New Atkins Site

Hey if you haven't done so already, check out the newly revamped Atkins website.

http://www.atkins.com/Free-Tools.aspx

The charts, graphs, and other tools have been completely redone and streamlined. You can now enter your measurements in addition to your weight. It also has a nifty place to keep track of how much time you spend exercising each week!

Exercise and GAIN Weight?

We've often heard that a healthy diet and exercising is the best way to get in shape. While this is true, what if you are obese? Is there a connection in exercise and weight loss for an obese person? I say NO, and many experts are agreeing with me. 


http://www.drbriffa.com/2009/08/12/does-exercise-promote-weight-loss-no/


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914974,00.html

The problem is that an obese person's body isn't burning fuel (food) the way that it should be. This is probably due to too many calories and not enough activity. But increasing activity can have a negative effect.

Consider that an obese person goes out and walks for an hour. This sudden increase in activity is going to cause the body to use stored energy in the form of fat (provided that they haven't eating a carbohydrate laden meal recently). This is something that the body isn't accustomed to. So after the walk is done, in an hours time the urge to eat is going to be uncontrollable. The calories that were burned walking are quickly replaced, and in most cases, added to because you've worked up an appetite.

This results in no weight loss from exercise and can even lead to weight gain.

So is there a place for exercising in a weight loss program? Absolutely... but not at first.

In my own case, I lost the majority of my weight without lifting a finger in exercise. Now since taking up cycling and walking, not only have I lost weight but replaced it with muscle tissue. That is why I would recommend that you lose 25%-35% of your weight by changing your diet before you start exercising. This will give your body time to adjust to its new fuel source of body fat rather than carbs.

Remember: Fitness begins in the kitchen not the gym. 

Cycling

Since getting down to a manageable size, I have taken up an activity that I always enjoyed as a child. The health benefits of cycling can't be ignored. No only does it do wonders for the cardiovascular system, but it builds stamina and increases the metabolism which aids in weight loss.

I got my first bike about three months ago shortly after taking my new, higher paying job. It took some getting used to. They say you never forget how to ride a bike. Well I think that some of us never truly learned. It takes quite a while to learn how to properly change gears and which gear to use in which situation.

Now that I have gotten acquainted with gears and gotten my endurance up, here are the two routes that I have taken to. The only difference in the two is the finish. The second one has several hills at the end while the first one, while longer, is mostly flat.

Bike route #1. 23 miles round trip. From the house to Danville.

Bike route #2. This is 20 miles round trip, but the finish has several hills.

The benefits of cycling are almost instant. When completing the trip, I get a feeling of euphoria from the increased blood flow and adrenaline and a boost in metabolism that lasts for days.

One year's difference

Does Atkins work?

Before Atkins.

After 15 months on Atkins.

What more needs to be said??

Make More Money

Obese people make less money than fit people. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/02/business/02money.html]

Obese people make less money

Many people would say that this isn't fair. They might say that obesity is a disease and therefore it would be illegal to treat people who suffer from it differently. But the fact of the matter is that if your potential employer has to look at the health of their employees and therefore their productiveness, they are going to select the physically fit over the obese.

And justifiably so. If you are obese, you have a much greater risk of developing heart disease, having a heart attack, developing diabetes, and just plain old more likely to drop dead than your physically fit counterparts.

After about 5 years in a cushy office job [read that as sedentary] I recently was offered a job that requires more physical work but with higher pay and benefits. I was thinking that a year ago I would have never gotten the job let alone been able to do it.

So once again, because of Atkins, I'm winning! Better body, better stamina, better job, higher pay. All you goofs that are just too weak or lazy to make the commitment, you're just never going to have it. You have defeated yourself before you even get started with your talk about loose skin and dying from a low carb diet. As if sugar is somehow good for you and meat isn't!

Taking it Outside

No big news to report. Just thought I would get in and say that I moved much of my exercise equipment outside today. Got the adjustable weight bench, dumbbells, and exercise bike in the backyard. I found a really good 5' straight bar at WalMart for about $22.00 yesterday.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11089968

A straight bar is a very versatile piece of equipment and can be used for so much more than just bench presses. You can use it for curls, gorilla press, or to hold your feet when you are doing sit ups. Just load it with about 50 pounds and put it on the floor or ground. Put your toes under it and - Shazam! - you can now do your sit ups without your feet coming off the floor.

