Maintenance Update

Ok. I know I'm a slacker. I apologize for that. I've intended to do an update for a couple weeks now, but needless to say.... I didn't. Sorry for the delay!

Anyway... things are going really good! The last time I updated y'all, it was day one of the maintenance phase & I was at 53 pounds. Well, just over a month later & I'm down another 7 pounds for a grand total of 60 pounds. YEAH! I've been really shocked that I lost through the maintenance phase, but I've continued to eat good & haven't gone hungry. I think it's juts the fact that I'm eating healthy for once in my life!

I've been eating fruits, nuts, vegetables & lean meats. Throw in some skim milk & other low-fat / fat-free dairy items & that's pretty well been my daily menu. No sugars, no starches & no nitrates/nitrites. It's really been pretty easy to follow. I was gone for a week at the end of June & was really afraid that eating out every meal would cause problems... but it didn't. I just tried to be smart with what I ordered & didn't overeat. Things went really well. I've also had some adult beverages during the maintenance phase, but just like the food... in proportion.

So... all in all... things are going really good. We leave for vacation next weekend, so we'll see how things go with that. The weekend after we get back, I'm taking the boys to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Canton, OH. The following weekend we're going to NewSong Music Festival. If you don't know what that is, go here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvy3yBzrgMs&feature=player_embedded

Also, we had 30 friends or so over for the 4th of July & had a great time. I didn't get a picture of the whole group, but on the 5th... some of our friends all got together, swam, ate & enjoyed the day. Here's a pic.


Till next time...
Fish

Finally... Week 4 Update

Sorry about the wait kiddos, but I'm finally getting around to doing this... just about 5 days late. Anyway, I have completed 4 weeks of shots & went into "maintenance" phase on 6/12/10. As of that morning, I had lost 53 pounds. Not bad for 52 days worth of work, huh?! :-)

I will be in the "maintenance" phase until the end of July or first of August. At that point I will go back on the shots for 3 more weeks, then decide what the next step will be. The reason for the break right now is due to having to travel off & on over the next 6-7 weeks. Considering I was having to weigh my food & had to cook my own food, the folks at the weight loss center thought this would be the best thing to do. So, as long as I don't exceed my weight on 6/12/10 of 304 by more than 2 pounds... I can pretty well eat as much as I want of anything I want, except for...

No sugar, dextrose, sucrose, honey, molasses, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, or any artificial sweeteners. (Truvia is still okay to use because it's natural.)

No starch, including breads, pastas, any wheat products, white rice, potatoes, yams, etc.

No fast foods! (Lots & lots of "processed" crap!)

No trans fats, including hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

No nitrites or nitrates.

Considering I've only been doing the "maintenance" phase for 2 days, I can say that I am definitely not eating near what I used to. I've been trying to keep track of my caloric intake for the last 2 days & I'm probably between 1200-1500. I've had scrambled eggs w/ cheese, turkey sausage, a glass of milk, a large plate of chicken-broccoli-cabbage-mushroom-water chestnut stir-fry, a salad with ranch dressing, a salad with homemade strawberry vinaigrette, a hamburger patty, a nitrate-nitrite free hot dog, & a couple pieces of fruit. Throw in a gallon of water each day & half gallon of ice tea... I've eaten pretty dang good! Notice I didn't have biscuits & gravy with the breakfast, I didn't have rice w/ the stir-fry, I didn't have croutons w/ the salads & I didn't have buns with the burger & dog. No starch!!!

Jen took a couple pics w/ my iPhone to show the latest results. Not sure if you can notice it or not, but the belt has 2 new notches in it. That's right.... I've gone down 5 notches.

The weight loss center also measured me on 6/8/10 to compare with my "starting" measurements. They are as follows:

BMI - down 7 points

% Body Fat - down 2 %

Neck - down 2.25"

Chest - down 3.5"

Waist - down 5.5"

Thighs - down 1.5" each

The results are awesome, but it's only a beginning. Not really sure when the "fall" will end... but I'm gonna hang on & enjoy the ride till it does. I'll keep you all updated throughout the "maintenance" phase & let you know when the shots start back up too. Until then, continue to keep me in your thoughts & prayers. It's greatly appreciated!!!

