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September 27, 2009
Another Year
I cannot believe it has been a year since my last post. Actually it has been a little over eleven months. The key to an effective weight loss plan is that it actually help to achieve one's desired weight then maintain it long term with minimum sacrifice.
Calorie restriction has been the answer for me. My current weight is exactly the weight I targeted initially and has been stable for a long time. 41 months to be precise. I have been known to enjoy a little bread and butter with dinner, a plate of pasta now and then, even some pizza or a dishof ice cream. Occassionally; not regularly.
I have learned to mentally calculate the caloric values of a multitude of foods and portions making staying within my daily allocation of calories relatively easy. So easy in fact that I hardly realize I am doing it. It has become a healthy habit.
I also have learned the value of regular exercise and the simple rewards it reaps. Exercising makes you feel better, keeps you limber and healthy, and allows you to add a few extra calories, the pizza or ice cream, when you want (again, occassionally!).
So I have effectively adopted a balance of regular exercise and calorie containment to stave off the propensity of adding weight as one ages (I am approaching 65).
Having tried many other fad diets over the past 4 decades I have concluded the reality is that our bodies are like an engine. We provide fuel in the form of food and beverage. Depending on the fuel (quality and quantity), our bodies convert to needed energy or convert it to fat and store it until we may need it. Our bodies are programmed preserve excess fuel for when we need it as food is a rare commodity not always readily available.
If we convert too much fuel to fat we gain weight. Simple concept. Eat what you need; not to excess.
So a balance is required. Finding that balance is the secret to weight control through calorie restriction and exercise.
For me it was the answer. It may be for some of you as well.
Good luck!
Posted by Ben at 12:05 PM | Comments (4)
May 18, 2008
Enjoy that Special Piece of Cake
No change is the good news. I continue at my targeted weight and have found that I rely less on the calorie intake monitoring tool I originally needed to keep my daily calories at 1,500. After three years I have learned the impact of portion size and food choices to be able to maintain my caloric intake and hence weight easily.
The purpose of this post is to simply say that this approach to weight loss is one that can be permanent and easy. It need not be a ping pong effect of weight loss and gain and forced deprivation to get back on track.
Free of the struggle to maintain or regain my weight goal, I am now able to enjoy living without the angst of feeling guilty about that special piece of cake. The reason is simple. The piece of cake is special and not a normal part of my daily diet.
Posted by Ben at 7:11 AM | Comments (0)
January 12, 2008
January 2008!
I am back to report that I truly enjoyed the 2007 holiday season with no worries about my weight and for the second time in recent hisory of not making a resolution to lose weight, exercise more or anything relating to deprivation living. The control I have gained has in fact freed me to enjoy life a little more rather than pursuing another fad diet.
Did we inbibe over the holidays? Yes! Did we eat a little more and enjoy a few special dishes? Of course. Did I worry that I would pay in January? No. Why? Because I was adjusting my meals and snacks around the festive occassions to keep a balance in my overall caloric consumption. While I was tracking calories relatively intuitively I did track weight daily through the six week period to make sure things stayed within reasonable tolerances.
I now find myself a happier person in January. Raher than berating myself for the extra poundage accummulated and seeking the latest and greatest fad diet I am enjoying being fleet of foot on the tennis court and able to continue to live and eat normally. No deprivation January for me!
In retrospect I am glad that I was able to find a way to control this aspect of my life. It has opened other doors for me and given me the expectation of a rich and vigorous life when those around me are slowing down. I may not have extended my life much but I have certainly improved the quality of much of my remaining time!
Posted by Ben at 9:29 AM | Comments (3)
July 20, 2007
Goodbye Weight Monkey
It has been one year since I achieved my targeted weight. The toughest part of any diet is to make all the hard work stay off! After a year I can say that not only has the weight stayed off, it has remained within a 2 opound variance for the entire year. Whether up or down, I have been able to tweak the caloric intake to maintain longterm stability.
