A Year Blogged By

It’s been a year or so since I began writing a blog. I started doing so because a few people suggested that I should stretch my writing muscles. I like sharing my thoughts without conveying too much of my personal life and my hope has been to make you smile, cause a reaction and inspire you to think a little. I seem to have done a little of each judging by my readers’ reactions. I’d like to review my first year a bit here and perhaps solicit even more reaction.

I’ve blogged about a wide range of topics. One of the more controversial stances I took was regarding Breast Cancer Awareness (“Not just Breast Cancer Awareness...but ALL Cancer Awareness”). My intent was not so much that the pink-ribbon campaign was over-blown, but rather other types of cancer were being ignored. I most certainly support any effort to alleviate breast cancer and have no problem “buying pink.” However, I’d like to see a more aggressive “blue ribbon” campaign towards prostate cancer. As I type that, I imagine Pabst would be the primary sponsor of such a campaign, but there seriously is a blue ribbon effort to increase prostate cancer awareness. Sadly, since this is probably the first you’ve heard of it, I suppose their efforts are not too successful. Regardless, please understand that I’m not “Anti Pink Ribbon,” but pro any ribbon towards cancer awareness.

I forwarded “The Christmas Ball,” about the golf ball that my brother and I exchange each year, to several local media, including radio and newspaper. I was pretty thrilled to see a brief mention of my story on a newspaper website, and even more excited to hear the local “morning crew” talk about this holiday tradition at length on the radio. I gladly wrote down the suggestions that they and their listeners suggested for future exchanges. Although I have to admit, I’m not sure how to place a beat-up and burnt golf ball into a puppy. Yes, that was a real suggestion.

Another piece I sent into the local media was “Kaitlyn and Katlin.” about the poor 4 year-old girl that was found decapitated by her own father. I was so furious with that murder that I forwarded my blog to many people. While I never saw or heard mention of it in such print or on the air, I did receive a few comments from a radio DJ and one local reporter. I just wish that reporter would have shared my comments in the paper.

It seems, much like “Kaitlyn and Katlin,” most of my “venting” pieces get the most fired-up responses. My take on Kwanzaa (“Spell Checking Kwanzaa”) resulted in “Hell yeah!” agreement as well as cries of racism. If anything, it was “holiday-ism.” “Advice to the Stupid” brought forth sheepish admissions from dear friends that they were the idiot drivers toward whom I was complaining. Like they say, love the sinner, hate the sin. Just don’t take offense when I give you a one-finger salute…I still love you. And I’ll still wish you all Happy Holidays come Christmas time, no matter how many people claim I’m either non-Christian, un-caring or are in agreement with my point.

Probably the one blog I’m asked about most (and the one I’m most proud of) is the one about my dad writing a book (“My Dad the Author”)…with most inquires about how his book is doing. I’m happy to report, “quite well!” Frankly, after selling his first couple dozen in the first weeks, I wasn’t sure just how successful he’d be beyond that. I liked the book and others around dad liked the book, but I figured the demand would be finite, and that he’d have trouble selling past the first couple hundred. I was wrong. So far he’s sold about 800 books! It seems his top niche is to attend Nitro High School class reunions and peddle his book there. At the Class of 1957 Reunion a few weeks ago, he sold a remarkable eighteen books. And in early September, the Charleston Gazette-Mail printed yet another story about Dad, complete with a very handsome photo. But his success hasn’t come merely in book sales. Shortly after I visited Dad last October, he sent a book to a lady he attended school with so many years ago, Emma “Kitty” Lyons. Kitty sent a note along with her order referring to Dad as a “kindred spirit.” He likes to joke that the term impressed him very much, especially after he looked it up I the dictionary. Seeing as how neither Dad nor Kitty owned a computer, an old-fashioned pen-pal relationship began, which evolved into the occasional phone call and then into a number of phone calls a day. Finally, in a move that surprised both my brother and I, Dad traveled to Fort Myers, Florida to visit Kitty for an extended stay. That visit turned into a wedding ceremony and a very happy and reborn Dad. And for the record, I approve of Kitty. She’s a great gal.

