The end of BFL round 1

On February 10 I started the body for life program. I committed myself to this workout schedule, where I have to FORCE myself to do 3 high intensity aerobic-cardio workouts to strengthen my heart and lungs and lower my resting heart rate. It also includes high intensity resistance training three times a week.

This also includes a diet which you can see here. The diet actually works perfect for me considering instead of eating 3 large meals a day you eat 5-6 small portion meals 2-3 hours apart. Plus you get one free day where you get to eat whatever you want, including banana splits, payday candy bars, Butterfingers blizzards from dairy queen, or whatever you've been craving all week.

As I wrote before, I don't really consider this a diet, just a lifestyle. The first few weeks were the toughest because I had to get used to the new routine. Because I was so out of shape, so winded with exertion, and so pathetic, it actually took me about a month to really get into the flow of doing the workouts.

Plus, considering my wife and I are pregnant, and we have lots of traveling with the kids in soccer, gymnastics, band, chorus, etc, there were many days we had to go to restaurants. And you know my rule for going to McDonald's: Big Mac, fries and a large Coke and enjoy every last drop of fat.

So, the 12 week program ended last Sunday for me. While in the past I've lost 20-40 pounds on this program, I only lost 13 this time. Ten of those pounds were in the first month, and the last three at the end.

I actually hit a rut the past two months of the program, but unlike the past, I didn't quit. Sure there were weekends where I spread my free day to 2 and even three days, yet I never lost site of the overall picture -- lifestyle. Plus, in the past when I gave up everything, and lost all that weight fast, all it resulted in was eventually gaining the weight back.

So last week, since it was week 12, I decided to take the week off, considering I was planning on starting a new 12 week program this week. I took Wednesday through Sunday off, ate bad and did not exercise.

This morning I weighed myself to see what the damage was, and I lost three more pounds. Funny how that works, eat like crap, sit around, and lost three pounds. Yet, since I stuck to the program so well, my metabolism was still working like crazy. My body was probably so used to my program that it had learned to store fat instead of burn it.

So, as the wisdom goes, sometimes you have to eat more to lose weight. Sometimes you need to stop exercising, or change your routine in some way to TRICK your body.

Now I think I'm in good shape to start the program anew. I've been studying Hussman's tips to success. I don't stick to all the tips, as common sense won't allow that to happen. As you know, in order for a program to work you have to stick to it. And to stick to a program you can't give up all the things you enjoy, which includes food and fun.

So BFL round one has ended. I didn't lose as much weight as I might have expected, although I feel great and and, after taking a week off, am ready to get back at it again. There's going to be bad days, such as when I go to Mackinac Island next month.

Yet I won't let myself lose sight of the big picture.

Asthma linked to anxiety and depression

So, do you have a little anxiety or depression to go along with your asthma? If so, new studies show you are not alone.

As a matter of fact, studies show that "Asthma may affect more than your ability to breathe, it may also make you more prone to developing psychological problems."

That's according to a report by Serena Gordon over at Healthday News.

She writes that "People with asthma are more than twice as likely to have depression or anxiety as people who don't have the chronic airway disease, according to a report in the March issue of the journal Chest."

The report notes that as serious psychological distress went up, the ability of the asthmatic to take care of himself went down. Dr. David Callahan, one of the reports authors, said the following:

"The prevalence of serious psychological distress was 2.5 times higher among adults with asthma, and as serious psychological distress increased, health-related quality went down. So, asthma makes quality of life worse and serious psychological distress makes quality of life worse, and together they synergistically make quality of life even worse."

This is of particular interest to me, because I remember when I was a kid pacing the living room anxious about my health, or of dying, or worried that the guy on the news who murdered his family in Flint will slip into our home at night and murder us all. Seriously, my parents actually had to ground me from watching the news.

When my asthma got really bad in 1985, and my parents had me admitted to National Jewish Health, I was diagnosed with anxiety. While my estimated stay was 6-8 weeks, I ended up spending 6 months there, the last three months in a 24 bed medical/psychological floor called 2-May.

The reason I had to stay there was because my doctors believed anxiety was inhibiting my ability to care for myself. In retrospect I have to say I agree with my doctors, yet back then I refused to accept I had such a problem. Typical teenager, right?

While I was very unhappy that I had to stay there, and the fact I was 3,000 miles from home exacerbated my anxiety, I do think the therapy I received there benefited me greatly. What worked best were the relaxation classes I participated in. To be honest, I still use the techniques I learned.

So, anyway, that's why this new report is of such interest to me. I still have some anxiety from time to time, yet you'd never know it if you met me, and it never impedes my ability to take care of myself. Perhaps this is due to my stay on 2-May (you can read about my stay at the asthma hospital by clicking here).

