Confessions of a Middle-Aged Fatso

Exercise Continues...

2011-10-15T00:41:00.000-05:00

Week 5 of walking 5 days a week. I'm up to 2 miles a day and feel like I could push it a little further, even. Chest pains are completely gone. Whether that's due to exercise or Lipitor, who knows? Maybe both.

Added benefit: My knees seem to be growing stronger as it's not as difficult to get out of the chair like it used to be. The weight doesn't seem to be going anywhere, but I'm primarily focusing on being healthy. And that's alright by me.

Feeling Better...

2011-10-04T12:20:00.003-05:00

I'm losing weight very slowly. But I'm walking 5 days a week for 25 minutes each day. (My dog Dani really enjoys that.)

I had some blood-work done recently (special thanks go to the tech who stabbed me with the needle leaving a very ugly bruise - you sure got your money's worth at that Internet college you went to) and surprisingly, my cholesterol came back much better than expected. My good cholesterol was actually good and my bad cholesterol was at 166 where 133 is normal and in patients with family histories of heart disease, they like that number to be below 100. So my doctor decided to put me on Lipitor and he said that I'm doing really well with my diet and exercise and to keep the faith. The weight will eventually come off.

My BP is still really good. I have decided, however, NOT to go with the nuclear stress test. If my EKG and Holter Monitor both came back normal, I'm not going to spend $2,000 on a test I don't need. Even if the test revealed I had some sort of small blockage in my heart, they would probably prescribe something like Lipitor to help open up those blood vessels and I'm already on it now. The tightness in the chest isn't as prevalent these days, anyway.

Update

2011-09-20T09:51:00.000-05:00

Blood pressure is better than it's ever been. Right in the butter zone. Because my primary physician spotted an anomaly in my EKG, he sent me to a cardiologist.

The cardiologist put me on a device called a "Holter Monitor" which I wear for 48 hours doing my normal daily routine and it monitors my heart during that time. After the 48 hours, I return the unit where a specialist reads the EKG and gives the doctor the results.

Then I had to go in to do a stress test or an "Echo Stress Echo." Here, the technician wires up your chest and takes an EKG and sonogram of your heart at rest before he puts you on a treadmill. Then after the treadmill, he takes another sonogram and EKG reading. Unfortunately, because my heart is so deep in my chest (probably due to the extra baggage I'm carrying) he couldn't get a full picture of my heart before the treadmill portion. He was only able to get about 90% of it. So we had to abort the ESE and go another route. They'll now have to perform a nuclear stress test. This is where they give you an IV containing a radioactive solution (very mild today, but I was told that it wasn't so long ago that the amount of solution they inject in you used to set off all sorts of bells & whistles at airports) and take a picture of your heart using a special camera that detects the solution. This new nuclear test will be scheduled for sometime in October.

A few days after the aborted stress test, I get a call back from the cardiologist's office with the results of my 48-hour Holter Monitor: It came back NORMAL. Great news, right? Except that when the technician aborted the stress test, he did mention that my EKG reported an abnormality which required further investigation. But it could be several things, it could be a simple genetic issue, it could be gerd, or it could be a lack of oxygen to the heart.

Meanwhile, I'm walking 5 days a week and sticking to Weight Watchers. But I'm having a really tough time losing more weight. I've lost 10 pounds and I seem to be hovering around there.

The hardest part of all this is waiting to be diagnosed. Why do I feel a tightness in my chest sometimes? Bear in mind, that the tightness is VERY slight. I barely notice it. And there are no other symptoms. If I were having a full-out heart attack, I'd expect cold sweats, shortness of breath, headache, shooting pain down my left arm, or any combination of the above. But nothing else other than the tightness.

I have a follow-up with my primary physician sometime tomorrow to discuss my BP. I think he'll be very pleased. Maybe he can help shed some light on what might be happening to me because I'm not getting much from the cardiologist so far. I haven't even met the actual doctor I was referred to - just a nurse, a student doctor, an associate doctor, and a technician.

Doing Better...

2011-08-24T14:06:00.002-05:00

The BP is getting under control now. The other day, I peaked at 125/104, but that was after driving from Ft. Worth to Dallas for a tech rehearsal in afternoon traffic. Half an hour later, it was down to 130/96 (remember, the bottom number is the more important one.) By the time rehearsal was over, I was down to 125/86. So I avoided having to take my emergency pill. In fact, I haven't taken the emergency pill in a week and a half.

I'm finally getting serious about losing weight now. I'm counting points again (Weight Watchers) and I'm down 2.5 pounds since Monday. Again, it's easier to be more careful about what I eat when Lesli's not around. And since we have conflicting work schedules this week while I'm in rehearsal, I'm taking full advantage of it. Sticking to it afterwards, however, will be the key.

New goal: Lose 30 pounds in 30 days.

The Fight Continues

2011-08-12T15:36:00.002-05:00

This is going to take some getting used to. I'm actually eating very well. I've lost about 8 pounds since last week. But the BP is driving me nuts.

