Healthy Living
Our journey to a healthier lifestyle started in October 2017. I started first then shortly after my wife joined me. I started blogging in June 28, 2018 and below is the sequence of blogs that followed.
It’s been 10 months since I started working out and eating healthier. I reduce my alcohol intake to 1 bottle of wine per week so this change has helped as well. My mental state feels better and I can go through the day without feeling cloudy. Overall this has been a successful transition for me.
My routine is to start at 6 am 4 – 5 days a week. I start on the treadmill for 30 minutes then I do crunches, and planks (15 minutes). I alternate between weights and cardio.
Healthy Living – Accelerate Your Well-Being with “IF”
July 14, 2019 – Healthy living update, this week, I am working on a new level of commitment. Thus far, I am convinced that as we age, most of us are enjoying our lives, and we neglect ourselves internally. I am not saying what we do is all bad; it is just not all healthy. Think about those we loved and still do, but we have lost them at a young age due to certain illnesses and what has that taught us.
You have heard me say or mention Intermittent Fasting (IF) from time to time in a post or two. However, to clarify what “IF” has done for me is over the top remarkable, and here is why. As we age, we tend to enjoy family and friend at a deeper level, so we spend more time doing what family and friends do, eat. Nothing wrong with that and I encourage you to continue to do so. Enjoy your time and do whatever brings joy into your life.
However, if you are seeking to feel more energetic, have clearer thoughts, increase motivation, and all those positive things. Further, we all need to function at high levels in our daily lives and have a healthier and enjoyable lifestyle; here is a tidbit on a start to that journey. I can only speak through experience, so if I miss something, I will be back with more.
Intermittent fasting has been a pivotal point in my journey to healthy living. The reason is that from doing simple research, I have found fasting to be the best approach for healthy living. Don’t take my word for it; however, I encourage you to do some research. I will continue to share with you how much “IF” has changed my life and is starting to transform the lives to those around me as well. More information to come as I continue to blog my results over time stay tuned and please feel free to comment below or follow my blog.
Healthy Living with Intermittent Fasting
July 17, 2019 –
How is Intermittent Fasting (IF) transforming my well-being? Before I divulge into how IF is helping me transform my well-being, let’s talk about the difference between IF and Starvation. First, “starvation is the involuntary abstention from eating” (Jason Fung & Moore, 2016, p. 39). For example, a homeless or someone deprived of food is a person who is starving because he has no access to food. Think about that for a minute before you read this next sentence.
Fasting is quite the opposite; it “is voluntary abstention from eating for spiritual, health, or other reasons” (Jason Fung & Moore, 2016). That said, I hope that clears the air before you continue reading.
In my experience with healthy living, I decided early on to start with basic exercise about two years ago. This change was triggered by my doctor, who said to me that I should consider making changes to my lifestyle to improve or manage/prevent certain medical conditions. This notion is where my journey to healthy living started as I continued working out in the morning, primarily because I am a morning person. I immediately noticed something changing in my outlook. I felt more energized, and it carried me through most of the day. Toward the end of the day, though I felt lethargic. Two-thirds of my day, I was feeling phenomenal, further my thoughts were clear, and my critical thinking skills were as sharp as a razor blade. My concern though was toward the end of the day, why was I still feeling a lack of energy. This issue prompted me back to the doctor to do more testing.
Fast forward, skipping through lots of things that happen from that time through today. About a year ago, I heard about intermittent fasting. As I research what this new practice was, I found that it was not something new just talked about differently. Fasting has been around for thousands of years but not practiced or discussed by most people. So I incorporated this IF technique into my healthy lifestyle I have committed. Thus far, I will say the results have been phenomenal. I started with “16:8 IF” that is 16 hours of food abstinence and 8 hours of eating. Not overindulging but eating three healthy meals, Breakfast became Brunch, lunch was a mid-day snack and dinner before 8 pm. That was it which was great however there is more to come in my next posting so stay tuned you do not want to miss my next segment.
Invigorating Results with IF and OMAD
July 19, 2019 –
It has been a week now since I implemented a full-scale Intermittent Fasting “IF” and one meal a day (OMAD). Just as the name implies, what I experienced was “hangry and overwhelmingly frustration,” the first couple of days. However, something extraordinary started to take form within my mind, soul, and body. Between what I have been experiencing with intermittent fasting, that I stepped up to 22 hours without food, only water was challenging in itself. It is true what we have heard through generations if its easy everyone would be doing it. It is not a bit simple or un-stressful it is indeed the opposite. The results are not how much fat I am losing, which is a target of mine; it is how I am feeling emotionally. Something has begun to transform within me.
