The FastDay Forum

Much wisdom and insight in that link, easily summarizing a dozen books. For those who prefer to read rather than watch, the transcript is here:

https://www.dietdoctor.com/the-very-fir ... ary-taubes

I especially liked the part that clarifies the scientific method and contrasts its critical importance with our inherent tendency to simply ignore it. One unfortunate side-effect of our relative (yet evolutionarily practical) laziness is that the negative aspects of researcher egos, combined with our tendency to trust authority, can increase problems rather than solve them.

Finally, a closing thought from Gary Taubes: "... a lot of this is about self-experiment We've gone to the point that people can try these diets without worrying about killing themselves."

Sept. 18, 2018 weight 162.5 BP 118/78
I watched the video ..... I'm still old school a calorie is a calorie. But calories measured by the combustion using pure oxygen to determine the calorie content of something is different than the calories we can actually use from the food we eat. Pure sawdust would have plenty of calories but none available to us humans. Fiber is fiber.
My friend with the triple bypass is home and recovering. He was over at his brother's place the other day and he is looking pretty good all things considered. I'll have to catch him when his brother isn't around to hear all the details of diet change and the real story. He has his defenses up around his brother.
Me? I'm doing OK but not good enough., Fall is quickly approaching and I'm already 2 1/2 pounds over the 160 limit I'd set for myself. It's now or never if this is going to work for me. I was pretty active all summer because I can find so much to do outside. As the weather cools down it's a different challenge. Maybe I'll break down and join a fitness place? I signed up for the senior health group here and they have an exercise program and that would do me good but I just can't see me doing that with a bunch of older ladies. I suppose if it's for the good of the cause anything is possible.
Dogs and I have been hitting the dog park and I walk around it while they sniff out the whole place and if they are lucky get to chase a squirrel or two up a tree. We are usually the only ones there. I've been riding the bike while I still can, cold weather will shut that down soon. Maggie and I walk the year around though, The colder it is, the better she likes it. Only rain or really cold high winds keep us from walking.
Latest projects are getting graphic cards for the computers I use. I changed from multiple monitors on this one to a 4K cheap TV as a monitor which requires HDMI, thus the upgrade on the graphics cards, since I thought I might as well do the old TV also and that computer. So, I'm using a 43 inch TV now for a monitor and did a blue filter app so it's easy on the eyes. Seems to be working out OK so far.
That's about it for now, this will be a fasting day for me. If I'm going to get that 160 pound limit back I'd better do what I know needs to be done. Oh yeah,.... a link for those that made it this far.... https://www.scientificamerican.com/arti ... all-wrong/
Dog walking time,
Later
Roscoe

Oct. 1, 2018 Weight this morning 162.5 BP this afternoon ... 110/70
I've not posted for a while now. I did have a post but forgot to hit send. But here I am again. Pretty much the same old thing, boring but that's good in my case. I'm going to be 70 pretty soon now, I quit putting the date online because birth dates are one of the three major things used for hacking our personal accounts.
Mom's mind is getting better and better, still a long ways to go but I went to see her yesterday at the nursing home and she was remembering things and talking about them that she didn't remember or talk about since she's been in at the nursing home.
Maggie and I are still doing our walks but I haven't been riding the bike much since I got the weight down. The grass quit growing like it has all summer so not much mowing to do, actually none for the past couple of weeks. I've got lots of things I could do but I tend to do what I like to do not what actually needs to be done.
I'm pretty much a vegetarian now days. I don't mind eating a little meat but that's few and far maybe a little every couple of weeks, some fish and an egg every now and then. Very little sugar, only what slips in with the processed food and I try to stay away from processed foods all I can.
Maggie and I did our walk this morning and there seemed to be a lot of McDonalds cheese burger wrappers for some reason. Maybe it's a reflection of the improved economy or maybe they have a special on them. I must have put 8 of them in the trash carts as we walked along. Several plastic bottles also but I'd say it's running 50/50 of soda vs water bottles now.
So to make a long story even longer, I'm holding on pretty well weight wise. I'd rather be at 160 but the scales said 162.5 this morning. If I can just make it through fall then winter without gaining more I'll be satisfied.
Here is a recording of a live show. A doctor MD that fasts a couple of days a week. I'll try to catch his live cast if remember. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeuxQiDV9T0
That's about it for now, this time I'll remember to hit the "submit" button .
Roscoe

