The forgotten treasure

Mark Paul
Mark Paul
Jul 10, 2017 · 6 min read

“We didn’t see what we wanted to see from the ultrasound. We’re going to need to schedule an MRI.”

Those were the words on the other end of a phone call from my doctor’s office this past December. They were examining a vital organ and now the cause for concern was elevated even higher than it already was.

It was a few days before I could get an MRI on the calendar. And then another few days before I got the results. In contrast to most of the rest of life at my age, those days crept by. Like I was watching a sundial instead of a clock. Am I going to be okay? Is it cancer? Will I require a transplant? All kinds of terrible (and probably unnecessary) things go through your mind when you’re waiting on the results of a test.

Most of us take our health for granted. It’s the most priceless thing we have in our lives, yet we never think about it until we’re forced to. Health is the forgotten treasure we all possess, the gift we almost never say “thank you” for.

Finally, on a Friday just after Christmas, I received a call. It was an assistant from my doctor’s office.

The MRI was clear.

Relief.

She followed up with, “The doctor says you need to lose weight and drink more water. And we’ll see you in a year.” That was all she said.

A tough prescription and a deadline. Action items with accountability. I wasn’t thrilled with it, but I wasn’t surprised. I actually anticipated it. I had been recovering from Achilles surgery for a few months and had been pretty inactive. Not because I wanted to be but because I was rehabbing an injury. And I love food.

Large quantities of food.

I knew something had to change. And I know drinking water is so much better for the body than sipping Diet Coke all day long.

I needed to lose weight. My clothes didn’t fit comfortably. I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. And, now, it was possible I was jeopardizing my one, precious life. I could suddenly relate to smokers ordered by doctors to quit. I had a choice to make. Continue in my current habits or make changes to guard the most valuable gift I’ve ever been given.

I decided to lose weight and drink more water. It was an easy choice, really. I began on January 2. Because January 1 is so cliche. Plus it’s a holiday so there was lots of delicious, unhealthy food to be consumed. Twenty-five weeks later I’m happy to report I’ve lost 27 pounds. I’ve changed my lifestyle. I eat healthy. I drink a lot of water every day. I’m back to exercising on a regular basis and my clothes are fitting like they are supposed to.

I’m on the right track and people are starting to notice the change in me. To be honest, it feels really good. Often people ask me how I am doing it. I thought it would be helpful to share what I’ve learned about losing weight, developing better habits and doing all I can to preserve my health.

Motivation matters.

Full disclosure: I’ve lost weight before on various occasions. I’m kind of like Oprah. I lose it and put it back on then lose it again. But this time I’ve believe it’s different. My motivation is not oriented around becoming more attractive, or even the way my clothes feel. It’s centered on taking care of my body. If it’s true we were created by an all-powerful, loving Being — and I believe we were — then I need to do all I can to protect and utilize this gift entrusted to me. My focus is on being healthy. For myself, so I can live out the purpose for which I’ve been created. For my family, so I can be around to grow old and gray with my wife, see my kids graduate and get married, hold my grandkids in my arms. There’s no guarantees the next time I have a test the follow-up phone call will be good news. But I’m going to do all I can for as long as I can to preserve this treasure.

It’s all about the kitchen.

I’ve heard losing weight is “80% diet and 20% working out.” But for me, it’s all about what I eat. What I mean is if I’m eating right, whether I’m exercising regularly with intensity, exercising sporadically, or not exercising at all, I still lose weight. Conversely, if I’m not eating well, it doesn’t matter how often I exercise or how hard, I won’t see any difference on the scale. Don’t get me wrong, exercise is important. Extremely important. There are all sorts of other issues that arise from a sedentary lifestyle. But exercise has never been a problem for me. I’ve always been active. I love basketball, tennis, and lifting weights. But I have to start in the kitchen or it doesn’t move the needle.

Choose the right system for you.

For me, I’ve found success with a system called the Slow Carb diet. I’ve been a fan of Tim Ferris for quite some time. I love his focus on accelerated learning of all kinds. His “life hacks” are based on thorough research and grounded in science. In short, the stuff works. The Slow Carb diet prescribed in his book The 4-hour Body is what I have followed since January 2.

Below are the rules.

It works for me on many levels. I don’t have a “sweet tooth” (I like chocolate, particularly Reese’s, but I don’t crave it). I don’t mind eating salads and I actually like green veggies like sweet peas, broccoli, green beans, and limas. I love bacon and eggs and I’m not addicted to coffee with cream and sugar. I also don’t eat a lot of fruit, which would be a deal breaker. The best part of Slow Carb is “Cheat Day.” One day a week (for me, Saturday) I can eat whatever I want. This is incredible for many reasons. First, I only have to make it six days until I can eat something “unhealthy” again. Second, I don’t want to live in a world where pizza and ice cream are never on the menu. Third, the spike in calories once a week actually prevents your metabolism from slowing down, making weight loss more likely.

The whole thing is based on science (all explained thoroughly in the book). And, for me at least, it works.

So find a system you can make work for you. And make sure it’s backed by research. Low carb diets have been shown to work. As has the “Mediterranean Diet,” which I would recommend if you just can’t give up fruit. Low fat diets, surprisingly, do not work. More on this science here.

Take the long view

If you’re not where you want to be right now, it’s okay. Think about where you want to be six months from now. Then make the day-to-day, meal-to-meal choices you need to make to get there. Because the time is going to pass anyway. I’ve only averaged losing 1.22 pounds per week. Over five months it adds up to 27 pounds. Day-to-day can be frustrating. It can appear as if you’re not making any progress. I recommend only getting on the scale once a week. Pick the same day and time (for me it’s when I get out of the shower on Friday morning) and weigh yourself then and only then. This will lessen the perception that nothing is changing.

Don’t let your mind trick you into giving up. Like virtually everything, this is a mental game above all else. Know this: it will work and it is worth it if you stay consistent and don’t take the easy way out. And if you do something for six months, it’s a habit, baby. It will be more difficult at first. You have to get used to it. This is your world now. You may give up some “freedom” in your eating choices, but freedom is always only as good as the boundaries put in place to protect it. Be patient. You will adjust and it will become the new normal if you only persevere.

Obviously if you are fit this post really isn’t for you. But I wanted to share my struggle, my progress, and what I’ve learned because it might encourage someone who isn’t healthy to consider making a change. If that’s you, I would say to you, “It’s time.”

I believe in you. If I can do it, anyone can.

My hope is we will recognize how priceless our bodies are, to remember the oft-forgotten treasure, and to be more proactive in taking care of them.


Originally published at www.markdpaul.com on May 16, 2017.

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