Shark Sandwich

[luvmybabyhead]

Z, you are a funny and very insightful guy. In a few words, I've really enjoyed your posts and have been inspired by them. Thank you.

[Phranquie]

Originally Posted by Z

If I only lose 1 pound a week, I'll finish out the year on the other side of the 100 pounds down marker.

I'm currently averaging 2.88 pounds lost per week. if I keep that rate up, I'll hit my goal and be in maintenance by next winter.,

I've heard entirely too many stories about dramatic and rapid weight loss. Heck - 50 pounds in 4 months? I am a story of dramatic rapid weight loss. And lots of floppy skin. That's ok. I can live with that.

And so as I focus on everything else in life, it's good to know that I can put the diet on cruise control and it'll take care of itself.

Your weight loss might slow down the smaller you get but you never know. Men do so well with low carb and with the walking and future exercise your muscle mass will burn fat. I take any weight loss I get, fast or slow, it's all a loss. After 100lbs down and that much more to go I am starting to get the loose skin, but it is the price I pay for being obese for so long. Loose skin is definitely better than being unhealthy.

[AnnF]

Originally Posted by Z

Happy new year, back atcha!

I know I'm supposed to post more often, but I really captured what's been on my mind on that last post:

The weight isn't the problem. It's not the focus, and there's nothing I can do about it directly. I can only change the weight by focusing on behaviors. Increasingly, I'm looking for opportunities to change. Fortunately, I suppose, I possess a great many habits which could benefit from improvement.

If I only lose 1 pound a week, I'll finish out the year on the other side of the 100 pounds down marker

I'm currently averaging 2.88 pounds lost per week. if I keep that rate up, I'll hit my goal and be in maintenance by next winter.

What feels realistic to me, assuming that the rate of loss will continue to slow as I approach goal is probably 220 pounds this time next year, or a total loss of 76 pounds for the year. That said, I've heard entirely too many stories about dramatic and rapid weight loss. Heck - 50 pounds in 4 months? I am a story of dramatic rapid weight loss. And lots of floppy skin. That's ok. I can live with that.

And so as I focus on everything else in life, it's good to know that I can put the diet on cruise control and it'll take care of itself.

You aren't supposed to do anything here... and I'm pretty sporadic about posting in my own journal, too. I don't think it can be forced. When you have something to say then it's the right time to post.

I love the idea of putting the diet on cruise control. For myself, the loss has slowed a bit and that's okay. I know as long as I stick to it, I WILL reach my goal. And I am already so much lighter than I was and feeling so much better... everything else is (low carb!) gravy.

[AnnF]

PS: Since I know you are not with your cats right now you might enjoy this live kitten cam. John (foster dad) has fostered 33 cat families and now provides a live stream. I find it very addicting.

[LiterateGriffin]

Ann, you're evil. I now have cats in the background, as I'm going about my other business!

[Z]

Originally Posted by AnnF

PS: Since I know you are not with your cats right now you might enjoy this live kitten cam. John (foster dad) has fostered 33 cat families and now provides a live stream. I find it very addicting.

AWW she's cleaning the kittens! You just made my day.

[GailyGail]

Ann, thank you for the kitten cam! I am a cat lover and nothing makes me happier than to see happy kitties! Z, I don't think your weight loss will slow down at all. I imagine you will keep losing 2-3 pounds per week at a steady clip until you get to goal.

[AnnF]

When they get a little bigger he lets them out into a larger (still enclosed) space and introduces all sorts of fun climbing structures and toys. It's a riot... and then the fateful day comes when he says goodbye and they go out for adoption. Because of the huge internet following people literally line up on adoption day.

[Z]

Bamboozled posted in another thread today that they felt like low carb fixed their thyroid.

This got me to thinking...

I don't pretend to understand what it does at a metabolic level, but it really does feel like HFLC fixes something. Excessive hunger goes away, energy comes back, etc., etc. I look back at all the years I didn't understand why I was gaining weight, and I see how simple the solution has been. Once you're willing to truly give up sugar and carbs, and you embrace the lifestyle... it becomes so easy. And all of the things that were wrong - weight, mood, joints, energy, activity - they start to correct themselves.