October 5, 2018 Weight 162.5 BP 120/80
Somehow I made it 70 to years age! I never got the be able to do a chin up by age 70 but I can do a few push ups and squats! I need to work on the chin ups and get that chin up/pull up accomplished.
I'm getting around a lot better than I was 6 years ago, that's when I started walking because of the chest pains and decided if I was going to last much longer I'd better get serious about taking care of myself. I lost 50 lbs back then and Maggie (my dog) and I started walking. I could make it a few blocks to the church steps and we'd stop and rest till I could make it on around to a bench by the motel, stop and rest again, then back home. About 3/4 of a mile total. Often a nitro pill after only a block or two after leaving the house. Today, we go a mile and no problem. Up the stairs, no problem. Ride the bike ... no problem going slow. The best thing I've done in the past year was lose that extra 43 lbs that needed to come off. I made it down to "normal" on the BMI scale. I intend to be one of the 5 or 10% that keep it off!
One of the things I plan to do today is ride the bike 10 miles, so I can tell everyone the rest of my life, "I rode a bike 10 miles when I turned 70". Lots of laughs, yep, that was goal of mine. Unlike the pull ups that one is apt to actually happen. The wind is supposed to be out of the south and I've got a route planned for the bike ride.
My special needs neighbour .... he was at the door again the other day, Another flat tire and he'd driven it home flat and ruined the tire. He needed a ride to the tire shop for another used tire. No spare (again). So I chewed on his butt for a while and said yes. I've been after him to get a spare since the last two times this happened, maybe 3 times now. He's a special needs guy and I don't mind helping but I'm not an enabler and I told him this is the last time unless he gets a spare tire. Something I noticed while I was supervising him on the removal of the flat was I could feel my hip bone when I was leaning on another's neighbours car. Little things like that mean a lot to me nowdays. I guess now that I think about it my neighbour has come along in his own way. The first flat he didn't know how to jack up his pickup and remove the wheel, now he can without much help. Still no spare to put on but maybe some day.
It's time for the Maggie to take me for a walk.
Later,
Roscoe

Happy Birthday Roscoe !!

An appropriate thought seems to be what my mother-in-law would say when her grandkids ran riot through the house: "They've never been this age before!"

Oct. 9, 2018 Weight 164 (yikes!) BP 120/80
Ut oh, the scales don't lie, I knew it was a mistake buying those 10lbs of potatoes that were on sale. I guess I had to prove to myself I could or couldn't eat them wisely. The scales seem to conclude I can't, so I'm fasting today. I'm doing exactly what I said I wasn't going to do, gaining back those pounds. Maybe this is the way it's going to be, pounds creep up, fasting takes them off. That ought to be OK as long as I catch it in time and don't get into extreme yoyo eat/diet. What we don't want is to build up visceral fat ..... that's supposed to be the worst kind and yoyo'ing is bad about doing that. I don't want any excess fat but visceral fat is very unhealthy.
My friend that had the triple by-pass came by yesterday, we had a nice talk. They have him walking on the treadmill for rehab, he said he's up to three miles now. He's still on leave from work but he can drive his personal vehicle now. No lifting of anything over 10 lbs till the chest is healed. He's a classic case of what our food supply does to so many of us. We'll see if he can change his ways enough to last another 5 or 10 years. I kinda have my doubts, he loves to eat.
Cold weather is on it's way. It will be tempting to eat more and move less but ..................... this time it's different.
It better be or I'm apt to be talking about me getting a triple by-pass.
Today's project, changing out some more light fixtures from florescent to LEDs. I've had the stuff for quite a while and I want to brighten up the place a little and fight the winter blues.
Here we go another video of some doctor's explanation of food, health, chronic diseases, he's a cardiologist. It's up to us to be informed and make wise decisions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rXVcSSDbb0 much conflicting information but I keep watching them and learning.
That's about it for now folks....
Roscoe

You're right on track in my view.

