My goal for this journal is primarily to keep track of my progress and self-motivation, because it seems to easy to forget what has really been accomplished and where we came from and what the ultimate goal is. Anyone that can gain insight from my progress/trials/etc... is a bonus.
Current: Male 51 5'8" at 244.5 lbs 7/26/2013
A little history and time line:
I've been overweight as long as I can remember. In 1979 I was a Junior in high school and approaching 200 lbs. At the time that seemed like a huge number (and it was). Right before the summer holidays started I was introduced to WW, they set a goal weight of about 135 lbs (I never obtained that weight). I was gung ho to lose weight though, so I followed their plan (including the weekly eating of liver)
and with daily trips to the jogging trail I was able to get down to about 145lbs in the three months before my Senior year of high school.I can tell you this for sure, being at the lower weight most definitely changes how people react to you. Our society is most certainly enamored with looks and first impressions. I can also tell you that losing the weight does not automatically change your self-image and how you react to the newly found fitness. Looking back I can tell that although my body changed my mentality was still the same.
So, over the years the weight crept back up. I would hit long stretches where it would plateau and then another 10 or so pounds would be added the total.
In 2007 I hit my top weight of about 280. I was feeling miserable, and looked the part. So, I remember the process that I did over the summer between Junior and Senior years and thought, it worked then, it should work now, and for a while it did... I started losing weight and feeling stronger. I did this for about three months and the gains were no longer coming, the weight was still coming off (around 250 or so at the time) but, I was starting to black out (my blood pressure was very erratic).
Worried, I visited the doctor's and they ran all sorts of test, sent me to a cardiologist for a stress test (which I couldn't compete), had to do a chemical stress test, and the results were inconclusive.
This continued for several weeks, I stopped the exercise completely and waited for some answers from the Dr's. They provided none. So several weeks later I couldn't even walk a block without almost passing out so they sent me to the emergency room for more tests.
Interviewing with the admitting nurse at the hospital, I could just tell she already had a good idea of the problem just by her facial expressions and the leading questions she started to ask after getting the preliminary information. They quickly moved me to a room and a simple blood test showed that I was anemic (4.1 if you know the numbers). I had driven myself to the ER and they couldn't believe I had really done that.
Since this was a satellite hospital, I got to experience my first ambulance ride to the downtown hospital.
With lots more testing, I finally got the diagnosis of colon cancer in November 2007.
So in December of 2007, it was time to go under the knife. Three small holes they claimed, one for a camera, and two for tools and extraction of the cancer. Oh, and on an off chance (very slight) we may need to open you up further... I guess I was the off chance. Waking up from the surgery I had a 12 in incision and various other holes that had been patched up. It was apparently more difficult than they realized.
This was early December and on towards the holiday times it was becoming apparent that one go around wasn't going to be enough table time. After colon resection surgery the most important part is the "returning to normal" which wasn't happening. My systems where shutting down and shutting down fast. An emergency trip to the OR provided even more holes, scars, and an ostomy since my insides were so traumatized.
Total time in the hospital about 5 weeks. Weight going in: 245
Weight coming out 199.
I actually felt pretty good, weak but felt flexible, the bloat was gone, and I could actually sit cross legged on the hospital bed.
So now that the cutting was done, it was time for the CHEMO. The advice leaving the hospital was to "fatten up", you'll need that strength for the chemo treatments. So following doctors orders I started putting back on the weight (was not difficult at all, scary actually at how easy it was). Sailed right through chemo without a problem and it certainly didn't help me take off any of the weight.
For what it's worth, I'm now cancer free for 5 years. It took 5 surgeries, 9 months of chemo, and several non-surgical ER visits to get there. While I'm grateful for all that was done, I also feel very lucky because it could have easily turned out very different. I now have a very different view, in that I believe you "survive hospitalization" despite their best efforts.
About 5 months ago I found the move "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" which led to FOK and all the other utube vids that most here know about. And finally to the starch solution.
What got me looking for these vids? The weight was coming back full strength ahead. Triglycerides 1500+, BP 170/100 with 5 meds, I don't have lipid #'s the trig count was screwing with them so it said invalid.
Was feeling miserable, just like before with the cancer, and getting no answer's from the doc's, other than getting introduced to statins.
Found the vids and watched FOK multiple times, along with a Hawaii Veg Society talk about Oils, (hadn't found McD yet). And just adopted a whole food, no oil diet. My next apt with the doc was 6 weeks after I started. Results were 10 lb lost, trig - 360, hdl 30, ldl -.06 (yes that's a neg sign, obviously they didn't know how to calculate it) and bp 140/90. I have another 6 weeks or so before the next visit (I dropped the statin).
I've also since brought the BP down for the first time in 30 years to 120 over anything (around 82). Thanks Etstele sp? for your journal about caffeine. Not once in 30 years did I ever get advice about DDP being a culprit.
Running out of time, current:
Healthy but still have much to lose:
Better stats at next visit, the DR's didn't know how to calculate healthy chol levels.
245.5 down from 266(where I first started tracking)
You can barely hear the show and then you're afraid the neighbors are going to call the cops for noise when the commercial comes on. Ridiculous.
Oh yeah and the the rabbit ear shuffle! 
Saturday I have a paddle/sailing trip planned for about 4 hours. It will be early in the am. since temps are projected to be 100+
The only thing I can possible relate it to was the elimination of DDP (diet Dr. Pepper). I dropped it because of the caffeine and wanting to lower BP (it did). DDP has been a dear friend for 30+ years (before that it was Coke (the real stuff)) and it's been torture to admit that such a friend could be so harmful.
