. As of this morning, I'm down a total of 15 pounds. I would consider this fantastic, were it not for the conflicting body measurements, which I present to you now.



Start

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

*Weight and Body fat taken on a
Tanita Body Fat Monitor
immediately
upon waking.

Weight (lbs)*

216.4

211.0

208.0
205.4
201.4

Body Fat % *

32.0

31.4

31.0
29.7
28.8

Waist (inches)

46.5625

45.875

45.75
45.375
45.5

Hips (inches)

45.875

44.0

43.5
43.6875
43.4375

Chest (inches)

44.0

43.50

43.0
43.5
43.6875

SAD (Standing)

12.0

12.0
11.875
11.75
12.0

SAD (lying down)

11.375

10.25

9.875
10.125
10.5

Neck (inches)

-

-

15.75
15.75
15.5



What to make of this? I seem to be losing weight still, shrinking in some places and growing in others. I touched on my theories as to why this might be in my Week 3 report, so I won't rehash them here. I'm starting to wonder (hope?) that the chest and waist expansion are due to the admittedly-moderate resistance exercises I have been doing for the past few weeks. You certainly won't hear any complaints if that's the case. The shrinking neck measurement may be evidence of this, as it's pretty hard to build neck muscle, at least not with what I've been doing. Most of my exercise has been light weight training, focused on the abs and upper body.

According to the plan in the book, at the end of week 4 you are supposed to evaluate your results and decide where to go next. There are two choices. If you only had 10-20 pounds to lose, you should be at or near your goal. My results bear that out. If you're satisfied with your results, then you continue to week 5, which begins a maintenance period that transitions you to a less extreme, but still carbohydrate-restricted diet.

However, if you have more than 20 pounds to lose, you are urged to begin again at week one, and then alternate between weeks 1 and 3 every week until you reach your target weight. I'm pleased with my results, though I still have some ways to go yet. The decision should be simple. I lost 15 pounds. Now just go back and start again.

After some deliberation with my wife, I've decided to move into the maintenance phase. Yes, I still have another 15-20 pounds to go to reach my goal. However, the maintenance phase will still facilitate weight loss, albeit more slowly, as long as I keep my carb load down. I will continue to measure and weigh my food for awhile, and continue to restrict carbohydrates. Each week I will remeasure and update my results here. If it turns out that my weight loss stops entirely (or worse, reverses), then I may make a different decision and go back to week 1 for a week.

You may be wondering what my resistance is to repeating week 1. Quite frankly, my family hated it. They complained that the entire house (and particularly me) smelled like the protein powder used to make my protein shakes. It may just be the brand I chose, or the one awful flavor I have left, but no one wants me to use the stuff anymore. Maybe I'll replace the occasional meal when no one's around or when I have be out late. In any event, I'll continue through weeks 5 and 6 and see how things go.

Besides, other than my single weight goal, look at all of the other positive changes that have occurred in just the past four weeks:
  • All of my clothes are too big.
  • I need a new, smaller belt.
  • I am sleeping better than I have in a long time.
  • People tell me I look better.
  • I definitely feel better.
  • I have loads more energy than I can remember.
  • My blood pressure is back to low/normal. It was borderline high at my last physical this past May.
  • Finally, even though I'm not at my goal weight, today I'm lighter than I have been in more than 10 years.
The only thing I don't know yet is how my lipid panel will turn out. My follow-up lab test is at the end of next week. When I get my results, I'll post them here along side the numbers from May.

Lastly, I have decided to put up before and after photos. The first one was taken in February 2009 just outside of Disney's Yacht Club Resort. The second picture was taken this morning in my office. Same shirt, but different goofy facial expressions. Maybe I'll take another "after" picture later.

There is definitely a difference. With a little luck and strict adherence to my newly rejuvenated dietary plan, I'll have another "after" picture to put up in a couple more weeks.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

In Memorium: 17 September 2009

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of a very good friend of mine. Today I learned that one of my best friends of the past three decades will no longer be a part of my life.

I first encountered Diet Coke while in High School in the early 1980s. We immediately became friends. Some might call it a love affair. Others might even use the term "obsession." Rarely did a day go by when you couldn't find us together. There exist many photographs of the two of us. A coworker once remarked to me that he didn't recognize me without a Diet Coke in hand.

When I first received the 6-Week Cure book, I was appalled to learn that I had to give up caffeine for the first two weeks. I didn't want to do it; wasn't sure if I could. However, a promise was a promise, and I decided to give it a try. I committed to part from my good friend for at least two weeks.