I feel like my worst condition was the end result of a system-wide cascading failure with a closed feedback loop. The Alaskan winter caused depression, and kept me indoors more - so I became less active and began to gain weight, which further contributed to my depression, and inactivity. This cycle gathered enough momentum that I gained sufficient weight and apathy due to inactivity and apathy that my joints started to fail. And every day for 10 years was worse than the day before it. I was more tired, and less interested in doing anything.

But this diet seems to has caused something that is the opposite of cascading failure, if there is such a thing. Telescoping success, perhaps?

My weight is lower, so I can move around more, and I'm less depressed when I'm moving around, because I don't look back at my day sick with the realization that I've not moved from my spot on the chair. I'm hungry less, and I'm never starving, and I eat less, but I enjoy more flavorful foods. My joints are better, which helps me to move around, which helps me to regain the strength I need to be just active enough that I can lose weight. And this is helping to dull the intensity of my depression, which helps me to combat the apathy which held me inactive for so long, which in turn is instrumental in me reclaiming my state of fitness. Each recovering system helps to support every other recovering system. Mood, weight, joint health, activity and fitness, all working in synergy to augment each other.

As long as I am getting better every day, even if it's just a little, success is inevitable.

[Terri B]

Wise words.

I've felt both "vicious cycles" I prefer the latter.

Congrats and keep up the locomotion.

[Jrw85705]

Z –I first have to reply to your comment about my before picture. You are not the only one who saw the same thing in it. But I don’t think it is as darkly revealing as it seems. I chose that photo because I know exactly when and where it was taken and it is one of the few photos that truly reflect how heavy I was. I was about 245 pounds. I know the pants I was wearing were waist size 44 inches and the shirt was an XL. It was taken after my stepmother’s 80th birthday and that is the face of a man who has is suffering from a major carb overload. We had the party at our favorite Italian restaurant and I’m sure I consumed more carbs at that one sitting than I do in a month now.

You talk about depression and I’m very lucky, not just lucky but blessed; I have never suffered from it. I have family and friends who have and I can’t imagine what they go through. I have been sad when I have lost someone close and there have been times when I have been melancholy but that always passes after a short time.

What low carb has done for me, and I think you are experiencing something similar, is the feeling that a weight or burden has been lifted or an obstacle has been removed making everything seem easier to do. For me the weight loss is great but the ability to do things that I haven’t been able to do for years is even more rewarding. I know I still have limitations but I have been able to stretch their boundaries to an extent I never thought possible.

One of my main reasons for looking into low carb was being diagnosed with diabetes. That was the one condition that scared me. The potential effects of that disease are terrifying. I was able to keep it under control with medications but even then I would hit highs in the 200 range.

As of December 14, 2012 (1 year and 11 months to the day since I started low carb) I no longer take any medications for diabetes. After about six months into the low carb way of eating my doctor has been having me decrease my meds. We have tracked it very closely. We have come to the point where I can totally control my blood glucose levels with only diet and exercise. I keep a very close watch on my numbers and if I have to go back on some meds in the future that’s ok but I am so grateful for being able to accomplish this.

I’m thrilled that this way of eating is proving positive for you. From my own experience I know it can only get better.

[LiterateGriffin]

I warned you about exercising, Z!!! That stuff is addictive!

For years, I was fat, and knew I needed to get back on Atkins, but it just wasn't practical with where I was with my family. (For example, having toddlers who would literally stuff food in my mouth... I needed to be in a place where that wasn't a crisis.) It was OK -- I was active, and yeah, sure, I was overweight, but nothing out of control. I hadn't even used my cane in ages, because we were biking so much. (The biking was being great PT for my knee.)

Then? One day in March, I was ALONE on my bike -- oh, the novelty! And I fell over. Don't ask -- it was the stupidest bike accident in history. Anyway, I got messed up pretty bad. At first, we thought I'd cracked my pubic bone. (I rode a men's bike that was slightly too tall for me, and that's where I took the brunt of the impact.) It was so bad that -- without insurance -- I went in to Immediate Care to get it X-rayed. The doc X-rayed that, my arm, and a couple other places. Yes, my left knee was banged up, but we both thought that was fine -- no X-ray. Two weeks later, everything we X-rayed felt fine. 2 MONTHS later I still screamed if you lightly brushed that knee.

It was bad. I was in pain beyond words, constantly. I was pretty much bed-bound for months. During which time, I wasn't getting the exercise (biking) that had been responsible for my joint-health... Yeah... big, bad, snowball of decaying mobility and joint-health... leading to depression, weight-gain, etc.