I'll go a couple of days without taking the emergency pill - or "the EP" (not to be confused with "early pregnancy" - and then my BP bumps up just high enough that I need to take one. I'm on a roller coaster until this other stuff kicks in. But in the meantime when I take the EP, my BP falls so low that it's very difficult to function.

The other night, I fell asleep around 10:00. By 10:15, I was wide awake and I felt my heart pounding through my chest. Not more rapid than usual, just noticeable. I took my BP: 112/80. The pulse was 84 which is a little high, but that's resting heart rate these days. (Eat your veggies, kids.)

This morning, I was feeling really great. I was energized and in a very happy place. I even found that I was being more pleasant with people on the phone. It was a really good feeling! I attribute that to the fact that I'm getting much better sleep with the CPAP. I sleep straight through the night now. I never realized how often I was rousing out of sleep.

Then this afternoon, I was recording a series of TV voiceovers for Boy Scouts of America. I could tell that something was off. (Look at me being all tuned-in with my body!) So during a break, I went downstairs and took my BP. 176/112 and my pulse was 109. I took a pill and warned the producer that in about half an hour when my BP crashes, I could fall flat on my face if I'm not careful. As it turned out, I was fine for the rest of the session, but I wanted someone to be aware of what was going on so I don't surprise anyone. I'm feeling the effects now and I have another session coming in at 5:30. But I really want a nap.

I've been keeping a detailed log with my BP and pulse rate to show the doctor on Thursday.

Rude Awakening

2011-08-08T10:10:00.004-05:00

Okay, fine. It's been a while since my last posting. I fell off the wagon. Big time. And last Thursday, I was made aware of my transgression in a very scary way. To start the day, my weight registered at 265. That's right two hundred sixty five pounds. That's the heaviest I've been in my life.

To make matters worse, at about noon, I was very quietly working away in my studio editing some audio for a sound design I'm working on. I wasn't stressed and I hadn't been over-exerting myself. I started to feel a bit dizzy. I thought this might be a good time to check my blood pressure.

Now, you have to understand that I have NEVER had a normal blood pressure to my recollection. Even in high school when I was 5'10" and 175 pounds and VERY fit my BP was marginally high.

Over the past year, I've been working with my doctor to get my BP lower as it had begun to creep up a bit. I was taking 20mg of Lisinopril twice a day. I even started using a CPAP machine a couple of weeks ago to see if my sleep apnea could be elevating it. (Boy, does my wife love the CPAP!) But nothing has really been all that effective.

For reference, blood pressure falls into the following categories:

"Normal" blood pressure is systolic pressure (top number) less than 120 and diastolic pressure (bottom number) less than 80.
"Prehypertension" is systolic pressure of 120 to 139 or diastolic pressure of 80 to 89.
Stage 1 Hypertension is a systolic pressure of 140 to 159 or diastolic pressure of 90 to 99.
Stage 2 Hypertension is systolic pressure of 160 or greater or diastolic pressure of 100 or greater.

I have always been classified as "Prehypertension."

So I come downstairs to take my BP and - hold onto your seats, folks - I registered at 173/119! I thought I was dying. I took it again using the other arm: 183/120! I immediately called my doctor. I gave them my BP and indicated that I was dizzy but did not have a headache, was not sweating, nor was I short of breath. The nurse advised me to lie down and relax for half an hour and take my BP again and call her back. If I developed any of those other symptoms I should go to the ER, but if not and it was still high, I should come into their office. This time I was down to 175/108 - about what I'd been running since before starting CPAP. The nurse advised me to come into the office. I called Lesli at work and asked her to come home. This set everyone at HEBISD into a panic, from what I understand.

Lesli came home and drove me to Dr. Kurz' office where he took my BP again and it was back up to 170/117. He was very good at setting me at ease. He said that, essentially, what we were trying wasn't working. He gave me a two-week sample of Diovan to take at bedtime each day and to check my BP 3 times daily and follow-up with him in two weeks. He also gave me a prescription for Clonidine which he said I should only take as needed if/when my systolic pressure gets over 200 (which it never has) or if my diastolic pressure gets above 100 (which it ALWAYS does.) In the meantime, take it easy over the weekend.

The next morning (Friday,) my BP registered at 153/103. I didn't take the Clonidine yet because I was so close to the mark. But by noon, I had gone up: 164/113. I took the emergency pill. Less than an hour later, I could barely stay awake long enough to take a reading, but it came in at: 144/98. Another hour later: 125/76! That's damn-near close to normal! I've never had that before! Of course, I could barely stand up because I wasn't used to my BP being that low. I slept most of the day and Lesli took excellent care of me.

Saturday morning: 133/88. Saturday afternoon: 160/110. Took the emergency pill: Back down to 124/85.

Sunday morning: 123/75. Wow! In fact, I didn't take an emergency pill all day yesterday as the highest I got all day was 126/94 for an average BP of 121/81 for the entire day!

This morning: 116/78.

