My thoughts for the day 9/25/2013

I am at a point in my journey that my weight is only doing the normal day to day fluctuations, but now every few weeks to a month I am noticing changes in my body. A smaller waist, my thighs getting smaller, I have finally lost my man boobs.  I have had to learn that the NSV is more important and not to worry if I see a change of a few pounds every week. So I have started weighing myself and logging it in my journal and then average that out every few weeks. And what I am seeing is the same average within a half-pound over the last couple of months. So I have to wonder if I have hit my body’s set point or if I have just hit a plateau that is being very hard to get past. I am still eating a calorie budget that should be giving me about a half pound of weight loose per week, and it does not seem that it matters that much anymore how much I exercise, but I know I have to exercise because if I do not my blood pressure goes up.

If I have hit my set point that is great and if at some point I start to drop a little more weight that is also OK. I believe that I am doing what is right for my health and fitness and that is all that really matters to me anymore.

Meet Dusty she is our new Min Pin.

Meet Dusty she is our new Min Pin.

What I have learned from my journey to health and fitness.

As I was doing my morning walk this morning I was thinking about what I have learned over the last 32 months of my journey to better health and fitness. I know what I am about to say is going to rub some of you the wrong way, but I hope it will make you do some thinking about your own journey.

When I started my journey I was like everyone else I was looking at the finish line that golden weight goal and also the golden rule of the BMI numbers. But I have come to understand that they are just that numbers, and now I use them as reference and nothing else. What is most important and what is my goal now is the bottom line:

·         Are my lab results all in the healthy range for me and my age? (This is the most important of all)

·         Am I eating a balanced diet? (The most important thing here is it a diet that is suited for me, and the way to know that is with your lab results and your blood pressure, and your physical health)

·         Am I exercising enough to keep myself healthy and fit? (The key here is am I doing the exercise that is best suited for me at my age and my capability)

·         Am I able to keep a stable weight? (This means that my weight is stable and I am not fluctuating, more than what is normal from day to day)

·         Am I keeping my blood pressure within a safe range that keeps me healthy?

·         Am I able to handle the stress in my life? (I have found that as long as I exercise most days of the week, I eat correctly, and I get enough sleep nightly; that my stress is well under control.

·         Am I socializing with friends and family as much as I should? (This is very important for overall health, fitness, and mental health)

If you eat a healthy balanced diet and you keep your intake at the correct level for you and you exercise your body will seek and level out at a weight that is correct for your body make up.  Will this level be your goal weight or within the BMI chart range? (Who Knows?) I have come to realize that I do not need to worry about that, all I need to know I is answered by a yes of the seven questions above.   As my doctor even said the BMI calculation is just a reference and it is incorrect for more people that it is correct for. Also we have some engraved ideas in our head of what we should really weight and at least for me it was close to what I am weighing now. The rule that I was given by one of my first doctors was, if you were healthy and fit at 21 and 22 years old that is a fairly good reference point of what your weight should be. As we age we lose muscle and that muscle is normally replaced with fat cells. So we need to stay active and move a lot and it is a good idea to do some weight training exercises. I do not wish to be some hulk but adding muscle does mean that you burn fat easier and that you have more strength and better fitness.

So what I have learned is simple and complicated at the same time:  Eat a balanced diet that your body needs, control your portions, exercise most days of the week, give yourself time to recover from the exercises, know your numbers of your lab results, know and monitor your blood pressure, socialize with friend and family, sleep at least 7 hours a night, and keep your life as free of stress as is possible.

The Newest member of our Family

This is Dusty Caroline the newest member of the our family. She is 5 weeks old now and is a Min Pin.

She will be coming to us from South Carolina.

Life is good and getting better.

Two weeks ago today was the last time I took my blood pressure (water pill) medication. My blood pressure has stayed very good, and I had days early on that I just wanted the damn pill. But now I am doing great and I have lost the need for the pill I believe. My weight is still higher that I would like and I believe it is causing me a little joint pain, but I will lose that and get back down to or very close to what I need to weigh.  I am finding that I have to watch the amount of salt I take in much closer, but that is good too. And the morning walks are very important now to keep my blood pressure lowered.

I believe I can now say that all of my original goals that I sat out to reach have been met, I did not set a weight goal I had set my goal of getting off the medications.

