A Weight Wager

As many of you may have heard, Blork and I have made a wager over who could lose the most weight relative to their goal. So the clock has started ticking with the end date in early August six months from now. In addition to the weight I've lost already, I've committed to lose another 27lbs. That would get me to 178.5 which is considered healthy for my height and frame. But I haven't weighed that much since 1991.

It should be fun. I enjoy healthy competition and as long as Ed can keep up, it will be a great motivator to stick to the goal. Regardless of the outcome, we'll likely both be in better shape. And we can celebrate at the end with some chocolate chai cupcakes a la Martine.

The Weight Game - Week 3 & The Diet

So after two more weeks, I'm down another 4 lbs for a total of 9 lbs. That actually brings me back to where I was last fall. Sad, but true. It should be a tougher go after this. I likely won't be posting as often about this in order not to bore you to death. It'll likely be on a monthly basis.

So how exactly did I lose that much that fast. This go-around I decided to try the "Wets do Munch" diet. OK, that's not really the name, but you can get the book and the real name via the link. It's the first book I ever bought online. That after popping in many bookstores downtown only to find they didn't have it and it would take a week for them to get it.

I really like the diet because I like the logic behind it. Keep you're metabolism high in the morning, don't eat foods that take long to digest late in the day, and eat healthy foods. This means eating as much fruit in the morning as you can (or want). The natural sugars sustain a high metabolism and keep you satiated until lunch. Lunch is the big meal and the only meal you eat meat. You eat a large portion of meat along with vegetable or grains of you choice. Grains are considered to be corn and beans, not wheat and traditional grains. Dinner is again fruit along with vegetable or grains after you have had your fill of fruit. The objective is to keep you satiated until bedtime and not going to sleep still digesting your supper.

Prohibited items include sugars, starches, and fats. Sugar is an obvious one. Starches like refined potatoes, flour, and even whole grain still send your pancreas working overtime. And fats are avoided because they are fattening. But I'm still not sure I completely agree with that one. I may work certain fats (like mayo) back into the diet when it becomes a sustain diet instead of a loss diet.

That's really the gist of the diet. It's a bit quirky, but I'm finding that it works. I really have to say it has been one of the easiest for me to follow and has a chance of continuing past the weight loss. I used to rarely eat fruit, but now I eat more in one day than I used to eat in a couple weeks. And I actually like it. I feel that I'm eating so much healthier than before. No snacks are allowed between the three main meals, but I have found that I usually don't get hunger pangs between meals like on other diets.

The book, as with other diet books that I have read, seems to take it's time getting to the point of what is the diet. This diet, unlike the others, is not by someone in the medical profession. This is some guy who by trial and error determined this diet and has now written a book about it. So it's very much "I tried this and it works" and "I tried this and it doesn't work". It comes across as one persons opinions instead of medical consensus or a doctor with several patients. But again, I like the logic behind it and it has been working very well so far. Heck, I've even strayed once or twice a week without losing a step on my weight loss plan. Though I did stuff myself late Saturday night and regressed a little. We had some very good Indian food (from my limited experience) at Restaurant Gandhi in Old Montreal.

I've very interested and hopeful that this success continues. Especially since today I made a wager. More on that soon.

The Weight Game - The Intro and Week 1

As I mentioned last week, one of my main resolutions is to finally get my weight back down and keep it off. At first I thought I would avoid talking much about it here because I was worried about not living up to my resolution. Like last year I mentioned it here and I lost only seven pounds. Three of which were back by the summer and then another seven were added before the New Year.

But this year is different. Unlike last year where I just planned to eat a little better and try exercising, I have a set diet that I am following. But before getting into that, I thought I'd cover where I've been and where I am.

In my high school years, I remember being around 170 for my 5'-10" frame. I was big into running back then, though even that couldn't stop a slow and steady increase in weight. My freshman year in college started a continuing cycle of waxing and waning. I ran my first marathon that October, then promptly stopped running to refocus on my studies. I put on ten pounds that fall and winter. Hence began the cycle of adding weight during the late-fall/early winter then losing some of it (not all) over the spring and summer. A steady increase over the years.

