My Story and The Plan

Hi, my name is J Brian (group responds HI J BRIAN). I am FAT. I have been for most of my adult life.

I will be A Fat Boy No More.

Three years ago I started a journey to become A Fat Boy No More. And since September 2007 I have been publishing my success and failures. This Blog follows me from the day I first started my weight loss journey and it focuses on the everyday struggles that people with weight problems have.

Prepare yourself for a very real and very challenging event in my life. I commit to being as honest and as clear as I can be in the webpage to chronicle my ongoing battle with my weight. The pictures can be explicit.

After 12 years of being bigger than I should be... ok lets just be honest. I was not big I was fat. I have been over weight and muscular for most of my adult life. But the muscular part has been over shadowed by a large layer of fat on my body. I've eaten too much and I lived a sedentary life. In December 2006 I weighed 320 pounds. The morning I weighed myself and saw that I was over 300 pounds I essentially went into a deep depression that day and I am sure that I ate another 5 pounds worth of food. But that night I decided that enough was enough. My weight problem had become more than just an appearance problem it became a health problem, a self esteem problem and it was starting to affect my business and income. I had to do something. And I had to be held accountable. Technology is a good thing. I decided I had to put it out there. I started texting everyone in cell phone saying "Officially a fat ass now I weigh 300". I had been lying forever and telling people that I was 250. And no one questioned it.

The first step I took was to hit the gym and cut my calories. I looked on webmd and found out how many calories there where in a pound (3500) and decided to create this formula to determine how many calories and how much extra exercise I had to do to lose 60 pounds by May 27th. My annual trip to Key West Florida. By February I had lost 25 pounds. On a plan that was essentially the same thing that Weight Watchers teaches you. Then life hit me. After being so good I just got tired of it. I had no real support structure. And so I just relapsed because I was on a diet. Not a life change. But between March and August I essentially maintained my weight loss. In April I got a part time job working in a restaurant as a bartender. Everyone thinks I was crazy to do that but the truth is I just needed something to make me active. I needed to get off my lazy fat ass and be active. I gave up sweet tea and I stopped eating beef for the most part. I chose bison. Which taste so similar and has a familiar texture but had half the calories. Nothing else really changed.

But I did not lose the weight I wanted. When I was in Key West I looked like a beached whale and I felt horrible. I have a picture from that trip that show the folds of fat on my back. I was so depressed after that trip. So I essentially just maintained until late July when my best friend Michelle told me that a guy we both worked with a few years back had lost a lot of weight thru some medical weight loss plan.

I kinda brushed it off. I was looking into Lap Band or some other surgery. Then another friend of mine saw Brad as well and said Brad has lost a lot of weight. So I called Brad and he told me about the plan thru Emory Hospital. I went to an info session on the plan and decided to enroll.

Before you consider any type of surgery please look into medically managed weight loss. IT WORKS. Your doctor or the Bariatrics department of your local university hospital can direct you. Too many of my friends had surgery and lost a lot of weight and regained it. Even with a smaller stomach you can eat ice cream all the time and gain it back. I have a friend that just did that.

So this is what I did initially. Follow my blog posts from the beginning and see the transformation.

Remember

Don't give up today because you fucked up yesterday.

16 March 2013

Happy St. Patrick's Day Eve

So let's take a look at the last few months. I am a bad blogger. I left you waiting almost 2 months. I bet you thought I failed... Didn't ya. Well the results are pretty astonishing. As of 2/25 I weighed in at 221.4. This is a total loss of 99 pounds in 5 years and since the first January 4, 2013 it is a loss of about 30 pounds. I seem to fluxuate between 221 and 224 most days. I have not been able to lose any more weight and Have simply decided to focus on maintaining my weight loss until March 18th. On the 18th I will return to a zone of weight loss. I have decided I want to weigh 199. So I plan to lose another 22 pounds by May 1. So I plan to lose 21 pounds in about 40 days. I can do it. Have a Great Saint Patricks day. I will post some new picts in a few weeks.

17 January 2013

Very Happy with the results so far

This morning (wednesday) hopped on the scale and to my pleasure I weighed in at 237.8. Understand that this is not an official weigh in date but in the last 12 days I have lost 13.2 pounds. I am using the Optifast meals with success but I have started transitioning with the help of two great things. First is Miracle Noodles and the Second is my Nutribullet Blender. More to come in a few days.

11 January 2013

And the results are in...Week One Weigh In

Last week I started this plan and I was apprehensive. I've done a liquid diet before and it was very successful. 62 pounds in 14 weeks and I have been able to keep most of that off for 5 years. Gaining back 22 pounds and most of that was in the last 18 months.

In 2007 when I did the program before I lost 11 pounds the first week. And I did not expect to lose that much weight this week. I expected to lose about 7 pounds.

Today's weight 242.2

This week I lost 8.8 pounds. I could not be happier. The results are very promising. My plan is to Lose 40 pounds in 7 weeks which is 5.7 pounds a week. That is about three times the amount the "health" community says is doable. Without the Optifast system or Medifast I do not see how you could do it.

Admissions and some adjustments- (the good and the bad)

This go around Optifast offers a meal bar. First- they are great. Second- they solve the problem of "chewing". In an all liquid diet there is no chewing. This is actually something that drove me crazy before. The only problem I have is... I only bought one box of the meal bars. And I ran out by Wednesday.

I've ordered more and I pray they arrive today. Or I will have to go three days without chewing.

A new trick- I make every shake into a frosty. Take the magic bullet and use the larger cup... Fill it with ice and poor the shake over it. Put he blender top on and put the entire thing into the freezer for 10 minutes. Pull it out and the. Blend. This doubles the volume of the shake. And it has the consistency of a slightly melted Wendy's frosty. You can eat it with a spoon. This morning I am adding a little rum and coconut extract to the shake... PiƱa Colada anyone?

