Hope you all had a great holiday weekend. I celebrated by losing another pound. After 12 days, my weight was 378.5 pounds, down 22.5 pounds from my starting weight of 401 pounds. Now I am ready to get back into the routine of eating right and posting daily: yay!

After losing 21.5 lbs. in 9 days, I began Phase Three of my Healthwise program today. My breakfast is a bit larger now: Scrambled egg with onion, mushrooms, and green peppers; some blueberries, and a bowl of pudding (With 15 grams of protein!); it was filling and tasty. I am really believing I can make it all the way down to my goal weight. In another 10 days I will be on Phase Five, which will seem like a lot of food, but in reality should still keep me losing 3-5 pounds per week! Hooyah!

Down by 20 pounds total from my starting weight. That makes me pretty happy, because it establishes a lower starting point for the second half of 2009. I started at 401, so I don't think it is unreasonable to try to be under 300 by the end of this year. It has been twelve years since I was below 300, so that will be a big step for me. Long-range, I would like to achieve my goal weight of 199 by the end of 2010.

My short-term goals don't involve weight marks, by the way. They are focused on behaviors that lead to the achievement of the long-range goals. I know that weight tends to drop off erratically, but the end result (double-entendre?) flows naturally from following a well-conceived plan. :-)

It was probably "food!".

Okay, tonight I was hungry, tired, and late getting a chance to make my meal. Normally I would make a salad with a variety of vegetables, some lean meat, and a measured amount of dressing for supper. But, frankly didn't feel like it tonight. I had wanted to experiment with the Health Wise Meal Replacement Shake at some point, so this seemed a decent excuse to give it a try. Wow! I was so shocked with this product! This is the first meal-replacement product I ever tried that was really thick, rich, delicious, and easy to make. It did not separate even after sitting in my cup for 20 minutes. I had made it with some ice to get it colder, but it appeared that it was not needed to thicken it. The result was a uniformly smooth and thick vanilla shake that was NOT overly sweet (another of my pet peeves: many diet products are sweetened to make up for their lack of real flavor). So, in any case, I am in heaven. This stuff tastes good! Protein 35g, Carbs 23g (sugar 2g), Fat 1.5g.... and taste! lol

There is a funny thing that happens when you a very regimented diet plan (which I do) and you are able to stick to it (which I am). The problem is that I feel I have nothing to write about! It gets to be a little bit like: "Today I did the same thing as yesterday, once again". Now, don't get me wrong: I am truly glad this plan has thus-far been relatively easy to follow. After all, the shortest route to a healthy body is to do exactly what you set out to do every day, assuming you set the right goals for each day.

But I realize I do have plenty to write about: I am delighted by the support and heart-felt posts of the healthystart community. Like myself, most of you are new to the group due to the spotlight. But I was very blessed by the spotlight being turned onto just what I needed as soon as I started blogging! This group seems perfect for me, and I thank every one of you that participates, especially the new friends I have gained. I will try to keep being a good community citizen, and try to focus what I can contribute that will be of benefit to you as well as to me! :-)

This is me taken four days ago, the night before I started my weight reduction program. I am struck by how much weight I have gained even since my profile photo, and I was a long way from tiny when it was taken. Yes, I am totally huge, but just think what a dramatic contrast this will be with the "after" photo! :-)

Now, before you write me telling me how unhealthy this loss is, realize that I normally tend to carry a lot of edema, so the vast majority of this loss is due to eating much less salt (sodium) in my diet. Still, the results were gratifying:

Starting weight Tuesday, 6/23 :  401 lbs.
Weight today, Saturday,  6/27:  387.5 lbs.
Four-Day Weight Loss :  13.5 lbs.

Yes, that is an absurd amount. I seriously expect my weight loss to continue at about 4-5 lbs./week for the next few weeks. Again, that seems like too much, but not so much when you consider my height ( 6' 3" ) and starting weight.

