Wow, Christmas was tough and I faltered a lot.  I ate a few cookies.  Maybe more than a few on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  My wife made probably 300 cookies of all different types.  It was just too hard for me to resist. 

I did stay away from "normal" carbs like bread and potatoes and the like.  I made sure my straying at least went to the good stuff, and not just meh carbs.

I did weigh in nicely on the Friday before Christmas - 297!  That's my first weigh in under 300 lbs in over 5 years.  I'm going to work hard to get back on the wagon the rest of this week so my Friday weigh in - the last of the year this year, will be at least under 300, and hopefully at 297 or less.  That would be a huge accomplishment given the 2 days of struggle.

Ok so - Thanksgiving - I did really well!  I actually ate more calories at lunch (cheese and salami) than I did at dinner.  I had made BBQ, Brisket, and the Turkey all in the smoker - and they all turned out really well.  I ate those, and green beans, and that was it.  I didn't break down and eat any of the high carb sides, or desserts - and I really didn't miss them.  At this point, I'm a month off sugar so I don't have the extreme cravings of before. 

I did the post Thanksgiving weigh in and I had lost another 5 ish pounds!  That put me over 30 lbs, and very close to my 10% goal for the first 10 weeks - and at 6 weeks in at that.  The clinic had a little party for me and I got to sign the wall - that was a nice gesture. 

I'm really excited.  I was at the very last size that Wal Mart carried for jeans (50).  Now they need a really tight belt to hold up - I have some at the next size down (48) and I am looking forward to wearing them to work tomorrow - I think they will fit!

Pre-Thanksgiving

It's the day before Thanksgiving.  I'm really excited but really worried.  There will be so much temptation.  There has been temptation already today!  A colleague brought in donuts.  Evil!  I am staying away from them - I really don't have a sweet tooth these days, but I don't want to start down a slippery slope.

At lunch we are going to one of those movie theaters that provides full service - meals brought to your seat.  I am hoping to make it through with a Cobb salad.  It should provide enough protein in the chicken and bacon and good fats with the avocado to make it through the rest of the day.

Then there's Thanksgiving.  I am prepared for this!  The smoker is working overtime.  Today I am smoking a pork butt tonight, then tomorrow a beef brisket and, of course, a turkey.  We will have lots of protein for me to munch on, so I stay away from the carbs and sweets.

I don't know what my unofficial weight is now, but I weigh in officially again on Monday evening.  I am hoping for significant progress.

I'm starting to worry now about excess skin.  I wonder if there is anything other than lots of water that I can do to manage this, before I save up for the skin removal?

Trying again

Well, life happened.  I was training hard, and had been in a triathlon, and was preparing for more, then it happened.  I fell and broke my ankle, without knowing it - I thought it was a bad sprain.  Then I fell again and went to an orthopedist - where they told me it had been broken, and then re-broken.

My training ended - no more triathlons, but the eating regimen remained.  I continued to eat like I had when I was training, and I packed on the points.

You don't notice the weight going on...it comes in spurts - 5 lbs...then 10, then  you hit a plateau and you think "Ok I guess my body won't go over this."  But then it happens - you cross that threshold and you move to the next level.  You raise the bar.  Again, and again.  Each time you get a little heavier, it's that much harder to exercise, and you just want to sit on the couch.

At 343 lbs (After being at a tri-training weight of 250), I was walking up a hill to see my son at college.  When I got to the top of the hill, I couldn't catch my breath.  I started to feel lightheaded, and I thought - this is it, this is the day that I die, right here in public, in front of my wife and kids.  It was frightening, and eye-opening.  I had to do something to change this.

When I got home, I started a medically-managed weight loss program, called Medi Weight Loss.  It's a franchise, but the patients see a nurse practitioner, and have weekly check-ins where they go over your food and exercise diary, and they take vitals.  Every 10 weeks there is a full diagnostic with blood work and an EKG.

Finally, I can see a path to healthy living.  I have lost 26 lbs, and am on my way to my goal of 25 lbs under my triathlon weight.  It's a lofty goal I know, but I'll check in here to remind myself that it's worth it!