The Plan

Well after hearing the news of my less than perfect blood results it's time to put a plan into action.

Now for the plan......

Well I have a three pronged plan and it goes a little like this

E.F.S Trident

E = Exercise
F = Food
S = Supplement

Now let me break it down for you.
I have come up with EFS as it will cover everything that I need to address.

Firstly exercise

well it goes with out saying that for me to have any hope of beating the issues I have, exercise is going to play a huge part.
So as of the 20th of Jan I will be training with my personal trainer Marco.
I have trained with Marco on other occasions and found him to be the best trainer I have found.
It is so important to find someone that you connect with and feel comfortable with as this can make all the difference.

So as of Monday I will be doing mostly anaerobic work outs with Marco, With my body type I find it hard to do running or working out on machines like the cross trainer, it kills my knees and last thing I need is a injury that will hold me back from completing my goals.

Plus weights are a favorite of mine, I actual feel I am accomplishing something when doing them and being engaged I believe is half the battle.

 Finding something that works and finding something that you like!

Now im taking it slow for two weeks, working out three days a week at my local gym but after that I'm looking to go it alone with my exercise routine.  I think at some point you need to leave the nest after you have a good understanding of the exercises and the best form possible while doing these exercises. 
It takes a while to find the muscle memory while doing weights as training with poor form is deadly and as I said I can't afford down time with injury.
 Now I am going to be doing aerobic work outs as well but I'm being very careful with my methods of exercise. Luckily there are many pieces of equipment that can work up a sweat and be less stressful on joints.
6 days a week with a day off for rest.

Food

OK now like many of you I'm sure this is the hardest part to face.
Food is a huge part of my life, to say I love food is an understatement.  It's not that I love huge crazy out of control meal sizes or anything it's just I love the finer things in life.  I was told by a friend recently that the way I describe food is amazing, apparently when I describe food I paint a picture and it is quite evident that I have a very close relationship with food but at times that relationship is a destructive one.

In the past when dieting (please not that in no way am I calling or treating what I am doing as a diet, diets don't work and the past 15 years has proven that time and time again) I have cut and slashed at what I eat and withheld, denided, abstained from just about everything that was in my non-diet menu.

Now this was not a plan, well maybe it was. A plan to fail I think.
First and foremost if a menu can't work on an on going basis it will never work.
I am pleased to say that I have found a great menu plan (supplied by my supplement company) that is very doable on a long term basis. If I get bored with my food this is not going to work.

OK now portion control, this is a biggy well I think it is for me.
I love my food but I'm not all about big serves but I must admit that when I look at the size of the plates in my cupboard I see a problem.
If I look at the old plates in there that were passed down by family and some of these plate are as old as me. Now there is something that is quite evident when you see the old plates and the new ones we have, the new ones are almost twice the size of the old plates.
Meaning we were eating less or had smaller portions in times past.

When dishing up I guess I always try to fill the plate so it did not  look so empty. I guess I should take a leaf out of high class restaurant book - 80% plate 20% food but not only the plates but the bowls are an issue as well.
So with this in mind there is going to be a change in crockery!

Supplement

Now I'm guessing a few of you would be wondering what I mean by supplement.
In a nut shell it's going to fill the gaps in my nutritional requirement.
As you can see by my blood test I have some deficiency and my food intake may not be able to give me all that I need.
So in doing my research I have found a system that was recommended to me by an old friend.
He has been using these products for some time and has had some fantastic results.
Looking in to the system it seems to cover everything I need at this time.

I am looking to tell you more about this product and system once I have tried and used the products but from what I have seen its all looking good. 
They are where I have got my meal plans from and just going on that they know what they are on about.
Not only have they hit the mark on the food but at the same time keeping me in line.  Looking at the meals there is nothing I can see that I would not eat or more importantly nothing that is time consuming or complicated which is a very important for our house.
Both working full time coming home and having to make some crazy meal is just not viable or even worse have to pay crazy amounts for home delivered food that is way under the quality that is advertised on TV.
For me fast and tasty is the way to go and in the past that has meant bad foods quick but as I am learning fast can be good and with a few changes can really super charge me towards my goals.

So this is very basic but it's what I'm working towards.
As always any question please ask.
Thank you for reading.

The Doctor!

Well as I start this journey i thought I would start with a visit to my local GP.


My first visit was back  in Nov 2013, it was to ask my GP to do a full blood work up so we could get a internal picture of where my body was at.

Due to Christmas and holidays I had been unable to visit him again to find out the result until today.

I wanted to find out were I stand in regards to my health and if there were any areas that may be holding me back (besides my weight) that needed to be looked at before I started down this road of bettering myself.

Losing weight for me has never been easy at any time and so my thoughts on why, came down to maybe a Thyroid problem or something else that could hinder weight lose.

Unbeknown to my wife and family the time over Christmas was a worrying one as I was not sure of the results from the blood test would come back favourable.

