Galaxy Gaming for Life

[Galaxy Gamer]

The unexpected hiatus in posting is entirely due to my wife and I having a baby. This was a long-planned and much-expected miracle, except that it came early and caused quite a few lifestyle loose ends that I'm still struggling to tie up. Mom and baby are doing great, and we're all settling into a new normal of sleeping, eating, not sleeping, feeding, napping, changing diapers, and not much else.

 

At my weigh in this morning, the scale registered 191.8 pounds, a new 21st Century personal best! My BMI is down to 26, still trending downward to my goal of getting under 25.  But I'm not weighing myself every day, I'm not really tracking as much, and I'm generally keeping to a healthy diet without stressing out about it. I'm ready to focus on my activity level, if I can just find the time and energy.

[Galaxy Gamer]

My in-laws stayed with us for three weeks to help with the baby. They were complimentary about the weight I've lost, but also about the healthy food we're buying these days and also our cooking. It's not really any big deal--when I'm hungry, I make something to eat. But since we've done away with processed junk, I tend to saute vegetables, make an omelette, or mix stuff into yogurt. There are old standby recipes we've made for years, like my mom's sweet and sour meatballs, that have been tweaked a bit--ground turkey instead of ground beef, a Splenda blend instead of brown sugar, a low salt version of tomato soup, and eliminating the rice--that have taken out sodium and many grams of carbs and saturated fat. I didn't realize it before, but incremental changes over the past 23 weeks have really added up to a big difference!

 

Part of that period was the week of Passover, which has always been a challenge to keep because the Ashkenazi tradition forbids the consumption of corn, including the high fructose corn syrup included in everything from soda to ketchup to salad dressing. But this year, it was easier to keep because I've already eliminated HFCS from my diet. I've also cut back on rice, another forbidden grain. The Passover diet our ancestors have kept for thousands of years really is just like the Paleo diet of today, minus pork and shellfish plus matzah and potatoes. They even have a prohibition of legumes in common, for reasons I don't fully understand. Whatever. I'm not ready to give up peanut butter.  Point is, I'm Passover compliant most days anyway, so it's now a much more enjoyable holiday than that one with all the jellybeans and creme eggs.

[Galaxy Gamer]

Next to my daughter's ballet studio is a cafe attached to a holistic dental practice. It's a good place to hang while waiting out a weekly dance session, and where I happened upon a book written in hyperbolic terms about one author's beliefs about the life-threatening dangers of mercury-containing silver amalgam fillings, the massive conspiracy and cover-up by the dental authorities, and the upcoming multi-billion dollar legal judgments that will surely throw all of society into chaos. The book wasn't a scientific treatment, and the abundance of typos exposes it as unedited and unvetted, but there is a core of truth to the allegation: 1. amalgam fillings contain mercury; 2. mercury does bad things to the brain an body; and 3. putting mercury in your mouth and keeping it there for years and years seems like a troublesome practice. So what are the potential health effects of amalgam fillings? I not only have several of these in my mouth, but I've collected a couple more over the past month, and I've recently had one fail in a way that a large chunk could have very easily have been swallowed. 

 

A quick search (so quick that it took place in another window while I was writing this blog post) shows that the American Dental Association, World Health Organization, European Commission, U.S. Public Health Service, and multiple studies over several decades support the use of silver amalgam as safe and effective. The FDA has consistently concluded that the fillings are safe, including a recent comprehensive review dated 2012. I have no proof that these agencies are right, but their statements set a pretty high bar for anyone claiming otherwise to overcome. A further claim that these reputable agencies are not only wrong but are knowingly involved in a conspiracy to spread misinformation and promote intentionally fraudulent studies is a move into crackpot territory and won't be addressed any further in this article.

 

Further reading suggests that the controversy exists at least partly because of popular confusion between different types of environmental mercury, including a kind that is readily absorbed by the body and another kind that is not. The first is found in fish and can be toxic at high enough levels. The other passes through the human body without much effect. Only the kind that is not readily absorbed is used in dental fillings, so there's some comfort that swallowing a broken filling will not be fatal.

