An update

Looks like I am going to leave on my trip earlier than expected, as in tomorrow morning. No worries though, because I will take my weight loss plan on the road with me when I go. I will post an update and stats the day I come back.

Looking Forward

This weekend is going to be somewhat of a challenge, one that I will accept and take on, as I am going to a conference for 3 days, and the people at the conference provide the meals. It will be a challenge to utilize the Atkins philosophy in choosing what to eat and what not to eat with the meal courses they serve. When I can, I am going to buy meals for myself, ones low in carbs and high in promise : ).

Log: Day 4

The Atkins diet seems to be working fine for me so far. The diet's simple plan keeps me from getting hungry, and I feel less tired than before. Last night I started my Cardio routine again, and I will continue doing it 3-5 days a week to supplement the diet plan and get mroe into shape. These first couple days of observations seem to predict a change in the long run.

Measurements - July 24, 2002

Waist: 43
Stomach: 45 1/2
Weight: 236
Pounds to lose: 36

A sidenote: Seems like the change is not an anomaly in my measurement, but more of an effect of the diet.

Reasons for losing weight

I can not remember a time when I was a “normal size” – some may call being overweight a blessing, others a curse. I see it as a personal preference whether to stay fat. Gaining weight in the first place is usually as a result of a bad diet or gluttony, but is rather a condition of a different sort of metabolism that takes food differently and causes one to gain weight. For me, the choice to lose weight has been one that I made recently. I made this choice for several reasons. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, is my health. I like being healthy, and I enjoy running and jogging. Without the extra weight I carry now, I will be able to work more on those skills, as, exercising that way alone will not help me lose the weight that much in the first place. Secondly, and another important issue, is my image. As I have said before, I would like to be able to wear jeans that are the normal size, and would love to drop a couple shirt sizes. Also, I would like to improve how I look in a bathing suit. Losing weight is never easy, and keeping it off is perhaps more difficult. However, I will continue losing until I reach my 40 pound goal, and then I will set another goal, and reach that. The only motivation I need is that future goal of 200 pounds, and the inches I will lose because of the weight loss. After that, I hope to bring it down to 170 pounds, and I hope to gain plenty of muscle along the way.

It really is difficult to describe how I feel. It is a feeling of exhilaration and anticipation, strength and courage knowing that I can obtain this goal with the diet I am on and the exercise I get. There is no reason to give up, if someone wants something bad enough, he or she will get it, and that’s what I intend to do. 70 pounds seems like a lot, but one should remember, there is a lifetime in which to keep it off, and a year of working on weight loss is nothing in perspective in the big picture. My first time goal is to be set now: There are 22 weeks until Christmas. By then, I envision having lost below my first goal of 200, 190 pounds. The journey has started this week.. It will be successful!

Measurements - July 23, 2002

Waist: 43 1/2
Stomach: 46 1/8
Weight: ~239 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 39

A sidenote: The results from yesterday to today seem to indicate a change. The coming days will prove whether this very short-term change is typical of the first two weeks of weight loss with the Atkins' diet.

Day 3

Day 3 of the Atkins Diet and I'm feeling fine. I am going to start an exercise and weightlifting regimen I have been planning to increase my weight loss and gain more muscle and shape. I am feeling somewhat different than before, most likely as a result of the Atkins diet. I am looking forward to testing my diet on a trip I am going to take this weekend.

Measurements - July 22, 2002

Waist: 44
Stomach: 46 1/4
Weight: 239 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 39

A look ahead

My weight loss journey is to become one of discovery not only of myself, but of joys that I have always wanted to experience. For once in my years, I would love to be able to pick out smaller clothes than what I am wearing now, and buy jeans that are my normal size.

Among other things, losing weight is about fullfilling my personal desire, my personal goal. Until I reach that goal, which I will before next summer, I will follow this plan, providing it gives the results it promises, keeping it part of my meal plan hopefully for the rest of my life.

Log: Day 1 - Sunday, July 21, 2002

Unable to quite measure my success on my previous low-cal lowfat diet and exercise regimen, I have put into effect the Dr. Atkins diet in my lifestyle. The concept seems totally out of whack to the unenlightened, but, upon reading his book and doing a little research of my own on the Internet, I have found its concept to be quite appealing and definitely one worthy of a try. Dr Atkins’ book recommends trying his very low-carb diet, the “Induction” diet for the first two weeks, and then to measure its success. My weight measurement was approximately 241 lbs.

Log: Day 2 - Monday, July 22, 2002

This dieter will not deviate for anything. Atkins claims that the diet will reduce one’s appetite and hunger, factors I am strangely starting to notice in myself. I follow the plan almost religiously, as the book calls for no deviations. I am feeling somewhat more energetic and satisfied after meals, and the scale seems to demonstrate some quite preliminary results: 239 lbs.