I am ready to diet once more. Current weight is about 225 and that includes 10 or so lb. that I packed on in the past couple of months.
2019 was not a good year. Trying to focus on only those matters germane to diet, health and weight loss, I will discuss my two heart ablations that seem to have cured (at least for now) my atrial fibrillation.
The first procedure, performed in March 2019 was a failure. My doctor stated that ablation fails about 5-10 percent of the time and this event fell into that category. I had a second procedure in October and have had zero episodes five months later. More details to follow.
Let me update. On May 19, 2017, I weighed 212 Lb. I lost 24 pounds in 30 days and started piecing together an ebook with the imaginative title: "How I Lost 24 Pound in 30 Days (And You Can Too)."
On June 18, 2017, I weighed 225 pounds. The adlib diet was cruel once more.
There would be several efforts to restart weight loss, but they would all be terminated shortly after onset.The big story was atrial fibrillation. Eliminating this dreaded affliction became an obsession as I obsessed on not obsessing on the matter. Despite that inner voice saying "Don't worry, be happy" I had an episode about every ten days. Each of these attacks would last eight to twelve hours and then I would feel tired afterward.
I eliminated most nutritional supplements on the off chance that one or more might be contributing to my affliction. Then I tried to detect a food consumption that might hqave preceded each episode. The ongoing trial and error exercise preempted any consistent or formal diet. Interestingly, the one substance that seemed to return my heart to a normal rhythm was caffeine. That seemed to work about twenty to thirty percent of the time. More about that later.
In the Summer of 2018 I started the One Meal A Day diet (OMAD.) I had seen ads about the benefits of intermittent fasting and then I ran into a coworker I rarely saw who was now on the OMAD program. I started OMAD the next day and I still practice this habit five to seven times per week.
There will be plenty to say about OMAD but for now, let me say that OMAD by itself is not an effective weight strategy for me. My friend and coworker lost thirty or so pounds but that was not the way it worked for me. I weighed about 230 pounds when I started the diet and maintained that weight until the Spring of 2019 when I shed eighteen pounds.
OMAD is not a failure by any means. For a couple of decades, I have learned how to lose weight and I have learned how to gain weight, but I could not tell you how to maintain a steady poundage for days on end. It was always a pendulum. OMAD helped my reading to flatline for months on end.
I mentioned that I lost 18 pounds in Spring, 2018 and you might ask how I did that. My dietary focus had gone beyond weight loss and was zeroed in on promoting optimum health. Dr. Steve Gundry caught my attention and I read "The Plant Paradox" and "The Longevity Paradox." If you are not familiar with the ideas promoted in these books, let me say that they will probably shake your core beliefs.
I was dubious about both the theory and practice of The Gundry Diet. Years ago, I had tried to become a vegetarian and it was a disaster. What was supposed to bring superior health and boundless energy left me tired and miserable. Now Gundry was advocating an even narrower plant-based diet. Dubious but intriguing.
Initial research led me to experiement with Gundry's principles. If I felt weak and spent my life on the toilet then I would just have to say good bye to another healthy lifestyle. The initial Gundry dabbling was surprisingly surprising.
Surprise Number 1: I learned to like sweet potatoes.
Surprise Number 2: A diet consisting of leaves, cruciferous vegetables, tree nuts, tubers, and avocado did not leave me craving protein.
Surprise Number 3: I lost eighteen pounds in a few months just experimenting with the Gundry Diet. Compliance was not great. I was not sold on the diet and certainly not committed to its adherence. I just wanted to see if I could stomach and enjoy the recommended foods. The deflab and normal energy piqued my interest.
Surprise Number 4: The Gundry Diet is probably costlier than the Atkins Diet. Protein is expensive but produce is even pricier. By weight, tree nuts are as expensive as seafood and Spring Mix costs more than most meats.
I might have committed to the Gundry Diet and never looked back but unfortunately, it did not eliminate my atrial fibrillation. I had my first ablation on March 18, 2018 and as mentioned, it was deemed a failure. A partial success would have been more accurate. I went from having an episode roughly every ten days to not quite monthly. On the flip side, the new episodes were sometimes more intense and seemed to last longer. At any rate, I drifted away from Dr. Gundry. Sort of.
Dr. Gundry would play a part in a 10-pound weight gain in the Winter of 2020. For about six months, my weight ranged from 214 to 218. I enjoyed the holidays and maintained this comfortable homeostasis loosely following Gundry principles (sometimes) and practicing OMAD most of the time. I read through Gundry once more and TING! Gundry said we can have red wine.
ated. Roughly two to three glasses a night and two months later I put on 10 pounds. In early January, my weight swung between 214 and 218. In early March, my weight ranged from 224 to 228. Wines are on the way out.
So here is the new diet: High protein with one meal per day. I will eat a fleshy dinner every night at around 9:30 PM. I will continue this diet until I cease losing weight and I experience that nasty plateau you have heard about so much. I will try to exercise 3-5 days/week.
The only thing holding up the show now is my consuming all the high carb foods that I already purchased. You don't think I am just going to throw those sweet potatoes in the trash, do you?
Diet launch date is probably three days away.