I will try to post more later, including some of my "before" pictures. But I only got 3 hours of sleep last night, so I am late for a nap.  ;-)

Okay, I am up early today because the farrier is here to trim the hooves of our donkey. As soon as he is gone, I will be traveling to meet with Jack for my first official checkpoint in the program. I will be weighed and Jack and I will talk about the next phase of our program. Yay! I have made it this far!  :-)

Well, today was tougher, but not nearly as bad as I feared it might be. I am feeling satisfied, in more "weighs" than one. I took an unofficial weight today at the gym. I won't even say what it was, since tomorrow morning is my first official weigh-in and consultation for the program. But after I meet with Jack, I will come home and post my results, and based on my weight today, they should be pretty amazing. But, it has to be kept in mind that I am very large (taller, wider, and heavier than your car), and that I have a strong tendency to retain fluid. The reduction in eating causes me to always lose a lot (of water) in the first few days of any diet plan. Still, I do feel better already, since I can actually feel the lose of the excess fluid. So, let's see what the morrow brings!

In my past experiences with dieting, I have usually found the third day to be the worst day. Day three is usually the day where my body is crying out for more food than I am supplying it, and the temptation to deviate from the planned eating program is strongest.

Today is no exception to this rule. I am having to fight harder to not eat foods outside my planned portions. But, the good news is that the desire to do so is not nearly as bad as I have experienced in the past, and I seem to be able to handle it within the guidelines of the diet. I do have some snack foods that can be eaten early or late, and today I have chosen to eat about one third of these between breakfast and lunch. This seems to be enough to satisfy me: I am eating about one-fourth of a bag of the Sour Cream & Onion Protein Bites. Man, I really love these Protein Bites! I ended up giving my wife a bag of them last night, because she likes them better than the Ruffles, Doritos, Fritos, etc. that are in the house. Now I need to go see about getting more of them, since I need to eat all of them in the course of the week.

One reason that I think I am hungry today is that I ate an egg this morning instead of the Apples and Cinnamon Oatmeal (the protein-fortified version) that I have been eating. The egg is an allowed option, and one I plan to still use one or two days a week, but it is definitely not as filling as the oatmeal mix.

Lots of factors converged to make today a difficult day. I had to overcome temptation, but I had expected the lure of "forbidden pleasures". But the problem was compounded by increased resistance to change in someone close to me. Sadly, this too was expected, but still was aggravating when it occurred. I do enough to make the path more difficult for myself. Having someone close to you battle against the changes is almost overwhelming. But, I am happy to report, I stuck to my plan, and I feel much better for having done so against the headwinds.

Now, enjoy the video of the class I hope to be able to join soon:

Okay, the danger of joining a group right after you have made your regular post is that your first post into that group will NOT be your intro! Oh well, this is me: my name is Carl, and I am just getting started losing weight. I am 6' 3" and 401 pounds, and hope to be about half that massive by the end of next year (18 months from now). I have been looking for a support group, and looking at your posts makes this seem like a good one. I hope to be a contributing and helpful member of the community: eh, but not until after I go mow that grass outside. I will check back later today. :-)

I had to take my jeep to the mechanic today to see how much the strange sound from my left front wheel is going to cost me. That is what mechanics do: they charge you money to make the scary stuff go away. Okay, I actually know a little bit more about automotive repair than that, but not a whole lot.

So, for now I am driving the farm truck. It is not beautiful, but so far seems reliable enough. In the meantime, I split breakfast into before and after-mechanic portions. I mixed the lemonade fruit drink powder (high in protein, low in fat and sugar) in with my usual unsweetened iced tea, and am drinking it now. Yum! I had the Apples and Cinnamon Oatmeal earlier, and just took my EFA (Essential Fatty Acids) supplement. All total, it is not a lot of food, but it includes 30 grams of protein per meal, an adequate supply of well-balanced fats, and enough carbs to avoid full-blown ketosis.

