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The following was sent (at their request) to a buddy in May, 2016. I was coming off of a longer plateau and just approaching my goal weight...hoping it might help someone else here too :-) These tips and tricks, after another 15 months, seem even more valid as I'm coming up on a year in maintenance.
Tips and other stuff...warning it is a bit of a read... Good luck!
Hey "xxxxxx",
Here as promised are a few things that have worked for me and I am very hopeful that will continue to work for me in the long term. I really hope this helps you...a lot of it you probably already know, but sometimes hearing it again helps lock it in. If you need any motivation just look at my before and after pics...I am a completely different person from 10 months ago. Good luck mate, as always please feel free to contact me as needed for any reason!!
Motivation: My motivation is health and quality of life firstly, fitness is part of that quality of life...aesthetics and looking leaner are just nice side benefits.
Timing & Goal Weight: I approached this with no set time to lose "X" pounds by "Y" date...I did choose a goal weight, but just to keep the Fat Secret weigh in program happy...my goal weight is ultimately going to be a weight that is sustainable at a healthy body fat%, that gives me my best power to weight ratio for skiing and life in general. Slow sustained fat loss is my goal while maintaining as much muscle mass, strength and endurance as possible.
Method: Strive towards a daily, weekly and monthly calorie deficit, control carb intake and timing so that healthy blood sugar and serum levels are maintained, combine cardio and resistance training and/or do some activity every day that will consume calories while maintaining strength and muscle mass. Theoretically, if I always have a weekly and monthly calorie deficit I would always lose weight in each month until reaching my final goal weight.
The above is the Big Picture...now some details that I've picked up from others success and my own that help me keep on track:
1. Logging ALL intake (beverages, etc, etc) is important to be able to figure out relative daily, weekly and monthly deficits that work...the intake is most important as it can overwhelm any output done unless it is very big, long output day...like back country skiing, long distance running, etc.
2. Recognize and deal with inevitable social events and/or bad calorie input days. That means try to average down the big calorie days with smaller calorie days either before or following the big days..also increase activity levels to offset (to some degree) the extra calorie input.
3. Plateaus happen...don't stress, keep steady...sometimes no gain is a big win. This has happened in a long way three times for me and a few more times in a smaller way. It is discouraging but watching others power through a month or more of no weight losses, then getting off their plateau has helped me stay the course and get off mine.
4. Our weight goes up and down a lot in a day and week based on many factors...for me it can change so much that it is pointless to log every up and down...I also don't log any change (up or down) unless I'm sure it is sustained. For me, then I am not on any emotional roller coaster...happy/sad with weight loss/gain. This is different than a lot of people on FS, not saying it's right but it works for me...I do weigh myself every day, often a few times to see what is going on...FYI, I'm getting pretty good at predicting my weight before I step on the scales by how my body feels.
5. Diet plans; depends on you!! I've used Atkins (high protein/fat and low carb) in my early forties with some good success but found it unsustainable at that time for me...I'm using a balanced diet now, so theoretically nothing is off limits, however I still have to be careful with sweets (I was pre-diabetic 10 months ago) and other calorie dense foods as to timing and portion size. In my opinion health and sustainability should be the joint number one priority before all else...so whatever WOE works best for you in this regard is the right one!
6. Intermittent fasting...a great weapon to use to combat high calorie days and get off plateaus.
7. Sugar free Metamucil, adds fibre to the diet without extra calories...very important for us older guys
8. A good protein supplement....still debatable as to how much protein is required in our diet, but my motto is better safe than sorry...muscle mass is very hard to maintain as we age, so I'm shooting for average of 20% - 25% protein or more in my diet...very hard to do some days without the supplement. Mine is very clean and diabetes friendly.
9. I'm competitive so what has also helped me is watching and following several buddies that are having success and trying to keep pace or beat them...I am always truly happy for others success but use my inherent competitive nature to help keep me motivated.
10. Set short term goals that aren't weight related but will help you on the journey...eg sign up for a 5k run, plan a bike trip, ski trip, etc., that requires some prior training in order to meet your goal.
11. Finally, Most important, pick a weight loss plan that doesn't feel like a diet that fits your family, social and personal life style that is sustainable...I know I kinda said that already but it is really where the rubber hits the road.
BACKGROUND info (some redundancy with above notes... Sorry!!):
I love food, both myself and my wife love to cook, we have a nice wine cellar and have great friends and family who we love to socialize with...not a great recipe for keeping weight (fat) off our bodies as we get older. I have been pretty active my entire life so this has probably kept me from becoming obese although not by much at times. I've also felt like I was always dieting, losing a few pounds then gaining them back In an endless cycle....until now.
My goal weight was a weight that I knew I would be in pretty good shape and was doable but not easy...my ultimate goal weight is one that combines my best power to weight ratio while being healthy and sustainable without feeling like I am dieting.
First month's goal was to get my blood sugar back to a reasonable level, reduce my resting heart rate while reducing fat and weight. I also avoided sugars and other high calorie density foods but was not on a specific diet like LCHF.
I have been much more portion control conscience using the FS calorie logging app to even pre-choose restaurant menu items avoiding calorie and carb dense foods (pizza was 100% off limits the first month and I still need to be careful with it).
Logging or knowing what my intake calories and macros are was very important. I'm not smart enough to figure it out without logging, so again I log intake each and every day, as closely as possible including adult beverages, deserts, chips and any other bad calorie dense foods. I also try to plan for any big meals beforehand if possible by reducing intake before and/or after.
Cheers and good luck,
Steven
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89.8 kg
Lost so far: 19.1 kg.
Still to go: 0 kg.
Diet followed: Reasonably Well.
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2134 kcal
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Fat: 97.48g | Prot: 133.86g | Carbs: 183.90g.
Breakfast: Allmax Nutrition Whey Protein Shake, Grapes (Red or Green, European Type Varieties Such As Thompson Seedless). Lunch: A&W Poutine. Dinner: Cooked Asparagus (Fat Added in Cooking), Daisy Sour Cream, Baked Potato (Peel Eaten), Butter (Salted), Beef Tenderloin (Lean Only, Trimmed to 1/8" Fat, Select Grade). Snacks/Other: Vanilla Ice Creams, Food Club Sugar Cones, Grapes (Red or Green, European Type Varieties Such As Thompson Seedless), Kirkland Signature Trail Mix, Gouda Cheese. more...
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2417 kcal
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Exercise:
Mowing Lawn - 25 minutes, Walking (moderate) - 3/mph - 20 minutes, Resting - 15 hours and 15 minutes, Sleeping - 8 hours. more...
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steady weight
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