The new Matt
The Dr. says I should loose 30lbs. I actually told her I felt I was putting on some weight and asked her about dieting. She looked up my BMI and said my target weight was something like 125-169. On her scale I weighed 196lbs.
So, I’m going to start doing more exercise. Two 15 min walks a day. And I’ll eat better. Less junk food, try to decrease my portion size (which I know is where I can improve greatly) and drink more water. I’m thankful she didn’t say I had to stop drinking soda. C’mon, a guy’s gotta have at least one bad habit, right? I asked her and all she said is I need to drink more water. Fair enough. Right now I’m drinking about one glass a week, so improving should be a piece of cake.
Well, I know few people who read this blog care, but since I know some people read this blog, I’m going to use you to keep me accountable. I’m setting my goal of losing 30 lbs in 20 weeks. That should bring me right up to the end of the year. This is based on my Dr’s urging not to do a diet, but to make a lifestyle change. A change where I eat better and exercise more and doesn’t end when I reach my target weight.
I’ll post my current weight and my success at staying active here each week, if not more frequently. If you don’t see an update, harass me, please.
Status:
* Aug 3, 2007 – 196lbs (dr’s scale)
* Aug 7, 2007 – 196lbs (my scale), walked one mile (once) yesterday and today so far
I’ve lost 8 pounds in 8 months. Not amazing by any means but I am doing it the old fashion way. Diet and Exercise. And I haven’t really made any drastic changes but here is what I can recommend:
1) Water instead of Pop/Soda. This is one that i have used in the past but as a programmer, I always seem to fall off the wagon. But if you can do it, you’ll be amazed at how the pounds will fall off. I should note that my weight loss this year has not included this step…but it does work.
2) Walk! Walk more than you think you should If you can, get a dog. The need to be walked. I walk 2 miles a day with my pooch at my side. Since it is hotter than hell here in Iowa, she can’t make it as far as I would like so I tag on another 2-3 miles after dropping her off at home. If you want to lose weight fast…get a Labrador. They’re high energy and LOVE long walks / runs. I lost 5 pounds in a month when I got my first lab 6 years ago.
3) Combat Conditioning. (http://mattfurey.com/conditioning_book.html) Yes, Matt Furey’s site looks like a spam email. But if you can get past that fact, I can tell you the Combat Conditioning book has not let me down. The concept is simple, use your body weight for the resistance. So no matter where you are, you can work out. This is great for people that have a lot of travel in their schedules. The book starts off with the ‘Royal Court’ which are 3 simple exercises made up by the Hindu Pushup, Hindu Squat and Bridge. Do those 3 every day for a month and you’ll be amazed at how much stronger you are and the weight that will come off.
4) Track your weight. Some people argue this point but I like to weigh myself daily. I don’t get too caught up in major fluctuation’s as long as the trend keeps moving towards my goal.
5) Another diet one…more vegetables. This year my wife and I decides to join an organic CSA. Every week we get a box of whatever veggies are ready to eat. What this has done is forced us to eat more vegetables and try out different recipes that we probably wouldn’t have done on our own.
I had the same problem 2 months ago, and I managed to lose 13 kg in the past 2 months. Here’s how I did it, maybe you’ll find some tips useful:
* Always eat breakfast, it helps kicking your digestive system into gear
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* Don’t eat after dinner, midnight snacks end up only as fat
* Skip desserts once in a while (I skipped them for 2 months now
* More moving, I started going to the gym a few times per week (cheap gym here)
Good luck!
Matthew,
Doing it for yourself will only get you so far. Doing it because our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and we are care for it as such, will do wonders. I am not one to speak but I am one who is in your boat with you and have continued to struggle with it. The comments left by Dennis K. are great. Also not eating out on Sunday, the Lord’s Sabbath Day will double the amount of weight loss (wink wink).
Blessings to you!
PS – The options to enter in Math Question do not show up until after I mash “Post COmment”. Then I receive these comments:
“Math Question: What is 2 + 14? field is required.
The answer you entered to the captcha challenge is incorrect.”
Hello !!!
I tried as many diets as you could ever imagine: some to loose weight and some to gain weight (different moments in my life…) . The only thing that relly helped me was, and still is, to put real order in meals: don´t mix protein with carbohidrates, eg.: if you eat meat, don´t have spaghetti at the same time, chose a good salad. If you are having pasta, eat pasta alone. Once a week delight yourself with a chocolate bar or some dessert you love. This will help you carry on without feeling that it´s an endless sacrifice. Good luck and keep me posted.