There have been plenty of unwritten blogs that I’ve composed in my head, but never had time to write. The aforementioned addition to our family was certainly blogging material (Tentatively titled, “E-Step-Mom”), and when you’re the father of 5 year-old twins, there’s an unlimited amount of observations, joy and heartache I could share. I had several pieces planned on our March vacation to Florida alone, from watching the kids’ first experience at Disney World and Sea World, to our first LONG road trip, to spending a family week at Daytona Beach during Spring Break Week. (No kids, Daddy was NOT looking at the tattoo on that young girl’s backside.) I was fortunate enough to have time to share some kid-related thoughts in “Pop and Circle Dance” and “Gosh darn, son-of-a-gun…this friggin’ crap has me all screwed up to heck.” It seems that kid stories always get the most laughs, and I hope to share more in the future.

Finally, you’ve probably noticed that my blogging has focused on my health lately. I hope not to bore you with statistics on triglycerides and cholesterol, or with whining about my lifestyle change along the South Beach and beyond. So far, the response from my readers has been very supportive and I thank each and every one of you.

Many have given me encouragement to continue writing beyond my expectations, and others have offered their own blogs as inspiration and mentoring for me to continue mine. I hope to keep you coming back to my pages and ask that you spread the word if you have a reaction to my thoughts. After all, it’s your reaction that keeps me writing in the first place.

Entering a New Phase

Phase One is complete, and let Phase Two begin! Whoo hoo!

Okay, so Phase One was not nearly as bad as I first thought. Sure, I’m sick of salads and meat, but by the end of the two weeks, I had my homemade dressing recipe down just right and have been almost looking forward to my morning V8 (almost). My nighttime ricotta cheese dessert has been refined to be such an enjoyable experience, I may continue to savor the cheesy treat beyond this first Phase.

So what were the results of Phase One? Sadly, not as good as advertised. The "Book of South Beach" claims that the average weight loss from Phase One is typically 13 pounds. Obviously, some people have to have a lesser weight loss to keep that average down, and I was one such person. After losing 7 pounds the first week, I actually gained 0.4 pounds the second week. I was a bit discouraged this morning after I weighed in, but that disappointment was soon replaced by quiet jubilation, as I had to pull my belt one hole tighter to hold my pants up.

I have to constantly remind myself that it’s about my blood and not my weight. Sure, I want to lose a total of 15 to 20 pounds, but it doesn’t have to be lost overnight. The truth is, although I followed the diet over the weekend, I ate a packaged "South Beach" dinner for lunch yesterday and a Wendy’s Chili and side salad for dinner last night. Again, both are within the diet parameters, but the salt content was probably high on both and that led to an equal increase in weight for both my wife and I. In fact, I was 1.8 pounds heavier today than yesterday, so it’s all basically relative to the previous meal. And that’s why I say I want to lose 15 to 20 pounds, and not 17.5 pounds. One needs to shoot for a goal range and not a specific weight. A person’s weight probably fluctuates 2 pounds either way, depending on the day and the last meal. But if you stay within a 5-pound range, then you’ve stayed the course. So you see, I’m not really all that disappointed because I’m keeping it all in perspective.

As for the South Beach dinners, I find it funny how some of their own food contradicts their diet parameters. For instance, they suggest that only high fiber cereal with 3 grams or less of carbs be consumed. The South Beach brand cereal has 4 grams. What is boils down to is, despite packaged foods and restaurant faire being within a diet’s guidelines, nothing beats home-cooked fresh food, especially for weight loss. With that in mind, I’m sure I’ll have good results in the next few days.

I keep saying, "it’s about the blood." In case you’re wondering, my next lab work is scheduled for mid-December. I’ll try not to be too preachy about it or too whiny about not knowing my blood counts until then. You’ll all be the first to know what they are.

More on my life tanning on the South Beach in a few days.

