On June 1st I will weigh-in for the final time on a 3 month long weight loss challenge. To think I almost didn’t get involved because I kept fooling myself that I wasn’t that overweight. I really thought that I didn’t have much to realistically lose and couldn’t win such a competition based on percentage of weight loss. I know the Wii Fit said I was fat, but what the hell does a stupid Wii know anyway! In the end I decided to do it for team camaraderie and the challenge of facing off against another company we do business with.
A mere 3 months later I am at least 30 pounds lighter than some of my heaviest moments in recent history. I have “officially” lost about 25 pounds and I am hoping to close in on the 30 pound “official” mark by the end. If that happens I will have lost at least 35 pounds from some of my heaviest weights in recent history. While I guess that isn’t that much in the grand scheme of things it is quite a bit of weight still for a short guy. So the question most often asked of me is “What’s your secret?” or “How are you doing it?”.
I think my answer is simple “everything in moderation”. I can’t remember who exactly said that, though it’s often attributed to Aristotle and his views on ethics. It’s a simple motto that we should all start living by if we hope to survive. Not just in what we eat, but in how we live our lives. It is something I have tried to do most of my life, although not always in a successful manner. If I was perfect I wouldn’t have needed; or been able to lose 30 pounds. I’ve never really understood the human desire to live above ones means.
Quite honestly, I think a lot of people need to step back for a moment and take a look at theirs needs and wants. Learn to separate the two things and move forward with the needs first. Of course you can’t take the statement literally. Heroin wouldn’t really fall under the category of “everything in moderation”, while a simple glass of wine would. I think you get the picture.
To start my diet I signed up with Daily Plate on the Livestrong Network. Yes, that’s the same network started by the yellow wristband wearing bike racer from Austin, TX. Once there you can enter your height, weight, activity level, and weight loss goals. The site will then calculate an estimate of how many calories you can consume each day to meet your goals. The daily plate has every food and activity you can think of, and if they don’t you can add your own.
Enter EVERYTHING you eat for at least 2-3 weeks. You can also enter your activities for each day. This is key, make sure you have a daily activity. If you are involved in some form of activity, you are unlikely to be eating at that time. For me it was walking, climbing stairs, push-ups, and sit-ups. Again, moderation still applies here. I did not, repeat DID NOT kill myself exercising everyday. The bulk of my exercise was walking 1-3 miles a day. My wife and I both walk every night together giving us a chance to talk about things we usually don’t have time to discuss during the hectic day. This is an added bonus for your relationship.
Honestly that’s it, that’s my secret. After about 3 weeks of this it all just came natural. I continued to eat healthy because I now knew how many calories are in things. I may want fries, but I dont need them to survive. I love coca-cola but I don’t have to have it. Fruit juice works great for curbing that gotta have it urge for a coke at night. I think I am now ready to go off the diet and maintain a healthy weight. I’ll let you all know how it goes.
(Of course, I can’t lie, there is still a fresh box of girl scout thin mints on my desk at work. I’m going to make that box of cookies my bitch on June 1st.)
Way to go. 25 pounds is a great accomplishment and you should be proud of it! I had never heard of daily plate before but it seems like a decent calorie website. Thats some great advice you got there about not having to kill yourself at exercise to make gains. You have to find something you enjoy doing or you’ll never stick to it. Great work!