I spent two years losing over
140 pounds the old fashioned
way: proper diet and exercise. No fads. No pills. No surgery. No crazy
machines. I was 30 years old and 340 pounds. With a history of heart
disease and obesity in my family, I decided it was time to shed the
pounds.
Almost every day I get people I haven't seen in years
coming up to me saying "Wow! You look great!" and then the next
question... "What have you been doing?" That's why I wrote this article.
Disclaimer
Now,
of course, as a general disclaimer, I have to say that the tips I'm
sharing with you here are just from my own personal experience. I'm not a
professional
health expert - although over the past couple of years
I've read dozens of books, and hundreds of articles on nutrition,
exercise, and weight lifting. I'm not a doctor. You should, of course,
seek your own doctor's advice before starting any kind of a weight-loss
or exercise plan. I firmly believe that with the right diet and proper
exercise, almost anyone should be able to lose weight and get fit
safely.
Tip 1. It's All About Calories
First, the bad
news. Weight gain and loss is directly tied to the amount of calories
you eat versus the calories you expend through exercise. What's a
calorie?
A calorie is a unit of heat energy. Specifically, it's
the amount of heat energy required to raise 1 gram of water by 1 degree
Celsius. How this relates to your body is that when you eat food, the
food molecules are broken down chemically and that energy is either used
by your body to perform work (like building muscle, or constructing new
cells) or is stored (as fat). If you take in more calories than you
burn, you will start to get fat.
Now, in the world of calories, it
takes 3500 calories to equal one pound of body weight. So, if you take
in an extra 3500 calories in your diet this week without exercising,
congratulations... you've just gained one pound (probably all body fat).
The good news is that you can lose one pound of fat by either removing
3500 calories from your diet, or adding 3500 calories of exercise to
your weekly schedule, or a combination of the two.
What's 3500
calories? It's actually not much if you're eating the wrong kinds of
food. You can consume 3500 calories in one meal if you eat two Double
Whoppers (1010 calories each), a King Size order of french fries (590), a
King Size onion rings (600), and a chocolate shake (440). Don't
laugh... this is what I used to eat for dinner if my family went to
Burger King... or something similarly outrageous.
So the bottom
line here is that if you want to lose weight, you have to create a
calorie deficit. That means you have to burn off more calories than you
eat. You had to eat more calories than you burned to get fat... now you
have to reduce the calories to get lean. It's that simple. In order to
know how many calories you're taking in and burning off, you need to
write them down.
Tip 2. Eat Frequently Throughout the Day
Think
of your body as a furnace. You want your furnace to burn fuel as
efficiently as possible. In order for that to happen, you need to let it
burn hot and steady throughout the day.
You need to stoke your
fire often to keep it burning. Keep your metabolism running all day long
by eating every 3 to 4 hours. My personal tip: I eat on hours evenly
divisible by 3. That means breakfast at 9am (if I'm up that early),
lunch at noon, a snack at 3pm, dinner at 6pm, a snack at 9pm, and if I'm
still up another snack at midnight.
Now, I personally work late
(I usually get most of my "real work" done between the hours of 10pm and
2am) but if you need to eat at different hours, that's fine... Just
take the total number of calories you're going to eat throughout the day
and divvy them up into 3-hour intervals. Keep that fire stoked! If you
can't take a break at work to eat every 3 hours, bring a protein bar
with you.
If you skip breakfast, then you're extremely hungry by
the time lunch comes around. Skip lunch, and you're more likely to gorge
yourself at dinner. Why? Your body is saying, "Hey! I need food badly!"
If you feed yourself often, throughout the day, your body doesn't go
into shock, and you won't get those wild cravings and hunger pangs when
it's time to eat.
Tip 3. Start a Food & Exercise Journal
Don't
just dismiss this section. I did! The first couple of times I read
about doing this in fitness and weight-loss books, I said to myself, "I
don't have the time to do this." But you know what - it really works!
I
cannot stress how important it is to write everything down that you
eat. All you need is a little notebook. Make four columns: what you ate,
how much of it you ate, how many calories were in it, and what time of
the day you ate it. It's that simple. Also write down any exercise or
other activities that are more strenuous than just sitting around.
