The weight loss continues

So, I'm keeping it up. I exercise almost every day, and I feel a lot better than I used to. There are still improvements I can make, but I feel great. My weight fluctuated  a lot this week, but the most accurate (not the lowest) estimate of my weight was 317.2.  I was as high as 322.2 and as low as 312.8 (on a different scale after a workout). It's not an insane amount of weight to lose, but it's slowly coming off.

I've continued to use the MI techniques. I try to rate my behaviors every day and stay in the positive. In the future, I'll have to place more negative value on drinking pop. I want to quit it entirely, but I've cut down significantly. So, I'm not terribly concerned about it yet. I've amped up my fruit and vegetable consumption to roughly 4-5 a day. Some days, I still do poorly, but this has also improved significantly.

Today, I had another highlight. I went to work out at a local fitness place, and I ran on the treadmill. What I've usually been doing is going for half an hour and often covering a little over two miles. Today, I didn't have half an hour, and I wanted to cover at least two miles. I walked my usual 0.15 miles and started to jog at a pace of 5.2 miles/hour. At the 0.5 mile mark, I wasn't tired, so I kept going. I eventually ran it out and did two miles at that pace. I am so proud of myself.

I've used other techniques to keep me focused on my goals such as focusing on how my weight has limited me. This hasn't worked as well as I'd hoped. It's helped to keep me going, but the two examples I was thinking of aren't as false as I thought on further examination. But, it's true that being this weight really limits my confidence. In that regard, it's still useful.

What are your weight loss stories? How did you overcome obstacles?

Continuing to use MI tools: weight loss update

So, in December, I weighed in at 317.5 which was my lowest weight in a couple of years. Over Christmas break, my healthy habits fell by the wayside, and I, gladly, leaped off the wagon. Surprisingly, I didn't gain a huge amount of weight, but I was back up to 324 or so when I first weighed in after starting school. This morning, I weighed in at 320.1 without running yesterday (I sweat a lot). A few other MI things I've adopted are the idea of writing a letter to myself from five years in the future. I will do that soon enough, but I'm not ready yet.

I've also created a reward scale where eating four or more fruits and vegetables is +3, exercising is +1, eating after 8pm is -1, eating a second helping is -1, eating out is -1, and drinking pop is -1. On Wednesdays, I received a +4, the maximum rating. On Thursday, I received a -1. Yesterday was a +3.  So far, for the week, I'm at +6, and my goal was +10. The goal is to be in the positive daily, and the good thing is that one bad day doesn't negate all of your work. My daily reward is that I get to write for fun for 1 hour on days where I'm in the positive. I'm trying to develop weekly and monthly goals.

One other thing I've discussed before is the idea of values and being consistent. I value health and eating like crap and not exercising is vary inconsistent with my values. I've also thought about how being obese has limited me not just physically but socially. I think about two amazing relationships that I passed on because I didn't feel good about myself, and I don't ever want that to happen again. Never. I've also affirmed myself by realizing that I've let anything beat me. There are things that I can't do, but becoming healthy isn't going to be one of them. The great thing about using this MI approach is that writing this confirms the changes I'm making. I'm trying to think of a basic way to make this work for everyone. I know one thing, I'm going to keep going.

For more information about Motivational Interviewing:

 

Using Motivational Interviewing techniques to change behavior

Motivational Interviewing is a treatment used to (surprise, surprise) increase motivation for change. It's a powerful tool, and it works by addressing ambivalence to change. When it comes to behavior change, we are torn between changing and not changing because there are good things we stand to give up and negative consequences to that change. To provide an example, I'll start by having a conversation with myself.

Why don't I want to change my eating habits (especially drinking pop, eating out, and eating large portions)? This is good question when you're just thinking about changing, possibly even before.

Well, I think food has an emotional benefit for me. I eat when I'm stressed out, and I often mistake hunger for stress.

Reflection: Food is important to you, and it makes you feel better. There are only positives to continue eating like you do.

It is important, but it doesn't make me feel better anymore. There are a lot of downsides to eating as much as I do. I feel tired. I have to buy large clothes that are harder and harder to find. I get tired easily. I miss being in shape, and I want to be attractive to women. I don't feel that way currently.

What are the negatives of not changing?

Well, things will stay as they are. I'll probably develop diabetes, and probably die early of a heart attack. There's nothing that can be done for me at that point.

It's a bit early, but I'm going to summarize.

