Geo - Eye's Wide Open 2012

[geo]

Day 19

B: oatmeal with flax and cinnamon
herbal tea
L: 2 baked potatoes and mex veggies with salsa
D: nothing
S: Apple

Another long day at my dau's dance competition. 5 hours of sitting in small theater seats makes for a very uncomfortable back. It was fun and enjoyable though.

Once again missed dinner and was just too tired to make anything late in the day. So I had an apple to tie me over till bed time I know its not a full days worth of nutrients but I also know my body isn't begging for more food by making me hungry. In fact, I was over stuffed from lunch most of the day.

I need to re-evaluate my volume eating as its not sitting well with me right now. Though mentally I struggle with the fear of not eating enough and getting ravenous and binging. So I have to do this slowly and carefully. It's just weird needing to eat less AND not feeling hungry at the same time.

This woe really does turn the usual thoughts of dieting upside down. Constantly have to remind myself its not a diet but a lifestyle change. It just seems too easy so far. I'm always wondering when I'm going to succumb to the siren call of the SAD. But as the days go by there's no signals from my body telling me to do something else. Its really all a mental game now and thats much easier for me to deal with

[geo]

Day 20 - Week 3

Weight: 245.8 down from: 251.2 started at: 261
BP: 119/76 down from: 124/79 started at: 153/92
Pulse: 55 up from: 50 started at: 88


So I've lost 15.2 pounds in only 3 weeks! I think thats fantastic I forgot to do my BP and RPR so they are blank this week. I'll measure them tomorrow and report back then...So I've edited the BP and pulse numbers. They were taken after work on Day 21. BP is still dropping which is great. Pulse seems to have settled in the 50's which is fine with me

B: 2 cups herbal tea
L: Mex veggies with corn and salsa
cutie orange
herbal tea
S: herbal tea
D: 2 baked potatoes and mixed veggies with salsa

Felt great today. Was a little stressed due to expected work (mondays are almost always bad At any rate, not as bad as I expected though a bit long. No hunger still. I was actually full half way through dinner, but I finished it all anyways...bad habits die hard. next time I will cut back to just one potato.
Forgot to make some rice 2 days in a row and I miss it so I setup the rice cooker on time cook and should have some for lunch tomorrow (working from home then )

Been slowly going through that Primitive Nutrition set of youtube video's. They are very, very good...and looks like he added even more parts to it lately as well. Really excellent stuff and clearly shows a scientific mind at work...

[geo]

Day 21

B: nothing
L: rice and mex veggies with salsa
s: apple
D: 2 large baked potatoes

Good day. Felt well and energetic all day. Stress down a bit (working from home will do that) Was totally stuffed by lunch and thus didn't have much for dinner. I need to change directions on the diet a bit. I just can not eat the volume I used too.

So starting tomorrow, I will cut down on the rice and potatoes a bit. 1 cup of rice vs 2 and 1 large potato vs 2. Hopefully I'll still be adequately full and not over bloated and stuffed as I am now. I generally have no hunger for breakfast anymore which is a bit strange as I love my oatmeal (though have to admit a single serving of oatmeal does not fill me up). So I may add it back in if the lower volume doesn't work out.

Right now this is all just a mental game. It used to take me 45 mins before I was stuffed (which is why I was a volume eater, my sense of hunger was so far out of whack). Now I eat half a meal and I feel satisfied while I'm still eating! I keep eating out of fear I might get hungry. Yes that's silly, but its a mental thing I have to overcome and understand. Hunger is not to feared but to be appreciated as its telling you you need to eat. And eating this way will not put the weight on.

So my next goal is getting rid of the fear of hunger and eating in a more normal (less volume) fashion and learning to trust my sense of hunger.

[geo]

Day 22

B: 2 cups herbal tea
L: Steamed rice and Chinese veggies
S: banana and herbal tea
D: Baked potato
Apple

Felt great this morning. Energy was up, stress down. Went to my fave Chinese restaurant for lunch with a good friend. He commented I looked thinner which morphed into what I'm eating...he seemed interested so we went into it a little bit but I really wasn't up to proselytizing today. At any rate he seemed to be interested.

