Just Lost It: 28.6 pounds in 10 weeks

This contest is over.

I went into Lloyd Athletic Club this morning for my official weigh-in. Ten weeks ago, on Jan. 17, I came in at a staggering 262.4 pounds on the Official Scale. Today that very same scale told me I weigh 233.8.

Count it: 28.6 pounds in 10 weeks.

I actually wasn’t expecting it to be that much. My trainer and I used two different scales over the past 10 weeks that were way off each other. One disappeared after six weeks and we never got a starting weight on the other. But I was pleasantly surprised to see the Official Scale was about the same as what my home scale told me this morning.

Just Lose It! is over, but the work continues.

When I hired Paisley Ann Meekin to help me get in shape I told her my ultimate goal was to lose 50 pounds. I figured I was in the low 250s at the time, but when we weighed in on Day 1 I was aghast to see I’d topped 260.

I took care of the first 30 in these 10 weeks, but I have now revised my goal to 60 pounds. That 200 mark still beckons. Another 10 weeks? We’ll find out around mid-June.

I feel better today than I have in years. Shedding almost 30 pounds does so much more than improve your appearance. Exercising five to six days a week, plus eating healthy, has made me more alert, less tired, and it’s generally improved my disposition. Instead of getting dopamine from the shitty foods I used to crave, I get it from exercise. I also love the new foods I eat. Don’t let the past few days of my food journal — I admit, I was pulling out all the stops — mislead you. This is good eating.

And make no mistake: I didn’t go on a diet, I made a lifestyle change.

Now if you’re a constant reader you know this blog is not just about that lifestyle change, it’s about the contest I entered at my gym called “Just Lose It!” The person who undergoes the most significant physical change in 10 weeks wins $1,000.

Did I win? I still don’t know, but I should find out soon. I was told today by the person who took my measurements that there are about 25 people left in the competition (some gave up), and after me she still had five more to weigh.

But I received an encouraging hint. I had lost more weight than the 18 people who stepped on the scale before me, and apparently I blew everyone out of the water. However, this contest isn’t scored on weight loss alone. It’s measured on things such as skin folds, changes in body fat percentage and body mass index.

I’ll have more to say on all that shortly. Meanwhile, I am waiting anxiously for a phone call.

Food Journal for Tuesday, March 29 (click to view):

Snack: Perfect Foods Bar
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and banana
Lunch: Turkey patty with broccoli and raw cashews
Snack: Plain Greek yogurt with blueberries and Stevia sweetener
Dinner: Sliced ham and vegetables dipped in vinaigrette dressing