Growing Younger

My name is Mark and I'm a 65 year old man living in Winchester Va. USA. At 62 I was 260lbs. and basically crippled having to use a cane to get around. Both wrists were constantly braced with steel (as in carpal tunnel) and one day I had to use 2 canes just to get through the day at work. And worst of all, I was in constant agony. So much so that I became acclimated to it, as one is wont to do with chronic pain, and except for not smiling much, tried to forget about it. But it was getting worse and it became difficult to do basic things like getting dressed or driving anywhere. So I decided to go to the doctor (which is a rarity for me) to see what was up. Diagnosis: Obesity, massive inflammation, one step away from full diabetes, scarcely any Vitamin D and a whole slew of other cascading issues. The doctor stated that this was my last chance to turn things around. He mentioned fasting, omad, and this online doctor named Berg. Today at 65, I am weighing in at 185/190 lbs, my blood sugar, liver panel, lipids, vitamins, bp and other markers are all normal. All and I mean all inflammation is gone and my canes have hung in the closet for 2 years now and I tossed all steel braces away. I can run again, jump again, everything without pain. I feel 20 years younger and actually look 10 years younger. I've been old and crippled and I didn't like it a bit. It is truly my plan now to 'die young'. I practice fasting both intermittent and long term. I daily do anywhere from 18 to 20 hrs. normally but will shake it up with no fasting windows now and again. I do a 3day fast at the beginning of each month. Though I have done a 5 and a 7 day fast, I've found that 72 hrs. is the perfect reset for me. When I do eat, it's pretty much clean keto, but being metabolically flexible now, I up the carb count on occasion to keep my body on it's toes. Upon arising in the am, I do lemon water first, olive oil and lemon, and then avc and bubble water. If there is a mistake I make, it's the treat days. I don't like the word 'cheat' as it's just not cheating on anything or anybody. And on those treat days I indulge in.....Popcorn w/butter and salt!! YAY!! And then I gain 12 swift lbs of water, feel awful and then take 5 days to deflate and get back to normal. Popcorn may be our only truly unprocessed grain. And I love it so! But beware!! For exercise, I walk 3 miles as soon as I'm out of bed, then upon return, I rebound on the mini trampoline with hand weights. I do 10 minutes. Then before and after each time I leave my apartment for anything, I do 5 minute bounce sessions. By the end of day I've done 40 minutes of rebounding with weights. Advice to offer? 1. In my experience, it's easier to start new things only when you've stopped the old things. It's nearly impossible to slowly transition in the good while weaning out the bad at the same time. So, my first piece of advice would be to start with a fast of whatever length you can muster. Just STOP everything. Then when you break, you introduce the new way of eating. Stop, then go. 2. Do not struggle to find a keto substitute for pasta, bread, sweets, rice, grains, etc. Therein lies a lot of frustration. Just hang on tight to your keto britches and before you know it, you won't have cravings and be missing those things at all. And you won't perish. True story. 3. Do not...I repeat, Do not kick yourself in the butt if you fall off the wagon. The wonderful thing about this lifestyle is it's flexibility. Just get up, brush yourself off and get back on. The analogy I use with my friends that I've introduced this lifestyle to is a 'road trip' to better health and better days. Sometimes you have to pull off the road or into a rest stop. Does that mean you are turning around and heading back? Nope. You are still heading in the direction of your road trip. Just get back on the highway when you are ready. Unfortunately, it never occurred to me to take before and after shots or anything like that. But I'm working on something to that effect. In summation I would like to offer myself as walking proof that both these lifestyle tools work. The simple science behind them works. And I don't care how old you are, you can begin at any time and turn it all around in what I consider relatively rapid time. And I never jogged or went to the gym once lololol.... Best regards, Mark Lawson