I mean a guy of my age 38 and in less than peak condition I was not expecting a glowing score card.

So my visit to my GP started off like any other visit to him...... late by 45 minutes which is not bad as I have sat there longer in times past!

But once in, it was clear that I was not in for good news.

So lets start from the beginning....

The Blood Tests 

TSH Test Thyroid
Well it seems that I have no problem with my thyroid as the results came back well within range of normal.  So that rules out any abnormality with the thyroid and weight gain/loss problems cant be contributed to it.

What is the thyroid gland?
The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland that is normally located in the lower front of the neck. The thyroid’s job is to make thyroid hormones, which are secreted into the blood and then carried to every tissue in the body. Thyroid hormone helps the body use energy, stay warm and keep the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs working as they should.

Here is a copy of the results for those that like the hard figures

 
If you are interested in learning about this test have a look at this  http://healthengine.com.au/info/Thyroid_Function_Tests

General Biochemistry Test

OK I'm in no way going to try and explain this test as it has so many parts. Suffice to say I had a good result in this area, all within normal parameters.
I will be posting my result soon so that those that are interested can take a look or if you are a professional can view them your self and I would be more than happy to hear what you think about them.

Full Blood Examination 

Once again I'm not going to try and explain this test but once again my results have come back "within normal limits" which is a comfort.

If you would like to know more about blood test check this out http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Understand-Your-Blood-Tests-Biochemistry

Now for some bad news

Now this one was strange and really was not on my radar. 

Hydroxy Vitamin D Test

Well it seems that I have a mild case of vitamin D deficiency. Now for those that may not know where we get or vitamin D from it sun light and very few foods! Vitamin D the sunshine vitamin.
Vitamin D is essential for strong bones because it helps the body use calcium from the diet. Traditionally, Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with rickets, a disease in which the bone tissue doesn't properly mineralise, leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities. But increasingly, research is revealing the importance of vitamin D in protecting against a host of health problems.

Symptoms and Health Risks of Vitamin D Deficiency

Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can mean you have a vitamin D deficiency. However, for many people, the symptoms are subtle. Yet even without symptoms, too little vitamin D can pose health risks. Low blood levels of the vitamin have been associated with the following:

• Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Cognitive impairment in older adults
• Severe asthma in children
• Cancer

Research suggests that vitamin D could play a role in the prevention and treatment of a number of different conditions, including type1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and multiple sclerosis.

All things I want no part of!.

Vitamin D deficiency can occur for a number of reasons:

You don't consume the recommended levels of the vitamin over time. This is likely if you follow a strict vegetarian diet, because most of the natural sources are animal-based, including fish and fish oils, egg yolks, cheese, fortified milk, and beef liver.

Now once again that is not me at all, those who know me know that I am a lover of almost everything on that list apart from beef liver......have not had that for a long while :)

Your exposure to sunlight is limited. Because the body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight, you may be at risk of deficiency if you are homebound, live in extreme northern or southern latitudes, wear long selves all the time or have an occupation that prevents sun exposure.

Once again this is not me!

You have dark skin. The pigment melanin reduces the skin's ability to make vitamin D in response to sunlight exposure. Some studies show that older adults with darker skin are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Now I'm as white as white can be and so once again this does not cover why i am deficient.

Your kidneys cannot convert vitamin D to its active form. 

From my research as people age their kidneys are less able to convert vitamin D to its active form, thus increasing their risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Crazy because as I said before I'm out in the sun most of the day and would never had thought that I did not get enough sun light but thinking about it I really only have my forearms exposed, head, neck and in summer my lower legs due to wearing shorts but really that is it, so I'm guessing I need to supplement or brave the sun and catch some rays. Maybe I have not been out in the sun as much as I thought.
I am far from a a sun bather as I don't wish to scare anyone with the sight of me sunning myself!!!!

For more info on Vitamin D there is a wealth of information on the net but once again here is a link
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/vitamin_d?open

  Now for the Big One's

  Lipid Studies AKA Cholesterol's

OK now this one was not so much a shock as what over weight person does not have a Cholesterol problem!

Now in 2007 which by the way was my last visit to the doctor for a blood work up (way to long between drinks I would say) and the these test results that I'm going to publish will have the last know teat as a guide as to how i have been tracking since last tests.
So in 2007 my Cholesterol reading was 5.1 and to those in the know that is right at the high end of normal.
Normal being between 0.0 - to 5.0. So as you can see I just past the test last time or it was close but not close enough for my GP to make a song and dance about it.
But this test, well I out did my self with a big 6.3 not happy Jan!

OK so here is a break down of the test

What is a cholesterol test?

A cholesterol test is a blood test that measures levels of fatty substances called lipids in the blood. Cholesterol is one type of lipid.

