Right around the beginning of March I started reading a fewbooks while I was traveling, mostly self help motivational kind of stuff.<span> </span>As I began to read I realized that I wasmissing the boat on a few things and I was letting some things go toolong.<span> </span>While at the WSOP in 2006 thingsgot out of control, my eating habits and sleeping habits were awful.<span> </span>Once I got my sleeping habits under control(I used to think I had insomnia, turns out I just needed to set the alarmclock) I wanted to focus on my energy so I wrote a blog about some of my proposedtransformations.<span> </span>The big thing was thatI needed to plan my meals and indeed this was a problem, unplanned meals causedme and my family to eat horribly. <span> </span>Once Ibegan to plan my meals I lost about 13 lbs. within a month or so.<span> </span>That was easy, mostly I just quit eating likean idiot but I was still having Lasagna for dinner, though the portions werenot huge.

At this point I began to plateau and I knew exactly why, everymorning I had a Venti coffee with 8 sugars and cream (this might have been thetoughest thing to overcome).<span> </span>Breakfastlooked like a bagel with a banana, lunch looked like a sandwich with chips orpretzels and dinner looked often like pasta.<span> </span>Carbs, Carbs, Carbs.<span> </span>

I was also against exercise, not because I didn�t want to Ijust had been down that path and would sustain an injury and the party would beover.<span> </span>This time I would get my dietunder control (and my weight) before I began to attempt that.<span> </span>Around 185 lbs. I decided it was time forexercise, I started using medicine balls for core strength and a device called�The Perfect Pushup�, basically the product makes you use more of your arms andupper body while doing push ups.<span> </span>Tryingto fight through some pain I hurt my shoulder real bad and I am currently onlydoing the medicine ball stuff but admittedly not that much.<span> </span>I am anxious to get going again.<span> </span>I am not a big runner because I have badfeet.<span> </span>I am hoping as I get lighter thatwill be easier.

As I was reading Tim Ferris�s blog I came across this diet.<span> </span>When I say to you I didn�t cheat on this dietit is no exaggeration, only on one day did I have to eat baked beans instead ofhis suggestions because it was the only option and I was at an amusement parkwith little options available to me.

My breakfasts looked like this virtually every day.

Egg Whites with asparagus or spinach with Tony Chachere�sCajun Seasoning (this stuff was a god send).<span> </span>The diet was in real jeopardy when I couldn�t find an option to thecream and sugar.<span> </span>While I love my coffeein the morning it was the cream and sugar that took away the bitter taste.<span> </span>On the third day I tried an iced coffee andthat did the trick, I have been drinking iced coffees for almost 2 months,though now I can drink coffee black.<span> </span>Therehave been a lot of things I would never do before that I do now.<span> </span>With progress came desire.<span> </span>All of the little setbacks I was able tofight through and I think mostly because I held myself accountable with blogson AlwaysBluff and posts on P5�s.

Lunch and dinner were a combination of Beans, ChickenBreasts and Pork Chops typically.<span> </span>All ofwhich I like and didn�t feel I was sacrificing.<span> </span>

Desserts are still murder.<span> </span>I get by chewing sugarfree gum of all varieties.<span> </span>I have just begun to eat beef jerky on somerare occasions and I have eaten raw almonds for HDL cholesterol for about amonth.<span> </span>

I would love to tell you that it has been easy but it hasn�tbeen.<span> </span>I abused my body for a long whileand I had to pay the price.<span> </span>Even mypoker game has suffered with my mood swings while I try to get a handle on myblood sugar.<span> </span>I did have one huge thingand I think it�s because of my addictive nature that it works for me.<span> </span>Splurge day! On that day I can eat anythingand everything I want, often until I am almost sick.<span> </span>It worked as a great reward for sacrificingduring the week and then once it was over I was good for a few days, notwanting to look at anything unhealthy.<span> </span>Onthese days I would say it�s not uncommon for me to take in 5000-8000calories.<span> </span>Within 2 days typically theweight gain is gone and I lose about 2 pounds a week, which will go down soon,I just have less weight to lose now.

The reaction has been funny, most people pretend to be realhappy for me, the only genuine responses I have gotten were at the p5�s party,I felt real good about people�s responses.<span> </span>That has been a real community for me for a long time and it�s greathaving people root for you.<span> </span>Even as Isay this some people caution me that diet�s work but the difficult part iskeeping the weight off.<span> </span>That is wherethey are misguided.<span> </span>I didn�t go on adiet, I changed my diet.<span> </span>I am lookingforward to the next few months but my ideal weight is 158 pounds, so that iswhat I will be at before March 26^th of next year.<span> </span>

Unless my doctor says I shouldn�t, my goal was 30 pounds andnow that I am there I want to be real smart as I go lower.<span> </span>The next few months look like this, I will begoing to my doctor for a physical and check out my shoulder.<span> </span>I can�t even imagine how well I would havedone with the push ups, I was doing very well with those and my body was responding.<span> </span>Once I have a clean bill of health I want togo to a sports nutritionist and get my blood analyzed to find out what vitaminsmy body is deficient in and adjust my diet accordingly.<span> </span>Did you know that artery plaque is believedto be a slight form of scurvy and there are recent studies that suggest thatVitamin C can help stop artery plaque and possibly reduce it? I am anxious todo some exercise and even give running a shot again.<span> </span>

Anyway thanks to everyone who has been supportive and eventhough it has been hard it wasn�t too nuts and I would recommend it toanyone.<span> </span>The results have beenspectacular, I have more energy, I look great and I am excited about gettinginvolved in some physical activities.<span> </span>Ithink I am going to take tap dancing with my daughter.<span> </span>

didn't read it yet, but i wanna say in advance

Beanie I will say you def looked like a diff person this year at the party. Kudo's to you!

i lost 50 in five now i am hotaments

this is what i'd have to eat if i want to be healthy too? :-(

The thing about is, eating like a moron won't be so easy any longer. I am a zealot when I latch onto something. I am embarassed to say that much of the stuff I learned is likely
common knowledge. Caloric intake is part of it but some things your body just uses better.

neither of these pictures do me justice. The next vblog should do the trick.

BTW, I rented that Shelby and man do those cars kick ass. I got it over 100 and it kicked into the last gear. When it did it the rear swiveled and that fantasy was over. Back to my Vespa.

true, though he is slightly less baller. Feel free to insult me all you like. If I make 2 million this year its a bad year.

did you lose your sense of humor with your weight too?

not really man but I mean come on. I was asked to post pics and they were the only 2 recent pics I had. I even said they weren't great pictures.

If someone I know rags on me thats cool. But for some random numbnuts I mean lets get real, my life is a fuckin dream.

Oh, and btw, if you know me I do everything I can to make yours a dream as well. This is common knowledge. Life is meant to be lived not concentrate on silliness.

F Beanie, no ones too good to be shat on in OT. You know this.

ok ok. I get it. If I was on Meth, I would have lost 50 pounds.

Hey bro, good for you. People, especially as the get older, have a very hard time changing their habits. I'm glad you were able to take control of your life and start making healthy decisions.

beanie was first p5er i met in vegas and he looked a lot different then the blogs remember him from(some of my favorite posts are about those blogs)