Phase 2, Day 28: Candy Season

Weight: 241.8 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 32.8 pounds

I've never been a big candy eater. My weaknesses have always been salty snacks and bread. In fact, we still have Halloween 2009 candy sitting around. But while my cravings and impulses to eat salty snacks and bread have diminished (or disappeared altogether), my impulse to have candy or something sweet has increased.

My boss's office is always stocked with mini candy bars. I walk into a drug store or supermarket, I notice the candy at the checkout lane that I would have passed by without a second thought in the past. And now, Trick-or-Treat season is upon us. My 3 (almost 4) year old is going on a trick-or-treat outing with school today and I'm chaperoning. He and his younger brother will be going out again on the 31st, which is also a day after his 4th birthday full of cake and ice cream. Temptation is all around me, but alas, I am resisting.

One of the things that has helped is that my weight is moving downward again. A second thing that has helped are HONEYCRISP APPLES. I don't know if these are a new variety or if I have just discovered them, but they are amazing. Each one at my local supermarket is about 3/4 of a pound (or more) and bigger than a softball. Since I can eat only two apples a day on the current phase of the Somae Health plan, I'm making the most of it. Super juicy, super sweet and SUPER CRISP, these apples help stem the tide of sweet cravings.

Note to self (and everyone else), you don't have to let go of my butterfinger. :)

(The following post was an attempt to post via text...three days ago. Needless to say, I won't be trying that again. I am still on a semi-plateau, and as frustrating as it is, I am feeling better.)

? thing I feel like doing is eating...a lot.

While I recognize the changes I've undergone, I can find comfort in nothing at this moment...

Phase 2, Day 23: Ugh!

Weight: 243.8 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 30.8 pounds

My mood is a little better today, but I'm still dragging. As you can see, my weight is still hanging at around 244 (5th day) so you know what that means....APPLE DAY!!!!!

So, I'm doing a modified apple day today. 6 apples, a LOT of water, and some red meat for dinner with a tomato. I'm not looking forward to it, but hopefully it will get the scale moving downward again and maybe get me feeling a little better (emotionally and physically).

Phase 2, Day 22: Blah!

Well, this has been the single roughest day I've experienced while on the Somae Health plan. My energy levels are low, my mood is REALLY low and the only thing I want to do is eat...a LOT.

What does 30 pounds look like?

This is me at 274 pounds and now at 244 pounds. As I looked at this, I didn't immediately see a whole lot of difference until I looked at my eyes, my mouth and my shoulders. You can click on the image for a higher-res version.

Phase 2, Day 21: Shhh, don't tell my wife...

Weight: 244.0 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 30.6 pounds

Well, weight loss as measured by the scale has slowed down (again), but the physical transformation continues. This morning, my wedding ring fell off--not once but three times. It's probably a combination of less fluid retention adn cooler weather, but it was a good feeling that something has been a part of me for more than 10 years is now...well, too big.

My pants, too, have become way too baggy. I've had to wear jeans the last two days because my standard khaki pants look like clown pants they're so big. I've had to add another notch in my belt (4 total) for a little over 5-inches in extra length. I'm also wearing a turtleneck and pullover jacket that were snug (at best) a year ago, but now fit REALLY nicely.

Phase 2, Day 19: 30 pounds in the books

Weight: 244.4 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 30.2 pounds

I passed 30 pounds this morning. The past few days have been pretty good as I've been averaging just over a pound lost per day and I'm still feeling great. Two of the "complications" I had been experiencing earlier in this phase, namely constipation and hemorrhoids, have finally passed (so to speak). There are a few things I've tried to do to avert those uncomfortable side-effects: I've increased my water consumption back up to at least 3-quarts of water per day, I've inserted about 30-minutes of walking each day, and I've begun taking an herbal tea in the evenings that contains Senna leaf, among other things, which has a gentle (and natural) laxative effect so everything comes out a lot easier.

I even had an opportunity to have a small piece of birthday cake yesterday (though I passed on the ice cream) for my grandmother-in-law who turned 90 years old. It's amazing how sickeningly sweet cake and icing can be...though I'll admit, I would have loved to have more.

