ID Theft & Fraud Prevention Consultant ~ Private Detective ~ Student of Stoicism ~ Disciple of Nature ~ Aspiring Gym Rat ~ Proud Club 💯 Member
Colorado, USA
Joined October 2009
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Five years ago today, I took Nittany’s ashes up to a campsite in the Flat Tops where she had been my camping and fishing companion on many trips and released her on a gust of wind. The first photo is of Nittany at my home when I lived on Emerald Mountain, directly across from the Steamboat Ski Resort. The others are views from the campsite at around 11,000 ft in the Flat Tops in the Rockies, looking down on the Bear River Valley. This is very near the headwaters of the Bear River which via the Yampa, Green, and Colorado Rivers eventually flows all the way to the Gulf of California.
While exchanging messages with a gentleman who reached out months ago and asked me how I succeeded in shedding more than 100 lbs—and then asked me to assist him—we were discussing how we reward ourselves. One thing I had to get away from was thinking of food as a reward. For me, I have to think of food as nothing more than fuel to meet my daily macro needs and therefore a tool to help me regain my health and physical strength. This was part of our exchange.
I can attest to the reality when Ian says the "whole team will get busy" once you decide to join Iron Ethos. From the comprehensive intake process and follow-up questions to the detailed program, any appropriate modifications, weekly assessments, and fast responses to any issues/questions you raise, you get the expertise and benefit of the entire coaching team weighing in and helping. Here's an example. Last weekend, I sent over the last few blood tests we'd been waiting for. While I'm sure the team had many things they had planned for a Saturday, they went right to work, exchanged questions/answers with me and modified several of my protocols. That allowed me to make the changes right away and I already saw results this week.
Rob Douglas 💯 retweeted
It’s check-in day & you were not fully adherent. You’re confronted with direct questions about deviation, what do you do?
The place you most struggle with adherence is the place you need the most support.
Don’t pay a coach to tell you good job.
Rob Douglas 💯 retweeted
I would rather you be honest, than lie about being perfect. This is how we work together.
Are you ready to start? We cant help while you are "thinking about it" but as soon as you decide we will get busy....the whole team.
I missed Flex Friday, but I’ll toss out two bicep captures from the check-in photos I submitted yesterday for my coaches. On the left is yesterday. On the right is three weeks ago. I think there’s some growth and more definition.
Yesterday, after I submitted my weekly check-in to @IronEthosX, I was pleased that my assessment came back quickly with good news.
In part, it states: “You are really making great progress in a ton of areas. Weight down, muscle up, food up, cardio up. And even with anabolics up, your BP looks great. Let’s keep this momentum… let’s keep digging for a bit.”
After some questions about how my recovery from current workouts is going, @Ironhands57 gave me a potential green light to add more exercises and volume to at least one of my workouts—something I’m eager to do to see if I can get more growth from my traps.
In a series of additional text messages, @lipstickhippiee noted I am down 23 lbs since I started with Iron Ethos Wellness 6 weeks ago, and on track to reach my goal of dropping 5% of my body fat during my first 12 weeks.
All in all, a good report. With each assessment, and the many other communications I receive, it becomes clearer and clearer that (a) I’m improving, and (b) I made a good decision reaching out to see if @IronEthosX would accept me as a client.
Dorian Yates on how many reps you can do: “When you think you’re finished, there’s three or four more. Always.”
I love the dramatic change of seasons in the Colorado high country. They bring a rhythm to life. But I don’t like the sun setting at 6 pm. And along with the upcoming clock change, it’ll soon be setting before 5 pm. Uff da.
Six months ago today, I stepped back into a gym after a 15-year hiatus. Coincidentally, the next day I started TRT. Arguably, those two decisions, combined with the use of a GLP-1 that began six months earlier, have completely changed my life for the better. I’m still in the phase where almost every week I can move more tonnage during my workouts. With the guidance of my coaches at @IronEthosX, the goal is to see how far we can extend and maximize that “newbie” muscle growth period. Still, I’ll be perfectly happy to work hard for as long as I’m physically able, no matter whether the gains are fast or slow.
