Reversing the effects of a lifetime of drinking

[Owly055]

At 63, I've more or less quit drinking..... one or two social beers a week........ But I carry the effects of a lifetime of drinking.....though not to anything most folks would call "excess". My blood pressure is in the danger zone, ..... per my own measurement..... I refuse to go to doctors, and I am overweight. At 5'6", I was weighing in at 202 lbs, which is about 22 pounds higher than I was for many years. This is largely due to brewing and drinking beer, but I also love high carb foods.

Two weeks into my self designed program, I'm down to 193.8 stable. I've been intermittent fasting, and consuming virtually no carbs. I'm using something resembling a Keto diet. The fasts have been multi day mostly, though the last one was 24 hours. Tonight after two days of eating "normally", I will go on a fast that I hope to last Friday Night through Wednesday night of next week.

Interestingly, I find fasting mostly easy.... I have little difficulty with hunger, it's more a matter of the habit of eating. It's interesting to note that my main problem is thermal. I'm more sensitive to cold.

The objective here is not specifically weight loss, but fat removal.... belly fat, and liver fat. The liver is a very strong organ that will regenerate far more quickly than other organs in the body, only the lining of the intestines regenerates more rapidly.

These fasts are water fasts, with only vitamins. I break them with a cup of warm bone broth, followed by some kombucha (home brewed), and a kefir (also home brewed) based smoothie......... to regenerate my intestinal flora.

This is an extremely aggressive program......... It's life or death as far as I'm concerned. While I'm in good shape by most standards.... I'm not in good enough shape to satisfy myself. I have walked 2 miles a day for many years..... on my own trail through the woods to the post office. Last summer I took several long hikes in the mountains of Montana ranging from 15 to 20 miles in a day, climbing high in to the mountains, typically about 3000 to 4000 feet of elevation gain. I don't push myself..... but I keep going. I've always been like that. Not the fastest guy, but I'm still going when others have quit.

My longevity matters to me more than it once did, as I increasingly realize how much I want to do yet....

H.W.

 

[Beer-lord]

I'm probably only 10 lbs over what I should be and relatively healthy. I don't drink everyday but I go to the gym 3 days a week and weather permitting, walk 2 miles in the morning during the work week. It seems to work. I do eat healthy food (thanks to my wife) and try to limit cabs as much as possible. I don't do real diets because I feel the up and down of doing those is not good for you. While I've read that some fasting is healthy, some of the diets are found, years later, to tax your system and make your later years in life unhealthy. But, years ago they said a glass a day was ok only to say recently no amount of alcohol is good.
They're like the weather guys, they suck!
Good luck to your endeavors.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

Best of luck in your journey!

 

[MaxStout]

Good on you! I just read that 1/3 of American adults are "pre-diabetic" (A1C between 57-64), not to mention the millions who have type 2. And there are the cardio risks. It's never too late to change course and get more healthy. Best wishes to you on this.

 

[Owly055]

I'm probably only 10 lbs over what I should be and relatively healthy. I don't drink everyday but I go to the gym 3 days a week and weather permitting, walk 2 miles in the morning during the work week. It seems to work. I do eat healthy food (thanks to my wife) and try to limit cabs as much as possible. I don't do real diets because I feel the up and down of doing those is not good for you. While I've read that some fasting is healthy, some of the diets are found, years later, to tax your system and make your later years in life unhealthy. But, years ago they said a glass a day was ok only to say recently no amount of alcohol is good.
They're like the weather guys, they suck!
Good luck to your endeavors.

I ignore such medical "wisdom"

"But, years ago they said a glass a day was ok only to say recently no amount of alcohol is good."

Throughout my life, I've watched them flipflop on so many things that I follow my own ideas and ignore them. Coffee and eggs, fat and cholesterol, etc..... they're just guessing, and generally full of BS!! Enjoy your drink a day and don't worry about it. Everything "good" is "bad".....

H.W.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Throughout my life, I've watched them flipflop on so many things that I follow my own ideas and ignore them. Coffee and eggs, fat and cholesterol, etc..... they're just guessing, and generally full of BS!! Enjoy your drink a day and don't worry about it. Everything "good" is "bad".....

Yep. Just yesterday my wife sent me something about how terrible red meat is.

Well... Guess I'll die, then.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Last summer I took several long hikes in the mountains of Montana ranging from 15 to 20 miles in a day, climbing high in to the mountains, typically about 3000 to 4000 feet of elevation gain. I don't push myself..... but I keep going. I've always been like that. Not the fastest guy, but I'm still going when others have quit.

That's pretty impressive at any age.

