Q: You’ve maintained an impressive 100-lb+ weight loss since 2003. Will you please share your perspective on what it means to eat healthy?
A: I follow the Bariatric Diet and the Pouch Rules, and the principals of the real food movement, Paleo/Primal, and Weston A. Price Foundation. Click thru the linked text for in-depth information on each.
I do not eat processed or factory-farmed foods, red meat, refined sugar, or grains. As much as possible, I eat organic, locally-grown, in-season produce, poultry and eggs raised on pasture without hormones or antibiotics, wild caught fish, raw and/or organic dairy, and healthy fats (almonds, coconut, avocado, olives) and natural sugars (stevia, honey, maple syrup).
Upon the recommendation of my bariatric nutritionist, I eat 100g or more of protein balanced with 50 g carbs (2:1 ratio at every meal), 80-100oz of water (spring, mineral, coconut), and keep calories to ~1300 daily.
I take a lot of nutritional supplements.
That said, I am not perfect 100% of the time.
Q: What supplements do you take?
A: Here is a current running list. It changes based upon my needs.
Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold French Vanilla
Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Mocha Cappuccino
Q: What exercise routine do you follow?
A: I like the short-duration, high-intensity program that Mark Sisson outlines in his Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation. His philosophy is that less is more – and I can tell you that I lost weight almost effortlessly with his plan versus no weight with Body for Life 1-hr daily workouts. My favorite exercises are planks and sprints.
I enjoy being active. Activities like walking to my local shops, walking or sprinting with my dog, walking around downtown, paddle boating on the reservoir, peddling a surrey bike, hiking easy to moderate trails are activities I’ve done recently. I am looking forward to trying biking, jogging, and rowing later this season.
Q: Is there anything else you do to maintain good health?
A: I enjoy meditation to de-stress and relax my active mind. I had a terrific experience with Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MSBR).
In the past I have attended Overeaters Anonymous (OA). Nowadays I am active in several online patient communities. It is great to connect with like-minded people with similar shared experiences. I help others and they help me with the specific issues around our health condition -- and we celebrate one another’s successes.
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