From now until Monday – I’m on an official break from all diet programs. Here is the real test – Dr Furhman states that if you follow the Eat to Live program, it will forever change the way you eat. I’m about to find out.

My main goal here is a “reset”. I want to get back to the most basic principles but I’m having a difficult time doing that. So, I’m giving myself a new “start date”. Monday I will begin anew and if I don’t gain 10 lbs this week, maybe I’ll see actual progress when I weigh in again on the first Saturday of June…

I know a couple that had weight loss surgery and between the two of them lost over 300lbs. That sounds like a great success story when you first hear it. But when you learn that she still weighs 280+ lbs and he is still over 330lbs, its difficult to find a happy ending here. The truth is you just realize how terrible their starting line must have been.

I know another guy that lost over a 100lbs while preparing for weight loss surgery. Because he lost so much weight on his own, he ended up not having the surgery. Again this sounds like a success and in many ways it is. I saw that guy last week and he is still over 300lbs. I can’t be excited for results like that.

I’ve lost over 80lbs from my heaviest at 330lbs. I’ve lost 59lbs since I started this blog a few years ago. I’ve lost 39lbs since Jan 1st this year. Its sounds very much like success.

But at 249lbs and holding, its feels like failure. I don’t know if I’ve quit or given up or just plateaued. I fear its some fatal combination of all three.

Stephanie suggested I take a week off all programs and “reset”. The idea appeals to me while scaring the crap out of me at the same time. My big fear here is the almost-success-story like the ones above. Its not good enough but what is?

wk18.05.06.2012 – 249 lbs

I QUIT!!!! Seriously, I’m not going to continue weekly updates… I’m moving to monthly – weekly is discouraging. I’m glad to not be above 250lbs, but sad to be stuck at 39lbs down. Is there some mental issue I have with 40lbs down? Am I sabotaging myself? I don’t know. Regardless, I’ll post a weigh-in update in June…

wk17.04.29.2012 – 249 lbs

2nd week under 250 – but it was a struggle. I’m bored with salads and my alternative isn’t as healthy. I’m eating a lot of soup lately which is starting to get boring too.

Its not that this “diet” doesn’t have a lot of options – its that I have no idea how to make them. There are several restaurants that sell junk food but healthy food is more difficult to come by. I did find a “my fit foods” store this week and picked up two dishes of veggie chili.

See you next week…

I’ve often said my first goal in weight loss was to lose the “morbid” descriptor from my obese title. Using a standard BMI calculator, I’ve accomplished this goal. At 5’9″ and 249 lbs, my BMI is ~37. Morbid obesity is defined at above 40 BMI.

BUT – I’m not a fan of BMI. I prefer a body fat percentage test like that one I’ve gotten from the BodPod in the past. Its been a while and I think the lowest I ever weighed when I was doing those test regularly was somewhere in the low 280′s.

I’ll see if I can find the company I used to do the BodPod testing through before and keep you posted…

wk16.04.22.2012 – 249 lbs

Bitter sweet results today… I’ve been stuck in the 250′s for a month, so I’m glad to get out. But lately I’ve realized that all my success has gotten me “down” to what most people would still consider a “before” picture…

2012 has been a good health year for me so far.

Last year for this same race, I was over 3 mins slower (IQA Post).

I feel pretty good about today. My GPS reads less than 4.2 but I’m still very happy. Now that I’ve completed the run – I’m thinking of tomorrow. I weigh in and I’m really hoping to see something below 250. As always – I’ll keep you posted!

I’m still “on the wagon” as far as the diet goes and I started working out regularly (running mostly). But despite this, I’ve not been able to drop below 250. In fact, I’ve put a few pound on and off over the last four weeks. Needless to say, I’ve been a bit discouraged over the last few weeks.

But yesterday, Scott (a co-worker and friend) commented regarding my facebook picture saying “Dale, you look really thin in that picture. I’ve really noticed a change.” What great words of encouragement when I needed it, right? In truth, I said thank you and I appreciated the comment but it didn’t do much on its own to curb my discouragement.

But then today and VP at my job stopped as she was passing me in the hall to say, “Dale, I almost didn’t recognize you! You are really looking great!” uh, WOW! I immediately thought about Scott’s comment the day before. The combination of the two really made me feel better about my recent weight loss “wall”.

Its really great to have people in your life willing to encourage you in order to keep you going through the less than easy times!

wk15.04.15.2012 – 252 lbs

I’m officially STUCK! Looks like my new floor is 250. I can’t seem to break it – and I’m not willing to let it break me!

I have wondered if adding exercise in the last month has somehow affected my weight loss journey in a negative (albeit temporarily) way. This may have some indirect truth to it, but after a careful inventory of myself (steps 4 and 10 of the Overeaters Anonymous 12 step program), I believe the truth is I’m overeating.

My appetite certainly may have increased due to the exercise but I’m not eating the right kinds of food (raw and cooked vegetables). Instead I’ve been living in the land of fruit, avocado, and edamame.

Normally these are ok foods to eat, but when they become the main dish, you’ve added a lot of fat (from the avocados), sugar (from the fruit), and salt (from the salt I continue to cheat with when I eat edamame).

The whole point of the Eat to Live diet is to break my addiction to fat, sugar, and salt – but the last two or three weeks, I’ve made those items the biggest portions of my diet. I said in week 13 that I was heading back to the basics – but I obviously didn’t do that. Here goes my next run at it…