I'm doing this entry a day later this week, since I was out of town part of yesterday. This Sunday morning, my weight has dropped by one pound to 161. Actually, the scale reads 161.8, but I'm not splitting hairs. This lowers my BMI (Body Mass Index) to 21.8. Meanwhile, my body fat percentage has remained stable 12.7% again.
Oddly enough, my blood sugar has risen to the highest I've recorded since July 26th. It's at 103 ml/dcl at the moment, probably owing to two factors: first, while I was away yesterday, I was in a situation in which I had to eat a meal composed very non-paleolithic food, and no doubt that played a little temporary havoc with my blood sugar yesterday, which probably has lingered into this morning. On top of that, my last meal was less than an hour before going to bed last night, and, as I've experienced before, that tends to result in higher blood sugar upon waking in the morning. But, at 103, it's still within normal bounds and will return to its usual low level in a matter of hours, most likely.
Meanwhile, my blood pressure is at an excellent 115/73, lower than last week's reading.
Now, the results of my lab work were mailed to me the other day, and, it was no surprise that my blood sugar, triglycerides and total cholesterol were all within normal bounds. So were the test results for my thyroid, liver, kidney and muscle enzyme, as well as my blood count.
What was surprising, however, was that, although my total cholesterol was 188 (normal = 120-200, according to my doctor), my HDL was at a paltry 42 (normal = 40-70) and my LDL was at 129 (normal = 60-100). Not what I would have expected to see after nine months on the paleolithic diet, however, I have an explanation: my lack of exercise over much of the summer, due to the heat, as well as time constrainsts caused by Daylight Savings time. So, my rationale is that, by simply increasing my exercise to normal again, by the time I test again, in February, I should be completely normal. Apparently, exercise plays a larger role in success with the paleo diet than I had realized. Since my LDL is only 29 points above normal and my HDL has plenty of room for improvement, and both will readjust positively with more frequent exercise, that's probably all I need, then.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Paleo Diet - Day 294
Yet another stable week. My weight remains at 162 lbs, my BMI (Body Mass Index) remains at 22.0, and my body fat percentage remains at 12.7%. Disgustingly normal again. ;)
Ditto on the blood sugar, which was 96 ml/dcl this morning. Up a little from last week, but still normal, and last week's reading was a bit lower than usual, too.
As for my blood pressure, this morning it was at a normal 126/76. I was at my doctor's for lab work and a check up on Thursday - the first since just before beginning the paleo diet, and also the first since being told of my type 2 diabetes (back at the end of October, 2007). My blood pressure tested normal and the physician's assistant who checked me out said I looked good. I'd have asked her for a date on the basis of that, but she mentioned something about a husband, so...er, anyway, I didn't get to talk to the doctor, which I was kind of looking forward to doing, since I wanted to tell him what I thought of his October diagnosis - the one during which he said "diabetes is an incurable disease" and that I'd have it for the rest of my life (said while writing out a prescription for Metformin, which I never used).
The physician's assistant (who looks like she's about 18 to 24) asked me what the paleo diet is, so I gave her the facts and wasn't surprised to see, by her reaction, that it was complete news to her that human beings existed on a diet devoid of grains and dairy for most of the human species' time on earth. The 10,000 years during which we've been poisoning ourselves with foods we're not genetically adapted to eat has been a mere blink of the eye in terms of the 2.5 million years our species has existed and evolved in. But, like most people, everything I said to her probably went in one ear and out the other and didn't find a place to lodge in between, since that's taken up with important things like Britney Spears, Madonna and who's leaving the "island" on Survivor.
Ditto on the blood sugar, which was 96 ml/dcl this morning. Up a little from last week, but still normal, and last week's reading was a bit lower than usual, too.
As for my blood pressure, this morning it was at a normal 126/76. I was at my doctor's for lab work and a check up on Thursday - the first since just before beginning the paleo diet, and also the first since being told of my type 2 diabetes (back at the end of October, 2007). My blood pressure tested normal and the physician's assistant who checked me out said I looked good. I'd have asked her for a date on the basis of that, but she mentioned something about a husband, so...er, anyway, I didn't get to talk to the doctor, which I was kind of looking forward to doing, since I wanted to tell him what I thought of his October diagnosis - the one during which he said "diabetes is an incurable disease" and that I'd have it for the rest of my life (said while writing out a prescription for Metformin, which I never used).
The physician's assistant (who looks like she's about 18 to 24) asked me what the paleo diet is, so I gave her the facts and wasn't surprised to see, by her reaction, that it was complete news to her that human beings existed on a diet devoid of grains and dairy for most of the human species' time on earth. The 10,000 years during which we've been poisoning ourselves with foods we're not genetically adapted to eat has been a mere blink of the eye in terms of the 2.5 million years our species has existed and evolved in. But, like most people, everything I said to her probably went in one ear and out the other and didn't find a place to lodge in between, since that's taken up with important things like Britney Spears, Madonna and who's leaving the "island" on Survivor.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Paleo Diet - Day 287
Everything seems to be mostly stabilized this time, with my weight remaining at 162 lbs, as it was last weekend, which leaves my BMI (Body Mass Index) at 22.0. My body fat percentage has continued to remain steady at 12.7%, also.
