Phase 2, Day 1: Eating Fat to Lose Weight?

Weight: 255.0 pounds
Total weight lost: 19.6 pounds

This morning I started Phase 2, which means two things: fat loading and hCG injections. The injection went REALLY easy. I literally did not feel the needle go in, and I was doing it myself. I chose to inject it into my stomach based on recommendations from others. It's a teeny, tiny needle used for insulin shots, so no worries.

This morning I also begin a two-day binge on fat. Ok, so it's not really a binge, but for the first time since I started the whole foods diet two weeks ago, I'll be able to eat almost anything I want to. In fact, the higher the fat content the better. That means that things like mayonnaise, cheese, bacon and ham are back on the menu...for two days. I'm not a doctor, so the science of this is a little above my head, but I'll lay out what I have gathered from various conversations and my own reading.

The purpose of fat loading is well understood in the world of endurance sports where athletes are usually pretty lean but need an energy source to provide maximum output for an extended period of time (whereas carb-loading is good for shorter periods of time). Over the next 45 days or so, I'm going to convince my body that I am running a 45-day marathon and that I have plenty of fat available to sustain the pace.

It starts with the fat loading where I will get as much healthy fat into my bloodstream as possible from meats, nuts and seeds, cooking oils and a moderate amount of dairy. This will promote the creation of more fat-burning enzymes to help convert the fat to energy, but this fat will only last for a couple of days. These elevated enzymes, along with the introduction of hCG ( a natural human hormone used to reduce cravings and hunger pains and most importantly, resets the hypothalmus to burn body fat) through daily injections, will permit my body to start burning the fat reserves that were in place before I started the Somae plan.

Menu Planning has been difficult. As I type, I'm still trying to figure out what to do for lunch and dinner, but breakfast was pretty good. 3-egg omelet with heavy whipping cream and organic goat milk cheddar cheese, 4 pieces of bacon. I literally could not eat any more than this. One of the things with fat loading is that it supposed to be an almost constant eating of fat-rich foods all day, or what is referred to as "eating to capacity".

Some of the other foods in my arsenal are:

• sunflower seeds and fresh-made peanut butter
• organic Greek yogurt with berries
• chicken alfredo (easy on the fettucini)
• shrimp scampi with garlic butter sauce
• bacon & gruyere stuffed crab cakes from Whole Foods Market
• organic bittersweet dark chocolate chips (in small quantities)
• salad with full-fat ranch dressing.

With each of these, I'm looking for at least 75% (if not more) of the total calories to come from fat content. I'm going to try and avoid my old fast food haunts, so wish me luck.

Phase 1, Day 16: Adding a Healing Day

Weight: 255.6 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 19.0 pounds

Today is my sixteenth day on the Somae plan, but because of some slip-ups on Day 13, I've added another day to Phase 1, referred to as "Nutritional Changes and Digestive Healing" in Somae parlance It wasn't a required addition, but in consultation with my Somae mentor Lisa, we decided to add this extra day to cleanse a little bit more of the salt and other not-so-good-for-you stuff I ingested earlier in the week when coming off of my liquid fast.

I'll be eating basically the same things I had in the first 10 days of the Somae plan, whole foods with a little protein added in at breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, I've been drinking a LOT of water. I had been averaging between 76oz and 92oz of water per day during the first 12 days, dipped to under 64oz on Day 13, but have made up for it with more than 120oz (1-gallon) per day on Days 14-16. Although it can be inconvenient to have to pee every 30-45 minutes, I know that I'm flushing a lot of salt and other stuff out. I do have to say, though, I haven't had a problem with dry skin in more than 2 weeks.

How am I feeling today? Kinda crummy. My energy levels are down a bit, but I'm not sure whether it's physical or psychological. My appetite is down a bit, too, so I haven't been eating as much today.

Phase 1, Day 15: A Day of Penance

Weight: 256.0 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 18.6 pounds

Today, I will be staying on raw foods. I had been scheduled to add some protein into my diet today before moving to the fat loading tomorrow, but because of my slips on Sunday, I need to spend a little more time on raw foods to eliminate some of the the salt I added through soy sauce and potato chips. When I looked at the scale yesterday morning and saw that I had gained 2.6 pounds overnight, undoing 4 days of weight loss and sacrifice...I was distraught.

I'm exhausted. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally. Last night I finished a late meeting after 8pm, missed dinner (other than a handful of broccoli), and came home to a quiet house since everyone had already gone to bed. I wanted nothing more than to drive to Wendy's and get some burgers and fries. I immediately recognized that it was an emotional response and was able to "talk myself down".