I treated myself yesterday to Captain Tom’s Seafood restaurant. If you know this place you know what I am talking about, if you do not, next time you are in Houston close by the Willowbrook Mall you need to visit this place, it is the BEST Seafood restaurant in town. At any rate, I felt that my body had gone through quite the shock this week and it deserved a treat, so I feed it. I am in control of my mind, body, and soul. Think about what I just wrote for a minute.
“I am in control of my mind-body, and soul” is right. I now oversee how I am going to respond or act toward my well-being. It is amazing to me how things change in life. These transformations are not because of sickness or mid-life crisis, but it is a study, and I am the guinea pig.
For years I have heard as many of you have as well, we cannot deprive ourselves of nutrition, and I agree. However, how a person manages nutrition is a completely different narrative. This week I limited the amount of food and thought I was going to faint at one point. Then by day three, I was starting to feel a surge of energy burning inside of me. My heart rate went up, and I was feeling inspired by everything around me. Day 4 I added more weight to my lifting regimen, and by day 5 I was lifting heavier weight at the same repetition that I was doing with less weight before, I started IF 22:2 and OMAD. How can that be possible I thought to myself? My thoughts are continuing to brighten, and I am retaining more than I have in an extremely long time. My body is too going through a transformation but “bear in mind,” it has been over one year and ten months since I started to pursue healthy living.
Stay tuned for more invigorating best practices as I move toward Healthy Living!
Another Milestone Reached – First in a Long Time
July 22, 2019 – My weekend turned out to be an exciting two days. The entire week I followed “IF” for 22:2 and OMAD with refreshing results. My mental state sharpened, and I was able to develop a strategy at work that I have been pondering for about six months. My vision of what I was attempting to do took a hard-right turn with an extraordinary outcome. Not only is my body going through a transformation, but my mind is also bringing thoughts out that I have not been able to crack for some time. These experiences I am sharing with you are not by any means a way to convincing anyone of something. I am merely sharing
My experiences as I transition from lack of energy, motivation, desire to do things, and several other symptoms. My emotional efficacy was questionable, as well. All these symptoms were pointing at a much-needed change.
In our lives, there is so much demand, and we tend as a society to add more requirements and pressure ourselves to do more. I can tell you I am notorious about pushing myself to higher levels. There is nothing wrong with pushing yourself to do better. You should always challenge yourself. That is how we accomplish the things in life that are worth driving to gain. When I decided to pursue my master’s degree, I made this decision because my desire to learn has magnified over the years. I enjoy reading and being challenged in an environment that I can control. If I want to spend more time studying, I do, if I want to do the minimum, I will do so. The outcome has been aggrandizing and rewarding in so many capacities.
Sunday, July 21, 2019, I started my morning with weight exercise. Two cups of coffee and two bottles of water. It is interesting to think that a person can go so long without food if you drink water. I guess we hear it all the time when people find themselves lost in the woods for days, and they survive. They lose weight but are in high spirits, nonetheless. It is no different when following IF for 24 hours at a time except it is by choice rather than unavoidable circumstance.
For the first time in years, I breached an all-time low weight loss. I have not been able to lose weight pass 190 and this past week with IF 22:2 and OMAD I broke through that barrier and dropped down to my goal of 186, actually my target is 185, but I will take it. I was so excited to see this progress that I binged with a hearty breakfast which I won’t mention then in the evening my wife and I attended a retirement party for a friend who retired from HPD. It was an extraordinary event with lots of friends and his family there to support him. The food was exceptional at this celebration; thus, I could not resist, so I dived in and enjoyed this festivity.
Those are the perks of following a healthy lifestyle change. The fact that you do not need to restrict yourself to the most delicate things in life, family-friends while enjoying food and drinks. It is okay to indulge in whatever you want because you know that you will adjust back to where you want to be with regards to healthy living.
