Update

297.6 Confession Time - I have been mostly staying on the program, but my feeling is that anything has to be sustainable. So in the last few weeks I have had a few nights of drinking alcohol (one night a week), a couple of days of pasta, some ice cream, and various other "cheats". But I try to make them "planned", which is less risky than "a moment of weakness". And as soon as they are done, it is back on the program. Yet I am still not exercising because I had an accident about ten days ago and have been unable to move much beyond hobbling around like an 80 year old.. I am almost better now, and may try a little walking today and see how far I get.

16 Days are Done !!

306.4 Okay, that is more like it. I had a bit of a drop today. I don't know what that weeklong plateau was about. I did not expect weight loss to stop dead like that, but there were lot of possibile causes as outlined in previous posts. My final number is 17 pounds in 16 days. I guess that is respectable, but not what I was hoping for. I clearly have to find some time for some modest exercise. The good news is its really easy to improve on zero. I will be back to post from time to time, maybe weekly, maybe less. But the goal of the original blog is done, and I don't want to clutter it.

WTF ?

309.8 WTF ??? Day Two of cleansing today. Very frustrating. I was talking with someone yesterday, and I realized my 24 hour day consists of 7 hours of sleep and 17 hours of sitting either at the computer (trading futures, sufing, doing web development, programming) , at the phone, or watching TV. You don't suppose I am actually going to have to move, do you?

Cleansing Again

309.6 I had two martinis yesterday. Other than that I stayed on track. I drank a ton of water. Normally two is just a warm up for me. The two drinks yesterday left me with a huge hangover this morning, and more of a buzz than I realized last night. I may have to stick to wine from now on, unless I go back into "Martini Training". I am probably better off this way.

So cleansing days today and tomorrow. The refrigerator is empty again.

Backsliding

310.0 I have been very bad for a couple of days in getting enough water. Yesterday I barely drank 3 glasses and that was all at the end of the day. It's hard to create new habits, and I just was busy and focused on other things and not drinking. Some of it was that I was doing some web programming, and when I am coding and testing software, I get in another world and literally forget everything else. I also started using a new fiber product the last couple of days, and I am wondering if that is an issue. As I think about it, I also was not eating any Isa Snacks bacause I have not been hungry, and I forgot to take my IsaFlush last night. So basically I just fell way off the program. Lapses happen, but I am surprsed how subtle it all was. I mean, it's not like I went out and ate a half gallon of ice cream or a half box of pasta. Today is going to be a restart back to the strict letter of the program. I know that my body has gone into water-conservation mode, so I am hoping that at least this weight gain the last two days drops off if I can get back into water-drinking mode. I have gotten 5 glasses in so far today, so hitting at least 10 should not be a problem.

My meals the last two days were bigger than normal, maybe 900-1000 calories, plus 4oz - 100 calories of Monavie. I had a big salad, plus a "grocery-store Chicken-Cordon Bleu" each day. That doesn't seem to be enough to cause a weight gain, but maybe they add a lot of salt. I am thinking it is the water issue. Today I am going to stay more focused, and cut out the juice as well. Lunch was a 7 oz lamb burger and a big salad. I am scheduled for another two-day cleanse tomorrow and Sunday, so unless I have some wine tonight in a moment of weakness (I REALLY miss drinking wine), all should be back on track in a couple of days.

Another day

308.2 This daily weighing-in is starting to wear on me. Thank god my scale measures to 0.1. But I was not as hungry yesterday as the previous couple of days so that is good. Not sure why.

Some weaknesses yesterday

309.6 I made some changes yesterday. I added an extra shake at night because I was geting hungry, added some fat to my noon meal, and also snuck in my dose of Monavie. Even more important, I forgot to drink water most of the day. Individually or combined, none of these were positive changes. Back to the program again.

FIrst Nine Days Are Done

309.0 If you know Isagenix you know that the nine day cleanse is the core of the program. There were some moments yesterday when I was really hungry. I went to bed a bit early and when I woke up this morning the hunger had passed. I think some of it was my stomach doing a little cleansing of it's own. The second two-day cleanse was definitely different than the first. I had more of a sense of "deeper cleaning" as my digestive system eliminaed some nasty stuff yesterday. I have not hit that "fasting clean" state that I have experienced with some water fasts. It's a good reason and motivator for me to do another cleanse next weekend. After a couple of months on this cleansing program, my body might even be up to tolerating a water fast.

