Tri-Tip on sale at my local Ralph's

[jhwalker]

to make it more confusing, your genetics play such an important role. You function within your genetic range. My father, who died at age 92, ate mostly fried foods and sweets for his final 25 years -- he was strong and lean and his brain functioned well right to the day that he died -- and he died from a cancer that he chose not to treat because mom was gone and he wanted to go too. He refused to eat anything that might be considered healthy. His BMI was great.
His "numbers" were great. Doctors said that if he treated the cancer they had no idea when he might slow down, but he would just laugh.

All I know is that I feel great, energy is high, I eat and (especially) drink too much, but the exercise seems to keep things in balance. And I don't see it as much more than a lotta good fortune and some effort.

[SonicVenum]

Yes, there are those genetic freaks who can eat whatever they want and not exercise, and still not gain weight. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and incidents of Type 2 diabetes run in my family. I actually have to be careful, which I haven't been all that often, if I want to make it to a ripe old age.

[jhwalker]

Yes, there are those genetic freaks who can eat whatever they want and not exercise, and still not gain weight. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and incidents of Type 2 diabetes run in my family. I actually have to be careful, which I haven't been all that often, if I want to make it to a ripe old age.

Dad was a freak, but I have to work a bit at it. I still do 3-4 healthy salads a week, and prefer the taste of the veggies over dressing, -- but tossing 3-4 juicy pieces of bacon on makes any salad good to me. As you know, the blanco tequila is medicinal, and I get plenty of medicine. And I don't like pasta, so good riddance there. The only thing that I crave is p-nut butter and raw honey on sour-dough bread. Terri is limiting me to two sessions of that (3 pieces of bread lathered up pretty good) a week. I eat it and immediately go into a form of coma/shock and sleep (pass out) for 1 hour and wake up feeling GREAT! That is part of the health routine, for the past 10 years. Mmmmmmm good. That and cook up a pound or two of bacon (thick cut) once a week and share some with the dog and cats, but mostly eat it all myself as a topping on anything that I SHOULD eat but don't want to.

Health is easy...

[Tetge]

I still believe that calorie intake is the most important factor. Grapefruit juice does not burn off a gallon of ice cream. And, the Stillman, diet, or whatever name it poses under these days, seems to work, but, few ever stick to it over time. But, with all the carbs and sugars eliminated, it may actually be a relatively low calories per day diet, which would account for the weight loss. This would be particularly true for folks who have abandoned their former heavy intake of sugars (in all forms) and carbs. I prefer a balanced approach, and balanced also has the built in ability to be scaled up when a desired weight is reached. One can add in a potato, or more beans, etc. But, if a program works, and if it has not been proved present a health danger to the person using it, then it is all good.

Still, I had a nice salad tonight, and it had freshly picked jalapenos and tomatoes from my garden in addition to other ingredients, one of which was some freshly prepared broccoli. My mouth is still burning from the two different breeds of jalapeno that I added to the salad, but, it gave it some snap. I also put a small bell pepper from the garden in the salad since I like peppers. I also, obviously, like fresh tomatoes.

[xbacksideslider]

That "food pyramid" thing they taught us in grammar school was more political than scientific and the science then was bad too.

The medical establishments' facile equations of dietary fat with body fat and of dietary cholesterol with body cholesterol, are both suspect. Your body makes cholesterol, both HDL and LDL! Some people can cut out all dietary cholesterol and still have "high" levels. It is easy and efficient for your body to make fat from carbs so all these food products that reduce fat by substituting some kind of carbohydrate for fat, accomplish little. "Low fat" usually means high carb. It is self defeating to cut the fat by substituting carbs. All that does is put more load on your pancreas and onto the path toward diabetes.

Like you said Tetge, it's the calories.

Our tongues, our taste buds, our systems, evolved to crave sugar, salt, and grease. Human ingenuity enables humanity to meet those cravings with abundance. Again, Tetge, like you said, moderation.

[jhwalker]

That "food pyramid" thing they taught us in grammar school was more political than scientific and the science then was bad too.

The medical establishments' facile equations of dietary fat with body fat and of dietary cholesterol with body cholesterol, are both suspect. Your body makes cholesterol, both HDL and LDL! Some people can cut out all dietary cholesterol and still have "high" levels. It is easy and efficient for your body to make fat from carbs so all these food products that reduce fat by substituting some kind of carbohydrate for fat, accomplish little. "Low fat" usually means high carb. It is self defeating to cut the fat by substituting carbs. All that does is put more load on your pancreas and onto the path toward diabetes.