I managed to shave off 0.6 pounds since yesterday morning, so I'm heading back in the right direction but I'm still at the same point that I was 4 days ago which is frustrating. I'm hoping that I can make some more progress heading into my fat loading days.

hCG and Weight Loss

Ok, sports fans, you may be aware of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) most notably because it was the hormone found in a blood test from then Dodger, now White Sox player, Manny Ramirez that led to his 50-game suspension in 2009. hCG is not a performance enhancing drug (though it can increase the natural production of testosterone in men), but it is often used in conjunction with anabolic steroids to reverse or minimize the effects of steroids on the production of testosterone (and other more graphic physical side-effects)

On Wednesday, I will begin a 45-day regimen of daily (6 days per week) injections of hCG to accelerate and maintain my weight loss. hCG is most often prescribed as part of fertility treatments, but it's use as a weight loss aid has become pretty popular in the last decade or so. When combined with a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD), hCG has been shown to promote the loss of 1/2 to 1-pound of weight per day. In the Somae Plan, this phase is referred to as "Accelerated Weight Loss."

If hCG occurs naturally, why do I need injections? Well, hCG does occur naturally in humans (note the 'h'), but is found usually in women during pregnancy. Studies in the 1960's found (with some controversy) that hCG helped pregnant women maintain enough energy and provide enough nutrition for developing embryos and fetuses by assisting with the conversion of body fat to usable energy. As I said, this is controversial and not all organizations accept that hCG can or should be used for weight loss.

Despite the fact that the federal Food & Drug Administration has not approved hCG for weight loss, there are wealth of companies and organizations using hCG treatments for just that purpose. I chose Somae Health because of the answers I received not only from their staff but also from others who I knew or met as a result of my research. Just taking a drug without a support structure is a recipe for failure, I think.

If it hasn't become obvious to you, I am a skeptic at heart. I hate needles and I hate ingesting (let alone injecting) anything of which I am not 100% sure. I have seen the results in others who have used hCG, and I'm looking forward to seeing the same results in myself. Certainly, hCG is not required for weight loss (I've lost more than 20 pounds without it), but the addition of hCG to my daily regimen will hopefully allow me to continue my weight loss until I reach a healthier weight and can then develop a routine to maintain that weight without losing my commitment or enthusiasm along the way.

Phase 1, Day 14: A little bummed

Weight: 256.6 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 18.0 pounds lost

I'm a little bummed out today since I actually added 2.6 pounds since yesterday. I haven't had a BM yet today, so maybe that will help take care of some of it, but ugh!

Now for my confessions for yesterday.

• My in-laws were in town and the family had some Chinese food on Saturday night for dinner. I ended up having a few pieces of chicken (only 3 or 4 pieces, but not on the raw foods menu).
• With lunch I had a piece of sliced turkey, not a big slip, but still not on the raw menu.
  
• In the afternoon I had some Husman's Sweet-n-Sassy potato chips...a complete lapse, but still less than a serving as opposed to my old habit of eating most of a bag of these chips at one sitting.
• I'm pretty sure I didn't drink my minimum 64oz of water. During the week, I have two 1-quart bottles I carry around so I know that I'm getting enough, but this weekend I kinda relaxed a just went a serving at a time.

I'm getting ready to start Phase 2 of the Somae Plan on Wednesday. There are three big components of that transition which I will cover in the blog in the next few days: fat loading, hCG injections and the Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) that begins officially on Friday. I'm nervous, but will try to exorcise some of those concerns through my journaling here.

Phase 1, Day 13: A Family Day

Weight: 254.0 pounds
Total weight lost: 20.6 pounds

No lenghty post as I've spent the day with the family and the afternoon at Cincinnati Museum Center burning off some energy.

I'm feeling pretty good despite a slip-up or two on my raw foods diet today. More on the confessional tomorrow. Good night!

Phase 1, Day 12: 20 Pounds Healthier

Weight: 254.6 poounds
Total weight lost: 20.0 pounds

I lost another 1.6 pounds yesterday on my liquid fast. I felt pretty great, though I woke up REALLY hungry this morning. To top it all off, I hosted a community brunch this morning with a to of food all around me. I'll admit that I did break from my fast regimen for a bite of an eclair, but I felt so guilty (and a little sick to my stomach) that I stopped after one bite.

I have now finished my liquid fast drink. I cut back on the amount of cayenne pepper to make it more palatable, and had no problems.

Tomorrow I am back to a raw food diet (fruits, veggies and nuts) and will start with a triple berry smoothie to ease myself off of the liquid fast. I am so excited to have passed the 20 pounds lost milestone, but am a little nervous about the next week as I transition to my very low calorie diet (VLCD). I'll discuss more over the coming days.

Phase 1, Day 11: Cayenne Pepper is HOT!