Shocking the Body with Intermittent Fasting (IF)
August 07, 2019 –
Well, last week was an interesting week because I traveled to Philly on Monday through Wednesday. I ate breakfast, lite lunch, and a hefty dinner each night. When I made it back home and weighed myself to suffice my curiosity, I notice that I lost weight. I can only attribute this weight loss to my increase basal metabolic rate (BMR) and from shocking my body through IF. The BMR metric we have all heard from time to time referred to metabolism. People will say that the reason they have gained weight is that their metabolism has decreased over time. While that saying is true to a certain extent bear in mind that your metabolism does slow down, but it is your BMR that changes. The BMR measures the amount of energy that our body turns to function normally. It keeps the lungs breathing, brain functioning, heart pumping, kidneys, liver, and digestive system all working, and so on (Jason Fung & Moore, 2016). Think about when you are cold, tired, hungry, and less energetic – our bodies are essentially conserving energy by not burning calories to keep us warm and moving (Jason Fung & Moore, 2016).
From a weight standpoint, this is what I refer to reduced metabolism, and it is a double curse. First, a person will feel lousy while dieting then it is both harder to lose weight and much easier to gain the weight back after we’ve lost it which brings me to my next point (Jason Fung & Moore, 2016).
My wife started to follow IF as well, and she is experiencing extraordinary results. Her outcome is attributed to her commitment and perseverance to reaching her personal goal.
We decided on a 4-day weekend getaway from Thursday of last week through Sunday. We went to Corpus Christi (CC) to do some fishing at Padre Island. We both ate what we wanted and enjoyed our time visiting family in CC. When we made it back home, we averaged a weight gain of 5-7 lbs. Not bad considering how much we enjoyed ourselves over those four days. Three days back from our excursion and we are back to weighing where we left off. This effect comes from body conditioning or shocking your body into a functioning state of consistently burning fat.
Our bodies learn; thus, it is important to condition/train your body how you want it to perform. Burn fat while eating and enjoying life’s finest things it has to offer is living life.
Another tidbit on healthy living, drink plenty of water if you decide to follow intermittent fasting. I am sure by now if you are curious about how you too can start to burn fat away it starts with IF and drinking water during fasting periods is vital. I am pushing on average 22-24 hour intermittent fasting periods and getting tempted to increase the frequency. I have achieved my weight loss and reached my goal; however, my body mass index (BMI) is about 2 points too high. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. I plan to achieve my BMI target next. After that, I believe it will be smooth sailing for me.
It is an awesome feeling when reaching a milestone much as I have done, and my wife is on the cusp of reaching hers as well. She is feeling excellent and is down a few sizes which her goal is to hit a target I am not allowed to say, LOL. I am ecstatic that we can share these experiences, not to mention how much support we give each other. It is important if you have a significant other that he, she supports your goals. It just makes sense to share a journey toward healthy living together.
Feeling Happy Promotes Healthy Living
August 10, 2019 –
How often do you feel happy during the day, week, month, and so on? The reality is that we cannot be satisfied all the time; however, feeling happy does promote a healthier lifestyle. Hence why you must be engaged in activities that bring happiness to you. “Scientific evidence suggests that positive emotions can help make life longer and healthier” (Harvard-Health-Publishing, n. d.). That said, here are some tidbits that may help shed some light on this topic. Positive psychology is the driver for positive thinking. Positive emotions are linked with better health, longer life, and greater well-being (Harvard-Health-Publishing, Positive Psychology, n. d.).
Emerging research shows that being happier doesn’t just make a person feel better – it brings a host of potential health benefits (Daisy Coyle, 2017). I remember a recent experience where I was searching for happiness within myself. I am not saying that I was not happy what I am saying is that I was struggling with daunting thoughts. As I researched some of the symptoms that I was experiencing, most of the research pointed toward living a healthy and happy lifestyle. As I continue to focus on myself, I started to tackle things within my control, like feeling good internally. That is when I committed to a healthier lifestyle.
Further, “studies have found that those with a positive well-being were 47% more likely to consume fresh fruits and vegetables than their fewer positive counterparts” (Daisy Coyle, 2017). Think about that for a minute; …when was the last time you consumed fresh fruits and vegetables. If your answer is often you are doing better than the average person. I never really cared for too many vegetables; however, I have always enjoyed some good fruits. Today I indulge in daily vegetables and fruits. I am feeling the best I have felt in a long time. I guess it is more of an improve well-being compared to a few years ago. I feel like I am in a better place than I have ever been in years.
Here is another issue we face often. How about feeling like you are losing steam through the day. Let’s face it as we age our bodies change, and this change calls for some action. “As we age, we lose mitochondria (energy-producing engines in the cells). We produce less adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – the molecule that delivers energy to the cells throughout our body” (Harvard-Health-Publishing, Losing steam? Avoid these energy zappers, n. d.). Hence why as we age, we need to change our lifestyle habits, which are primary reasons we lose steam throughout the day.
