Journal

08/20/2005                     Starting over again @ 368 Pounds

I started this new program  8/01/05. The 4 big things are, (1) 100% water to drink, no diet drinks, no coffee, no juice, (2) No sweets or artificial sweeteners, (3) Eat small meals, (4) Stablize my blood sugar level, other things include no fried foods, no red meat, exercise-starting out @ 35 minutes-1.7miles walking, no sauces or gravy, no white potatoes. Basicly 24% good fats, 45% protein, 31% carbohydrates.

08/23/2005                  Thinking on Dr Ornish's Program

Dr Ornish's Book "Reversing Heart Disease" has a very restricted diet, no kind of meats, including fish. I just joined a list on Yahoo that follows his diet. So far pleased with my results on weight loss following Joe Dillons plan, 15 pounds in 3 weeks.

08/25/2005                       Calorie Percentage

1486 Calories for the 24th, 11.10% fat, 25.53% Protein, 63.37% carbs. Still 100% water! My first goal is to reach 300 lbs by Christmas, from the first of August to Christmas is 21 weeks, that means I have to average 3.24 pounds a week to meet the goal..time will tell

09/08/2005                              Ahead of Schedule

Right now I am 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Weighed in 09/05/05 at 343, my weight goal was 344 by 9/19. Most mornings walking 3.2 miles in 1 hour. Plan on riding the exercise bike in the afternoons for 30 minutes.

09/09/2005                            Afternoon Exercise

Still have not started riding the exercise bike in the afternoons, thinking of joining a gym to get in some strength training.

09/10/2005                                    Vitamins

Mornings ,(2) Adam Men's Multi Vitamin, 400 IU Vitamin E, (1) gram Fish Oil, 25,000 IU Dry Beta Carotene, 99 mg Potassium, (1)Calcium(333mg)Magnesium(133mg)Zinc(5mg), Lunch 1500mg Natrol Ester-C-with Bioflavonids,  (1) gram Fish Oil, Dinner,  (1) gram Fish Oil

10/20/2005                        Summary thus far!!!!!

Well Monday will make 12 weeks and I have lost 51 lbs. thus far. 12 lbs. ahead of schedule weighing in @ 317 today. I am making plans to form a team and ride in the Virginia Dare MS 150 Tour in June. I will need to be no more than 220 for that event. I just started biking again last week and was able to get 103 miles. This week another story between going on a fishing trip and going to see Jennifer. My goal was to ride at least 100 miles per week.  The program has been working well with an average weight loss of 4.7 lbs. per week. I am amazed that I don't have a lot of hunger pains and the cravings have been gone since week 2.

10/31/2005                   Great week for weight loss

I had a great week for weight loss, minus 6 lbs for the week. That puts me at a total of 59 lbs. since August (13 weeks) the sad news is I have at least 114 lbs. to go. Right now weighing in at 309 and the top ideal weight for my height (6’2”) is 195. So far I am very pleased with the rate of drop, which is an average of 4.5 lbs. per week.

Last week I had a total of 16 hrs. 16 min exercise, 7 hrs walking with 22.4 miles, and 9 hrs. 16 min cycling with 125.7 miles

12/01/2005                        Getting Smaller

Well I can really tell the difference in my size, I have lost 10 ½ inches in the waist, now at 289 which is minus 79 lbs. I just pulled out some old 48 waist jeans and they fit perfect. 94 lbs. to go. I am 24 lbs a head of schedule. My plan was to loose 3 lbs. per week and I set the weight loss schedule at that for 1 year which would be August 06. Walking 3.2 miles every morning before work, riding an average of 150 miles per week on the bike and trying to squeeze in at least 2 days per week in the gym is paying big dividends of an average weight loss of 4.5 lbs per week. Thanksgiving went well sticking to my program and lost 6 lbs. during that week.

12/12/2005                           Half Way Point

Half way there I have lost 87 lbs and have 86 to go. Now at 281. My goal was to be at 300 by Christmas and looks like I will be close to 270. I am still amazed how well this plan is working. If the weight continues to drop at an average of 4.5 lbs per week I will be near 200 by May. That sure would be great.