So I get it. It's time to make a change. I'm having fruit for breakfast and snacks followed by a small lunch and sensible dinner. I went for short walks yesterday and this morning. I hope to go further as I get used to this lower BP and as the heat wave ends (IF it ends.) I may have to cut back on my daily Sonic Diet Vanilla Cokes. (My apologies to Sonic. I hope you won't have to face any lay-offs as a result.)

Oh, by the way - I've lost 6.6 pounds since Thursday! I hope to be a skinnier Scrooge this Christmas. Or at the very least - a healthier one.

Week 16 Weigh-In: Milestone Achieved!

2009-08-14T10:17:00.004-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In: 237 (-1.8 lbs.)
This Week's Weigh-In: 236.2 (-0.8 lbs.)
Total Weight Lost: -26.2 lbs.

Almost lost a whole pound this week, but still surprised I lost considering the fact that I had a few bumps in the road this week with food. We had Chinese after a long hard day of shooting video at Lesli's school. And yesterday, I went to the dentist's office and somehow managed to come home with a double cheeseburger from Sonic. How that got in my car, I have NO IDEA! However, when dinner time came around, I wasn't hungry thanks to the cheeseburger - I'm starting to pay attention to when my body is really hungry - so I only had a small snack before heading off to the theatre for a performance.

All that being said, not only did I still lose after all that but I achieved a milestone - 10% of my original body weight is gone!

Week 15 Weigh-In

2009-08-04T14:18:00.001-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Week 14 Weigh-In: 238.8 (-3.4 lbs.)
Week 15 Weigh-In: 237 (-1.8 lbs.)
Total Weight Lost: -25.4 lbs.

I've finally hit 25 lbs! Sweet!

Weigh-in: Weeks 13 & 14

2009-07-27T10:00:00.004-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Week 12 Weigh-In: 240.8 (-1.2 lbs.)
Week 13 Weigh-In: 242.2 (+1.4 lbs.)
Week 14 Weigh-In: 238.8 (-3.4 lbs.)
Total Weight Lost: -23.6 lbs.

I didn't weigh-in last week because I was a coward. Plain and simple. I gained. Lesli was out of town, it was opening weekend of my show and I wanted to go party with the cast so I ate really bad stuff. Boo-hoo, let the pity-party begin. But I sucked it up and got back on track. I had some bad stuff this week too, but I made other sacrifices to accommodate for it. So I'm back on track this week with a 3.4 lb. LOSS.

Seeing recent publicity pics of myself, I'm not as disgusted with my face as much as I was 14 weeks ago.

Come see me and lots of other talented actors in the critically acclaimed farce "Incorruptible" at Circle Theatre thru August 15th. Call (817) 877-3040 for reservations.

Weigh-In: Week 12

2009-07-13T12:41:00.002-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In:242(-2.2 lbs.)
This Week's Weigh-In: 240.8 (-1.2 lbs.)
Total Weight Lost: -21.6 lbs.

This has been a weird week. Lesli's aunt Irene came to visit and we had dinner at Dixie House on Monday. There's nothing WW-friendly there. That could have been our cheat-night, but we went to the Pocket Saturday night where I had the nachos. Then I blew it yesterday, too. During our tech-day dinner-break at Circle Theatre, I succumbed to peer pressure - okay, I led the charge - for Mi Cocina. And yet despite all the restaurant eating I did this past week, I still managed to LOSE 1.2 pounds.

Weigh-In Day

2009-07-06T13:18:00.002-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In:244.2(+4.8 lbs.)
This Week's Weigh-In: 242 (-2.2 lbs.)
Total Weight Lost: -20.4 lbs.

Time to start upping my game. I'm hovering around 20 pounds. I should be drinking more water and walking more. (It's just so dang HOT!!!) I will say this, however, after a recent photo shoot, I'm not as disgusted with myself in pictures as I was 3 months ago.

Weigh-In

2009-06-30T09:42:00.002-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In:239.4 (-2.4 lbs.)
This Week's Weigh-In: 244.2 (+4.8 lbs.)
Total Weight Lost: -18.2 lbs.

No need for an intervention, I didn't fall off the wagon. Last week, I took a planned vacation from Weight Watchers. I ate fast food all week long. (Frankly, I'm surprised I only gained 4.8 lbs.) The interesting part was that - because I work at home - I found it kind of a pain to get in the car at lunch and go get something to eat. I had found myself enjoying the convenience of eating a small meal at home. I know, right??? Weird!!!

But I'm back on the program as of yesterday. The weigh-in stats above are from yesterday's weigh-in. (I was too busy to make a post.) And this morning, I'm down another two pounds from yesterday so the added weight will come off just as quickly as it went on. I'm still really enthusiastic about reaching my goal and thrilled that it's going so smoothly.

Week 10 Weigh In: Welcome to Cheat Week!

2009-06-22T13:34:00.002-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In:241.8 (-0.4 lbs.)
This Week's Weigh-In: 239.4 (-2.4 lbs.)
Total Weight Lost: -23 lbs.

