Weighty issues. Part three: The Plan.

When Lance and I started this little competition, I weighed in at 207 lbs. As seen in the following shots.

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Again, the goal was to lose 30, so I was aiming for 177 lbs. And I just had to beat Lance. Not because I'm competitive, but I just really wanted to lose the weight, and why not win in the process, right? So Melissa and I came up with a plan. I wouldn't call it a diet; it was more like a "weight-loss program". I don't feel like I was too limiting in the things I ate, with the exception of a couple things. I just reduced what I ate, and became smarter about the types and amount of food I was taking in.

It may not work for everybody, but I found it to be successful. The important thing was to stick with it, no matter what.

1. Diet Coke (ugh).
As many of you know, I am addicted to Coke. Coca-Cola, not cocaine. I think if I was addicted to cocaine I wouldn't have had the weight problem in the first place! So the first thing I had to do, which practically killed me emotionally, if not physically, was switch from Coke to Diet Coke. It was a travesty. And the 145 pound version of me would definitely make fun of the fact that I had gone to the dark side, and started drinking Diet Coke. But it had to be done. It just had to. So that was the first thing I did. I went cold turkey, but it took some time to work my way into it too. The first couple months, I could hardly stand drinking the stuff. Now? It's not so bad. I like it, but it still can't hold a candle to the Real Thing. I swore to myself that, until I reached my ultimate goal, I couldn't have one sip of Coke. Only Diet. Then, if I were to reach my goal, I would be allowed an occasional Coke, but I would still have to drink predominantly Diet Coke from here on out. Ouch.

2. Eat breakfast every morning.
I used to be so good at eating every morning. But I slipped into the bad habit of snoozing too long, then not having enough time to eat. Sometimes I'd take a yogurt to work or something like that, but it wasn't good enough. So I started taking time to eat a couple bowls of cereal, and maybe some fruit to go along with it. Everything that I read about losing weight said that eating breakfast is crucial. In my head I was thinking that if you don't eat breakfast, you are eating less, therefore you should lose weight. Not so. We all know it's the most important meal of the day. So there must be a reason. I think it helped me a lot, by getting the metabolism going in the morning, especially after a run.

3. Make lunch.
Not only is eating lunch out everyday extremely expensive, but it's really not good for you. Even when you eat at a sandwich place, chances are you are eating a big sandwich plus chips or fries. But once I started making a lunch, I'd just make a small sandwich, either tuna fish, deli meat, or PB&J (or PB&H—peanut butter and honey) on wheat bread and a few pieces of fruit..

I wasn't too militant about it though, I would always eat out at least once a week under this program. I felt like I had to reward myself from time to time. However, I wouldn't go for Burger King or Carl's Jr, I'd go to a deli and eat a good sandwich, or perhaps get some mexican food. My favorite lunch spots (this was in Salt Lake) were Toaster's, Caputo's, Barbacoa, Boston Deli, Sugarhouse BBQ or, if I wanted to be a little naughty, a couple of slices at The Pie Pizzeria, perhaps the cheesiest pizza ever. So good, but so bad for you. For a good hamburger that wasn't particularly healthy, The Royal Eatery was great. (I'd eat there a lot before I started this program).

4. Eat better (cut carbs).
I don't believe in the Atkin's diet. Completely cutting out carbs is not a good idea, in my opinion. I think you need some carbs, plus they taste so damn good. I can't cut them out completely. I am the same kid who would come home from school or work or whereever and eat 4 or 5 slices of bread at a time without blinking an eye. I am a bread lover, to put it mildly. So this step was also tough, but at least I didn't totally give them up, I just limited my carb intake. For example before I started my weight loss program, I would eat sandwiches on white bread. Plus for dinner we would eat a lot of chicken and rice dishes, or pasta with garlic bread. So I started eating wheat bread for lunch, and for dinner, we went with chicken or salmon with a salad. No garlic bread. No more snacking on bread, and I would eat hardly any rice. If we did have a dinner with rice, I'd just have a small spoonful.

I believe in moderation. You don't have to stop eating everything, just don't over do it.

