Derrick's ongoing journey

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Just wanted to say that I've been reading your diary religiously since you started this new diet. It really interests me and I love your new enthusiasm and dedication! And that you're a whore for coffee like me! Anyway, I just wanted to say that you're doing really, really well and congratulations on your losses so far. I'm sure you'll have many more drops in the weeks and months to come :D
 
Hi Sunflower! That is awesome that you are following along so intently! Just promise me you won't ever try this diet unless you actually read the book. I'm not suggesting you are even interested, I'm just a big worrier because this diet is not something one should try because a friend told them how to do it. That goes for anyone reading this...please don't try any sort of diet unless you actually read the book, even something like Atkins, which the whole world thinks they know everything about despite never having read the book.
OK, enough of the disclaimers. :D What I was trying to say is, I'm glad you also noticed I am focused and determined again. I had it when I first started this journal and I have found it again. I can't let this journal be one of weight gain and mental struggles. I need to have some more triumphs and I'm hoping 2011 is going to be full of them. I also need to get my butt over to your diary and post a reply! I read some about a week ago but ran out of time to post. See you over there and thanks for the words of encouragement. :)

Day 12


As mentioned above, in the morning Tanita said
213.5 lb (-1.0 from Monday, -7.5 total)
26% body fat

I guess that is not too bad for 11 days. The cover of Lyle's book says "Lose 10 to 20 pounds the first 2 weeks." I was really hoping for at least 10 but falling a little short won't be the end of the world. There are still three more weigh-ins! You never know.


Breakfast 8:00am
Liquid Egg white omelette w/ sliced turkey meat, and shreds of low fat cheese.
2 cups Black coffee
2 bottles of water
All dem pills too. :D

WORKOUT 11:00am
2 x 8 reps 165 lbs Leg Extensions (too easy)
2 x 8 reps 95 lbs Leg Curls (a little too easy)
2 x 8 reps 185 lbs Bench Press (barely got the second set)
2 x 8 reps 15 plates Seated Cable Rows (very hard but I got them)
2 x 10 reps 20 lbs Lateral Raises (tempted to try 25 but that's a big jump % wise)
2 x 10 reps 30 lbs Standing Dumbbell Curls (too hard today, needed help the second set)
2 x 10 reps 14 plates Triangle Tricep pushdowns (just right)
2 x 8 reps 150 lbs Weighted Crunches (just right)
2 x 8 reps 160 lbs Weighted Back Extensions (way too easy)

Sort of an odd workout in that some exercises I was tearing through and others I was struggling with.

Lunch (Free Meal!)
Muscle Builder shake with added whey protein!
Say what?!? Yeah, I bit the bullet and decided I didn't really deserve a free meal that I would like to have had such as half a pizza or something. LOL
The shake was still plenty high in carbs and fat, 80g, 15g respectively. I think I got about 50 something grams of protein out of it. When you are on this sort of diet, protein shakes taste like the best milk shake you've ever had in your life! So I did myself a favor both physically and mentally I guess. :)
Also had 2 bottles of water and my pills.

Dinner 5:30pm
Lettuce with 6 servings of tuna, some salt and pepper, mustard and balsamic vinegar
3 bottles of water
2 cups of coffee
All those pills too. ;)

I'm at the point where people are starting to notice a difference but I know it really doesn't mean squat if I don't push on. I have so far to go so I can't think for one moment that this is good enough. Two years ago I made a big deal out of 9's, meaning 249, 239, 229, etc. All the way to 199. This time around I'm focusing on 1's, meaning 211, 201, 191, 181 (if possible). I want to reach 191 by April 15th, the last day of the weight loss challenge I'm doing. I figure 30 pounds in 12 weeks would be pretty insane. After that I plan on going on a much needed vacation with just my wife. We have not been on a vacation for just us in 6 years. When I get back I plan on following another one of Lyle's books to lose the last 10. I would then like to try to maintain a weight in the mid 180s, trying to stay below 190. Of course, these are my plans right now but they may change as I lose weight. I may decide I look to weak at 191 and go through a muscle gaining phase instead. Who knows? All I know is, first goal is 211 baby!

Derrick
 
Hey Derrick just came by to encourage you on your journey. Congrats on those tough workouts. You must be feeling stronger as a result.
 
Thanks Kelly! :)

Day 13

This morning Tanita said:
213.0 lb (-8.0 lb in 12 days)
26% body fat

The fat loss has slowed down this week compared to last but I know most of last week's loss was water weight. Nonetheless, math is math and I should be losing 3.0 to 3.5 lb per week, not 2.0 to 2.5 lb per week. But enough complaining, I know there are other factors such as metabolic slowdown and the adaptive component, so 2+ per week will do just fine.