It's been my experience that seemingly sudden weight gains can often be traced back to an especially carby meal often combined with fat. Deep dish pizza, cheesy fries or mashed potatoes with butter or gravy for example. The weight gain is a result of the body's retaining additional water in order to process those carbs - at roughly a 4:1 ratio. It'll usually resolves quickly by itself in 2-3 days.

It's actually worthwhile to include an occasional "fling" meal to guard against any growing sense of being unfairly and continually deprived. You know there's a cost the comes with it, but the recovery mechanics are also obvious and simple.

HTH

Oct. 10, 2018 Weight 160.5
Thanks for the reply, ASFnFuel,
So much for that extra 3.5 lbs that popped up yesterday. I fasted yesterday and the pounds dropped, mostly water, I blame a bunch of it on that box of pumpkin flavoured Tasty O's I got at Aldi's. I eat that stuff right out of the box and it's got added sugar and I can eat a bunch of it at one sitting. Anyway I fasted yesterday and it's the first time I've done a "correctional" fast. It was pretty easy, I was wondering how difficult it would be to fast again. No problem, I just didn't eat and thus far haven't eaten yet today. I feel fine and not really hungry yet. It does show how much weight can change in a day because of whatever, salt, carbs, diuretics, but there is still 3500 calories to the pound.
" continually deprived"? What? Being fat was continually deprived, mobility, appearance, health that was what was I was being deprived of most of all. It's a shame food has become such a focus in our lives, yes we ought to enjoy what we eat but it's become an obsession and don't count on friends and family for much help when you are trying to lose weight and keep it off. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard "oh, you lost enough" , "you don't need to lose any more, you look fine", "it won't hurt you to eat this". I think we all know how this goes.
So today is another go visit mom at the nursing home. I gotta fire up the old Toyota, get Maggie and head west (old man) head west.
Here we go .... yoyo'ing what I don't want to do, this came through in today's e-mail. A good site for health information. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/ ... your-heart?
Later,
Roscoe

Oct. 23, 2018 Weight 165 (oops) BP 120/78
It's getting cooler and I'll have to start really watching what I eat, or rather how much I eat. I swore I wasn't going to be one of those that gain back what they lost and I intend to still keep that promise.
I was just watching this guy, I'm not diabetic but what and how they eatt goes hand in hand with our eating habits.
Maggie and I had our mile walk yesterday, she is the poky one or I'd walk faster and further but Maggie likes to stop and smell the roses and everything else she can. Fair enough, a few years I was the slow one and stopping often to let my chest quit hurting. I rode the bike almost 6 miles yesterday, it was a little windy so it was tough riding south but easy coming back. I got a can veggie soup at the store and some Vienna sausages for the little rescue dog I got a couple of years ago.
All in all things are going pretty well, I need to check in more often and stay motivated though. I drove the 140 miles to visit mom a couple of days ago, at the nursing home. She is doing better mentally, but some of the things she now remembers and talks about I'd just as soon forget, whatever. I go, I listen, I stay 3 hours, I leave.
My friend that had the quadruple by-pass came by yesterday and we went to a couple of coin shops. I thought he'd had only triple by-pass but it was quadruple. He's doing well, he is diabetic but is able to control it with oral meds. He says he's eating better now, we'll see. He is supposed to be released to go back to truck driving in early December they are saying now.
Here's the video I was watching, as they chop parts off this guy's foot he gets more serious about eating healthier. I'm the same way, but it's my ticker not my feet and clogged arteries not diabetes but the story is the same. Poor diet caused the problem. This is one of the earlier videos, there are four or five after it with details of what he went through. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n-Jhp5ciFo
OK, enough for now, it's dog walking time.
Later,
Roscoe

