Scary Snacks!!!

Ahhhh, Halloween is here!! You know what that means. Kids dressed as princesses and pirates. Guys dressed as Bill Clinton and the Captain Morgan Man. Women dressed as a "naughty" (fill in the blank).

One year at my restaurant, a girl asked if she could dress as a baseball player. Of course I said no problem. Now, I did not know she would be a "naughty" baseball player, so we kind of banned dressing up at work for years to come.

Anyway, Halloween is also the time for scary stories. We all have them! And they are about how much candy we have eaten. Every year, we all do the same thing:

1. We have kids, and pick through their candy. We tell the kids "Okay, I will take the Twix and Reese's Cups, and you can have the Spree." 10,000 calories later, we wished we had the Spree.

2. We buy a ton of candy, and three kids come to the house. But don't worry, we have a brilliant plan that the candy will come to work the next day with us. The next day is so far away. 10,000 calories later, we wished we had the Spree.

It happens! And it probably will happen this year. So to make you feel better, I am going to scare you by telling you the five worst meals I have ever had. Put the kids to bed, it is going to get scary!

#5- To-Go Chinese, 6 pounds of food!- That is right. I went to a Chinese buffet, and I did not want people to see me eat, so I got it to-go. I ended up with 6 pounds of food, and I finished it in one hour. It cost me $26.53. I remember exactly because it was $4.40 a pound, or around there. And no, it was not all vegetables.

#4- Deep Fried NY Strip- When I worked at Chili's, I learned a valuable lesson for a overweight person. The lesson is stay away from the tempura batter. The tempura batter is the batter for the famous "Chicken Crispers". I found out that if you dip anything in it, and deep fry it, it comes out delicious. So, I took a 12oz steak, and deep fried it. It was good at the time.

#3- The "Apple Ranch Chicken Burger"- Before I talk about this, I have something to admit which I did not want to in this blog. For about two years, I lived in Buffalo, NY:

If you have not lived or been to Buffalo, I will save you a lot of money and time. Put mud on your face, go into a freezer, lock the door, turn off the lights, and cry. There you go, it's Buffalo!!

Anyway, I worked at Applebee's in Buffalo,and this was before they had a WW menu.I invented a new snack there. I took a 1/2 pound burger, and combined it with a fried chicken breast. Then I basted it with BBQ sauce and wing sauce, and put it on a egg bun. Pretty tasty.

#2- Deep Fried Pizza- Maybe I would not have been so heavy if I did not meet a fryer. So one day, I made a pizza, folded and sealed it, and before I baked it, I put it in the deep fryer. It came out real tasty.

#1- 17 Michelina frozen dinners- I was so hungry, I would microwave two while I ate two. I finished 17 of them. I did not feel good afterwards.

So there you go. When you eat a little more than you should, remember one thing. It is not as bad as the food I created.

Drop a comment as well, and tell me the worst thing you ever ate. I am dying to see.

The true Hungry-Girl!

First off, I love the Hungry Girl book.. I have maybe done 3 recipes out of it ( My wife bought the book for me), but I love the fact that someone took Fiber One and blended it. Now, I can use Fiber One for 9000 different recipes. Oh yeah, I love Fiber One! It can be used for anything, including:

1. Cold Cereal
2. Breading For Chicken
3. Toppings for salads
4. Sandwiches
5. Fuel for my car
6. Dumbbells
7. Downloading Music

Alas, this post is not about Lisa, but the other "Hungry Girl" in my life, Bella. She is our family dog. Here is a baby picture of her, and she is even cuter now. She is a Papillon, which is French for "barks every 5 minutes". She has personality, and loves people. A no fear attitude, and loves to lick. We love that dog.
About the same time I started my "weight loss journey", we took Bella to the vet. She went on the scale, and she weighed in at 8.9 pounds. Now, her goal weight is 7.5, so she was very overweight. We were quite concerned! She has bad knees, so it is very hard for her to carry all of that weight.
Now, she loves to eat, so we had to think of something. I mean, she needed to lose that pound. So the first thing we did was sit her down, and had a heart to heart with her. It did not do a lot of good, because all she did was bark.
Then we suggested putting her on Weight Watchers. I put in her weight into the points calculator, and at 8.6 pounds, she had 18 points. Wow, that is a lot of points! I think she would gain more weight like that!
Then I suggested putting her on WW core. It seemed like a good idea. I mean, she is a dog, most of her food is core! But she would still sneak treats like beef jerky, and pumpkin pie snacks!
Then, after all failed, I remembered that "The F-Factor Diet" worked for me, so why couldn't it work for her. So we added some fiber into her diet in the form of sweet potato chips. Man, she was loving it. She also did more exercise. She did 9 laps around the table, when before it was only 3.
I am happy to say that Bella is at her goal weight of 7.4 pounds now. She is a DW (Dog Watchers) leader, and she inspires other puppies. There was a bulldog who sent her a thank you after she lost 2 pounds by adding fiber. Bella is my inspiration!

After a long day!

So I said I was going to journal my food, but I am getting kind of lazy. Look at Monday's journal, and just post it on Tuesday and Wednesday. I kept up with my points, and I am right in line. I do like Flex because it shows you how you are doing on portion sizes. i am doing just fine. I also have some activity points i will sell on Ebay. 27 so far this week. Fun, Fun! So this Flex is working well, and my Fiber level is great. By the way, spend a few bucks and get "The F-Factor Diet" book. I get nothing out of it, but it did change the way i think about food.
I would also like to thank everyone for the awesome emails I have been getting. When I started this blog, I did not realize the amount of people who would see it, and who would write to me telling me what a inspiration I am. I guess I do not think of myself as a inspiration. Wouldn't people like Oprah and Madonna be inspirations. No, I am a guy who was very heavy, and came to the conclusion that I could not be that way for my family. I realized that I would have to make a few sacrifices, like writing down what I eat, eating a fruit or two, and go the gym once in a while. Once I started doing that, i saw results and said "Hmmmmm, maybe I can live like this." Eight months later, it is a way of life. Okay, maybe I have some inspiring qualities.

Side note here, but I was a guy who was over 200 pounds overweight. I was classified as "Morbidly Obese". I had to change my life completely, there was no option. I hated when people told me "It is easy to lose weight, just watch what you eat", or "Why can't you just cut out sweets!" I mean, can a alcoholic who drinks all day long wake up one day and say "You know, i should just drink in moderation!" Would a obsessive gambler say "If I only bet a hundred dollars a week instead of everything in the bank, I will be okay." So why would it be okay for a "Morbidly Obese" person to wake up and say "maybe I should just cut out sweets!"

I met a guy who lost 310 pounds the other day. 310 POUNDS! He had the surgery, and he went from 520 pounds to 210 pounds. I talked to him for a while, and we reminisced about our "Obese" days. As I have said in the past, you do not know or never want to know what it is like to be over 400 pounds! He does not work out though, and he eats a lot of processed foods, and he said he has at least 5 "Rock Star's" a day. Wow, that is a lot of caffeine. but still, you can't knock losing 310 pounds.

Deep down, I am so glad I did it the way I have. I would rather worry about the name of my diet than going "Red Bull" crazy!

I am 234.8 ya know.

It's Wednesday! You know what that means. Well, probably not. So let me clear it up:

1. It is one of my days off (I have been lucky to have two as of late)
2. It's boxing day

No, not the Canadian holiday, but the day I get to go to the boxing gym and take my class. So I grabbed my hoodie, my little Under Armor toboggan hat, and I drove 20 minutes to the gym.
The class was much bigger than last week, so I was excited. then I realized something....

I was the only guy in the class!

That's right, I was surrounded by what my wife would term "Cougars".

When I told my wife one day at the gym there was a older woman who was dressed like a 18 year old girl, she said "Oh, that is a Cougar." So of course I Googled Cougar, and thank God she was not around. Porn came flying on my computer. So I guess a Cougar is kind of what people used to refer as MILF's, but maybe there is a difference, who knows? After my wife said the Cougar remark, she asked me if the women were wearing leotards and thongs. I told her it was not 1987.

Anyway, so there I was working out with a bunch of Cougars. Bebe clothing and PINK written on bottoms everywhere. The instructor saw that most people were in good shape in the class, so he decided to make it EXTREMELY intense. I was in the back, and I know my limitations. I kept up really well, but I know when to take a little break. Then at the end, a woman came up to me and said "Wow, for a big boy, you kept up well."
And you know, she is right. I mean, I do not have "I lost 185" on my shirt, or tattooed to my arm. I am 234.8 (Can't say I am 235 today). And I did keep up well. Of course I said thank you, and proceeded to leave.
I guess the moral of the story here is no matter what level you are in fitness, do the best you can. As long as you are sweating, you are doing good. Oh, and try to stay away from a class of Cougars!

I know my plans!

It is 4 am. I did not post last night because I was so tired. Work was stressful, so I got home, took a day off from working out, talked to the wife for a little bit, and went to sleep.
I read the book "The Zone Diet" and realized something. Two "diets" have changed my life. They are "The F-Factor" and Weight Watchers, both for two different reasons:
1. Weight Watchers- First taught me how to watch portion sizes of food. Great with meetings, weekly accountability by weighting in, great food list, and for the first time gave me a plan I could do my whole life, not a restricted 2 month plan.
2. F-Factor- Taught me about fiber, and the healthy benefits of it. Changed the way I look at food, and eat food. Get more value from food for less calories, and still enjoy flavor.
And that is the end. Although other "plans" are similar, I do not think they would have helped me in the long run. So after three days, I am not going to waste any one's blog time. These are the two plans that helped me lose weight. When people stop me on the street and say"wow, how did you lose the weight", I will tell them......