(Update…I wrote this piece on Monday, but due to my busy schedule on Monday and Tuesday, I wasn’t able to post this until Wednesday. Since writing this account, the salt effects have worn off and I’m now down an additional 2 pounds!)

Week 2 Report: Cravings and Dilemmas

No specific topic of discussion today, but I wanted to check in briefly and let you know how things are going.

I’ll report my weight loss progress on Monday, in that I’m trying to keep it to a weekly report. However, I do weigh myself every morning and, well, I’m on a plateau it seems. Perhaps things will change by next week. I’ll let you know.

One of my weaknesses has been when I’m really hungry (skipped a snack due to work issues) and really craving some carbs. My mouth literally drools when I see a cookie or a donut. I swear I feel like I’m coming off an addiction at times.

The biggest obstacle of the week was how I handled eating out. I mentioned before that my family and I went to Red Lobster last week with great success. Well, on Tuesday, we went to Perkin’s for my wife’s birthday dinner. Not the fanciest of places to celebrate, but we knew we could get an omelet. And what a large omelet is was! Also, earlier that day, I had two salesmen take me to lunch. I was good and ordered grilled chicken breast and salad, but what a large meal it was! (No…I will not say "What a large breast it was!" That’s tacky). So for both meals, I was "good." The next day, I had gained two pounds! That’s when it hit me that I have to be aware not only of WHAT I eat…but also HOW MUCH I eat. It seems simple after I say it, but it’s not.

One thing I keep struggling with is the weigh versus blood health issue. I shouldn’t be so bummed about not losing so much weight this week, but more aware of how what I’m eating affects my blood. Still, I get discouraged at minimal weight loss. I shouldn’t, and I need to get out of that mindset, but I still do.

I also find that I’m planning for "when I get off of Phase 1." Meaning, after this weekend, I can start re-introducing some carbs in the form of fruit and whole wheat breads. But I’m also starting to think that the occasional indulgence in the name of special occasions should be acceptable. For instance, my birthday is coming up in 3 weeks. If we follow the same routine as my wife’s birthday, I’ll have no cake. But would one small piece of cake harm me? Not really. But what WOULD be harmful would be to have cake around the house for the whole week afterwards, nibbling away piece by piece every day. My logic allows just a little taste, but my resolve starts to reason that "just a little taste every day" is acceptable. It’s not. That’s where my biggest struggle will continue beyond Phase 1.

Lastly, thank you for your input on my medicine versus diet dilemma. My plan was to always continue my diet and exercise, but I wasn’t sure about taking all the meds. I decided to take the pills for now. Partly because one of the sales guys I had lunch with on Tuesday had been tackling the same issues as I for over 11 years. He mentioned the drug interaction is very rare, and as long as the doctor is watching me closely, I’d be fine. I know we’re all different with different reactions, but his experience put me at ease. He also had undergone a quadruple bypass, so his lifestyle was rudely forced upon him. I have a choice, and choose not to have a bypass. As a result, I’m taking the niacin along with the Zocor for the blood, and continuing the lifestyle changes for my overall health (and for my family). But I’m also happy to say that, after 3 doses, I have yet to have a "hot flash." Let’s hope that continues.

Have a great weekend everyone. The weather is going to be beautiful here and I figure I’ll start my walking exercise in full force on Saturday morning. I’ll whine about that next week.

One week down, a lifetime to go!

Today marks one week since I started the South Beach Diet as part of my lifestyle change. Or maybe more of a shift. Anyhow, the results are in and I’ve lost 7 pounds! Seven pounds in as many days seems to be a consistent rate of weight-loss, but in reality, I lost the first 5 in two days, the next pound took four days and the final pound disappeared over night. I attribute the initial loss to water weight…or at least that’s what everyone says about every diet. The next four days were a bit frustrating in that a couple of days, the dang scale didn’t budge a bit. This morning was a pleasant surprise when I dropped a pound, and I’m sure that has a lot to do with me mowing the lawn in humid 90-degree heat yesterday. Nothing like a good aerobic workout to knock off a pound.