 

[Owly055]

With 15 days of cumulative fasting... 2 day, 4 day, 3 day, 1 day, and 5 day, I'm showing a weight loss of 16 pounds..... which I do not consider a stable weight. More realistically I'm looking at about half that figure. I'm going mostly keto, and walking 2 miles a day through the woods to the post office and back. I refuse to walk on roads and sidewalks. Trails.. in this case, my own, promote flexibility. Each foot fall has to be placed, you twist and step over and between things, and generally enhance coordination and balance. It is very good for me, and accounts for my stamina and balance. I've done this for many years, and at 63, I'm more flexible and nimble than many people younger than myself who work out. I don't consider simple muscle development as important as flexibility, coordination, and stamina.
I've set my target at 84 days of cumulative fasting.. while working and staying active. Next summer, I hope to go to the mountains about once a week while weather allows. My program for the foreseeable future is never to have more than two consecutive eating days, possibly to go alternate day fasts. If one cannot hold the ground you've gained, then there is no point in it is there?

H.W.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

I.M. fasting along with what you describe as "resembling" keto took my lady down 20 pounds over last year. I fast normally anyway but don't watch what I eat as much. I'm one of those guys everyone curses who has a rabbit-like metabolism. Still yesterday started 1 250mg milk thistle per day to see if maybe my liver will be happier. Won't go to the doctor to check so who knows. I have friends who have done up to 72 hour fasts and after doing a couple 24 hour periods I admire them, although most say after 48 hours the body stops having hunger pangs a bit. I won't find out if that's true.

 

[Owly055]

I.M. fasting along with what you describe as "resembling" keto took my lady down 20 pounds over last year. I fast normally anyway but don't watch what I eat as much. I'm one of those guys everyone curses who has a rabbit-like metabolism. Still yesterday started 1 250mg milk thistle per day to see if maybe my liver will be happier. Won't go to the doctor to check so who knows. I have friends who have done up to 72 hour fasts and after doing a couple 24 hour periods I admire them, although most say after 48 hours the body stops having hunger pangs a bit. I won't find out if that's true.

Andrew:
I used to be one of those guys who could eat anything but never gain.... those days are over. One of the reasons for longer fasts is autolysis. When your body goes into that state, it starts consuming damaged cells, mutated cells, and whatever resources it can find, including cancer cells, and even arterial plaque, which shows a reduction. Also calcification's in your kidneys that become kidney stones tend to be dissolved, but that's chemistry..... there are many many positive effects, and as far as I know no negative ones. I'm a non-doctoring guy..... I go in when I need stitches, or have strep throat, etc. Haven't seen on in over 10 years.... hopefully never until they are examining my corpse ;-)

H.W.

 

[kh54s10]

It's all good if it works well for you.

I am overweight, drink too much. But I work in retail so I end up walking about 6-8 miles a day. I could never fast. I'm not convinced that that is even healthy. I eat fairly well, but will eat anything that fancies my appetite. I often eat a meal that is only meat but in the next day or so I eat a meal that is only vegetables. I feel it balances out. As far as colds, stomach ails etc. I am far healthier than most of my friends that "take care of themselves"

I find that portion control does it for me. My meals tend to get bigger and bigger until I can't fit in my pants. I then make a conscious effort to make meals of a reasonable size. And to do some biking. I hate walking for exercise and jogging is infinitely worse.

Time to start making smaller meals, stay away from the snacks and get some more biking in.

 

[mongoose33]

 

[bracconiere]

I.M. fasting along with what you describe as "resembling" keto took my lady down 20 pounds over last year. I fast normally anyway but don't watch what I eat as much. I'm one of those guys everyone curses who has a rabbit-like metabolism. Still yesterday started 1 250mg milk thistle per day to see if maybe my liver will be happier. Won't go to the doctor to check so who knows. I have friends who have done up to 72 hour fasts and after doing a couple 24 hour periods I admire them, although most say after 48 hours the body stops having hunger pangs a bit. I won't find out if that's true.

In the US you can order your own liver panel...it's like 18-20 bucks or something, places like directlabs.com...i do it all the time..

