Gear, not Stuff

The last few years has seen me evolving my fitness routines … "significantly", to say the least.  I have settled on a few routines, and as I've gotten past the "novice" stage, my knowledge & desire for better gear has evolved quickly (and of course, expensively!).

Mainly, my workouts now consist of: 

1. Seasonally (warm), The Pool where I do my deep-end jump-squats.  I use my 35lb Thor's Hammer kettle bell from Tribe WOD

2. Seasonally (cold), weekly Crossfit visits, where I use my Battle Bottle 64oz "supertanker" and my Polar HR monitor

3. Rucking (Home), GoRuck Plate Carrier with 45lb plate

4. Rucking (Office), GoRuck Navy GR-1 XPAC with a 30lb "long" plate

5. Extras - Brute Force sandbag, currently loaded with 20lbs of sand, and an American Ruck 30lb "paincake" (hybrid ruck-plate / kettle-bell)

Each piece of gear here went through a few rounds of iteration before I landed on the items that simply "worked" for me.  Sometimes due to increasing ability (pool workouts started with a much smaller KB), sometimes due to a lack of knowledge (didn't understand the different Ruck Plate sizes, so I had to re-order a "long" RPC and the big-bitch 45lb plate from Go Ruck).  When I ordered the PainCake, I is-read the description, thinking it was a 20lb plate.  I let my 20lb plate move on - then this 30lb plate arrived - it's 20 KILOGRAMS.  The Battle Bottle is a bit excessive - but I wanted a bottle w/ a sleeve that could hold my phone, as i run my Polar HR monitor, and track my progress.  Mostly though, figuring out the GR-1 XPAC was "The One" was a royal BITCH.  I went through four other packs, and chased a number of "samurai" packs before finding this one.  I was leery of looking too "tactical", and the 5.11 packs were covered in Molle loops and had 1,000 zipper & velcro pockets, and generally were very nicely made & affordable - but just not "me". The GoRuck "Rucker 4.0" was a beast and I LOVED the orange interior, but it was too small to function as a hybrid office pack, and the lack of a front pocket pissed me off.  The XPAC version of the GR-1 has zero exterior Molle loops, no big "GO RUCK" logo, and in the Navy color w/ tan interior it "looks" very civilized.  the lighter interior color helps when digging out gear, and this bag has a few pockets - not TOO DAMN MANY like the 5.11 - just the right configuration.  the front pocket is a bit tight to pull out my BOSE headphones case, and I wish the straps had a loop or two for a sternum strap - but if i really want to load up, I'll just use the RPC.

So, I may add another interior sandbag to the Brute, I may transition to a smaller Battle Bottle, and I need to trade my 30lb long plate for a 20 … but really … what I have here is a very solid setup, and I could't be more pleased!

New Year / New You

 

For 2023 I'm going to be tracking five key metrics to my Health & Fitness:

1.  Sleep:  Foundational to EVERYTHING.  My Öura ring tracks it wonderfully, and i have a few goals for improvement.  Before the end of the year, I was trying Natural Calm & Melatonin gummies, which seemed to help with sleep latency (the time to fall asleep).  I am going to be setting more consistent bed times / awake times, which along with morning walks should help "set" & regulate my brain's circadian rhythm.  A new sleep mask & earplugs should help reduce the number of times I wake up, and my overall goal is to increase my Deep Sleep, and the over/under on time in bed / time asleep.  A few simple "guidelines" will remain in place, including minimizing screen time / eating / exercise within two hours of bedtime.  No coffee after 12pm, iced tea in the afternoon, and only water after 5pm.  More water = more better.  I love the metrics on this, and it'll be fun to monitor and tweak as we go.

2. Blood Sugar:  The body's fuel gauge doesn't lie!  I really want to lean-in on Marty Kendall's teachings, including the Macro & Micro Masterclasses to help manage & minimize cravings.  REALLY interesting work draws som very tight correlation between waking Blood Sugar and weight numbers, and I want to drill this shit down HARD. 

