Rozey Thorn Trees

 I’m very impressed with The Engine 2 Diet (E2 Diet) by Rip Esselstyn. Right away, I see that this diet is similar to the one that I’m on.  I’m impressed with the beginning of the book which establishes his credentials as an Olympian and firefighter, and several of his family are well respected medical doctors.  Note: the magic number is 150. If your cholesterol is below this number, you are statistically highly unlikely to die of heart disease! At 141, my numbers are good!

 My brother invited me to borrow health books from his library that he keeps in storage at our parents’ house. Here’s what I pulled for potential reading. I organized them by the order I’ll likely read them: The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn Presto! by Penn Jillette Sick to Fit by Josh LaJaunie The Vegan Starter Kit by Neal D. Barnard, MD The Minimalist Vegan by Michael and Maša Ofei The China Study: Revised and Expanded Edition by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, and Thomas M. Campbell II, MD Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness by Robert Cheeke Idiot’s Guides: Plant-Based Nutrition by Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan The Mindful Vegan by Lani Muelrath

 A family member asked me to research his diet to see how much he needed to supplement with vitamins since he’s a healthy eater. This led to a very good discussion that we’ll continue this week. (He was impressed that I read How Not to Die— it’s a thick book — which I referenced in our conversation for a few things he should consider adding to his regimen: broccoli, kale, and legumes. (Plus nutritional yeast flakes for B12 because It’s packed full of all kinds of vitamins and minerals.)

Family and friends seem genuinely surprised that I’m continuing the WFPB diet! “You’re still doing that?” Yup, for a year! I’m committed! Not easy, but it’s actually easier than continuing the unhealthy lifestyle I’ve lived my whole life!  I constantly think about am I getting enough nutrients for my money and the calories. The answer to that question usually ends the doubt in my mind that I should pass on it.

 I was at the library this week and bought a bunch of books on sale. Two of them were fitness books that I intend to read:  Age is Just a Number by Dara Torres, 2009, about a gold medalist recounting her Olympic comeback in her 40s Triathlon 101: Essentials for Multisport Success, 1999 No, I do not intend to become an Olympian. No, I do not intend to run a triathlon. I do intend to read them for inspiration to continue my healthy lifestyle with continued purpose, focus, and joy!

We don’t often eat out. When I do, I’m usually limited to just a house salad, no dressing, no dairy, or a side of steamed vegetables, no salt, no oil. Tonight I met up with a friend to a new restaurant friends of ours have opened: I checked the menu ahead of time and was pleased to see vegan options. I was very happy with my Mother Earth meal! I’d get it again. And a non-alcoholic cocktail that was delicious. Laura said our friends are vegetarian, even though the restaurant isn’t. No wonder the meal tasted so well. I Google-searched for vegan food near me and was pleasantly surprised to find a few options in metro Grand Rapids that I hope to check out some day.  I visited Riverside Park GR for the first time. It’s very nice! The disc golf course includes a few 4 and 5 par courses that I hadn’t seen at the courses I’ve been playing at.

 I love my 72 oz. Ninja Professional blender, but it’s taken some abuse over the past year and a half. You have to hold down the lid for it to turn on. It still works great, so I stored it away to prolong its life, clear counter space, and replace It with an Ambiano blender set from Aldi’s. It’s like a Bullet blender, which are great but don’t last long. The serving size is smaller though,,which can help get me through this plateau stage of weight loss that I’ve been in this past couple of weeks.

 Well, today is the day I’m looking forward to. I had my six month medical check up. She felt great knowing my labs look good but I could say no to all the health questions I confirmed I lost 39 pounds since my last doctor’s visit! Even though it’s my six month visit, I have gone to see him in February to answer questions about diet and nutrition and to get a prescription started with WeGovy. I’m so happy that my insurance company turned me down and that I went with the Whole Foods plant based diet! I have heard a lot of people having negative side effects from taking WeGovy and Ozempic. not only I thought nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, etc.; there are reports of Diminishing returns and weight gain; there are also reports that when the drug runs out the weight comes right back but worse. It’s very fulfilling to know that I lost the weight without these drugs, no disrespect to those who have found the drugs to be effective.

