Can I Reach 100 in 6 Months? YES, I Can

Three weeks before my first 6 months are up and I need to lose 11 pounds to reach my  doctor-recommended, primary goal of  a 101 pound loss. Right now I have been losing about 10-12 per month so I need to step it up to hit my target. The good news is I have been stuck at 90 pounds down for almost a week, another dreaded plateau of no weight loss over several days. However, in my upcoming book, assuming it gets published, I show how to mentally overcome the annoying but frequent plateaus that can interfere with your continued weight loss. If you would like to buy the book some day, answer the poll question at the end of this blog. That is, if I ever figure out how to post the poll question! (I just figured it out)

I have updated my blog in other ways - I finally got around to posting some before and after pictures as well as a few comparisons. Eileen tells me the "afters" don't do justice to my new trimmer figure but I will add more over the next few weeks. Let me know with a comment below if you can tell the difference. 

I was going to include today some of my ideas for my after-diet, new life, including one MAJOR surprise but Eileen tells me we have to go shopping for some jeans and shirts (again) now. Though I dislike clothes shopping, I like the idea that they keep getting too big and for the right reason.

By my next posting I will have also added a sample from my book, "I'm Michael and I WAS Fat" and hopefully another poll question. (see the disclaimer above about my technical lack of know-how)

Oh yes, I almost forgot: I am working on a new sideline: post-op weight loss coach. Details to follow.

If you have any questions about anything, write to me at: michaelwasfat1@gmail.com. All thoughts are welcome.

mickey

Would you buy my book, "I'm Michael and I WAS Fat"

Look! There's the Finish Line!

4 months 2 weeks, 83 pounds down, 18 to go.

• I am no longer heavy, just overweight (YEA)
• I have decided that after I get to 101 pounds lost in 6 months I will lose another 10 (slowly)
• I have not yet determined how to add calories to get to the 2300 I need to stop losing weight (I am still at 900-100/day)
• I had my first beer. Dr. Abkin said I could have one every now and then. It was only so-so, causing a little discomfort.
• My book proposal is almost ready for submission. For those who do not know, I am writing a self-help book called "I'm Michael and I WAS Fat" that will discuss an important but overlooked topic in a crowded field of diet books: sharing the mental process that leads to permanent weight loss success
• More new clothes- jeans for the first time in 20 years (42 reg-fit waist down from 55 -relaxed fit)
• I may not need the food scale soon, Eileen has an amazing eye for what foods weigh.
• Speaking of Eileen, thanks again for signing the document that gives you the right to oversee my diet (ie. nag). Your constant reminders to eat slowly, chew completely and concentrate on my meals have kept me from "getting food stuck" and your listening has allowed me to understand the issues
• Thanks also to everyone who has supported me; your good thoughts have given added strength

Mickey

PS Happy birthday, Mom. ly

Judgmental People and other annoying stuff

For starters, take another look at that weight loss total on the ticker above. Yup! 75 down, 26 to go. Admittedly, when I get to my goal I probably won't stop at that point, maybe lose another 10 or so but..goals are goals and I am almost there!


I promised to mention the bet I foolishly made and as of today I have now won. I bet my nephew months before I even started the diet that I would lose 75 pounds by the time I went to Hawaii in January. In January! Yet here it is September 8th and I have won already. Sorry, Marc. Now, why was it a dumb bet for me? Because we bet a big dinner at Don Pepe Steakhouse, that's why. Big to me is a salad and an appetizer. Big to him is a chorizo appetizer and a 28 oz steak. Not good odds for me but I am glad I won. (He's glad, too)


I went to a birthday BBQ last weekend (Happy b-day Michele and Stacy) and saw many people who hadn't seen me in the last four months. Boy, were they ever surprised at how I look. Many of them offered me congratulations on how well I am doing. It still feels good to hear. However, I was surprised by a few who remain convinced that if I had just a little willpower and stick-to-it-ness, exercised more, I wouldn't have needed the LapBand. I guess that many people feel that way but (mercifully) don't share those thoughts. Imagine telling a lung cancer patient during their chemo they should have used more willpower and not smoked. Not to mention that numerous studies show that fat people "see" food differently than normal-weight ones.


To everyone who was interested at the party, I shared the essence of how I have come to view obesity and the LapBand. Some normal-weight people may argue with my ideas but unless you are fat (I find the word obese a little condescending) you are not in a position to disagree:


1- Fat people are fat because they usually don't process that they are full. This may be behavioral or physiological but the effect is the same.


2- Fat people fail on diets because they eventually get hungry. It doesn't matter what "trick" of the day they are using: Jenny Craig, Atkins, South Beach, etc. At some point they get hungry and then they will fail.


3- The LapBand, your little friend, whispers two important things to you: You are full and You are not hungry. That means that with a LapBand, you can go on a diet of your choosing and be successful. 