3.  PE Ratio:  The 1:1 protein to energy ration is SUPER powerful, and i want to incorporate this with a renewed focus on whole, single-ingredient foods.  Not necessarily "paleo" or low-carb, or anything … just "real food", in the proper ratio, with roughly 190g pf protein and an 1800 calorie cap each day.  This should drive satiety, AND muscle growth.

4.  Activity:  I'm loving the Rucking, missing my pool workouts, but looking to pick up a few Crossfit times a month.  I'd "like" to find another home workout or calesthenic type thing that govves with me, but I'm hitting a motivation-wall.  Need to just get over it.  I want to continue the Never Skipping Monday / hard Things on Friday routine, and the 10,000 steps a day needs to become base-level table-stakes.  Going early or even first thing seems to work best, as the days always get crazy & it becomes tough to work it into smaller & smaller schedule holes.

5.  Weight:  If the rest of this works, the weight should continue to take care of itself.  Watching it, and then tweaking things as needed to continue is kinda what I do, and while it took me a LONG time to get to this point, it feels GREAT to have figured out my matrix of success.  

Goal:  Meeting the old Marine Corps height / weight standards (190lbs for me), with the minimum PFT of 3 pull-ups, 80 sit-ups, and a 3 mile run under 30 minutes

A tale of four shorts

Three summers ago, we bought a house with a pool. Right away, it was a different life - lots of yard-work, shopping & errands, lunch out ... all peppered with plunges in the pool. Great, right? Until everyday I'm changing shorts & trunks 3 or 4 times! Multiple pairs of trunks & shirts hanging everywhere ... it was chaos. And so began my search for "the one short" that could rapidly go from pool to yard to store to bar. Needless to say, my venerable old Duck Head khaki shorts would NOT work in this scenario!

"Quick dry" was necessity number one, and I rapidly went down a rabbit hole of synthetic fabric. Name-brands & specific patents aside, basically you have two types - thin "swishy" nylon feeling fabric that dries very quick & looks great, or a thicker "woven" synthetic that looks & wears like cotton, but holds water like it depends on it.

My other major stumbling block was having a swim-trunk style liner. This is apparently impossible - surf style board shorts rarely have liners, and absolutely ZERO "hybrid" shorts have them. The only info I can find stares that the liners hold onto water, making them cold. So, apparently, all those surfer dudes are going commando!? Call me an old fashioned oldster, but I prefer to keep things supported & in place - and wearing underwear under the shorts while in the water os only going to hold WAY more chilly wetness - so command seems to be the only option left.

Sigh.

My other big stumbling block was the drawstring. 99% that have the drawstring have it proudly displayed right out front on the outside, swim trunk style. Nope. I want a short that actually looks like a nice pair of dress shorts, appropriate for a nice beach-side bar. The drawstring becomes mandatory when I hit the water, as my bodyfat "liquefies" with buoyancy in the water - and a simple button closure will NOT keep the shorts on. The shorts I'm going command in!

Lastly - various maddening features like velcro VS buttons VS zippers ... overly small VS overly large pockets, the ubiquitous cargo pocket conundrum, cost and durability.

Bottom line - I want to be able to throw on a polo shirt & head to the poolside bar while looking much more put together than the Dad in soggy cargo shorts with his graphic T who is dressed exactly like his toddler. Without sacrificing the in-water functionality.

So - here is my breakdown of the best four I found:

Tommy Bahama
Upsides:
These are the first ones I got, and the ones I have come back to several times. Overall a great looking hybrid short! These absolutely fit the bill for a great water-short - subtle (non-tactical looking) zippered cargo pocket keeps things like a hotel key card secure while body surfing. The ONLY short I found with an interior drawstring to keep those shorts ON while churning in the surf. Mothers of small beach-side children everywhere can rejoice! These shorts dry very quickly, and always look fantastic, very easy to wear in public while looking put together.
Downsides:
Swishy fabric! Ugh!!! We all hear these shorts from 20 yards away while some middle-aged dude (the only guys that can afford these) swish swish swish towards the bar. No thanks. They are also, by far, the most expensive ($100+), have (of course) no liner, and at 18 months they have wear-stains & are losing a seam.

