Biffster’s WeightJournal.com

Current weight: 288.5
Difference from last entry: +/- 0
Difference from 2008 starting weight (290.5): -2

Well, actually “staying steady” is a bit deceiving. I’ve been up and down the last couple of weeks. That was mostly caused by having an excuse: my birthday! My wife E. threw me a big party, and even though she had lotsa healthy food, I still found not-so-healthy foods to eat, too. But things would’ve been okay if I had just stuck with the party. I took my forthcoming birthday as an excuse to go all-out. I started the morning out with one of my favorite coffee drinks, a Colorado Spice Latte from my local Peaberry Coffee. Then it was off to Bruegger’s Bagels - they’re not as good as Einstein Bros., but easier to find downtown - and had one of their Very Veggie Omelet sandwich (nutritional info available). The breakfast sandwich is 11 pts., which is actually within the range of my normal breakfasts. The Colorado Spice Latte added another 6 pts, I think. Maybe 7… so I had 18pts for breakfast. That was not a good start…

Actually, I am spending too much on my actual birthday. Like I was mentioning, it would’ve been okay if I had just splurged on my birthday. But instead, I splurged all that week, and really just stopped now. It was one of those little binge periods I have every now and then. I wasn’t totally out of control, and I was at least making good choices while I was eating poorly. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but it does make sense. For example, I chose a small can of soda instead of a 44 oz. extra-large fountain drink. Small things like that… I was still bad, just not as bad as I could’ve been.

All in all, I am lucky to be where I am. But on the plus side, I can continue forward from this point.

it definitely could’ve been much worse.

Tags: Diet, Holidays, Junk food, Weigh-in // Add Comment »

There is a new, alarming (to me) study that suggests a link between Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea:

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention has warned that recent research demonstrates that type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are closely related…

The study is quick to point out that this is very preliminary, and requires a lot more testing and study. Of course, they easy link between the two is obesity: People who are over weight are prone to OSA, and those who eat enough sugar-rich foods to become over weight are on the track towards type 2 diabetes. I am assuming this study takes this into fact, but it is always dangerous to make assumptions.

The study also makes screening suggestions:

While people with OSA should be routinely screened for metabolic disease and type 2 diabetes as screening tests are inexpensive and easy to conduct, people with diabetes should be screened for OSA particularly when they present classical symptoms such as witnessed apneas, heavy snoring or daytime sleepiness and poor workplace performance.

I think that this is very responsible. And is directed right at medical insurance companies. Insurance companies are normally fast to pay for diabetes screening/treatment. But OSA is another matter. Sleep studies are expensive, as are CPAP machines and supplies. This study says up front that the insurance companies really should pay for these to avoid further complications. I think that is a very responsible tack to take.

As for me, I’m in trouble. I most definitely have OSA, and it went untreated for a long time. I am also pre-diabetic. The combination of the two could lead to big health problems in my future.

Tags: Health, Sleep Apnea // Add Comment »

I know, everyone is getting tired of my constant paranoid posts about heart disease. I am still terrified of heart disease, and am very worried about the health of my ticker. So any kind of news about heart health gets my interest (I even have a news alert set up on Yahoo about this topic). Last week, there was the story about how great the Mediterranean Diet is for a person’s health. This week, it is green tea:

Tags: Health // Add Comment »

Now, I don’t know why this surprises me as much as it does. After all, sleep apnea leads to a whole lot of medical issues. Heart problems, lung problems, high blood pressure…. sleep apnea is Bad Stuff. But I am totally and completely freaked out to find out that sleep apnea can lead to brain damage:

‘The findings make it all the more imperative that OSA be treated as soon as possible to prevent further injury,’ said Harper. ‘The long-term effects of OSA are terribly damaging to memory and thinking processes. Moreover, control of blood pressure is heavily impacted by the breathing condition, and if multiple areas, each connected with one another, are affected, regulation of blood pressure will be all the more difficult if OSA continues.’ (via Medical News Today)

All I can say is: HOLY CRAP!!!

Tags: Sleep Apnea // 2 Comments »

Current weight: 288.5
Difference from last entry: -2
Difference from 2008 starting weight (290.5): -2

Well, that is certainly better. And what is even better than that is the fact that I knew this was going to be a good weigh-in. I worked extremely hard this past week to lose weight. I stayed within my daily food range most days, and I stayed well within my weekly range, too. I made sure I got at least 30 minutes exercise 5 days that week. I basically did everything perfectly. And it showed in my weight loss.

I have been making some changes to the foods I eat to try and orient myself with the Mediterranean diet. I’ve changed my breakfast to two slices of light, whole-grain bread (1 pt. for two slices) with cheese (2-3pts) melted on top. When I have time, I’ll put a couple of tomato slices on top of that. I have a lot of fruit throughout the day. I make a big salad to go with my lunch. I have a snack of whole-grain cereal and yogurt. It is hard doing some of the needed changes for the Mediterranean Diet - reducing the amount of poultry I eat is actually much harder than I imagined. I have migrated towards chicken and turkey for most dinners and a lot of lunches. It’s hard getting off of that!

On the other hand, some of the changes are pretty easy. Like I said above, the breakfast change was easy. As is adding in more hummus and other protein-rich veggies. For the most part, I love to eat most of the foods on the Mediterranean diet. As soon as I figure out how to get myself to reduce my poultry intake to two meals or so a week, add in fish for that same period, and then come up with other foods on the other days, I should be fine.

My main problem right now is the heat. It is going to make it hard for me to get in my daily walk. My big ol’ body isn’t so good with heat. I overheat with exercise; add in 95+ degree weather, and I’m in trouble. I am toying with the idea of taking an alternate train into work in the morning, then walking from that train station to the office. That’s about 25 minutes or so. I’ll still have to find a way to make up the other 25 minutes of exercise, though.

Anyway, all in all, this was a Very Good Week.

Tags: Diet, Exercise, Habits, Nutrition, Weigh-in // Add Comment »