Rozey Thorn Trees

 Here’s a couple of informative health clips from the meat health Instagram account about meat and dairy only diets in a couple of indigenous communities. A documentary of an explorer who lived with Inuits and discovered that their diet consisted of whale meat and fat, fish and water  for half a year and caribou the other half. At first he worried about malnutrition but discovered that he was healthier than he’d ever been before after 4 and a half months. He saw no evidence of heart disease and cancer in the community. The tallest tribesmen in Africa consume primarily milk and dairy. And a clip from a British 1958 documentary short called Eat Fat To Be Slim : eat less starch and sugar and more of everything else. Fascinating.  Note that longevity is improved with a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle and access to quality healthcare. The Inuit live about 10 years less than the average person in Canada and Greenland. And the tribesmen is about 50!

 Today I’m determined to reset my standards. I’ve got to look into Goggins’s mirror and get after my goals! I’m not going to curse at myself or feel sorry for myself about it. A hernia is a setback for me in man ways but not enough to excuse me from my weight-loss program, certainly not enough to stop walking again. It’s not too late. Now it begins.  My breakfast was light this morning because we overslept! I ate a half an apple and some peanut butter and drank half of my coffee. I grabbed my water bottle, two date bars and an Apple Izze to keep from starving and making poor decisions later.

I’m starting up walking, pull-ups, and push-ups again this week. At a slower pace so I don’t regret it. I feel that something is better than nothing now that I’ve been checked out officially and have January 13 on the calendar for surgery. I got several compliments from Liquid Industrial employees at the Christmas dinner on Saturday. One lady said to me when I sat down to eat my catered dinner: “Have you been on a diet? I bet you have by the looks of what’s on your plate!”  I'm proud of myself for not having any appetizers or  desserts either! One older couple came to me privately after the dinner and sensitively asked if I was on a diet or if I’ve been sick to lose so much weight!  Another lady asked me privately for the details of my diet. I told her to WFPB and to look up Engine 2 Diet and The Forks Over Knives video.

 I met with my surgeon today. He surprised me with the news that I have two hernias, one on each side of my groin. He noted that there are a variety of causes including being born with it. It can be caused by the birthing process. It could likely be the result of decades of being overweight putting heavy pressure against your abdominal wall.  The plan is to for him to use robotic arms for precision surgery to install a mesh that will cover the hole. The mesh will become integrated into the flesh as the body heals from the surgery. 

197.9 lbs. I found in my Apple Health history that two years ago I weighed myself at 257! I forgot about that! My doctor weighed me at 259 lbs in February. That was as high as I’ve  seen recorded of myself, but that’s with my clothes on, which is why I try to dress lightly on doctor visits. So there seems to be a silver lining with having abdominal pain:  It’s curbed my appetite a little. I’m drinking more water to keep me regular because straining adds to abdominal pressure. I’ve not replenished my supply of nuts. And I’m reducing my sugar intake to manage weight loss better.