Interestingly and person at work mentioned I looked thinner in my face today, asked me if I was losing weight. I just smiled and said a bit. I'm not really comfortable yet talking about this woe with people I don't really know well. But I definitely felt good today

I also noticed that my left knee pain has diminished. I have a bad knee that's had ortho surgery on it several years ago to fix some bad pain. Well it didn't really work and over the years just seemed to get worse. I can always tell when the weather is changing as my knee would just cause so much pain. Whenever the barometric pressure would go up so would my knee pain. Winter time is especially bad.

Well I still have the knee pain but the intensity is definitely down. Now its tolerable to the point that I don't have to take any nsaid's. I'm hoping over the coming months it will all just go away forever

[geo]

Day 23

B: 2 cups herbal tea
L: mixed veggies with corn and salsa
Banana
herbal tea
D: rice and mex veggies with salsa
apple

Good day at work today. Ate smaller rice portion today and feel much better. Not bloated at all. Though I still do start to feel full before I finish my meal. I guess thats a good thing

Preparing for my trip tomorrow to Flint Michigan to participate in the CPS-3 study. I lost track of my paperwork and spent some time frantically looking for what was under my nose all the time lol. Isn't that how it always works!

And then the rest of the weekend will be spent at another dance competition for my daughter. So basically another long, tiring , but so much fun weekend to look forward too

Been trying Jeff's meditation technique. So far after about 10 mins I fall asleep Guess thats a bit too much relaxing. Whats wierd though is that twice now when I did fall asleep I had lucid dreams. Those are pretty rare for me so not sure how to explain it.

[Caroveggie]

Interesting journal Geo. Congrats on your progress and committing to better health.

I second the bananas with oatmeal idea. I use them as the sweetener (with cinnamon) and it makes the meal more filling. I have also used real maple syrup when I have oatmeal with blueberries and cinnamon. In that case I wait until the oatmeal has cooled and put a spiral of syrup on top. Sometimes if you mix it in you really don't taste the sweetness. Although now I've gotten used to oatmeal without sweetener also, so that's generally how I now have it.

Your body will adjust to less food over time.

Sometimes I'm an early riser also. I love it because it gives me so much time to get other things done or get a little exercise in.

Keep up the good work! Nice to see your progress.

[geo]

Hi Caroveggie! thanks for the kind words. Its definitely been a journey so far. But at this point it seems to be getting very routine. I've really settled well into this woe and so far have no real complaints. It has turned out to be much easier than I expected and it seems everyday I learn a little something new about myself. I can't wait/weight to see what things will be like in 6 months to a year or so

[geo]

Day 24

B: nothing...fasting for the CPS-3 study
L: nothing...still fasting
S: banana and baby carrots
D: rice and mixed veggies with salsa
apple

Great day! Had been fasting since the night before. About 18 hours total. Went up to Flint to have my blood work done for the CPS-3 Study (Cancer Prevention Study 3) run by the ACS. They had me fill out a little survey.

This time there was a small diet section in it. Basically asked 4 things: how many cups of veggies a day, how many cups of fruit a day, how much red meat a day, and do you eat more refined than whole grains. All of it to cover the past month.

There was also a section on all the suppliments you might be taking as well. The only thing strange on it was they asked if you were taking "saw palmeto". Not sure what that is or why you would take it. And of course there was a section about how much exercise/sitting/sleeping you do a day.

They took 4 test tubes of blood (about 7 teaspoons they said). Unfortunately they will not be sending us the results of the blood tests nor would they say what they were testing for

They'll be sending me another survey to do in a few months and then more every year or so for the next few decades. Seems easy enough and hopefully will prove useful once and for all. For me, I think I have all the proof I need right now of what I need to do

[WeeSpeck]

I am fascinated that you are part of this long-term study. You definitely can make a difference on the outcome. It is a bummer that you will be kept blind on the results of the tests. But, what an awesome contribution you are making to the greater good.

Represent the McDougall life-style well! You are doing great.

[Quinoamania]

There was also a section on all the suppliments you might be taking as well. The only thing strange on it was they asked if you were taking "saw palmeto". Not sure what that is or why you would take it.

