Page 4 | Michael T. Miyoshi

God’s Conspiracy Worked · 28 August 2013

After a year of writing and posting six days a week, I can say that God’s conspiracy worked.

When I started this blog series a year ago, I did not really know what I was in for. I really did just want to get a bit healthier and I wanted to write every day. Other than those hopes, I had no idea what would happen.

In terms of health, I just wanted to lose about five to ten pounds. I figured if I could get down below 160 pounds, I would be happy. I did not realize that I had so much weight to lose (over twenty). And I did not realize how out of shape I was. (I know I was exaggerating when I said I started out running a block in half an hour, but it was almost that bad.)

The other thing I have come to more fully understand is that health cannot be measured by how much weight we gain or lose. Losing weight (or in some cases gaining weight) is merely a byproduct of being healthy. Just as we do not get stronger just because we get heavier, we do not get healthier just because we get lighter. We need to do the right things (eating and exercising properly) to get the right results (being healthy). When we get those right results, we get the proper byproducts too (like losing the right amount of weight).

As much as I love the fact that I am healthier than I was a year ago, I must admit that I am happier that I have become a true writer during that time.

I may not have garnered any fame or fortune for my efforts. My writing may not have improved much. And I know I have not gained many more readers or fans over this year. Still, I know I am a writer. After all, true writers write all the time. They are disciplined. They may not publish something every day, but they are writing. After all this time, I can say with confidence that I am a writer, even if it is only because I write.

When all is said and done, I know God is not finished with me yet. I still have lots to learn and accomplish. But His conspiracy to make me healthy has accomplished much more than I thought it would. Now, even though I do not always eat right or exercise as much as I would like, I know that I am healthy. I know I will continue to strive for health. I also know that even though I will probably not blog every day (at least not for a while), I know that I can. (Rest assured that I will be writing every day, even if the world does not see it right away.)

I had no idea what God had planned for me a year ago when He told me to write about my journey toward health. But now I know that His conspiracy worked. In more ways than one.

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Going All In · 27 August 2013

My wife commented that when I decide on a course of action, I go all in. She was talking about eating and my choice of footgear, but it really applies to all my life.

I have gone all in on the way I eat even though true vegans and at least one of our friends might call me a cheater vegan. It is true that I am not strictly vegan, but I have committed to a certain way of eating. Even though I still indulge in a few processed foods now and then, I have committed to eating a plant-based, whole food diet. Yes, I eat fish (usually, just a couple times a month) and eggs (about once a week). But that is because I had committed long ago to keep away from pills. To my way of thinking, I would rather have a little bit of animal product to get all my nutrients from foodstuff than take some pill that might have unknown detrimental effects. (Besides, I figure if God had meant us to eat pills, He would have made pharmaceutical trees.) So even if true vegans would not necessarily agree with my food choices, I have gone all in on getting healthier by the way I eat.

I have also gone all in on the footgear I wear. Besides my cowboy boots, all of the shoes I wear on a regular basis have no drop from heel to toe and no arch support. They are no-shoe shoes. I run, walk, and live as close to barefoot as I possibly can. It has taken time to develop my leg and foot muscles to do so, but I was committed to it almost from the start.

Most of the reason I have gone all in is actually reason itself. I have done research – reading and talking to people. I have also lived it for a time. And in writing about my trials, tribulations, failures, and successes, I have reasoned things out enough to declare that I am all in.

In most of the things I do, I take the time to determine the best course of action. Once I have decided on that best course, I go all in. Now I can declare, after lots of research and a year-long experiment, that I have indeed decided on the best course of action. I am all in for being healthy by eating a whole food, plant-based diet and running around nearly barefoot.

I hope many people choose to join me and go all in for being healthy too.

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Tale of the Tape · 24 August 2013

When all is said and done, people want to know the results of a year-long journey toward health. They want to know the tale of the tape even if it does not give the complete story. (I am happy to oblige even though I previously gave some of the numbers without the comparisons.)

The tape says that I have gone from a 34-inch waist to a 30- or 31-inch waist (depending on the pants manufacturer). The scale says I have gone from 168 pounds to 142 pounds. The timer says I have gone from a resting heart rate of 60 beats per minute to 48 beats per minute. The sphygmomanometer says my blood pressure has remained the same at about 128/72.

Even though I did not get any cholesterol readings at my physical last year, my results compared to two years ago still show significant changes. My HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) is up from 32 to 49 mg/dl (from too low to normal). My LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) stayed in the normal range, but changed slightly from 82 to 88 mg/dl. And my triglycerides are down from 260 to 138 mg/dl (from too high to normal). Like I said before, this is the first time in many years that all my readings have been in the normal ranges.

Overall, the numbers say my health is better. And I feel good too. All from eating a plant-based, whole food diet and exercising a little bit a few days a week.

The tale of the tape does not tell the whole story, but it does give some concrete results of my year-long journey toward health.