Meanwhile, my blood sugar dropped a little, to 89 ml/dcl. This, despite the fact that, yesterday I was compelled to have a slice of my boss's birthday cake, with chocolate ice cream - the first time I've eaten any such thing in over nine months. Interestingly, it didn't seem to have any noticeable
negative effect on me and, of course, has, by now, passed entirely from my body without incident. Fortunately, that won't happen again - at least for another year, anyway.
My blood pressure has also dropped since last Saturday, to a normal 111/70, which, according to the chart, is what it should be after strenuous exercise - never mind that I just got out of bed. Hey, maybe I was dreaming of running or something. ;)
Meanwhile, my blood sugar dropped a little, to 89 ml/dcl. This, despite the fact that, yesterday I was compelled to have a slice of my boss's birthday cake, with chocolate ice cream - the first time I've eaten any such thing in over nine months. Interestingly, it didn't seem to have any noticeable
negative effect on me and, of course, has, by now, passed entirely from my body without incident. Fortunately, that won't happen again - at least for another year, anyway.
My blood pressure has also dropped since last Saturday, to a normal 111/70, which, according to the chart, is what it should be after strenuous exercise - never mind that I just got out of bed. Hey, maybe I was dreaming of running or something. ;)
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Paleo Diet - Day 280
This morning, I find I've dropped 3 lbs from last Saturday, to 162 lbs. Again, it's probably just a water weight fluctuation, as my body fat percentage has again remained stable at 12.7%. One factor might be that I am almost out of bottled water and decided to get some more this morning, as opposed to late last night, so I didn't drink as much before bed as I might have ordinarily. The weight change drops my BMI (Body Mass Index) to 22.0, which is in the middle of the "normal weight" range.
As for my blood sugar, it's slightly lower than last week at this time, at 94 ml/dcl, as opposed to 96. Nothing worth commenting on, really.
My blood pressure this morning is at 121/75, which differs a little from last weekend's 120/79, so, it's about in the same range. Again, this is with medication. I tried, last Saturday night, to go without my medication and only made it about five hours beyond my usual pill time, when I noticed my blood pressure (which I was monitoring once an hour) creeping upward, to a maximum of 140/something (should have written that down), so that was when I took my pill and abandoned hope of achieving my goal of getting rid of my medication. Maybe at some later point, then. This begs the question, if all other factors have normalized in response to my paleolithic diet, then what factor is maintaining my unmedicated blood pressure at a higher than normal level? One answer that keeps occurring to me is that it simply may take longer. Maybe when I've been at it for more than a year or so, it will finally be normal without medication. Another answer that occurs to me is, maybe it's the medication, itself, that is keeping me this way. However, if the cessation of the medication - even for a few hours - has the effect of driving my blood pressure higher, that doesn't seem to be the case, unless there is some dependency factor as a result of taking it for 8 years. Perhaps, when I dispense with it, I am seeing a rise in blood pressure that is due to "withdrawal" symptoms. Or, perhaps it was simply that I was anxious over the anticipated results - not to mention taking the risk of sleeping without my medication for the first time in 8 years, with my sleep apnea (which elevates my blood pressure during sleep). Or, maybe it's my sleep apnea that is keeping my blood pressure from dropping any farther without medication. It's hard to say, but there is evidently something that is doing so. Hmmm...
As for my blood sugar, it's slightly lower than last week at this time, at 94 ml/dcl, as opposed to 96. Nothing worth commenting on, really.
My blood pressure this morning is at 121/75, which differs a little from last weekend's 120/79, so, it's about in the same range. Again, this is with medication. I tried, last Saturday night, to go without my medication and only made it about five hours beyond my usual pill time, when I noticed my blood pressure (which I was monitoring once an hour) creeping upward, to a maximum of 140/something (should have written that down), so that was when I took my pill and abandoned hope of achieving my goal of getting rid of my medication. Maybe at some later point, then. This begs the question, if all other factors have normalized in response to my paleolithic diet, then what factor is maintaining my unmedicated blood pressure at a higher than normal level? One answer that keeps occurring to me is that it simply may take longer. Maybe when I've been at it for more than a year or so, it will finally be normal without medication. Another answer that occurs to me is, maybe it's the medication, itself, that is keeping me this way. However, if the cessation of the medication - even for a few hours - has the effect of driving my blood pressure higher, that doesn't seem to be the case, unless there is some dependency factor as a result of taking it for 8 years. Perhaps, when I dispense with it, I am seeing a rise in blood pressure that is due to "withdrawal" symptoms. Or, perhaps it was simply that I was anxious over the anticipated results - not to mention taking the risk of sleeping without my medication for the first time in 8 years, with my sleep apnea (which elevates my blood pressure during sleep). Or, maybe it's my sleep apnea that is keeping my blood pressure from dropping any farther without medication. It's hard to say, but there is evidently something that is doing so. Hmmm...
