Background

I’m a man in my early 40s. I stand about 6’3”.

During the mid to late 80s, my weight fluctuated from 170 to 190. In the early 90s, I got up to about 220, where I stayed for quite a while. In 1996 I had to quit smoking and my weight has steadily increased. In late 2005 I weighed 240. I knew I gained some weight in early ’06, but I didn’t pay much attention to how much.

Snacking is a big problem for me. If I start to snack, it’s rare for me to stop. This is especially true if I am frustrated or depressed about something. Since I’ve been depressed for most of the past few months, it’s no surprise that I was taking in between 4500 and 5000 calories a day. I exercise more than most men my age, but I’d have to exercise nonstop to burn that off!

During the week of April 30 I read a few posts on Instapundit about the Shangri-La Diet. On 5/6 I ordered the book. On 5/10 it arrived and I read it. I decided that May 11 would be the first day for me to try it. I noted that, for me, I would have to forego snacking during at least four hours of the day, which itself would help somewhat. My wife decided to try it too, but only using sugar water and not oil as the thought of drinking oil disgusted her.