Oct. 26, 2018 Weight 163.5
Fasting today, at least so far I am. The elusive 160 and under goal. I know I can do it now, I just "have" to do it, it's up to me. Absolutely no help from neighbours and friends who seem to think we all ought to have a belly sticking out. A neighbour the other day told me to be careful because I might need that reserve fat if I get sick. I told her I could lose another 30lbs and still be in the normal range.
Not many posting here, I suppose it will be like that until after the new year? That's when the folks make their resolutions and sign up at the exercise clubs. I ran into a goofy guy I use to work with the other day, he has never been overweight, exercises a lot but he got a couple stents a while back. He wasn't overweight but he ate a lot of not very healthy foods. We are both retired, it was good to see and talk with him but he was as goofy as ever.
Not a lot going on, main change here is getting some inside winter projects going so I won't sit and dwell on what's in the kitchen. I'm OK until the first bite of food then the dam breaks. How I long for the days when I was kid and over eating was painful. I remember as a little kid I just couldn't eat more than a small bowl of cereal or a sandwich. After years of unintentional training, now I can eat non-stop till I fall asleep (pass out is more like it) LOL.
I'm fighting with the printer and linux, I think I almost got it working but gave up on it for today. I don't print much of anything any more but I want it working. I can always use an old windows computer if I have to but I want it working with linux.
Watching the markets and wondering if a big crash is coming, I've been through three market crashes now but the young ones haven't, 10 years of easy money has spoiled those that don't know markets can and will go down.
That's enough, back to painting some ceiling tiles. Hope everyone has a great day and a great weekend.
Later,
Roscoe

Halloween 2018 Weight 160.5 BP 117/78

Happy Halloween to Everyone.
Somehow I'm a couple of pounds lighter than just a couple days ago. Fasting most of the day yesterday and the 1/2 lbs of calories gone and the water connected with it I suppose.
A trip yesterday to visit mom again at the nursing home, 148 miles round trip yesterday. I left my bag of things I carry, there, my cell phone and vaping juice were in the carry bag and still are ! The cell phone I can live without, but the juice for vaping....... no way! I'm drug free except for nicotine and caffeine, I can even do with out sugar now but I gotta admit the shredded wheat with the frosting does taste a lot better than plain shredded wheat. And I'm guilty of eating pumpkin flavoured Tasty-O's from Aldis. Back to the "now I don't have it" cell phone. Plan A was to drive 148 miles round trip to get it, no way I'm not driving that again till next week, plan B find my head set and learn how to use Google Talk using the computer. That's what I did and found it works pretty well, main problem was if I want a google phone number they send a text to phone, which is 74 miles away. But you can call out and that's what I did. I called my neighbour and the nursing home and they said they have my bag of goodies safe and sound. There was an amber alert and I think that's probably when they found it in mom's room. The e-juice, no problem the vaping store is only a mile from here and the ladies there are always happy to see me and sell me some more.
I turned the lights out so no trick or treaters and the associated left over candy this year. Before I've bought it and put it in the trunk of the car so I wouldn't eat it before Halloween, this year I'm so put off with sugar and highly processed foods that I didn't even bother buying any treats. I could have gotten healthy treats for the kids but that's what they trade away next day at school, at least that's what we did. An apple wasn't worth much compared to sweets.
I got mom a watch with a large enough face, numbers, and hands so she can see it, her eyes are pretty bad. I didn't know if she would like but she went nuts over it. She was telling what time it was about every 5 minutes for the 1st half hour. She has a clock in her room but the battery in her watch had gone bad and that watch was really small so I just got another watch instead of bother with a new battery. You never know with mom, most gifts she doesn't like and is apt to give away but the watch was a hit.
I had a good trip all in all, no flats, no tickets, no peanut butter crackers on the way home (they were also in that bag... and probably still are) but my tires sure balancing, that goes up on the list of things to do, near the top of the list!
Not much really going on, watching my weight really close and what I eat. It all seems so simple now, but I've learned a lot in the past year about nutrition and what is considered healthy now days compared to what I learned years ago. Thus far fasting did the trick for me.,... "thus far". We'll see what I weigh a year from now. I've thought about losing another 10 lbs to see what that does with my blood pressure, it went right down with the weight loss and another 10 lbs less might be a good thing.
Today's post ..... What else? Google Voice, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uIJnXbzqqM&t=200s no telling what kind of voice recognition and data mining goes on when you use it but, hey, it's FREE.
That's enough for today,
Later Folks,
Roscoe

