Captdhd's Blog I'm On The Right Side Of The Turf!

I have restructured my exercise for the winter 52 DC to a level I can live with, literally. Now it’s time to stick the diet. Nothing like waiting until the last moment eh!

My cardiologist and I have had a bit of a disagreement in how I should eat. I know that eating a rigid low carb higher fat diet like the TNT Plan A, similar to an Atkins Plan works in helping me to hit my BP and glucose targets. I know it, I know it, I just have a wicked hard time following it to the letter.

The diet that my cardiologist most recommends, The DASH Diet, reads like this for my situation.

Folks with Type 2 Diabetes should avoid high carb, low-fat diets. Instead choose low carb, moderate protein, and moderate fats. We are getting closer in theory.

I know TNT A works though it excludes a few foods that I just enjoy too much to give up near completely. Hense my ability to be successful. As far as I see it, The DASH diet is the next best choice.  It’s a plan that appeases my Doc as well as allowing for a few foods I really enjoy.

I’ll continue to eat very low carb, It’s what I do and it’s the best thing I can do to help keep my glucose numbers in check.  What carbs I do consume will be of the complex variety and come from vegetables, fruit, strongly suggested oatmeal, and a limited amount of whole wheat breads.

I have been following the plan for a few weeks now and my glucose and BP numbers are responding accordingly.

As a kicker, to help with the amount I eat, especially at night, yesterday I bought a set of 9 1/4″ plates to replace our standard 10 ½’s we have used forever and fill almost every night. Even if I fill the smaller plate my portions should be proportionately smaller.

The smaller plate won’t do any good if I fill it more than once.

Let the Winter 52DC Begin! I’m in a good position to actually succeed this time around.

I started out this challenge at 210lbs knowing full well that I would be spending 10-12 days on the road and working through the biggest eating holiday of the year. I was ready!

Week 1 I dropped near a couple of pounds, only took another 7-8 days to put it back on. One trip out and I came back with a couple more pounds. Second trip out and I actually weighted in pretty close to even from leaving. Third trip out I came home at 207, that was last Tuesday, not bad! Then has come the ead up too and the loved holiday on the tail end.

I do love all the trappings of Thanksgiving, Mother-in-laws turkey (should have stopped there) Sister-in-laws sweet potatoes, with cheese,… the stuffing, white potatoes doctored to the max, pies and an amazing array of deserts,… this family like most can cook!

I being of very little willpower love to sample, though, when does a sample become a helping! Ahhhh the questions,…. Throw in a long lack of steady exercise,…

This morning I’m a svelte 213lbs, not a good number, if I don’t get back to the gym and curb my eating, by Christmas dinner (now did you have to mention the second most beloved dinner of my year) I will turn into a friggin’ blimp!    

Tomorrow it’s back to near normal life as I know it. A normal work day, normal controlled menu, an hour stop at the gym before heading home.

Tomorrow night I write and post early the opening post for the 52DC forum, life hopefully will settle back down into my comfortable routine.

I can’t claim success on my CE goal as much so for losing track as it’s been for eating entirely poor.  Though there is still time to make the balance of my goals. 

I’m Still Ready!

The SHORT Version,

You can eat half way decent while attending a conference where most of your choices are limited and there is a nightly open bar.

You can keep your legs from going completely numb if you make sure to put about 2 miles of walking in between seminars, sun up to sundown.

If you show up at a industry conference with an open mind looking to learn something, you will be rewarded.

Even if you are a Po-dunk from a small region of the country you can make a decent showing on a national level in your industry if you work hard and play out on the edge most of the time.

5 Days on the road, I didn’t do anything to help though in turn I didn’t do anything to destroy my current 52 day challenge.

The MUCH LONGER Version

Mother and I crept into our home Thursday evening around 7PM, just a couple hours later than expected. Tired and a little chilled, we flew out under sunny 80 degree skies and arrived home in the middle of a cold rain. Back to reality.   

We had spent the last 5 days attending the Marine Dealer Conference and Expo at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee Florida. Spectacular facility! The place sports a large atrium with its own indoor castle, 40 foot schooner, their own crop of lazy gators, and a myriad of live fish, everywhere! I would recommend it to anyone though be warned, bring your wallet!  

The conference is the first of two stretches I will be spending away from home and away from my scheduled life this month. The next starts on the 17^th and runs through the 22^nd and includes 2 events.

Over the stay I was able to make reasonably decent meal choices. When I weighted in this morning I had only gained 1 pound. This was a moral victory in itself for me. I have a great respect for folks like SWF who spend most of their business life traveling and eating out. When given the opportunity I made every effort to stick to protein and vegetables. At the sit downs I was cognizant of portion sizes. Did well not over indulging on the open bar and laid off the continental breakfasts.   

One thing about a place like this though, you can bet that you will put a few miles of walking a day just getting to and from the reason that brought you there.  Mother and I walked 10 miles if we walked 1! We took the stairs as often as made sense and took every chance to burn off some of the calories we were consuming between meetings.  

Other than the walking though I did nothing for exercise.  Of all the crazy things they charged extra for the weight room was nice, plenty of free weights and cardio equipment and free! Never used it though, Stupid! Guess I figured if it wasn’t really overpriced it wasn’t for me! Walked in and looked around, just never made the time.

Mentally, it was a very sound trip. I have arrived home with a number of solid ideas that I can begin to implement right off.

Physically, I am still a bit fatigued from the 7AM to 9PM schedule the conference was set upon. The walking added up over time but it wasn’t a consistent cardio for 30 minutes at any one time.  To be fair I am going to split the CE’s.

This is the trip where my company was recognized as one of the top 100 in the recreational marine industry. We placed #65. Not bad, room for improvement though the competition is firm! During the presentations the hosts announced that there used to be near 10,000 dealers in North America, over the past 5 years that number has dropped to around 6,000. I’m good being #65.

All in all, one pound for the week, I’m good. I have a week to get some circuit exercise in before I get off kilter again. By the scoreboard, even with being a slacker and slipping Thanksgiving in I should be able to meet all of my core and personal goals for the challenge.