Man Dies, The Measurements & The First 60 Days

Four days ago on November 10, 2011 I saw a man die of a heart attack right in front of me.  This man died in front of his wife and children.  He had a heart attack on one of the water rides at Great Wolf Lodge resort. I held this man in my arms and with the help of several lifeguards we pulled his body to shore where failed CPR could not save his life.  His wife watched in horror and children crying clutching their hands begging God to save their dad.  These images are now stained into my brain.  This was a wake-up call for me and my own health.  I am overweight at 234.5lbs and last night I made a decision to change my life forever.....This blog is the beginning of my new journey to weight loss, restored health, energy and happiness.  I recently got off pain pills after being on them for about 5 months which has slightly damaged my liver.  My body feels toxic from all those pills for such a long time.  I ruptured my achilles tendon during the summer and had 2 surgeries within 30 days and it's now a long rehab and recovery.  It's still very painful, extremely tight, swollen and no matter how much rehab I don't think I will ever have the same mobility again.  I've had numerous health issues from stomach pain, headaches, sleeplessness, sleep apnea, tired a lot at night, mood swings, depression, anxiety, stress, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, chest pain, diabetes symptoms, etc.  The doctor told me I was close to getting put on medication for my heart and cholesterol.  Is this an ideal option and lifestyle?  HECK NO! I hope as I start eating a plant based diet which means lots of raw uncooked food my body will begin detoxification, give me energy, weight loss, better sleep and that my ailments will reverse and disappear forever. Yes, I believe that anyone with Heart Disease, western cancers, diabetes, asthma, hypertension, chronic fatigue syndrome, ADD, etc. can in fact reverse their conditions through nutrition.

         This new adventure and journey for me is called "The Eliminator".  I plan to slowly eliminate all food I feel is toxic such as 100% all dairy, refined sugars, bleached flours, sodas, processed foods, and 85% of all meat.  As I eliminate these "toxic foods" on "The Eliminator" I will replace them with fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans and whole oats which will provide me with a massive amount of nutrients.  

Monday, November 14, 2011 

The Measurements & Blood Pressure

I took some pictures today so I can post them down the road to compare.  However, I am too embarrassed to share them here right now as you might scream in horror. 

The Measurements

Weight: 234.5lbs

Waist: 42 1/4"

Belly: 46 1/4"

Chest: 48 1/2"

Thigh: 26 1/4"

Bicep Relax: 14 3/4"

Bicep Flexed: 16 1/2"

Neck: 18 1/4"

Blood Pressure: 172/94
Diabetes Symptoms present.

I will post measurements and weight monthly.  This "Eliminator Diet" isn't just about inches and weight, but more about having much more energy, being healthy and sickness free! For the next 30 days I am eliminating all soda, fast food, and 90% of meat and dairy.  This will be the first phase.  At the same time I will be incorporating more fruits and veggies.   I will try to only cook 40% of my food.  Raw food is much more full of enzymes and nutrition where as cooked food loses a great majority of it's nutrients. From Day 30 to 60 I will eliminate a greater load of refined sugars and packaged foods and even more dairy.  I will also be eliminating 85% of wheat to see if I notice an improvement from allergies, colds, etc.  Of course I will post my goals as I begin a journey to new health and wellness and to see if I can reverse my ailments.

Day 1 Monday November 14

I ate NO MEAT and NO DAIRY for the 1st time in YEARS!  

Around 9:00pm I found myself really hungry and my friends Matt and Angela were over at my house.  Angela was making cupcakes and freshly baked cookies with my wife Karie.  I was in so much pain fighting massive urges to go devour those cookies and cupcakes.  Veggies and fruit did not sound good at this point.  I was also thinking about a big juicy steak!  About 9:30pm I ate a single Tostito chip which tasted so freakin' good and I told myself "at least it’s not meat or dairy" so I grabbed the bag and some salsa from the fridge and I chomped down on them.  Yes, I know it was not healthy, but it felt good.   In the mean time, my son Noah is shoving home-made cookies in front of my face mocking me.  His repeated temptations were too powerful for me to overcome so I had ONE cookie before bed time about 10:30pm.   Not a perfect day for me, but hey, it was a pretty good day OVERALL.  I did notice an increase of energy for the day.