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Paleo Diet - Day 273
Well, it seems the water I was retaining has left me now, as my weight has dropped by 4 lbs to 165 lbs. I'm sure it's water weight loss, as my body fat percentage continues to remain stable at 12.7%. This puts my BMI (Body Mass Index) back to 22.4, which is solidly in the middle of the "normal weight" range. I suppose the warmer weather (highs in the upper 90s to low 100s) might have something to do with this shift. Ever since the temperature and humidity began to move toward a typical summer pattern, I've been experiencing ups and downs in weight that can't be explained by either body fat gain/loss or muscle gain/loss.
As for my blood sugar, it is remaining normal, at 96 ml/dcl today.
Where my blood pressure is concerned, it was at 120/79 when I measured it after 11:00am this morning. The slight rise may be due to not getting as much exercise (due to the hotter weather), particularly walking, which normally tends to moderate my blood pressure.
Meanwhile, when I refilled my blood pressure medication, the other day, the pharmacist told me my doctor said I need to make an appointment for lab work, etc. He does this every now and then, extorting me into visiting in order to continue getting refills for my prescription. Then he doles them out to me at 2 or 3 refills at a time, whereas, I know of other physicians who give a patient a year's worth of refills at a time without requiring any additional attention by the doctor.
As I've said of my doctor before, he's a shill for Big Pharma. His only course of action in "treating" any ailment - no matter what it may be - is to prescribe drugs for it. He never tells me of anything I might do to prevent a condition from arising, or of anything natural (such as dietary changes) that I might do to cure a condition - because he has no interest in curing disease. That wouldn't help him pay off the mortgage on his half-million dollar home.
So, I'm at the point at which I'm tempted to ignore him altogether and just stop taking my blood pressure medicine - which I'm not even sure isn't actually prolonging my "dependency" upon it. My only concern, and the one that has made me reluctant to give it a shot, is that my sleep apnea tends to raise my blood pressure during sleep and, as I have no concious control over this (since I'm not awake to do anything about it), I'm at the mercy of whatever might happen. In other words, I'm concerned my blood pressure could skyrocket during an apnic event and I might suffer a stroke or heart attack in my sleep. That is the only reason I haven't been brave enough - yet - to discontinue my medication. Also, I really need to discontinue it over a period of days, if not weeks, to get an acurate assessment of how my body will respond to the lack of the Lisinopril. At some point, though, I'll have to take that chance if I'm ever going to find out whether or not I really need this crap anymore - or if it is, as I suspect, actually keeping me from making any further progress. Since I don't feel like having my crappy insurance provider reject another claim and leave me stuck with yet another $350 lab bill to pay (especially when I know the results will be normal), I'm thinking this might be the time to take the plunge and dispense with the Lisinopril - at least for a few days, anyway, until I see what effect it has. I guess if you don't see a new blog entry next Saturday, you'll know it didn't work out.
As for my blood sugar, it is remaining normal, at 96 ml/dcl today.
Where my blood pressure is concerned, it was at 120/79 when I measured it after 11:00am this morning. The slight rise may be due to not getting as much exercise (due to the hotter weather), particularly walking, which normally tends to moderate my blood pressure.
Meanwhile, when I refilled my blood pressure medication, the other day, the pharmacist told me my doctor said I need to make an appointment for lab work, etc. He does this every now and then, extorting me into visiting in order to continue getting refills for my prescription. Then he doles them out to me at 2 or 3 refills at a time, whereas, I know of other physicians who give a patient a year's worth of refills at a time without requiring any additional attention by the doctor.
As I've said of my doctor before, he's a shill for Big Pharma. His only course of action in "treating" any ailment - no matter what it may be - is to prescribe drugs for it. He never tells me of anything I might do to prevent a condition from arising, or of anything natural (such as dietary changes) that I might do to cure a condition - because he has no interest in curing disease. That wouldn't help him pay off the mortgage on his half-million dollar home.
So, I'm at the point at which I'm tempted to ignore him altogether and just stop taking my blood pressure medicine - which I'm not even sure isn't actually prolonging my "dependency" upon it. My only concern, and the one that has made me reluctant to give it a shot, is that my sleep apnea tends to raise my blood pressure during sleep and, as I have no concious control over this (since I'm not awake to do anything about it), I'm at the mercy of whatever might happen. In other words, I'm concerned my blood pressure could skyrocket during an apnic event and I might suffer a stroke or heart attack in my sleep. That is the only reason I haven't been brave enough - yet - to discontinue my medication. Also, I really need to discontinue it over a period of days, if not weeks, to get an acurate assessment of how my body will respond to the lack of the Lisinopril. At some point, though, I'll have to take that chance if I'm ever going to find out whether or not I really need this crap anymore - or if it is, as I suspect, actually keeping me from making any further progress. Since I don't feel like having my crappy insurance provider reject another claim and leave me stuck with yet another $350 lab bill to pay (especially when I know the results will be normal), I'm thinking this might be the time to take the plunge and dispense with the Lisinopril - at least for a few days, anyway, until I see what effect it has. I guess if you don't see a new blog entry next Saturday, you'll know it didn't work out.
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