This leads to my next obstacle in my overall lifestyle change: increasing my exercise. Each day at lunch, I’ve been taking a 15 – 20 minute walk at a pace that shouldn’t allow me to stink the rest of the day, but enough to get my heart rate up. The only time I waiver from this routine is when my co-workers join me and the walk turns more into a stroll in the park with nary a heavy breath. Although these daily walks certainly help, I’m feeling I need more. The one thing that actually improves "good cholesterol" (HDL) is exercise. Meds help of course, but exercise would be the better approach. So here’s my dilemma…I work and live a very hectic schedule where I’m constantly cooking, bathing kids, and doing house chores the moment I get home from work up to when I fall asleep for the night. There’s no time for the exercise. My morning is equally hectic from wake up through commuting to work. If anyone has any ideas how to fit an exercise routine into this day, let me know. I used to walk the treadmill once I got home and combined that with some light weight-training. I could probably start that back up again with minor adjustments to my day, but I’m still open to other ideas.

One discovery over the weekend was finding the number of walking trails in my neighborhood. While I knew they existed, and occasionally walked one particular path, I found that there are quite a few additional trails that connect to an overall network of trails within the town. I’m pretty excited by this in that I could easily take the kids with me "exploring" new trails.

Another somewhat exciting discovery this weekend was my ability to eat out within the constraints of the diet. A couple of friends often remind me of how bad it was for my family and I to eat out so much. Tuesday’s were devoted to Chick-fil-A; Thursdays to Jersey Mike’s; Friday’s and Saturday’s to where ever struck our fancy; and Sunday’s were generally fast food or frozen pizza at home. Those days we ate "in" were often meals of pre-packaged foods, such as the pizza, Stouffer’s lasagna, etc. If nothing else, this new diet has eased me away from that eating-out lifestyle. I believe we cooked and prepared every meal last week except for the South beach frozen dinners we had for Friday night (I just didn’t feel like cooking). On Saturday evening, we had intended to fix dinner at home, but found ourselves out shopping and running errands like we do so often. We opted to go to Red Lobster where I had grilled tilapia, veggies, broccoli and salad with water. Perhaps the only negative aspect of this meal with the saltiness of the fish, but I really felt no guilt or feelings that I cheated on my diet. No, we’re not going back to eating out 4 to 6 times a week again. However, it’s nice to know I don’t have to forgo one of my few social activities of enjoying a decent restaurant now and then.

Now I have one more request of you. Today marks a very scary beginning for me. My previous prescription ran out and today I’m to start the new prescription. To fight the cholesterol, I’m to take Zocor once at night. I’ve taken this before and it actually helped to reduce the bad cholesterol a lot, but it didn’t do much for the TGs. The second and more worrisome medicine is Niaspan, or niacin. My previous prescription (Advicor) was kind of a Zocor-niacin mix in one pill, with niacin adding up to 1000 mgs. Now, I’m supposed to take 1500 mgs of niacin along with the Zocor for one month and then up it to 2000 the next month. My concern with this drug combination is that they could interact negatively together…a bad interaction. No matter which website I look view, the combo is bad news. Admittedly, the Advicor had the same concern and it had no affect on me, and my doctor assures me that I’ll be monitored closely for any adverse reactions. But the increased niacin has me a bit worried. The niacin is also what makes me feel like I’m burning up (hot flashes). I haven’t had a hot flash episode for over a week now (hmmm…since I started the diet) and I’m not looking forward to them starting back up again.

Anyhow, here’s where I need your opinion. When I go back to the doctor’s office in December, he’ll check my blood. If the results are great, how am I to know whether or not the results are from my lifestyle or from the new medical cocktail? Should I skip taking the niacin (against doctor’s orders) and take out the medicine variable to see if diet and exercise along will work? Or should I basically follow the doctor’s orders, take the medicine, and then discuss my lifestyle changes at that point? I welcome all opinions, and I know many of you out there will have pretty strong opinions about both sides. That’s why I like my readers so much.

