Steve v5.0

Posts Tagged ‘Dieting’

I’m not suggesting everyone should sign up for a diet plan or join a gym but I am saying that even though some of these high-dollar weight loss plans and gym memberships charge a pretty penny, a person would likely be better off financially  in the long run than they would continuing to pack on the pounds.  I’ve become a proponent of the “eat less, move more” method of weight control but have friends who’ve done really well with professional weight loss programs.  They’re not cheap but doing nothing can get pretty expensive too.

Consider all the money spent on calories.  Those regular trips through the drive-thru at the local fast food place represented significant dollars over time.  That and all the ice cream, cookies, and other treats I was constantly gorging myself with to maintain my Michelin Man-esque physique makes it obvious as to where the bulk of my wealth was going.  The extra 6,000 or so calories I was swallowing every day was paid for with money I could have spent having fun.  But no!  I ate it.

And clothes?  Forget about it.  Before I ballooned into sweats-only territory I ordered stuff from the big&tall departments of a few online retailers.  No way was I going into a brick & mortar store.  The thing I noticed about clothing prices was that when you start adding x’s you start adding additional $’s.  One my favorites, Eddie Bauer, still tacks on about %10 for tall sizes.  If memory serves, they used to charge a premium for the x’s too- as do many other clothing retailers.  I still pay extra for the tall sizes (I’m 6’5″) but I’ve dropped three x’s off the prefix.  Yep, just doing my part for fabric conservation.

Need I go on about health care costs associated with obesity?  I don’t think so.  Google it.  There’s a plethora  of debilitating and deadly ailments and conditions lying in wait for a tubbier me.  Diabetes, joint issues, and more are just a super-size away.  I shudder at the possibilities.

I pay my gym dues without reservation.  I look at it as preventative medicine.

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• Fitness for Less

 

Image by Laughing Squid via Flickr

I’d like to say that I’m just a regular guy, virtually free of pride and arrogance.  That’s right, hardly full of myself at all.  I recognize and thank all those responsible for whatever minutiae may be construed as positive attributes for this mess of flesh occupying my shoes.  Parental genetics and rearing, environment, and everybody I’ve ever met; I’m a little bit of it all- piled almost six-and-a-half feet high.  Thanks!

It’s the width I’m trying to whittle away.

That’s where humility steps up and again, loads of thanks.  Just as I consider myself a big pile of pieces of everyone I’ve ever met, I also know that a great deal of my weight loss success is due to the influence of others.  Family, friends, the people in my blogroll, everyone who has inspired, offered words of encouragement and advice, looks of disdain, or called me names.  Thanks!

Early on in this process of shrinking myself, the weight came off pretty quick.  I guess that’s what happens when you have a lot of weight to lose and make some pretty significant changes to your lifestyle.  Firing up the old metabolism with exercise and cutting about 4000 calories from your diet is a real kick in the pants- if by “kick in the pants” I mean that exercising daily and eating the appropriate number of nutritional calories is the best way to return to a healthy weight, then yeah, it’s a kick in the pants.

Anyhoo, as I get closer to my goal/proper weight I’m finding that it’s getting a lot tougher and changes aren’t as remarkable.  It’s getting a little frustrating and I’ll tell you why.

The date I set for achieving my ultimate goal-weight is getting closer and I’m close weight-wise but I’m not there, It’s the holiday season, and I like pie.

The real thing is that weight loss plans and “shortcuts” are becoming, well, attractive.  Here I am, I’ve lost a little weight and have more to lose, I’m not seeing results like I used to, and the programs my friends have used to lose lots of weight are looking pretty good to me- like a good way to jump start things again.

So I’m struggling.  Should I jump in, sign up, and fast-track the last load of flab, or stick to what I’ve been doing and ramp up portion control and exercise a little more?  I boggle in quandary– and don’t use words good and whatnot.  Hmm.

I believe I’ll stay the course, do a better job of watching what I eat and continue with the exercise.  I also think I’ll take a look at changing my exercise routine a little and see how it goes for the rest of the month.  Then do a real assessment and adjust if necessary.  I really don’t think I’m ready to give up control to someone else.

 

I’m still maintaining a respectable routine- I’m still riding my bike and alternating my workout at the gym. That’s all good but eating has been an issue.

We had some friends over last Sunday. It was one of those times when we couldn’t decide what to make for dinner and so we made two dinners. Yeah, I know, making two dinners for the same meal is rarely a good idea- except at the time it seems like a very good idea because you no longer have to decide- and there you go. So two dinners it was. Venison stew and chicken-chocolate-cashew chili, each served in a sourdough bread bowl.

