Ah, moved to a more appropriate place to discuss such things. Thank you, whoever it was!
More background info: I was FD&H (fat, dumb & happy, riding a couple centuries a year, etc.) until I hurt myself in 2010 playing racquetball. It kept me off the bike for a few weeks. Then my riding partner (my elder brother Don) had some health issues and quit riding. I succumbed to the ravages of TV and lack of exercise...putting on well over 100lbs in just a few months. I spent the next 4 yrs in the mid-to-high 300's before having health issues of my own. After having a variety of specialists look at me (inside and out), all roads lead to weight; I had too much of it.
Now, I've been on diets almost my entire life...and I'm 59. I lost the most I'd ever lost on Atkins...but one slip and *poof* it is back on. Miz Diane was in the same boat I was (though a tad younger)
So...in 2014, two guys in my office go off the deep end and start this Hospital-managed program. One guy loses 160lbs and the other 200lbs...and they keep it off. I talk to them off and on for a year before deciding to go 'interview' with the program director. Miz Diane goes for the 2nd interview (we're right in their butter-zone for candidates) and after she has reasonably recovered from double-knee replacement surgery, we simply say, "Let’s do it". Of course, the program isn't covered by insurance. Not cheap either.
You get full blood panels initially to establish a baseline and then a blood panel every other week thereafter (for 18 wks). First 6 weeks is liquids only (four 160-170 cal 'protein drinks' and two 170 cal 'soups' per day for me, total = ~980cal/day). At week 7, you get to substitute two of the liquid meals with an equivalent protein bar (something to chew).
Every week you attend a 1hr training class...and meet with a clinician (nutritionist, behaviorist, nurse, Dr., director, etc.). It is a little like AA for fat people and a little like "Weight Watchers" meetings...but with legit health-care people.
The diet is high protein/low carb...not 'no-carb'. At week 12, you start eating regular food...that you shop for at the grocery store and prepare yourself. About every two weeks thereafter, you are cleared to take on another meal of ‘regular food’. We're on week 20 and making lunch, Dinner and a snack. Oh, and you hit the gym a minimum of 4 days a week. Food and exercise logging is required (MyFitnesspal works great for this).
For the first 12 weeks, I lost 4lbs per week...almost a straight-line graph. Having regular food has dropped that a bit, I'm hovering around 2-3lbs per week at the moment. I had promised myself that I wouldn't get back on the bikes until I got to 275...but Bro' Don convinced me to try...and the old 700c V2/K stepped up to the plate, no problem. Gym work helped there a lot, it was like I’d never stepped off the bike.
Reward: the program behaviorist loves to talk about 'rewards'. Break a habit, reward yourself. Meet a goal, reward yourself. Ya gotta write 'em down and make them realistic (and fun). So...he looks at my #1 'reward' and asks, "What do you mean by "Vendetta?". Oh yeah…and Miz Diane doesn’t even blink an eye.
) and started ahead of me. We're not exactly doing the "low carb", it is a program managed by the local hospital. Very low calorie (I spent 12 weeks on just 980cal/day), exercise and lifestyle training (stop focusing on food, you fat SOB!). Still, I plan on adopting the Primal stuff as we wind down on this program. I gotta lose another 50 to do that...and then another 50 to get where I really want to be (<200).