I'm really struggling with eating the same foods over and over. They just don't taste good at all. Let's face it, lean meat tastes horrible. Right now tuna is getting me through this diet but even that is starting to taste bad. I desperately need to search for some recipes for this diet. Oh yeah, I forgot about cottage cheese sprinkled with whey. That is helping me get the last 20+ grams of protein on quite a few meals.

Breakfast - Egg whites, low fat shredded cheese, sliced turkey
Lunch - Lettuce and tuna, low fat cottage cheese w/ whey protein
Dinner - Low fat turkey burger (yuk!), 4 oz lean beef burger, low fat cottage cheese w/ whey protein

And of course my pills, water, and black coffee.

The other thing that I'm still struggling with off and on is the mental aspect as well as being periodically exhausted. It's weird. A lot of times I feel great and other times I feel horrible. For example, today I was irritable, angry, nervous, paranoid at times, almost depressed at times and finally completely exhausted. Luckily I had earned enough brownie points with my wife last night and today that she let me take a nap from 5pm to 6pm today. Unfortunately I woke up feeling really down. Since I have been on this diet this has been happening at least two or three days per week. I don't know if this is fairly common while on this diet or more an indication of me exhibiting more symptoms of my illness because of the rigors of this diet. I can tolerate most of those symptoms as long as they do not last for more than a few hours. However, if they begin to last for days or not go away at all, I will have to end the diet at the appropriate time. The other thing I can do is have my blood drawn to see if the diet has changed my Lithium levels. Perhaps I can have my dosage changed just while I'm on the diet and then changed again after the diet is over, if necessary. For the time being, I'm surviving.

Tomorrow is day 14 and will mark the last day of week 2! I certainly plan on going much longer but that is somewhat of an accomplishment because I really like food. Fourteen days in a row? Craziness! :D
 
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Day 14

This morning Tanita said:
212.5 lb (-8.5 lb total)
26% body fat

Tomorrow morning's weigh in will tell me how much I lost the first two weeks from this Rapid Fat Loss diet. I expect 212.0, which would be 9.0 pounds.

Breakfast
Egg whites, low fat cheese, turkey meat a la omelette.

Lunch
Low fat hamburger w/ lettuce and mustard, tuna salad

Dinner
Baked Ah-hi Tuna, mustard, low fat cottage cheese w/ whey protein

All my usual pills and over 3 liters of water, 2 large cups of black coffee and one caffeine free diet dr. pepper.

Still having significant mental challenges. I'll just word it like that. Nothing I can do about it except do the best I can and try to cope. I am happy with my weight loss thus far and my stomach has clearly gotten smaller so that is great too. Still, I am having a hard time seeing the end when I still have so far to go. One day at a time gets tiring after awhile. I hope I have it in me to see this through.
 
Day 15

This morning Tanita said:
212.0 lb (-9.0 lb in 2 weeks)
26% body fat

Measurements that matter to me:
41.0" belly (-1.0" in 2 weeks)
40.0" hips (-0.5" in 2 weeks)

I am pleased with all of these numbers for only a 2 week effort. Granted it was one hell of a 2 week effort but nonetheless 2 weeks is not very long.

Breakfast
Eggs, turkey slices, low fat cheese

Lunch
Tuna, low fat cottage cheese w/ whey protein

Refeed (2pm to 7pm)
bread bowl of chicken noodle soup
tuna salad sandwich
apple
WORKOUT
Chocolate Muscle Builder Shake
1/2 slim fast w/ colon cleanse powder
low fat hamburger with bread, lettuce, tomato and mustard
strawberries w/ a little bit of sugar
1/2 slim fast w/ colon cleanse powder
small bowl of cheerios w/ a little bit of sugar

The only negative thing going on is the mental effects of the diet. I think with me it is perhaps more concerning than it would be with mentally healthy people because some of the effects are too similar to the symptoms I experience when I am not well mentally. I saw my therapist this morning, along with my wife, and they both want me to stop the diet and move to a more moderate diet. I convinced them I can continue for now but I will be smart about it and not go too long feeling this way. The thing is, like I have said before, it comes and goes. Then again, bipolar disorder is sort of like that too. You feel great then you feel horrible, just longer and more severe. Anyway, I really do think I can get through another week or two. That is, if I survive this snow storm that is supposed to hit us. They are predicting 1 to 2 inches of ice and then 3 to 14 inches of snow. Power could go out too. Is it weird that I'm excited like a little kid? :D

See ya tomorrow...if we still have the internet. :D

Derrick
 
Sup Dude? Im back in the game! Nice to see you fighting thru the low moments. I havent read your thread except the last couple of entries. Are you exercising? Endorphins are powerful feel better juices.
 
Hi Brawny! It's been a while. I'll have to come check out your thread and read your update.

