Nothing really exciting today. I noticed just a tiny bit of hunger late yesterday, but it may have been just in my head. I was having a craving, but I don't know what I actually wanted. So I got a glass of water & shrugged it off. Energy level is still pretty respectable, too. Oh, and my intestines seem to be at least halfway back to normal today.
In the past, I have had a tendency to get headaches at least once a week. This week, I had no headaches at all. I think this is due to the fact that I have been taking in zero caffeine. Mind you, my caffeine intake over the previous 6 weeks was drastically reduced. But back when I was drinking soft drinks daily at work, then sticking to water on the weekends, I'd get caffeine withdrawal headaches, which were a great way to ruin the weekend. So ditching that is a definite bonus.
According to my calendar that I have a BBQ to attend next Saturday. Luckily for me, I am playing the role of grillmaster, so I can control my own food carefully. And I'm making kebabs, which are easy to keep within the diet parameters.
Like I said, I do not want to obsess over every ounce of weight, so I am not weighing myself daily. Just every few days. My weight at the first doctor's visit last Monday morning was 306. Unfortunately, I did not think to weigh myself at home to compare scales, but I am fairly certain my home scale reads low, because on Wednesday, I was 296 here at home. So there's no way to see progress there with different scales. This morning, however, I checked in at 291. So it is probably safe to say that by my Monday office visit, I should show a loss of 4+ pounds. For the first few months, a guy as big as me will probably drop pounds relatively quickly, but I know it will taper off as body fat decreases & my carb & fat intake are allowed to increase on the diet.
I also decided that I really don't need to list condiments & flavorings unless they count against the diet, or are on the "moderate only" list. So I won't bother listing mustard, hot sauce, etc. from now on.
Today, 2/28/09:
Weight: 291 (per home scale, not calibrated with doctor's scale)
All supplements taken as directed
1 gallon+ water consumed
Meal 1- 4 oz ground sirloin (93% lean) (4 servings), 1 cup cooked green beans (2 servings), 12 black raspberries (2 servings)
Meal 2- 2 hot dogs (<1g fat/oz), 3 oz total (3 servings), 2 cups raw cucumbers (2 servings)
Meal 3- 7 oz chicken (7 servings)
Meal 4- 2 hard boiled eggs (2 servings)
Total: 12 servings very lean protein, 4 servings lean protein, 4 servings vegetables, 2 servings fruit. Spot on.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Diet, Day 4
Well, last night my sister Erin's longtime boyfriend, Bob, proposed to her. She'd been waiting for quite a while for this to happen, so she already knew the answer- YES! I'm thrilled for her, and Bob is one helluva good guy. He's a welcome addition to the clan. Of course, since they live in Vegas, this means that if they have a ceremony with guests (as opposed to visiting the JoP), my caboose needs to fit in an airplane seat comfortably. MORE MOTIVATION!!!
Still running with good energy levels & not feeling noticeably hungry.
Last night at work, I spent most of my downtime studying my food list & attempting to come up with a rough meal plan for the week so that I could go shopping. So I went shopping this morning & stocked up on fresh fruits & veggies and lean meats, etc.
One thing I cannot seem to find is fat free or low fat sliced cheese. Keep in mind that I don't even consider the stuff they call "American Cheese" to be in the cheese family. I want Swiss, provolone, Monterrey jack, etc. Especially cheese that pairs well with lunch meats, since I am allowed to have a few ounces of low fat lunch meats. Since I could not find the cheese I wanted, I skipped the lunch meats. (I did get some string cheese & a block of sharp cheddar with 2.5g fat/oz, which meets the requirement of <3g.) color="#ffcc99" size="1">I hadn't had a BM in several days, which happens to me occasionally, but not often. All of a sudden, around 4 a.m., I had to rush to the bathroom. Turns out it wasn't exactly diarrhea, but it wasn't solid, either. The best way I have thought of to describe the consistency was chicken & dumplings. Kinda lumpy, but there was a definite liquid factor, too.
Then it got stranger. The odor was something I have never encountered before, and I would never have guessed that it came from a human being's body. And it was putrid. Foul. Disgusting. I simply cannot describe it.
The final slice of weirdness... it was baby poop green. Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot, over?
As I thought about it, between the odor & the color, I am thinking it might be something about the multivitamin they gave me. It has a foul odor even when you open the bottle, and it is a dark red- darker than kidney beans. I'm definitely asking about this at the doctor's office on Monday.
So, let's wrap this up...
Today, 02/27/09:
All supplements taken as directed.
Over 1 gallon of water consumed, and still going.
Meal 1- 8oz shrimp w/ Old Bay seasoning (8 servings)
Meal 2- 3 cups raw celery (3 servings) and 1.5 cups fat free cottage cheese (6 servings)
Meal 3- 2 hard boiled eggs with Tabasco Chipotle sauce. (2 servings)
Meal 4- 12 black raspberries (2 servings)
Freebie- 1 dill pickle spear (0 servings)
Total: 16 servings very lean protein, 3 servings vegetables, 2 servings fruit. (Short 1 serving of veg for the day)
Note: If you have never had Tabasco Chipotle sauce, I highly recommend it. It is not nearly as hot as regular Tabasco, and it has tremendous smoke flavor.
