Quick Diet Update

It's been over a year, and I've stalled out a bit. I've been at around the same weight, give or take, for several months. I talked to my sister (a clinical dietician), and the plan is now to change up what I eat and split it into several smaller meals, to try and jump-start my body. I may have just gotten used to the process. I'm not surprised, but it's a bit discouraging. I've still lost 90 pounds, but I want to keep making forward progress.

MIlestone

Here I am, posting every six months like clockwork! I hit a major milestone in my weight-loss program, the day before Thanksgiving. Bad timing? Perhaps. But very good news. About 19 years ago, I announced to my family that I had unfortunately exceeded 300 pounds. I did this to shame myself into losing weight. Sadly, it didn't work. But Wednesday, for the first time in 19 years, I got under 300 again. There's no stopping me now!

A Turning Point, or The Food Baby

Today, I had McDonald's for the first time since I started my new eating regimen. So at least since January. For those that know me IRL, this is kind of major. The McDonald's double cheeseburger is awesome, and their fries are the best. I didn't really have an all-out cheat day in May at all, so today I decided to have some McDonald's...and try the new Beefy Nacho Burrito from Taco Bell. TB is my favorite fast food place, and a new item there is like a holiday. So today I had a cheat meal and ate some crap. As I was eating it, I could taste the bad-for-me. I came to the realization that, if I'm to indulge every once in a while, I'm not going to waste it on this crap. I felt like I had a rock in my stomach. This is important new information for me, and a great sign that I'll be able to stick with this program, not only until I meet my goal, but for the rest of my life. Yay, me. Oh, and I'm currently at 45 pounds lost.

Less of me

I'm not calling it a diet.

I'm calling it a change of lifestyle. A diet is something you do temporarily, whereas this is going to be a change that lasts forever.

It's nothing radical, because radical is short term. I'm just eating healthier. No fast food. No fatty or fried food. No desserts. Good bread. Every three weeks or so I'll cheat one meal just to not go crazy, because I can't imagine living in a world without Taco Bell (and no, fresco menu doesn't count).

I've lost 34 pounds as of today since January, though it might be more because I hadn't weighed in before that since October. Today I passed a personal milestone, so that's why I'm sharing.

I'm not stopping. I'm not going back. I WILL be able to buy pants in normal sizes. I will live longer and maybe get rid of the cane and the blood pressure meds.

I will not fail.

Good Times

I've been in a pretty good, stress-free mood for a couple weeks now.

I know this seems like a waste of a post, but anyone who knows me IRL will realize the impact of that statement.

I'm an old, fat man

I have now been sick for 13 weeks. It seems to be dissipating. The coughing and snotting are more infrequent now, but it's still there, so I still count it. And don't forget the staph infection in my face that made it swell up. I tend to keep colds for a long time, but this is a new record.

But there are other things. I've got a pain in my neck...or back. It seems to move. No clue what that might be. My arthritis seems to bother me more than it used to. My ankle swells more often and for longer duration. I feel new issues all the time. I've realized that I'm old, and losing the weight need to lose to feel better will only get more difficult. And I find it hard to even start the process.

You'd think my health and my kids would be motivation. But it's so, so hard. I don't know what to do.

ahtitan and the Deathly Hallows

So, I'm an idiot.

I started having a sore throat at the end of my shift on Tuesday, and when I woke up it was a full-blown cough/cold. Did I mention that this was Tuesday SIX WEEKS AGO? Still sick. It progressed through the usual pattern of voice loss, where I can imitate a predictable litany of voices as mine goes away: Charlie Brown, Eeyore, Emperor Palpatine, Movie Trailer Guy. During the second week, my uvula swelled so large that I went to the doctor to rule out strep or the plague.

After six weeks, though, it was getting a bit ridiculous. Following a rather violent coughing fit this morning, my wife wisely suggested that I "go to the fucking ER." I did. I have bronchitis and possibly am headed into pneumonia. They put me on three different meds, at least one of which is making my heart race.

Hopefully, they'll do their job before my chest explodes, and also before my show opens in two weeks.