Cycle 2 Over - The Tube is Out

Alright everybody, here is the deal - my weight before the start of the basketball game was 230.4.  I removed the tube.  So in 10 days I went from 242.6 to 230.4 - a total of 12.2 pounds.  I started my first cycle of the KE Diet on February 15th at 260.4.  In 29 days I lost a total of 30 pounds even!  Now I have to transition into ongoing weight loss, and I really feel the KE experience has prepared me for this.

Tomorrow is the last day to register for the free KE Diet giveaway.  Don't forget to register. The details can be found at www.paweightloss.com.

Wickham

Starting Day 9 of KE - One Day to Go

Hello all, sorry for the absence of a blog yesterday - I got very busy and just didn't have a chance to do it.  Two more patients started the KE Diet yesterday, and that amongst other things kept me busy.  So, it is now Saturday morning and tomorrow the tube is coming out!  My weight this morning is 232.2.  I'm holding out hope that I can make 230 by tomorrow when the tube comes out.  Please stay tuned for my final update tomorrow, but I won't stop blogging after that.  I am on a journey to get my body weight and my body fat down and the KE Diet is part of this process, but my lifestyle changes are also part of the process, and I don't want you to miss out on that part.

My patient Cathy Gebhart is doing great.  I spoke with her yesterday, and she is still in ketosis and still losing weight.  She had the Nutritional Smart Tube removed Wednesday.  She is remaining disciplined and motivated and she feels great.  I had a chance to meet her husband and he is doing a great job of supporting her.  I will be following up on her twice weekly to make sure she stays on track.  Cathy is a great example of someone who is ready to do the KE Diet.  She is extremely motivated, she is committed to the idea of adopting a low carb lifestyle, she did not mind incorporating the Nutritional Smart Tube into her life, and she did not have a bunch of excuses.  Excuses you say?  That's right!  No making excuses for why the tube wouldn't work with her lifestyle, no excuses for why she couldn't break the love affair with carbs, and no excuses for why she can't make make weight loss and lifestyle changes the number one priority in her life right now.

If you think you have the same "No Excuse Mentality" that Cathy has, then I think you are ready for the KE Diet.  This is the biggest step - deciding if you are ready.  If you think you are, then I want to talk with you. Please let me or the office staff know, and I will take it from there.  Monday, March 17th at 7pm is the drawing for a free KE Diet Treatment.  Don't forget to register.  

Wickham

I'm Still Losing Weight!

I'm starting day 7 of the 2nd cycle of the KE diet today - I have completed 6 full days.  My weight this am is 235.2


That means that I have lost 7.4 pounds on cycle 2 of the KE Diet.  I am hoping to crack 230 pounds by the end of the weekend when the tube comes out.

I have been thinking about how quickly I repeated the KE Diet - so, I did if from February 15-25 and then restarted it 10 days later on March 7.  In retrospect, I feel that waiting 30 days or so between cycles  is probably the better move.  It would give my body a chance to fully re-adjust from losing 20 pounds so quickly.  Its just a thought and I have no firm science to support this idea - just a thought.

Anyway, I am happy with my progress, and my patient Cathy Gebhart lost a total of 12 pounds in 10 days.  I have other patients starting the KE Diet, and I will keep everybody updated on how things are going with them.  Don't forget to register for the free KE Diet giveaway on Monday March 17th.  The deadline is Monday at 7pm.  You can find details on how to register at www.paweightloss.com.

Wickham

Starting Day 6 of the KE Diet - Update

I have now completed 5 full days of the KE Diet on cycle number 2.  I have lost 6 pounds even on this cycle and my total weight loss with cycle one and two is 26.2 pounds.  I am trying to reach a total net of 30 pounds lost by the end of cycle 2 which will give me 30 pounds lost in 30 days.  I have some thoughts about the whole process I have been going through, and I will share them with you.

Many patients have commented (when they see me in the office) that they could not do this because they would't want their friends, co-workers, family, etc. to see the Nutritional Smart Tube in place.  They go on to say that the tube would might look funny or give their associates the wrong idea - in other words, the associates might think they were sick or something like that.  Well, I can tell you, that if you think this is about them, you are wrong.  The reason to undertake this revolutionary treatment called the KE Diet, has nothing to do with them - it has everything to do with what you want to achieve.  You want better health, lower weight, and lower body fat.  You want to feel better, be more active, and live a fuller more productive life.  

