Category: Diet

— Again with the weight loss…

On May 1, 2012

Between Labor Day 2010 and late-February 2011 I lost over 80 pounds using hCG and following the protocol through several cycles.
During that time I also went from using a rather strong blood pressure medication, to not needing it at all according to my Doctor, within the first 3 weeks of following protocol.
However, in March of 2011 Doc ran my lab work and discovered a problem, my cholesterol was TOO LOW, total of 104! Not a bad problem to have you would think, right? Apparently though, if your HDL (Good Cholesterol) drops below 35 you are at risk for a heart attack, and mine was there, at 35.
In the process of experimenting with various food combinations, attempting to raise the cholesterol, I started to put on a few pounds… then a few more. By September I had my HDL up to 60, total Cholesterol back in the 130’s, but had regained 50 of my lost 81 pounds.
While I did regain some weight, I didn’t regain much of the waist. Clothes I had bought to replace the stuff that was too big still fit, a little snug at times, but it fit, so that was good… most of the people I work with didn’t even notice I had gained again.
So, with everything under control lab work wise, I played around with my food combinations and kept my weight stable for a few months, and, on March 31st, I started the drops again, and on April 2nd I was back on the low-calorie days. Since that weigh in on April 3rd I have now, 30 days later, lost 30 pounds. Only 20 left to go to be where I was, but only 10 days left on the cycle. Hoping to lose 6 more pounds (to make up for the weight I gained while loading those first two days). Then, 3 weeks of phase 3, 4 weeks of phase 4, at the end of which I will hopefully have gained nothing back, and even better, perhaps dropped a few more pounds.
Once I get there, the end of June, I’ll decide whether to go a short phase 2 round (3 weeks) or to begin my next journey, the Paleo Lifestyle (Diet as some call it).
Ideally, I want to get down to around 220 pounds, maybe even 210. I’m 6’3”, I think that should be good enough, and I’ve been so heavy for so long, that I’ll feel like I’m walking on air.
Going forward, I plan to make regular updates, weigh ins, food lists, recipes, etc, and chronicle my little stroll down the Paleo Brick Road.

75 Pounds and Other things I enjoy about life

By Jim Williamson

On February 12, 2011

In Day to Day, Diet, Family

It’s been 22 weeks, maybe 23, I don’t always count so well. and I am down 75 pounds. I have worked my way through 2 belts so far, one with 7 notches, one with 4 and time to buy a new one…

It’s wonderful how great I feel these days. No more backaches, no having to remember to take my blood pressure medicine each morning…

Still no hunger, and no real cravings for anything, most days… the smell of bacon does make me bit wistful sometimes, but sweets, and such are a thing of the past.

HCG rocks as a diet plan, that’s all I can say folks. If you need info, head over to Better Health HCG and Deb will take care of you.

My new granddaughter is now 1 week old as of last night. Irelynn Rose is her name. Not sure what we’ll end up calling her, but the name is cute and so is the munchkin! So I now have 1 grandson, 1 grandaughter, AND their mother past her nursing board exams the day before Irelynn was born, so I have an RN in the family too!

Feeling sluggish this morning, nasty cold, need to work myself up for another good rant soon… in the meantime… cya!

Resolutions? I’m still working mine!

By Jim Williamson

On January 15, 2011

In Diet

So, the first of the year has come and gone. Everyone has made their resolutions, and most of you have broken them already.

Don’t make that face, you know it’s true. Most of the resolutions made were forgotten within the first 3 days of the year. So, here it is, January 15^th, and I’m still working on mine! My resolution this year is simple. I want to reach 220 pounds, by the end of May. What was my weight on New Year ‘s Day? 275 pounds.

How do I intend to lose 55 pounds by Memorial Day? Simple, the same way I lost 55 pounds between Labor Day and Christmas! The most common name for the diet I am on is The hCG Diet. Some of you will recognize that name. There is a lot of chatter about it if you look around, use Google, you’ll find it. Some of the feedback is good, some is bad.

Personally, I think the bad press comes from just a few of types of people. Those who have never tried it, but think they know everything (we all know at least one of those people), those who tried it, but lacked the willpower, or the simple ability to follow instructions, and those who are busily trying to promote something else, something usually less successful, and they can’t stand to see something this easy come along and ruin their chance at a profit.

