Doc’s Log #6: Back Under 300, Progress Pictures, Hypertension Challenge

May17
by Dr. Marctagon™ on May 17, 2013 at 6:30 am
Posted In: #runchat

Doc's Log Notepad

 

Hey all! I hope all is well and that you’re excelling in your individual fitness endeavors. I’m going to keep this latest edition of Doc’s Log pretty brief.

As of Tuesday, I am officially back under 300 pounds at a weight of 299.8 pounds. I weighed 3 times and the scale said either 299.6 or 299.8 so I decided to just go with 299.8. I’m very pleased to be back on this side of 300 pounds and I look forward to the number going down even further. The next goal is to get under 290 by June 21st which is the first day of summer.

I also decided that as of this coming Sunday, I’ll be taking progress pictures weekly. I won’t be posting them on the blog but I’ll be keeping them in an album in my Google Photos that the menu bar above will have a link to. Feel free to visit when you want to but I won’t be drawing much attention to them except for every 3, maybe 6 months or so.

Finally, I took my BP this week and it was 163/82, meaning my systolic is at Stage II hypertension levels, while my diastolic is normal. From what I read, this is more common and normal in older patients but at my age it’s a concern if at this level for a prolonged amount of time. I wouldn’t consider it an improvement over my previous reading but it’s not worse either. It still remains that something must be done so I decided to put myself on a Hypertension Challenge.

What is the Hypertension Challenge you say? I’ll be happy to tell you. Well, it’s basically my way of fighting my BP back down to normal levels. One of the biggest and best ways to lower BP is to lose weight and diet and exercise. Keeping water intake high and reducing sodium intake, not just salt but canned food and other “hidden” sources of sodium is another great way. So until my BP reaches normal levels, I’ll focus on seriously getting rid of sweets, fatty (bad fats) foods, fried foods, and exercising at least 30 minutes everyday. Also, I’ll be beginning a regimen of meditation and yoga to keep my stress levels low and for my overall well-being. There will be NO cheat meals.

Now I know once my BP is normal again that doesn’t mean it’s over. I don’t proclaim it to be so but when that does happen, I’ll go back to 2 cheat meals and I’ll probably reduce my workouts to 5-6 days a week.

Are you ready to go on this ride with me?! Good because I’m excited to take you!

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Doc’s Log #5: A Wake-Up Call and Lent’s Aftermath

Apr08
by Dr. Marctagon™ on April 8, 2013 at 9:16 pm
Posted In: #runchat, Doc Speaks Life, Flexitarian Life

Notepad

My how time flies, friends. Here we are, a quarter of the way through the year already. How have you all been doing on your wellness quests? Shedding those pounds? Running those races? Going those extra few miles? However you define progress, I hope you’re doing it fo sho.

Recently, I donated blood. This is not unusual for me. I donate blood, on average, 2-3 times a year. Anyway, they take my vitals every time I go: blood pressure, temperature, etc and I received some particularly troubling news. My blood pressure was 140/96! 

Now, my blood pressure has always been slightly high (hypertension runs in my family) but usually in the 130/85 range so this came across as a shock to me. 140/96 put me in the level of Stage I hypertension. Now, to put it in other terms, Stage I hypertension is the hypertension equivalent of an early diagnosis Type II diabetes, meaning meds may or may not be necessary but the situation isn’t so dire that it can’t be reversed with the right diet and exercise program.

So upon receiving this information, I said “Aww, hell naw! Something must be done and now.” I told a select few people and didn’t bother to measure again to see if the number had gone down. The initial reading was enough for me to know that something has to be done. I can’t lollygag like I have been or continue to yoyo as I have been. This is my heart and my life and I’ve seen too many male relatives die young due to heart conditions.

So, that leads me to my next topic…new challenges!

Now that my Lenten fast from the Internet is over (more on that later in this post), it’s onto the next challenge. Sparked by the  news of my BP, I decided to attack things head on and on an intense note.

