This is Fasting?!? Yep!

I just had to share what I've been eating on my fasting days because I think it is just amazing.  Although I am eating no more than 600 calories on my fasting days, I have figured out a way to do so with relative ease and comfort.  The question of "what to eat" haunted me before beginning this diet.  If you're a woman, you know what I'm talking about here, especially if you cook for picky children and a husband every day.  Every day the same thing...what to eat.  It can drive you insane.  Add to that the prospect of having to cook yourself something different from what everyone else is eating and it can be downright scary.  I knew in order for this thing to be do-able, it had to fit my lifestyle...a lifestyle of pure chaos.  Hey, it is what it is, right?  The first step to the process is admitting that your life is a 3 ring circus and that programs like Weight Watchers just don't fit into my chaotic lifestyle.  If it does for you, more power to you.  Whatever works. 

So today I took a picture of what I had for lunch and then another picture of what I would be having for dinner at the risk of being "one of those people" that shares every meal with their friends on Facebook.  What did we ever do before we knew what everyone was eating all the time?  I have no idea. 

So here is a picture of what I had for lunch today.  A 230 calorie Healthy Choice meal consisting of chicken, rice and shrimp on top of 3 cups (90 calories) of steamed broccoli (an entire package of Steamfresh broccoli cuts).  Not bad, huh?  That's a massive plate of food, I know.  Now I've already planned out my 7pm dinner so as to stay in my 600 calorie limitation.  Now usually I have the "bigger" meal with all of the broccoli at the 7pm meal. I switched it around today and so far so good.  I cannot really tell all that much difference in how I feel compared to other fasting days so far.    So, for dinner I'm planning on having another Healthy Choice dinner because I am the microwave queen of the world and because they are somewhat decent tasting, easy, and quick.  Now I would imagine that in the future I might invest in a good steamer to steam my own vegetables.  I think they would taste infinitely better than what I've been eating, but for now it will do just fine. 

And here is a picture of the 280 calorie Healthy Choice meal for dinner, Chicken Marinara with Parmesan.    All these meals I have been eating have been inspired by the Top Chef show.  I'm not a fan of the show, but the meals are pretty decent.  So there you have it.  A typical fasting day for me.  Not too shabby huh?

 

Until next time.....

Unrelated to the Fasting: Concerns About My Health

I know that being morbidly obese brings on a number of health problems.  I have slowly accepted some of these problems as my new way of life.  Lately, though, I'm afraid that years of being morbidly obese are beginning to catch up with me.  I've been lucky so far, suffering only with foot problems and joint problems.  Now I'm experiencing pain in the area of my right ovary.  The pain is made worse when walking.  I'm also having severe pain in my right heel.  I have no idea if these two things are related or not.  I do have very high arches which being overweight does not help.  Plus I have had a history of endometriosis and an ovarian cyst.  Back in my 20's, my gynecologist told me that I had a cyst the size of a grapefruit.  I was also told that I had stage IV endometriosis and that I had less than a 10% chance of ever having kids.  Long story short, I have 3 boys.  The oldest was adopted and the other two are my biological children...surprise, surprise as Gomer Pyle would say. 

Anyway, all of this is really unrelated to the fast diet, just something that is bothering me immensely.  I have had this sort of pain in the past but it has gone away in a day or two.  This pain seems to be a little bit more intense and has persisted for around 3 or 4 days now.  I was hoping that I could get some pounds off of me before suffering any major health issues.  I'll continue to keep my fingers crossed and plug on with the fast diet.

Week #2 Weigh In Time

I've completed 2 weeks of the fast diet and this morning it was time to weigh in.  Yesterday I was wanting a "sneak peek" at my progress so I broke my own rule of only weighing once per week...maybe a big mistake.  Yesterday morning I weighed in at 272; down 2 pounds from the previous week.  I was excited.  This morning when I got on the scale I was at 274; down 0 pounds from last week and up 2 pounds from yesterday!  What!?!?  Needless to say I am pretty disappointed right now.  How can I be up 2 pounds from yesterday morning?!?  I really do not feel like I'm eating any more than I did on a normal day before starting the diet.  Of course, I'm not counting calories or portion sizes, but I never did.  To do calorie counting and portion sizes sort of defeats the "hook" of what the diet has promised in the first place.  If I'm having to do all of that, I might as well jump back on the Weight Watchers train and fork over $40 per month.  At least then, I'd see results. 