Until then...

Fish

Week 3 Update

Okay, today is day 42. The scales showed a loss of 45 pounds this morning. That's still more than 1 pound a day. Still don't understand how it's working.... but it is! I dropped another belt notch yesterday (that's 4 notches so far!!!!), I'm wearing my size 46 shorts which I hadn't wore in 2 years (my 50's were tight when I started!!!!) & I'm wearing 2X shirts that I've had hid away for a couple years! I finally got to wear the UK2K shirt Jen's aunt bought me for Christmas but was WWWWAAAAYYYY too small. That was cool!

Yesterday Jen & I were talking about a trip I have coming up in a few weeks for an engineering society I'm involved with. I told her this will be the first time in a couple years that I don't have to buy new clothes to go. Usually the clothes I wore 6 months before are to tight to wear to the next meeting. It feels good to just be able to open the closet & have plenty of dress clothes. Since I haven't wore them in a couple years, it's like I'm getting new clothes anyway... but not having to spend any money for them!!! I'm also excited that I won't have to ask for a seat belt extension on the planes. I've had to do that the last 3 trips! :-(

I told you last time that we had Jen's family reunion coming up & I had to do all the cooking. Well.... I ended up cooking 10 pork butts, 4 pork loins & a beef brisket. I would love to have dove in, but I only had a sample of the pork butt & brisket... each of which were no bigger than your little fingernail. So I was pretty please with my will power on that! The thing that I really was ECSTATIC about was that even though there was lots of beer & wine.... which I was offered on more than one occasion... I stuck to my cranberry juice & water. Will power - 2.... temptation - 0.

I talked to one of the nurses yesterday & it looks like next Thursday I will stop the HCG injections & go into the maintenance phase for a while. Once I get done with my summer travels, vacations, etc., I will go back on the HCG injections for another 3 weeks. We're doing this so I won't have to travel with my injections, food scales, cranberry juice, etc. I'll explain the maintenance when I learn more about it next week.

Till next time....
Fish

Week 2 Update

Sorry for the delay kiddos.... been a little crazy in the Fish pond. I've actually been working, while at work during the day & every night this week has been a ballgame, church or meeting. Actually, last night both boys had their games rained out (YEAH!!!!) & Jen got out of class much earlier than expected. Therefore, the 4 of us enjoyed a nice game of LIFE (Pirates of the Caribbean Edition). First time in a LOOOOOOONG time we've had a family fun night. It was nice!

Anyway.... I went in for my weekly check up on Tuesday & everything was fine. Several of the nurses, receptionists, etc. all commented on how much of a difference they could see. I've been hearing alot of those kind of comments. About how my face is thinner, legs look smaller, neck looks smaller, etc. Gotta admit... it's kinda nice. Not really doing this for anybody else other than me, Jen, Ty & Ian.... but it's a nice moral booster when you receive a positive comment of any kind.

As for the weight lost to date.... 39 pounds as of this morning, which is day 37. Just over a pound a day! I still don't understand how the HCG is working.... but sometimes you just go with the results & try not to get bogged down in the "how". I do know that I'm almost ready to put a new notch in the belt, 'cause it's just about "loose".

Here's the latest pics. Compare these to the 1st post & see if you can see the difference.

