242 pounds

Yes, I once more hit that dreaded plateau. I have fluctuated between 238 and 242 for about six weeks. I have taken a couple of mini-vacations and have eaten high-calorie diets on those excursions.

Not much of a weight loss guru am I.

On August 3 I added two nutrients to my regime. Yes, one should only add one nutrient at a time and I violated my own policy but here goes.

1. I added CoEnzyme Q-10 b.i.d, morning and night. Because I purchased the powder that comes with a scoop, the amounts are not real precise. On the side of the bottle it says that the enclosed scoop provides 100-300 mg of active ingredient. Beyond A Century is usually a little more accurate about this stuff. One has to be careful not to consume too much Q-10. No side effects noted.

2. I added 500 mg. L-Carnosine, b.i.d. No observable effects.

To summarize, my weight has stabilized around 240. I perceive zero results from Q-10 and carnosine.

239 lb. and the Miracle of Cinnamon

I fell under 240! Yea! For only the fourth or fifth time since the early 90's I have fallen below 240 lb. The lowest was 228 in late 2003, early 2004.

To review: On June 23 of this year I weighed 252 lb. Shortly thereafter, I restarted the Atkins diet. Of course I am usually sloppy in its implementation which is why I am reluctant to call it Atkins. I call it a high protein diet.

Usually I eat a tomato/day. I eat a few salads and a few store-bought crispy stringbeans and a few ounces of unshelled sunflower seeds.

One reason for my success (roughly 2 lb. per week) is that I have attended fewer weddings, cook-outs, social events this summer. Not through a policy of social isolation but probably coincidence and/or the dismal economy. At any rate, social isolation has certainly improved my dietary success.

Reason number two: Cinnamon.

Just a teaspoon of cinnamon makes the tonnage go down
The tonnage go down
The tonnage go down
In the most delightful way

Through the use of cinnamon and arginine supplements I have cut down to two meals/day. Of course, I have been taking arginine for over 20 years. So the improved results have to be credited to cinnamon.

I work M-F 3-11PM. I usually eat a large protein meal at 1PM. I nibble unshelled sunflower seeds (I swallow the shells. Fiber nonpareil) on my grueling hour or so commute. From 3 to 11 has been problematic before. For better or worse, I have access to free food. And it's gooood! Pharmacy reps shower my bosses with manna from heaven. Upscale manna. Gourmet manna. Manna divine.

And if the pillboys did not provide enough temptation, my kindly co-workers are forever offering to share their lunches, their dinners, their snacks. They even cook for me and offer to buy me sandwiches and pizza and Chinese food. Gluttony is always but a syllable away.

In the past, I would get so hungry that I would yield to temptation. But now I am able to curb my appetite with a teaspoon of McCormick cinnamon every three or so hours. I also take arginine 1x per shift. Both arginine and cinamon elevate blood sugar. There are redundant hunger signals but the ones associated with low blood sugar are probably the worst--fatigue, irritability, loss of mental focus, headache to name but a few. I cannot perform my work duties when I am extremely hungry and the cinnamon and arginine help me to do so.

Once or twice/week the supplements will underperform and I will be HUNGRY! I carry packaged salami with me. 4-8 oz. of processed meat and it's back to work I go. Yes, I would rather taste the piece of heaven that only a pharmacy rep can provide (referring to their food, not their product) but I also want to lose weight. I want to have one wardrobe, not three. I want to give some baggy clothes away.

I sometimes eat a small amount of salami before commuting home. Around 12:30 AM I eat my second and final meal of the day. If I cheat on carbs, this is when I do so. I love killer carbs as much as anyone. :(

The 240 lb. mark is big. I am back in the game.

Weighs 252 LB.

No posts since February except for an accidental post in April.

I plan to get back on track with diet and with blogging. A few topics to be covered.
1. Arginine.
2. Phenylalanine.
3. Resveratrol.
4. Melatonin.
5. Plateaus.

See your here.

Weekly Weigh-In, February 8, 2010

I weighed about 243 lb. My new diet will start on February 17 and I will take a break from it on/around Easter.

Weekly Weigh-in, February 1, 2010

I weighed about 241 on Monday. Lots of snacks and no particular diet and I am hovering around 245 on Wednesday. Had to loosen the belt a notch. I am still eating on an investment protection basis. I have a lot of marinades and sauces that take up a lot of shelf space. Been eating barbecue chicken, sugary marinades on pork chops, that sort of thing. I also made a big soup with lentils and barley and frozen stew meat. I was trying to get rid of the barley, the lentils, the stew, a soup bone and a large quantity of bacon fat. Good food, but very fattening.

Weekly Weigh-in, January 25, 2010

I moved the scales and pointed them in every direction on my uneven floors and I seem to weigh 240 LB.

Weekly Weigh-in, January 18, 2010

I weigh about 241. Creeping back into the flubber zone. Still having a hard time getting an accurate reading on uneven floors.

Did some aerobic snow shoveling today. Hope to get back to some sort of routine following the much-discussed move.

Weekly Weigh-In, January 11, 2010

As mentioned, I moved recently to a more economically friendly environment. Part of the package of the cost savings happens to be, uneven floors. Not a major hassle until one wants to weigh oneself. I get different readings depending on which direction the scales are placed. I then take four readings and factor the mean.

But it's not as easy as it sounds. A movement of a few inches in any direction, even when the scales are facing east (for example) can make the scales read a two pound difference. Until I effectively resolve the precision I will estimate my current weight to be 240 pounds.

Weekly Weigh-in, January 4, 2010

I weighed about 240 on Monday. I have been eating a lo of rich holiday food but I have burned a lot of calories in the activities involved in changing addresses. When the holiday foods are all eaten, I will start a new diet. Stay tuned.