Also interesting was this this report from the University of Washington News from 2007 that notes: "Young people with asthma are about twice as likely to suffer from depressive and anxiety disorders than are children without asthma, according to a study by a research team in Seattle."

Obviously asthma doctors made that connection years ago between asthma and psychological, hence 2-May program.

Now, it should be noted here that, according to NationalJewishHealth.org, "Emotions do not cause asthma, but can make asthma worse, because strong feelings can lead to changes in breathing patterns. Times of 'good' stress and 'bad' stress can cause problems for people with asthma."

By "good" stress I think they are referring to excitement such as laughing, and by bad stress they mean anxiety and depression.

This is an important point to note because in the 1800s asthma experts, like Henry Hyde Salter in his book "On Asthma" actually believed asthma was literally a psychological or psychosomatic disorder, in that it was anxiety and distress that caused people to develop asthma.

At the asthma hospital I met many asthmatics who had both asthma and some sort of psychological disorder, be it anxiety or depression or whatever. In fact, my asthmatic co-worker just admitted she too has some anxiety.

No, none of us are crazy, and neither are you if you have episodes of anxiety or depression to go along with your asthma. Most of us learn to deal with it through the course of our lives, and some of us -- like me when I was a kid -- might need a little help.

How to diet at McDonalds

Here's a snippet of an actual discussion I had the other day at work:

Friend A: "So, when I'm dieting and go to McDonalds, I like to have a grilled chicken. They're grilled chicken actually tastes really good."

Friend B: "When I go to McDonalds I have the yogurt. It's like eating dessert. What do you do, Rick."

Me: "When I go to McDonalds, I eat a Big Mac, Large fries and a Coke."

Friend A and B in unison: "What!"

Friend B: "How do you lose weight if you do that?"

Me: "I'm certainly not gonna go to Micky D's expecting to eat good. If I go there, I'm gonna enjoy myself. If you give up all fun stuff all the time, you'll never succeed at any diet."

Actually, the bodyforlife diet that I usually do allows you for one free day per week. You can eat anything you want, regardless of how bad it is for you. That's why I love this diet so much. And, even with a free day, I've lost 40 plus pounds 4 times now.

Yes, I know what you're saying: I did gain my weight back all those times. But that's not because of the free day. It's because I CHOSE to stop being good. It's because life happens.

So my advice to dieting at McDonalds is: eat unhealthy and have fun while doing it. That's what I did yesterday when I took my kids out for a treat.

The key to staying in shape

My wife is quite a few years younger than me, and we have two of the cutest girls in the world. I often joke with my friends I did this so when I'm old I'll have someone to care for me. Although I was joking, I really wasn't far from the truth.

Having kids, and a younger wife, is even more of an incentive for me to stay in shape. To me, though, staying in shape doesn't necessarily mean being ideal body weight. I think the IBW system is flawed anyway, and is only good for medical workers doling out medicine and tidal volumes. This system doesn't take into account muscle mass, which to me is a major flaw, considering I'm 100% muscle anyway (so I lie).

Anyway, having kids is an incentive to keep in shape. For one thing, my 11-year-old is at an age I can go out every day and play catch with him in the summer, or play catch with a football, or in the winter go sledding. I find if I'm out of shape I waddle around and this sort of takes the fun out of these activities. They become a job more so than fun.

That's why back in February of this year I decided to make good on my promise to get into shape. I started the body for life program once again. Only this time, instead of my wife doing it with me, she's carrying an unborn baby around. I'm also doing it without the friends who normally get in shape with me.

I tried working out when during previous pregnancies, although I ended up gaining weight right with my wife. This time, however, I was bound and determined. I think one of the things that really helps me along is all the pessimism. I've had more than one person tell me I will never do it, that I will fail. So, that alone provides me the incentive.

Yet, despite that, I have lost 10 pounds since February. Again, my goal is not to lose weight, but to get in shape. To me, the two do not go hand in hand. Yet, losing weight is a good incentive to keep going, considering if you are losing weight you know you're doing something right.

That said, after losing almost 10 pounds after signing up for the biggest loser contest at my work, I dropped zero the next month. And, despite losing zero, I have continued to work out. And, even though I have hit a rut, a plateau, I have continued to muscle it. This is proof to myself that I can do it not just on my own, but without losing weight.

However, even though I've lost up to 40 pounds 4 times doing the bfl, I have basically completed the 12 week program once again, only losing 10 pounds this time. Yet, to give credit to myself, I took a few more days off because a) I have kids and they come first, 2) I have a wife and she comes first, 3) I work and that comes first, 4) I have a life, 5) I'm doing this alone.

So, considering all the obstacles, I'm actually doing quite well. This brings me to the greatest question of all regarding working out and eating well: How do you keep it off.