I am a bit disappointed that lost "only" 14.4 pounds on this nine day cleanse. But when I think about it, it does make some sense. I was on Medifast prior to starting Isagenix. Medifast is very high in fiber, and I was adding fiber to that program also. I lost about 8 pounds the first week on Medifast, and then did not lose any more weight in the next five weeks. That weight was probably most due the digestive cleanse I got from all the fiber. Under different circumstances, some of that weight would have been part of this cleanse. I never had much in the way of digestive cleansing this time, it was already cleaned out.

It's still a bit of a hard decision right now as to whether to continue on for another 7 day program as originally planned. I get the sense that I am not getting quite enough nutition for my size. Part of it may be that my one meal is pretty small (3-4 oz of meat, 2 servings of veggies) but I just can't eat more food unless I add in some starch. Starch like pasta and bread have become a special meal for me, so I will save that solution for last right now. Those will be back soon enough. Part of the issue may be that I was just so darn hungry last night. Damn FoodTV for having grilling week this weekend!! I am also going to add Monavie back into my diet this week, and that may be just the amount of natural sugars my body needs. If that does not do it, I will add a protein snack into the program (possibly a third shake every day). Stay tuned.

Day 8 was easy.

309.0 Not much else to report. Yesterday's cleanse day was pretty easy, a couple of moments of "habit-hunger". It probably did not help that I spent a few hours watch FoodTV barbecuing shows. But this years "Best Burger" contest had some interesting ideas. One more day of cleansing to go in the first 9 day plan.

Cleansing Phase Two

312.2 So far I am down 11 pounds in 7 days. I got pretty hungry last night, had some a big serving of vegetables for bulk, and that did the trick. I probbaly still stayed within my 600 calorie target for the day, but just couldn't eat them all at lunch. Imagine that!! Me, king of the 3000 calorie meal!! And the last two days, I have NOT been drinking enough water. I just forgot, it's not enough of a habit yet. Where is that kitchen timer?

I have not been getting any exercise at all either, not even walking. I have only left the house once since starting program. That is the challenge of working at home, its easy to just stay put. Yesterday and today we are getting our first tropical storm of the season, it has been ugly outside. I wonder if I remember how to use the treadmill at the YMCA?

Day Seven

312.6 This is my last day of the middle 5 days of the first nine day cleanse. Did you get that? Anyway, I get food today, then tomorrow and Sunday are Cleanse Days. I am looking forward to it. It will be especially interesting to see what my body does now that it has sort of "settled" at this new level of toxins and meals. My half-size meal yesterday was till plenty of food, so that is a good adjustment. I have not lost much weight the last few days, but I definitely see some results in the mirror. I will not do inches measurements until Monday, but I have visible loss in my stomach over the last few days. It is noticeably flatter than it was, far beyond what a one pound loss would predict.

Day 6, Portion SIze

312.8 Thats more like it. I want to see a pound a day for at least the first nine days, since I am a big guy. Doesn't my body know that going up annoys me? One thing I noticed with yesterday's meals is that I just can't eat as much as my stomach starts to shrink. For dinner I had an 8oz piece of chicken and some veggies (about 3 servings according to the bag). I have gotten hooked on the "Steam in bag" Garlic Cauliflower. It is super-easy, super-healthy, super-tasty (I love garlic), and actually pretty cheap ($1.67 a bag). This has always been an easy meal, and healthy enough that I never felt guilty. But I was full at the halfway mark, and that stupid "don't waste food there are children starving in China" philosophy I learned as a child got me to finish it anyway. From now on, 1/2 a chicken breast and half a bag of veggies. Gotta get a couple more storage containers for the refrigerator. But this is way better than when I tried NutriSystem and was hungry all the time. Except for some "food boredom" this has been really easy so far.

Day Five begins

314,4 Nothing new to report, except for a 0.4 lb weight GAIN. Hmmmm??????

So Far, So Good

314.0 Well my weight did not drop, but watching daily results is a little nuts anyway. But I think the fact that I did not go up with water gain when switching off the cleansing portion is very encouraging. I was noticably hungry last night about midnight, but it was manageable. I just had an Isagenix snack and went to bed. I was thinking this morning that this program is going by pretty quickly. Day Four today.

