Getting Bitter or Getting Better?

When you're on the weight-loss journey, a miriad of emotions comes into play. When you have a lifetime of history working against you with food being the side-kick of virtually ANY emotion, it becomes difficult to wake up one day and change all that. I think that anyone that deals with any addiction (and I truly and finally believe that is what this is for me), they can relate. It's hard to just stop going through the drive-through window, it's hard to just stop smoking, to just stop looking at adult magazines, or whatever vice "you" struggle with. For me, as you know, it's food. My journey is going to be just that - a "journey." Anyone that has been on a road trip would never consider a trip of 30 minutes or even an hour to be a journey of sorts. Journeys are long, sometimes painful, and they can try your very last nerve in many cases. However, if successful, you have to continue on through the rain, flat tires, potty breaks, and traffic jams to get where you need to go. My point in this? Getting to my goal of 100 pounds lost is going to be difficult, and it's going to take a while, but if I'm committed, and continue to make more wise decisions than poor ones, I have a good chance of reaching my ultimate destination. I've been encouraged by so many people. For that, it's accountability, encouragement, and a blessing. I hope that remains as it DOES give me strength. I've reconciled that the holidays will be tough and I'm hoping to hold serve without going north on the scales. Again, this is a long journey. I'm committed to getting there, and I will!

I'm Down

Well, the scale has started moving again in the right direction, but you know what, I'm keeping silent about the number until January 2nd. I want to see how well I can do in the epicenter of the all things culinary difficult this time of year. Food is EVERYWHERE you look and it's harder than ever to not "just have a little bite." Nevertheless, the scale rewarded me this morning and I will continue on and update here, but no specifics on numbers for a little while. Since I do not have a legion of fans hanging on my every word in this blog, I'm sure it will be more than ok to take this approach. I'm such a loser (and I hope it continues).

My Dirty Secret

Well, today, I don't even know what I weigh. I've been out of the house the last few days doing a lot of stuff and in that time, Stacie has been doing a lot of cooking. My job at home is to do the dishes. So, this morning, when I came downstairs with weighing-in on my mind, the sight of undone dishes greeted me and I went to do that and THEN weigh-in. Well, I never go back around to it. Children running here and there, getting ready, eating breakfast, tending to the baby, etc. It just got buried on the list. So, I'm out in the workplace today and don't know where I stand. Until tomorrow...

A Screeching Halt

320.2. You know what though, despite the fact that I've locked in around this number, I trust the system and the process. After all, in a worst-case scenario, even if this diet proved to be a bunch of garbage, the fact that I'm eating so healthy (no soda, no processed sugars, no starches, etc..) and have such a low intake, that if I stick with this alone for long enough, the results will take care of themselves. This is not a whim or a fad for me. I want to make life change and the HCG is my fast-track to better results. In the end, I can't stay on the drops anyway, so I may as well get used to lower/smarter food consumption. It's just better all around. Besides, when the plateau ends (and this diet has them quite well-known), I'll be writing about fast falling again. As it is, I can feel the change in myself. Clothes are better fitting, I don't feel tired as much, I have more energy, and clearer in my thinking. Better all around...but lets DO get that scale moving again. My food day yesterday was even better than the day before. Did I mention that I trust the system and the process? I do. I really do.

The Great Plateau

Today I woke up and coming on the heels of arguably my strictest and best day yet on the diet, but what to my wondering eyes did appear, but 319.4...again. I guess this is the price to pay when you go out eating and dating on two of three days over the weekend. Bummed, a little bit, but not losing my focus and I continue to press on forging my way down the scale. Even today I read where fellow tubby John Daly of PGA golfing fame went from 290 to 185 where he currently is. He had the surgical belly-band thing put it, so my way is MUCH less invasive. So, today is good so far, and we move on to tomorrow. I will not be denied on this.

In a Hurry

I leveled off today. 319.4. I had a date night with Faye last night and it was as much of a challenge as it was on Friday with Minnie. That said, good week ahead, I did reasonably well over the weekend, and I'm ready to drop a ton more. The hunger pains are not nearly as severe as the first few days, so that's good.

Pause for Destruction

I'm a HUGE Florida Gator fan. Most people that know me are aware of this. Last night, in their 13th game of the year, they suffered their first loss of the season to the University of Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. But, we didn't just lose it - we were THRASHED! Oh well, 22 straight wins and a lot of good memories with Tim Tebow and Co. will be well remembered. The Tide just outclassed us in every phase of the game. Tough way to end it, but we have one more (meaningless) game to play after the new year, and then it's off to the off-season. Why do I say all this? Because the loss actually helped me avoid food last night. I was a little bit hungry, but being bummed out is one of the very few emotions I have that do not illicit hunger in me. This morning, I woke up, peed, and weighed. 319.0. That's 2 more pounds from yesterday and 17 overall. WOW! I'm not looking back! Let's keep rolling. I'm pumped! So, Go Weight Drop! (and Go Gators!)

The Showdown!