The beloved Before & After pics that seem to accompany every miracle weight loss ad you see. Only thing is, I’m not selling anything, and these are not ‘posed’ in fact, I had to dig around to find a before shot to share. I hate getting my picture taken, and hated it even more when I weighed over 330 pounds! The ‘after’ pic is not really after, it’s just a halfway pic. One of my sibs snapped it on Christmas Eve at my place.

On the left is Memorial Day Weekend, 2010, shot at a friend’s wedding. The middle shot was taken at Sony Studios in August 21, 2010, I was at about 330 pounds then. The last shot, on the right was taken Christmas Eve, 2010 at 275 pounds – None of them flattering, but you can see the difference between the 2^nd and 3^rd pictures.

We’re talking drastic change here. A Change that needed to be made. Two weeks after I started this diet my Doctor took me off of my blood pressure meds, pills I had been taking for several years. I have not needed them since. I’ve had lab work done, to be sure everything checks out well, and all is fantastic. I am due to be checked again in mid-March. When my Doc saw me last I had only lost about 30 pounds total. He is in for a surprise! He has seen me try to lose weight before, watched as I struggled from one fad to another, never losing more than 10-15 pounds before the weight started coming back. I am starting another round of the diet this weekend, so by the time I see the Doc 2 months from now, I should we another 30-35 pounds less than I do now. So I will be 60-65 pounds lighter than when he saw me at the end of September.

Now that I am settled in and comfortable with the diet, I’ll be posting more info, sharing, and hoping it might help some other folks. I know I have gotten a lot of compliments lately on this, and a lot of questions about the diet and how to go about it.

Cya soon

Diet, Self-Control, and Will Power

By Jim Williamson

On December 22, 2010

In Day to Day, Diet

back in August of this year I made a stunning discovery – I had gotten fat. Not just a little pudgy, but downright FAT. I weighed 330 pounds, more than double what I weighed when I got out of High School.

It really seemed like a new revelation, as if it had just suddenly happened. I remember thinking I was a little heavy, maybe could stand to diet. I even started doing Atkins several years ago, and I did lose weight, and kept it off as long as I followed the lifestyle. Then it all came back, plus some!

In addition to gaining the weight I seem to have gotten shorter. One of the Chiroprator’s I spoke with says if I get back to a normal weight range, I may be able to get the height back. We’ll see.

So, In August I was up to 330+. I started paying attention to what I was eating, and started dropping a few pounds, very slowly over the next few weeks. The I remembered something a friend had told me abut back in Aptil or May, a diet he was on, and he had been dropping weight Fast. Majorly fast. So I checked in with him, he had at that time dropped 86 pounds so far this year. 70 of that between April and August, so I took notes, got the literature, invested the time and the few dollars needed, and Labor Day weekend, started down the hCG Diet trail.

Taking homeopathic drops 3 times a day, for 40 days. Eating a strict 500 calorie a day diet, only allowed specific foods in specific combinations. I thought it sounded crazy, bt I had seen proof it worked. I just didn’t think I could eat so little. Boy, was I ever wrong. My problem turned out to be easting so much! Some days I have had to force myself to eat.

I lost 35+ pounds that first 40 days. Then I started the next Phase of the diet, and fell flat on my face… didn’t stick to protocol, went way off base… gained back 17 pounds in 6 weeks.

I started a new round, back to Phase 2 (the first phase really) weighed in at 302 pounds, loaded on 2 more pounds the first 2 days (supposed to do that) so I was at 304+ on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

I sit here, 26 days later, at just over 273 pounds. I have lost over 30 pounds in 26 days, and we start Phase 3 tomorrow. This time I will stick to the protocol for the next 21 days and start a new Phase 2 on January 14th.

I had to buy a new belt today, my last one had 7 notches on it, and back in August I was wearing it on the very first one… this past week, despite wearing it on hole 7, it was still loose. Over 6 inches gone off my waist along with the 56+ total pounds I have lost in what will be 18 weeks on Christmas day.

Next P2 round will be another 40 day round. Armed with what I have learned this past round, I can at least make a pound a day I think, or damned close to it. So I am expecting to end the round with 38-40 pounds gone. As long as I maintain this P3, that means I should be at roughly 240 pounds. 20 pounds from my goal!

At 6’3″ (6’2″ right now, need that back fixed!) 220 will be just fine. But damn, I have to buy a lot of new clothes!