And i use CRON-O-Meter...have been for 9 years...works great

 

[SanPancho]

applaud the effort to lose weight. one thing most folks refuse to understand is that calories in is more important than calories out. excercise is great and has a place in healthy life, but moderation in food intake is the more logical method to stay healthy. much less effort and bang for the buck.

look up something called the fast mimicking diet. from a guy at USC. i realize KETO is the new hot thing, but i have a buddy that does research there, he's seen the data, VERY significant results. one crappy week per month on a vegan diet, something like 600 calories only. start with 4-6 months of it. then do one month per quarter once your levels are healthy. he said he's seen patients like you- lots of hard living- come back to the level of folks in there 30s on the diet. he's seen diabetics "cured" on the diet. (not type 1 obviously)

regardless of whether you do that or not, i hate to be a party pooper but if you're "fasting" while also drinking kombucha and kefir then you're not doing nearly as much good as you could be. unless your kombucha is the kind thats all acetic with no residual sugar, that stuff has lots of sugar left. you're basically adding carbs while you're supposed to be "fasting" which is kinda oxymoronic. best results are had when there is no simple sugars/carbs at all. HOWEVER- you're still not eating, so you're still drastically cutting calories. which is always going to work. but just wanted to point that out in case you hadnt realized it.

and lastly, lift some weights. will help improve testosterone levels, which increases metabolism, in addition to extra muscle mass burning more calories, as well as increases bone density. pushups, lunges, pullups, squats, etc. plenty of stuff that you can do without equipment if a gym is no where nearby.

 

[madscientist451]

I limit my carb intake so I can drink beer. Alcohol is a known poison, but I like drinking, so I choose to not smoke and avoid processed food. Being unhappy leads to stress and will shorten your life.
Making and drinking beer, cider and wine makes me happy so I'm not going to quit anytime soon.
I drink slightly below the amount the CDC has identified as excessive.
But, my new year's resolution is to drink a little less and exercise more, maybe drop a few pounds.

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

Everyone is different. We all die. So taking away a few years doing what one enjoys doesn't seem like a bad idea. Grandpa died at 66 but was a party animal people/family loved to be around. He died with all his faculties. Grandma died at 84 with 10yrs of dementia/Alzheimer's..aweful. And remember...

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

Alcohol is a known poison...

EVERYTHING is a poision. It's the dose that kills. Too much spinach and one dies of oxilate poisoning.

 

[bracconiere]

EVERYTHING is a poision. It's the dose that kills. Too much spinach and one dies of oxilate poisoning.

not to mention brain swelling from drinking too much water!

if your going to drink a lot of water, you should make beer out of it. so it has electrolytes....

 

[jrgtr42]

Good on you for taking this into hand, and doing something about it. If this dieting regimen works for you, go for it... though the slow and steady plan is often the best plan. One reason Weight Watchers or similar is good - you can still eat and drink, but you have to account for everything.
I personally would like to be down around 15 pounds from where I am. I have been limiting drinking lately, (though I'll probably be having more than average for the next week and a half or so, with Xmas, including pre- and post- parties, and New Years...)
My wife does WW, and I've been trying to follow along recently, though not counting points as much as her. I've been hovering at 190 - 195 for the past year or 2... I haven't yet topped the 2 bills mark - that's the no-go line. I want to get to around 175 or so. In my younger days, I had a metabolism - I could eat anything and not gain an ounce. Damn hitting 35 or so...

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

if your going to drink a lot of water, you should make beer out of it. so it has electrolytes....

It's what plants crave!

 

[Iseneye]

It's got electrolytes.

 

[bracconiere]

It's what plants crave!

Once you drink it, you can urinate on the plants!

save the water for the toilet...

 

[Owly055]

I'm into day 21 in a series of fasts. I'm over half way through day 3 of this particular fast...of indeterminate length. I listen to my body, and when it tells me to break the fast I do. The longest so far has been 5 days ..... I'd like to do 7 this time bringing me to the 25 day mark. I'm thinking that this will be totaling up to about 90 days before I slack off. I may do a series of 2 day fasts with a single eating day between at some point. Morning weight today as about 16 pounds down from when I started.... stable weight is probably closer to 10 pounds down (water weight difference). I never have more than 2 eating days between fasts, and I'm gradually honing in on what to eat for the best results. The problem I'm running into is keeping the kinds of foods needed from spoiling. Eating 2 days or so a week leaves produce in the fridge too long. Other than things like cabbage and brussels sprouts, most produce begins to go off before I can get through it. I'm thinking about various preservation methods for leafy greens and cauliflower.... On the bright side, I'm not spending much on groceries ;-)
In the midst of this, I'm experimenting with trying to zero out the sugar in kombucha, using Xylitol in the finished product..... the published calorie figures are quite high for commercial booch.... which is understandable as one is drinking vinegar for all intents and purposes. I've succeeded in greatly accelerating the fermentation and souring process through the use of invert sugar and aeration.......... All this is covered in another thread. The important thing is to have something I like to drink beyond just water and coffee.... since I set beer aside.

H.W.

 

[Owly055]

Once you drink it, you can urinate on the plants!

save the water for the toilet...

