My Monthly Fatloss Report May 2018.....

Today's post:  Monday, 5-21-2018

A.  Here's the key news:

1.  Fat Loss Report, measured on Saturday, 5-19-2018

Gained exactly 2.2 pounds to 165.5 from 163.3 last month

Without the extra session of intense variable cardio I had last month, I gained most of the fat it removed back.  But not all of the fat & weight I lost last time came back. I kept the other pound or so of fatloss off!

The difference is likely muscle gain from my continued progress on my pectoral building style pushups.

My chest measured 38 & three quarters to 39 inches, another quarter of an inch bigger than last month and an inch bigger than two months ago.  This is about two inches bigger than several months ago when I was 37 & a half inches.

(This very likely is from muscle growth from my progress in pushups in the style that uses my pectoral muscles better than standard pushups.  I just posted on this style recently and I’ll quote that description and the reasons for it a bit later in this post.)

The progress has been profound.  Last month, I did 126 and 33 more after the brief rest for a total of 159!

Not only was that another new record it felt like I might have enough fitness at this to do 133 & 36 for a 169 total.

(Jack LaLanne once did pushups for half an hour on TV just to show he could do so.  He was fond of doing this kind of fitness stunt for publicity and the thrill of beating the challenge.  When I read about this I thought it was a bit excessive. 

Much to my surprise I’m beginning to think I could do this too.  I won’t because I don’t want to overdo AND I only have two minutes in that part of my exercise set on Mondays.  But 214 as 205 plus 9 might be doable!)

This morning, I did 143 and 44 more after a brief rest for a total of 187!

My waist measurement remained about the same at 41 and a three quarter inches to about 42 and a three quarter inches.  (These are the normally slightly tight and the totally relaxed measures.)

My hips measured about 37 and three quarters.   That’s three quarters of an inch more than 37 not long ago. (This also shows I’ve kept the muscle gains in my hips and legs I think.)

When I get able to do barbell strength training with a good bit heavier weights and add more muscle to the rest of me, this may finally begin to reduce my waist.

My too high heart rate and diastolic blood pressure I developed after Thanksgiving is GONE.  My readings are back to the good side of what was normal for me!

My heart rate and mean blood pressure have dropped as I stopped taking green tea extract and Guarana extract and extra coffee on arriving at work.  I also cut my wine intake in half – 3 days a week instead of 6. 

(Excessive and repeated stress and a handful of binge drinking episodes when I was younger and taking the synephrine and the other stimulants on top of that are the likely causes.  Both fixes for these things have now been in place a month longer than last time.)

It looks as if cutting my wine intake days by over half and continuing the milk thistle and other liver healing supplements may have fixed having my heart beat irregularly and dropped my angiotensin back to normal according to an article I read recently in a Resparate email!

I might have become magnesium deficient from taking a diuretic and the Zantac acid reducer.  So, I used a topical magnesium supplement besides the 800 mg of magnesium a day that I take. 

It was an extra chore to put on and then wash off before it irritated my skin.  And, though it may have helped initially, cutting my wine intake about in half and slashing my stimulant intake to zero have clearly done the most good.  So for now I’ve stopped the topical magnesium.

When I saw the doctor and got an EKG and then an Echocardiogram, they found I had something called atrial flutter and occasionally AV block and slightly thickened and stretched -- and now also slightly leaky heart valves.

The doctors wanted to put me on the dangerous and harmful drug blood thinners. 

Mercifully, I know better because that guarantees I’ll get worse over time and die younger and become unable to exercise decently.

*Since I wrote that two months ago, I saw the cardiologist.  When I told her that some days my blood pressure and heart rate suggested periods when my heart beat normally, she said if a new 14 day high tech, easy to use monitor called the Zio by iRhythm Technologies verified that this would mean that she would not then urge the dangerous blood thinning drugs on me. 

She still suggested a daily aspirin which I declined.  She did enter “informed refusal” on my records.  

Given the readings suggesting the problems were gone the last 7 days in a row before that, if the monitor verified those as happening the rest of my days over the 14 days -- that will please me and reassure her!

