Learn How I Lost 150 Pounds in Just 14 Months

This is not just another fad diet book – of which fill libraries, bookstores, and the internet, but the true story of how I lost 150 pounds in about 14 months (and kept the pounds off). A story, which I believe anyone who can walk, will benefit from.

First let me back up a bit and explain how a middle-aged 6’ 0” male with a medium to large frame got to be 335 pounds. Well, it wasn’t hard and didn’t seem to take all that long. It was eating lots of fast food, burgers, and little to no exercise over the course of a few years. Sound familiar? In my 30’s and 40’s I was fairly active with scuba diving and just in my job itself. Then all of a sudden my job changed to where I sit at a computer eight hours a day (and still do), instead of being a busy technician building and testing things.

With age also came the slowdown of my body’s metabolism (I am now 54), coupled with a sit down job and eating lots of fatty burgers and other high calorie meals. Especially bad was eating big meals just before going to bed. It didn’t take long to find myself at 335 pounds. I blew up like a big fat whale and my huge belly hung way over my belt line. I had to buy 3X shirts and 50” waist trousers to go around my bulk. I looked and felt just awful.

The time came when I finally said enough is enough! I was not feeling good, was out of breath all the time, and could hardly walk up the stairs to the bedroom. I went out and bought a good digital bathroom scale and weighed myself the next morning (undressed and after using the bathroom). The max limit on the scale was 330 pounds. The scale gave me an error message (a big fat capital E). That meant I was heavier than 330 pounds! Oh my God I thought! It can’t be! That morning, I weighed myself at work on the shipping scales. My weight was about 340 pounds fully dressed and after eating breakfast. That meant my true morning weight was around 335 or so.

Steps I took to lose the pounds…

I knew I didn’t want (or could afford) to buy expensive exercise equipment. Nor did I want to spend a lot of money to join a health club. There had to be a better way. I did some research on the internet about aerobics and metabolism (the rate at which the body burns fuel) and came to the conclusion the answer to my weight problem was to increase my metabolism through aerobic exercise, and by changing my eating habits. The strict definition of aerobic is “with oxygen”. The body uses oxygen to burn fuel. Aerobic exercise improves oxygen consumption by the body and burns fuel more efficiently. I learned that aerobic exercise (like walking at a brisk pace for 20 or more minutes without stopping), will increase the body’s metabolism (perhaps up to several hours), even after you stop exercising. This is just one of the added perks of aerobics.

I would encourage everyone reading, to search the internet on “metabolism” and “aerobics”. There is much more information there than I can possibly put here, or need to. The information is abundantly available – no need for me to re-invent the wheel.

After getting freaked out when my new digital bathroom scale went “Tilt”, this is what I did…

1. I created a spreadsheet on my home computer so I could track and record my weight each Saturday morning (you can choose any day you wish, as long as you are consistent on when you weight yourself). Once a week is best.

2. I researched the internet about losing weight, and learned about metabolism, aerobics and aerobic exercise (and how they affect the body and calories). I figured I should be about 180-185 pounds for my height and frame, so I adjusted my daily calorie intake for that body weight. No special diets to speak of, just calorie intake adjustment, although I do try and eat healthy foods most of the time.

3. I invested in a good pair of walking shoes. This is critical!

4. I measured out one mile (using the odometer of my car), and timed how long it took me to walk one mile at a brisk pace (brisk pace meaning walking fast enough to elevate my heart and respiration rate). It took me 20 minutes to walk one mile. A 20-minute mile is not all that fast, but fast enough for someone weighing 335 pounds. And 20 minutes is the minimum workout time for aerobic exercise to be beneficial to the heart. My course was nothing more than the sidewalks of my neighborhood. Partly homes and apartments, and partly businesses.

5. I walked one mile per day, everyday, for about the first month (a 20-minute walk after dinner). I noticed my energy level was building and I felt better. After about the first 10 days, my digital bathroom scale began to give me a number instead of the big fat E error message. Definite progress!

6. The second month I increased my distance to one and a half miles a day (or a 30-minute walk after dinner). The soreness in my legs gradually disappeared.

7. I continued this pattern of increasing the distance by one-half mile until I was up to six miles per day (doing three miles before work and three miles after work). Six miles a day may be a bit extreme, so you may want to adjust your walks accordingly. But it worked for me and got to the point where I could walk three miles without breaking into a sweat. The pounds melted off!

8. After I lost nearly 100 pounds, I scaled back to four miles a day (two before work and two after work). I walk the miles faster too, about a 17-minute mile).

