Getting My Mind Right: Lookin' Good

by Fatherofeight | More from this Blogger

08 Feb 2007 08:00 AM

I guess that it is time to give details on exactly how I am losing all of this weight. At the appointment with my doctor in May, he said that he wanted me to lose 100 pounds by eating right (less) and doing moderate exercise.

He gave me a prescription for a "mild" appetite suppressant. It is called "phentermine". I was taking a 30MG capsule every morning. I really like it because it has no side effects, I don't feel goofy or hyped up, but it turns off that little thing in my brain that tells me that I am hungry. The "food demon" was gone. I have an appointment every month where he checks me, usually doing blood work to make sure that I am OK.

The only thing that I am not doing that he recommended is the moderate exercise. I am exercising rather strenuously. He thinks that I would lose weight faster if I didn't do it, but I really like the "in shape" lifestyle. I had been away from it for a long time. I have written about my swimming so I won't repeat what I have been doing. I will say that I have cut back some. I now swim four days a week for thirty to forty minutes, depending on the workout.

I have lived on 1300-1600 calories a day for more than seven months. It's not that hard to do. I substitute an energy bar for a lot of my meals. I like the Mars Marathon Energy Bar called "Multi-Grain Crunch". I am also doing a lot of practical things like only eating half a sandwich. I drink way too much Diet Coke.

My long term goals are the most important. I wanted to weigh less than 220 by my sixtieth birthday in mid October, 2006. I weighed 202 on that day. The second goal was to weigh less than 180 by my birthday this year. I weighed 189 1/2 this morning.

Well meaning friends are starting to tell me that I have lost too much weight. My doctor and I have agreed that we are trying for 185 or so (I am close). I have developed a lot of muscle from swimming and that will make this harder. That's a good problem.

Recently, my wife and I went to a large party at our former church. We saw many people that we had not seen in four years. Every person I talked to immediately noticed my weight and complemented me on how I look. After the party, my wife said that quite a number of women our age had commented to her that I looked good and even cute. No one has thought that I am cute since I was three years old.

I will admit that all the complements felt good. I quit congratulating myself when I looked in the mirror the next day. It isn't so much that I am now good looking. The truth is that once a woman turns fifty or so, she really lowers her expectations for men. So, I've gone from being "average looking" to "looking good to the old broads".

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Getting My Mind Right

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momofeigth (38) 08 Feb 2007 03:51 PM

Hey are you saying over 50 constitutes "old broads"? Ouch!!! and you and I are related. We will have to talk later.

Fatherofeight (2475) 08 Feb 2007 05:54 PM

Of course I wasn't refering to you. I was referring to those other ladies over 50.

I keep telling Nancy that she should change her screen name so that she can make comments about how wonderful my blogs are. This screen name does not hide her identity very well.