NSV And The Future
As of today, I have hit my Nutri-System Goal Weight of 165 pounds, down from a high of 205. I should add though, that from 205-191 (Mid-2007 through early August 2007) was based on simply making better food choices, as well as experimentation with Alli. This phase, although notably successful, was less fun than Nutri-System, so NS took over as the method of choice. I do still keep Alli on hand to reduce fat absorption when I stray, though, which still isn't often, because after all, I've lost forty freakin pounds.
The usual response isn't congratulation, it's more along the lines of "but you weren't fat to begin with!" To those of you who agree with that, I'd like to say, phooey. I wasn't particularly toned, so it's reasonable to assume that most of that mass was indeed fat, and my BMI would fall along the main sequence for a 5'11 male, thus estimable as 28.6, or "overweight, with obesity right around the corner" according to the NIH. The waistline was 38 inches and expanding, so eventually I would have reached another indicator of obesity, the 40-inch waist.
But that is no longer in the cards. Using the same main-sequence estimations, my BMI is now 23.0, almost in the middle of the 'Normal Weight' range (again, de NIH), and the waistline is most comfortable with 34 pants, although 32 is increasingly wearable.
You don't have to take my word for it, bring on the Before and After shots.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007, before Nutri-System, 191 pounds
Wednesday, March 12, 2008, after Nutri-System, 165 pounds
The differences are mainly noticeable in the sides of the abdomen, as well as the chin and cheeks, I think. I would have to agree that they are subtle, to the camera, due primarily to the clothed nature of the shots. I hope you can appreciate that I did not take or release any clothes-off shots.
So, after reverting to pre-high-school weight, what's next? In the near term, a new Goal Weight of 150 will probably be declared, and pursued in earnest. This would lower estimated BMI to 20.9, relatively lean without being underweight (certainly no less, I promise you; I've no interest in anorexia, and total loss by that time would be a whopping 55 pounds). By that time I'll be ready to pick out a nice set of Power Blocks and begin more aggressive training with squats and abdominal exercises. That routine, once firmly established, could give rise to the fun part: a Bulking Phase, during which I'd consume tons of steak and protein shakes to regain a few of those pounds as lean muscle. It is still unlikely that I would aggressively pursue bodybuilding as such, but I feel it is within my grasp to look pretty nice anyway.
The Braces
... Are still on, and no, I don't know either. We're in the "final stages," as I've been told for the past few months, however. I promise to take wonderful pictures of my straight, white teeth just as soon as they're out of jail.
The Living Room
... Has been completely transformed since you last saw it. Look for a new photo gallery post sometime. The modern leather sofa was replaced by a Catnapper Legend 320 double-recliner cloth sofa and a matching reclining loveseat, with cocktail table and two endtables. The NEC plasma was retired and sold last year, as documented earlier. There is no longer a 19" telecom rack in the living room either, as all components are now stuffed into the stand for the 73" DLP projector. The end result is much more domestic and refined looking, utterly lacking the unpolished industrial edge it had earlier. That's a good thing.
And In My Spare Time, I
What? Spare time? I still spend a disproportionate amount of time working, I'm afraid, the proceeds from which have enabled all of the changes enumerated above and even more that aren't. This isn't going to change in the near term, but could by the end of the year. Some things I've done include, playing Earth Defense Force 2017 on the XBox 360, working on the game I'm writing for the wonderful Apple IIGS system I've collected. I've also begun to explore candidates for a new system to collect, from the mid-1970s era, think Altair or Imsai. I'd love a PDP-8, but decided I don't have room for one. Yet.
And Finally
That is not all the news, I'm sure, but that's a lot of it. Hope to write more soon, and the standard disclaimer applies, everything in my life is subject to sudden change, hopefully for the better, so who knows what will get Upgraded next. Complacency is failure!
-Chris