Currently I am using all the plates I have which amounts to about 60 pounds including the bar. It's just not enough. Even after seven sets of 15, I didn't feel the muscle fatigue that I should have. So I have found this at WalMart.com http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11089971

That should allow me to add 100# to the bar which would give me 160# to work with. A 160 bench press should be enough to keep me striving to the next level for a while.

In the meantime, Spring brings a great chance to grill outdoors! Nothing tastes better than a hamburger, steak, or pork chop cooked on the grill! Just remember that most all barbecue sauce is loaded with carbs. You can do like I do and just stay away from it altogether. Every sugar free barbecue sauce I have tried tastes like water with Sweet-N-Low dissolved in it. I prefer to just grill my meat and enjoy the taste of meat, not the sauce.

Fighting the Grim Reaper

While walking today, a funeral procession passed. I paused till they went by, and I started wondering who the deceased was. I wondered how long they lived and what was the quality of their life. 

During the eulogy of a friend's dad, who died from complications of diabetes, the preacher said "Everyone here will one day die. From the oldest one to the littlest baby. Every man, woman, and child in this room will one day die." 

Indeed fighting the Grim Reaper is a battle that you will no doubt lose. But, you can lay down... or you can go down in an epic battle! 

While it is true that everyone will one day die, being physically fit will delay the inevitable sometimes for decades. Not only will it postpone the final round, but you will have a much higher quality of life. You'll be able to enjoy doing things longer, you'll have a higher sex drive and better sex life longer. Being physically fit will delay and stunt the aging process. It will delay the onset of arthritis. It reduces the risk of heart problems. It reduces the frequency of erectile dysfunction in men. 

There is no reason why it should be unusual for someone to live to be 100.  Unfortunately with the obesity epidemic, the life expectancy of the American has grown shorter. In Kentucky where I live, it is not uncommon to see many obituaries of people in their early 50's. The fork and spoon dug their graves in many cases. We have an obesity rate of nearly 33%.... more in children. 

So while I have come to terms that one day I will fall to the Reaper's scythe, I ain't going down without a fight! And you don't have to either! There is no better time than today to make a commitment to better health. And you can do it by simply restricting your carbohydrate intake and exercising. 

Follow the Atkins plan to the letter. Ask questions if you don't understand something. I will help you and so will thousands of other people who have reclaimed their lives from the epidemic that is obesity. 

Obesity Epidemic in Independent Wrestling II

My interview with The Real Side of Wrestling is up now!

http://smashedmedia.us/real2/?powerpress_pinw=428-podcast and fast forward to the 1:16:00 mark.

How to Do a Simple Colon Cleanse

It's a dirty subject. Sometimes if you are doing Atkins correctly, you can become a bit constipated. You may notice that after going from a high carb diet, that you are not as "regular" as you were. Perhaps you went from having one or more bowel movements a day to one every three days or so.

If you feel a bit bloated I recommend a good dose of magnesium sulfate commonly known as Epsom salt. While it is not commonly used as a laxative anymore, old timers used to "set store by" Epsom salt.

This brand can be purchased at Wal-Mart

I'm not a doctor, so if you are sensitive to sodium, I would suggest that you speak to your doctor first. I don't want anyone to get sick or die because of me. Once again, this blog is about what I do and what works for me.

So sometime when you aren't going anywhere and you don't have a full stomach - AND you have access to plenty of water, mix 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt to 20 oz of water. This will taste very nasty, but drink it as quickly as you can. Then immediately follow up with 16 oz of water drink at a medium pace- you don't have to chug it. 

In less than an hour you should begin having bowel movements. It is important that you continue to drink plenty of water. The Epsom salt causes your colon to "irrigate" itself and you must replace the water that you are losing. If done correctly with enough water, this will completely clean your colon of any fecal matter and possibly of parasites. This can also cause you to lose excess water. 

I like to use this once every two weeks or so. You might also need to adjust the amount of salt that you use based on your bodily needs. A teaspoon might work for you. 

But again I stress that you must drink lots of water this with method both for your safety and for it to work properly. After it is complete, you should notice that you feel lighter with less pressure in your lower abdomen. 

Spring is the time to get active!

While it's still winter in my part of the world till March 21, any time the weather permits, it's time to get active! The past three days have been nice and I've taken full advantage. I shook the winter rust off my joints yesterday with a nice 3-hour walk through the town. I also moved my exercise bike to a location outside to enjoy the fresh air.


