History of my Weight Loss, September 2019
And all it took included 413 rows of BG numbers, 275 rows of body composition scale numbers, and continual discipline about collecting data (and lots else). Kind of reminds me of AXA, where if you weren't thinking about quitting you weren't pressing hard enough. Anyhow, stress is bad for me, so ...
The correlation between my scale weight in pounds, and my body fat % is .999. So, here's those charts ...
Take away the legend and the scale, and these two charts are almost identical. A few factoids:
Current 30 day weight range is 10 pounds. Current 30 day body fat pounds is 6 pounds. Sometimes, overnight, from one end of the range to the other!! I tend to believe this.
Each chart has a regression line through ALL the data, and the parameters thereof. Note that the slope of the line is equal to my average weight (or fat) loss. Every day, on average, I lose 0.0439 pounds of weight, and 0.0287 pounds of body fat.
Note also that the declining values are flattening out. The implication being, I'm approaching some natural limit for my body's adaptation to my way of life. I may or may not get my weight down under 167 pounds, but if I do, I'll still be carrying about 35 pounds of body fat. 35/167 = .2096, or 21%. Getting that % fat number into the teens seems difficult to imagine. I read, Dr. Naiman IIRC, that being a T2D person makes your body a fat MAKING machine. Eventually, your liver decides the blood glucose has been too high for too long, so it converts the BG to triglyceride. And, your hyperinsulinemia causes the trigs to be stored inside fat cells. Neat trick, eh?
I will need an alternative path, should this diet and exercise thing not be doing it for me. My endo thinks I'll be back on the drugs (metformin and a GLP-1, maybe). I'm inclined to give that future a higher probability than I have in my past. Let's go to some history ...
If you need the lecture about what HbA1c, both I and Mr. Google can be your friend.
I had a good time on Cape Cod July 19-26 (index values 337 to 344).
The chart shows my estimated HbA1c, calculated from my BG readings. The yellow 10.7 marks the day I stopped taking metformin. The moving average lines show "progress". The 53 day MA was setup to reflect my last lab based HbA1c.
Note that, prior to dropping metformin, the MA lines are under 7, and don't vary a lot. After, mostly over 7, and way more variable. So, either I find a combo of diet and exercise and time, or it's back to the drugs.
There is a hormone 'co-produced' by the pancreas - c-peptide - which, for a host of reasons, is a proxy for pancreatic function (i.e. proper insulin production).
My 2 tests showed WAY LOW in February, and bottom of range low in August. This is a very thin reed of hope that my pancreatic function is improving. Very. Endo and I agree about that, and from here, we got into the drug conversation.
He's been remarkably patient with me. So, when I tell him I'm going to keep doing 'this' for longer, he must wonder how much longer. Me too.
No bueno.
One more targeting chart ...
The objective is to lose fat, both in absolute terms (i.e. fewer pounds of the stuff, 40.2 as of 10/1) and relative terms (progressively lower % body fat, 23.1% as of 10/1).
Which reminds me, I need one of those 30 day max/min charts for body fat %. Next time. It'll show when and where I'm stuck.
The bottom line of numbers on this chart is my body fat %. Eyes say, value isn't changing much ...
Last, but certainly not least: THC versus C2H5OH. OK, THC vs alcohol. Simply put, in terms of weight loss, there's no kCalories in THC, and 90 kCalories per ounce in plain spirits. In terms of onset and duration, THC is a bit faster, and a bit shorter. But, I can stay stoned all day, whereas, alcohol makes me sleepy. So, long story short, the physiology of it works for me. The supply chain issues, and the political loot grabbing, is MASSIVELY in favor of alcohol. The world will act to defend its iron rice bowl. So, my logistics will remain an issue to me, pro tem.
Vaped THC is highly recommended. See what I did there :-)
The correlation between my scale weight in pounds, and my body fat % is .999. So, here's those charts ...
Current 30 day weight range is 10 pounds. Current 30 day body fat pounds is 6 pounds. Sometimes, overnight, from one end of the range to the other!! I tend to believe this.
Each chart has a regression line through ALL the data, and the parameters thereof. Note that the slope of the line is equal to my average weight (or fat) loss. Every day, on average, I lose 0.0439 pounds of weight, and 0.0287 pounds of body fat.
Note also that the declining values are flattening out. The implication being, I'm approaching some natural limit for my body's adaptation to my way of life. I may or may not get my weight down under 167 pounds, but if I do, I'll still be carrying about 35 pounds of body fat. 35/167 = .2096, or 21%. Getting that % fat number into the teens seems difficult to imagine. I read, Dr. Naiman IIRC, that being a T2D person makes your body a fat MAKING machine. Eventually, your liver decides the blood glucose has been too high for too long, so it converts the BG to triglyceride. And, your hyperinsulinemia causes the trigs to be stored inside fat cells. Neat trick, eh?
I will need an alternative path, should this diet and exercise thing not be doing it for me. My endo thinks I'll be back on the drugs (metformin and a GLP-1, maybe). I'm inclined to give that future a higher probability than I have in my past. Let's go to some history ...
I had a good time on Cape Cod July 19-26 (index values 337 to 344).
The chart shows my estimated HbA1c, calculated from my BG readings. The yellow 10.7 marks the day I stopped taking metformin. The moving average lines show "progress". The 53 day MA was setup to reflect my last lab based HbA1c.
Note that, prior to dropping metformin, the MA lines are under 7, and don't vary a lot. After, mostly over 7, and way more variable. So, either I find a combo of diet and exercise and time, or it's back to the drugs.
There is a hormone 'co-produced' by the pancreas - c-peptide - which, for a host of reasons, is a proxy for pancreatic function (i.e. proper insulin production).
My 2 tests showed WAY LOW in February, and bottom of range low in August. This is a very thin reed of hope that my pancreatic function is improving. Very. Endo and I agree about that, and from here, we got into the drug conversation.
He's been remarkably patient with me. So, when I tell him I'm going to keep doing 'this' for longer, he must wonder how much longer. Me too.
No bueno.
One more targeting chart ...
Which reminds me, I need one of those 30 day max/min charts for body fat %. Next time. It'll show when and where I'm stuck.
The bottom line of numbers on this chart is my body fat %. Eyes say, value isn't changing much ...
Last, but certainly not least: THC versus C2H5OH. OK, THC vs alcohol. Simply put, in terms of weight loss, there's no kCalories in THC, and 90 kCalories per ounce in plain spirits. In terms of onset and duration, THC is a bit faster, and a bit shorter. But, I can stay stoned all day, whereas, alcohol makes me sleepy. So, long story short, the physiology of it works for me. The supply chain issues, and the political loot grabbing, is MASSIVELY in favor of alcohol. The world will act to defend its iron rice bowl. So, my logistics will remain an issue to me, pro tem.
Vaped THC is highly recommended. See what I did there :-)
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