Saw Palmetto is used in some alternative medicine contexts to treat BPH or maintain general prostate health, though I don't know of any scientifically reliable studies that show efficacy.

[geo]

Hi Nancy! I will be only 1 of hundred's of thousands in the study so not likely to effect the outcomes much, but 30 yrs from now, I plan to be here to show how right DrM and Jeff are But first I need to get myself fully healthy and that will happen soon enough. Thanks for the kind words!

And Quinoamania,I just did some pubmed searches for cancer and saw palmetto and there are quite a few studies on it especially relating to prostrate cancer. So that probably why it was listed on the survey. Always learning something new everyday

[geo]

Day 25

B: nothing
L: rice and mixed veggies with salsa
S: banana
D: oatmeal with flax and cinnamon

Great day but oh so busy. Spent the day watching my daughter dance. we were out from like 2PM till after 9PM. So was a long day. Was tired and didn't want a large dinner so late so just had the oatmeal to tie me over. Was never hungry all day, too pre-ocuppied I guess And tomorrow we get to do it all over again!

Found this nice exercise site called MaxCapacityTraining.com. A 12 week program of quick but intense body-weight exercises. They explain the program, show you how to do the exercises and let you store your training data right on the site. Very nice for those that want a change in routine that can be done in < 20 mins 3 times a week at home without purchasing anything. Its aggresive but it should get you fit quickly.

[geo]

Day 26

B: nothing
L: rice and mixed veggies with salsa
S: banana and raw baby carrots
D: baked potato and sweet potato
apple

Good day. Went to dau's dance competition again. Today though was only about 4 hrs long so not nearly as tiring as yesterday. I ate too much today, feeling bloated again. Tried to prepare myself for the long day away from home and in the end it was just too much food. Oh well live and learn

Slept well as usual. In fact I've noticed that I've had no sinus issues when sleeping in the last 3 weeks or so. Usually I have trouble breathing when laying down. I feel all clogged up. But I've been clear for weeks now. Must be another one of those McD side effects

At any rate, tomorrow is 4 weeks and I still feel no hunger and no compulsion to change this woe. I think I may be over the hurddle of a diet change. Now its just about the time...I know it will take another year or more to get to where I should be...patience is not one of my better qualities

[geo]

Day 27 - week 4

Its been 4 weeks now and here are my numbers:

Weight: 242.6 down from: 245.8 started at: 261
BP: 116/71 down from: 119/76 started at: 153/92
Pulse: 53 down from: 55 started at: 88
BMI: 33 down from 35.4

So everything is still going in the right direction Thats 18.4 pounds lost in 28 days and BP down 37 pts. (diastolic down 21) and resting pulse still in low 50's. It truly is amazing what nothing more than food will do for you! And still people out there will question it and deny this woe. And best of all is it has been super easy for me. No hunger, no fighting over what to eat, just simple veggies and starches.

I do plan to get blood work done again at 3 months. I expect to be below a BMI of 30 by then and no longer officially obese.

B: 2 cups herbal tea
L: herbal tea
S: herbal tea
D: 2 small baked potatoes and mex veggies with salsa
Banana

Great day today. Work was nice and slow for a change. Didn't eat breakfast or lunch as my stomach was bloated. But by the time I got home, I was ready for dinner. A bit hungry but not ravenous. Thats a good sign. And no I don't feel hunger in my throat. I feel it in my stomach and overall my body. I start to get a little shakey in my hands.

Another new symptom I've been feeling last few days is coldness in my extremeties. Basically my fingers and hands get cold now. Even in doors where its warm. Its a bit weird but beats feeling hot and sweaty all the time lol. Guess my body needs to learn to better regulate my heat while its losing weight.

[geo]

Day 28

B:herbal tea
l: rice and mixed veggies with salsa
D: 2 small baked potatoes and mex veggies with salsa
Banana

Good day today, was able to work from home. Other than that was a pretty slow day so not a lot to say.

Did watch a few more of those primitive nutrition video's. The guy is really good in pointing out the flaws in various studies and the way people think. I find it incredible that he had the time to do all those video's and research so quickly. I do wish they were all available as one continuous video and available for download.