That is what I have done. Gone on a diet and have succeeded (so far) because I am not hungry.


Having said that, there are plenty of anecdotes about LapBanders who have failed. DUH! Merely having a LapBand doesn't guarantee success, you have to watch yourself forever. It won't prevent you from slurping milk shakes or eating ice cream. However, if you are thoughtful about your ongoing approach to food, you cannot fail because you can NEVER OVEREAT AGAIN. No more large pizzas, or double orders of fries or ... you get the picture. The LapBand is your friend!


Finally, a lot of people have questioned my commitment vis-a-vis the exercise thing. It will come in due time. It doesn't make me a bad person because I haven't started (AND my doctor has requested once again as of last week to wait before I start). So, PLEASE don't impose your value system on me and I promise not to impose mine on you. It makes me think of a clever sign I intend to get made: Enter but please leave your "shoulds" at the door.


Next update: My surgeon has requested me to share my insights with new potential patients. 


mickey

Say good-bye to the XXX rating forever (This blog is PG)

OK. I know what you are all thinking: "What the heck is Mick talking about? Could it be ..." 


Nope. The XXX rating I mention above refers to my SHIRT size. I have been promoted or demoted, depending on your perspective, to a XX, which I must admit is also a little big right now. I anticipate ending up in merely an extra-large which is one of the "regular" sizes. (Thank you, Linda S for making that distinction sound so delightfully normal)


I face the pleasant conundrum of either continuing to "swim" in the XXX shirts or add to the temporary wardrobe I am accumulating. In the old days, when I was the human yo-yo, I used to keep all of my clothes at every weight, knowing that at one time or another in the near future they would fit again. But now that I am on a permanent elevator down, that idea sounds more pessimistic than I feel. 


EB and I took the kids and grand-kids to Woodloch Pines resort last week. http://woodloch.com/home/
Look here to see what the layout of the place is: http://woodloch.com/uploads/File/0109WP8%205xBIgMAP4C08.pdf






It is like camp for everyone with activities starting at 9:00 am and running through an evening show. One itsy, bitty little problem is that the food is served Catskill-resort style, ie. order everything and anything you want from the extensive menu. In the past, I was like a food Terminator, wolfing down appetizers of shrimp cocktails, mozzarella sticks, Caesar's salad, nacho dip, salsa, chips. Then came the main course of filet mignon, lobster tail, cavatelli, roast chicken, potatoes, and (ugh) veggies. Save room for dessert though because you need to eat the mudpie with cookies and cream ice cream on the side. You get the picture. I must admit that last week I was good, and Eileen is sitting next to me, nodding vigorously, that I was really, really good. I had 4 oz of shrimp, a small salad and then 6 oz of filet with 3 oz of baked potato. No dessert. 


HOWEVER, it was hard to watch everyone else pig out and not be able to join them. This was my first genuine moment of weakness, but I didn't succumb. I know that I will have to be strong many times in the future, LapBand or not, so I feel satisfied with having passed this difficult test. Jake and ZZ were very good in keeping me resolute, reminding me when I need it the most how good I look and to keep it going. 


(I must admit that I really do have occasional self-doubts that I can maintain this level of resoluteness forever. What helps me through those periods is remembering that with the LapBand I essentially walk away from every meal satisfied and full. The key to my journey is not being hungry as I diet, so as long as I can maintain that satiety then I will be okay. BUT ... looking at that mudpie .....)  


The exercise report: I haven't decided whether or not to be honest about it, so I will defer that update until the next blog. 


C u at 75 pounds lost...right after Labor Day I hope
Come back and hear about the steak dinner I win at that level! (Talk about dumb bets on my part)


Mickey

Week 15: Next up: Exercise! aka "Get off your (less-fat) butt."

Everyone wants to know when I am going to start exercising regularly and why haven't I done it to date. Here goes: I'm LAZY!


I confess, exercise is not something I want to do. First of all, I know how little it contributes to the true weight loss results. If I walk for 45 minutes at a 3 mph pace, I will only burn 378 calories. Compare that number to the 2000+ I have been saving by eating less and you can see that the weight-loss benefits of exercise are minimal. BEFORE YOU START BARRAGING ME WITH EMAILS, I acknowledge that exercise will enhance my overall fitness and thus contribute mightily to the mental aspect of dieting. I got that.


But . . . I am lazy.


So what's a former fat guy (I am just heavy now, YEA!) to do? I guess it is time to start doing it for real. I'll begin with the treadmill 5 times per week and take it from there. Hang on, it's the phone....


OK. What just happened is know as serendipity. Others would call it a crazy coincidence, which is what serendipity means. I call it a SIGN. I just and I mean, JUST, got a phone call from my blood pressure specialist's office. My blood work was perfect EXCEPT my HDL's were low and my doctor recommends I ...... EXERCISE more. Now if that isn't a good reason to stop typing and skedaddle downstairs where the treadmill is, well then I just don't know. . .