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Doc’s Log #4: Marathons, (Lack of) Motivation, and More

Mar21
by Dr. Marctagon™ on March 21, 2013 at 11:34 am
Posted In: #runchat, Flexitarian Life

Notepad

Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I contributed a personal post and I know you’ve just been itching to find out what I’ve been up to (wishful thinking!). Well, the short answer is in some areas a lot but in others, not much at all.

So let’s get into the important stuff first, diet and exercise…

Well, my eating has been about 65/35, in favor of good. I’ve been eating sensibly and last week I made a change to my current eating style by making a switch to 16/8 intermittent fasting, which is eating all my calories during a selected 8 hour window of the day while fasting the other 16 consuming nothing but water or zero calorie drinks. I do also partake in sugar-free gum because anyone who has fasted knows that it leaves a bad taste in your mouth and makes your breath smell to others too. I’ve stuck to it all but 2 days since I’ve begun 8 days ago. I’m not sure if I’ve gained or lost weight since I’ve begun since I haven’t weighed but I will say this, knowing that my eating is confined to this particular window has actually made me more disciplined. Knowing I can only eat between 2PM and 10PM (my chosen window) makes it easier to stay focused on other things because I know what time I can eat. I will aim to keep this going as many days as I can but like I said if I get an invite out for breakfast or an early lunch or I attend a gathering with food in the morning/early afternoon hours, I won’t punish myself for it or I’ll just make my 8 hour window begin earlier in the day.

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Intermittent Fasting: What Is It?

Mar13
by Dr. Marctagon™ on March 13, 2013 at 1:26 pm
Posted In: #runchat, Flexitarian Life

Intermittent Fasting

 

What is Intermittent Fasting or IF? You may have heard or read the term at some time or another and are wondering what the hell it is? I know I had been. I fast weekly typically anyway but didn’t know that term was what was used to describe it and various other ways of fasting.

My research led me to the Internets and I found a few interesting resources that explore it in detail. The first was a website called The IF Life and page on their site called Intermittent Fasting 101.

The definition and benefits of IF as laid out by the site are as follows:

What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?

For those that may not be familiar to the term, intermittent fasting is just taking “intermittent” times of fasting (no food) and working them into your lifestyle. This can be either daily or a couple times a week (will get into that more below).

From what I have read/learned from years of independent research on reduced calorie intake (CR) and IF (**studies listed at end), the conclusions are that using short-term calorie restriction/fastingmay be effective when it comes to:

  • Reducing blood glucose and insulin levels (improving the state of the overall glucose metabolism)
  • Increasing fatty acid oxidation with increased FFAs (through increasing lipolysis hormones GH, glucagon and adrenaline)
  • Sparing and preserving muscle tissue (lean mass)
  • Increasing various health factors (lower inflammation, lower blood pressure, reduced oxidative stress, increased protection against neuro-degenerative diseases, and more)
  • Keeping the metabolism strong/healthy (as eating more meals does not “speed up” your metabolism)

There are also a multitude of lifestyle benefits such as not being a slave to eating all day long (like modern “diets” seem to preach), having more natural daily energy/focus, and even just learning how to enjoy eatingonce again (with good foods and friends).

Overall it can be a simple eating lifestyle that can not only help you lose weight, but more importantly let you relax and provide relief from obsessing about food or “diets” all day.

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I’m Leaving the Internet

Feb11
by Dr. Marctagon™ on February 11, 2013 at 2:00 pm
Posted In: Doc Speaks Life
The Internet

True?

Okay, now that I’ve gotten your attention, let me explain. The title is indeed true. I am leaving the Internet……but not forever, for approximately 6.5 weeks. I’ve chosen the Internet as my Lenten sacrifice this year.

Now this post is not a religious post. I don’t plan to go into detail about what Lent is or what my religious beliefs are and I don’t want to hear about what you think Lent is either. That’s a different topic for a different post.

I’ve told a handful of people about it and I usually get one of a few reactions.

1. “Wow…why?”

2. “I couldn’t do it.”

3.  ”Good luck.”

I’ve had a few other responses but those are the main ones.

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