5. Run. Run. Run.
I can still remember my first run like it was yesterday. It was the first week of February, 2006. I lept off my porch on 500 East in Salt Lake City on a chilly morning, ready to run off 30 lbs all at once. I started at a pretty decent clip. Unfortunately, the mind was willing, but the body wasn't able. After about two blocks, I started huffing, puffing and wheezing. It was then that I remembered that I hadn't exercised in a long time. After slowing to a walk, I realized that I was going to have to work my way into it slowly. So, three days a week I would exercise. It didn't matter if it had snowed a foot or if it was raining buckets, I got my ass out there. The only days I missed were when I was sick, but then I would make up for it once I recovered. The first few days/weeks, I alternated between jogging and walking, till I was able to jog without slowing down. I didn't overdo it (besides that first day!), and started off with a manageable distance. Every couple weeks I would increase the distance by a block, until I was going about three miles each day. I was extremely vigilant with the running. If I gave myself leeway with a bit of food, I definitely didn't with running. It was mandatory! And I'm glad that it was, because to this day I still run three days a week, without fail (unless I'm really sick or out of town).

6. No sweets.
This was incredibly hard working at McCann, with the copious bowls filled with Twix, Snickers, Starburst and other delectable candy treats, as well as at home, where my wife, Melissa, ate Rolos like they were going out of style. I told myself I couldn't have any—not one—until I reached my goal. No exceptions. And I didn't. I think I remember chewing A LOT of gum during that time. Once I reached my goal, I would allow myself one or two every so often, but again, don't over do it. Let me tell you, that first Twix tasted like the best thing in the world.

Melissa is an excellent baker. Her specialty, as some of you may be aware, is chocolate chip cookies. This is where things got incredibly difficult. I LOVE her cookies. I crave them. And she craves them too. So, how is a guy supposed to lose weight when his favorite lady, the lovely Melissa, makes incredible cookies that I can't say no to? I mean, my will power is gone when it comes to these cookies, and I feel bad telling her not to bake them. What's a guy to do? Would it be possible to have her make cookies occasionally? Would my head explode? Would my belly? Well, we came up with a compromise. When she made fresh cookies, I was allowed to eat one or two that night—when they were fresh. But instead of having cookies every night for a week till they ran out, I'd only eat them that one day. Plus, sometimes when she was in the mood for cookies, I'd encourage her to make "No bakes". I like them, but don't crave them like chocolate chip cookies, so it was easier to say no.

7. Don't be a Nazi about everything.
Melissa and I still got pizza (from The Pie) every Friday night. I wouldn't give that up. I love pizza too much. And we would get burritos from Barbacoa or Cafe Rio on the weekends as well. It is my opinion that you can't give up everything, or you will fail. And when I say you, I mean me. I couldn't do it. I had to have rewards sometimes. To me that was pizza. I figured that I used to eat a lot of pizza and burgers, not to mention fries and other carbs. So, by stripping all that down to just pizza once a week (or occasionally twice), I'd be okay. And guess what, I was right!

8. Don't obsess over the scale.
This was a hard one. I weighed myself every Friday morning, after my run, after a shower. The same time every week, no more, no less. I think doing it every day is damaging, because you get freaked out. But once a week is good. Obviously your weight would fluctuate from week to week, sometimes up, sometimes down. So I had to repeatedly tell myself not to get hung up on the week to week results, but look at it a month at a time.

So, after all that, what happened, you ask?

Well, this happened. I started my "diet" on January 15ish, 2006. At that time I weighed 207 lbs. (again, looking like this: IMGP1636.JPG). On August 10, I weighed in at 164 lbs! Here was the new me:

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That's 43 pounds in about seven months! I was ecstatic with the results, to say the least. I'd say it was a successful plan. I mean, I actually was confident enough with the results to post a picture of me with my shirt off. I definitely wouldn't have done that six months before.

I had a purpose. I had a plan. And with some patience, will power and encouragement from the lil' wifey, I executed it.

So, what next then? Tune in later to find out.

Coming soon—Weighty issues. Part four…