Birdwell / Filson Collaboration
I was SO excited to get a pair of these, but as a limited edition collab, not "really" a contender. Horribly expensive. Somewhat swishy. 10 months old and losing a seam. BUT ... I absolutely adore both brands ... the cut is great, and I love the stretch, absolutely love the button fly. The big metal conch-straps are a great drawstring alternative, but oversized & too industrial. No back pockets os maddening.

Eddie Bauer
Upsides: cheap! These were $25-ish at the outlet mall. Nice cut. Good pocket config. No drawstring or liner. Not swishy, but hold water all damn day. Final veto - velcro rear-pocket closures. Ugh. I'm not a toddler.

Columbia
I got these "PFG" (Performance Fishing Gear) shorts at a surf shop in Florida for about $50. These are the "Grand Marlin Offshore" model. Subtle, zippered cargo pocket. Rear pockets have button closures. All pockets are sized generously (maybe too big?), and are mesh-lined. Best feature is the fabric - thin & dries quickly, yet somehow has just a bit of texture to reduce the swishy-factor. Generously cut, with a bit of stretch, they don't feel like the "skinny cut" so many otters have. No drawstring or liner - but the overall winner!

Honorable Mention

At CostCo I got ($15!!!) the BY FAR most cost-effective option. The brand is "Gerry" and I really like several features. Be careful - most of their shorts are scrunchy-expandable-waist front-tie classic athletic shorts. Yuck. These have a very nice classic cut & look, with a subtle cargo zipper pocket. No drawstring, but they have an upfront cinch strap that works WAY better than the Filson. One rear pocket zips, which is nice, and front pockets have edge gusset reinforcements that are VERY nice, especially at this price point. Only three downsides - thick non-swish fabric holds water like a camel. No liner, and the cargo pocket holds items on the back-side of the leg. I "get" they are preventing the toddler-esq overloaded look, but it's weird. Also - CostCo availability has a very narrow window, once they sell out, they're gone. Likely available elsewhere, but CostCo tends to have better prices with more features (as seen with the 32° micro-puffy vests & 2022's "Weatherproof Vintage" shorts, which nearly made the list)

So - there you have it. Three years of research. 5 of the best options from $15 to $100+. None that are perfect, although I will be leaning-in on the PFG shorts in future seasons.

Good Stuff - Crio Bru Cacao

So ... this stuff is VERY interesting!

First - the smell is pure heaven! Deep, rich chocolate, like you smell in dreams, but almost never smell in real life. So, I thought that would drive the taste? I din't want "hot chocolate" ... but damn, it smells good! It has to steep for 8 minutes, so it REALLY got me anticipating!!!

Steep for 8, stir, wait another minute, then gently press. To facilitate easy, slow sipping, I use my Ember mug to keep it warm - right at 145°.

First sip - it doesn't remotely give a "hot choc" vibe. It's good - and now I "get" the coffee substitute intention. No deep, dark, angry coffee flavor - this is light, and the choco-aroma makes it decidedly "happy", somehow. It's not 'weak', but it also won't drive my Tums consumption.

If I added milk & sugar, it might give more "hot-choc" vibe, but that's not my intention. This is definitely a treat, and interesting, and fun ... might have to try adding a scoop of good coffee grounds to the mix?

We grow what we tend

I'm still mentally distilling my "Three for 23" goals, but one idea I'm chewing on is exactly this - what am I feeding my brain? Sure - mostly it's WORK, and that's so stressful that my downtime gets focused on "chill". That downtime is just a fragile chunk of an hour here, 30 minutes there ... but over the course of time, it adds up. Even at just an hour a day - 5 hours a week, that's 20 hours a month - damn near a whole DAY. At the end of the year it's TWO WEEKS.

What do I want from that time? Watch HGTV re-runs? Tabloid TV? No ...

How do I leverage this time to feed my soul? To work on my fitness! Work on my convertible! Read a book that lights my brain up?!?

It's an hour a day. Be careful with it. Someday you'll want that shit back! ;-)

My Three Prong Plan has a three prong plan!