I embrace the KE Diet as a way to make me more healthy, a way to manage my weight effectively, and a way to feel and function better.  As a result, I am positive about it.  Seventy % of Americans are overweight or obese.  I love talking to people about this tube, and the whole process.  This is a very effective tool to help people manage the overweight and obese condition, and instead of hiding it,  I want to get the conversation about managing overweight and obesity out in the open so people aren't intimidated by the idea of taking it on.  When I do this, my circle of family, friends, etc. now know what my goals are and they are likely to support me rather than sabotage me.

So, when you are thinking about a lifestyle change, like the KE Diet, embrace all the positives, and bring your family members, co-workers, and friends on board with what you are doing.  They will be impressed with both your commitment, and your results.

Wickham

I'm almost 3 full days into Cycle 2

So, I started Friday afternoon and it is now Monday morning.  This afternoon, I will have completed 72 hours on the KE Diet Cycle 2.  My weight this morning was 238 even.  I now have lost 4.6 pounds since starting on Friday.  As expected, it is coming off a little slower than last cycle - I weigh less than I did previously.  Hopefully, I can break 230 in this cycle.  If I do, I will have lost 30 pounds in 30 days! Yesterday went well.  I stayed busy during the dinner time hours by running errands, etc.  This took my mind off of dinner and I did not experience hunger.

What I can say about this diet, is that it has really made me examine consuming food in a different light.  It has given me much more control over food and beverage consumption - both portion size and food quality.  I am now much more capable of picking the right thing and consuming it in the right amount.  Don't forget to register for the KE Diet Giveaway on Monday March 17th (one week from today).  Details can be found at www.paweightloss.com.

Update

First, apologies are in order - I wrote my Saturday blog post and inadvertently saved the draft rather than posted it.  So, I posted it this am.  So, when you read it, remember it was really Saturday's post.  As far as an update - I weighed 239 this am.  That makes my 24 hour weight loss 1.2 pounds and my 2 day weight loss 3.6 pounds.  Everything is going great, my hunger is well controlled and I feel good.

Today is Sunday, and I am going light on the blogging.  Will check in again tomorrow.

Wickham

Cycle 2 of the KE Diet

So, yesterday afternoon I started cycle 2 of the KE Diet.  I had my tube placed yesterday and even filmed it and placed it on YouTube!  I want you to check it out - http://youtu.be/M8XTziqI9H8.  You can also check out an interview with one of my patients who is starting day 5 of the KE Diet - http://youtu.be/ytO9TDH9BSo.

Now, since stopping cycle one of the KE Diet, 10 days before, I quickly gained about 5 pounds of water weight.  Over the 10 days, I lost a couple pounds of that, and when I started yesterday my weight was 242.6.   Today I weighed in and I am back to my ending weight 240.2.


This cycle my goal is to get into the 220's.  Since I weigh less than I did when I started cycle one, it seems unlikely that I can lose 20 pounds this time - but we shall see.  So keep following this blog and my social sites to see my progress.  Don't forget to register for the free KE Diet giveaway on Monday March 17th.  For details visit www.paweightloss.com.

Wickham

Some More About KE

Tomorrow - March 7 - I will restart another 10 days of the KE Diet.  Dr. Westman will insert my Nutritional Smart Tube.  If you will follow our YouTube site, you will be able to see video of me having the tube inserted.  Make sure and check this out.  Also, starting next Monday I will be posting a daily video with the tube in so you can see how its going.  For those of you following on Facebook, Twitter, and this Blog you will be getting daily updates on my weight, my progress, my experiences, etc.

My KE patient that started on Monday at 11 am weighed this morning and has lost another 2.6 pounds in the last 24 hours.  She has lost 6 pounds in just under 3 days, and is doing really well.  I have several more patients that will be starting the KE Diet this month.  Its catching on!  Don't forget to register for the free KE Diet giveaway on Monday March the 17th - details can be found at www.paweightloss.com.