I got the device installed in late March or so. And April’s report had the results.

I already take several supplements that do clot prevention better and more safely in combination than the drugs can do.  This is so much the case that taking even one dose of the drug blood thinners could cause me to bleed to death internally.

Given that I am reducing or stopping several causes and do have the excess clotting protection, it would be desirable to stop the atrial flutter and heal the valves too; but I do not need to be in a crashing rush to do so.

To the extent these problems result from injuries or injury to my endothelium in the blood vessels new research has found that the vitamin D3 and K2 I take will heal that over time.

(These plus the milk thistle I take and the wine cut back may have done the job by restoring my liver’s proper processing of angiotensin which is now low normal instead of too high apparently!)

Had the device found that I still need more healing, I can always go to these added supplements  I listed last month:

When I saw the cardiologist who wrote the Rx to get the Zio monitor done, she said that if my high heart rate continued or I had a lot of PVCs or PACs she would again recommend the blood thinning drugs. 

But if there were no more high heart rate every day and few of the PACs and PVCs, we could just keep doing as I have been

So the test came back showing that I only had a high heart rate when I did things like my pushups that caused me to get out of breath after them.  

My near race walk speed exercise walks also do this once or twice a week.  (At a 159 heart rate that is about what you need to get a fitness training effect.)  And that was my high.  I had 37 when I was at rest and sleeping in bed.  And the average was 52!

So the high heart rate above what it should be was completely gone!

Also instead of possibly having continuous PACs and almost that many PVCs as my original electrocardiogram found, the Zio test -- after my two effective fixes were in place -- found PACs 7% of the time and PVCs less than a quarter that often.

So I was shocked to find the cardiologist wanted me to get a stress echocardiogram.

I declined and will continue to do so.  The Zio test data show no need for one. 

And, I’m not any more likely than I was before to agree to use the harmful and dangerous blood thinning drugs when I’m already using something more effective and far safer.

After my fixes have had a bit longer to heal my liver and my heart a normal echo while stationary will make sense to see if the leaky valve effect and stretched valves causing it is better, the same, or worse.

…. platelet rich plasma might well heal my valves and heart rhythm controls entirely when I can afford to add that.

Then, if I still need to fix the valves or they get worse, Stanford Medical School and their attached hospital now can fix them using material from my heart and resulting in better pumping than what the standard procedure has been.  And, best of all, it works so well, there is zero need to take drug blood thinners after the procedure.

It’s also encouraging that my heart is able to power me to new records for pushups while this is going on!  To me this shows the things I’ve done to strengthen it have worked.

[Also, since last month I saw my regular doctor who I showed my continuing heart rate and blood pressure readings to and she now said, I’ll be fine doing as I am with no need for extra drug blood thinners.]

(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.  

You saw above that today, I did 143 and another 44 after a short pause for a total of 187!

(I’ll cover why the style I use makes that doable and safe for my shoulders later in this post.  It was in a recent post also so you might have read it before.

Even so you might find it worth re-reading because it clearly works so very well!)

2. I’ve long ago discontinued the 20 mg of Synephrine completely because it did not change my results that much and it did cause an elevated heart rate and may have caused the atrial flutter and valve damage.

(Combined with the tea and coffee and green tea extracts I was using, the higher pressure in my heart apparently stretched it enough to make the match wrong for electrical impulses for heart rate. 

Now I’ve stopped those as well as the Synephrine, and lowered my diastolic BP this stretching may have gone down.  My cardiologist said that is unlikely enough a story on it would make the NY Times.  That I doubt very much!  But the reduction of the stretching may well show up!)

So, for me the Synephrine definitely 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, they might be OK with it.

However, given the damage it is known to cause and apparently did cause in me, I no longer think Synephrine safe enough for even younger people to use and that other methods should be used instead.

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.

The apigenin in these herbs and their other phytonutrients do help you recover from exercise and build bone and muscle and heal your gut.  So I have continued those.

I did cut back on my wine intake and at first I used the topical magnesium.

But the continuing stop on the high level of stimulant supplements seems to do most of it.