For the past year, now, the snowball's been going in the opposite direction. I got care for the knee, fixed the diet, began exercising... Tonight? I swam laps for half an hour. (Time was, my knee wouldn't LET me lap-swim! I had to stick to water-walking.) And I'll be back at the gym tomorrow.

It's all so mutually-reinforcing, it's wonderful. Nothing like a positive feedback loop on your side! Better food produces more energy, produces more movement, produces more energy.... and all of it produces improved "mood", which produces better energy and more movement.

I'm 42 (or will be in a month). I used to FEEL like I was around twice that. Now? I feel better (by a LOT) than I did at 32. I may not QUITE feel like I'm in my 20's again... but certainly in my early 30's. And it's amazing what improved physical well-being can do to ease depression -- for me, anyway. (Of course, a fair amount of my depression these past 12 years had its origin as situational depression over my deteriorating health.)

I'm so glad you're likewise riding that snowball forwards. I'm telling you, Z, ya gotta be careful! Before you know it, you'll be going out and buying clothes for the express purpose of getting sweaty in them.

[Z]

Originally Posted by Jrw85705

Z –I first have to reply to your comment about my before picture. You are not the only one who saw the same thing in it. But I don’t think it is as darkly revealing as it seems...

...that is the face of a man who has is suffering from a major carb overload. We had the party at our favorite Italian restaurant and I’m sure I consumed more carbs at that one sitting than I do in a month now.

What low carb has done for me, and I think you are experiencing something similar, is the feeling that a weight or burden has been lifted or an obstacle has been removed making everything seem easier to do. For me the weight loss is great but the ability to do things that I haven’t been able to do for years is even more rewarding.

...I’m thrilled that this way of eating is proving positive for you. From my own experience I know it can only get better.

I guess I misread then - my apologies

I absolutely agree with the bit about a weight being lifted. It's like there was an invisible hand holding me back - and weighing me down. The fact that the damage is being corrected faster than it accrued is marvelous.

As for diabetes, I don't have it because you have to see a doctor to get diabetes, and I haven't had insurance for years.

[taokeema]

Originally Posted by Z

...I think it's so important to our journey that we seek each other out and share these experiences - That we de-isolate ourselves. If carbs are an addiction (and I assert that they are), correcting what we eat is only a part of our recovery. We also have to heal that inner pain that led us over the top. We have to understand why we eat. Talking to each other, we can better understand ourselves.

This is beautiful. You are beautiful. Thank you for inviting me into your world.

tao

[Phranquie]

Originally Posted by Z

As for diabetes, I don't have it because you have to see a doctor to get diabetes, and I haven't had insurance for years.

You probably don't have high blood pressure or high cholesterol either! The good thing with eating LC is that when you do get to a doctor you will more than likely be in awesome health on all fronts. My blood work last month was fantastic and my doc is thrilled with my LC lifestyle. He lowered my thyroid meds for the first time ever. He said my thyroid was not having to struggle now that my body mass was smaller. The health benefits of eating LC are wide and varied. It is too bad most people think low carbers will all die with a piece of bacon in our mouths. I think that after a long HEALTHY life that is a great way to go.

[Jrw85705]

It is too bad most people think low carbers will all die with a piece of bacon in our mouths. [/QUOTE]

I can't think of a better way to go!

[pibble mama]

I will admit right off the bat that I haven't read ALL the posts....1st page/11th page (for sheer time saving) and LOVED all that I did read!

Dr. Avery (I missed that somewhere...all I saw was Z. So my apologies for missing that! ) Loved the posts, the usage of the English language and the love of words! Have you read The Professor and the Madman? Incredible book~ short read, but great!

I too have been on the darker side of 350+ (after about 325 I quit looking!) Went from a size 32 down to a 10. After that, no one told me I would STILL look like I weighed 300lbs. A great Dr. took off enough pounds of loose skin that would have kept me in the obese wall chart at any Dr. office! Then life got back in my way (darn teaching gig! lol STRESS!) But I have for several months been chugging away at getting back to what led to my "cute" clothes and am more determined than ever to live there! You are 100% right that there are things they don't let out to the general public about being "that size"...had I only known!