Day Two Also Easy

314.0 No problems, but I know I was not drinking enough water. I am going to start using a kitchen timer, set to ring every hour, so that I am sure to get enough from now on. Today I start eating again. :) I did have a mild headache last night for about 20 minutes, but some water cleared it up.

It will be interesting to see what happens in terms of weight in the next 48 hours. When I have done water fasts in the past, there was always a "water rebound" when food was introduced again. But because of the cleanse liquid and the food eaten during the cleanse that may not happen.

Day One Was Easy

315.0 Well my first cleansing day was surprisingly easy. I was a little more tired and went to bed earlier than usual. I drank an awful lot of water, but I didn't keep track of it. For anyone new to this kind of diet, it would be extremely helpful to use the daily schedule and keep track of water. But I naturally drink lots of water through habit these days, and my experience with fasting let me recognize the "need water" feeling very quicky. I would say I drank a full 12oz glass about every hour. I had no issues with bowel movements, probably due to my fairly clean diet the last several weeks. Between the fiber added to my morning shakes, occassional acidophilous, and a double dose of Monavie every morning, my intestines started this out very clean. But it probably also means I did not get the intestinial "flush" that some people will get, nor the "instant weight loss", and also not the "unpleasant symptoms". I have been through that before, and I know one is coming again just not yet and not so dramatic as others might get. Overall this is a much much easier cleanse than water fasting, yet I can feel the cleansing (or is it ketosis?) happening throughout my bloodstream. I love it.

Cleansing Day One Starts Now !!

321.0 I lost 2.4 pound during pre-cleanse !! I weighed in last night at a friends house, so they could witness my starting weight. My weight then was 322 pounds. They also took "before" pictures of me and will be part of my support network as I get into this thing. I am doing measurements this morning. Yesterday (Day Two of pre-cleanse) was even easier than Day 1. I had lunch at a normal time, and was drinking lots of water, almost to the point of forcing it but not quite. Also I got a little hungry late at night so had a couple of Isagenix snacks. They are great for appeasing the appetite but you have to take them with water.

I am really looking forward to trying out the "Cleanse For Life". I will report back in a few minutes how it tastes.

Well I think the Cleanse for Life is delicious!! They suggest mixing it with a glass of water, but I like the taste of it straight. It is sweet and much like an unusual juice. I bet even kids would like it!! So I drank the water afterwards as a chaser. One note: The instructions say 4oz or 4 capfuls. I measured it out, and 4 oz is more like 11 capfuls. Maybe they changed the packaging? So if you are doing this, make sure you measure your dosage instead of using the cap.

Pre-Cleanse Day Two

321.6 - The first day of pre-c;leanse was really pretty easy. Towards the end of the day I could feel my body going into ketosis, which is a familiar thing for me. It was a good reminder to continue force-feeding myself water. Besides a couple of "habit-cravings", it was an easy day food-wise. The shakes kept me very satisfied, and I never gave any thought to the reduced food volume. I ate dinner pretty late (almpost 9pm) and because of that I was abnornmally hungry. I ended up eating more veggies than the program specifies, probably had an 800 calorie dinner. I also missed my Monavie juice that I have gotten used to having twice a day, so Ihad a small dose last night. Monavie has a great cleansing effect on it' s own, and I found myself missing the fiber and other factors. Today I will take TWO of the Flush capsules and see if that helps.

Pre-Cleanse

323.4 lbs. I had a few drinks last night for my last blast for a while. That probably explains the slight weight gain, since besides that I did not really eat any heavier than normal. I also went for my orientation at the YMCA and learned how to use some of the cardio equipment and a little of the simpler resistance equipment. An interesting tidbit is that I measured at 40.3% body fat, so that is certainly a number to watch over time. They told me I should be between 14 and 22% and I laughed at them. That will never happen. But 40% is an easy number to improve.

I just had my first Isagenix chocolate shake. They are very good. I have had more than a dozen different brands of shakes, and with the excption of one I used to buy through my doctor, these are the best tasting. The Ionix Supreme is interesting, kind of a herbal thing, not all all sweet. But I think I like it. More reports to follow. We're off...