We said goodbye on a warm Saturday afternoon in August. We stopped at the 7-Eleven in Wolfeboro and shared a Big Gulp. From there we travelled to Ossippee and spent the rest of the afternoon at Connor Pond. Then we parted company. I have to admit, those first few days were tough. As Homer Simpson once said, "Going cold turkey isn't nearly as delicious as it sounds."

At the start of Week 3 of the Plan, I was informed that I could begin adding caffeine back into my diet. However, I needed to avoid aspartame. Those who know me know that I don't drink coffee or tea in any variety, and there aren't many caffeinated sugar-free soft drinks without aspartame. Regular Coke and other sodas like it were out of the question due to their sugar content. Much to my delight, my friend showed up at the house one day wearing some powder-blue highlights. It was Diet Coke, with Splenda! My problems were over, or so I thought.

Much to my horror, it just wasn't the same. It wasn't really my friend, but a sad impostor. Not knowing what else to do, I pretended that nothing was wrong. I played along, and faked my enjoyment as we had lunch together every day for twelve days. The final day was yesterday, and I told the impostor that it was no longer welcome in my home. There was no argument; no tears; not even a good bye.

Today I decided to give up. No, not on the plan, but on the prohibition against aspartame. "Once a day can't hurt," I reasoned. At lunch time, I made my decision, and once again we were together. The can was icy cold, as it should be. I cracked the top and paused briefly to savor the moment. Then, slowly, with tenderness normally reserved for fragile objects, carefully took a sip.

I almost wept with the disappointment. The taste was awful. I've spent so much time eating and drinking nothing but real foods over the past three and a half weeks, that this artificially-sweetened soda was like bad medicine to me. I couldn't imagine what I found appealing about this stuff, or why I spent so much of my time and money on it. The attraction was gone. I simply didn't want anymore.

So there it is. Diet Coke is dead to me. Although I no longer care for its flavor, I'll always cherish the memories of the good times we shared together.

I still have two 12-packs (less one can) here in the house. If you'd like them, let me know. I'll be in the kitchen refilling my water glass -- which incidentally, is in a Coca-Cola glass.

Week 3 Report - 11 Lbs and Counting


I'm a number of days late posting this, but I've been busy on other projects and this one had to take a back seat. Fortunately, I recorded all of my measurements Saturday night. I'm just now getting to putting them here.



Start

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

*Weight and Body fat taken on a
Tanita Body Fat Monitor
immediately
upon waking.

Weight (lbs)*

216.4

211.0

208.0
205.4

Body Fat % *

32.0

31.4

31.0
29.7

Waist (inches)

46.5625

45.875

45.75
45.375

Hips (inches)

45.875

44.0

43.5
43.6875

Chest (inches)

44.0

43.50

43.0
43.5

SAD (Standing)

12.0

12.0
11.875 11.75

SAD (lying down)

11.375

10.25

9.875
10.125

Neck (inches)

-

-

15.75
15.75

Notice that some of my measurements actually increased, while my weight continued to drop. I'm not sure if that is a measuring error on my part, or if my shape is shifting.

One thing I'd noticed through the first couple of weeks is that I seem to be shrinking proportionally. That is, my shape wasn't changing, but I was getting smaller everywhere.

The recommendation in the book is to weigh and take measurements at the end of each two-week section. However, the Patient Data Form they sent me with the book has an entry for each week. Diligent and obedient soul that I am, I am measuring weekly.


There is another observation that I can report. Even though my waist measurement is still a lot higher than I thought (or hoped) it would be, I am wearing 38" jeans comfortably now, and I'm on my last belt notch. There are a few possibilities as to why, and I'm not sure which is correct.
  1. Although my resting waist diameter hasn't shrunk dramatically, the fat is more pliable and easily shifted from place to place. In fact, that's what the SAD measurements in the chart indicate. As the visceral fat decreases, leaving only the subcutaneous fat behind, the entire midsection becomes more like jello. Once that happens, the body will mould itself to the clothing.
  2. The widest diameter, the measurement that isn't dropping, is shrinking vertically, and it will take some time for it to start shrinking horizontally. Imagine a pillow case filled with butter. If you measured it all the way around at its widest point, removed half of the butter and measured again, you'd likely end up with almost the same number. Half the butter would be gone, but the largest girth wouldn't change. I don't have a way to measure that, other than the SAD values, and they only approximate the effect. What I should have done was taken some front and side silhouettes that I could compare. 
  3. The cynical part of me simply thinks that the sizes reported on the clothing labels aren't based on reality. 
I do know that at one point not all that long ago, I had to buy 44" pants. Today my 42" are too big; the 40" fit well; and my 38" fit snugly, but comfortably. So regardless of the reason above, I'm achieving success on the plan.

