Give me the first taste

Here is the thinking behind this blog. Many people say "I've tried everything to lose weight."

Really? Everything?

Now, I've tried a lot of diets. Weight Watchers, eDiets, 6 Week Body Makeover, the Zone, Slim-Fast, Body-for-Life, Diets to Go... I've certainly tried a fair number and that's not including all the home-brewed variations. I even spent a day or two on Atkins.

My first diet was a low fat plan based on Susan Powter's "Stop the Insanity!" I was maybe 12 years old and very excited and preaching the low fat life style when my uncle told me in dampening tones that any diet could work, so long as it created a caloric deficit.

I argued with the passion of a true convert that this diet was different, special and superior. But almost 14 years later, I have concluded that he was right. Any diet *can* work. Right now I'm at a place in my life where I have the time, energy and money to try any diet that I want to. Starting October 2, 2006, I intend to try just about everything.

So I know what you are thinking. "Why not just stick with one diet?"

That would be ideal, but 14 years of dieting has shown me that I'm allergic to consistency. Eventually I need to find some plan or set of habits that work for me so I can maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life. Between now and then, I have 60-80 pounds to lose and a deep well of curiosity about the broad variety of diet plans available. I'm going to be trying everything from Atkins to Veganism so if you are on a plan that you really love, tell me about it and I'll look into trying it for a week or two.

The basic plan is: I develop a baseline diet and exercise plan that maintains my current weight while gradually improving my health. For 2-3 weeks out of every month I try a new diet plan then return to maintenance to transition between plans. Some plans I will be on for less time (cleansing diets and low-carb diets come to mind). I will continue to exercise, drink water and take a multivitamin throughout to provide a baseline.

For each plan I try, I record my impressions. How expensive is it? How hard is it? How much public support is there for the diet? How effective is it? For the next year, I'll keep very close tabs on my weight, measurements, blood pressure and energy levels. In a year, I hope to lose most of my excess weight and learn exactly what I can and can't live with in terms of food. It isn't scientific, but it might prove useful.

Welcome to my journey.