my 100 + lb weight loss = my new toy

three years ago i weighed a 357 pounds. my neighbor and good friend invited me and my wife to attend his daughters college gradulation cermonies. during dinner while i was talking to him he just keeled over and died right on the spot. he was not that much overweight and he was taking medicatin for high blood pressure. i forget the name of wht killed him but it had something to do with sudden heart failure.

anyway, when he wife mentioned that he did not have alot of life insurance from his company it got me to thinking about my insurance from the post office. i had the minimum and decided to jack it up to the maximum. working for the government i found out that i could only do that at certain times but if i had either either a life changing event (ie birth of a child etc) or a physical then i could change it. i took the physical figuring that would be that but i was told that i had a 60 pct clogged catoriod (sp )artery in my neck plus my aiorta valve was not functioning that great.

i went to a dr. in westchester who told me that he could take care of them but i would have to do my part and lose alot of weight.

i started with the 6 week body makover by tony roberts (not sure of the name) for the first six days all i ate was 8 oz. of boiled green vegetables and 4 onces of either fish or chicken and thats all FIVE TIMES A DAY. . there was no salt, pepper, teal, coffee, milk bread etc. after the 6 days i had lost 15 pounds. i follwed the diet for the next year but to tell you the truth i could not stand eating boiled vegetables. i was able to go back to having salt and pepper and one slice of bread. i lost almost 93 pounds but after a while the weight stayed even. i am lazy when it comes to exercise so that didn't help. next i went on medifast which consisted of buying dry soups and drinks and other stuff for my meals. my dinners consited of my hme made soup or anything with chicken and veg burgers. their deal was not eating anything that was white in color. only whole wheat bread, brown rice etc. from the tme i ended my first diet and started my second i had put on about 35 pounds. with medifast i lost 40 pounds which was good but again i came to a standstill.
i have noticed that whoever writes a diet book has a different method for doing it. some believe in low calories, some believe i low carbs and they all work for a time. i recently bough a book titled fit for life which has a diet and exercise program. the theory behind this is that its not what you eat but when you eat it and to get the most bang for your calories. right now i am eating all the fresh fruit i want from the time i get up until 12 noon. after 12 i can have a healthy salad with diet dressing or a sandwich made with avocato slices, tomatoes, lettuce and a little mayo. my dinner is either the usual fish or chicken etc but my favorite is my home made vegetable soup. if you eat fresh fruit all day and the soup at night you will have the most weight loss. i do that twice a week and then the other stuff for the rest of the week.

when i say you can all you want i mean until you are full. do not over or under eat.

so, i went from 357 pounds to 255. i now eat fresh fruit in the morning. until noon time. for lunch i have a maybe a salad or that sandwich or i can have a cold cut sandwich if i want. just eat until i am full. nowadays that means just half a sandwich. our dinners at night are either soup or a veggie burger, or one of the home made wraps using ther soft tortillia wraps which we have with chicken and peppers and mushrooms.

i think i can keep this type of eating for ever cause i like what i am eating and i notice that i have cut down alot on the amount of food i eat at each meal.

here is a picture of me before my diet

now heres me with my new toy. i go out every day and ride about 6 miles a day. its great

and here i am with my dw who also has lost aover 50 pounds

Herbie~That is very inspiring, you look great, congratulations on your weight loss, your happy marriage, AND your new toy!

Hey, handsome - GOOD JOB!

thanks. i weight myself every 3 days to keep myself honest. every wednesday and sunday. i find that my weight can be different in the morning than from other times of the day. on tuesday when i get home from work at 4 p.m. i got on the scale. yesterday i was 255 this morning i was 256. i ALWAYS use the lowest weight. LOL when i started i wanted to get to 250 pounds. now that i am a few pounds away my next goal will be 245. i go in 5 lb incredments.

have a great day

I could probably loose 30 lbs. only 5' so any extra weight shows...I'm so very active but Dr. says that the activity is my norm and I must do something totally different in order to loose weight..so maybe that will be my July challenge..your story is so impressive...perhaps I can find a better way to eat and join you skinny people...thanks for sharing..

betty - i find the fruit until noon the easiest way to fill up without adding carolories cause its 90 percent water and it fills you up faster with less calories.

I'll have to pick some up on my weekend shopping trip...thanks for the tips...want to get into that bathing suit...soooooonnnnn!

Whooo hoooooo!

