Tag: keto diet

Life Without Keto

Since January my eating habits have revolved around an ultra low carb, high fat diet. 25 grams of carbs a day, which is not a lot AT ALL. For comparison, one bagel is usually two days worth of carbs.

I never planned to stay keto for 8 months but it worked so darn well I figured, why not?! (Much to the displeasure of my mom who worried I was hurting myself with all the fat in my diet…fyi, I tested my cholesterol regularly and it never spiked. But I appreciated her concern)

Keto was never going to be a lifestyle change for me. I always planned on moving away from it. So this week I decided to make that move.

This past Monday I switched from ultra low carb, high fat, moderate protein eating to a more balanced macros eating. In a nutshell, that means I can eat carbs again!! In fact, I just finished eating scrambled eggs on top of Ezekiel bread!

One of the reasons I made this switch now is because my children both started school and I’m upping my workouts at #9round kickboxing. More working out, more carbs needed to keep my body strong.

I’m still on a calorie count, I’m still not eating sweets and pizzas and cereal and all those indulgent foods I love so much. I still have 20-25 pounds I want to lose. Today I weigh 242 pounds. I started at 320. Keto is a major part of that. But that journey has ended and a new one is beginning.

I got this.

Below are two pictures. The first is me in December, in the ER, when the final push to change happened. The second is me now.

40 years old and angry

This journey has been more than just dropping weight to me. From the very beginning it has been a reset of who I am as a person. Yes I have focused mainly on my diet and a number on the scale but I have also found myself paying attention to my attitude and personality.

To be honest, I had grown bitter and judgmental with age. I was turning into the “get off my lawn” old man. Forty years old, 320 pounds, staring directly at a mid-life crisis. I would lose my patience with my kids, my wife, strangers, my dog, anything and anyone. I would disappear behind the screen of my phone and miss life. I made excuses more than memories.

I dont want to blame my weight on all of that but I know it played a big part. I have been, for years, so unhappy with how I looked and felt that it was changing me into a darker person. Everytime I couldn’t use a seatbelt on a plane because of my belly or couldn’t ride a rollercoaster or couldn’t fit through a door without turning sideways, it affected me.

Forty years old and angry.

Over the past 7 months I have done a lot of soul searching, a lot of meditation, a lot of looking in the mirror. That’s where the name of this blog came from. At the time I started this journey my kids were going through a Michael Jackson phase.

“If you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make that change”

-Man in the Mirror.

Change is hard, everyone knows that. You’re fighting against the grain on a path you may have helped create.

For the past seven months I’ve been moving against the grain of an angry life I had created. It’s been easy at times, hard at times, frustrating and humbling. The last two months my weight has stayed within the same 4 pounds. I stand at 73 pounds dropped since January 1st. Make no mistake, I am ecstatic at that. Yet I know I have a long way to go. I want to drop about 40 more pounds and then find a way to maintain it. This will be a lifelong journey.

But because I have been focusing on who I am as a person right along with how I eat, I feel confident. I’ve taken breaks from social media, put the phone down and looked up. I’ve realized how my poor attitude affected my family and have worked to adjust. I’ve looked to improving me, inside and out.

My journey continues.

Ireland!

Wow. That’s pretty much all I can say at this point. We just finished up day three in Ireland.

It’s amazing.

The people, the towns, the views, the history….the food.

Yes, as of the past three days, I am not following the keto diet. I’m not weighing myself daily like I was before. I had bread. Lots of bread. I had scones and soda bread and brown bread and black pudding made with oatmeal.

And it was all glorious. GLORIOUS!!

Now, to be fair, the wheels have not come off. While I may be overindulging at times, I am not eating everything and anything in sight. I have some control. (Some)

This way of vacation has a positive and negative process. The positive is that I have accepted the potential weight gain result of my (lack of) diet. On the negative side, one of my ultimate goals is to get to a point where I can eat daily without worrying about counting calories and gaining weight…and if I gain weight while enjoying myself, well that will be upsetting. If I go 9 days without counting calories, am I really incapable of control?

Who knows at this point. I sure dont.

(And for your viewing pleasure….a few photos.

