Weight Loss Experiment Continued

It’s time to commit again.  I don’t know many people who don’t have 5 or 10 pounds to lose, or would like to shed some inches, so this is pertinent to most people.  It is also pertinent to you because of the process.  The process of observation, changing variables, and being curious…is the process to solve any problem or achieve any health goal (any goal for that matter).  

Last time, I committed to a supplement list, six minutes of exercise, and an additional minute of exercise for every indulgence (carb intake of 15 grams).  I didn’t commit to being better with diet.  I have some good habits that are easy for me.  Veggie smoothie, extra greens and veggies, and regular protein intake.  

You can see the 30 day results here.  And the exercise video here.

I didn’t see the fat loss on the scale or body fat analyzer as I had wished, but the photos did reveal some improvement.  

The very important positive is that I kept the exercise regimen pretty consistently, which is what the ultimate goal is…find positive habits that you will do and keep.  Overall, I’d call it a success, but not everything I was shooting for.    

So, time to change some variables.  One variable I am curious about is a “weight loss” supplement called L-Carnitine.  Carnitine is an amino acid found in protein foods, particularly red meat (have you fallen for the red meat is bad myth?).  It is used in supplement form to burn fat, repair cardiac and skeletal muscle, and even has a study showing it reverses the damage to the heart occurring during and after a heart attack. 

Another variable is HIT.  High Intensity Training.  In keeping with the concept of avoiding over-committing, I am committing to an additional minute of high intensity training.  That would be one set of “power jumps” or a sprint for 30 seconds.  I don’t have any research handy on HIT, but I like the idea of going full speed a little bit each day.  Kids often run as fast as they can, but adults often never reach a slow jog.  Same concept as the get ups (lying flat on the floor and getting up…straight up), if you keep doing these activities, you never end up not able to do them. 

The last variable I will change is diet.  Yup, just a little.  I generally indulge to the tune of 30-40 servings per week.  I’m going to reduce that total to 25-30…still plenty of room for beer, chips, chocolate (my favorites), but a good 150 calorie decrease on average.  And, I will still pay off my indulgences with extra protein, a set of exercises for each, and an extra shot of an herbal detox blend per indulgence.  

My past supplement protocol was pretty intensive…lots of pills.  This time I will be using an herbal detox blend (one bottle!) that has milk thistle, burdock, culvers root, and schizandra.  I always take fish oils, and I find the NAC pretty important (especially with beer consumption).  I hold firmly to the genetic concept (from Dr. Bruce Ames) and will stick with the Vitamin B6 (this is based on observational experience, not just a concept or idea).  

I will also remain curious and excited to see the result.  If you want to increase stress and really mess up your results, well then, have heavy expectations.  If you want to have fun and decrease stress, be a curious scientist.  

The results are pretty clear in a weight loss experiment…body shape, body fat, and weight are the outcomes.  In a health experiment, we use other factors, such as neurological testing, lab testing, and symptom improvement…but the concept is the same.  Change a few variables (not randomly, but based on accumulated wisdom), and have some outcome assessments.  If it doesn’t work, change some more variables.  

This is exactly what we provide to our clients…specialized knowledge of variables, specialized knowledge of reading outcomes, and guidance to live a fun and interesting experiment called life.  Whether your hurdle is weight, energy, pain, or other symptoms or conditions, this is a great way to accomplish your goals…with a high probability of success! 

Weight Loss Experiment Results

The scale and body fat measures both say I am a failure.  What do you think?  (see pics below) 

The program, just to review...

All the indulgences (defined as approximately 15 grams of carbs) I want...my favorites being chips, beer, chocolate, pizza, and less often cookies.  BUT, I must pay off each serving with additional protein (to minimize insulin spikes), and one set of my "Baby Patterns" exercises. 

Six sets, for a total of six minutes of exercise per day.  Plus one additional set per indulgence serving...so if I have 2 slices of pizza, medium bag of chips, and 2 beer, I would add 7 sets, or 13 minutes total.  I sneak 2 or 3 sets in, consecutively (no rest time), throughout the day...so no gym time, waiting for equipment, or even time resting between sets.  I do 2-3...maybe 4, and go back to what I was doing. 

Protein snacks between meals and a full serving (20-25 grams) of protein with each meal.  My favorite and most common protein snack is a handful of raw almonds and dark chocolate gogi berries.  My favorite protein serving is red meat, bacon, ham, pepperoni, cheese, chicken (especially thighs), and eggs.  Plus I use Clearvite, a "detox" protein drink in my smoothie, and Dream Protein, a whey protein shake in my coffee.  With the coffee, smoothie, and breakfast, I get 30-50 grams of protein in the morning (sometimes I don't eat breakfast, I just drink it).   

Green veggies, and more green veggies.  Green smoothie using spinach in the morning.  Green soup or stir fry with meals (mostly broccoli with other veggies).  Green salads with lettuce, spinach, broccoli slaw, cabbage, etc.  And I use Greens First, a dehydrated and powdered greens drink that is all green veggies and some fruit (added to my spinach shake). 

