Still going strong! I'm back down to 180 and Just 15 pounds to go. I downloaded this cool app called TargetWeight Pro that helps you keep track of almost everything in your day to day health: blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol, weigh and BMI, etc but it also shows you visual representation of where you are in relation to normal ie healthy numbers. This is nice because not everyone knows that healthy BMI ranges from 18 to 25 and they may be surprise to see themselves in the obese category!
It also let's you set a goal date and loss amount and shows a graph of your progress. After each weigh in it tells you your loss average and keeps you informed about how fast you'll reach your target at this rate. A very cool and FREE app.
Been watching my habits as usual. It's so easy to Just grab something snacky and eat it on the way to work. The problem is that so few things in that category are actually even decent for you. It's almost impossible to even get fruit or moderately healthy snacks at the gas station. Sad really.
More to come!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Month 4: Days 11-14
So I was talking to a friend the other day who has recently started to take a look at what he's eating. We were talking about portion control, veganism, all sorts of different things, and somehow the topic came up and I listed these things as the biggest factors that helped me in my "diet." Now personally, I don't think "diets" work. I
think lifestyle changes do. I chose to be a vegan, and it's changed my
life for the better. I don't think "eating less" is necessarily a big
enough change to be considered a lifestyle change, however, it's a GREAT
thing to do. ANYWAY. Here they are in order:
1. Get enough sleep. This will affect everything about your life: your energy, your weight loss, your mood, your metabolism, your stress, your recovery from workouts. All of these things are affected by sleep. Get enough of it. 6 hours is not enough, more like 8 or 9. Go to bed early and wake up early. It's tough, but it's the most important part of dieting.
2. Drink water. A close second - drinking primarily water and a whole lot of it will help you in ANY type of diet or lifestyle. Drinking a glass of water in the morning when you wake up will jump-start your metabolism by 20% almost immediately.
3. Eat less, but more often. No matter what diet you're doing, this is good for you on so many levels. I suggest 4 meals a day - most Americans only have two real meals a day. Eat breakfast every day. This is the absolute most important meal of the day, so eat whole grains like granola, barley cereal, oats / oatmeal, and also eat lots of fruits. Don't load up on toast, meat and dairy, and especially not sugar.
4. Cut out sugars, salts, and oils. For some reason people still think that just because you pick out healthy produce, it's okay to still put a bunch of crappy stuff on top of it. We often cook in olive oil. Did you know Olive Oil is 120 calories per TABLESPOON? Did you know that all cooking oils and sprays are basically 100% fat? (to find the fat percentage, divide the calories by calories from fat - 100 calories, 50 calories from fat = 50% fat).
5. Discover your love for vegetables, fruits, and legumes! You will find things that you like, it just takes time. Trust me on that! These things are fantastic for you and will help you lose weight, especially raw fruits and veggies.
6. Be Aware of your Progress Constantly! Weigh yourself every day at the same time(s). Keep yourself in check and make small goals. Don't just sit there and be like "I'm going to lost 50 pounds!" You'll get discouraged every day that you're not there. Start with 5 pounds at a time, using each weight marker as a goal. 180, 175, 170...etc. Try hard to make your goals with yourself, and do whatever it takes. Buy one outfit a few sizes down. One pair of jeans and a shirt. Work hard to fit into that. Once you fit into it perfectly (as in, it's comfortable on your body) then GET RID OF YOUR OTHER CLOTHES! Don't let yourself be tempted. I got rid of hundreds of dollars of clothes to Salvation Army, and yes, had to buy new ones. But, it's worth it!
7. Don't give up! You will lose weight. You will lose inches. Be confident and surround yourself with people that care. Be patient. Read. Learn. Experiment. Cook. Educate yourself!
1. Get enough sleep. This will affect everything about your life: your energy, your weight loss, your mood, your metabolism, your stress, your recovery from workouts. All of these things are affected by sleep. Get enough of it. 6 hours is not enough, more like 8 or 9. Go to bed early and wake up early. It's tough, but it's the most important part of dieting.
2. Drink water. A close second - drinking primarily water and a whole lot of it will help you in ANY type of diet or lifestyle. Drinking a glass of water in the morning when you wake up will jump-start your metabolism by 20% almost immediately.
3. Eat less, but more often. No matter what diet you're doing, this is good for you on so many levels. I suggest 4 meals a day - most Americans only have two real meals a day. Eat breakfast every day. This is the absolute most important meal of the day, so eat whole grains like granola, barley cereal, oats / oatmeal, and also eat lots of fruits. Don't load up on toast, meat and dairy, and especially not sugar.
4. Cut out sugars, salts, and oils. For some reason people still think that just because you pick out healthy produce, it's okay to still put a bunch of crappy stuff on top of it. We often cook in olive oil. Did you know Olive Oil is 120 calories per TABLESPOON? Did you know that all cooking oils and sprays are basically 100% fat? (to find the fat percentage, divide the calories by calories from fat - 100 calories, 50 calories from fat = 50% fat).
5. Discover your love for vegetables, fruits, and legumes! You will find things that you like, it just takes time. Trust me on that! These things are fantastic for you and will help you lose weight, especially raw fruits and veggies.