"Who are you again??"

Flexy Flexy!

So today was my "Back to Flex" day. Although I am eating the same, I just wanted to make sure I was eating enough, and wanted to make sure that I had all of my important daily items!
So my friend told me to get a scale and weigh everything. SO I made the WW people rich today, and splurged on a $40 scale. Don't ask me why I bought it, I have 9 ounce scales at work. Anyway, I went to the computer to calculate my points. Now, when I was over 400 pounds, and starting with WW, I had 44 points. After losing 185 pounds, I am down to 35 points. That is it, I only lost 9 points in the weight loss? Not so impressive. So today, I was weighing everything, and putting all of my food in the little planner I pay $40 per month for. Before I tell you my food, I learned two important things...
1. Weigh everything. I don't care what you say, there is no such thing as a 1 point apple. When I weighed my apples, they were between 2 and 3 points each. These were normal apples as well, not King Kong apples
2. I understand this "Zero Point" phenomenon, but lets face it, I am not eating a 1/2 cup of broccoli. Give me my points.

OK, so here is my "Daily Journal"

Morning
1 pound apples- 4.5 points
1 bag Beef Jerky-5 points (My guilty pleasure, high in protein though, and sodium)
5 oz apple- 1 point

Total 10.5 points

Midday
4 hard Boiled Eggs- 8 points
8 oz apple- 2 points ( By the way, I LOVE APPLES!!!!!)

Total 10 points

Evening
1 Serving packaged chicken- 4 points
3 3/4 cup broccoli, cauliflower and carrots- 2 points
12 cups plain popcorn- 7 points

Total 13 points

Anytime
1/3 cup FF Cottage Cheese- 1 point
1/2 cup Fiber One- 0 points

8 Each GG CrispBread- 2 points ( By the way, this is my favorite snack, thanks to Tanya Zuckerbrot. Some people hate them though, either way, check them out here.)
1/2 cup Salsa- 0 points

Total 34.5 points
Daily Allowance- 35 points
Remaining .5 points

Not bad, and I ate a good amount. I also got over 50 grams of fiber, which is so nice. Fiber is the key! Now, I did also track my activity points

Morning Elliptical Machine- 8 points (65 minutes)
Evening light Elliptical Machine- 3 points (30 min)
8338 steps at work- 3 points

SO I do have 14 activity points. Now what do I do with that? I am full, I do not want to eat any more. Oh well, does anyone want my activity points.

So, Day 1 on tracking my stuff was full. Cant wait for day 2!

Some Sweet Nuggets!

OK, lets go over a couple of things. First off, today was my weigh in day. Yeah, my favorite Weight Watchers moment. All week long, I felt like I was not going to do so well. I have eaten the same for the last eight months, so it had nothing to do with diet. For some strange reason, I felt like I was going to gain weight.

I have gained weight twice in my journey. One time, I gained .2 of a pound. now the week before I lost 9.1 pounds, and the week after I lost 11.4 pounds. I think I can take that gain. I also gained a pound about a month ago, and then lost 5 pounds after.Gaining weight does not really bother me if I know in my heart I did everything right. I just cry in a pillow and watch Jerry McGuire when I gain.

Anyway, I went on the scale, and I lost 1.6 pounds bringing my total to 185.4 pounds lost. Yabba Dabba Doo. I think i will get to 200 pounds lost by my birthday, which is December 3rd. it was a good feeling this week to lose. The leader did not talk to me at all, I am thinking she read my blog. I don't really care, because last meeting she game me a 150 pound magnet and said great job, even though I was already up to 183 pounds lost, so where was she the 33 pounds in between. She needs to keep in tune with her members!
Also, I finished reading "The South Beach Diet". I thought it would take me a lot longer to read, but I figured out that the book is only about 80 pages, the other 200 pages are recipes. The South beach Diet consists of 3 phases. One to start, one to lose weight, and one for maintaining your weight off. OK, I am ready to try Phase 2............
Yeah, been there, done that. Did you know that the South beach Diet is the EXACT same diet as WW Core! Sure maybe there is a few different words sprinkled here and there, but it is the same. So now, I will invite South Beach peeps to read this as well!
Well, if you are keeping a tally, my diet follows WW Flex, WW Core, South Beach, F-Factor, and The Abs Diet. My next book is "The Zone Diet". Maybe I can have the world record for most diets at one time! Who knows.
So I am also going to do a extra blog to talk about my Flex experience today. Should be fun. See you in a bit!

My Rarest Picture!

Believe it or not, this is the rarest picture I have of myself. When you are over 400 pounds, you do not want people taking pictures of you. You always feel like you are in a bubble, like everyone is staring at you because of your size. And most of the time, you are right. Well, this picture was a blessing and a curse, because I do not have many heavy pictures of myself, yet it was taken to embarrass me...
So let me explain the background of this picture. As I has written before, I am a Chef at heart. I have been a Chef for a Italian restaurant for the last six years of my life. About four months ago, I got promoted to the General Manager of the first store I worked at in Orlando. Now, by looking at this picture, you can see I am not dressed like a chef. Well, although people love a fat chef, getting 5x clothes is a little different. From the company we order uniforms from, it took over a month to get that size in. Not only that, but the chef pants I would get would only last about 3 weeks before i would rip them. So, I realized it was easier to just go to my favorite "Casual Male" store and purchase some nice clothes. Also, you can see I had some hair on my head. Well, i would only get a haircut once a month because i could not shave my head myself like I can now, and going to Super Cuts and not fitting in the chair was something I could only ordeal 4 times a year.
Being that size, I sat in the office for most of the day. Sure I would come out and taste the food and when it was busy, but for the most part I would hibernate in my little "oasis" where I would make sure all of the numbers were in line, and sit with my Sous Chef to develop them.
Believe it or not, I was really good at my job. In fact, I was the best chef in the region. I would have to do reports for my Divisional Culinary Supervisor all the time. I would help out other stores, and I was a great contact for the other chefs. I was doing very well!
But my General manager and District Manager at the time considered me lazy. Unfortunately, most people over 400 pounds are considered lazy. Sure, I got results, but I was always in the office. And why was I always in the office? Well, my back hurt all the time. I would sweat a lot, so I did not want people to see me out of breath. It was a tough life at work.
This picture is a rare one because it was taken by my former boss. He took it with his phone because he has never seen me come out of the office to clean (See there is a can of stainless polish next to my hand and a green scrubbie).He sent it to as many people as he could to prove that i do get out of the office. Wow, a chuckle at my expense, how rare! It did take me a while to get up after that because lifting that much weight to get up was rough, and I think I cleaned for about 38 seconds, but long enough to get a embarrassing picture.
When I was over 400 pounds, I had no work confidence. I never stood up for myself. I just went with the flow. My wife always told me to stand up for myself, but I guess I was lucky to be in the position that I was in. When I would ask for a promotion, I would get a laugh. I got turned down for three promotions, even though I was the most qualified. My numbers backed me up. Respect was very hard to get. I was known as the big chef who ate a lot. Like a circus clown, I was the funny one.
Things have really changed. Now, as a General Manager, I really feel that even in a tough economy and even tougher restaurant market, the sky is the limit for me. I get respect not only from my employees and peers, but from my bosses as well, and I have plenty of them.People look at me in awe. Listen, 183 pounds is a lot to lose. I still have more to go, which will come off. By the end of the year, I will be 200 pounds down. So few achieve that. Plus, I do work around delicious food all day. It does not even tempt me anymore!
I still think they are shocked at how diligent I am with my eating habits now.The people who would not promote me before are shaking my hand, and now praising me. They always ask me how did I lose all the weight. And I tell them the same thing every time:

" I guess sitting in the office game me plenty of time to think of a diet!"

Core no more! I got a new plan.

First and foremost, let me thank everyone on my right who has subscribed to this blog. In my wildest dreams, I never thought 21 people would be interested to see what I am writing. Either way, that is awesome, and I am grateful! I will try to keep on writing interesting blogs, and if they get boring or silly, just let me know. I have to please my 21 people!
Now, I have been reading blogs, and I have seen that people who lose weight do something special to distinguish themselves. There is one person who ran a half-marathon. Actually, it seems like a lot of diet bloggers do half-marathons. There is one blogger who climbed a mountain, one who walked across this fine US of A, and there is one who preaches about eating better. So I thought, maybe I need to do something to distinguish myself. I mean, I did lose 183 pounds.......

Now, right when that thought was in my mind, I got two emails sent to me. The first one was a woman who said that I was not a true Core member of WW, and she had proof. I talked about eating a Hungry Girl recipe entitled "Lord of the Onion Rings" which consists of solely onions, eggs, and Fiber One. She insisted that I did not know the Core rules because Fiber One must be taken with FF milk or Yogurt to be considered Core.
Guess what, she was right. And although I work out, I did not have my activity points to back up the points for the Fiber One. Are you confused, because I am as well!
The next email that came in said that my diet was The South Beach Diet, and not WW. I never did the South Beach Diet, so I did not know. I always thought my diet was WW with "F Factor" mixed into it.

So after these two emails come in, I did not know what to think.I mean, I was not a member of Core in the members eyes, and I was not sure if I was doing WW. Plus, I always thought my "diet" on WW was identical to "The F Factor diet". I sitll think to this day I am on the F-Factor Diet, but maybe not?

