I have always been physically active. I am an avid outdoorsman, so farming, hunting and fishing keep me busy away from work. However, a 40-hour per week office job has a way of catching up with you. That’s what happened to me. So in July of 2013, after being inspired by a friend (at that time, he had lost about 40 pounds) I decided something had to give, so I made the decision to change my lifestyle, and I set a weight loss goal. My wife was already doing a great job of preparing healthy meals at home. She uses mostly whole foods and farm-fresh produce. In the beginning, I weighed 193 pounds – my goal was to get down to 175.
Things I added:
- Running three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) for 15-20 minutes
- I didn’t start out being able to run for 15 minutes, but I got there. Took about a month.
- Daily push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups (concentrated reps on the days I do not run)
- You tried to do a pull-up lately? Good grief!
- Drinking plenty of water
Things I do without or cut back on:
- No soft drinks
- I discovered I can live without Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew.
- No dessert
- As cute as Little Debbie is, she is not my friend.
- No snacks between meals
- When I get hungry between meals, I drink a bottle of water.
- Smaller meal portions
- When I find myself eating more just because it tastes good, I stop.
- Cut way back on fried foods
- I really miss Zesto’s fried chicken.
I did not start a diet because diets don’t work. To lose weight and increase fitness, you need to change your lifestyle. On weekends, I relax a little bit, kind of like a reward for working hard all week – no exercise, and sometimes a little dessert on Saturday night.
Results:
It took a little over four months, but in early November, I hit my goal of 175 pounds! In addition to the weight loss, I have better muscle tone, and I feel so much better! If you do not have a fitness plan, I encourage you to start one. I spent zero dollars on my plan – just used good old-fashion hard work and self-control.
Update:
November 25 – weighed in at 172 this morning! Will I be able to get back into those 32″ waist pants?