So, I recognize that they are some short term benefits to keep eating the way I do. There are also some serious benefits. I think that I'll feel better and not be so tired. It will also help me to get in shape and lead a healthier lifestyle. It will also help me to feel more confident and possibly meet women. Overall, it will make my current focus on health less inconsistent with my lifestyle (developing discrepancy). 

For anyone interested in learning more about motivational interviewing:

Always Second: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy (A Personal Blog Post)

For a long time, I thought of myself as always being second. That statement doesn't make much sense, but it meant that no one ever put me first. I felt like my parents never did, and I always felt like I was second best when it came to women. Then, it dawned on me that I just thought of myself as second, and it became a self-fulfilling prophesy. I was second because I made myself second. I made excuses about why I couldn't do things, and it's time for that to stop. But, for that to happen, I have to acknowledge some things.

Being fat is holding me back because I let it. I used to weigh 345lbs. It's a ridiculous weight, and, now, I'm down to 325. I have to keep going, and I have to lose more weight. I feel better, and my confidence is substantially improved. It may not be a hang up for others, but it certainly is for me.

Secondly, I have to take risks. Women are going to reject me, but nothingis going to happen if I don't take that chance. While I can look back and opine about sour grapes, it's just not true. I have to rectify that. My thinking is so faulty that I think most people don't like me, but I'm not an asshole. I don't try to hurt people's feelings. It's time to accept that I'm not a bad person. I can certainly be better, but that takes work. Now, it's time for me to get to work.

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Bariatric surgery

Hey everyone,

For anyone who doesn't know, bariatric surgery is a procedure where either part of the stomach is removed or there is a band placed around the stomach. Both of these approaches allow less food to be consumed, and, thereby, the recipient loses weight very quickly. There are various benefits to this procedure including recovery from diabetes and decreased risk for heart disease. Likewise,the weight loss in these cases are dramatic with averages ranging from 35kg (77lbs) to 53kg (116.6lbs), depending on which surgery people receive. However, I am not a fan of these surgeries because they encourage the idea of the quick fix that everyone seems to want for every problem. Now, I will admit that the surgery isn't easy on its recipients, but years of overeating and under exercising has lead to the level of obesity necessary for these surgeries. Personally, I think a natural weight loss is more rewarding and teaches people the skills necessary to maintain their weight. Now, there is one thing that this surgery proves without a doubt. People can lose weight through calorie restriction. If it were true that the many people who claim they can't lose weight, this surgery shouldn't work. Its efficacy, without question, proves these people wrong. My final concern is that I've seen no evidence that the diets of bariatric surgery recipients changes after surgery. There is a regimen that they have to follow for a time, and they are encouraged to eat a protein heavy diet. However, I have found no evidence concerning behavior, good or bad, after surgery. When I do, I'll discuss it. However, the message to focus on here is that people can lose weight. It simply takes exercise and calorie restriction.

Health dairy: Post 10

Hey everyone,

So, I've finally done it. I've cut out regular pop from my diet. I'm still consuming diet pop which has carbonated water and caffeine, but I'm not consuming those regular calories. I'm down to 305.1 lbs, but I need to exercise more because I am definitely lacking in that area. I'm still pretty good about food. I don't eat that much per meal, and I, largely, don't snack. Finally, I still don't eat after 8 PM, and I always eat a good breakfast. I have to say that this really makes me hopeful. One continued difference in my diet is my consumption of meat. Probably, I consume three servings of meat a day which is still a lot, but I want that protein to maintain my muscle mass. Finally, this morning, I weighed in at 305.1 lbs, and I'm almost back to what I weighed three weeks ago. It wasn't even hard. That's the awesome thing. There is hope for weight loss.

Breakfast, it's more than a meal

Hey everyone,

We've been told time and again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, when I talk to people who want to lose weight, breakfast is meal that they skip. Not surprisingly in these cases, their largest meal tends to be supper. This is the wrong way to eat if weight is your concern. Breakfast should not only be the largest meal, but it is the most forgiving because you have the entire day to burn off those calories. However, the best benefit of breakfast is that you burn more calories throughout the day; consequently, your body burns 20-30% more calories when you do this. This is an amazing way to boost weight loss. Assuming you want to lose weight, this is a powerful tool to add to your arsenal, and it is a relatively easy behavior change. When it's combined with a smaller lunch and supper, weight loss becomes easier without reducing total daily calories much or at all. I think you'll find that you'll have more energy throughout the day as well possibly making exercise easier. Personally, I've used this as part of my weight loss journey, and I've lost 25 pounds over a two and a half months (although I've used other things like healthy eating and exercise). Think about doing this if you don't already.