Live is good and getting better.

The Reasons to lose weight

We are all in this together and we all have goals either to lose weight or to maintain what we have lost. We all have different ways to getting to our goals. And most if not all of us have tried different diets before and lost weight just to regain that much and more than likely gained even more.

We all have our different reason why we want to lose the weight, hopefully the reason comes down to being fit and healthy. Losing weight just to fit into a swimming suit or a wedding dress is not the best of reasons and I say this because once summer is over or the wedding is over the weight will come back and then some. The only real way to lose the weight and to keep it off is to first want to lose the weight because we are ready for a lifestyle change. We are ready to stop the YO YO weight dance. We want to empty our closets of all the different sizes of cloths, and only have to worry about color matches. And along the way we have hopefully learnt that eating the foods that are healthy and good for us is really great tasting too.  I have gotten to the point that I can tell if something has too much salt just by taking the first bit.  Also when something is too greasy it really turns me off. I have also gotten to the point that if I do not get up and move around a lot and get my walks in even if it is a short 5 min walk I get very nervous, I just cannot sat still very long anymore.

What was your main reason for wanting to take this journey, mine was to get off all of my medications, which I have just now managed to do so.  My new goals are now to lose the weight gained from stopping my water pill, and to maybe lose the last small amount of weight that my doctor would like me to lose. Then my goal will turn to keeping off the medications, and keeping the weight off. And along the way I will set step, or distance goals for walking or bike riding. But most of all my goals all boil down to the fact that I want to be healthy and fit for my family, friends, and most of all for myself.

I would love to hear about your reason for wanting to take this Journey.

Being mindful about the things you do and say is so important.

Example: I was up a whole pound this morning and due to keeping track of what I ate, and really thinking back on why I ate it I realized why I am up this morning I now know that it will pass as my body has time to eliminate the extra salt that I have had now only yesterday but this week.  Mindfulness is about the here and now, but it is also about being responsible for your actions all of the time. The old saying goes every action as a result that has to be accepted and paid for some time in the future. 

The action of eating correctly pays off with being healthier. The action of getting up and moving, be it walking, running, biking or any other exercise will pay off by be fitter.

Will this happen overnight? NO.

 Will there be in discomfort from the actions? More than likely Yes.

 Will it pay off in the long run? You bet it will.

Being mindful about everything you do be it eating, breathing, exercising, being with your loved ones, and just being within yourself is very important. Being mindful is the art of the here and now, it is the art of putting everything out of you mind but what you are doing at the moment.  Give it a try, learn how to do it, it will free your mind and soul and give you so much less stress that you will now want to live any other way.

This years bicycle ride plan

In 2011 my longest bike ride was 16 miles; in 2012 my longest was almost 40 miles. This year I am shooting for 62 miles as my longest but would love for it to be 75 or 100 miles. What holds me back really and truthfully I do. I can never seem to make the time I need to work at this. But it is early in the year and I have already done two 17 mile rides back to back without wanting to just quit. So I know I am getting stronger. I just have to be careful and not push so hard that I get hurt. 
The Round Rock Outlaw ride is this October 12th I hope to do at least 62 miles and if possible to go for the whole banana and do the 100. I know I said that last year and did not make but 40 miles. Let’s just see how far I really can go this year.

We all make mistakes.

I keep going back at what I let happen to myself over the past holidays and I do not like what happened. I had battled with trying to get off the blood pressure meds all summer and my weight just went up then back down if I started taking my water pill again. The first of November I was down to 197 and was feeling great, then what did I do I lot go and started eating a little sweets here and there and by the first of the year I was up to 202, and I also decided to try again at getting off my water pill and gained even a little more due to the stress of my wife’s illness. But I shows that the day my wife had the surgery I started back on the water pill and started eating correctly again and my weight has come back down to 197 and I have even had a day or two where it has dropped as low as 194.

Hopefully I have regained my control and I will not let this happen again. I know this holiday season I will look back at what happened this last year and I will do my best not to let it happen again. We all make mistakes but we only learn from them if we analyze the mistakes and we do our very best to not make them again. 

One step at a time

One step at a time is just that. We take one step every morning waking up, we take one step at every meal, and we take one step with every exercise we do. With me my one step is being mindful of what I eat, and that I get up and move my body every day.