Day 2  Tuesday November 15

Went to Clackamas Town Center where my kids got some coupons for a FREE PRETZEL at one of the food stores.  They redeemed them and the smell of warm pretzels was making my mouth water and I enter into a war within my head.  Finally, I justify to myself once again that it's not meat or dairy and I really shouldn't punish myself so hard so I get a couple of pieces broken off from the kids. Matt & Angela Hall join us for dinner and we ate Panini sandwiches.  I had 2 sandwiches (completely vegetarian) with some Dijon Mustard.  I roasted some garlic baby red potatoes, garlic cloves and onions and YES I chowed down and it felt AWESOME.  The meal had little nutrition since most the nutrients were destroyed by heat, but it tasted good and I will live with it!  I notice as I eliminate more and more unhealthy foods and increase my veggie and fruit intake I have noticeable increased energy.  This is a cool "side effect".

Day 3 Wednesday November 16 

I have now gone 2 days with no meat or dairy.  I will be curious if my snoring will go away in a couple months.  Made home-made Vegetarian chili for dinner.   Was very tasty and kids ate it.  Well, Noah ate a small bowl if he could have a fudge bar (POISON)....which I agreed to.   I know the chili isn't my ideal healthy food after being cooked and the variety of beans from cans, but there was lots of chopped up bell peppers, onions, garlic, jalapeno pepper and tomatoes.   I had 3 bowls.  lol   But you know what, that's okay for now.  I'm still free from dairy, meat and soda and all carbonated drinks and processed juices.  Had some pomegranite and green smoothie for dessert.   I'm feeling pretty good right now with an increase in energy.    

Day 4 Thursday November 17

I've been free of dairy and meat for 4 days.  I can't believe it. While I definitely have more energy and experience some euphoria time to time, I do have some withdraws as my body is detoxifying.  Sometimes I get huge cravings for some meat, but the craving is short lived.  There is a lot of research about prisons who don't feed any meat to the prisoners and those prisons are far less violent than other prisons.  I read about the same thing about people who gave up eating meat they noticed they have become less aggressive.  That is just a random tid bit.  Research yourself.   :-)

Day 5 Friday November 18 

I felt really good today.  At the same time it was one of my healthiest eating days AND unhealthy.   I had lots of fruits and veggies, green smoothie, carrot juice, huge salad...... I did have a veggie sandwich at New Seasons which I think was pretty good other than the bread and I had a sandwich at home with some raw almond butter and honey.  Late night I was cleaning out the pantry of "junk" and I gave into the temptation of 2 snack size kettle chips (BBQ and Sea Salt).   So I ended the night poorly, but I try and remind myself that it's baby steps and I have gone 5 days now of NO DAIRY or MEAT or SODA and other crap (other than those chips).

Day 7 Sunday November 20

No meat or dairy for 7 days straight!  Increased energy!

Typical day of fruits, veggies, veggie sandwich and some cooked food.  Challenging at times, but feels great to slowly being able to eliminate meats, dairy, wheat, refined sugars, etc.  The more raw food I eat the more energy I have.  Sleep is getting better too.

Day 9 Tuesday November 22

After 8 full days I feel pretty good.  If I don't fuel myself through the course of the day I notice in the afternoons I crave bread and pasta's.   I am gonna have to look into the healthiest breads and pasta's available.   I also crave chips and salsa, so I may have to look into healthy alternatives of chips.   My main focus though is to not eat any dairy and meat and increase fruits and veggies.

Day 13 Saturday November 26

I ate like a fat ol' pig for Thanksgiving!  I went into the day thinking I could avoid meat and dairy and I did until 3:30pm....until my brothers and wife and everyone else ranting and raving about the "best turkey ever".  The smell was delicious and I realized this Holiday comes once a year and a lil' celebration of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, green beans, yams, stuffing,  pie and cake isn't gonna kill me.  I ate like a pig and felt sluggish, but it tasted great and happy I was able to enjoy it.  Then, on the way home we stopped by our good friends the Hall's and had some peach pie, brownies and spiced cider.   Yes, I had a gazillion calories today but I still did get lots of nutrients from all the raw veggies and fruit I ate up to 3:30pm.

Day 14 Sunday November 27

With so much left over Thanksgiving food I ate like a pig again. lol  It's easy to give in to the cooked foods and other treats when they are present in your home.  The other night I did make a huge mistake by snacking on some "Cheez-It's" and I remember waking up the next day feeling really clogged.  This is further proof to me that Dairy clogs our body and I notice whenever I have had dairy in the past at night time I felt clogged the next morning.  I love dairy, but it really lacks nutritional value and does more harm than good.  Of course the dairy enthusiasts say I need to have dairy for calcium and stuff.  Little do they realize I can get way more calcium and "stuff" in dark leafy green vegetables.  Where do the cows get their calcium from?  GREENS!   

