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.

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.

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... Piña 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.

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.

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.

OctoberFast 2012

Cleansing Program (AKA OctoberFast 2012) Instructions This is a 30 day diet plan designed to help you adjust your weight in a short time. This is not a long term diet plan. Your goal is 1500 Calories per day. You have a 10 percent variance in either direction before you should be concerned. MAX 1650 and min 1350. Do not push 1600 everyday. Do not try to cut down to 1400 everyday either. You are aiming for 1500 calories. Requirements No Bread/ Tortillas No White potatoes No fried foods No candy, sweets, cookies No ground beef No full fat cheese No Sugar What you can eat! Veggies (Carrots, Broccoli, Green Beans, Squash, Tomatoes, Onions, whatever you like) Lean meat (bison, pork, chicken, beef tenderloin, venison, turkey) Fruits (the more fiber the better) Sweet Potatoes Grits (Polenta for you fancy folks) Oatmeal Skim Milk Eggs (Limited) Egg Beaters Lettuce, Cabbage Salsa Guacamole Butter Spray Low Fat Yogurt Meal Replacement Shakes (Optifast, Slimfast etc) Sample Daily Menu Breakfast (240 Calories) Breakfast Bowl (170 Calories) Instant Grits (One Packet prepared and flavored with Butter Spray) 100 Calories Chopped Bell pepper (1/8 cup ) 10 Calories 4 oz Egg substitute (equivalent 2 eggs) 60 Calories Prepared grits then add pepper and eggs, microwave for 2 minutes, mix together. Or a Meal Replacement Shake ½ Cup Activia Yogurt Light (70 calories) Very filling Lunch (495 Calories) 7 oz Grilled Chicken Breast 280 calories 1 oz BBQ sauce 40 calories 1 oz Guacamoles 25 Calories ½ Cup Carrots Cooked 40 Calories ½ Cup Green Beans 40 Calories Three Slices Tomatoes with ¼ cup fat free cottage cheese 65 Calories Dinner (715 Calories) 8 oz Beef Tenderloin (500 calories) 1 medium to large baked sweet potato (170 Calories) use butter spray and cinnamon and splenda ½ cup Broccoli cooked tender add Butter Spray (45 Calories) Total calories 1450 The most important thing to keep in mind is to find some low calorie but filling foods to eat with every meal. Sweet Potatoes are very filling and have about 170 calories. If you have trouble eating breakfast Use Slim Fast TYPE Ready to Drink Shakes. Wal- Mart, Target and Kroger have their own versions. I actually prefer the store brands. You should try to have two or three types of veggies with a small amount of protein in each meal. A chicken breast with Broccoli, green beans and cooked carrots. Very filling. Look for more sample menus to come in the near future. How can you tell how much calories are in specific items? NutritionData.com is a great website.afatboynomore.com

OctoberFast 2012 Starts today

In January I posted that I would weigh 200 pounds by the end of March of this year. Well the sounds of crickets in the post should let you know how unsuccessful that was. Business has been great. A number of personal items are in place and I am on the precipice of some really good results from seeds I have been planting for years. Life Balance has to be under control. Weight and Health always seem to lose out to dining out and drinking. Understand that I walk a minimum of 3.5 miles everyday and hit the gym at least 6 days a week. But we all know... "it's the food, stupid" afatboynomore.com

Nothing here to see

But that is about to change... 2011 has been a year that I returned to the real world. My Weight and Health have been a major focus of my life for the last 4 years. I made a decision 4 years ago to get "brian" back to a healthy place. In doing that I gave up a lot in the way of career. I essentially put it on hold. January of 2011 I re entered the real world and I am reminded everyday that the challenges of a fat boy are still there. My weight has fluxuated all year long. High and low... not how we should live our lives. Can we have a successful career and maintain our health? I have put my career back in place. I am doing well in my return to Real Estate... but my health is at risk of career success... exactly what happend to me before. 2012 will be dedicated to a few things. 1. Growing my Real Estate Business and 2. Improving my health. Not maintaining... as 2011 was committed to. Today I weigh in at 242. I have been as low as 227 and as high as 320 in the last 5 years of my life. Where should I be? 200 Pounds. And that is my goal. But I can't do it without maintaining a successful career. My goal is to lose 42 pounds in 12 weeks. By March 1, 2012. I will weigh 200... and again I will do this thru natural food and exercise and activity. Join me. And watch me make my Taylor happy. He will have to take in all my pants again.

