Down and sideways

It is now exactly one calendar month since I started my weigh-loss project so it is time to write a report and review my progress. 


As of this morning's weigh-in I have shed very nearly 7kg (15.2lb) in 30 days and  I am very pleased with the result. I have stuck reasonably closely to the eating plan which I have described in these blogs always striving to keep a very low carbohydrate content and also keeping up the proteins, veges and salads.

I had a week away from home base a couple of weeks ago  and while I watched my food intake closely it was not always easy to keep to a "perfect" eating plan. As a result I hit a plateau which proved a bit harder to budge than I anticipated . At least I managed to hold on to my "weight-loss" and did not reverse any previous gains. Last weekend was another three days away from home and while the weight continued to fall off me it slowed down measurably. I have climbed back "on the waggon" since and I have now brought my carb eating back to the the tolerance which  I know my body  can sustain so I have seen a couple of encouraging days' results. 


 I have decided that I need to add more exercise to the weight-loss project. At the start of January I was doing a lot of house maintenance and I think a decrease in physical activity is one of the reasons my weight-loss rate has dropped back. Yesterday I took out a one month gym membership and started at 6:55 this morning on a routine. I had hoped that by managing my eating I would achieve success without the need for specific exercise activities apart from walking but it is time to  "bite the bullet.". It will be interesting to see what  3 or 4 mornings at the gym  does to the weight-loss graph in the next 4 weeks.

How do we do lunch?

If we had eggs for breakfast we need to think about trying something different for lunch. If not, we could do omelettes which go well with almost anything...tomatoes, cheese and avacardo is delicious, mushrooms, red peppers, ham. Make it up as the fancy takes you. It is probably wise not to exceed two eggs per day, besides, eating eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner could get very tedious. 

I think we need to take a few lessons from the great masters of the salad for lunch...Subway (minus the fresh  bread)-Yes, I know the buns are very tempting! Actually Subway do very nice salads with any of their meat, fish protein add-ons. You do pay a bit more for them than if you simply get the salad roll version but the quantity is almost enough for two people or two meals.  I have often thought, "Why does Subway seem so delicious when the salads that I make at home can be so BORING." I think the answer has a couple of  answers. Firstly, any food which you don't have to prepare for yourself always tastes better and, secondly, Subway have such GREAT VARIETY on offer. 

The old proverb says, "If you can't beat them, join them!" I am not suggesting that we should all get a job at a Subway franchise but we can copy their formula for success. A colleague who regularly took salads to work for lunch used to prepare little containers of grated carrot and grated cheese, peppers  gherkin, cucumber and whatever else she fancied on Sunday night. These containers were kept in the fridge so they could be used to make up a quick salad to take to work each day. Tuna or salmon comes in convenient little tins and a few slices of ham  or other meat is not too expensive and is easy to add later.

The real challenge for some of us is getting used to eating salad. Lettuce does have a way of getting tedious. I am afraid it is really a matter of reducating our palettes. I used to loath cucumber which some people eat in great chunks but persistence has now enabled me to include them without prejudice. If you need to educate yourself eat the Subway lunch with the delicious buns until you think you can manage without it :-) If we stoop to punishing ourselves with our eating we are destined to fail.

Next blog: How goes the dieting?

What's for breakfast?

Is there a secret weapon in the war against obesity? Is there some new, super-drug that simply melts away all the excess fat leaving a slim, athletic body in its wake? Not that I have heard, but there is a close runner up...eggs!

There is a lot of research available  which proves, conclusively, that eating two eggs for breakfast is a huge factor in assisting obese people to lose those excess kilogrammes. A study from 2008 which was published in the International Journal of Obesity compared people who ate a Bagel breakfast with those who ate two eggs. The egg-for-breakfast eaters lost 65% more weight and experienced a 61% reduction in their BMI. They reported being more satisfied, having more energy and consuming less calories in the following meal. While I am not into calorie-counting the befit of eating eggs for breakfast obviously applies regardless of the type of diet we choose to follow

Yummy!

