Want to lose weight?
A while back I was on a running kick because I was trying to lose some excess pounds that I packed on while my wife was pregnant.
10 months after my daughter was born I was still a butterball. Vital stats 5'10" 220lbs at my heaviest.
Background, at one point or another in my life I have tried every fad diet imaginable. More enjoyable ones were atkins and other low car variants. However you are always stuck with the, well I lost weight now what factor? Just going back to your old life packs back on 5lbs of water weight fast.
This time around my wife and I decided to make a different change. More of a lifestyle change if you will... Just write down all the calories we eat on a daily basis. We got a tracker online and started charting out what things we were eating and how many calories were in them.
The site said I should stick to 2000 calories a day when not exercising. Exercise is banked as extra calories I can consume. 2000 cals seemed like a lot but it put me on course for losing 1-1.5lbs a week from what the website said. I also eat whatever I want on Sundays.
Its been 9 weeks now since I began and I recently tipped the scales at 204lbs. So far I have lost 16lbs. However the really positive thing is that I have much better perspective on what calories are in things and I am making healthier choices without feeling like I am sacrificing anything.
There is a little more overhead in the fact that I have to measure new recipes and make sure that I am maxing out my enjoyment for minimal calories. I learned how to make pizza since I crave it and its much healthier when I use my own ingredients. I've also learned where I can grab food out with little impact. For example, did you know an 8 piece Chick Fil A nuggets is only 260 cals and their chargrill sandwich is only 300? Both are very low cal snacks that I can pretty much eat whenever I want. Other go-to's are subway (320 cals for 6 inch with no mayo or cheese) and taco bell fresco style items run about 150 cals.
Anyways, I can see this turning into a continued success story as I am not having any trouble sticking with the program. My wife has also dropped 15 lbs so we are really starting to implement a life change which is very positive. I am curious to see how I look again at 190 which is my high school weight when in pretty good shape and lifting a lot of weights. My goal is 180 since I may not have the same muscle mass I used to have.
I am thinking too about trying P90x as I could use a rigorous workout program to start getting some muscle mass back. With less body fat I am sure that getting cut up would be pretty cool although I don't really have aspirations to look like a bodybuilder type.
So all in all the simplest solution turns out to be the best for me. Simple calorie reduction. Who would have guessed? This is a pretty big branch of the tree of goals that I have so I am really excited to move on to do some more work on another branch which I have been neglecting recently (poker).
zero
Enjoy this article?
Copyright ©2009-2010 Drag The Bar LLC. All Rights Reserved
June 14th, 2010 - 10:45
Yeah, I’ve been working on the same. About 4 years ago I had lost 50 pounds and recently found about 40 of it again. The plan I did back then I’m doing again. It’s from You: On a Diet.
June 14th, 2010 - 10:45
hmmm, lets see… I arrived in San Antonio about 15 years ago at 195… gained a quick 20 pounds cause of good and yummi fajitas… then about 4 years later got injured (couldn’t walk for 6 months) and gained 80 more, yes 80 more pounds and since then I’ve moved from about 295 down to 260, and I hover around 260 – 265…. for me the problem is fear… everytime I start an exercise program, or start eating right… something happens… honest injun…. to either injure me, or I go into comfort food mode.
Yeah, I know discipline is the key, eating right, and exercising, but I swear the cards are stacked against me… I’m jes sayin.
Oh, I still try to lose weight and keep it off… since october i went from 295 down to 265…. then …. I got into a motorcycle accident… seriously, I’m cursed.
Punky
June 14th, 2010 - 10:45
Would anyone be up to a “study group” of sorts. Kinda state our goals, what we are doing to achieve our goals (both work out and eating) and then updating weekly how each of us are doing, if we did the things we are supposed to be doing, why or why not. This way we hear about how others are doing and what is going well and not well. Also if we don’t do the things we want to do we can get on each others cases about it and get support?
June 14th, 2010 - 10:45
Sure if someone wants to start a we are the Warriors thread… : ) for weight loss that is
June 14th, 2010 - 10:45
Yea – this is about the only method that ever works for me. It is great because I can still have some chocolate every day – just small bits and I have to count the calories.
But damn – I am so jealous!! 2000 bleeding calories is a lot. I pretty much have to stay under 1000 to lose weight.
June 14th, 2010 - 10:45
http://www.dragthebar.com/poker-forums/showthread.php?p=13485#post13485
June 14th, 2010 - 10:45
Nice discussion everyone, should I make a “Health & Fitness” forum?
June 14th, 2010 - 10:45
P90X is the bomb! I let myself get real soft this past year, sitting on your fanny playing poker for hours a day will do that. P90X has been a great help in getting back into shape. GL