This is the final weight loss diary entry that I will be publishing because although I was still half pound (225 grams) short of my target weight on Friday April 14 I extended this session by another couple of days to make my target. Sunday's weigh-in saw my weight at 180 pounds (89 kilo's) the target I set on February 5 when my weight was 198 pounds (98 kilo's).
At the start of the weight loss program the target was set to lose one pound (450 grams) each week making it an 18-week assignment; it has been achieved in just 10 weeks. During this period no food that I like has been given up for more than one-day at a time and exercise has been set at just 30-minutes each week. (However I must state that as I got into the exercise regime and started enjoying the added fitness it did increase to about an hour each week).
So what was the most successful thing about the program?
A tough question to answer because each part of the program is so important. However if pushed to pick one single thing it must be learning about serving sizes. Ignoring healthy serving sizes is the biggest cause of obesity in the western world.
What did I like most about the program?
That's an easy question because I liked regaining aerobic fitness above everything else. Not just the formal exercise part of the program but just being more aware of including exercise in my daily life. Stopping delivery of my daily newspaper and walking to buy it each morning. Parking my car as far as possible from the supermarket entrance was great in two ways: First it made me walk a little further to and from the car. Second I rarely had a problem parking the car and it was totally hassle free ? a beautiful way to live your life. Then there was refusing to use any escalator if stairs were available. Now I find myself looking for hills to walk up for no other reason than the challenge. This added mobility has another added benefit; I've met so many new and interesting people who take regular exercise.
The benefit of losing 18 pounds (9 kilo's) is good for my health, but even better for my social life is the new people that I've met and my rediscovered aerobic fitness. Life is really great.
From emails that I receive I know that some people are following this program with me and some are beating my results while others are not quite on par. The great thing is that even the least successful is still losing one-pound each week and that is the program target. Congratulations. Even if you are 200 pounds overweight it will only take four years at most to achieve your target without giving up anything that you like. The only question you need answer is do I want to lose one-pound (450 grams) each week?
This article is copyright ? David McCarthy 2006.
My Weight Loss Diary
Four weeks ago I weighed 197 pounds (97.5 kilos) and my aim was to lose weight at the rate of one pound (450 grams) per week until I was down to 180 pounds; without giving up any food that I like. That is a reasonable weight for a man who is a little over 6 feet (1.83m) tall. At my Friday evening weigh-in my weight was 190 pounds (94 kilos) and that puts me three weeks ahead of schedule in only my fourth week.
Health wise I have regained much aerobic fitness and my muscles are firming. I now wish that I had recorded waist, hip and thigh measurements before I started and was able to give news on what I measure. Unfortunately I'm not a scientific person and only work by my waist belt ? the news on that is good. At the end of week two I was able to suck everything in and take my belt up by a notch, today that extra notch is very comfortable and maybe just a little slack. My feelings are very positive about deciding to go on this program and it is no trouble to keep up with, as my weight loss to date indicates. In fact I doubt whether the program will run for seventeen weeks because weight is disappearing at the rate of one and three quarter pounds each week rather than the one-pound I targeted at the start.
During the week I received an email from a follower of the program asking me to clarify the method of taking your own pulse when exercising. You will recall that we exercise three times weekly for ten-minutes or until our pulse rate increases by 50%. Here are the rules for taking your own pulse.
- You cannot take your pulse with your thumb; it has to be with a finger.
- Place the back of your left wrist into your right palm and curl right fingers around to the inside of your left wrist. Feel for the pulse.
- When you have located your pulse count how many beats in six-seconds.
- Because six seconds is one-tenth of a minute you just add a zero to the number of beats counted in six seconds and this will give your rate per minute. For instance: If you count seven beats in six seconds your normal pulse rate is 70 per minute.
- To increase your pulse by 50% from 70 per minute you need to increase to 105 beats per minute ? which is between 10 and 11 beats per six-seconds. Easy isn't it?
As you get fitter you will find that it takes more than ten-minutes to raise your pulse rate by 50%; you just keep exercising until you achieve the required increase. In the early days you may find that you only need to exercise for 5-minutes to achieve the required pulse rate. That's fine, don't push it, and just stop exercising when you have achieved the 50% increase.
I'm going to make my bacon sandwich now. Like I said I give up nothing that I like for more than one day.
David Mccarthy has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances, Lose Weight and Family Concerns. This is the final article of David McCarthy's weight loss diary because my target weight has been achieved in just 10 weeks rather than the 18 weeks originally forecast. You can see all of his work at http://www.recipesmania.com/articles.html. David Mccarthy's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.
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