For example, inactivity because you may work in an office environment, or too much stress because you have a high-stress career. Other components are “a poor diet which increases inflammation, also taking away from ATP” (Harvard-Health-Publishing, Losing steam? Avoid these energy zappers, n. d.). Too little sleep because maybe you can’t go to sleep early. Or when you do go to bed, you can’t fall asleep thus depriving you of the minimum 8 hours we require. Poor fluid choices like sodas, juices, or lack of water intake, which contributes to fatigue. Social isolation is a crucial factor because being isolated foster depression. All these things we don’t think about and or they may come naturally to you, but it is a good idea to remain mindful of the facts.
Be happy even if you don’t feel like it and become a person who is emotional contagion. People want to be around others who have boisterous outlooks.
I challenge you to a happier, healthier lifestyle!
Change – A Daunting Thought
September 14, 2019 –
Thus far things have continued to go well with our overall health progress. My wife has continued to experience much success with her development. Little to no Carbs, 4-5 days a week exercise (cardio, weights), intermittent fasting 20:4 and lots of will-power. Anyone can do this type of lifestyle change if you want to. The difference is wanting to make a change to increase your chances of living healthier. There is no guarantee; however, what is the worse thing that can happen, you look and feel fabulous.
Change is one of the most challenging things a person can experience, perhaps because of the perceived notion of risk or fear associated with it. I can speak for myself, which I am sure everyone has experienced difficult change at one point or another in one’s life.
When I decided to change my career from what I had been doing so comfortably for 17 years, I had a tough time making that transition. Six years later looking back, it was the best decision I could have ever made. So, thinking about that narrative, why was I so reluctant to change. It was the fear of the unknown or risk associated with this change. If I did not succeed how much was at stake hence the risk associated with the unknown.
If I can share some thoughts on this subject, although I am not saying I am an expert in this field, but I can undoubtedly opine. When a person decides to make a change as we (my wife and I) have with our lifestyles. There was no doubt in our minds why we were committed to this change. I believe a person must have a clear vision of what it is they are going to achieve with this change. If a person has a clear perspective of one’s goal, there is no stopping. Understanding what it means to have drive, determination, perseverance is a good start to help deliver the energy to accomplish any goals. Further, it is vital to have a minimum of two key components well understood. One is accountability, and second is a way to help you see progress, i.e., a weight scale.
We purchased a Renpho Digital Bluetooth scale as an instrument to track key metrics. It is vital to have instrumentation when navigating through a plan. Think of it as an aircraft pilot. If a pilot loses his instrumentation, can he safely fly an aircraft through a pitch dark sky? The answer would be probably no or unsafely. A pilot can adjust an aircraft safely and operate without being able to see where they are going with his instrumentation. The same metaphor applies in this particular case. With an instrument that will provide you with how you are tracking toward your goals, a person can see what is working and what is not. If it requires some adjustments, you can make them, and when you start to see some results, you can continue down that track so to speak.
Below is a website article I found during some research. It touches on the stages of change. I thought to share if you are struggling to make a change for yourself or if you know someone that would appreciate some help/guidance. The stages of changes are pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action stage, and finally, there is the maintenance stage.
Below is an interesting article regarding the progression, but so true.
I hope this message finds you in high spirits and that some information in this blog or the article will help you or someone close to you.
The truth about exercise addiction
Maintenance Mode
November 06, 2019 –
After achieving my goal two months ago, I fell into a maintenance mode (MM), and it has been so amazing to know and feel that I can eat and drink what I want as long as I am consistent with my exercise regiment. I will admit, though, that after accomplishing my goal, I felt a sense of relief. The reason I think this way is that I know there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I have continued to do cardio for 20-30 minutes, then a series of ab and freestyle weightlifting. For most of the training material I have read, listened, and YouTube, the key to maintaining energetic metabolism is to lift weights. We have all heard through the years that muscle burns fat. However, until a person experiences the cycle, a body goes through when enduring a workout routine, a person does not know (you don’t know what you don’t know).