I am doing an extreme diet for a few weeks and then switching to a moderate diet. Right now I am not allowed to do cardio but I am required to do weightlifting twice per week so I do not lose muscle.

My workout from yesterday:
2 x 8 reps 170 lbs Leg Extensions (tough but I might be able to increase even more)
2 x 8 reps 100 lbs Leg Curls (tough but I might be able to increase even more)
2 x 8 reps 185 lbs Bench Press (for the first time these were relatively easy today)
2 x 8 reps 15 plates Seated Cable Rows (still very hard and I get angry about it) LOL
2 x 10 reps 20 lbs Lateral Raises (fairly easy but a jump to 25 seems like a lot)
2 x 10 reps 30 lbs Standing Dumbbell Curls (very hard again. What's with my back and biceps?!?)
2 x 10 reps 14 plates Triangle Tricep pushdowns (just right)
2 x 8 reps 150 lbs Weighted Crunches (easier than last time)
2 x 8 reps 170 lbs Weighted Back Extensions (still too easy but form is critical. Do it wrong and I aggravate my back)

So I have increased most of the weights a fair amount since the first week. However, the back and bicep exercises have been more difficult each time. I don't want to lower the weight though because I feel like that would be accepting a loss of strength in those areas. I may just shoot for 6 good reps on the rows and 8 good reps on the curls (2nd set). We'll see how I feel Friday.

So this morning I checked the weather channel and got all excited because they were acting like the forecast models were now showing St. Louis was going to receive much more snow than originally thought. We are actually under a blizzard warning. I'm not sure I have ever witnessed that except for when I was 4 back in 1982 and we got about 18 to 22 inches. This morning they were saying anywhere from 10 to 20 inches! One foot snowfalls only happen about once a decade in St. Louis. We just don't have the topography and all that to receive consistent snow storms like that. Everything has to come together perfectly, just like this storm is. Unfortunately it is looking like we are going to miss the heavy snowfall by less than 50 miles. Over the past 12 hours it has done nothing but freezing rain and sleet. We have over 2" of sleet on the ground already and still the coldest air is stuck just to the northwest of where I live. They are still saying 10 to 18 inches but I am having a really hard time believing it now. I think we will be lucky to get anywhere close to 10. The farm I work at on the other hand, just 75 minutes to the west, is getting dumped on. My friend, who works with me, is out there and loving every bit of it. They already have over 6 inches and are supposed to get 12 to 20 more. We'll see. I know a lot of times these big storms, as impressive as they are, develop dry spots and then suddenly you don't get as much as originally forecasted.
 
When you said "extreme" diet I got a little worried, but when I read what you are eating it sounded not so bad. If you are below 1500 calories or so be careful, your body metabolism may switch into starvation mode. This can monkey with your mood. But still, Im glad to see ya motivated....Just being proactive helps
 
hello old friend!:seeya: It sure has been awhile!!!

I am SO GLAD to see you are losing right now and sticking to a pretty healthy diet from the looks of it! Congrats big time! two years ago this week I came on this forum looking for support and help to get myself in shape and it made me think to stop in and visit my friends.... really want to become a regular in here again....


anyways, keep up the good work bud.... 9 lb loss in 2 weeks is pretty awesome!
 
It's so nice to hear from you, Melissa. I checked some of your recent posts to see if I had missed any updates and sure enough I had. I found your thread from December in the before and after section. What an awesome story. Boston?!? On your first 26.2?!? Wow!!! :hurray: I sure hope you post more often but if you can't, I understand. Life is time consuming enough let alone when you run 100 or something miles per week. Maybe even monthly updates would make us happy. ;)
You continue to take good care of yourself...and your feet too. ;)
 
I'm normally not up typing posts on WLF at 3am but my daughter is keeping me up tonight. I took her to "the farm" yesterday because it got 10" of snow as opposed to the lousy 1" snow we got in St. Louis. The farm is only a 85 minute drive straight west. She's sleeping in my bed with me and man does she toss and turn, gouge and kick. She wakes me up every 15 minutes! I don't know how my wife can sleep with her in bed when I'm gone.

So if today is Thursday, that makes it...
Day 18

Diet is going great. Still not a single screw up on this diet yet, except for sipping on my daughters Joe's O's last night to see if it was too hot.

My wife wants me to quit the diet because she says it is making me too symptomatic. I agree it is to an extent but not enough for me to quit just yet.

I won't be able to weigh myself again until tomorrow morning. I am expecting 211.0 but lower would be wonderful.
 
Hey Derrick
I slept horrible last night too. Hubby was wheezing and I couldn't tell if it was him or the cat crying. I'm getting a bad cold too so that didn't help.
That's too bad to hear the diet isn't going as smoothly as you and your wife would like. I hope it gets better as your body starts adjusting more. Crossing my fingers for your weigh-in tomorrow. Have a good one and keep up the good work!!
 
