Week one is behind me and I am off to a great start. Lost nine pounds. I can't say I was ever hungry so that helped a lot. Still, I see food around me wherever I go, and I think I nibbled on it whenever I passed it. It was hard to go to lunches and not eat, and I almost made a couple of new lunch dates until I caught myself. And of course a birthday party for my granddaughter, a rotary luncheon, a church dedication service......I survived at all and am ready for week 2.Blood pressure was 124/70. That's good.

I got my second week of food supply. I don't want to manipulate my diet but these costs are just too high. I am sticking to 800 calories a day and drink 64 oz of clear liquid, mostly water. I have sworn off Marge's Donuts which are so often available at meetings I attend. I will focus more on how good they look than how good they taste, And when that one I would have picked for consumption is still there when I leave, it still looks good and I have saved it from extinction, at least for a little while. I missed the Lions meeting Tuesday night. Somebody brought pizza. Glad I missed it. Today (Thursday) is Rotary at noon at the Swan Inn. I will forfeit the lunch.

Monday, another lunch meeting, this time at the Secchia Center downtown. It looked good but I sent it back, except for the lettuce salad.

Tuesday 7/19/2011 My second weigh in. lost another 7-8 lbs so we'll call it 8. Doctor wants me to eat a little more and put exercise on my program. Make sure I get at least 800 calories a day. I committed to at least every other day.

Well what can I say, I ate right and exercised more but only got one pound to show for it. But it is still in the minus column so I can't be disheartened. I think the fact that i stopped using a diuretic the day before the weigh in my have contributed towards the low production. Looking forward to results 3 months, 6 months, 1 year from now. It will be so exciting.

I did have to pass up a few things this week, eating at birthday party, luncheon meetings, and oh, it was hard to pass up on that pulled pork at the pig roast I attended Monday night. Hence the disappointment of losing only a pound.

Much better results. Went down 5 pounds. The hardest was chairing a Rotary Social last Thursday at Amore restaurant. I caved in a little and had a glass of wine and ate a delicious CAPRESE (cah-pray-say) salad, made with a bed of lettuce leaves with ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sea salt, basil and extra virgin olive oil. Unforgettable!

Week 6

A loss is a loss so I won't argue with the results. I went through a lot of trauma this past week with inflammation in both my legs and excruciating pain. One day of inflammatory and I am back on the right track. I have a high level of uric acid as well, and hope to be able to control that. Supposed to take my medicine of a full stomach. Can someone describe "full stomach" for me?

There were at least four picnics I attended this past weekend and I passed in flying colors, sticking to my diet plan. I absolutely have to do more exercise, I am running out of excuses. I have an inexpensive membership at Endurance Fitness Center, paid up for a year. I now have bar bells at home my daughter and grandson let me use, and my feet are almost back to normal. Still in some pain but tolerable. Come on, Alex, don't just record weight; commit to daily exercise!

More picnics, and a 40th anniversary party. I cheated on some home made broccoli salad and of course, my own recipe Napa salad. Maybe that's just what I needed to shake up my metabolism a little, resulting in a four pound loss. Last Wednesday I went out to eat with our auditors and Amore, and for lunch I had another Caprece salad. What a treat! Sadly my feet are killing me and I will need to see my family doctor soon for some medication. Reaching 280 pounds is a milestone for me. My next goal is 250 but I will be happy to be at 270 after week 12 and before I transition to off the shelf foods.

Week 9 is referred to as a disaster because I gained back a pound despite strict adherence to less than 850 calories a day. I must have reached a plateau and I know very well I need to exercise more and drink more water. Looking forward to week 10

I did a little better and lost two pounds. I met with nutritionist and began talking about transitioning to a normal diet beginning in two weeks. We will be in transition for 4 weeks and then be on normal foods only. Governor Snyder wants all of us to lose 5 pounds he and wants to set the example. I beat you to the punch, Governor. I am down 33 lbs and my immediate goal is to lose another 49. I am juggling prescriptions a little to reduce water retention and pain and swelling of my feet, while staying conscious. Blood pressure is 110/70 and I don't want to go lower.

A great week. I lost 7 lbs but don't know what I did different. One more week before I begin conversion to regular food. I'm anxious for fresh fruits and vegetables. Bought bagels for the staff today.

This is my last week before beginning to transition to normal food. I'm being tempted once again with what looks like such healthy food yet I have to leave it alone. This Friday, I attended a meeting at the Heritage Restaurant, the culinary school of Grand Rapids Community College and the food looked oh so good. Just the presentation made my mouth water.

Saturday morning was breakfast with my sister and my brothers again. Eating wasn't so important but I do miss those fantastic pecan pancakes at the Rainbow Grill in Hudsonville.

This week's verdict is in: another 5 pounds down, bringing me to 267 for the first time in many years.

This week's results were not as productive as hoped for, but still significant. I had hoped to make reach total loss of 50 lbs but it will have to wait another week. Down 4 pounds for the week is not shabby, especially since I started eating a little more and my meals now include 5 oz of lean meat each day and 50 calories of vegetables.