 I went in today to test my blood and urine for tomorrow’s first doctor’s checkup since February before I started my diet in May. My test red all came back at satisfactory normal “green” (not yellow or red). Except for one score was rather high: my Anion Gap tested as elevated. ChatGPT explained that it indicates I’m dehydrated; well, I was because I didn’t drink any water this morning. I knew my dark urine would cause a minor problem. I’ve been good about staying hydrated except for the day it counts! Haha

 We attended Willie’s funeral today. The ceremony held in a very nice Catholic church. Afterwards we were part of the family funeral procession to the cemetery. On the way the girls remarked that this was their first funeral they came to. Laura said to pay attention to everything because that could be Daddy someday. Freya reacted, “Ohhh, stop talking about this. It’s grossing me out!” It’s sobering to think about but it’s true. It certainly makes me appreciate the life that I have. It’s so nice to see extended family again after so long. Mandarin traveled a long way to show their support: Chicago, North Carolina, Arizona, even Seattle! Tia Chong-Hui was very enthusiastic about having us visit then in North Carolina soon! She promised to cook lots of authentic South Korean food for us! Maybe next spring! I enjoyed the warm praise from family members recognizing that I’ve been losing weight with a WFPB diet. I got a lot of encouragement today for it working for me. 😎

 I visited my old church stomping grounds today! I hadn’t visited since a decade ago. I’m very impressed with the quality of their interior design and efficient children’s program. I was pleased to recognize a few old timers from back in the 80s and 90s. To be honest, one reason didn’t come back to visit was because I was embarrassed by my weight gain! It really made a difference to me that I could visit without the inward distraction of shame and discomfort. After church we had a huge layout of food to celebrate our first full day with our Australian friends. My favorite part of the day was teaching them how to play disc golf. They loved it!

 Steve arrived! Steve hasn’t been in the states for 30 years. It’s great to see him again and to meet his family. My wife and I had taco night with a good variety of veggies sides for taco toppings. Jaylene (Jay), Steve’s wife, said she’s impressed with my diet. She appreciates plant-based living. Their family is taking a break from very healthy eating they’re used to doing in Australia while they’re in the states.  I successfully swam, biked, and ran through week with my new triathlon training regiment. Tomorrow is a hiking day!

 We ate dinner at a friend’s house tonight. Laura let them know ahead of time about my duet and that I would bring my own meal.  They served tamales, Mexican rice, tortilla chips, and salsa. It certainly looked scrumptious! I daydreamed about breaking my diet in a year with this meal. I’ve had this fantasy about other food too, like S’mores, sushi, pot roast, Chicago style pizza, hot wings, chocolate… Of course, I didn’t cheat tonight, nor was I tempted to cheat. Instead, I filled up with spinach leaves, rice, and various seasonings. And green grapes for dessert. After dinner the friend showed me their plant- based cookbooks with very tasty recipes. I’ll look forward to checking out these books to try a  few soon.

 I’m bummed that I lost two discs today that I had just bought this week. I tried out a new disc golf course, and my long-range landed in someone’s fenced in backyard with several No Trespassing signs and a surveillance camera. My second throw landed in the same backyard! Not cool.  At least I got my steps in. I’m listening to part II of How Not to Die . I’m really enjoying it. Dr. Greger writes on his recommendations for 12 daily habits for eating healthy foods; Beans: 3 servings—Includes all types of beans, lentils, chickpeas, and other legumes. Berries: 1 serving—Includes all types of berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc. Other Fruits: 3 servings—All other fruits besides berries, such as apples, oranges, bananas, etc. Cruciferous Vegetables: 1 serving—Includes broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc. Greens: 2 servings—Includes leafy greens like spinach, kale, Swiss chard, etc. Other Vegetables: 2 servings—Includes non-cruciferous vegetables like

 I had a very good bike ride at the Y today. I thought it was going to be tedious and boring but I enjoyed it much better than jogging and swimming. They have smart Team ICG exercise bikes that you can interact with through an app. I have to study up on the settings. I had quite a good workout because of how they gamify increasing the peddling to achieve digital meter goals. I look forward to doing more next Tuesday’s bike day!

 I’m getting into disc golf as my favorite exercise pastime. It’s relaxing and a good workout for me. I can also be on the phone as I walk the course.  I bought 6 discs today from someone on FB Marketplace for half of what Meijer sells them for. I tested them out at a disc golf  course right away. They work great!  The seller had explained that discs that have numbers on them indicate distance and curve when thrown. Cool. I think I heard that a long time ago. I’ll need to YouTube that some more to bring my game up.  Oh, and I’m up to 10 reps now with push ups, 3 sets