9. After 14 months, I reached 185 pounds and that’s apparently where my body wants to be. I continue to walk four miles everyday, watch my daily calorie intake, and have stabilized at 185 pounds.

Do I still eat a big fat juicy burger and ice cream once in awhile? OH YES! I love that stuff! But I religiously weight myself each Saturday morning and my weight seems to be happy and steady at 185. I don’t deprive myself of the foods I love, but I have learned what, when, and how much I can eat and get away with. One has to experiment and adjust accordingly.

I look forward each day to my walks. In fact, I get a sense of accomplishment after each walk. A fringe benefit I guess. Another fringe benefit is that walking is a great stress reliever… especially after a hard day at the office. All in all, I am in much better health. That 150-pound barbell I was carrying around all day is gone. My heart and cardiovascular system is much healthier… all due to walking.

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits (other than the obvious health benefits) is that the people in the neighborhood and the storekeepers stop me all the time and comment on how I look. These are the people who would see me walk by their homes and stores each day. They saw a once very fat person transformed into a thin person.

The bottom line…

I was sick of being obese and I knew it was killing me and that I needed to do something and quick. I was a sure candidate for a heart attack or stroke. After doing a little research, I found the best way for me was aerobic walking coupled with a change in eating habits. There other types of exercises that will work too, but I believe nothing is as good for the human body then walking. The benefits are enormous and the cost is, well, the price of a good pair of walking shoes and comfortable clothes. It’s enjoyable too! Forget those expensive boring indoor treadmills! Go for a walk in the great outdoors!

If you can walk, have a place to walk, by all means go for it! If you are like me, you will increase your energy a hundred fold. Start off slow at first if you are way out of shape, a few minutes a day. Walk briskly and swing those arms. Increase until you can do a mile, then a mile and a half, and so on and so on until you reach your goal weight. This is a lifelong commitment, so don’t stop after reaching your goal weight.

My family and friends at work all say I am half the man I used to be. They are not very far off! I went from wearing 3X shirts and 50” waist trousers, to wearing large shirts and 34” waist trousers. Yeah, I had to buy all new clothes but I didn’t mind the expense one bit.

Six Weight Loss Tricks

The most basic approach to weight loss is to burn more calories than you take in, but sometimes no matter what you do it just doesn’t seem to be working. When you need an ace up your sleeve for a critical moment, try one of these tricks to jump-start your weight loss.

Add weights to your routine.

Adding weight-lifting to your routine is one of the fastest ways to see results. Your body will respond almost immediately, shaping and toning muscle, and remember, the more muscle you have, the more fats you burn! To determine the weight you should start with, grab a 5-lb. dumbbell and do as many bicep curls as possible. If you can do more than ten reps comfortably, use a higher weight. On the other hand, if you can’t do more than eight repetitions without strain, try using a 3-lb. weight instead. For those of you already training with weights, go up to the next highest weight to see results. If you don’t have weights at your home, it is highly recommended that you invest in a set that ranges from three to ten pounds. These usually cost less than $30 and are well worth the investment.

Increase the intensity.

During your cardio workout routine, assess the intensity level to determine how hard you’re working. If you can carry on a conversation with ease while exercising, it’s time to boost the intensity. You can do that by taking deeper strides as you move and placing a greater demand on the muscles of the thighs and buttocks, which in turns burns more calories. The best way to gauge the intensity of a workout is to pretend to carry on a conversation. You should be able to speak in short sentences with a breath after each one. Never exercise to the point where you cannot talk.

Shake up your routine.

Despite being called a routine, your exercise program should keep you interested. Add different activities for variety and you not only maintain your concentration but also constantly challenge your body to meet new obstacles and developing more than just a few muscles. More muscles equal a greater calorie burn – what’s not to love? Try new activities that keep your mind engaged and experience an extra boost for your brain!

Give your diet a makeover.

The daily diet is most frequently the worst problem area when you’re trying to lose weight. Between home and work and the responsibilities that come with each, it can be almost impossible to find healthy choices at the last minute. Spare yourself the daily scrounging and stock up on healthy foods that can be ready at a moment’s notice. Make a point to stash some of your good-for-you snacks at work so that when the mid-afternoon cravings hit, you have something satisfying and diet-friendly.

Challenge yourself.

Set personal goals for yourself and don’t forget to reward your accomplishment! If your goal is to be more active at work, buy a pedometer and challenge yourself to take 6,000 steps during your workday. Be creative about it: walk to a colleague’s desk rather than email, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and go to the bathroom three floors down instead of the one on your floor. Challenging yourself can be very fulfilling on a personal level when you achieve your goals, and can encourage you on to greater achievement.

Keep a food journal.