Processed foods, friend or foe

Hey everyone,

The cheap food that we continually enjoy today is largely processed. Almost anything you want can be packaged or canned. Various meats, fruits, and vegetables can be bought out of a can. Pasta, eggs, milk, and damn near everything else is packaged. This, in and of itself, is not a problem nutritionally. However, many of these are not the same as what they would have been even 50 years ago. For these food items to have a long self life, they have to be enhanced with preservatives. Many canned foods don't need these preservatives, but items in plastic do. However, most processed foods have been changed, none the less. Foods, now, are created to be made as cheaply and easily as possible. This has lead to the overuse of the vegetables corn and soy. If you don't believe me, look at the ingredients on the back of a package. More than likely you'll see high fructose corn syrup or soy. However, there are other corn derivatives, such as gluten, maltodextrin, natural flavorings, sucrose, and xanthan gum. I know those probably don't look familar, and that's because they are not natural. Processed food is meant to be cheap and easy to cook, but these foods contain ingredients that our bodies haven't encountered even two generations ago meaning that our doesn't know how to process them. They are also nutritionally deficient to their natural counterparts (white vs. brown rice). However, there is a simple solution. We can consume foods that are derived from whole wheat flour or is the natural product (e.g. rice, pasta, bread), or, better yet, we can make these items ourselves. Also, we can focus on foods with five or less ingredients, which becomes difficult. So, I would recommend eating food with ingredients that you recognize, if there are more than five ingredients exist. Now, it's probably difficult to not purchase all of these items, but a reduction is an excellent start. Processed food is a foe to health and diet.

Health diary: Post 9

Hey everyone,

I missed last week and not for a good reason. I fell off the wagon. My exercising has largely stopped, and I'm eating too much again. However, I haven't gained much weight. My weight yesterday was 309.2 lbs which is fairly close to my accurate weight. This is a turning point for me however. Will I get back onto the wagon or won't I? I know this post is short, but you'll find out next week. Good luck to other people who are trying to lose some pounds.

Health diary: post 8

Hey everyone,

So, I actually weighed myself on Friday, and I was 305.0lbs. The weight loss continues, but I'm becoming less consistent with my running and habits. I'm worried that I'm going to fall off the wagon soon, and I can't allow that happen. Personally, I think I need to get out of the house for a while and shake things up. Maybe I should move my exercise outside while I still can. Treadmills are incredibly monotonous, and they aren't helping me out. Pop is still an issue, but I'm becoming sick of it. The really good thing is that, when I don't eat well, I feel terrible, and I never want to eat consistently like that again. The final thing is to eat more fruits and vegetables and possibly drink more alcohol on a regular basis. Other than that, the weight loss journey continues.

Health diary: post 7

Hey everyone,

I've followed my diet with a strict adherence, but I need to drink less pop still and eat more vegetables. I'm doing better with the pop situation, but I still consume way too much. My running has also fallen off a little bit (I missed two days) but that will bounce back soon enough. Other than those issues, I am steadily losing weight and quickly approaching 300 lbs. I know that's still a lot, but it's been over four years since I've weighed less than that. One other thing, I need to lift more weights and consume more protein. I don't feel like I've lost muscle mass, but it's inevitable. I need to start hitting the local weight room and do a half hour workout three days a week. However, eating less, not eating after 8, and focusing on eating better have yielded an awesome result. When I stepped on the scale this morning, I weighed 307.7 lbs. Actually, I had weighed quite a bit less yesterday, but I didn't run or walk yesterday. This is still an excellent loss, and I really can't wait until that 3 is a 2.

Health diary: post 6

Hey all,

Today was my traditional weigh in, and I thought I would actually weigh a little more this week. However, I weighed 311.6, and, while it is only 0.2 lbs, it is an improvement. I actually weighed 310.8 on Friday morning, but I ate at a Mongolian grill that night (it's my weakness). This bumped my weight up a little, but I still weigh less. My body fat percentage continues to drop, and I'm still pretty good with how much and what I eat. I've been running, but my parents treadmill broke. I didn't run yesterday (I maybe would have weighed less if I had). Now, I'm going to move to the high school where I can lift weights and run in a warm environment. I'm guessing that next week I will have another big dropoff. The only hurdle that's left for me is pop. It's still a part of my diet, and it has to go. It's not good for my teeth, bones, or body. However, I routinely pass up other unhealthy foods such as chips, candy bars, or candy. I'm definitely on the path to health. Hopefully, by next fall, I will weigh 250lbs or less.

