50 lbs. down and feeling great
Posted: Thu May 12, 2016 10:22 pm
First, the numbers:
Since January 2016: -20 lbs.
Since February 2015: -30 lbs.
Since February 2011: -50 lbs.
My backstory, from last March, is here: https://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10435
In short, I'm a 31-year-old guy, 5'11", and I've been doing No S on and off for several years. I recommitted on February 18, 2015, weighing 243 lbs. Over the next six months, I lost 25 lbs., but then I crapped out for the last three months of 2015 and gained back 15 lbs. I re-recommitted on January 1, 2016, weighing 233.6 lbs.
This morning I weighed 210.8 lbs., which puts my BMI at a non-obese 29.4. It also means I'm down 52.7 lbs. -- exactly 20% -- from my all-time high of 263.5 lbs. I credit all this to No S.
I feel fantastic, and not just physically. No S has completely changed my relationship to food. I actually enjoy it now. I don't worry about it anymore. I don't spend every day feeling guilty and ashamed about how much I'm eating. I feel liberated, at peace. I know I'm doing the right thing, and it's not that hard. No S feels like a "cheat code" for weight loss -- it's so simple, so natural, so humane, and so effective. I want to tell everyone about it.
A few things I've learned:
* I do best when I'm not obsessing about long-term goals but just focusing on good habits day by day and appreciating the present. Sure, I'd love to be sub-200, or sub-189 (HS wrestling weight), or sub-179 ("normal" BMI), but I can only control my habits, and I can be happy now.
* Beware hubris. Even long-established habits can crumble under complacency. I started going off the rails during an early-October family trip, and didn't get back on track until after the holidays.
* I've found it helpful to eat a relatively small (for me) breakfast and lunch so I can share a hearty dinner with my family and still maintain a caloric deficit.
* I enjoy S-days most when they're basically like N-days plus a special dessert in the evening. But that knowledge isn't always enough to prevent S-Days Gone Wild. I don't beat myself up about these, but I do try to remember the bloated, sluggish feeling for next time.
A few more details about my habits:
INTELLIGENT DIETARY DEFAULTS
Breakfast: 2 scoops whey protein powder (240 cal, 48 g protein), blended with water and ice
Lunch: 4 oz carrots (~50 cal), large apple (~100 cal), 1/2 whole-grain PB&J (~260 cal)
Dinner: moderate to large plate of whatever the family is eating
Coffee: usually 1-3 cups (black, no sugar) on N-days
Alcohol: sometimes 1-2 beers/day, sometimes stretches of little or none
EXERCISE
14 Minutes of ANYTHING: Shovelglove, two-at-a-time stair-climbing, 7-minute workout app, etc. every N-day morning
Urban Ranger: at least 10,000 steps every N-day
TRACKING
HabitCal: Was useful motivation for a few weeks while (re-)establishing habits.
Weigh-ins: My practice varies, but I enjoy the data of daily weigh-ins.
MyFitnessPal: I know it's No S heresy, but every now and then I scrupulously count calories for a few weeks to help calibrate my intuitions and appetite.
Anyway, I hope some of this is helpful to someone. If you have any questions, let me know.
Since January 2016: -20 lbs.
Since February 2015: -30 lbs.
Since February 2011: -50 lbs.
My backstory, from last March, is here: https://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10435
In short, I'm a 31-year-old guy, 5'11", and I've been doing No S on and off for several years. I recommitted on February 18, 2015, weighing 243 lbs. Over the next six months, I lost 25 lbs., but then I crapped out for the last three months of 2015 and gained back 15 lbs. I re-recommitted on January 1, 2016, weighing 233.6 lbs.
This morning I weighed 210.8 lbs., which puts my BMI at a non-obese 29.4. It also means I'm down 52.7 lbs. -- exactly 20% -- from my all-time high of 263.5 lbs. I credit all this to No S.
I feel fantastic, and not just physically. No S has completely changed my relationship to food. I actually enjoy it now. I don't worry about it anymore. I don't spend every day feeling guilty and ashamed about how much I'm eating. I feel liberated, at peace. I know I'm doing the right thing, and it's not that hard. No S feels like a "cheat code" for weight loss -- it's so simple, so natural, so humane, and so effective. I want to tell everyone about it.
A few things I've learned:
* I do best when I'm not obsessing about long-term goals but just focusing on good habits day by day and appreciating the present. Sure, I'd love to be sub-200, or sub-189 (HS wrestling weight), or sub-179 ("normal" BMI), but I can only control my habits, and I can be happy now.
* Beware hubris. Even long-established habits can crumble under complacency. I started going off the rails during an early-October family trip, and didn't get back on track until after the holidays.
* I've found it helpful to eat a relatively small (for me) breakfast and lunch so I can share a hearty dinner with my family and still maintain a caloric deficit.
* I enjoy S-days most when they're basically like N-days plus a special dessert in the evening. But that knowledge isn't always enough to prevent S-Days Gone Wild. I don't beat myself up about these, but I do try to remember the bloated, sluggish feeling for next time.
A few more details about my habits:
INTELLIGENT DIETARY DEFAULTS
Breakfast: 2 scoops whey protein powder (240 cal, 48 g protein), blended with water and ice
Lunch: 4 oz carrots (~50 cal), large apple (~100 cal), 1/2 whole-grain PB&J (~260 cal)
Dinner: moderate to large plate of whatever the family is eating
Coffee: usually 1-3 cups (black, no sugar) on N-days
Alcohol: sometimes 1-2 beers/day, sometimes stretches of little or none
EXERCISE
14 Minutes of ANYTHING: Shovelglove, two-at-a-time stair-climbing, 7-minute workout app, etc. every N-day morning
Urban Ranger: at least 10,000 steps every N-day
TRACKING
HabitCal: Was useful motivation for a few weeks while (re-)establishing habits.
Weigh-ins: My practice varies, but I enjoy the data of daily weigh-ins.
MyFitnessPal: I know it's No S heresy, but every now and then I scrupulously count calories for a few weeks to help calibrate my intuitions and appetite.
Anyway, I hope some of this is helpful to someone. If you have any questions, let me know.