August 3, 2009
My Plan to Lose Over 20 Pounds This Year
by Chef Noche
 On January 5th of this year, I wrote a newsletter called "Get Fit and Eat Right" It was about the most popular New Year's Resolutions, and my own public goal of losing 21.5 pounds by the end of the year. Telling 500,000 people I was going to lose over 20 pounds seemed like a good idea at the time. I thought I bit off more than I could chew.
On that date, I weighed 205 pounds, and had a Body Mass Index of 27.8. My goal for the year was to get to 183.5 pounds, which converts to a 24.9 BMI. BMI measures the amount of body fat you have, and here are the ratings of different BMI levels:
 As you can see, my goal of a 24.9 BMI would get me to a normal body weight for my height. I started the year in the overweight category. You can find my weekly updates on our Recent Newsletters web page.
Success and Failure
In week two, I actually gained a few pounds, and then experienced some yo-yo dieting results for the first two months. My goal was not to go on a diet, but to change my lifestyle to something healthier by the end of the year. My efforts weren't so rewarded. I weighed 216 lbs. at my heaviest point this year, and I was pushing a 38 inch waist. I did have some diabetic medication changes during that period, but I didn't blame my failure on my Diabetes.
28.5 Pounds Lost Since Then!
That's right, in the last two months I have lost 28.5 pounds. All my 35 and 36 inch slacks are gone, and I'm wearing new 34 inch slacks. Today I weigh 187.5 lbs., just 4 pounds away from my target weight.
How Did I Lose the Weight so Quickly?
Good question. I am not sure. I did stick to my plan of eating right, and regular exercise, so I am assuming my body just hit a plateau and took some time to adjust to the new diabetic medications. I was already living a diabetic lifestyle, so it wasn't like I had to do any heavy lifting in creating a new healthy lifestyle. I just wanted to improve the one I already had. Here are some of the changes I made during the last seven months:- BMI Index. I learned where I was and where I wanted to be.
Calorie Calculator. I reviewed the amount of calories my body burns a day, based on my regular exercise routine. From there I set a daily calorie target level.Calorie Spreadsheet. I created an Excel spreadsheet to count my daily calories. I don't know about you, but I seem to remember I eat less calories when I am writing them down. Exercise Guide. I am an avid cyclist, but I reviewed different types of exercise and the calories they burn. I added some weight training and some swimming to my exercise routine and doubled the amount of time I exercise per week.More Soups. One of the great things about prepared entrees is that they can easily become homemade soups. I posted directions on how to do it in this newsletter. Soups are filling and low in calories when prepared healthy.More Salad. We all know salad is a great way to get fresh vegetables into our diet, but adding a prepared entree like a Grilled Chicken Breast, makes a salad a meal. We have a section called Salad Toppers if you want to add more salad to your healthy lifestyle.More Fiber. Read this newsletter, and you'll see just how behind the times you are with your fiber intake.Better Between Meal Choices. This link takes you to our protein shake and bars page. Not only do they help you with hunger between meals, they help maintain my blood sugars throughout the day.Less Sodium. Just being aware of sodium levels motivated me to watch my sodium intake. How much sodium should you have a day? It's all here. I was way over the recommended amount.I didn't start by doing all of these things in one day; that would not be gradually changing a lifestyle. However, these are all activities that are part of my life today. I did have some bumps along the ride, but I didn't give up, and I am just 4 pounds away from my end of the year goal!
You can do it too!
Sincerely,
Chef Noche
Executive Chef
DineWise.com |
