Sick, Fat, and nearly Dead

[Barrett]

My wife and I tried the 10 Day Detox because my sister in law works with Dr. Hyman at the Cleveland Clinic. She is a reg. dietician and he came up with the diet. Basically the diet just gets you eating the right kind of foods. Most folks call stuff food the is far from it. My energy skyrocketed, as well as my happiness. Sounds crazy but even my back issues went away, probably due to an increase in exercise. You really don't need to buy anything except for good groceries. Drink water, not beer. It sucked at first but when I started seeing the results it became pure motivation. I wish the best for you.

[ken]

Walking that much daily is adequate exercise at the age of 60. Health and fitness is AT LEAST 80% diet.

Scrap the juicer idea, juice is predominantly sugar. Stop eating food that comes in packages.

Great advice. I'm in my 50s and maintain my weight easily by exercising and mostly avoiding processed foods. I believe the reason Americans are so much heavier today than a generation ago is due to the abundance of high calorie processed foods that our bodies so easily convert to fat.

And drink lots of water. It makes you feel less hungry so you eat less.

[Shane]

Great advice. I'm in my 50s and maintain my weight easily by exercising and mostly avoiding processed foods. I believe the reason Americans are so much heavier today than a generation ago is due to the abundance of high calorie processed foods that our bodies so easily convert to fat.

And drink lots of water. It makes you feel less hungry so you eat less.

Yep.

40 years ago, most people ate meat and vegetables. It was rare to see an obese person around town. Today, most people eat junk food, and it's rare to see a skinny person around town.

[texan4ut]

I have a Breville Juicer. I use it all the time. I buy apples, oranges, at Sam's in bulk. Cucumbers, Kale, Carrots, are pretty cheap. Go to www.rebootwithjoe.com there are a ton of juice recipes on there. While juice does have sugar it is natural and not processed like fruit juice you buy so the sugar is used for energy and not stored as fat. I have type II diabetes and I was concerned about the sugar levels in juices, my Dr. said no problem. I usually juice several different kinds and store in pint glass jars in the fridge. I am 61 and soon will be 62. Other than a minor stroke in June of last year I am pretty healthy. Walk 3-5 miles most mornings weather permitting. Juicing seems to help in a lot of ways for me.

[Man]

Ive been juicing for 2 years now since having watched that movie. There was a very good long thread in here that I am sure someone can dig up where several TBH having watched that documentary did the 10 day juice fast.

For me its usually the same juice every time.
1 apple
3 celery sticks
2 carrots

[tex4k]

Stop eating processed foods and eat real food only. Eat meat, vegetables and fruit. Drink lots of water and get yourself a good multi vitamin that you take daily. You are getting enough physical activity but your diet is what is needing to change obviously. Also, dont set unrealistic expectations. If you are doing things right you will lose about 1 lb per week on avg. In a year's time that is 52 lbs. The key to eating healthy is preparation. Cook enough at one time for multiple meals. I usually have for lunch whatever I had the night before for dinner. Also, make sure you are eating breakfast every morning. I didnt do this for 50 years and now it is a must for me. Dont buy low fat stuff. Dont use margarine. Eggs, bacon, real butter, chicken skin, etc are all good for you as long as you eat them in reasonable amounts. I changed my was about 3 years ago and have never looked back. Best thing I ever did for myself. Good luck.

Real food and a vitamix, most of my fruit/veggie intake is in raw smoothie form, 3 weeks so far, dropped 9 lbs., cholesterol down 12 points, ldl down 7 points, hdl up 5 points, and I haven't been going hardcore, I doubt I'll ever pass on slice of cherry pie (or any other fruit pie). It has also pump up your energy level too, or has for me.

[Playa]

I know you mentioned the "cost" of fresh fruit and veggies (and especially meat today), it is expensive. But I think you will find, as I found, when you start giving your body a better energy source, you eat LESS. So your quantity of groceries goes down. Cost is additionally offset by not paying restaurant prices.

Last doctor bills and pharmacy visits cost money. Nits amazing how maintaining the body can reduce both

[TimH]

You've got a ton of good advice here and no doubt the hardest part will be putting it into practice and sticking to it. Make your adjustments slowly and figure out what you can't live without and work around it.