Still running with good energy levels & not feeling noticeably hungry.
Last night at work, I spent most of my downtime studying my food list & attempting to come up with a rough meal plan for the week so that I could go shopping. So I went shopping this morning & stocked up on fresh fruits & veggies and lean meats, etc.
One thing I cannot seem to find is fat free or low fat sliced cheese. Keep in mind that I don't even consider the stuff they call "American Cheese" to be in the cheese family. I want Swiss, provolone, Monterrey jack, etc. Especially cheese that pairs well with lunch meats, since I am allowed to have a few ounces of low fat lunch meats. Since I could not find the cheese I wanted, I skipped the lunch meats. (I did get some string cheese & a block of sharp cheddar with 2.5g fat/oz, which meets the requirement of <3g.) color="#ffcc99" size="1">I hadn't had a BM in several days, which happens to me occasionally, but not often. All of a sudden, around 4 a.m., I had to rush to the bathroom. Turns out it wasn't exactly diarrhea, but it wasn't solid, either. The best way I have thought of to describe the consistency was chicken & dumplings. Kinda lumpy, but there was a definite liquid factor, too.
Then it got stranger. The odor was something I have never encountered before, and I would never have guessed that it came from a human being's body. And it was putrid. Foul. Disgusting. I simply cannot describe it.
The final slice of weirdness... it was baby poop green. Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot, over?
As I thought about it, between the odor & the color, I am thinking it might be something about the multivitamin they gave me. It has a foul odor even when you open the bottle, and it is a dark red- darker than kidney beans. I'm definitely asking about this at the doctor's office on Monday.
So, let's wrap this up...
Today, 02/27/09:
All supplements taken as directed.
Over 1 gallon of water consumed, and still going.
Meal 1- 8oz shrimp w/ Old Bay seasoning (8 servings)
Meal 2- 3 cups raw celery (3 servings) and 1.5 cups fat free cottage cheese (6 servings)
Meal 3- 2 hard boiled eggs with Tabasco Chipotle sauce. (2 servings)
Meal 4- 12 black raspberries (2 servings)
Freebie- 1 dill pickle spear (0 servings)
Total: 16 servings very lean protein, 3 servings vegetables, 2 servings fruit. (Short 1 serving of veg for the day)
Note: If you have never had Tabasco Chipotle sauce, I highly recommend it. It is not nearly as hot as regular Tabasco, and it has tremendous smoke flavor.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Diet, Day 3
So I find myself drinking about 3 litres of water each night at work, along with a glass or two before & after work to reach the gallon required. I always drank a good bit of fluids, but the gallon+ requirement is causing me to take bathroom breaks at work almost on the hour. Minor inconvenience, but somewhat annoying.
Because I had no way to know when I would enter ketosis, I had not shopped for fruits & veggies. Because I prefer most of them fresh & raw, I don't want to let them sit too long & spoil, so there was no point in buying them until I knew I needed them.
Well, since I hit ketosis yesterday morning, I was allowed to start eating my fruits & veggies tonight. But I didn't have much on hand. I had some red grapes that had gone soft & wrinkly, so I tossed them. I put a small red apple in my lunch container, but when I bit into it later, it was already oxidizing & the flesh was disgustingly mealy, so I threw it in the trash. I figure I'll go produce shopping tomorrow morning after work. That way, I can think ahead & make a list.
Energy level still seems higher than normal. And I still have not been very hungry. That could be partially attributed to the increased fluid intake, but may very well be the appetite suppressant.
Because of my lack of planning, I did not eat my full allowance of fruit/veg tonight. I promise this is not a sign of me trying to starve myself or accelerate results. Just bad planning. By the weekend, I should have it straightened out.
I also did some more reading online about the Zone diet. All of the online resources I found said that it was imperative to mix equal amounts of protein, fat, and carbs in each meal. I'll ask the doctor about this at my next appointment on Monday. That approach may be for the maintenance portion on this plan. We'll see.
Today, 2/26/09:
All supplements taken as directed
Drank 4+ litres of water
Meal 1- 8 oz grilled fresh ahi tuna steak w/ soy sauce (8 servings)
Meal 2- 1 medium cucumber (2 cups), sliced, w/ red wine vinegar (2 servings)
Meal 3- 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped, w/ tabasco (2 servings)
Meal 4- 1.4 cups fat free cottage cheese (6 servings)
Total: 16 servings very lean protein, 2 servings vegetables (short 4 servings of fruit/veg for the day)
Because I had no way to know when I would enter ketosis, I had not shopped for fruits & veggies. Because I prefer most of them fresh & raw, I don't want to let them sit too long & spoil, so there was no point in buying them until I knew I needed them.
Well, since I hit ketosis yesterday morning, I was allowed to start eating my fruits & veggies tonight. But I didn't have much on hand. I had some red grapes that had gone soft & wrinkly, so I tossed them. I put a small red apple in my lunch container, but when I bit into it later, it was already oxidizing & the flesh was disgustingly mealy, so I threw it in the trash. I figure I'll go produce shopping tomorrow morning after work. That way, I can think ahead & make a list.