Keep up the good fight, listen to yourself and above all else...have fun on here! I have been on and off for years with an extremely old email...so I started over today! lol....
Keep your great posts coming!

[LiterateGriffin]

Originally Posted by Phranquie

It is too bad most people think low carbers will all die with a piece of bacon in our mouths.

That's it -- I'm informing my husband and including that in my living will! 50 years from now, I want to die with bacon in my mouth!

[pibble mama]

Originally Posted by LiterateGriffin

That's it -- I'm informing my husband and including that in my living will! 50 years from now, I want to die with bacon in my mouth!

What a way to go!! I've always said I wanted to die shoe shopping in Nordstrom at 99 with a dirty martini in one hand and a pair of Jimmy Choos in the other!!! And then sprinkles my ashes at Harvey Nick's please!

[Mina Vendetta]

Lots of interesting insights here -- just read all 11 pages. Thanks for documenting your ride so far, and I'm looking forward to updates.

[Z]

Thanks for stopping by, everyone! I'm always happy to see new faces - and happier still to see some old ones.

I'm afraid I've fallen behind again - so forgive me if I am more brief than usual.

As always, everything that follows is my opinion. The writing flows more evenly in my head if I speak from a declarative and factual tone of voice, but understand that I might be wrong, or we might disagree, and that's ok. I'm always afraid that people will read too much surety into my words. I state few absolute truths, and even those are probably arguable from some standpoint. To reiterate, my words reflect my opinion - and should hopefully never be taken as an affront or a challenge to opposing opinions.

Originally Posted by Mina Vendetta

Lots of interesting insights here -- just read all 11 pages. Thanks for documenting your ride so far, and I'm looking forward to updates.

Thanks for sticking it out - I hope you've enjoyed it so far. It has been a really wonderful experience for me to have the opportunity to share my low-carb odyssey with others.

Originally Posted by pibble mama

I will admit right off the bat that I haven't read ALL the posts....1st page/11th page (for sheer time saving) and LOVED all that I did read!

Dr. Avery (I missed that somewhere...all I saw was Z. So my apologies for missing that! ) Loved the posts, the usage of the English language and the love of words! Have you read The Professor and the Madman? Incredible book~ short read, but great!

I too have been on the darker side of 350+ (after about 325 I quit looking!) Went from a size 32 down to a 10. After that, no one told me I would STILL look like I weighed 300lbs. A great Dr. took off enough pounds of loose skin that would have kept me in the obese wall chart at any Dr. office! ...You are 100% right that there are things they don't let out to the general public about being "that size"...had I only known!

Keep your great posts coming!

Thanks. Around here it's just 'Z' - no apologies needed

I would really love to hear more about the skin removal process, because it's looking like I'm going to have a ton of loose skin to deal with.

There's a million things they don't tell you. And as much as I've suffered both socially and inwardly because of my weight, it must be even worse for women given the premium society places on physical attractiveness among females. As a guy, I can gain some ground back by being smart or funny or wealthy or competent. I'm not saying women can't bring these things to the table, but no matter what, they are less likely to seen as anything other than (and forgive me for even mentioning this unfortunate nomenclature) 'fat chick'.

It is the first and often the last thing many people will tend to notice. Such brazen narrow-mindedness is sad and cruel. I am hopeful that with time we will collectively overcome this backwards mentality - this remnant of darker times. No question that great strides have already been made in the last 50 years, but we started with such a deeply ingrained culture of sexism that it is difficult for people to see the subtler forms that persist to this day.

I can't imagine dealing with those kinds of pressures. I told you at the outset that all of this is my opinion. But I hold this next part to be absolute and immutable fact. I know it is the opposite of everything society says (explicitly and implicitly) but I hope that everyone here will always remember:

• You are not the number on the scale
• You are not your dress size
• You are not your bra size
• You are not your body type
• You are not your hip to waist ratio
• You are not your BMI
• 'Pretty' is no more a measure of your character than 'tall'
• 'Beautiful' has absolutely nothing to do with 'pretty'
• You are not the labels that others apply to you
• Your value as a person lies not in that which people can see - but in that which they cannot see.

I know - I'm not exactly breaking new ground with any of that. But it needs to be said and said frequently, because the opposing view is reiterated in every movie, television show, and pop culture icon that there is. It's hard to internalize these things when the majority of society is fighting us every step of the way. Often without even realizing it.

