I never thought I could have a weight problem. Skinny kids whose bones can be seen through the skin at 127 pounds the day they graduate high school (29 May 1987) have the opposite of a weight problem. I had severe stress and intestinal issues when I was in high school, having been evaluated for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and ultimately seeing a psychologist and taking stress classes. I got through four years of college and only gained nine pounds, all of it the first semester when for the first time in my life I could eat any time I wished. I got through a 12 1/2-year military career without ever getting put on the weight management program. And then I got lazy.
Do you want to know how to GAIN one hundred pounds? It's VERY easy. Here's what you do: just gain one pound every paycheck (if your job pays you every two weeks) for four years. That's about 106 paychecks and will give you one hundred extra pounds on your frame. Too many nights of leaving the lab at nine pm and then grabbing a high carb dinner at Pizza Hut, Denny's, or other places known for processed food (like McDonald's new burger, the McCPR!) - and limiting my exercise to the pulling up of twelve Diet Cokes a day to my lips and one sit-up per day (once when I got out of bed and once when I lay back down) gradually pushed my weight up and up. Attending seminary and taking 12 hours a semester, working 40 hours a week and managing a household took a severe toll on me. I didn't have time to exercise, and I was always eating on the go.
THE PUBLIC EMBARRASSMENT
In October 2013, I was invited with three other individuals to appear on the CBS television program "60 Minutes." This was presumably due to my sarcastic personality on the phone with UCI (who really knows why?) and because I was one of the few people in the world diagnosed as possessing a highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM or hyperthymesia). I had a dilemma - should I really go? I was not posting many Facebook pictures of myself (not current ones) because they all embarrassed me. I hedged about going because I was well aware of the nagging thought, "My God, everyone I went to high school, college, and the military with is going to see I've ballooned into a blimp." I seriously considered not going, but how often do you get a chance to be on a show viewed by millions for a special talent? I was already making plans to lose weight as this video shows (go to 11:11 and high comedy ensues), but a dream without a plan is just a wish. It got worse when the show aired (January 12, 2014) and I was the only "new" person with HSAM whose picture was not on the board behind Lesley Stahl. I even began wondering if they had edited me out of the show (which wouldn't have been difficult since I was on the front row). But the show aired and life continued on. I was a bit bothered by our lack of air time (and make no mistake, I contemplated whether my appearance had something to do with it as you had three photogenic and attractive individuals and a Chris Farley clone), but it was still a thrill to have met three admittedly thin people who "speak the same language" as I do.
THE SCARE
I'd just completed a trip to Minnesota at the request of a Minnesota-born friend (who was still in California). Because flights were cheap, I hopped a Southwest to Minneapolis, rented a car, drove down to Iowa and back up to the Twin Cities where I took in a Twins game, spent the night in Northbrook and then wound up taking a tour of the St Louis Canal and lip of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota. I even texted one of the HSAMers from out in the lake just for fun. It was Thursday, June 5, 2014 around 9 pm as my plane descended into Love Field, Dallas, Texas. All of a sudden, my head was overcome with the absolute worst pain I'd ever had in my life. I seriously thought I was having a stroke or aneurysm. The pain increased and got worse and worse, and I kept waiting for my head to explode off of my neck. I had a dozen thoughts at that moment,not the least being that nobody on the plane knew me, and nobody at home knew I had even gone to Minnesota. What if I died and nobody could claim me? Or worse, who was going to take care of me if I did survive? Suddenly, the pain eased and revealed itself to be nothing more than sinuses. I got off in the extreme heat (Duluth temperature was 46 degrees at 11 am) pouring sweat and drove home. A few days later, I listened to the video as I was preparing to copy it, and I was appalled at what I heard. On every video shot I made, you could hear me audibly gasping for air. My experience in the hospital as in life told me I had severe problems because the only people I had ever known who breathed that way had emphysema or were grossly overweight. I had also been extremely uncomfortable as the seat belt barely - and I mean barely - fit.