Energy level still seems higher than normal. And I still have not been very hungry. That could be partially attributed to the increased fluid intake, but may very well be the appetite suppressant.
Because of my lack of planning, I did not eat my full allowance of fruit/veg tonight. I promise this is not a sign of me trying to starve myself or accelerate results. Just bad planning. By the weekend, I should have it straightened out.
I also did some more reading online about the Zone diet. All of the online resources I found said that it was imperative to mix equal amounts of protein, fat, and carbs in each meal. I'll ask the doctor about this at my next appointment on Monday. That approach may be for the maintenance portion on this plan. We'll see.
Today, 2/26/09:
All supplements taken as directed
Drank 4+ litres of water
Meal 1- 8 oz grilled fresh ahi tuna steak w/ soy sauce (8 servings)
Meal 2- 1 medium cucumber (2 cups), sliced, w/ red wine vinegar (2 servings)
Meal 3- 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped, w/ tabasco (2 servings)
Meal 4- 1.4 cups fat free cottage cheese (6 servings)
Total: 16 servings very lean protein, 2 servings vegetables (short 4 servings of fruit/veg for the day)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Diet, Day 2 - NO SUSHI FOR YOU!!!
Today was a little difficult, but not because I was hungry or anything. Just because I went out for sushi with the MINI club and I could only eat sashimi. I like sashimi, but sashimi is like an appetizer. Sushi has so many wonderful flavors to offer. *sigh* Lucky for me, that's only the start of my day. Or night, depending on how you prefer to look at it.
I am still feeling more energetic than usual today, even after only getting 4-5 hours of sleep yesterday, since I had to get up early to go to dinner. Might just be the B12 doing its thing. And for the 2nd day in a row, my food intake was spot on, and I am not hungry. I can't necessarily attribute that to the appetite suppressants just yet, as I have been known to go for days without eating more than one meal per day. If this continues into next week, I will definitely credit the supplements.
Today being Day 2, it is time to start testing to see if I have hit ketosis. In order to do this, they supply you with some test strips which you need to urinate on. They start out about the peachy color of Children's Aspirin and are supposed to turn somewhere between pink & purple if you are in ketosis. Here's a blurry camera phone pic... unused strip on the left, and the one showing I appear to be in ketosis on the right.
The good thing here is that this means I get to add some veggies (and fruit) to my diet now. 6 servings, to be exact. I listed some of the protien sources that are allowed in my previous post. The veggies count as one serving per cup if raw, or one serving per half cup if cooked. Among the highlights for me will be bell peppers, mushrooms, celery, cucumber, asparagus and broccoli. Asparagus is the only one of those I would not eat raw, although mushrooms are often tastier when cooked. I would just as soon leave all the others raw.
Of the 6 fruit/veggie servings, up to 2 of them can be fruit. Fruit servings are more complicated than veggie servings. A serving of fruit is:
1 small apple, orange, or peach
6 strawberries or raspberries
12 grapes or cherries
1/2 grapefruit.
1/4 cup of blueberries
I'll plan to skip the blueberries (prefer them cooked) & peaches (don't like 'em) and probably do a lot of oranges & grapefruit.
Starchy/sugary veggies, such as beets, carrots, corn, potatoes, lima beans, tomatoes, yams & squash are not allowed. I'd really like to be allowed corn, taters, limas and tomatoes, but I will live without them.
On the other hand, I get to add lettuce, diet gelatin, and dill pickles as "free selections," meaning that they do not count as servings. Sugar Free Jell-O ain't half bad, and could cure any sweet cravings, so I will have to get some into the pantry. I can also add up to 2 tbsp low fat salad dressing or 1/2 tbsp olive oil & vinegar (vinegar was already allowed in stage 1).
So this will add some variety right away, which should help keep me from feeling too trapped.
Unfortunately, I did not weigh myself at home on Monday when I went to the doctor's office, so I cannot yet adjust for any difference between the scales. And I am not going to weigh myself daily, but maybe 3 times a week. I stepped on my home scale today & it read 296. Since the doctor's scale read 306 just 48 hours ago, I figure there's a little discrepancy there- not likely to have lost 10 lbs that quickly. And my scale doesn't do the body fat trick, but maybe I will splurge & upgrade soon.
Because blood pressure can vary so much from minute to minute, I think I'll just let the doctor's office check that weekly for now. Changes in BP will likely come more slowly than changes in weight & body fat.
Today, 2/25/09:
Weight: 296 (pending home scale adjustment/calibration)
All supplements taken as directed .
Drank nearly 1.5 gallons of plain water (it was a long night) .
Meal 1- 4 oz. Tuna Tataki @ sushi joint. (4 servings)
Meal 2- 8 oz. pre-cooked shrimp with Old Bay seasoning. (8 servings)
Meal 3- 2 hard boiled eggs with hot sauce. (2 servings)
Meal 4- 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese. (2 servings)
Total: 16 servings very lean protein
Notes: Tuna Tataki is fresh tuna cut into strips & lightly seared, served with soy sauce. Normally, I see the soy sauce on the side, but this place served it all in a bowl together. So I removed the tuna from the sauce & put it on a side plate to let it drip dry a little. Oh, and the shrimp was from Sweetbay Supermarket. Considering it was visibly coated in Old Bay seasoning, it was pretty darned bland. I have one more 8 oz package of it in the fridge, then I think I'll just get raw shrimp in the future & season it up myself when I cook it.
