Ep03: Breaking News!!

Cholesterol Lowering, Pre-diabetes Resolved

It works, it works, it works!

I can't believe that in two months my LDL cholesterol (that's the bad one) has dropped by .5 mmol/l. And my blood sugars have dropped into the normal range. I am no longer classified as pre-diabetic!

This is an amazing result and I am convinced that I will probably never go back to the other way of eating. You know, the one where once or twice a week, you pat yourself on the back for having cooked up a meal that contained more than one vegetable other than an onion.

Weight loss - Steady progress, real fluctuations

The weight has steadily been decreasing and most of my clothes don't fit but that's ok. Summer is coming and a new wardrobe might be just what the doctor ordered. Oh, that's right, it was the change of eating habits that was ordered by the doctor. A new wardrobe will be a reward for this enormous milestone.

Going Down!

The chart shows the weight as a steady line going down, but this is because it is over a long period of time. This next graph shows the fluctuations that occur on a daily basis.

As you can see, the weight is not always going down.

Daily fluctuations, proof that weight loss isn't linear but it is real

The lesson here is that gaining a little is not the end of the world. I weigh myself every day so that I can see the fluctuations. This is something that was recommended by Noom when I was using that app, five years ago and is something I have stuck with.

I watched the weight go up during the self-indulgent binge period that lasted five years and thought, Oh well, I like this food I'm eating and I'd rather die happy than having deprived myself. In reality, it is only myself who would be deprived of extra life while pursuing a hedonistic love affair with yummy, unhealthy food.

Interestingly, the weight loss from February to August, prior to embarking on this wholefood journey, averaged at 1.69 kg per month, a slow loss but the cholesterol was still rising. Since August it is averaging 2kg per month. All while eating a substantial amount more food. Yet the cholesterol and sugars are down

The cholesterol and blood sugars having dropped is something quite extraordinary.

The turning point clearly around the beginning of August (commencement of plant-based regime)

Sudden drop in blood sugars around the beginning of August (commencement of plant-based regime)

As you can see, there is a sudden drop in both of these markers of health and as you can also see, the remarkable change appears to have happened since moving to a mostly plant-based diet, which began on the 6th August, a long way down my weight chart line. If I were a scientist, and this were an empirical study, I would say that the evidence is quite overwhelming.

I say mostly plant based because I still have milk in my tea and coffee, though I have moved towards herbal teas a little more, which do not require milk and our total milk consumption between two has gone from 7 litres per week to 4. I seldom eat bread and that has eliminated most of the butter content in my diet. Occasionally, meat turns up, and I am not going to go hungry if that is the only option. And gee, I don't mind the taste of meat now and again, As I state on my home page, I have no political agenda, so have no qualms about eating meat other than that it will taint the compelling evidence.

How it feels to win at health (and still want more)

Feeling lighter, feels amazing. Ticking off the health goals feels even more amazing. Mentally, I feel like I just won a gold medal at the Olympics. The achievement is all mine. But I won't let the one medal cloud my sense of reality. Because the reality is, I still need to get the cholesterol levels down some more, and getting the sugar levels a little further behind the line would be good. The journey is not over but the miles are certainly ticking by.

Next milestone will be in a few months when I have another blood test and see if the cholesterol has dropped and whether the blood sugars are further from the danger zone. I am also looking forward to the day when my blood pressure goes too low and I have to stop one or more of those pills. I don't know how far away that will be. But I suspect it will be tied to the spare tire still resting around my middle. When that is gone, perhaps?!

All in all I have eaten some pretty amazing food over the last couple of months, and I am pleased to say that chops, mashed potatoes and peas are off the menu in favour of meals that look like this...

Have you had a health win lately? Let me know in the comments below and I'll cheer you on!