Weight: 256.2 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 18.4 pounds

Today is the beginning of my two day liquid fast. The lemon/maple syrup/cayenne pepper drink is tolerable, but after 2 hours, the pepper is really packing a wallop. Each sip is hotter than the last, and I can feel it going all the way down. As I posted yesterday, the goal of this fast is to further cleanse my digestive system and to draw more toxins from my organs and bloodstream. Largely, it's going to work by having my kidneys work overtime to filter out all of the bad stuff.

I've done liquid fasts before, and have twice had to do rapid cleanses prior to having a colonoscopy. I definitely remember feeling better after the process was complete, but the process itself can be less than fun. Remember, what goes in must come out.

I asked my Somae mentor Lisa yesterday if I should stay close to a bathroom today. She responded by email, and I could tell she was laughing as she typed, that the biggest "issue" I could expect was having to pee...a lot.

I won't be posting a second time today, but will be back bright and early on Saturday morning.

Bring on the Liquid Diet

I've decided to face my upcoming 2-day liquid fast head on. Last night I hand squeezed 10 fresh lemons and mixed them with 1.5 cups of pure maple syrup and a gallon of spring water to make what is a pretty tasty lemonade-like drink. I was afraid it was going to taste pretty bad, but it actually is just a pretty sweet lemonade made with all natural ingredients. Now for the kicker (in more ways than one)...before drinking, I need to add some cayenne pepper. I have received warnings from many people that cayenne+water+time=reallyhot+badidea. So, I'll be adding the pepper just before starting to sip on the 1/2 gallon per day that I have to drink.

Have I mentioned that on day 2 of the liquid fast I'm hosting a community brunch with enough food around me to feed 400 people? Wish me luck!

The purpose of the liquid fast is to complete the cleansing that I have been undergoing through my switch to whole foods and eliminating artificial and processed ingredients from my diet. This process has been about healing my body (especially the gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder and kidneys), but also about removing pesticides and other toxins from my body. The cayenne and lemon juice serve a laxative function, but they also (along with maple syrup) contain high amounts of vitamins and minerals so I'll still be getting nutrition, though only in a liquid form.

As a side note, I wanted to be sure and post about the negatives of this diet as well as the positive. Though I feel fantastic and my energy levels are extremely high, I've developed some minor cramping in some of my muscles. After talking with my Somae Mentor Lisa and my personal physician, they concur that I'm probably low in magnesium and/or potassium. I took a 200mg tablet of Magnesium Citrate yesterday afternoon, which lessened the symptoms, but will probably increase the dose slightly this afternoon and add some potassium (yay, a banana!!!). This is a natural part of the process--as my body rids itself of a lot of bad stuff, there is going to be some collateral good stuff that gets removed, too. Easily remedied with a few supplements in the short term and trying foods with higher magnesium and potassium content for the long term.

Ciao!

Phase 1, Day 10: My Inspirations

Weight: 256.6 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 18.0 pounds

This morning I had a great conversation with my family physician. He's the one responsible for introducing me to the Somae Plan about 4 months ago and being persistent in his trying to convince me that this was the right course of action for me. Honestly, and I've said this before, I had doubts. I did research on other Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCDs), and wasn't convinced that this was right for me. Always the skeptic, I found reasons to distrust the claims of 50, 60 and 70 pounds of weight loss in 12 weeks. Then, my doctor went on the Some Plan himself and I witnessed first-hand that such dramatic weight loss was possible.

I also stumbled upon a young woman who was posting a video log of her progress on the Somae Plan. Karess Purcell (like the soap with a 'K') has done a short video nearly every day of her journey, putting a very real face on the Somae Plan and the struggles she has faced. You can find her videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/kpurcell00.

By far, however, my greatest inspirations have been my family. My wife and two young boys are everything to me, and the thought of not being around to see them grow up or to grow old with my wife (maybe we'll even be able to take an adult vacation sometime soon) was too much to bear. While I hadn't yet developed heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes...I was well on my way. These are the things that inspired me to start the Somae Plan and are keeping me motivated to continue losing weight and becoming healthier.

My Fast Food Menu

Below is my standard fast food menu when visiting one of the restaurants listed. Keep in mind, I would sometimes eat 2 or even 3 meals a day at one or more of these places. It almost makes me sick just looking at it. Most of the nutritional data came from http://nutritiondata.com or from the company's own website.