March 1, 2011. At 265. Been lifting free weights for about a month now.  Still losing the waistline and the "pudge" is getting smaller. 40w jeans here - down from 54w!

Be sure to work at least 2 hours of exercise into your schedule four days a week. Whether it be cardiovascular or strength training, both will increase your metabolism and help burn that unwanted body fat. Remember, a good exercise plan coupled with a low carb diet plan will yield incredible results. If you are trying to do one without the other, then you aren't going to have the best results. In fact, one is crucial to the other!

Obesity Epidemic in Independent Wrestling

Tonight I'll be addressing the obesity epidemic in Kentucky independent wrestling. Be sure to tune in to http://www.realsidemedia.com/ at 10:55pm EST to hear me talk about this growing problem and offer advice to those who would take it.

Two grossly obese wrestlers.

Pounds vs. Inches

So you are doing good and feeling better. Your scale is showing that you have lost 25, 30, even 40 pounds! You're feeling good about this whole "low carb" thing. One day you get on the scale and you've not lost. In fact it would seem that you have gained a few pounds! This can be aggravating and disappointing, but does it mean that you are failing?

There can be many reasons why you have not lost weight or even gained weight. The most common is caused by water retention. Water is heavy. It weighs 8.25 pounds per gallon. Sometimes when you exercise or eat foods high in sodium, you body will retain water adding weight in certain areas. 

Another reason why you might have gained pounds in an increase in muscle mass. Once you get up and start moving, your withered unused muscles are going to start to grow as a response to increased use. You can easily replace lost fat pounds with gained muscle pounds. But this is not a bad thing. 

Here is my advice on weighing. You should weigh on the same day each week. You should weigh upon rising after you have relived yourself. You should weigh entirely nude. Record this weight. When the month is over, add the weights up and divide them by the number of readings. For example, if you weigh each Monday morning, and there are four Mondays in the month, you might take 215+211+213+210 and get 849. You'd then divide that by four and get 212. That is your weight for the month. So rather than look at your weight over a period of days or weeks, you look at your weight decrease over a period of months. 

But even if you haven't lost pounds, have you lost inches? A good way to determine if you are losing waist inches is to purchase a pair of pants that is one size too small. I'd recommend something from Goodwill for this whereas you probably don't want to spend a lot of money on something you can't wear. Each week, try them on. See if they fit better. If the day comes that you can wear them comfortably, then regardless of what the scale says, you have lost fat. This can also be very encouraging because you see real results, not just numbers on a scale. 

If you notice that you are in fact gaining weight and not losing inches, then it is time to look at what you are doing wrong. Maybe you are letting your carbs get out of hand or maybe it is time to look at your calorie count. If you really aren't moving down at all, go back to 15 carbs per day and start paying attention to your calorie intake. If you are eating more than 2500 calories a day, cut back. If you are eating less than 2500 calories  day, cut it back to 2000 per day. This combined with exercise should put you back on the right track. 

Your First Long Walk

So you've dropped a few pounds and now you feel like getting out and enjoying the spring weather. You think that you are ready for your first serious walk. Before you start, there are several things that you need to do to avoid injury and discouragement.

First, don't over do it. If you are recovering from a sedentary lifestyle, you really aren't sure what  you are capable of yet. When you plan your first walk, don't stray too far from home. Remember, if it is strictly on foot, however far you walk away from your house is that far back. So I recommend that you just plan on making a few laps around the block. If you don't live on a block, drive your car to a track or an area with a sidewalk.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS. Your gear is extremely important. This must start with your shoes. I'm thrifty, but I have found that when it comes to walking shoes, you get what you pay for. If you buy the $10 shoes at Wal-Mart, you can expect that they will wear thin quickly and take your feet with them. Try looking for something in the $50 range. Make sure that they are designed for walking or running. Basketball shoes really aren't designed for walking long distances.

WASH IT BEFORE YOU WEAR IT! This is important. When it comes to the clothing that you will be wearing on your walk, wash it first. That includes socks, underwear, shirt and shorts. Never wear something brand new on a walk. You don't know what chemicals and dyes can be activated as an irritant when your body heat increases and you start sweating. So wash it in something that is mild and make sure that it is rinsed well.

A good pair of socks with thick heel, sole and toe are very important also. Never wear a sock that is worn thin or has a hole in it. You can be assured of a blister if you do this. A bad blister will put you on the shelf for a few days, and may kill your desire to walk again.

