UNEVENTFUL VISIT WITH MY DOCTOR

My visit with Dr. Tenhundfeld today was anti-climactic.  I had previously surprised him back on February 20th when my weight had already dropped more than 50 pounds.   Today when I stepped on his doctors' scale, with clothes on, my weight registered 217.2 lbs.  This is in contrast to my first weigh-in back on December 24th, 2014 when the scale yelled back at me 313 lbs.  I have lost about 95 pounds since December 24th.   

My vitals were checked today:
blood pressure      132/76
resting heart rate  65 bpm  (On Feb 20 this was 67.  Five months ago, Dec 24, 2014 it was 75)
Exercise, not essential to weight loss, IS UNAMBIGUOUSLY GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH.
temperature           98.3°F 

I asked the doctor about my resting heart rate.  He described it as the heart rate of someone who is athletic.  I confess, that this made me feel very good.  He didn't say this was the heart rate of an Olympic athlete - just someone who is 'athletic.' No one was thinking of using the word, athletic, to describe me last year as my weight soared over 300 lbs.

I let the doctor know that I have discontinued my 1000 calorie per day program and now I will be trying to lose weight, but more more slowly with a caloric intake approaching 1800 per day.   On one hand this seems like quite a high number to me - but I must remember that last year I was consuming 2000 calories sometimes before 8AM in the morning!  There is no question that I have made some lifestyle changes that have stuck.

I am going to allow myself snacks between meals.  I think I will try to limit a snack to a couple of apples - although I need to investigate what kind of higher protein items I can snack on as well.

I asked the doctor if there were any other dietary supplements that I should consider and he didn't think anything was required.  He did suggest that I add a daily 'baby aspirin' (81 milligrams) to my program each day.  This small amount of aspirin is prescribed as a defense against heart attack.  Apparently a normal dose of aspirin that one takes for headaches and other pains would be much too high a dosage for everyday consumption as it could have other deleterious effects.

As it has been nearly 10 years since my initial colonoscopy, a second colonoscopy was suggested as I am now approaching 60 years old (I am still 57)

My next follow-up exam has been scheduled for an additional six months in the future, November 2.
And that's pretty much it.  This visit was quite short, as there were no particular issues to discuss.

MONDAY MENU

breakfast    skipped breakfast in order to be in a 'fasting state' for blood work that was ordered.
lunch          spinach salad w/hearts of palm, beets, mushrooms, artichokes, tomato
                   Chicken Tortilla Soup, Cracovia Cucumber Salad
                    Trader Joe's Premium Salmon Burger, 56 almonds                                         682 calories
dinner        spinach salad w/hearts of palm, beets, mushrooms, artichokes, tomato
                   Trader Joe's Turkey Burger, Zucchini Pancake, creamy Portobello Soup      
                   56 almonds                                                                                                        819 calories

MONDAY CALORIE CONSUMPTION 1501 CALORIES

calories burned
630PM  elliptical 32 minutes 484 calories

MONDAY NET CALORIES 1017 CALORIES

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM SOUP

My continuing search for new foods that I have never had continued this evening.   Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup looked like a bowl of mud when served.   However, it tasted fine and is extremely low calorie.  One cup of this soup is only 70 calories.  I had a bowl (two cups) which added only 140 calories.

PENN PAL

I don't know if people still have traditional pen pals these days like some of us had in the 'old days.'  A pen pal was someone who you wrote to, usually from far away, often a far away country and described a little about yourself.  In return your pen pal would periodically write back to you and tell you about his life where he lived.  In the days of instantaneous communication - I would think that pen pals might have become passe' to the younger generation.   Nevertheless, this past week I discovered that I have a pen pal of sorts.

Perhaps not everyone recognizes the name, Penn Jillette.   Many more would recognize the names, Penn & Teller.  From Wikipedia: "Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American magician, juggler, comedian, musician, inventor, actor and best-selling author know for his work with fellow magician Teller in the team, Penn & Teller.  His is also known for his advocacy of atheism, scientific skepticism, libertarianism and free-market capitalism."  Penn Jillette is the tall one in the Penn & Teller team.