 

However, amalgam opponents aren't just worried about the bits of filling that break off. They point to studies showing that fillings give off mercury vapor that patients breathe in constantly for as long as the fillings remain in their teeth. This is a more recent concern that is backed by science. The level of vapor generally seems to be well within the safety standards currently set by OSHA, but under some circumstances (after gum chewing, acidic and/or carbonated drink consumption, or teeth grinding) may temporarily rise to levels that would be standard-noncompliant in a workplace. Given that OSHA standards are based on our best current understanding of long-term health risks that are known to be incomplete, and that the standards do not take into account individuals who may have a lower than normal level of tolerance, there are people who probably should think twice about getting silver amalgam fillings. For example, because mercury passes through the placenta and the effect on unborn children is currently unknown, women are advised to hold off on amalgams during pregnancy or go with an alternative if their teeth can't wait. People who are already exposed to high levels of mercury in their diets or work environments also should refrain from adding even more mercury burden to their bodies. And it may be that people with some existing neurological disorders are more susceptible to mercury than the population at large.

 

It's no apocalyptic conspiracy theory but things do get a bit murky and uncertain when you dive into the details. More research clearly needs to be done, and until the results are in it's perfectly reasonable for well informed patients getting new fillings to hedge their bets, pony up the added expense if they can, and choose alternative products that work nearly as well and aren't nearly as controversial--although there are also concerns about some of the substances in white composite fillings. It may turn out that people who fall into a group suspected of being at a greater risk may benefit from removing their existing fillings--or not. We won't know for sure until we have conclusive long-term study results, but that will take more years than some folks are willing to risk.

 

Weighing the risks for myself, given that I'm neurologically healthy, have given up soda, and don't chew gum, I'm not particularly worried, but I understand that other people have to make their own decisions.

 

One certain thing is that everyone should encourage the safe manufacture, handling, and disposal of amalgam materials and other mercury bearing products that might otherwise enter the environment. Currently in the United States, this is regulated on a state by state basis with some states being a lot more lax than others. The fillings I got this year were placed using dental dams, which reduce mercury exposure. This is a welcome advance over my previous fillings which were done the old fashioned way.

[Galaxy Gamer]

First I lost 46 pounds (so far). Then today I lost 46 pounds of pants and shirts that no longer fit! The local scout troop was holding their annual used clothing drive, and this year I had a bundle for them.

 

It felt good in a few different ways. First, helping a good cause is always rewarding. Second, freeing up space in my closet will help in my drive to get organized. Third, the clothes represent all the progress I've made toward a healthier body. But fourth and most important, getting rid of the clothes completes the commitment I've made that I will never need them again. I will never again step on a scale and see a number in the 200s, and I will never again need a pair of pants with a 40-inch waist. The changes I've made will stick because that's who I am now, and who I am now feels pretty good.

[Galaxy Gamer]

Yesterday was the annual road race in our town. It's the second one since we've moved here, and the second time I watched from the sidelines. I'm not an entirely passive observer though, since I jogged alongside my daughter as she competed with other kids in the six-year-old's division. It was kind of like running with the bulls in Spain, except with kindergartners instead.

 

There's no seven-year-old's division, so next year she will graduate into the 2k run, and my goal is to do the 5k. Back in January, I had dreams of getting in shape for this year's 5k, but winter in New England is an awful time to start a running regimen. Next year it happens, and perhaps in the future I will work my way up to the 10k, which is an inspiring sight to watch. These men and women, young and old, on two legs or just one, by themselves or pushing a stroller, in spandex or wearing tu-tus, are all putting me to shame.

[Galaxy Gamer]

Week 24 weigh-in time!  The scale says I'm at 188.8 pounds, and who am I to argue? That means I've lost more than 20% of my body mass since I've started, I've smashed through the 190-pound barrier, I'm under 26 BMI, I'm at a 20-year low weight, I'm less than a pound away from my goal of losing 50 pounds, I've tightened my belt by a seventh notch, I've purchased two pairs of 34-inch waist jeans, and I'm still two weeks shy of my six month deadline.

 

[JeffreyJames]

I've just installed F.lux onto my computer. It's supposed to filter the blue from the screen after sunset so help enable better neurotransmitter levels and better sleep. I haven't had any trouble getting to sleep, but I figure it couldn't hurt and a neurotransmitter boost might be nice.  My screen definitely seems more salmon colored than before, so it's doing something.  Has anyone tried this program, and has it been good for you?

 

I also use Flux. It is very helpful. Now I don't have eye strains.