These realizations led me to spending a few days trying to figure what plan was going to work. I finally decided that two things were going to be necessary to lose weight: 1) accountability; and 2) investment. People tend to do better in things where they have money invested that they stand to lose. And as far as accountability goes, nobody likes getting caught lying or being a hypocrite.
FRUSTRATION
Part of what had kept me from losing weight - to be honest with you - was the negativism of people. I'd be told that I would lose weight if I'd switch out food A for food B. But then somebody else would tell me that food B was "high" in something I was getting too much of. It boiled to a head when talking to my Minnesota-born friend (Sue, who has a Master's in kinesiology) about the Duluth trip and blew up by saying, "No matter what I eat, somebody has something negative to say about it. So I just eat whatever I want since nobody seems to be able to tell me anything I should eat."But Sue was also encouraging by saying, "Even at your age, you can lose that 100 pounds in one calendar year. I KNOW you can, it's just a matter of doing what's right."
SLIM4LIFE
I had watched the Slim4Life commercials for several months on Dallas television. I was aware that losing 100 pounds might come with a side effect, namely, gaining it all back because it was lost the "wrong way" (e.g. a crash diet, chemotherapy, my head exploding). But I also was having to admit that I simply had never really had to consider healthy choices and nutrition. After gorging on yet another Pizza Inn buffet, I got in the car to leave. I noticed the weight-loss clinic - the Lewisville Slim4Life location - was only about 25 yards from the pizza place where I'd spent much of the past year. I was in a lot of pain physically. Every joint in my body hurt, and I still have a bruised sternum from my tight fit in the MRI machine at UCI (the same morning as the "60 Minutes" interview). I walked in and in an almost desperate plea told the counselor behind the counter, "I need help." I filled out the preliminary paperwork and waited for a consult. The most telling moment came when the questionnaire specifically asked, "Why do you think you have a weight problem?" My answer was as to the point as an alcoholic taking responsibility: "Too many calories going in, not enough going out." The counselor chuckled at the answer and said, "You're gonna do just fine." The plan was set up and the weight loss phase began.
SO HOW DID YOU LOSE ALL THAT WEIGHT?
On June 12, I paid an entry fee of about $700. This fee enabled me to "purchase" 28 weeks of weight loss at a guarantee loss of 3 pounds per week if the plan was followed to the letter. $100 of that fee was the purchase of a year-long "maintenance" program, where I come in once a week to be weighed and to keep the numbers close to the goal. I was told, "You have three days to enjoy anything you want. Eat all of the junk you can stand because you're not going to get it for a long time." So for three days I threw back all the hamburgers, pizza, pasta, sausage, and Rotel cheese dip I could consume. On Sunday, June 15, I began the active weight loss phase with a specially designed diet: 2-3 pounds of ground beef minimum each day, unlimited raw or green vegetables, 2 eggs per day, one orange per day, and at least 1/2 teaspoon or Morton's light salt.
On Tuesday, June 17, I went back in for a one-hour classroom session, and it was here that I learned the "catch" to the whole thing: it consisted of rather pricey supplements and powder snacks that were required for you to lose the promised three pounds a week. It laid out precisely how much my plan was going to cost to lost 114 pounds (the set goal): $4,875 (plus the $700 I had already spent). Admittedly, I felt a tad bit hoodwinked at this point. They did, however, promise me that I could purchase ALL of the promised supplements THIS DAY ONLY for "only" $3400 (as if the average person has this laying around in the bank). I could have gotten mad as this was a slick sales job. But the first positive news was that I had already - in only two days - unloaded eight pounds. I had two choices at this point, either count the $700 lost or dig in for the long haul. I decided to dig in and make it happen but to purchase only the supplements I really "needed." But another fact of life was that I sat down and calculated how much money I had spent on food the previous six months. And the moment I came up with that particular number, I realized that since I was going NOT be spending in the neighborhood of $900 a month eating out (yes - that number is correct.....$900 times six months is $5400.....), I could afford the $4875 plus $700....only $100 more than I was already spending and LOSE 114 pounds. So I would spend the same money but LOSE weight rather than gain it.
Made sense to me.