Welcome to Cheat-Week! It's kinda like Fleet Week, but without the boats. Lesli's out of town and I need a break from being good, so I won't be counting points until Sunday.

Not to worry, I'm doing so much better than I have in the past and I'm thrilled with my progress so far that I'm not even close to flaking out on this quest. But I will be intentionally backsliding this week. It should be interesting - ever since I've been eating better, my tummy doesn't always agree with me when I overindulge, so I probably won't be as bad as I originally set out to be.

Yesterday, my friend Jocelyn had noticed a significant change in my face. (Personally, I think that's where the entire 23 pounds came from.) That was really nice to hear.

Week 9 Weigh-In

2009-06-15T15:17:00.002-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In:242.2 (-3.2 lbs.)
This Week's Weigh-In: 241.8 (-0.4 lbs.)
Total Weight Lost: -20.6 lbs.

Only lost about half a pound this week. But I did a great job of maintaining. Lesli was out of town this week and I did throw in an extra cheat day while she was gone, but remained good the rest of the week. At least I didn't gain or I'd be kicking myself right about now.

MILESTONE ACHIEVED!

2009-06-08T10:14:00.002-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In: 245.4 (-5.2 lbs.)
This Week's Weigh-In: 242.2 (-3.2 lbs.)
Total Weight Lost: -20.2 lbs.

I've reached my first major milestone today - 20+ pounds lost!!! And three weeks ahead of schedule! My initial projections put me at 242 by the end of June. It was my goal to lose 30 pounds by opening weekend of my next show, "Incorruptible" at Circle Theatre which will be mid-July.

I'm starting to see and feel it mostly in my face. I can feel cheek bones. My friend Andy noticed that I'm moving differently. My resting heart rate isn't through the roof. I feel better.

There are still days that I want to just eat everything in sight. I need to learn that it's okay to have days like that - and indulging isn't necessarily a sin; but making it a habit is.

My next challenge comes this week as my wife leaves town for an administrators' conference in Austin. I usually like to order pizza or eat out while she's gone. However, I'm now doing this for ME - not her. I'll be just fine this week.

Weigh-In: Back On Track

2009-06-01T09:36:00.002-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In: 250.6 (+4 lbs.)
This Week's Weigh-In: 245.4 (-5.2 lbs.)
Total Weight Lost: -17 lbs.

I'm back on track this week after an unfortunate (and uncomfortable) over-indulgence on Memorial Day Weekend.

Exercise is still uncomfortable with my foot, but it's getting better with the help of my podiatrist. Lesli and I went for a 1-mile walk yesterday and I suffered some slight tendonitis. The plan is to stay with the 1-mile walks until I start feeling better.

Another note about indulging... One of my favorite "bad habits" was to "treat" myself to fast food lunches. But when "treating" yourself happens 3 or 4 times a week, it's unhealthy. One of our favorite fast food places is Sonic. And kudos to Sonic for posting a "build your meal" nutrition page that lets you check off each menu item you'd like to order and the website calculates all the calories, fat & fiber grams which are the three elements I need to calculate my points. Sadly, my favorite meal (extra-long cheese coney with large fries) contains almost an entire day's points. One meal from Sonic and I'm done for the day.

That being said, another "treat" is their flavored drinks. You can order a diet soda and add flavoring. Even though a Diet Coke contains zero points, when you add flavoring, it's adds 1 or 2 points (depending on the size you get.) However, I'm finding that a route 44 Diet Coke with Orange flavoring (my favorite) is only two points. I'm finding that two-point "treat" from Sonic actually satisfies my fast-food craving for the day. Proof my fast-food craving was all but psychological. Go to Sonic between 2 & 4 p.m., and my "treat" is half-price.

Fiction

2009-05-29T06:34:00.001-05:00

David stood in the kitchen pondering the un-opened package of chocolate-marshmallow treats. He knew that if he reached for one, he must suffer dire consequences. Leaning over the counter, he placed his chin in his cupped hands staring at the package of sinful bliss. He knew that 15 pounds ago, he would have eaten the entire package without blinking. But now, the thought of consuming 2,000 calories in one sitting gave him pause.

Suddenly and without warning, his foot pressed a pedal flinging the trash can lid open with such force that the metallic lid struck the wall behind it with a gong-like crash which echoed throughout the house. With one swift brush-like motion, he flung the entire package off the counter sending it straight into the trash can. Releasing the pedal, the reverberating sound came to a muffled halt. Suddenly, the bright red dot on the back of David’s head extinguished itself.

Across the street, a shadowy figure perched in a tree engaged the safety of his sniper rifle automatically shutting off the laser sighting. Lowering the tool of his trade, the would-be assassin lit a cigarette. The tendrils of smoke rose to meet his nostrils as he inhaled deeply. He would rest for now. But for how long?

How long indeed?

Post Holiday Weigh-In

2009-05-26T16:48:00.002-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In: 246.6 (-2.8 lbs.)
This Week's Weigh-In: 250.6 (+4 lbs.)
Total Weight Lost: -11.8 lbs.