Phase 2, Day 17: Lose 10% or your money back

Weight: 246.8 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 27.8 pounds

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days...not a whole lot going on. My weigh-in on Friday had me flat from Thursday's weigh-in, so that was a little disappointing. Woke up this morning anticipating another "apple day", but dropped another 0.8 pounds so it took me beyond the 10% total weight lost at 27.8 total pounds.

In the grand scheme of things, it's another amazing milestone. In a month and two days, I've lost 10% of my body weight. WOW! But there's another milestone that just cost me some money....I have passed Somae Health's "money back guarantee" level. Oh well, I wouldn't give up the way I feel for any amount of money.

Phase 2, Day 15: "Get Over It"

Weight: 247.4 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 27.2 pounds

I've managed to move my weight downward again and after taking measurements on Tuesday night, discovered that I have lost 19.8 inches so far. I had stayed at the same weight for two days which is pretty frustrating, but I was reminded, however, that at least I wasn't gaining weight and that I was feeling good, so "get over it." That's exactly what I did.

This journey has been quite an adventure. I'm 1/3 of the way through Phase 2, referred to as the "Accelerated Weight Loss" phase. That means 1/3 of the way through my 500-600 calorie per day diet. I'll admit that I can't wait to be able to eat more substantial food each day, but it's more that I would love to have the option of eating more.

I'm not hungry, though I am noticing that I am having cravings a little more frequently...but my cravings have changed. Before I started the Somae Plan, I craved salty foods--pretzels, potato chips, etc. Now, I crave sweet foods. I am able to eat fruit each day, so I try mixing my choices between apples and strawberries when I can and that stems the sweet cravings.

I've also had some VERY specific cravings, and some of them are very odd ones for me. I jokingly say that it's the hCG--the natural hormone produced by women during pregnancy and which I am injecting 6 days per week as a part of my weight loss regimen--coursing through my body. The cravings aren't as strange as pickles and ice cream, but things like tomatoes...I HATED raw tomatoes before I started this weight loss, but now I really enjoy them. I've also been craving more than anything (and it literally hits me at least once a day) a cheese coney. For those of you from Cincinnati, you probably understand. I'm a Gold Star guy and, living on the West Side, have become a fan of Price Hill Chili...both of which make a KILLER cheese coney. These are the only two restaurants that I will drive by and undoubtedly get the desire to pull in.

So, my solution is to try and make a healthier alternative at home this evening. I have some 94% fat free ground beef thawing in the refrigerator and when I get home, I'm going to try a Cincinnati-style chili recipe that fits within my calorie restrictions....Mmmmmmmm, cinnamon.

A new "Before and Now" picture

While I'm not yet at my goal weight, and still have 2 months to go on the Somae Health Plan, I had to have a new driver's license done this morning. I compared it to my Passport photo taken in May and was floored. Even the clerk made a comment about it. There is probably a 40 pound difference between the two photos.

Phase 2, Day 13: On the road again

Weight: 249.4 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 25.2 pounds

Well, I appear to be off the plateau, losing 0.8 pounds since yesterday morning. Eating nothing but 6 apples yesterday was rough, but not in the way you might think. I had trouble finishing them all, but I've definitely learned that I like firm apples more than softer ones and going from a "Golden Delicious" to a "Granny Smith" can be quite a shock to the tastebuds.

So what have I learned from this experience? I now recognize what emotional eating looks and feels like, and that it doesn't make you feel better in the long run. I realize that when I "cheat" on this Phase of my weight loss, I'm only cheating myself. I've also learned how important support from family and friends can be in making it through difficult spots on this journey.

Phase 2, Day 12: Trying to Jump Off a Plateau

Weight: 250.2 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 24.4 pounds

I'm reminded of one of my favorite views in the world. In the Beartooth Mountains of Montana is an area known as "Hellroaring Plateau". It gets it's name for the ferocity of the storms that form over the mountains and roar across the largely flat area. As beautiful as it is, it's not someplace you want to get caught when the storm is bearing down.