One notable weight loss was during my first stay in France in 1991. They had no prepared food like mac and cheese or hamburger helper. So I cooked almost everything from scratch. I really enjoyed it. Two notable gains include when I gained financial freedom and when our first child was born. When I first started working and getting a substantial paycheck, it was like letting a caged animal run free. I was sucking down Starbutts latest super sugary concoction twice or three times a day and regularly having my fattening fast food favorites like burritos, pizza, and McDonalds. While our first child was cooking in the oven, I sympathetically gained weight alongside my wife. Though she lost the weight naturally over the next year, I never recovered.

Since we bought our computer in 1999, I have been keeping track our my weight-reduction attempts via spreadsheets and graphs. I feel it is the only way to comprehend your progress. The interesting thing is that I now have that all on record and can compare current progress against past years. I can also see what worked and what didn't (like last year).

So what worked. The Atkins Diet. In 2000, I lost 20 lbs on it, going from 204lbs to 184 lbs in 6 months. In 2004, I tried it again and lost 19lbs, going from 213lbs to 194lbs in 5 months. The problem with the diet was that there was so much preparation and eating out basically set you back a week. Although I wasn't hot on the idea of protein only, it was the diet that showed me how evil sugar and refined flour can be. I also tried the Zone diet in late 2000, but I found the requirement to strictly regulate portions difficult to manage. Though, this diet helped me understand the nutritional value of many foods. In 2001, I trained for my third marathon, but lost all of three pounds. I can only hope the lack of weight loss was due to increased muscle mass.

I have been interested in losing weight this year because my father is getting remarried and I would like to look good for it. Plus my father introduced me to the "Lets Do Lunch" diet and I've been giving it a whirl. I started at 213lbs and I am now at 208lbs. I will go into my thoughts about the diet in the next installment. But needless to say, I'm quite happy to be down 5lbs after a week. I know from experience that it is part water and the first pounds are the easiest to lose, but heck if it isn't a good motivator.

My hopes are that being this public about the whole thing will keep me dedicated to it. Plus the diet is currently a big part of my life so it makes sense to post about it. The diet is easier than the previous two mentioned, but it does still take work. My goal is 183lbs for early August. Lets see if I can do it (and keep it off).

Happy New Year!

A bit belated, but just as sincere. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy 2007.

2002 was the start of a small family. 2003 was the year of getting adjusted to a new city. 2004 was the year of many visitors (10 from out of town). 2005 was the year of homeownership. And 2006 was the year of an expanded family. 2007 will be about achieving balance between work, family, and pleasure with two working parents and two kids at daycare.

One thing I thought about during our 20 hour-3 day return to Montreal is that 2006 is only the second year in the last 15 that I did not board a plane. On the flip side, I logged over 7000 miles of car travel between trips to Boston, Chicago, and Naples. I LOVE driving, but I can hold off from taking any long trips in the next few months.

As far as resolutions, I don't have many. Searching for balance and working harder at being a better parent are a couple. I do have a weight resolution. Ever since I was in high school, I had a nasty habit of gaining ten pounds between October and January, then losing five of those pounds over the rest of the year. When my wife gained weight during her first pregnancy, I gained alongside her. She lost the weight, but I did not. Granted, I have kept my weight steady since moving to Montreal, but it would be nice to get back down to the weight I was when we got married over five years ago (185lbs). To be blunt, I'm tired of being this heavy. I'm more subconscience of my looks and I'd like for that to end.

I made the same resolution to lose weight last year, but this year I have a goal, a set time limit, and a diet plan. The goal is to be able to fit into my wedding suit for my father's upcoming wedding this summer. He also is dieting and showed me the "Wet's Do Munch" diet and I really like and agree with the principles of the diet. It is based on fruits, vegetables, and good quality meats. I had much success with the Atkins diet which helped me shed pounds for my wedding, but I'm a bit leary of the long term effects. I don't have an exercise plan laid out, but I do hope to get some in along with many stretching exercises. I've been getting alarmed at how inflexible I have become. So I'll break out my weight loss spreadsheet (to keep track) and give it a try.

My blogging endeavors will become much more random and less frequent. I'll probably blog in between the cracks instead of forcing it into a schedule. Life looks to become much more busy both at work and at home. The vacation was a real vacation and I had no time to write. And our internet access was a limited 26kbps. So I was only able to do some cursory checking up on goings on. That said, I hope to keep actively blogging and keeping up with all of you.

Best Regards, Frank.