6. Be Aware of your Progress Constantly! Weigh yourself every day at the same time(s). Keep yourself in check and make small goals. Don't just sit there and be like "I'm going to lost 50 pounds!" You'll get discouraged every day that you're not there. Start with 5 pounds at a time, using each weight marker as a goal. 180, 175, 170...etc. Try hard to make your goals with yourself, and do whatever it takes. Buy one outfit a few sizes down. One pair of jeans and a shirt. Work hard to fit into that. Once you fit into it perfectly (as in, it's comfortable on your body) then GET RID OF YOUR OTHER CLOTHES! Don't let yourself be tempted. I got rid of hundreds of dollars of clothes to Salvation Army, and yes, had to buy new ones. But, it's worth it!
7. Don't give up! You will lose weight. You will lose inches. Be confident and surround yourself with people that care. Be patient. Read. Learn. Experiment. Cook. Educate yourself!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Month 4: Days 6-10
So I'm finally back from my honeymoon and glad to say I only gained 5 pounds in the two weeks of the trip! Haha. I was expecting a lot more since I took a break from the vegan thing some days so I could have some amazing seafood in Seattle. But alas I've been back a whole day and a half and I'm circling around 183 lbs.
I've been debating a lot about the 155 goal I set before. I don't know if that's really going to look right on a guy with wide shoulders like myself. I don't know. I looked up some NBA point guards around 5'11 and most of them weigh like 170. Now these guys are in good shape...Skinny yet very muscular. It seems like that's more logical than being a tiny bean stalk, which is not my body type at all! Regardless, I'm going to continue on the path and once I hit 165 I'll reevaluate if I need to lose more fat or just start working out more. That's still 20 pounds from now so a lot can change! I'm excited.
Two of my friends Just decided to switch to a vegan lifestyle recently and that makes me very happy. It takes a lot of courage to do such a thing but it also takes a lot of willpower and motivation. Food is an addiction and I'm very certain that, as with any addiction, the hardest part is admitting you have a real problem. Overweight people don't deny their weight, but often they choose to ignore it, like it's not a problem, though they know in their heart they aren't happy with the way they look and most likely never have been. Trust me I know exactly what's up with that situation. My skinny wife has never experienced that, and we were joking about it the other day and it came up about how she doesn't understand what it's like to be overweight for most of your memorable life. It's hell! I know! This is exactly why I went on this "diet" in the first place. There comes a time when you just throw up your hands and say that's it I'm finally going to do something about this...
So to anyone reading and any of my friends that have changed their lifestyles, I commend you for taking an active role in your own health.
I've been debating a lot about the 155 goal I set before. I don't know if that's really going to look right on a guy with wide shoulders like myself. I don't know. I looked up some NBA point guards around 5'11 and most of them weigh like 170. Now these guys are in good shape...Skinny yet very muscular. It seems like that's more logical than being a tiny bean stalk, which is not my body type at all! Regardless, I'm going to continue on the path and once I hit 165 I'll reevaluate if I need to lose more fat or just start working out more. That's still 20 pounds from now so a lot can change! I'm excited.
Two of my friends Just decided to switch to a vegan lifestyle recently and that makes me very happy. It takes a lot of courage to do such a thing but it also takes a lot of willpower and motivation. Food is an addiction and I'm very certain that, as with any addiction, the hardest part is admitting you have a real problem. Overweight people don't deny their weight, but often they choose to ignore it, like it's not a problem, though they know in their heart they aren't happy with the way they look and most likely never have been. Trust me I know exactly what's up with that situation. My skinny wife has never experienced that, and we were joking about it the other day and it came up about how she doesn't understand what it's like to be overweight for most of your memorable life. It's hell! I know! This is exactly why I went on this "diet" in the first place. There comes a time when you just throw up your hands and say that's it I'm finally going to do something about this...
So to anyone reading and any of my friends that have changed their lifestyles, I commend you for taking an active role in your own health.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Month 4: days 1-5 (91-95)
So I've been enjoying life at sea for a few days now... But all the complimentary food has got me overeating. Gotta watch it, it's said that the AVERAGE cruise passenger gains 7-14 pounds per week! Crazy! It took me about a month to lose my last ten pounds and I know it could come back in a matter of days. Sure it's my vacation, maybe I should indulge a little, right? Maybe not I say. I've got a goal and a commitment to myself that I won't break.
I'm going to set some mini goals or milestones. My 155 goal is too far from here for it to seem doable so saying 175 by July 1st and 165 by August 1st helps it seem a little less challenging.
Weight loss is nonlinear. As you get closer and closer to your ideal weight it becomes harder and harder to lose the weight. When you first start out its easy to lose 10 or 15 pounds in an early week or two. That's good. Its behavior shock for your body. It gives you confidence and willpower. As you try so hard to lose just a pound or two per week towards the end, it gives you discipline. It makes you focus hard on what you're eating, when you're working out, and if you're pushing yourself to the limit.
I'm going to set some mini goals or milestones. My 155 goal is too far from here for it to seem doable so saying 175 by July 1st and 165 by August 1st helps it seem a little less challenging.
Weight loss is nonlinear. As you get closer and closer to your ideal weight it becomes harder and harder to lose the weight. When you first start out its easy to lose 10 or 15 pounds in an early week or two. That's good. Its behavior shock for your body. It gives you confidence and willpower. As you try so hard to lose just a pound or two per week towards the end, it gives you discipline. It makes you focus hard on what you're eating, when you're working out, and if you're pushing yourself to the limit.
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