Congratulations to you and to your wife!

You have a great frame of mind, indeed. You put on
one pound at a time, so you have to remove it one pound
at a time. One day at a time. Once choice at a time.

You're doing superb, keep up the great work and enjoy!

KM (who's hubby has lost almost 40 pounds this year)

Herbie, Clapping my hands for you-
Yayay-I am sure you feel much better, So now with your new toy and new self have you now been able to change your insurance?
A Beautiful couple you are. Lots of fast walking helps too.
Judy

Congrats to both of you! Some times it takes something drastic to make us realize that a change is necessary. You've both given each other the most precious gift in the whole wide world ... each other. :-) I'm going to give that fruit a try. I looove fruit!

Bravo!
Good for you!

Keep up the good work, and stay happy! (Ü)

That's great. Congrats! And you look younger and happier in the later photos.

Frank,

Congratulations on your dedication and weight loss. You and your wife look great!!

Brenda

You and your wife are a great looking couple!
We all love a great success story.
I still make the veggie soup you posted a couple years back, that has a bunch of wine in it...great every time. I change the veggies but stay w/the basic idea.

Herbie.......you are a whole new person!!!! How wonderful, am proud for you!
do you think you can do anything about those white legs...had to dig out my sun glasses!!!!!!

really, happy for you and your lovely wife. Just stay well now.
sharon

Where is this soup? Can you post a link to the post?

Frank,

You are awesome! And you looks so terrific, I can tell you feel better just by the look on your face.

I don't know if any of the other women here have had the problem, but I find the natural sugars in fruit put weight on me. I suppose if I gave up the coffee and other foods, it might be different. At one time I thought I was doing it all right with the fruit and the doc told me i would have done better eating a candy bar with all the natural sugar.

I am going to give this a try. With all the fruits fresh right now, it might be easier. I do have a new bike also....well, 2 years ago...and have only ridden it about 4 times. I might have to ride over to your house! LOL

Thanks for sharing all the information, you and your wife are a beautiful couple, but Frank....as Sharon said...we gotta work on those white legs!

Debbie

Congradulations Herbie.

And learning to like what you eat is a key to keeping it off.

Andidandi; here's herbie's Great Soup recipe. I copied it straight from his posting of 11-04. you'll love it!

recipe for vegetable soup
12 ounces of fresh baby spinich
4 green or yellow squash cut into 1/2 inch slices
16 ounces of sliced fresh mushrooms
1 very large onion, chopped
4 carotts, cut into 1/2 inch slices
4 stalks celery cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 28 ounce can of tomatoe sauce
white wine
2 garlic cloves sliced
pam for spraying

in a large pot over medium heat
add the onions and spray with pam and stir until onions just begin to brown
add carrots and celery and stir. add enough wine just to cover the vegetables. cook uncovered for 3 minutes then add about 2 cups of water. cover and cook until the carrots begin to soften.
add the can of tomatoe sauce, garlic, mushrooms, and squash. cover and cook about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
slowly add the spinch a little at a time until you have it all in the soup

reduce heat to a simmer and cook another few minutes or until all the vegetable are cooked.
at this time you can check to see if your would like to add more water to make the soup thinner.

to make our meals, i use a large laddle to spoon the soup into bowls then i add the 4 ounces of already cooked fish, shrimp, beef, chicken or pork. you can add some hot sauce it you wish.

dthank you all for your words or encouragement.

i increased my insurance even before i went on the diet.

i know my white legs look horrible but i am not a sun person. i will try to get some color on them when i ride the bike in the daytime. i am going for arthoscopic (sp) surgery july 17th to repair a torn minisks (sp) in my knee so that will slow me down a little.

a little not on my soup. if you want and i recommend this you can substitute water with some good beef and or chicken broth. i use both now and then. try to yuse your own stock but if you have to buy it try either wolfgang puck or emeril. the ingredients on the other brands reads like a chemistry exam.

debbie - like i said. different diets calls for different foods. on medifast there was no fruit at all. like i said, the fit for l9ife diet is more about when you eat certain foods and opossed to how much you eat. try it for one whole week and see if you like it and if you lose weight.

Frank,

Read all of the above. Copied out your vegetable Soup recipe also.

I admire your perseverance in all this. It helps having support from each of you to the other. But then--you do EVERYTHING together anyway......

I had never seen your "before" picture!!!! MAN!!!!

