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I wanted to give you a quick update on my quest to become That Guy! As you know, I re-booted my fitness program on 6/26/2022, after taking two years off, partly because of the “pandemic” laziness and partly because of kidney surgery in June 2020.
In late 2019, I had an MRI for a muscle twitch in my back, and a dark spot was found on my left kidney. My doctor referred me to a nephrologist which eventually led to surgery in June 2020. The surgeon said I was a good candidate for partial nephrectomy, but wouldn’t be 100% sure until he actually got in there and took a look! Unfortunately, the nephrologist found a cancerous growth on my left kidney, and it was removed.
Prior to my 2020 surgery, I had lost 30 pounds in four months on intermittent fasting and found that my body adjusted quickly. Eventually, I hit 175#, at approx. 23% body at age 63 and hit a weight plateau and couldn’t get below 175 # before surgery.
Note: Because of my weight and lower body fat, my surgery and recovery went smoothly with no complications. I remain cancer free.
It’s interesting to note that in January 2019, I first learned of Dr. Jason Fung and intermittent fasting. As a type 2 diabetic on metformin, I found Dr. Fung’s take on diabetes stunning. I had always been told that type 2 diabetes was a progressive, degenerative disease that cannot be reversed or cured. Dr. Fung proved this to be inaccurate. After losing 30 pounds in four months by intermittent fasting, my A1C dropped from 9.something to 6.1 and remained at this level as of early 2022.
So, back to the update! When I rebooted my fitness journey on 6/26/2022, I weighed in at 192 pounds. At 5’9”, the BMI index says I should weigh about 150 pounds, but I can’t go that low without looking like a prisoner that’s been held in captivity for years! I’ll be happy to hit and stay around 170 pounds!
As of my last weigh-in on Saturday,
8/27/2022, my weight was 180 pounds. That is a twelve-pound loss in two months. People ask, “Gil, how are you losing weight so fast,” or “ losing weight that fast is ‘not healthy!’” But I have found that most people and some doctors are simply misinformed and/or hold onto outdated information and theories on diet and weight loss.
I thought back to the doctors and nutritionists over the years who told me to “change my diet,” but never said to change it what-to-what! Mostly I heard I should be on a low-fat diet, cut down on red meat, eat more veggies, limit sugar, and exercise. I was shown photos of lean meat, fruits, and veggies that I had never eaten in my life.
Not one doctor, including my current physician, ever told me that I needed to cut carbohydrates from my diet because my high-carb diet was causing insulin resistance which led to adult onset of type 2 diabetes. At my last appointment with my doc, in early 2022, he suggested I search YouTube for dietary advice for patients with only one kidney.
No doctor ever said my adult onset of type 2 diabetes was related to the carbs in my diet, and instead said I had too much sugar in my blood. My doctors over the years assumed I just “ate too much,” or was “eating the wrong things,” and needed to exercise and simply cut out sugar. I was prescribed metformin initially, and Januvia after my kidney surgery in 2020.
Not one doctor ever mentioned insulin resistance, insulinemia, keto, or carnivore lifestyle. The only advice I got from doctors was to eat a low-fat diet, add fiber, reduce salt, exercise daily, watch portion control, oh, and watch your caloric intake. I have found most of that advice is wrong for reversing diabetes, addressing insulin resistance, and heartening weight loss.
Interestingly, the American Society of Clinical Oncology website, “According to the 2007 Physicians Health Study of 19,000 doctors, 40% were overweight and 23% were obese.” If doctors can’t figure this out for themselves, how in the world are they supposed to help me?!
I have drastically reduced carbohydrates in my diet to almost negligible. I used to read labels on food for sugar, protein, fat, and sodium content, but I ignored carbs. I have learned in the past two months that carbs were the cause of my weight gain over the years and likely the cause of my type 2 diabetes onset and my bout with kidney cancer. My nemesis is and always was, insulin resistance.
This is what I have learned
1. Carbs are the killers
2. Fat is good!
3. Cheese (not processed) is ok
4. Butter is not bad for you!
5. Sodium is not dangerous
6. Eggs are not dangerous
7. Bacon is not dangerous
8. Red meat is good for you!
What I have removed from my diet
· Wheat/bread/cereal/grains
· Corn/peas/tortillas
· Rice/pasta
· Sugar
· Margarine
· Cooking with Vegetable oil/canola/corn oil
· Kombucha
· Candy/cake/ice cream
· Berries/cashews/almonds
· All chips/crackers
New Snacks
· Sugar-free beef jerky
· Pork rinds
· Pumpkin seeds
· Brazil nuts
· Walnuts
· Macadamia nuts
· Pecans
· Pine nuts
My daily food and exercise schedule
1. I still practice intermittent fasting Monday-Friday
2. I do not eat breakfast or lunch Monday-Friday
3. I eat a no carb or low carb (no more than 3grams) dinner
4. Red meat, chicken, pork
5. Some veggies, ie, brussels sprouts, asparagus, etc.
6. 7 pm – two-mile walk with 24-pound weight vest w/ K9 Randa
Weekend Schedule
1. Saturday
· 0830 hrs – wake. Water, small coffee (black) and off to jiu jitsu.
· 1000 hrs – one-hour jiu jitsu *(Saturday morning and Wednesday evening)
· 12 pm’ish – meal of protein with some fat.
· 4:30’ish pm – dinner with my love (see daily food above)
· No more food the rest of the night.
2. Sunday
· 0730 hrs – wake. Water.
· 0800 hrs – 3-4 mile ruck w/24-pound pack.
· 0930’ish – breakfast consisting of protein with some fat.
· 4:30-5 pm’ish – dinner with my love (see daily food above)
· No more food the rest of the night.
Sources