Tag: paleo

I Love My CanCooker JR – Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen

I love a day when you need to ask what is going on here and 2017 has been a year when I have been able to say that quite often. The one thing for certain is that I Love My CanCooker.
As you may have read in earlier blogs, in early 2016 I left my career of sixteen (16) years when I truly loved the company. I left the company twelve (12) months after it was sold and of course the new owners knew best how to run the company so this used up manager moved on without a long term strategy.

I floated around in the industry I had been affiliated with for the last twenty (20) years but at the end of 2016 I was offered an opportunity with a company in a different industry. Why not try something new right. In December 2016, I started my new job and actually received a gift card for the holidays for Bass Pro. Well, you can never go wrong with a gift card from Bass Pro right.


After multiple trips to the main Bass Pro in town and the clearance center since Bass Pro is based out of the local area. I found a few things that I liked but could not make a decision. Finally, I went to the lower level and seen the CanCooker JR and it was love at first site.

Grabbing the CanCooker JR, I made my way to the checkout line. Once there, I whipped out my gift card and cha-ching, I was the owner of a brand new CanCooker JR. I rushed to my truck and went home stopping by the market so get some yummy ingredients to cook in my CanCooker JR.

I arrived at home with my ingredients and prepared as described in my abbreviated CanCooker JR cooking guide. Traveled to put the ingredients in the CanCooker JR and the grates on the box were not included. My heart did a double beat and I did a quick Google to determine what is going on here. My answer was instantly posted on Google that the grates were not included.


With the CanCooker JR and ingredients in hand, I had to think fast how to cook supper without the grates. I looked in the pantry and in the cupboards and I seen some aluminum pie tins that just might work. Using the scissors, and good old fashion sweat, I fabricated temporary grates and ordered the correct ones on Amazon.

Back in service, I cooked up a CanCooker JR smorgasbord and immediately fell in love. I have had pots, pans, grills, broilers, etc., and never have I found a self-contained cooker that I could use at home or when camping. Never have I found a cooking device that locked in the taste and moisture like my CanCooker JR.


I purchased a small CanCooker Cook Book On Amazon to supplement my abbreviated recipes that were included and since December 2016 I have used existing recipes, modified recipes, and developed new recipes and every meal has been scrupulous. If you want to learn more about what you can cook with the CanCooker JR, let me know.

The CanCooker and I became best friends in December 2016 and my time with the company that was responsible for our meeting was short-lived. I always smile and chuckle a bit when I use my CanCooker JR because through this relationship, my CanCooker JR was the best thing that happened to me other that having some great employees work for me.

What cooking device do you have a special relationship with?

Great to be fifty plus going on fifteen (50 plus going on 15).

Wishing you heath, safety, and success.

Jay Patterson

 

How To Lose Weight Part 1 – Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen

I have always said I wish I was 21-year old with the wisdom of a 50-year old but if I had any wish in the world, I would be a 50-year old with the metabolism of a 21-year old.

It was an overnight occurrence, at the age of 40 I went to sleep burning favorite foods without issue and next thing you know, I would smell donuts and gain weight. Of course, weight gain had nothing to do with eating two plus helpings during supper, driving hundreds of miles each day for work, eating fast food for lunch, lack of athletic activity, and/or 3 AM snacks where I would leave one (1) in case somebody wanted it even though I ate nine (9).

For the past ten plus (10+) years, my weight increased 40 percent compared to when I retired from the Navy pushing 165 pounds soaking wet and running five (5) to ten (10) miles per day in hot, humid coastal Georgia. Even during the holiday season, my weight stayed constant and I enjoyed eating all the good foods. Foods that were good to me anyhow.

I initially increased in weight from 165 pounds to 200 pounds and attributed the weight gain to getting older. I would go on a fad diet to drop 15 to 20 pounds and return to my old habits and weight gain until I was around 200 pounds. My ego prevented me from purchasing new pants and shirts as long as I would yo-yo in this range. The plan was rock solid and good to go.

Unluckily, the fad diets did not work anymore and 200 pounds turned into 210 pounds and I was not losing weight. I purchased new pants and shirts and summed the weight gain up as a side effect of getting older. To make things worse, my knees bothered me with the extra weight but once again of course they did since I was getting older.

Well, the wheels started to wobble as I was pushing 230 pounds plus and experiencing issues with my cholesterol and triglycerides. I went up another size in pants and shirts and my doctor put me on medication, diet and exercise regiment.

Finally, the wheels pretty started falling off when I was informed that my liver was failing, my weight was not dropping and if I did not make life altering decisions. Wow, history was repeating itself since my grandfather died at the age of 55 due to heart disease caused by cholesterol and triglycerides.

Needless to say, this was my “Suck It Up Buttercup Moment” and I started searching for a way to lose weight and keep it off, restore liver functions, reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, and purchase smaller shirts and pants. None of these goals were a small task considering my track record in the last ten plus (10+) years but each had to be tackled.

The most pressing issue was my liver so after researching my cholesterol and triglyceride medication, one of the side effects included liver issues so I talked my doctor into changing my medication and I stopped drinking all alcohol. Guess what, after six (6) months, my liver functions returned to normal.

In tandem with resolving my liver issue, I tried numerous methods and diets to regulate my weight since I was certain if I reduce my weight I would also resolve my cholesterol and triglyceride issues. I had limited success dropping weight but was keeping constant at around 230 pounds.

I continued to research methods to reduce weight, keep the weight off and restore my body chemistry. In July 2016, after much research I made a decision on the best course of action and decided to change my eating habits from a see food or fad food strategy to a Paleo strategy setting a start date on my 53rd birthday.

It has been over a year since I made the change and I have maintained my weight at 200 pounds even through the holiday season. It has been over six (6) months since I was removed off my cholesterol and triglyceride medications. My knees are doing much better and I have purchased smaller size clothing. Overall a big win for Paleo and myself.

What is Paleo and where does it fit in “How To Lose Weight“?

Stay tuned for future articles and I will shed further light on what Paleo is and how I used it to get to a comfortable weight of 200 pounds.

Have a safe weekend and thanks for reading,

Jay Patterson