This is my final "meat week," and it's been a fun one for me. The other day, I grilled a 1-pound rib eye for lunch. Breakfasts have been primarily bacon, with three eggs fried in the remaining bacon grease. In fact, if you look at my numbers on fitday, you'll see that more than 60% of my daily calories come from fat, about 35% or more from protein, and the rest from carbs. I've never been happier!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Week 2 Report

First of all, let me say that I've decided to stop doing daily updates, and only make regular entries at the end of each week. I'll stop posting meals and nutritional information unless anyone finds them really useful.

Week 2 ended on Saturday, September 5. I took all of my measurements, plus added a new one that I'll track for the rest of the six-week period. I was delayed getting everything into the computer, which is why it's now Tuesday.




Start

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

*Weight and Body fat taken on a
Tanita Body Fat Monitor
immediately
upon waking.

Weight (lbs)*

216.4

211.0

208.0

Body Fat % *

32.0

31.4

31.0

Waist (inches)

46.5625

45.875

45.75

Hips (inches)

45.875

44.0

43.5

Chest (inches)

44.0

43.50

43.0

SAD (Standing)

12.0

12.0

11.875

SAD (lying down)

11.375

10.25

9.875

Neck (inches)

-

-

15.75


As you can see, I added "neck" to the list. I just happened to try on an old dress shirt Sunday that hadn't fit me in more than a year. It's a 15.5" neck, and I was actually able to button the top button. It's snug, but that is easily understood by my neck measurement. I expect to be able to wear it soon. Now I need to figure out what to do with all my nice Jos. A. Bank dress shirts with the 16.5" neck. I guess there are worse problems to have.

Sunday was technically the first day of week three, but I didn't eat much. I think I only recorded about 700 Calories.

Monday was the first real day with three full meals on the prescribed plan. One of the things that absolutely shocked me was how few Calories I actually ate. According to the plan, weeks three and four are supposed to increase Calories over weeks one and two. According to FitDay.com, I averaged approximately1800 Calories per day for weeks one and two. On Monday I ate like there was no tomorrow, but without stuffing myself. According to FitDay.com, I ended up eating 1159 Calories for the entire day. I doubt I could have eaten more had I wanted to. I'm actually a bit confused, but I'm going to keep going and see how it goes.

The good news, though, is after two weeks on the plan, my clothes fit looser; I'm on my last belt notch; people tell me I look better; I have more energy than I have in a long time. My biggest complaint is that I miss Diet Coke, and I'm sure the folks at McDonald's and 7-Eleven are getting concerned about my extended absence.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Day 10

I've been in somewhat of a rut. (Or is it a groove?) I've been eating a lot of pork lately. I'm not complaining, understand. When cooked properly, pork is very good. And who can argue with the "magical animal" that produces such wondrous delights as spare ribs, bacon, pork chops, and ham?

Tonight's dinner was a pork roast cooked slowly in the oven for a couple of hours. For a side dish, I ate half a cup of pumpkin, mixed with a little butter, cinnamon and Splenda. Before this, I really thought pumpkin was only good for pies, but this was really quite filling and very tasty. Unfortunately, it had to be canned pumpkin, as the real ones aren't quite ready here yet. Maybe in a few more weeks, as the leaves start to change.

A couple of days ago I called my doctor's office and ordered copies of my cholesterol tests from back in May. Dr. Eades asked participants for the information "if we have it." As I said, the tests were done in May, so I hope they can still be considered relevant, even though I started the plan in late August.

At the time, my doctor was concerned about my total cholesterol and LDL values, which were as follows:
  • Total Cholesterol: 257
  • HDL: 57
  • LDL 172
  • Triglycerides: 141
She immediately began talking about the importance of bringing that pesky LDL number down. She went on about how important it is to cut back on the red meat and eat a low fat diet. I have to admit to being a bit nervous. I knew I was overweight, and being over 40 suddenly put me into that danger category. I was a heart attack waiting to happen!