Wendy's		Cal	Fat(g)	Chol.(mg)	Sodium(mg)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)
	Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger	380	18	55	890	34	20
	Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger	380	18	55	890	34	20
	Large French Fries	443	19	0	377	63	5
	Large Diet Coke	0	0	0	57	0	0
	Total	1203	55	110	2214	131	45
McDonald's (lunch)		Cal	Fat(g)	Chol.(mg)	Sodium(mg)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)
	McChicken sandwich	430	23	45	840	41	14
	Double Cheeseburger	480	27	85	1220	37	25
	Large French Fries	542	26	0	347	68	8
	Large Diet Coke	0	0	0	57	0	0
	Total	1452	76	130	2464	146	47
McDonald's (breakfast)		Cal	Fat(g)	Chol.(mg)	Sodium(mg)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)
	Sausage McMuffin	370	23	50	790	28	14
	Sausage McMuffin	370	23	50	790	28	14
	Hash Browns	130	8	0	330	14	1
	Large Diet Coke	0	0	0	57	0	0
	Total	870	54	100	1967	70	29
Burger King		Cal	Fat(g)	Chol.(mg)	Sodium(mg)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)
	Double Cheeseburger	450	26	95	950	29	26
	Double Cheeseburger	450	26	95	950	29	26
	Large French Fries	580	28	0	640	74	6
	Large Diet Coke	0	0	0	57	0	0
	Total	1480	80	190	2597	132	58
Rally's/Checkers		Cal	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)
	Spicy Chicken sandwich	550	37	39	17
	Spicy Chicken sandwich	550	37	39	17
	Large French Fries	590	38	64	8
	Large Diet Coke	0	0	0	0
	Total	1690	112	142	42

Phase 1, Day 9: How Much is Too Much?

Weight: 257.6 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 17.0 pounds

I have now lost 17 pounds since my initial weigh-in 13 days ago. I've had several people ask me, "Is it healthy to lose weight so fast?" I know that I had always heard that 1-2 pounds per week was "healthy", and the Mayo Clinic also supports that figure. All I can say is that I feel amazing and I'm definitely not starving myself. My best guess is that I'm getting between 1100 and 1200 calories a day right now, but those calories are so nutrient dense and fiber rich that I'm getting everything I need to nourish my body and to help my digestive system (and by extension my liver and gallbaladder) heal and repair from all of the chemicals, saturated and trans fats that my diet consisted of before adopting the whole foods menu. As I have said before, I haven't felt this good in a long time. I have enough energy to go through the day without problems and still get some work done around the house in the evening.

Over the next week, my diet/menu will change a few times, but I'll be posting here to give you all of the ins and outs including my two day liquid fast that coincides with my hosting a community-wide brunch on Saturday morning. Today's menu change? The 1 serving of whole grain I was allowed for the first 8 days is now off the menu. Bye-bye dry toast.

Phase 1, Day 8: Melting Away

Weight: 259.2 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 15.4 pounds

When I weighed myself this morning, I had to do a triple take. 2.2 pounds since yesterday? Under 260? I even had to have my wife come in and weigh herself so that I could make sure the scale was resetting properly.

I've tried a number of diets in the past, most of them a complete waste of time and energy. The one on which I had the most success was Atkin's, famous for it's low carb-high protein menu. On that diet in 2004 I lost about 15 pounds in a month or so, but felt pretty crummy and hated that I smelled like bacon all of the time (although a little bacon sounds good right now). This time I've lost that same amount of weight in just 13 days and I honestly can't remember the last time I felt this good. Better yet, I know that I have eaten NOTHING which could be remotely considered harmful or unhealthy...by ANYONE.

The most amazing part is that I haven't even hit the "Accelerated Weight Loss" phase of the Somae Plan. I'll be posting much more about that phase as I get a little closer (it starts on September 29), but I am SO excited. Before I started, I set a 12-week goal of losing 45 pounds and a lifetime goal of 75 pounds. If I continue on this pace (which the realist in me knows is not likely), I could reach both goals easily before the end of my 12-weeks. I could be back close to my high school graduation weight...at 35 years old. Wow!

Ch-ch-ch-Chia!

Today, I ate for the first time (as a part of my salad) chia seeds. Yes, you know, those little seeds that you soak in water until they turn into a gelatinous goo and then smear on the clay sheep, head of Abraham Lincoln or odd looking clown. Turns out that chia seeds are one of those "wonder foods" full of antioxidants, fiber (42% of daily value) and vitamins that we could all use in our diets. They can also help the body conserve water and slow down the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. See the nutrition label at the right for more details.

Many Native American tribes in the American Southwest and throught Central and South America used these tiny seeds as a staple of their diet, especially when moving great distances because they were easy to transport, had a ton of nutrition (3 times the protein of spinach) , and when consumed dry with a little water can swell to nearly 9 times their size, giving the feeling of a full stomach.

I sprinkled a few pinches of them (maybe a tsp worth) on my salad at lunch. They started to absorb some of the water from the lettuce right away, and then also from the dressing. I had a nearly 4-hour gap between my snack and lunch, but right now I feel full, but not uncomfortably so.

