Jerry's Weight Loss Tips for 2011
I’ve been fortunate enough to knock off about 20 pounds over the past two years, and keep it off. I’d like to lose about 10 more, and expect it will take most of another year to do that. However I’m still very happy with the results so far, and am much happier looking in the mirror now than I was previously.
As it is New Year’s resolution time for many, I thought I’d share what’s worked for me, in the hopes that it can work for others as well.
You Can’t Lose It All at Once
We as a species have been driven for millennia to eat when we can, to prepare for the lean times ahead. However in our Western civilization lean times don’t come often, so we need to curb our natural tendency to overeat. Further, when our bodies determine that we are fasting – a common diet approach – then our bodies work to conserve the fat that we already have, thinking we are a time of famine. Therefore the traditional crash diet approach means you are fighting against your body. Further, when the diet ends, your body will want to put back all the weight lost, which is counter to your goals.
So, instead of dieting, work for a healthier lifestyle with manageable weight loss goals. Know that it’s going to take a while, but the end result will be worth it. For myself, my initial goal was to lose a pound a week. In the end, it ended up averaging a pound a month. Did it take longer than I expected? Certainly. But am I happy with the results just the same? Absolutely.
Three-Part Harmony
Our metabolism is complex. However the equation for weight loss is simple: calories expended must be greater than calories consumed. To achieve this you should apply the following three steps:
- Reduce calories consumed by eating less.
- Increase calories expended through aerobic exercise.
- Increase calories expended through strength training.
You can achieve weight loss by just eating less. However I find such an approach difficult, as it means cutting calories sufficiently that you can see progress regularly. That can be a substantial caloric decrease, meaning that you’re hungry – a lot. And if you’re hungry, eventually you’ll eat.
A better approach is to combine your caloric decrease with exercise – two types of exercise, in fact.
Aerobic Exercise
You need to get you heart rate up to burn those calories. Run, bike, or swim. If you can’t do any of those, then get on an elliptical machine. If that doesn’t work, just go for a walk. But the key is to get out and do at least 30 minutes of exercise three days a week. And honestly, that’s not enough; that just gets you off the couch. You should really be looking for do at least five hours of exercise each week.
Strength Training
Muscles burn more calories than fat. So, the bigger your muscles, the more calories your body will burn. This is an often overlooked part of the weight loss approach and one that is really a win-win, because you end up looking better and burning more calories, leading to weigh loss. Some folks have even managed to lose weight through strength training alone.
Don’t Starve Yourself – Eat!
One thing I rarely experienced in my weight loss mission was hunger. I was rarely hungry. I ate less at each meal, but I also ate more often. I ate less per day, but because I ate more frequently, I was rarely hungry.
So what do I eat? Lots of soup and vegetables. Soup has lots of water in it which makes it filling, but few calories. Vegetables are the same. Lunch often consists of just soup and a salad.
To avoid hunger pangs, I have a mid-morning and a mid-afternoon snack. It’s usually a piece of fruit like an orange, apple, or banana. I go through bananas like crazy.
However, I avoid fruit juices. Although you tend to think of fruit juices (like orange juice) as healthy, they have lots of calories and sugars in them.
We’ve also removed most of the snack foods out of the house. We keep nuts around, and I like a bowl of oatmeal for a snack. We also keep 100-calorie snack packs in the house, because you do need a reward on occasion. But keeping most of the sweets out of the house means they aren’t there to tempt you.
One thing I don't do is weigh or measure food. That seems a lot of work. I will put smaller portions on my plate, as people (including me) tend to eat everything on their plate, so it's best to put less on the plate to begin with.
Weekly Weigh-Ins
I weigh myself every week, the same day every week, first thing in the morning. This provides positive feedback when I've done well the previous week in managing my calories consumed and expended, and provides a nudge when I haven't done as well as I should have and need to improve the following week. This has been key and shouldn't be overlooked. In fact, this has helped me keep from eating too much during the holidays and allowed me to keep my weight under control during this annual challenging period.
High Exercise Volumes
Now I know what some are thinking. They are saying, “Oh sure Jerry, this sounds great, but you nearly killed yourself with exercise in 2010, I can’t even try to maintain that level of exercise!”
The truth is that I achieved most of my weight loss before I started serious training for the half-ironman, which really ramped up my weekly exercise volume. Further, because I was training so much, I actually had to eat quite a bit to keep myself fueled. I look toward my more moderate exercise levels as what truly led to the best weight loss results for me.
Conclusion
Weight loss is a challenge. But if done right, it can be accomplished without a lot of pain or a lot of self-denial.