Things are going well, but there’s still a lot more to do. One week does not a new lifestyle make, but it’s a start.

Day 4 - Milk versus Beer

It’s Day 4 of my diet. Oops, that should be Day 4 of my new lifestyle…I still have to get used to that. A diet might end once the goal-weight is achieved and more sensible eating will maintain the weight. In a lifestyle change, those dietary restrictions need to be followed for the rest of one’s life. That’s my case, although I’ll probably whine about it until the day I die. But if this works, I’ll be around a lot longer to do the whining.

I sit here taking a break at work, munching on a chunk of Laughing Cow Light Cheese…very yummy. I’ve always liked cheese anyhow, so this is a pretty typical snack for me. For lunch, I packed a salad with some smoked salmon to add protein; a homemade dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar and various spices; and a container of sugar-free Jell-O. Instead of my normal staple of Diet Coke, I’ve packed some Lipton Diet Green Tea, which I’ve become quite used to drinking. My afternoon snack will be a repeat of yesterday’s snack: some raw vegetables dipped in humus. I’m really surprised how good some of this is. And for breakfast this morning, I had a western omelet with sausage, and a little bit of skim milk.

Milk? I know that I mentioned that milk is a no-no, but I stumbled onto something last night while surfing the net. In response to one of my blogs, someone questioned as to why milk is a "Food to Avoid" on Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. I really didn’t have an answer because I assumed it was related to the fat in milk, but skim milk was also to be avoided, so this didn’t make sense. What I found in my search were two things. First, skim milk is not banned due to fat (since there is none) but due to the lactose, or milk sugar. Lactose is as potent a sugar as raw table sugar when it comes to its effect on insulin (and therefore triglycerides). To get around this, I should consider lactose-free milk or soymilk…a prospect at which I really didn’t look forward. However, the second item I found was a 2004 addendum to the South Beach criteria. Basically, it allows up to two servings of skim milk per day! My SB book was printed in 2003 and I wasn’t aware of this update until last night. Other updates include allowing tomatoes and onions to be consumed in an unlimited basis and the inclusion of carrots in the later phases of this diet. (Carrots are very high in sugar, but apparently the fiber involved helps to offset). Anyhow, I was very happy to find this latter bit of information while at the same time, the first bit of info reminds me that need to drink milk in moderation. Water is still the only real recommended liquid to consume.

While I was at it, I decided to surf for information about one other consumable liquid: beer. Probably the biggest no-no with regards to TG’s (the official medical abbreviation of Triglycerides) is consuming alcohol of any kind. When I checked on the benefits of red wine, all I found was that the negative influence of alcohol on TG’s far superceded the health benefits. Basically, the liver needs to process the alcohol upon consumption. But it’s also the liver’s job to process the sugars, carbohydrates, insulin and TG’s in the body. In addition, alcohol is pretty much converted directly into TGs. It’s a chemical, physiological thing that I can’t really explain, but trust me. Anyhow, all this I already knew, which is why I’ve been drinking O’Doul’s Amber Non-Alcohol beer for the last few months. True, even NA beers have some alcohol. The way NA beers are made is that they brew the beer normally, and then remove the alcohol at the very end. There will obviously be some residual alcohol left in the brew, so "Alcohol-Free" is a bit misleading. Still, I wondered if NA beer is acceptable.

Sadly no, but not because of the minimal amount of alcohol. All beer contains maltose, which is a sugar. Apparently this sugar is one of the more kick-ass sugars there are, and it’s directly responsible for the common beer-belly. The worst kind of fat to have on one’s body is in the middle: the beer belly. Unfortunately, maltose is not removed in the process of NA or light beers…it’s just something that’s in beer. And I can’t have it.

