Update....

Okay, I realize that I am in the "maintaining" group now - but hopefully my journey can keep inspiring some of you guys even half as much as you've inspired me.

For the last 2 weeks I have maintained 180.5 to 183.5 pounds. In most cases my 'upswings' are directly related to me eating something salty. I am claiming that 182 is the weight I want to maintain for at least this chapter of my life. That puts my BMI at 25.4 -- a healthy place to be on almost any doctor's charts.

My waist has continued to get smaller even though I have not lost, and don't intend to lose, any more weight. Being very physically active is, I am sure, allowing me to keep building a little muscle and dropping my body fat percentage. I'm even open to gaining some weight at some point, but only if my waist / belly measures stay small.

Maintaining 182 means I've lost 89 pounds from my heaviest (about 2006), and 59 pounds since Easter 2009.

What's on the menu these days you ask? Well... in general... I eat vegetarian on Mondays. Vegetarian at least another 3 meals a week. Fish at least 3 meals a week, often more. Sweet Potato at least twice a week. Avocado at least twice a week. I do not go more than 3 hours without eating something unless it is after dinner or my evening meal (e.g. when I'm asleep). If I don't feel hungry I make the snacks smaller, but I always eat them -- except my evening snack, which I will skip if I'm not hungry for it. I drink club soda in the evenings if I feel munchy. Something about it being fizzy satisfies some of that urge.

Today's food plan is:

Breakfast
2 Bananas
1/2 of an 8-inch Multi-Grain Waffle (home made, I'll share the recipe if you like)
1 Tbs Honey
1 1/2 cups Soy Milk
Hot Tea

Morning Snack
1/2 of a medium Cantaloupe
Water

First Lunch
Large green salad. About 1 quart of romaine, iceburg, some tomatoes, pepperoncini, black olives
2 Tbs lite Ranch Dressing
Green Tea

Second Lunch
4 ounces Tuna Steak
1 cup cooked carrots
1 cup asparagus spears
1 cup multigrain rice
Green Tea

Afternoon Snack
1 cup Bing cherries

Dinner
1 Oven Broiled Chicken Breast (on the bone, with skin and rib meat, but I only eat about 1/2 the skin)
1 Sweet potato
1 Cup squash and zucchini (slice thin, flat on lubed cookie sheet, sprinkle with cheap powdered Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, broil on high 3-4 minutes more until cheese on top is golden and crunchy)

Evening Snack
A couple of double bourbons
1/4 cup smoked almonds
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

Equipment:  Greg Black made John Blount Personal model mouthpiece, Callet Jazz 63xx trumpet --- played at a mediocre comeback level for 30 full minutes per month...
Favorite Maynard Tunes:  Gospel John, all the other ones