I am still feeling more energetic than usual today, even after only getting 4-5 hours of sleep yesterday, since I had to get up early to go to dinner. Might just be the B12 doing its thing. And for the 2nd day in a row, my food intake was spot on, and I am not hungry. I can't necessarily attribute that to the appetite suppressants just yet, as I have been known to go for days without eating more than one meal per day. If this continues into next week, I will definitely credit the supplements.
Today being Day 2, it is time to start testing to see if I have hit ketosis. In order to do this, they supply you with some test strips which you need to urinate on. They start out about the peachy color of Children's Aspirin and are supposed to turn somewhere between pink & purple if you are in ketosis. Here's a blurry camera phone pic... unused strip on the left, and the one showing I appear to be in ketosis on the right.
The good thing here is that this means I get to add some veggies (and fruit) to my diet now. 6 servings, to be exact. I listed some of the protien sources that are allowed in my previous post. The veggies count as one serving per cup if raw, or one serving per half cup if cooked. Among the highlights for me will be bell peppers, mushrooms, celery, cucumber, asparagus and broccoli. Asparagus is the only one of those I would not eat raw, although mushrooms are often tastier when cooked. I would just as soon leave all the others raw.
Of the 6 fruit/veggie servings, up to 2 of them can be fruit. Fruit servings are more complicated than veggie servings. A serving of fruit is:
1 small apple, orange, or peach
6 strawberries or raspberries
12 grapes or cherries
1/2 grapefruit.
1/4 cup of blueberries
I'll plan to skip the blueberries (prefer them cooked) & peaches (don't like 'em) and probably do a lot of oranges & grapefruit.
Starchy/sugary veggies, such as beets, carrots, corn, potatoes, lima beans, tomatoes, yams & squash are not allowed. I'd really like to be allowed corn, taters, limas and tomatoes, but I will live without them.
On the other hand, I get to add lettuce, diet gelatin, and dill pickles as "free selections," meaning that they do not count as servings. Sugar Free Jell-O ain't half bad, and could cure any sweet cravings, so I will have to get some into the pantry. I can also add up to 2 tbsp low fat salad dressing or 1/2 tbsp olive oil & vinegar (vinegar was already allowed in stage 1).
So this will add some variety right away, which should help keep me from feeling too trapped.
Unfortunately, I did not weigh myself at home on Monday when I went to the doctor's office, so I cannot yet adjust for any difference between the scales. And I am not going to weigh myself daily, but maybe 3 times a week. I stepped on my home scale today & it read 296. Since the doctor's scale read 306 just 48 hours ago, I figure there's a little discrepancy there- not likely to have lost 10 lbs that quickly. And my scale doesn't do the body fat trick, but maybe I will splurge & upgrade soon.
Because blood pressure can vary so much from minute to minute, I think I'll just let the doctor's office check that weekly for now. Changes in BP will likely come more slowly than changes in weight & body fat.
Today, 2/25/09:
Weight: 296 (pending home scale adjustment/calibration)
All supplements taken as directed .
Drank nearly 1.5 gallons of plain water (it was a long night) .
Meal 1- 4 oz. Tuna Tataki @ sushi joint. (4 servings)
Meal 2- 8 oz. pre-cooked shrimp with Old Bay seasoning. (8 servings)
Meal 3- 2 hard boiled eggs with hot sauce. (2 servings)
Meal 4- 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese. (2 servings)
Total: 16 servings very lean protein
Notes: Tuna Tataki is fresh tuna cut into strips & lightly seared, served with soy sauce. Normally, I see the soy sauce on the side, but this place served it all in a bowl together. So I removed the tuna from the sauce & put it on a side plate to let it drip dry a little. Oh, and the shrimp was from Sweetbay Supermarket. Considering it was visibly coated in Old Bay seasoning, it was pretty darned bland. I have one more 8 oz package of it in the fridge, then I think I'll just get raw shrimp in the future & season it up myself when I cook it.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Doctor's visit and Diet, Day 1.
I visited the same doctor my friend had visited. They did an EKG, drew blood for a thyroid function panel & other tests, measured weight & body fat (with one of those scales that supposedly calculates body fat when you stand on it in bare feet). They went over their basic plan. It's essentially the Zone Diet, which is not entirely dissimilar to Atkins at first, but is a bit more complex as it progresses, from what I understand, taking into account more varied aspects of body chemistry in the long run.
At 10a.m. yesterday morning, my blood pressure was 140/80 (slightly high), weight was 306 lbs, and my body fat was a whopping 56%. That's just insane. A healthy male will have body fat in the 15-20% range. And at 5'7" or so (I am shorter than when I was 13, due to issues with my spine), I ought to weigh around 150 lbs. Now, I don't have any delusions about making it to 150, but I decided that my goals are first to get below 250, then below 200. If--- when I get that far, I will reconsider final goals.