Except now I realized what my "thing" would be. Since no one knows how I lost the weight, I have decided to read about all the diets out there, and figure out which one I am doing. I still have 56 pounds to lose, why not! The reasoning behind this is I want to prove that all diets are basically the same, which they are except for a couple of tweaks, and all diets work if followed properly. I eat healthy, and I will not change that. Truthfully, what is the difference between South Beach, Zone, Sugar Busters, and WW Core, or how I am eating?
So here are my rules starting on Monday:
1. I will do WW FLEX for the next week, starting on Monday, because as long as I count points, I am on WW. When I do FLEX, I am really doing FLEX. I will purchase the WW Scale, and weigh all of my food (including my jumbo apples), I will track every activity point, and I will use a pedometer each day to track my steps. I will journal my food for all to see, and I will add up my points. Oohhhhh, fun!
2. After the first week, I will spend time on each diet, starting with the South Beach Diet. I will follow those diets, including going into the forums for each one. The "diets" I select have to be of health value, and can not eliminate a major element of food "Carbs, Fat, or Protein".I have a feeling my diet will not change at all.
3. While I am on each diet, I will still journal my food, along with giving a "points" value to compare with WW. You will get to see my results, all 21 of you!
4. I will weigh myself every week at WW to see which one gets the best results.

Well, you might not be, but I am curious about it. I always say that all diets work. I guess it is time to put my points where my mouth is! Core no more!

Follow the LEADER!

It is the ultimate goal for a Weight Watchers member. Being in WW is like a adventure video game. You start off at a low level, you gain experience points, you fight battles, and then you move up levels. You get 5 pound stars, and Bravo stickers on the way. But as every WW member knows, there is a pot of gold, a final level, the ultimate goal. Whether you want to admit it or not, deep down, everyone wants to get there. It does not matter if you are unemployed or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. The ultimate WW goal is:

The WW leader!!!!

Sure, you have your receptionist, and you have your lifetime members, but being the leader is like weight loss immortality. Not only are you at your weight loss goal, but now, you can tell everyone at meetings advice. You can put up fun flip charts, and really talk about your weight loss experiences. And I am not talking about this kind of advice:

" Okay, so this is my 7th time joining WW, and I lost 15 pounds my 4th time. Remember people, we are all in this together. There is no I in team!!! And I did real good this week. I took a cow and deep fried it, and it was only 3 points, yum!!!"

No, I mean true advice. People quote you after the meetings. People talk to you and listen about how they can be better. Yes, it is the mega goal!
But here is the problem. Everyone I have talked to has always had a issue with a leader. I am no different. I have seen good leaders, and I have seen bad.

You have the sales leaders:

"Oh my God, I am so sorry to hear about your son losing both his arms in a car accident. Also, talking about accidents, cookbooks are half off, Fruities are buy three get one free, and we have a new chedder "2 point" pita chip sample. If you did not get one, please get one before you leave".

You have your Macgyver leaders, also know as the recipe leaders:

"So my husband wanted nachos for the big game. I wanted to make them healthier. I have the recipe if you want it, but I took 5 sheets of paper towls, 2 toothpics, 6 FF mentos, and ketchup, and we fell in love with our new 1 point recipe "Betty's Macho Nachos!"

You have your energetic leaders:

"COME ON EVERYONE. LET'S GET UP AND DANCE. AS A GROUP, WE LOST 1.2 POUNDS LAST WEEK. THAT IS FAN-FAN-FANTASTIC. WHY ISNT ANYONE UP DANCING, I SAID GET UP NOW!!!!! OH, I SEE (pulls out gun). NOW WHO IS NOT GOING TO GET UP!"
And, you have your "They do not understand!" leader:

"Wow, you gained 3 pounds last week. let me tell you, it was tough for me to make it to my goal weight. I mean, I had to go from 128 to 121. I lost 7 pounds in my journey, I know you can lose 130 pounds. It is not that hard."

Of course, we have all met leaders who have inspired us, or made us feel like we are not alone on this journey. There are some wonderful people out there who make our WW experience so much better. And through it all, I guess I have realized one thing:

"Being a leader is a job, losing weight is the journey."

Welcome to the Big Apples!!

So I realized that earlier this month I had a string of blogs that had a little tip at the end.It was a little series that spanned all of four days.If you have ever been on a wellness plan, or even tried to diet in the past, then the tips were probably nothing you have not heard before. After four of these blogs, then I stopped. Not sure why I stopped, but I guess talking about my Ipod and wedding suits were much more important. Here is a quick recap of the tips I have blogged about:

Tip #1- Don't make excuses
Tip #2- Drink Water
Tip #3- Failure is not a option
Tip #4- Clothes do not make the person

See, painless. Well, today let's continue the series with Tip #5. Today before work I wanted to pick up a snack, so I went to the supermarket by my house. Snacks now are pretty easy for me. Since I have been eating better for the last eight months, fruits have been a big part of my healthy diet. Until recently, I can honestly say I have never snacked on any fresh fruit.No, I have snacked on apple sauce, and sipped grape juice, but never indulged in the "fruit in the raw".
Even when I started my program, I stayed away from fruits. For some reason, I thought they had too many carbs and sugar, so I stuck with other snacks like the super popular 100 calorie "anything".

Of subject, but is it me, or is everything now in a 100 calorie bag. I remember when it used to be just a 100 calorie bag of Oreo crusts. Now, you can get 100 calorie pork chops. A woman at a meeting I attended made the best quote when she said "Thank God for the 100 calorie snack pack, 5 of them worked wonders for me!"

Anyway, as I have written about before, during my journey, I read "The F-Factor Diet" and it changed my life. Not only did it teach me about fiber, but it taught me how to live a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise. Anyway, it talked about fiber in fruit, and how important fruit is to a diet.
Fiber in fruit??? I thought only prunes had fiber. Boy way I wrong! Raspberries, strawberries, oranges, apples, pears, etc. all have between 4-8 grams of fiber per serving. With fruit, now it was easy to maintain my goal of 35g of fiber a day. So I switched my snacks to mostly fruit.
And guess what? I felt better, and more full. So now, I am a big fruit advocate. At the supermarket today, I saw the biggest apples I have ever seen (Picture above, I think they are Rome apples). Of course I had to get them. I was stuffed after I ate them today, but it was worth it. So here you go:
Tip #5- Eat Fruit- Don't juice it, done puree it. Try to start snacking on raw fruit. Splurge with a apple, a pear, raspberries, etc. Remember, no one ever got fat off of fruits and vegetables.

You Drive Me Crazy...and other Ipod Classics!

So today I completed my second week of my boxing cardio classes.Pow, pow! Jab, jab! I love doing them! When I am in those classes, I feel like the underdog. Like Buster Douglas. Well, Buster Douglas today maybe. Even though I have come so far, people are shocked that I make it through a entire class. One of those is me! They do not see the guy who lost 183.8 pounds. They see a guy weighing around 235 who sweats a lot. But the classes work. I took a picture of me and my legs today. I look a little more defined in the shoulders, and my calves will always be big. I mean, I have to have some some positive muscle for carrying 400 pounds around.
So I was thinking today, I am pretty manly. Sure, I love to blog about weight loss, and I do like a romantic comedy here and there, but I am a guy! I mean, I do boxing now, and I dress in sweats a lot. I love sports, and I read all the men's magazines.
So why is my Ipod so girly? Not the way it looks, but why do I jam to girly music. My Ipod is filled with Brittany Spears, Jessica Simpson, Miley Cyrus, Rhiannon, N Sync, and Kelly Clarkson.
And I work out well to all of it. I run fast to "Toxic", and I lift heavy to "Since U Been Gone", and I even hit the heavy bag to "See You Again".
I know, I should be listening to Pantera, and AC/DC. I should be swearing obscenities when I am blasting Metallica in my ears. But yet, I love to listen to dance pop. That is my workout genre. Those are the songs I work out too. Sure, there is a sprinkling of some tougher singers ( Does the Jonas Brothers count.....I mean like DMX, and ummm....Akon maybe?)
I know I am not alone. I know there are tons of guys and girls who work out to dance pop. It is my favorite workout music. And let me tell you, I am at a point now where if I do not have a ipod/MP3 player with me, it is real tough to work out.
Music is so important to workouts. It motivates me to no end. Even if it is RuPaul.
Anyway, time to do some manly things. There is a new Hannah Montana on my DVR I need to watch. Plus, I do not want to burn my Hungry-Girl "Lord of the Onion Rings".

Dropping a few!

Since I have been blogging, I have gotten a sprinkle of emails here and there, both positive and negative about my weight loss. Just so you know, I love emails. They are personal, not intrusive, and it is such a pleasure to be able to talk to someone through written words.
Anyway, I have been talking to someone who has done very well with his "program", and when i complemented him on it, he wrote back a email which was nice, but was doubting how dedicated I was to eating right, etc. He is not alone, I do get emails like that often. At first it frustrated me, but I have com to realize that 183 pounds in 8 months is a lot, and maybe it does need to be explained. I can remember when I was over 400 pounds, i would go to my wife and tell her "You know, when I lose weight, I lose it fast." I do not think either one of us expected this kind of success. Well, maybe she didn't, but I did.
This guy is very nice, but he also made another comment in his email to me that made me think. He said that the name "The Anti-Jared" is negative. I never thought of it that way, but I guess he could have a point. The reason for the name was because I work in a restaurant (Chef/Partner) and I never understood someone losing so much weight by eating a sub every day. The truth is, I have a lot of respect for Jared, and anyone else who loses weight. As this person said,weight programs are like religion. Everyone thinks theirs is the best. WW, Jenny Craig, South Beach, Nutri-Systems, Slimfast. The truth is, they all work if you stick with it. Maintaining will take a little more, but no one should judge other people how they lose weight, they should just lose weight. Actually, today I heard about a woman who lost 210 pounds through Jesus. Wow, what a personal trainer!
Either way, I sent my new friend a response to his email, so I am going to post that here. Enjoy

Dear_________

I appreciate your honesty, and I respect your opinion as well.

