Welcome To Slimland.

 

I finally got my act together. On Valentine's Day, I weighed 197.4 lb.  My lifting was strong, my cardiovascular system was excellent and I felt great. Except for one issue. My diet.  Not that I ate garbage, I just ate way too much.  Not controlling cravings, going down to the kitchen and pop food in my mouth at 4 PM before dinner.  I NEVER eat after dinner. Never, and I never go to bed less than 3 hours after eating. Too many daily calories.  All in my belly.  

What's working?

40 hours weekly fast.  Non-negotiable.  Done it 7 weeks in a row. On Sunday. I had one week where it was on a Tuesday, because we had corn beef dinner to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and then went to the Celtics the next day and had a big Italian dinner in the North End of Boston, plus dessert.

4-5 days out of 7, no carbs after 3 PM including fruit.

No rice. I love rice pilaf but eating it weekly will fatten you up.

Bread one day a week. 

Any cheating is in MODERATION and I'm a terrible moderator.  Cheat meal, not a free for all day. 

If going out to eat, have only two meals on that day. Once at Noon and the outing. No eating until Noon the next day

No booze, nada, zilch.  I haven't drank since the middle of November, nor do I plan to, so this is business as usual.  It's just SO bad for fitness goals. Even in moderation.  I'm off the tiny amount of high blood pressure medication that I was taking.

Lift 3-4 days/week, 45-60 minutes of cardio the other days. 5 mile run, HIIT echo bike/ski erg, push prowler/kettlebell swings, StairMaster.

Walking 5 days/week now that the weather's getting nicer bump that to 6.  Great for mood, time with doggie, and moving calories.  No one has come back from a walk in a bad mood.

Do not weigh yourself more than 2x /week.  Weighing yourself daily is discouraging because of the volatility. If you really need to get to a certain weight and it's becoming obsessive, dry fast for 18-20 hours while doing the 40-hour fast.

Diet hard for 2 weeks, take one off and eat normally, within reason. Keeps your sanity.

Weight has been as low as 180.4 17 lb. in 9 weeks.  Slow and steady 2+ lb./week.  At fighting weight but would like to take about 2-3 more lb. off.  Averaging around 182-183 with a 4 pack.

Went to Naples, Florida for my niece's wedding.  Didn't drink, joined Crunch Fitness for a week, wolfed down a 21 oz. Porterhouse at Bern's in Tampa plus a hot fudge sundae on my last day and didn't gain a lb.

What Doesn't Work?

Alcohol.  Not even 1 drink.  If you're serious about losing weight, you need to take at least 60 days off. Nothing makes me fat like alcohol.  It affects, sleep, workouts, drive, fat burning. muscle soreness, inflammation. 

Let's take a look at how a night of drinking this poison packaged in a pretty bottle (See how to reframe it?) can sabotage a good eating week. 

1. Empty calories. 4 IPA's is 800 calories

2. Boby turns to alcohol to burn first before calories and body fat

3. Brain becomes uninhibited, will make bad food choices which will turn to fat because body is burning the alcohol you're consuming.

4. Terrible for recovery.  Bad night sleep turns to being tired in the morning

5. Subpar workout from bad night's sleep because you're fatigued

6. Bad food choices the next day.  Stomach doesn't want broccoli when hung over.

It's a domino effect and a sugar bomb.

Consuming dairy.  Log your calories some time. A piece of cheese is 100 calories. No one eats one piece of cheese.  Use water in protein shakes, not milk.  Have dairy once a week.

Eating out a lot.  I like restaurants, but if I cook my own food, I'm in more control of the ingredients, how it's cooked.  Once a week MAX. Once every 2 weeks, even better

Skipping workouts. If you can't make the gym. Walk. Or do Youtube Yoga for recovery.