Injuries can cause Weight Gain

After a three year sabatacal I have finally returned to Real Estate. For 12 years I was heavily involved in Real Estate Finance. In 2007 as I fought my weight and health issues I decided to step away from a career which was very successful but was the source of stress in my life which is what I attribute my health issues to. In January I took the plunge and finally applied for my license. My education was in Finance and my area of focus was real estate and lending.

Mind you I have not sat in a desk in 3 years... ate least not for more than 30 mins at a time. I DO NOT LIKE OFFICES. I hate office Chairs. And bam it hit me after about 2 weeks of being in the office my back started hurting severely. What happens when you back hurts? Most people go to the doctor or chiropractor or maybe a physical therapist.

I have most of the pain under control but what I have learned is that my core. MY LOWER BACK/ BELLY/ SIDE MUSCLES are not in balance. I suffered for a few weeks and then I started exercises. I felt a little off kilter.

Do you now what happens when you are eating a little too much and not exercising? You start gaining. It started and in a MONTH i gained 10 pounds. AS I improved my back exercise I feel better. And after gaining about 10 pounds I have lost it just as well. By tightening my diet.

More to come soon.

afatboynomore.com

January has been exciting... now on to February

But wait!!! January is not finished.

No its not but to set goals you need to have a clear picture of where you are going before you leave.

Imagine yourself leaving on a road trip. You decide to "go west young man". As a biker I traveled to Sturgis South Dakota for the Annual Bike Rally. We planned for 8 months. Budgeting and planning our route. We knew how we were getting there and we knew just how long it should take.

The trip was a comedy of errors. All the planning we thought we had done along did not prepare us for all the mishaps we encountered. We made it to Sturgis 24 hours after we were supposed to. Breakdowns, flat tires and general disagreement was a bit much... but we made it.

I had the time of my life but I learned some very valuable lessons.

To a healthy mind, mistakes are opportunities to learn and refine what we do. January has been that for me. I laid out what my goals were for the month. I tested a new workout regime, which is working well... I am tweaking it but it's essentially the plan I laid out in my mid month post.

In my career I have made a big decision to return to the industry that I love with a passion. In 2007 I left Real Estate Finance, I sold most of my properties between 05 and 07 and I considered myself out of the market. This was due to my health ( the purpose for this blog) and my opinion at the time (proven correct) that there was a correction on the horizon.

In 2009 I decided to start planning my return. In 2010 I laid out a plan that changed a hundred times but solidified in the last three months. Together with two business associates and close friends... We have launched Common Ground Real Estate affiliated with Keller Williams Metro Atlanta. And the last month has been awesome. Business is lining up and I am able to focus on me, my friends, my health and my business.

And now to February, It's a short month. "you got's ta do more inna shor time".

Friends and Family- Thanks for your support it is what I survived on for so long.

Health- Cut the crap out- I've been building muscle and building muscle sometimes adds fat (extra calories you know). The crap needs to go. Office life can be hell. Get those cookies away from me.

Business-Execute and tweak the systems in place. Maggie and Barb you are the best.

ME- Make time for me. NOVEL idea.
afatboynomore.com

'11 has started with a bang...

My New Year's post laid out the tone for my life. It was about my dreams and desires this is the practical application.

In the next week I will announce a new business venture that I am excited to be a part of. I have set a goal to finally get my weight to the final level of 210-215 versus 235-240.

Four weeks ago I started testing a new workout plan that I adapted from a few other workouts.

The results have been VERY successful so far. The plan calls for working each body part once in a 7 day period. Initially it was a 5 day plan but the fifth day had only one body part and I found that after two weeks it seemed silly to waste a day doing 4 exercises.

Workout One is Chest and Triceps-
Workout Two is Back including shoulder shrugs-
Workout Three is Quads and Calves and Hamstrings -
Workout Four is Shoulders and Biceps-

Each body part has 3 to 4 exercises, and this is spread out over a 7 day cycle.

My chest, back and quads have seen a significant pump-I hate to say gain but it looks like they have increased slightly in three weeks. My biceps show a significant increase in size. My plan is to incorporate a running plan into the workout by week 6.

Today I walk 6 miles each day and two days of the week, I take longer walks which are as long as 14 miles (usually 10-12). My intention is to create a full-body week long workout plan that includes three days of running no more than 35 minutes. I really do not enjoy running but the affects running has on body fat are pretty convincing. Fat Runners do not exist...not for long.