Day 15 Monday November 28

I have been eating a lot lately, but I have still been consuming a good portion of raw fruits and veggies which has given great amounts of energy.  I just need to cut back on the cooked stuff and packaged vegan stuff.  I am still in transition to become 80% Raw so I won't be too hard on myself, but I sure do notice I feel best when I do eat raw.  I hope to fine tune this "Eliminator" diet and in a year from now be able to share it with people as a new way of living. 

Day 17 Wednesday November 30

Felt great today.  I notice the more I eat raw food the more energy I have and sleep better.

Day 18 Thursday December 1 

I ate mostly raw today and felt amazing! In my research today I learned that our stomach sends signals to our brain when it is full and that when we put healthier stuff into our body it fills our stomach quicker.  For example if I eat 500 calories of salad it fills my stomach and sends signals to my brain I am full.  If I eat 500 calories of meat or dairy or packaged crap it does not fill my stomach the same way letting my body feel its still hungry thus why so many people keep eating. Your stomach often is approx half way full.   Oils are even worse.  If I eat 500 calories of oil, it only fills the stomach just a little and your brain tells you that you're still hungry, thus eating much more.  After learning this it makes so much sense since I have been noticing how full I get after eating a huge salad or drinking a large portion of carrot juice or green smoothie.   The 1st two weeks were the hardest on the "Eliminator" and now it's getting easier for me.  My motivation is very high because of the results I am seeing and feeling.  Weight loss, increased energy, sleeping better, waking up ENERGIZED.  It's like my body is healing on the inside!   It feels freakin' awesome.

Day 19 Friday December 2

Another great day!  I felt slightly better yesterday and realize I was mostly raw yesterday.  I had more cooked food today which was broccoli, potatoes, garlic, onions and some pasta.  Leftover's from the day before so I didn't eat as much raw as I would have liked have, but still had a great day.  The energy this past week is amazing and waking up every day buzzing with energy simply just rocks!  I'm down stairs before my wife get's up and am making her some fresh juice to jump start her day.  The kids still want "crap" for breakfast so it's gonna take some time with them.  My daughter is doing the best in terms of having some fresh squeezed juice or smoothies in the morning.

Day 21 Sunday December 4

We made Christmas cookies and I finally gave into them at 9:00pm at night!  Tack on another 500 calories of garbage right there.  So most my calories came from bad fat today, but I will flush it out tomorrow morning and start fresh once again!  3 weeks into The Eliminator and have dropped 14lbs.  Most importantly, I have way more energy and sleep much better.

Day 22 Monday December 5

The energy from eating mostly raw foods is freaking amazing.  People do not know what they are missing.  Several people think I'm "weird" because I refuse to eat the SAD (Standard American Diet) and enjoy sharing the results.   What can I say?  I am shedding weight, feeling better, buzzing with energy and sleeping better than ever.  They are missing out on some great health benefits!   Too bad some people think they are too "good" to open their eyes to nutrition rather than pills and a very unhealthy Western Diet.  United States is the sickest country in the world.  Pharmaceutical companies are a joke. 

Day 25 Thursday December 8
I have been going raw during the day and my only cooked food at dinner.  Energy and sleep is amazing!  Waking up every morning completely wired and awake full of energy.  It's just so funny a body can feel this good!Day 27 Saturday December 10
Christmas Party was just too much fun with too much food.  Jagermeister added up a zillion calories and a midnight binge on sub sandwiches murdered me.  What the heck, a Christmas party comes but once a year right?   Man, I wish I didn't eat those cheese and meat sandwiches cuz I feel like crap!Day 30 Tuesday Tuesday December 13

After 30 complete days here are the updated results and measurements:

The Measurements from 30 days ago:

Weight: 235lbs

Waist: 42 1/4"

Belly: 46 1/4"

Chest: 48 1/2"

Thigh: 26 1/4"

Bicep Relax: 14 3/4"

Bicep Flexed: 16 1/2"

Neck: 18 1/4"

Blood Pressure: 162/84
The New Measurements after 30 days:

Weight: 217lbs  lost 18lbs

Waist: 40 1/4"   lost 2"

Belly: 44 1/2"  lost 1 3/4"

Chest: 48" lost 1/2"

Thigh: 26" lost 1/4"

Bicep Relax: 14 1/2" lost 1/4"

Bicep Flexed: 16 1/4" lost 1/4"

Neck: 18 1/4" same

Blood Pressure:  124/70  big drop! 

