Let me start this article with one disclaimer. If you are looking for a short cut to losing weight, this is not the article for you. I am providing actual lipid results from my tests to demonstrate what hard work and determination can do for you.
If you are interested in one weight loss game plan that worked, then read on...because this is about good old fashion hard work and dedication to a goal.
I have a phenomenal family doctor. He is part of a network known as MDVIP that not only helps him provide the best service possible and great customer service, but he also takes a proactive stances towards my health. Having this partnership has been vital to my health in the past two years.
Back in January 2008, I had a routine physical checkup with Dr. Campos. Part of my checkup included a full lipid test and blood work. What we discovered was outrageous.
Besides being obese, my cholesterol and triglyceride levels were off the chart:
Weight: 197
Waist Size: 36
Pulse: 70
Blood Pressure: 130 over 92 (mild hypertension)
Cholesterol (normal is 125-200): 257
Triglyceride (normal is under 150): 354
LDL (bad cholesterol; normal is under 130): 148
HDL (good cholesterol; should be between 40 and 60): 38
Cholesterol/HDL ratio (should be less than or equal to 5): 6.8
Body Mass Index: 26
Percentage Body Fat: 25%
As you can see, I was on my way to taking cholesterol drugs for the remainder of my life. I had two options suggested by the good doctor. Either take medication and continue on my unhealthy path OR make a drastic change and workout, eat healthy and control these numbers through a healthy lifestyle.
After seeing the effect of drugs on my dad during his cancer treatments, I absolutely refused to go the medicated route. I wanted to at least give it a shot doing this the healthy way.
My goals during this time were easy:
Exercise for one hour minimum daily (100% cardio initially)
Goal was to burn at least 600 calories daily - that equated to 1 hour on the elliptical.
Don't get frustrated. I started with 20 minutes and built my way up to an hour. I wasn't in shape cardiovascularly even though I was training in Kung Fu.
Once I got the weight under some control, then I introduced weight lifting and other exercises.
On some days, when I had kung fu and the gym on the same day, I was burning as much as 1500 calories.
Radically change my eating habits
• I eliminated all red meat during this time. I did this until my next lipid test in three months. In and Out burgers became a reward after three months of not eating any red meat and making progress with my lipid tests.
• The meat I ate consisted of chicken and fish.
• I increased the frequency that I would eat. I used to down two solid meals a day. Now it is broken down into 5-6 smaller meals. Breakfast, snack, Lunch, snack, Dinner, snack
• Absolutely no more eating after 8:00PM
• Oatmeal every morning
• Fish Oil - Omega 3 fatty acids - 3 times a day
• A multivitamin daily
• One aspirin
• I eliminated all white bread, white rice and processed grains. I substituted whole grains bread and brown rice.
• I introduced more vegetables & fruits into my diet
• I ate lots of almonds
• I ate lots of lentils, such as kidney beans and garbanzo beans
• One snack of choice was trail mix with berries and other antitoxins
• During this time I stopped all consumption of coffee and switched to tea
• I eliminated most food with preservatives
• I committed to mostly shopping at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Sure it may be a little more expensive, but you are worth it. I found shopping at other traditional groceries more difficult because so much food is loaded with extras, such as chemicals, preservatives and garbage like High Fructose Corn Syrup.
• VERY IMPORTANT: I ELIMINATED ALL HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP - this is important, studies show that HFCS is in most JUNK food (Burger King, McDonalds, KFC) and many other foods.
Even if you go to a sit down restaurant, be careful. Even chains such as Applebee's are guilty of using HFCS. Look at your bread labels, salad dressings, soda labels, chips and even Yoplait Fat Free Yogurt. Even in the most unlikely food you may find HFCS on the label.
This stuff is in everything because it's a cheap filler and an inexpensive sweetener. THIS is detrimental to our health. Studies also show that HFCS reduces your good cholesterol, while increasing your bad cholesterol. This is a double bad whammy. Very bad stuff!
A Cleanse
One other radical step I took was to go through a full cleanse. I won't get into the gory details, but I estimate I lost an additional five pounds with the cleanse. See this link for more info: http://www.drnatura.com/
Needless to say, after all these steps, I was making huge progress. Within the first month, I was down 20 pounds and by the time I had my next lipid test in three months time, I had both my cholesterol and triglycerides under control:
1/4/2008 (starting) 4/10/2008
Weight: 197 171
Waist : 36 32
Pulse: 70 68
Blood pressure: 130/92 120/82
Cholesterol: 257 189
Triglycerides: 354 83
LDL 148 135
HDL 38 37
Cholest/HDL ratio: 6.8 5.1
Body Mass Index: 26.0 22.4
Body Fat 25% 19%
*sorry for the poor number formatting
That was after just three months of a healthy lifestyle. Over the course of the year, I remained fairly strict to my eating and working out habits. After about seven months, I reduced my cardio and started working out with weights more often. I loosened up on some of what I can eat. I ate a red meat sparingly, but more often than just once every three months.
My last lipid test was Dec of last year and here is where I stood with everything:
1/4/2008 12/9/08 (one year) Diff
Weight: 197 157 -40
Waist : 36 30 -6
Pulse: 70 64 -6
Blood pressure: 130/92 114/70 -16/-22
Cholesterol: 257 166 -91
Triglycerides: 354 60 -294
LDL 148 108 -40
HDL 38 46 +8
Chole/HDLratio: 6.8 3.6 -3.2
Body Mass: 26.0 21.7 -4.3
Body Fat 25% 11.6% -13.4%
*sorry for the poor number formatting
My point of this whole article is that there are no short cuts. But even so, within one year I had all lipid numbers under control and I have never felt better. Can you make an one year commitment to yourself and your health?
Ignore those claims on TV about diets, pills to pop, etc. If you pay close attention to all those ads, you will see a disclaimer that states that you must still exercise and obtain a healthy diet. So no matter what drug you take, what food plans you are on, on whether you eat subway every day, without exercise it is all temporary. You must work hard and I am a testimonial to that. You may not want to hear this, but reality is reality.
Each and every one of you can do this! I have friends in my circle of influence who have taken this to heart and have made changes to their lifestyle. Don't wait until you have heart disease, diabetes or some other ailment. Today is the time to start.
I will be more than happy to share any other thoughts on this subject. I hope you have found this article useful and I do hope it will make a difference for you. If I can do it, you certainly can!!
