The journey begins

As I mentioned in my last post I started out at over 400 pounds (180 Kg) I lost a bit over the years but did not get serious until this winter I was at 355 ( 161 Kg) at that point. Currently I am at 328 pounds ( 148 Kg).

I really started getting in gear on April 13th on my 54th birthday and I will mention some tools and things I have been doing that seem to be working. Also right quick a disclaimer I am not being sponsored on anything I mention here these are just things I use and do.

Crucial tools

The first thing I did was get a premium subscription to the myfitnessspal app. I had been a regular member for years but the premium deal is a game changer for me. It is a bit pricy but worth it in my opinion. Previously I really was not willing to do the whole calorie counting thing. I guess it felt restrictive and tedious, but now I ask myself why I was so resistant. It really helps develop meals and holding yourself accountable on how much you eat. It also really takes out all the work you can log food via scanning the barcode, looking for it in the database and a lot more. I have been able to find even some obscure vegan items in the data base it’s awesome.

Currently because of some heart and brain issues I am not able to exercise ( I will get into the details in a separate post) so I have put myself on a 1670 calorie diet. The amount in calories will change once I start working out or am at least moving more.

If you want to measure your food intake you really only need 2 things a set of measuring cups and a set of measuring spoons - these are essential and really take out the guesswork.

Devices :

Currently I only have an air frier, I have other devices in storage that I eventually want to use to make my diet even healthier but for now the air frier is it. I love the thing. Most people use a minimum of oil in it I do not use oil at all, as I am trying to reduce my fat intake which is still way to high. At the moment I fry tofu and potatoes in it. eventually I will expand what I do with it but right now I am trying to keep the majority of my diet raw and just supplement with one of the two on any given day.

Changing habits

Crisps and nuts were my snack downfall and pastries my addiction. I have an unhealthy obsession with pie as anyone who knows me will tell you. While I needed to give up on some of these until I have control over myself it might surprise you that I still eat chocolate every day and incorporate nuts and seeds in my salad . The key is measuring the intake.

I have issues with my blood pressure that my doctors have trouble adjusting due to my body’s negative reaction to many medications. I take a ton of supplements some of them shown to reduce blood pressure and inflammation I will discuss these in a separate post . I have also stopped using conventional salt and am now using green salt which has 50% less sodium. Also believe it or not studies show that eating chocolate with at least 70% cacao can reduce blood pressure so I eat 2 squares of hu dark chocolate a day as it is made with coconut sugar which is better for my diabetes.

Soda oh soda I have been addicted for years but when I got diabetes I had to stop. What many do not know is that even diet soda can mess with your blood sugar levels in some cases even worse than real sugar. Plus those chemical sweeteners are linked to Alzheimers and cancer. On top of that soda has high levels of sodium. So I gave it all up until I found Zevia soda which is sweetened with stevia and has no sodium at all. Stevia is an adaptogen that is not only 200 times sweeter than sugar but also has shown to regulate blood-sugar levels so now I can indulge in a soda here and then and not kill myself I am quite happy about that.

Intermittent fasting

There are mixed opinions on intermittent fasting but for me it has always worked and I have always felt more energetic when doping it. Currently I start eating between 9 am (9:00) and stop and eat nothing after 7 pm ( 19:00) often earlier. In mice intermittent fasting has show to prolong life, reverse some signs of ageing and reduce inflammation. I know I am not a mouse but hey I still can use all of that.

This wraps it up today thank you for your interest

Alex