Fortunately, I had recently read one of Dr. Eades blog posts where he discussed that a more telling indication of heart attack risk isn't in looking at LDL or Total Cholestorol. Instead, we should look at the ratio of Triglycerides to HDL. The lower this ration, the better. A value greater than 5 is worrisome. As you can see, my value is 2.47.

Using this ratio and simple arithmetic our guides, it easy to see what needs to be done: raise HDL and lower triglycerides. And which type of diet does both of those things quickly and effectively? NOT the government-approved low-fat/high-carb diet. In fact, people on the latter diets tend to lower HDL and LDL together, and often increase triglycerides -- exactly the opposite result we're looking for. Low-carb diets, on the other hand, can reduce triglycerides and raise HDL in just a few weeks! (See this post by Dr. Eades for a good explanation.)

One more comment about LDL numbers. Evidently modern labs don't bother measuring LDL. It's difficult and expensive to measure directly. Instead, your LDL value is calculated based on your other values. In fact, there is a note on my lab report that says quite plainly, "Note: LDL result is a calculated value." For most people, it seems, this calculation is close enough not to be concerned about. However, as triglycerides get lower, the multiplying ratio used to calculate LDL gets skewed so that it's no longer valid. Thus, anyone following a low-carb diet for any length of time, your LDL calculation in your lab result is likely to be higher than it actually is. So what can you do about it?

You actually have a few options. One is to ignore the LDL value and tell your doctor that you won't take statins for a non-existent problem. You could also insist that your LDL value be measured directly, which may end up costing you. Finally, you can use a different formula the Dr. Eades describes in this post, from an Iranian medical study. This formula is considered to be a more accurate method of calculating LDL. I won't go into the reasons here. You can read all about it at the link I provided. However, I will share the formula:
LDL = (total cholesterol/1.19 + triglycerides/1.9 – HDL/1.1) – 38
Applying this formula to my numbers, we get 200 mg/dL. So in my case, the "better" equation actually produces worse results. As Dr. Eades points out in his article, the formula makes the most sense for people with low triglycerides, which I certainly do not have yet.

I've scheduled a follow-up test for the first week of October, which is immediately following the end of the six-week plan. I will be sure to post the results as soon as they're available, and I will be sure to show both the lab's calculations for LDL as well as the one above.

Finally, for those keeping score at home, here are my FitDay.com numbers from today:


GramsCalories%-Cals
Calories
1,828
Fat
98.0
879
47
%
Saturated
44.1
395
21
%
Polyunsaturated
12.3
110
6
%
Monounsaturated
30.0
270
14
%
Carbohydrate
36.4
141
8
%
Dietary Fiber
8.5
Protein
207.1
839
45
%
Alcohol
0.0
0
0
%


Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Day 9

Today was the start of the second work week during Phase 1. Dinner was pork chops and steamed green beans. FitDay's breakdown for the day is as follows:



GramsCalories%-Cals
Calories
1,516
Fat
76.6
689
45
%
Saturated
33.5
301
20
%
Polyunsaturated
11.2
100
7
%
Monounsaturated
22.4
202
13
%
Carbohydrate
21.9
86
6
%
Dietary Fiber
2.0
Protein
189.6
765
50
%
Alcohol
0.0
0
0
%


There is little else new to report. However, I have started to exercise just a bit. At the top of every hour, I do an ab exercise that's described in Chapter 4. Although it's quite simple, it does leave you surprisingly sore. But sore in a good way. More on that as it develops.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Day 8

Sunday, the day of rest. Except for me, that is. As a person who works from home and sits in front of a computer all day, Sundays tend to be anything but restful. I drive more, speak more, and interact in person with more people on Sunday than any other day of the week (yesterday's popcorn sale notwithstanding).

That's why I decided that on Sunday during weeks 1 and 2 I'd make breakfast my big meal. Breakfast this day was a massive 3-egg omelet, with half a cup of cheddar, half a cup of diced ham, and three slices of bacon.

Because Sundays are so busy for me, I actually neglected to have my mid-day snack altogether. Lunch was late, and by the time I got home it was almost time for dinner. Thus, my overall caloric intake was down considerably. I still can't figure out whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.


GramsCalories%-Cals
Calories
1,502


Fat
84.7
760
50
%
Saturated
39.7
355
23
%
Polyunsaturated
7.2
64
4
%
Monounsaturated
27.1
243
16
%
Carbohydrate
25.2
99
7
%
Dietary Fiber
0.8



Protein
160.1
657
43
%
Alcohol
0.0
0
0
%


In any event, my spirits and energy levels are still high, and my hunger is practically non-existent.

