Sinking Like a Stone

Yes, I can swim. I am talking about my weight loss. Funnily it is not a steady, progressive or, to me at least, a fully understandable phenomena. I tend to lose the weight in stages it seems. Rather than lose a steady pound a week, I seem to lose a few pounds, stabilize at a new plateau for a while, then all of a sudden, find my weight peeling off before leveling off again at a new lower weight. I am like a plane with a particularly erratic pilot at the controls, one who is perhaps drinking the wine that I, on this diet, have sworn off.

Today I am at 188!

The really funny bit about the last few pounds is that they seem to be the most notable in my slimming down saga. Over the past week I have had all kinds of people approach in the Running Room and the running clinics and talk to me in the tone of voice usually reserved for an illicit activity, like procuring drugs or sex outside of marriage. They sidle over to me, look around to see that we're not being overheard and launch into the most fascinating conversations - In a casual whisper they say things like, "Hey Vince, Wow!, you're looking great. So how DID you lose the weight? What's your secret, Vince? What exactly are you doing?" - You know, the kind of wink-wink, nudge-nudge aside that implies you are having nookie with the receptionist in the photocopy room, or as if I have managed to get my hands on some top secret, ultra-unknown little pink pills that are peeling the pounds off with no real effort on my part.

Here is EXACTLY how I am doing it, kids. Monday to Friday I am on a diet of around 1800 calories per day. I decided not to drink any alcohol until my birthday on August 8th. I got tired of being stuck wavering between 195-196 on my bathroom scales a month ago.

EVERY MONDAY MORNING I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I AM GOING TO BE EATING FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER FOR THE NEXT FIVE DAYS. There are no exceptions. This is the only way that I can do it.

I am limiting my protein during the week to fish, salmon and tuna, and eggs, plus, on occasion a little goat feta cheese in my salads.

Did you know that spinach is 49% protein? I didn't until this past week!

On Saturday and Sunday I add lean chicken and the occasion small steak. I am a carnivore at heart. I dream of rare meat and warm blood running down my chin. But only on the weekends...

My bulk carbohydrates are coming from a bowl of oatmeal in the morning and a bowl of brown wild rice at lunch. I like the rice with the fish.

Oh, and I nibble occasionally on almonds, walnuts and sunflower seeds, sprinkle them in my morning oatmeal, or add them to my evening salad. My nuts are important. I love my nuts. My nuts add variety and spice to my life. In fact my nuts are crucial to my quality of life. You might even say I can't imagine what life would be like without my crunchy little nuts.

Dinner is a salad. I sometimes add a hard-boiled egg, or a sliced avocado. Dressing is usually a tablespoon of olive oil.

I am eating lots of fruits and vegetables. In point of fact,
I eat nearly as much whole fruit and vegetables as I want. All of it unprocessed and most of it raw. Talk about BULK! Make that HUGE amounts of fruit and vegetables. Frankly, my colon is loving me - I have never had better bowel movements since I was in diapers. Okay, maybe a little too much information but if you intend to diet like this, be prepared!
I am only drinking clear liquids and I have even cut back on my coffee consumption.

The weekends are completely different.

My idea is to eat very well, in terms of caloric intake, on Saturday and Sunday - say 3,500 calories - when I do my long endurance run, and then taper my calories for the week until I need to stoke the Vince machine again on the weekend.

The upshot of this is that this morning I tipped the scales at 188.

I honestly can not remember the last time I was 188.