Here is the reason why I am theantijared. I have been in restaurants my whole life. Right now I am a managing partner in Orlando, and before that I was a chef partner for the same restaurant for 6 years. I have struggled with weight loss my whole life. I have tried everything! Atkins, South Beach. Etc. Then I just gave up, and ate horribly. Working in a restaurant, and 80% of my job was tasting recipes I have developed did not help my weight loss as well. I call myself the Anti Jared because, in my opinion, it is hard to get a healthy meal at a chain establishment. I loved eating out, but, I always thought who are people fooling?? If you eat out, that is fine, but do not tell me that Subway is the way you are going to lose 200 pounds.

It is also true that I have lost 183.8 pounds in 8 months. One thing that does frustrate me is when people tell me I am not doing WW. First off, I did flex for the first two months, and I always stayed at my 44 point range. I read those weekly books like they were the bible. When you are over 400 pounds, and you are going from 8000 calories a day to 2000 a day, you will lose more than 1-2 pounds a week.

When I was in my second month in Flex, I experimented with Core, and fell in love with it. Like I blog about, Core gave me options that I never used. I ate fruits and vegetables, soups and lean meats. I am sure you can agree with me that this is different than the things we used to eat!

When I was on the WW website and on Core, I heard about a book called “The F-Factor Diet” and fell in love with it and the author, Tanya Zuckerbrot. That helped me tremendously on my journey.

The truth is, my results are not typical. I have just as many supporters as I do cynics. I also realized that if I wanted water in my life, I was going to have to cut out all “diet” drinks. I have only had FF milk and water to drink the last 8 months.

Here is a story about me that I did not blog about. When I was 12 years old, I wanted a Gameboy (I am 32 now). My parents told me I needed to earn $90 to get it, and they gave me a list of chores to earn money. The list was supposed to take 2 weeks.

16 hours later, at 5am, I woke my parents up and asked them to check my chores, because I was getting the Gameboy that day.

This plan took me 32 years to find. I am not going to let go! Good luck in your journey. And I appreciate the comment “results not typical” because that is exactly what I am.

Tony Posnanski

Blog List!

One thing that I have done over the last two months is really start reading other weight loss successes and struggles through blogs. It really motivates me, because I relate in ways with other bloggers.
So I have compiled a list of some blogs I read a lot. If your blog is not there, please let me know and I will add it. My goal is to have over 50 blogs on the little "True Warrior" list. There are no requirements to be on the blog roll, just a blog and a passion for eating well. Everyone has a great story to tell, it is time to start getting them out there.
One of my favorite blogs is this one. She lost over 150 pounds and has maintained to keep it off for a while. Wow!!!! She did it through WW, and you can tell she is a great person by the way she writes!
This guy was always there to support me when I first started. I would blog maybe once a month, and he would always be there to give me words of encouragement. From reading his blog lately, he has struggled a bit lately, but I know he will get to where he wants to be. He also likes to bet people with weight losses. I am always available for challenges!!
And there are so many other blogs. This was the first one I ever read and this one just started up, and is really detailed about her eating and workout habits.
I have forgotten so many great people, but please, if your blog is not up here, and you want it to be, let me know. I think we should all support one another!
By the way, out of all the blogs, this one is the one I love the most, because it is the whole reason why I started to have a passion for writing. It is my brother's blog.

Monday Update!

What a week! I had three days off from the restaurant, which I needed because I have been working 6-7 days a week for the last 2 months. I worked out 6 days, and I incorporated the hardest boxing cardio ever for two of those 6 days. I ate my normal WW/fiber stuff. That is one aspect I will not change for the rest of my life. I have fallen in love with my fruits and vegetables, and Greek strained yogurt, and eggs, and other stuff. Wow, to think I have never had a fresh mango or raspberries until three months ago. I have had a Mango Smoothie and raspberry sorbet, but I guess that does not count for true fruits.
With a strong week, I went to my WW meeting, and there it is, lost 3.2 pounds, bringing my total up to 183.8 pounds lost. My leader told me I should take my story national. That sounds funny, because I have submitted it to WW before, and did not even get a "And you are??" response. Plus, so many people have lost a lot of weight. Why is my story so special anyway???

My wife also tells me to submit my weight loss for a couple of reasons. They are.....
1. I work in a restaurant. As a matter of fact, until I got promoted, I was a chef for the last 6 years of my life
2. I am a guy. She says there are not a lot of successful weight loss stories from guys.
3. I lost the weight without surgery or pills
4. I have completely changed my life. I love the way I eat, I eat in moderation, and I have a new confidence.

Hmmm, she might have a point, but for now I am just focused on losing the pounds. I spoke a little in my meeting today. People had questions, and I gave answers to the best of my ability. It was fun!
So there is my little WI update. Time to get ready for working out :)

Wedding Bells!

Here is a pic of me in my suit. My wife (who looks lovely) and I went to a wedding. Now, this is where the guy in me comes out, but I hate weddings. As a matter of fact, let me clarify this, I HATE WEDDINGS!! I already had one, why do I need to go to others. Now, do not get me wrong. This was a very nice and classy wedding. A outdoor ceremony, dancing, beautiful flowers. But, I could have done other things like sleep, and sleep.
So at the wedding something funny happened that does happen often now. I talk to people who i have met previously, and they do not know who I am. There was a group of people who I chatted with last Thanksgiving who had no idea who I was. Finally I said "I met you, I was the really heavy guy at Thanksgiving", and then they knew who I was. It is always such a pleasure to refer to me as "the really heavy guy" by the way.
So the food was buffet style, and a couple of people were concerned about me, which is considerate. They wanted to see if I had the right food to eat, and moderation. Then my wife's cousin commented "Eat what you want, it is a special occasion!" Thank God for comments like that, which motivate me more!!
The truth is, with the Fiber/Core program I am on, it is so easy to find food to eat. I had a big plate of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and 2 slices of beef (about 4 oz.). That was enough for me, and then when we got to the hotel, I brought some other food just in case, but I was pretty full.
I do admit, I eat healthier when I am at events or out of town, and I eat pretty healthy in general. I also plan well, because I ate a good amount before the wedding just in case there was no options for me.
Either way, the wedding was beautiful, the bride looked fantastic, and my suit looks cool!

The best investment!

So I have gotten a few emails from people who are struggling with money, and right now who isn't. Times are tough, and everyone is feeling the pinch. They have been saying that it is tough to afford a gym membership, and going to Weight Watchers, and it is very expensive to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
So it got me thinking how much money am I spending compared to how much I did before? Actually, I never thought about it. So lets go back a year ago.....

October 2007-
Gym membership- $0- I was not a member of a gym. For what, to brag to everyone that i do not go to a gym.
Prescriptions-$150 a month. I was taking two heart medications, Lipitor for cholesterol, Advair and a inhaler which I would use twice a day because my breathing was very rough.
Food- I would rarely shop, but I would go out to eat a lot. Hmmm, let's just say conservatively I was spending $20 per day on food, maybe $50 on the weekends. I still shopped at the store, but when i would buy food, i would eat it right away. Looking at it, i think it was about $950 a month. It was probably more, but about $240 a week sounds right.
Chiropractor- I would go three times a week, with a $15 co-pay. $180 per month.
Clothing- About $500 per month. I could only get clothes at the Casual Male, and for my job, I had to make sure they were nice. My pants ripped a lot, so those were the biggest offenders.
Cleaning Lady- $300 per month. i could not bend down, so I had to have someone clean the house for us.

Those are a few things, but the list alone equals $ 2080 dollars per month. And I am not rich!! A lot of it was put on Credit Cards, but at the time were necessities.

Now lets look at the present time......
October 2008-
Gym and memberships- $169.99 per month. I am a member of to gyms (A boxing gym and a regular gym) and I am a member of WW, the meetings and online.
Prescriptions-$40 per month. I do not take those medications any more, but I do buy a very good multi vitamin at GNC.
Chiropractor/Cleaning Lady- $0, don't use either one right now
Food- I do not go out to eat very often. I have learned to try to buy food in bulk.I like quick meals, so I will buy chicken at Sam's and cook it for the week, or I will go to my grocery store (Publix is what we have here) and get a good amount of fresh fish. That is the most expensive thing. I also buy steam fresh vegetables, fruit, Fiber One, All Bran, etc. I do not buy Crystal Light or Diet sodas, but I do buy bulk bottled water. So I would say I spend about $900 per month, and that is on the high end.
Clothing- Losing weight does mean you have to buy clothes, but buying clothes when you are thinner is a lot easier. Now, I spend about $200 per month.

So overall now, I spend $1309.99. I also spend another $200 on books a month, and since I have been blogging, I have not been watching as much TV or playing video games. So about $1509.99

But the truth is, even if I was spending more money, it is worth it. I knew going into this journey that I could not half-ass it. I would have to change my life completely. When you have to lose 200 pounds, you can not just cut out soda, or walk a little. No, no you have to do a life transformation. I knew that from day one. I have kept up with it from day one, eight months ago.
My wife and I have struggled with money, and we still do. $1500, let alone $50 is so tough to come by. But I guess the point I am trying to make is that you can see a difference if you change a couple of things in your life, and eliminate a couple of others. Instead of going to Outback tonight, get "The-F-Factor Diet"book and read it. Instead of going to the bar and drinking, join a gym.
Right now, I am spending money, and I think it is the best investment I have ever done!

Weekend quotes for all!

