Falling Off The Wagon

One of the keys of a high protein diet is ensuring that one does not get hungry. For it is when we get hungry that we go carb crazy. I did this on Tuesday. I don't really eat breakfast as such. I don't really eat meals as such. I eat a large serving of protein early in the day, eat a smaller sized protein snack/meal around 5 or 6 and then eat another large serving of protein shortly after arriving home. Usually this last meal is at 1 AM.

On Tuesday I did not eat enough protein (.98 lb ground lamb with cheese) before leaving for work. At work I ate 8 oz. of salami and a diet drink. I also had a couple of pieces of fried chicken breast (approximately 4 oz.) I went easy on the chicken because it was breaded.

Later, when brownies were served, I just could not stop. I ate four of them. I felt guilty but when I fall off diet I try to eat something else, I normally cannot eat, since the diet is shot anyway. So I ate a green apple. It was bland. I drank a little gin when I came home and had a few extra pecans. Try again tomorrow.

I think if I had eaten a pound and a half of lamb instead of .98 pound, I would not have eaten four brownies later in the day.

Today is much more successful. I ate two thick cut pork chops for breakfast, 2 chicken thighs for dinner and I will have a salad with ground lamb and a taste of gin shortly after posting this.

Yesterday I weighed 248 lb. I don't know why one retains so much water after eating carbs following a long period of almost abstinence. But it seems to work that way. Monday I weighed 240 and today I weigh 241. Go figure.

Overview of Weight Loss: First 9 Weeks.

On June 8 of this year I did something I have done repeatedly for almost two decades. I launched yet another weight loss effort. It was going to be different this time. This was it! Losing and sustained loss.

How have I done? I have lost 16 lb. in 63 days. Of course, I lost 16 lb. in 56 days. So I flatlined this past week. But I would rather focus on the success of the first 56 days and think that maybe I have set myself up for more weight loss in the coming week.

A quick review in pounds:

1. June 8....256

2. June 14...250

3. June 20...249

4. June 21...248

5. June 27...249

6. June 28...250

7. July 1....249

8. July 15...246

9. July 20...245

10. July 22..244

11. July 26..243

12. July 31..245

13. August 3..240

14. August 5..242

15. August 9..240

Recapping the weight loss strategy:
1. Carbohydrate restriction. My strategy might be called modified Atkins or maybe haphazard Atkins. As mentioned in previous posts I have had varying degrees of success with Atkins. It worked real well one year. I went off it and gained excessive weight. Restarted it the next year and did not follow it as closely and was not as successful. Also, I have always gone through flatline periods, especially when I am in the 240-250 range.

Believe it or not, I have cut back on fat a little bit. My diet used to look like an inverted USDA food pyramid (one of the biggest flops in the history of the world)with fat from calories as the base. Now, protein would probably be the base. I no longer smother swordfish in butter and I frequently substitute tabasco sauce or mustard for mayo. But don't ever ask me to substitute low fat or lite mayo. I am 100%against the Ersatz Food movement that robs souls and ruins lives! Besides, low fat products usually have a higher sugar content than the real thing.

2. Second strategem is exercise. I do want to go to the gym more frequently but my time constraints are real. Having said that, I have only attended the gym 7 or 8 times(I believe it's 8 but I will double check) during this 63 day period. No doubt I would lose weight faster if I had the luxury of liesure.

3. Third strategem is phenylalanine. I have been using phenylalanine daily for 20 years. In and of itself, it has not been successful in weight control but I do believe it has merit. More on this amazing amino in future posts.