I don't expect a good weekend of scale results when I weigh-in. Why? While I didn't commit a felony, I took Minnie on "Daddy Date Night" last night, I squared off against one of my old foes in movie theater popcorn. It was for Minnie, I ordered a small, and the smell finally broke me. I held up so well for so long, but when it got to the end of the movie and she still had about 2 cups left in her bag and she "was full," I then caved. I ate it. Then, I took on the next step in the evening. I asked her "Where do you want to go for our dinner date Minnie?" She replied with "I want to go to Golden Corral!" Good grief. Not exactly the finest cuisine, but when you're hungry, it's not a nice place to be. In the end, I did PRETTY good, which meant having about 250 grams of steak, an unsweet tea, a few shrimp, and some broccoli. Then, this morning, I get 321.4. Still, lots of movement on the scale from the start, but I can't get off the system like I did and continue to expect to get good results. I need to stick with it. I have to. Be strong Troy! Weekends can be toughest due to the bored/social aspect of my eating. 1,000 calories over the next two days. 14 down, 86 to go. EIGHTY-SIX! Holy crap! Oh, the choices I've made...

When does the Honeymoon End?

Ok, so I woke up this morning waiting for the reality to come crashing down. AND, on the heels of a VERY hard evening - in which I ate 4 pieces of melba toast and 3 or 4 too many strawberries, I expected to be sternly lectured by the scale this morning. Not the case. 323.8. Overall, that's almost 12 pounds, and I've not even been doing this a week yet, so I know it will have to slow down soon. I pee like crazy now. Of course, I don't know how much of that is my increased water intake, burned fat, or a combo, but I'm staying with this plan, and through God's power and grace, I aim to go the distance. First weekend on this diet is on the horizon. I need the hunger to subside. Two days ago was manageable, but yesterday - especially at the end - was a BEAST! I like to eat. What can I say?

WOW! This is Pretty Cool!

327.8. I ain't gonna lie to you. The first day on the REAL aspect of the diet (Phase 2) proved to be a bit of a challenge. I realize that I'm addicted to eating, I'm a social eater, and I'm a late-night eater. None of those work when you're doing this. Nevertheless, I'm way down from yesterday and while I know that when it's this early that even bathroom patterns play into the mix, BUT, down is down and I'll take it. I do feel good this morning and I'm really proud for getting out of the gate strict and strong. With each passing day, I will not want to invalidate the days prior, so it should become easier for me - if I know me well enough. Food is just not worth THAT much to me.

PS. I ate green stuff yesterday. What's up with THAT!?! :)

Improvement! (kind of)

Ok, so I cheated a little bit on my diet, but not cheating on a diet like you may think. My initial weigh-in I wanted to be a topping out of sorts, so I jumped on my scale with all my clothes, watch, and shoes on. I didn't expect to see radical changes less than 24 hours later, but now that the diet starts in earnest, I know that the real work is just beginning. So, without any of the new food regime in place, I was 331.8 this morning with a t-shirt and boxers on. Let's see where it goes from here.

335.6

That's a BIG number. 6'5" and 335.6 lbs. But I'm the one who did it. I'm responsible for it. I accept that responsibility, and I am going to do quite a bit to correct it. That leads me to this morning. Today is day 2 of the HCG diet. If you've looked into it, you know that the first two days are high-fat content "gorge" days. this helps metabolize the HCG drops into your system and reduce cravings and irritability when it goes strict - tomorrow. Anyway, I woke up this morning, got ready, and headed out, but I needed to get the high fat into my system, and I needed to pick up a few items to manage the diet. Can you imagine the look on the lady's face at Walmart when I plop down a scale, a food weight measure, a box of chocolate donuts, and some milk (and that's all)? She's probably thinking, "Dang, if you'd stop doing "this" you wouldn't need to buy to buy "that." But, I know what I'm doing, and I'm going forward head high and determined to do better. Tomorrow gets STRICT on food. My wonderful wife is hooking me up with my stuff today. (deep breath) Here we go...

Today is the Day. The Time is NOW!

Ok, so mark it down (I guess that's really what I'm doing), but my diet with the Dr. Simeon HCG diet is now underway. Later today, I'm spelling out the details, but I have to go and buy a good scale first to measure the progress. November 30th is day one. Not exactly the ideal time of year to begin a strict strict diet, but, that very line of thinking led me to today, so that's why I need to stare the beast in the eyes in the hardest time of year. If I can make it to January 2nd, then I KNOW I can do this...and I WILL! I'm well over 300 pounds now. I've never worn bigger clothes or a bigger belt. I do not like the fact that I'm tired and lack energy a lot, and I don't like eating as an escape. That's all I do. Stressed? Eat! Celebrating? Eat! Tired? Eat! Bored? Eat! Uneasy? EAT! Basically, that's been me from day one and I have to take control of it. So, as I start my diet, I'll post pictures and videos throughout, and other times it'll be just my writing, but in the end, I want to share a success story that goes from the beginning and walks through the journey. I don't want to wish that I had done this after it's all done. I need for people to take away what I take away. With God as my guide and employing self-discipline, I'm getting my life back. Let's do this!