Week 1 Report

Week 1 of this 6-week plan has ended. Is it possible to evaluate a diet or fitness plan after only a week? I don't know, and will let the numbers speak for themselves. I will refrain from making an overall judgment until the very end, and try to present just the facts where the plan itself is concerned. When I stray into opinion, I will try to stick to describing how I feel at any given time.

Now it's time to review the results. So after the first week on the plan, I have lost 5.4 pounds, and a little bit off my waist, hips and chest. In that week, I haven't felt deprived of anything. My sleep has improved, and I seem to have more energy.









Start

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

*Weight and Body fat taken on a
Tanita Body Fat Monitor
immediately
upon waking.

Weight (lbs)*

216.4

211.0

Body Fat % *

32.0

31.4

Waist (inches)

46.5625

45.875

Hips (inches)

45.875

44.0

Chest (inches)

44.0

43.50

SAD (Standing)

12.0

12.0

SAD (lying down)

11.375

10.25


You'll notice that I've added two measurements to the chart that weren't in the first chart: namely, the SAD, or "Sagittal Abdominal Diameter" values. Without complicating things too much, this measurement helps to determine how much of your abdominal fat is on the surface as opposed to being packed in the abdominal cavity. The latter fat is the more dangerous of the two. Evidently, gravity affects the two types of fat differently. Taking the same measurement standing and lying down provides you with two different numbers.
To quote briefly from the book, "The closer the two readings are together, the  more likely it is that there is a significant amount of middle-body fat stored in and around the vital organs within the abdominal cavity." A more thorough examination of abdominal fat is presented in Chapter 3. How to take and interpret the measurements are described in Chapter 5.

As I noted at the beginning, the plan is divided into three 2-week phases, so I'm half way through the first phase now. I'm actually looking forward to the second phase, but I'll until next week to describe it.

Day 7

As I mentioned previously, today was the day of our Scout Troop's popcorn sale. Today was also the day that Hurricane (Tropical Storm?) Danny brushed New England, so it was cold and wet the entire time. As it happens, this was the first of four or five such sales. Our Popcorn Kernel (yes, he's actually called that) decided that because we were so successful, selling almost our entire stock in five hours of rain, we'll order more and do it again. Oh well, it's for a good cause, right?

I was a bit concerned about being around all the popcorn for a long stretch of time, particularly since we were supposed to be offering free samples. Fortunately, our entire stock consisted of various varieties of caramel corn (which I don't like) and microwave popcorn. Thus, no temptation.

After the sale, coming home and drying off, it was time to sit down with the family for dinner. We had chicken breast and broccoli. The rest of the family ate it served over steamed rice, which I declined. I passed on dessert.

Today's nutritional chart is below.



GramsCalories%-Cals
Calories
1,442
Fat
55.2
496
34
%
Saturated
29.0
261
18
%
Polyunsaturated
4.1
36
2
%
Monounsaturated
13.5
121
8
%
Carbohydrate
32.4
125
9
%
Dietary Fiber
6.8
Protein
208.9
839
57
%
Alcohol
0.0
0
0
%


My next post will detail the results as of the end of week one.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Day 6

The first week is rapidly coming to an end. Like the past couple of days, I experienced no hunger today, forgot my afternoon snack, went out and played tennis for over an hour, and am just now getting ready to sit down to a late dinner with the family.

Tomorrow, as I mentioned earlier, is our scout troop's popcorn sale at Hunter's IGA in Wolfeboro, NH, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. I've also set up a landing page on my web site for anyone to use. One of the coolest things they offer is a link that lets you send a donation of popcorn to our military troops serving abroad.

On my way home from playing tennis today, I passed the track at the local high school. Running around the track was a woman in a sweatsuit, and she had to be 300 pounds. She was barely moving. You have to admire the drive and determination, but it saddens me that people have bought into the myth that you have to exercise to lose weight, or that you have to eat fewer calories than you burn. It just doesn't work that way, at least not for most people. In fact, your body's first response to a lower caloric intake is to go, "AH! Starvation! Quick, shut down every non-essential movement!" You won't fidget as much. You'll feel very tired, and you simply won't want to move. Here is a post that describes the phenomenon much better than I can. If you're looking for a better authority, here's an older post from Dr. Mike Eades' blog where he discusses runners and their health.

Today's nutritional breakdown, according to FitDay.com, is as follows.




