General Health and Lifestyle Stuff

[disciple100]

Hello everyone!

Some of you know a little bit about me from other threads, but I've never really been all that personal online because I didn't want to become one of those wierdos who talks about himself, his cat, his neighbor, and his neighbor's cat. But, I figure, why not share some of my own health journey with the other citizens of TWeb world, it might actually benefit somebody.

I'll try to be concise, I don't like to get all long winded and such.

Basically, the health journey starts with my mom, she had basically been concerned with the health and well-being of my brothers and I since, well, our conception, but I mean more than just general worry, more like obsessed. I was always brilliant ( did I mention humble? ), tall and overweight. My brothers had normal height and weight, but as far as their learning ability was concerned, they didn't really start talking until age 4. And after a trip to a place called Towson, and hundreds of shots later (exaggerate I do not) we learned that we were mildly allergic to practially everything (though according to my mother it was because of a candida imbalance). To top it all off, for me anyway, I started having migraine headaches in 5th grade. (As an aside, by 5th grade, I was about 5'7" and over 150 pounds (that's 170 cm and 68 kg to you metric folk. )

My mother started attending college in the fall of 2005 to become a nurse, and is as of now an official RN. However, when she started work at the hospital in January of 2009, it was disease managment. Watching people die and helping the process be as painless as possible. I 100% back her decision to leave the hospital after working there 6 months. She was, and is, concerned about health, but she just hadn't found the right avenue.

By my middle school years I was over 300. All through high school I was about 6'4" (193 cm) and hovered around 340 pounds (154 kg), but don't let the numbers fool you, I was more of a combination of the meso-ecto morph body types. I am muscular, but also fat. I did shot put during my Sophmore and Junior years. Graduated '07. Woot.

It was about September of 2009 when I started to make some major changes to my health and diet. At that time she was looking at some Raw Foodist stuff. As for me, I was 6'4" (193 cm) and still overweight, but it had been years since I had been on a scale that could reliably weigh me. Silly things have a mere 300 pound (136 kg) limit . I did know that I was over 300 (136), but not sure where exactly. So, despite not knowing where I was, I made a rough transition to a (by no means strict) Raw Foodist Lifestyle. Did 'green drinks', more water, cut out soda, gluten (bye bye sandwiches), dairy (see ya ice cream), and red meat (too much at 'steak'). For the most part anyway. As I said, it wasn't strict mind you, however, for someone who didn't really deny himself any type of food whatsoever, it was kinda harsh, but I managed. I've always sort of had a strong will, it was more of a matter of turning it on myself.

After maybe a week or so, one could tell that I was losing weight. That was when the talking scale that mom ordered had finally arrived. So, without much further ado, I hopped on. The scale said, "Getoffme!" (As an aside, something people don't consider is that you have to actually work to maintain a high weight. It doesn't magically happen overnight, you have to pile on more calories than you burn, but of course, the amount of calories the body burns increases with the weight of the body. Big Bob burns hundreds more calories per day than Skinny Steve. But the moment Big Bob makes a radical change to his 'fuel', his body is going to play catch up for a bit, but in the meantime the rate at which he was burning calories is going to continue for a while, and that's what happened to me.)

Seriously though, I weighed in at 397.6 pounds (180 kg). So, before I weighed in, it is safe to say I was a 400 pound man. I wasn't shocked, but I was slightly taken aback. So, I stuck with my improved lifestyle. By the very next month, October I believe, I plateaued around 376 pounds (170.5 kg). I maintained and hovered around 370 (169) until August of 2010. (Another aside: Homelife was always inclimate, but it got downright F5 worthy around when I first started adjusting my diet). I got a job as a cashier (standing for several hours a day at irregular times throughout the week), and so I broke through a wall and hit another. As of now I am a 21 year old man, 6'4" (193 cm) and 335 pounds (152 kg) and in better shape than I was in high school. I'm still overweight, but it is my goal to shed the final pounds away and reveal ripped muscle, yeah!

I don't necessarily care about numbers as much, I've always known that I would be a heavy man, but if I had to give a number, I'd say I hope to drop down to 300 pounds (136 kg) or so.

I work with various exercise routines at random times throughout the week. It all depends on my mood and whimsy. So far my mother is having us drink water with some Himalayan Sea Salt (Soley) in it in the mornings (it contains important trace minerals), as well as hopping on a rebounder to get the early juices flowing. Sometimes I run around with my dogs outside, do random stretches, squats, and lift weights. At other times I work on my punching and kicking, and reverse bicycling (where you lie on your back and pump your legs as if you were riding a bike.) Also, I am working on my hand strength and forearms with hand grippers, and I use chest expander springs.