Originally Posted by Phranquie

You probably don't have high blood pressure or high cholesterol either! The good thing with eating LC is that when you do get to a doctor you will more than likely be in awesome health on all fronts. My blood work last month was fantastic and my doc is thrilled with my LC lifestyle. He lowered my thyroid meds for the first time ever. He said my thyroid was not having to struggle now that my body mass was smaller. The health benefits of eating LC are wide and varied. It is too bad most people think low carbers will all die with a piece of bacon in our mouths. I think that after a long HEALTHY life that is a great way to go.

Well, I just got insurance this month, so I'm probably going to end up with a bum thyroid, high blood pressure, and diabetes here in the next few weeks

Originally Posted by taokeema

This is beautiful. You are beautiful. Thank you for inviting me into your world.

tao

Thank you so much for coming to visit, Tao. You are far too kind. If my world is beautiful, it is only because I am surrounded by a multitude of wonderful people. Their ceaseless support, wisdom, and kindness is the inspiration that makes all of this possible.

[taokeema]

what you say is so true, Z. i love that platforms like this allow us to lead with what is inside, instead of our skins providing the first impression. we get a chance here that isn't afforded walking around.

Originally Posted by Z

... You are far too kind. If my world is beautiful, it is only because I am surrounded by a multitude of wonderful people. Their ceaseless support, wisdom, and kindness is the inspiration that makes all of this possible.

and you're humble, too.

[Rayne_W]

Originally Posted by Z

You are not the number on the scale

• You are not your dress size
• You are not your bra size
• You are not your body type
• You are not your hip to waist ratio
• You are not your BMI
• 'Pretty' is no more a measure of your character than 'tall'
• 'Beautiful' has absolutely nothing to do with 'pretty'
• You are not the labels that others apply to you
• Your value as a person lies not in that which people can see - but in that which they cannot see.

You've no idea how much I needed to read this, Z. Thank you.

[Velvet]

As always I love your posts Z. They are so true, and I always feel as if I look at someone who writes from the heart.

And yay for insurrance. :-)

[Z]

Just in case anyone didn't get the reference...

[Rayne_W]

I am ashamed to say I had forgotten that. We haven't yet replaced our VHS copy with DVD/Blu-ray, and it's long overdue.

FWIW, I still refer to our surround sound system as "Dubbley".

[Z]

Originally Posted by Rayne_W

I am ashamed to say I had forgotten that. We haven't yet replaced our VHS copy with DVD/Blu-ray, and it's long overdue.

FWIW, I still refer to our surround sound system as "Dubbley".

Dubbley!

[Z]

My typical day.

12:00 PM: Wake up, catch up on the internet.
12:30 PM: Cook and eat breakfast from scratch.
1:00 PM: Shower and get dressed.
1:33 PM: Walk to work.
1:45 PM: Arrive at work.
2:00 PM: Work officially starts.
7:00 PM: Lunch.
12:00 AM: Work officially ends.
1:15 AM: Walk home from work.
1:28 AM: Arrive at home. Sit and relax for about 15 minutes.
1:45 AM: Cook and eat dinner (also from scratch).
2:30 AM: Internet time.
3:30 AM: Wind down time.
4:00 AM: Drop-dead sleep deadline to get 8 hours of sleep

It takes me half an hour to put together a quickie post like this one. my more... comprehensive posts are works which often involve 3 or 4 hours of writing, research, proofreading, rewriting, editing, and polishing.

So many things have been posted the last few days that merit a full reply, and I simply don't have the time in a day to give them the attention they deserve.

[luvmybabyhead]

Originally Posted by Z

You are not the number on the scale...Your value as a person lies not in that which people can see - but in that which they cannot see.


I know - I'm not exactly breaking new ground with any of that. But it needs to be said and said frequently, because the opposing view is reiterated in every movie, television show, and pop culture icon that there is. It's hard to internalize these things when the majority of society is fighting us every step of the way. Often without even realizing it.

I really needed to read this today. You have no idea how much I needed to read this! If I have one more well meaning idiot friend tell me "But you have such a pretty face!" I'm going to freak.

I do think women have it a little harder in general when they're fat but men suffer in private just as much.

[janetsbreeze]

Wow. I read this from start to finish and wanted to chime in to add my sincere congrats on your successes!