A Book Is Born!

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Postscript: The Flab Returns:

30 days after my 30 Day Diet, I have regained about half of what I lost. My current weight is 225.

I went on an ad lib diet and discontinued, HCG, berberine, garcinia cambogia, hoodia, and carrulama fimbriata. Not once have I reached for cocoa or cinnamon in lieu of a snack.

I have not been gluttonous in the holiday sense of the term. I have followed an ad lib diet  that has involved some good food, haute and not so haute cuisine.

To reiterate, I am good at losing weight and I am good at gaining weight. Maintaining weight? I still have not learned that trick.

My plan was to return to the gym at least three times per week. Since concluding the 30 Day Diet, I have been back exactly once.

The battle rages on! Wish me well, fellow dieters!

Cocoa And Cinnamon

PubMed Citations for Cocoa and Weight Loss: 66

PubMed Citations for Cinnamon: 1888

I did not list Amazon books because probably none of them concern themselves with the health benefits of these two long-overlooked medicines. I use both cocoa and cinnamon as mini-snacks. Instead of the 215 calories in a Snickers bar, try the 18 calories in a tablespoon of cinnamon.  I have grown to prefer both cocoa and cinnamon to some popular and more expensive treats.

Individual taste determines one's preference for cocoa or cinnamon. Cocoa is safe in large quantities but I do not know if cinnamon can be toxic. We have traditionally only used it as a spice. You might look into it should you decide to consume more than two tablespoons a day.

Oh, and by the way, both of these items should fit every dieter's budget.

Why I Did Not Include "Before" and "After" Photos

 Why I Did Not Include "Before "And "After" Photos

First, I should tell you that the results are not visually impressive. In my case, 24 pounds translates to about 2 inches of waist. At 236, I wore a size 40 pants. At around 218, I can slip into size 38. I can still wear 40s at that weight if I tighten my belt.

At 212, I am still overweight and I am not entirely comfortable with my appearance. Maybe at 180? I hope to someday find out.

Incidentally, it is hard to project waist size based on weight loss. I only have anonymous anecdotes from message boards but I will summarize them anyway. A recurring experience is a steep waist-reduction curve. That is, it might take 20 to 30 pounds for a man to shed one waist size (in the US, men's pants are usually manufactured and sold in two-inch increments ending in an even number. So a one-size increment equals 2 inches.) Thereafter, it might only take 10 to 15 pounds to drop a waist size.

I'm not big on anonymous anecdotes until they start repeating. Take it for what it's worth.

I considered posting about the ongoing deception in "Before" and "After" photos at the blog, http://misterweightloss.blogspot.com/ but ruled out doing so because I thought the tricks were long out of the bag. Apparently not. The easiest way to cheat is to inflate one's original weight. Drink a gallon of water prior to weigh-in, and you will be 8.3 pounds heavier and you will probably look bloated.

I did not eat or drink prior to the initial weigh-in, however, the 30 Day Diet started a few days after Easter. I frequently add 5 to 10 pounds following Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. This is "soft weight" that is relatively easy to shed. It is a result of consuming foods that absorb water and leave a residual presence in the digestive tract. When I started diets in the past, I tried to time it with the onset of Lent and conclude right before Easter. Unfortunately, I was not prepared to kick off the 30 Day Diet around Ash Wednesday.

Let us return to photographic deception. First, always start with a great body. Pump some iron to increase blood flow to the muscles that will be displayed. Apply nonstick cooking spray. You should have already learned the rudiments of bodybuilder posing.

The brighter the light, the better, always from the front. Face the camera squarely. No profiles. Your "After" photo is finished.

Take a break and eat and drink and be lazy. There are more recipes for instant bloating than you might imagine, but they almost always include large quantities of sodium and plenty of liquids, especially carbonated beverages. The NaCl allows one to retain water. Carbonation seems to increase stomach bloating.

Following a few hours of rested consumption, it is time for your "Before" photo. Change into an identical pair of shorts one or two sizes smaller than the pair you wore in the "After" photo. This makes your bloated stomach pour over its confines. Slouch with rested arms that now look flabby from inactivity. Turn sideways to the camera and arch your back slightly to move your stomach forward. The frontal lighting should be dimmed and mood either overhead, behind, or to the side. Puff your cheeks ever so slightly and...Click! "Before" photo complete.

Remember, Johnny Cash became The Man in Black not to create a mystique but to hide a pot belly. If I had a nickel for every lardass in white transformed into a svelte, noir figurine, I could buy dietary supplements by the truckload (well, I already do that. But I would not have to write e-books to support my habit).

You would think that everyone knew the light to dark clothing trick by now and hucksters would give it a rest. Nope. I I recently viewed the B&A's of a commercially successful diet company. With every model-- no exceptions-- the "Before" photo featured and exposed belly and the "After" shot featured a torso covered with a black T-shirt. Why not just sell dark leisure wear?
When all else fails, there is always Photoshop and its many rival picture-altering products. Photoshop has made everything believable as it has also made nothing believable.

"Before" and "After" photos should always be taken with a grain of salt. And speaking of salt, let's return to the 30 Day Diet.

Second Tentative Outline

1. The Plan/Overview

2. Weight Log.

3. Day 1 Food Journal

4. Day 2 Food Journal

5. Day 3 Food Journal

6. hCG

7. Day 4 Food Journal

8. Day 5 Food Journal

9. Day 6 Food Journal

10. Berberine

11. Day 7 Food Journal.

12. Day 8 Food Journal.

13. Day 9 Food Journal.

14. Garcinia Cambogia.

15. Day 10 Food Journal.

16. Day 11 Food Journal.

17. Day 12 Food Journal.

18. Hoodia.

19. Day 13 Food Journal.

20. Day 14 Food Journal

21. Day 15 Food Journal.

22. Caralluma fimbriata

23. Day 16 Food Journal

24. Day 17 Food Journal

25. Day 18 Food Journal

26. Arginine

27. Day 19 Food Journal

28. Day 20 Food Journal

29. Day 21 Food Journal

30. Phenylalanine

31. Day 22 Food Journal

32. Day 23 Food Journal

33. Day 24 Food Journal

34. Cinnamon

35. Day 25 Food Journal

36. Day 26 Food Journal

37. Day 27 Food Journal

38. Cocoa

39. Day 28 Food Journal

40. Day 29 Food Journal

41. Day 30 Food Journal

42. Final Weigh-in/Recap.Weight Log.

43. Postscript: A Fib.

44. Postscript: The Monster Returns