Starting over

I set this thing up months ago, with plans to be in great shape (or at least at a better weight by the summer.  Well it's almost November, and not only have I not made any progress, but I'm back up to 220 (at least).    So what else can I do except start today as day one and hope not to regress any further?  More to come...

Week 1

February 2, 2006

Weight:  208 lbs.

I'm off to a strange start here. I was originally planning on having my meds by the 1st (yesterday) and having a good workout last night. Well neither actually happened. I just got the Prozac today and the Phendimetrazine is on its way but might not arrive until early next week. I order my meds online because my health plan does not cover most prescriptions (especially diet meds) and I've been able to find some good deals and reputable pharmacies who I can fax the Rx to. There's also some that will do an online consultation (for a considerable fee of course). So I won't be on the medication regimen just yet, and as for the gym that shall remain nameless (24 Hour Fitness)... Well I went last night expecting to work out the membership thing either there or just do a one night pass and sign up another day. Well they decided to be anal retentives because I needed an "orientation" or something stupid. As if I never stepped foot into a gym? Whatever! I suppose I could have gone someplace else but I don't know of any other place in the area that keeps late hours and is as well equipped. So both ideas were killed on the day I was completely psyched about getting back in the swing of things. So day #1 was a big disappointment. I did make an effort to drink more water, and watch what I was eating (especially not eating a ton of food just before bed). I guess since I HAVE "officially" started, with or without the gym and meds, I should do anything possible to stick to the plan. I just have to remind myself that it's only a delay and that I can't quit because I get discouraged (on day one!). Anyway I hope to have some better news for the next entry.

Introduction

Well here I am again, just over five years after I started my first serious weight loss regimen. Looks like I'm starting once more. My first journey began January 20, 2001 when I weighed 275 pounds. I had gotten a prescription for the new diet drug Meridia and it worked better than I ever expected. I would lose 25 pounds by March, 50 by July, 75 by December (by then I added the fat blocker Xenical and started exercising more because my rate of loss slowed way down). I hit my goal weight of 180 the following March, and even managed to go 20 pounds beyond that by June, when I was 160. In total, I lost 115 pounds and hadn't been that skinny since high school. It wasn't the ideal weight however, as I'm a 6'1" male, so naturally when I finally quit the whole diet thing and slacked off about getting any exercise, I started to gain it back. By the end of 2002, I was back up to 195-ish, and I would fluctuate between 190-200 for the next few years. Recently however, I started to gain more, and am now in the 205-210 range. I decided that I don't want to go back to where I was when I first started, and I'll look at this attempt as a journey to lose 25-ish pounds, which makes it sound a lot easier than it was originally, when I had close to 100 to lose. So once again, my goal weight is 180, I'd like to be there by June, so that gives me about 4 months (which works out to about 1 1/2 pounds a week which should be reasonable).

I am taking medications to help with the appetite again, this time I'm taking a sort of "Phen-Pro" combination. Phentermine (actually the sustained release Phendimetrazine 105mg, or Bontril, which is similar but supposedly works longer and with less jitters) and 20mg Prozac, which is supposed to help with the Phen much like Fenfluramine did (in the "Phen-Fen" combo) before it was discontinued. Apparently Prozac is similar in that it helps to elevate serotonin levels which complement the effects of the Phentermine. Apparently without the heart valve issues either. I've heard and read good things about it, and some studies have shown a success rate almost equal to that of Phen-Fen. I'm naturally skeptical of course. I have tried Meridia again since I went off it, but I think I'm too tolerant to it now and it doesn't help much anymore. It worked great for the first 6-8 months and then it started to wear off. I'll be on this plan for the next 2 months or so, and if it doesn't work, I'll try to get the regular Phentermine and see how that goes.

And unlike last time, I'm planning to incorporate an exercise routine in early on. I'd really like to have some definition this time and not just lose weight only to gain it back later. I'm getting a membership at a gym nearby (I HATE gyms but they have all the equipment and resources I need- and if I pay for a membership I might feel a little more inclined to use it?). I just hope I don't flake out and not go. I've done that many times before.

So that's about it. I plan to keep up with this blog on a regular basis to document my progress and hopefully provide some insight to others who are considering a similar "journey".