Most important is that for the last three months I have hardly thought about what I was doing. I now intuitively make food selections (items and portions) that keep the total daily intake at my desired level. This approach to calories rather than foods has made my maintenance routine very flexible. Whether it is alcohol or cake, fish or fowl, whatever I decide to eat, I can easily counter balance it at the next meal or two to keep the total calories in check; or, as sometimes has been the case, up to necessary maintenance levels.
After a year I am celebrating my new found freedom. Freedom from the guilt of over eating, from falling off the proverbial wagon, from letting myself down. I am looking forward to the next year enthused that I no longer have the 'weight monkey' on my back!
Posted by Ben at 2:26 PM | Comments (0)
April 12, 2006
Experience with the Zone Diet
A Little More History - The Zone Diet
The next phase of my campaign to regain control of my weight was with Dr. Sears’ Zone diet. The Zone diet stresses portion size, balanced with good carbs (veggies and fruit), fat and protein. It is definitely healthier than the low-carb craze. Fruit was suddenly welcomed back. The basics of the Zone diet focused on plate make-up. You “measured” the quantity and balance of your meals by filling one-third of your plate with a serving of lean protein (he suggests it be no bigger than the size and thickness of your palm) then fill the other two-thirds with favorable carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables and add a little "good" fat, such as nuts, olive oil, or avocado. Certain cheeses are permitted as snacks or meal compliments.
On the Zone Diet plan you are encouraged to eat three meals a day, plus two snacks.
For six months I was weighing portions and adjusting ratios and snacking on cheese. On the road it was just too difficult to maintain the portioning. And, like it or not, I think the cheese got to me.
The net result of the six month stint was the loss of one pound and a growing frustration at working so hard and seeing no results. The problem likely was the number of meals eaten away from home. Statistically, Americans now eat 47% of their meals away from home. I certainly fit into that profile with my heavy travel schedule or the need to dine out for business. Add to that times my wife and I went out to dinner or ate out for convenience and we certainly were close to the 47% statistic.
Dr. Sears’ Zone diet was a good start but not the ultimate solution for me. That came next!
Posted by Ben at 8:51 AM | Comments (0)
April 4, 2006
A Little History - Atkins Diet and Somersizing
After many years of making promises to myself and New Year's resolutions to lose "ten pounds or so", I finally made a concerted decision to actually do it. No more kidding around. There were a number of us who felt that we could handle the Atkins Diet and still enjoy life, ie. eating large! The collective aspiration to do this gave us each peer group support, albeit informal. That was early in 2004.
Low-carb, high protien, lots of cheese and bacon. This seemed to be doable, almost easy. And it seemed to work. Over a period of 6 months I did manage to shed about 15 pounds. From 190 to 175. Then things slowed down. But it had taken the first 15 pounds off.
For the next six months maintenance at 175 was not too hard but I was at an impass as far as continuing to lose weight. And I found that I was hungry for large, heavy meals. My bad habits of eating large had not changed much and restaurants were catering to me with extra large cuts of prime rib and bodacious 20 ounce steaks.
Slight slips (pasta, spuds or an extra martini or two) resulted in upswings in weight that were hard to shed again. I had to go back to Phase I, and Phase I is certainly an aggressively restrictive diet. It is hard to maintain while traveling and entertaining.
During this period I toyed briefly with Somersizing. It seemed to be the same low-carb approach with a little more sanity, not much. She suggested good portions of high-fat foods such as butter, cheese, and sour cream, all in moderation. The bad foods include white flour products, bananas, olives, nuts, all sugars, alcohol, caffeine, avocados, and more. And she stressed moderation. But the no alcohol ban was too much of a lifestyle change. Moderation is OK, not abstinence.
Neither diet was helping get below the 175 mark and both intuitively were not great long term diets. So I sought a more sane approach in my quest to get down to 165 pounds. Results with the Zone Diet will be my next post. But progress was made. A little more than a pound a month had been shed. I just needed a better widget!
Posted by Ben at 12:37 PM | Comments (23)