Variety and balance are key to sustainable weight loss

Weight loss success is not formulaic. Or is it? I have successfully shed a bunch of weight three times in my life. Each time, it was a bit different, but when I look at the methods they all include a balance of an exercise lifestyle and a nutritious diet free from excess sugar and junk food. Looking back at my successes (and failures) I believe I finally understand that, in the end, variety and balance are key to sustainable weight loss.

This me and that me are one and the
same. Difference is, one undersands
the importance variety and balance.

The first time was during high school. I lost about 35 pounds when I moved to the D.C. suburbs and was living a primarily pedestrian existence. My step-mother cooked extremely healthy food, which I ate at home or packed most days instead of eating out. Plus, I played soccer and was forced to run at practice about 15 miles per week.

The second time was during a drop-out phase from college. The stress of balancing my studies, full-time work, coming out of the closet and dealing with the drama of my first romantic relationship led me to gain more than 100 pounds. I was able to drop 70 pounds in part by becoming vegetarian and using Barley Green as a daily supplement. I also got around on foot, mountain bike or, after moving to South Beach, by Rollerblading.

This most recent time I have also relied on a nutrient-rich balanced diet. And while I haven't been getting around as a lifestyle pedestrian so much these days, have infused hiking into my lifestyle. I have also been swimming, using the medicine ball and going to the gym in order to get the additional exercise I used to get without really trying. Tonight, I even broke out the Rollerblades once again.

In short, I suppose weight loss is a bit formulaic, but the elements that you plug into the formula can have great variety. Personally, I think variety is the spice of losing weight as an adult. And I know being conscious of the need to infuse variety into my routine will be key in helping me keep the weight off this time. Hiking is great, but what happens if life decides to play a cruel joke on me and move me back to flat land? Well, I that's where biking, rollerblading and commuting on foot will come into play. It's all about variety and balance after all! 

The First Official Weigh-In: Surprise source of motivation

I finally got the WeighMax W-op440 scale I ordered from Raven Scales Online, a seller on eBay, last week. I had to order a special scale since the last time I weighed myself a couple of months ago it registered at more than 400 pounds, and even the heavy-duty kind you can find at most retail stores only go up to 300 or 350 at the most.

I was excited about weighing in, because I've been implementing healthier foods into my diet slowly but surely. But during the past month I hadn't really kept myself from eating out, and I was still snacking on Snickers and Reese Cups at least a couple of times per week, so I thought I might be at the same weight and perhaps even more (which is why I pessimistically ordered a 440 max scale instead of being optimistic and buying the 400-pound model).

Anyway, the last week and a half of sticking to an extremely healthy diet (even during the holidays), and walking and biking (although in limited amounts), must have paid off. My weight is now down to 388 pounds! This may not seem like something to celebrate, but it is certainly something to motivate me to keep up what I've been doing and add even more exercise to the equation.

In related news, a friend of mine is getting rid of a BowFlex home gym he bought in 2006 and has never used, and he's offered it to me for free as long as I haul it away. I hope to be going over there tonight or tomorrow to get it. I'm hoping I'll enjoy the workouts at home, cuz that'll save me lots of cash on joining a gym.

Until next time...thanks for reading!

How did I get here?

Right now, millions of overweight Americans are asking themselves, "how did I get here?" And I am one of them. "Here" is that place and time beyond comprehension, that moment you realize your weight has reached some abstract number you never imagined it could reach.

When I recently tipped the scale at just over 400 pounds, I knew I had arrived at that dreaded place, and I couldn't believe it. The last time I was really checked in to my weight I was inching upwards of 290 pounds. I didn't really worry, though, because I truly felt I would never again top my previous high weight of 310 pounds, which I had reached ten years ago. After hitting 310, I was able to get back down to 220 by giving up meats and cheeses and walking, biking or rollerblading everywhere I went. And after reaching my goal, I swore I would never go back to that unhealthy max again. But somehow, here I am, not at 310, but getting damn close to reaching 410 if I don't make some drastic changes.

I never even imagined what enormous amount of food I'd have be eating to reach 400 pounds. And somehow I never really thought of myself as fat, even though my family and friends never failed to remind me. I don't think I eat like a total pig. Sure, I enjoy sweets and fatty foods like everybody else, but I eat those things in some sort of moderation...don't I?

Well no, I don't. I have to admit that I do binge on those comfort foods every once in a while. And if I'm going to make a positive change in my life and start to get my weight under control, I'm going to have to drop the denial game once and for all. In fact, I'm going to have start looking at myself and my lifestyle in a 360 degree mirror - you know, the kind Stacy and Clinton use on that show "What Not to Wear". I'm going to have to just suck it up and admit that I'm here because of the decisions I make each and every day. I'm here because of what I eat, and because of when I eat, and even because of where I eat. I'm here because I've slowly, almost methodically, adopted a sedentary lifestyle by trading in my rollerblades and mountain bike for a DVR and an all-in-one remote control. And I'm here because up until now, I just haven't really cared.

That brings me to the point of this new blog. I believe I am finally starting to care again. I'm tired being fat and feeling there is nothing I can ever do about it. I know, like I've always known, that I am the only one who has the power to make a difference in my life, and I'm committed now to making one.

This blog will chronicle my progress as I attempt to make healthy choices and recessutate my formerly healthy lifestyle. My goal is a big one. I want to lose 180 pounds - that's the weight of an average adult male - and get back down to about 220 pounds. Oh, and did I mention I want to do it naturally, though diet and exercise, and not the lazy way, through some sort of unatural stomach-altering surgery.

So far, I've bought a mountain bike, and am starting to ride it daily to prepare to begin commuting to and from the train station starting in the new year. I've bought a couple of cook books with healthy recipes, and I've started cooking for myself six days a week and eating out one, instead of the other way around. I've also ordered a scale that I can use to weigh myself at home, so I can track my progress, which I'll be sharing here online with you.

Please feel free to comment on my blog if you have any tips, or would like to encourage me on my journey. I expect it will take me about two years to get me down to my goal weight.

Thanks for reading!