For the past several days, I've been stuck on a plateau of my own. I knew they were possible, and even likely, in my weight loss program but it has become extremely frustrating. After several weeks of 1+ pounds of average daily weight loss, I've become stuck at the 250-pound mark now since Friday. This is partially of my own doing through a weekend of minor indulgences, but at the same time nothing I've been trying to do has worked. Add to that, I'm having HORRIBLE seasonal allergies today.

So, today's effort, recommended by my personal mentor Lisa, is an "apple day". Rather than my typical Phase 2 diet of 2 servings of protein, 2 veggies, and 2 fruits, all I'm having is 6 apples and water. Hopefully this will restart the weight loss. I'm about halfway through the day and still feeling fine. I'm going to experiment with an apple/cinnamon bake this evening just to mix it up.

Phase 2, Day 10: A Much Needed Night Out

Weight: N/A
Total Weight Lost: N/A

Sorry all, no weigh-in this morning since my wife and I took a much needed night out and away from the stresses of a messy house, crying babies and a needy dog. We had a delicious dinner (while staying on my diet protocol) at Palomino, watched part of the Reds game on Fountain Square and then retired to our unimaginable room at The Cincinnatian Hotel. Other than the Reds losing the game, it was a very relaxing way to celebrate my milestones and to just unwind with my amazing wife...who needed the night away probably even more than I did.

More tomorrow...

Phase 2, Day 9: Passing 250

Weight: 249.6 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 25.0 pounds

Milestones are everything. I met two of them this morning by getting below 250 pounds for the first time in probably 8 or 9 years and by having lost 25 pounds in the last 24 days.

That being said, yesterday was a rough day. I switched up my menu by having strawberries instead of an apple and by having cucumbers at lunch rather than some other vegetable. My blood sugar was out of balance for most of the afternoon so I was a little cranky and had periods of lightheadedness when I would exert myself much at all. I did end up having an extra piece of fruit last night and it seems to have worked as I do feel better this morning. I'm going to keep an extra apple or orange on me at all times from now on just in case.

My wife and I are having a night out tonight, so it will be my first foray into restaurant dining on my very low calorie diet (VLCD). It certainly is not recommended to eat in restaurants on this phase because of all of the hidden calories and fats (not to mention temptations) on a restaurant menu, but I will choose wisely.

Some More "Before" Photos

So, here are a few other less-than-flattering "before" photos. In all of these I am somewhere in the range of 275-285 pounds.

Phase 2, Day 8: Amazing...and Apples

Weight: 251.2 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 23.4 pounds

I'm amazed. I'm not sure how many times I've said that over the last 23 days, but I'm just amazed. 23.4 pounds in 23 days? Without feeling starved or tired? It looks as though I could hit two pretty significant milestones by Saturday...breaking the 250 pound barrier and losing 25 pounds total. I will also be taking measurements in the next week or so to see how many inches I've lost. I know that it will be fairly significant.

I wore a pair of pants yesterday which I bought maybe two months ago, and it will probably be the last time I can wear them. I had to have a belt or else they would literally fall to the floor on their own. I decided they will be my "before pants" to hold up for cameras when I become famous for my weight loss.

I'm feeling great again today. Took hCG injection after a day off and will be having a cup of strawberries this morning, a chicken breast and sliced cucumber for lunch, an apple for afternoon snack and...still not sure about dinner. One of the great things I've been able to do is to try a whole variety of apples over the last few weeks. Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jazz, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp and Fuji so far. Right now, Braeburns are my favorite I think...firm but not hard, sweet with a little tartness, and a LOT of juice. My youngest son really likes them, too.

Phase 1, Day 7: Skip Day

Weight: 252.4 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 22.2 pounds

On every 7th day, I will skip my daily injections of hCG. This hormone has shown that a resistance or tolerance can be created if injections continue indefinitely, so the skip or rest day allows the body to readjust to not having the injection every day.

Yesterday, I had an amazing opportunity to attend a youth summit on nutrition and exercise from a program called Fuel Up to Play 60. It's an amazing program through a partnership of the American Dairy Association and the NFL (locally, the Cincinnati Bengals) that works to fight childhood obesity. 8 students from the school where I work were chosen to attend, and each of them received a lot of information on healthy eating and getting proper exercise.