My plan will look like this...
Monday Workout One Run Thirty Minutes
Tuesday Workout Two Walk 6 miles
Wednesday Run Thirty Minutes
Thursday- NOT A DAMN THING
Friday Workout Three Run Thirty Minutes
Saturday Workout 4 Ten mile walk
Sunday Ten Mile+ Walk






afatboynomore.com

Auld Lang Syne

It's the last day of 2010- the Decade is over.

And what a decade has this been. Professionally I have seen huge success and huge failure, and the beginning of a recovery.

Heath wise I have seen a slightly over weight guy become an absolute whale of a person, and I have taken my body and health back.

Politically the US has seen huge tragedy in 9/11, a drawn out set of wars that haunt us, a huge economic expansion and one of the longest recessions in recent history.

The Fat Boy sang. 2010 and the decade is done. Wrap it up and put it away. Our successes can be remembered our failures can be regretted. Put them away.

PUT IT ALL AWAY

Tomorrow begins a new decade a new year and a new set of opportunities. What has been done is done. It may have to be dealt with but you cannot dwell on it. Mistakes make us wiser (often fatter and poorer as well). And you will make mistakes... it is human. Wisdom is the treasure we can take from mistakes.

Wisdom is a tool that is often overlooked today. Knowledge in whatever category makes us better. And I am a far better man than I was on January 1 2001 (I did have more hair however).

January 1 2011

I resolve...

Eat Less
Waste less
Judge less
Hate less

Laugh more
Smile more
Give more
Make more
Love more
Read more
Blog more
Walk more
Do more


BE MORE

I love you all





afatboynomore.com

NO NO NO Weight Loss Surgery

Since I have this blog and I am very active on Facebook and other social media sites regarding my weight I have the pleasure of hearing from many people regarding their personal struggles and their successes. I can honestly say the happiest moment for me is when someone says... " read your profile a year ago and I've lost 42 pounds (or 10 or 140). Many bypass my success and I can not be happier.

The saddest thing I hear is " I think I am going to have XYZ surgery". Plastic or cosmetic surgery is one thing and it is Cosmetic. You will not really lose any POUNDS from it... you will tighten or improve the look of a body part...I've not done this but as I age I will have no problem with doing so. What I am saddest about is when someone has gastric bypass or lap band.

I can name 5 personal friends and you have some to I bet who have had these surgeries and after as little as three years they start putting on the fat. Look at Carnie Wilson. Her recent tweet was "I am fat as f*ck". She lost more than 150 pounds and has gained a significant portion back. Please do not respond and say... but I'm going to have lap band. It's not permanent. Surgery is not your best option for weight management. PERIOD At 600 pounds do it. Hell I'll support that.

What has been my success?

First- I am successful because I heard one very important comment my doctor made to me. I told her, " I just don't want to have to think about what I eat anymore" She looked at me with the most sincere response... "then you plan to fail?"

I was shocked but I understood. Weight management for those of us who have "challenges" is LIFE LONG. My friends will tell you... I do not eat like a rabbit. I eat what I want but I have learned valuable lessons. I monitor my weight, I make it my business to understand my body. I make it my business to understand what I eat. Could I lose more?... yes. Do I want to lose more?...yep. Will I lose more? Absolutely.

Can anyone succeed with what I have done. YES YOU CAN.

Emory and the Optifast Program taught me invaluable lessons. Anyone can lose weight. It's a pretty basic mathematical problem. Calories consumed- Calories used= Gain or Loss. But I learned how to eat, how to manage food. How to manage me. How to say NO. That starving children in Africa are not going to get the leftover food on my plate anyway. The most important thing I took from Emory/Optifast was not the 60 pounds or so that I shed in the actual plan It was the knowledge.

By the way. I am not at my lowest weight in the last 3 years. I am about 10 pounds over were I have been be and about 30 pounds more than I want to be. I have the tools to get there. Knowledge my friends, is half the battle.

Join me in my last 30 pounds? And please stop considering Lap band unless you are more than 450 pounds. Talk to your doctor. Contact the local Bariatrics Department of your local hospital or University. If they start out with surgery, go to another.

Find out your options. After you lose weight naturally then you can look into cosmetic surgery- you might not need it. Or you might either way you have taken control of your WEIGHT Management.


afatboynomore.com

It's beginning to look a lot like...

