I wanted to lose pounds, and I wanted to do something to help keep them off and keep me healthy MY ENTIRE LIFE, not just for the summer months, so I'll elaborate to what helped me stick to the diet. For some people going without sweets is near impossible etc etc. I just want to share how I succeded and hope it helps someone else. So here is my story!
My body used to take in an estimated 2500+ calories a day before Doc Doc told me I needed to get a hold on myself before it gets out of hand and my cholesterol levels start causing me serious heart issues.
Add to that the fact that after I got out of the military not only did my calorie intake not change at all, but I became a lot more sedatary, AND I STOPPED EATING BREAKFAST! This did a bad thing. My body was used to a solid amount of calories spread out through the day, but I was also active in the military, so weight gain was little to none. But now I'm packing in the amount of calories my body is used to in the time frame between lunch and dinner, and sometimes just before bed. Now my body is going "Wait, I'm going long periods of time without any fuel!". When I pack in the fuel, my body takes the extra and starts storing it as fat. That's the disadvantage of skipping meals. It tosses your body into "I need to store some extra for when I have to go through that again!". That's where you get that "Gut, Spare Tire, etc etc". 3 meals is important to say the least.
So now I'm getting my calorie intake back on track, what else can I do to improve that? EXERCISE, the benefits of this are massive. DON'T give me any excuses, you CAN exercise. I don't care if you can budget just 5 minutes, you can do something! I budgeted 1 hour into my day. It wasn't that hard either. Instead of that extra hour of video gaming, I go to bed an hour earlier, and get up and hour earlier, and head to the gym. Or take Reinhard for example, he budgets 15 minutes, 15 minutes is a breeze to budget, I don't care who you are or what you do, 15 minutes can be budgeted to improving your physical health. If by some strange miracle you really are that busy I'll elaborate on some things to do on those overly busy days that will help. Every little bit is better than none at all.
So how did I get into shape? Changed my eating habits exactly like the No S diet teaches! And exercise!
Breakfast: I always kept those yucky breakfast bars around no matter what. Any breakfast you can get no matter how short of time is better than no breakfast. Last night while grocery shopping, I found the Special K protein bars. I ate one today for breakfast, and DAMN! It tasted great, has only 150 calories, and has enough nutrition and bulk when eaten with a nice glass of water will easily last me until lunch time. I also make sure to keep stock on fruit juices and lowfat chocolate milk. The Chocolate Milk sounds like cheating, but it's actually very healthy.
Typically my breakfasts were around 300 calories give or take some.
Lunch: Lunches are usually consisting of a microwave meal of some sort (usually healthier type meals), either a V8, or some fruit juice to drink. Occasionally water, or tea rather than juice. On days where I worked out really hard, I'd toss in a protein bar to help my muscles recover better.
Typically I'd pack in 350 to 500 calories
Dinner: Soup and crackers, or a microwave meal of a healthier variety, maybe a Marie Callendars pot pie, A bowl of crawfish Jumbalaya, etc etc etc! I just eat about anything I want in the right single bowl or simgle plate porportions, after I finish I'd usually grab a Nutrigrain Bar for dessert. I'll eat that with either Tea, Water, or V8 juice.
Estimated average of likely 500 to 700 calories.
I'd say my calorie intake for a day is around 1300 to 1700 a day. Now I've got my food intake under control.
Now what?
Exercise of course! Get a Gym membership, or use the local YMCA! Or like our current master here, find other creative ways to get in a good workout! I use a gym.
What do I do there?
15 minutes of stretching, there will be charts and mats, if not you can download them free from the internet.
then I spend 15 minutes running a resistance machine circuit and get in a FULL Body workout, no stopping between reps so I keep my heart rate up for some aerobic benefit as well.
30 minutes on the Elyptical trainer. I pace myself the first time I start up on this thing, and get a general idea of how hard I can go without killing myself. If I still have breath left at the 25 minutes mark, I make sure I have none left when the timer hits 28 minutes, because you need to spend the last 2 minutes going slower and cooling down before stepping off (trust me, hop off too fast and you can pass out, I know this for fact hehe.). I go strong and steady and as hard as I can yet make sure I have fuel to finish the full 30 minutes.
I had a personal trainer critique my workout and she estimated that I was burning about 350 calories per workout. So that eliminates my breakfast calories, but I also raised my metabolism and overall health, so now my body easily burns what I put in and then some throughout my typical day.
But it doesn't stop there.
Since we are building habits and breaking BAD habits. I'm gonna toss in some extra things there. TAKE THE DAMNED STAIRS! Surprisingly enough if you are only going 1 or two floors away, it's normally faster than the elevator, 3 flights and you may lose a few seconds depending on your conditioning. Say no to the escalators in the mall, take the manual stairs, if there are none, walk up the escalator instead of just standing there.
Walk with a little more purpose, yes it does make a difference.
Don't drive around the parking lot for 10 minutes looking for a close spot, park back from the store a bit, not only is it only barely any faster to park close, but you increase your risk of asshats denting your car, you get some extra exercise, and you give up the stress of trying to find that spot, and competing for it with the person that just pulled up to see who can get their nose in first. Just park in the back and avoid all that headache, plus you get to practice that new walk with a purpose thing.
While sitting at your computer chair at work with little to do, try this out. Repetedly flex your abdomin muscles. You'll be surprised what that can do for you in the long run. Instead of sitting there with your legs dangling from the chair, grab a phone book and put it on top of your feet, now lift it repetedly. If you have a chair that rolls, pick up your feet and grab the edge of your desk, now push yourself away, but keep ahold of the desk, now pull yourself back, do that repetedly.Now take that phone pook off your feet, and hold it in both hands, then hold it above your head then repetedly lower it to the back of your head and back up. Take that briefcase and hold it in your arm, now curl it up, do that till you feel some muscle weakness, now switch arms. Hey does your chair also swivel? Great, now grab the desk again, now pickup your feet flex your abs and swivel your hips left and right using your core muscles around your lower torso, hrmm interesting, it works.
See no excuses!
I hope some of my suggestions and such can help someone out. Much like Reinhard I'm very proud of what I've done doing this, and I know others can find success doing it also. Not only is it easy to start, it's very easy to maintain, GOOD habit forming, and will last a lifetime to anyone who cares about their health. And whether you do or not, your family should. I've lost loved ones to health related issues before, and I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure my loved ones don't have to see me go through health related problems that often times can end my life. If I go before my percieved time, it's not gonna be because I didn't try to keep myself healthy. Just do it, you'll thank you, your family and friends will thank you, and we'd love to hear about your success!
I'll just have to spend some more time on the elyptical today to pay myself for it. If it weren't for my overly large for a man butt, my shorts would have fell off today at physical therapy. I have a bad back, in fact very bad, 3 herniated disks, 2 in my lower back, and one between my shoulder blades. But I do not make excuses, when my back is out I don't feel guilty about not working out. But as long as I can get up and walk, I get my workout in. Just keep plugging away at it!