I’ve also done a bit better on managing finances which cuts stress and have the prospect of getting much more leverage on finances by next month’s report or the one after that.

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

4. *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. 

This has gotten slightly but significantly better lately. So it is less stressful too.

It looks like some long delayed funds will arrive in a month or two which will help

*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.

 This part is going well as one ally has become more supportive recently and one good ally who I’d lost touch with is back and supportive.

*Worry about my recent heart rhythm and valve problems has caused me some increase in stress.

But that news is better now!

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.

The other two pieces of good news is that besides the metabolism boost and removing excess lymph and fluid to cause some loss in weight and inches and increasing muscle mass --

combining platelet rich plasma treatment with using the Vibe may heal my left foot and even my heart valves perhaps.

Since last month I found that both plasma and platelets boost clotting.  So when I try that, I should likely boost the things I do to keep that to a desirable level!)    

I.  Using the Bullet Proof Vibe the way I plan will likely help me lose fat and gain muscle and the new money I expect in a month or two will buy me one to try!

Using the Vibe as I plan to do, I expect will help me add 5 or 6 pounds of muscle and lose 1o to 12 pounds of fat.  My weight will only drop to about 160 to 161 pounds which is my goal weight.  But if the vibe has these effects and also removes locked-in lymph from my belly and my internal or visceral fat I may lose from two to seven inches on my waist measurement.  Now in inches, I’m about 39 chest, 42 waist, and 37 & three quarter inch hips.

This may finally get me the 4o inch chest and 34 or 36 inch waist and the 38 and muscular hip readings I’ve wanted.

It may take more time to get to a gym two or three times a month; but in a month or two it looks likely I’ll be able to try the VIBE.

II. You can use pushups as I’ve been doing to add strength and size to your pectoral muscles with almost no shoulder damage or injuries.

Here’s what I posted about doing pushups in that style recently:

“a) Pushups and bench presses are important to do because the pectorals and latissimus dorsi – called pecs and lats by body builders, are large muscles and provide the base for anything you need to do with your upper body that requires strength.

The unfortunate news is that the way untutored people do pushups, they tend to injure your shoulders.  This common style tends to put more strain on your frontal deltoid muscle than it is well designed to take and in a position that strains this muscle.

The key change is to a form where the pectoral muscle does 90% of the work instead and uses the frontal deltoid far less and in a high leverage position.

When doing pushups when you come down, if you touch your chin or chest and then go back up, you’ll tend to injure your shoulders. Using that same style doing bench presses is even worse for producing shoulder injuries because you rapidly become able to use more weight.

The cure is surprisingly simple! 

When you do pushups, lift your head so you are looking at the wall in front of you and, NOT, repeat NOT, at the floor.

Then increase the arch in your back this causes as much as you can so your shoulders are already well up from the floor.

Then using your pectoral muscles almost by themselves to a strong “push down” motion with them.  

Then you only need to push a bit with the triceps in your arms at the top.

(Note that you do NOT use the front of your shoulders much at all to do either part!)

Lastly, only go down until your KNEES touch before you go back up.

To do the bench press safely with weights heavy enough to be effective, you will get strong enough to need one or two skilled spotters in case you try to lift too much or cannot do the last rep you had hoped to do.

But if you are only using lighter weights where you almost certainly can lift more and more times than you are doing, that may not be necessary.  Just do pushups as a second set and do as many as you can.

But in BOTH cases, you use the same method as in the pushups, which is why to learn the method doing pushups first.

Leaving your buttocks firmly touching the bench, get as much arch in your back as you can and look as far back as you can rather than at the bar.

Then, in that position, let the bar down under control until it just touches your chest.  Then use your pectoral muscles in a push DOWN method for the first two thirds of the lift; and then at that point finish the lift pushing with the triceps on your arms.  With the weight already moving and lifted that far your arms can then finish with a weight you could not lift with your arms and shoulders!

Best of all, because you use your pectorals so much and your shoulders so little you can become able to lift a good bit of weight without the nagging shoulder injuries the more common style causes!”