Wickham

The Low Carb Lifestyle

So the last 24 hours was a diet success.  I ran 3 miles, had adequate amounts of protein and fat and stayed under 20 grams of carbohydrate.  Last night I attended a low carb support group meeting at the Spartacus Restaurant in Durham.  It is organized by Eric Westman, MD from Duke University.  He is the leader of the low carb movement in this country and has been a big inspiration to me.  I met a lot of great people at the meeting, most of whom have lost a lot of weight and became healthy by adopting a low carb lifestyle.  Jimmy Moore was in attendance and he is a noted low carb author and blogger.  It was great to meet him and he even autographed one of his books for me.

The group facilitator was a very nice lady named Lynne Ivey.  She is very inspirational.  She lost 200 pounds in 24 months and has kept it off rocking the low carb lifestyle.  She looks great!  Lynne is a Low Carb Lifestyle Coach and would be an excellent mentor for somebody who wants to go Low Carb and lose a large amount of weight and then keep it off while continuing a Low Carb lifestyle.  Her web address is www.thelowcarblifestylecoach.com.  All in all, a great time was had by everybody.  I love to hang around like-minded folks who want to eat the right way.  It helps me stay on track.

This morning I had a KE patient come in for their day 3 weight in.  She started on Monday at 11am.  So at 8am this morning, only 45 hours into the KE Diet, she has already lost 4 pounds!!  Awesome. Don't forget to register for the free KE Diet giveaway on Monday March 17th.  You can get details on how to register at www.paweightloss.com.

Wickham

Progress Update

Hello Everybody, I am back from a few days of "social media vacation."  So here is the update on my progress.  I am continuing meal replacement shakes twice daily.  I am having one "real meal" in the evening.  My appetite is well controlled and my portion sizes have been much smaller since completing the first cycle of the KE Diet.  I have been exercising 4-5 days per week and this has included both cardio and resistance exercises.

When I went off the KE Diet, I gained a couple pounds of water weight back and this is coming off.  I will be starting cycle 2 of the KE Diet on Friday afternoon.  I will attempt to get some video footage of Dr. Eric Westman putting the tube in and post it on our YouTube website.  I will continue to have insightful updates on a daily basis on numerous topics relating to the KE Diet, my progress, and weight loss in general.  So, please follow along.

Don't forget to register for the free KE Diet giveaway on Monday March 17th.  Details about the registration can be found at www.paweightloss.com.

Wickham

The Transition

Alright everybody, as you know I am now off the KE Diet until March the 7th.  Until then I am using Health Wise  shake products (which we carry in our offices) to replace 2 meals daily.  I am then having one "real meal" each day.  This strategy affords me several advantages:

1. It simplifies my eating plan each day - I only have to plan for one meal.
2. I get the correct amount of protein, fat, carbs, vitamins, nutrients, and calories for my body without having to even think about it - "No Brainer."
3. I preserve my lean body mass while losing weight.
4. It allows me to stay on track with a low carb, low calorie diet that continues to produce fat mass loss, which is my goal.



Wickham

Some Thoughts On My KE Diet Experience

1.     It pays to be committed and motivated.  Don’t do this if you are not ready.

2.     Any hunger I experienced was more “head hunger” – it was triggered by cues associated with eating but it wasn’t real “body hunger” or hunger associated with weakness due to lack of nutrition.

3.     I drank a lot of water – 100 ounces a day minimum.  This helped.

4.     Make plans to stay busy every day (especially at supper time) – it makes the experience go faster and it keeps you from thinking about eating.  Going to work was actually good for me while on this diet.

5.     Getting out in to the community to shop and run errands was good for me – people would be curious about the tube.  I would tell them about it and they thought it was cool.

6.     Weighing every day was motivating and kept me focused.

7.     Checking my ketones was positive re-enforcement.

8.     Having the tube in was never at any point painful or uncomfortable.  There was an “adjustment period” of 24 hours or so as I got used to the fact it was there.

9.     I realized that I had spent a lot of time over my lifetime obtaining and consuming various kinds of foods.  My brain has developed a “reward response” to this.  With the Nutritional Smart Tube, this was taken away, and I was forced to examine this whole phenomenon more closely.

10.  In light of the last point – I was forced to see food in a new light.  Food is nutrition that should be used to keep my body healthy.  Eating it for the primary purpose of pleasure is a mistake.  My pleasure needs to come from other areas of my life.

