I finally broke through my weight plateau with Ozempic

5 week vacation on Viking Ocean cruise I have gotten down to 180.7 lbs 

https://meandgin.blogspot.com/2019/02/pictorial-journey-of-chronic-obesity.html

2019

Prior attempts to break through plateau link

Now with Ozempic 11-29-21 BIA:

Weight 196 in afternoon with pants on:

196.1 lbs

Total Body Fat 46.1 lbs (23.7%)

Visceral Fat 13 (it was 18 when I was 25 lbs heavier)

Fat free mass 76.2% (147.8 lbs)

Total Body Water 110.9 lbs 57.2%

Muscle mass 36.8 lbs 

27.1 BMI

I have been in ketosis with LCHF but could not break through plateau. 

This time I did it with very little exercise. 

Tipping point with 200,000 hits on my Blog?

I am entering the fifth year since my diagnosis with Alzheimers

I have written four sequential yearly books in the first person about my experience with Alzheimers. 

 

Trying to catch up with RNA science and CRISPR despite having Alzheimers

 

Eleven

Ketones and Fasting Glucose

 Does anyone elso have such good ketone levels with their Alzheimers

I have great ketone levels thanks to Low Carb High Fat Diet. 

I fasted 16.5 hours today and had the results this afternoon above.  

Below are my morning result and then extended fasting resulting. 

I think I am doing well to prevent progression of my Alzheimers.  

Curing Basal Cell Carcinoma with Mohs surgery today

 Link to Mayo article on Mohs link

 As I enter into the fifth year since my diagnosis of Alzheimers was made in Dec 2017 I am amazed how I am doing so much better than expected.  

My main gratification comes from my intellectual pursuits. 

I can review books.

1- On Pluto amazon review link

2- First Survivors of Alzheimers link

3- Tattoo on my Brain amazon review link

I write blogs after doing some research.

4- My thoughts on Vietnam History Wokeness link

5- Three books that changed many of my views link

6- I keep current on podcasts by Dr Peter Attia link

Most importantly is that I continue to write my yearly books about my experience with my AZ

7- Introduction to Year Five book link

Support for supplements for Alzheimers

This my edited copy of this report from Medscape. 

 "Investigators found a baseline history of CVD, including transient ischemic attack, congestive heart failure, coronary artery bypass graft, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and stent, 

but not myocardial infarction or stroke as these were excluded in the parent trial because they affected the response to multivitamins.

As expected, those with CVD had lower cognitive scores at baseline. "But after an initial bump due to practice effect, at year 1, the cardiovascular disease history folks continue to benefit from multivitamins, whereas those who got placebo multivitamins continue to decline over time," said Baker.

Based on information from a baseline scatter plot of cognitive function scores by age, the study's modeling estimated the multivitamin treatment effect had a positive benefit of .028 standard deviations (SD) per year.

"Daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation appears to slow cognitive aging by 60% or by 1.8 years," Baker added.

To date, the effect of MVM supplementation on cognition has been tested in only one large randomized clinical trial — the Physicians Health Study II. That study did not show an effect, but included only older male physicians — and cognitive testing began 2.5 years after randomization, said Baker.

"Our study provides new evidence that daily multivitamin supplementation may benefit cognitive function in older women and men, and the multivitamin effects may be more pronounced in participants with cardiovascular disease."

For effects of multivitamins on Alzheimer's disease prevalence and progression, "stay tuned," Baker concluded.

Following the presentation, session co-chair Suzanne Schindler, MD, PhD, instructor, Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, said she and her colleagues "always check vitamin B12 levels" in patients with memory and cognitive difficulties and wondered if study subjects with a low level or deficiency of vitamin B12 benefited from the intervention.

"We are asking ourselves that as well," said Baker.

"Some of this is a work in progress," Baker added. "We still need to look at that more in-depth to understand whether it might be a mechanism for improvement. I think the results are still out on that topic."

The study received support from the NIH/NIA. Pfizer Consumer Healthcare (now GSK Consumer Healthcare) provided study pills and packaging. Baker has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

14th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) conference: Oral Communications (OC) #4. Presented November 10, 2021.

For more Medscape Psychiatry news, join us on Twitter and Facebook

 

 

Credits:
Lead Image: iStock/Getty Images

Handling Anxiety

 1- Ashwagandha link

2- Good sleep provides anxiety free mornings link

3- However by noon I begin to have anxiety despite a productive morning of writing and reading with satisfaction of the achievement.  I eat my first meal of the day by this time which helps but stil leaves me with an edge.  The best thing for me to do is to go for my mile walk. Problem getting myself to do it.  Especially on cold days. I listen to music while I walk which is also soothing. 

