Thursday, September 27, 2012

Long time, no post. Here's what I've been up to.

I haven't written anything here in a long time.

One thing I have been up to is I recently started Maffetone fitness training. You can read about the Maffetone method on his website. Here are some links on his site that I recommend:
  • Overtraining (PDF) - I felt I was suffering some of the earlier symptoms of overtraining. So far following his methods, I am actually getting more exercise each day but feeling less overtrained.
  • Mediterranean Diet - I continue to eat a low carbohydrate, natural foods diet. I like his description of the Mediterranean Diet. My low carb diet is quite similar.
  • Why do I follow a low carb diet? - This page offers a test to determine if a low carb diet is beneficial to you. I did not do this, but instead just dove into the paleo diet. But the result for me was the same. I feel better with less than 100 grams of carbs a day, and I feel best, extremely vibrant, energetic, happy and alive on less than 60 grams of carbs a day, even as little as 20 grams of carbs.
  • Low heart-rate training - The part of the Maffetone Method I actually do
  • Aerobic exercise - What it is and how it works
I continue to try to work my low carb, natural foods diet around The Man, who is adamantly opposed to it. He actually told me the other day that he is the exact opposite of me and that's why he can't eat the same foods as me. I thought about that, and he is correct. He is the opposite of me:
  • I feel young, he feels old
  • I am healthy, he is unhealthy
  • My chronic aches and pains are gone, he takes pills and applies ice packs every single day for chronic pain
  • I am happy and cheerful, he is depressive, moody and irritable
  • My mind feels clear and focused, he complains of brain fog
  • My health improves more and more, he has a cardiologist now
  • I usually sleep well, he cannot sleep without psychiatric medications and even then he says he can't sleep
  • My digestive system works great, he claims he has not had a normal bowel movement for as long as he can remember (it sounds like IBS to me)
  • My skin looks pretty good and I feel healthy, he complains every day of chest pain or back pain or digestive problems or upset stomach
I am no longer going to try to convince him to eat the healthy foods I prefer. A grass-fed lamb chop is completely wasted money if I serve it to him. He honestly believes he can attain better health through a diet rich in refined and processed foods. The above are the results he has achieved vs the results I have achieved. More details of my own results:
  • Lost 30lbs
  • Uncontrollable hunger gone
  • Sugar cravings gone
  • Blood pressure went from 110/80 to 104/65
  • Chronic pain in my feet (from hiking PCT) is gone
  • Depression gone
  • Personality issues greatly improved (I'm not flying off the rails for no reason anymore)
  • Skin looks better (I've actually gotten compliments, it never was that bad, but it's better)
  • Posture improved
  • Physical strength improved
  • Greater endurance
  • I have an appreciation for organ meats and off-cuts. It's kinda fun.
  • I can cook