March 26 Progress Report

THE STATS: 6’6” (78 inches), 269.2 lbs (Goal: 240 lbs), BMI 31.1, Current month’s weight loss (March 2011): -7.2 lbs, 2011 weight loss: -20.0 lbs, total weight loss: 114.0 lbs.

My repeated problem of absence: Again, I have to apologize for the absence...it's not from lack of progress or motivation, I still am having plenty of both, thankfully!  I'm a month away from graduating with my Master's Degree from Carnegie Mellon, and I'm making sure to tie up all the loose ends there...it takes more effort than I would like, but that's the way it is!

Progress and Changes in Diet: A few things have changed lately for me, and I'll share my findings briefly.  As I found out a few weeks ago that I'm a finalist for a position with the US Military Academy Band at West Point, I am obligated to meet their physical standards before the final audition round, which is mid-April.   Therefore, I've been, let's say "prodded" into speeding up my progress a bit!  One of my good friends, Mike, recently did something similar, dropping 30-40 lbs. in several months to qualify for a military audition with the US Air Force.  His approach was to cook for himself from the South Beach program, and he shared a few principles with me which have helped me zero in a little on my program.  On his recommendation, I've eliminated some non-vegetable carbs for the short-term, and I'm only eating green vegetables, no corn or carrots anymore for the moment, as they carry a little more sugar than do broccoli and green beans, for example.  This has been positive for me so far, and I've dropped a little quicker as a result.

Here's hoping I'll be able to post a little more frequently!  As always, please post questions and comments, I'd love to hear from you, and if you have questions, that gives me a little more reason to be faithful with my regular posting!

Thanks for reading!

- Dan -