01/19/2006                       62 Lbs to GO now @ 256

44 waist jeans are beginning to get loose. We have 20 weeks before the MS Tour in Richmond and I really want to be @ 195. That means I have to loose an average of 3.1 Lbs per week. Last week a little disappointing with just a 1 lb drop. But on the other hand in the past 23 weeks I have lost 110 Lbs, which is a 4.5 lb average per week. Right now I am 34 lbs ahead of my one year schedule that I set up which is based on a 3 lb per week weight loss. Just started mixing in some jogging with my walk in the mornings, out of the 3.2 miles I jogged 1.5 miles. The biking is getting better and now I am riding the Trek 2300 Pro some, about half the weight of the 36 Lb Cannondale Touring bike. I will start training on hills soon. My goal for 2006 is to ride 11,000 miles for the year. I have been getting in around 175 miles per week lately and need to step it up to 211 miles per week to meet my goal. I started riding again October 8th, 05, which was the first ride in 2 ½ years and after gaining 168 lbs. I was able to get in 1503 miles for the year.  Spring, Summer & Fall should make it a little easier to get the extra miles in. I have been amazed how well this plan has worked for me and the energy I have. I cook once a week 2 lbs of pinto beans and 2 lbs of brown rice and mix them. My grocery bill is about the same as before going on this program. The cost of the fresh spinach, broccoli, apples, bananas, and canned pineapple is a little high. Right now I am getting between 1700 and 2100 calories per day, that breaks down to around 12% fat (25 grams), 69% carbohydrates (360 grams), and 19% protein (94 grams).

For years I have struggled to keep the weight off only to lose it and gain it back time and time again and I feel this program may be the answer to my weight gain. Eating whole foods as they are grown and staying away from any type of processed food has made a huge difference in controlling my appetite eliminating cravings, binges, and compulsive over eating. Drinking all water makes a difference. This program is also vegetarian, except for fat free yogurt, egg whites and skim milk.

01/31/06                            

6 Months
Down 118 Pounds
Weighing in @ 250

Yesterday made six months I have been on an Ornish modified program and am happy to report I have lost 118 lbs., which I can hardly believe. I started this journey August 1, 05 and if someone would have told me I could have dropped 118 lbs in that time frame, I would have told them that were crazy, absolutely out of their mind. My waist has dropped from a 56" to now a 40" waist, and hoping to get down to 34 sometime this summer. I need to loose another 55 lbs. 

Now of course I have my critics who say I have lost it to fast, but I have not starved myself, just eating whole foods, no processed foods, no sweets or artificial sweeteners, nothing to drink but water and my smoothies, eliminating all coffee, tea and fruit juices. I excel in cycling when I have my weight off and now I am riding around 200 miles per week in the afternoons and walking or running 3.2 miles every morning.  

In the past I have had 2 gastric surgeries to help me with this weight but they failed because I never gave up the sugar and processed foods. I feel in my heart this is my last chance to get this weight off and to keep it off before my health begins to deteriorate. I turned 51 last November and heart disease runs in the family, so far I do not show any symptoms. 

To me this program is the nearest thing to a miracle in my life. After the first 2 weeks on the program it's seemed so natural. It took 2 weeks to get over the headaches, withdrawing from the sugar and caffeine, but since then it has been smooth sailing. Of course not only living healthier I look healthier. Just so many comments of course my size, but how healthy I look, comments on my skin, eyes and how happy I am.

 Now let me say I have lost a lot weight many times in the past, I'm thinking around 12 times, but I'm telling everyone this time it's different, it's not been a struggle, I have not been climbing the walls, almost going out of my mind to get my hands on something sweet, not staying hunger all the time, and really knowing in fact when I truly need something to eat. Eating small meals and keeping the blood sugar stable.

 I do believe I have this food demon behind me, but as life continues I must keep my guard up and remain true to the secret that I could not find for 51 years.

03/02/2006

7 Months
Down 130 Pounds
Weighing in @ 238

The end of February made 7 months I have been on this program. A total weight loss of 130 lbs.

I upped my intake to 2100-2500 calories and the weight loss has slowed up. I may have to drop back to 1800 calories per day. Now at 238 and need to loose at least 43 more pounds.