You are such a good son! Funny about trying to make do without the cell phone! I bet you'll be relieved to get it back! I know I would've had to drive back to get it.

A though for Halloween. A lot of the trick-or-treaters get thirsty a long the way. We had a couple actually ask for a glass of water. My mom used to have Capri Suns to give out, but you could also do little water bottles. They would really appreciate it and you wouldn't be tempted by it!

Nov 9, 2018 Weight 161.5 (the other day)
Oh dear, here comes winter and that means staying inside and not being as active as I was. Why is it so much easier to fix something to eat than do something like run the vacuum or some much needed inside painting ?
Halloween 2018 has come and gone and I got through that pretty well. I found a piece of candy still sealed in the wrapper when walking Maggie and that never made it home. A gummy bear, I had it eaten in a couple of blocks. Next up is Thanksgiving.... no problem... I use to eat my favourite pizza on Thanksgiving but that won't happen this year. What I'll eat I don't know but it will be healthy and non fattening.
A trip to see mom in the nursing home a few days ago and my phone was still there so that's back in action. I'll use google voice for long calls though, I went through 750 minutes in a month, just listening to others for the most of it.
On the way out of town I stopped at the senior citizens where they were doing health checks. BP was 130/90 cholesterol 140 but blood sugar was in the 60s. I wasn't worried about the blood sugar, I felt fine, but the nurses there got a bit excited. I took some of their candy to make them happy but gave it to mom later. I did get groceries on the way out of town and snacked on shredded wheat bites along the way. A safe driving course later this month at the senior citizens place, 10% off on my auto insurance for making that and if I pass the test! The car tires are back in balance, I took the wheels off and cleaned the dried mud that had caked on the back inside of the wheels and that was good enough to get them back in balance. I also ordered some tire pressure monitors so maybe I won't have three flats in a year or if I do at least I'll know before I ruin a tire..... if the tire pressure monitors do what they claim they will do..... it's a guy thing ladies ... but go ahead and look, ...https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wireless-Solar ... rk:50:pf:0
I talked to my friend that had the by-pass surgery this morning. He is doing very well and they will release him to drive a truck soon. He passed the stress test on the tread mill. His brother actually took me up on the invitation to walk the daily (well, almost daily) walk with Maggie and me. 1st time in over 6 years anyone has walked with us the whole mile although I've invited many to come along. 40 degrees but no wind and the sun was out so it was easy walking. With Maggie, the colder it is the more she likes it.
I've been watching youtubes today about nutrition, lots and lots of conflicting information. You name it and you can find a doctor that says it's good or bad for us. Me? I'm eating plants mostly now. I'm going to cut way back on butter and I don't know what to put on cereal but cows milk, however I might try the high dollar almond or coconut milk. I've been putting cottage cheese on baked potatoes and I may or may not change that. The idea is to come through winter without gaining weight and stay healthy.
Here's the one that has prompted me to think again about dairy products. ..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMO7QmFhxWg
That's about it for this week, two arctic fronts coming next week so it will be cold. I have plenty to do to keep me busy but something about it being cold outside makes me want to hibernate here in front of the computer. I've still got a long ways to go it seems when it comes to changing my behaviour.
That's enough chit chat for now, hoping and praying everyone is healthy and happy,
Later Folks,
Roscoe