Health diary: post 3

Hey all,

I'm still on my diet, and it's still successful. Even after a rough start to the week, I lost weight this week. When I weighed myself this morning, I weighed 318.1 lbs. That's down over three pounds from last week. I am right on the edge of too much weight loss per week, but I'm guessing that this level of weight loss will even out. The good thing is that I'm lifting weights and running. However, I still have not conquered my pop problem. But, I may have found a solution, in that, I want to purchase more environmentally friendly foods. Now, I already buy my veggies locally (most of the time), but pop is produced and transported from the south which is not good for the environment if it has to come all the way to Minnesota. This may be the final straw that helps me to stop consuming this terribly unhealthy beverage. Other than that, I'm happy to be losing weight. I'm still eating less but mainly plants with a limited amount of meat. I don't eat after 8 (usually), and I always eat a moderate to large breakfast. Finally, I cover about 4 miles a day (walking/jogging) and lift some weights to keep my metabolism up. It's working. We'll see for how long.

In Defense of Food: part 1

Hey all,

This is the new book by Michael Pollen and also the first book I have read by him. However, I loved it. It honestly has changed the way I eat. The food I used to eat was mainly processed, and I would cook quickly. Throw a pizza in the oven or something in the microwave and forget it. That was how I used to eat, but now I consume a plethora of vegetables, both cooked and raw. I also try to incorporate veggies into every meal. However, I should eat more fruits, but this will increase eventually. It not only changed my diet, but it also changed my view on the health labels and claims that we're supposed to believe (I did talk about this in an earlier post). We are bombarded by claims of less fat, lower sodium, lower calories, more omega 3 fatty acids, less saturated fat, no trans fats, and more vitamins. But, this should raise more questions about how processed our foods are. If foods can be modified like this, how is our food being made? I'm guessing that if we knew, we would be less likely to eat it. But, the point is: foods that make these claims should probably be avoided simply because it can be modified so much (already has). Food (real food) should not be able to be modified like this, so don't fall for the health claims and eat some food imitation because it has less fat, carbs, more vitamins, or omega 3 fatty acids. We vote three times a day simply by eating. Simple economics can make food healthier, but we have to eat healthier and buy less processed crap.

Eat food (mostly plants)

Hey all,

Eat food (mostly plants). This is the advice of Michael Pollen who is an advocate of whole foods and a journalist. His advice sounds simple, but food has transformed substantially in the past 60 years or even 20 years. Food has become more and more nutritionally deficient while the food industry claims that they are better for us. It's difficult to find a processed without some health claim or benefit. I was drinking a soda yesterday, and, above the nutrition label, it said: low sodium. As though this makes it healthy or even non detrimental. But, these health benefits can infused into foods, but this makes increasingly complex and full of regular, unhealthy food sources (I dare you to find a processed food made without soy or corn). As a matter of fact, I recently thought about purchasing some apple sauce because it was a tasty option for fruit. However, there was high fructose corn syrup in it. Apples are already pretty tasty, so I didn't think that delicious apples needed sweetening. Needless to say, I didn't purchase the apple sauce. Maybe this gets at the problem with food in America today. In effort to make food easier and in a quicker fashion while also being maintainable for long periods of time, we have modified it to become a complex, nutritionally deficient imitation of the real thing. It tastes better. We're told that there are excellent nutrients and health benefits from eating specific processed foods, but we continue to get larger and rates of disease continue to increase. While I don't think that nutrition deserves the sole responsibility for this, it has to change. What does everyone else think?

Health diary: Post 2

September 21st, 2009

Hey all,

I'm still going strong on my diet. My brother's wedding was last weekend, so I wasn't too adherent to it. Still, I am down even more weight, and I'll continue to battle on. My weight was 321.7 lbs. I'm using my weight from Friday morning until I can get rid of most of the food and beer that I consumed. Everyday is a battle, but I'm still making healthy choices and exercising. Weights are still being lifted, but I need to stop drinking pop which has proven to be a weakness of mine. My method hasn't changed. I eat largely vegetables and try to consume milk and chicken for my protein. I cover four miles a day (it's mostly walking) which I hope to improve upon by increasing the distance and the amount that I run. I feel great and will keep you posted. If anyone has tips or questions, just make a comment. Thanks! Have a great day.

