The Decade in Review

Here's both some data on my decade, and my first bar graph in HTML :)

Date	Weight in Lbs.
Today	210
August 2010	218
July 4, 2010	234
July 2010	228
May 2010	231
April 2010	230
March 2010	230
February 2010	227
July 2009	206
June 2009	203
May 2009	211
April 2009	218
April 2004	221
March 2003	224
October 2002	227

The Bloggers

Another very irreverent and enigmatic weight loss blogger that I shouldn't leave out, "Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit: If You Think Weight Loss Is Impossible You Don't Know Jack Sh*t." Stealing liberally from his theme today on Before and After photos. Most weight loss bloggers have them. The Biggest Loser reality TV show lives for them, and as Jack Sh*t writes many people who want to lose weight loath the idea of having their picture taken.

Yesterday I introduced you to two weight loss bloggers The Anti-Jared, and Daily Diary of a Winning Loser. Tony and Sean. Both lost over 200 lbs.

After being so puffed up Tony, of The Anti-Jared, sought the beefcake look. Understandable.

Sean, of Daily Diary of a Winning Loser, down around 270 lbs, and just on the cusp of reaching his goal weight goes from double extra cheese...



... to foie gras and truffles.

These are real actual bloggers, who are doing their thing as I live and breath. Kudos to them for extending the energy to blog and inspire.

I'm considering digging out some Before photos, or more accurately Current photos. I'll let you know.

Team Green

I am joining Team Green. I am going to shrink into the "Green" zone on the Body Mass Index chart. At the doctors' office this week I disproved the height listed on my drivers license. The current measurement is 5 foot 8 inches. Plug this into the chart and voilà I have a Green Zone range.

~
My starting weight right around July 4th 2010 was 234 lbs. and I am a discontent member of Team Blue right now.

As ridiculous as it may sound amongst other things the TV reality show The Biggest Loser inspired me to undertake this. There are many big ol' tubs of goo that change things up, trim up, and begin smiling much more. After watching some of the seasons of the show, I branched off into what is much more tangible and informative, the world of weight loss bloggers. Some are just riveting personal stories, and histories, pragmatic descriptions of the mechanics of dropping lard.

Three guys are figuring out maintenance after their weight loss
F Daddy Rants
The Anti-Jared
344 Pounds: How I Lost 100+ Pounds by Counting Calories

This fourth guy is just on the cusp of reaching his goal. I imagine any day now his two and half year project is going to hit paydirt.
The Daily Diary of a Winning Loser

The Anti-Jared and Winning Loser (Tony and Sean) both lost over 200 lbs. in their projects. 344 Pounds (Tyler) lost around 120 lbs. and F Daddy Rants dropped 80 lbs. or so. Some of their stories and some of their pictures are stunning, and awe inspiring.

Watching The Biggest Loser gave my some inspiration, then learning of these other people sharing while in the throes of their journeys gave my some real concrete role models.

My philosophy, or diet, or secret, or technique is from the old saying "The best exercise is the one you actually do." I think anything a person buys into, and accepts as possible, and adopts with optimism can do the trick. As my friend Eric told me, the mechanics of losing weight is pretty simple, the enthusiasm, the endorphins, the compliments, the loose jeans, all that stuff is cake (low-cal cake). The challenge is the emotion around it, and before it, and after it. Everyone knows that the BMI is just a crude approximation. Yeah, so what. It is the one I am going to buy into. I think that is all it takes.

My goal for Team Green is two equal, inseparable, and challenging parts. First drop a whole bunch of weight. Natch.

The second part is the art behind this, I want to dedicate myself to a six month, post hitting my goal plateau. All three of the guys above, and nearly every Biggest Loser person I've read about, hits some goal. Great! Confetti, parties, newspaper and TV interviews, acclaim and fame. Then after dropping one hundred pounds to reach their goal they re-gain twenty pounds straight away. It makes sense, like a marathon racer stopping at the finish line. The race is over, time to forget it for a little bit.

I want a sublime six month plateau upon reaching my goal weight. If after my six month maintenance plateau finds me still feeling too big, I would then consider getting to another goal weight. If after six months I feel scrawny and cold, I may pump up some additional pounds. I may find after six months that things are just right, I'll then continue on at that goal plateau. I want to cross the finish line with my arms raised, and then shift gears a little and keep on going for six months. Like a six month cool down jog, rather than just stopping cold.

So, the mechanics of dropping into the green, then the discipline of maintaining at that plateau for six months. That is it.

12-Month Report

I saw my primary care doctor yesterday, or, one of them. This was a nice one, Dr. Saxena. As my selective neck dissection for metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary was last year, August 25 2009, we talked about year two. He is not the first to say "we consider you cancer-free," but it is always nice to hear. That said, I'm still going to have to continue following a regular regiment of examination and MRIs on into the foreseeable future.

Moving from the head and neck region apparently I have a hernia, so I'll be checking in with the hernia doctors in a couple of weeks. My "middle-aged" blood lipids ie. HDLs, LDLs, Cholesterol etc. are getting to the point of no longer being ignorable. I pleaded for a short reprieve as I'm in the very beginning stages of a, to date, successful fitness routine. My reprieve was granted. Last, but not least, I'm going to go ahead and give bupropion a try. "Happy pills" as my buddy Jeremy calls them. Giddy details to come, I hope.