My "Three for '23" can be stated overly simplified as "Prick / Track / Sweat":

Prick: I will track my Waking, Pre-Meal, and Post-Meal blood sugar.
Goal: By reducing my overall blood sugar (the body's fuel tank), I will improve my metabolic fitness.

Track: I will track my food, my sleep, and my activity.
Goal: improve my food quality to support my blood sugar, sleep to improve health & happiness, and activity to support mental and physical wellbeing

Sweat: Monday Boxing Fitness at Title Boxing, Tue "Bootcamp Core" at Schaumburg Park Center, and Thursdays at Orange Theory. If anything gets missed, I have Fri night / Sat morning for a makeup.
Goal: This supports my mental wellbeing (hitting things on Mondays), and of course it supports my metabolic health. These three options are (relatively) cost-effective as compared to Cross-Fit, which I miss greatly, except for the time constraints & corporate programming.

That time of year

A few times a year I put on my "Little Mary Sunshine" act & reaffirm out loud in front of all y'all about how fortunate I am.

I am, in all areas of my life, a lucky bastard.

I may occasionally bitch about things, but my complaints illustrate my privilege - my job may be overly demanding - but I'm working! My house may take a ton of time & effort - but I have a home! I hate going to the gym & eating right (ok, not 'right', but better than I used to!), but not too long ago it wasn't certain I'd still be around. These days, I certainly have better health, and a better life than I deserve!

Complaints are universal, and with creative language, I can enjoy the snarky fun. But it's easy - mentally lazy ... too easy to point out the pebble in shoe that distracts you from the great view.

I'm certainly never going to become insufferably positive, like some door-to-door evangelist, but I sincerly believe negativity & complaining can become a mental habit.

So ... it'll become one of my "Three for '23" ... three self-improvement 'resolutions' I'll be embracing next year.

What else should I think about? Heck, what are all y'all thinking about?

Each & every damn one of you inspires me, or has skills, or attitudes, or experiences I envy.

I figure, no matter what ANY of us want to accomplish, somebody here knows how or has some advice!

So .... FB friends & family ... love you all! Let's help each other become the better versions of ourselves we all know we can achieve. Me? I'll cut back a bit on the coffee, cussing, and complaining. I'm going to re-focus on my health, fitness, and being a better version of myself.

So, if you see me at the liquor store before Noon, looking slovenly with stains on my shirt, shouting at co-workers on speakerphone ... just know that I'm a 'work in progress' ;-)

Saying bad words

Ok, now I'm mad!

Everything with my "reasonable 80/20" plan is working pretty damn well - except my WEIGHT!

I'm up!

No, no, nope, nada, NOT acceptable.

I've got 2.5 weeks before our mini-vacation Columbus Day weekend in Marco Island ... and I need to "kick the tires & light the fires" between now & then.

Not 100% sure what I'll do, but a gross over-reaction with hilarious results is likely, so stay tuned!

Keto Cereal is now a thing?

As I sit on the deck with my coffee, I wanted to take a moment & update y'all

The Keto cereal with Fairlife milk has become my new obsession! 230cal, 20g Protien, and just 24g Carbs!!!

We've been encouraging the kiddos to each cook one dinner a week. "Life Skills", right? [Soon we'll add Laundry & Paying Bills 🙂 ] Sunday night we try to have "family dinner", and everyone brings two ideas - and we collectively decide. Groceries delivered via Instacart / Shipt / Thrive Market. Our two nights w/out kiddos we eat out (Mom needs a break somwhere w/ wine), and the 7th night is "leftover buffet". We aren't going for "healthy", figuring that no fast food / processed food is a HUGE step forward.

Activity ... could be better, but one good thing has been a mind-shift around getting our steps. Rather than stressing on finding an hour block to walk 3 or 4 miles - we just do a couple of 15 minute "around the block" walks. No stress, no huge time commitment, better results.

My weight? Ugh. I put on pants recently for the first time (weeks? Months?) and they were snug. Belt was snug. I know I'm 'up', but I just can't bear to see the number. I'm hoping this weekend I can do an extended Fast, go for a long sweaty pedal ride, maybe take a big poop & get a decent readout on the scale.