Everybody's been asking me how I can function on 500 calories a day. Well... I gotta tell ya.... I don't know how, but I am. I've not been hungry once during this whole process! I eat 100 grams of chicken & 100 grams of cabbage for lunch, an apple or strawberries for an afternoon snack, 100 grams of white fish & 100 grams of broccoli for supper, then an apple or grapefruit for an evening snack. On top of that, I drink 64 ounces of an organic cranberry / water mixture & at least 64 ounces of water. Again.... I don't get bogged down in the "how", I just follow the plan & watch the scales go down. :-)

Also... several friends & family members have asked me to go join them for lunch or dinner since I've been doing this. I have to decline because I have to weight my food before I cook it & it has to be all natural / organic. I know restaurants have fish, chicken & steamed broccoli... but they also have butters, oils, etc. that I'm not supposed to consume. So... if you're one of them who have asked or wanted, please understand that I'm not trying to be rude or unfriendly... I'm just trying to stick to the plan. Hopefully we'll have all the chances in the world to dine together come September or October.

This weekend is gonna be my first REAL test. It's Jen's family reunion down at the family farm & I'm BBQ'ing. Starting tonight around midnight or so, I'll start smoking a couple pork lions, 6-8 pork butts, beef brisket & whatever else shows up for me to cook. I made my rubs, sauce & marinade injections last night & only tasted twice & that was just off the end of a spoon. It's gonna be tough not to sample... but I'll count on some of Jen's cousins or other family to taste for me. There will be a few adult beverages put away this weekend too.... but I'll just have to enjoy my water & cranberry mix. Again.... it'll be TOUGH, but I will conquer. :-)

Lastly.... and this is on a completely different note... I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those great men & women who sacrificed their life so that I may freely write this little blog. Aside from all the idiots, lunatics, radicals, extremist & politicians who try to ruin this country... I think this is the be country on Earth. Freedom is a wonderful gift & this holiday weekend I don't want to take it for freedom. Make sure you do your part, too! Put flowers on a vets grave site, take the kids to a war memorial or just stop & thank God for what those fine young men & women did for us.

Till next time...

Fish

Week 1 Update

Okay... so when I last left you, I was weighing in at 341 lbs. & getting ready for my two "load" days. Let me tell you.... those two load days were quite an adventure!

The first day I started with my injection & then followed that with 3 eggs scrambled (with 1 cup shredded cheese) in 2 tbsp. of butter, 6 slices of thick cut bacon & 12 tbsp. of heavy whipping cream mixed into a glass of milk. CAN YOU SAY 1330 FAT CALORIES?! WOW!!!! The rest of the day involved a one pound block of cheese, a one pound summer sausage, a can of macadamia nuts, a can of heavy whipped cream (that was actually alot of fun to eat!!!), 2 burgers fried in butter & topped with 6 slices of bacon, several slices of cheddar cheese & half a tub of bleu cheese. Followed that up with a large can of king sized black olives covered in 1/2 cup of bleu cheese dressing. Then.... for dessert... I had a peanut butter milkshake with 12 tbsp of whipping cream, 2/3 cup of coconut milk & 1 cup of peanut butter. WHEW!!! If you're tired of reading, just imagined how I felt trying to eat all that! Once I finally laid down, I had consumed over 8300 fat calories for the day. 8300!!! In case your wondering, I was completely miserable! Ended up sleeping in the recliner, because I couldn't lay on my stomach it was so full & couldn't sleep on my back cause I couldn't breathe. Overall... not a fun day!

The second day was not nearly the success of day one. I won't go into all the details (I know... you're all saying "thank goodness"!!!!), but I was only able to consume just over 5100 fat calories. Kind of disappointing, huh?!

Anyway.... day 3 I slept till 11:00 AM & things seemed good. The doctor told me I would probably be grouchy on this day, but according to my wife & neighbors.... I wasn't grouchy, but I was a smart a$$. I gotta admit.... there were a couple things that just shot right out of my mouth without me knowing what I was saying. It was actually kinda funny.

Day 4 & 5 went off without a hitch, considering I could only eat 500 calories for the day. Sounds bad, but it really wasn't. I've not been hungry, yet.

This leads us to day 6. Today.

