moonius

“I’m only 53 years old but I’m not in good health. My blood glucose and blood pressure are high, my vision is getting blurry, I’m full of congestion, I think I have frozen shoulder, chronic back and knee pain, skin eruptions, shortness of breath, cravings, puffy eyes, acid reflux, dizziness, sleep apnea and dry skin patches, I’m too young to be this old!”

This is a quote from a year ago when I started eating Low Carb. Now I’m 54 years old, I have lost 72 pounds, gone from a 6X to a 3X shirt, lost 12 inches off my waist and all of these health problems are gone. I’m still learning and tweaking my food plan and still expect to reach my goal of 200 pounds. Hope y’all have a magnificent Monday!

Monday night I decided to make dinner from some leftover chicken breasts. I sauteed 1/2 bell pepper and 1 slice of Bermuda onion in olive oil. Then I added about 8 ounces of cubed chicken, some salsa, cilantro, cumin, salt and the juice of one lime. When the dish was just about ready I decided to add some red pepper flakes. I thought I opened the shaker side but I opened the pour side and dumped about 1/2 cup of red pepper flakes into the skillet!! Yikes!!

I was able to scoop about half of the pepper out but the dish was still extremely hot! I love hot food but this was too hot for even me! Even my ears were sweating! I ate about half of it and threw the remainder away. Suffice it to say, all of that pepper had a strange, unexpected laxative effect on my body. It only burns twice!

One of my pet peeves is being stereotyped.  All my life people have judged me before they get to know me …because I’m black or because I’m male or because I’m overweight.  People tend to make generalizations and presuppositions based on what they know about others.  Here is what a woman posted in another forum (and my response)…

Men can be such bums (sorry moonius, haha)…. i can relate… i do everything in the house… cook, clean, shop, budget, etc… and he just seems to spend without thinking how it will affect our budget…. not fair… but we do get into huge fights and address it as it comes… 

Please don’t stereotype. Too often we are judged because of our sex, color or weight. You can’t put everyone in the same boat. I cook every meal at home, do the shopping and even cleaned the house yesterday. I am meticulous about the budget. It’s my wife who is always spending for stuff that is not in the budget! I certainly believe in doing my fair share to make my marriage work. Being stereotyped is my pet peeve! Each individual should be judged according to their own merit.

I woke up feeling awful today! Thought I had a head cold or something …sneezing, stuffy nose, itchy eyes, headache, feverish. My nose is red and raw from blowing it. I couldn’t even pray or study this morning…I was on zombiefied autopilot. I’ve never had allergies but I could be allergic to something in the air. This is the time of the summer wheat harvest in Kansas and there’s all kinds of stuff floating around.

Anyway, I went to work and recorded both my shows and took the remainder of the day off. I stopped on the way and bought some cans of chicken broth, thinking that might help me. When I opened the stuff it looked like water! Then I remembered that I made chicken stock the last time I boiled chickens. That stuff is rich and tasty . I took a claritin, just in case it is allergies and I’m gonna sit back, relax and enjoy my chicken broth!

Hope y’all have a great day!

The Gila Monster is an ugly, toxic, venemous creature who is a blessing in disguise. I knew that there was a scientific connection between the diabetes drug Byetta and this hideous creature. Here’s some explanatory information I found online.

In 2005 the FDA approved the drug exenatide (marketed as Byetta) for the management of T2 diabetes. It is a synthetic version of a protein, exendin-4, derived from the Gila monster’s saliva. In a three-year study with people with type 2 diabetes, exenatide led to healthy sustained glucose levels and progressive weight loss. The effectiveness is due to the fact that the lizard hormone is about 50 percent identical to glucagon-like peptide-1 analog (GLP-1), a hormone in the human digestive tract, that increases the production of insulin when blood sugar levels are high. The lizard hormone remains effective much longer than the human hormone, helping diabetics keep their blood sugar levels from getting too high. Exenatide also slows the emptying of the stomach and causes a decrease in appetite, contributing to weight loss.