Raised cholesterol levels can cause cholesterol to be deposited within the walls of arteries, making it difficult for blood to flow through. This build-up in the walls of the arteries, which is called atherosclerosis, puts a person at significant risk of heart disease and stroke and none of these sound particularly fun!
Abnormally high cholesterol levels may not give you any symptoms, so a blood test is the best way to check how much cholesterol and other lipids your blood contains.Which is exactly my scenario and last thing I want is to find out the hard way.
A cholesterol test measures the amount of cholesterol and other lipids carried by protein-based particles called lipoproteins, in the blood. Cholesterol and other lipids are transported in the bloodstream in these lipoproteins because they are fats, and so don't dissolve freely in blood, which is water based.
These are some of the main lipids measured in a cholesterol test.

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This is the so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol that tends to be deposited in the arteries, causing atherosclerosis. High levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke). 

• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. As HDL helps carry cholesterol back to the liver, HDL cholesterol is sometimes known as ‘good’ cholesterol. Acting like a clean-up crew, HDL helps keep your arteries free of fatty deposits. It is advantageous to have high levels of HDL-cholesterol.

• Triglycerides. These are another type of lipid circulating in the blood, mainly in a different lipoprotein — very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). Your body converts excess kilojoules in the diet to triglycerides to be stored in fat cells. A raised level of triglycerides can be caused by consuming too many kilojoules, by drinking too much alcohol, or by having diabetes. A high triglyceride level can add to your risk of cardiovascular disease, especially if your HDL cholesterol is low. 

• Total cholesterol. This gives an overall level of cholesterol in the blood.

Last but not the least,OK the big one

Glucose Serum Test

This one I don't mind telling you scares me a bit.

A blood glucose test measures the amount of a sugar called glucose in a sample of your blood.
Glucose is a major source of energy for most cells of the body, including those in the brain. Carbohydrates (or carbs) are found in fruit, cereal, bread, pasta, and rice all thing that I love very much. They are quickly turned into glucose in your body. This raises your blood glucose level.
Hormones made in the body called insulin and glucagon help control blood glucose levels.

Now it is quite evident that from my test results that my Glucose reading at the time of my blood test is far from normal.
In 2007 the result for the same test was 4.7 which was an acceptable number and within the range for normal.
So if fasting before test for 8 hours (4.0 - 6.0 mmol / L) and my result for 2014 was 6.5!
which is above and in the high range.
So unfortunately as advised by my GP it looks like I need to have another test call a Glucose Tolerance test and this will confirm if I have a problem...... the problem being type 2 diabetes.
Not what I wanted to hear at all but there is no need moaning about it, there is only one thing for it....

to FIX IT

From all accounts this is a preventable situation and one I hope to change.
Weight is a major factor in this I think but I'm going to wait and see what the results are from the glucose tolerance test and go from there.

No use jumping to conclusion but if the result is not good then i cant have this situation continue.

BTW this is something that I thought was crazy.......
After going thru all of this with my doctor he hit me with a statement that knocked me for six.
His words " OK Matthew now this is what I recommend for you today is lap-band surgery, this is what would best help your situation." and to this i respond with "OK that seem a bit drastic, couldn't I try losing weight the old fashion way". He said " oh yes you can if you want to do it the hard way but this is a better option so you don't even have to try"
Now that's a sign of the times, surgery before hard work. 
There is something wrong with this picture don't you think?

The End I Promise

Right so that is allot to take in and I'm very sorry if this is more of a Bio lesson but for me I need to understand where I am at and how or why I'm there so that I can better understand how to attack the situation.

If you have never had this kind of blood work done I would encourage every body to do so.
I know finding out that things are not as rosy as you would like is not great but now that I know these things I can work on them.

The human body is an amazing thing, it will put up with and deal with so much before it shows signs of a problems.

But that does not mean it should or can put up with imbalance for long. 

Thanks for reading and I look forward to the next installment..... " THE PLAN "

New Beginnings

Hi and Welcome to my blog.

Today marks the beginning of my journey to better health.

The subject of health for me has never been a subject that I have been very happy discussing with anyone really and I'm sure I am not alone in thinking this way.

My hopes for this blog are simple, I want to take control of my health, I wish to show that I can do this and that in letting the world know what I am doing maybe it will help or at least educate others as to how they could make a change in their life to and better their health.

Now please don't get me wrong, this is not going to be a transformation of a guy 170 kg to a ripped muscle bound guy, no I think not.
I just want to get to a place of optimal health, simple as that... 

For those that know me I have been overweight for almost all my life and this year I am making a change, this year I'm going to try something new.

On this blog I'm going to be very forthcoming with my journey and my results.
I will be showing my past and present results as a tide marker along my journey.

I will share what I'm doing and how I feel as I do it.

I guess this will be my journal.
As well as showing you my healthier self,  I will share the foods and tips that have helped me alone my way.

So sit back and feel free to to comment as long as you are nice, no room for negativity in my world.