And my secret weight loss strategy...the Indulgence Antidote.  This consists of a supplement for the liver (MetacrineDX), Gall Bladder (Bilemin or AF Betafood), NAC (an amino acid), an herbal blend for the liver (Culvers Root + Milk Thistle), an herbal blend for the adrenals (ginseng, smilax, calendula, and a few others, called Phytodren), fish oils, ginger root, and a single B vitamin based on personal genetic needs, which for me is B6, and for Sonya is Folate.  (If you don't know, use a product called MethylSP). 

The important point here is that I CAN DO THIS!  I did it...first "after" picture ever (and many attempts).  Sonya can do this (her after pictures were great...not perfect, but clear, visible improvements).  And we will continue to do this...it's too easy and too effective NOT to continue. 

Both of us have battled with giving up carbs...let's not eat any wheat this month...let's not have any sugar this month...beer, chips, snacks, treats, wine...  We stopped quitting and started doing some very precise things...mostly supplements and foods...that support our energy systems (fat is an energy issue), and our health.  And we both sustained and had steady improvement. 

There are many paths up the mountain...you just have to find one that works for you...that is sustainable and produces positive results.  This is my path up the weight loss mountain.  I invite you to see if this trail works for you, if that is one of your goals. 

Results Pictures

Weight Loss Experiment 4

Does this happen to you!??  Whenever you resolve to improve your life, especially through “being better” and doing what you know you “should be” doing…you break down.  I do.  

This is about how my commitments go…as soon as I start, something tries to interrupt.  After resolving to a new plan (in the past), I have had my back go out, I have injured my shoulder, and/or  I have gotten sick…some sort of disruption that I swear is my unconscious revolting against the change. 

No big disruption this time…but there was no big commitments.  (Maybe there is something to this small commitment thing!)  

I have been distracted, though, by a smaller disruption (to match the smaller commitment, I suppose).  After breakfast a couple weeks ago, I started having some stomach cramping.  It was bad enough that I had to lie down for a while after I ate…and again after dinner.  

The possibilities include food poisoning (which is eating infected food), or other infections.  It could be gall bladder or appendix, but the symptoms didn’t match up.  It could be an inflammatory bowel disease, but I think I would have seen that coming on.  

So I started with a general anti-microbial called Golden Thread…something I test for any type of infection…parasites, yeast, bacteria…it’s one of my favorites.  A few months ago, prior to committing to anything, I had an episode of bloating…no cramping…but my belly was huge.  (I actually took pictures it was so big…see below).  It took several days, but was totally resolved (see the after picture).  

This time it didn’t work quite as well.  As I have mentioned, life is an experiment, and so is treating health problems.  For our patients, I have a system of evaluation that is designed to maximize probability of success, but there is no such thing as a sure thing.  And this wasn’t my sure thing.  

Now, two weeks later, I have added a Goldenseal and Barberry mix, then Curcumin (Turmeric), then Rosemary, and then started having multiple green drinks, with spinach and kale (chlorophyll is really healing for the intestinal lining), and then some cabbage soup (cabbage is great for healing the stomach).  

So far the disruption is improved some, but still clearly there.  I am bloated… and I am scheduled to take an after picture in a couple days!  

What I do know is that this problem can and will be handled naturally.  There’s a lab in Georgia called Metametrix, who does stool analysis (very detailed), and if an infection shows up, they culture it in the lab, and then dump various botanicals into the culture and note what kills it.  Pretty cool.  If the bloating lasts too long, or creates enough suffering,  I would do that test.  First, I’ll do a more thorough diagnostic evaluation using kinesiology.  It’s really not too bad now…just a bloated tummy threatening to ruin my after picture. 

 

As far as the weight loss experiment…the disruption wasn’t enough to throw me off my commitment, even if I had to double up on exercise one day to catch up for another.  Seriously, this may be genius to set your commitment so low, that you cannot fail!  

I may take a couple extra days to take the picture, hoping to de-bloat.  The scales and little body fat measures say I am a complete failure.  I originally said I would shoot for a decrease in body fat of 5%, and I have been down almost 2%, but then back up…and down…and up.  I don’t know if that is reflecting whatever bug I am fighting off…or inflammation…or failure of the experiment!?   

Well it can’t be a failure, because I maintained all the variables…plenty of indulgence, greens, protein, and a little bit of exercise…plus my supplement regimen.  A scientist wouldn’t call an experiment a failure…it is always just learning…and in order to learn, you have to maintain variables consistently, for a long enough time to observe statistically significant results.  

If you don’t maintain variables and time, you learn nothing, or even worse…you THINK you learned something!  

In any event, I will report the final numbers and pictures in a couple days.  