I had my first "weigh-in" at noon & although I had gained 10 pounds during the load days... I was down to 338 lbs. That makes it a grand total of 27 lbs to date. Considering I started the detox 27 days ago.... that's 1 pound a day. If I keep that pace up... which they tell me is possible... I should be down to 275 when it's all said & done. Stay tuned to see if I can make it.

Lastly... I thought I would let you know that Jen says I have completely stopped snoring during the last 3 weeks. Also, when they checked my blood pressure today it was 125/81. I don't think my top number has been below 130 in the last 15 years. So... no more snoring, already lowered the blood pressure, sleeping much better & almost ready to go down another belt notch. Not bad for less than a month's worth of work, huh?! :-)

Till next time...
Fish

I'm a big fat loser!!!

That's right... I admit it... I am a big fat loser!

Truth be told... I'm proud of it!

Now before any of you think I'm being negative about myself, I'm not. I've lost 24 pounds in the last 3 weeks & I wanted to share that with my friends & family. I'd got "too big for my britches" as the ol' timers would say & I had to do something about it. I'm ashamed to say it, but I started at 365 pounds. Today I weighed 341 pounds. That's 24 pounds in 3 weeks!

So... I spent the last 3 weeks going through a "body detox" to prepare myself for the next phase. The "detox" involved lots of supplements, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, some fish & water. It wasn't fun, but I can't really say it was that bad. Considering it took me down 2 notches in my belt, I gotta say I kinda liked it. But the detox is over tonight when I go to bed. Starting tomorrow I begin the HCG Diet. I'm very excited about this & thought I would share this information with y'all so I wouldn't have to answer the same questions thousands of times over. So sit back & let me tell you about the upcoming journey.

First off, HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a glycoprotein produced by women during pregnancy. 70-80 years ago a doctor by the name of A.T.W. Simeons discovered that the use of HCG, along with a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) causes weight lose and reprograms the Hypothalamus. You can look on the web for more info... but that's the Reader's Digest version. Before any of you start freaking out, I am doing this under the supervision of a doctor. I've had lab test done before I started & will have them throughout the program. My hopes are that once I have completed the HCG diet I will have lost another 70+ pounds. Now... back to the journey...

Starting tomorrow morning I will be taking a daily injection of the HCG for 10 weeks. The first 2 days will be "load" days. Sounds crazy, but I will be eating between 3500 and 7000 FAT CALORIES on the "load" days. Starting on the 3rd day, I will begin the VLCD which is 500 calories a day. That few calories have me a bit worried, but I've been assured by several people that it'll work & I will be healthy... so I gonna go on faith & do it. From day 3 forward, I should lose 1-2 pounds per day. DDDDDDAAAAAAANNNNGGGG!!!!

I'm asking each of you for support & encouragement during this time. I know several of you will look into this diet & want to tell me all the negatives you've read on-line. I don't need that. I've read just as much negative as I have positive... no different than what I found when I was researching what TV to buy. If I didn't feel confident enough that this would work, I wouldn't do it. Yes I have a hint of skepticism... but who doesn't when they try something new?! So... again... no negative comments or feedback! As Thumper said, "If you can't say something nice... don't say nothing at all".

So there you have it! Please continue to check back in periodically. I'll try to update you all as often as possible. There may be other stuff posted on here too from time to time, but what else would you expect on a blog called "Fish's Random Thoughts"?

Now... here's some beginner pics from 3 weeks ago.

Here's the pics from today... 24 pounds lighter.

I can't tell much looking, but Jen says my face is thinner. And as I mentioned before, I did go down 2 notches in my belt.... so there's some kind of difference.

The Necessity of Thanksgiving

Sorry for the delay in posting for a few days, but things have been a little hectic. We've got more work at the office to shake a stick at, we've started painting at home all while preparing for this wonderful holiday.

I found a wonderful article yesterday & I had to share it with you all. It's from the PatriotPost.US & was written by their publisher, Mark Alexander. I hope you enjoy it. Also... I just wanted to say thanks for reading. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

http://archive.patriotpost.us/pub/07-47_Thanksgiving/