Health diary: post 1

September 13, 2009

Hey all,

I figured that it's time for me to document my progress with weight loss and healthy eating/living. I weighed myself for the first time in two months today. Honestly, I was apprehensive because I weighed 332 pounds the last time that I was weighed. I thought that it'd gone up since then, and I was worried that I'd step on the scale and weigh 34o or 350. However, when I finally did step on the scale, I weighed 324.5 pounds. My body fat percentage was high at 39%, but it was lower than what another scale had said last fall: 49%. I didn't lose that weight. Quite the contrary, that scale didn't measure what it said it did. This scale also provided me with the pounds of fat on my body: 128. It's a lot, but I'm ready and willing. Everyday, the battle becomes easier, and I'm finally winning the war. It's going to happen this time. I have no doubt.

Now, I still have to make some more calculations. First off, I would like to get down to somewhere between 205 and 215 pounds. Secondly, I should figure out at what weight will leave me with 23% body fat. According to my calculations, I need to lose another 54 pounds to achieve this goal. I would also have to lose 101 pounds to be under 10% body fat. I'm going to do it. For those who are interested, I'll write a post about this every week to keep you updated, and I will outline my process.

Obesity rates

Hey all,

This has been on my mind for some time. Since 1980, the rate of obesity has increased dramatically. Specifically, since 1985, obesity rates have more than doubled in every state. In 1985, there wasn't a single state with an obesity rate of more than 15%. Now, there are six states with over 30% of their populations that are obese. Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia are included in those 30+%. With numbers that are so scarily high, I am worried for the future. Rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are only going to rise as well as the cost of health care. At first, I was very interested in diabetes, but, over time, I realized it was only a symptom of the real problem.

As I broke down the problem, I realized that weight gain is caused by an over consumption of calories. It's simple really. However, it is a mix of a lack of exercise and over eating because metabolism comes into play. But, weight loss and diabetes control will mainly come from better nutrition. Now, I maintain that a simple increase in fruits and vegetables as well as a decrease in meat and high fructose food syrup will probably lead to weight loss (it's almost fool proof, really). That, combined with weight lifting (yes, weight lifting) will lead to some serious weight loss. This is sort of the weight loss plan that I have adapted. In the coming weeks, I plan on spending one post a week on my diet progress, but, first, I need a scale.

Hunger for wholeness

Hey all,

There is a concept in regard to alcoholism called "thirst for wholeness" where the alcoholic is literally trying to fill a void. However, I don't think that this concept stops with alcohol or even drug addiction. I actually think that this applies to food as well. People may actually be eating to fill a void. I doubt that everyone who is obese is doing this, but I wouldn't be surprised if the number is higher than one might think. In this society, food is easy to come by, and unhealthy food is cheap and satisfying. If your life feels empty or meaningless, there could be a void that could temporarily filled by food which acts as a temporary pick me up, but it quickly leads to a long time problem if this behavior persists.

Personally, I feel that this is part of my problem with food. I eat and eat, not out of hunger, but out of some incessant longing for meaning in my life and dissatisfaction with my current situation. However, I have recently thought of a way to combat this problem. It's along the same lines, but it is nearly the exact opposite. Empowering Hunger is what I call it. This is a technique where I eat three square meals a day that are smaller than normal, but I don't eat after 8. When I get hungry, which I usually do, I find power and purpose in that hunger. I find strength. Instead of giving in to it, I relish it. I wait for it, and I stand at the precipice and say: "I will not give in". So far, it feels great, but I'm trying to prepare for some road bumps. Does anyone have any further advice?

Kettlebells

Hey all,

Kettlebells are actually a Soviet invention created to train soldiers quickly during World War II (or so I've been told), but they are also a great workout. Using only one or two, you can do an entire body workout with them. Finding a weightliting program for kettlebells is fairly easy. There are many websites that outline workout plans, and you can find them by googling kettlebells. Still, the best part of kettlebells is that you have a two in one weight workout that includes cardiovascular and weight training which also results in quick muscle creation (or toning) while burning a lot of fat; however, this effect may wear off eventually after habituation.

There are some recommendations for anyone who wishes to try this workout. For men, I would recommend either a 35 or 53 pound kettlebell. For women, I would recommend probably a 20 or 25 pounds kettlebell (lighter if needed). As a caveat, I also recommend that you use a light weight immediately to keep from injuring yourself, and websites contain video and instructions for the lifts which you probably want to watch closely. If you are still unsure, I would ask a personal trainer for help or someone who appears to be experienced with them. However, they are an excellent work out and a nice change of pace. Have fun with them. I know I do.