I know it seems like I’m whining, but I’m actually just expressing some of the obstacles that I need to overcome. You see, this is why it’s a lifestyle change and not merely a diet. I got lucky with the milk in that I can enjoy that the rest of my life, and I actually like skim milk. I didn’t get so lucky with the beer. I suppose I could search the net for non-alcohol wines, but since fruit juices are also a no-no (fructose is the fruit sugar), I seriously doubt fancy grape-juice would be allowed either.

The good news is I’m allowed a lot of good things. And I’m starting to get used to the taste of V8. I’m enjoying that I’m cooking and setting a better example for my kids. I’m challenged by and enjoying the allowed foods, and looking forward to re-introducing some old favorites in the next phase of the diet, like most fruits (apples, strawberries, blue berries, grapes, etc), whole wheat bread and pudding. It’s still gonna be hard, but it’s been easier than I thought, and that has to be a good first step to a new lifestyle.

Why are YOU dieting?

Well, today’s the day I started my new diet. I have to admit, I had one hell of a "bachelor party" this past weekend in anticipation of marrying up to the ol’ South beach Diet. Buffalo Chicken sandwich on Friday, a ton of Japanese steakhouse food on Saturday, a huge breakfast buffet on Sunday morning, and a big ol’ Chicken Parmesan that I couldn’t finish on Sunday evening. Not to mention the cake and cookies and ice cream and wine I shared throughout the two-day anniversary celebration. The events were fun, but the food was completely decadent. I should be thankful that I didn’t die of a heart attack! So I weighed in this morning at 166.2 pounds. That’s 2 pounds more than Saturday morning thanks to the weekend of binging. Still, today is the first day of the diet so 166.2 is the official starting weight.

Here’s where I hear a lot of people ask, "why are you dieting? You’re a small guy! You don’t need to diet!" Unfortunately, I hear that a lot. I suppose a lot of people would feel good about people telling them they look fine, but for me, it’s not about the weight. As you know, it’s about the blood and I won’t get into the details again. So when I answer, I usually have one of several answers in mind:

• "Well, you haven’t seen me naked." This usually gets the more entertaining reaction, but when I say that, I’m referring to the "beer belly" that I have (even though I no longer drink beer). The fact is, I’m a small guy. I’m short and I am "small-boned," so the belly-fat on me isn’t as apparent. Unless I tuck in my shirt (which I need to do at work), I can usually hide the belly pretty well. But once the shirt comes off in the bathroom, it’s quite apparent that my torso had seen better days. It’s this mid-section fat that is apparently most dangerous. That’s all I need…more health danger
• "Maybe I look this way because I’m eating this way." I thought it was always funny that people think others should eat fatty or "bad" food…that the only time one should eat "good" food is when they’re losing weight. I have a news flash for you; healthy eating keeps you from getting fat. Period.
• "I’m not trying to lose weight. I’m trying to improve my blood health." You know the reasons behind this answer, so I won’t bore you.
  

The problem with people telling me I look like I don’t need to diet is that sometimes, I start to believe it. When I look in the mirror, I suck in my gut and think, "maybe they’re right." But in reality, they’re wrong. I DO need to diet, or at least follow a better diet. And I imagine you do, too.

Now, let’s talk about Day One of the diet a little. The hardest part of the day thus far has been substituting V8 for my OJ. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but it was not a pleasant experience. My snacks should be salty, not my breakfast drink. The next hardest has been not drinking milk. South Beach doesn’t allow milk during the first two weeks. Although I usually only drink it during breakfast, you can bet what my first consumption will be once the two weeks are up.

My "approved" snacks have kept me from getting hungry…cheese sticks and nuts. And my lunch of salad with chicken strips and strawberry Jello was actually quite good. I think the only reason I’m feeling any hunger right now is due to stretching my stomach to the size of a VW Beetle.

I’ll be measuring myself tonight and taking photos. I’ll share the measurements, but not the picture…at least not yet. My plan is to present the before photo when I’m ready to reveal my after photo. I’ve always been one for drama.

Stay tuned as I venture further into the dieting world.