Penn & Teller

Apparently right before December 2014 started, Penn Jillette was 6' 7" (I am guessing that he still is) and he weighed 330 lbs.  Even though, Jillette weighed 21 lbs more than I did when I started to turn my life around, I was surely the fatter of the two of us, as I am not quite 6' 1".  Sometime in December, Jillette visited his doctor and was told that if he lost weight, just 30 or 40 lbs, he would be much better able to control his high blood pressure and reduce the dosages of the blood pressure medications he was taking.  Further, his doctor advised him if he lost even more weight, he might not need any blood pressure medications at all.  This apparently inspired Penn Jillette to start dieting by consuming just 1000 calories per day (sound familiar?) and he dropped from 330 lbs to 225 lbs from December to March until he reached his goal weight of 225 lbs.   Penn Jillette's weight loss was nearly 1 lb/day in just over three months time.   In the first 108 days of my journey I have lost .8 lbs per day!   I guess great minds think alike. (although, God knows,  I certainly don't share Penn Jillette's atheisim.)

There is some kind of weird coincidence that sometime after Penn Jillette started his diet, I started my diet on December 24th, after visiting my doctor and embarked on a 1000 calorie per day diet. I started after him, and I have 'only' lost 89 lbs so far and have not reached my goal weight yet. But the similarities in our results and and plan explain why I consider him my Penn Pal.

This account of Penn's weight loss was made public all over the news just last week.  It is somewhat weird to me that our stories are so very similar.   Apparently Penn Jillete has already reached his goal weight, my journey is still chugging along and I am not exactly sure where I will end up... My thinking at this time has me getting down to a weight below 195 lbs - and then I may decide to continue further or not.   Nevertheless, our stories are eerily similar.  (as have been our results)

One thing we have in common, is that neither of us used MAGIC to to quicken our results.  We both had our successes the olde fashioned way - LESS CALORIES CONSUMED=MORE WEIGHT LOST. The formula is simple, just not necessarily easy to implement without a boatload of willpower and desire.

SUNDAY MENU

breakfast  Oat Meal w/prune, two poached eggs, 2 slices turkey 'bacon'               365 calories
lunch        Jimmy John's #14 Bootlegger UNWICH w/extra veggies                     280 calories  
dinner      spinach w/tomato, salmon burger, zucchini pancake, Cabbage Soup    303 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 948 CALORIES

calories burned
7AM elliptical machine 32 minutes 495 Calories

NET CALORIES SUNDAY   453 CALORIES

This is a 2014 photograph was used to promote the Penn & Teller show in Las Vegas

Penn & Teller as they appeared on The Simpsons

Is there anyone or anything that The Simpsons has not spoofed?
I don't think so....

HALFTIME REPORT

When this blog began on December 26, 2014, I posted photos of myself weighing in at 309 lbs.  At that time I made a point of saying that these were 'BEFORE' pictures.  Obviously no 'AFTER' pictures were available.  It is now March 1, 2015.  I am about HALFWAY to where I think I am heading. When I started, I had the idea of losing at least 100 lbs. My thinking has recently crystallized into thinking that I might want to get down to about 195 lbs. If I achieve that goal, I will have lost 114 lbs.  I am now down 57 lbs.  I am halfway there...  which means....

IT IS TIME FOR THE HALFTIME REPORT.

I am measuring halftime based on the 57 lbs lost that I have lost in the first 66 days. I can not and do not expect that the next 57 lbs will be lost in the same amount of days. It is illogical to think that, therefore I don't. It really does not matter how long it takes, as this is not a race. It more akin to an endless marathon.

I have accomplished what I have accomplished so far by limiting myself to 1000 calories per day each day since December 24th. Since last Friday, I have been willing to let my caloric intake go a little bit higher each day.  So far, I have not once exceeded 1050 calories for any one day.  I have exercised every day since January 3. On January 3rd my 'workout' was a 4mph treadmill 'walk' for a whole 20 minutes before I became winded. My endurance has improved dramatically since then. I can increasingly often spend a full hour on an elliptical machine.

I have seen my blood pressure which was elevated at 158/82 reduced to 123/75 which my doctor says is completely normal and healthy.

I have seen my 'fasting glucose' level which were elevated at 114 mg/dL reduced to a normal and healthy 74 mg/dL.  I had been in danger of being pre-diabetic - that issue has been erased.

I have watched my BMI which was 42.0 (CLASS III OBESITY) drop down to 33.72 (CLASS I OBESITY)  I still have to get down to 224 lbs just to be considered only 'overweight.'  Although my BMI still has me classified as 'obese' - I am a lot less obese than I was.

I have watched my waist which was getting ready to go beyond 50" contract to a an extremely comfortable 44" and I see that I will be fitting into 42" likely within a week or two.

I have now learned to shop for shirts that are size L or XL.   I could only wear  XXL when I started, and they were not always big enough.  Some of my old shirts would look like tents if I were to wear them now.

