It begins

Ha! My first post!

Well, here's the basic idea.... I want to do the Paleo Diet for a few months, and I hope blogging it will help keep me on track. I guess I'm not the best at avoiding peer pressure, so at least I can come here and humiliate myself if I deviate!

Here's my background:
I have eaten ALOT of cookies in my life! I'm 38, and about 5'10", and 309 right now. I have been as high as 350 or so. I have kind of a football players build, with wide shoulders, so I carry some of the weight, but my stomach is very large, and the fat is totally concentrated there. I know that this indicates insulin resistance. I have been a spaghetti and cookie fiend since I was a kid. Carbs make me feel good, almost like a drug. When I'm off them, my hunger decreases so much, the cravings go away. It also seems to clear my head somehow.

I did a lot of weight lifting when I was younger, and some aerobics. Lately all I've done is an hour of walking a few times a week. I intent to step this up, and add in some light weights with dumbells. I want to exercise more.

Blood sugar has been a concern of mine. My fasting glucose has been as high as 230 at times. I'll try to write down some representative values. My grandmother had diabetes, so this concerns me. I bought a glucose meter, and have been keeping track of my levels.

Low carb eating has a very good effect on my levels, and they have improved over the last few months.

I basically realized I was too high, bought a meter, panicked, and then 
decided to walk like crazy and cut carbs for three months and then see the doctor. I showed him my log book with declining blood sugar and told him about the weight I lost, and he told me I was on the right track and to come back three months later. That would have been a week ago, and I haven't make plans to go back. I am planning to get a blood workup done on my own. I don't like that the doctor won't give me my results, but just describes them to me. I paid 70 bucks for the visit. I figure I can pay $125 and get the results on my own, and try to monitor myself. My cholesterol is okay, but the bad fat is a little too high and my good fat is too low.


I lost some weight a few months ago with low carb and walking, but tapered off after losing about 35 pounds. I want to continue to lose weight, but improving my health is most important to me. Also energy level, motivation and mood. I've done well with low carb but want to limit grains more effectively.

I think I have ADD. This is a recent realization for me, and I am considering getting a firm diagnosis, but I'm not thrilled about meds. I've read some articles which suggest that executive function is improved with exercise bringing more oxygen to the brain. I also see mineral deficiencies being associated with ADD and diabetes (ex. zinc), and I've been taking more supplements. I have read that phytic acid in grain binds with minerals and makes them unavailable to the body, so I hope paleo diet and exercise will help.

I'm taking the following supplements: magnesium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, vitamin E, Omega3,  Taurine, Arginine, Ornithine, Tyrosine, Calcium, chromium piccolinate, Vitamin C, B Vitamins.

I just bought SAMe and DLPS based on Amen's book about the 6 types of ADD. I think I have the Limbic System ADD. I am also minorly depressed, having apathy and anhedonia more than anything. I am also antisocial. I'm an only child, and although I have close friends, I don't socialize much, but more importantly I haven't been working much at getting a girlfriend, and I've been single for quite a while now. I have confidence, but I'm too lazy and haven't bothered doing much of anything lately.

I have delayed onset sleep syndrome as well, and don't go to bed on time. I spend a ton of time on the internet. Sleep disorders associated with ADD.

So at this point I need to:
1. Schedule blood work
2. Plan a day to start
3. Do some grocery shopping and meal planning