Memorial Day Weekend. Need I say more? Okay, I knew this would happen. In fact, I had planned for it. But I'm back on points today. I'm not even the slightest bit discouraged.

We had friends over Saturday evening and I grilled burgers & bratwurst. Lesli made her famous potato salad. Lesli's friend Liz brought the most amazing banana pudding I've ever had! [drool...] I ate the way I used to before I went on WW... a LOT. But this time I was so uncomfortably full, I didn't sleep well at all that night because I was so uncomfortable. We ended up throwing out more than half the potato salad, and I threw out the last of the leftover burgers & brats this morning.

Looking forward to a good weigh-in next Monday.

Re-Learning A New Lifestyle

2009-05-18T11:45:00.002-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In: 249.4 (-1.8)
Today's Weigh-In: 246.6 (-2.8)
Total Weight Lost Since April 20: -15.8

Lesli and I treat ourselves to 1 cheat-day per week. We eat very lightly during the day and then we go to a favorite restaurant in the evening. This gives us something to look forward to at the end of the week and it helps curb the temptation to go eat fast food during the week too. In doing this, I'm re-learning something very basic - dining out should be reserved for special occasions; not as a way of life. As an actor, my schedule is never static. In the past, I would grab whatever was convenient depending where I am. Usually, it's fast food. Keep up that lifestyle for 20+ years and TA-DA! You're fat.

When I eat out only once a week, it's fun again. And I don't really miss it during the week as long as I have that to look forward to by the weekend. And guess what! When you don't eat out as much, you save money! BONUS!!!

Last night, we saw a documentary on TLC called "Half-Ton Teen." An 18-year-old boy weighing in at over 800 lbs. His mother waited on him hand and foot (literally - because she was constantly rubbing lotion on his feet. Ewww.) He couldn't lay flat as it gave him respiratory problems so he slept sitting in a very large easy chair. This woman had lost another son in its infancy and it broke her heart. So she wanted Billy to have everything he would ever want. It's obvious she hadn't dealt with the death of her first son and now this 18-year-old boy (who had been overweight since elementary school) was - literally - bearing the burden for his mother's loss. And even though he went to a bariatric hospital to help fix the problem, his mother was constantly there to "take care of him." Thus, hampering her son's progress. It made me want to scream. At the same time, however, it made me eternally grateful that a.) I had a relatively sane mother and b.) I don't need a team of paramedics cutting a hole in the wall to get me out of the house.

That's all for today.

Oh yeah, we got another kitten this week.

Weigh-In

2009-05-11T09:54:00.002-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In: 251.2
This Week's Weigh-In: 249.4 (down -1.8 lbs.)
Total Lost So Far: -13 lbs.

So this past week has been kinda weird. A few curve balls that were not well planned for. We had to drive to Abilene yesterday to meet with Lesli's parents to pick up their dog that we'll be sitting for the next couple of weeks. Driving home, I had to turn off and get some food to "keep up my strength" for the drive. Sonic was a poor choice. Today's weigh-in probably would have been much better without that. But I'm still down ALMOST 2 pounds this week which is still a healthy loss. I'll take it.

Today, it's off to a volunteer luncheon. Probably my only meal for the day if I'm going to stay on track. Good thing my day is packed with activity so I won't be thinking about food.

Weigh-In

2009-05-04T08:00:00.003-05:00

Starting Weight: 262.4
Last Week's Weigh-In: 254.2
This Week's Weigh-In: 251.2
This Week's Loss: 3 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 11.2 lbs.

For some reason, I allowed my wife to talk me into baby-sitting her coworker's 2-year-old girl this morning. FOR FIVE HOURS. Good thing I have lots of duct tape on-hand. I wonder if baby-sitting a 2-year-old counts as activity points. I'm sure it does. It's got to, right? Just trying to keep her and the puppy apart should count as an extra day's points for sure.

Anyway, encouraging results this week. Now that the water-weight is gone, the 3 pounds lost this week should count as solid weight loss.

Walking Tall

2009-04-30T14:57:00.002-05:00

My dog Dani and I just got back from breaking in my new walking shoes. This will be her last walk before she goes under the knife tomorrow. (Both she and the cat are getting spayed AND micro-chipped.) It was like walking on a cloud! We walked at a relatively quick pace for about 45 minutes.

I don't have much else to report other than I'm staying on points with virtually no problem at all. I'm not even tempted to cheat.

Sometimes, Life Throws You Curve Balls

2009-04-29T16:42:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, I drove down to Austin to spend the day in a recording studio. Imagine spending an entire day WHISPERING into a microphone. That's what I did. Apparently this client came up with the idea of making relaxation CDs for day traders. "You embrace the Code of the Master Trader: Courage... Generosity... Discipline... Humility. You see a calming aura around your trading station. It beckons to you with a warm and welcoming energy." Seriously??? (Hell, it paid $100/hr, so I'll beckon all you want, baby!)