It is easy to avoid boredom with eggs. They can be eaten raw (kidding!) poached, fried, scrambled, or as an omelette. They also benefit by being eaten with something like tomatoes, bacon, small breakfast sausages, chopped peppers, mushrooms, onions,  spinach or anything else which takes your fancy. 

At one time people often avoided eggs because of their supposed high-cholesterol contents. More recent medical opinion confirms that two eggs per day is a safe, nutritional food. Here is a useful link:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/epr-awe080408.php
Apologies  :-(
I have just realised that the email contact I posted  a while ago was incorrect. If you want to contact me or get a copy of the much-vaunted spreadsheet the correct email address is: weight2012@gmail.com
I  look forward to hearing from you :-)

Identifying some dietary options.

In today's blog I am going to investigate three of today’s leaders in commercial culinary excellence. Let’s visit them one at a time...

First stop, the Big ‘M’.

“Good evening, Sir. What will your order be today?”

“Hi, I’ll go for a double beef burger with extra cheese ...but no fries “

“Anything to drink, Sir?”

“I’ll have water instead of Coke.”

“That’ll be a dollar extra, sir”

“OK, but I won’t have the bread buns...”

“Sorry Sir, we don’t do that.”

Looks like we will be paying for stuff we can’t eat! :-(

Next stop, Wendy’s.

“Good evening, Sir. What will your order be today?”

“I’ll have a small chilli and a side salad.”

“Do you want a baked potato and sour cream with your order, Sir?”

“Um...No thanks.”

“Anything to drink, Sir?”

“Do you do water?”

“That’ll be a dollar extra, sir”

“OK, I’ll leave it.”

Delicious! :-)

Finally,  let’s visit Nando’s.

“Good evening, Sir. What will your order be today?”

“I’ll have a Half chicken with a side of Garden salad

...No, make it a Quarter chicken and a Mediterranean salad.”

“Certainly, Sir?”

“Do you want fries with your order, Sir?”

“No thanks.”

Also, delicious! :-)

OK,  we have learned quite a bit in our quick visits. Say, "No" to the carbs (especially the fries and bread buns :-() Say, "Yes" to the good quality salads and enjoy your choice of high protein meats. We have also learned that you can eat out in most of  these chain restaurants and still enjoy delicious and healthy options.

Next blog: What shall we eat for breakfast?

“To weigh daily...or not to weigh daily?”

There seems to be as many views on what is the best way to achieve weight loss as there are people who offer their opinions. I respect anyone who has achieved notable success  but sometimes it seems that people who have either never had to consciously control their weight or have not succeeded in their efforts have the strongest views. The theory is fine but successful results are all that really matter.

One of the debates that I have enjoyed recently is with friends who shake their heads in dismay at the thought of taking weigh-ins so seriously. In their opinion daily weight recording is overdoing it. Daily weight measurement is a key element in my weight-loss project simply because I have found that it really is possible to make measureable progress on a daily basis. It seems quite pointless to be committed to any weight-loss programme that moves forward so slowly that you can’t measure it. “Significant weight-loss” is my primary goal so success has to occur within a real, measurable time-frame.

14-day weight-loss pattern (Jan 16, 2012)

A second reason for continuing with daily weight recording is so  that I can monitor my occasional “failures.” I want to learn how dietary changes alter my rate of weight-loss. Since I keep a daily food-log of everything I eat I also record any departures from my basic routine. In the first 14 days of this project I have experienced two small “blow-outs” when the presence of dinner guests has tempted me with delicious desserts (in small amounts!) and the occasional wine or fruit juice. 


On both occasions I have recorded a daily weight gain the following morning and it has taken me two days to recover my forward momentum (see the above extract of my weight-loss chart). Does this temporary set-back matter? Not really!  Certainly, it pushes my timeframes out by a few days but I now know what to expect next  time I deviate from my regular eating pattern. I know it will take two days of careful eating to get back on track. I am learning all the time how my body deals with food and, in the longer term, that is very important. Without the benefit of my daily weight chart I would not be able to detect these changes. “If you don’t measure it, you cannot change it.”