4. Fourth strategem is arginine. Arginine can be a cornerstone of weight loss but it has a few flaws. The big flaw of arginine is its taste. Years ago someone compared its taste to dog vomit. I cannot make that comparison but I will say that arginine is one of the worst tasting substances I have ever swallowed. For that reason I started buying the more expensive proprietary mixes during the early 90's. What a difference!
But most arginine products were sweetened with sugar. Not a problem until I started a low carb diet. Fortunately, there are proprietary arginine products that use stevia as a sweetener. But I cannot say for certain how stevia affects low-carb diets. There is this gray area of sugar alcohols, virtual carbs, actual carbs and so on. A small amount of stevia will not sabotage a low-carb diet. A high intake might sabotage the diet.
This is an area of frustration for me. It is one of those things where it is hard to find reliable information. Ask a doctor and he'll tell you that a low-carb diet is dangerous and it never, ever, ever works. Also stevia is probably poison. Take two pyramids and call me in the morning. Of course, I don't trust the proprietor to tell me if and when stevia might sabotage my weight loss efforts. Joe Internet will offer an opinion on the subject but I sometimes think Mr. Internet is not as smart as he thinks he is.
Arginine has a lot to offer but the stevia continues to concern me. I sometimes use arginine as a meal substitute but only if I am not all that hungry. From July 4 to July 25 I used arginine in lower doses (3 tbsp/6 gram arginine per tbsp)a couple of times before bed and each time before exercise. I started arginine the week of July 20. Usually 6 tbsp. daily (one x per day.) Through oversight I abstained for three days in the first week in August.
The stevia thing has not been resolved but at this writing I am taking arginine 6 tbsp. daily.

5. Fifth Strategam is resveratrol. On Wednsesday July 29 I took 400 mg. resveratrol
one x. The next day I took 400 mg tid. The following day I settled into a routine of 400 mg bid. On August 6 I increased resveratrol to 800 mg. bid.
Despite the immediate weight loss (5 lb. in 3 days) I am still skeptical of resveratrol. The weight loss could have been coincidental. We get those peaks and valleys in every weight loss (and weight gain for that matter) scenario. Even at wholesale prices, resveratrol is pricey. But it would certainly be money well spent if one was certain their body was assimilating the ingested resveratrol. However, bioavailabilty is certainly a concern. But for now, I will include resveratrol.

That is my First 9 Week Summary. If anyone has any suggestions, good advice, bad advice or ridicule, please pass it along.

Tweets: First Week of August, 2009

What I ate on Saturday so far...18 oz arginine, coffee, 2 chx thighs, serving grn beans, 1/2 serving rice
about 16 hours ago from web

salad on Fri (actually early Sat. AM contained hb egg, mozzarella cheese, oil & vinegar
about 16 hours ago from web

What I ate on Friday...1.20 lb gr bf with 2 slices cheese, 3 chx thighs, diet drink, coffee, approx. 1.3 lb gr bf with 2 slices chese, salad
about 16 hours ago from web

what i ate Thurs. 10 oz. tuna & mayo, coffee, 8 oz salami, 2 chx thighs, 1 hb egg, approx 14 oz shrimp with butter
about 16 hours ago from web

On the health benefits of obesity: http://bit.ly/iY9Qe
11:07 AM Aug 6th from web

should have read tuna, not tune....tired
2:27 AM Aug 6th from web

just ate 22 oz of tune with mayo
2:26 AM Aug 6th from web

has jsut consumed 18 oz of arginine sweetened with stevia.
11:37 PM Aug 5th from web

weighs 242 lb.
7:50 PM Aug 5th from web

what I ate today: 2 cx thighs, approx. 2 oz. whole sunflower seeds, diet drink, 8 oz. salami
7:48 PM Aug 5th from web

yesterday b4 bed....large lettuce salad with cheese, hb eggs, bacon, oil & vinegar, 2 franks sans bun (6 oz.)
7:47 PM Aug 5th from web

what I ate yesterday...approx. 1.25 lb. gr chuck with 2 slices cheese (mozarella) approx. 1 oz whole sunflower seeds, 3 chicken thighs......
7:39 PM Aug 5th from web

No arginine last three days...not by design...more by oversight
7:36 PM Aug 5th from web

monday (actually Tuesday AM) ate 3 more chx thighs b4 bed.
7:35 PM Aug 5th from web

what I ate today: 3 chicken thighs, approx. 2 oz. whole sunflower seeds, 8 oz salami. coffee, diet drink
1:13 AM Aug 4th from web

what I ate Sunday august 2...coffee, approx. 1.25 lb. gr. chuck, with two slices cheese, arginine, cornish hen
1:11 AM Aug 4th from web

