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!