I tell you, I just don't know what to say.  It's not like I sit around on my butt all the time either.  Yesterday I spent 3 hours outside working in the yard.  Plus I'm constantly cleaning the house, doing laundry, cooking, doing dishes, etc.  The only difference I see between yesterday and any other day is that my stress level was super high.  My 3 boys were acting up all day long, my father-in-law was undergoing an operation to treat a huge blood clot in his leg, and to top it all off, my 3 year old broke out in a mysterious case of hives last night.  My cortisol levels are probably insanely high which MIGHT account for my hanging on to weight from yesterday until today, but I'm not entirely sure that's the case.  That seems insane to me. 

So, I'm discouraged but I'm not giving up.  On the bright side I did not GAIN anything from last
week.  If that had happened I would have been totally hacked off.  So, I will try to remain positive and push on through.  I want to give this 5:2 diet a fair chance, and to do that I have to ride this thing out for a long time to come. 

I do need to share a bit of information I have discovered about the fast days.  I play a lot of mental games with myself on the fasting days.  One of my "tricks" that I have discovered is that instead of eating a 300 calorie Healthy Choice meal, I will instead choose a 240 calorie meal.  I will then throw a bag of frozen broccoli in the microwave to steam.  Once the broccoli is steamed, I  put close to 2 cups of it on a plate.  Then I pour the Health Choice meal over top of the bed of broccoli.  Voila, a HUGE plate of food!  Visually it is very appealing and looks like a lot of food (and it really is).  In addition to that, there's a lot of volume to fill my stomach.  I feel full quickly after the meal is over.  Hey, whatever it takes, right? 

Until next time......

After The 4th Fasting Day: Dragging the Floor

Today is the day following my 4th fasting day.  Yesterday, as I wrote in my previous post, I was

super low energy and grouchy.  I had not had this problem the first 3 fasting days which I'm not sure if I can attribute this to falling out of the "honeymoon period" with the fasting or if something else is going on.  Today I am still very low on energy and this worries me slightly. I have decided to start taking a multi-vitamin in case I am low on iron.  I wish I had a way to verify exactly what is going on.  So, in any case, I will begin taking the vitamin today and keep an eye on how I'm feeling over the next couple of weeks. 

On a positive note, my husband told me this morning that I am losing weight.  I am trying only to way once weekly because I know there must be a good deal of fluctuation with the fasting and non-fasting days.  So, we'll see how it goes.

UPDATE:  8/12/2013  I have fasted 2 or 3 times since this post and I wanted to say that I have not felt as drug down on any of the other fasting days.  I cannot be sure if, perhaps, I was fighting a virus, was low in iron or protein, or just having an off day.  I did take a multivitamin on the next 2 days following the fast where I felt horrible, but I have not been diligent in taking them.  We'll see what happens....

The Fast Diet Day #12: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

It's now day #12 of my fast diet experience.  I'm on my 4th fasting day.  It is still very early in the program but I have learned a few things to this point that I'd like to share.  As I have mentioned before, I will be blogging about my full experience on the fast diet.  That will include weight losses or gains, good things and bad.  Here's what I know so far:

The Good:

• The hunger level on fasting days usually is NOT THAT BAD.  I expected the hunger level to be
  
  brutal.  It simply was not.  My stomach has not even growled until today around 2:30pm, last meal around 10:00 am....but I'll explain that further in a bit.
• I'm losing weight.  I'm weight once per week and the first week I was down 4 pounds. 
• I can REALLY eat what I want on a non-fasting day.  I've occasionally  had waffles, sausage, McDonald's, pizza, ice cream, and even a cupcake.  That's DEFINITELY a GOOD.
• Fasting on Mondays & Thursdays seems to fit well into my hectic stay-at-home mom lifestyle. This diet allows for me to go out to eat on the weekends and I can make sandwiches for the kids during my fasting days to cut down tempting food smells.
•  Eating the Healthy Choice meals or frozen meals on a fasting day is cheap and convenient.
• My husband and I both have noticed that my ankles and calves are smaller.  I know, right?  Isn't that ridiculous.  At first I could not figure that one out.  I mean, that's not how you lose weight.  Usually you can see it first in your face and fingers, neck, etc.  My husband then told me that it was probably swelling from water weight that had disappeared.  Bingo!  I wasn't even aware that I had that kind of swelling in my ankles and calves but apparently I did.  Drinking and peeing on fasting days must have helped get rid of that swelling around my ankles.  Bonus!
• I don't have to count calories or points on a non-fasting day.  This is WELL WORTH the 2 days of fasting. 
• This is so easy that my husband is joining me.
• Less time eating and worrying about what to eat has given me more time for other things.  I find that there's a lot of thinking going on in my head.  As long as those thoughts aren't centered around food, that's a good thing.  
• 2 Fasting days per week are 2 days that I'm not going through a drive-thru.....and that HAS to be a good thing.  
• If I can't have something today, I can sure have it tomorrow.
• This seems like something I can do for years to come without issue.  