Hi Lisa. The diet is actually going great, physically speaking. I am losing weight almost every day. It just seems to be altering my mood in ways too similar to what I went through most of last year. I'll get through it. I just need to make sure it doesn't get out of hand. A lot of times people with bipolar disorder suddenly find their meds stop working, never to work again. Then they have to basically start all over in search of another med that works. It can sometimes be caused by missing too many doses or some "event" that can alter the mood. I need to make sure this doesn't become one of those "events." I don't think I can make it through another episode.
 
You can make it, Derrick! This is an awakening period for you! Think about it as such.

I would even wipe that "doesn't become one of those events" language out of my vocabulary! Energy flows where attention goes! Focus on what this is!!!!

The truth!!! The period in which you are awakened by your discipline, awakened by the awareness of passing emotions. Awakened by your body. Awakended by your experiences. Awakened by the control you have. Awakened by your endurance. Awakened by your consistency. Awakened by your Passion. Awakened by it ALL!!! When you speak, there is a fear that comes out towards the end of your post, and you have to realize...that YOU CAN LET IT BE IN THE PAST! Yes, that's where you came from, but you are HERE right now. Focus on where you are going. You can and WILL make this a great thing!! When you feel that fear, change your focus and shift your energy towards the outcome. Picture how you would like it to be!! Feel it!

I LOVE to see you INVIGORATED by life like you are RIGHT NOW!!!! You are the SHIT, Derrick!!! You have FOCUS! Now use it to where your health and your mind are going, versus where they have been. ;) :grouphug:!
 
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:Angel_anim: <----ALTA!

:D

Well, I know for a fact I am in the weight loss zone right now! I fully expect to be 211 or lower tomorrow morning. My stomach has lost quite a bit of fat already since that picture a page or two ago, which was only a couple weeks ago by the way. It feels awesome to be in this place again. When the scale keeps going down every week you can't help but feel empowered. When the scale keeps going down every day you can't help but get stingy. LOL I'm already trying to calculate when I will be below 200 again. After that, I will attempt to do what I have not been able to do since I was 19 years old...step on the scale and see a number below 190. Well, I guess I could always change the setting to kilograms. :smilielol5: No, there is no stopping me this time.

In other news, my wife just asked me if I want to do a 5K with her on April 2nd? I kept a straight face so she has no idea I nearly fainted. I have been waiting for this day my entire relationship with her. She has never played sports, never competed and never ran in her life but I have always believed she is built for it. She is 5' 6" and already back down to 127 lb. She has a pretty low body fat percentage, strong but lean legs, clean lungs and a mind so stubborn she should be incarcerated. I just know if she gets through the initial "this sucks" stage that every new runner has to get through, she could finally find herself a hobby she loves and possibly even discover a competitive spirit that she didn't know she had. I love her more than anyone but it has been hard the past few years. More than anything it has been hard knowing I have failed at every single attempt to bring her TRUE happiness. As time has gone by things have only been getting worse. I have not seen a spark inside of her in a very long time. So I obviously said "yeah, I'll jog with you!" I pray this is the start of something really wonderful for her.

I won't talk about relationship issues with my wife again. I never have before but I thought it was maybe appropriate this time to simply point out that this is a really big deal to me. I have no doubt our relationship will be fine regardless but I think this upcoming 5K could be the start of a beautiful new chapter.

Derrick
 
...and the truth is because happiness comes from WITHIN.

No matter how much we can want it for someone, it's just not enough. I'm glad that this is happening for you guys! It can be a shared goal. :)

...and by the way, just in case if you didn't notice for some reason.. everyone has lumps in their relationship. Everyone! LOL!!! ;) ...and the day you meet someone who has none,...well,....plain and simple: THEY ARE LYING! ...mainly, to themselves! LOL!!! :D!
 
She sounds awesome :) I hope this is the beginning of something wonderful for you both--Just taking 20 mins every couple of days to train together will be great for you both :D
 
Today is Day 19! So far so good. I have adhered to the diet near perfectly.

This morning Tanita said:
211.0 (-10.0 lb total)
25% body fat

I am thrilled to be down to 211 again! The next big number will be 209 of course.

The weight loss is now crawling at about 2 pounds per week but I'm not really sure why. My calories have been under 1000 almost every day over the past week. Protein has been 180 to 200 grams with more on refeed days and free meal days. At this pace I feel like I can end the diet soon and lose just as much moving to a more moderate diet with more exercise. Perhaps I will do that next week sometime.

Unfortunately after my post above, the night didn't go so great with my wife. I don't know what is going to happen. I guess it's in God's hands now.

Derrick
 
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