One of the most common characteristics of successful dieters is keeping a daily journal of food intake. There’s no real mystery about this: when you must write down everything that goes in your mouth, it forces you to realize exactly how many calories you consume. Keeping a journal is also beneficial because you can pick up patterns in your eating – for instance, if you become ravenous at a certain time everyday or if your meals and snacks are too far apart. It can also be helpful to note your frame of mind when you eat or mention the circumstances. Binging as soon as you get home from work could indicate a stressful job or it could mean it’s just been too long since lunch. A basic food journal requires you to enter the food you ate, number of calories, amount of fat, and how much you consumed. This can be expanded as much as necessary to meet individual needs. Just make sure you review it every few days to spot any habits that need to be brought under control.

Losing Weight On A Busy Schedule

You know you want to lose weight but when you’re so busy running from home to work and back, how do you do it? Is it even possible with so much going on? You can lose weight while keeping a busy schedule but it does require extra planning and foresight. The most difficult part to manage is fitting exercise into the day but with just a few small changes it can be done.

You should start by thinking about how much weight you want to lose. Many people expect to start a program and drop pounds almost immediately, and then become discouraged when it doesn’t happen. If you have more than five to ten pounds to lose, be prepared to spend six months or longer working toward your ultimate goal. Even if you do only need to lose five pounds, you should still allow more than a few weeks to see it disappear. As it has been said so often, the last five pounds is often the most difficult to lose, but with patience, a good diet, and plenty of aerobic exercise, it can be done.

The most successful dieters all have some characteristics in common. First, they all include regular exercise in their schedules, regardless of how busy the day may be. Exercise is necessary to burn calories and fat, and one dash up the stairs isn’t going to do it. For maximum fat burn you should exercise a minimum of 45 minutes per day and more would be excellent. Before you panic, the 45 minutes does not have to be all at once. Research has shown that short, intense bursts of exercise can be just as effective as one long workout, so all you have to do is fit in several short segments of exercise throughout your day. Try walking around your office’s parking lot during your lunch break or walking up four flights of stairs to your office rather than taking the elevator. If you are one of the fortunate employees whose companies provide fitness facilities on site, make the most of it! Either arrive early to workout, shower, and change before work, or hang around afterward to get in your exercise. Company fitness facilities are absolutely wonderful since most include not only workout machines but saunas, fully equipped locker rooms, and even the occasional swimming pool.

Other ways to get your 45 minutes of fat-burning exercise in is to purchase a few small fitness items to keep in your office and use several times daily. Good choices for office fitness equipment include hand weights (which often come with their own storage rack), resistance bands, and yoga mats. You may want to consider a jump rope but obviously bring a change of clothing since it can be rather too intense for the office. Set your computer to give an alarm four times throughout the day to remind you to get up and exercise. Even just ten minutes of weight lifting or resistance training four times throughout the day adds up to forty minutes! That’s fantastic!

You will probably find it easiest to do your aerobic exercise outside of the office. If your schedule permits you to attend gym classes several times during the week, take a high intensity class that keeps your heart pumping for thirty minutes or longer. Another excellent option is to swim. Swimming is one of the most powerful exercises for shaping the body fast. Since the body is supported by water, your muscles receive a better workout since they must propel you through the water. Swim for 45 minutes three to four times a week and you will see results within three weeks. For those who can’t get to the gym or a pool, go for a run or a fast power-walk on your street. Incorporate arm movements into your walk to boost your heart rate and burn more calories. Also check your local video store for fitness videos that you can do in the privacy of your own home. There are many great videos that work your body just as much as a challenging gym class and you don’t have to worry about anyone staring at the sweat dripping down your back and face. Maintain a regular exercise schedule of 45 minutes of aerobic exercise three to four times per week in addition to strength training and you will notice a change in your body very rapidly.

In terms of diet, the change that most busy workers need to make is to avoid fast food. Double cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes are all heavily laden with fat, calories, and sodium – three things that will slow your weight loss effort down fast. Instead, eat a diet that is balanced and nutritious with a minimum of saturated fat, simple sugars and sodium. One easy way to make a diet change is to eat only organic. There are thousands of delicious organic options available and an organic-only diet naturally delivers you from the vast majority of fatty junk foods. Add plenty of vegetables and salads to your menu as well as regular protein for a giant boost to your weight loss program.

While losing weight on a busy schedule is difficult, it is by no means impossible. Exercise regularly, eat healthy, and you will see the pounds melt away.