Phase 1, Day 6: Let the Good Times Roll!

Weight: 253.0 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 21.6 pounds

The measurable weight loss has begun again, losing another 2.4 pounds since yesterday morning. I'm a realist and I know that this kind of drop won't (and can't) happen every day, but it is a real psychological boost when it does.

A point of clarification on yesterday's post which included a reference to the hCG injections I'm taking. While I mentioned that the hCG hormone can "stem cravings, hunger pains and tiredness," I failed to mention HOW it does this. hCG is a hormone responsible in pregnant women for ensuring that their embryo/fetus are receiving enough nutrition by permitting the body to burn stored fat and turn it into energy for both mother and baby. In my body, it is allowing me to burn between 2,000 and 2,500 calories per day of stored fat. This, combined with the 500-600 calories I'm consuming through food, means that I'm actually burning about 3,000 calories per day--hence the fact that I'm not feeling tired or hungry during the day.

Again, if you're finding these posts helpful, or even just entertaining, please support me in the Somae Challenge at http://www.somaechallenge.com/?p=202

I would like to ask all of you to support me and my weight loss by voting in the Somae Challenge. No personal information is required, just a simple click of the mouse.

Go to http://www.somaechallenge.com/?p=202 and click the "Vote for Me" button on the bottom of the page. Please share this with your friends...I could really use the $10,000 grand prize. :)

What is a VLCD?

I've received this question a couple of times in the past few days. A Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) is exactly as it sounds, a drastic reduction in the number of calories consumed in a day. In some parts of the world a VLCD is just par for the course. Fortunately, I have the luxury of choosing to cut my calories from the 2000 or more in my typical daily diet to somewhere between 500 and 600 calories per day. As severe as this reduction may sound, there are three things which are in my favor: it's a very well-balanced 600 calories consisting of whole, unprocessed foods, the hCG injections which are helping with food cravings, and a strong support system between my family and friends and my Somae Mentor Lisa.

A typical VLCD meal plan looks like the following:

Breakfast: Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, water, and all of the herbal tea I can drink
AM Snack: 1 apple, 1 orange, 1 cup of strawberries or 1/2 grapefruit
Lunch: 3.5 ounces of protein from list below, 1 cup of veggies from list below, (grain if needed)
PM Snack: 1 apple, 1 orange, 1 cup of strawberries or 1/2 grapefruit
Dinner: 3.5 ounces of protein from list below, 1 cup of veggies from list below, (grain if needed)
After-dinner boost: herbal tea
Drinks: at least 64 ounces of water each day

Acceptable Protein (3.5 ounces)
chicken breast, ground beef (93% lean), cod, flounder, haddock, orange roughy, grouper, tilapia, lobster, crab, lean steak, deer, buffalo, elk, and for vegetarians, 1 whole egg and 3 egg whites

Acceptable Veggies (1 cup)
asparagus, beet greens, butter lettuce, cabbage, celery, chard, collards, cucumber, endive, mustard greens, onions, radish, romaine lettuce, spinach, tomato, turnip greens, watercress

Acceptable grains (1 of the following)
Grissini breadstick, stoned wheat thin (1), Melba toast (1), Melba Snacks (2)

Yesterday, we tried two new recipes from the Somae Health cookbook, but you can also find other great recipes online and in various whole foods cookbooks. One of our favorites is from William's Sonoma and the Mayo Clinic.

It's amazing how creative you can get with the use of herbs and spices. We had a chicken vegetable soup yesterday for lunch and lemon-dill whitefish with steamed broccoli for dinner. For those who don't know me well, I NEVER eat fish, but I really enjoyed the whitefish (cod) which I bought fresh from the fish counter at Kroger's. I liked it so much, I'm having leftovers again for lunch. Tonight on the menu, Southwestern Tilapia Bake.

Phase 2, Day 5: The Post Load Weigh-In

Weight: 255.4 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 19.2 pounds

Sorry about the hiatus yesterday. I really didn't have anything new to report and it was nice to not be tethered to a computer all day. I did get to purchase a manual juicer (helpful for all of the new recipes which use fresh-squeezed lemons) and a kitchen scale for measuring meat portions.