For the first six weeks, I went in to weigh every single day. In fact, the only thing that stopped my daily weigh-ins was the week-long break I took to attend my brother's wedding in Rhode Island in early August. In that first six weeks, I lost forty pounds, even making an impression on one of my "60 Minutes" co-stars. I began noticing my clothes were falling off of me, and I had to go buy "transitional" clothes. The weight continued to come off at about four pounds a week. On September 18, I drove to see friends in Mississippi and when Brett finally shook the sleep out of his eyes and let me in the house, he said, "Damn, son, you've lost a TON of weight, haven't you?" At that point, I had been on the program for only three months and unloaded almost seventy pounds.
And the rest brings us to now. But.....
OKAY, SO HOW DID YOU LOSE THAT WEIGHT?
Below is a basic copy of the Slim4Life diet as shown online. Here is a typical day for me, including which supplements when:
Wake Up: daily vitamin, Boost (Ginseng) with 16 oz water
Breakfast:
Two eggs, cooked any way
One slice of 40 cal wheat bread
One serving of fruit
Supplements: 2 metabolism boosters, one carb breaker, 3 essential fatty acids, 2 water pills taken 30 minutes after meal
Snack:
One serving of fruit, one protein shake
Lunch:
2 servings vegetables (one raw, one cooked)
One serving protein
One serving of starch (40 cal bread, Akram cracker, 2 Melba toasts)
Snack:
Second protein shake
Dinner:
2 servings vegetables
One serving protein
(The second starch if you have not yet had it)
Snack:
Slim4Life candy bar (your dessert for doing a fine job that day)
Optional: a second boost but only before six pm
Monthly supplement costs:
Metabolism Booster: $150
Carb Breakers: $40
Essential Fatty Acids: $80
Water Pills: $30
Boost (Ginseng): $50 if you take one a day, $100 if you take two
Protein Shake Snacks: $150
Candy Bars: $65
BUT THAT COSTS SO MUCH!!!
First of all, I would point out that you can lose the weight WITHOUT the supplements, it just takes a little longer. The supplements speed up metabolism. The ONLY things you are REQUIRED to purchase from Slim4Life are the protein shake snacks, and you can buy those online without ever going into the store. The Ginseng helps break any caffeine addictions you may have almost overnight. Secondly, once you figure out how much you're spending that got you overweight, you simply apply a portion of that money towards weight loss. Come to think of it - since you're eating "right" - you apply ALL of the same money you already spent but you lose weight instead.
And finally, if you don't lose weight, you are going to be spending that money on diabetic supplies, statins, blood pressure medications, and deductibles for hospital visits. Therefore I'd say that most of you can afford the plan despite some rather hard-looking numbers. At this point, the choice is up to you. I'm simply telling you how I did it, and the following photos show my progress:
- Proteins: 2 Servings/day
Beefs (only twice a week/never 2 dappys in a row)
- Arm Roast... 4oz
- Chuck Roast... 4oz
- Rump Roast... 4oz
- Ground Sirloin... 4oz
- Club Steak... 4oz
- Flank Steak... 4oz
- Round Steak... 4oz
- Sirloin Steak... 4oz
- T-Bone Steak... 4oz
- Lamb Loin... 4oz
- Ground Turkey... 4oz
Veal
- Cutlet... 5oz
- Rump... 5oz
- Chop... 5oz
Poultry