The Bad:

• Today I was grouchy, hungry and low-energy.  (This has been the only day I've felt that way though)
  
• I can smell food EVERYWHERE on a fasting day.  Today I went to Wal-Mart and beside the Wal-Mart is a KFC....it about killed me.  Then, I went inside and the deli was frying up some chicken....torture!
• Others don't care that you are fasting.  My mother-in-law decided to bake snickerdoodles today.  SNICKERDOODLES.  That b***h.
• I have to pee ALL THE TIME on a fasting day.  I have become familiar with every public restroom in my town.

The Ugly:

• The smell of baking Snickerdoodles brings on homicidal thoughts.  But then again, we ARE talking
  
  about my mother-in-law.  Hard to decide whether or not the snickerdoodles were the true cause of this.
• I yelled at a lady in WalMart because she was blocking me.  I'm not really sure if this is an "ugly" or a "good".  My "polite filter" was missing today.  Avoid Wal-Mart on a fasting day at all cost.

There you have it, my good, bad, and ugly list.  As you can see, the "goods" far outweigh the bads and the uglies.  :)

The Fast Diet: Week #1 Weigh In Time!

Well I've completed week one of The Fast Diet or the 5:2 Diet as it is sometimes called.  Time to weigh in.  This morning I weighed in at 274, down 4 pounds from the start.  I'm pretty excited although, realistically I'm sure some of this was water weight, not fat.  I think I have realistic expectations, wanting to see a weekly weight loss of around 1-2 pounds per week.  Rome wasn't built in a day and I didn't get this way overnight. 

Today is my 3rd fasting day and I do believe I have this thing under control.  I'm no longer "scared" of the fasting days.  Today has been way busier than the other two fasting days and has gone by much quicker.  I have not been drinking as much, however, which is making me feel a tad bit hungrier than usual.  I guess it's a trade-off. 

I'm still eating the Healthy Choice or Smart Ones frozen meals because I find it much easier to fit into my day.  I have been able to bake cookies and cook waffles for my kids on my fasting days, which feels like quite an accomplishment.  It's maybe not the smartest thing to do on a fast day, but my willpower is intact. 

My husband has now joined me in fasting (after he saw that I didn't croak probably LOL).  He's going to follow the Monday-Thursday program, allowing himself 600 calories on fasting days.  He, however, is much braver than me and is starting with eating at 7am and 7pm.  It is now 4:30pm.  I just spoke with him and he admitted that he is struggling a bit right now and feels a little low in energy but feels like he can make it until 7pm.  I told him to just keep reminding himself that tomorrow he can eat whatever he wants. 

I would like to hear from others what their experiences have been following the Fast Diet or the 5:2 plan.  Let me know what you're doing and how you are liking it, or not liking it.  :)

Note To Self: Read This When You Feel Like Giving Up

So far I'm happy as can be with this plan.  I realize, however, that this is a long journey I have just started and that I am in the "honeymoon period".  There will be days ahead where I may not feel like doing this anymore.  I am writing this as a reminder to myself of what I want and how I've felt. 