Benefits of SOS-free eating   I think I like the SOS-free restrictions of my WFPB diet because it makes my shopping choices clear cut. My daily diet is consistent each day because it’s easier that way. It makes weight loss more predictable too.  I can imagine that adding low SOS at this point would only slow me down because I know for a fact that my meals would taste better and I’d risk increasing my appetite. I don’t want that. New Clothes vs 2nd Hand Clothes I shopped Amazon today and selected clothes but then decided to put them on my wishlist for now. I’d rather buy lightly worn clothes from secondhand stores because I don’t plan to wear them longer than I need to. Farm Markets and Festivals  I’m adding West Michigan farmers markets to my calendar today. I’ve also found a few annual vegetarian food festivals I might attend some day, if convenient. Triathlon Training  I also asked ChatGPT to create a newbie schedule for a triathlon training. I’m not interested in participating in a

 I took my daughters to redeem their summer reading program vouchers at Pizza Ranch today. All you can eat pizza buffet with several pizza types offered including dessert pizzas. There’s also a dinner buffet with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and more. Oh, plus a soft serve ice cream machine. Don’t worry. I wasn’t tempted to cheat, not even a little. I loaded up from their salad buffet. I was proud of my girls! I didn’t direct them to serve themselves in any particular way; they just knew to serve themselves healthy salad first before getting pizza. They were surprisingly self-restrained.  I remember the last time I came a few years ago, I was not restrained.  I don’t see myself coming back ever again. 

 I’m enjoying reading Finding Ultra. Rich Roll and his race partner are having a very rough 1st and 2nd Day of the Hawaii Islands race over 5 days. Exciting to read! But I have zero ambition to run a marathon, much less an Ultramarathon! The pain they put themselves through just preparing is literally barbaric self-torture. I can’t fathom it’s good for their overall health in the long-term. ChatGPT says it’s complicated with a list of pros and cons: “The relationship between ultramarathon running and lifespan is complex and not fully understood. While there are potential benefits, there are also possible risks associated with extreme endurance exercise. Here’s an overview of both sides: ### Potential Benefits 1. **Cardiovascular Health**: Regular physical activity, including running, is known to improve cardiovascular health by reducing the risk of heart disease, hypertension, and stroke . 2. **Musculoskeletal Health**: Running can help maintain bone density and joint health, potential

 I successfully coordinated a family gathering tonight! It was Lots of fun to have families gather together for a Rice Bowl Night. I was going to order gourmet pizzas from Herb and Fire Pizzeria and possibly make personal pan pizzas, but I went with my sister-in-law‘s suggestion to host a rice and black bean bowl party. I bought a 6 quart crockpot for $10 from someone on Facebook marketplace. I filled it up with eight cans of black beans from Costco and set it to high for four hours. My sister-in-law added seasonings that her family enjoys.  I set aside three cans of black beans to cook on the stove without added seasonings primarily for me and my diet and anyone else who wanted that. My brother Daniel made his famous 10 quart crockpot of jasmine rice that he cooks with oil and salt. He has a way of slightly overcooking it so that the bottom layer is crispy and crunchy, just some of us love it. I prepared a small Rice cooker of brown rice without any added salt, oil or other seasonings

 I’m feeling better about performing in the Jesus Christ Superstar musical in August. My goal is to look much healthier on stage than I did last August when I played Pharaoh. I played the role very comically as a chunky Elvis type. Truthfully, I was embarrassed to fill the Vegas jumpsuit the way I did, but I had fun doing it. This year I feel it’s more appropriate to play the role of Judas with an athletic look. That’s what I’m going for at least.

 I have yet to cook quinoa or couscous since my diet began. I like eating these grains. I don’t have a clear reason for not doing it. I plan to remedy this soon. I see vegan cheese mentioned often on various vegan and plant based Facebook groups. I’ve had some kind of vegan cheese on a pizza, but I didn’t pay attention to the taste and texture at the time. My sister-in-law makes her own with cashews that she’s fond of. Here’s a recipe from ChatGPT for how to make my own cashew cheese. I’ll just need to buy the tapioca starch: ### Vegan Cashew Cheese **Ingredients:** - 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or for at least 4 hours - 1/4 cup nutritional yeast - 2 tablespoons lemon juice - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder - 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, considering your preference for a low-salt diet) - 1/2 cup water (more if needed for desired consistency) - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional for extra tanginess) - 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (optional for stret

 Last week I failed to check off numerous goals including brushing and flossing in the mornings, jogging every other day, pull-up and push-up targets, step goals, reading goals and more. My weight loss nonetheless seems to decrease at a steady rate. That’s good at least.  This week I aim to recover! I think the more goals I can achieve in the mornings and spread throughout the day the better so that I’m not overwhelmed at the end of the day after I’ve settled the children and confirmed they’re asleep for the night. It helps to see Rich Roll struggle incredibly to prepare for the unbelievable Ultraman triathlons. That’s just inhuman! I can’t be too hard on myself nor too easy. Got to find the sweet spot, and take time to appreciate my family and my blessings.