GramsCalories%-Cals
Calories
1,439
Fat
56.8
511
35
%
Saturated
30.4
273
19
%
Polyunsaturated
3.0
27
2
%
Monounsaturated
15.0
135
9
%
Carbohydrate
31.2
121
8
%
Dietary Fiber
3.5
Protein
204.1
827
57
%
Alcohol
0.0
0
0
%


As you can see, a much lower caloric load today, and I'm not really sure how that happened. Carbs are still where they belong, and protein is over 200g. I'm absolutely astounded at the amount of energy I have on so little food. It's amazing.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Day 5

Today was grocery day. My wife and daughter left around 9:00 this morning with a shopping list that included everything I'll need for Week 2. What else she brought home almost had me in tears: three of the largest peaches I've ever seen, a big bag of seedless grapes, a basket of apples, and a big box of Oreo Cookies. The fruit is diet approved, in moderation, but I need to stay away from the Oreos, which happen to be my favorite brand of commercial cookie. Fortunately, she also got a fresh pound and a half of steak. Yes, I know we just had that on Monday, but I love steak.

I feel as though I'm finally into a groove with this plan. I'm almost never hungry anymore, even when it's time to eat. As I did yesterday, I had to force myself to have my 3:00 snack. The book doesn't mention anything about skipping meals or snacks one way or the other. However, as part of my agreement with the authors, I promised to stick to the plan as best I can.

Tonight's dinner was the aforementioned steak, of which I ate almost half, or approximately 12 oz. I grilled it with just a bit of sea salt sprinkled on it. With the grill just touching 400 degrees, the steak was almost a perfect medium/medium-rare after 22 minutes. Eaten with the steak was a salad of romaine lettuce, baby spinach, real bacon bits, and a little olive oil.

I don't have too many weeks of grilling left, I'm afraid. As the summer comes to a close, keeping the grill at a decent temperature after dark gets more difficult. The outside temperature drops quickly as soon as the sun drops below the treetops. The grill takes longer to heat up, and requires a lot more fuel to keep the temperature high enough for grilling. Once the winter rolls in, the outside temperature can dip into the single digits. At that point, it's almost impossible to use the grill, even if I do shovel a path through the snow to get to it. Oh well, that's life in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

FitDay's breakdown of my nutritional breakdown is as follows:



GramsCalories%-Cals
Calories
1,926
Fat
86.2
774
40
%
Saturated
33.4
301
15
%
Polyunsaturated
11.7
105
5
%
Monounsaturated
29.2
261
13
%
Carbohydrate
29.8
118
6
%
Dietary Fiber
3.7
Protein
259.5
1,063
54
%
Alcohol
0.0
0
0
%


It appears that no matter what I do, I'm going to end up around 1900 Calories. Notice that protein was 54% of my total, and carbs were below 30. This seems to be a pretty good balance.

Even though I'm only on day 5, I can already see results. My clothes and wedding band fit looser and I seem to have a slightly slimmer profile in the mirror. I'm looking forward to Saturday night's weighing and measuring. The book recommends weighing yourself only once a week, so I'm sticking to that.

I've also started noticing something non-weight-related. My knees and knuckles often have pain on and off throughout the day. I'm told it's the beginnings of arthritis, which runs in my family. Since starting this plan, I've experienced no knee pain at all, and my fingers feel much better too.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Day 4

I didn't sleep very well last night, though I don't believe it was diet-related. I kept having the feeling that I had forgotten to do something important. After waking multiple times and struggling to go back to sleep, it finally occurred to me what was wrong. Tuesday nights are when we have our weekly scout troop meeting. We didn't meet last night because we're doing our Fall Popcorn sale this Saturday.

Each year, scouts all over the US sell popcorn to help fund their various activities, such as summer camp. Our troop has a lot of grand plans for the upcoming scouting year, including a doubling up summer camp in 2010, skiing and snowboarding this winter, and doing some night snowshoe hikes at a nearby ski area. They're going to need  a lot of money, and most of it comes from fund-raisers like this popcorn sale.

If you happen to be in Wolfeboro, NH on Saturday, August 29, please stop by Hunter's IGA downtown between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM and help support Scouting in New Hampshire. If you aren't local but would still like to support scouting, you can now do it online here. It's going to be hard passing up all that popcorn - it's not part of the plan. Nor is their fantastic trail mix. However, I may buy a package or two of chili lime almonds and enjoy them during weeks 3 and 4.