Next blog: How to avoid starvation but still lose weight.”

The Weight-tracker spreadsheet (Part 2)

Today  I want to present another useful  function of my Weight-tracker Excel spreadsheet.

In my previous blog I introduced what I called a regression line (Excel calls it a trendline). At the point where the trendline intersects the horizontal axis of my weight chart I can read off an estimate of the number of days it should take for me to reach my goal weight (at the current rate of weight-loss). I have not come across anything like it in other web pages but I expect it to be a good motivator to help me keep me to a realistic time-frame..


Each time I enter a new weight Excel recalculates and redraws the trendline so the projected date of completion will change (usually, quite significantly in the early days of  record keeping). To keep track of this constantly changing information I have to enter each day’s “intersection” manually in Table B. The graphic (left) shows my Table B results for the first 14 days of my weight-loss project. 


This same data is automatically plotted on a second chart which has the title “Expectation graph/days.” This graph gives me a statistically accurate idea of the real time it will probably take to reach my goal weight. (I am looking for a consistent, flattened graph over a longer time period) . 

You can see from the graph (below) of my last 14 day’s entries that my early expectations were quite unrealistic because there was very little data for the program to use. Currently 78 days is my goal date and I expect it to increase slowly settle at around 80-90 days.

I hope you can follow this rather technical  explanation.

If you would like a copy of my spreadsheet simply email me at weight2012@gmail.com and I will send you a copy, PLUS I have prepared a Word document called Readme(Excel) which will guide you step-by-step in customising the spreadsheet to suit your own goals. If you do decide  to try it out I would appreciate feedback on how it works for you. You can send me your story as an e-mail or make a comment on this blog. If I think it is helpful for others I will publish it.

In the next blog I want to look at the question, “How often should we weigh ourselves?”

Introducing the Weight-tracker spreadsheet (Part 1)

Today I want to introduce my Excel spreadsheet. 

I have developed this tool because I think that accurate measurements are a critical element of success ("If you can't measure it, you can't change it!") . I hope that other people will be able to use it to record their own weight data if they so desire. There are several useful statistical “tricks” lurking behind some of the cells in the spreadsheet which I will explain. The red arrows simply indicate where data needs to be entered.

Column  B (Box 1) is where the date is recorded. Column C (Box2) is where your daily weight measurement is entered. After that everything is automatic. Column D does the subtraction for you so you know how much weight you have lost each day. Column E is called a “five-point moving average.” It simply averages weight-loss over each successive five day period (smoothing out the daily ups and downs) and Column F totals your weight losses. Straight forward, so far?

To the right of Column F is a straightforward graph (shown above) which plots the weight entered each day against the number of days the diet has been running. The blue dotted lines show the theoretical traces for average weight loses of 1 or 1.5, 2 or 2.5 kg per week. The black line is called a regression line.  Excel looks at all your data in Column B and then predicts the rate at which your weight is actually decreasing. This will change slightly  each time you make a new data entry (particularly in the early stages). I have set up my graph so the horizontal axis equates to my goal weight of 95 kg..This means that  I can instantly read off the number of days that it will take me to achieve success based on the latest data

.

In my next blog I will explain the third part of the spreadsheet which provides an indication of probable success and I will explain how you can download and customise this spreadsheet.

*Today is day 13 of my weigh-loss project and I am celebrating a weight-loss milestone of 5.4kg.*

Setting SMART goals (Part Two).

In my previous blog I began to look at the  important process of setting SMART goals. 

We start by getting a  "focus" or setting a specific target.  Secondly, we need to decide which measurements will best  monitor our progress.The third element of SMART goal setting is that every goal should  be “Adjustable.” By this I simply mean that the method we use  to reach our goal is not as important as the outcome. So. if we find that our first choice does not seem to be working then we need to find one that does. 