 I weighed about 220 and a half today. I’ll be in the teens this week.  I’m planning on using the weight vest this week on my walks.  I went to a church social tonight with my family. The host proudly announced everything that was vegan friendly. The desserts looked delicious. I just served myself corn on the cob, broccoli, cucumber strips, carrot sticks, and cherry tomatoes because heard the dishes were cooked with oil. I’m impressed with myself.  I also talked about diet and exercise with a group of dads who looked like they take care of themselves pretty well. It was nice to feel less self-concerned about my weight tonight.

 We went to the Y as a family for the first time. Swimming and indoor pickle ball. It’s my goal to go at least once a week.  We celebrated Sophia’s birthday with a brownie cake she made. Mom and Dad came over to sing and celebrate with us. Of course, the three of us refrained from eating the desserts. I put out a variety of fruit for all of us to nibble at: blueberries, guava fruit, kiwi, and cherry tomatoes. The blueberries were eaten, the guava wasn’t preferred, the kiwi wasn’t ripe, and my dad preferred the tomatoes.  Finding Ultra is becoming more relevant now that he’s writing about his diet and fitness training for his first big challenge. I’m very impressed by how his WFPB diet not only sustains him but empowers him to be in tremendous health for an extreme competition. Did you know that the abbreviation of pounds (lbs) comes from the Roman word for pounds “libra,” and that the pound sign (a.k.a. hashtag) is a symbol that had originated from a cursive spelling of the abbreviatio

 Yay, I’m officially moderately obese today! 🥳 At 222.6 lbs, I’ve dropped from being severely obese into a lower BMI weight class. Another 30 lbs to lose before I enter the next BMI step down — overweight.

 Rich Ross, in his book Finding Ultra, talks about beginning his Plantpower diet in June 2007 (page 173: He felt amazing  Tremendous energy levels No energy lulls after meals Clear thinking  Decreased depression symptoms  Dairy cravings decreased  Six months into the diet he lost forty-five pounds (210-163 = 45 lbs lost!) That’s 7.5 lbs p/month, or 1.9 lbs p/week, which I can keep up with since I’m averaging 3.2 p/week or about 12.8 lbs lost p/month (Eric Gray lost 22 lbs per month!).

Late last night I began my 10K training. I started with a brisk 5 minute walk that I enjoyed. Then a 1/3 mile jog, followed by a 1/4 mile walk. Not too bad. I’ve been doing that a few weeks already. I repeated my jog and walk, then ended my session with a 5 minute cooldown walk at a slower pace. I was surprised at how well I managed the increased steps and strain. Today, I feel the pain though. And I am sore in various limbs. I’m extra tired too. I hope I’ll be recovered enough tomorrow to do it again.

 Gregg invited everyone at the reunion to sign a commitment form to achieve a personal goal by July 2026.  I decided to do the unthinkable: to run a 10K! It’s not something I deeply desire to do because I had suffered seriously painful shin splints from overextending myself at a two-month PT program in the Upper Peninsula when I was 25 years old. I’m going to try though! ChatGPT prepared a jogging regimen for me to achieve: ### Phase 1: Building on Current Fitness (July 2024 - December 2024) #### Weeks 1-4: Increase Jogging Distance - **Frequency:** 3 times per week - **Duration:** 20-30 minutes per session - **Structure:**    - Warm-up: 5 minutes brisk walking   - Main workout: Jog 1/3 mile, walk 1/4 mile, repeat twice   - Cool down: 5 minutes walking - **Goal:** Get comfortable jogging 2/3 mile in total #### Weeks 5-12: Transition to Longer Jogging Intervals - **Frequency:** 3-4 times per week - **Duration:** 30-40 minutes per session - **Structure:**   - Warm-up: 5 minutes brisk wal

 I took a break from daily blogging during our family reunion week because family first! It was a great 5 days of hanging out, having fun, and eating good food. I was worried about eating too much of the food, but I did pretty well controlling my appetite. My favorite part of eating plant-based foods with added salt, oil, and sugar? All three! I missed it very much! If I have to choose, I think I missed olive oil the most with salt a close second. I gained about a pound or two. Not as bad as I thought it would be. I’m helping eat leftovers today. Tomorrow I start back on my WFPB SOS-free diet,