We made so much of both that I’ve been eating it for lunch all week. That’s one delicious carb-load of goodness every day. Mmm, venison, potatoes, carrots, and beans. Deliciously windy around Steve all week long, I’ll tell you what.

But wait, that’s not all. I was reading a JohnIsFit.com entry (you know, the one about hiding Oreos around the house) and thought I’d try and have some of the same kind of fun. So I went to Costco and picked up a box of Oreos and started stashing sleeves of what I now call “demon sweets” around the house. Harmless fun, right? WRONG! It seems that they’re too easily found so in an effort to preserve some for myself, I stashed a couple of sleeves in my desk. Nobody looks in there, right? WRONG! I look in there. No longer do I have to worry about anyone else getting to them- as they are now in my belly. No food games for me.

Net result? Two additional pounds on the scale this morning. Not good. But you know what? I’m not bummed out about it at all. In fact, what I’m feeling is determination. This week I dipped my toe in the pool of wretched excess and waded out up to my knees in what could certainly have become my undoing. Now I’m back out again- a little damp from the experience but ready to move on and continue my trek towards good health and healthy living. Rock on…

Here’s what I had in my smoothie this morning:

1/2 Banana
1S EAS Protein
1/2C Frozen Berry Mix
1/4C Kashi GoLean cereal
1C Raw Spinach
1oz Pomegranate Juice
Water

diet weight loss obesity exercise muscle fat

 

Image by Earthwatcher via FlickrThat’s right, I’m a firm believer in keeping the schnoz to the grindstone.

Sticking to a goal and doing everything it takes to get it done, well, gets it done. I have to say though, that if dogged determination and continuous effort is the recipe for success, passion is the icing on the success cake.

Lame and confusing similes aside, kicking ass at losing weight or whatever my ambition happens to be is a lot more kick-ass if I’m passionate about it. Otherwise, it becomes a dull chore. I mean really, eating less and exercising more? Not really something a normal person gets jazzed about. Yet here I am, going on and on about it like it’s the new porn or something. Saner folks in the room might wonder why.

It’s the results, baby! Good and bad (results) are what excites me in this whole process.

I’ve come to know with relative certainty that what I’ve been doing and eating will ultimately move the scale one way or the other- or keep it the same. Five-hundred-plus days of personal change has taught me this. Every time I step on the scale or button my pants I receive confirmation of the effectiveness of what I’ve been doing or a reminder of what I should be doing. When the scale tips down I’m elated that my efforts have been effective; when it tips up, quick analysis and determination to turn things around. It’s invigorating!

I had to become passionate about achieving my goals early- it’s kept the day-to-day effort fresh and less chore-like. Every time I step on the scale that passion is renewed and my cake is getting a little more iced. My just desserts is almost ready (wow- that sounded a lot better in my head).

Other good stuff:

 

So after a week of freezing my butt off at night and hiking hill and dale during the day, I’m out of the woods and back to civilization. It was an excellent trip chock-full of wilderness and wildlife fun, and most importantly, we all survived AND I dropped another two pounds!

To what do I owe the weight loss? Exercise and diet, of course. It’s weird, I know, but the same things that work at home also work quite well out in the woods.

Exercise-wise, we spent each day hiking around the surrounding hills- usually about 3 – 5 miles and ate much the same as I do at home. We had modest meals (6) throughout the day, small quantities of tasty things meant to provide fuel for the days activities rather than become the focus of the trip. I snacked on gorp and fruit, and avoided the soda and breads. During hikes I would eat a Clif Bar to keep my energy up, always keeping a mental ballpark tally of calories consumed lodged in the back of my skull in an effort to avoid over-doing it.

But you know what? Over-doing it was never an issue. I think I was too distracted during the day and too tired at night to pig-out. I didn’t want to and the cool thing is that I still don’t (want to pig-out, that is).

So here’s the deal, now that I’m back and elbow-deep in make-up work I’ll need to really focus to retain the effects of the past week. No mindless munching on snacks- only fuel to maintain my energy. No 12-hour ass-plants at my desk without getting up to move around- frequent breaks to stretch and get the blood flowing. No calorie bingeing before bed time- just six evenly-spaced meals throughout the day.

I’ve made some decent progress over the past few weeks and am feeling pretty good about it all. My clothes are fitting better, which is cool because they’re clothes I haven’t been able to fit into in over a decade. Horribly out of fashion but hey, I heard that comfort never goes out of style.