The basic idea of this diet is that you combine low carbs & portion control. For the first few days, I am limited to nothing but "very lean protein" from their list- poultry, certain fish, eggs, and fat free cheese or cottage cheese. Portion control is done by "servings." 1 ounce of meat, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 ounce of cheese, or 1/4 cup of cottage cheese equals one serving. And you get 16 servings per day. Think about that- that means that 1 pound of meat makes up one day's complete intake.
Side note: up to 4 of those 16 servings can come from a 2nd list of "lean protein," including zero trim beef, lean pork products, an expanded list of fish, and low-fat cheese (as opposed to the fat free cheese on the first list).
Luckily, that regimen only lasts for 2-5 days. The point is to reach ketosis- the point where your body runs out of carbohydrate fuel & is forced to start burning fat. Once you reach ketosis, or after 5 days, whichever comes first, you then add 4 servings of fruits and veggies per day, from a specific list. And only 2 of those servings can be fruit.
You can also have certain spices & condiments, and must drink 1 gallon of water every day. At least 64 oz of that must be plain water- the rest can be calorie-free drink mixes.
Naturally, they want you to start a cardio regimen during Week 2. 30 minutes, 3-4 days per week. I own a very nice recumbent exercise bike, which is about the only decent cardio that doesn't murder my back or knees, so I will be making a "ride" part of my morning routine (before I go to bed) starting next week.
In addition to the diet plan & exercise, there are medicines and supplements. I will get a weekly shot that consists of of vitamin B12 for energy, chromium to enhance carbohydrate metabolism & regulate blood sugar, and 3 other ingredients that burn fat & help reduce toxins. Got my first injection during yesterday's visit.
The plan requires the use of the following oral supplements:
-Multivitamin once per day
-Calcium Pyruvate as a fat burner at lunch & dinner
-Phendimetrazine 3x per day as an appetite suppressant
I opted, at least for now, to also accept the following supplements at an added cost:
-Omega 3 fish oils for hearth & joint health (hey, I have arthritis!)- 4 capsules before a meal, once a day
-"Polyphenol Plus" as an anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory, once daily.
After the doctor's office visit, I did a little grocery shopping. I bought:
.9 lb Ahi tuna steak
2 packages of pre-cooked old bay seasoned shrimp (spices are allowed), 1/2 lb each.
2 packages of chicken breast
3 varieties of Crystal Light drink mix. In the past, I have not liked their taste, but I am willing to give them another try
18 eggs.
2 containers of Breakstone's fat-free cottage cheese
When I got home, I immediately cut the tuna steak in half, but did not bother weighing it- I figure I will count each half as 8 ounces, even though it should be just under that. I cooked it up in a pan with no oil or flavoring & put them in containers to take to work. I added a few drops of soy sauce to the containers. Every couple of days, I imagine I will cook meat to last a few days. Between the tuns & the shrimp, I have enough for 4 days, plus there's chicken to thaw later.
I also boiled 8 eggs from a package we already had in the fridge.
Here's where I will start just keeping lists and stats. Even though my day starts at 8-9pm, since it ends around Noon, I will mark all info based on the date at the END of the day.
Today, 2/24/09:
Weight: 306
Body Fat: 56%
BP: 140/80
All supplements taken as directed
Drank 4 litres (just over 1 gallon) of plain water.
Meal 1- 8 oz ahi tuna steak with a dash of soy sauce, pre-cooked, eaten cold (8 servings)
Meal 2- 2 hard boiled eggs with a dash of tabasco hot sauce on each (2 servings)
Meal 3- 1.5 cups of fat free cottage cheese (6 servings)
Total: 16 servings very lean protein
Notes: The appetite suppressants seem to be working rather well. After just the food listed above, I am oddly full. And I have been far less fatigued today than in the recent past. Might be the B12 working, might be coincidence. I'll keep an eye on that. I love cottage cheese, but the fat free stuff has a slightly mealy consistency to the curds. It's not horrible, but I prefer the creaminess of the "regular" stuff. Oh, and I am due to go out for sushi with the MINI Cooper club tonight... looks like nothing but sashimi for me!!! If anyone orders a volcano roll, I may cry.
At 10a.m. yesterday morning, my blood pressure was 140/80 (slightly high), weight was 306 lbs, and my body fat was a whopping 56%. That's just insane. A healthy male will have body fat in the 15-20% range. And at 5'7" or so (I am shorter than when I was 13, due to issues with my spine), I ought to weigh around 150 lbs. Now, I don't have any delusions about making it to 150, but I decided that my goals are first to get below 250, then below 200. If--- when I get that far, I will reconsider final goals.
The basic idea of this diet is that you combine low carbs & portion control. For the first few days, I am limited to nothing but "very lean protein" from their list- poultry, certain fish, eggs, and fat free cheese or cottage cheese. Portion control is done by "servings." 1 ounce of meat, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 ounce of cheese, or 1/4 cup of cottage cheese equals one serving. And you get 16 servings per day. Think about that- that means that 1 pound of meat makes up one day's complete intake.