1.  You're doing this for your children and for your future grandchildren you have yet to meet. 

2.  You're doing this because you are tired of feeling tired all the time.


3.  You're doing this because no food tastes better
than the way it feels to be of a healthy weight.

4.  You're doing this because you want to be the absolute best nurse that you possibly can be.

5.  You're doing this because you are tired of never wearing shorts or a bathing suit.

6.  You're doing this because you're tired of sitting on the edge of the pool while everyone else swims.

7.  You're doing this because you're tired of dodging mirrors and cameras.

8.  You're doing this because you want to actually like to go clothes shopping.

9.  You're doing this because you are tired of sweating constantly during the summer.

10.  You're doing this because what you see in other's eyes is not nearly as harsh as how you think of yourself. 

11.  You're doing this because you've wasted enough of your life eating yourself into the grave. 

12.  You're doing this because you deserve better.

13.  You're doing this because you need to set an example for your kids.

Feelings After First 2 Fast Days

So I have successfully completed 2 full fast days, a Monday and a Thursday.  The first day I ate at 11am and then again at 7pm.  The second day I ate at 10:30am and 7pm.  Both days I had frozen Healthy Choice meals (around 250-270 calories for each one) and steamed asparagus with both meals making sure I did not go over my 600 calories per day.  Although the book says that women should do 500 calories per day, I questioned whether or not this would be safe for me being so overweight.  I'm sure that before the diet I was eating about 3,000 calories per day.  Cutting the calories back to 600 per day is still quite a shock for my body.  Plus, if I ever hit a plateau, I can always lower my fast day calorie allowance to 500 per day.  I have a long way to go on this weight loss plan and I have to think long term. 

I have to say that I have been absolutely amazed.  The fasting days have forever changed the way I think and feel about food.....already.  I have realized that I may have been over eating this whole time partly because of the fear of being hungry, or having low blood sugar.  I have had episodes in the past where I have suddenly gotten shaky and weak.  Those episodes have scared me.  The worst is being alone with my 3 kids and having that feeling hit me, not knowing if I'm going to pass out or what.  I did not experience anything like that on my 2 fasting days so far.  I haven't even really been all that hungry.  I don't wake up running to the refrigerator to cram my face full of whipped cream and sticks of butter.  I have become more "in tune" with my body and feelings of hunger and being satisfied.  This has made me realize that I have been eating for all the years for many other reasons besides being hungry.  My fear of hunger is gone.  I won't die if I don't eat for 3 or 4 hours.  I know now the real limits of my body are much more than I ever realized.  This makes me happy, very, very happy; because now I realize I can do this.  I need to lose about 130-140 pounds to be a healthy weight for my height.  That's going to take awhile.  It's going to take a change in my thinking and a change in my habits.  This is a long, long road I'm on and for the first time in I can't remember when, this seems possible.

Day #5: 2nd Fast Day

Lipton Southern Style Tea:  My go-to beverage for fasting day.

I'm more than halfway through my second fasting day on the Fast Diet.  Today has not gone as smoothly as the first, partly due to inadequate planning on my part.  I woke up this morning and thought that I would just let the kids have some cereal for breakfast..quick and easy was the plan.  Of course someone left an empty cereal box in the pantry.  UGGGH.  The only other thing I had in the house for the kids' breakfast was eggs and toast.  I had to stand in the kitchen making 3 separate breakfast plates consisting of an omelet and toast with grape jelly...torture I tell you!  For lunch I quickly whipped up some hot dogs with cheese.  Grocery planning on my part was sadly lacking this time.  I was so focused on making sure that I had my fasting day foods in place, that I forgot to plan for the kids to make my day easier...lesson learned. 

To make the day een a little harder, I started my period today so I'm fighting a slight headache and a little "crampiness".  Thank goodness I can lay low today and rest.  I don't know what I would do if I actually  had to be somewhere today.  It may have been all a bit too much to handle. 

I will say that I finished reading the Fast Diet book and I have been in agreement with the testimonials in the back of the book.  I already feel a difference...something is definitely happening.    I feel more satisfied with less food and am finding myself choosing more wisely at time and being more aware of my food choices.  I was only down a pound today from the last fasting day but I will not count that towards my stats...which I will post weekly. My weight loss might be effected by my period too.  I have always held onto water weight around this time.  All-in-all I'm thinking this is something that I can continue with.  I need to plan better, but it feels like something I could get the hang of and stick with. 