The decision I'm dragging my heels on ... getting back to the gym. I liked Crossfit, but it was expensive, class times very tough with this job, and it wasn't very close." Maybe a regular gym with a Bootcamp class? Maybe an online trainer? Anyone try the "Future" app? Also downloaded TRX app and a trail-finder, but as yet have not even opened any of them.

Onwards!

September always feels like a good opportunity for setting "back to school" goals. January is a crisp, clean re-start, but September feels like a perfect time to re-set. Summer is still in the air, and the crush of The Holidays feels deceptively far away...

So, I've been thinking about instituting the 80/20 rule in my life. It feels rationally realistic without going too deeply into crazy Crossfit-type workouts or super-strict Paleo. The 80% solution, 'reasonably applied' should be very livable.

Doing some back-of-the-napkin math ... three meals a day, or 21 per week, 80% is 16.8-ish meals per week - all the weekdays & almost two weekend meals? If I figure a snack a day ... 28/80=22.4 or 5.4 days worth of eating ...

Don't let 'perfect' be the enemy of 'good', right? Ok! Let's call it 'strict weekdays, with reasonable weekends'?

Here is my plan:

Weekdays I will 'move' & 'eat well' without angst over a percieved lack of perfection. I am currently exhausted, unwell, and angry - so I will need to 'fake it till I make it' and these things genuinely turn around on their own. I'm sick & tired of being ... sick & tired!!!

Movement is anything - steps, bike, weights, swim - just MOVE. No minimum requirement.

Eating is just 'no crap' - no processed, boxed food, no refined flour / sugar / artificial sweeteners / artificial dairy / etc. Each weekday I'll do my Fasting until I hit my blood glucose trigger, re-feeding with a low-glycemic 'whole food', protien-forward mindset.

Weekends are not a free for all - movement & good feeding are preferred, but "life" can happen without angst.

My weight has been steady (blue chart) within 10lbs for exactly a year. Havent LOST - dammit - but steady w/in 10lbs is it's own gift. My blood glucose has been pretty damn good as well. Hoping some focus gets these both even better with some good traction as we go into the Halloween to Valentines zone-of-sugar.

Updates to follow ...

80% September

80% September

An asshole in the morning

My Dad would often use a parable to make a point.  Lately I've been thinking of a particular one, and it's made me realize that The Old Man is still taking me to school, even though he's been gone more than 20 years.

The first time I heard this one, I'm pretty sure I was a moody teenager, and Dad was trying to get me to pay attention without simply barking orders.  He said that sometimes when you get up in the morning and head to work, sometimes you bump into an asshole.  You do the best you can, and at the end of the day hopefully you didn't let that one moment affect your whole day.  But sometimes you bump into an Asshole in the morning, and then you continue bumping into asshole after asshole all damn day.  At the end of THAT day, you have to be honest with yourself – were YOU the asshole that day

My fear is that I've been the asshole lately.  While I've had some legit shit going on – I need to be better about not letting external crap affect me.  If I let external crap create a habit of negativity and complaining  – that's a bigger issue.  After all, while we can't control events around us, we CAN control our reactions. 

Strange driving habits of Flatlanders

 Short Stopper – The person who stops one or more car lengths before a stop light, or behind the car in front of them.  Bonus points when you're endlessly stuck behind them because their car isn't on the sensor to trip the light.

Red Light Creeper – A version of the short stopper who constantly inches forward all during the red light

CIA Operative – Doesn't "actually" break any laws, but drives erratically enough to ensure no one could possibly follow or predict where they are going

Oblivious Soccer Mom – Typically a minivan (can also be a luxury SUV), tends to be all over the road as the Mom inside pays more attention to her offspring than those on the road around her.  Bonus points for the "Baby On Board" sticker 

Angry Tradesman – The "worker guy" trucks and vans who bully their way through traffic, clearly offended that the world is in their way

Directionally Impaired – The person who consistently realizes at the last minute that they need to cross three lanes of traffic to turn 

Self Centric Obliviot – The person who will block traffic as they attempt to merge, make a turn, or even a u-turn – because they are more important than everyone else around them.  The rest of us would rather go around the block, or take the next turn – but not this guy.