So I have been reading a lot of blogs lately, and I started to ask myself why do I write a blog? Is it because I want to tell my story, and have it on a nice little website? Is it because I want to try to help others like me, and maybe give them a couple of encouraging words? Is it because I am a little selfish, and I know that if I write good advice down, I will follow it as well?
I realized the answer is yes to every one of these questions. I feel like a blog, or diary, is so important in weight loss. It is a way to not only let people into your life who would never be there before, but it also helps you see how you are doing each day, and kind-of self help situations based on advice you have written before.
Either way, I love blogs now! I love to read and write them. I have written a lot of entries over the last month, and I have to tell you it is fun. Today is Friday, and for the first time in a while I am actually off on a Saturday. I am going to a wedding, and I think this is the first weekend day I have had off in over a year.
When I read other blogs, the weekend seems to be the most struggling part of people's journey. It is when all the guards are down, the food gets a little greasier, the portions get a little larger. The sofa looks more inviting than ever, and then on Monday, when they go on the scale, they see the results, which they "kind-of figured". I never hear anyone talk about the horrible Wednesday, or the unforgiving Tuesday. Nope, it is always the weekend. For five days we work hard, and then we always have excuses why we make poor choices on the weekend.
Well, since I am finally off a real weekend, I am in the same boat as everyone else (usually my "weekend" is Tuesday and Wednesday because those are the days I take off). I want to motivate myself, and others. I was thinking last night about some of my favorite quotes, the ones that kind of help me out when I am about to make a bad decision, or don't want to get out of bed. So, here is a few of my favorites:

1. "The key to weight loss is eating foods you don't like"- Usher Perel

Usher is my grandfather, and I used to hate when he told me this. Being a overweight kid, my grandfather was the epitome of health. He would always tell me to eat food I hated because I would not eat so much. Of course, he would be doing this while eating corn flakes with water. Just so you know, I always hated this quote! It made me mad, because I never wanted to hear people who never had a weight problem give me advice. You don't see me giving Michael Jordan basketball advice, I never played the game.
But...I see the quote now, and I agree. A lot of times, we do not even know what we like, because we are so used to eating what we always have. I always thought I hated cabbage, or raspberries, but in fact after eating them, I realized I love them. You have to be more adventurous, and do it for yourself. When I go to the grocery store now, I always pick up two foods that I have never eaten before, and I try them. I think I had dragon fruit the other day. Ohhh, sounds scary!

2."Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."-
Albert Einstein

One of my favorite quotes, because it is good in the business world as well as personal world. It used to frustrate me when I would eat a lot of food, and then gain weight. This happened to me all of the time. It would frustrate me when my back would hurt, yet I never worked out. It made me realize that if I change my life, the outcome will be different. If I eat let, i will lose weight. If I eat healthier, I will have lower cholesterol, if I take risks at work, sometimes it is positive, but at least I took a chance. I can not be insane.

3."There is a 3 point banana"- Fun Crazy Leader

I went to a WW meeting that was not my own, and the leader was this woman running around, going crazy. She was having fun, and it made the group have more fun. When she made the comment, which I have never heard, it made me realize no matter what plan you are on, moderation is so important. A slice of pizza will not make you fat, neither will a Snickers bar nor a cheeseburger. but all of them numerous times will destroy a good plan.

So those are a couple of quotes. I have a few more, but do not want to drag the blog out way to long. Please, if you have some great quotes, let me know. I think the more we get motivated, the healthier we will all be!

It suits me!

My wife loves this picture. It is of us at the Ritz Carlton going to a friend's wedding about a year ago. It was one of the most lavish, expensive weddings I have ever seen. There was a fireworks show, ice sculptures, fancy food everything you can imagine to make it a special wedding.
Now, of course, I will tell you why I do not like this picture. Do you see my suit? Ah yes, it is a Perry Ellis Tuxedo. It has been worn by many other overweight men. Now, let me explain the fiasco I call "I just need something that fits."
About a month before the wedding, my wife told me I needed to get a suit. She gave me time because of my size, and we have tried to get clothes in the past, and it takes a while to find.I was dreading this. Shopping for a guy over 400 pounds is the most humiliating experience of all. But, I knew it needed to be done. We first went to a department store, and they measured me. The man who put the tape measure around me said I was a 62 jacket size and a size 60 pants. 62 and 60!!!! Wow, that is huge! I asked him if he had anything in black, and he looked at me in sadness. I knew the look, I did not want him to talk. It was the look I have gotten a few times in my life. It was the "We do not even come close to carrying your size" look.
We left that store, and went to another one in the mall. Yep, got the same look. I got used to that look all day long. We went from store to store in the mall, and could not find a suit that would fit me.
Then we went to a Men's Warehouse. I told him I was a 62, and asked if he had anything that would fit me. The salesman said "I do have a 54, do you want to try that?" Sure, because I am not embarrassed enough, now please let me put on a jacket that I know will be too small. We left there in a rush.
We looked all day, and there was no suit that would fit me. Forget about selection, I just wanted something that would fit. Finally, my wife had the idea to rent a tuxedo. It made sense, I mean there were overweight people who wore tuxedos, maybe they would have one for me. We went back to the mall, and went to a tuxedo rental store. We talked to the guy, and asked him if he had anything. He thought, and then said "Well, the only thing I have is this Grey tuxedo, but it will be two weeks to get in because of your size, and it will be a $250 rental per day because of your size.
Well, "because of my size", I did not have a option. I ordered the suit. When I got it, I felt so crappy in it. I remember being sad because I had no options. When you are overweight, that is the biggest problem. You have no choices. You have to get what will fit, not what looks good.
Needless to say, I felt so uncomfortable at the wedding. Everyone was in a black tuxedo or suit, and I was wearing a rented Grey Tuxedo with a vest. I felt like a big goober.
So this blog came up because I am going to a wedding this Saturday with my wife. I have lost so much weight, that I needed to get a suit.But this time it would be different. I measured myself, and now I am a 44.
This time around, I went to the mall and 10 minutes later, I got a suit. It is black with pinstripes. And the best part, no one wore it before me.
I will be posting my new suit pics on Facebook this weekend. If you want to see, send me a friend request (Tony Posnanski).

My true love

Every time I look at this picture, it makes me angry and sad. It was taken in 2006, when I was at the peak of my heaviness. My wife and I went to Disney world, the happiest place on earth, and it was so miserable for me. First off, it was tough for me to walk around the park. My back always hurt, and I had to sit down a lot. My wife was understanding, but it didn't matter to me, I felt like I was letting down the team. I couldn't fit on a lot of the rides. Again, my wife understood. We slept in separate beds because I couldn't fit in a king size. We couldn't sit in a booth at a restaurant. I sweat a lot. It was not a vacation, it was torture.
Yet, through it all, my wife understood. I met her in 2000, and she saw me when I just completed a crash diet. I was about 240 at the time, but I hid it well. I think i lost 65 pounds, I was 305 before. We would always go out to dinner, and spent so much time together. It sounds silly, but I knew she would be the woman I would spend the rest of my life with. We met in Charlotte, moved to Buffalo, and then to Orlando, which we call home.
During our 8 years together, I gained an enormous amount of weight, about 180 pounds to be more exact. That usually happens after you do crash diets, and boy have I done them. To me, a crash diet is changing the way you eat just for a short time to get your goal. And I would never have a hard time hitting a goal, because I always knew I lost weight fast.
But when I was around the 350-420 range, my life was a struggle, which I have talked about before. I wasn't lazy, but always tired, I put things off because I did not have the energy to do them. Work was tough, even though I was always a good manager. I was so miserable, yet I did nothing about it.
My wife was miserable as well, but she did not talk to me about it that much. I feel she lived every day as it would be my last, and who could blame her. The doctor put me on 5 medications for my heart and blood pressure, yet I did not take them every day. I was a true walking time bomb.
We would start to argue about my weight towards the end, but as a selfish person does, I would always be on the defensive. I never was able to see her point. Why did she care what I did with my life, I mean, I can eat what I want!
And that is where I changed in February of this year, which was the 18th anniversary of my first "diet". I changed everything in my life, my eating habits, my workout habits, and my perspective on life. I learned to love foods that I never ate before, like raw fruits and vegetables. I learned to love fiber, and eat 35g every day. This time is different than the past times, because I really changed from the outside in.
But I also learned that I am doing this for my family. I want to live a long time with my wife, and I can not and will not sacrifice that ever again!
I love to read blogs on here, because I think every person is unique and has a great story to tell. I read a lot about people struggling every day with their own weight loss, and people always ask me what do I struggle with?
After living the last 32 years overweight, sluggish, selfish and unhappy, hasn't my family and I struggled enough?

Fun Tony Workout Day!!!