Reflection on a milestone

This is how I see myself. Pretty much all the time. This photo was taken 15 years ago while filming the movie Rolling Kansas. It was my first time working on a movie and was an amazing experience. Yet when I come across pictures of myself in that movie, I cringe. I just see a fat guy. I always just see a fat guy. Pictures on a vacation…fat guy. Wedding photos…fat guy. The happiest moments of my adult life and I see a fat guy and am embarrassed.

Today I got onto the scale and hit a big milestone. 70 pounds gone.

That sounds crazy to say. Since January 1st I’ve dropped 70 pounds from my body.

7.0.

Yet I still am haunted by how big I was. I still fear gaining the weight back.

And yet none of my friends or family around me EVER make me feel bad for being fat. They never mock me. They never make weight an issue.

But I do. And I know I’m lucky. I know for many people they are ridiculed and teased for their weight. I’ve seen it. It’s awful.

Finding a way to be comfortable with who we are, inside and out, is hard. We all have demons of many different kinds. My weight, how I look, and how I handle that has crippled me for too long.

Today I hit a milestone. Just in time for my vacation. It’s amazing. It feels great. Yet that haunting feeling and insecurity hovers over me still. Today I can handle it. Probably tomorrow as well. There may be a time in the future that I let it control me. I can’t continue to fear that day. And I cant continue to view myself based on my weight. I have to view myself based on my extraordinarily good looks and charm. See, I’m humble too.

😉

68 Pounds and a Trip to Ireland

I’m two weeks away from taking a vacation to Ireland with my wife. And I’m two pounds away from 70 pounds gone.

This vacation will test my diet and control but I’m also not putting a lot of pressure on myself. If I gain a few pounds that’s ok. I can’t let the number on the scale control me anymore.

So, to Ireland and beyond!

The Fat Remains

Losing 63 pounds has been amazing, don’t get me wrong. I’m starting to get regular compliments and I will admit it feels good.

But my own self image has a long way to go. I dont consider myself a skinny person. Or even healthy person. Yes I’ve lost a lot of weight but I’m still about 50 pounds from my goal. And if I go by the crazy medical idea of what a five foot eleven and a half inch guy should weigh…I still have 75 pounds to go. (Luckily my doctor says that guideline is crap and she’d be ecstatic if I lost just 40 more pounds.)

Anyway…as I said, I dont feel like a skinny person. And days like today remind me of that. Due to my very large belly when I began this journey, I have a lot of belly fat to get rid of. And I am accepting that a lot of it simply wont go away. It will hang there, a constant reminder of how fat I was.

Today I tried on some more new pants. And my fat humbled me. It’s ok. I can handle it. But days like today remind me of how long I have to go and how insecure I still am with how I look.

DDP Yoga

I normally wake up at 615am to get my son ready for school. Its early. I dont like early.

I also dont like being fat so today I set my alarm for 530am. I dragged my tired body out of bed and did a 22 minute DDP Yoga workout.

I cursed a few times at the beginning but felt great at the end. Hopefully I can make this a routine.

63 pounds down. 50 to go. Let’s do this!

NEW CLOTHES

For years I shopped at fat guy stores. I’ve had the same few pairs of jeans for years because I HATE clothes shopping. My jeans are size 50, crazy baggy, sagging everywhere. They are embarrassing…to me.

Today I bought clothes in a “normal” store. Old Navy.

Yes. I found a pair of jeans in my size at Old Navy. And to top that, I had to pick a SMALLER pair than I thought. Size 40. Slim fit.

Say what?!?!

Here are three photos. Two with my new pants on and one with my old pants on OVER my new pants.

Workout and shout out

Today is day 12 in the gym out of the last 16 days.

Five days a week for the past 2 weeks and 2 days.

I want to thank Joshua Samuel for giving me a workout routine that fits my experience, age, and ability.

I’ve never met Joshua except in the social media world. He’s an actor, bodybuilder, ex-marine based out of LA. He and I butt heads over a lot of hot topic areas but that hasnt stopped us from becoming friends. Thanks for your help Joshua.

Monday- chest, Tuesday- shoulders, Wednesday- back, Thursday- legs, Friday- arms and abs

Stuck but ok?