 

Week 24 weigh-in time!  The scale says I'm at 188.8 pounds, and who am I to argue? That means I've lost more than 20% of my body mass since I've started, I've smashed through the 190-pound barrier, I'm under 26 BMI, I'm at a 20-year low weight, I'm less than a pound away from my goal of losing 50 pounds, I've tightened my belt by a seventh notch, I've purchased two pairs of 34-inch waist jeans, and I'm still two weeks shy of my six month deadline.

 

Wow! Look at you. Congrats for the changes you made

[Galaxy Gamer]

Thanks!  I'm glad Flux worked on your eyestrain--it does seem like a useful program now that I've gotten used to it.

[JeffreyJames]

I'm able to sit more time in front of computer now.

[Galaxy Gamer]

I'm still here, in case you were wondering.

 

My initial goal to lose the 55 pounds required to get my BMI under 25 has been met!

 

100%

100%

 

I am no longer overweight for the first time in my adult life. This happened at my weigh-in at the end of Weight Loss Week #31, which I am now calling Healthy Weight Week #1. This current week is Healthy Weight Week #6.

 

This weekend, I have been continuing to purge XL-sized clothing from my wardrobe and add in more articles of the medium-sized stuff that actually fits me now. It's a process that will take some time, because a complete wardrobe replacement is quite an expensive undertaking. But it is so worthwhile. Compared with where I was last November, when I started this journey, I feel better, look better, and have better numbers on my liver function tests.

 

My new primary goal is to stay within a healthy BMI range until my hundredth birthday, at which time I might choose to let myself go. During that time, I will continue to eat well, exercise often, manage stress, get plenty of sleep, exercise good oral hygiene, and proper skin care. I will continue with weekly weigh-ins and would like to lose another five pounds or so, to ensure that a bad week won't put me out of the healthy range.

 

I am also continuing to level up my eating and exercise. This weekend, my wife discovered a way to make gluten-free crepes that go amazingly well with eggs, cheese, and sauteed vegetables--and we will be cooking with actual olive oil instead of the 70/20/10 canola/olive/grapeseed blend that we were duped by misleading labeling into believing was actual olive oil. Also, we have discovered cold-pressed coffee--not a health thing, but amazingly tasty over ice.

[Galaxy Gamer]

I followed a recipe this morning that had me put raw eggs in coffee, then did some research on whether I might be putting myself at risk of contracting salmonella. Probably should have done that in reverse order, but it tasted surprisingly good and I've not come down with any symptoms so far. My mother once contracted salmonella from handling raw chicken she was cooking, and ever since I've been paranoid when dealing with raw chicken myself, but never thought that eggs could also be suspect.

 

I also pulled out the set of body fat calipers I bought a few months back--at the time, I was bummed that my measurements were off the chart. Literally, my body fat percentage could not be calculated with the chart that came with the calipers. But I'm pleased to report that I am now officially on the chart. I'm hoping that the exercise program will help me add muscle and reduce fat, so the calipers will be a good measure of that, as well as the number of each exercise I am able to do.

 

Although I've not been trying to lose weight after reaching my goal range, it's been a bit disconcerting to see my fairly steady progress hit a plateau. Now that my wife is also losing weight, I will probably be consuming fewer calories as well so might see some additional losses. Another five pounds would be nice.

[Galaxy Gamer]

After a brief hiatus, I have returned  and have a good update to make.

 

My goal last year was to get healthy and develop habits to keep myself healthy.  I am pleased to report that goal was tentatively reached as of my annual physical.  I lost around 50 pounds and developed some good dietary habits. As a result, my liver function is good, and my blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol are back in the healthy range. "Keep doing what you're doing, and maybe try to be more active," is what my doctor said.

 

I no longer step on the scale weekly, but when I do my weight has been trending upward. I think that can be managed/reversed for 2015 with more snack control, especially late in the day. I stopped doing the Angry Birds workout because of a worrisome twinge in my shoulder, but that has cleared up and I will gradually reintroduce some of the exercises into my routine. Otherwise, I am in great shape. If I just do what I do, five to ten pounds will lose themselves without me ever having to worry about my weight for the entire year, and that's an exciting idea that frees me up to focus on other things.

 

My focus for 2014 will be on life balance: better organization, more effective business practices, and finding time for creative outlets.  My first priority will be to get organized, but also to reestablish and shore up the good habits I had going at one time last year.

 

My challenge log is here.  Wish me luck!