I have watched my personal energy levels increase.  I thought I used to wake up early when I arose at 7AM.  Nowadays, I set my alarm for 5:30AM and I am often on an elliptical machine by 6AM.

I was becoming increasingly reliant on BLINK lubricating eye drops to combat 'dry eye' prior to December 24th.  I have noticed that I have not had the urge to irrigate my eyes in the last two months.  Is it possible that an improved diet has solved dryness of the eyes?  It appears so.

I have been told that I have cured myself of snoring.  Apparently being more than 100 lbs overweight is not very conducive for breathing well while sleeping.

I have cured a pain in my right knee that I felt every morning when I woke up.  This pain dissipated as the morning progressed.  That knee pain has been eradicated and is now a distant memory.

I have noticed that my skin is healthier.  I can see it most clearly in my elbows which look less like sun-drenched dry lizard skin.

And finally, I no longer hate mirrors.   In fact, I kinda like them.

The two sets of photos that appear below were taken on December 26, 2014 (two days after I made the decision to change my life and lifestyle) and yesterday, 67 days after that same decision.

A final note about these photos.  One might conclude that my weight loss has stimulated hair growth. Sadly, this is not the case. I got a buzzcut haircut right before the December 24th pictures were taken. I have not had a haircut since then. Although I look even 'balder' in the December pictures - I am just as bald today. My healthy diet and cardio exercise have not stimulated any hair follicles.

SATURDAY MENU

breakfast     OAT MEAL w/PRUNE, 2 poached eggs, 1/2 salmon burger      350 CALORIES

lunch           TWO CUPS SIRLOIN BURGER SOUP, Mixed Green Salad    320 CALORIES

dinner         Costco Turkey Burger, *Spring Mix Salad, Tortilla Soup    370 CALORIES

*(no longer do I always add dressing to my menu as I have purchased ZERO calorie dressings)

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED  1040 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED

6AM   elliptical machine 32 minutes                    440 CALORIES

2PM    elliptical machine 33 minutes                    460 CALORIES

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED  900 CALORIES

NET CALORIES     140 CALORIES   

This is the chart from my app, MyFitnessPal, which shows a fairly steady decline in weight over the past two months.   I started at 309 lbs and as of yesterday, I was 252.1 lbs.   I would have never believed that I could have had this much success so quickly.  I wonder what the next two months will bring? 

THERE'S ALWAYS ANOTHER MEAL IN SIX HOURS

On December 24, 2014, these words, "There's always another meal in six hours" changed my life.  I asked permission from my doctor today if I could use him name in my blog and he said that was perfectly fine.

I met Dr. John Tenhundfeld (Lincoln Park Family Physicians, 1317 West Diversey Parkway, Chicago) on two separate occasions prior to my December 24, 2014 'wellness' exam.   I immediately liked everything about him. This man is friendly, approachable and knowledgeable. He has a great personality and I find that I can speak with him with complete honesty. He is simply the best of the best.  Eight weeks ago, when I was a 309 lb blob sitting in the examination room we were discussing weight loss. He casually said that the thing with eating is..."there's always another meal in six hours."  He added that we just need to eat enough to survive until the next meal.  These ideas changed my life.  

It is these ideas that have propelled me into a fat-burning, muscle-building machine over these past few weeks.  I made sure to tell Dr. Tenhunfeld that it was these words there were so instrumental to my new way of thinking.  Expressing gratitude to someone who has been so helpful is a great thing to do.

My doctor was somewhat stunned today.  He was impressed with my success and my attitude. Honestly, the whole experience was very emotional for me. 

We discussed all the issues that I wanted to clarify.

He did say that a 1000 calorie per day cap on my eating was very aggressive. He added that as long as I am eating a balanced diet I could continue to do this. He added that I could easily bump that up to 1200 or 1300 when I am ready to do so.

My blood pressure which was elevated two months ago is now completely healthy.  

Blood pressure is 123/75.   (two months ago 158/82)

Resting pulse today was 67   (two months ago 75)

One recommendation made was to increase the fiber that I am eating.  His suggestions included adding to my diet: prunes, raisins, whole grains, and steel cut oatmeal with wheat germ.  I will follow this advice.

We discussed the Zero Calorie Sparkling Water that I drink.  While not as healthy as water,  Dr. Tenhundfeld said that as long as I drink some water during the day, I should be OK.  I do drink water exclusively with my lunches and dinners.  The 6 cup per day minimum that we all read about virtually everywhere is a false fact without scientific merit.   

Another blood test was taken, and the doctor expects that my glucose levels should have receded to a normal level.