Bad Cholesterol LDL dropped from a high 340 to an optimal 103! 
Triglycerides dropped from 360 to 190! 
Total Cholesterol dropped from a high 377 down to 154! 
Blood Pressure dropped from 182/94 to 130/70!

After 30 complete days I am happy with the results that I have accomplished.

The New Measurements as of 12/13/2011

Weight: 217lbs  lost 17lbs in 30 days!

Waist: 40 1/4"   lost 2"

Belly: 44 1/2"  lost 1 3/4"

Chest: 48" lost 1/2"

Thigh: 26" lost 1/4"

Bicep Relax: 14 1/2" lost 1/4"

Bicep Flexed: 16 1/4" lost 1/4"

Neck: 18 1/4" same

Blood Pressure:  124/70  big drop!

Bad Cholesterol LDL dropped from a high 270 to an optimal 103! 
Triglycerides dropped from 320 to 190! 
Total Cholesterol dropped from a high 227 down to 154! 
Blood Pressure dropped from 172/94 to 124/70! 
Diabetes Symptoms Gone!

All these awesome results in only 30 days! 

The next 30 days I don't plan on losing much weight at all since I plan on enjoying many treats during the Christmas season and I will be eating more nuts and seeds.  

Day 32 Thursday December 15
Amazing on how great I feel for the day from the fresh juice and smoothie!  I love the Green Tea I am drinking which I now drink in the mornings since I learned it has a little caffeine in it.  Green Tea is loaded with anti-oxidants and here is a great article about it: http://www.emedexpert.com/tips/greentea.shtml.   However, it does have a little bit of caffeine and I drink about 50oz. in the morning which I feel great, but I do wonder exactly how harmful the caffeine is long term....Does the risk outweigh the reward?  I don't know and will look into it further.  I like to start my morning with 50oz of water/tea because for me it really flushes out my system and I feel like my body is in a detox mode in the morning.  I can't drink plain water and not a huge fan of the tasted of just lemon water.  I will have to look into this further.   But a typical day for me is flushing my body with lots of water in the morning.  My next thing I take is usually some fresh juice of some kind or a fruit/green smoothie.  The smoothie has lots of fruit in it, hemp seed, dulse and a little broccoli. Then the rest of the day it's mixed up with fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts, smoothies, salads and dinner time is when I will have any cooked food.  I am not perfect and sometimes will have snacks like a rice cake with almond butter on it or a loaded veggie sandwich or burrito, but I do the best I can to stay mostly raw.  But mixing it up works for me personally and that's how I roll!
Day 34 Saturday December 17
ugh....did not drink enough water today or healthy foods and loaded up on mom's cookies and sushi.  I feel lethargic and glad this day is over.  I will not splurge like this again.  Was not worth it at all.Day 35 Sunday December 18, 2011
Woke up today "okay" but lacking my normally high energy.  Had a bloody and stuffed up nose and a little clogged.  No question eating crap has consequences.  Ugh... I think I am going to limit my splurge days to 2x per month OR just cut way back on my weekly splurge day.
Day 36 Monday December 19, 2011
I notice that when I go mostly raw I lose weight easily, but when I cook my food I maintain or gain weight.  I also have much more energy when I eat mostly raw.  I don't care what the so called "expert doctors" say about anything.  I am living proof of what works and what doesn't. 
Day 37 Tuesday December 20, 2011
I am disgusted from the crap the last few days that have made me feel somewhat sluggish.  I'm gonna flush those cookies and crap out of my body for a couple days. Day 43 Monday December 26
Christmas season has been very busy this past week so I have not been able to get on here. This season comes once a year and I basically let loose and just enjoyed it all.  I admit I feel sluggish and lack the normal high energy I always have when I am focused on fruits and veggies.  I still am getting healthy fruits and veggies in me during this time and amazingly for the first time in years I have yet to get sick during the winter season.  Many, many of my family and friends are catching colds or flu's.  They should try my diet for 30 days and they would be blown away.  ;-)  I can't wait for the New Year to start so I can be done with the Holiday Goodies!  Just a few more days!


I am started a new journey and new blog January 1st so please VIEW MY  NEW JOURNEY HERE.