Hauser Diet (Part 1)

I have struggled with my weight since as far back as I can remember. Recently, I have tried to follow the recipe for success that I followed in 1998 when I lost 135 lbs. I have been less and less successful with each iteration of weight loss. Most recenlty me weight oscillated as follows:
2006 - Max 270lbs, Min 222lbs
2007 - Max 280lbs, Min 245lbs
2008 - Max 270lbs, Min TBD.
I think most people can spot a trend developing with these numbers. Anyway, I started my work out routine by cutting calories and fat from my diet and increasing excercise. I was dissappointed after about 9 weeks that there were no appreciable results. I focused on continuing my regimen, and during a recent ride with my cycling group, someone commented that my riding would be helped if I lost weight. Well, thank you for the valuable insight, my friend!

In response to this comment, I sent the following post to my cycling group:

It was nice to return to riding with the group yesterday. I really appreciate David Pilotto reeling me in after I fell off the back of the group in some hills. After fielding a comment from another rider, I thought I would take the time to outline my history and my goals and plan for the coming months/years. At one period I weighed over 310 pounds, and during college I was able to lose 135 pounds and bring my weight to 175. I did this in a self-guided manner by weight lifting and cycling. The year after losing that weight, I rode my bike from Minneapolis, MN to Daytona Beach, FL with a college roommate. We carried all of our gear in B.O.B. trailers and travelled approximately 100 miles/day for a period of 18 days of cycling and 25 days total. My goal with this trip was to explore the new abilities that my new body afforded me. After that trip, I enjoyed a profound strength in my legs and I covered a 70 mile loop, solo, in less than 2.5 hours. I was never competitive while cycling, I just liked to punish my legs so I can go as fast and as long as I can manage. Since that time I got married and began focusing on my career. Unfortunately that equated to a lack of exercise and increase in weight. My weight had cycled up to 270 pounds in 2005, at which time I began bicycling more consistently and brought my weight down to 222 pounds in the summer of 2006. From April 2006 to August 2006, I met many of you in the Lake and Harlem Group. I discovered I would be a father July 4, 2006. At that time, my mentality drifted away from the focus on health and cycling. I quickly ballooned to 280 pounds. I was able to manage some cycling in 2007, but quickly fell into old, bad habits. I dropped to 245 pounds in 2007, only to arrive at 270 pounds in 2008. My weight of 270 pounds occurred this year after I was struck by a car while riding and I took approximately eight weeks off of the bike.I recently discovered that my wife is pregnant with yet another addition to our family. I love the form of cycling that involves two-wheels, not the form that includes personal weight highs and lows. Given that I stopped cycling and gained a lot of weight during my wife's last pregnancy, I am committed to maintaining cycling while losing weight during this second pregnancy and thereafter.Despite a fairly regular cycling schedule over the past eight weeks, I am not losing weight nearly as quickly as I had during previous weight loss periods. Perhaps a good thing, but not necessarily encouraging. I presently commute to work 4-days-a-week and swim for ½ hour 3 days-a-week. I presently weigh 255 pounds. My goal is run a triathlon or two next year and enter some cycling events like the Horribly Hilly Hundreds and the Wright Stuff Century, and perhaps some Crits. I have experience running while heavy, and it is not pleasant. I anticipate incorporating running into my training next spring, at which time I hope to weigh less than 200 pounds. I am a driven when I am focused on a goal. However, as demonstrated in the above paragraphs, my emphasis on health and cycling is the first to go when other disruptors enter the picture. The members of this group have been great and supportive. I am early in my plans, I struggle daily with my weight. I plan to achieve my above stated goals in-part with the support of the L&H Group.Also, I am looking for member(s) of L&H to train with, help me maintain my focus, and be accountable to in the months to come. I welcome any responses to the group, directly, or by phone.The comment that prompted this epic email was this: "No offense, but I think it would help if you lost some weight". No offense taken, but a comment that is responded to in total here.

After posting this to the group website, I received some very encouraging and supportive feedback. Several people directed me to Dr. Ross Hauser, a rider in the group.