Today was my first official weigh-in after my fat loading days of Thursday and Friday. While I gained 0.4 pounds from my start point, I had actually gained a little over 8 pounds on those two days. I wasn't supposed to weigh until today because of the psychological effects an 8-pound gain could have, but it's been amazing to think that I've been able to get back so quickly. I also had to add a third extra hole to my belt this morning since I'm losing inches as well as pounds.

I feel great!!! Beginning on Thursday, I started taking injections of hCG (see earlier posts). The hCG is intended to stem cravings, hunger pains and tiredness while also permitting the body to more easily burn the fat my body has stored over the past 18 years. I tend to get hungry around dinner time, but find it difficult to eat the whole thing (3.5 oz of lean protein and 1 cup of veggies). I've never been one to leave food on my plate, but it was difficult last night. I'll post yesterday's menu (as well as a typical menu) later on...but it included *gulp* fish...which I NEVER eat.

Phase 2, Day 3: Everybody Poops

Weight: N/A (will not weigh again until Monday)
Total Weight Lost: 19.6 pounds

I've wanted to do a post on this topic for awhile, but hadn't had the correct motivation. This morning was my first on the VLCD (very low calorie diet), but the acronym might as well have stood for "very long constipated day". My diet for more than two weeks had consisted of a wide range of whole foods--fresh fruits and veggies with plenty of fiber. I was as regular as a fine Swiss timepiece. For the past two days I have been on a high fat diet with, unfortunately, almost no fiber. My body, and in particular, my digestive system was not happy. Are you shocked yet? Have I grossed you out? Why is it that a natural bodily function can make us so uncomfortable to discuss?

In 1957, the classic sitcom Leave It to Beaver was the first television show to depict a toilet tank. Censors refused to allow them to show the toilet bowl itself for fear of offending viewers. The 6 kids from The Brady Bunch shared a bathroom, but evidently, they didn't need a toilet. Archie Bunker shocked viewers (surprise!) on All in the Family when he emerged from the upstairs bathroom with the SOUND of a toilet flushing.

That has changed now when we see much more risque and suggestive things on tv than the lid of a toilet tank. But discussing our bowel habits, even with a doctor, is something that even the most liberated among us finds difficult.

In a former life, my wife worked for an organization founded to educate and advocate for the large but silent population of patients with irritable bowel syndrome and other functional gastrointestinal disorders. The stories I read from patients and from doctors pointed to the fact that communication--or lack thereof--were a large reason that so many such issues could go undiagnosed for years.

In the last decade, conversations about colorectal and prostate cancer have become much more public through the efforts of Katie Couric and the like, but serious conversations about "poop" are still much less likely than joking ones.

The point of this post is that our bowel habits can be a great indicator of our health and how our bodies are reacting to the foods we eat. We need not be embarrassed when we notice an unexpected change in our bathroom routine, but should instead be keenly aware of these changes and recognize that what we put in our bodies must...eventually...come out.

$100 Off Purchase of SOMAE PLAN

I just received a note from Somae Health that I can provide you with a $100-off discount code to use when ordering the Somae Plan. If you want to join, send me an email at Raider.Rowdy@gmail.com and I'll forward you the code.

Phase 2, Day 2: The Day After

Weight: N/A (I won't weigh myself again until Phase 2, Day 5).
Total Weight Lost: 19.5 pounds

Oh my goodness. I ate so much yesterday that I thought for sure I was going to get sick. I was eating mayonnaise like it was going out of style. I also discovered that plain Greek yogurt is amazing...as a plaster substitute. :) It tastes fine with some sweetener and fruit, but it is as thick as Plaster of Paris.

At one point during the afternoon, I COMPLETELY had the feeling that I was Mr. Creosote from Monthy Python's The Meaning of Life. What struck me as I was sitting down to dinner yesterday evening was how gross I felt. My energy was high, but I just felt...heavy. My stomach was bloated, I was sweating and my skin felt greasy.

I get to do it all again today. I'm going to try and go a little "lighter". I still have to maintain the high fat content, but am going to try and eat a few more nuts and seeds and a little less beef and mayonnaise.