Sorry for that off-topic digression. A peculiar thing happened this afternoon. I forgot my 3:00 snack. I wasn't hungry, and when I finally started to get hungry, it was 3:30. So I went into the kitchen, made my snack, and took it back to my desk.

Dinner was early tonight due to an activity at my oldest son's school. My wife took him to that event, and I took the other two to the local tennis court. Exercise isn't necessarily prescribed during the 6-week plan, and the way I play tennis probably can't be called exercise anyway. In any event, it felt good to be out. I really haven't left the house since Sunday.

Tonight's dinner was an 8oz ham steak, broiled, with half a cup of steamed green beans, drizzled with a tablespoon of olive oil, then sprinkled with coarse sea salt and black pepper. Oddly, that's all I wanted. As I mentioned above, I'm simply not hungry today at all. I didn't even bother with a dessert. I sort of had a Homer Simpson moment when he was in the steak eating contest and couldn't finish it. He said, "What has happened to me? There's still food and I don't want to eat it. Oh! I've become everything I've ever hated!" Well, maybe it wasn't that bad.

FitDay reports the following as my entire day's nutritional summary.

GramsCalories%-Cals
Calories
1,580
Fat
77.3
695
43
%
Saturated
31.8
286
18
%
Polyunsaturated
11.6
104
6
%
Monounsaturated
24.8
223
14
%
Carbohydrate
21.9
86
5
%
Dietary Fiber
2.0
Protein
203.2
823
51
%


So as you can see, I'm consuming fewer calories, but more importantly keeping my protein high and my carbs low.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Day 3

I was very tired early today, though that's a result of staying up too late and getting up too early. By lunch time, I couldn't sit still, so took an hour "lunch break" to go outside and mow the lawn. I started a new audio book, Blasphemy, by Douglas Preston. I've enjoyed some of his other works, and this one is starting off interesting. I rip the audio book to my iPod, listen to it, and then delete it when I'm done. It's great for yard work, commuting, etc.

I think I blew it today on my large meal. I had smoked sausage, which is technically not on the plan, but I ate it anyway. I think I may regret it. With it I enjoyed a cup of steamed green beans, drizzled with a tablespoon of olive oil, then sprinkled with coarse sea salt and black pepper. If you're experiencing deja vu, it's because I did the same thing to my broccoli last night. Also the same was dessert: half of a fresh peach, grilled over medium heat for 5 minutes, then served with a sprinkle of Splenda and cinnamon.

FitDay reports the following as my entire day's nutritional summary.


GramsCalories%-Cals
Calories
2,221


Fat
143.3
1,287
58
%
Saturated
53.9
485
22
%
Polyunsaturated
13.5
121
5
%
Monounsaturated
27.2
243
11
%
Carbohydrate
47.9
186
8
%
Dietary Fiber
8.1



Protein
188.6
751
34
%


Judging by this chart I really blew away the calories from the past two days. Of greater concern to me is the high carb count. I think that's why I should have passed on the sausage.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Day 2

Hunger improved a bit today. I'd have to rate it about  a 3-4 (out of 10). I felt satisifed for most of the day. At one point, I did experience a little bit of a head rush when I stood up. Dr. Eades suggests that this is a potassium shortage, so taking extra potassium should solve that problem. Other than that, I have no complaints whatsoever.

Tonight's dinner was one of my favorites. We had grilled sirloin tips and steamed broccoli. I had 9oz of the steak and one cup of broccoli. The broccoli was drizzled with a tablespoon of olive oil, then sprinkled with coarse sea salt and black pepper. Dessert was half of a fresh peach, grilled over medium heat for 5 minutes, then served with a sprinkle of Splenda, cinnamon, and half a tablespoon of heavy cream. Very delicious.

FitDay reports the following as my entire day's nutritional summary.

GramsCalories%-Cals
Calories
1,980
Fat
90.3
809
40
%
Saturated
38.7
348
17
%
Polyunsaturated
6.7
60
3
%
Monounsaturated
31.3
279
14
%
Carbohydrate
38.4
148
7
%
Dietary Fiber
7.6
Protein
258.0
1,043
52
%


It appears that I ate more calories and protein than yesterday. Note that the plan doesn't call for you to track calories, carbs, fat, or anything else. I'm doing this as an academic exercise.

Until tomorrow...

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Day 1

On Saturday I went to the store to purchase all the food I'd need for the first two weeks of the plan. I spent $85, including an $8 package of multi-vitamins. I wasn't able to find exactly what Dr. Eades recommends in the book, so I got as close as I could.

