F is for f#@k (and for fat)

Yeah it has been a while since I've focused on the whole Healthy Living thing and I've been stuck in the unhealthy guy part. I started the year at 28 pounds more than I began 2022 and at my highest weight (you can read fattest) ever.

Damn! It is time to get serious about bringing it down before it causes some real problems. 
So this past week --

     I started by purposely waiting to begin consuming calories each day (modified intermittent fasting)
     I started by cutting back on the snacking.
     I started being a little more active.
     I started drinking more water.

I am starting slowly because I'm not new to this game and I know myself. Starting slowly and building is way better than going at it hard and quitting. I also know that it is easier to lose weight at the beginning and it doesn't take much effort to encourage me to do more. 
Having said that (and realizing that my Jan 1 weight may have been a heavy day), I am down 4 pounds at my Jan 8 weigh-in. 

Realist that I am, I expect to do a little more this week and probably lose a little less.
I am trying to avoid calorie counting and strictly monitoring food intake, but I am also aware of how effective that is for me and keeping it as an option.

John

November 13, No Excuses

With the cooling temperatures and less of a commitment to walking in the great outdoors, the indoor cycle and dumbbells are becoming my go-to for exercise. I put in an afternoon 30 minutes yesterday and may do the same today while watching the fights.

Total food calories were okay yesterday and most of the content was good. I was a little heavy on the fat intake due to the guacamole with dinner. 
We finished dinner early and I was very purposeful about no late evening snacks so I'm set up well for a day of IF. I'm already at 15 hours. Noon will be 19 hours and I'll see how I feel then.

John

November 7, No Excuses

Yesterday was a light day. I was pretty active doing stuff most of the day, and managed a couple of miles of walking. Actual exercise was pretty light in the evening. I got in some decent stretching and some squats in while watching the fights.

I did the IF thing by waiting 19 hours from Friday's finish and then packing some good eating into 4 hours yesterday afternoon and early evening. I did eat more lean meat yesterday than I will typically be eating, but my calorie numbers were way down so the higher density calorie food didn't hurt.

Being away from home for the next couple of days will be an interesting challenge. I'm hoping to be able to stay on course.

John 

October 28, Day 37

Yesterday had no exercise. I was pretty active for several hours while volunteering at a local food pantry, but nothing in the way of purposeful exercise.

I managed the first part of the IF day and didn't eat until 3:30. I failed at the shut off point since we were at friends and I was snacking later than I should have been. I skipped the food logging/calorie count since it can be difficult when eating at someone else's home. Overall, not a bad day.
No IF today, but need to log food. I want it to be the habit.

John

September 1; Success!

I made it!
250 pounds (maybe a shade under) (113.4 kg).
I have to admit that I was a little more extreme than my normal habit for the past two days. Yesterday I ate a single serving of pork fried rice for dinner and that was my only food intake for the day. Monday was similar with a fruit and cereal breakfast and a decent plate of pork chop, salad, and veggies for dinner.
Both days were fairly active days.

So I'm back to where I was two months ago...and I feel pretty good about it!
Maybe that August 1st weight bump was the jolt I needed to get serious about paying attention to my diet. Putting on 12 lbs. (5.4 kg) in a single month is a bit of a shock. 
Why is taking it off in a single month so much harder?

I don't really expect to keep dropping weight at the same rate as I did in August. I feel that 2 lbs. per week is a healthy rate of loss and can develop sustainable habits for when I reach a healthy weight. Experience tells me that it may be slightly higher early and and slightly harder later. I'm shooting for -10 lbs. (4.5 kg) for the month of September. 

We started morning walks last month, but weren't too regular during the hotter days. We'll try to do better during September. Also, I may add more intermittent fasting days into the month, maybe once per week with the one meal and maybe a snack at some point.

So far, so good.
Here I go for month 2!

John

July 30

Diet was on target.

Not a lot of activity.

I'm still working on some morning stretching. I need to see a chiropractor. I think my hips are out of alignment and it's been causing muscle spasms in my low back for a couple of weeks now. That's been a big part of the lower activity level.

I should probably just put the anti-gravity table together and take care of it myself. Maybe this weekend.

Going with a later and longer fast today with a shorter eating period. That will make for a pretty low calorie day.

Be well,

John

July 8

Late plans to meet friends for lunch changed my morning work plans, so I didn't get much activity in today. I did spend a little time with a couple of exercises on the weight machine and walked the property perimeter. I'll end the day with around 4,000 steps.

I ate a large lunch, including appetizers -- pretty much my daily allotment. I have enough calories left for a light meal or decent snack. If I'm going to keep my eating to within eight hours (a typical IF day) I'll need to do that soon.

Back to yard work tomorrow and maybe a midweek morning weight check.

Be well,

John

July 6; simple steps for the undisciplined

Monday morning weigh-in is 234 pounds. That's minus 24 pounds in the ten weeks since 4/22. 

I'm no dietitian and I'm obviously not a health expert. I had ice cream (twice) yesterday and regularly eat crap that no healthnut would touch. I am in terrible shape, have no regular exercise plan, and can't even force myself to walk daily most of the time.

So how does an undisciplined, unhealthy guy lose 24 pounds in ten weeks?

*I eat less. I pretty much eat what I want, but I eat less of it.

*I track my calories and know how many calories I need to stay below to lose two pounds per week. Although I don't restrict fats or carbs, I know when I'm consuming them and have a pretty good idea of how they'll make me feel. I also pay attention to when I'm eating.

*I utilize intermittent fasting (fast 16/eat 8) three or four days per week.

*And although it is irregular, I do try to manage some physical activity on most days.

That's pretty much it.

I understand how you might need some time to get your head into the idea of weight loss or fitness. I'm that way too. While your working on that, try doing just one thing to position yourself for success. Download a calorie counting app or a step tracking app. I use My Fitness Pal. There are many available. You won't even have to use it ... today. Just get familiar with it.

Simple steps for the undisciplined.

Be well,

John

June 30

Yesterday was a good day!

I managed over 13,000 steps and finished the day with a bonus bowl of ice cream and was still way under my calorie goal.

I don't know what my activity will look like today. I'm still not much of a follow a routine kind of guy. Since I have some morning errands (I'm in a Dr's waiting room now), I'll make this an intermittent fasting day. 

I think I'll start posting some of my food choices and maybe a few recipes. I don't follow any particular diet plan. Most of us have a pretty good idea of what is healthy and unhealthy. I try to include more of the good stuff and consume the not so good for you stuff (like ice cream) in moderation.

Be well,

John

June 16

I managed a Meatless Monday. It wasn't difficult as I also had a modified intermittent fasting day. In a minor cheat I had a bit of 2% milk in the last of my morning coffee and an early afternoon iced coffee with cream. The rest of the day's 1300 calories (well below my daily target) were consumed between 3pm and 9pm and did include a single scoop of ice cream with a bit of chocolate syrup (diet coke float) and four pecan shortbread cookies with 2% milk.

I also managed 10,242 steps. 

In an effort to accommodate our schedules and maintain a modest level of activity, my sister and I have agreed to 3 days of 10K steps this week, and 3 days of at least 5K steps. Today will be a little cooler than it's been, so it might be good for the second 10K day.

Be well,

John