Hi, @Roscoe. It's good to see that you are still puttering along doing your thing! I am impressed with the way you are planning for the winter 'hibernation'. Being aware of the potential pitfalls that are waiting for you means that you can be prepared for them and have alternative strategies ready to overcome them.
I agree with you about the difficulty in finding away through all the 'expert' advice that is out there in the news and on the internet. I am nearly 70 and have decided that I am not worrying about too much of this and not enough of that. I just try to eat sensibly - although the odd piece of cake and pie are not off limits. Life is too short to make yourself miserable so I eat what I like - in moderation - and just keep going!
I enjoy reading about your day to day life, so keep on letting us know what you are up to and keep up the good work with your maintaining! All the best!

Nov 20 Weight? BP ?
I have a sweat shirt and hoodie on so no weight or BP till the next shower. That's another problem with me and winter. It's harder to keep accurate track of how I'm doing or not doing.
Where's all the fasters? Couldn't be because Thanksgiving is in a couple of days, then Christmas, now could it? What have I done lately concerning diet? Not a lot of change except I cut way down on butter. I love butter and tend to over use it, not really overuse it a whole lot but it starts to add up. I'm seeing how long I can go without breaking into another stick of the stuff. I know I've gained some weight already this winter, being cooped up in the house, plenty of things to do but for me inside but it's different than going outside. It's to easy to fall back into the chair and sit and read and watch TV and do things on the computer.
I'm always interested in nutrition and watching and reading about what someone thinks and says is the best way to get and stay healthy. I'm still undecided but so far the plant thing is still pretty much my choice.
Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the states, I'll go see mom at the nursing home and they had a note posted to let them know if visitors intended to eat there. Kind of a quandary for me, I have no problem skipping the meal but that is considered antisocial maybe criminal? . I can wait until after the meal but mom fades fast as the day goes along. I'll probably just show up at the usual time and deal with it and the old folks and nursing home folks can deal with me dealing with not eating. Maybe it will motivate the staff a little to think about what they are stuffing into their bodies? Most of them could stand to lose a bunch of weight. Yeah that's it ....... I'll save them all by setting an example I owe it to God and Country? That's my sense of humour folks, don't worry.
I'm still fighting with that darn cell phone, trying to get it unlocked. What my neighbour didn't tell me when sold sold it to me was that she wasn't the account holder so we have to get the original account holder to ask for the number to unlock it and he has to get it unregistered with the carrier first then they "might" send the unlock number. I can use it the way it is but I can't get all the bloatware off until I get it unlocked. I was happy with the old clamshell phone but thought I ought to be using a smartphone since everyone else was. Bad decision. I'm thinking when these minutes are used up I'll go back to a clamshell phone. It's been a real hassle trying to get a decent smart phone that "just works" without spending 50 or 75 dollars a month for a few phone calls each month. Kids today don't know how good we had it with a phone attached to the wall, we could always find those and they worked.
I guess I'd better close and find Maggie so we can walk our walk. That reminds me, https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/14/unitedh ... s-met.html , I don't have that on my insurance but it makes a lot of sense although they could use the data for other things also.... like dropping you or raising the rates if something serious shows up? That's how it is here in the states,
Oh yeah, I don't feel deprived of not eating things I like, it's my choice to eat what I want or to eat healthier. I'd like to be around for another 10 years and be as healthy as possible, I've learned to think about that when thinking "just one won't hurt" . If I could stop at one it wouldn't hurt but it's like drinking or smoking... one is to much a thousand isn't enough. We're talking potato chips, French fries, cheese slices, pats of butter, piece of pie or cake, candy bar, sodas, peanut butter crackers things like that. I've heard of people that naturally eat only what they need but I haven't met many of them and I'm certainly not one of them.
Enough rambling, Where's that dog?
And a link ... fresh off the press http://discovermagazine.com/2018/dec/al ... der-attack it talks about intermittent fasting as a way to help prevent Alzheimer's.
Later Folks,
Roscoe , the rambling mind