I had no plan as far as lunch was concerned. During all-day sessions like these, the studio will usually bring in food for us. And they did. La Madeleine. I had the chicken caesar salad - which is now a new item on my "favorites" list. On the way back, I stopped at Sonic and got a Route 44 diet Coke with orange flavoring. (2 points) I could have opted for the mozarella sticks at Sonic, but I was a good boy. Instead, I had a few 2-point snacks I had in the car with me. They served as my dinner. I considered having something for dinner when I got home around 7:30, but I really wasn't all that hungry.

Oh yeah - I suppose I should count the 2 apples. I learned a new trick from the engineer yesterday. To eliminate mouth clicks from a dry mouth, take a bite of a green apple. It cleanses the palate. AND IT WORKS!!! I had heard that, but never really tried it. It worked amazingly well! Anyway, I went through 2 apples yesterday. I'd take a bite every couple of pages with a swig of water. But I was drinking so much water that I had to pee every 20 minutes. I'm sure they thought I had the bladder of a 12-year-old girl.

Weigh In - Good News & Bad News

2009-04-27T10:31:00.003-05:00

Start Weight: 262.4
This Week's Weigh In: 254.2
Total Lost/Gained: -8.2

The good news: I've lost 8.2 pounds! And Lesli lost 5 pounds!

The bad news: My daily points have now gone down from 37 to 36 points. No great loss. According to my journal, I averaged 30.9 points per day last week - even after we pigged out at Fresco's Saturday night.

This is really easy when you're planning only for your own meals and not having to worry about what your spouse wants for dinner.

Week 1 Almost Done!

2009-04-26T15:11:00.002-05:00

Week 1 is almost in the bag and I've been very pleased with my self-control this week. I think this journal is helping keep my motivation up. Not to mention all the awesome encouragement I'm getting from you guys. (Thank you!) Total lost so far is 7.4 lbs. Tomorrow is my official weigh-in day and I'm looking forward to it.

I just got back from shopping for new workout clothes. I had been holding off working out until I got some decent shoes so I don't kill my feet or injure my knees. I spent about $200 on a really good pair of Nike shoes and a few pairs of shorts & shirts. The current plan is to walk about 3-4 miles a day. The weather's not looking good for tomorrow, however, and I'll be either driving or recording all day Tuesday. So I think Wednesday will be my first day to start.

With yesterday being our "Cheat Day," Lesli and I each had a small 3-5 point snack during the day until we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant. As my daily target is 37 points, I still don't think I went over on points. If I did, I barely put a dent on my Flex Points. (You get 35 Flex Points per week to use any day you like.)

Lesli and I went grocery shopping this morning and almost cleaned out the frozen food section of all the SmartOnes dinners. (Financial tip: Buy stock in Heinz - the makers of SmartOnes.) We were really expecting our grocery bill to be much more expensive than our usual $90-$100/wk. However, it was almost exactly the same amount as we usually buy. AND for every $2 we spend on a SmartOnes, we're probably saving about $3-$5 on fast food.

Saturday - CHEAT DAY!!!

2009-04-25T11:08:00.003-05:00

Lesli and I are setting aside one day per week as "Cheat Day." This is the day we can blow our entire load of Flex Points if we so choose. Tonight we're going to Fresco's (a Mexican place we like to frequent) and then out to see a play that my friend Brad Stephens has directed, "To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday."

As a practice, we will probably move our regular "Cheat Day" to Fridays so we'll have Saturdays and Sundays to recover and be ready for the official Monday weigh-ins.

As of this morning, I've lost 7 lbs since Monday. Lesli is a bit disappointed because she hasn't lost as much as I have. But a.) women lose slower than guys and b.) I have more water weight to lose than she does.

By the way, I should mention that I was a little bad yesterday as I got lunch at Rosa's Cafe. But I had planned ahead for that as the Taco Platter only has 18 points. Well within my target of 37 points for the day. I think I only went over by 2 points for the day. And I was under 7 points Wednesday, so it more than balances out. Besides - I've lost 7 pounds this week so far!

I have an out-of-town trip coming up on Tuesday of next week. I have to be in a recording studio in Austin at 8:45 a.m. I briefly considered driving down the night before to stay in a hotel so I wouldn't have to hit the road at 5 a.m. But that would just open up too many temptations to cheat.

I'm Melting! Melting!

2009-04-23T08:30:00.002-05:00

I've lost another 1.2 lbs. as of this morning. Total lost since Monday: 5 lbs! The first week is always the easiest. It's not uncommon for some people to lose 10 pounds in the first week. The body is getting accustomed to the new regimen. Soon it will start to think that it's starving so then the body starts hoarding fat. That's where exercise comes in.

MUST... RESIST...

2009-04-22T16:21:00.002-05:00

You know, I could really go for a greasy hamburger from Whataburger right about now. I'm just sayin'.

I was putting together an email campaign for Lambert Studios and was searching for a graphic for our Combo Deal and I found this image. It looked disgusting but delicious at the same time.