I'm planning on trying to go 90% or so vegan. Raw fruits and veggies are the best for you, as they always will be. I still like meat and sweets, I won't lie. It's just that the meat and sweets do not need to happen every day, or every week even. Raw nuts and seeds contain necessary fats, oils and vitamins. Fowls and fish are much better for you than beef or pork. If it's kosher, all the better, but organic is best. In fact, don't be afraid to not eat, we are called to pray and fast after all. Sometimes I fast until sun down. Most importantly, drink water.

My mom is trying to share some of our experiences with people as well as promoting all-around health, so here's her webpage. Feel free to contact her, she's a nice lady.

http://www.food4lifeworld.com/index.html

Her e-mail addresses are rawfoodstarr@yahoo.com and holistichealthbydesign@yahoo.com. She has a 30 Day Challenge to Better Health Program.

And if you are interested, here is a well-researched and credible website that contains invaluable health information.

http://healthwyze.org/

I also recommend a look at their 'About Us' page so there is no confusion about another group that has a similar name.

http://healthwyze.org/index.php/about-us.html

[Aiken]

I have visited the site listed above.Can you please share with me some of the low carb reciepes or food.Can you please post it here or else on your site.
Thanks for your help...

[Ted07]

Hi i am new to the forum and i am also looking for some good low carb recipes and there are many recipes to look for and most probably vegetables and fruits are vital in this diet.

[disciple100]

First, an update!

I am currently at 308 pounds now, and feeling good.

I have visited the site listed above.Can you please share with me some of the low carb reciepes or food.Can you please post it here or else on your site.
Thanks for your help...

Hello! I apologize, my mother is rather new at running a website business. She has a program, and she will send you information if you sign up. But I don't mind sharing more general stuff. I'll share more below.

Hi i am new to the forum and i am also looking for some good low carb recipes and there are many recipes to look for and most probably vegetables and fruits are vital in this diet.

Welcome to the forum Ted07!

It's good to see other people interested health and general wellness.

I am by no means a doctor, and I recommend whole-heartedly that you become very aware of the things your bodies are sensitive to. I don't really focus on carbohydrates, and actually high protein diets are hard on the kidneys, which affect quite a few of your body's other functions. I'll share some of what I do, hope it helps!

As I said before, I suffer from migraines when I ingest MSG. I learned from healthwyze how to counter-act MSG, as well as other triggers. MSG is hidden under many names. Taurine, by the way, is good in general as a metabolism booster and muscle builder, sounds like all positives to me!

This is what I do, for the most part, I avoid MSG, Aspartame, Soy Products, and Preservatives. Just avoiding these things will basically remove most of the grocery store as an option for you. I never said becoming healthy was easy. And it is not as cut and dry as I make it seem, for example, most soy sauces are fine because the fermentation process that the soy undergoes in order to become soysauce removes the toxins in soy that make it inedible for humans.

Basically, the whole point is to try to return to a more natural way of eating. Get rid of the microwave! No need to make your food more irradiated than it already is. Oven and stove-top is how I cook. Use coconut oil and peanut oil for cooking rather than canola or 'vegetable oil' (which is just soy oil). Ceramic and pyrex pans are best since they are naturally non-stick and are not poisonous. Bamboo and wooden spatulas / utensils are also recommended for use on those pans.

As for what foods and recipes are best for you, I recommend a look at healthwyze's pH chart. Cancer thrives in acidic environments, which is why you want to eat as many foods that akalize your body as you can. Citrus fruits have a huge akalizing effect on the body. So does spinach. Raw fruits and vegetables are best! Go organic when possible. Rice is good, brown rice is best, try to stay away from wheat. As for meats, I recommend chicken and wild caught salmon. Try to stay away from farm raised fish. Beef is difficult for the body to digest and highly acidic, and of very little nutritional value. I'm pretty sure I don't have to say it, but it is best to stay away from pork entirely. Some of the other Twebbers might not be too thrilled to hear that, as many of them are bacon fanatics.

The above is a guide line. I don't always stick to it, however, I find that lately I have an increased desire to be more strict in my diet.

Regular excercise is highly recommended. Three times a week is good. I workout Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, though sometimes work interferes, which is fine, sometimes my body needs the extra rest.

That's about all I got for now. Let me know if you need more info.

[disciple100]

Wow, I've really been neglecting this thread, much has changed!

Right now I'm hovering around 275 pounds, so I've lost over 120 pounds!