- Chicken Breast... 6oz
- Turkey Breast... 5oz
- Ground Turkey Breast... 5oz
Liver
- Beef Liver... 4oz
- Calf Liver... 4oz
- Chicken Liver... 3oz
Fish
- Striped Bass... 5oz
- Cod... 6oz
- Flounder... 6oz
- Haddock... 6oz
- Halibut (steamed)... 5oz
- Lake Perch... 5oz
- Fresh Tuna... 5oz
- Mahi-mahi... 5oz
- Lobster... 5oz
- Shrimp (fresh)... 5oz
- Sole... 5oz
- Whitefish... 5oz
- Orange Roughy... 6oz
- Scrod... 6oz
- Red Snapper... 5oz
- Grouper... 5oz
- Yellow Tail... 5oz
- Bluefish... 6oz
- 2 x wk *Swordfish... 5oz
- 2 x wk *Crab (steamed)... 5oz
- 2 x wk *Salmon Steak... 4oz
- 2 x wk *Scallops... 4oz
- 1 x wk *Tuna (water packed)... 4oz
Dairy and Eggs
- 3 x wk Cottage Cheese 1 % Fat... 5oz
- 1 Lg Egg & Cottage Cheese... 4oz
- Eggs... 2 Lg. - Liquids:
Fresh Water... 10 8oz/day (required)
Tea of Coffee... 2 cups daily
Diet Pop (no colas)... 2 12oz cans
or
Crystal Light... 2 glasses
Herb Tea... no limit
Parsley Tea... as needed
Decaffeinated Coffee... no limit
Thermoboost... 2 8oz glasses per day - Vegetables: 4 servings/day (1 cup raw - 1/2 cup cooked)
Asparagus... 1 cup
Bean Sprouts... 1 cup
Broccoli... 1 cup
Cabbage... 1 cup
Cauliflower... 1 cup
Celery... 1 cup
Chard... 1 cup
Cucumbers... 1/2 med
Egg Plant... 1 cup
Green Onions... 5 small
Lettuce or Endive... 1 cup
Mushrooms... 1 cup
Mustard Greens... 1 cup
Okra... 1 cup
Peppers (green, red)... 1/2 med
Radishes... 10 med
Rhubarb... 1 stalk
Spinach or Kale... 1 cup
Squash (summer)... 1 cup
String Beans (was, green or yellow)... 1 cup
Tomatoes... 1 small
Turnip Sprouts/Greens... 1 cup
Zucchini... 1 cup - Fruits: 2 servings/day (do not eat after 6 pm/fresh or frozen fruit, not canned)
Grapes (green)... 10 reg
Apple... 1 small
Apricot... 3 med
Blueberries... 1/4 cup
Cantaloupe... 1/8 lg
Cherries... 9 med
Grapefruit... 1/2 small
Lemon... 1 small
Orange... 1 small
Peach... 1 small
Pineapple... 3/4 cup
Prunes... 2 med
Raspberries... 1/4 cup
Strawberries... 12 small
Tangerine... 1 small
Watermelon... 1 cup diced - Starches: 2 servings/day
Diet Bread 940 calories)... 1 slice
Melba Toast (unseasoned)... 2 slices
Bread Stick (Diet Stella D 'Oro)... 1 lg stick
Akmak Cracker... 1/2 sheet
Rice Cake (unsalted)... 1 cake per day
Millers Bran... 2 tbsp
Kavli Crispy Bread, thin... 1 wafer
Corn Tortillas (6" dia.)... 1/2 tortilla
Ryvta Cracker... 1/2 of 1 pack (3 x per week combined)
Baked Potato... 1/2 small (3 x per week combined)
Brown Rice... 1/4 cup cooked (3 x per week combined) - Fats: 1 serving per day (apply after cooking)
Diet Margarine... 1 tsp
Promise Lite... 1 tsp
Promise Ultra... 1 tsp
Fleishman's Lite or diet mayonnaise... 1 tsp
Portions listed a raw weights unless stated.
You must also have 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of Morton's Lite Salt per day. You may also use 1 tbsp of mustard as a condiment per day.
You may prepare all foods by steaming, boiling, roasting, broiling, baking, pan frying, microwaving, or grilling. Do not use fat, lard, etc. Pam original, no butter, is allowed.
Limit artificial sweeteners (Equal, Sweet N' Low, Splenda) to 2 to 3 packs per day.Allowed seasonings: Morton's Light Salt (1/4 to 1/2 tsp), pepper, garlic, fresh herbs and spices, apple cider vinegar and tarragon vinegar, Mrs. Dash, juice of one lemon per day. No regular salt or condiments.
Salad Dressings: 2 tbsp daily of Fat Free salad dressing.