Side note: up to 4 of those 16 servings can come from a 2nd list of "lean protein," including zero trim beef, lean pork products, an expanded list of fish, and low-fat cheese (as opposed to the fat free cheese on the first list).
Luckily, that regimen only lasts for 2-5 days. The point is to reach ketosis- the point where your body runs out of carbohydrate fuel & is forced to start burning fat. Once you reach ketosis, or after 5 days, whichever comes first, you then add 4 servings of fruits and veggies per day, from a specific list. And only 2 of those servings can be fruit.
You can also have certain spices & condiments, and must drink 1 gallon of water every day. At least 64 oz of that must be plain water- the rest can be calorie-free drink mixes.
Naturally, they want you to start a cardio regimen during Week 2. 30 minutes, 3-4 days per week. I own a very nice recumbent exercise bike, which is about the only decent cardio that doesn't murder my back or knees, so I will be making a "ride" part of my morning routine (before I go to bed) starting next week.
In addition to the diet plan & exercise, there are medicines and supplements. I will get a weekly shot that consists of of vitamin B12 for energy, chromium to enhance carbohydrate metabolism & regulate blood sugar, and 3 other ingredients that burn fat & help reduce toxins. Got my first injection during yesterday's visit.
The plan requires the use of the following oral supplements:
-Multivitamin once per day
-Calcium Pyruvate as a fat burner at lunch & dinner
-Phendimetrazine 3x per day as an appetite suppressant
I opted, at least for now, to also accept the following supplements at an added cost:
-Omega 3 fish oils for hearth & joint health (hey, I have arthritis!)- 4 capsules before a meal, once a day
-"Polyphenol Plus" as an anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory, once daily.
After the doctor's office visit, I did a little grocery shopping. I bought:
.9 lb Ahi tuna steak
2 packages of pre-cooked old bay seasoned shrimp (spices are allowed), 1/2 lb each.
2 packages of chicken breast
3 varieties of Crystal Light drink mix. In the past, I have not liked their taste, but I am willing to give them another try
18 eggs.
2 containers of Breakstone's fat-free cottage cheese
When I got home, I immediately cut the tuna steak in half, but did not bother weighing it- I figure I will count each half as 8 ounces, even though it should be just under that. I cooked it up in a pan with no oil or flavoring & put them in containers to take to work. I added a few drops of soy sauce to the containers. Every couple of days, I imagine I will cook meat to last a few days. Between the tuns & the shrimp, I have enough for 4 days, plus there's chicken to thaw later.
I also boiled 8 eggs from a package we already had in the fridge.
Here's where I will start just keeping lists and stats. Even though my day starts at 8-9pm, since it ends around Noon, I will mark all info based on the date at the END of the day.
Today, 2/24/09:
Weight: 306
Body Fat: 56%
BP: 140/80
All supplements taken as directed
Drank 4 litres (just over 1 gallon) of plain water.
Meal 1- 8 oz ahi tuna steak with a dash of soy sauce, pre-cooked, eaten cold (8 servings)
Meal 2- 2 hard boiled eggs with a dash of tabasco hot sauce on each (2 servings)
Meal 3- 1.5 cups of fat free cottage cheese (6 servings)
Total: 16 servings very lean protein
Notes: The appetite suppressants seem to be working rather well. After just the food listed above, I am oddly full. And I have been far less fatigued today than in the recent past. Might be the B12 working, might be coincidence. I'll keep an eye on that. I love cottage cheese, but the fat free stuff has a slightly mealy consistency to the curds. It's not horrible, but I prefer the creaminess of the "regular" stuff. Oh, and I am due to go out for sushi with the MINI Cooper club tonight... looks like nothing but sashimi for me!!! If anyone orders a volcano roll, I may cry.
Post #1- Dingoboy goes on a diet
OK, so I started a serious diet last night. A medically supervised diet, complete with blood work, EKG, supplements, etc. So I thought to myself that if I am taking a major step like that, it might be both interesting and motivating for me if I kept a record of it. And then I thought that if I kept a public record, like say- this blog, that it might be even more motivating, since my friends and family would be able to see my progress in potentially minute detail.
Let's start with some background. If this bores you, feel free to skip to the next entry, where I will actually start logging the diet in great detail.
This is a big step for me because I am very conscious of my weight problem. I'm embarrassed about it- severely. As a kid, I was never thin, but I was never fat, either. Always a few pounds heavy, but healthy. I was active as all heck, too. I played any sport I had a chance to play- Little League Baseball, even in the casual winter league. I bowled in leagues. I went to the Rec Center to play basketball & street hockey, and I rode my bicycle everywhere, all over town.
Not to make excuses about my weight gain, but it all did start when I got severely ill at the age of 13. I spent my entire 8th grade school year fighting first unbearable knee pain, then rapid weight loss & constant intestinal unrest. I'll let you use your imagination on that one. Eventual diagnosis was Crohn's Disease, with a bonus of arthritis. I had begun that school year at 5'8"+ and about 160-165 lbs. By the time it was over, and after 2 weeks at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C., my weight had dropped to under 90 lbs. My Dad had to get me new jeans with a 26" waist, smallest they had in a 32" inseam, and I needed a belt to hold them up.