Today was one of the first "days off" I have had in a while. I take a lot of pride at work, and running a restaurant can be very tough. I have been in and out of my store for the last two months, but today, I wanted to stay away from the store. Now, when I was over 400 pounds, I would basically sleep on my days off. I hated going shopping because it was hard to bring in groceries, and to walk in and through stores due to exhaustion. So I would either sleep, play video games, or watch TV on my days off.
Now, I am a little different. I like to be active, but today i was a little crazy active. First off, I joined a boxing gym earlier this week called LA Boxing. I always wanted to box, and it looks fun. So this morning I had a 15 minute free training. Well, I breezed through that. He kept on asking me if I was okay, and I said I was. He told me that there was a boxing class later that night, and asked if I could go. Well, the 15 minutes was easy, so why not.
So around 6:30, I went to a boxing class. It seemed like a fun little class, there were a couple of guys, and a lot of girls with pink boxing gloves. I asked the guy next to me how the class was, and he told me "Good Luck".
Good luck was right, I got my butt smacked for the next hour!I hit the bag, did jumping jacks, squats, everything known to man. I sweat so much it wasn't funny. But I kept up. At 239, i was still the biggest person there, but I did not quit once. When it was over, the teacher came to me and said "Good job big man!"
That was real nice, but I wanted to do more. I had such a great workout, I did not want it to end. So I drove to my other gym, Lifestyle Family Fitness, and started to work out. First I did 50 minutes on the elliptical machine. I learned today that the elliptical machine is so easy compared to an aerobics class (look Mom, I put an before a vowel). After that, I did my circuit training.
I usually work out very intensely and hard, but today took the cake. You know something, i had so much fun. I am so glad I can enjoy days off like this now, working out and eating good.
I am also happy that I got to wear my hoodie today. I love hoodie sweatshirts. On guys, girls, anyone!
I learned that one thing I have is dedication. I just need to make sure that it will be there for the years to come!

Those Weight Watchers Fanatics

Weight Watchers is a funny thing. First off, I think it is fun. I have responded and talked to so many people on it, and 98% of them have been very nice. I always type little messages on the WW online board, well, because I am bored and want people to see my blog. People I have met who have done WW have been really nice, and love to share their experiences.

For the last month, I have been a little frustrated with WW, and it clicked today why I have been. First off, the program I am doing (Core) which you eat until you are full, and you eat from a healthy variation have been great. It changed my life (along with my fiber knowledge). It is not a diet, but a way of life. WW also has another program, Flex, and that is what you might have worked with, you know, the one with points. It is more about moderation, which works real well for some people, and I think most people have their success with that.
Now,I did not know this, but a lot of Weight Watcher members have a debate on Flex vs. Core. The core people think that Flex is not realistic because you have to count points, and the Flex people think that Core is to restrictive. To me, who cares!

Anyway, back to the subject. I have been frustrated because of the Long Time Crazy Weight Watcher members, otherwise know as the WW fanatics. I joined a Yahoo group filled with them, I think it was called "Serious Weight Watchers Only". Yikes, it was scary. I think these were the requirements:
1. Had to have been in WW for the last 25 years, quitting and starting back 27 times
2. Can't stand success
3. Will not tolerate other people losing more than 1 pound a week
4. Flex is the only way
5. Flex is the only way

The last two is what has been frustrating me. There are so many nice people in WW, it is those fanatics who ruin it for everyone. On this Yahoo site, it was nothing but you will fail and you will fail.They know everything about Weight Watchers, yet they are mad at the world because of their failures. You know, we are all together for one thing, to get healthy. You Weight Watchers fanatics, leave us newer members alone!! I think they make it rough for all the nice Weight Watcher members, which is most. If you want to meet some real nice people, go on the WW.com forums. Talk about support!

I have also been upset because at my meetings, my Barbara has not been there. Barbara is the receptionist, and the ONLY reason i go on Monday's at 8:45. She is so nice, supportive, wonderful, and she makes me feel good. When I lose weight, she throws her hand in the air and yells "I knew it". She always asks me how I am doing. Plus, she has lost a nice number, 40 pounds and kept it off for over 2 years. That in itself is a feat!
So for the last month, she has been in Spain. I am happy that she got a vacation, but selfishness wanted her to be there for me. So every time I would come in for the last month, I would weigh in, and no one would say anything. The leader, who is real nice but can be a touch condescending just smiles. It irritated me, but I was tough. So finally, Barbara came back this Monday, and was real excited to see me. I felt great! When I lost the 4 pounds, she looked at me and yelled "That's my boy".
Those are the little things that get me going!

What did the scale say????

So I have done the exact same thing every single Monday for the last 8 months. I put on Grey shorts, a white t-shirt, and I wear slip on black shoes and I go weight myself at Weight Watchers.I love the WW scale. I will be honest, this is my favorite thing about WW, and is totally worth the $40 per month.
When I was younger, my mom put a digital scale in the kitchen. I used to weigh myself all the time, every morning, afternoon and night. I became obsessed with the scale.One day 234, the next 237, the next 233. I knew exactly how much I would lose overnight, how much more I would weigh with shoes on, how much a certain pair of pants would weight. I loved weighing myself all the time.
But it got pretty unhealthy. When i was trying to lose weight, I would beat myself up if I gained one day, and lost the next. i would try to combat that by not eating regularly. But I was so obsessed with the scale.
After I got older, the scale did not mean that much to me because frankly, I could not fit on one. The scale would not hold me anymore. It is tough to get a scale that measures over 400 pounds. At the doctor's office, I was known as a VIP, or the 350+. The scale that I loved before, I hated with a passion.
So now, I keep a healthy distance. I only weigh myself once a week, because I know if I weigh myself more than that, I will become obsessed again. I popped on the scale, and I lost 4 pounds, bringing my total to 180.6 for my journey, and only 19.4 pounds before getting to 200 pounds.


When I was leaving WW, I thought I heard the scale say "Proud o ya kid", but I am not sure?

I am a nice guy!

Wow, so I finally got a little hate mail. I think that is kind of neat, seeing that probably only 14 people have read this blog! So here it is:

Congrats on being on a DIET for 32 weeks, but I'm sorry to inform you that I don't believe you are doing Weight Watchers.
In 32 weeks you have STARVED yourself doing a variation of a few plans,and freely admitted this yourself. Your results are BEYOND typical. This is prob why friends/coworkers ask if you had the surgery. I know people who have had GBS who didn't lose as fast as you.
FYI WW recommends .5-2 pounds a week. For those of us who are extremely obese its 1% of what you weigh that week.
What you have done is put a strain on your heart and other vital organs. Also when you take it off so quickly you have a higher chance of regaining.
Jumping on the WW website and patting your own back, telling people how you have done this on WW, is very misleading.
You aren't fooling ANYONE but yourself and a few naive posters.
Toot your own horn all you like, but you won't convince anyone but YOURSELF that you are following the program!

Wow! This person is soooo angry at me. Here is what I can say. I love doing this blog. I have written more in the last 10 days that I have my whole life. But, I want to clear up a few things about me, and my plan in life:

1. I do not starve myself- Not in the least. I eat a lot, and when i say a lot, ask my wife. Now, here is a typical day for me

Breakfast:
1/2 cup Fiber one with 1/2 cup soy milk
3 apples
6 oz. of fish or chicken

Snack:
1 mango or grapefruit

Lunch:
6 oz fish
2 slices Double Fiber Bread
1/4 cup FF cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
2 cups green vegetable

Snack:
4 Fiber Crackers with 1 cup salsa

Dinner:
8 oz chicken
3 cups of vegetables (Broccoli is my favorite)
8 cups air popped popcorn
4 fiber crackers

Snack:
2 cups Broccoli

Now that is a typical day. I realize the choices I make are not what everyone makes, but... I have been loving it for 8 months, and I feel confident I will be able to live my life like this.

2. I do WW, along with other tips I picked up from books. WW is a good program, but I did not like counting points. I do not think anything is wrong with point counting, but for me, I couldn't see myself doing it for the rest of my life. I do a variation of WW called core, where you eat certain foods until you are full. Also, the book "The F-Factor Diet" by Tanya Zuckerbrot really showed me how important 35 grams of fiber a day is. I do believe that fiber is the key to weight loss. I like WW, but I LOVE Tanya (In a fiber way of course).

3. I lose more than 2 pounds a week. Enough already with the recommended 1-2 pounds a week. I get it! I realize it. What can I do? I am not starving myself, and I work out a good amount. I drink more than a gallon of water a day. I go to see the doctor every month, and my heart rate is perfect (120/70 last time) and my cholesterol is at 140.

4. Gastric Bypass- I know people who have done it. All it does is limit the amount of food you eat. Look at my diet, I really try to eat healthy. I do not snack on a McNugget all day.

I guess what I am trying to say is that being obese is so tough! And guess what America, you can lose weight! It doesn't matter how you do it. Whether it is the South Beach Diet, WW, Atkins, Zone, Sugar buster, etc., everyone has a plan. I just want to see people lose weight, and get healthier. Whatever program you are on, that is awesome, because you are trying to get weight off, and that is the most important thing.

One more thing, I do not think I am fooling anyone. I am just a guy who was sick of being unhealthy.

Crystal Light Anonymous

So I was thinking today, I wish there was CLA meetings (Crystal Light Anonymous) meetings. I could just imagine, it would be every Tuesday at 6pm. There would be a group of us sitting down, hugging our water bottles, all ready to tell out stories of Crystal Light. I would want to get my talking over with, so I would go first....

Hi everyone, my name is Tony, and I am addicted to Crystal Light. I have been clean and sober for 8 months now, but it has been tough. My addiction started when I was much younger, the good old 1990's. My mom and I would go shopping, and weight was always a issue, so during the Snackwell days, I looked for anything that was low calorie. Sodas were good, but there were not the variety I wanted. Then I saw this product Crystal Light. It came in a couple of flavors (Lemonade, Iced Tea, Raspberry,and did I say Lemonade) and it was in 2 quart mixes. I bought some, and it was okay. I tried to make single glasses, but it was nothing exciting. I would do it occasionally, but was never loving it that much.
A few years later, someone at the Crystal Light factory, who I like to call "The richest man alive" came up with a idea. He made different delicious flavors for Crystal Light, and he made them pre-portioned to go into water bottles. I bought a box, and remembered the taste when I was younger, but so much better.
At first, I bought a box, but then it was a few boxes a week. My wife was drinking them with me, and we were living the good life. Kiwi Strawberry, Blueberry Tea, you name it. We were on top of the world.
I always knew that straight water was better for you, but the Crystal Light was so good. I would have it with my Chinese Food, I would have it with my McDonalds. I would drink it at night, and all day. I loved the stuff!
While I was drinking all of this, i was gaining tons of weight. Now, Crystal Light is only 5 calories, so who cares. But it made me more hungry. But who cares! All those flavors, yum......
So I made a commitment to go cold turkey when I began my weight loss journey. I threw away 12 boxes of Crystal Light, and gave away 6 more. I have been clean for 8 months. And I hope I will be clean for the rest of my life.