The “vehicle” that I have chosen to get me to my goal of significant weight-loss is a low-carbohydrate diet and I believe that it will help me achieve the desired result. If time proves me wrong and the method doesn’t work I will keep searching the scientific literature until I find something else that looks as if it will because I am committed to the specific goal: “LOSE THE WEIGHT” and  not, "PROVE THAT A PARTICULAR DIET WORKS BEST!" I have already discovered that number of well-meaning friends have offered me their ideas on how  diets work or don't work and I have to smile politely and ignore 99.9% of their advice. At the same time I try to listen carefully to those who have proven results.  I am not so “adaptable” that I am inclined to change my basic plan. “Adjustable” does not mean that we can slacken on our commitment to our core plan.

SMART goals should be Realistic. How does this relate to weight-loss? My goal weight is 95kg (209lbs). Now,  30kg is a lot of weight to lose (66lbs) so the question is, "Can this a  realistic expectation?" Medical experts say that 95kg is an appropriate weight for a large-bodied person like me. So, yes it is realistic. Does it matter if I don’t  achieve the exact weight and stop around 97kg?  I've tried and failed before, so what is one more 'failure'? (Joke :-) "Success is not permanent and failure is not final." Achieving success may involve many small failures along the way.  I have been told that even a 10% decrease in weight can have significant health benefits for me. That is not my goal, however and  30%  weight-loss is a "big call" so I have decided to break down my major goal into three smaller parts: first, lose 10kg, then 20kg, then 30kg. If a simple plan is a good plan, then this is a great one!. 

This brings me to the fifth and final element of SMART goal setting. Goals need to operate within a realistic Time-frame. So, when do I intend to achieve my desired outcome of a 30 kg (66lb) weight loss? To be honest, I do not know for sure but I have set an initial  time frame of 3-4 months.  I expect to travel to Europe sometime in May, 2012 and while I do not have to be at "goal weight" by then,  I do expect to be at stage two of my plan.  My Excel spreadsheet is definitely going to  help me monitor the time-frame but I will reveal more about this "super-weapon"  in my next blog. 

Next blog: How can we  measure progress?

Setting SMART Goals (Part One)

In today’s blog I want to start to look at goal- setting as a way of  helping us to achieve desired outcomes. In short, “If you aim for nothing you are certain to achieve it.” As a teacher who needs to motivate other people I have discovered that goal setting is a powerful tool. I teach my students to set SMART goals. These letters remind them that goals should be: Specfic, Measurable, Adjustable, Realistic, Time-framed. Other people might use a different set of meanings but these ones communicate the right idea.

Taking these points one at a time we need to understand that goals need to be Specific or focussed. What do you want to achieve? In this case the answer is simple...substantial weight loss. Sure, we we want to improve our health and (maybe) our sex lives; we want to look more attractive and get more active and probably we would like to live longer. All these things are part of our ultimate purpose but the simple focus is, “LOSE THE WEIGHT.”

The next question is, “How will you know when you have achieved your goal?” The golden rule is: “IF YOU CAN”T MEASURE IT, YOU CAN’T CHANGE IT!” So step two is, "Weigh yourself!

When I started this weight-loss project my body weight was 125 kg (or 275lb for those of you who are not metrically aware). Yeah, I know that is ridiculously overweight but the guilt-trip has to get left behind along with the excuses! I designed an Excel spreadsheet which allows me to record and graph my weight changes utilising a couple of useful statistical  functions which I will share in a later blog. 

Health experts are big on recording PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT. Is it useful? It is certainly shocking and that is (for me) a motivator. When I looked up the US Navy method of comparing height and weight my body fat came out at 31-34%. Ughhhhh! Imagine it,one third of me is fat! If that doesn’t focus my goal to lose weight what else will? (If you want to check it out for yourself, I will put a link at the end of this blog). I am also recording waist, chest and neck measurements. (Ladies should also record their arm circumference and mid thighs)The only other thing I am keeping is a simple food log of what I eat during the day. If my eating program goes “Splat!!!” I can look back and see what I did wrong and try and correct it.

