Starting Weight: 260 lbs
Goal Weight: 180 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 80lbs
BMI: 33.8 - Obese

When I tell people my goal is to lose 80 lbs, they think I'm being excessive. What they don't realize is how fat I actually am! I'm 6 foot 1 and a half inches tall. With a weight of 260 lbs, I'm 30 pounds well into the obese category. Getting down to 180 will simply put me near the top range of 'normal weight.'

I don't look obese, by the way. I guess I carry it well. The weight tends to gather through my stomach and mid section with my face, arms, legs and behind still looking relatively okay. (I'm lucky in that sense, I guess.) But my BMI doesn't lie.

The last time I was 180 was when I was 27. I'm 41 now. Five years ago, I was 205 lbs. And then I quit smoking. I ballooned to 260 within a matter of 18 months and I've been hovering around that mark ever since.

As I start this journal, I am near the end of a 10 day fast: The Master Cleanse diet. (I'm sure many of you have heard about it).

I've done it before and like many, I lose the weight but it just comes back on. This time is going to be different. Why? Because I'm using the cleanse as a platform to change my dietary habits. The cleanse is great for getting rid of bad cravings and for starting anew so I'm going to take advantage of it.

The reason I'm obese is because of the obvious factors:
Bad Diet.
Poor Exercise.
Simple as that.

My work is sedentary and doesn't require much physical activity.
And I haven't been exercising regularly at the gym.
But most of all - my dietary habits are rather appalling.

I live on a steady diet of Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Indian, Japanese and West Indian. When I cook at home, it's usually a tin of chilli on a mound of white rice. I don't eat many vegetables at home at all - and while I like salads, I just can't seem to get into making them. But one of my biggest culprits is the buckets of coffee I drink, loaded with cream and sugar.

BUT - that's all gonna change following this cleanse. I swear.

Today, I weighed myself and I was 249.6 lbs. That's a total of 10.4 lbs so far on the cleanse. It's nice to drop from the 260 ranges, fall rapidly right through the 250's and land firmly at the top of the 240's. I am not going to hit 250 again!

I will be breaking the cleanse in a few days and going on a steady diet of vegetable soup for a couple of days and then I'll start to work in the food.

The idea this time is to eat at home more frequently with a focus on whole, natural foods. That's right. I'm learning how to make salads and low calorie, delicious meals at home. I've always wanted to get into cooking and now's my chance! I'm also giving up the coffee and replacing it with fresh juice. Plus, I'm beginning an exercise regimen.

So that's the plan. And the goal? Lose 80 lbs! You think I can do it?
Well, tune into this space to find out. (But I'll tell you right now, that's exactly what I'm gonna do!)

Wish me luck!

Starting Weight: 260 lbs
Current Weight: 249.6 lbs
Weight Loss so far: 10.4 lbs
Current BMI: 32.5 (Obese)
Goal Weight: 180 lbs
Weight left to lose: 69.6 lbs

Hey congratulations on the weight loss so far!
Cooking helped me big time in loosing weight since you can actually see what your putting into your food. Also it made me more adventurous and I ended up loving vegetables!

Good luck Your off to a great start!

Look! It's the one and only Billy Shears!

Hi Billy.

Good for you to make the decision to actually do something permanent about your health.

Cooking your own healthy food is definitely the way to go.

Be careful about that fruit juice, though. Fruit juice has just as much sugar (and therefore calories) as soda. It's just better for you.

Drink a lot of water. Try unsweetened tea, or black coffee instead of loading it with cream and sugar.

You've already done your cleans so I won't bother advising against it.

Excellent that you have quit smoking.

Good luck, and I'm sure you can reach your goal if you work hard and stick with it.

Thanks for the well wishes and tips so far, Cord and Kirsty.

Curious, though Cord. Why advise against the cleanse?

Hey Billy
Thanks for visiting my diary! And I'll totally race you to 180! What does the winner get???? LOL!

Sounds like you have a great plan!! And awesome success so far!!!

Kitty!

I'm tempted to say a tub of ice cream but I have to stop thinking I can reward myself with such things!

My mini-goal is to first catch up with where you are on the scale.....
10 pounds to go!

Good lucky buddy. Good to see somebody about the same height as me!

Once you are through with this fasting thing, start making healthy choices that are going to last, don't BS yourself.

Exercise regularly, not insanely!

Eat healthy food with healthy portions. And enjoy some of your favorite foods once in awhile.

Starting Weight: 260 lbs
Current Weight: 246.6 lbs
Weight Loss so far: 13.4 lbs
Current BMI: 32.1 (Obese)
Goal Weight: 180 lbs
Weight left to lose: 66.6 lbs

Great news when I hit the scales today....
I'm down to 246.6 lbs.
Of course, I'm currently fasting (the master cleanse) so when I resume eating, some weight will return - but I am determined not to hit 250 again. Of course, if I keep on my proposed plan, the weight loss should continue, albeit at a slower rate.

Also, I see there's an ominous number now under the 'weight left to lose' category. I like that!

That's eat. You've just hit upon the utter simplicity of the situation. What you propose is exactly what I'm going to attempt to do!

Thanks for the encouragement.

My God, Guilty Gear! You've lost over 100 lbs? WOW! Incredible.....

Sound like you are determined to succeed. you say your beginning to exercise, how is it going and what are you doing ?

Congrats on the journey! I definitely second the whole cooking at home thing. I love to cook though, but it helps immensely since I can actually eat just as much food as I'd get eating out, but at half the calories. When I do go out I do a lot of subway.

I'm trying to get out of that reward yourself with food mentality, too.

Best of luck, and be sure to keep us updated.

Congrats that you able to lose weight to reach the healtier level. I also looking forward to lose weight for 20kgs. It's not only to lose weight, I am looking forward to get more healthier.

Cooking at home is a best choice to lose weight, now I am follow the low GI food recipe. It helps too !

Thanks everyone for your encouragement.

I'm currently at the tail-end of a cleanse and I haven't started y regimen yet. But, I will start this coming week. I plan to start off rather easily, 30 mins on the elliptical machines and then a program of weights.

I was on a program at my local gym earlier this year so I'm simply starting where I left off. I'll keep an update as to how things are going.

I really like Arc Trainers for machines at the gym.

It took me 3.5 years to get where I am. I only recently really started to watch my "diet". I lost 80 pounds with exercise alone, but it took 3 years. I could have got to where I am a lot faster, but I may not have stuck with all of my changes I made to my life.

It is good to be excited and ready to rock and roll with the new helathy life style. But I think over doing it can cause a lot of people to fall off the wagon.