Losing Weight

Some years ago, I got sick of being heavy. So I changed the way I ate, cut out all the crap, and over a period of months lost 100 pounds. I felt great.

Then I got pneumonia. I was in bad shape. But with time and medication, I recovered.

And then the weight started coming back.

I had no idea why. I hadn’t changed the way I ate. I still went to the gym three to four times a week. But either I maintained my weight or, if I ate anything I shouldn’t have, and I mean ANYthing–a slice of pizza, a couple of cookies, a brownie–I would put on a pound that never came off no matter what I did. Eventually, over time, every damned pound I’d lost and then some came back. It got so bad that when I was in the recovery center for my stroke, they had me on a 1500 calorie a day diet for five weeks. I gained five pounds. They were convinced I was cheating; that someone was sneaking me in chocolate bars or something. After that I went to a nutritionist and she put me on a high protein, low carb diet. Gained four pounds and got gout, so that worked.

In modern days I was eating 2000 calories a day and still exercising, but losing no weight. I’d topped out at 320 pounds. It was killing me that I’d go to conventions and people would say, “You look so good!” and by that they naturally meant that I was not walking and talking like a stroke victim. But I knew I looked awful. Not only that but my blood sugar was through the roof. As a diabetic, I should be below 150; instead I was anywhere from 185 to 230. And that was with taking insulin shots.

So I mentioned this to my podiatrist a few weeks back and he said, “There’s a doctor right next door who specializes in healthy living. You should go to him.” And I did.

Basically what he told me was that the steroids I had taken when I had pneumonia had screwed up my body. That anything I ate, my body wasn’t burning up; instead it was holding onto everything. It apparently had set itself into permanent starvation mode. My metabolism had slowed down to nil. Exercise made no difference because it clung onto calories.

He introduced me to a new way of eating. Not a diet per se, but the removal of various foods from what I ate. No carbs of any kind: no bread (except gluten free), no pasta, no Cheeri-Os, God knows no cookies or cake. No sugar: no chocolate of any sort. Limits on fruits: apples are fine, but no bananas, no oranges. No dairy products: no cheese, no milk. He also put me on a regimen of vitamins to help restore my body to its factory settings.

And it’s working. It’s freaking working.

I have been eating this way for two weeks and four days.

I’ve lost twenty pounds. In eighteen days.

The weight is just flying off me. I’m now down to 300 even. My goal, as insane as it sounds, is to lose another 75 pounds before the San Diego Comicon. Furthermore, my blood sugar has dropped to anywhere from 89 to 104, well below where my GP wanted me to be.

Anyone who would be interested in contact information for my doctor and lives in Suffolk County should email me at padguy@aol.com and I will be happy to provide contact info. In the meantime I will provide updates every time I lose another ten pounds.

PAD