My Monthly Fatloss Report January 2018.....

Today's post:  Monday, 1-22-2018

A.  Here's the key news:

1.  Fat Loss Report, measured on Saturday, 1-20-2018

Gained 2.8 pounds from 164.3 last month to 167.1.

(Gained 0.2 pounds from 169.9 four months ago.)

My chest measured 38 and a quarter, a gain of a quarter inch.  This is three fourths of an inch bigger than 7 months ago when I was 37 & a half inches.

My waist was little changed measuring about 41 and a half inches to about 41 and a half.

My hips measured about 37 and a half.   That’s still half an inch more than 37 not long ago.

My too high heart rate and diastolic blood pressure I developed after Thanksgiving is back and still happening.  I think I know why and how to fix it; but I’m checking with my doctor this Weds to see if she has more information or ideas to try.

Cutting my wine consumption is not enough nor is the technique I wrote about last month, the Valsalva procedure

The main driver of the 3 pound weight loss was the very bad cold I had the week before I measured on Saturday 12-16.  I ate much the same except for the less wine intake.  But the main driver was burning that many calories coughing and blowing my nose!

I’ve had this happen before in prior years when I’ve had the flu or a bad cold and I’ve always gained that weight back.

I’d hoped that this time if three things out of my control didn’t run over me, I might gain less of it back. (I beat two of those and the third one looks likely not to happen; but the expected fat regain did.)

2.  My chest and hips were still bigger and more muscular than they were six months ago even though I’ve not been able to focus on this as well as I was.

I may not yet be eating quite enough protein each week.  But although I am still getting stronger and added to the pushups I can do, my intense concentration on my muscular effort was a bit less due to stress than it was six months before.  

Also, I'm at the point I need to get a heavier dumbbell and add a session once week at a gym with access to more weight for much heavier leg presses and deadlifts and other barbell exercises.

Part of my strength training exercises are still improving though some are dropping off a bit.

My waist was about the same more or less – way too big! 

But my better strength training did keep most of my gains to my chest measure AND my hip measurement.

Since I also got stronger and my muscles look bigger and my wife says they are harder, it’s clear my new strength training technique is adding muscle!

Mike Matthews says that it’s typical to add 5 pounds of fat when you eat enough protein & carbs and strength train well enough to add 5 pounds of muscle.

(Just one example:  Not long ago I was pleased if I could do 40 to 44 pushups the one day a week I test that each week each Monday.  

Monday, last week I did 93 pushups total up from my previous record of 91 before I got sick!)

The extra effort to exert extra strong tension in the muscles doing the work on the last few repetitions is still a bit less this last month due to stress and needing a heavier weight.  But I have kept doing it on each set.  (I’ve added some extra at the end of each set.  Now as I regain what I was doing during the set too, I think I’ll again add muscle.)

And, by doing so and keeping up my protein intake I’ll keep the muscle I gain or most of it.

I’ve discontinued the 20 mg of Synephrine completely because it did not change my results that much and it DID cause a high rate a couple of times.  [134 instead of 67 to 74 is a bit more than I’m comfortable with!  Heat and stress was a part of that; but since I discontinued it, the stress and heat were there; but my heart rate was normal.

Now the high heart rate has come back. So for me the Synephrine was possibly a bad idea – or taking it while extra stressed was.]

I did seem to gain muscle without gaining fat when I was taking the Synephrine.

So, for a younger person with far less stress and stress driven slightly high blood pressure might be OK with it.

The bioflavonoid supplement with 100 mg of rutin, I’ve discontinued when I ran out since it seemed not to add any extra effect to the parsley and oregano dried spices I have also been taking.

3.  My food intake recently has been quite consistent and my overall results of about the same with a bit of up and down reflects this.  

I set a new record for my short daily exercise walk/run combo recently before my bad cold.  Last week I did three of my four walks without the faster timed effect due to my high heart rate. The one time I did the fast walk for time it was just 5 seconds off my record time.

4. My stress level, already high, was high the last few weeks for several reasons.  

*For me, as for many people, having enough money for at least a minimum OK lifestyle with zero chances of severe money problems reduces stress. 

*For me, even more than other people who also have it but at a lower level, having an ally who is unusually supportive and of some help sharply lowers my stress level.

 Last month I beat my two biggest challenges that were stressing me so much. I got some support and some reduction in how much money I need each month. And, the methods I was learning began to work.  This time if three things out of my control don’t run over me, I may finally be less hammered by this.

If that turns out to be the case, my efforts to add muscle and lose fat may well go up in the next few months!

5.  I'm currently making an extra effort to overcome this recent stress. Emulating the Seal way of using my training and keeping on no matter what IS helping.  

The new nose breathing I posted on Tuesday, 10-5-2017 also DOES seem to be helping.  It DOES help to avoid the brain freeze I tended to get when I mouth breathed when under high stress.

6.  I believe my continued persistence and continuing to both follow up on successful efforts and finding new and promising things to check on AND doing so, 

WILL enable me to lose my excess fat remaining and keep it off.

7.  I’m continuing to find new ways to boost my metabolism and add bone and muscle that I’m beginning to use.

As my new strength training method helps me get stronger; I get better at it; and I can get to the heavier weights to use it on, it DOES begin to look like I’ll add enough muscle that by eating about the same and continuing to get better at the lower carb effort, I’ll finally get back to weighing 161 pounds with far less fat than I have had.

Conclusion:

 I’ll achieve the financial leverage I need.

I’ll get the active allies I need.

 AND I’ll begin to use all of the metabolism boosters I’ve found to add to the ones I’ve been using.

(That includes adding a weekly workout at a gym with heavy barbells and adding these new techniques and trying the BulletProof Vibe.

I HAVE added a special set of exercises once a week that I'm already doing standing in the space the BulletProof Vibe allows.  That way, I'll be ready to go when I get one to try!

The last bit of good news this month is that I’m still getting stronger in the two key exercises in this special set of exercises.)