259.7 lbs was good news. I feel like I have achieved another goals (260). My next goal is 240 lbs and I feel confident I can meet it. But it will be more challenging because I am being transitioned to real food. Monday, I ate at the Prince Center and enjoyed a salad and chicken. Wednesday evening will be harder as I will be at a banquet in Mount Pleasant.

One more week left before I fully transition. It seems like the "dining out" last week did not bother me too much. The scale said 255.5 so I am down 56 lbs. Now comes the real challenge, with a three day out of town conference and an out of town event Saturday as well. I must excercise!

It's Saturday night and I have plenty of guilt. This was the first week that I know I did not follow my plan. I am committed to go to Endurance Fitness Center Sunday and make that a daily affair. No Alex, stuffed mushrooms are no longer vegetables. I can't understand why nobody at home likes my red cabbage with a little sweetener and cloves and chunks of uncooked "honeycrisp" apples. It's a treat! The week ended Tuesday with expected results.......I maintained my weight.

A major setback Wednesday night. I attended a fundraiser that involved food. I have the rest of the week to make up for it. At the end f the week, I lost two more pounds

This was really my first week totally off product. I believe I did well but the scale said different. Personally I blame it on water retention.

No changes in my diet but I lost 5 pounds y the end of the week. That makes my total over 60 lbs since the inception of my program. My immediate goal is to get under 250 lbs. My next goal will be 230. That does not seem too far off at all any more. I believe maintaining this log has been a great help to me. I also plan to continue participating in Spectrum Health's support sessions over the upcoming year.

A few challenges this week, a dinner sponsored by the road commission with the most succulent beef I have tasted in a long time, a free meal from Applebee's for Veterans, and I still lost two pounds. That is very encouraging. I still have to get used to the 60/40 rule which means eat 60% of your calories before 6:00 PM. And exercise is still a struggle. I feel great.

Thanksgivings week and I am stepping into it with encouragement. Down 2 more pounds as we approach Turkey Day. That apple pie that was baking in the office's kitchen smelled so good. I learned that appreciating the aroma leaves no guilt behind. I am also learning to enjoy things other than food. Sunday evening we enjoyed a choir concert in which my granddaughter participated. American folk songs. It was so entertaining. I should get out more often!

The Thanksgiving week is behind us and Thanksgivings day was great with all the kids and grandkids at home. Carving the ham and the turkey is still my job and I did get to eat some of the morsels. I thought I would pay the price but I did OK this week. That includes participating in my oldest granddaughter's 12th birthday party Sunday. I did good this week. I lost over 3 pounds. I'd celebrate with a much needed drink but that would not help me with my goal. Instead I rewarded myself with an HP Touch Pad. Great move!

Not so disappointed now, staying steady at 244. We'll have to have another surge after New Year. I am enjoying the Christmas season and still eating "responsibly".

It's the week before Christmas and all through the day,
Thoughts enter my mind about how much do I weigh.
Was I naughty or nice this long festive week?
May I step on the scale and take a quick peek?

Despite a few stumbles, I did very well
Santa will be pleased, I think I can tell.
What will he bring me, what will it be?
Something non edible, that is my plea!

Shame on me, I did not attend my weight loss classes (Live It) or officially weigh in and was quite concerned surviving the holidays. I must say I enjoyed the food and stayed away from sweets, and still managed to down six pounds since the week before Christmas. I'm actually starting to look good as long as I keep my clothes on.

The holidays are behind us and we are back on schedule. I want to continue attending Spectrum Health and participate in group sessions. The scale there has been good to me and I am pleased to report the loss of another pound. I need to do a better job of exercising and also of journaling my food intake. In the long run, this will make a big difference. Before I lose much more, (I wish) I want to join the Grand Valley Health 12 in 12 program, promising to lose 12 more pounds in 2012. 220 lbs seems like a visible goal if I continue on my current path.

Superbowl week was difficult. That was week 31. Today is Valentine's Day and week 32, and after a good lunch at Applebee's (550 cal) weighed in at 230. That may well be the lowest I have weighed in decades. It makes 220 look realistic.

Great Week! Weighed in at 226.8 this Fat Tuesday. I bought pączki for our staff. 350 or more calories per roll. I did not participate in the consumption. Wonder if there is anything I should give up for Lent. I did pass up a piece of cheese cake this past week. My favorite treats now are Meijer Sugar Free Bread & Butter Chips. Hmmmm, oh so good and 0 calories.

Week 0	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6
312	303	295	294	293	288	287
0	-9	-8	-1	-1	-5	-1

Week 7	Week 8	Week 9	Week 10	Week 11	Week 12	Week 13
284	280	281	279	272	267	263
-3	-4	1	-2	-7	-5	-4

Week 14	Week 15	Week 16	Week 17	Week 18	Week 19	Week 20
260	256	256	254	256	251	249
-3	-4	0	-2	+2	-5	-2

Week 21	Week 22	Week 23	Week 24	Week 25	Week 26	Week 27
247	244	244	244	241	242	242
-2	-3	0	0	-3	+1	0

Week 28	Week 29	Week 30	Week 31	Week 32	Week 33	Week 34
240	236	235	236	230	227
-2	-4	-1	+1	-6	-3


The lettuce salad stayed....	The chicken, bread and dessert went back