[TWP]

Get a $1 notebook and pen, now follow this guideline as closely as possible. I'm dead serious, it has worked great for tons of folks, and even as an active crossfitter it is helping me too!!! Write down everything for 3 weeks before you put it down your hatch, yep, BEFORE and see how your life changes. Turn off the TV and internet and get to sleep at a good time and it will be HUGE for you. Good luck and keep us updated! You got this! Never let your age be an excuse, lots of us are meant to live for a very long time but we muck it up and eat our way to the graves faster than we have to.

I agree with this as well. I found a variation of Paleo, Primal Blueprint to be a very comprehensive health and fitness lifestyle. It's comprised of 10 very simple principles.

Primal Blueprint Law #1: Eat Lots of Plants and Animals

Primal Blueprint Law #2: Avoid Poisonous Things

Primal Blueprint Law #3: Move Frequently at a Slow Pace

Primal Blueprint Law #4: Lift Heavy Things

Primal Blueprint Law #5: Sprint Once in a While

Primal Blueprint Law #6: Get Adequate Sleep

Primal Blueprint Law #7: Play

Primal Blueprint Law #8: Get Adequate Sunlight

Primal Blueprint Law #9: Avoid Stupid Mistakes

Primal Blueprint Law #10: Use Your Brain

They sell dietary products, but I did it without purchasing anything, except the book, and just eating whole foods from my local store.

[CoolArrow]

Awesome stuff guys thanks. I'm 49 and have been trying to eat better. 90% of the time I feel like I been run over by a truck. Life changes are tough but I'm trying

[Hogmauler]

Ok. Fellas. No whata-burger breakfast on a bun anymore, Paleo, primal diet (where do I find that) What is vitamix?

[Bigfootwolff]

I have been overweight for years, due to very little physical activity, and eating the typical American diet. Ate fast food at lunch, drank sodas, lot of carbs/breads/pastas as well. Was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes about 16 months ago along with high bad cholesterol, had been on blood pressure meds for years.

God was truly merciful to me by allowing me to slice open my thumb sharpening a knife. Got stitches, but the wound would not heal. I was referred to my general practioner, after the ER nurse removing my stitches told me I should get checked out for diabetes. My doctor ordered blood work, and the diagnosis was diabetes. He prescribed me Metformin and a statin, along with the expected lecture. I had watched my mother suffer from diabetes related issues for years, and ultimately she died from diabetes complications.

I did not want to take meds for the rest of my life, so I started researching the Paleo Diet, and began following it. I cut out all sugars, processed carbs, fruit, and kept my overall carb intake very low, I also started walking several days a week. I could not walk too far, and was pretty slow. I was determined to force my body to start burning all of the stored energy in my fat cells. The weight began falling off, and after about 6-9 months I lost approximately 50 pounds. My wife got on the bandwagon as well and has lost a lot of weight. Having her get on board was critical, because if she continued to cook using all of the pastas and breads she used to cook, I would have failed. As others have noted, we eat very little processed foods (stuff in boxes or cans), and eat a lot of fresh low carb vegetables (no corn or potatoes). We roast a lot of vegetables in the oven with garlic and olive oil. We eat healthy fats like avocados, butter in moderation, and eggs, and I drink a lot of water, probably 14-16 glasses a day. I still drink coffee in the morning, and have an occasional diet soda or iced tea.

Within a couple of weeks I got off my statins and Metformin. My blood pressure numbers dropped so fast that I cut my blood pressure meds in half. After 90 days of diet/exercise, and not on meds, my blood work showed A1C level was in the normal range, and my bad cholesterol level dropped about 50 points.

I am not trying to blow my own horn, but just trying to give you hope. I was as undisciplined as they come when it came to eating and exercise, but getting the diabetes diagnosis flipped a switch in me. Another thing that helped me was allowing myself an occasional cheat meal, usually Mexican food, and accepting an occasional slip up (like eating a desert), as part of life. I don't beat myself up over it and throw in the towel like I had always done in the past, instead I wake up the next day and go back to eating well.

Like others have said your 4 miles of walking a day should be adequate exercise. The only other thing I have done is add several multivitamins to my daily regimen. They include a good men's multivitamin, fish oil, turmeric, magnesium, milk thistle, potassium, vitamin d, b-complex/b12, and glucosamine. Good luck in your desire to get healthy, and remember you are never too old to start making positive changes in your life!

[Hogmauler]

Wow Big Foot, that was a very inspirational post. I meant to come back and edit my post earlier. On a bad day I walk probably around three miles at work (work in a pipe mill and its huge). Im gonna get it done. Keep the inspiration going for others fellas!