Best Classes for Weight Loss

So many commercials and advertisements scream “Lose weight now!” but how many of them are actually legitimate? Just to be clear, taking pills and supplements are not going to get rid of excess weight – the only way to do that is through good old-fashioned cardiovascular exercise coupled with a healthy diet. Thanks to modern innovations and ideas, though, you can work out and burn more fat than ever while you have fun at the same time! Gyms and fitness studios across the country are focusing on creating cardiovascular fitness classes that keep participants engaged and encouraged, and this is a boon for folks who are traditionally turned off by the thought of exercise. Losing weight has never been so fun and fast!

Spinning

The workout of the stars, spinning is an exercise similar to biking except that, well, you don’t go anywhere. When you spin, you are using a machine similar to a bike but with only one wheel and with adjustable resistance so that you can control the level of exertion. Beginners start with the handle in a traditional biking position but as you proceed through levels and become more fit, eventually the handles will be almost level with the bike saddle. Spinning mimics mountain biking by changing resistance at different points throughout the workout, imitating hills and rises. The calorie burn can be impressive but be prepared for a sweaty workout. Your leg muscles will be called upon in ways they never have before and the first few classes will probably leave you with some muscle soreness and stiffness that should disappear within a few days. Spinning instructors recommend that participants wear heart monitors to track heart rate and move into the ideal range for maximum fat burning. You can find Spinning classes at gyms nationwide.

Belly Dancing

If you’ve ever watched belly dancers and admired the lithe, seductive movements, here’s your chance to learn their secrets and burn calories at the same time. Belly dancing classes have exploded in popularity in the past few years and can be found in most major cities and metropolitan areas. You won’t need any special workout gear, just show up in your t-shirt and shorts. You’ll start learning the basics of moving your hips and waist, and go from there to the more complicated twists that make belly dancing so unique and seductive. The calorie burn is average but couple the class with a healthy diet and brisk walking several times per week and you’ll see the fat begin to melt away. The bonus of belly dancing is that as you’re burning calories you are also toning and firming the abdominal muscles, so when the fat is gone you’ll be able to see beautifully defined abdominals. In addition to that, you will have learned a unique skill that you can use as a workout any time you like!

Step Aerobics

Step aerobics can burn serious calories thanks to the work it requires from muscles. The concept of step aerobics has been around for decades and it became popular in the eighties along with Jane Fonda. It remained a regular offering at fitness studios but recently has enjoyed a renewed burst of popularity. In a step aerobics class, there will be an instructor leading the class from the front. You will need an exercise step that can be raised or lowered depending on your fitness ability. After a brief warm-up, the instructor will lead the class in aerobic exercise utilizing the step to increase calorie burn. The pace can get intense and that equals a higher fat burn for you! Arms will frequently be included as part of the workout but only to increase the heart rate, so don’t forget to include regular strength training as part of your fitness program.

Choose the Right Exercise to Lose Weight

Diet, exercise and losing weight; it’s the trilogy. Long-term weight loss doesn’t happen without a combination of exercise and decreased calorie intake. There are multiple ‘diets’ on the market today. You can pick a diet based on where your body fat is deposited, your blood type, your medical problems or your eating preferences.

In the end people lose weight because their calorie intake is less than their calorie burn. You pick the diet that works best for your life-style and beliefs.

The downside to diet only is that your body goes into starvation mode with a decreased calorie intake. This means your metabolism slows dramatically and doesn’t increase when your calorie intake goes up. That is why it is so easy to gain weight once you’ve stopped dieting.

On the other hand exercise can trick the body into keeping your metabolism higher and thus stops the yo-yo effect of diet, gain weight, diet, gain weight.

Exercise also has some degree of flexibility. There are some basic rules however, to choosing an exercise program designed to help you lose weight. The greater the amount of weight you have to lose the more flexible your initial exercise program can be.

People who are more than moderately over weight can begin an exercise program using brisk walking or easy bike riding while still burning enough calories. As a person loses more weight it becomes more important to maintain exercise over a period of 30-40 minutes that keeps your heart rate elevated.

Swimming can be a good overall exercise that uses many of the body’s muscles continuously. Fast walking, jogging, resistance training, biking and elliptical trainers all provide exercise that raises your heart rate and that can be done for extended periods of time.

The trick is to pick an exercise program that you can maintain. Choosing a program that looks good on television or promises extensive weight loss won’t work if it stays in the box or on the shelf. It is easier to go for a brisk walk each night for 40 minutes, which requires little to no special equipment purchase, than to engage in a difficult routine that may require sport specific equipment.

The long of the short is that most exercise will help you lose weight. The real concern is to maintain the program, not get bored and not get injured. With a moderate cut in calories and a moderate exercise program you are well on your way to a new you!