This past weekend Carol & I went to the L' Auberge Du Lac Casino in Lake Charles Louisiana. This trip had many MGB moments so this will be part 1 in a multi-part blog update.

This is a first in the series of "MGB to Go!" blog updates.. To start with, this is the first time I left the State of Texas since my surgery. It was about a 3.5hr drive but did not seem that long.

The hotel was beautiful and I enjoyed the pool the best. I have always loved swimming, and because of my weight, I rarely felt comfortable going swimming in public pools. My new found confidence due to losing almost 90lbs had me out at the pool swimming all afternoon. It was awesome.. They have a lazy river you can float down in a tube that was pretty relaxing.

MGB Moment: My big beach towel now fits all the way around me! It is the little things that are such a big deal. Swimming in a pool and a beach towel that fits and I am a happy camper. Stay tuned for more MGB to Go! updates.

Here is a pic of the pool..

Normally pants falling down is not a good thing but lately I have not minded much as it has become a normal occurrence with losing 88lbs.

I did recently have an incident that made me think about adding additional belt holes to keep my pants up.

On Memorial Day, I did not realize that the garbage truck would be making the normal rounds.. I figured they had the day off too! So, as I heard the truck come down the street and I quickly rolled my trash can to the curb I realized that my pants were down at my knees. I was halfway down the driveway in plain view. My first thought was that the garbage truck was stopping to let me get my can to the curb (how thoughtful) and then, as i neared the curb, I thought they may be stopping to laugh at my situation. With one hand on the trash can and the other on my pants, I eventually hobbled to the curb with the trash and without my pride. Hey, at least my trash was gone and I bet they had a story to tell when they got done that day.

Now that you have the background story here is today’s MGB Lesson: How to add extra holes in your belt. I found that the best way to make extra belt holes is to use a drill. Be careful to put something under your belt when you punch your hole through. A phonebook or piece of wood works well. You don't want extra holes in your kitchen countertop so please stop and ask for help if you are not power-tool authorized. I hope that helps anyone out there that needs to make a few holes in their belt..

I wish you new holes in your belts for making your belt smaller not larger! ciao!

Holy cow! I blew way past 80 lbs lost on Memorial Day and I am even more "loose in the jeans" than before... more on that later. I am now 88 lbs down and I still feel fantastic and I have had zero issues related to my weight loss. I spent Memorial Day weekend doing many things I used to have trouble attempting including but not limited to mowing my entire yard in 95+ degree high-humidity (2+ hrs) and I did not have to stop once. I had my "Doctor Ordered" Gatorade ready to keep my salt and electrolytes at their proper levels. The magic 100 lbs is only 12 lbs away which is amazing. Stay tuned for updates as I am now more than 1/2 way to my goal weight. Every day I think of how amazing Dr. Robert Rutledge is for giving me a whole new life.

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

I have been feeling so good lately that I decided to take my increased energy and apply it to some good. I contacted a friend of mine who is a personal trainer to get me going with exercise and weight training. Trevor Carney with Innovative Fitness has got me started on the path to a stronger and more lean me. I feel pretty sore the next day after working out but it is "a good hurt" like my Dad would say.. I am just starting out so I am taking it slow but it sure feels good to get my blood pumping.. I can see why people would get hooked on working out when they feel better during and afterwards. 88lbs ago I would not be able to do the things I am doing now.. Back then it would be quick and painful.. definitely not a good hurt..

Today's MGB Food Review is going to be one you may not have expected. I have always liked cole slaw (creamy version, not the vinegar version) and am pleased to announce that the Fresh Express Cole Slaw kit (see image) is a key buy when you are an MGB eater. This is normally found in the produce dept. and comes with a packet of sweet/creamy cole slaw mix. I only use a small amount of the mix.. just enough to make it a little moist and taste good. I also add extra SALT which is a condiment that MGB'ers can eat all day long. The slaw consists of cabbage and carrots all chopped up and ready to go! If you like cole slaw give this stuff a try.. At $1.80-$2.49 per 9oz of Cole Slaw it lasts me about 3 lunches.

For an extra kick... add the Ocean Spray Craisins to your slaw.. These sweetened dried cranberries add a nice taste and are healthy too!