I feel good today. Eating less is difficult to adjust to in one way, but it also brings immediate benefits. I don't feel bloated, my energy level seems a bit higher than usual, and I am having no digestive problems (probably because there is so little to digest). Amazingly, I don't feel real hunger: just the reflexive behaviors I have to correct. I stop to get gasoline and I want to get a snack from the store, mainly because that is what I have done countless times. But, I am finding those urges easier to resist than I thought I would, and for that, I am pleased.

Okay, today is another grass-mowing day: "Landscaping for Fitness". Yes, I think I have a potential best-seller there. Seriously, pushing a mower up and down my large (huge, enormous, enough-space-to-plant-cotton) yard really is good aerobic exercise, and adding stretching afterward will turn it from a chore into a workout. Yes, I have to think creatively to lose this weight.

I should mention that friends and family are offering me the chance to "work out" on the grass in their yards. See? People really are supportive when you want to lose weight! 

I got through the first day without cheating, and really with no feeling of being deprived. I know there will be challenging days in the future, but it sure feels nice to get the first one done successfully.

Yes, the quantities are small, but the food that I have gotten with this program are delicious! I am having to battle my wife over the Taco Cheese Protein Bites, which are a crunchy "cheese-puffs" type of treat. I seriously may be buying more of these just for her to have.

The day has been interesting. I can definitely feel the fact that I am eating a lot less calories, but I have not been actually hungry until time for the next meal. Probably my toughest challenge will be tonight. I am used to eating while playing World of Warcraft, and old habits die hard. I have held my snack foods in reserve until now, so that I can eat them as I game. I just have to remember to ration them out so they last the whole night. :-)

Okay, I didn't make it to the gym. Instead, my push-mower tackled me as I was on the way to the car, and forced me to use it to mow the grass in a considerable area of our yard. We have about an acre of grass on a sloping surface, so mowing half of it is about all I can do in one day. What made today different is that I went ahead afterward and began doing stretching exercises. I have learned that it is much safer to do stretching AFTER your muscles are warmed up... and mine were steaming hot! Summertime in GA has no mercy, and I do know to pace myself and keep plenty of liquids coming my system. The amazing thing is that I have done all this and feel fine despite the fact that my oatmeal breakfast is all I have had today. I plan to eat my lunch at about 2PM, but I don't really feel hungry at this point. Perhaps the fact that I have not made my blood sugar soar with a huge, carbohydrate-rich breakfast has kept it from plummeting after mowing. Whatever the reason, I am glad I am not feeling hungry.

At the very least, I can say that the Apples and Cinnamon Oatmeal I had for breakfast was delicious in flavor and texture. It was also more filling than I expected, but that is probably due to the fact that it has 15g of protein, which is way more than the usual packet of instant oatmeal. Preparation was just like any other: add 1/2 cup of water and microwave 80-90 seconds. Just tastier and more filling than the Quaker product I am used to eating. Good thing it is more satisfying, because I am used to having eggs, bacon, and toast with that oatmeal!

I know this sounds like I am making a big deal out of something trivial, but it really is not trivial. In order to get maximum results, I have to get through my breakfast by eating just this packet of Oatmeal. Before I ate it, I was pretty certain that I would still be majorly hungry after eating the portion given to me. But the truth is, I am not. I could eat more if I wished to do so, but I am not really driven to do so. Moreover, as Jack assured me, this product really tastes GOOD! I am very curious to see what the shakes will be like that I will be having in addition to my lean meat and vegetables at lunch and supper.

Time to get ready now to work out. :-)

Today is my first day on the Health WIse eating plan set up for me by "Trainer Jack" (That is Jack Bell's Facebook identity). It is a daunting change, but I also know it will have profound results. I will be eating a lot less food than I have eaten in the past, but the meals are designed to help me minimize lean tissue loss while maximizing fat loss. After breakfast, I will be heading up to the gym to do my workout, so wish me luck in this new adventure. I really feel confident about this making a major difference in my life. It is a cliche, but I am truly sick and tired of being sick and tired.