Iced tea continues to be my fasting day drink of choice.  I have been putting lemon in it and it is pre-sweetened with an artificial sweetener.  I do have to say that being a southerner I am somewhat of an iced tea expert.  I have found a WONDERFUL way to make southern style iced tea without the calories.  At Sam's Club they sell a giant box of "Lipton Southern Style Iced Tea" bags.  Each bag makes a gallon of tea.  Sounds like a lot, but when you are fasting you drink a lot.  I went through almost a gallon of it on my first fasting day without any problem.  Anyway, the bag is pre-sweetened and there is NO artificial aftertaste.  (I'm picky in this department also.)  So I take a 2qt saucepan and fill it up and heat it until it is boiling.  Take the pan off the heat and place one of the tea bags in the water.  Set your timer for about 5 minutes and 30 seconds.  (Yes, the time matters..LOL)  As soon as the timer goes off pour the hot tea into a gallon jug.  Fill the jug the rest of the way with cold water.  Remove the tea bag and then stir the tea and refrigerate.  I have found that if you let the bag sit in the water too long, the tea is WAY too sweet.  Also if you leave the pan on the heat while the tea is steeping, you get a bitter flavor.  I think the box of tea sells for around $13 at Sam's Club but I've been on one box for about 2 months and my whole family drinks tea.  I used to buy a separate bag of Splenda sweetener but I was constantly running out of either tea or the Splenda.  This is so much easier and I believe it tastes much better than Splenda.  Let me know what you think if you try it.

Day #2 of The Fast Diet.....After The Fast Day

It is now "the morning after" my first fast day and I cannot believe that I actually did it and it wasn't nearly as hard as I had imagined it to be.  My first meal was 300 calories and consisted of a Healthy Choice meal (250 cal) plus a package of steamable asparagus spears for the rest of my 50 calories.  In the morning I drank Diet Coke then I moved to bottled water, then to Iced Tea with Splenda and lemon.  The iced tea definitely tasted the best but I did enjoy the variety of drinks throughout the day rather than simply drinking water all the time.  I'm sure drinking water would be ideal, but I think it is important that I have a system that I am comfortable with and can stick with.  For dinner I had another Healthy Choice meal (280 cal) and a large tomato from our garden sliced up.  I think in the future I will make sure I have some more frozen veggies on hand.  The tomato was not quite as filling and maybe not the best choice before bedtime (with acid reflux).

My first meal was at 11am and the last one was at 7pm.  The only time I really struggled was about an hour and a half before dinner.  I tried to make sure I was busy doing something and away from my t.v. so I wouldn't have to watch food commercials.  The last hour and a half was a struggle but not unbearable.  My goal is to gradually increase the time between meals so that I am eventually doing the 7am and 7pm meals on fast day.  I will probably eat my first meal at 10am next time...or I might wait until next week to bump the time.  I find that this plan that I have devised causes me less anxiety than just jumping in head first into the 7am/7pm plan.

I would have thought that this morning I would have jumped out of bed at 4am wanting to cram my face with everything in the house.  That was not the case at all.  I woke up at my usual time and ate at my usual time.  I was really no hungrier in the morning than I normally am.  I did, however, eat my planned upon waffle with syrup and one piece of sausage.  This is not out of range with what I normally would eat. 

I weighed myself at about 4:30pm yesterday (because that's the first time I thought about doing it) and then I weighed myself this morning....a 7 pound difference (likely water weight).  It was still nice to see the scale move even though I'm sure the difference is water weight. 

I had hoped that my husband would join in on my fasting, but that hasn't happened yet.  The hardest part of this all has been feeding my kids during the fast.  Yesterday there was birthday cake in the refrigerator and they kept asking for cake which drove me nuts.  I found myself also resisting "picking" at leftover potato chips from my kids lunch.  It made me realize just how much I graze during the day. 

I have to say that all-in-all this was a positive and empowering experience.  I believe this is something that I could continue to do.  My only worry is fasting during school as far as my mental clarity and concentration.  It worries me to be fasting on a test day given the difficulty of the nursing tests and material. 

Day #1: The Fast Diet Begins

Day #1 of The Fast Diet: 


I started reading The Fast Diet

Day # 1 of The Fast Diet

about a week ago.  I first saw Dr. Mosley on the Rachael Ray show and was impressed by what I heard.  I have gained and lost many pounds over the past 40 years that I have been alive; probably 2 or 3 "people's worth" over my lifetime.  I have used herbs, ephedra, smoking, weight watchers, etc.  You name it and I've probably done or used it, still today I'm fatter than I've ever been.  It's not even a matter of looking good anymore, it's life or death at this point.  I haven't worn shorts in years and a bathing suit of any persuasion is absolutely out of the question.  I recently went on a beach vacation this summer for the first time in 6 years and never once put on a pair of shorts or took a dip in a pool.  It was depressing to say the least.  I'm embarrassed to say that I'm currently a nursing student and realize that I am well on my way to being the biggest hypocrite that ever lived, teaching others about health when I, myself, am probably on my way to the grave if I don't make huge changes soon.  I'm sure I'm flirting with diabetes even as I type this, not to mention I'm setting a bad example for my children.  The list of problems associated with my weight goes on and on. 