Taking
the time to recognize what you're eating is the first step to losing
weight. A lot of people truly don't realize how much crap they're
eating. When I first started doing this - and writing down everything I
was eating - it really opened my eyes to the volumes of junk food I was
eating before. I was a slave to cookies, chocolate, chicken wings, and
pizza. When I first took the time to look up the fact that a chicken
wing has 150 calories in it (yes, one wing), I was astounded. I used to
eat 20 wings and 2 or 3 slices of pizza for dinner.
Now you can
get yourself one of those little calorie counter booklets from your
favorite book store. Sometimes you'll even see them in the grocery
store. They're invaluable. Once you get to know the foods you eat on a
regular basis, keeping track of what you eat is really quite simple. You
will gain a better appreciation for what you're putting in your body.
So please, please,
please,
take my advice and journal everything you eat. You do NOT have to do
this for the rest of your life... just until you hit your goal weight.
By that time, you'll be able to keep a good mental track of what you're
eating, and you'll be more aware of what you should eat, and how much
exercise you should be getting every week.
Also, you do not have
to obsess over every little calorie! Counting your calories can be as
detailed as you like. If you want to track every last celery stick, by
all means do so. However, you can just round your calories off to the
nearest 10, or 20. Don't worry whether or not something contains 24 or
26 calories. In the end, it doesn't make that much of a difference...
but whether something has 100 or 200 calories does.
The important thing... and I cannot stress this enough... is write everything down!
Tip 4. Eat The Right Amount of Calories
We're
not going to starve ourselves! In fact, proper
weight loss is best
accomplished by eating more frequently than you're probably used to! Let
me say that again: you're going to eat more food than you are right
now. You're going to eat better food, more often, but at a lower calorie
intake. If you're like I used to be, you're probably skipping
breakfast. This means that when lunchtime comes around, you're starving,
so you probably overeat the wrong kinds of food (like pizza, wings,
Chinese, etc.) for lunch - and I'll bet it's fast food or takeout. Then,
you don't eat anything again for six to eight hours, and pack in a
monster dinner.
Now here's what happens: your body isn't getting
any food first thing in the morning, so your metabolism isn't getting
started. Your "calorie-burning fire" doesn't get started in the morning,
so you're not really burning as many calories as you should be. Also,
your body is saying, "uh, oh - I'm not getting any food. I better hold
on to whatever body fat I can because we're starving!" This is bad. If
you don't eat enough food, often enough, your body will basically go
into starvation mode and hang on to whatever body fat it can.
The
key to unlocking your stored fat is to feed yourself enough good food so
that your body doesn't need to store any additional fat, while at the
same time getting plenty of exercise and strength training to burn
whatever fat you currently have and build muscle.
There are a
bunch of factors that go into calculating metabolic rates and all that
jazz, but you can use this chart as a basic measurement of how many
calories you should be eating as part of your weight-loss diet. Notice
it's based on your current weight and your gender. Women need fewer
calories then do men. Also, if you're a smaller person, you need less
energy than a larger person. Use this chart to determine how many
calories you should be eating on a daily basis.
WOMEN
Under 130: 1000 Calories
130-150: 1200 Calories
151-200: 1400 Calories
201-250: 1600 Calories
251-300: 1800 Calories
301-350: 2000 Calories
351-400: 2200 Calories
MEN
Under 130: 1200 Calories
130-150: 1400 Calories
151-200: 1600 Calories
201-250: 1800 Calories
251-300: 2000 Calories
301-350: 2200 Calories
351-400: 2400 Calories
Now
here's something that's vitally important... you want to make sure you
get enough calories every day, otherwise your body will go into
"starvation" mode. You want to make sure that you eat your meals at
least four times a day to keep your metabolism running. If you don't
eat, your body will go into starvation mode. It will realize that it's
not getting enough food, and will hold on to body fat. It's important to
get enough calories spaced throughout the day to keep your fire stoked.
Don't think that by starving yourself you're going to lose weight. It
will be the wrong kind of weight. Remember, your body will eat it's own
muscle tissue first before burning fat if it doesn't have enough
protein.
Tip 5. Send Yourself to Boot Camp
Now, if
you want to jump start your body on its way to fast weight loss, here's
what you're going to do. Ignore the charts above, and drop yourself
right down to a 1000-calorie-per-day diet immediately. In addition, make
sure you get at least 15 minutes of walking (or some other easy, basic,
extra exercise) in every day as well.
