First a statement of the CHALLENGE:

My digestive process is whack.  The muscles that contract to empty my stomach are small, poorly innervated and, I suspect, registered democrats.  The democrat jab is meant to imply they are present, cause a lot of noise and chaos but ultimately are ineffectual.  I have little intestinal motility.  Put down the sandwhich and look at this.

Yes, I am a registered Democrat.  Social liberal (I don't care who gets married or who runs across the border - just register and pay taxes before you start sucking off the system) and fiscal conservative.  Fiscal conservative means the government should only do for me (and you, given circumstances) that which I cannot do for myself - such as fighting wars, policing the streets and financially bailing out soulless and ultra-rich corporations.

My guts are democrats, creators of poo.  My attitude has been conservative, flinger of poo.  Should have been a healthy balance...

Make the poo - fling the poo.  All is right with the world.

Problem is that I'm not making the poo fast enough and when I do, I'm not flinging it as well as I should.

How's that sandwich tasting right now?

So, here we go, THE plan (it has been working like gangbusters for the last two days):

Eat six times a day, 300 calories a meal - DONE, this I have down to a science
Pray twice a day, write once a day - DONE, I actually can pray and not feel like a hypocrite nowadays, cool.
No Dairy products, No Eggs, Very little Soy - NEW, but accommodated for quite easily
Supplements - NEW, I wasn't taking anything but now have rethought the wisdom of that decision,  I take: fish oil, choline, 5-htp, digestive enzymes, Vitamin C, Magnesium Citrate, a multivitamin and fruit and veggie fiber supplement.
Resistance training 3x week, cardio work 3x and stretching 1x - DONE, I am fully automatic in this area.  Whowouldathunkit?
No more sugar substitutes - well, greatly reduced anyhow.  Between the crystal light and the weight control oatmeal, I was really taking in quite a bit of the fake sugars.  I will restrict this to the sucralose in my new protein powder, which lists it as the very last ingredient.

The big change is the loss of my favorite shakes Full Strength as they contain dairy and gluten.  It is a little ironic that the very thing that kept me on track was also part of the problem.  If not for the two shakes a day habit, I likely would not have gotten to this place as this person with this much opportunity.

Much like Britney Spear's hair - When it's time to go, it is simply TIME TO GO.

No eggs - for now.  I am following a 2 week elimination diet to test myself for food allergies and sensitivities.  No corn, eggs, dairy or sugar substitutes.  My guess is the days of lactose and dairy are gone for good but the eggs will make it back shortly.  I am not a big believer in soy protein for men.

My new protein powder is GOAT's Whey.  It is lactose free, sugar free, absorbs 300% better than regular proteins and doesn't taste too bad either.  Had my first this morning - if it bloats or causes any problems it will get tossed right out the door.

I can eat my way to health.  Eating right has been so automatic for months now.  If not for the habits and confidence from the last six months, there wouldn't be any way I could have addressed this problem effectively.

Just over two years since my "awakening" in Colorado.  I haven't caved in to any of the health stuff, torn rotators, low back injuries, rashes, digestive problems, near gall bladder surgery, new baby, new house, binge eating disorder, car accident, and a business built from the ground up.

I haven't stopped eating right (some "slack" periods), I haven't stopped training (very little time lost to injury) but mostly I haven't stopped believing in the eventuality of my dream.  

The "why" has never gotten far away from consciousness. 

The "how" has been supported by some of the finest people one could hope to meet.  Skinny, David, Shawn, Matt and Stephen.

The "When" has been the only part to defy me, time and time again.  No longer.  No more.  The "when" is right now.  I've done all of the work with little to show for it and now I'll do all of the work and have everything I want.  The "when" isn't so far off that I can slack, my credibility will be rock solid as I pass into new "diet" territory in two weeks.  I will be the lowest weight I have been in over 8 years and, better still, back then I didn't carry around and extra 35 lbs. of lean mass that I do now.

Mark it, stamp it, book it and otherwise note it now: On September 7th, 2008 I will weigh 344 lbs. at 215 lbs. lean mass, 129 lbs. of body fat mass and 37.5% body fat.