Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

I know so many people get stressed this time of year about overeating. There are so many opportunities to overeat during the holidays, that it's easy to binge on the wrong foods. I thought I would offer some tips on what has worked for me when I'm in a setting with lots of junk food.

If it were four years ago, I would think nothing of downing a plate of Christmas cookies in one sitting. I have a big appetite and I had difficulty stopping at just one cookie. So what's changed for me that I'm able to have better control? Healthy eating.

I haven't had my body fat checked since the beginning of October. My trainer suggested I wait two months before I have it tested again. The last time it was checked, it was at 13.24 percent. I'm hoping it will be lower when I have it checked again in the first week of December.

I've been continuing my strength training, working out five times a week. My weight was expected to drop a few pounds, in order to get to a lower percentage. My waist size has gone down to around 32, which means I've achieved the same weight as high school. I tried on a few pairs of 32 pants, one fit but the other one didn't. I still fit into size 34 so I don't have to buy new clothes.  I can't believe that I could fit into size 44, it just amazes me when I look at those pants! I keep them as a reminder of how far I've come.

I remember about ten years ago, I had a cold that seemed to linger and must have stayed with me for over a month. I had long coughing spells... at times coughing so much my chest would be in pain. That's why I feared getting another cold, because of how long it lasted in the past. But there's a difference between the colds I had back then and the cold I just recovered from; back then, I would use over the counter remedies, today, I  buy certain produce and recover so much faster.

This past weekend, I noticed I was getting somewhat of a sore throat, but nothing too bad. By Monday, I noticed I was also getting some congestion. I really shouldn't have worked out on Monday, but I did. By Tuesday, my cold had turned into a non stop runny nose all day! Finally, on Wednesday, i had pain in my face from the pressure of my sinuses and was feeling miserable.

When I was asked to share my weight loss journey for this blog, I thought it would be a fairly simple task. I started seriously tracking my weight in April when I was 270 lbs and 6 months later am at 220 lbs. This weight loss was achieved largely through diet changes using a nutrition system. My wife had lost a lot of weight by eating clean but was coming up short on energy and we decided to get on a protein shake based nutritional system which helped her with her energy, and me with my weight. 

On the surface, that is what has happened. If you are a facebook friend, that is what you could see from the various pictures and status updates shared over the last few months.

When I started my health journey three years ago, I read many articles that stated that processed meats cause cancer. Dr. Fuhrman has been saying it for years. Dr. Oz just mentioned it in an episode last week. But when the World Health Organization (WHO) says that processed meats cause cancer, suddenly people are listening.

Processed meats include foods primarily in the beef and pork families, such as sausage, bacon, pepperoni and corned beef, but it can also include foods like chicken nuggets. Luncheon meats unless you are purchasing turkey or chicken breast, are probably processed meats.