Prior success - sort of

As I've alluded to before, I've had moderate success in the past.  4 years ago, I lost 90 pounds but didn't keep it off.  That's when I started blogging about my diet on a different site.  I figured I'd start copying those posts over here.

Here is the first post from 08/30/07 which was already almost 3 months into the diet:

I have been gaining mass steadily for the last 10 years and enough is enough. The turning point came when I went to the doctor and they couldn't weigh me because their scale only went to 350lbs. The doctor recommends gastric bypass, but after research on-line and talking to some people that have had it, I determined it isn't for me. 

Everyone I spoke to, said they would do it again in a second, but hearing about what they eat now, just turned me off to it. You see, if there is one thing I truly excel at, it is cooking. I am a good cook. Not a chef, never want to work as a chef, but I like to cook. I like the creation of it, I like serving my friends, I like the compliments I get from my meals and I enjoy eating them. 

So if surgery is out, that leaves diet and exercise (gasp!)! That lead to a whole new line of research...high protein, low carbs, no fat, low protein, buy our meals, delivered right to your home.... But these diets all pointed back to my biggest turn off, limiting what I can eat... 

Then I started thinking... people have been skinny since the dawn of time, eating whatever they want. So I went with the K.I.S.S. diet. I count calories. 

For two weeks I kept a journal of what I ate, but ate as I always did, because I didn't believe I ate that much. WRONG!!!!!!!!!!! I averaged close to 4000 calories a day! 

So, step 1, keep under 2000 calories a day. Just by writing everything down and keeping track, I quickly started eating healthier. I could go to McDonalds and get a big mac and fries and be at 1/2 my caloric intake, or go to Subway and get a sub and bag of baked chips. I could stop and get a whopper and onion rings, or stop at Boston Market and get Turkey and veggies... More food, better food, less calories. At home if I have a salad before dinner, I don't want the second pork chop or piece of chicken. 

Also, I can cook! I now measure the oil I use, and try to cut back on some of the fat where it won't affect taste, but that is it. With the internet, I find a ton of healthier low cal meal ideas that are delicious. Plus I love soup, and make a pot most weekends for lunches and snacks for the week. I occassionally hit my max of 2000 calories, but most times I am under it without even trying. 

This now leads us to step 2...Exercise. I hate exercise. I am the model of a perfect couch potato. Go to Webster's, look it up, it shows me. I would just have to suck it up though. 

Right around the time I started tracking what I ate, a notice was sent to us at work about a new gym opening and offering a discount. A co-worker, who knew about my new resolve, suggested we join and be gym buddies. I resisted, but she convinced me to try it, so after checking with the wife, we joined. The gym opened on the day my buddy started her vacation, so I went buy myself and checked it out. I went twice that first week and they had a scale that could handle my weight. 375lbs! That was June 15th. After a week of half hearted trying, I realized I would need to talk to their trainers to set up a routine. I was concerned because I didn't want them to bug me or try to push me into some basic training type regime. 

I was upfront with the trainer, I was at a zero activity level, but wanted to start something. It had to be simple (not easy, just not complex) and all purpose. He agreed that a one time session would be all I needed. He would set up a routine for me, show me the exercises and then it would be up to me. I told him once I met my goal of consistently coming to the gym for 3 months, I would consider an upgrade to the routine. So off I went...