After the meeting, we would all get together and chat. And then I could imagine a guy pulling me to the side and pulling out a Crystal Light Raspberry Ice pack. And all he would have to say is:

"One won't hurt, will it?"

Diets Do Work

So I was watching TV when I saw a add for Weight Watchers, where they made the bold statement "Diets don't work, Weight Watchers does." Now, I am a big fan of Weight Watchers. I could tell you the points that are in a pencil (1 pencil is 1 point, 2 is 2.5 points). I could rattle off every core food item (Salsa, Chicken w/ skin off, apples, etc.) I could tell you how many points are in a activity (Brushing my teeth is a .5 point activity). But I have to break the news to Weight Watchers:

Diet's Do Work

It is true. I bet if you are one of the 12 people reading this blog, you have lost over 20 pounds once or twice in you life. Hell, I will get bolder. I bet you have lost over 30 pounds before. And how did you do it? I am going to guess through a diet. Whether it is Atkins or Zone, TrimSpa or South Beach, every overweight person has lost weight through a diet. There are so many diets out there, it is not even funny.

As a matter of fact, I just read a article about a woman who lost 150 pounds on Slimfast. SLIMFAST! In the article, it states that she followed the diet to a T (Everyone knows the Slimfast plan, repeat after me, a Slimfast shake for breakfast and lunch, and a sensible dinner). Now if someone lost 150 pounds on Slimfast, anyone can lose weight!

But anyone can not keep off the weight! That is the key that Weight Watchers forgot to add. Dieting is not fun, but it works. It works real well. Everyone has had success on Atkins, how many people are still on it. How many people live their lives on the Zone diet, or have lost 200 pounds on Nutrisystem. No, the weight is hard to keep off for your life. Everyone struggles with it. That has always been my issue. I have always been a dieting champ, but never a "keep the weight off" kind of guy. That is...until now! I have the secret to keeping weight off. It is one of two things, and they are:

1. Eat Smaller Portions

2. Change the way and types of food you eat

Boy, that does not seem to difficult. Yeah right, it is hard! It is easy to go with a plan for a month or two, but for the rest of your life, it is rough!

I have really changed the way I eat, and I feel this is something I can do for the rest of my life. hell, it has been eight months, and I do not miss the fast food I used to eat. i love the food I eat now, and I change up the fruits and vegetables all the time.
I guess what I am trying to say is this: Weight Watchers, we know diets work. Don't try to tell us they do not. We have done them before, and gained back more weight. All of us have. But...why don't you promote maintaining well-being for the rest of our lives. That would be nice!

Clothes do not make the man/woman

I have been to quite a few Weight Watchers meetings, and some have been good, and some have posed the question "When am I going to get the 45 minutes I wasted here?". I remember one meeting where it was about accessorizing, and how to look slimmer with clothing. Of course, I was the only guy there, so they were talking about skirts, and heels, and blouses to hide problem areas.
While bored out of my mind during this meeting, and not wanting to get up and make a scene, I started to think of by favorite clothing store when I was very overweight, the Casual Male XL. Ahhh yes, this store helped me a touch during my 400 pound days.
When you gain and gain, the clothes you have and wear all the time will still fit you, but when you go to buy newer ones, it is a different story. Well, it was not too long after my 400 pound days that my pants started to rip. And when I mean rip, I mean unfix able rips. I needed new pants, but where? So I went to Wal-Mart, couldn't find a pair because their big and tall pants goes up to only a 50 waist. So I went to Dillard's, still did not fit because their big and tall pants go up to a 54.
I was in a panic! Would I have to wear a barrel to work. Actually, would I have to saw two barrels together to get them around me. I was scared, so I Googled big pants. And there is where I came up with the Casual Male XL. They are in most major cities, and as I have been talking about, they deal with the larger man.
So I went into the store, and it is not the biggest store in the world, but they have a lot of things for big guys. They have pants, shirts, suits, underwear, belts, and even shoes. All name brands! Not the best selection in the world, but 300 times better than anywhere else. Plus, they had my pants, the George Foreman hidden elastic slacks. I bought 3 pairs, all size 60. Wow, they carried a size 60, not really a hot item (Just in case you are curious, I was a size 60 waist, meaning I was five feet around.)
I also bought a belt, some underwear, a couple of shirts as well. For maybe 10 pieces of clothing, I paid $635 dollars. Wow, that was a lot of money for clothes. But it was not a want, it was more of a need.
I write this because yesterday, I was able to put on a large shirt (The one I took a recent picture in). It has been so long, that I thought the smallest size for guys was a XL. Nope, they had a large. And you know what, maybe soon I will be in a medium or smaller. I no longer am able to go the the Casual Male XL to buy clothing. Now, I can go anywhere.

Side note- Casual Male also has a catalog where you can buy a back scratcher, a scale that goes to 1000 lbs., a suitcase handle extender, a seat belt extender, and a little extended hand that helps you pick up things. Whenever I looked at this, I realized that these are things I needed when I was over 400 lbs.

So here is my tip, and please read the whole tip, because it is not negative at all:

Tip #4- Clothes do not make the person- Sure, we all have a great outfit, and things that make us look better everyday. But the true great feeling is when we have passed on the dessert for the first time in a long time, or drank enough water, or walked a mile when we never walked before. I could wear a belt that makes me look slimmer for now, but I want to look slimmer by having a healthy lifestyle.

No option!

Okay, I have a confession to make. It is going to be a shocker, so hold on to your pants. It's huge, such big news. Actually, it is not that big at all. Okay, i will tell you:

I have never seen a full episode of the Biggest Loser

I haven't. The show does not appeal to me. Now, I love reality television. American Idol, Kitchen Nightmares, one of the dancing shows. I love them all. Biggest Loser never appealed to me.
As I talked about on a earlier blog, I was close to being on the Biggest Loser, back in 2006.My wife talked me out of it, because it was not the best way to lose weight. At the time, I did not agree with her, so I watched a episode. I saw people exchanging bad food for phone calls, and adventures climbing rocks, and I saw someone eating a Subway sub...and then I turned it off.
She is right, it is not a realistic way to lose weight for the rest of your life. It is a show that exploits overweight people. They have great trainers, and famous trainers, but how successful is it in real life? Perfect point, the show has been on for what, five years. Well, I got "The Biggest Loser Success Stories" book (Just so you know, I love hearing about success stories in weight loss), and I only saw about 18 stories of weight loss, successful long term weight loss. What about the other 70-100 people who were on the show? How did they do with weight loss? So you are going to tell me the show has a 20% success rate?
As I said on earlier blogs, I am a managing partner at a restaurant, and we had a party of 20 people, and it was "special" because there was a woman guest speaking who was on "The Biggest Loser". Trust me, I could not tell you her name even if I wanted to, I think it started with a D. When they came in, I introduced myself to everyone, and then they told me they were from a experimental diet company, and the new pill they had would gel up all the food I ate and come right out of me. The spokeswoman lost 7 pounds in her first week. So of course it works!!! Right??
Listen, weight loss is such a struggle. Everyone goes through bad times, it is a part of life. There are always situations you will go through, Thanksgiving, the leftover cake in your refrigerator, the family going out to Cheesecake Factory....so many things. I have also read a lot of blogs of others who are struggling with portion control, what they are consuming, and keeping weight off. I have gone through all of that, and I wake up every day scared it will happen to me again. So here is my tip...

Tip #3- Failure is not a option. The food will always be there. The McRib comes and goes, Taco Bell always has something cheesier and meatier, BK always has a new sauce to put between "meat" patties. You will always have Thanksgiving dinner, and Christmas dinner, and birthdays, and Valentine's day, and kid's birthdays, and fourth of July......

But my health is not a limited time offer!

H2-Ohhhhhhh

I remember when I had my first "diet" drink. I was at the grocery store with my mom, and they had a diet Shasta in a glass bottle. it was strawberry, and I was shocked that a diet drink came in a fruit flavor. My mom bought it for me, and it was love at first gulp. The year was 1989. Since then, I made the commitment to only drink low calorie drinks. Diet Coke, Pepsi, Sprite Zero, Sierra Mist, and the 1200 flavors of Crystal light were all in my beverage arsenal. In fact, I have not had a regular drink in close to 20 years....
Now, here is the funny thing. I have these drinks, yet I was getting fatter and fatter. It is kind of embarrassing to be over 400 pounds and only drink diet drinks. But I think there is something to it...
I am not a doctor, or can I tell you all the health benefits or risks of Nutra-Sweet, but there is something wrong with drinking all of these drinks and still gaining weight? Every time i had a diet drink, I felt more hungry. I would have headaches, no matter if it had caffeine or not. I would feel tired all the time as well.
So I made the commitment to only drink water about 8 months ago. And guess what...it works. I am not as hungry, nor am I tired. I feel good, and I do not feel like I am going to pass out.
So here is tip #2- Drink Water. Go to the store, and splurge on your favorite bottled water. Do not change your eating habits at all. But I will tell you, if you switch from drinks with chemicals to plain water, you will see a difference within two weeks. I guarantee it!!