11.  The KE Diet prepared my mind for the diet that follows – a diet of meal replacement shakes twice daily plus one reasonable meal.  The meal replacements solve the nutrition piece and take the focus off all the effort of obtaining and eating food. After the KE Diet, I don’t think about what I’m missing.

12.  The KE Diet prepared my physiology for the diet that follows – I am satisfied with small amounts of food and I don’t feel hungry.  This is how the ketosis of a low carb diet works – it makes you full and satisfied easily, cuts down on hunger, and it cuts down on cravings. 

13.  I am glad I am going through this experience.  It will help me serve my patients better.

14.  Embrace your journey of weight loss and better health.  Don’t hide it or keep it a secret.  Get your circle of friends, family, and associates on board – let them know what your goals are and what you are trying to do.  Getting their support is a good thing. 

15.  Finally, the KE Diet is exactly as advertised – it will produce an encouraging, rapid weight loss, and it is an excellent jumpstart to prolonged weight loss.  For me the KE Diet is serving as a “Nutritional Bridge” to a “New Nutritional Life (a life of eating for my good health).”  In my 10 years of practicing Obesity Medicine, I have never seen any treatment tool that is this effective.

THANK YOU

Ok, the KE Diet® first cycle of 10 days is now over for me.  I plan to repeat it again on Monday March the 7^th.  Before giving you any more thoughts on the diet (tomorrow), I wanted to take a moment to say “thank you” to a few people.  First, to Dr. Oliver Di Pietro and MARZIA LAVINIA FREZZA, PHD who taught me all about the KE Diet.  Without them, I would not have experienced this.  I highlighted Marzia’s name because it was she who really helped me understand what it is like having the Nutritional Smart Tube in, and it was she who shared many practical “nuts and bolts” insights about the KE Diet®. 

Second, to Dr. Eric Westman who brought me into all of this last year.  Whether Eric knows it or not, I have become a much better Obesity Medicine Specialist because of all the things he has directly or indirectly exposed me to – including the KE Diet®.  Finally, to the administrative personnel at KE Diet® and at Physician Assisted Weight Loss – without them, I could not introduce this effectively to all of my patients.  This includes Jacquelyn Pina, John Westman, and my father Jack Simonds (now the master of social media amongst other things).  Thanks for all the work you did in helping me get this launched. 

Stay tuned tomorrow.  I will give more thoughts on the KE Diet experience®.  After that I will give you more detail about my diet with meal replacement shakes.  Make sure to register for the KE Diet® giveaway on Monday March 17^th.  The web address is www.paweightloss.com.

Tube Out - Final Results In

Alright everybody, I had my Nutritional Smart Tube removed today and the final weigh in has been done.  Please observe the picture below.


As you might recall, I started at 260.4.  My total weight loss then is 20.2 pounds in just about 10 full days on the KE Diet!!!

I have 2 conclusions about the KE Diet at this point.  First, it is exactly as advertised - 5-10% of your body weight in 10 days.  Another description is "you could lose up to 20 pounds in 10 days."  The KE Diet delivered as advertised for me.  Second, this has been a terrific jumpstart to my diet efforts.  Both my body's physiology and psychology are adjusted and ready to do a low carbohydrate, calorie restricted diet that will continue to produce more weight loss.

I feel great, and I am really motivated about my efforts.  Make sure and follow the rest of my social sites for continued details.  Tomorrow, I will be posting more reflections on my KE Diet experience, so please check back.  I am now transitioning unto Health-Wise meal replacement shakes twice a day and 1 full meal in addition to that.  You will want to follow that progress also.  I will repeat the KE Diet again for 10 days starting on March the 7th.

Also, remember that my office still teaches the normal diets that we always have and we still prescribe medicine to help you.  None of that has changed.  The KE Diet is just a new service offering.  Please register for the free KE Diet giveaway on Monday March 17th.  To register go to www.paweightloss.com.

Wickham

Day 9 of the KE Diet

Progress



So, this is the morning weight in for 2/23.  I have lost another 1.8 pounds from yesterday and a total now of 16.8 pounds in 8 days.  I have one more full day ahead of me, and the Nutritional Smart Tube will come out tomorrow.  Starting tomorrow, I will transition unto a low carb diet that uses Health-Wise meal replacement shakes.  I will continue to post on all of our social sites about this and you can continue to follow all of my progress.