Gita

MMMMM, love that soup recipe! :) In fact ... love * all * your recipes!! :-)

Thanks! The soup sounds great. Can't wait to try it.

Big Brother:

You look totally AWESOME! Like a completely different person! You look so much healthier and like you are really enjoying life! I am so very proud of you!!!!!!!

You deserve that new bike!

Herbie..now why didn't I access this thread tonight when I got home from work instead of eating 6 pieces of candy...

Alrighty, Betty, dear,

Six pieces of candy, eh? Do we need to have a talk, young lady?

Wait, what kind of candy? ;-)

HERBIE43-
Do you have a recipe for stock that you use as a base? Seems like you might...

Does he ever!!!!!

i know this is not the recipe forum but will put my homemade stock down for anyone that might want to try it. this recipe is actually one used in emerils cookbooks

4 lbs of chicken bones
2 cups coarsely chioped yellow onions
1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, smashed
4 bay leaves
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried oregano

put all the ingredients in a heavy 2 gallon stockpot. add 1 gallon of water, which shuld cover the ingredients by 1 inch and bring to a boil over high heat. reduce the heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, skimming the surfact occasionally with a slotted spoon to remove any foam that rises to the surface.

remove the pot from the heat and strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into a clean container. let cool, then cover the stock and refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.

the above is the light stock. if you wish to make a nice brown stock simply roast the chicken bones in a 400 degree oven until nice and brown and than follow direction for the light stock.

for those interested in the next few days i will be posting on the recipe forum some more very good soups and dinners that i have used during my diet.

betty - no need to talk BUT we do need to share. enjoy

gita - yeah, that picture scared the bejesus out of me.

scented - wait till you see the new dinner one i mde up.

Frank, I can't thank you enough for sharing this information with us. I have a picture like you did...it just scares me. And with my daughter getting married soon, I just need help. You have given me great incentive.

Yesterday I started with the fruits, and I have only been drinking water flavored with a tiny bit of tea. I get very nauseas from drinking just water for some reason. I have given up coffee within the last four days, something NOT easy for me.

I am not calling this a diet, I am calling this eating healthy...feeling better.

THanks again for sharing!
Debbie

Debbie,

I hate plain water too. I always add a small sprinkling of "Crystal Light" lemon powder to it. Just enough to flavor the water. They have other flavors as well, but I am not fond of the "fruity" ones. ALL Crystal Light is sugar free.

This is all I drink at work and with my lunch. I almost never drink sodas or any of those other "drinks".

Like Herbie said--eating healthy has a lot to do with WHEN you eat. Definitely, have a good breakfast. It will carry you through most of the day. Also not eating meals after 6PM helps.
I am a snacker--gotta munch on something, but I try to choose healthy things---carrot sticks, Almonds, Sesame sticks, etc. I DO have a sweet tooth, but I buy the small sized chocolate thingies. If I crave ice cream, I eat a couple of teaspoons-full and just close the lid.

I eat a lot of melons--ALL kinds and here's the greatest thing to eat with them. Buy the Dannon "Light and Fit" vanilla yogurt in the 32 oz container and eat that with the melons or strawberries or any other fresh fruit. You will NOT believe how great the fruit tastes with the slight tartness of the yogurt! Do not get the small cups! The big tub is much creamier. Even the kids love it--just tell them it is a "dip".

I never eat any canned, prepared, frozen dinners, junk snacks, and so on. Cook my own food most of the time. Love fresh salads.

Ok...enough advice! Gita

Gita

Debbie
I hate water, too. Never have been able to drink the stuff until recently. I started buying the big bags of lemons, lime and oranges at Sams and would slice them in thick rings ... lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze and plop them in a zip lock. When I got up in the morning, I'd get a glass of water but use the fruit of choice for ice. The longer it sits ... the better. :) Of course, you have to have a freezer. :) It worked for me. I can now drink * some * plain water. I don't drink it like I'm suppose to, but I'm working on it. ;)

Elaine, that is a great idea! I am going to have to try the frozen fruit. That sounds good and very refreshing this time of year.

I went to the fruit stand down the road today and picked up some fresh strawberries and cherries. I got some light jello....put some berries in it, and have it in the fridge. I think that would be a good sweet snack too. There are no calories in the jello, so I hope that is a healthy choice.

I do drink the crystal Light, I happen to like the strawberry kiwi or the lemon tea the best. I am feeling excited about this new venture.