On to the Next Level whatever that may be.

I have been rereading the books that have gotten me this far, and I have decided to recommit myself to going to the next level, whatever that may be. I still have love handles and I still have fat around the old belly that really needs to go. I do not believe to do this I have to come out of maintenance, I just need to be a little more careful about what I eat. I am eating about the right amount for my height and size. My BMR is around 1750 to 1800 and I am trying to eat 2000 a day. So what am I going to do? Let’s see, cut back and as close to out all processed foods, I have been drinking diet root beer a few times a week I will cut that out or at least down to special times. I will increase my protein and lower processed carbs, will increase veggies, and fruits, but I will continue my fats from nuts. About all I can say about my exercising is that I will do more stretching, and will do setups planks, leg lifts etc. Anything that will straighten my core muscles. I know this will not happen overnight, that it may take me another year or so to get there, but I am hoping to see some improvement before the end of summer.

Can I do this yes. I can do anything that I set out to do as long as I have the Faith.  I only I need is your support and encouragement. 

Spring and summer plans

Ok I have a spring and summer goals in mind. I would like to finally get off my blood pressure meds, my new doctor really believes that I do not need them for my blood pressure but agrees that I have an addiction to it. I am done to 1/8 of the amount that I was on and my blood pressure is still really good, and sometimes after my workouts it will go so low that it is in the very low blood pressure range. I really believe that I am very close now to getting completely off of it. I have talked with my doctor and my next step is to take the amount I am taking now every morning every other morning for a week or so and see how it goes. Then if everything still looks good to just stop taking it. The key here is to monitor my blood pressure every day to be sure it is still in the good range that she has set out for me.

My other goal for the spring and summer will be a lot harder, I want to finally get down to where my doctor would like me to be and that is about 190. My plan for this is not set in stone as of yet and will mostly depend on how it goes with getting off the blood pressure meds, for I really believe I will gain some when I am completely off of them. I do not plan on going out of maintenance to lose the weight I just plan on it working out from the plan I have been on for the last 2 years. My calorie budget per day is 2000 calories and I do my best not to eat into my burned calories. By eating 2000 calories a day my body should reach its set point. The set point is where it is the healthiest weight wise. And as long as I can stick with my walking and other exercises I should stay fit.

This is my plan and I am open for suggestions.

Looking Back

I look back over the changes I have made since I started this journey (1/1/2011) and I cannot believe it. I have lost more than 85 pounds; I have gone from 46 waist to 34 waist. When I started this journey I could barely walk a quarter of a mile I now walk and average of 6.5 miles a day. I was eating fast food like it was the only thing available, now I refuse to eat fast food at all. Fried food was always on my menu, now I eat it every now and then but even then it is cooked at home in olive oil and not very much of it even. Before starting this journey I did not get outdoors much (was always too tired) now I cannot stand to be inside. I hired my yard work done (I just did not have the energy to do it); now I love doing my own yard (it gets me outside). I lived on the computer and that was all I did, now the computer is my way to make a living and I get away from it every chance I have. I drank died coke like it was water (it was my water), now I cannot stand the taste of it (will drank an A&W Root Beer as a treat). At that time it was not only seconds at every meal it was thirds most of the time. Now I eat what is on my plate (and it is a smaller plate than before) and it most of the time is more than I want. I have always loved fruits and vegetables so that was not a change I have just changed to way I eat them and I can make a meal just out of fruits and vegetables if I wish. I was always a huge red meat eater, and I still eat red meat but not near as much. I have always loved fish; I just eat it a lot more now.

The biggest changes are that I was on cholesterol meds, acid reflux meds, a high dose of blood pressure meds, I am now down to just 1 eighth the amount of blood pressure meds I was on and should be getting off of it soon, and no longer am I taking cholesterol or acid reflux meds. I also have a completely different outlook on life. I was a chore just to get up in the mornings and to do anything. I know look forward to getting up and doing whatever I need to do and better yet what I want to do. I look forward to walking and to riding my bike and even to doing yard work. Life is so much better and I feel so much better. I believe I have a future at my age instead of it being the end of my life.

