I'm on the home stretch of my 52 pound diet. Started on October 15th, 2003 at 242 lbs. I'm currently at 196. My goal weight is 190. (6'2")

I assume that if I continue to do the same stuff I've been doing for the last six months or so, I'll eventually lose the remaining six pounds. HOWEVER... I'm going to the Caribbean on May 16th, so I want to finish before then. Gotta look good in the swim trunks, ya know.

So, I'm looking for some good ideas on how to finish the diet off in time. Let me tell you what I'm currently eating:

Breakfast: ummm... breakfast? One time I had some water and a low carb breakfast bar.

Lunch: one of the following...

- Fiesta salad from Pollo Loco (chicken, cheese, chipotle dressing, sour cream, guacamole, tortilla strips) or some other salad with chicken

- Low carb (bunless) burger from Carl's Jr. with bacon (burger, lettuce, mayo, mustard, ketchup, bacon)

- Subway low carb wrap (usually pastrami. sometimes ham/turkey/roast beef or meatball)

- Kentucky Fried Chicken (original recipe)

- Chinese food (hot & sour soup with bbq pork or kung pao chicken or something like that (no sweet & sour or orange chicken))

- Steak

Dinner: On the days I eat at home, chicken, steak, pork or meatloaf. Prepared with some kind of sauce (bearnaise is my favorite). Usually with some mushrooms. Sometimes I'll have some asparagus or snow peas. On the days I eat out, prime rib is my favorite. Otherwise I'll get some type of meat that's prepared well. Usually have a salad when I go out.

Snacks: Almonds, macadamias, and various low-carb chocolate bars.

That's about it.

For those of you who haven't noticed, vegetables are sorely lacking in my diet. I just don't like most of them. I make a sorry attempt at compensating for that by taking a multi-vitamin a few times a week (supposed to be every day).

I'm looking at what I eat and I wonder how I lost any weight. It seems so unhealthy. However, I feel great, I have more energy, and I also realize it's no more unhealthy than I used to eat. I just cut out the soda, rice, fries, and bread. I'm pretty good at counting carbs, and very rarely will I go over 40 grams a day. Most days are under 25 grams.

As far as exercise is concerned, I was pretty much out of action for four of the six months. A few days after I started the diet, I got shoulder surgery and couldn't exercise worth a damn for quite a while. A bit more than a month ago I've been trying to get out and ride my bike or go walking a couple times a week (and "couple" is pushing it). Starting in May, I'll be able to play basketball again, so I'll be doing that at least twice a week. Hopefully that will help.

So, that's how I lost 46 pounds. The last four pounds have taken me a bit more than a month, so I've been slowing down pretty good even though I've been eating "better" as far as carbs are concerned (<20 grams a day for most days). I even tried eating significantly less food for a couple weeks, but that actually didn't work that well at all. I was hungry all the time and I didn't seem to lose any weight.

Heh, this was longer than I thought it would be. Sorry about that.

Any ideas on how to lose the last six pounds in three weeks would be greatly appreciated.