Phase 1, Day 7: Tightening the Belt

Weight: 261.4 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 13.2 pounds

Had a great weekend, although Sunday saw my first real stomach discomfort. It occurred during the 90-minute car ride to and from my grandmother's for a family get-together. Long car rides have historically been a trigger for me on two fronts--eating and smoking. Another thing contributing to the discomfort, I think, was the fact that I ate raw broccoli yesterday for the first time in the last week. Broccoli is, of course, a pretty difficult food to digest anyway, so I think I was just having a bit more difficulty with it than normal.

This morning was a bit of a milestone for me--I now have no belts that fit me correctly. I'm either going to have to buy a new one or add some holes to my existing belts since I've reached the last hole and my pants wont' stay up without one. It was an amazing feeling, and almost made the stomach discomfort yesterday worth it.

Phase 1, Day 6: Grocery Shopping

Weight: 262.4 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 12.2 pounds

I'm feeling GREAT! I spent Saturday and part of this morning doing grocery shopping for some of the staples including restocking my fruits and veggies. Sam's Club is great for some of the things like organic spring greens (one container lasted me almost a whole week), raspberries and blueberries, and even frozen fruits for smoothies and vegetables for tossing on a salad or sautéing in a little EVOO. We already have a large bag of frozen skinless chicken breasts, so most of my lean protein is taken care of. We've decided to do some fresh fish for dinner one night this week, but I'll be picking that up at Whole Foods Market that afternoon, and some beef kabobs on the grill one other night. I also picked up some yellow squash and zucchini this morning which I'm REALLY looking forward to later this week.

What I've found is that buying largely fresh fruits and vegetables is not as expensive as I had thought. I've been the primary grocery shopper in our house since my wife was pregnant with our first child 4 years ago. I've always bought grapes, bananas and apples and occasionally some vegetables, but we've largely lived with canned fruits and vegetables and a lot of processed foods.

However, when comparing the cost for my meals alone during the last week with my typical week of fast food, soft drinks, and yes, even cigarettes....I have saved more than $50, and who knows how many thousands of calories, grams of fat, and other chemicals and preservatives. That blows my mind.

Phase 1, Day 5: My First Weekend

Weight: 263.4 pounds
Total Weight Lost:11.2 pounds

Today was my first weekend day on my Somae journey. I had mixed feelings about it. In one way, it should be easier to prepare meals and stay on a schedule, but at the same time, I'm surrounded my temptations. We have never had a house full of junk food, but there are plenty of options that would be outside the bounds of my current menu guidelines, especially with 2 young kids at home. Goldfish crackers, pretzels, "animal gummies"...tempting, but no go.

However, my boys are seeing the foods I'm eating and are starting to take part. My 3-year old has eaten a whole apple each of the last two nights. My 18-month old ate 1/2 of a pretty large granny smith apple tonight. They're also enjoying the sunflower seeds and even tried the pumpkin seeds (which were not such a hit, especially since they're not salted at all).

I had hoped for a little more weight loss since yesterday (only 0.6 pounds), but I also thought about it and can't remember the last time a scale was reading under 265 pounds, let alone 263, so I'm still upbeat. My energy levels and overall mood are GREAT, but still managed to squeeze in a nap this afternoon. Yay for weekends!

Peanut Butter is AMAZING!

My fresh organic peanut butter was amazing with apples today. Peanut butter would not have been my idea of a "health food", but as I've done research, I've found some amazing facts. According to the website "World's Heathiest Foods" at whfoods.com:

Peanuts are a very good source of monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.

Peanuts feature an array of other nutrients that, in numerous studies, have been shown to promote heart health. Peanuts are good sources of vitamin E, niacin, folate, protein and manganese.

Peanuts provide resveratrol, the antioxidant also found in red grapes and red wine that is thought to be responsible for the French paradox: the fact that in France, people consume a diet that is not low in fat, but have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to the U.S.

Not only do peanuts contain oleic acid, the healthful fat found in olive oil, but new research shows these tasty legumes are also as rich in antioxidants as blackberries and strawberries and far richer in content than apples, carrots or beets.

Eating peanuts just 2 or more times each week was associated with a 58% lowered risk of colon cancer in women and a 27% lowered risk in men in Taiwan.

Twenty years of dietary data collected on over 80,000 women from the Nurses' Health Study shows that women who eat least 1 ounce of nuts, peanuts or peanut butter each week have a 25% lower risk of developing gallstones.

Research published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry indicates regular consumption of niacin-rich foods like peanuts provides protection against Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline.

A prospective study published in the journal Obesity shows people who eat nuts at least twice a week are much less likely to gain weight than those who almost never eat nuts.

Phase 1, Day 4: My First Disappointment

Weight: 264.0 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 10.8 pounds

This morning gave me my first disappointment...only a 0.2 pound weight loss since yesterday. But, as I posted yesterday, I didn't really expect any less after my splurge at the Indian restaurant for lunch. If I were in a weight maintenance plan (i.e., trying to keep the same weight), I succeeded. However, since I am trying to lose the weight, I definitely need to remember yesterday.

