A VIRTUOUS CYCLE

I have dropped 20 pounds so far on greens and beans. I have changed my weight goal from 250 pounds to 220 pounds as I am now convinced I can get there. Not only that, I am pretty sure that is where my body will naturally end up on a largely vegan diet. I have more energy to exercise so that fuels the motivation to keep moving, and moving melts the fat away. It is a virtuous cycle, compared to the vicious cycle I was previously on.

High fasting sugar

My fasting blood sugar in the morning has been in the 155 range. I am sticking to a vegan diet for a month to see what happens. According to Dr. Fuhrman, my blood sugar will normalize. I already feel different. Much better mental clarity, though I need to eat on schedule. I weighed 296 this morning. A drop of 9 pounds off my world record 305 during Christmas. I can breathe again.

Hard to believe a diet can do this

It's hard to believe a diet can make such a different in one's mental state. I underestimated the profound effect than unstable blood sugar can have on the mind, despite reading a multitude of health books and diet books the last 30 years. After the initial withdrawal symptoms, after three days on lots of non-starchy vegetables, beans, brown rice, nuts, berries, and seeds I find myself completely freed from food cravings and mental fog. And this is without quitting coffee or the occasional whisky. It is like my body clock moved back 10 years. It's a diet I can follow, as I ate this way for several years. And I can have hot sauce. It's a simple change really--instead of a large bag of tortilla chips I grab a bag of carrot chips. After the first few bites, I'm watching the TV show and I don't even realize I am eating carrots. And I saved myself 1200 calories and a wild swing in blood sugar. Yes, I was that bad.

DR. JOEL FUHRMAN DIABETES DIET

I started a new diet plan yesterday. I got a Christmas gift card for Barnes and Noble, and I saw Dr. Joel Fuhrman's new book about beating diabetes. Since I am pre-diabetic, and have insulin resistance, I thought it would be a good read. I decided to try the diet as I could understand it. It allows for a lot of beans, which other diabetic diets said were too high in carbohydrates. I find beans and rice satisfying with some vegetables, essentially a macrobiotic diet I ate for years and taught.

I weighed 301 pounds this morning. I peaked at 305 pounds during Christmas 2012. Sausage balls. My goal weight is 250 pounds, which is still over the chart limit for my 6'4" frame no matter how large I say that frame is. I will see what life is like at 250 and deicide where to go from there.

My daughter turns 18 soon, and will leave for college next fall, so this is my last chance to demonstrate to her the power of natural foods. My son needs a diet plan too, as his friend Caleb said yesterday--he's tired of eating at fast food places.

This is the desire of my heart and I know that God will grant me the power to do it.