Debbie

That's great Debbie ... you can do it. :) Join us over on the healthy living forum. We have a weight loss group that loves to chat and support each other. Here's the link. :)

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/738715/

Frank,

If I may ask you to post this.....and only because we are friends......

Since you posted the before and after pictures of yourself, would you be willing to share with all of us here just WHY you got as heavy as you were in the "before" picture? WHAT was your lifestyle and eating habits back then?

Everyone always is willing to share what they are doing to LOSE weight. Not too many people want to share how they got to 300lbs. (or more) in the first place. Would you mind???

This could be just as educational as how one can lose weight. How did you get there in the first place??????

Gita

I can share with you how I gained my weight. As a Mom, I spend so much time running. Especially with daughter #3 who has some health issues. Every time we would go out, even now, the only place to eat is fast food. Grab a burger here...etc. And with her a kid..that was the only place to really go. We have an hour drive...to and from...so you want something quick you can eat in the car. Then, a pepsi to wash it down. It adds up too quick. Time spent in the hospital with DD meant hospital food, which was outrageous price....so you eat from junk food that was cheaper. Lousy excuse, but the truth.

I also went through depression, which I still get treated for...and that just drained all my energy. So parking the behind on the couch on top of the fast food. Well, you get the picture.

Thankfully fast food places are now serving healthier choices...so I can make the right decision.

Debbie

gita - i was always heavy as a child. i think everyone described me as either big boned, chubby, and just a plain big boy. they ere to polite to call me what i was and that was fat. i lost alot of weight just before i got married. after that i just gained weight. sometimes i don;t even know how. i think it had more to do with what i had with my meals. at one time i would probably drink a large bottle of soda with each meal. i realized that when i ate dinner or lunch i constantly had my left hand on the glass of soda because if i took a bite of food i would take a drink of soda. and not just a sip. i would down half a glass just like that.
i've been on many diets. they all worked for a while. the diet where you drinks for beakfast and lunch and then a healthy dinner are ok for a while but you can't keep on drinking your meals and eventually when you go back to eating meals for beakfast and lunch no matter how much you try to keep the calories low you are most likley to gain some weight back. i guess the real secret is exercise. i am real lazy when it comes to that but now i have my bike and i am gonna do it each and every day as long as the weather is good.

there have been times when i just look at food and i could gain 3 pounds.

i want to tell everyone out here that dieting is a personal thing. what works for some won't work for others. i don't know why but it seems to be that way.

i will continue with this all fruit before lunch until i run out of it. my wife doesn't care for it that much. after i finish with the fruit i will go back to my long term plans which are

beakfast - one whole wheat english muffin with either a tsp of sugar free jelly or one slice of fat free american cheese.

lunch - a small salad or grilled fresh vegetables or a combination of both.

mid day snack - one cup of sugar free jello (20) calories
or one cup sugar free pudding (60) calories) or 1/2 cup of both.

dinner - 6 oz. of chick, fish, pork, along with fresh veggies. i rarely buy frozen or canned foods anymore. too much salt

i also went to the store and bought those 100 calorie snacks things. i'm sure you have seen them. they come in boxes with individual bags of things like veggie chips, choc chip cookies, pretzels etc. if i get hungry at night ii just hve a bag and thats it. also have the sugar free jello also to fall back on.

as always i drink a lot of water. probably close to 100 ounces a day. i drink a bottle on my way to work in the morning. during the day i have 3 or 4 more bottles and at dinner i have another bottle. they say it cleans out your body. it must be true cause you spend a lot more time in the bathroom. LOL

thats about it. i mentioned on the other forum that i would like to start a diet recipe forum. i think we cold all share some good recipes.

i am always willing to share what i know about dieting with anyone who would like to know.

just so you know that dieting is a give and take thing. this morning i got on the scale and it sowed that i had gained one pound since three days ago when i wieghed myself last. i have been eating the same stuff that i have been since i started. it just goes to show ou that your body chanes in weight all the time. there re been times when i weighed myself at work four times in one day. we have those very accurate scales in the post office and i have shown different weights all four times. i do not get discouraged anymore like i used to and say this ain't gonna work. i just smile and know that next week will be better.

jeez, can't believei am rambling like this

have a great day.

Frank,

WHERE did you post your request for diet recipes????/
I cannot find it.

What is the "Other Forum"?????

Gita