4- My daily Manhattan helps. See No Evil Bar link

5- Prior blog on Anxiety July 2020 link

6- Increasing my Citalopram post concussion link 

7- Personality changes

8- Pacing always helps I walk around 7,000 steps/d

9- Petting my dog

10- Watching TV and Movies on 85 inch Sony

Mental activites to maintain brain function.

 I think the best mental activity I do is to engage on Twitter, write blogs as well as writing a new book on my Alzheimers each year. 

I do not do crossword puzzles or math puzzles. 

I did pick up the Ukele and learned to play Row Row Your Boat but with Covid I got seperated from my instrument and have not picked it up again to my regret. 

I ask 'Seri' to play many different types of music which I have not listened to for a long time. I also listen to my playlist while I take my one mile walk. 

I try to do a duolingo lession each day in Spanish.  I am amazed how much I remember from when I studied medicine in Guadalajara, Mexico.  I quess this is part of my 'cognitive reserve'

I read all the Richard Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwall 10 years ago. I am reading them again with great enjoyment. I remember some poignant scenes but not completely.

I am also researching some historical or political issues such as my recent blog on   Vietnam Wokeness link.  I graduated High School in 1969 so my reasearch brought back many old memories. 

I participate in my Episopal Mens Group each week reviewing various books. 

Three books that awakened me and changed my world view:

1- The Stony Road by Gates.

2- Men Explain things to me by  Rebecca Solnit,

3- Evil Genusis's by Kurt Anderson.

Even with Alzheimers I found I can expand my bubble of old concepts 

Vietnam wokeness taught in schools?

 I understand that teaching Critical Race Theory is very controversial. 

I wonder if there would be the same issues with teaching what happened during the Vietnam War?

"Critical race theory (CRT) is a framework of analysis and an academic movement of civil-rights scholars and activists who seek to examine the intersection of race and law in the United States and to challenge mainstream American liberal approaches to racial justice.[1][2][3][4] CRT examines social, cultural, and legal issues primarily as they relate to race and racism in the United States.[5][6] A tenet of CRT is that racism and disparate racial outcomes are the result of complex, changing, and often subtle social and institutional dynamics, rather than explicit and intentional prejudices of individuals."

I just read a chapter in, The American Experiment, Dialogues On A Dream.

Ken Burns on the Vietnam War.

Mr. Burns produced a PBS documentary aired in 2017.

In the interview with author David M Rubenstein there were two critical observations.

1- "The US government, during both Democratic and Republican administrations, throughout a war that resulted in 58,000 American soldiers dying, knew such a war could not be won militarily.

2- These administrations saw the war as really a domestic political undertaking rather than a military or strategic geopolitical undertaking. 

Quotes from the interview starting on p 116

Biggest surprise to Ken Burns?

"I learned that I knew nothing about Vietnam war. Making the film was a process of unlearning- and a daily humiliation."

One message to convey.

"It's complicated. That's the message."

Burns quoted Wynton Marsalis, "Sometimes a thing and the opposite of a thing can be true at the same time."

Why did Johnson not seek re-election?

"The Tet Offensive fo 1968, which had been a terrible defeat for North Vietnam and the Viet Cong"

Why was the Tet Offensive a public relations disaster?

"The war came to our living rooms with the Tet Offensive... Walter Cronkite came back and said in essence, victory in a military sense is not possible"

How much did America spend on the Vietnam War?

Hundreds of billion dollars in 1960-1970 dollars (nearly a trillion dollars today)

What lessons should Americans take away from the Vietnam War?

We will never blame our warriors again. 

Tell soldiers not just thank you for your service.  

Say Welcome home, what can we do for you.

Is continued weight loss with Ozempic shot something AZ protocols should add?

 

Oct 8, 2021

Despite my Alzheimers the 5 night trip to NYC was great. 

Air travel turned out well despite no direct flights and the fact that I lost my wallet on the outgoing flight.. 

Good news is my wallet was found and sent to me at the hotel, thank you American Airlines.  

I needed my drivers license for identification on the plane returning home.

I had my covid immunization data on my photos.  

VISITING THE museums I put in the category under joyful experiential activities that help my AZ. 

Revisiting my old haunts in Manhattan brought back many good memories. 

Now that I am home, I found that I lost five pounds on Ozempic despite going to nice restaurants .

I didn't eat much because of lost appetite.  

I was running around 215 pounds and now am down to 185 pounds after the NYC trip.

Is this new plateau a good thing for my AZ?

I know ketosis is better for my mind to use for energy since I have insulin resistance.

As for continued weight loss it increases my. self esteem. 