****************************************************************************************


I'm back. I survived it. I feel good. That is all for now. Fingers too weak to type.


Mickey

They said it would be tough - BUT THEY WERE WRONG

I just took my first vacation with my new, dear friend - no, EB and I are still together. I mean my new dear friend, the Lapband. Close friends and family were concerned that I might not be able to maintain my rigorous calorie-conscientious agenda. After all, when I am home, even when I am eating out for dinner, I have a lot more control over my intake. But on vacay? Could I do it?

The answer is: "YES, I CAN!"


We went to Wentworth by the Sea just outside of Portsmouth, NH with our summer traveling companions, Stu and Sheila. This is our 4th trip here and if you are looking for a beautiful ambiance with loads of nearby activities, I recommend this resort.  http://wentworth.com/



On the way up, it was a 5 hour drive, we stopped for lunch at a random diner I had found on my Magellan Nav- she picked a good one because I ordered a garden salad and a hamburger - very well done as always. (which reduces the fat content to almost nothing)I used my own calorie-free yellow mustard and a zero calorie dressing I brought with me. Total: 175 calories.


We met our friends here and then planned our dinners for the week. They were very sensitive to my needs but I assured them it would be fine. Night after night we wined and dined at the best restaurants Portsmouth and environs has to offer. My dinners consisted of a salad at every meal (with my dressing) and either a shrimp cocktail, a hamburger or some local fresh fish along with some baked potato or steamed veggies. The protein was 5-6 ounces, the baked potato was 3-4 ounces and the veggies were negligible. Several meals were accompanied by a glass (4-6 ounces) of wine but I never had more than one.


Breakfasts were easy: 1 cup mixed berries, 1 piece of toast with my calorie-free butter spray, 3-4 ounces of lox and 2-3 egg whites (hard-boiled)


Lunches were typically a salad with or without grilled shrimp on top. The concierge lounge served goodies around 5:00 but I resisted anything more than the veggies with an occasional glass of wine.


My calories for the week ranged from 750 to 1050 for the day. Yes, you heard correctly: I have finally gone over 800 calories in a day after 83 consecutive days under that amount! I have no regrets because eventually in the next 3 months I will need to start s-l-o-w-l-y increasing my intake.


Finally, a bit of other good news: Eileen and I went for several early morning walks of 45 minutes or so. I was none the worst for the wear: no huffing or puffing and I look forward to resuming the treadmill when we get home. Also, my blood pressure issues (I was ranging on the low side with my medications) have been straightened out so I don't fear lightheadedness anymore either.

For a change I am posting a picture of me at a restaurant. Notice my bottles of mustard, butter-free spray and 2 types of dressing. 


C U in a few weeks at 67 down, 33 to go!


Mickey

The Dog Days of Summer - Heat, BBQ's and Plateaus

Boy is it hot out today! I guess no matter where you are in the country you are feeling it. Don't know much about global warming but I sure wish I could have a beer. For those of you who don't know, carbonated beverages are not allowed to us lapbanders. I haven't figured out if that is a forever thing or just temporary. It is on my list of questions for my next post-op appointment. 


Which brings me to my next point, sort of. Now that I am down 55 pounds (in 73 days) today, I found out I sweat less in the heat. I know, I know ... DUH! But it's true. Furthermore, I was able to walk with a spry step from the parking lot then several blocks today, none the worst for it. Up a flight of stairs, no huffing and puffing and voila I felt "normal." I've been doing a lot of that recently, feeling normal that is, I get hungryish around 1230 then again at 700 since I have gotten used to the 3-meal-a-day plan. Also, my calories are split evenly between the day now. I used to "save" my calories for one large dinner-fiesta that frequently turned into an orgy.


However, I went to a BBQ a few days ago and didn't feel so normal. Our hosts had prepared an appy of turkey sausage on the grill, of which I had a few small very well-done (my preference) pieces. No white wine for me as the others sipped away and no salad since it was an exquisitely prepared Caesar's. While they dined on steak and chicken I had 2 small hamburger patties, total 5 oz cooked, but no veggies cause they were sauteed and ditto the potatoes. OK. So maybe I didn't feel normal that night but I had a good time with some friends and family.


Over the last 10 days I hit an annoying but necessary plateau. I had done well the prior few weeks so even though I stay at less than 800 calories a day, the scale may jump ahead of the "true" weight loss. (for details of "true" weight loss, you may email me at mickp_24@hotmail.com) I also have a data-massaging technique that factors out the plateaus and keeps your psyche balanced. (details on request)


However, I had a neat little drop in the last 2 days and I am now down 55 pounds in 73 days. Alas, I see I mentioned that above but you know what? I'm proud of it and I'm gonna say it twice!


Next: Vacay starting in a week!! What's a lapbander going to do?


Michael Pickert MD
mickp_24@hotmail.com