What I ate last Saturday: 18 oz franks with bacon and cheese. 18 gr. arginine, 5 hardboiled eggs, coffee with half-n-half.
1:10 AM Aug 4th from web

What i ate last Friday..approx. 1 lb shrimp with .5 stick butter, 3 Tru Chocolates, 3 chx thighs, 1 oz bbq chips, cornish hen, coffee.
1:07 AM Aug 4th from web

started resveratrol last Wed after shipment arrived. 400mg, day one. 400mg tid, thursday. 400mg bid since then.
11:34 AM Aug 3rd from web

Weighs 240 lb. I seem to have lost 5 lb. in three days.
11:33 AM Aug 3rd from web

Tweets: Reverse Order. July 28 to July 31.

Weighs 245 lb.
12:28 AM Jul 31st from web

what i ate today: approx. 1.25 gr bf with 2 slices cheese, approx. 2 oz whole sunflower seeds, approx. 1 lb shrimp, black coffee, 3 chx thgs
12:28 AM Jul 31st from web

what i ate today continued....approx. 1 oz. whole sunflower seeds, large spring mix with bacon, egg & cheese., t chicken thighs
1:27 AM Jul 30th from web

what I ate today: approx. 1.25 lb gr. bf. with 2 slices cheese, coffee, diet drink, 2 chicken thighs, 4 cups popcorn...
1:26 AM Jul 30th from web

what I ate yesterday: 3 prk chps, 4 cups popcorn, 2 cups veg juice, 1 apple, 6 eggs, diet drink, black coffee, no arginine
1:23 AM Jul 30th from web

what i ate yesterday: 1.84 lb sole, 3 chicken thighs, 1 pork chop, 3 cups jumbalaya, black coffee, two diet drinks
11:17 AM Jul 28th from web

Tweets: Reverse Order. July 20 to July 26

what I ate today: 1.47 lb. sole with butter, spices, pecans, 6 tbsp. arginine, coffe with a small amount of cream, .25 glass red wine.
6:53 PM Jul 26th from web

Weighs 243 lb...I believe that's 13 in 49 but I'll check.
10:41 AM Jul 26th from web

@1weightloss ...clicked on url you provided. I am still unclear how AtricleContentKing works.
10:39 AM Jul 26th from web in reply to 1weightloss

what i ate today: 3 chx thighs, 2 lb shrimp & .25 stick butter, coffee black, coffee with cream, cappucino with Splenda, arginine, 2rum&diet
12:05 AM Jul 26th from web

Meme Roth vs. Dr. Regina Benjamin http://misterweightloss.blo... No fat chicks?
1:26 AM Jul 25th from web

yes, I have reinstated arginine
1:22 AM Jul 25th from web

forgot to mention I took 6 tbsp arginine sweetened with stevia daily past two day(in addition to days where I mentioned this)
1:21 AM Jul 25th from web

What I ate today: 1.06 lb grnd bf with cheese, black coffee,,, .75 Cornish Hen with small amount of stuffing, approx. 1 oz pork rhinds.
11:20 PM Jul 24th from web

also yesterday: black coffee and a handful of pecans.
11:18 PM Jul 24th from web

What i ate yesterday: already mentioned 6 prk cutlets, .75 Crnsh Hen, small amount of stuffin with mshrms@celery, 5 hb eggs, 2 strips bacon
11:18 PM Jul 24th from web

what i have eaten today so far: 6 pork cutlets (roughly 1 lb. total) black coffee
4:16 PM Jul 23rd from web

i also ate yesterday: 2.5 more chciken thighs, 4 hard boiled eggs
4:15 PM Jul 23rd from web

what I ate yesterday: 2 pork cutlets, .5 Crnsh Hen, 2 chckn thghs, 2 strps bcn, black coffee, 6 tbsp arginine, bowl of lettuce...continued
4:13 PM Jul 23rd from web

@MorganGetty I know all about bacl/neck pain. Try placing a full two liter bottle at base of spine and slowly roll the bottle to neck area
10:41 AM Jul 22nd from web in reply to MorganGetty

weighs 244 lb.
1:42 AM Jul 22nd from web

WHAT I ATE TODAY: 4 chicken thighs, 6 tbsp arginine, black coffee, 1/2 glass chardonnay, 3 slices pizza, approx. .75 lb pork cutlets.
1:41 AM Jul 22nd from web