There were some keys to my success yesterday.  First, I stayed busy.  I made a list of things to do, which included washing the car, running some errands, doing some yard work, taking the dogs for a walk, and some textbook reading (outside in the afternoon sun).  Trust me, it keeps your mind off of food and drink, and it makes your body feel good.  Second, I purposely avoided the television because it is full of advertisements for food and drink.  These ads can provoke a bunch of emotions and thoughts that are counterproductive to me losing weight.  Avoiding these kinds of cues keeps you from desiring food and from experiencing a "false sense of hunger".  Finally, I reminded myself of my goals - to lose 41 pounds of fat.  My challenge is to stay on task.  Good leaders set goals for their organizations.  They bring the entire organization on board with the goals.  They constantly re-evaluate their progress and keep the organization focused on those goals.  You must also do this with dieting and lifestyle change.  It is important to stay on task and not to "wander aimlessly" or lose focus and motivation.

Just a quick final note - I am giving YouTube a day off today, so I'm no producing a video today.  Yesterday's video will be posted today.  The final weigh in is tomorrow and that will appear here and on Facebook and Twitter.  There will also be a YouTube video made on Monday.  Don't forget to register for the free KE Diet giveaway on Monday March 17th.  Details about this and the KE Diet can be found at www.paweightloss.com

Wickham

I'm Starting Day 8 of the KE Diet

A Quick Review

Yesterday was day 7.  I stayed busy.  I took Barney to the Vet.  I saw three patients at the Hickory office and administered Botox to them.  I picked up supplies from the Medical Supply store.  I had a short meeting with my investment advisor.  I filled up my tank with gas.  I went to the grocery store to get "chewy treats" for my 4 Yorkies.  I shopped at Barnes and Nobles, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Best Buy.  Along the way, I answered a lot of questions about the KE Diet, and the people asking were very receptive to the idea.  Why am I saying all of this?  The Nutritional Smart Tube and the KE Diet have not prevented me from doing what I normally do.  I did not have to take vacation from work or otherwise seclude myself so I could do the KE Diet.  I have embraced this weight loss journey - it is a good thing, and I am not going to quit living my life normally because I am taking measures to lose weight and get healthy.

So, what has the KE Diet done for me?  At the end of 7 days my weight is down another 2.2 pounds and my total weight loss is 15 pounds in 7 days! My energy level is excellent and I have had very little in the way of real hunger.  It has been very uplifting to see my weight dropping like this.  In other words, the KE Diet has been and excellent jumpstart for my weight loss efforts.



Check out my website - www.paweightloss.com and www.kediet.com for more details on the KE Diet.  Don't forget to register for the free KE Diet giveaway on Monday March 17th.

Wickham

I'm Starting Day 7 of the KE Diet

Todays Weigh in was a Shot In the Arm!

As you readers know, as of yesterday I had lost 9.4 pounds.  That was good and I was glad about that.  However, my rate of weight loss had slowed.  I wasn't so thrilled about this.  So, I drank more water yesterday, and restricted my broth intake and Bam!  I weighed 247.6 this morning!  That means I have lost 12.8 pounds in 6 days.  I am excited about this and it is motivating - a real "shot in the arm" if you will.

Just a word about day to day functioning - it really hasn't been difficult having this nutritional smart tube in place.  Yesterday I was able to clean my townhouse in Durham, load luggage and other items in my car, work the busiest day we have had this year, and drive 3 hours back to Lenoir last night. I slept great last night.  Today I have a busy day planned.  I have to go to the Hickory office and administer Botox to some patients, meet with my investment advisor, and pick up some medical supplies.   In other words, the nutritional smart tube is not impairing my activity in any way.

