I began my diet in April 2025 when Beth was in Denver and I had to rise at 6:00 am to walk our Lhasa Apso, Charlie. After a endoscopy, I met with Dr. Tomas Escalante Tattersfield in his office in the middle of May to talk about removing a lap band that I had placed over 20 years ago. This started the process of a five-month diet, so far and some amazing results. We have been meeting once a month. Each session starts with me standing on his body-composition scale, to not only weigh in but get the statistics on all of the relevant data on weight, different types of fat, muscle, metabolic rate and more. At each session, based on the results, Dr Tomas would adjust the recommendations for my diet – starting with protein, moving to ketogenic and moving back to an enhanced protein based and zero to low carbohydrate diet. In all cases, the diet included no alcohol. The recommendations even included in what order to eat foods in order to minimize spikes in glucose.

When I started the process, I had a blood test and was on medications for both blood pressure and A1C. There were a number of areas where improvements were needed in cholesterol, glucose, insulin resistance. After six months of dieting, everything has changed. I am no longer on any medications. All of my blood test results are not only in the normal range, but in several cases, they are better than normal. So, in our recent meeting, Dr Tomas said that it was time to start planning a maintenance diet even though he would still like my visceral fat to reduce from 10 to 8 % and my body fat to go from 20.8 to 15%. He would also like my muscle mass to continue to increase. When I started this process, I weighed 238.7 lbs and now am 177.3 lbs – a drop of 61.4 lbs.

This is due not only to the diet regime but to my commitment to exercise on a daily basis as part of the plan. With a great pool in our complex, I have spent at least one hour a day doing water aerobics and lengths of the 22-meter pool. Generally, I would do 26+ lengths by swimming one length and walking two. I have also been doing chair yoga and lifting small barbells. All of which has help make the difference.

Another big change has been in the loss of inches. I recently had to buy new pants. I tried on jeans with a 36″ waist and found out that I needed 34s, with a belt. I don’t think that I have worn a 34″ waist since the 1980s.

My process with Dr Escalante will continue. I may even reach the recommend weight of 168 lbs.  My body composition scale shows that my metabolic age is currently on one year older than my actual age – a drop of more than seven years.

Thank you, Dr Tomas. Our journey will continue. Your assistance has made it a much less painful process and made it much more difficult for me to cheat along the way.