Turn Signal Zealot – The person who believes their rare use of a turn signal is SO special it grants them immediate authority to grant them right-of-way, rather than the commonly accepted "request" to turn or merge

Neighborhood Speeder – Clearly, they must be Doctors rushing to emergency surgery - cutting through small residential streets with abandon

End Of Lane Fist Shaker – The person who simply cannot believe their lanes ends (regardless of the big yellow "Lane Ends" sign), nor understand why the rest of the world isn't required to yield to their angry gestures.  I saw the sign, I made my decision early, and it's not my job to merge with YOU!

Watchful Motorcycle – the guy lane-splitting and weaving between cars at high speed who has a "Watch For Motorcycles" sticker.  Usually with no helmet or any protective gear whatsoever.  Bonus points to the guy with shorts & flip-flops.

Safety Sam / Cautious Carol – The overly slow driver, the pebble in the stream that everyone has to flow around – ironically causing much more chaos and confusion

Left Lane Camper – creates a rolling roadblock due to complete & total ignorance of "Drive Right, Pass Left", inevitable outrage & anger when called out 

Four Way Stop Cop – The person who waits at the 4 way stop to ensure you also stop – usually who will act outraged (or even yell!) when proceeding without interference because they inevitably believe the rule is "one at a time"

Speakerphone Reality – those who hold the phone in front of their face on speaker (a-la-reality shows), erroneously believing this meets the "hands-free" requirement because they aren't actually holding the phone up to their ear

Overly Solicitous Midwesterner – People who wait & wave you on – regardless of rules or whatever anyone else is doing, inevitably creating confusion & chaos

A very odd mix of emotions …

Tried on my Dad's old top coat for the first time in 30+ years … and damn … it fits! The shoulders might even be a touch big, but I also don't want it feeling "fitted". I seem to recall my Mom having the lining replaced for Dad in the late 80's, and thankfully they retained the original label. Bristol, Va makes sense, as it's the city where I was born, and my Dad was an ETSU / UVa guy. Tried it on tonight over a blazer, and gosh - I suppose you can say something about DNA - the cut & fit is damn near perfect for me. When I realized a button was missing, I thought to myself that if it'd happened to me, I'd have put the button in a pocket for safekeeping - exactly where I found it! My weight loss journey has been amazing, but tonight I was gobsmacked into silence, feeling a deep connection to my long departed Dad.

Damn …

Chasing The Flamingo

For those wondering if I'm "sticking to it" with this damn surfboard, the short answer is YES.

…but I gotta tell 'ya, this shit is HARD!

Developing a sense of balance, especially in a body that has recently lost 200+ lbs, my new geometry can be tough to figure out, and maybe it's just easier for kids and not-so-much for those of us (almost) in our mid-50's?

My routine is to attach the leash to the pool ladder (good tip Jason!), and practice paddling. Good shoulder workout, which I need, regardless. I start with 2 minutes of straight paddling, aiming for a certain point on the far wall of the pool (steering is hard). Then I practice dipping the board front/back & side/side and correcting as best I can. (Balance, you Fat Bastard!) Then I sit up on the board (which is a new center of gravity - ugh), and paddle / dip in each direction. I've gotten pretty good up to this point - regardless of the ab workout - but here - I lay down and try to knee/elbow plank … and … sploosh. Start routine again. 50 paddle strokes, dip/dip & side/side, sit & repeat, the plank & sploosh.

The pool robot is intent on attacking me, distracting me, and seems to enjoy inciting my rage. He's fired. Fred The Flamingo is seemingly intent on sneaking up behind me. Bastard. If he's not careful, he'll get deflated for the rest of the pool season. Clyde & Cyrus hear me cussing and they wisely keep their distance.

I do my 'routine' at least twice a week for 30 minutes. While I'm getting 'better', I've not really developed any noticeable proficiency yet. Sigh. Imagine if I had to load the board on The Jeep, drive to The Lake, put on a wetsuit, and practice in the waves? I'd give up for sure! Hopefully I can develop 'some' proficiency so I can have a small hope of actually catching a wave - which will make it all worthwhile!