I actually think I've found the answer to that: don't lose weight to fast; don't give anything up; take some days off; enjoy life; do the best you can with what you have.

I think if you do a crash diet, you're going to gain all the weight back. Yet, if you eat well every day you can, and take a few days off here and there, and continue this year round, you can keep it off. That's the hard part: keeping it up.

So, instead of quitting my workouts and my diet now that the 12 week mark is up, I've decided to start another 12 week workout. Lord knows I'm not going to be perfect, and that might be the key to a lifetime of success -- at least for a normal person like me.

Yet who knows, I might fail again.

Beer and socializing

I love beer. On some nights when I know I don't have to work the next day, I like to sit in my recliner, watching my favorite news program, sipping on a nice cold one. Or, in the summer, out on the deck bantering with a neighbor.

When I was a kid my grandpa would give me a quarter to fetch him another. Occasionally I'd take a sip. It's neat how times change, because I usually wait until the kids are in bed before I click the tab, and I rarely send my kids to fetch another.

Although I think drinking responsibly in front of your kids is a good thing. Okay, so debate me on that if you want. Since we can't protect our kids from everything, I think the best thing we CAN do is show how to responsibly do things, like drinking beer (or spending money is another good example).

My dad and grandpa owned a car dealership, and they always kept beer in the fridge at work. When work was done, they'd sit among employee and play a game of pinachle, and drink a beer or two. I don't know if there was ever cooler bosses than dad and gramps.

Like my dad and grandpa, I am a happy drinker. Well, I am. I remember my dad telling me once that if you aren't a happy drinker, then you better not drink. If you're one of those drinkers who gets angry, or let the alcohol control you, or drink too much, you better not drink at all.

I remember dad letting me go to hunting camp when I was 10, and there was one guy walking around slobbery, grossly, inappropriately drunk, and screaming ribald advice.

Dad took me aside, smiled, breathed his beer/cigarette smelling breath on me, and said, "Don't ever get like that. All that does is make you look like a fool."

That's all dad ever said, and I heeded his advice, and example.

I don't have the luxury of having a job that I can drink while working. You can't even smoke where I work anymore, not that I've ever smoked. I never drink the night before I work either. I mean, I can't. If alcohol for some reason is in my system, and I so happen to get pulled over for a urine test, I'd lose my job. We have a no tolerance program here, which is actually a good thing. Of course this is another sign of how times have changed.

Drinking is a lot worse in the movies. I remember watching Guiding Light once and some lady drank one time in her life and was considered an alcoholic the rest of her time on the show. Usually alcohol gets a bad rap on TV, and is associated with wife beaters and wife beater T-shirts. Some people associate drinking with evil.

Well, not all people drink irresponsibly. Some people who drink are irresponsible, and they tend to show alcohol in a bad light, and get all the media. Most drinkers are responsible.

Dad is now retired, and at 4 p.m. every day he has happy hour with his friends. Still to this day I've never seen him drunk. Happy yes. Drunk no.

A few years ago I visited him. One of his cool neighbors, I observed, had a cup of vodka at his side from the time he woke to the time he went to bed at night. Now HE was a true alcoholic. He was fun, but he was killing himself with the Vodka.

Last year when I visited dad this guy had quit drinking. He had to have surgery, became belligerent because he had to go through detox, and vowed never to drink the stuff again.

Dad said, "That's what happens when you abuse the stuff. If you're wise like you and I, you won't have to give it up like he had to. Now he'll never be able to enjoy this gift again."

Wise is my father. And still the good example he was 30 years ago when I was a kid.

Still, if drinking was like it was portrayed in the movies, I don't think people would have a problem with prohibition.

However, in real life, most people do not drink to get drunk. They drink because they have kids, spouses, and stresses, and it's nice to sit down at the end of the day and knock the tip off the stress. It's nice to end the day happy.

We never drink anywhere but at home, unless there's a guaranteed designated driver. We do on occasion visit the cabin, but we have a rule: "Once you go to the cabin you have to stay at the cabin."

The problem with that is, I have to make sure my asthma is under control if I go out there. Because, not only is the cabin an asthma trigger for me, so is beer.

That's why I wrote this post. I didn't write it so some of you can say Rick Frea is a drunk because he drinks beer on occassion. If that were the case, I'd keep it to my self. But this blog isn't about keeping secrets. It's about asthma. It's about being honest about asthma.

So, beer causes asthma. Beer, while it brings joy at the end of the day, also causes asthma. So, here I am writing at 5:00 in the morning -- woke up tight. No matter how well controlled my asthma is, beer always makes me tight the next day. It's like clockwork.

