Health update

 

Regular readers will know that since my disabling injury in 2004, I've been growing steadily less healthy, thanks to the limitations on mobility and exercise imposed by that injury, plus constant, never-ending pain from nerve damage.  My weight also ballooned, thanks to the wrong mix of medications after a heart attack in 2009, which caused me to put on over 100 pounds in less than a year.  The combination trashed my body's metabolic balance, and I've never been able to lose weight by "regular" means since then.  (I wasn't able to exercise normally, thanks to my earlier injury.)

Blood tests last month warned me that I had to do something, or die soon.  My liver was flashing danger signs, my pre-diabetic symptoms had erupted into full-blown diabetes (Type 2), and other indications warned of potential organ failure unless I did something drastic.  I wrote about it earlier this month.

I'm doing something drastic to try to counter the overall deterioration in my health, including pain levels.  I've recently started a liquid-only fast Monday-Friday every week, with strictly limited food intake (mostly carnivore, i.e. meat-only) at the weekends.  It's helping me to lose weight (a lot of which piled on since my injury, thanks to my inability to exercise much due to pain and physical limitations), and I hope it'll also have the effect of a "hard reset" on some of my bodily problems.  It has for some (not all) others, so I'm hoping it'll benefit me too.  Results won't be verifiable for some months, so watch this space for details in due course.  (Yes, I'm doing it under medical supervision, to try to avoid some of the problems others have encountered.  I'm following the general guidelines provided by Dr. Jason Fung of Canada, with a number of variations on the theme tailored to my needs and abilities.)

Last Friday I did another comprehensive series of blood tests.  They show dramatic improvement in almost all areas of concern, including my liver, which has returned to the mid-range of normal readings in terms of function, etc.  My heart health is also better.  For both organs, the "hard reset" effect of the fast appears to have worked.  My diabetes is well on the way to being not only controlled, but eliminated, if current trends continue.  Best of all, after thirty days on this rigorous fasting diet my weight is down by 30.7 pounds.  That's so high it's potentially cause for concern if I wasn't doing this under medical supervision (too-rapid weight loss can cause organ failure and other problems).  However, with my blood tests being so positive, and no visible or obvious health concerns as a result, I'm happy with it.  I see my doctor tomorrow to have her check me out from head to foot.  If she gives the go-ahead, I'll continue with the weekly fast;  if she thinks I should break before continuing it, I'll eat for a couple of weeks, then get back to business.  That'll be her call.

I expect future months' weight loss to be considerably less, because the initial week or two on this fasting diet always gets rid of the "easy weight" (excess water, etc.).  Later weeks are half, or less than half, of that earlier loss.  Still, if I can maintain 10-12 pounds per month, sooner or later I'll get to where I want to be.  That's going to take a long time, and I know I won't enjoy the process:  but if normal diet and exercise can't work for me, this is about the only thing that will.

Thank you for all the good wishes you've sent.  Here's hoping for continued success.

Peter