Everyone needs to exercise and to eat correctly for no other reason than to feel good about themselves and their families and there calling in life. You noticed I hope that I did not say their work I said their calling, as we all have a calling and most of us do not have any idea what that calling is.

We can win the battle of weight and fitness even at my age

Sorry if I bore you but I do like to look over stats, and what I have noticed is that every time I go to a lower weight that I have been before, while on this journey I have gained back as much as 5 pounds then I slowly drop back down sometimes I go lower than I have been and others I level out at a weight a pound or two above the lowest I have been. Then I will do a push to drop some weight and the process just repeats itself. I has been very frustrating to me but at least now I recognize it as being something that my body just does. It is like a few weeks ago I made it to 194 then boom I was up to 199, now I have been on a slow and steady drop back to 197.4 which of course I have been to before. If I am correct I will drop to somewhere around 196 and level off for some time then I should be able to drop again to 194 and below and the process will continue this way until one day in the distant future I should reach the goal that my doctor would like me to get to somewhere between 188 and 192. I believe I will do it but I will not push it, I just now believe it will happen even if it takes another year or more.

And I also believe if I keep working at it and retraining my body I will get off the blood pressure meds. You see even my doctor does not believe I need the meds for my blood pressure but due to the fact that I have been on them so very long my body just is not functioning without them. But I am slowly pulling my body off of them by slowly cutting it down and I believe that I will be off of them sometime before the end of this year. At this time am taking just 1 eighth of the amount every day that I was back last fall. I can win this battle too.

All I am trying to say here is that the more you know yourself, and the more you are willing to push yourself, but be patient you can win the battle. Yes I know there are certain issue that will not be won and we just have to except it. But the ones that can be we need to take on ourselves to win. But also never do it without your doctors approval and supervising. 

This journey of health and fitness

I have been on my journey for about 28 months, in that time I have gone from only knowing I wanted to lose some weight, and I wanted to get off all of the medications that I was taking to knowing a lot more about how food, calories, and exercise works on the body. I have learned also that as you change your body you have to change the calories in, and you have to change or increase the exercise and you have to change what you eat and do not eat. I have also learned that like life itself our bodies are always changing and what you could eat one day may make you sick the next. But most of all I have l learnt that the body is amazing it adapts to life changes much faster than or minds and believes do. I have also learnt that I have to continually read and learn and to not believe everything that I read. When it comes to diet and exercise there are as many believes as there are humans in the world. If we are going to be successful at weight control, diet and exercise we have to find what works for you and I have to find what works for me. I have found trainers can be great in helping to come up with an exercise plan, if you take control and reason out what the trainers are telling you and you then modify that to work with your own body and conditions.  So what I am saying is do not be afraid to read, research, and or ask question but understand that you will have to adapted it to what you can do, when it comes to fiscal conditions and also work time, family time, and personal (me) time. We have to balance it out and be welling to except that we may not be able to do it all. It is better to exercise a little less than what we had hoped for than not to exercise at all.  Also be willing to except that we will not always be able to eat the way we would like for many reasons such as eating out, going visiting friends and family, and due to work travels. But if we are armed with knowledge of what works and does not work we can survive the events and have a wonderful time at the same time. Also remember we may have a bad day or week or if a long trip a few weeks but we can fall back and recover and we will make our goals just be flexible about the timing and be willing to modify the plans as needed. Life is so short so we should not be so single minded that we do not enjoy the life that God has given us. 

God is my Savior and without him I am nothing.

Life is short and we really do not believe it until something happens to make you think about it and you reflect on life and what you have. It seems that we all place importance on material things until we get to realize how short and wonderful life really is. If we spend just a fraction if the money and time that we spend on our material things on ourselves, our families, friends and the needy we would be so much of a better world. I see people every day that believe that without power, money and all the material things that go with it they are nothing. But really you are nothing without God and your faith that God will provide for you.

Also we are asked about what religion we belong to, folks I do not believe in religion I believe only in God and Jesus. Religions only get us in trouble and causes people to fight over things that are so stupid. God said that there is only one true Church and it is God’s Church which is the belief in God, for which you have to have the faith that God will provide for you. Without Faith we have nothing and all the material things of this earth and all of the money will be for nothing.

I believe in God. I believe that Jesus is the son of God that was sent to save my soul. I do not believe in religion for I believe religion is the Devil’s way to divide God’s people and have them continually fighting amount themselves.

