It is with trepidation that I announce: I am NO LONGER STUCK!!! For more than seven months I was mired in the 230 – 231 pound range, negating a few of my earlier lost pounds and frustrating the heck out of me. I even hit 233 right after my 50th Birthday 50K Challenge! Then suddenly, in the midst of a running hiatus (to heal my heels) no less, I have managed to shed 18 pounds in 9 weeks!
Oh yeah! Only 15 pounds to my goal weight of 200 even.
Why the trepidation? Several reasons, all of them probably a touch irrational, but I’m human; I’m allowed a few moments of irrationality.
For one thing, when I look at myself in the mirror I think, “Fifteen pounds? Looks like a lot more than 15 pounds needs to come off my waist to look the svelte, athletic person I envisioned 18 months ago!” My wife’s friend, Nancy offered this perspective: “Picture a 15 pound turkey.” Oh yeah, I can see that now.
Another thing: what happens once I reach my goal weight? What if I drop my guard? What if I celebrate with a dozen doughnuts and a half-gallon of milk? What if I lose the fire that has kept me going? What if, at the end of the battle, I allow myself to drift into a sort of “post partum depression” and I sub-consciously start rebuilding "Obese Mountain" just to have another go at conquering it?
Okay, that last one is pretty out there. But there’s probably a precedent for something like that.
So, how do I avoid a travesty like that?
I plan to continue doing what I’ve been doing for the past 18 months, with a few updates from the last 9 weeks. Which is to say, continue living this healthy lifestyle. And although I can’t call these tips a “System”, and I can’t claim it will work for anyone else, they seem to make sense. The worse it can do is cause one to become a hydrated, mindful eater of healthy food and a focused exerciser.
Tip #1 – drink lots of water. Conventional recommendations are 64 ounces per day. That’s a good minimum – I probably drink that much by noon! One of the ways to help make sure I drink enough is I never leave the house without a water bottle (Nalgene-type reusable bottle; I only buy bottled water in an emergency). I also try to drink a good 8-ounces of water within 15-minutes of waking. The other thing that helps is…
Tip #2 – drink green tea. I cold-brew and drink 2 bottles of green tea nearly every day. I also use green tea in my “green smoothies” (see tip #4). Besides upping the water intake, green tea has several awesome qualities, not least of which is it adds a fresh, subtle flavor to water, great for when you are tired of water. Plus, studies have found a reduced risk for several cancers – skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder in association with consuming green tea. Finally, green tea has been shown to increase metabolism and intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories. Pretty much a perfect beverage, which helps with…
Tip #3 – DON’T drink soda, diet or otherwise. Especially diet! It has taken me many years to resolve the tooth decay issues I can easily blame on decades of Pepsi-love. It was only the last 4 years leading up to this year that I switched to diet Pepsi – possibly better for my teeth, but in my opinion, a poison that creates false-hunger and sugar-lust. And possibly brain damage. I have accomplished 6 months of my “No Soda Rule” with a few “chosen” slip-ups in the first three months. But I feel I have successfully broken the chain, and now rarely even consider a slip-up – much less give in to the rare temptation. It was sheer will-power in the early stages, but it gets easier and easier over time. 
Tip #4 – DO drink green smoothies – or as I call them at work, Green Sludge. I’m talking a lovely concoction of carrots, celery, spinach, kale, a chunk of fresh ginger, slice of lemon (including the peel), maybe a dash of cayenne, sweetened up with an orange or an apple (or both) and spun in a blender with a cup or two of green tea. I used to blend the heck out of them so they truly were smooth, like a green milkshake. But I discovered I prefer a little chewiness to them, thus the sludge nickname. These are truly delicious, fulfilling, satisfying, and pack 5-6 servings of veggies and fruits in one green and glorious wollop! With that many veggies, it’s easy to…
Tip #5 – eat protein with every meal and eschew “white carbs”. I had great success with an Atkins-like diet several years ago. But I could not see myself eating that way the rest of my life. And wouldn’t really want to. I like homemade bread and (brown) rice and occasionally potatoes. Occasional is the key here – I still eat all of those carbs, but only in small quantities, or in the case of homemade bread (usually partially whole-wheat flour and oatmeal included), in small time frames: I bake a loaf, it lasts a day or two with all three of us snacking on it, and when it’s gone, I skip bread for awhile. Homemade bread, by the way, will help cure you of SBBC (store-bought bread-consumption).
Tip #6 – Treats! My favorites are almonds and grapefruit, my guilty pleasures. I know I eat larger than “approved” servings of almonds, but since they are a healthy fat, albeit in small quantities, and they are purported to curb the appetite, I allow myself a little extra. Plus, they satisfy little craves for snacks (and steer me away from Almond Joys or Hershey’s with almonds). Grapefruit is known to suppress appetite, steady blood sugar, and tastes really, really good! This is my go-to treat when a lust for sugar threatens to overwhelm me. Plus, the aroma of the luscious orb as I peel the skin is a great mood lifter. And finally, I…
Tip #7 – follow Minda’s tips, the ones she is learning from Naturally Slim. Minda’s employer is running (and paying for) a pilot program for their employees to use this well-thought out “food mindset” (versus “diet plan”). This plan attempts to re-train you to eat like a naturally thin person, with suggestions such as eat meals slowly for 10-minutes, then take a 5-minute break before returning to eating, thus giving your stomach time to convince your brain you are full. Another tip is to learn to discern the difference between hunger and TRUE hunger, and hold off eating until you are truly hungry (but not so hungry you give in and eat a dozen doughnuts and a half-gallon of milk!) The interesting thing here is a) you burn serious fat during the time between hunger and true hunger, and b) because of this, after a little “practice” you learn to embrace the hunger feeling. It’s as if the hunger is a badge of honor that empowers you, makes you stronger. And burns fat!
And then there’s exercise, the key to supercharging a lifestyle change, but obviously the hardest change to make to a sedentary lifestyle. Here are 2 tips:
Tip #8 – find an activity you enjoy doing that taxes your body in some serious way. I love running but I’ve had to stop for awhile due to Achilles tendon pain. I have switched to biking four times a week, which helps (and rests the Achilles), but in my opinion doesn’t live up to the burn and accomplishment of running. But I have also tackled a lawn make-over that not only burns calories, works my arms and gut muscles, and beautifies our backyard oasis, but also keeps me focused on job completion instead of hunger. (This has truly been the crux of my most recent success, that and eating smaller portions because I eat slower.)
Tip #9 – Force yourself to complete a challenge, a tough but do-able goal. For me it was signing up for a 7-kilometer race. I committed to it, paid for it, and then started getting in shape for it. And three months later – I did it! The preparation cost me my first 30 pounds. The sense of accomplishment fueled my desire to continue getting healthy and to sign up for more races (I ran a half marathon 6 months later).
My hope is that by July 31, I will have reached my goal of 200 pounds. Maybe I'll dip below to 195 just for an extra challenge.