It is winter in Atlanta... It's not that cold but I would kill for a warm meal.

My goal is 209 by February 28. Actually the end of the 7 week plan is the 22nd but I added a week in case I needed to extend any phase a week. I have 42 days (49) to lose 33 pounds. Less than a pound a day.




06 January 2013

Reset Day 2

It's 4 am on day three. I fell asleep early last night... mostly because I was exhausted from the lack of calories and I generally just overdid my activity yesterday. My friend Newt and I walked for 7.5 miles which is not uncommon for me on a Saturday or Sunday. I walk 3.7 miles everyday and one weekend day a week I will walk 7+ miles with a group of three of my friends. It is essentially "Walk Therapy" a good time to talk shit and catch up... generally we end this trek with a nice Lunch/Brunch and a significant amount of Alcohol. Two years ago we had a 19 mile walk... that was a bit much. Yesterday was different, usually Greg and I are consistent walkers and Newt walks about 40% of the time. Greg couldn't make it due to some home repairs he was making. And instead of eating a big assed carb filled meal I had unsweet tea and one of my Optifast shakes mixed with some coffee. The diet plan is can be challenging when you are being social but it is doable. Overdoing it. During the walk I burned about 700 calories. I only consume 800 a day. That is overdoing it. I am paying for that mistake right now. I have incorporated the Optifast Meal Bars (they did not exist in 07 when I did this the first time). Honestly the Berry and Yogurt Bar is VERY good. I like the mix of chewing and drinking. I have also started freezing my shakes for about 30 minutes before I drink (eat) them and I use my Magic Bullet Blender to mix them. The texture is close to a Wendy's Frosty. Overall it's going well. 19 more days of Optifast Only meals. I am looking forward to Phase 2... who wouldn't? I actually get to eat again. Today while walking, Newt and I discussed our recent trip to Europe. Four of us went to Amsterdam, Paris, Antwerp and Brugge for 8 days. The trip was great, the food was incredible (especially in Belgium) and the people were trim and most looked young. Both of us noticed the differences in eating and activity between the average European and the Average American. I am sure we looked like 4 beached whales compared to the locals. I have a trip planned to go to Dallas Texas for 4 days in February. This will be during phase 3. I am concerned that this will cause some issues with the plan so I am already working out a "trip plan". How do I feel? At the moment Tired but mentally very clear. I have a small headache- I need some salt. There is no sodium in the Optifast food so you actually have to find a way to get it into your diet. Here is a tip and my only food exception. Dill pickles (Hamburger Dills)- No calories- You get to chew and you will get your sodium.

05 January 2013

2013 RESET

In less than 12 months I will hit the big 40. I look at my birthday, for the most part, as just another day. I remember turning 30 and that was a huge difference for some reason. Overnight I felt like I was old... The last 10 years have seen huge Financial success followed by huge financial loss. The last decade has also seen a fairly healthy man become overly obese and then 5 years ago I took control (or I thought I did) At the beginning of 2011 I weighed in somewhere near 230-234... not bad for someone who weighed 320. I looked good...a little more than I wanted but 230 is not bad for a guy that is 6' and muscular. The last two years I have focused on business. I have been very happy with my business results... I have ways to go but I am building my business the way I want. If you review the very beginning of this blog you know that I went thru a weight loss journey with Emory Hospital. My success is weight loss was awesome. But my weight is creeping up. This morning I weighed in at 251... I am not impressed. Actually I am depressed about it. A few weeks back I decided I had to get "it" under control. I am a goal oriented person and I have no issue with doing what it takes to get where I want to be.However I like all of us can get off track... The initial Optifast Plan is a 3 part program, 14 weeks of an all liquid diet followed but 7 weeks of transitioning to solid food and then ongoing maintenance . I lost about 80 pounds in the program. And I have used what I learned in the program to keep my diet under control for 5 years. But I am having some problems with this with a normal (read: I love food and eat out all the time). I developed a 7 week Mini Plan. It is designed to help me lose 40 pounds. Here is the program. Phase 1 is 3 weeks of Optifast "food" Liquids and the Meal Replacement Bars (new since I was in the plan). As a reminder this is 5 "meals" a day of either a chocolate vanilla, or strawberry shake,or a soup (tastes like hell) or the meal replacement bar. Each of these meals is 160 calories...do the math and you realize that I will live off of 800 Calories a day. And at 11:58 I have completed the first day. Only 20 more to go. This is essentially the same program as Optifast, but shortened... It is my goal to lose 20 pounds in this phase. Phase 2 is an adaptation of my own 1000 Calories a day for 2 weeks. 4 Optifast Meals and one Meal of 360 Calories per pay. My meal will be either a salad with chicken or chicken with vegetables... or a new discovery. Miracle Noodles are "pasta" with no calories. Very filling and I could make a HUGE meal with very few calories using those. I do get one Cheat day in Phase 2... after 7 days. My goal is to lose 10 additional pounds. If I do not meet a goal of 30 pounds lost by week 5... then Phase 2 is continued (without a cheat day)for an additional week... and then Phase 3 is 1250 Calories daily for 2 weeks. 3 Optifast Meals and two food meals. Phase 3 allows for a cheat day every 7 days... Alcohol is allowed on cheat days. By February 28th the phases should be completed and my weight will be between 205-215. My goal is 209. If I have not reached 209 by Feb 28th then I will return to phase 2 until I reach that goal. Ongoing... I do better with structure... I am designing my ongoing eating plan as we speak. I'll update the blog every few days.