Links:

http://www.freshexpress.com/

http://www.oceanspray.com/products/craisins.aspx

I am closing in on 80lbs lost.. in one word: WOW!!. The weight is coming off steady but slower than before and that was anticipated. Pants are even looser and more difficult to keep up - more on that later. I still feel really good and have had many great comments on this site from my family and friends. I also received a few emails from my MGB litter-mates who are doing well and enjoying the journey with me.

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

This my fith official weigh-in and a MGB Moment as I am now 75lbs down and I feel fabulous!

And now a shout out.. Happy Mother's day to my wonderful and supportive Mother. This journey would not be the same without you. I Love you!

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

This MGB Moment is brought to you by: LEVI JEANS


Some of you will relate to this post more than others. This morning, as I was dressing for work, I found myself in a delima that I have never been in before.. You see.. I have spent all of my life dreading getting dressed simply because it was torture to play the "find something that still fits" game.

Today the game is over.. I could not find a dang pair of pants that was SMALL enough for me to wear.. After trying on about 8 pairs of pants, I finally had to just pick one and tighten up the belt as much as it could go.. What a wierd feeling it is to wear pants two sizes larger than necessary. I guess this weekend I will be shopping for some new jeans as I am now smaller than all of the pairs I have. It is a good problem to have indeed.

This entry is going in the column of MGB Moment and Not too proud at the same time. Yesterday I had the pleasure of driving Carol's little girl to see her Grandparents and she asked me if we could get something to eat.

I have not been to McDonalds since February 2009 so I was reluctant to go but decided I would be strong. As I was ordering thru the drive thru I found myself adding a McFllet of Fish sandwich to the order subconciously.. Just so you know.. the McFillet of Fish was my favorite McD's sandwich despite the fact that I am fully aware that fish are not square..

Ok, now that you have the background info you will be happy to know I could not swallow one bite of the thing. No offense to McD's but I now find the sandwich totally disgusting.. greasy and not in any way tasty. It was just after the one bite that I remembered my discussions with previous MGB patients who said.. "You will discover that the food you ate before will no longer be as pleasing to you as it used to be.. in fact, you may be unable to eat some foods because they will no longer be appealing to you." Well, this is so true.. I am not usually one for "testing the system" but this was one test I am glad I failed.

For those of you who think you will be missing out on that oh-so-favorite foods after your MGB, be aware that you may find yourself reaching for fruit cups, salads and anything not fried afterwards.. The good news is you will make this decision because you no longer like the taste instead of the "I can't eat it because I am on a diet" reason. This MGB stuff really works.




As a sidenote.. McD's does have healthy items on the menu like yogurt, fruit, salads and water.

As I mentioned in the last post.. I had the honor of being in my good friends Patrick and Whitney's wedding this weekend.. It was awesome and an incredible time was had by all. The food was amazing and I was able to taste just about everything. I danced for hours with energy and self confidence I have been missing for some time. As if that was not enough to make the whole event perfect, I also had the pleasure of having my girlfriend Carol by my side and that made everything even more perfect. Carol is an amazing woman and she has been an incredible support for me prior to and after the surgery. I am a lucky man. (Thank you God!). This picture is of us at the wedding rehearsal dinner. I am wearing a suit that I don't remember the year it was last worn.

MGB Notes: This weekend was the ultimate MGB food test thus far. I faced many a food situation this weekend.. from the rehearsal dinner at Christopher's to the beautiful wedding catered by Global Event Group, to the Sunday Lunch at the Ruffino House (we had delicious lasagna). I ate anything I wanted to eat and stopped when I was full. I did not feel cheated or dissapointed because only the quantity was different from usual.. I did forgo some foods (like breads) so I could make room for more salad and fruits but I did that subconciously... it just happened that way. I am truly a changed man.

As a side note.. At the wedding I learned that I have more web site followers than I expected and that is great! I was told, however, that the web site updates need to be more frequent so I will do my best to get that done. Thank you for your support.

This my fourth official weigh-in and I STILL don't seem to be slowing down with the weight loss yet which is fantastic and exciting!

Drumroll please...........

I am now 72 lbs down and I feel really great. I had the honor of being in Patrick and Whitney's wedding this past weekend and wore a suit I have not been able t0 fit in for many many years. I also wore a tuxedo and felt better than ever. I will post pics after this post.

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.