I tried this past spring to rejoin Weight Watchers because of successes I've had in the past with their programs.  As long as I stick with their plan, I have always lost weight.  Once I stop attending meetings, it usually is the beginning of the end for me.  Being in school has made committing to counting points and attending weekly meetings an impossibility at this time.  I t didn't take long to realize that I needed a new way to lost weight, and now.

The Fast Diet appealed to me, with its calorie restriction for 2 days per week and freedom from counting calories for 5 days of the week.  All I have to do is stick to 500 - 600 calories twice a week.  As long as I don't pass out from low blood sugar, I think I can do it.  Seriously, that has been a concern of mine.  I was most struck by Dr. Mosley saying that when we eat every 2-3 hours during the day, we really become out of touch with our hunger and our bodies.  We eat because we are bored, tired, happy, depressed, anxious, or even thirsty.  We eat because other people are eating or just because the food is there in front of us.  By fasting, we reset our bodies to become more in touch with the feelings of satiety and hunger.  I like that.  I also like the possibility of correcting my insulin sensitivity.

Day #1 of The Fast Diet
 

So here I am, on day 1 giving it a try.  I didn't plan this, just woke up this morning and thought to myself that this might be a good day to start.  Why today?  I have no idea.  Maybe it's because the weather is cool and nice and because I have nothing else planned.  Oh and today is Thursday.  My plan is to imitate Dr. Mosley's plan of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays.  I was a little scared of dropping down to 500 calories because of my increased weight.  I thought that might be a little too drastic for me, so I'm doing the 600 calorie plan for myself.    This will still be a massive change in my usual eating pattern.  I'm sure that I'm normally consuming over 3,000 calories per day.  I'm also starting with the 11am and 7pm eating plan.  I was not sure that I would be able to do the 7am to 7pm schedule so I'm trying 11am and 7pm first and if that works out, maybe I could gradually stretch it out.  It's my safety net, what can I say?  I think I'm really scared about doing this...which is amazing to me, the fear associated with being hungry.  Probably one of the reasons I am where I am today. 

I had no idea what to allow myself to eat today. I have 3 kids and wanted this day to be as simple as possible.  I picked up 2 Healthy Choice meals today that were each under 300 calories.  I also picked up a bag of frozen asparagus spears to steam in the microwave to add bulk without adding calories.  I've been drinking a mixture of diet coke, water, and lipton iced tea with splenda.  I really wish I had some fresh lime to squeeze into the water and tea.  I'll try that next time. 

Waiting until 11am to eat was a no-brainer for me.  My morning routine is so hectic with feeding the kids and cleaning, that sometimes I forget to eat until late anyway.  Waiting until 11am was hardly even a struggle.  It's now 4pm and I have to say that I am starting to "feel the fast" now.  I'm trying to drink as much as possible and that is, indeed, helping.  The tea tastes the best to me. 

I've decided to blog about my experiences on this diet as well as my feelings, etc.  This is partly for my own research and partly to pass the time while I attempt this fast.

I would be lying if I didn't admit to thinking about what I'm going to eat for breakfast in the morning.  I've already decided on a waffle with sausage...maybe not the best choice but it isn't too far from what I normally would eat.  I'll probably have a sandwich or salad for both lunch and dinner.  I try to keep thinking to myself that tomorrow I can eat what I want.  That's helping to get me through this.  I don't want to make it sound like I am really struggling right now, just aware that my eating has changed today.  I'd also be lying if I didn't admit to counting down the hours until I can eat at 7pm.

I need to weigh myself (which I have not done yet) and include that in my blog posts.  I hope that my "diet diary" will be helpful to someone else out there who might be struggling with their own eating issues.  I would love to hear from others who might be in the same boat. 

Day 1 Stats:

Ht:  5'6"  Weight:  278 lbs.  Pants Size:  24W  Shirt Size 2X