My weight is still at a standstill. I havent dropped or gained any weight in more than 3 weeks. I am frustrated, yes, but not losing my focus.

The two things that have changed in that time have been my thyroid medication dosage and I’ve added a new workout routine.

Both probably are playing into my weight loss issue.

I am going to see a thyroid specialist on Monday, hopefully that will help.

As for my workout routine…it’s pretty standard but I am working out five days a week. Each day targets a new area…chest, shoulders, back, legs, arms. I’m not lifting heavy weights but low weights and high reps.

So. I honestly dont know if it’s my thyroid or workout routine or both that is stopping my weight loss.

But I am seeing results in my physical self. I’m seeing muscles that I’d forgotten I had. I’m feeling stronger. So if there’s a silver lining to all this, it’s that.

Maybe it’s time I switch from the keto diet towards something more practical for the rest of my life. I never intended to eat keto forever. I’ve wanted to be in a place where I can eat anything in moderation without gaining weight. Want a pizza? Eat a pizza. Want ice cream? Eat it! That’s my ultimate goal. To lose weight and teach myself how to eat smarter.

Workout routine

I am on week three of a new workout program. Five days a week of isolated workouts! I never thought I’d be able to workout five days a week yet here I am.

Each day works a certain part of the body.

Monday: chest

Tuesday: shoulders

Wednesday: back

Thursday: legs

Friday: arms and abs.

I do 20-30 minutes of elliptical cardio as well.

I feel stronger already. I can flex muscles I’d forgotten I had. Still a LONG way to go but I am happy to feel progress.

Today is Wednesday so I’m off the wreck my back! Lat pulldown, cable rows, deadlifts! Look at me getting all swolefied!

Me. No more hiding.

I was blind to who I had become. I knew I was fat but I tricked myself into thinking that was all I was.

The truth is I had become a shell of who I was, who I needed to be. At my heaviest, at the end of last year, I avoided physical activities, was angry most of the time, stopped being the husband and father my family deserved. I was there, a part of the family, but a hollow me. I stared at my smartphone, aimlessly flipping through apps like a bored person staring in a refrigerator thinking something new would jump out.

If my children drew a picture of me I would be holding a phone in my hand.

I’ve spoken before, in previous posts, how it took me a long time to understand the depth I had fallen. How long it took me to prepare for change. Now I’m four months into this change and I’m happy, but I have setbacks, I have bad days. I have the tremendous fear I will fall back to old habits.

So I’m sharing a photo of me. One I hate to see more than anything. Me, with no shirt on. No adjusting my shirt to hide the belly fat, no more XXXL shirts so I could hide my gut.

This is me, a few months ago. Even with 45 dropped from my body this picture is still pretty accurate for how I look. It reminds me of how long I have to go.

I have no idea if anyone reads these blogs. I dont really care. I’m writing and sharing them for me. So I can look back at the first year or me.

My Voice Is Back

I’m at the gym.

My Voice is here.

I try to block it out but the voice in your head is the loudest voice there is.

You failed. You’re a failure. It’s too late.

Give up.

Look at the guy. Look at her. Look at their form, their muscles. They’re better than you. You’re doing it wrong. Put the weights down and go home. Sit on the couch. Watch a tv show. Eat. Eat it all.

You failed.

M Voice shows up a lot. A constant reminder of me. A constant reflection of who I am, then and now.

Am I a failure?

Give up.

You’re fat. Nothing will change that.

The funny thing about my Voice is it comes in flashes. Moments of self doubt. Moments of humbleness. Random moments.

Yet as quickly as it arrives, it can be pushed aside. By a song, a friend, a look in the mirror. A glance of approval from a stranger reassures you everything is fine and you can keep moving forward.

Today my Voice was pushed aside by lyrics from a song by Common that danced into my ears betweens sets:

“Sittin’ in a shadow of me, gradually battlin’ me
A fall from grace like Adam and Eve
Search for the inner-Vatican in me
The temple, the body, I’m mental, I’m godly
Somehow I made my mess-ups my hobby
Is it the stress and the pressure? Probably
Out here with much anger inside me
Don’t know who my friends are, stranger inside me”

Am I a failure? No. Have I failed? Yes. My failures dont define me though. How I act after failure does.