I recommend that you wear boxer briefs when you walk. The odds are that if you have fat on your legs, there will be some friction in your thighs. This will result in "galding" or chaffing. You can reduce this by using baby powder and wearing tight underclothes that will prevent skin-on-skin rubbing. This is probably the most common injury that occurs when you first start walking. It is painful and can make walking difficult for several days. It can be relieved with zinc oxide, but prevention is better.

Your shirt should not be a cotton t-shirt. You should wear something that is very light and made of a material such as polyester. This material when used in exercise wear will dry quickly and push the perspiration from your body so that it evaporates quickly.

The same should be said for your shorts or pants. You want to dress light. Holding in the heat in the summer months will cause you to become dehydrated or suffer from hyperthermia (heat stroke). Dress light.

Now that you have your gear, you need to keep in mind that it is not how far you walk, but how long. The only time distance should be a factor is if you want to see how fast you are walking. A healthy adult should be able to walk 1 mile in 20 minutes. This is obviously a rate of 3MPH. With practice and increased cardiovascular health, you can trim that down to a mile in 12 minutes or 5 MPH.

Walk as fast as possible. This is not a leisurely stroll! You are trying to get your heartbeat up so that you burn more calories and more importantly, increase your metabolism. Increasing your metabolism will help you in the long run.

Don't be surprised if your weight loss stalls when you first start walking. This is caused by an increase in your leg muscle. Fat will leave your body proportionately, and muscle will form in your legs. This will allow you to walk  more easily and the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn. Eventually it will catch up and you will start losing pounds again. However, you should notice that even though you have not lost pounds, you have lost inches around your waist.

Avoid the temptation to eat immediately after walking. Wait for about an hour or 90 minutes before you start eating. This will allow your body to feed upon stored body fat at an accelerated rate. However, be sure to drink plenty of water after you complete your walk to replace the sweat that you have lost.

Celebrities Who Have Used Atkins

Have you ever wondered what famous people have used Atkins to drop the extra pounds? My good friends at Am I Annoying have compiled a list.

http://amiannoying.com/(S(ycs2vo2cfwcbwq45b504zcil))/collection.aspx?collection=4528

It looks like you are in some pretty good company.

Facebook Page

Just wanted to jump in and let everyone know that the blog now has a Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/wlafafg

Feel free to like it and share your discussions.

Pork Skillet Dish

Thought I would make a quick post and share one of my favorite dishes. This is extremely tasty low carb.

You will need:
1 pound of ground pork
1/2 can of mushrooms, sliced and drained.
1/2 can of Ro*Tel diced tomatoes and chilies (any flavor) DRAINED
1/2 cup of chopped/sliced white onion
1 teaspoon of red pepper
1/2 jar of Great Value (Wal-Mart brand Alfredo Sauce - this brand has the least carbs)
1 tablespoon of Canola Oil

Oil the skillet. Crumble the ground pork into the skillet and add the onion, mushrooms and red pepper. Fry until the pork is brown. Add the diced tomatoes and chilies and Alfredo sauce. Stir well and allow to simmer on medium heat, uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes for sauce to thicken.

Atkins DVD Now in Local Library

As a service to the community, I have donated this DVD to the Mercer County Public Library (Harrodsburg, KY). It is my understanding that it is available to be borrowed now. It also includes a Spanish track, so I don't want to see any "Mexicanos gordos", LOL.

This DVD will tell you everything that you need to know. You will have already read much of the information here, but the DVD features Dr. Atkins himself. You will also hear testimonials from people who have taken their lives back from the disease known as obesity.

If you live in Mercer County, head on down to the library and check this DVD out! It may be the best thing that you have done for your body in a long time.

UPDATE: Here is a link to the DVD on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Atkins-Complete-Healthy-Deluxe-English/dp/B00062IZ40

OWN IT!

IF YOU WANT TO FIX A PROBLEM YOU HAVE TO

OWN IT!

I think that most if not all of us realize that we have a weight problem. What we don't want to realize or admit is that it is our own fault. Maybe we want to blame our glands, or hereditary factors. It makes it so much more comforting when the things in life that affect us aren't our fault. 

The problem here is that if it is not your fault, then you have no control over it. Your glands are bad... we'll what can you do? Bad genes.... well I guess you are just stuck with them. You have doomed and destined yourself to be fat your entire, albeit short, life. 

OWN IT!

It's time that we stop blaming things like glands and heredity! Each one of us has to accept responsibility for our own failures. Only then when we own the problem can we be free to do something about it. Own your problem, own your failures... and destroy them! Once you own something- it is yours to do with as you chose. 

