Tag Archives: diet

October 2021 – Biannual Health Test Results Great

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My biannual blood test results were done this week, and things continue to be great. I was slightly worried about my HbA1c blood sugar results, because the last few months I’ve been eating more fruits every day, and also sometimes some 100% honey hard candies (honey is not vegan, but OK with Dr. McDougall, though Dr. Greger thinks honey is only slightly better than sugar, and Chef AJ frowns upon it).

Updated 4/27/2022 – I have since given up on the honey drops as a non-WFPB waste of calories which were just playing to my snacking urges and not providing satiating, healthy nutrition.

For fruits I sometimes eat a couple a day. For example, Fuji apples (my favorite apples), but sometimes frozen melon, or fresh watermelon.

Anyway, I’ve been eating more sweet things like fruit lately and… my blood sugar actually went down since my last blood tests!

On top of that, I’ve been completely off blood sugar meds for a full two years now.

So eating WFPB seems to have reset my body. My doctor said I have absolutely no more blood sugar worries, and I should just concentrate on building upper body strength. I get plenty of cardio exercise with my dog walks, but I do need some resistance training.

The doctor also repeated that I don’t need to lose more weight. I am trying to maintain. I’m at my lowest weight in my adult life right now: 143 lb (65 kg) and have lost about 141 lb (64 kg). That’s down about 8 lb since my last biannual blood tests in May.

Side note: While I’m not trying to lose more weight, I can’t help but notice that if I lose just 1 more pound I will have lost exactly 50% of my original weight.

You can read more in detail about what I eat in my blog post, Oh Boy! Doug Food Again! But to sum up quickly, I follow WFPB (whole food plant based) eating: mostly vegan, no oil, very limited nuts, and limited sugar and salt. No intermittent fasting, no keto, lots of carbs including potatoes and fruits. I stick to low calorie density foods to help with maintaining weight loss. For example potatoes are surprisingly low calorie and bread is very high calorie. 

And here’s a recent before-and-after photo.

I also log my food and exercise calories in MyFitnessPal, and keep within 1600 net calories per day (food calories minus exercise calories). I recently upped that a bit. Today is MFP streak day 3,448. 

Anyway, my blood sugar remains normal, without medication (HbA1c is 5.3, normal range 4.7-6.2). My cholesterol is fantastic (total 130, normal range 120-219; bad cholesterol LDL 56, normal range 70-139; good cholesterol HDL 46, normal range 35-80), triglycerides are fine (96, normal range 30-150), and blood pressure is great (106/59 with heart rate 60 bpm). If you are interested you can check my last biannual results to see the historic values and how they have improved over time.

I do recommend WFPB eating for both health and weight loss. Unless you’re 95 and healthy anyway and enjoy what you eat (Yes, I’m talking about you, Muttle. Enjoy.)

Milestone! Down 140 lb! New weight 144 lb.

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As mentioned before, I’m not really trying to lose any more weight. On the other hand, I don’t want to gain weight either, of course. I’m trying to “coast to a safe landing” and maintain. My weight continues to very very slowly go down though. Like really slowly. Even though I’m also incrementally adding calories.

I think part of the reason might be that I simply have lots more energy lately! I find myself walking more, and walking faster. I generally feel quite good.

Anyway, my new weight, as of this morning is 65.4 kg = 144 lb, a total weight loss of 63.6 kg = 140 lb and an all-time low adult weight for me! My BMI is down to 21.6. I’ve lost 49.3% of my original weight.

My blood sugar dropped over time from a dangerously high HbA1c of 11.8 to a perfectly normal 5.4, and I’ve been off blood sugar meds for nearly two years now. I eat lots of carbs every day, including potatoes, veggies, and several fruits. My cholesterol is “heart attack proof” low. My blood pressure is about 106/59. My doctor is very pleased. I do need to do some more resistance training though to add muscles.

As my friends know, in addition to logging calories in MyFitnessPal (calories count whether you count them or not), I eat WFPB (Whole Food Plant Based), which is basically vegan + no oil. No intermittent fasting.

For easy weight control while eating WFPB, I stick to lower calorie density foods. I try to limit added sugars and salts, but do have them in small amounts. For more on what I eat, here is a post from earlier this year: https://lerner.net/oh-boy-doug-food-again/

Here’s a post from a few months ago with a before/after photo: https://lerner.net/diet-note-down-over-135-lb-to-149-0-lb/ – and also check out https://lerner.net/may-2021-biannual-health-test-results-and-a-happy-ending/

I recommitted to WFPB (Whole Food Plant Based) in September of 2018, after being inspired by Dr. Greger’s guidelines in “How To Not Die.” I also follow additional recommendations for comfortable, sustainable weight loss from people like Chef AJ, Potato Strong, and Plant Based Gabriel, with some tweaks of my own.

I did finally buy new shirts and things. An ordinary Japanese L size, which is comfortably loose on me.

Thanks for everybody’s support!

Diet Note: Down over 135 lb to 149.0 lb

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Just a note in passing as I reach a new all-time low weight. Note: I’m not actually trying to lose more weight, but I just have more energy lately so I’ve been taking more walks. My appetite is fine and I really am not sure what to actually eat more of to stop losing more weight – a “problem” I never in my life imagined I would have 🙂.

This morning my weight was 67.6 kg = exactly 149 lb. I’ve lost 61.4 kg = 135.4 lb. My BMI is now 22.3, and I’ve lost 47.6% of my original weight.

My blood values are all great. My HbA1c dropped from a dangerously high 11.8 over time to a perfectly normal 5.4 and I’ve been off blood sugar meds for over a year-and-a-half now. My cholesterol is in the “heart-attack-proof” very low range. My blood pressure is great.

I eat whole food plant based foods, lots of healthy carbs like potatoes and veggies. I really can’t think of a thing to change. I don’t feel deprived at all. I don’t do intermittent fasting; if I feel like snacking on something I do – usually things like sliced carrots or eggplant sprinkled with nutritional yeast. Plenty of protein. It’s really a perfect way of living I think.

I do continue to log my calories and weight with MyFitnessPal. Today is “streak day” 3,318.

Maybe if I can do more upper body training increased muscle mass will stabilize my weight where I am, which I think is a good weight. I could also mix up my starches more, like add more brown rice in instead of potatoes. Rice has a higher calorie density than potatoes. Or add a bit of fruit.

Some other posts of note: https://lerner.net/may-2021-biannual-health-test-results-and-a-happy-ending/ and https://lerner.net/november-28-2019-quarterly-test-results/ where I talk more about what I eat and don’t eat, and who in the field I follow. For more on “meal plans” see https://lerner.net/oh-boy-doug-food-again/

And here’s a before/after photo from this month at a birthday lunch.