Diet Mark is 11% Lighter than Regular Mark

Back around January 10, inspired by Tim Ferris’ 4-Hour Body, Clyde and I started a weight-loss experiment: eating primarily lean meats and green vegetables and avoiding carbs six days a week. On Saturdays, we pretty much ate whatever we wanted to.

We stuck to this routine religiously for seven weeks, even while on a cruise ship.

Today, we’re smack in the middle of Week Eight. I’ve dropped from a hefty 230 lbs. to a leaner, happier 205 lbs. — a loss of 25 pounds so far.

My jowls and double-chin are gone, and my jaw line is re-asserting itself. I have a neck. When I look down, I can see my feet. My blood pressure is dropping.For the first time in ages, I like what I see when I look in the mirror.

For people who haven’t seen me in a while, the difference is obvious and dramatic. Even people who *do* see me regularly are doing double-takes. One co-worker recently told me, “I’m still not used to a slender Mark!”

And, to be honest, neither am I.

My lunch plate, laden with broccoli and cucumber slices and tomatoes and beans, doesn’t look like a “Mark plate.” I was amazed when it dawned on me that now, today, I really do prefer crunchy, sweet apples to prefabricated Twix bars. I drink no sodas, diet or otherwise, and don’t miss ’em. Sugar and bread and rice and pasta play almost no part in my day-to-day eating plan.

I’m eating less, but finding what I do eat to be more satisfying than ever.

I keep making fat jokes about myself, like I always have … except now, I’m not all that fat.

Going forward, we aren’t going to be sticking so fanatically to a low-carb regimen. Instead, I’m keeping a food diary, logging what I’m eating in the Lose It! iPhone app that several friends recommended, and keeping an eye on the scales as my progress toward my goal continues.

The day I cross back over that 200-pound line will be a great day indeed.

In the meantime, apart from the weight loss, the most important benefit of this 8-week experiment has been this: once your head and heart are in the right place, you can achieve almost anything, including things you never thought you could do.

Here’s hoping you’re having great success pursuing your own goals.