Office Space

I might have said this before, but I am a restaurant manager. I have been doing it for over 10 years, and I do admit I love it. It definitely wears on you with long hours, and unpredictable days on/off, but overall it is fun.
Now, here is what I did not ever mention. The first 100 pounds I lost was when i was a manager at Chili's. That is right, Chili's. I will take it one step further. Not only does Chili's have some of the most unhealthy food out there (I think it has 6 of the worst 10 foods in restaurants), but it is a terminable offense if you do not taste the food every shift.
When I started at Chili's, I was a physical wreck. My back hurt all the time so I had to sit down a lot during the shift. I would spill things on my shirt, but never was able to see the stain. I was sloppy, and I was sweaty. I would have sit down after sit down about my performance. Then the worst thing happened.... I was labeled a "office manager".
In restaurants, you do not want to be labeled a office manager. What that means is that you are lazy. They use the term because you basically sit in the office when you should be working. Things were not looking good.
Plus, the food is so bad for you. Yeah, yeah, I know, they have a guiltless section. Guiltless my ass! The water there has 300 calories!
And as bad as the food is, I made it worse. Did I love to eat the food, in the most disgusting creative ways. One time, I took a NY strip, I put it in the batter the chicken crispers came in, deep fried it, put it between a hoagie roll with BBQ sauce and ate it as a snack. Not as a meal, but as a snack. Uhhhhg, I can feel my heart tense as I talk about it.
But......I made a commitment for my family, and I lost weight while working there. I would exercise every day, and avoid the food. I would smell food instead of taste it. I would look at shelf life rather that eat during a quality check.
As I have talked about before the weight came off quickly. I started to run around during shifts, and I never sat around. On one of my last days, and I promise this happened, my area director sat me down and told me I needed to be in the office more. I smiled, and told him that is all I needed to hear. I thanked him, and gave him my two week notice.
So why am I typing this???? Well, over the next few blog spots, I am going to give some of my favorite tips. Nothing you have heard before, like eat a peach, or do sit ups before you go to bed, but realistic tips.
So TIP #1- Don't make excuses. If I can work out, eat right, and lose 100 pounds while working at Chili's, then what is your excuse.

177 pounds lost...yeah right!!!

Well, I lost 2.2 pounds this week, giving me a total of 177 pounds so far. Wow, I am only 23 pounds away from 200 pounds, and I am not that much farther from being under 200 pounds. I am working real hard. As I have said in the past, I have truly changed my life. I eat and life so much more positively. I have my fiber, and I stick to very "core" foods, like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and lean protein rich dairy. It sounds boring and constrictive, but it is not. There are soooooo many different foods out there, like I have had over 12 different kinds of apples, 4 different kinds of pears, etc. I am loving my new life. I am full, I have the energy to work out, and I have the determination to succeed in life now.
Still, I feel like a weight loss outcast. I have done this in a very healthy way (I go to the doctor every month just to make sure) yet people look at me like I had surgery, or I am starving myself. Both are so far from the truth. But, people are people. I know that I am losing weight the right way!!!
Well, I am looking at December 13th as my day to be under the 200 pounds lost. Wish me luck!!

Ohhhhh, a NSV

So while losing weight, I have picked up on some of the newest weight loss terminology. For instance, WI means weigh in. Okay, that is all I really know. But I did learn about NSV. SO I know two. A NSV is a non-scale victory. Non scale victories are my favorite because they come out of nowhere, and make you feel good.
My first NSV happened at about 365 pounds when I was finally able to go 10 minutes on the treadmill. At the time, that was incredibly exciting. Since then, I have had a ton. I don't want to bore you with some of them, but here it goes:

Re-sized my wedding ring 3 times
Was able to put on a seat belt
Was able to sit in a restaurant booth
Was able to sit in a chair with arms
Went from a 5x shirt all the way down to a L-XL
Was able to tie my shoes
Threw away over $1200 worth of over sized clothes
Was not recognized by the Senior Vice President of my company
Was able to do 5 miles under a hour
Put on clothes I wore 8 years ago
Doctor took me off my medications
Doctor did not remember if I had gastric surgery or not (I did not!)
Able to use the bathroom properly

The list goes on and on, but today was something I did not think would happen so quickly.I went to Old Navy, and I tried on a pair of pants. Mind you, seven months ago I wore a size 60 with the "4 inch" comfort elastic band. Today,I fit into a pair of 36 pants. Sure, they were tight, but they fit.
And as tight as it was, it felt good!

Alli McMeal

So my wonderful wife made a comment to me yesterday that made me think. I saw some tortilla chips in the house from a restaurant that I questioned. My wife said they came with her salad, and I might have rolled my eyes, I am not sure. Then the next comment out of her mouth made me think. " You know, why haven't you spoken about Alli on your blog, you took it before, right? I mean, no surgery, NO PILLS???"
Ahhhhhh, how I have forgotten my wonderful time with Alli for a month. This is true, I was a pill pusher,or pill popper. When I went to see my doctor at 420 pounds, I asked him if there was any pills I could take to help me lose weight. I always asked this question. I was hoping one day he would have closed the door after I asked this, and made a comment like "Okay, I have something, you will lose all your weight in about a month, but do not tell anyone, okay?" But.... that never happened. Here is what I heard, "A healthy diet will help you. With your heart the way it is, you can not afford to take a pill that will speed up your heart rate."
But the time I went to see him at 420, he gave me a different answer. I asked him about pills, and he said "You could try Alli, don't really know if it works."
So I didn't hear the last part, I was excited that their might be a pill that would help me. I made the commitment to lose weight, and I went out to buy a started pack of Alli.
$60 later and a cool pill holder, I was on my way. I started to read about it, and it gave suggestions, like only have, I think, 8 grams of fat a meal, and lower your calories. Alli will do the rest. Also, wear dark pants, because you migh leave skidmarks.
What? What kind of warning is that. I am 420 pounds, sweaty, bald, and now I might have a stain in my size 60 George Foreman pants. Yikes!!! But, if it works......but stains...but weight loss! So I used it the first week, watching everything I ate. Never had any side effects. The second week I joined Weight Watchers, using Alli. Still nothing, no side effects, following the prgram to a T. Still no side effects.
After about a month, I lost weight, but I was eating real good. I never felt a side effect, nor did I really feel anything from the pill. $60 dollars is a lot, so I decided not to buy the pills anymore.
Funny thing is when I stopped using the pill, I lost the exact amount of weight every week, no difference. Actually, when I started to eat more fiber, I lost more.That is when I learned the truth about pills. They don't work, period. Healthy eating, exercise, water, and a good amount of sleep are what will help you lose weight.
So here is my opinion on Alli. I do not know if it works, but it might be worth it, because it will scare you enough to eat healthy because you do not want to stain your pants. The better option is someone holding a baseball bat around you and saying "If you eat more than 8 grams of fat a meal, I will hit you with this!!"

Tanya the true Fiber Queen

So I joined Weight Watchers earlier this year, and let me tell you, it works. If you watch your portion sizes, you will lose wight. I don't know the true science behind it, but I guess if you eat less, you will lose weight. I go every week to get myself weighed in, and sometimes I stay for the meetings.

I don't care what anyone says, Weight Watchers is not so guy friendly. I mean, I have seen three guys at meetings, and all of them looked like they wanted me to help them look for their "lost puppy" deep in the woods. Not only that, but the topics are how to accessorize, and dance your fat off. Listen, I am not John Wayne, but come on, guys have to have a safe haven as well.

Wow, that was off subject. Anyway, I was losing weight, but....I was real close to realizing I would not be able to count points my whole life. I mean, that is just me. I was on the Weight Watchers website when I saw a add for a product called Fibersure. It was a little commercial hosted by a woman named Tanya Zuckerbrot.It talked about fiber, and I am like everyone else, I know what fiber is. Prunes, ummm, prunes...oh yeah and trees, right? She talked about how important fiber is to a healthy lifestyle, and talked a little about her book The F-Factor Diet. So, I went out, and I bought a bottle of Fibersure and the book.
Let me tell you, I read the book, and it completely changed the way I think about food. It talks about how important fiber is, how people do not get enough fiber every day, and the positive health effects fiber has.
I also learned that fiber can be found in fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. I thought "Wow, I mean, I like those items, why can't I incorporate them in my diet."
And that is exactly what I did. Instead of a "2 point" WW candy bar, I had a apple (There are more than just red and green apples, I was excited to learn). I ate All-Bran and Fiber-One, and liked it! I would look for natural foods with fiber to enhance my eating. I felt fuller, and I felt better.
Weight Watchers has a plan kind of like it called "Core" where you eat certain foods until you are hungry. When I combined the two, there was no stopping me. I mean, I was a efficient machine.
Not only that, but my cholesterol went down, I was exercising more, I was feeling good. Looking better too.
When I lost 150 pounds, I wrote Tanya a note to thank her for her knowledge. She actually called me back, and we talked. Wow, I was so excited. I actually talked to someone who changed my life.
The reason why I am writing this is because this past weekend, my wife and I went to a health food store, and I saw a display of these new fiber bars, fiber pills, and fiber chews by a woman named Dr. Brenda Watson. I guess now she has the Fiber35Diet, which was real sad to me. I mean, I know people have to make money, but that is not the fiber I know, a chocolate fiber bar? I told my wife now I can see fiber being exploited like Atkins, Zone, Jenny Craig, etc.

Just so you know, that bottle of Fibersure is still sealed in my pantry. I thank Tanya for giving me the fiber knowledge before it got out of hand, and for helping me lose 175 pounds. I would rather have the apple.