The following graph depicts my weekly weigh-ins over the past year-and-a-half. Should I be pleased that I haven't gained so much as a half-pound in four weeks, or should I be disappointed that all four weeks are at the peak of the graph?

[img][650:497]http://www.advantexcom.net/~bob66/obner/ft-lbs.jpg[/img]

I know the trend is quite alarming, so I'm pretty much grasping for anything to feel positive about at this point.

Your weight has not fluctuated more than 2 lbs over this whole time. (although the graph makes it look like huge increases)
That is pretty good. If it were fluctuating all over the place I'd be concerned.

the way i'm reading it, those are 5 pound splits, not half pound ones.

If your goa is to lose, and youre not losing, find the positive in that at least your'e not really gaiing either...

better to stay consistent, then continually putting on the pounds....

This is correct. The first two digits of those numbers were deleted to preserve my rapidly eroding dignity.

That's how I'm trying to approach it. At least I've stopped the bleeding.

If I might ask, are you just changing your eating habits, exercising or both?

Steve

My eating habits are not as in check as they need to be, and there has been no exercise to speak of in months, which I'm sure is the primary reason for the climb in lbs. Now that it's starting to warm up, I'm going to try and start doing some walking/biking after work every day (most days).

Yes.

What was with the drastic loss of weight in mid-04?

i like your earlier albums better.

You've hardly put on one stone since tallying your weight. Treat yourself to three Blizzards, Manu.

This must've been Episode 143, "The Kidney Stone".

That must have been one big kidney stone.

Hardy har har.

(Sorry.)

Ask your family for help with the food thing. Try to remove temptations from the house. Is it fair that you wife and kids should deny themselves twinkies(or whatever)? No. But that's why they are called family. Let them know you are trying to accomplish something. The goal is to still be around to enjoy your family, kids, and Obner 30 years from now.

Don't get down. You doing allright.

Probably not the best place to post this but I've lost 10lbs just by not going to McDonalds anymore and walking to work.

It'd be cool if I could if I could lose an other 10lbs and get down to my 'fighting weight' of 195.

cook everything on the grill.

except the salad, grilled lettuce is no good.

Drink propel and plain old water.

beer only on saturdays and special occasions.

And lots of cardio (read sex).

Don't make charts, they're visually disturbing. You know where you need to get to, now get there.

I stopped drinking Coke (with pretzels, one of the two perfect foods) while I was an unemployed parental-moocher and I dropped 10 pounds. I didn't want to know that.

Drinking C2 now, which I can live with.

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone! I am encouraged by your continued support. My goal isn't so much to reach a certain numerical weight, as it is to be able to go shirtless at the beach/pool without the love handles playing such a prominent role in the proceedings.

Good luck with the weight loss. I'm trying to do the same right now, too.

Word to the wise (following exciting story): I had managed to lose 50 pounds in 6 months two years ago, then had about 8 months of completely random, excruciating upper abdominal pain that I couldn't identify the source of, and which would strike in the very early morning hours every once in a while. Why I didn't go to a doctor the first time, I don't know, but when I did I found out that it was a gall bladder packed with gall stones. The cause? Likely it was losing weight too fast, according to the doctor and surgeon.

Gallbladder's gone now, and so are the pains, but I got off my exercise regimen and gained about 30 pounds since April of last year (not good!) However, this isn't as bad as it seems - after my diagnosis, I was put on a "no fat" diet in order to prevent more attacks, and in less than two months I lost another 15 pounds! So I've really only gained 15 pounds back from what I had originally lost, but I realized how good I felt and looked with that extra 15 off me that I need to get back to that. So I'm going to try to go "no fat" again, except for once-a-week pizza, because pizza is worth struggling for. So take it easy - what's natural is a couple pounds a week, at most, unless you are "What's Eating Gilbert Grape"'s mom obese. Otherwise, you too could go under the knife for gallbladder surgery . . .

best life plan ever.

Or as Kevin Spacey's character puts it in American Beauty:


"I wanna look good naked."


I feel ya Bob. I'm entering week 3 of going back to the gym after about 3 years of utter sloth. It's been fucking brutal but I think I'm starting to turn the corner.