Weight loss advocates: I am looking for guest editors. http://misterweightloss.blo... Will gladly link to your site in return. repeat
10:41 PM Jul 21st from web

Weight loss advocates: I am looking for guest editors. http://misterweightloss.blo... Will gladly link to your site in return.
11:05 AM Jul 21st from web

Resveratrol advocates and resveratrol salesmen: RSVP http://bit.ly/3ec28e
11:00 AM Jul 21st from web

View vintage tobacco commercials with Dick Van Dyke http://misterweightloss.blo... Should tobacco be part of your weight loss plan?
10:02 PM Jul 20th from web

lifted weights at the gym today and spent a half hour on the treadmill.
9:52 PM Jul 20th from web

weighs 245 lb...put on 1 lb. last week...lost 11 lb. in 43 days.
9:52 PM Jul 20th from web

Also had oil and vinegar on salad...
9:49 PM Jul 20th from web

What I ate today: 1 lb grnd chuck with cheese, black coffee, 6 tbsp. arginine, approx 3/4 Cornish hen, spring mix with bacon, eggs, cheese
9:48 PM Jul 20th from web

what I ate yesterday: already mentioned pollack. mostly black coffee, 6 tbsp arginine, approx. .5 lb roast beef, 3 eggs.
9:45 PM Jul 20th from web

On The Health Benefits of Obesity

Few things in life are all good or all bad. However, our public discourse does not reflect balanced assessments. The primary media bias is the bias for simplicity. We can argue whether this bias reflects humanity's bias for simplicity or that it proves that people in the press are mostly simpletons. But for whatever reason, the media hold a bias for simplicity.

While this editor was unable to find any advantages to bulimia (we will try again in the future) he was able to find advantages to obesity. Exhibit A: A high BMI is associated with improved survival. "Weight-gaining interventional studies in dialysis patients are urgently needed to ascertain whether they can improve survival and quality of life."

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/81/3/543

And if you're bothered by that pesky hypoxia, remember this: "We found that high-fat diet-fed (HFD) mice recovered from acute hypoxia 5 times faster than normal-diet-fed (ND) mice." Yeah baby. You go, fat mouse! Sis boom bah! Outsurvive the skinny mouse! Outsurvive the skinny mouse! Outsurvive the skinny mouse!

http://endo.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/150/6/2660

This study is complex but has a few intriguing facets. "However, until we fully understand the physiology of uraemic fat, and especially the causes of the accelerated mortality in CKD, it is hard to exclude that adipose tissue may indeed also exert beneficial effects in patients with CKD."

http://ndt.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/23/10/3041

Finally, I offer my own non-clinical observation. Obese people develop amazing lower body strength. It is hard to replicate an exercise of carrying around extra pounds under the skin 24/7. Your fat makes your legs strong. If you are obese or formerly obese, test this hypothesis. Go down to the gym and hit the leg press or the squat bar. I bet you put the marathoner to shame. And you will retain that stregth even if you shed some tonnage. It is possible that the formerly obese will be shown to be healthier than the never obese. I hope so.

Why I am Dubious About Colon-Cleansing Products

1. I'm not sure it is a good idea to purge one's colon of its "spackle and paste." That bacteria is performing a useful function. It is keeping you alive.

2. Those advertised products cannot possibly work as well as phospho-soda are any of the other products one takes the night before a colonoscopy. If you ingest phospho-soda you will have to stay close to a toilet for the duration of the evening.

3. When I had my only colonoscopy I did not lose 10-15 pounds. My weight was about the same the next time I weighed myself a few days later.

If you feel the need to cleanse your colon, then why not schedule a colonoscopy? That way, a trained professional will be able to observe any abnormalities and your colon will be cleaned in the process.

But if you don't want to go through all that hassle (and I don't blame you if you don't)you might try a high colonic. Howard Stern does it, so I am told.

DOES A ROYAL FLUSH BEAT A FULL HOUSE? (I stole that line from a Boston paper)