The comfort of returning home

 Last week spending 5 days in NYC and remembering my old haunts was great. 

 However the main downside was I missed my routine.  

Here I was in this deluxe expensive hotel, St Regis on 55th street

 and they lost connection to my favorite news channels MSNC and CNN. 

 All the other stations played but not news all day long. 

 Now I am home in front of my 85 inch TV watching Morning Joe on tape each day. 

I missed it.   

I like to skip breakfast each morning but we had complimentary breakfast that was worth $50 each. 

 I felt compelled to eat it.  The eggs sunny side up were great.  The potatoes were terrible, not crispy.  

 I am happy now to be back fasting.   I don't need breakfast with Ozempic  shot each week.  

I probably did more walking than usual. One day I walked 14,000 steps.  The weather was sunny. 

It was good to see my friends and my cousin and his family.  

Stress is my biggest problem.  With stress I get anxiety and depression.  

The biggest stress factor on this trip was getting up at 4 AM to fly out of Kennedy airport. 

I was staggered by the lack of sleep.  I didn't get my usual 8-10 hours sleep. 

 I had a good 6 hours of sleep, but it turned out not to be enough. 

 I started to have a headache.  I rarely have headaches.

 I was given a small glass of water and that helped my headache.  

Surprisingly, I was able to sleep fitfully for the two hour second leg of the flight home.  

It made all the difference in the world in how I felt.  

I look forward to my next trip to Atlanta to get together with my three grandsons.  

We have 5 cruises planned. 

 In the fifth year of my Alzheimers disease I am sticking to the original plan of just having fun with  

Joyful Experiential stimulation of the Brain.

T

New York State of Mind

 We flew to NYC from Topeka last Tues.

We had a ton of points left over from Covid so we used 300,000 for five nights at St Regis on 55th street.

Later we learned our room on the 14 floor usually charges $16,000 a night.  Unbelievable. 

Not much of a view as we were surrounded by taller buildings.

Our breakfast was included.  We were given a $100 voucher each morning.  

Coffee was excellent every morning except one day we figured they gave us an old pot as it was more bitter. 

My eggs sunny side up were delicious. 

Their potatoes were terrible. 

The second time I had Eggs Benedict I asked them to make the English muffin more toasted or more crispy, it was not done. 

The location of the hotel is excellent espeicially for the Museums which is what we visited. 

We found a great French restaurant two blocks over called La Bonne.  Less expensive food than the hotel.

Excellent escargo.  Excellent French onion soup.  Best meal of the trip.

For me it was wonderful to return to NYC where I went to high school at Stuyvesant.  

The Frick Museum was temporarly moved to a new location.  

The Mason the art pieces were located was a major part of the attraction but seeing the pieces in a regular museum building allowed me to appreciate the art without the distraction of the wonderful mansion.  It is like in the mansion you don't know where to look first or how to take it all in.  

We just came back from Asheville and went on the Biltmore Manson Tour.  It was an overwhelimg building with less art than the Frick.  

Overall the Frick is a much better experience. 

I am in my fifth year of Alzheimers but I knew my way around Central Park better than my friends. 

Seeing all the familiar sights refired alot of neurons in my brain.  Great time.  Great weather. 

As I compare this high end luxury hotel to a cruise I must say the service and food is better on a high end cruise.  

Lyrics from Billy Joel song link

Lost my wallet on the plane to Charlotteville

 Chapter Six

November three 2021

Lost my wallet on plane to NYC

Yesterday we flew from Topeka to Charlotte and then to JFK airport in NYC.

In the morning there was a little stress when we heard on the news that American Airlines was cancelling some flights.  The flights were on time.  After we got off the first flight I realized I didn’t have my wallet.  It was a 10 minute walk back to the gate at a fast pace.  My wife was concerned that with my walking problems I would not be able to make it in time without falling.  I had more confidence in myself.  I recently stopped using my cane walking down a hill.  I learned how to walk with a wide step, toes pointed out and landing on my heels with my head up.  

There was supposed to be a supervisor waiting at the gate.  

No one was there and the plane had already left the gate.  I walked back quickly to my next flight in time.  

Last night my wife filled out a claim to American Airlines online. 

We received a response this AM that they found my wallet.  They will send it to the hotel. 

The most difficult part of the experience is not the worry about money or the credit cards.  It is the emotional response of such an error.  Usually I have a jacket with zippers and I have a spot in the front that I traveled in France for 3 weeks and it was very secure.  

My wife didn’t think the zippered jacket was nice enough to wear in NYC.   

I watched a couple of Ted Lasso episodes on Apple TV on my iPhone to relax.  I only drank one beer at dinner.