An update

<p>So my doctor is a douche. I'm actively looking to replace him. Went back for results from my blood tests, which all reported me being in great health, and got a $100 bill for 20 minutes. REALLY?</p>
<p>This is why black people don't go to the doctor. </p>
<p>So the doctor couldn't help me kickstart the weight loss, but my boy Joe could. He posted on his Facebook page about a daylong fast where he only drank water. I thought he was a fool. But I was desperate.</p>
<p>That was two months and 25 pounds ago.</p>
<p>I did it twice just to make sure my eyes didn't deceive me. He said it forces your body to rethink where it's pulling it's energy sources from. Or something like that, but with more jargon.</p>
<p>So I'm doing about 1,500 calories a day, but doing 45 minutes of cardio a day (and two days of weights mixed in).</p>

Halfway there...

Haven't been here because the doc wanted me to sit still so he could figure out what was happening to me.

I went in to get blood drawn and they couldn't get it to come out. I sat with my doc and he said something that made me feel stupid.

Apparently, I've been dehydrated, for the most part, since last summer.

I'm supposed to be off all physical activity for three weeks and drinking 170 ounces of water a day.

What's on the menu?

I'm in "heavily monitored" mode while I'm in Tucson for the USTA League National Championships. That means low sodium, lots of water and veggies, no bread.

Did I just write that?

I'm trying to feel good all weekend. In Iowa for the regional tourney, I ate too much to recoup for calories lost, and ended up moving like a slug during my last match.

My doctor also warned me about keeping tabs on what I eat. He's as confused as I am about why I'm not losing weight with all the activity, hence why they're checking my thyroid.

I'm still feeling fatigue, so I haven't seen the gym too much. Though I did pull out the Wii to get a few hours in during the week. And I'm still walking with Charlie.

All I know is I haven't gained any weight. That's a small victory right there.

"We're going to check your thyroid..."

I had a visit with the doctor Friday. According to eevrything, I'm burning an average 14,000 calories a week from running, hitting the weights and playing tennis. Somehow, I'm not losing weight.

Dr. Williams mostly said the obvious: My heart's in great shape, but I need to get my blood pressure down. He also advised checking me for diabetes. Big whup. My dad had it, and every new doctor seems shocked when my test comes back OK.

Then, he told me my thyroid could be holding the weight loss at bay.

I went a whole week recently without bread and cheese, eating chicken, and salads, and chicken salads. I even thought about going vegan as an extreme. This time around, dropping even five pounds has been hell.

My body can't take it. I can't take it.

I find myself trying to fit in a few more seconds of a workout when I should be getting ready for work.

The problem is I don't see it translating anywhere. Then I ride through the Burger King drive-thru. That'll teach my stupid body!

Unfortunately, it's only affecting me.

In a way, learning my thyroid needs to be controlled would be welcome news. I know I'm 30 this time, as opposed to 26, but what's really the big difference? But it also means I'm getting older, and I'm gonna have to leave myself open to those nagging things old people do. Watching my cholesterol. Using low sodium salt. Buying prunes to keep myself regular.

It's ... going.

The hardest part about getting my diet in check is going to be making sure I have snacks on hand in case I can't get to food when I'm supposed to eat.

I'm a journalist who keeps his office hours when people would normally eat dinner. I go to bed in the middle of the night, not the beginning. You'd think adjusting everything according to my schedule would be the easy fix, right?

Tell that to my girlfriend, my mom, even the dog.

Most days, I'm up around 6 a.m. getting Charlie, the dog, out for her first walk. It also gets the wind in my face, leaving me hopeless to re-retire and start the day later.

I picked up a gym membership at the Lab Gym, this place around the corner from my house that looks like a steroid freak's basement would be set up. It's perfect for me: open 24 hours, and filled with people who simply by being muscular for no reason will motivate me to work out the core.

And I need it bad. REALLY bad.

I sent off an email to Charlie for help. Charlie and I started FAMU at the same time. I knew him through my dealings at the school newspaper, and he also dated a good friend of mine. Lately, he's been educating me through his Facebook and Twitter pages on all the crap I'm doing wrong. based on the fact that I don't think he knows what bodyfat is, I'm gonna trust what he says so I can lose some of mine.

He told me to try to eat clean six days a week.

I have to start off at four. I know me enough to know that cold-turkey approaches don't really work when you barely have time to breathe alone. I stocked the fridge with sugar-free fruit cups, boneless chicken breast, eggs and other fresh produce.

I lost four pounds last week, and I've been taking it easy on running to prepare for my weekend in Tucson in the USTA National Championships. Not too shabby.

The situation, as it stands

I run. I play tennis. I work out.

For some reason, it doesn't matter.

The weight won't leave.

It slowly crept back as I left North Carolina. At that time (July 09) I had gained 25. I blamed it on the emotions left from unemployment. And I vowed to get it off before the end of the year.

By 2010, I was only up 20. It was progress, right? That's what I told myself.

Today, I've put on 55 of the 75 I lost. I said I wouldn't get back here, but I let the excuses pile up.

I've never really been one to lose weight alone,  but my brother isn't motivated and Kyle doesn't need to go through the process again. This will be hard for me, especially since I feel good and have good stamina.

This is going to be all about me. The motivation is that closet full of clothes I want to wear comfortably.

I've never really been a fan of people telling me what worked for them, so I hit up Charlie Allen, a guy I know from college who's doing professionally everything that I need to do personally. I won't get into his qualifications, but there are plenty.

He told me to focus on the diet and use more weights.

He said more than that, but that's my underlying problem. I'm listening.

I just hope I can put it to good use.

So it begins (again)...

Three years after I took off some 75 pounds, it has returned.

In it's entirety.

I'm sad. I'm disappointed. I'm depressed. I can't believe it's happened to me.

I can't believe I let it happen.

My friend Kyle and I embarked on this journey together - with a few stragglers in tow. We lost the major weight. He, through using weights for better impact, looks great. Me? I lost as much weight, but the body make-up didn't change as much. It's not that I hate using weights. It's that cardio is so much easier.

I put in a call for reinforcements. I'm gonna get this blog going and explain my process for real. Hopefully, that'll keep me honest. I've gotten to the point where I refuse to buy new clothes because the ones I have (and no longer can fit) are bigger than I want to be.

For me, 380 is NOT a good look.

Leave me comments on my journey. It'll help me come back daily to keep things posted.