Week 8 - Fast Metabolism Diet

This is week 8 on the fast metabolism diet.  I continue to see weight reduction even after days where I eat more than I should or eat the wrong things.  Haylie Pomroy says that if this happens just start the next day right and keep going.  It works?

I ordered that new belt that I need from Amazon.  Drinking lots of water is a challenge for me, I need to force myself to drink.  The FMD recommended water consumption is 50% of your weight in ounces.  That is over 100 ounces of water per day for me.  Lots of visits to the bathroom on compliant days.

We have decided as a family to live this diet now and in the future.  Healthy eating should be a way of life not a diet.  We have not been to a fast food restaurant since we started.  I have not had anymore problems with kidney stones (knock on wood).  My blood sugars are much better and I hope that losing weight will eventually end the need for insulin injections.  We'll see.  Retirement is about 2 years and 7 months away.  We will be ready to travel.

6 Weeks on the diet

Starting week 6 of the "Fast Metabolism Diet".  We have reorganized our kitchen to provide space for all of the ingredients required by the FMD recipes.  We had to remove most of the other food items we had stored to make room.  As of this morning, I have lost 5 pounds (205 weight) and I my belt is down to the last hole, I will need a smaller belt next.  I have not had any recurrence of kidney stones and my blood sugar levels are usually between 85 - 150 except during Phase 1.  We prepared the almond pancakes this morning for breakfast, they are really good.

3-Week Post

Today is the end of the third week on the 4-week diet plan for the Fast Metabolism Diet.  Not sure I have lost any weight but my waist size has decreased by at least 2 belt settings.  We have learned to cook with organic foods including vegetables, quinoa, ground turkey, turkey sausage, broths, and other things we never used previously.  The diet takes some work to prepare three meals and two snacks per day.  You will also need to reorganize your kitchen to make room for the new ingredients.

We found that many local grocery stores have organic foods.  Super Target has a nice selection of meats, grains, and organic produce.  We found a natural grocers store and a natural health store in our city that have the more unusual substances such as Tahini, Coconut Aminos, and wild rice.

The diet includes recipes for desserts but we are not sure how to use them.  

Haylie Pomroy

It is interesting how life makes changes when you do.  I was reading the books by Dr. Fuhrman when my wife brought another stack of books and DVD's she recently purchased and asked me to take a look at them.  Haylie Pomroy, a nutritionist, published her approach to repairing the metabolism in a series of books called "Th Fast Metabolism Diet".  Her website can be found at:  http://hayliepomroy.com/.

She has a lot of passion and expression about why she believes that the real problem for most people is not dieting, it is a slow metabolism.  This made a lot of sense to me because when I was 21 years old, I could eat anything and I remained at 130 lbs.  As I aged, my metabolism slowed down and I began to gain weight.  I gained an average of 4 lbs/year over the next 20 years.  After that, I stopped eating desserts and fatty foods and my weight stabilized at 210 lbs.  However, I did not lose weight, even on low carb, low fat, high exercise diets, my weight stayed the same.  Diets and exercise just made me hungry so I would eat more.

The Haylie Pomroy diet requires at least 28 days of commitment to the program.  Her approach includes the following attributes:

• Eat real foods - no processed foods
• Eat a specific type of food in a 2 day - 2 day - 3 day pattern each week
• Eat 3 meals per day plus two snacks
• Plans are available for meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans

So, my wife and I spent a couple of hours at the Natural Grocers store yesterday and purchased a lot of foods that I have never eaten.  The website has shopping lists for all 3 phases of the program which are used every week.  Her videos have a lot of technical information on why the diet she suggests will repair and re-energize you metabolism.  Your body will naturally remove excess fat once the metabolism is up and running again.  Perfect!  I will give it a try.

Personal Reality Check

This blog is a personal reality check.  I am 61 years old, nearing retirement, and my health is poor.  This week I went to the hospital for a kidney stone and spent several thousand dollars for a few hours in the ER.  They didn't find anything but guessed it was a kidney stone too small to see on the cat scan.  I have had the flu for the last week and I have had a lot of time to think about health and retirement.  I have a movie on iTunes called "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead".  That is how I feel today.

So, this blog is going to be a record of my journey back to health.  It is really a selfish act in that I want to live longer and have an active life style in retirement.  It is also a gift to my wife who is worried about me and wants me to get healthy.  I am hoping that this change in our lifestyle will improve her health also.

If you are in a similar situation and I think many are at this stage in life, feel free to follow along.  I will offer advice and post results.

My current status:

1.  Overweight:  220 lbs at 5'7".

2.  Medical problems:  High blood pressure and diabetes

3.  I seem to be aging rapidly with "wisdom" spots (liver spots) and blotchy skin on my forearms

Current approach to improving my health:  Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live diet and exercise.

I am using the following 3 books:

1.  3 Steps to Increadible Health - Workbook, Dr. Fuhrman

2.  3 Steps to Increadible Health - Volume 1, Dr. Fuhrman

3.  3 Steps to Increadible Health - Volume 2, Dr. Fuhrman

Dr. Fuhman's website:  http://www.drfuhrman.com/

My goal is too lose weight (<170 lbs), eliminate health problems if possible, and be active and healthy.