I'm currently working at a health food store, so it makes it easier to obtain many of the healthier foods. Primarily, we go for locally grown, and organic if possible, fruits and vegetables. We have still restrict the amount of gluten and wheat products we take in, but we still eat organic sprouted grain bread every now and then. Ideally, you want organic, or at the very least Non-GMO foods. Meats such as grass fed (ideally organic) beef, chicken, and wild caught fish are a great source of necessary proteins and vitamins. We get our eggs from the local amish farms. Farm eggs are great protein as well. Right now I'm working on obtaining raw, straight from the udder milk from organically raised cows. In case you aren't aware, buying and selling raw milk is currently illegal in Maryland, heaven knows why though as it is perfectly safe. You want to stay away from the 'lowfat', homogenized, pastuerized sludge. However, raw, unpastuerized cheese IS legal and available in Maryland. It is a good idea to look into what the state laws are where you live regarding things like this. Also, liver is very, very good for you. To help with flavor and texture, marinate liver in lemon juice overnight before eating.

One of the biggest lies we have been sold is that fat is bad, when on the contrary, it is what the body needs to thrive! One of the main problems in America is that sugar is in practically everything. Normally occuring sugars would be just fine, but everything nowadays is high fructose corn syrup and processed beyond recognition! Learn to read labels, do not just pick up things. The term 'all natural' is meaningless most of the time, likewise the term 'natural flavor' is vague enough to mean anything.

The key things that cause a buzzer to go off in my head when reading a label are: soy, preservatives, msg, aspartame, canola, flavors, spices, and high fructose corn syrup.

That list will probably increase, but that is all that is off the top of my head for now.

It is a good idea, though, to look at the context of the ingredient. For example, soy in it's natural state is toxic, however, fermented soy is safe, and even good for you, as are many fermented foods like pickles and saurkraut. There are also many things that serve as natural preservatives such as salt and grapefruit seed. Research is key, do not just take my word for it. Changing your health does take discipline and work, but if you really want it, you can do it. It is worth it, because, after all, you have to live with yourself for the rest of your life!

Another tip I have is to make sure you are drinking plenty of clean water. I am fortunate enough to be getting my water from an artisian well. But the folks in the city are not as fortunate as their water is both chlorinated and fluoridated, both of which are toxic to the body. I strongly reccomend getting a very good filter both for your shower and for drinking. I also recommend looking into more natural soaps, shampoos, lotions, etc, because what you put on your skin is being absorbed into you as well! And without the break down process of your digestive system to defend you, that makes it matter all the more. It may be a good idea to undergo a cleanse as well to remove the toxic heavy metals that are most likely residing inside you.

As for excercise, it is recommended that you get at least 15 minutes a day of some physical activity. Something that raised the heart rate for a few minutes, and do not mean rush hour traffic.

Personally, my life has taken a rather busy turn, so I have several opportunties to be active throughout the week, however, it takes away from my preferred exercise, which is weights. I had been for a while doing full body (which consists usually of benches, military press, lat pull downs, quad extensions, bicep curls and ham curls) on monday, wednesday, and friday while resting tuesday, thursday, saturday and sunday. But then during the summer I switched it up because I discovered that I could actually do push ups! (In case you were not aware, I had never until the summer of 2011 done what would be considered a 'real' push up, so I was thrilled.) So I would go outside in the sun and do sprints, push ups, reverse bicycles, and jump squats, essentially until exhaustion.

Now I currently work all day monday and tuesday, and I am back to full body weights workouts, so I do that on wednesday and friday. I work thursdays and saturdays, and church takes up my sundays. As I have said, I've been busy!

With all of that said, bear in mind that everyone is different, has different nutritional needs and goals, and excercise preference. Currently, I'm working to become as strong and healthy as I can! Not everyone can be Arnold Schwarzenegger, but you can be the best you you can be! Big muscles are not necessary to be healthy, on the contrary, they actually take away from your health over time. Ever wonder why you do not see too many older weight lifters? On reason being that it takes it's toll on the joints, this tidbit by the way is coming from a formerly 400 pound man. I'll admit to being a bit vain, I like the pump I feel and that shows after a workout, but I know I won't go overboard, for one, steroids and other chemical enhancers are the farthest things from my mind. This is organic muscle here folks! What you want are muscles that endure, that have stamina, that keep you young, and that recover quickly and easily after hard work, and that comes from proper nutrition and regular maintenance via excercise and stretching.

One of the most important and easy to forget things is that the body needs rest! Ideally you want to be in bed around 9-10 o'clock at night, and shut off electronics an hour before bed. Obviously I've already broken that rule since I'm writing this up at 1 AM, however, most of the time I am better about this.

Before I forget, I must also give thanks to God for giving me this body and the tools to make it stronger and healthier. He blesses me everyday, and all of you, and sometimes I think we take for granted all of the blessings we have, especially Americans such as myself.

For more neat tips like these, you may want to look at westonaprice.org and mercola.com as well.

I'm sure I'll find more to say, but this is mainly what was burning on my mind at the moment. Take care, and God bless!