So it's understandable that the doctors wanted me to put on weight. I did, too. With the help of prednisone and a 4,000+ calorie diet regimen, including the wonderfully disgusting "supplement" called Ensure, the weight quickly began piling on. And the arthritis disappeared, so I felt great by the end of that Summer.
But as Summer faded & Fall came on fast, my weight was rising above the original 160-165. As I approached 200 lbs, I begged my parents & doctors to let me STOP, but the doctors were convinced that I could lose 100 pounds any given night of the week, and would need to keep extra weight on as a sort of safety net against future "flare-ups" of Crohn's, which is incurable, but varies greatly in severity from patient to patient.
I should have put my foot down & refused to drink the damned Ensure. I should have cut back on portions, authority figures be damned. But I was far too timid, far too obedient, so I did as the doctors & parents ordered & kept at it.
Until I hit about 230, at which point I told my Dad I was done. At that point, I told my Dad I was done. I felt like a beached whale. None of my old clothes had fit for months, and I was embarrassed every time we had to go shopping for another larger size of pants. And I think Dad had seen that I was internally in a great deal of emotional pain, so he let me quit the ridiculous weight-gain diet.
But as much as I tried, I really never could get back much below 200 lbs. My arthritis came back as they weaned me off the prednisone, and I could not return to the active lifestyle I had once led. From my high school years until my late 20's, I lingered around 190-210 lbs. On a number of occasions I tried dieting, but diet changes never seemed to work.
In my early 30's, I tried the Atkins diet plan. You know the one- low carbs, all the meat & cheese you can eat. And it actually worked well. Before Atkins, my weight had risen to around 240-250 lbs. After 3 months on Atkins, I was down under 220 for the first time in several years, but I also hit a wall. The weight loss stopped, even though I was sticking to the plan. Why? I have no clue.
Over the last 5 years or so since I tried the Atkins plan, my weight has continued to rise. I topped out above 310, which makes me want to barf or shoot myself in the head, just thinking about it. I am disgusting, no 2 ways about it. Worse than the blob-like appearance, as I age, I have become more acutely aware of all of the health problems that affect my family members. Most of my family is overweight. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a family rite of passage. Diabetes is common. Arthritis is common. And being built like Jabba the Hut can not only exacerbate conditions like arthritis, from which I already suffer, but it can directly lead to hypertension (got it) and diabetes (not yet, knock wood).
In recent years, my voluminous posterior lost the ability to fit in roller coaster seats. I love roller coasters. I nearly had to get off a plane flight to Vegas to visit my sister because I didn't fit in the seat. I sucked it up, dealt with the discomfort, and after getting off the plane in Vegas, the outsides of my thighs were painful & red. Thankfully the return flight had slightly wider seats. Still not comfy, but not painful. I have not flown in years, for this very reason. Vacations to Dallas and New York have involved thousand mile road trips instead. I test drove a VW GTI last year & I just didn't fit in the seat. (I bought a Mazdaspeed3 instead, and am probably better off anyhow, but still)
All of that ignominy was enough to really kick the crap out of me mentally, and I could very well have been diagnosed as medically depressed on more than one occasion. And I gotta tell ya- it's frustrating when people shy away from telling jokes based on race, creed, handicap, gender, but fat people are fair game.
It was time to make a change. Not a diet, but a complete lifestyle change, for my health, my appearance, my self-esteem.
About 6 weeks ago, I swore off fast food, except for salads & the occasional Wendy's chili. (Working graveyard shift, fast food is a horrible habit I had fallen into) I all but swore off soft drinks, having maybe 4-5 Coca Colas in said 6 weeks. I drank a lot more water and cranberry juice. But the cranberry juice was still high in sugar, so that didn't help too much. I made a concerted effort to reduce my portion sizes & eat healthier in an overall sense.
I don't know how much weight I lost, but the 48" waist pants I had recently bought became too loose. To be honest, they were somewhat loose when I bought them, but now I was having to put my hands in the pockets to keep them from falling down when I walked. So I switched back to my old 46's. Not where I want to be, but progress nonetheless.
A few months ago, I saw a good friend of mine lose the equivalent weight of a baby polar bear while under medical supervision, and I decided to follow his lead. He said that he & his wife had both had fantastic results, along with some friends of theirs. He even said that his wife & friends hadn't followed the exercise regimen, but still succeeded in losing significant weight.
I gave in & made an appointment, had my first visit yesterday, and started the diet last night. (I work graveyard shift, 11pm-7am, so that was the logical time to start.) I'll get into the diet details in my next entry.
Let's start with some background. If this bores you, feel free to skip to the next entry, where I will actually start logging the diet in great detail.
This is a big step for me because I am very conscious of my weight problem. I'm embarrassed about it- severely. As a kid, I was never thin, but I was never fat, either. Always a few pounds heavy, but healthy. I was active as all heck, too. I played any sport I had a chance to play- Little League Baseball, even in the casual winter league. I bowled in leagues. I went to the Rec Center to play basketball & street hockey, and I rode my bicycle everywhere, all over town.
