Official Week 13 Results

Down 3 lbs. for the week
Down 67 lbs. total

That is insane. I have no idea how I managed to lose weight this week. We spent a couple of days eating really bad stuff. On one of those days we didn't even bother writing-down our calories! We made a point of going to the gym after eating poorly, so I guess that helped. I'm not going to ask too many questions, I'm just going to enjoy the fact that I lost another 3 lbs!

Happy Birthday Medina



I got her a video camera, so we will have some videos to add to the blog soon.

Week 12
-3 lbs.
-35 total

Now the hard part starts. Because our diet will not be as structured, we will have to make more decisions and that leaves room for error. But we have learned enough to know how to make the right choices so we will see how it goes. The good thing is we have each other for motivation, support and accountability. And we are determined to continue losing weight. I am a little over 1/3 of the way to reaching my goal of 100 pounds lost. This is just the beginning.

Christmas @ the Cooper's



It's been an amazing year so far. Medina and I have been working hard and have seen much success. I'm looking forward to a new, healthy year.

Official Week 12 Results

Down 2 lbs. for the week
Down 64 lbs. total

This morning was our last meeting. We are now on our own. We have a plan, and we intend to keep losing weight. I want to lose 36 more pounds, for a total of 100 lost. It will be hard, but I know we can do it.

Week 11 was not kind to me. I only lost 1 pound. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that I did not lose more. But after the initial pity party, I felt damn proud that I did not gain weight considering the two holiday parties we attended last week. I'm down 32 pounds overall - not too shabby.

Official Week 11 Results

Down 6 lbs. for the week
Down 62 lbs. total

For a week in which we attended two Christmas parties, a six pound loss feels pretty damn good. I hit the gym like crazy, and it is good to see that hard work pay off. Hot damn! sixty-two lbs!

Medina and I attended an extremely classy dinner party hosted by our good friends Ben and Kelly (pictured in the center, below) last night. We ate beforehand and brought some diet-friendly mashed potatoes. They had a sweet potato ginger soup and winter mix salad which miraculously fit our restrictions, so we were able to participate in the festivities, if only a little. We don't have much time left on the diet but we remain strong nonetheless. We have been so good about not making any exceptions, even for special events. I'm proud of us both.

Medina and I went clothes shopping last night. And I enjoyed it. I'm not sure I can properly explain just how weird that is. I bought clothes from regular stores, in departments other than "big & tall". Strangeness abounds.

Here I am, modeling some of my new threads:

Week 10: -3 lbs.

That means I have lost a total of 31 pounds so far. I am very happy with the progress I have made toward my overall goal. I am 1/3 of the way there and picking up steam.

Speaking of steam, I have been eating serious amounts of steamed vegetables. In the frozen section at the grocery, we found a big variety of vegetables that you steam in the microwave. I've learned to eat them like a champ. In fact, I had over 50 servings of vegetables just last week. I finally found vegetables that I enjoy eating. We also found pre-packaged potatoes that don't have any added ingredients. You can get them sliced (perfect for making chips) or diced up hashbrown style. Having options makes this diet easier to stick to.

Christmas Eve will be our last class and also the first day of our 13th week. We have decided to make Christmas Day the official end of our diet so that we can enjoy a few treats if we choose to. We have 2 more weeks to go. My goal is to lose 5 more pounds by Christmas.

Official Week 10 Results

Down 2 lbs. for the week
Down 56 lbs. total

I felt like I pigged-out this week, so I was prepared not to have lost anything. Two pounds is good.

The "boxing" part of boxing class turned out to be only a small portion of the hour. Most of the class was spent doing intense cardio. It went something like this: jump rope, jumping jacks, push ups, crunches, jabs and kicks. Repeat as fast as possible until you puke. I was in over my head from the beginning - I haven't jumped rope since elementary school. I couldn't hang, but I gave it my best shot and stayed for the entire hour. It was the hardest workout I have had in recent memory. I think I'll go again next week.

I am interested to hear from anyone who might be reading our blog. We'd still be writing even if we were our only audience. But if you are a reader, leave a comment and say hello. Thanks.

I went to the doctor yesterday, and had my bloodwork done for the first time since losing weight. I was hoping for some noticeable changes. I was not prepared for just how much of a difference there would be.

Before starting the diet, I had a number of issues. My blood sugar was high. My A1c was bad. My good cholesterol was low and my bad cholesterol was high. My triglycerides were high. I had signs of a damaged liver and the beginning stages of diabetes.

The doctor called me this afternoon with the results. My blood sugar is good. My A1c is normal, my good cholesterol is high and my bad cholesterol is low. My triglycerides are good. My liver function is normal. And I no longer have diabetes.

My goal at the beginning of this diet was to get healthy. I wanted to lose weight for that purpose. It's nice that I look better and that I can wear smaller clothes, but the real motivation has been to improve my health. With these new results, I can see that it is working. I am healthier now than I have been for a very long time. My goal now is to continue losing weight, and most important of all: to stay healthy.

Week 9: -2 lbs.

I have lost a total of 28 pounds. That puts me very close to reaching a weight milestone. I am not going to say how much I weigh, at least not now. Once I have lost the weight I might feel comfortable revealing my starting number, but it just seems so personal. And scary. At first it was hard for me to even tell Jackson how much I weighed. Then I had to go into class and let a total stranger watch me stand on a scale. That's scary stuff.

I am proud of how far I have come, but I still have a lot more to lose. The program lasts 3 more weeks. After that, Jackson and I are going to do this on our own. We will hold each other accountable by continuing to keep daily records and "meeting" once a week to officially weigh in. We both feel confident that we will be able to complete what we have started.

Tonight I am going to a boxing class at the gym. This will be a first for me. I'm excited.

Official Week 9 Results

Down 3 lbs. for the week
Down 54 lbs. total

I wasn't expecting much this week, so 3 is good. I am now 269. I have no clue when I was last under 270. I'm entering into a weight range that I have never seen in my adult life. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I'm very excited. Hopefully I will be able to come off of my blood pressure and cholesterol meds. That's my main motivation, and hopefully the bloodwork tomorrow will show some big improvement.