Goodbye, Voice. For now.

Oh boy

Sometimes you hit a wall. Sometimes you hit a speed bump. Sometimes you get hit on all sides by a perfect storm of doh.

So, here I am. Down 45 pounds and going strong. Then some things happened…

First and foremost, I will admit I have become careless. My ultimate goal has always been to be in a place where I dont need to track my food and I can go through a day eating smart.

I may need more practice before I do that.

I’ve been skipping my food log which, when you’re on a diet that calls for specific grams of fat and protein and carbs, is not smart.

Then other things joined the fray.

Do to my rapid weight loss, my thyroid medication (which I’ve been taking for over 10 years) was too high. My doctor lowered my dosage. That’s awesome! Maybe.

So, my discipline is off and now my thyroid medication is lower.

But wait, we’re not done yet! At the same time my body has decided to do a thing that can happen while on a low carb diet. It rhymes with Shmonstipation.

So what does a person do who has lessened discipline with food, a lower thyroid medication, and free time from not having to go to the bathroom?

Why, he breaks down and cheats with Easter candy!!

OH! I almost forgot. I also started my first workout program since starting my diet. I’ve been in the gym the last week lifting weights.

Yes, this careless, less medicated, constipated 40 year old chowed down on some easter chocolate (or dozen) and is getting swole at the gym.

I’ve gained a pound in the last week. Which, in the grand scheme of things, is not bad.

But I’m not PAST this moment in my journey yet and that’s where I’m nervous. I’m still having issues in the bathroom, I’m still on low medication, and I’m still trying to justify sneaking a piece of candy from my kid’s Easter baskets.

This is my reality. I’m in a rut. And I’m at risk of sabotaging everything I’ve worked hard on since January.

OR!….I refocus and get back up and move forward.

Yeah, I like that.

Cholesterol Test Results

Eating a high fat diet I had concern about my cholesterol levels so I had a checkup with my doctor.

I just got the results back and they are good.

My total cholesterol is 123.

LDL is 77, HDL is 43, and triglyceride levels are 46.

The only thing off was my thyroid levels, which I’ve taken medication for over ten years. They said because of my weight loss my medication level is too high. So they actually are lowering the dosage.

That’s awesome.

Emotional Perspective

Here is a photo taken this morning of me and my five year old daughter, Alice. Alice is a fireball of energy and laughter. She sings, dances, jumps, falls, gets back up, laughs. She and her brother are major motivations for me to get healthy.

I am sharing this photo because 1) I love my daughter and she’s awesome and 2) my daughter weighs 40 pounds. 40 pounds is significant because as of this morning, that’s how much weight I’ve dropped. (And I say DROPPED instead of LOST because I don’t intend to find that 40 pounds ever again)

40 pounds. I’ve dropped the equivalent of one energetic Alice.

40 pounds in 72 days. Still a long way to go but, as with any journey, I’m enjoying the ride.

CARBS

I went to the grocery store with my daughter and she asked for powdered donut holes. Being a loving dad I said yes, knowing I wouldn’t be able to eat them.

Being on the keto diet means low carbs. I get 25 grams of carbs a day and I get them mostly through vegetables.

I looked at the nutritional value of the donut holes. THREE of them equals my entire daily carb allowance.

THREE. I used to eat at LEAST ten at a time.

Ninja dad?!?

I’m going to be an American Ninja Warrior.

Yeah, you heard me. This 40 year old, arthritic, obese stay-at-home dad is going to be an American Ninja Warrior.

I’m crazy, I know. I’m also serious.

During today’s weigh-in, the scale informed me that I am 30 pounds lighter than I was on January 1st.

30 pounds.

That’s like, 120 quarter pounders from McDonald’s.

So, feeling invincible as I am right now, I want to set some crazy goal to strive for. I used to want to run a marathon just so I could say I could. While that still is a possibility, I think I want to be a ninja warrior.

What makes it harder is the fact I’ve never, in my entire life, done a pull up.

Never. Not once. Not even close to once.

So.

Yeah.

I’m crazy.

Crazy serious.