Three weeks in

So the good, I've lost 20 lbs in the first three weeks that I've been a member of TOPS.


That still leaves me at an astoundingly high number that no human ever weigh, but I'm ok with that.

I'm not making any progress this week, which sucks. I mean, I knew I'd hit a slow patch soon, but from 7 lbs a week to 0 this half week is more than a little depressing.

All in all things are going well. TOPS hasn't sent me my membership info yet, and frankly I think the meetings are the only real benefit I'm going to get from that program. I plan to stick to my own food-plan so long as it is working for me. The TOPS national encourages this thing using "exchanges" like, for lunch you get one meat exchnage and two vegitable exchanges, etc. I'm pretty happy just counting calories and trying to have a vague sense of balance for now, when I lose some of the extra weight or (yeah right) I'm ever at a point that I'm just maintaining a weight instead of struggling to lose, then I'll focus more on balance and vitamins and such.

Current weight - 403
Current loss to date - 20
Goal - 220
distance to goal - 183

TOPS update

Ok, so the TOPS meeting came and went...and the highlights are:

- I actually made myself go

- I was the only male in attendance (not surprising I guess), and only one of two under 50 (more surprising) with the median age falling in the late 60's at least.

- The people (about 15 or so) were very friendly, and seemed supportive, and they had some fun ideas. Perhaps a little preachy (as in bible, not preachy about diets....for example we said the lord's prayer to close the meeting), but I can live with that.

- No focus/emphasis on any specific diet plan, the group is much more of a support group/social gathering than any sort of learning experience.... but that's really what I wanted most out of it, not another diet plan. I have a diet plan that I think works for me, if I have the motivation to keep to it.

I'm still feeling mostly desperate and depressed... but maybe with a hint of optimism.

2010

Well, I've deleted the porn ads and the other spam from my comments.

And I'm going to check out a local TOPS chapter tomorrow.

I think I may be ready to try yet again (what is this, take 72 or so?)

Abby's almost 2 now. If I want to be around to see her turn 4 I don't have any time left to waste. So I've got to be all in.

When I've temporarily resurrected this blog in the past I've been overly optimistic and hopeful. Now I'm just desperate. So I'll do what I can, what worked, if briefly in the past.

And more than the blog, more than the foodlog, or the "points" or any goals or challenges I set for myself, what worked in the past was a competition. I had a friendly e-mail wager going for most lost pounds, and by god I won it. Competition is what I was lacking every time I tried to restart the blog or tried to restart my food log.

That's where TOPS comes in. I stumbled on this today, and sure enough there's a Chillicothe chapter, and they meet on Tuesdays.

I'll report back here on how it goes.