Seventh Weigh-In

I crossed two milestones with today's weigh-in. Not only have I now lost over 10% of my starting weight, but I am no longer Class III Obese. That's right. I am now only Class II Obese. If I can maintain a healthy two-pounds-per-week weight loss, I will be Class I Obese by summer. Eyes on the prize!

To celebrate, I made up a batch of Mthr M-G's delicious pumpkin pancakes. Taste great, filling (a good thing for a breakfast food), and so much better for you than traditional buttermilk pancakes. Even Phoeb-a-loo loved them. She asked for thirds on pancakes before asking for seconds on syrup. There are several recipes online. Give one of them a try next time you have a taste for pancakes!

Tea for Two

When you get to be nearly morbidly obese, food becomes very important to you. It's important to give a metaphoric weight to healthier foods when striving to live better. Instead of having a beer tonight let's join Optimus Prime and The Fallen for a cup of green tea.

The key to elevating a simple beverage like green tea is making it a ritual not just a process. We start with loose sencha leaves from Japan. They are stored in a cherry bark canister, the traditional vessel. We use a dedicated tea-measuring spoon to get our infuser baskets ready to brew tea directly in our mugs. (Some day I'll get a cast iron teapot and warmer set.)


Fresh, cool water does the trick. We'll use an electric kettle to heat it. Don't get it too hot or the leaves will be damaged. Water boils at 212° F. We want our water at 175° when it hits the leaves. A thermometer used in frothing milk for fancy espresso drinks makes sure we're safe.


Green tea brews very quickly. More than two minutes of steeping will yield a bitter brew. Set a timer. (Optimus is so bulky he can't get his wrist into his line of sight. The Fallen doesn't have a watch, but likes to rub his agility in Optimus' face. What a jerk!)


After 120 ticks we pull out the infuser baskets and allow them to drain/cool in the dish drying rack. Now, enjoy your very important and delicious beverage. (Right about now Optimus is reconsidering his mouth plate.)

Sixth Weigh-In

Welcome to Penguin Posting's 400^th post. Another week, another milestone.

I feel a little bit like a jerk saying that I ONLY lost 2.7 pounds this week. It is off my average, but I know it's closer to a healthier and more sustainable loss. I'm within spitting distance of my 10% goal. (I don't actually know that. I don't make a habit of spitting any distance.) The 10% goal is the point at which one has lost 10% of one's original weight.

Maybe next week I'll hit another milestone.

Fifth Weigh-In

Poor Energon Optimus Prime. It's not his fault he's so tubby. He's just poorly designed. Revenge of the Fallen Leader Class Optimus Prime (easy for you to say) on the other hand looks lean and mean. Check out that V-shaped torso! Looks like Energon Prime has found his inspiration.

The verdict is in. Saturday I weighed in (while out of town) and found that I just passed a big milestone. I have now lost (just) over 25 pounds! That's a total loss of 8.6% in just over a month.

I'm feeling good. I'm not hungry. (I'm just not full all of the time.) My belt is consistently on the last notch. The biggest thing is that I'm not reaching for food when I need something to do. (I've gotten a lot of reading done.)

See you back here in two more days for my next weigh-in! (Promise.)

Fourth Weigh-In

I didn't forget to weigh myself. I just forgot to report my progress. Also, today marks one month of weight loss. So, how did I do?

It turns out I did really well. I've lost a total of 7 percent of my starting weight. I've taken some more not-ready-for-the-Internet photos marking my one month milestone. I can't see any difference between the January and February photos myself, but I do feel a difference. For Christmas I received two XXL t-shirts as presents. I FILLED them. This weekend, the same shirts actually fit.

I know I can't keep this pace up for very much longer, but I'm not complaining.