I know that there are a lot that I disagree with me but I really cannot help it. I read my Bible from the stand point of having a completely open mind. I do not read the Bible looking for something to prove my believes; but to understand what God expects from me.

God is my savior and without him I am nothing.

God Bless all of my friends

Just been thinking today.

I keep envisioning myself weighing in at 190 or even 185, but my body has other thoughts, I seem to drop down to as low as 194 this past March then my body says not so fast and inches back up to 198 or so. But I do see improvements in my percent of fat and also in the way my clothes fit. I guess it is only being human to not ever being satisfied and want more or in this case less. I have not given up I am just adjusting, instead of worrying about the pounds I am concentrating on my fitness, health and keeping my blood pressure under control. I do hope to keep my weight at 200 or below and as long as I have an average weight for this year at or less than 200 I have won anyway. I keep telling myself to eat well, exercise as much as possible, and keep the stress and blood pressure under control and everything else will fit in. It may not be to the doctor’s liking or even my liking but it will keep my body in balance and that is what really counts. 

Remember a diet is our life style

Just remember if what you are eating to lose weight is not something you can eat the rest of your life then your diet will never work the way it should. A diet is not just about losing weight it is about keeping it off. You have to ask yourself am I going to be able to live on this type of diet the rest of my life. A diet really is not about losing weight it is what we eat every day of our lives. We are known for our bad diets and we have to learn to modify our diets to be healthy. When people say they are going on a diet, I sometimes have a very smart come back: “What you are just not going to start eating food”. Like I have finally come to realize over the last 2 plus years diet is our eating life style and to lose weight we have to change our life style. Also you can never be healthy and fit without the correct eating life style and a good exercise program to go with it. 

A few words of wisdom

First off, Linda is getting stronger and learning what she can and cannot eat. One thing we have learned about big time is whey protein powder. It is something Linda has to have to get her needed protein and I have learned that it really helps me too. Most mornings I add a scope of protein powder with a cup of milk and it really makes my day go better. Also the whey protein and the fact that I have added probiotics to my supplements have really helped my stomach behave nicely. And I have upped my protein to about 120 grams a day and I have lowered my carbs some so I keep my calories at about 2000 a day. My weight is being more protectable and with the lowering of my blood pressure meds (water pill) I seem to be doing much better. Also it is spring, at least here it is, and I have upped my walking and working in the yard and do some bike riding so that has really helped me with my blood pressure and I hope with my weight. As I have said before my average weight over the last 13 months was just less than 200 pounds. So that is my goal weight for now own or until my body proves me wrong. The 2000 calories a day seems to be where my energy level is the best and it is over my BMR for the day. There will be days that I eat below that amount and also days I will eat just over it, that is okay too.

The lesson here is to be willing to learn your own body and to figure out what works best for you, also your body and your life is a never ending change so never get too comfortable with your routine and habits, they need to change and change often.  The weather affects your eating and how much you eat as much as anything I know that if it is cold I eat more and if it is hot I eat much less. But we have to learn to control it and except the changes we see in our bodies some of them will be to our liking and some of them will not.

Everyone again have a great weekend

Before and Now

Christmas 2009

Today 3/27/2013

Something that a friend posted on facebook and I really believe in it.

Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. What it will do is what some call 'turning to sugar'. In reality, honey is always honey. However, when left in a cool dark place for a long time it will "crystallize". When this happens loosen the lid, boil some water and sit the honey container in the hot water, but turn off the heat and let it liquefy naturally. It is then as good as it ever was. Never boil honey or put it in a microwave. This will kill the enzymes in the honey.

Cinnamon and Honey
Bet the drug companies won't like this one getting around. Facts on Honey and Cinnamon:
It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a 'Ram Ban' (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without side effects for any kind of diseases.
Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, when it is taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm even diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, in its issue dated 17 January,1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon, as researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES:
Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply it on bread instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, when they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.
ARTHRITIS:
Arthritis patients may take daily (morning and night) one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week (out of the 200 people so treated) practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain -- and within a month, most all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis now started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS:
Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder..

CHOLESTEROL:
Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS:
Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH:
Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from its root.