Dr. Tenhunfeld said that I "made his day."  It really meant something to him, that I took to heart his advice 8 weeks ago.   He said that in his career he had never seen anyone lose so much weight so quickly.  Although, he said that the speed of my weight loss was way outside what could reasonably be expected, my attitude and the fact that I am not starving myself do not indicate any trouble.

I think he got a kick out of the fact that I started my weight loss program on December 24th.  Not too many people start their new diets or lifestyle changes on Christmas Eve.   Since I am Jewish, for me, December 24th was simply a Tuesday.  Even so, not too many people start their new diets or lifestyle changes so close before New Year's Day.  Apparently I am not like everyone else.   I never have been.  Likely I never will be.

And lastly, right as he left the exam room, he said something that I will never forget.  Before he entered the exam room, naturally he looked at my chart.  He wondered who had weighed me as the weight looked ridiculously wrong.  The scale that I was weighed on cost him around $2000.  On December 24, 2014 his scale indicated that I weighed 313 lbs (with clothes on).  That very same scale, today registered 252.8 lbs. From his perspective, it was simply not possible that a patient could weigh 60 lbs less in 8 weeks.  Even my home scale showed a little less weight loss.  I will continue to report my weight from my own scale just to be consistent.

No wonder the nurse taking my blood pressure could not understand when I said the purpose of my visit was "obesity"    I must admit, although my BMI still has me classified as obese - I do not look obese sitting here in the chair getting my blood pressure reading.

My wife, Jennifer did a good job of documenting my doctor visit today.  Here I am  being weighed.

252.8 lbs  (I weighed myself at home this morning and my scale indicated 255 lbs and I and could barely believe it)  I will contine to use my home scale to calculate my progress just for consistency.   Tomorrow, Saturday is the 'official' day to record my weight loss progress.

And the last thing that I can think of that was memorable today was that the nurse who took my blood pressure, temperature and weight measurements asked my why I was seeing the doctor today.   I said "obesity."   She looked at me funny.   Although I was not trying to be funny - I admit, when I look at the photos that my wife took of me today - I do not see an obese person.

Never before has a visit to the doctor been so much fun!

I will repeat one more time.  Dr. Tenhundfeld, you changed my life.   Thank you.  

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE?

My five day, four night tour of the Kansas City area ended yesterday.   I left Independence, Missouri at 11:30AM after a particularly good early morning appointment.   I was in a hurry to arrive home so that I might possibly meet my family at the Pediatrician as my daughter was suffering from a virus.  I knew I would not have time for lunch, so I departed Independence with two bananas and two apples.   That was my lunch.  (Not quite as satisfactory as lunch at Jason's Deli or Panera Bread) I drove 500 miles for 8 hours straight  with only three extremely short breaks.    I met my family at the doctor and finally arrived home in Chicago at 8:00PM.   Admittedly I was hungry.  Nevertheless, the very first thing I did was spend twenty minutes on my home elliptical machine. Now I have a baseline for what I can and cannot do with this type of exercise.   On my home machine I set the 'resistance' to '10.' (This was a low level.)   I struggled yet still managed to complete a twenty minute segment.   The machine indicated that I 'burned' 275 calories.   My heart rate at the conclusion was 150 BPM.   Had I set the 'resistance' any higher it would have been futile - I was struggling enough as it was.

Thursday marked the 21st consecutive day that I have managed to consume less than 1000 calories.  I continue to surprise myself.   This is the same guy who one month ago was eating and snacking virtually 24 hours per day. (Only sleep kept me from eating.)   For the past three weeks I have not had a snack.   There have been times when I was hungry - but my willpower to train myself to eat only breakfast, lunch and dinner was stronger than my desire to eat something. My resistance has not been futile.   I guess resistance is futile only applies if confronted by The Borg.  Perhaps that is not quite true. Didn't Captain Picard mustered just enough resistance to help the good folks of the U.S.S. Enterprise?

This morning, I resisted the urge to step onto my scale.  I am simply going to wait until tomorrow morning.   It was almost futile to resist the urge to weigh myself today - but I managed.

This afternoon I have gum surgery scheduled.   I am looking forward to answering a question that is always asked when I go to the dentist.  "Are there any changes in your medical condition since your last visit?"   My answer this time will finally be emphatically, "Yes."   I have gotten healthier.   In fact, I am eager to have my blood pressure checked this afternoon as I will be able to see if there has been any improvement from past readings, and especially the reading that I had during my 'wellness' exam way, way back on  December 24, 2014.

The BORG were wrong.  RESISTANCE IS NOT FUTILE.