When I weighed 249 lbs at 5'11" I was ashamed and embarrassed often. Too often. I was born to eat. I love food and have been known to drink my fill and a little bit more.
If you were like me you know. Shoes with laces meant actually laying down on the floor and holding your breath in the fetal position to tie those puppies. Gatherings and meetings that were formal were a nightmare. Everyone but me would have their shirt tucked in. I didn’t even own a tuck-in shirt. What was the use? I could go on, like being in the "Big & Tall" cloths store in Asia desperately needing cloths and everything was too small. Or how about the airplane that was delayed 30 mins while the airline got a seat belt extender off another aircraft and on and on...
Then there were the failed diet years. For nearly 3 years I lost 25 lbs but gained back 16. In March of last year weighing 240 lbs I made the decision to quit the diet and change my lifestyle.
Today I weigh 189. I'm nearing my target weight of 182. My diet is simple because its not a diet but a lifestyle.
What’s nice about my new lifestyle is I can eat all I want and anything I want. But there is a catch (duh
). Like in gambling my lifestyle is to win everyday. Burn more than you take in.
Think about it. There is nothing simpler. If I know I'm going to be in an office all day or on a plane I will have 3 very small meals, and never snack. That day becomes a small win. If I know I'm going to a great steak house for dinner I will get some exercise during the day usually walking and have a small breakfast and a chicken salad or a turkey sandwich for lunch. So even though I chowed down a 16 oz prime rib that night I still get an overall win for the day.
One key to winning everyday is how to deal with snacks. I no longer keep any kind of munch food in the house. No chips, crackers or any thing similar. I buy fresh fruit already cut and mixed for in between snacks and that’s it. And if you think about it a slice of sweet watermelon beats a bag of greasy chips 7 days a week and twice on Sundays.
To be sure there was nothing magical about my 51 lbs of lost weight over 16 months. That’s only a loss of about 3 lbs a month. What is cool about it is anyone can do it.
If you were like me you know. Shoes with laces meant actually laying down on the floor and holding your breath in the fetal position to tie those puppies. Gatherings and meetings that were formal were a nightmare. Everyone but me would have their shirt tucked in. I didn’t even own a tuck-in shirt. What was the use? I could go on, like being in the "Big & Tall" cloths store in Asia desperately needing cloths and everything was too small. Or how about the airplane that was delayed 30 mins while the airline got a seat belt extender off another aircraft and on and on...
Then there were the failed diet years. For nearly 3 years I lost 25 lbs but gained back 16. In March of last year weighing 240 lbs I made the decision to quit the diet and change my lifestyle.
Today I weigh 189. I'm nearing my target weight of 182. My diet is simple because its not a diet but a lifestyle.
What’s nice about my new lifestyle is I can eat all I want and anything I want. But there is a catch (duh
). Like in gambling my lifestyle is to win everyday. Burn more than you take in. Think about it. There is nothing simpler. If I know I'm going to be in an office all day or on a plane I will have 3 very small meals, and never snack. That day becomes a small win. If I know I'm going to a great steak house for dinner I will get some exercise during the day usually walking and have a small breakfast and a chicken salad or a turkey sandwich for lunch. So even though I chowed down a 16 oz prime rib that night I still get an overall win for the day.
One key to winning everyday is how to deal with snacks. I no longer keep any kind of munch food in the house. No chips, crackers or any thing similar. I buy fresh fruit already cut and mixed for in between snacks and that’s it. And if you think about it a slice of sweet watermelon beats a bag of greasy chips 7 days a week and twice on Sundays.
To be sure there was nothing magical about my 51 lbs of lost weight over 16 months. That’s only a loss of about 3 lbs a month. What is cool about it is anyone can do it.