Beer has fungus in it that can trigger asthma. Likewise, beer dries out your system, including your lungs, which can trigger asthma. And if I drink beer in a bar, or at the cabin where there's lots of dust mites and molds, this can make my asthma even worse. Except it's not so bad now that I'm on Singulair and Advair.

Still, though, while we want to be as normal as possible, we asthmatics still have to be careful all the time. We have to know what might cause asthma, and be wise about exposing ourselves to these things.

I like to be normal, and to socialize like the normal people in my life. Although it's always good to be a little extra cautious, and a little extra responsible whether you have a chronic disease or not.

Life happens

This is going to sound funny, but after my daughter was born in April of 2003 my wife and I went on the body for life workout of our lives. I was dropping weight fast, and since my wife was breast feeding, she lost weight faster than me. Usually it was me who lost weight faster.

She said breast feeding causes women to burn carbs faster, and for that reason breast feeding, coupled with a good workout, can get a woman in shape in no time. By the end of the year I was down to a slip 172 and she was down to something like 106 pounds.

Now, here's the part that might sound stupid. At least it does to me as I think back. I waltzed into work one day, and two of my co-workers told me I looked too skinny. Can you imagine that? And both of them were really had no room to talk, as they were way more out of shape than me.

I actually maintained my weight loss this time, although I fluctuated between 170 and 180. Yet I decided 180 was about right for me. I could handle that. Yet, just because of my two goofy (and probably jealous co-workers) I stopped the body for life program, of which if I had continued would have lost even more weight and got down to my ideal weight of 164. (not that that's my goal, I'm just saying).

My wife and I actually maintained our weight loss until we got pregnant again. And then the weight slowly came on. You know how it is: slow and slow and slow so you don't even realize it. then you wake up one morning and you're a bloated pig again who gets short of breath every time you walk down the hall or up the stairs.

Of course you know this dyspnea is not due to asthma, but you ARE also using your rescue medicine more. This is proof positive to me that when I'm a slim version of myself my asthma is in much better form. Yet how do I let myself get so out of shape. Well, I'll tell you how, life happens.

Hmmm, I wonder if that happens to anyone else?

Body for life and the greatest vacation ever

So the first time I worked out was in 1998, and by the time I met my wife at my work in 2000 I had gained it all back, or at least most of it. I was a bloated 210 pounds and feeling sluggish. Although that cute, intelligent nursing student still fell for me.

I tried to continue to workout I did a few years earlier, but I kept slipping. That was when my wife talked me into doing the body-for-life program. This is a program where you eat a carb and a protein every 2-3 hours, and you work out every day. The great part about this program is you get to take one day off every week where you don't work out and you can eat whatever you want.

It sounded kind of stupid at first (of course I though any exercise was stupid before I lost weight a few years earlier), but I ultimately agreed to try it.

This first time I tried the body for life to get into shape was during the run-up to my Wedding which was to be on May 18, 2002. For this event, I ended up losing 35 pounds in less than 12 weeks. It was a major success. I went from 119 to 180. Once again I was feeling trim.

So as I look over at our wedding picture, I'm looking great, and so is my wife. The problem with that diet was that after my wedding we went on a four day cruise where we left Miami on day #1, went to Key west, Cozumel, and then back to Miami. This was the best vacation of my life; of both of our lives.

One of the neat things about this cruise is everything was all inclusive, including the food. And food there was lots of it. There was food everywhere. There were buffets that were open 24-7, and then there were many restaurants, and also places for fancy dining.

I remember getting up one day and eating breakfast, having brunch and then lunch, and then lunch-dinner, then snack, then dinner, then after dinner snacks, then snack again, then snack again, and then midnight meal, and then getting back to our rooms and ordering room service just because it was available and it was free.

At about 1:30 a.m. my wife and I were startled by the sound of the door bell. Barely able to muster the strength, I got up and opened the door. "Yes!" I mumbled. A well groomed guy was carrying bags. "You ordered room service?"

"Ah!" I mumbled again. "Yeah, I guess we did." I shut the door, and turned to my wife, "Get up, honey! It's time to eat again."

She smiled. For the next hour we ate.

By the end of this glorious vacation I had gained 10 pounds. In retrospect, I would do it all over again. Only, if I did, I would get down to 170 pounds instead of 180.

Within the next KK was in the oven, and while I started a workout program when we got pregnant, I ended up gaining weight right with her. Once again both my wife and I succeeded in losing weight, and failed at maintaining it.

I actually remember thinking once during the course of this diet, as I was feeling awesome and in the best shape of my life, why anyone would want to be out of shape. Well, my wife and I were leaning, even someone who knows how to lose weight, and is aware that losing weight is needed, struggle in this effect.

Hmmmm, I wonder how many people have that problem? There's this old saying that eating is the hardest addiction to get over, because -- unlike cigarettes -- you literally NEED food.