Not to worry. I'm in control. I plan on sticking to one "Cheat Day" per week. That will give me something to look forward to and keep me from cheating during the rest of the week.

The Value Of A Good Plan

2009-04-22T09:08:00.005-05:00

As of this morning, I've lost almost another 2 lbs. Total lost since Monday - 3.8 lbs. Water weight? You betcha. I've been drinking so much water that my bladder is getting a real workout. You could set your clock by me. Every 20 minutes it's off to the bathroom.

I'm rediscovering that a good plan for the day helps keep me on track. That's why I use a spreadsheet to plan my meals for the day and keep track of my progress. I'd like to devote today's post to this very clever spreadsheet that I put a lot of effort into developing. It helped me lose 50 pounds the first time around. Where I went wrong is that I stopped using it. And like the lottery, you can't win if you don't play. Those of you on Weight Watchers may find this very useful.

Features

The "My Info" page is used for:

Entering your starting date*
Entering your starting weight*
Entering your goal weight
Entering your height for BMI calculation
Entering your name to personalize your progress chart

* Start date & weight should be at the time you begin using the spreadsheet; not when you began the weight-loss program.

Each daily journal page will:

Total your points for the day
Calculate remaining points
Tally activity points
Calculate activity points based on your weight, duration of activity and level of exertion
Automatically withdraw Flex-Points if you go over your daily target range
Clearly indicate (blue cells) where your data should be input

The summary page will:

Automatically set your daily points for the center of your target range based on your current weight
As you record your weekly progress on the summary page, your target points will automatically change when appropriate keeping you within the proper points range
Show a summary of which days Flex-Points were used
Predict when you might reach your goal
You can enter your weekly progress and see how many pounds have been lost each week as well as see a running total
Tally points used for the week
Show total activity points for the week
Show your remaining Flex-Points
Show total target points for the week
Show 'reserve' points that remain
Points and AP calculator

View your progress graphically on the Progress Chart
The Generic Food List (free option) lists over 2,000 foods with points and serving sizes.

It's easy to get started!

The first time you open the spreadsheet, you'll find yourself on the "My Info" page. This is where you input data that personalizes this spreadsheet to you!

Enter the date you began using this spreadsheet.
Enter your starting weight and goal weight.
Enter your height in inches. This will aid in calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI.)
Enter your first name (to personalize your progress chart.)
Enter your birth date ^(New!)
Enter your gender (male/female/nursing mother) ^(New!)
Enter your level of daily activity (sedentary, semi-sedentary, semi-active active) ^(New!)

Cells colored in blue are for your data. Avoid making entries elsewhere or formulas could go awry.

Weekly Tracking

The summary page also helps you keep track of your weekly weigh-ins, calculates your weekly and cumulative loss, gives you a goal to shoot for next week, and calculates your BMI.

It will also predict when you will hit your goal. (Assuming, of course, you lose an average of 2 pounds per week.)

Progress Chart

Now you can automatically chart your progress for up to a year!

Points Calculator!

Each page has both a Points Calculator and an Activity Points Calculator!

Daily Journal

There is a journal page for each day of the week. They can be arranged in any order you like depending on your preference (i.e. weigh-in days) by clicking & dragging the page-tabs at the bottom.

Rearranging days does not affect the calculations on any of the pages.

Each daily journal page gives you sufficient room to input your food intake and keeps a running total in the column to the right (in yellow.)

At the bottom of the page, enter your servings of water, milk and fruit & veggies.

Totals are then tallied at the top of each page. These totals keep track of your activity points, and Flex-Points.

Want a copy for yourself?

DOWNLOAD NOW!

DAY TWO: Two Down - Sixty To Go!

2009-04-21T12:28:00.002-05:00

First of all, I want to say that I'm very touched by the overwhelming amount of support I've gotten from everyone regarding this new adventure I'm taking. I'll admit I was a very reluctant to reveal this part of my life in such a public forum, but I had to do something to keep myself accountable. I am literally fighting for my life here. So I really would like to thank everyone for their words of support. And to those who are in the same boat with me: Grab an oar, my friends, we're in this together!

Day One went very well. I only went one point over my daily allotment which is only about 50 calories. And I wasn't hungry all day, either. And get this - I've lost two pounds already!

Okay, I have done this before, so I know that it's not uncommon to lose very quickly at first while the body adjusts to the new regimen. The healthy rate of loss, however, is about 2 pounds per week. At that rate, it is projected that I should reach my goal of 200 by November 23rd - the day before my birthday. Note that I live in the real world and I know I WILL hit a wall before then. So I'll be very happy to hit 210 by then.

I can already tell by my enthusiasm that this time will be different.

Day One

2009-04-20T15:53:00.001-05:00

WEIGH IN: 262.4 lbs.

Let me write that out for you - TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO POINT FOUR POUNDS.

Just stick me in a grey suit, dangle a piece of string from my nose, and call me the frickin' HINDENBURG!

(This moment of drama has been brought to you by Nabisco's 100 Calorie Packs.)

