47 pounds in 4 months and a clean bill of health

I posted a few months ago as I began my journey. I am 6'3 and had continued to add 3-5 pounds a year. As a result, I was 244 pounds. My Triglycerides were 403. My LDL's were 26. My Glucose was 187 and I had an A1C score of 8.0.

I was exercising daily but I was not losing weight. My scores had come down slightly (Triglycerides from 417 to 403) but nothing substantial. The doctor told me that I wasn't terribly overweight but suggested that I get off of all refined sugars - no cookies, candy, soda, etc. Attempt to have less than 2g per day. Use low sugar BBQ sauce, avoid ketchup, etc.

If I could pick it off of a tree or pull it out of the ground it was in play (fruit) but no more of the really tasty stuff.

I came home from the Dr.'s office in a little bit of shock. I am 40 and had been pretty healthy my entire life. I have spent my post college years building a nest egg and I didn't want to get to retirement age and find myself unable to travel or having to have my legs amputated.

Since diabetes is a progressive disease, I felt like I was at a bigger risk since I was getting diagnosed at a younger age. The one thing that I wanted to avoid was the regret. 10 years from now when I was past the point of no return I would say "If I would have only did something about it 10 years ago..."

I took the Dr's counsel about no sugar. I also went one step further. I found MFP, I cut out red meats and heavied up on fish, chicken, and turkey. I got on Alli. The Dr. put me on 500 mg a day (2 half tablets) of Metformin. I stepped up the intensity of my exercise routine.

As I lost weight, my daily calories (with 2lb per week loss) continued to go down. I am at 1440 before I get my exercise credit. However, since I drink nothing but water and have no desserts, it doesn't feel like a huge sacrifice. My wife has been a great companion and has been cooking for my new dietary needs. I travel extensively. But, on the road, I limit myself to Subway (roasted chicken no cheese, vegatables and hot sauce), or Red Lobster. Every morning is oatmeal with fruit (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, flaxseed, walnuts). It can get repetitive and tedious at times, but I have really learned to like my daily meals.

On Wednesday, I went back to the doctor. I had to go to get blood work a few days prior.
My scores came back as follows:

6/22 10/24
Glucose 187 79
A1C 8.0 5.2
Cholesterol 248 126
HDL 26 43
LDL unreadable 68
Triglycerides 403 73
Ratio 9.5 2.9
Weight 244 197
BMI 33 25

The doctor gave me a clean bill of health. He told me to go off of the Metformin. I was on such a low dose that I am going to finish the half month that I have remaining. I still have 7 pounds to lose to get to my target weight, so I don't want to change anything that will slow down my progress.

I am going to buy a rolex submariner at 190 pounds (190.5 or less). My bodyfat % is still 19% which feels high. My Body Fat is 36lbs with 16-44 being the acceptable range. I would like to be in the 12-15% bodyfat range (11-22% is acceptable for my age). I have been told that I am doing too much cardio and need to add some strength training in order to lower the bodyfat %.

The challenge now is to sustain the weight loss. I am wearing a 34 waist (from 38) and I haven't had a 34 waist since a couple of years out of college. My clothes tend to wear me versus the other way around and I am hesitant to spend the money on a new wardrobe as I fear gaining weight and wasting the money. I don't see myself going back to the old eating habits and I plan to maintain my exercise ritual. Hopefully, there will be no relapse or backsliding now I that have had my follow-up with the doctor.

This site kept me grounded. I knew that i had to record everything that I ate - there was accountability - therefore I would stay away from late night snacks or unneccesary seconds. When I get to the target weight, I will have 300-400 calories open up and become available. However, I will go off of Alli, so it will probably be a net wash.