The Plan

322.8 lbs. The plan is to eat normally today, and start the "Pre Cleanse" tomorrow morning. Tommorow night's trash will get rid of all the junk food (not much really) in the house, and any refrigerator items not on the shake plan, unless I can freeze it. I also have appt at the gym today to learn how to use some of the aerobic equipment like bikes and treadmills. I hope to be at least walking a few days a week, and doing it at the gym lets me watch CNBC and stay cool.

It's Here !!!

Woo Hoo!!! My Isagenix stuff just arrived. I have not even opened the box yet!!! This is Memorial Day weekend coming up. I had been thinking it would arrive Friday and I would start pre-cleanse on Tuesday after the holiday. I am going to look over the materials, look over the remaining food in my refrigerator and come up with a plan for when to start. It is interesting to me that I somehow think throwing food away before eating it is somehow worse than cycling it through the septic tank. For someone as overweight as I am, I suddenly realize that is a really stupid concept. I am going to meditate on that one for a little while. This may be a big breakthrough in my food psychology.

Ordering -The First Step. (and some background on me)

Well, I ordered the Isagenix 30 day kit (plus extra Cleanse) yesterday. Hopefully it will arrive before next weekend, as I am anxious to get started. I am going to assume the reader knows what Isagenix is about to keep this blog focused, but if you want more "basics" about the product check the links on the sidebar.

I have been significantly overweight my whole life. As of this morning I stepped on the scales at 323. The last time I was below 270 pounds was probably 20-25 years ago. When conditions come together, I can gain 3 pounds a week continuously without any effort. No-calorie drinks make me gain weight. There are times when my buody gains weight all out of proportion to what I am eating. Recently it did this while following some bad medical advice to eliminate my supplements. I gained almost 40 pounds in 3 months before I figured out the problem. Going into this program, I have already dropped back about 15 pounds from that recent peak of 338, but have hit a plateau for several weeks no matter how much I deprive myself.

My lifestyle lately has been very sedentary. I work at the computer all day as a stock and futures trader. Sometimes having a trade on or market conditions make it difficult to leave the screen for even 30 seconds. This makes it a challenge to even move during the day (especially on BAD trading days), but I am working on it. Without a concentrated effort to exercise, my day consists of a walk of about 30 feet from bedroom to office, some trips to kitchen or bathroom, and a couple of breaks to go water my plants or get the mail. I put a pedometer on one day, and I only walked 300 steps in an entire day.

I have tried to start exercise programs many times. I always start gently. The first day always feels great. But if I go two days, even a week apart, right after that the trouble starts. As soon as there is a pattern of exercise, my body puts up an unbelievable fight. I have gotten the usual shin splints. I will twist my ankle. Some muscle will seize up, just about crippling me. The last couple of years it has a new trick. I will get a serious respiratory disease that lays me out in bed for days. This last one is bizzarre, because I have not been sick in the last five years except for a couple of thse "exercise-resistance" episodes. It took me a while to notice the pattern, and little longer to test it out. On day two I will just get a "little sick". But if I continue to exercise in an attempt to "push thru the pain" it will lay me out flat. I told you it was unbelievable. I probably need psychotherapy.

I have had success losing weight in the past only twice. Once was on a water fasting program, where I lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off for a long time. I like fasting, I like the energy levels. I like the spritual peace that comes with a fast. I like that I become more quiet and gentle. I try to do short fasts every year just for the detox benefits. Any weight lost on a short fast comes back immediately, but the break that it gives you body can really rejuvenate you. But as I get older, I find that fasting is too hard on the body. The last several times, I never got past the third or fourth day due to excessive toxins being released. Sometimes the second day is too much and I have to break the fast. So when I discovered Isagenix, and this gentler, nutritionally supported detox (which is really pretty close to water fasting during the cleanse portion), it resonated with me. I am looking forward to the cleansing periods, and to the "clean feelings" internally that come with a good detox. I hope it works as advertised.

I ordered the 30 day Cleanse kit, plus two extra bottles of Tropical Cleanse. My plan is to start with the nine day fast-start option (2 cleanse days, 5 shake days, 2 cleanse days), and then do it again (5 more shake days and 2 cleanse days). That adds up to 16 days. Nine days sounded so easy (I can do anything for nine days). Sixteen days is sounding like a long time. Hopefully once I get into the program I will get such huge imemediate benefits that it will be easy to stick with it. But either way, I am committed to this blog no matter what the results. It will remain up even if I fail publicly or quit early or change the "16 day double cleanse" plan.