Weight Loss Experiment 3

We are a third of the way through.  I have lost 1.3% or 2.5 pounds of fat, which is on pace for 4% total and 7.5 pounds of fat loss.  I have gained 1.5 pounds of non-fat tissue, which can be water weight or lean muscle mass.  I’m not bloated like after the pizza, beer, Doritos night, so I am inclined to bet it is healthy tissue. 

Not too bad so far, but short of my projected goal of 5% bodyfat…which was just a number I tossed out off the top of my head.  If muscle does increase resting metabolic rate, however, I am burning more calories at rest, so, in theory, the weight loss should accelerate.  Only time will tell.  

Lesson of the day.  If you poll 3 people and find 2 out of 3 exercise, does that mean 2/3rds of the population exercises?  No…of course not.  You actually learned nothing of statistical significance.  Why?  Because the population of the study is too small.  The point is…if you want to become resourceful and accumulate wisdom, you have to stick to your plan long enough to allow for statistical significance to kick in.  

In the first 5 days of this program, I gained fat and pounds.  I stuck with the program.  If I had quit at that point and decided that the program wasn’t working, I would have learned nothing to be more resourceful in making choices in the future.  In fact, I may have become less resourceful, because I was coming to a conclusion based on insignificant data.  

Do you try something new, and decide it isn’t working too soon?  Do you change too many variables to assess what is working or not working?  Do you have a clear method of determining if your current experiment is working or failing?  

Life is an experiment.  Notice your non-preferences.  Ours was fitness levels.  Choose a plan.  Ours was nourishing our bodies with high quality natural meds and an increase in activity.  Notice the results…and allow time for statistical significance.  So far, my results are positive.  After sufficient time, change another variable if you still don’t prefer the results.  

Here’s a motto we are working on with our kids.  “If you aren’t getting what you want, try a different approach.”  

And always be curious. 

Weight Loss Experiment

Just a quick update…I gained 4 pounds (182) and up to 19.6% body fat after a potluck for our school that started at 4 and included pizza, beer, and corn chips.  My night ended at 3AM after watching a video with Sonya, and then “accidently” watching another movie (more guy like stuff) on my own (really, I was just going to see what it was like).  And you know what’s good with movies…yup…beer and chips.  I really challenged my indulgence antidote with a medium bag of Doritos.  Yes, the real thing, poison and all. 

Talk about an easy way to get in trouble.  That little bag of Doritos was the equivalent of 3 and a half beer, and it took about 15 minutes to down.  I did mention I have issues with indulgence right?  Thankfully, my favorite is beer, and it takes a good 20-30 minutes to drink a full beer (much better pacing).  Chips are a close second though…my lesson…15 minutes of chips isn’t worth 35 extra pushups (and 3 more metacrine, NAC, etc.)

That was Saturday, and we weighed in Sunday afternoon.  Today (Monday, February 25, 2013), I was down to 174.5 by lunch time.  That must be why scale watching is so frustrating.  I don’t care all that much what the scale says, but it is interesting.  176 on Friday…182 on Sunday…174.5 on Monday.  

I guess I overdid my antidote protocol on Saturday.  I bet it was around 12 total indulgence servings (equal to approximately 15 grams carbs, although the beer I drink is more like 18).  And I guess the extra weight on Sunday was swelling and water weight.  

I was pretty good on Sunday, with only 4 servings of bread as the only indulgences (oh, and a bit of ice cream cone), and kept the antidote at 6…water weight gone, and actually lost a pound and a half overall. 

Another lesson…if you look at the scale daily, you shouldn’t take it very seriously.  My ultimate measure will be how I feel and look in my “after” picture.  

Another interesting observation…when I get stressed out, I tend to get dry, irritated eyes, which feels like there is something in my eye.  My left eye was irritated and red all day Sunday, so much that I changed contacts.  It didn’t help, so I tested what would help, and got Skullcap.  (Whenever I say test, I mean muscle testing)  I didn’t have any at home, so I took two shots of Kava a couple hours apart, and tapped on my eyebrows corresponding to an acupressure point.  It worked well enough that I woke with almost no irritation, and my eye was fine all day.  I grabbed some skullcap on the way home to be sure though.  

Why would that happen?  Why would I be stressed out from a relaxing potluck followed by watching movies all night?  You could guess social anxiety, and that would be possible with me.  You could blame the evils of TV watching, and you’d have a point.  I think it was the sheer load of carbs over so many hours.  Carbs lead to blood sugar, which leads to insulin spikes, which leads to blood sugar crashes, and that burden lies directly on the adrenal glands.  When the cortisol production is challenged, the back up system is adrenaline…and dry, itchy, irritated, goopy eyes are a sign of adrenaline overload…at least that is my observation.  It has happened to me enough that I have been able to test out the theory, and it is always passion flower, skullcap, or lemon balm…all which work directly to soothe adrenaline.  

Maybe if I were more disciplined, I wouldn’t have to deal with these acute symptoms.  That will have to wait at least 3 more weeks to consider though, since I have committed myself to indulging during this weight loss experiment.