155. That’s the official reading from the Sunbeam scale in the bathroom that, just four weeks ago back on January 2nd, when I was about to embark on my “Six-Week Cure For The Middle-Aged Middle” diet, read 170. That’s 15 pounds in four weeks! During that time, I’ve seen various articles of clothing from t-shirts to shorts to long pants that once were either too snug to wear (or at least wear comfortably) slipped back into my daily rotation and testifying to the tightened midsection I could never have imagined possible in just four weeks’ time. I haven’t taken a Prilosec for acid reflux since New Year’s Day, and, while I’m still not sleeping as well as I did prior to starting out on the diet, I feel better both mentally and physically than I have in years. Today I’ll be going to my doctor to draw blood in anticipation of my annual physical; it will be interesting to see if I have seen any difference in my blood numbers from last year.

While the first two weeks of the Eades’ diet were tough – those three daily protein shakes regimen were definitely a wake-up call – the meal recipes were delicious, and I found myself adjusting easily to the dietary changes and not missing the alcohol and caffeine nearly as much as I thought I would. After that, for the next two weeks (the so-called “meat weeks”), the only part I didn’t like were the amino acid supplement tablets which were the biggest damned things I ever saw. After almost choking to dath on one of them, I just started smashing them into powder and taking them with a big glass of water.

So now I head into the last two weeks of the diet, which the Eades’ call the “maintenance weeks”. It’s during this time that, after two weeks of abolutely zero carbs, dairy product limited to the half-and-half I’d put in my two cups of morning half-regular / half-decaf coffee, minimal alcohol (two 4 oz. servings a week), and no veggies with sugars or starches, I start enacting my own plan based on their recommendations. In short, the last two weeks are designed to help you find that delicate balance between lifestyle and diet based on the lessons you have learned during the first four weeks. Just the fact I no longer have to take the leucine supplements is worth it!

I’ve thought a lot about where and how I go from here, and here will be my strategy from here on out:

1. No consumption of anything containing high-fructose corn syrup. I’ve already checked everything in my refrigerator and pantry, and tossed out anything containing the slightest amount of HFCS.

2. Restricting alcohol consumption to weekends only (Friday night through Sunday night), with four days of zero alcohol every week to maintain my liver balance and health. This I don’t consider much of a sacrifice at all, as I’ve come to truly enjoy and look forward to my club sodas on the rocks with a twist of lemon or lime.

3. Emphasis on foods with low carbs (no more than 60 grams a day) and eating organic as much as possible.

4. A drastic reduction in the nightly potatoes and rices, and sauces and gravies I used to enjoy regularly. Surprisingly, while I’ve missed my pastas and rice dishes, I’ve found that I enjoy a sliced tomato drizzled in olive oil along with some veggies either steamed or done on the stove top with olive oil just as enjoyable. There are some nice low-carb pasta options out there (the Dreamfields line is readily available at most supermarket chains), and, as long as you don’t go crazy you can find a pretty good balance there.

Considering that I was only looking to lose ten pounds and tighten up my midsection, the Eades’ diet has worked beyond my wildest dreams. Of course, I don’t think staying at 155 is a reasonable goal going forward (and to be honest, I would be ecstatic if a year from now I found myself stable somewhere around 160, give or take a pound or two), but I can’t wait to see what, if any, changes take place as I enter the final, maintenance weeks of my diet. Stay tuned.