GAS:
According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that when Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION:
Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food is eaten relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA:
A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural 'Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY:
Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of water and boil to make a tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans increase and even a 100 year old will start performing the chores of a 20-year-old..

RASPY OR SORE THROAT:
When throat has a tickle or is raspy, take one tablespoon of honey and sip until gone. Repeat every three hours until throat is without symptoms.
PIMPLES:
Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm water. When done daily for two weeks, it removes all pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS:
Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS:
Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER:
Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder three times a day for one month .

FATIGUE:
Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, even when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, when taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M., the vitality of the body increases within a week.

BAD BREATH:
People of South America, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water first thing in the morning so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS:
Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

You might want to share this information with a friend, kinfolks and loved ones. Everyone needs healthy help information ~ what they do with it is up to them ~ share with your email buddies... They deserve to be healthy too!!!

The way my bike is setup

The bike as I ordered it and recieved it

My bike now that I have it the way I want it.

Spring has come to Central Texas.

 I am seeing more and more people getting out for walks, bike rides, and jogging. Most of them are the ones that I saw last spring, summer and fall then they just went into hibernation come winter. I hope they were going to the gym over the winter, but really there are only just a few days here in the winter that should keep anyone from being outside. Now come summer around here I will have to start walking a lot earlier in the morning. Are after dark in the evenings, it is just too hot to do a long walk or log bike ride when it is 100 degrees out.

But I have learned a lot about life and about myself and about what is important in life. The most important things in life is God, family, health and the love of life itself. Things are not that important anymore, I can now understand why my parents always said that when I was a young child that I was happier playing with an old tin can or box or a piece of old tree limb than I was a shiny new toy. Of course I loved my first bike, because it gave me freedom to go and go and go. But I would still take very long walks over the land. You see my grandpa was a farmer and we lived way out in the country then and I would go down to the creeks and just walk and walk and walk. It was nothing unusual for me to leave the house on Saturday a little after sunrise and not come home until about dark. I would take a snack or sandwich with me and back then I would drink the water out of the creeks. That was the times that I was most free and I loved and still do love nature.

I have been to most of the large cities of this country and a few around the world and I felt like I was in prison when I was there. I am a country boy and I have to see Mother Nature’s earth and I really could do without pavement and concrete all together. I feel that God is pulling at my strings and I need to make a change. I also feel that God was behind me getting in better health and fitness because he has something he wants me to do.

Please pray that I can listen to what God is asking and do what he is wanting me to do.

It seems to me that a lot of people come to this site thinking that it is an easy fix. I see the ones that are on here, they lose some weight then disappear, believing that now they have lost the weight it is easy sailing from now on. Come on every one losing the weight is the easy part keeping it off that is the hard part. And it is a journey for the rest of your life, learning the checks and balances of maintaining. And believe me as you change your body you have to change your eating and your exercises. I know that logging everything you eat, and logging your exercises which to me is less important can be a pain. And I cannot tell you how many times that I have been told why bother and others that say you sure are rude for doing this while we are here or eating. My come back is this is this is for the benefit of my health and fitness and I will continue with my logging. And I flatly say that weight loss and weight control is not something you can do without working at it.

Also I am not afraid to ask anyone how much salt is in what they fix. Yes it may make some mad or upset. But it is my health and wellbeing I have to worry about. And I have stopped going to a lot of cafes and all fast food places because of it. But the benefit is that I have learned to cook some of my own meals, and I have learned that I can make it just find on fresh fruits and veggies at times.

So everyone hang in here keep logging and keep learning about your bodies and be welling to change often.

Just been thinking.

I guess you could say that I have been doing a lot of thinking and crunching the numbers lately. I went under 205 in January of 2012 and at the time I had changed my first goal down to 200 because I believe I could go lower and stay there. Then on March 2 2012 I decided that I was not going to be able to keep my weight down to below 200 and reset it back to 205. I have had some ups and downs sense then but I have stayed below 205 every month sense going below 205 in January of 2012. I have also gone back and research the fact that at the time I finished boot camp in 1969, that I had stayed at an average of 205 up until I was about 45 years old then I just stopped exercising and working in the yard and became a desk worker and that is when my weight started going up. I did try a lot of times over the years to lose weight only to regain it due to being on a “Diet” and not making a “Life Style Change”. So what I am saying is to hack with the BMI charts and everything else I am going to work at staying below 205 for the rest of my life and keep on my “New Life Style” and just be happy with who I am. I am getting too old to sweat the stuff anymore. With that said I will not be unhappy if I do lose a few more pounds but I am no longer going to be in a fight to do so. My exercise routine is working and I am going to stick with it, also my food concerns are with keep my calories at around 2000 calories eaten on the average, and keep on walking and do the little bit of weights that I do. And of course bike riding whenever I can.