OWN IT!

My whole purpose is making people take responsibility, just like I had to do, and own their problems. Once you own it, it is yours to do with as you want. I decided that I was going to conquer my problem cause I was sick of it. I could have made excuses for myself and just settled into the mindset that this is how my life was going to be from now on until I died. But that wouldn't have helped. I would probably be about 425 by now if not already dead from a heart attack. And I'm not even 40 yet (that's on Feb. 14th). 

So own your problem. Take responsibility. Admit that YOU are to blame. Sure it hurts. I know it hurts. I know that it is embarrassing and shameful. But once it is yours, once you OWN IT then you can conquer it. Until you do, until you take control of your problem and assume ownership... it will continue to own you. And it only has one goal in mind for its pitiful slave... to see you in an early grave after a life of misery!

So starting today, I want you to admit to yourself and others that YOU are the cause of your obesity. Now that you OWN IT, what will you do with it? 

The Importance of Exercise

Walking is a good starting exercise.

After you have been on Atkins for a couple of weeks, it is time to introduce the next important step- exercising. By now you should begin feeling the energy being released from the fat cells in your body. You should have a lot more get up and go, and it should be on most of the time. A high carb diet causes you to have highs and lows that you have to ride out. But when you are burning body fat, your energy and blood sugar levels are constant. Even when you sleep your body burns energy.

The amount of exercise that you do should be comfortable for you. Before I started Atkins, I wasn't able to walk a mile. Maybe you have to just walk down the street and back. Maybe walking around the yard is all you can do. Or maybe you can run track. The point is that if you cannot comfortably speak and carry on a conversation, you have overexerted yourself.

When walking, don't worry about how far you have walked. Concentrate on how long you can walk. You want to keep your heart rate elevated for as long as comfortably possible. As a general guide, however, an adult should be able to walk 1 mile in about 20 minutes, or 3 miles an hour.

My Chemical Romance is good walking music. 

It's important that you walk not stroll. I suggest loading up some fast paced songs with uplifting or passionate lyrics. To each his own, but I prefer My Chemical Romance, Green Day, Offspring, and other bands with the punk sound with some hip-hop thrown in. But if you can walk to the beat of Hank Williams Jr and Merle Haggard, go for it! The point is to walk as fast as your comfortably can without stopping.

Now you may notice that as  you walk, your weight loss may stall. However, you should still continue to lose inches around your waist. The reason why the weight loss stalls is because you are gaining muscle in your legs while at the same time losing abdominal fat. Walking will also increase your metabolism so that you burn more fat.

However, after you walk, you are going to be more hungry about an hour after you are finished. It is my recommendation that you allow this hunger to do its thing for about an hour. During this time your body is looking for energy and the easy thing to do is to eat. Make your body burn up the body fat for fuel.

Once you have developed a good wind for walking, you are ready to start your strength training. I'll be talking about that at at later time. In the meantime, Craigslist is a good place to find exercise equipment- from Total Gyms to exercise bikes - at reasonable prices.

Hidden Dangers of Fruit

What does a can of Coke and orange have in common? They are both loaded with fructose sugar. You might be surprised to learn that the most common sweetener used in soft drinks, candy, snack cakes, and almost all other sweet foods (high fructose corn syrup) is the exact same kind of sugar found in fruit.

Oranges and other "healthy" fruits are loaded with sugar.

Keep in mind that a teaspoon of sugar is 4.2 grams. A medium orange has 12.9 grams (3 teaspoons) of fructose sugar. A small banana has 21.2 grams (5 teaspoons) of fructose sugar. 4 oz of fruit cocktail contains 22.2 (5 teaspoons) grams of fructose sugar. 8oz (a Styrofoam coffee cup) of orange juice contains 25.4 grams (6 teaspoons) of sugar.

This may surprise some of you who have been told your entire lives that fruit is good for you. If that was the case, how did mankind get by in places like Canada or the northern border states before importing fruit from warmer climes came along?

Look, if you are worried about not getting enough Vitamin C, I would suggest that you take a multi-vitamin. If you really want to simulate eating an orange, dissolve 3 teaspoons of sugar in an 8oz cup and take your vitamin with that.

If you want to lose weight, I strongly suggest that you avoid fruits entirely. You may add small servings of fruits once you have lost 25% of your goal weight- but even then, I suggest avoiding them.