Remember that urine is very high in nitrogen.... be careful to spread it around liberally, not just piss in one spot. Concentrated it will kill plants (too much fertilizer), spread out it enhances growth. Urine is a valuable resource that we mindlessly treat as waste....... but so is "solid waste". A composting loo is probably a real asset and something we all should have. Fertilizer production and no water use.

H.W.

 

[bracconiere]

I'm into day 21 in a series of fasts. I'm over half way through day 3 of this particular fast...of indeterminate length. I listen to my body, and when it tells me to break the fast I do. The longest so far has been 5 days ..... I'd like to do 7 this time bringing me to the 25 day mark. I'm thinking that this will be totaling up to about 90 days before I slack off. I may do a series of 2 day fasts with a single eating day between at some point. Morning weight today as about 16 pounds down from when I started.... stable weight is probably closer to 10 pounds down (water weight difference). I never have more than 2 eating days between fasts, and I'm gradually honing in on what to eat for the best results. The problem I'm running into is keeping the kinds of foods needed from spoiling. Eating 2 days or so a week leaves produce in the fridge too long. Other than things like cabbage and brussels sprouts, most produce begins to go off before I can get through it. I'm thinking about various preservation methods for leafy greens and cauliflower.... On the bright side, I'm not spending much on groceries ;-)
In the midst of this, I'm experimenting with trying to zero out the sugar in kombucha, using Xylitol in the finished product..... the published calorie figures are quite high for commercial booch.... which is understandable as one is drinking vinegar for all intents and purposes. I've succeeded in greatly accelerating the fermentation and souring process through the use of invert sugar and aeration.......... All this is covered in another thread. The important thing is to have something I like to drink beyond just water and coffee.... since I set beer aside.

H.W.

the body does need nutrients...living like a tweaker isn't really a good idea, i wouldn't think....

edit: and what about frozen veggies?

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

Remember that urine is very high in nitrogen.... be careful to spread it around liberally, not just piss in one spot. Concentrated it will kill plants (too much fertilizer), spread out it enhances growth. Urine is a valuable resource that we mindlessly treat as waste....... but so is "solid waste". A composting loo is probably a real asset and something we all should have. Fertilizer production and no water use.

H.W.

Never watched the movie I take it...

 

[Desert_Sky]

Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

Im mid 40s now and feel like Im 30 again. Weight sheds off again like it used to, and I seriously look and feel so much healthier. With TRT I have to have my blood checked every 3 months and everything is once again normal. Granted I dont drink like I used to, but its much easier to manage weight, health, and overall well being with a weekly shot.

Im not saying its a fix for everyone, but holy fck the difference is night and day. Fck aging

 

[okiedog]

Wow, never heard of TRT. It must be the male version of HRT (hormone replacement therapy, for women). I wouldn't have thought you would need that by your mid 40s, but I'm glad you had favorable results. Some people try HGH. I try to stay active, and I take milk thistle to help keep my liver healthy. The supplement I take contains milk thistle seed, dandelion root and yellow dock root. It seems to work, because my liver panel is good when I am taking it, and is a little elevated when I am not.

 

[bpgreen]

For many years, I stuggled to gain weight. Then I hit a certain age, started traveling on a regular basis, had a sedentary job, didn't exercise, etc, and started adding weight.

A few years ago, I stepped on a scale and realized that I was overweight (6'2" and over 220 lbs). I decided to lose weight, but to do it in a sustainable way. I was so out of shape, that when I started, I would walk to the end of the block and back. I gradually increased that distance. I'm now walking several miles a day and swimming roughyl 3000 yards a day most days. I also lift weights 3 days a week.

I then changed my diet. I didn't go on a diet, because I wanted to do something I can do for the rest of my life. I basically turned my approach to eating upside down. I used to base my meals on meat, with potatoes and/or pasta as the next most prominent item. Fruits and vegetables were an afterthought. And cheese made everything better. Other than cheese, I basically ignored dairy.

I started basing my meals on the fruits and vegetables, with nonfat dairy and legumes for protein. I added some meat, but kept the carbs low. When I'd add carbs, they were all-grain, like brown rice, wheat berries, etc.

I used an app to help with my weight loss goals. I set a goal to lose a pound a week and keep the weight off. I figured that if I lost the weight fast, I'd likely gain it again (yoyo effect).

Once I met my goal, I relaxed a bit (I use cheese in my omelets again, for example). I find that I need to keep my exersize level up to keep the weight down, but even when I travel, I manage to keep my weight in a healthy range.

 

[okiedog]

It's great reading about so many of you being pro-active about staying healthy, or at least making a few conscious decisions that affect your health. I, like a few of you, used to not pay any attention to what I ate, how little I slept, or exercised until I was in my 30s. It's funny how you think you're bullet proof in your teens and 20s, and could care less until sometime after you start slowing down.