Speaking of those 100 calorie packs - BEWARE. The single packet of chocolate covered pretzels has THIRTY grams of fat in them, people! Most Weight Watchers veterans that follow the Points System can tell you that you can count on 100 calories being about 2 points. But when you jack up the fat grams to 30, that doubles your Points value. [Update 4/23/09: I goofed this one. I mis-read the label. The pretzels contain 30 fat calories - not grams. They're back to 2 points per package. This makes me happy.]

Okay, so here goes. Back when I was a Weight Watchers (WW) rockstar, I developed a very clever journal spreadsheet where you enter in your gender, birth date, height, starting weight, goal weight, and lifestyle (sedentary, semi-active, active, etc.) It would calculate how many Points (according to WW) you should be eating per day. Once you've reached your points for the day, you're done eating. It also kept track of your activity (exercise) Points and Flex Points (35 extra points you can use at any time during the week.)

I wrote down everything I ate and it would automatically keep track of how many points I ate during the day, how many points I had left for the day, and even included a calculator where I could determine how many points a single pack of chocolate covered pretzels were.

Each week, you would enter in your weight and it would also plot your progress in a handy chart. This spreadsheet did everything but cook your food for you. I cracked it open and marveled once again at how clever the thing was. It was very popular several years ago on the Internet that I sold it online for $10. I still have people buying it today. (Check it out if you like by clicking here.) So this is going to be a big help in getting my life back in order.

I went to the grocery store this morning to plan my meals for the week. Usually, my wife and I go together on the weekends. But since we're doing the separate meal planning, we decided to do separate shopping trips this first time to give us more time to figure stuff out. As a rule of thumb, this isn't wise as I will usually come home with nothing more than a box full of powdered donuts, a gallon of chocolate milk and one might find me an hour later passed out on the sofa with my face and clothes covered in a white powdery substance and an empty gallon jug resting on its side next to my lifeless hand.

About WW - I'm not a current member. I had an online membership the first time around and learned everything I needed to know from there. The spreadsheet and support from my wife and friends should be sufficient to see me through this time. Thank YOU for YOUR support.

I'm actually excited to be starting on this road to better health. It's time.

The Eve Of A New Start

2009-04-19T21:13:00.001-05:00

As of today, I'm heavier than I've ever been in my entire life. During my high school years, I was considered skinny. I rode my bike EVERYWHERE! In fact, everyone made fun of me. Then I got a driver's license, went to college, and my teenager metabolism got stored away with my bicycle.

In the summer of 2002, I weighed 255 lbs. and decided to do something about it. I joined Weight Watchers and bought a Tae-Bo DVD. I worked out daily (sometimes twice a day) and I got down to 209 lbs. I looked awesome! I felt awesome!

Then I got married. And here I am right back up at 260. It's hard to get up off the floor when playing with my puppy. Various body parts hurt. And my blood pressure could stand to go down a few notches.

My wife and I tried to go back on WW a couple of times, but we weren't successful.

The other day, I came to the conclusion that the reason I haven't been successful at it lately is because my evening meals with Lesli were always a crap shoot. We never really knew what she or I were going to cook until we were ready to cook it.

So the other day I proposed something drastic - we plan ALL our meals independently. When I was single, I had each meal for the week planned out very carefully and methodically. The easier it is for me to follow my plan, the more successful (in theory) I should be.

So tonight, we ordered our last stuffed-crust pizza from Pizza Hut and tomorrow we embark on a new journey of weight loss and becoming healthy again.

Wish me luck!

ADDENDUM:

As I type this, it's 2:39 a.m. and I have just experienced one of the many reasons I need to lose weight - ACID REFLUX.

For those of you unfamiliar with the experience, here's how it affects me: Imagine waking up at 2 a.m. to find that someone has poured battery acid down your wind-pipe. It's such an intense pain that depending on the severity of the attack, you start to consider going to the emergency room because you think you're having a heart attack. What has actually happened is that stomach acid has crept up your esophagus and trickled down your wind-pipe. You cough non-stop for about half an hour. You drink water. You cough some more. It's about an hour or two before you can lay back down again. But that's when you find that the acid has torn up your wind-pipe to the point that you're now wheezing which makes it difficult to get back to sleep. Laying on your back helps, but then - because you're overweight - that makes you snore which keeps your wife awake. So you just sit up watching TV in the other room for the rest of the night until the alarm clock goes off and it's time to start the day. The wheezing continues for the next day, so you're coughing most of that time. You're eventually able to breathe normally by bedtime the next night.

I was working on a show at a theatre where they worked on the set during the day which left a very fine powdery sawdust lingering in the air at rehearsal in the evening. I suffered a pretty bad attack one night and found breathing at rehearsal even more difficult. And the show involved a great deal of physical comedy which often left me gasping for air thanks to my compromised respiratory system.

Fortunately, tonight's attack wasn't bad at all. In fact, I barely coughed. But the wheezing will probably keep me up the rest of the night. I'll surely need a nap tomorrow. Good thing I work at home.