It actually shouldn't be that hard to remember as I felt like "you know what" all afternoon, almost like I had a lead weight in my stomach for about 4 hours. It did allow me, however, to find inspiration for the title of a future posting: "Everybody Poops".

Well, I have drop-off duty for my kids this morning, and am running late, so I'll post more later. I'm actually adding a new "nut & seed" to my repertoire today...fresh organic peanut butter.

Oops...and Ouch!

So.....got caught running errands for work again today at lunch time and decided to stop in at Amol India, Cincinnati's BEST Indian restaurant (ok, matter of preference here in Cincinnati, but we won't have that debate here). I managed to stay with primarily vegetarian foods (with a little chicken thrown in for good measure), but did make the mistake of choosing the buffet. I am paying for it right now. I didn't eat as much as I normally would at Amol--typically 3 plates plus naan bread--but I definitely ate more than I should have. It was also difficult to steer around the creamy dishes, though I strained as much of the sauce off as I could and ate just the goodies inside.

We'll see what the scale says tomorrow, but OUCH!

Phase 1, Day 3: Yummy!

Weight: 264.2
Total weight lost*: 10.6 lbs
*This "total weight lost" is a measure from my original weigh-in weight on September 9, though I didn't officially start the diet regimen until five days later. It's just easier to use one starting point instead of two.

My salt craving yesterday was taken care of with some carefully prepared grilled chicken, grilled eggplant and sauteed asparagus with balsamic vinegar (thanks, Staci!). Today, I'm going to add a few new things to my repertoire, raw pumpkin seeds.

I remember my mom making roasted pumpkin seeds when I was a kid, and looking back on it, those are some really good memories. Raw pumpkin seeds, while not quite as tasty (i.e., salty), are pretty darn good. I was browsing through Whole Foods Market the other day and just tried a couple and was hooked.

One note from yesterday, I got a KILLER headache at around 5:00 p.m., a little more than 2 hours after my afternoon snack. My gut instinct is that it was a caffeine withdrawal symptom. Going from 40 or 60 ounces of Diet Mt. Dew and Diet Coke a day to ZERO ounces has to be a bit of a shock to the system. Fortunately, my Somae mentor has turned me on to an herbal tea called Yerba Maté that has a caffeine-related effect without all of the high fructose corn syrup, aspartame NutraSweet or saccharin found in soft drinks.

Phase 1, Day 2: My Kindgom for Some Salt

Weight: 267.4 lbs.
Weight lost so far: 2.2 lbs

I made it through my first day yesterday with only a few hunger pains while waiting for my wife and kids to get home for dinner. Today, however, was my first specific craving: salt. In fact, if I could have found a salt block I probably would have licked it.

The Somae plan is not a low-sodium diet, per se, but with raw or unprocessed foods, there isn't any added salt, so I don't really get as much as I would ordinarily. The foods I have chosen for my meal plans so far have a LOT of natural flavor--raspberries and blueberries are my new best friends. The chicken breasts we prepared in a steam cooker with some garlic and onion, which infused them with a lot of flavor, too. I have purchased some sea salt which I will use sparingly when absolutely needed, but I'm looking forward to experimenting with some other spices this weekend when I will have a little bit of time.

I also knew that I was going to be running some errands for work at lunchtime, so I didn't prepare a lunch salad today. I got stuck in downtown and was starving, so I texted a good friend for some suggestions of restaurants or delis that were "vegetarian friendly". She sent me a few, but looking at my watch, I knew that I had to get back to school so I stopped at McAlister's Deli in Kenwood to pick up a salad. OMG! Some of their salads had calorie counts higher than an order of chicken nuggets and fries from McDonald's. I asked to see a nutritional chart (which they provided, although they didn't have a copy I could take with me) and found a salad which had the biggest bang nutritionally speaking. It was odd asking for no dressing and no croutons, but ultimately reqarding that I had made a decision--on the spot--to choose the healthier option.

My colleagues are slowly learning about my healthy living plan (ok, I'm still trying to find a word or phrase other than "diet"), and their support is fabulous.

This is probably my last post today so that I can spend some quality time at home this evening. Later!

Phase 1, Day 1: The First Day as a Whole

Funny story...I made this beautiful salad for lunch, super healthy, and by lunchtime I was really needing some food. What was the one thing I forgot to pack? A fork. I ended up eating my creation with a plastic spoon.