Like you said Tetge, it's the calories.

Our tongues, our taste buds, our systems, evolved to crave sugar, salt, and grease. Human ingenuity enables humanity to meet those cravings with abundance. Again, Tetge, like you said, moderation.

Eat the right foods and everything seems to work out. Calories are NOT the same. Some foods cause the body to try to store fat, some do not. But I say, take a look in the mirror, and then ask yourself how you feel, and you will know if you are eating and living right. Some foods make it easier, some make it harder. Some foods promote health, some do not. I happen to have great luck with bacon, salt, salads, tequila, and so on. I eat a TON of calories a day, but if I exercise, my weight stays level.

If your energy is good, and you can do what you want to do, life is good. If not, change something.

A fun discussion, and I still believe that there is as much genetic chance involved as science.

Terri does not raise a finger to exercise and has great numbers, and is thin. Damn her.

[Tetge]

It is still the calories, although it is clear that different foods with the same calorie count can effect the body quite differently. As an example, 1000 calories of dried prunes, eaten in one sitting, will have a different effect on most people than 1000 calories of chocolate cake. And, someone who consumes mostly alcoholic beverages and takes in sufficient calories to maintain their weight, might well end up in poor health, although they may also look in the mirror and feel just fine about everything. It also seems that some people, for whatever reason, are prone to getting fat genetically, and others may not be as prone. But, it is hard to separate cultural and environmental considerations from genetic ones. Still, moderation and control and striking a balance between calorie consumption and desired weight are the key to successfully maintaining that weight. Some seem to do this naturally, but others have to pay attention and invoke dietary discipline at times.

I also know that carrying around significant amounts of excess weight can put strains on backs, feet, joints, and even chairs, such a lawn furniture. So, particularly as one ages, being lighter is not all that bad a thing. I'd write more, but the ice in my drink is melting.....

[jhwalker]

Good is in the eye of the beholder, but for us geezers, it is hard to disguise it if we are truly abusing our bodies, or if we are truly ill. It comes shining thru. I hate drinking a lot of water, but my body says "do it" in a lot of ways. So I do it. Whereas my father insisted on what seemed like a terrible diet, his body seemed to love it. I feel less good heavy, so that leads me to things that allow me to stay strong but not heavy --and still enjoy myself. I HATE feeling bad, so I avoid the things that make me feel bad. I feel lucky, and except when we are yakking about it, I don't really think that much about all this stuff unless I suddenly don't feel good. Which is rare. My numbers are like my father's were, so I just get them run once a year, give myself a high 5, tell the doc I will see him next year if my luck holds, and get back to the fun stuff. I probably spend less than an hour a year with a doctor, and think most don't stay current. I seldom take a doctor's advice, unless the doctor is in better shape than I am. If desperate, I will at least consider what a doctor says, and if the internet backs him up I might take a suggestion. It all feels like a lot of luck to me. Having a happy marriage helps I think.

We are leaving Georgetown, Colorado today and will head back to SoCal. It is beautiful here in the Rocky Mtns.

[Tetge]

....My numbers are like my father's were, so I just get them run once a year, give myself a high 5, tell the doc I will see him next year if my luck holds, and get back to the fun stuff. I probably spend less than an hour a year with a doctor, and think most don't stay current. I seldom take a doctor's advice, unless the doctor is in better shape than I am. If desperate, I will at least consider what a doctor says, and if the internet backs him up I might take a suggestion. It all feels like a lot of luck to me................

If it were simply a matter of luck, the playing field would be a lot more even. But, from experience, I know that genetics plays a major role in determining life expectancy. Some families are riddled with people who live well into their 90's, and, these days, even past 100. In some it is only the females, but, in some, it is everyone. And, they can look back generations and see evidence that their ancestors enjoyed long life spans. When I last checked, the 100 and over segment of the population was the fastest growing one statistically and, some 100+ year olds still get around under their own power and have clearly functioning minds, although everyone seems to slow down physically at some point or another.

I tend to agree about doctors, since, although they can do some wonderful stuff these days, they also still do not have all the answers, by far. Also, doctors are human, so there are some who are significantly better than others. So, one learns to get involved when it comes to making medical decisions.

[Tetge]

So, Juan, is your diet still working and giving solid continuing weight loss?