I'm Hitting The Reset Button

I feel I am committing one of the major sins of weight loss: use the same scale to weigh yourself so you get a consistent reading each and every time. After using the same scale at the doctor's office for the past 27 weeks, I am hitting the reset button. In previous posts I've explained how the doctor's scale always seems to be off by at least five pounds. Once it said I lost 30 lbs. in one week! The nurses even said that people have complained how their scale weighs people heavier than other scales.

From now on, I will be using my digital scale at home. I feel more comfortable with this scale and feel it is more accurate. I once checked the scale using my dumbbells. I place my two 20 lb. and two 10 lb. weights on the scale and it gave an accurate reading of 60 lbs. THIS is why I trust my scale more than the doctor's scale. Example #2: When I got up this morning and weighed myself here at home, the scale gave a reading of 316 lbs. When I went to the doctor's office the scale gave a reading of 321 lbs. THAT IS A FIVE POUND DIFFERENCE! A five pound difference is huge when you are are counting every pound. I am sticking with my scale which I have proven to be accurate. So starting today, June 22, 2010, my starting weight is 316 lbs. I will reread my books and look at this as a fresh start, a new beginning.

I have noticed many changes in my appearance lately. I have officially dropped an "X" from my clothing size. I no longer need to wear 3XL-4XL shirts. I can now fit comfortably in most 2XL shirts, depending on the manufacturer. My pants size has dropped from a 54" waist to a 46"-48" waist. Which means that I can now find clothes that fit at "regular" clothing stores. I no longer have to buy all my clothes at Casual Male Big & Tall, where ONE shirt and ONE pair of pants can cost me almost $80!! Now I can buy a pair of pants and a shirt at WalMart for $20. Thanks to a birthday gift card I received last week, I was able to go to Target and pick up three shirts and a pair of pajama bottoms (all size 2XL) for just over $20. I just wished I had the money to buy new clothes that actually fit.

*OFFICIAL* Results

I went by the doctor's office today for a free MRI. It was to check the veins in my neck for any clots and such. I should be getting the results back in a week or so. Before I left I asked the receptionist for a copy of my lab results from December 2009. Now I can really compare the results of 26 weeks of healthy dieting and exercise.

December '09:                            Reference Interval
Cholesterol, Total:  211                   100 - 199
HDL Cholesterol:  84                        0   -  149
LDL Cholesterol:  136                        0  -  99
Vitamin D:  15.8                            32.0  -  100.0

June '10:
Cholesterol, Total:  121         down 90 points = 42.65%
HDL Cholesterol:   42           down 42 points = 50.0%
LDL Cholesterol:  64            down 72 points = 52.94%
Vitamin D:  51.4                     up 35.6 points = 325.32%

My doctor was really impressed with the changes. All the numbers are so much better now. He kept asking me how did I do it. My answer was the same every time: "The Biggest Loser, healthy eating and exercise." To see numbers and results like this, it really makes me feel proud to know that I am making a difference in my health. Yes, I can see the changes on the outside, but to know that I am healthier INSIDE. That is a huge relief on my mind.

26 Weeks Later

The results are in. After 26 weeks of working out and healthy eating, I have lost about 88 lbs.! My weight as of June 15, 2010 is 322 lbs. No, I did not reach my goal of losing 100 lbs. by my birthday. BUT I did lose weight by my birthday and that is the important part. Yes, I WILL eventually reach my goal of getting under the elusive 300 lbs. mark. And YES I will reach my target weight of 250 lbs. It may take me the rest of the year but I do intend to keep going.

The outside changes are the most visible. What you cannot see are the changes happening within me. I got my lab results back from my doctor today. There have been many significant changes over the past six months. When I started back in December, everything was bad. I had high cholesterol. I was producing too much insulin. The doctor was going to give me medication for that but decided to see how it first went without any medication. My vitamin D levels were extremely low. I started taking 2000 units of vitamin D along with a multivitamin that contained 700 units of vitamin D. Three months later there were improvements all around. My cholesterol went from over 200 down to 162. My insulin production went down. My vitamin D increased from 12 to 36.5. The base level for that should be around 32. Jump to the present and it gets even better. My cholesterol dropped again down to 121. Previously my LDL cholesterol was 104. Now it's down to 64! My vitamin D went from 36.5 to 51.4!

So needless to say, I am feeling much better than I was six months ago. All my clothes are starting to feel looser. I was finally able to get into my "goal" pants. My pants size has gone from a 54 inch waist down to around a 48 inch waist. My shirts have gone down from 3X to a 2X. I wore one of my favorite shirts the other day and that sucker was HUGE on me. My friends at work said I was "swimming in it". I could not believe it, either. Now it feels like a tent.

It feels great getting these compliments. It is exactly what I need to keep me going.