So, it's a little after 9 pm on the first day. I'm pretty tired, but feeling ok. I survived the first day on the whole/raw foods diet. Was I tempted to eat unhealthy? Definitely. As I wrote to my Somae mentor, Lisa, "I passed every fast food restaurant known to man." And I have probably stopped at every single one of them at least once. The principal at my school also keeps a ready supply of chocolate on the table in her office. I jokingly reached for the bowl in a Homer Simpson-esque "chooooclattttte*slobber**slobber*" and then stopped. She looked at me, despite being busy with a million other things, and said "I'm so proud of you," and then proceeded to tell two other staff members about my commitment to this program.

I also have to thank all of my Facebook friends who have been cheering me on over the last couple of days. It really means a lot. I even have one old friend from high school who has challenged me to see who can lose the greatest percentage of weight over the next 12 weeks, with the loser cooking dinner for the other's family.

Tomorrow is Day 2. I will provide some more information on the Somae plan (without divulging the secrets) since it's a relatively new program and I had a REALLY hard time finding good information about it aside from their own website.

Cheers!

Phase 1, Day 1: The First Morning

Weight: 269.6

Well, today is the day, although I have been easing my way into a healthier diet over the past 3 or 4 days (leading to 5 pounds lost before even beginning the program). I woke up amid the usual chaos of trying to get two kids up, dressed and out the door for school so I wasn't able to start my new morning ritual until after I had gotten them dropped off.

First thing, 2 tbsp of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar. Straight with a water chaser. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but not the greatest thing I've ever swallowed. Apple cider vinegar has many "old wives tales" values, not least among them is the detoxifying and cleansing process. I've also read that it helps thin the blood and other bodily fluids like mucus and phlegm, so SHOULD be good for treating colds and allergies. We shall see. Apple cider vinegar is also high in potassium (especially Bragg's brand which is raw/unprocessed), so not being able to eat a banana for the next 12 weeks doesn't seem quite as bad.

For breakfast, I had a hard boiled egg, a piece of whole wheat toast and a glass of orange juice along with some Somae digestive enzyme supplements to help replace and reset the naturally occurring enzymes which are eliminated (and largely unnecessary) when eating processed foods. By resetting the enzymes, I will be able to digest and absorb the maximum number of nutrients from the foods that our ancestors ate as a staple but which we have been "unprogrammed" to eat. I actually felt pretty full after what doesn't seem like a lot of food, but the 8oz. of orange juice and 20 oz. of water probably had a lot to with it.

I had a mid-morning snack of an apple with a handful of unsalted sunflower seeds. I'm also supposed to drink 8 oz. of water with each meal/snack, but I've been drinking water all morning (including with this snack), so no worries.

It's a little before noon, and I'm starting to feel pretty hungry. I have a wonderful salad of spring greens, bean sprouts and carrots with a small chicken breast cut up. I'm going to try it with a new organic salad dressing I picked up at Whole Foods Market (a whole story in and of itself) that is a shitake mushroom and sesame seed vinaigrette. Not sure if the dressing is 100% ok or not, but I only have 2 tbsp. to add a little more flavor. I'm going back to Whole Foods tonight to try and find some other alternatives to oil-based dressings.

Last minute thoughts

In a little less than three hours I will officially be on a program to lose weight and become healthier. I hesitate to use the word "diet" because the Somae Plan and my approach to the next 12 weeks (and beyond) is truly one that includes a complete lifestyle change. In addition to the diet changes (primarily whole foods), I have also committed to quit smoking and to gradually increase exercise.

The next 12 weeks will be an adventure, but with the support of my Somae mentor Lisa and each of you, it should be one of a lifetime.

How did I get here?

I was not what you would call a "jock" in high school, but I did wrestle and was physically active most of the year. In fact, during my last season of wrestling I actually had to gain weight to compete in a higher weight class.

In the Fall of my senior year in high school, I had a 3-day stay in the hospital following what were later summed up by the neurologist as "funky spells." I had brief memory lapses, and once I realized what was going on, suffered what I can only describe now as an anxiety attack. My blood pressure (as a 17-year old athlete) was somewhere in the neighborhood of 230/160. Doctors at the hospital performed every test imaginable, and their working diagnosis was epilepsy. Let the treatments begin...

I was placed on anti-seizure medication which caused a rapid weight gain. Between September 1992 and January 1993, I went from 160 pounds to 185 pounds. Once a follow-up doctor's visit showed no further sign of seizure activity, I was taken off of the medication but my metabolism was shot and I continued slowly gaining weight until I went off to college at around 195 pounds.

My "freshmen 15" was more like the "first quarter 15" as my physical activity dropped to almost nothing. Once I got further into my college career and money became harder to come by, I began eating less...but still poorly. I hovered around the 210 mark throughout college until a tough break-up led me to eat my weight in grief, taking me up to about 220.