Lower B is complete for this week. For the first time ever, I didn’t get a cramp while spreading and positioning my legs on the Hip Adduction Machine. I attribute that welcome development to the stretching exercises recommended by my coaches at @IronEthosX. I also found that a pad someone left on the seat back positioned me better. I’ll be using that pad from now on.
During a quick break from work, I found the message below (edited for her privacy) from a lifelong friend who first reached out in May to discuss my GLP-1 use in detail and how it might benefit her. She has now pulled the trigger. This is why I post my journey. If I can inspire a few folks, it makes me happy. It also keeps me on track—I don’t want to fail and let my friends down.
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“I’ve continued watching your success posts, congratulations. You must feel great. I decided to start Zepbound. I’m a month in and now started 5 mg. The timing to really diet change hasn’t been ideal as we had travel plans. I am definitely not hungry or food focused, I can’t eat as much as not interested and feel satisfied sooner. I have tried walking some but need to be consistent. I haven’t lost much but am now going to refocus food choices big time. I’m not really watching food choices as well. I will. With winter coming I will need to find time for indoor movement. I’ve had both knees replaced so I can now move more. Keep inspiring us.”
Upper B is complete. In a week I knew would be challenging with life outside of my health, strength, and fitness protocols, today was a doozy. The drain backed up in the utility room and spread into the recently refinished basement due to a complete blockage from roots and mud somewhere in the main drain pipe under the house (location still to be determined). Then a last minute unscheduled availability with the eye doc revealed early cataracts (just needs monitoring for now) and light scarring on the eye that was impacted by shingles. It doesn’t seem to be affecting my vision much and may slowly heal. After dealing with those unexpected issues, I got to the gym hours later than usual but was grateful to be there and not miss my usual Thursday workout. Sometimes life throws fastballs and sometimes curveballs. My goal is to keep swinging for the fences no matter the pitch.
I am not a Luddite, but as someone who uses various computer systems and technology to oversee the production of dozens of newsletters, I spend as much time on many days dealing with or being delayed by system malfunctions and other tech issues as I do on the actual content. As a relevant aside, barely a week goes by before an automaker issues a recall because of software problems in the vehicles it manufactures. And the more we are promised that all this lovely technology will give us more free time, the less we actually have. Rant over. Gonna go read an old-fashioned book.
Important info from my coach that we all can use to analyze our various biomarkers. I'll have to see how mine line up.
Insulin resistance (IR) and leading versus trailing indicators…
Fasting insulin is how hard your pancreas is working to ‘control traffic’ (mechanistic, leading indicator) [optimal is <5 µIU/mL, normal is 5-8]
Fasting glucose is ‘traffic at wakeup’ (snapshot, can miss problems, mid-tier indicator) [optimal is 70-85 mg/dL, normal is 85-95]
A1c is the ‘cumulative traffic’ over ~8-12 weeks (reactive, lagging indicator) [optimal is <5.2%, normal is 5.2-5.4]
How to actually interpret:
Normal glucose + low insulin = insulin sensitive.
Normal glucose + high insulin = compensated insulin resistance (early).
High glucose + high insulin = progressing dysfunction.
High glucose + low insulin = beta cell failure (late).
What “waning” IR looks like:
Stage 1 (early): Glucose normal (~80–90), A1c normal (~5.2–5.4), insulin creeping up (8–12).
Stage 2 (progressing): Glucose drifting (~90–100), A1c ~5.4–5.6, insulin elevated (>10–15).
Stage 3 (overt): Glucose ≥100, A1c ≥5.7, insulin high or eventually falling (prediabetes).
However, better marker is HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance). It estimates how resistant your body is to insulin using fasting glucose and fasting insulin.
~0.5–1.0 = very insulin sensitive
~1.0–2.0 = normal
>2.0 = early insulin resistance
>2.5–3.0+ = significant resistance (context matters)