The Trap Door of Weight Loss

In 2005, I was standing in my front yard when all the sudden my chest tightened and pain started to radiate up my left arm. I had Type-II diabetes, high blood pressure and a body so overburdened with work and neglect that it was shutting down. Over the next 4+ years, I lost 100 pounds. I am now healthy and disease free. Read about how I did it here: How I Lost 100 Pounds (and kept it off)

Here I am, still maintaining my loss. Awesome, right? It is, but my "after" picture just became a "before" picture. I'm ready to lose the last 20. Dumping 100 pounds gave me a new body but now I want to realize my potential. For years, I've wanted to run the LA marathon. I can't do it at this weight. The last time I went surfing, I had to ride a long board. That's what happens when you're thicker around the middle and can't balance on a smaller board. (There's got to be a short board around here somewhere). I'm a little too large to fit in designer fashions, which goes with the next one big reason: I'm looking for a new office and in my shallow industry, I need to look my best. Nowhere in my list of reasons is wanting to conform to gay clone torso standards. If someone doesn't like the way I look on the beach, they can go fuck themselves. I'm not plagued with low self-esteem, self-loathing or body image issues. I have no interest in possessing a six-pack, unless it's that wonderful Pellegrino with a spash of orange juice.

So what's the plan? I started with a bang A Cleansing (juice fast) with 5 day a week cardio and light free weights. Now, I'm juicing in the morning and following portion control and as healthy options as I can the rest of the day. I'll probably do another juice fast in a week or so. I always do my best to drink a gallon of water a day. Yes, I pee a lot. So far, I've lost 5 or 6 pounds, my Tanita scale can't decide. I trust clothes and mirrors a lot more than scales.

At my last checkup, my vitals were beautiful. Despite being 20 pounds "overweight", I am in excellent physical shape. The biggest weight loss tool is being happy. Without this, the best possible outcome is (probably) yo-yo dieting or using narcotics or throwing up or starvation to maintain weight loss. My own area for improvement? Professional and creative stagnation. I've started a new writing project but my new dream office hasn't revealed itself yet. I learned during the process of losing 100 pounds--these things aren't separate. I also have too much "stuff" in my house. In cleaning all this up, I will lose weight. I will clear out extra belongings, the flotsum and jetsam and negative people who get in the way of my goals. Life boils down to upstream or downstream. If it feels "upstream" I need to dump it. I've been holding onto some "upstream" ideas for a while. I'll write another blog on upstream vs. downstream soon.

If anyone belittles of ridicules (you or) your dreams, you have my permission to jettison them from your life. I've done it and it was everything I ever thought it could be. Now I'm off to a 2am gym workout. On the way home, I'll stop for kale.

(My secret: vegan diet, no booze, drugs or cigarettes. Walking, water and recreation, The Western diet is bullshit. A plant based diet can cure disease and save your life.)