Diet
My wife and I both started diets on May 1 — the goal is to eat really well and lose a significant amount of weight by June 1. She’s trying to lose 10 pounds, which sounds like a lot to lose in one month. My goal was a bit more modest. I was at 177 on June 1, and I wanted to get under 170.
I seem to be well on the way toward that goal. I’ve been eating very carefully, and running at the same time, so I think I’ve been running a bit of a calorie deficit as well as shedding water weight. Yesterday the scale said 172.8, and today it said 170.8. I obviously cannot have lost 6.2 pounds of real weight in six days, but it does mean that some of the weight I was carrying was just water weight or bloat from all the eating I was doing. I feel a bit trimmer and lighter, and the measuring tape also indicates I’ve lost a small but significant amount around my waist.
I’m a lot more confident now that I can get well under 170 by the end of May. That bodes well not only for being able to look and feel better for the summer but for improving my running fitness and times before Labor Day, when I plan to kick my training into higher gear.
My diet isn’t all that strict; it’s just a matter of eating a lot less. So far I’ve eaten a little less at every meal, avoided late night snacking and snacking generally, avoided ice cream, and drunk lots of water. I’m allowing myself to go for stretches at a time feeling just a bit hungry, and enjoying the sensation after feeling bloated so much of the time previously.
I’ve got my sights now on achieving a "real" (meaning consistent, rather than one day) weight of 168 by June 1. That would put me ahead of previous schedule.
My ultimate goal is to get my weight down into the low 160s to see how carrying less weight will help my running times.
I haven’t done any weight lifting lately, but I’ve been doing pushups almost every day.
May 7, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Looks as if the two of you are being sensible. It appears that you are well on your way to meeting your goals, and developing habbits that you can use your whole lifetime.
May 8, 2009 at 12:30 pm
No you keep a food journal?
May 15, 2009 at 10:05 am
I have about the same goals as you do - 10 or so pounds to lose, hopefully by mid-June. I like your concepts a lot, especially with not snacking and letting longer spans go by where you feel slightly hungry (I’m starting to do that at night, when I’m more prone to snacking). GOOD luck to you and your wife, and definitely let me know how it goes. Just know I’m commiserating with you
How’s running??