In 1998, I interned in Washington, DC where I had little choice but to walk to most of my destinations. At minimum I had a 3/4 mile walk to a subway station in the morning, and I was usually running late, so it was a fast-paced 3/4 mile. This, tied with the fact that I had NO extra money, allowed me to lose 10 pounds during my 10 or so weeks in DC.

A couple of years later, my wife and I were married, we were back in DC, and with two incomes, living rather well, or should I say, eating rather well. My wife is a tremendous cook. One of the things she and I have always been bad about, however, is our almost religious aversion to leftovers. It's not that we wouldn't eat leftovers, it's the fact that there are rarely any leftovers to be saved. Portion size has become a big issue for me.

The other thing that has gotten me over the last 10 years is convenience eating. A late day at work? Let's stop at the steakhouse for dinner. Company in from out-of-town? Let's go the the seafood restaurant. Don't feel like cooking today? Taco Bell is only 5 miles up the road.

When we later moved to Milwaukee, it became even worse. The three food groups in Wisconsin are beer, butter and cheese. Ever had a butterburger? It's the most amazing thing ever, but it is literally a 1/4 hamburger fried in butter. At one restaurant, it was actually served with a pat of butter still on top of the beef patty. It was in Wisconsin where I crossed the 250 pound mark for the first time.

So now here I sit at almost 275 pounds, having hit 285 earlier in the summer after a food-filled vacation. I see how I got here, and now I'm taking my first steps to get back to a healthier me...

Pre-Diet Weight, Measurements and *gulp* Photos

Okay, so this will be an exercise in self-humiliation. Look, I realize I'm overweight, but when you see those anonymous "fat people b-roll" on television news programs, you never think that it could be you they're showing walking down the sidewalk. "I'm not THAT fat, am I," you ask your partner or other loved ones. Tonight, as I completed my enrollment in Somae Health and began setting up my online profile for tracking, I had to take pictures of myself and take measurements of every type.

A few observations before I lay it all out for you (and a little warning in case you want to avoid the shirtless pictures below):

• I have gained a LOT of weight. I guess that when we look at ourselves in a mirror, even if we do realize that we're gaining weight, we only see one or two parts of our body at a time. However, when you have to take a full-length picture of your back...wow!

• Men and women have different definitions of "waist", but most men definitely don't wear their pants on their TRUE waist. I'm not talking about the young guys who let their pants hang down to their knees on purpose, but I wear a 44" pant--while my actual waist measures more than 10" larger than that.

So here are the vital statistics, my "intake" numbers, my starting point...

Neck: 19.5"
Chest: 51.0"
Waist: 54.5"
Hips: 48.5"
Rt. Thigh: 28"
Lt. Thigh: 28"
Rt. Upper Arm: 19.5"
Lt. Upper Arm: 19.0"
Height: 68" (5'8")
Weight: 274.6 lbs
Body Mass Index (BMI): 41.7

And now for my "before" photos...

Making the Decision

About 3 months ago my family physician approached me about a relatively new weight loss program that had shown great results. I believe his opening question was, "How would you like to lose 50 pounds?" He explained a little bit about the program, which I later learned was Somae Health (http://somaehealth.com), but I was skeptical. This doctor and I have had a strained relationship in the past, but he has always been a straight shooter. I put the idea on the back burner.

I actually started the summer at 285 pounds, my all-time high, but after a "mystery illness" and a herniated disk in my neck which was affecting the strength in my arms, I had determined to get some of the weight off. Also during the intervening three months, my two young children have become much more mobile and outgoing. Keeping up with them would be hard enough without the extra weight I'm carrying around, but at 270+ pounds, it was near impossible.

I have been fortunate to have not developed diabetes or high blood pressure, but at 35 years old, I realize that it's only a matter of time. While I haven't developed these more serious conditions, I do recognize that I have not felt "right" in more than 10 years since shortly after I broke the 200-pound mark in college. Depression, sleep apnea, fatty infiltration of the liver and many minor illnesses have plagued me since that time...and have increased as in proportion to the weight gain.

One night, sitting on the deck of my home, I came to the realization that this had to change--for my kids, for my wife, and for me.

I revisited the idea of a wholesale lifestyle change. Easier said than done, but my wife and I spoke at some length about what I would need to do and what I would need from her (i.e., support). I learned more about Somae Health and their plan, read research articles about similar diet plans, and found testimonials from current plan followers on websites other than Somae's official website. What really sold me, however, was walking into my doctor's office and seeing that he had lost nearly 35 pounds in just over 8 weeks by going on the Somae Health plan himself.

So this afternoon, I made the call and enrolled in the program. Materials will arrive in the next few days, and I am aiming to start the plan on Saturday, September 18, 2010 (trying to time the schedule based on some of the steps further down the line).

This blog will be an outlet to share my Somae story, an opportunity to have others help me remain accountable, and hopefully, to document my path to a healthier life.