Don't forget to register for the KE Diet giveaway on Monday March 17th.  You can get more info about this and the KE Diet at www.paweightloss.com.  You can find out even more at www.kediet.com.  Also, don't forget to check me out on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Wickham

REFLECTIONS ON YESTERDAY

Thursday February 20^th

Yesterday came and went.  I did all of my testing (as I mentioned in my previous post I would do).  My weight went down by another pound to 251 even.  So my total weight loss is 9.4 pounds since mid-day Saturday.  I am starting day 6 today.  My next weigh in will be tomorrow morning from my home over in Lenoir.   The InBody 720 showed that I had lost some fat and some lean mass.  I was a little concerned about the lean mass loss, so I will probably add a little protein to my feeding mixture to minimize this.  The Korr CardioCoach CO2 revealed by metabolic rate to have dropped by about 200 calories per day – kind of a bummer.  However, when you lose weight your metabolic rate drops and so I expected this.  This phenomenon makes losing weight much harder when you get closer to your goal weight (as many of you undoubtedly know from experience).  Anyway, the testing gives me a good picture of what my body is doing so that I can make adjustments. 

Another thought before I end this post – I am sure that this experience could be taken to “another level” if I was doing the KE Diet concurrently with somebody close to me (like my spouse, etc.).  I think that having a “battle buddy” would be motivating, uplifting, and fun.  I have always thought that teamwork is very powerful. With this thought in mind, I will probably offer a discount on this service if two close friends or family members decide to do this together.   I will check in again tomorrow – keep following me on our social sites and don’t for get to sign up for the free KE Diet giveaway!

Wickham

A Big Day Today - Wednesday February 19th

Start of Day 5 of the KE Diet

Ok readers, day 5 of the KE Diet is here.  Today I get some repeat testing.  I'll get a recheck of my labs - blood chemistries, etc.  I'll have my weight and body composition analyzed on the InBody 720 (http://www.inbodystore.com/InBody720) - a very cool device which will give much detail on my fat mass, my lean mass, and the distribution of both.  I'll also be rechecking my metabolic rate with the Korr CardioCoach CO2 (http://korr.com/products/cardiocoach/) - a precise way to know if my metabolic rate is changing.  One thing about the KE Diet - I give every patient a thorough evaluation before and during the process.  You will know exactly what your body is doing in response to this diet process. I think the feed back from this diagnostic testing is very useful.  Just like a diet journal, it gives instant feedback on your progress and motivates you to continue trying.  I will be sharing the results with you tomorrow morning (my official weigh in will be on the InBody 720 later today).

I did well yesterday, and slept well last night.  Work was not a problem.  I felt no weakness or tiredness.  I was not hungry at all during the day yesterday.  Between 6pm and 8pm last night I felt some hunger and a "psychological desire" to have dinner.  I did some extra work at the office last evening and had a cup of broth, and all of that passed.  I woke up this morning with no sensation of hunger.  Don't forget to register for the free KE Diet giveaway on Monday March the 17th.  Details can be found on our website - www.paweightloss.com.  Also, be "cool and up to speed" by following me on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.    See you at the office!

Wickham

Update On My Progress Plus a Few Thoughts - February 18th

Got up this morning and weighed at my townhouse in Durham on a different scale than the one at home.  It weighs a little more than a pound higher usually when you compare it to my home scale back in Lenoir.  So my weight here this morning is 252 even (had I weighed on the scale and Lenoir it may have shown a lower number).  That brings my total weight loss since Saturday mid-day to 8.4 pounds!  My ketone strip revealed that I am in ketosis (moderate ketones). I did well yesterday and overnight.  I had no problem working, no problem sleeping, no problem with showering, shaving, etc.  Hunger was minimal and occurred at meal times only. I drank some broth and it passed.  Patients have been asking me about the tube - is it uncomfortable, etc?  Overall, there is some adjustment to having the tube in place, but the adjustment is fairly easy.  I have had no discomfort. I have been able to do all my normal activities with it in.

One more thought – no matter how you prepare for this, there is a psychological war about food that takes place.  You are so used to the procuring and eating of food that when you no longer have to do it, there seems to be a “void” there.  It is best to plan to stay busy around meal times so you aren’t thinking about it.  Tomorrow evening I will repeat my body composition and metabolic rate testing,  I will also have some lab-work done.  I will, of course, be sharing those results with you.  Make sure to follow me on this blog, on Facebook,Twitter, and YouTube.  I will be posting video and pics and you don't want to miss them.  Be sure to register for the KE Diet free giveaway on Monday March 17th.  Details on how to register are on the website - www.paweightloss.com.