short Update

Hi all,

Too tired to do much more than post the updated weight and I'll be gone the next Monday to Canada, not back until April 3, so suspense until then! While I'm gone, it'll be much tougher to "stay on target" (as one of my frequently quoted lines from Star Wars--usually when the GPS is saying, "Stay on I35").

Weight:

Bodyfat:

Loss so far: 23 pounds in 10 weeks (2.3 pounds/week), but clearly slowing down, as expected.

Update - 15 March 2010

Hmmm . . . .

The first week I haven't lost--and gained slightly, but I can understand. Sunday we had lunch at a new Mexican restaurant: (ribeye) carne asada, but also two chips, half a margarita, and some of the beans and rice (oh yeah, and about half an avocado). Not too bad. But Sunday evening was dinner at friends: controlled on appetizers, but a fair number of almonds and some cheese (no crackers), plus a glass and a half of white wine. Dinner (which didn't come until around 8 PM--daylight savings began) was salad (nice!), one very small piece of bread, chicken (lovely!), mixed veggies, and some rice/wild rice/mushroom pilaf. I didn't eat all the pilaf, but did eat about half. Also another glass and a half of red wine. Then dessert was berries and a champagne/chambord cocktail with some raspberries in it.

Again, a really lovely meal, but more carbs than I've been eating (lots more, actually), more total food than I've been eating, and FAR more alcohol than I've been drinking! I felt a bit bloated and slow and a bit hung over/dry mouth that night and this morning. I have to behave better this week, if only to feel better!

At that, gained 1/2 pound this week and I'd imagine some of that was retained water from the two meals on Sunday. If I remember, I'll check tomorrow morning for a more realistic look at weight. Or . . . the slowdown may have begun!

Weight:

Where I am!

Looking at the pics in the previous post, it's clear I'm still fat! (however, MUCH improved!)

It's a reminder that metabolically, I still have lots of the visceral fat that wreaks havoc on your body. For me, there's still a long way to go.

That's why it's important that I think of this as transformation -- in other words, a permanent change in the way I am, how I behave, how I think of myself.

This first 8 weeks of change is without much exercise--that simply hasn't been my focus yet . . . but it will be! I know it's a question of when and how, not if. And the next change for me might well be meditation and a change to my bedtime habits. I'm still doing lots of reading, still haven't fully decided what will be the next transformation to begin.

But I'm excited to still be on the path after 8 weeks -- and excited to see what will come.

Update & Pics, after 8 weeks

So, with my wife back, here are the pics:
Start:                                                                                          























Now:

Start:                                             

Now:

Start:

Now:

Week 8

Sorry to have no photos (including of the scale)--my wife's been gone for a week and left the camera . . . but the batteries went out and I don't have the other rechargeables here to change. Will get comparison pics up after she gets back on Wednesday.

Weight 222, bodyfat 33.5, so a 2 pound loss for a total of 21.5 pounds lost. As I mentioned, when I go under 220, that will be the first time in a long time. Photos will come this week.

Week 7 Update

Seven weeks and still moving along.

I think the thing I'm proudest of this week is keeping on target with the program despite travel. I was doing a gig in Southern California this weekend, so flew to Burbank on Friday, worked on Saturday, then flew back on Sunday. Very different than past travel in terms of eating, I'd say:

I brought some nuts along, so on the flight out skipped any soft drinks and only drank water and ate some of the nuts. That evening, dinner was on my own, so ordered roast chicken from the hotel restaurant, no potatoes--quite good, I'd say! I'd also brought two of the dove dark chocolates, so had one as well. Saturday morning was a couple eggs scrambled, bacon, and fruit (some cantaloupe, strawberries, raspberries, and pineapple)--more fruit than I'd eat at home, but good. Lunch was at the university, a typical make-your-own sandwich buffet table, so I did a kind of mixed salad plate, taking no bread: turkey, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and a pickle. No cookie, although they looked tasty! For dinner that evening with one of my colleagues (as groups were warming up) a steak and salad--my other dark chocolate after the evening's judging. I skipped the brownies and the proffered soft drink at the reception. The same breakfast the next morning, but they gave me more eggs, I'd guess about three eggs scrambled. Same on plane going back--just some nuts and water. When I got home I had a protein shake and my chocolate before going to bed.

This is a huge change from prior travel, which would mean having one or two cokes on the flight, plus whatever they gave me in terms of carb-y snacks, plus perhaps a candy bar, chips or something while waiting at the airport. I certainly would have had more soft drinks at lunch and a couple cookies (and perhaps taken another couple to have later).

So I'm happy with where I am at this point of transforming the way I eat.

Results:

Weight:

Bodyfat:

Weight lost this week: 1 1/2 pounds
Total: 19 1/2 pounds