Do not worry I am not leaving the LoseIt site, for my life style depends on me logging what I do.

Life is a strange thing

We always have our good times and bad times. If we go to the doctors and listen to them we get conflicting information a lot of time. At my age I have been to a lot of different doctors from coast to coast, good one and maybe not so good one. I was in the Navy for just over 8 years, and for the most point back at the time I was in the Navy about all they cared about was making sure you were doing your duty. I got out of the Navy back in the late 70s and about a year later I went to the doctor for very bad headaches. The doctor took my blood pressure once and put me on blood pressure medications and I was on them up until I went off of them here in the last month. I ever since that time I have always kept a record of my blood pressure myself. I had very seldom ever gotten a measurement of more than 135/90, but every time I go in to a doctor’s office it will always be over 140/90 and it has not been until the my doctor that I have just lost due to a promotion that I was said to have white coat centrum. And what is bad there are doctor that still will not except that there is such an issue.

I can take my blood pressure myself and get normally 115/75 then step into the doctor’s office and it will be 142/92. This makes it look like I have high blood pressure, and for the longest time I was so upset about that and just could not get a good explanation from anyone. So if this happens to you do your best to talk it out with the doctors. It just may say you a lot of issue to. And as I do I believe you should always go in the your doctor’s office with your on chart of where you take your own blood pressure every morning when you first get up.

Some thing I posted to an article on CNN

I have been on a two year journey to lose weight and get fit. I have lost 82 pounds and I feel much better. But If I go by the BMI charts I will have to lose another 23 pounds just to get to the top end of normal for my 6 feet. I have gone from a 46 waist to 34 waist and I have gone from being on blood pressure, cholesterol, and acid reflux medicines to none.  I have listened to my doctor and also to my body. And what I learned is that you have to eat small meals and you need to eat about 5 times a day. You never skip breakfast. For me salt is a big issue. I eat too much salt and I can gain 5 pounds in water weight overnight.  The biggest problem with USA and the whole now is fast food and eating too fast.  Yes exercise has played a big part of my weight loss, but the biggies part was learning to eat correctly and that diet is not something we do to lose weight it is a way of life and we have to change our diet life style to lose the weight and keep it off along with exercise.  I am now 65 and I feel better than I have felt since I was about 35 and my blood work and doctor reports show that I am healthier than I have been since I was about 45. I will I ever lose enough to get down to the BMI chart reading I should have, I do not know only time will tell and my body will be that judge. I will feed it correctly and I will exercise and we will see.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/16/health/weight-study/index.html?hpt=hp_bn12

My quest to not have to take the water pill

Today makes 4 days without taking my water pill. Yes my weight is up but my blood pressure is good, and I do not have swelling in my feet, ankles or hands. My stomach feels so much better, no cramps.  I will continue to monitor my weight and blood pressure daily. My doctor does not want me to take my blood pressure except after I first get up in the morning.

As long as I do not have swelling in my feet, ankles and hands I should be good. I will be monitoring myself very closely for sore joints, headaches, and becoming grumpy and angry, as that was a sign the last two times that I tried stop the pill that I was not having a good time of it. I have researched and the water retention is normally worse in hotter, humid weather and that was the case last time two times I tried to get off this pill. I am hoping that with it being cold weather now I can get use to the fact that I am not taking the pill before it gets too hot.  But I know if I need to take the pill I will but I do not plan on taking it all the time again unless my doctor orders me to. 

I have a dream and that dream is my goal for this year.

I will finally manage to get off the water pill, at least on daily and scheduled basics. That I will be able to better control my salt intake and also my exercise. Then finally I will be able to have my weight to stabilize and maybe somewhere down the road be able to get to my desired weight.

Of course that means that my blood pressure stays stable while I am off the water pill, and that I can keep my exercising to the level that keeps me fit but does not ever stress me to the point I get hurt. 