…and just in case this all seems crazy & contrived, I was happy to see that 'real surf schools' teach things the same way. The only difference is how much I'm older, slower, stubborn & ugly.

Two Years of Radio Silence

Two years ago I was in a very bad place. A couple of decades of stress, mental anguish, and exhaustion had resulted in severe metabolic dysfunction. My cravings were out of control, and my weight hit it's record high at 475. This drove snoring & sleep apnea, resulting in A-Fib. I was on a ton of medication, felt terrible, and I was in constant pain. My heart went out of rhythm, and when they put me under anesthesia to shock me into "re-boot", it failed. The Cardiologist maxxed out the voltage & tried again with no success. He hooked up a second machine and double-shocked me, again with no positive result. While I was in recovery from the anesthesia & paddle burns, the Cardiologist told my wife I had simply gotten big enough that they couldn't put enough voltage through me to re-boot. I was too heavy & risky for surgery. If I stayed in A-Fib too long, it'd become permanent, and it put me on a direct path to "other cardiac events" that they would not be able to unwind. I had to do something dramatic, and immediate. In the car on the way home, with my head pounding from the anesthesia hangover, my wife railed at me in fear. Her bottom line: Handle it, or don't. But if the answer is "No", I had to sit the kids down & tell them why.

(Insert guilt-knife into heart!)

This all happened two years ago, yesterday. Needless to say, I handled it. I am now, literally, half the man I was. My heart has been in good sync for 20 months, 3 times longer than my previous best. My heart is 40% the size it used to be. I am now on only ONE daily medication! I am in ZERO daily pain, I sleep like a teenager, I no longer snore or have sleep apnea. I feel amazing, and I'm in SUCH a consistently good mood my wife finds it maddening!!!

So - what did the Cardiologist recommend? In November of 2019 I had Gastric Sleeve Surgery. I was terrified, and it was awful, and I felt like a failure - but it's how desperate I was. I had wrestled with my weight & health for two decades, and the fight had literally brought me to the brink.

The surgery saved my life. It has been a gift, and my only regret (now) is not doing it DECADES ago! But it was not a 'Silver Bullet', and it's been a learning journey to use it properly. It has still been an astonishingly long hard walk through hell, but it has given me the ability to have the hard work pay off in progress.

Part of what I've learned is that our modern processed food fools our brains. The chemicals in the food mimic what our bodies crave for actual nutrients, while other chemicals in the food reinforce those cravings. Some of us are more susceptible than others, but for me, it re-wired my brain & physically damaged my metabolism.

Where I'm at now, driving my continued success after my plateau in Jan - March is with two of Marty Kendall's programs. Data Driven Fasting was Step One - which is like Intermittent Fasting 2.0 - but instead of a randomly assigned window on the clock, you use your own body's 'gas gauge' to determine how long your daily Fast should be. If you ate carbs for last night's dinner, you might be waiting longer today as that burns off - no need to gas up if you still have fuel in the tank! This critically allows me to re-adjust my brain - no more do I accept the feelings of 'sugar crash' as 'hunger'! I wait until my blood glucose is genuinely getting down appropriately, and what THAT feels like is actually real "hunger". It's eye opening, I tell you! That Data Driven Fasting / Hunger Training got me back to losing weight & figuring out my 'new normal'.

Now I've gone Step Two - figuring out how / what / why to re-feed my unique body & metabolism once my Fast ends. We are all fascinatingly unique metabolic snowflakes, and as I go through the Nutritional Optimizer Master Class it's astonishing to see how I can look at my actual micronutrients to see where I'm deficient, and I can find ways to get those - AND KILL THE CRAVINGS at the source!

Yes, it's different. Total pain in the ass. LOTS of work…

…but dammit, I'm still here!

Sometimes, it’s not as bad as you think

So, I did great yesterday, up until dinner.

However, I was only over by 400 calories for the day, and at 180 net carbs.

Not great, but neither was it totally out of bounds!

Not Pictured: That Which Went Off The Rails...

Mostly, things were good. Until the cupcakes & chili dogs...