Body Fat (US Navy) Calculator


Next blog: Setting SMART goals (Part Two)

Good News-Bad News

The first bit of good news is that I am going to start a weight-loss program. The bad news is that I know that this will require a significant a change in my eating habits over an extended period of time...like forever! The second bit of good news is that there is a lot of nutritional information on web pages which will help me achieve my goals. The bad news is that there are so many choices that it is hard to make an intelligent choice.

Where to start? I think that there are three steps:

 1   Choose a weight-loss method that suits me,

     2  Set SMART goals

     3  Get started.

So, the first question is, "Which weight-loss method will work best?" Nutritional experts will form rank and fight to the death to defend their point of view against all others. Having tried quite a number of commercial and “do-it-yourself” alternatives I am sold on the LOW CARBOHYDRATE option. I first encountered concept this when Robert Atkins produced his rapid weight loss diet. I liked his science and, what was even better, it worked for me. Ten years ago I lost 10kg by following the Atkins’ plan and although I slowly regained most of what I lost, I found it relatively easy to follow. Conventional dieting theory ridiculed the man and his ideas.

Promoters of LOW FAT or COUNT-THE-CALORIES alternatives argue for “balanced diets” and smaller “portion sizes.” Heart foundation people joined the opposition as did the “Buy your dietary foods from us” lobby. OK, if that works for some people, I say, “good on them.” However, these groups seem determined to perpetuate the myth that eating FAT makes a person FAT and that controlled starvation is the only way to lose unwanted fat deposits. I am convinced by the science that associates excess fat with excess sugars and identifies the affect that this has on body insulin levels. In essence I am opting for a version of rapid weight-loss, diabetic-sensitive eating.

So, here’s my basic plan: “I will eliminate simple carbs completely from my diet: no sugar, no bread or flour base products, no rice (white or brown), no potatoes and no fruit.” That still leaves room for all varieties of meat, poultry, fish and eggs and endless combinations of salads and non-starch vegetables. Check the following link:
http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2008/07/30/weight-loss-with-a-low-carbohydrate-diet-is-proven-greater/

Next blog: Setting SMART Goals

Beginning is half-finished

Two beautiful people...one slender and gorgeous and the other (um)... occupying too much space! What can be done so they truly balance each other? The slim one could put on more weight, or the other one could get rid of some of his. On reflection I think it will have to be the second option. Photoshop can only do so much.

Let's line up some common excuses:

"You don't understand...I have large stomach bones!"
"I have just beaten anorexia"

"I will start when I feel confident that I can succeed."

"I have tried to lose weight before and I failed."

"I haven't found a diet that suits my body-type."

"I am scared of starting another round of yo-yo dieting."

"I plan to diet.. starting Monday."

"I don't need a diet, I just need a proper eating plan."

"I am working through my list of New Year resolutions in alphabetical order...'W' for weightloss comes near the bottom."

Common excuses are great fun and overweight people know best how to laugh at most of them and then do nothing!. We are the original survivors and find humour to be a great defensive weapon. However, the single challenge which confronts us in our decision making is to discover a POWERFUL MOTIVATION to change.

We all know the reasons why carrying excess weight is a risky business. It can be fatal. Still, most of us do not change until the hope of success outweighs expectations of pain and loss. The thing about motivation is that it is intensely personal. What motivates me is not likely to inspire you. Even those who love us and want us to change for the better cannot force change on us.

So discovering a strong motivation has to be my starting point. Actually, I do have a strong, personal reason for choosing to change my body shape. Betty and I plan to head to Europe at the end of May, 2012 and I intend to be (at least) 20kg lighter so I can actually enjoy climbing mountains... besides, I need to get some stylish clothes and the only way that I can justify the new Armani suit is to lose three body sizes (joking :-))

Next blog...GOOD NEWS/ BAD NEWS