01 Nov 08 About Me
I’ve been around since sometime in ‘77, around July, I think. I joined up with a family that knew how to eat. Especially breads and desserts! Oh, yeah! We could pack ‘em away. I’m talking about a family size Duncan Hines brownie mix being polished off between two of us… and still putting away a plate or two of cookies.
I graduated high school at around 220 pounds… about the time that my metabolism decided to take a break. In my four or five years at college, thanks to my high paying part-time jobs and semester long full-time co-ops, I swelled to at least 285.
Upon graduation, and with my wedding less than 3 months away, I began Atkins-ing with my soon-to-be-wife. I dropped quite a bit of weight before the wedding, coming in under 245 pounds prior to The Day. Unfortunately, week long stays at all inclusive resort hotels in the British Virgin Islands are not conducive to the proper implementation of the Atkins’ method. Needless to say, but I quickly fell off the wagon and got left in its dust.
Many months after being left on the side of the road by the Atkins’ Wagon, I was able to sneak up on it… quite an accomplishment considering that I was at least 300 pounds by this point! I was able to climb aboard for another few months of what I thought was proper eating. From January of whatever year that was until July of that same year, I was able to cut a fair amount of weight and probably got down to around 260. One small problem though. There are three birthday’s in July within 2 weeks of each other. That makes for one hell of a celebration. And, do you remember what I said above about my family? Well, we did it again. And the wagon left me behind for good this time. 
Oh sure, a few times I thought that I had caught up. But, it was just toying with me. Slowing down just enough to get my hopes up only to speed away again. In November 2004, I was over 320 pounds… probably close to 330 but my scale wasn’t having any luck telling me for sure. This time was my last stab at Atkins. It went pretty well for a couple months (holidays are not the time to try Atkins). I was able to get down to around 280 before I threw in the towel.
Then, on July 1st of 2005, at about 305 pounds, I decided to give the paleo diet a try. I had read Ray Audette’s NeanderThin and parts of Loren Cordain’s The Paleo Diet at some point along the way and had tried to follow it… for about a week. (The manliness of diet - eating what I could eat in the wild with nothing but a knife - was appealing, but, ultimately, too hard to stick with.) This time would be different.
At first, it was no different than Atkins, but less strict with the fruits and vegetables. But then, as the weight started coming off, I started to go more and more strict. At first I cut way back on the salt. Then the sodas. Then dairy and most processed meats (a stick of pepperoni being a remaining vice).
From July 1st through August 1st, I lost 30 pounds. By September 1st, I was down almost 50 pounds! On September 26th, at 243 pounds, I had a fasting blood test. My HDL cholesterol was 43 and my LDL was 109. That’s a total cholesterol to HDL ratio of 3.8. And, my triglycerides were at 51. Pretty good, from what I understood of western medicine.
On January 1st, 2006, six months after beginning a version of the paleo diet, I was down 85 pounds to 220!
The weight continues to come off, albeit, much more slowly these days. Today, January 30th, 2006, I am weighing at 212 pounds. I am down from a size 48 to size 36 pant. And XL shirts fit me just fine. I’m going to be going to a friend’s wedding this weekend. There should be a few folks there that have not seen me in months, if not years. The reactions should be priceless. Hell! I’m even buying a new suit for the shindig. Just take a look over to the left!
