The Plan

Last week I wrote about my addiction to food and my resolution to combat that addiction in order to lose weight. It’s an important step, deciding to do something, but equally important is discussing how you will achieve that lofty goal. What follows is the start of my map to overall health. Overtime the map will grow more complex with branching paths, but right now let’s just draw the walk that starts at the front door shall we?

Addiction

I’m addicted to a certain type of drug. My drug is based on compulsion and has created a physical and mental need for itself just like any other drug would. My drug is legal and there is a pusher on every corner on every street and just about every cubicle at my job place. The drug I’m addicted to is usually the centerpiece for birthdays, funerals, holidays, and various work place functions. I use it when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m upset and even when I’m just bored. It’s an undeniable and inescapable part of life and while the right kind can breed health and well-being the wrong type is second only to cigarettes for cause of death in the US.

My drug is food.

When Mistakes Become Failure

I wish that life could be a little more like the before and after pictures we see in so many popular weight loss books, tv shows and product advertisements. If only it were that simple that with enough I could go from point A to point B in the blink of an eye just by willpower alone.

Week Four Weigh In

Sorry I missed week three. I was out of town and it completely slipped my mind. During my trip I ate poorly, but got back on track toward the end of week four. Luckily I lost again this week, though not by much.

Weight: 283.6
Body Fat: 48.2%
Hydration Level: 38.3%

All in all I'm proud of the 12 pounds I've lost in a month considering the pitfalls and challenges I had.

How Sitting Is Killing You

Of course we've all had a sneaking suspicion that being sedentary probably isn't that great for us. However, many may be shocked at just how much extended periods of sitting down are really hurting you.

Weight Loss Tools

One of the best tools that a weight loss plan has for success is a food journal. Food journals are excellent ways to not only keep track of what your eating, but why and when. Many of us truly have no idea how much food we are putting into our body everyday or even what types. Writing it down makes it more real to us and gives us a better guide to go off.

If you don't want to carry around a pen and paper there are several fantastic websites that have food journals as well as additional helpful tools. My favorite of the free bunch is fitday.com. It has a food tracker, weight goals, weight loss planner and much more. There are a few other programs such as sparkpeople.com that can help you with your weight loss goals. I suggest trying both and seeing which one fits best for you.

Week Two Weigh In

During the weight loss process it's important to be honest with yourself and others, even if it's hard. It's easy to smile wide and proudly report your weight loss to everyone who will listen, but it's another issue entirely telling people you lost nothing, or worse yet, gained weight. However I believe that's what's missing from the majority of weight loss books and blogs, they don't share the failures. That's what is really important. You don't have to learn how to bounce back from success, but it's incredibly important during your weight loss that you learn how to deal with failure. That said here are my numbers this week, as hard as they are to share with you.

Weight: 283.4
Body Fat %: 51.4
Hydration: 35.2

I didn't lose anything this week; in fact I gained an ounce. However, I'm not going to let this distract me from my goal. See, I finally figured out what I've done wrong every other time I've lost weight. With this revelation a light bulb has come on in my dark, cobweb filled attic; failing is as important as succeeding. It teaches us what we did wrong and we learn from it, growing stronger because of it. I ate poorly towards the end of the week and last night ate as late as 10PM due to some unforeseen issues. It probably affected my bottom line this morning because of that. I also didn't start cardio like I intended to this week.

The body fat number I'm not sure is correct. Without gaining any weight at all it's hard to believe that my body fat went up by 6 percent. That just doesn't happen in a week. I'll probably buy a second scale soon to verify measurements. Either way that's not what's important. Why would that be? Isn't the scale number everything we are working for? No it's not, or it shouldn't be.

See you have to realize that this isn't a diet. This isn't some two month thing for me or 3 month thing for me. Instead it's a change I've made for my entire life and something I plan to integrate fully into myself. If you look at it as I want to lose 20 lbs by next month then a weigh in like today will feel like a crushing defeat with the clock ticking. When you look at it in the span of a much longer time it's a drop in the bucket.

And that's how we all should be looking at losing weight. This shouldn't be a race and it shouldn't be that easy. Look at the bigger picture of your health, the way you feel and that in time if you keep doing what you should the weight will come off. Know that time will pass quickly as it has it's way of doing and that before you know it the task you once thought insurmountable will be almost complete. Have faith and don't give up in yourself just because the scale doesn't say quite what you want.

Learn from it and move on. Focus on your health, doing what you should and your body will take care of the rest.

Week One Weigh In

Well this is it. The first week of eating right and beginning a life change has come to a head.

One week ago on the very first day of the new year I weighed in. My weigh in parameters are with the same clothes and the first thing in the morning before any additional food or water is eaten or drunk. My scale shows weight, body fat percentage and water hydration level.

1/1/2012: 293.4 lbs, 49.7 % body fat, 36.7 Hydration

After a cheat day yesterday I didn't expect the greatest numbers. I haven't begun any cardio as of yet and there were a few times that I went off the beaten path during the week. That being said here are the new numbers from this morning,

1/8/12: 283.3 lbs, 46.6 % body fat, 38.8 Hydration

10 lbs and 1 ounce!! Not what I expected at all! I'd be lying if I said I didn't do a weird happy dance after I weighed. Some of this is water weight from being more hydrated but I also dropped body fat as indicated by the second number. If I can do it you guys most certainly can.

Anyone else want to share any success (or failure with learning?) below?

Your Best Friend

Last post we talked about your absolute worst enemy in your weight loss journey. Now I'm going to give you good news and tell you about your best friend; your stalwart ally in the fight against rolls. He's made of hydrogen and oxygen, your body is 75 percent made of him, he covers a whopping 72 percent of our planet, and best of all he is completely free! That's right, your friend and mine, water.

Your Worst Enemy

So you've decided to lose weight and hopefully in a couple of months to shop for some new pants. Now what? Don't worry I'm not going to launch into lifting cadences, HIIT, REPS or any of those other terms that end up relating to sweating a lot. No we are going to talk about the most important part of losing weight in my personal experience and the experience of probably every person who has ever lost weight and kept it off.

It's going to be hard. Don't let anyone lie to you and say that you can lose 20 pounds by next week or to take this magic pill and the weight will just fall off as you continue to pile drive Twinkies into your face. I've found out the hard way that it just doesn't work like that. It's sweaty, hard, long work and if you want to do it right and keep it off there is no way around it. The truth is that anything that is worthwhile is usually not easy. Don't worry though and certainly don't be discouraged because I'm going to share a secret that I've discovered after trying to lose weight over what feels like my whole life.