Here is a bit of a twist, before you start on any weight loss or building muscle regiment, you must get a full physical. The reason is apparent; however, many do not take this precautionary step. Further, by taking this prudent step, you will know your targets. Be sure to check your testosterone, as well. Men and women lose this vital hormone over time, thus depleting you of an essential component in your overall health and mental state. There are numerous treatments for this depletion; however, seek medical advice to make the best choice for you. Having the right balance is vital, though, and another reason I have experienced outstanding results. By following the advice of your general practitioner (GP), researching on your own and understand what to expect are all crucial steps one must take toward healthy living. If you have not read the symptoms of testosterone deficiency read on, “reduce libido, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, poor results from exercise programs, increase in body fat, loss of lean bone density, depression, unsatisfactory work performance, and so on” (Urology, n. d.). If you have felt depression or poor work performance, you owe it to yourself and your significant other to check your levels.
On a side note, another reason to know what you are working on it helps to see progress over time. I cannot stress enough how awesome it feels after a rigorous workout. The increase in motivation and confidence follows as your body starts to transform. It is absolutely a fantastic experience to see and feel your body change by doing things that are natural and healthy. Cardio does a mind and mood right, an article in a Harvard Medical school blog stated, “aerobic exercise has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress” (Brodwin, 2018). I can tell you from experience most of these studies are dead-on accurate.
Overall I hope you find this message entertaining and encouraging. I intend to share my best practices not to sell a product or services. I can only share with you how I have overcome the emotional challenges in my life. I encourage you to share as well; it helps as an affirmation that things are working. The key is never to stop moving, continue to engage in some form of activity that gets your heart rate up and down daily. Follow an intermittent fasting schedule, reduce carb intake, and you will see things happen for you too.
Good luck and to healthy living – cheers!
Life-Changing Experience
December 21, 2019 –
It’s been a little over a month since I’ve shared my progress, so here is an update to healthy living. In my last blog, I wrote about why it is essential to check your testosterone level for both men and women. If you don’t already know, testosterone is key to holding on to your youth and so much more. I have been on a mission to understand my body better as I have ventured into healthy living. I also said I would share with you what is making a difference in my life. What I am writing about in this blog is “Life-Changing Experiences” thus far. For a long time, I did not know what was going on in my body, physically and mentally. This challenge led me to research and test different therapies. I guess you can think of me like a cat, often curious about things. The topic I am going to speak to in this blog will be the importance of regulating your testosterone levels.
I have learned many things about my wellbeing, especially after going through numerous physicals. Men typically do not go to the doctor unless something is wrong. Let’s be honest; it is not the most comfortable or entertaining thing to do. Anyhow, we tend to stay in denial until something affects us to the point that we must act. That said, when did you last visit your doctor to check your testosterone levels. “Testosterone is one of many components involved in the development of muscle bulk and strength” (Pietrangelo, 2014). Both men and women lose testosterone as we age. If you feel fatigued or mentally exhausted throughout the day to the point that your motivation is low, you might be suffering from low testosterone. Other factors can be affecting you as well, but testosterone is a HUGE component in this arena.
Anyhow back to my storyline. About a month and a half ago, I decided to undergo testosterone therapy. What a difference it has made in my life. My mental ability has sharpened and I feel stronger every day. The most important thing, though, is how I feel and what difference it has made in my life. We all deserve to enjoy life to its fullest.
Moreover, studies have concluded that in the “U.S. life expectancy is about 78.6 years of age and has been declining” (Saiidi, 2019). What does that mean, and why not do something about it to improve one’s quality of life? I am not going down a rabbit hole here but bringing some studies forward. Factual or not, it is something to ponder and act if you are interested in enjoying the most beautiful things life gives us. I get it now when people say, “Living the Dream,” it can be interpreted as staying young and genuinely enjoying life.
If you have been following my blogs, you know I have been trying several things toward healthy living. My motivation strengthened when I witness my mother and father go through their last years. It was a painful experience, but I can say they lived life to its fullest, and they were happy. That is all I am saying in this blog. Be happy and do the things that bring joy to you and others around you. One way is to keep your health in check. It isn’t easy, that’s why so many choose not to endure the struggles toward healthy living. It isn’t the all fix either but can make a difference between being happy and enjoying life to its fullest.
One last note, intermittent fasting, cardio activities, weightlifting, and having routine checks (physical exams) has made a tremendous difference in my life. My outlook is changing, and my attitude toward others is transitioning as well. All I want is to share my experiences in hopes that I can make a difference in other people’s lives positively. I can only speak to how I feel today and my motivation to stay the course. It has not been easy; however, my routine has become addicting, and I have noticed negativity in my life has suppressed.
I hope this message brings light to you. Happy Holidays and be safe through the first year of the 2020 decade.
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