Now you can see why I’m eternally grateful for this big colorful lizard. My blood glucose readings have normalized. The numbers are the best I’ve ever seen since I started using a glucometer. And as of this morning I have lost three pounds since using Byetta!!! (Although I do have to newfound urge to eat bugs and go sunning on a rock!)

I can see why the doctor said to check my blood sugar levels especially when I started the Byetta. Yesterday afternoon my blood glucose level had dropped to 75 mg/dl which is at the bottom end of the normal range. I’ve never seen readings like this in my life. It’s good to know the Byetta is working but I’ve gotta be careful not to go too low.

This morning it looked like I was down another pound. I’ll wait and see if I remain at 313 pounds before I record the change on my ticker.  It’s amazing what a couple of pounds will do. As of March 2009, I had lost 65 pounds and no one at church even said anything about it. This week I’ve lost a pound or two and today people are noticing I’ve lost weight, talking about how great I look!  Hope y’all have a great Sunday!

This has been a week of new beginnings for me. Monday I added the Byetta injections to my daily routine. I have researched this drug since 2005 and finally took the plunge. I have an animosity toward needles but felt like I needed to take this step for my overall health. Maybe one day i won’t need to take any meds. The first two days I felt jittery, had headaches and nausea but took headache medicine and ginger root to solve those problems. Since then I haven’t had any side effects to speak of.

The Byetta has brought by blood glucose down to its lowest levels ever. The last two days I’ve had readings of 92 mg/dl and that’s exciting. I have been eating less because the medicine has suppressed my appetite. The other day I had a breakthrough on the scales. For the last two months I’ve fluctuated between 315-320 pounds and this week I hit 314 pounds. That’s pretty encouraging and now I feel like there’s hope to reach my health and weight loss goals. I’m still learning what my body needs and how to correct years of abuse from overeating carbohydrates.

Hope y’all have a wonderful weekend!!

It’s been exactly two months since I hit 315 pounds. Over those weeks my weight has fluctuated between 315-320. Today is my 5th day on Byetta and I have already seen some movement on the scale. Getting on the scale for me was proving to be an exercise in futility but this morning I was shocked when I got on and it showed a one pound loss. I know that doesn’t sound like much but when you’ve been stalled for two months it’s cause to celebrate! I know I’ve been eating less this week but I wonder if getting my blood glucose levels lowered could be a contributing factor in my body letting go of the weight. Whatever the reason I’m excited and look forward to more progress! Hope y’all have a great weekend!

Last week the doctor prescribed 5 mcg Byetta for my diabetes. I don’t like the injections or the subsequent nausea but it does suppress my appetite and I should see more weight loss because I’m eating less. Today is day two on Byetta and I find I have to make myself eat. Seems to speed up my metabolism and give me the sensation of having more energy. I’ve had some mild nausea and I do get an acute headache from the medicine.  Let’s hope the end justifies the means!

This week I’m doing the morning show from 6A-9A Central time (kjil991.com). Went to bed early last night because I had to get up at 3:15A in order to be in here by 4A. Suffice it to say, I didn’t sleep well. Partly from the Byetta and partly because I went to bed early. Good thing is I get off at noon this week. Hope everyone has a great day!

Last night we graduated from the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University and already we’ve made some financial strides. We’re now consistently giving 10%, saving 10% and still all the bills are paid. It’s amazing the difference having a plan makes. We should be debt free in a year or less. We had a graduation party at church last night, so I’m very tired this morning. Even my French pressed coffee doesn’t seem to be helping this morning. Well…it is Monday…

Today I begin a new chapter in my weight loss journey. I want to take my weight loss to the next level. I’m going back to being sweet free, eliminating snacks, no eating after 6 pm and limiting protein levels. My previous daily goal was 120 grams of protein but I find that I can be satiated with less than 100 grams. Another goal is regular exercise which has been inconsistent on my part. Today I have to mow the lawn so I’ll do plenty of walking. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and will have a great LC Monday!