You will do this for
exactly two weeks... no more... no less. Then, you will go back to
eating the normal amount of calories as indicated on the chart above.
It's
not going to be easy. You won't be able to eat any junk food for these
first two weeks. You can, however, eat plenty of good foods - chicken,
salads, whole grain breads, etc. It won't be easy, but once you get
through it, you'll be able to add lots of calories back in to your diet,
and feel more normal again... in fact, after eating only 1000 calories
for two weeks, you'll probably have a hard time bringing yourself back
up to 2000 calories (or whatever you should be at).
Here's why
this works: dropping your calorie intake down to 1000 calories will
shock your body into new eating habits. You will cleanse your body of
toxins (like those monster grease burgers you've been eating) and get
some good,
healthy food in you. You will notice weight loss after the
first couple of days, but you'll be keeping your energy up by eating
good foods at regular intervals. You can stop any cravings you're having
with water, or add some extra veggies in there - you can eat just about
as much green vegetables as you want.
Tip 6. Don't Think "Fat Free" Means "Calorie Free"
Everywhere
you look, it seems that "low fat" foods abound. While there are certain
low-fat or no-fat foods that we are going to eat, you don't want to
restrict yourself to a totally no-fat diet. There are certain fats that
are good fats, and other that are bad fats. We're going to want to eat
good fats because they are necessary for proper health. Bad fats,
however, will make you fat.
There are tons of fad "no-fat" diets
out there that have promoted the whole "low-fat" mentality. What's
happened? People are still continuing to get fat eating "fat-free"
foods. They eat fat-free cookies, fat-free chips, and fat-free dairy
products, yet they keep getting fatter. Why? Many fat-free foods have
nearly as many calories as their full-fat versions.
Now, you start
eating "fat free" potato chips thinking to yourself that you can
splurge... hey, why not? They're "fat free." Well, you still load on the
calories with fat-free potato chips. It's the calories that make you
fat. In fact, when food manufacturers remove fat from their products,
often times they replace the fat with sugar to improve the taste. Guess
what... by adding sugar, they're bringing the calorie count almost back
up to where the full-fat product was.
We need fat. Fat forms
lining of the cell membranes in almost every cell of our bodies. Your
brain is composed primarily of fat. If you don't eat enough of the right
kinds of fat, your brain will not get the proper nutrition to function.
Eating too little fat can also reduce your testosterone levels (equally
important for women as for men).
Tip 7. Know Your Fats
Saturated
Fats are bad for you. They are found mostly in beef, milk, cheese, deli
meats, butter, and some tropical oils. Saturated fats increase your
risk of coronary artery disease, diabetes, and obesity. Avoid or
minimize saturated fat intake. Try to eat low-fat meats like chicken and
turkey without the skin, and reduced-fat dairy products. If you're
eating red mean, get the lowest-fat, leanest meat you can.
Trans
Fats are saturated fats that are extremely bad for you. You should
completely eliminate all foods with trans fats in them from your diet.
These types of unnatural fats are created during food manufacturing
processes such as the hydrogenation of vegetable oil. They are usually
found in pastries, buns, chips, doughnuts, shortening, and other such
foods. If the label says "trans fat" put that product back on the shelf.
If the ingredients of any product say "partially hydrogenated" anywhere
on it - put it back. One example: margarine! It's evil. It's loaded
with trans-fatty acids. Avoid it at all costs. Also avoid vegetable
shortening, commercial pasties, deep-fried food, and most prepared
snacks, mixes, and convenience foods.
Studies have shown that
saturated and trans fats are actually addictive and make you want to eat
more. They have also been linked to all kinds of health problems from
cancer and heart disease to diabetes.
Unsaturated Fats, on the
other hand, are generally good for you. These types of fats are usually
found in nuts, seeds, fish, and grains. Mono-unsaturated fats, such as
the types found in olive and canola oil, will actually protect your
cardiovascular system from disease. These are the types of fats we're
going to load into our diet.
- Good fats: almonds, avocado, cashews, flax oil, olive oil, olives, peanut butter, peanuts, fresh fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna)
- Bad fats: butter, coconut, corn oil, cream cheese, half-and-half, lard, mayonnaise, shortening, sour cream
Keep
in mind that you need fats in your diet, but even the good fats listed
above have a good amount of calories in them - so take it easy! A
tablespoon of olive oil, for example, as 100 calories. Almonds (which I
love to snack on) have 6 calories a piece. Nuts are a great, healthy-fat
snack - but just make sure to take a small handful not the whole bag!