FATMAS

This time of year is extremely challenging to those of us who have issues with our weight. Food is everywhere. Thanksgiving, Parties, Christmas, Hannakah, New Year's, and personally I think everyone I know has a birthday in November or December. Including me. Sometimes we attack our weight with a strong offense but sometimes we just have adopt a strong DEFENSE.

This time of year...DEFENSE!!!



afatboynomore.com

Twinkie Diet?

People ask me about weight loss all the time. I have a set of eating habits that I feel are the best for ME. I think that most people could do well with my plan but I also realize that I love to eat sweets and drink beer and cheese cake was placed here my the gods themselves. But weight loss is truly all about calories.

My step-dad lost as much weight as I have or more on the "cookie diet" and today CNN published an article about a man who ate twinkies and ding dongs and lost 27 pounds. Link attached.


Calories control equals weight loss. Long term health is determined by what you eat, how much you eat determines how big that tire around your midsection is.


afatboynomore.com

Long time Old Friend

It has been 5 months since my last update... a bit too long.

What have I been doing?

I moved from Decatur to Midtown Atlanta. I am now 2 blocks from the gym and 7 blocks from Piedmont Park. I am preparing for a return to my career path. Over the last three years I have focused almost exclusively on my health. my sabbatical is coming to an end.

Health wise what am I doing... Eating a bit too much... It happens but its does not make me happy.

What has made me happy? I am walking about 6 miles almost everyday. Piedmont and Midtown and even downtown Atlanta are great places to walk during the day. Walking can be boring. So I have a solution to that boredom. Audio Books!!! In the last 5 months I have "read" about 30 books. Classics like Orwell's 1984 and Bram Stokers Dracula and Mary Shelly's Dracula. To modern favorite Authors from Anne Rice and Gregory MacGuire, and Ian Flemming to Steig Larson and his Millennium Trilogy (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).

Walking and Audio Books are my new passions. More to come soon.

afatboynomore.com

KICKBOXING

This morning we bypassed the park and boot camp met at the Atlanta Kick Studio's on Miami Circle.

I really enjoyed the workout today as I did last month. In 45 mins I got my as kicked. I really have a major problem with lifting my leg up high. I am just not that flexible. I need to look into ways of becoming a little more flexible.



afatboynomore.com

Operation Boot Camp Day 2

Today was our first day in the park for June. It's hot in this place. I cannot believe just how hot it is and it really changes the workout.

Last month we sweated a lot and we got wet from the dew. There is very little dew on the ground but I was drenched with sweat today. My shirt weighed at least 5 pounds more than it did when I started and I was ringing the moisture out of it all morning.

The workout focused on legs with a few exercises for biceps and backs. I'll have to say I was very glad it had less cardio than normal. Hydration is key in this heat.

I've never liked energy drinks (they are full of sugar) but after the workout I bought a Powerade to replenish electrolytes. It made a huge difference. I'm going to try out a few different kinds. Gatorade. G2. Powerade. Powerade Zero and see how each works for me.

Tomorrow is homework day. I'll let you know what I decide to do.

I'm also going to try out the Esporta Health Club today. It's a few blocks away from my new apartment. I'm moving in a few weeks.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Operation Boot Camp Pt. Deux Day 1

I have to say I'm impressed with myself. Day one of boot camp for rookies is a PT test. I did not realise that the experienced campers could skip the PT test and there is a workout provided for the veteran campers.

Because I was not able to complete boot camp last month. I definatly wanted to do the PT test.

There are 4 categories. A mile run. Then a minute of each of the following. Pushups. Situps. And tricep dips. Pushups I improved by a few. Bench dips I was exactly the same and situps I went from 6 to 36. I'm happy. But my biggest improvement came with the mile run. Last month I ran a mile in 9:26 today I ran it in 8:36. I could not be happier. Last month it was 65 degree and no humidity today it was 83 and relatively high humidity.

Fat boy is learning to run. And all thanks to Operation Boot Camp.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Operation Boot Camp Part Deux

The last week of OBC did not end as I wanted it to. And that was all beyond my control. Tomorrow begins my second month of Boot Camp. In the last two weeks since I last went there have been some improvements. I have worked to increase my running speed and I have hit the gym hard working my abs.

We will see how this pays dividends this time around. Have a great weekend. And look for my posts about OBC PD.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]