Judge for Yourself
(6 weeks in ~ 218 lbs)
(5 months in ~ 190lbs)
| Date | Weight in Pounds | Weight in Kilograms | BMI |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 24 | 248 | 112.5 | 37 |
| September 6 | 228 | 103.4 | 34 |
| September 22 | 221 | 100 | 33 |
| October 6 | 218 | 98.8 | 33 |
| October 20 | 214 | 97 | 32 |
| October 31 | 212 | 96 | 32 |
| November 11 | 208 | 94 | 31 |
| November 27 | 205 | 93 | 30 |
| December 14 | 201 | 91 | 30 |
| December 25 | 198 | 90 | 30 |
| January 23 | 190 | 86 | 29 |
On August 14th I went to the doctor for a routine checkup. I was astounded to find that my weight had climbed to 248 pounds (lbs), or approximately 112.5 Kilograms (kg).
I asked the doctor for some ideas, because I had been fighting (and losing) the weight battle for some 10 years. He told me that he had suggested Atkins for several of his patients. He told me that the food pyramid was 100% wrong, suggesting that we ought to eat more bread and less fat.
“You seem like an educated guy,” he told me, which I thought was pretty funny, considering he had just told me that everything I knew about nutrition was wrong, “get the book, read it, and decide for yourself.”
Well that seemed too easy not to try, so I ordered the book[*] and read it. It made a lot of sense to me.
On August 25th, at 248 lbs, 48 inch waist (about 122 centimeters), and a 17.5 inch neck (44.5 centimeters). My Body Mass Index (BMI) was 37 (a BMI of 30 is considered obese, and 40 is considered extremely obese.)
What you can see from the chart above is that the first bit of weight came off fairly fast and easily, and then slowed down, but has continued.
Currently I am down a total of about 50 pounds in 4 months (August 24-December 25th). I am also down to a 38 inch (96.5 centimeters) waist and a 16.5 inch (42 centimeters) neck.
The weight loss is great, but the fact is that I feel so much better. I have noticed a lot of little aches and pains have gone, I have more energy, and my clothes fit so much better (the ones that fit at all, some of them are far too big now).
About the only downside is that I have two suits I bought this summer and several new shirts that no longer fit. The suits were properly fitted this summer, meaning they are now a full 10 inches too large.
Oh well, I’ll deal with it.
I still have a long way to go. A few more pounds and I'll be at a BMI of 29 which will be mean I will only be “overweight” rather than “obese” ... not much to brag about! A BMI of 24 is 162 lbs. Can I lose another almost 40 pounds? I’m not sure it’s reasonable to expect that I would, and certainly it will be slower. But I do know that I can lose more. Getting to 180 seems reasonable, at which point I’ll have to stop and figure out where to set the next goal after that.
It has been fun to cross off BMI points. I printed off this BMI chart and hung it on the refrigerator. I’ve crossed off 8 so far.
Oh, I ordered the full Atkins set: Dr. Atkins' Three-Book Package: New Diet Revolution; New Diet Cookbook; New Carb Gram Counter (Amazon.com). I encourage those who are interested to actually read the original book (plus whatever other sources you find useful). I know some folks who have had trouble with Atkins who have had success with The South Beach Diet. Whatever you decide, I encourage you not to just “wing it” on your own based on hearsay...or even (*blush*) stuff you read on the Web.
I don’t get anything from you buying the book, I just think it is much better to get the actual theory and original ideas.
Lowcarb Goes Mainstream
The good and bad news is that low-carb has really hit the mainstream. The good news is that people are finding out about it and more products are available to help those who want to follow this way of eating.
The bad news is that there is more disinformation, more hysteria, and more... knee-jerk reactions. Take the Florida’s citrus growers are considering lawsuits against those who recommend not using their products. (They claim that the South Beach diet says untrue things about orange juice. I haven’t read it, so I can’t say, but I do know that Atkins also recommended that you avoid it because of its high sugar/carb content. You can confirm the contents by checking the nutrition facts on a carton of orange juice.
Then there was the Bread companies claim that bread is good for you. Shocking, eh?
It Atkins a fad? Could be for many. I don’t anticipate going back to my former way of eating anytime soon. What others do is up to them.
For those who are interested in losing weight and feeling better, I encourage you to read up — and then eat up!
Misinformation in the News
18 January 2004: The New York Times misreported that Atkins, Inc. were changing their position on fat. In response Atkins, Inc. has issued a statement that Atkins has not changed. (Note: free registration is required for NYTimes.com).