I know I have said this many times but I am in this for the long haul.

When I started my journey, I did not have a weight in mind to get down to, I had a goal of getting off as much of my medications as possible. I have managed to get off my acid reflux and cholesterol medications, as well as cut my blood pressure (water pill) medication in half and even was told I should be able to get off of it. I am still trying to get off of the water pill. I really believe that I have become addicted to the water pill and it is stuck in my brain that I need it to survive.

I have researched the water pill to see what it does to the body and I do not like what I have read. Not only does it force your body, and all of your tissue to squeeze out the water that it has, also it, in most case cause you to lose needed nutrition that is important to your health.  And that has meant for me that I am always fighting dry skin, at my ankles, feet, elbows and forehead. It also means that I am forever thirsty and have a dry mouth and throat. And of course it means getting up extra times at night to go to the bedroom.

Below is from: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/diuretic-treatment

What Are the Side Effects of Diuretics?

Like any drug, diuretics come with potential side effects. They can include:

·         Frequent urination. This may last for several hours after a dose.

·         Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm)

·         Electrolyte abnormalities -- Blood test monitoring of blood chemistries or electrolytes, such as potassium, sodium, or kidney function, is important before and during drug use.

·         Extreme tiredness or weakness. These effects should decrease as your body adjusts to the medication. Call your doctor if these symptoms persist.

·         Muscle cramps or weakness. If you take potassium supplements, be sure that you are taking your potassium supplement correctly, if prescribed. Contact your doctor if these symptoms persist.

·         Dizziness , lightheadedness. Try rising more slowly when getting up from a lying or sitting position.

·         Blurred vision, confusion, headache, increased perspiration (sweating), and restlessness. If these effects are persistent or severe, contact your doctor.

·         Dehydration . Signs include dizziness, extreme thirst, excessive dryness of the mouth, decreased urine output, dark-colored urine, or constipation. If these symptoms occur, don't assume you need more fluids, call your doctor.

·         Fever , sore throat, cough, ringing in the ears, unusual bleeding or bruising, rapid and excessive weight loss. Contact your doctor right away.

·         Skin rash . Stop taking the medication and contact your doctor right away.

·         Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, or muscle cramps. Be sure that you are taking your potassium supplement correctly, if prescribed.

At one point or another I have notice most of the side effects. At this time I am seeing issues with blurred vision and I am using eye moistening drops like crazy. And my eye doctor does say it is due to the water pill. Wow I just noticed one other site effect, ringing in my ears; I have had that for over 30 years, and guess what this is about how long I have been taking some form of water bill.

So as you see I have a lot of incentive to get off the water pills.

What I am trying to do to get off my water pill

As I work at getting off my water pill dependence, you can expect me to gain 5 pounds or more. Then if I can keep off the medication I should be able to truly lose weight again. About all I have done this past year was to gain water weight then to lose the water weight. It has been a roller coaster ride. Or the old yo-yo weight issues. What I do not want to happen is that my blood pressure goes up and not be in a healthy range. So what I will be doing is every morning I will taking my blood pressure the first thing in the morning even before anything else. And I will be weighing myself first thing in the morning, this will be giving me more or less a controlled standard for my measurements. I know very well that my weight will very day by day and even during the day with what I eat and drink. 

That is where averaging and trending comes in. That is why I am so much in to averaging my weight over time and also I do the same thing with my blood pressure and heart rate. So here are a few changes that I will be making.

No soft drinks at all, I have been drinking a few A&W diet root beers, which I love. But it has about 190 mg of salt per serving so that is out of the question at least for a while.  I have been and will continue to limit my beer to no more than 1 12 bottle a week. I have been and will continue to limit my bacon to the very low salt. While eating at home my wife and I do not add salt to anything we cook. We limit the amount of canned foods we use to as low as possible. We watch labels, and we do not eat out very much at all. My trail mix that I eat daily is from Sprouts and I mix it myself making sure it has no salt added. The dressing we use with our salads are mixed by us which means no added salt.

I will not always be able to keep my daily salt limited to 1500 mg, but I will do my best to keep my daily average at or below 1700 mgs of salt a week, or about 12000 mgs of salt a week max.

Let see how this goes.