It probably wasn't a great idea, but I decided to binge a bit on my final two days before starting the plan. I'm sure I'm not alone in doing this sort of thing, but I loaded up on McDonalds, chips, ice cream, and other junk food. This is something I rarely do in the first place, as I have followed a low carb maintenance diet for most of the past decade. Shocking your system with two days of sugar and junk food when you're not used to it can be a brutal experience. I don't recommend it.

As you might imagine, the first day of any new dietary experience always brings with it some adjustment. I had no idea what to expect. Would I be hungry and tired all day? Would I get headaches or have other unpleasant side effects? As it turns out, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected it would be. I would rate my overall hunger level at about a 5 (with 10 being very hungry and 0 being not at all). Other than that, I've suffered no ill effects whatsoever.

At the beginning of my six-week journey with Drs. Mike and Mary Dan Eades, I offer the following starting measurements. They will be updated at the end of each week:

Day

Start

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

*Weight and Body fat taken on a Tanita Body Fat Monitorimmediately upon waking.

Weight (lbs)*

216.4

Body Fat % *

32.0

Waist (inches)

46.5625

Hips (inches)

45.875

Chest (inches)

44.0

For breakfast today I had a massive 3-egg omelet with two slices of bacon, about half a cup of cubed ham, and a quarter cup of shredded cheddar cheese. I washed it down with a half liter bottle of Nestle Pure Life Kiwi-Strawberry Splash. Very filling and satisfying.

 I put my entire day's meals into FitDay and was a bit surprised by the results.
GramsCalories%-Cals
Calories
1,808
Fat
95.2
855
47
%
Saturated
44.5
400
22
%
Polyunsaturated
7.9
71
4
%
Monounsaturated
28.8
259
14
%
Carbohydrate
30.6
120
7
%
Dietary Fiber
1.7
Protein
209.8
851
47
%

As you can see, this is certainly not a low-calorie diet. If you happen to be lipophobic, the high fat content is likely to scare you off. However, don't dismiss it too quickly. The fat shouldn't be a concern, as Drs. Eades point out repeatedly on their blog and in their books.

An Introduction to "The 6-Week Cure"

I was recently fortunate enough to be selected for a limited preview of the latest book by Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades, titled The 6-Week Cure for the Middle-Aged Middle: The Simple Plan to Flatten Your Belly Fast!

The book arrived a few days ago, and I eagerly dived right into it, finishing it late Friday night. The idea is simple: If you are middle aged and have a lot of visceral (internal abdominal) fat, you're in greater danger from this fat than just simply being overweight. The plan described in the book is presented as a safe, fast, and effective way to lose the abdominal fat. The plan is divided into three two-week periods, with a different eating philosophy for each of those weeks. 

While I was not asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement, I feel that it would be ungrateful to the authors to reveal the book's details in this blog. That is not my intention. Instead, my goal for this blog is simply to serve as a public journal of my experiences in following this 6-week plan. If you are familiar with any of the Eades' other works, you will probably guess that the plan is low carb. You would be correct. If you want details of this plan, I recommend that you order the book from Amazon.com or your favorite book seller. If you aren't familiar with their works (or maybe you aren't middle aged yet), you might want consider purchasing any of the Eades' books.


That said, I will reveal this much. The philosophy is that you need to de-fat (my term) your liver. Evidently if your liver is full of fat, you can't lose fat, regardless of what you try. Thus, the plan is specifically geared to get your liver de-fatted (again, my term) and primed to do its job. So basically, in week one you're limited to two small "meals," one "snack" and one large "real" meal. You may eat the real meal at any point during the day. I have chosen to break down my days this way:
  • 7:00: Small Meal
  • 11:00 Small Meal
  • 3:00 Snack
  • 6:00 Large Meal
On Sunday I reverse that and have a very large breakfast. Keep in mind that this is only for the first two weeks.


As I progress through the next six weeks, I plan to submit a daily brief describing my emotional state of the day. My intention is to detail each day's large meal, and a breakdown of that day's nutritional information. At the end of each week, I will offer a summary of the week, as well as my latest measurements (weight, chest, waist, hips, etc.). I had blood work done prior to beginning this plan, and will have it done again when I'm finished. I will include the results of those tests when available.

I'd love to get comments from others who were also accepted into this early test so we can compare experiences. I will try to field any questions I get as best I can, but can't promise I will be able to answer them all.