Well here we are in month two, and I can only say… I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. I had no idea how much I had really grown attached to my eating habits. I must admit, I feel better physically than I have in years, but some weird part of me still wants to sit down in the candy isle and gorge. I have lost approximately 10 pounds in the first month. How much does 10 pounds equate out to a man weighing in at 318? Well, I’ve lost an inch around my neck, shoulders, arms, and waist. I’ve lost 2 inches around my chest, ribs and mid-section. Actually, I’ve lost a total of 13-1/2 inches of my personal 3-D space. That made 10 pounds seem triumphant

First, I want to tell you how incredibly professional and supportive Physicians Weight Loss Center has been, and then I want to tell you how grueling and demanding Woody"s Workout Club can be.

Physicians Weight Loss (PWLC) is impressively thoroughly, and even more so, very patient. There is so much I have done in the first month that I want to introduce you to each part in this month’s feature and then explain them in detail over the next 5 articles. First I went through an evaluation where we mutually agreed that I was overweight. According to the body-type charts, I should weigh between 165 and 195 pounds. (I haven’t weighed 165 pounds since 9th grade). I’ve set my goal for 215 pounds, or approximately 100 pounds of weight loss. At the evaluation the (PWLC) nurse also did a body measurement. I occupied a lot of space. 420-1/2 total inches to be exact. Also at the evaluation I was introduce to the diet (I would come to loath) that I would be on for the duration of the program. 1200 calories a day, normal foods, accompanied by several protein, vitamin, and calcium supplements a day, that ensure loss of fat and not muscle.

For my first two weeks of the program I had to visit the center every weekday. This keeps you honest. It also lets the PWLC folk know if anything isn’t right. Thereafter, it’s 3 visits a week. During those first two weeks, the nurse introduced me to the Slim Within Personal Assessment System (exclusive to PWLC), which is used to pinpoint psychological blocks or hurdles that need to be overcome before permanent weight loss can be achieved. I filled in a questionnaire that will reveal my personal attitude toward my weight, as well as negative thought that may have kept me from succeeding on previous diets. Also in those first two weeks, PWLC did a body composition analysis, where they hooked me up to a machine with EKG-like sticky pads. The result of that analysis was… I have a pretty rubbery body composition. Actually my lean-to-fat ratio is 1-to-3, where it should be 3-to-1. Bummer. This confirmed my body lean content of 57% versus my body fat content of 43%. But the analysis also indicated that my basal metabolism is 2,374 calories a day. That means that sitting around watching cartoons for a full Saturday, it would still take 2,374 calories to keep me running. On a 1200 calorie a day diet, I am assured to lose weight.

Unless I cheat. Arrrrrrrg!!! I will admit right now that I have been a bad boy. Despite my spouse’s attempts to circumvent my bad habits, I have binged at least once and sneaked Smartfood popcorn at least… well, more than once. And yes, I plan to bring the Smartfood popcorn bag to PWLC so they can tell me how REALLY bad that stuff is for me.

My first day at Woody’s Workout Club (as it is for any new member) consisted of an explanation of the club’s policies, a brief tour, and a personal goals assessment, which the trainer turned into a pretty vigorous workout. I kid about grueling and demanding, but your workout is what you make it, and remember, no pain, no gain. So here’s an outline of my "beginner’s" workout. I warm up with 10 minutes of walking on a motorized treadmill, followed by 20 minutes of cycling on a recumbent bicycle with a heart monitor. A lot more effort can be put into this type of cycling with a lot less stress on the body. My goal was to reach my target heart rate for all 20 minutes. After breaking an unnatural sweat, I proceed to the Nautilus Circuit Training room. The circuit training consisted of performing 15 repetitions of 18 exercises on about a dozen machines. The goal of circuit training (for me) is to lose weight. This is accomplished by increasing the number of sets of 15 repetitions I do, to three of each exercise, while gradually increasing the weight. Circuit training offers the precise targeting of muscle groups with range of motion control and predefined incremental weight increases. The "machines" (as opposed to free weights) are easier for the novice.

Woody’s Workout offers much, much more than I have outlined here, but this is all I would agree to for this (truly out of shape) body. I sincerely plan to increase my workout from this 45 minute program, but I cannot honestly see my self going from no exercise to being the workout wonderboy. So for now, it’s three visits a week to Woody’s and one morning a week on that NordicTrack I bought and never use.

To sum things up for my first month… it ain’t easy. I crave cheeseburgers, three to be exact, and that’s my problem. Physicians Weight Loss and I have determined my three weakest areas. I have a "portion control" problem, a "stress interferes with my eating habits" problem, and a serious "lack of exercise" problem. Gosh, and I though acne was a drag. Seriously though, I know what I have ahead of me, and I want to send a special thank you to everyone who has called in or written words of encouragement.

If you have a triumphant story to tell, please let me know. I will keep confidential anything that is requested of me.

More next month.