Not to make excuses about my weight gain, but it all did start when I got severely ill at the age of 13. I spent my entire 8th grade school year fighting first unbearable knee pain, then rapid weight loss & constant intestinal unrest. I'll let you use your imagination on that one. Eventual diagnosis was Crohn's Disease, with a bonus of arthritis. I had begun that school year at 5'8"+ and about 160-165 lbs. By the time it was over, and after 2 weeks at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C., my weight had dropped to under 90 lbs. My Dad had to get me new jeans with a 26" waist, smallest they had in a 32" inseam, and I needed a belt to hold them up.
So it's understandable that the doctors wanted me to put on weight. I did, too. With the help of prednisone and a 4,000+ calorie diet regimen, including the wonderfully disgusting "supplement" called Ensure, the weight quickly began piling on. And the arthritis disappeared, so I felt great by the end of that Summer.
But as Summer faded & Fall came on fast, my weight was rising above the original 160-165. As I approached 200 lbs, I begged my parents & doctors to let me STOP, but the doctors were convinced that I could lose 100 pounds any given night of the week, and would need to keep extra weight on as a sort of safety net against future "flare-ups" of Crohn's, which is incurable, but varies greatly in severity from patient to patient.
I should have put my foot down & refused to drink the damned Ensure. I should have cut back on portions, authority figures be damned. But I was far too timid, far too obedient, so I did as the doctors & parents ordered & kept at it.
Until I hit about 230, at which point I told my Dad I was done. At that point, I told my Dad I was done. I felt like a beached whale. None of my old clothes had fit for months, and I was embarrassed every time we had to go shopping for another larger size of pants. And I think Dad had seen that I was internally in a great deal of emotional pain, so he let me quit the ridiculous weight-gain diet.
But as much as I tried, I really never could get back much below 200 lbs. My arthritis came back as they weaned me off the prednisone, and I could not return to the active lifestyle I had once led. From my high school years until my late 20's, I lingered around 190-210 lbs. On a number of occasions I tried dieting, but diet changes never seemed to work.
In my early 30's, I tried the Atkins diet plan. You know the one- low carbs, all the meat & cheese you can eat. And it actually worked well. Before Atkins, my weight had risen to around 240-250 lbs. After 3 months on Atkins, I was down under 220 for the first time in several years, but I also hit a wall. The weight loss stopped, even though I was sticking to the plan. Why? I have no clue.
Over the last 5 years or so since I tried the Atkins plan, my weight has continued to rise. I topped out above 310, which makes me want to barf or shoot myself in the head, just thinking about it. I am disgusting, no 2 ways about it. Worse than the blob-like appearance, as I age, I have become more acutely aware of all of the health problems that affect my family members. Most of my family is overweight. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a family rite of passage. Diabetes is common. Arthritis is common. And being built like Jabba the Hut can not only exacerbate conditions like arthritis, from which I already suffer, but it can directly lead to hypertension (got it) and diabetes (not yet, knock wood).
In recent years, my voluminous posterior lost the ability to fit in roller coaster seats. I love roller coasters. I nearly had to get off a plane flight to Vegas to visit my sister because I didn't fit in the seat. I sucked it up, dealt with the discomfort, and after getting off the plane in Vegas, the outsides of my thighs were painful & red. Thankfully the return flight had slightly wider seats. Still not comfy, but not painful. I have not flown in years, for this very reason. Vacations to Dallas and New York have involved thousand mile road trips instead. I test drove a VW GTI last year & I just didn't fit in the seat. (I bought a Mazdaspeed3 instead, and am probably better off anyhow, but still)
All of that ignominy was enough to really kick the crap out of me mentally, and I could very well have been diagnosed as medically depressed on more than one occasion. And I gotta tell ya- it's frustrating when people shy away from telling jokes based on race, creed, handicap, gender, but fat people are fair game.
It was time to make a change. Not a diet, but a complete lifestyle change, for my health, my appearance, my self-esteem.
About 6 weeks ago, I swore off fast food, except for salads & the occasional Wendy's chili. (Working graveyard shift, fast food is a horrible habit I had fallen into) I all but swore off soft drinks, having maybe 4-5 Coca Colas in said 6 weeks. I drank a lot more water and cranberry juice. But the cranberry juice was still high in sugar, so that didn't help too much. I made a concerted effort to reduce my portion sizes & eat healthier in an overall sense.
I don't know how much weight I lost, but the 48" waist pants I had recently bought became too loose. To be honest, they were somewhat loose when I bought them, but now I was having to put my hands in the pockets to keep them from falling down when I walked. So I switched back to my old 46's. Not where I want to be, but progress nonetheless.
A few months ago, I saw a good friend of mine lose the equivalent weight of a baby polar bear while under medical supervision, and I decided to follow his lead. He said that he & his wife had both had fantastic results, along with some friends of theirs. He even said that his wife & friends hadn't followed the exercise regimen, but still succeeded in losing significant weight.
I gave in & made an appointment, had my first visit yesterday, and started the diet last night. (I work graveyard shift, 11pm-7am, so that was the logical time to start.) I'll get into the diet details in my next entry.
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