Fast-5 Diet and Lifestyle: [fast5] Over eleven months and the onslaught of mental illness

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

[fast5] Over eleven months and the onslaught of mental illness

Long lost greetings to de Vie and all my other friends and fellow FF'ers,

I missed posting my regular report here last month. It is now the middle of November and I do have some explaining to do as to my absence. For those who do not remember me (I've forgotten who I am as well) I have been dedicated to the Fast Five eating lifestyle since the first day of January 2009. It is now coming close to 11 months since I began this journey. In September, I seemed to have reached a "plateau" with my weight loss and that did not sit too well with me. I'm not giving up without a fight.

Some background disclosure…

I am 45 years old and my mid life crisis has festered quite severely. A while back, my (soon to be ex) wife and I stopped at the neighbors and I found my friend, Dave, who was back from the oil patch up north where he makes tons of money but is away from home most of the time. I was whining to him how, as the economy goes to crap, that the money has dried up in the medical research end of things and I need to find something else. He had consumed "a few" beers by this time and he challenged me to take my oilfield courses to get certified to "play with the big boys".

My brain took about 15 nanoseconds to formulate the following…

I did not seem to be losing any more weight. The scale said back then (mid September) that I was resting at a total loss of ONE HUNDRED AND TEN POUNDS since the beginning of this year. I kinda panicked a bit and figured that here is my opportunity to be away from food (and civilization) and get PAID TO GO TO CLUB FAT. I took up the challenge.

It cost me $1000 to get trained and certified in 5 necessary construction safety and first aid courses required to work in the oil patch industry. I haven't sat in a classroom in quite a few years. Then I had to spend another $1600 on the necessary work clothing necessary for being in the oil patch.

More disclosure…

After 18 years of marriage, my wife and I have decided to terminate our current relationship. We are THE BEST OF FRIENDS. I've started referring to her as my sister and that really messes people up. A little over 18 years ago, my half brother came home one day and started bragging about this hot girl he met. He dragged me over to meet her and I ended up stealing her from him (he died of cancer a few years later). She had a young daughter (4 years) and she and I spent the next three weeks dating. Then, we got married at noon in the hair salon she worked at. I worked that morning at the hospital, took off for lunch to the hair salon, got married (used the sub shop owner next door as a best man) and then went back to work that afternoon with a wedding ring on my finger. A week later we moved in together.

Well, she is now a very proud grandmother. We never had any kids of our own (by choice) and we are both aware that there is a bad economic future on the horizon. As I took my courses for the oil patch, we also had an auction at the local community hall and I ended up selling almost everything I own. I kept my computer, a mattress, my tools, stereo, clothes and cats. I can honestly not name 5 things I am missing. After we sell our farm, we are going to get a friend of ours to do the divorce papers (no lawyers) and the we are throwing a HUGE DIVORCE PARTY and inviting everyone we know.

I packed up and headed off up north toward the end of October to live in a camp with 24 other "rednecks" that do nothing but work, drink and drink more. I've been doing 12 hour work shifts in the most rugged forest full of awesome wildlife and scenery. Oh... I also almost get killed daily. I've started to think I'm committing "suicide by stupidity". I've never exercised since forever and I was in so much pain the first week that I could not feel anything from the neck down.

So now I am back at home for a few days off. The oil patch is waiting for colder weather so things freeze good before more work can proceed. My "sister" says that I look "scrawny". That is totally weird because the scale says that I AM STILL AT ONE HUNDRED AND TEN POUNDS OF WEIGHT LOSS since January 1st. I am not too happy about this. I know I feel different and my clothes are looser. Maybe the scale is screwed. I did buy it at a pawn shop. Hmmmm... I'm not sure what to think.

So I have a few days to catch up on life and get ready to go back up north. I do miss civilization. I have a lap top on order and hopefully that will put me back on the internet from "the gulag".

Keep fasting everyone!

Rob

:-)

Ps. I'm having a blast up north in the oil patch. It is like doing math, chemistry, physics and biology all week and now it's Friday and I get to go to shop class. I work with a pack of middle aged "high school punks whose parents have gone away for the winter" (so it seems). These guys need a psych nurse more than anything. As for me... I don't have a clue WTF I'm doing in life. I think I've totally lost it.