Reading the label and slow going

So it has been a number of weeks. I have been trying to eat healthier, but everyone knows that after the holidays, there is the guilt and the super diet, then one can either promptly kick themselves off the wagon and go back to the same old habits, or continue with their diet. I am apparently coming to compromise.

When I first started it was totally raw vegetables like 2 meals of the day. Not so much now. I have wavered on some food, occasionally going out, etc. But, in retrospect, I am doing it WAY LESS. Thinking about how often I went to Dot's, for instance. WOW. I haven't been to Dot's in a while, and I am sure I will go soon, but that's the thing --I am not going nearly as often to usually frequented places or when I do, making difference choices. Or, say what I would eat at Panera under the guise of "healthy". Check the sodium on that stuff people, and the fat. Not so much. Pizza, Thai, Mexico --not having those nearly as much, which in a lot of ways I bet is the key. Well, that and exercise which I HAVE been doing 3-5 times a week walking 2 miles.

1 cup of whatever this is has a LOT of stuff!

It is slow going, admittedly, the pounds are not flying off, but I know it's being healthier and shopping in a grocery store takes a lot longer when you read the nutrition labels (which are amazing to find out the percentages of things you would think are OKAY for you). And I guess technically I am on track at the weight now (1 pound a week), though am not trying to force that goal.

Weight: 241 (up and down)

Week of January 1st.

Okay, so since the last post there have been a few interesting developments. The first is that I found a great website / app to track my weight, food intake, and exercise during the course of all this called My Fitness Pal. Say what you will about diet scheme sites, etc., but this seems to be working for me now, plus some of my friends are on it as well and help with encouragement! Nice!

Another thing, I bought a new scale for home; a low end digital from Target. That's fine.

Now the third, and weird. So when I was weighed in at my Doctor's office I had all of my clothes on and clocked in at 256 pounds. I just weighed today on my scale at home, nekkid, and came in at 244. That's 12 pounds lost. Now, the real question is, did I have on 12 pounds of clothing during the weigh in at the doctors? No. And they advised that I lose 45 pounds. Hmm...

So this is what I am going to do: I am going to split the difference and say I lost 6 pounds since December 15th, the day of the doctors appointment. I have been dieting and exercising a LOT since two weeks ago. So that also means that my goal does change a bit too. Now my blog statement is a pound a week, but we all know that my bigger goal is to just get back to a better weight. So, from 244, the weight goal that I am setting is 210, that's 34 pounds. If I go further, awesome!

Weight: 244 pounds.

52 Project Statement

After a year of eating out most days with the Napkin Moustache Project, achieving a great year of creativity, now it is time for the down side, the clean up.

I have always been overweight, big boned if you will, and now as I get older it totally catches up. About 7 years ago I did the South Beach Diet thing and went from 275 to 220 pounds in about 4 months. I also exercised a lot, walking mostly, with push ups and sit ups.

Well, a number of those pounds I lost came back, about 30, and after my friend Phil Pollard died fairly young of a stroke, I felt that I really need to get a check up, blood check, etc. Turns out I need to lose 45 pounds as a goal, with some of triglycerides being high as well as my HDL being low. Naturally, I am a serious worrywart and mental about this. I was already planning on doing something after the Napkin thing was done, and now this puts me over the edge. And hell, right at the holidays too....

I need to eat better, I need to lose weight, I need to exercise. This is my 52 Project.

So the goal of this blog will be to track my progress starting at the beginning of the New Year. Yes, I should start right away, but the holidays are hard. The walking and exercise will start first and immediately, the diet will be more strictly followed after the New Year.

The official week will begin January 2nd, 2012.

I don't plan on making this blog too public, I might, but if you have found this, and are reading, wish me luck and good health!

(image by MildConcussion)

Oh, and the name? My good friend, Michael, and I both went to our doctors for checkups after our friend Phil's death, feeling that feeling, ya know. We each had similar results, though I think he has fewer pounds to lose, and we both are worrywarts. We got to chatting and somehow I said that we have to "fight the fatty dragon" which is kind of funny and kitschy and thus, the blog name.

Weight: 255lbs.