Tip 8. Add Omega 3 Fatty Acids to Your Diet
Omega
fats are unsaturated fats that are not only good for you, but they're
essential for your health. Your body cannot create these fats, so you
must get them totally from your diet. Omega fats are helpful for many
reasons, plus they are necessary for normal cell growth and development.
First,
Omega fats are an excellent appetite suppressant. Part of the reason
why people binge on "fat-free" foods is because fat is what makes your
stomach "feel full." If you aren't eating any fat in your meal, your
stomach never tells your brain that you're full. Add a little good fat
to your meal, and you'll feel full with less food.
Eating Omega
fats helps your body to unlock stored fat so that you can use it for
energy. Omega fat balances your body's ratio of insulin to glucagon.
When you eat sugary foods, your body releases insulin to remove the
excess sugar from your system. If you do this too often, the insulin
will block the hormone glucagon - which is another hormone that
functions to help your body burn fat. Too much sugar = too much insulin =
not enough glucagon = little fat burning. Plus, you are at risk for
diabetes. Omega fats help to balance this ratio.
Omega fats help
to boost your body's metabolic rate. This also helps you to burn more
calories. Omega fats are the building blocks of your cells. Your cell
membranes consist of Omega fats. Since they cannot be created by the
body, you must get them from your diet.
A specific fat, Omega 3
Fatty Acid, is obtained from flax seeds or flax seed oil. This will be
the primary fat that we'll add to our meals. You can use it on salads
and in breads, add it to soups and yogurt. Don't cook with it, however,
as the heat will change it's chemical properties. You will also find
good doses of Omega 3 in most seafood, green leavy vegetables, fatty
fish (salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel), walnuts, olive, and canola oil.
Have
fish for dinner at least twice a week - and I don't mean your
beer-battered, fried haddock that the local pub serves on Fridays. Pick a
fish like salmon, tuna, or mackerel. Bake or grill them - don't fry
them. They have very high concentrations of Omega 3 fatty acids in them.
Add flax oil to your salads instead of fatty dressings. Snack on
walnuts or almonds instead of cookies and chocolate. You will feel full
sooner, and you'll be adding essential fatty acids to your diet to help
burn calories!
Tip 9. Get Plenty of Protein
Proteins
are the building blocks for your body. You need to eat lots of protein
for your body to build, repair, and maintain your muscle and other lean
tissues. If you don't eat enough protein, your body will break down
muscle tissue, which is bad, to maintain itself. As a result, your
metabolism will slow, and you won't burn body fat. Unlike fat or
glucose, there's nowhere in our bodies to store protein (aside from
building muscle tissue) so you have to get a lot from your diet.
How
much protein should you eat? Most people should eat about 0.4 to 0.8
grams of protein per pound of body weight. Therefore, if you weigh 200
pounds, you should be eating between 80 and 160 grams of protein per
day. This isn't hard to do. Eat two eggs for breakfast, and an 8-ounce
serving of chicken for dinner, and you're at 60 grams of protein right
there.
What kinds of protein should you eat? I like fish, chicken
(white meat), turkey (white meat), soy products, beans, legumes, and
eggs (whites only - yokes have a lot of fat). Soy products are a great
source of protein... once you get used to the taste. I have totally
switched from regular milk to soy milk. It has all the calcium, much
less of the saturated fat, and none of the cholesterol of normal milk
(even skim milk!)
Eat fish twice a week, chicken twice a week,
turkey once a week, a vegetarian meal once a week, and then on that
seventh day, go ahead and splurge with the pork or beef... just take it
easy. Just make sure you choose lean sirloin cuts. Trim off any fat.
Beef has a lot of saturated fat in it (it's marbled throughout the meat
so you can't just cut it off). Beef is the worst meat for you - as
compared to the other popular meats.
- Good protein: beans (any
kind), eggs (preferably whites - yolks have a lot of fat), chicken
(white meat, no skin), turkey (white meat, no skin), salmon (preferably
not farmed), tuna (packed in water, not oil), mahi mahi, any shellfish,
any soy products.
- Bad protein: bacon, ham, hot dogs, beef, pork, lamb, veal.
In part 2 of this article, you'll read about nine more tips to lose weight.
