So I went to the doctor today and got a diagnosis I expected, but dreaded to hear: I’m fat. Overweight.  Just inside of the ‘obese’ category according to the Body Mass Index calculator. Doc said, encouragingly enough, that he wasn’t disappointed with my weight and still slept at night. To which I laughed heartily, thinking, “Yeah, most of the population is above normal body weight and I still sleep well, too.” However, he meant that if I was comfortable with my ass and belly being fat that he wasn’t upset. Only when it caused other health problems would he be worried. However, in those words was a solemn, grim reminder – the world could care less about my weight. It’s my family and friends who  want me healthy and happy. And probably my insurance company.

I tried denial. I swore to my wife that she was over-drying my clothes, and/or washing them in boiling water because they just weren’t as big as usual.And those gosh-darn, prone-to-shrinkage, 100% cotton undershirts. Denial can only go so far, though.

Here’s where it ends, and the truth begins. I’m 6’0 and 223.4 lbs. This calculates to 30.3. Obese is greater than 29.9. I would love to make it into the overweight category and then keep venturing on towards ‘Normal Weight’ which is a BMI of 18.5 – 24.9. This means my weight needs to be 180 (or less). It’s been years (and two desk jobs ago) since I’ve seen numbers like this on a scale.

What to do? I’ve done Weight Watchers. I like it ok, but honestly none of the techniques applied there can’t be done at home. Seriously enough, even the secret points formula can be derived by someone reasonably good at math by taking into account the 4 fats, calories from fat, calories, and fiber. I think WW’s main strength relies in accountability. However, sometimes instead of encouragement, I need someone to look over their glasses at me and say something to the effect of: “You know what that extra weight is doing to you and your family, right, Wesley Daniel?”

What have I done lately to ‘be healthy’? Well, my December work habits were far from helpful. I’ll leave it at that. But, I did load up on multivitamins, drink my protein, and tried to get my daily dose of Wii Sports. However by mid-December, as Christmas neared, the last item slipped off of priorities and cookies, a bit of candy, prime rib, Yorkshire pudding and all seemed to be at the very top of my priority list.

What have I done in the past to be healthy? I mentioned Weight Watchers. Another diet that has appealed to me in the past is CRON – Calorie Restriction, Optimum Nutrition. What is this and how the heck did I hear about it?

Calorie Restriction  is a diet that while rich in things such as antioxidants, is very low in calories. The theory behind this diet fits right in with my goal to live to be a healthy 300 years old. It relies on studies with other animals (mainly rodents) that when 30-60% of their calories are slowly weaned away, they live many years longer than their counterparts who are on a regular diet. Not only longer, but healthier. Who wants to live a long time and not be healthy?

The CRON theory goes far deeper than this, and this is just a brief summary, doing the diet and theory little justice.  More info can be found here. As I’m about to go to the store, I’m going to cut this post short.

Before ending this, I’m going to set the goal that I’m going to do the CR diet again, and right this time. My goal also is to post my results, and recipes, more so for accountability than to be informative, but maybe some people will find this to be the latter as well.

Well, I’m off to look at recipes and then to take my daughter to the store so she can enjoy one day out of the 97,455 days I have left of my 267 years left in this world.

That is, if December 21st doesn’t ruin my plans!

I’ll post what I decide to eat.

Wes

1/25/2012 – 223.4 lbs – BMI 29.9