Success story in progress - 65 pounds down so far via CICO
rankinsect
Posts: 2,238 Member
So I have seen a lot of posts recently stating or implying that the poster believes they need to eat in a particular manner (clean, paleo, Atkins, etc.) in order to lose, often with a large amount of frustration because it's hard for them to give up so many foods they like.
So here's my story, which would be subtitled "proof you can eat crap and lose lots of weight".
Now, as a disclaimer, I don't really believe my diet is crap, but most people on a restrictive diet would consider it such. This past week included hamburgers, pizza, ice cream, a large cookie, tacos, spaghetti, white bread, etc., and well below recommended amounts of fruit and veggies.
And yet, in spite of the fact that almost every diet book on the shelf would declare my diet to be terrible, my results so far:
I started at 319 lb and a BMI of almost 50. When I began, I couldn't make it up two flights of stairs without gasping for breath - even one flight was a lot, and I took elevators whenever possible. I was borderline hypertensive (138/90 with a resting heart rate of 70+). My jeans were size 48 and tight - I probably should have been wearing size 50s, which was the size I wore in dress pants.
Today, I'm at 252 pounds, and a BMI of 39. Still have a long way to go, but right now I can climb at least four flights of stairs without significant strain (that's really the tallest climb I have available to try on a daily basis). My blood pressure is down to about 125/70, my resting heart rate is around 55, and I'm currently wearing size 40 jeans comfortably.
And all of that has been done without any real changes in the kinds of foods I eat, just the amounts and frequencies. My basic food strategy is this:
* Every night I plan the next day's meals and pre-log them. It takes me under two minutes now, which is less than how long I spend brushing my teeth at night. It's quick and easy.
* I only care about two numbers: My must-do is to come in at or under my calorie goal. My nice-to-have is to come in at or over my protein goal. All the rest is irrelevant to me.
* Because of my pre-planning, I use a custom calorie goal using TDEE, rather than adding exercise calories back in (that was too hard to plan). I add 400 calories on workout days to help fuel my workouts.
* I leave about 250 calories unlogged, for a snack in the evenings. I have a number of options I like that fit into this. This is the only food I log on the day I eat it.
* When I prepare the meal, I just reference MFP on my phone to recall the portion sizes I chose. I weight out the pre-logged portions, without bothering to correct the logs if I'm off by a small amount. I'll correct significant deviations. Again, I want this to be so quick and easy it's not at all hard to keep up a lifetime.
My exercise strategy is this:
* I have three days I work out per week - Sunday, Tuesday, Friday.
* On the four rest days, I do nothing in terms of strenuous exercise.
* My workouts begin with about 30 minutes of strength training on a bowflex and dumbbells - keeping the resistance high enough that I can only do 8-12 reps of each exercise.
* After that, I do about 21 minutes of HIIT on an exercise bike - using the 30/20/10 method (30 seconds low intensity, 20 medium, 10 high). Five reps per set, three sets, with about two minutes of low intensity recovery between sets.
* Most days I try to take a walk instead of a lunch break; I eat at my desk for my actual lunch. This isn't really strenuous, in fact it's basically done for enjoyment, stress relief, and for having more energy during the afternoon.
So here's my story, which would be subtitled "proof you can eat crap and lose lots of weight".
Now, as a disclaimer, I don't really believe my diet is crap, but most people on a restrictive diet would consider it such. This past week included hamburgers, pizza, ice cream, a large cookie, tacos, spaghetti, white bread, etc., and well below recommended amounts of fruit and veggies.
And yet, in spite of the fact that almost every diet book on the shelf would declare my diet to be terrible, my results so far:
I started at 319 lb and a BMI of almost 50. When I began, I couldn't make it up two flights of stairs without gasping for breath - even one flight was a lot, and I took elevators whenever possible. I was borderline hypertensive (138/90 with a resting heart rate of 70+). My jeans were size 48 and tight - I probably should have been wearing size 50s, which was the size I wore in dress pants.
Today, I'm at 252 pounds, and a BMI of 39. Still have a long way to go, but right now I can climb at least four flights of stairs without significant strain (that's really the tallest climb I have available to try on a daily basis). My blood pressure is down to about 125/70, my resting heart rate is around 55, and I'm currently wearing size 40 jeans comfortably.
And all of that has been done without any real changes in the kinds of foods I eat, just the amounts and frequencies. My basic food strategy is this:
* Every night I plan the next day's meals and pre-log them. It takes me under two minutes now, which is less than how long I spend brushing my teeth at night. It's quick and easy.
* I only care about two numbers: My must-do is to come in at or under my calorie goal. My nice-to-have is to come in at or over my protein goal. All the rest is irrelevant to me.
* Because of my pre-planning, I use a custom calorie goal using TDEE, rather than adding exercise calories back in (that was too hard to plan). I add 400 calories on workout days to help fuel my workouts.
* I leave about 250 calories unlogged, for a snack in the evenings. I have a number of options I like that fit into this. This is the only food I log on the day I eat it.
* When I prepare the meal, I just reference MFP on my phone to recall the portion sizes I chose. I weight out the pre-logged portions, without bothering to correct the logs if I'm off by a small amount. I'll correct significant deviations. Again, I want this to be so quick and easy it's not at all hard to keep up a lifetime.
My exercise strategy is this:
* I have three days I work out per week - Sunday, Tuesday, Friday.
* On the four rest days, I do nothing in terms of strenuous exercise.
* My workouts begin with about 30 minutes of strength training on a bowflex and dumbbells - keeping the resistance high enough that I can only do 8-12 reps of each exercise.
* After that, I do about 21 minutes of HIIT on an exercise bike - using the 30/20/10 method (30 seconds low intensity, 20 medium, 10 high). Five reps per set, three sets, with about two minutes of low intensity recovery between sets.
* Most days I try to take a walk instead of a lunch break; I eat at my desk for my actual lunch. This isn't really strenuous, in fact it's basically done for enjoyment, stress relief, and for having more energy during the afternoon.
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Replies
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Nicely done and no drama!! Congrats!!0
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Good for you! I love when someone has a realistic weight loss plan that works for them!0
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Well done! I think I'll try your approach to calories and logging, I've been stuck lately.
Congrats on your progress.
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Love this. I also find that eating foods I love helps me to stay on track. Depriving myself of certain foods always leads me to "cheating" or giving up or to binge later on. Congrats on the weight loss! Keep up the great work!0
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I love this because it's sustainable. It's similar to what I'm doing and I've lost just under 50lbs so far.0
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Too right. I am loosing witout issues and use many of the same tactics. My husband comments often that he loves the fact that we still do 'normal' stuff that we enjoy including eating out. Just a case of planning and checking the menu beforehand if at all possible.
Just got back from the restaurant I had dessert (belgian waffle with icecream), but is so nicely fitted my calories that I did not care0 -
This is the sanest diet plan I have read in a while! Congratulations on your weight loss!0
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Good for you! I like the prelogging idea, I might give it a try myself!0
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You've made awesome progress! Super job!0
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Great job. And you are always quick To share & support others.0
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thats so awesome. I got sucked into this diet cult most of my life, eat clean do this do that... at the end its all calories in, calories out0
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I love this post
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Great post. And what a fabulous plan.
I like that you have some must dos and some work-arounds.
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Way to go! How long did it take to lose the 65lbs? Whish you success it reacing your goals.0
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Wise thinking. I've lost 67 (45 to go) and I think a big reason I've been able to stick to it this time is that I haven't denied myself anything. I am not quite as disciplined as you in logging before I eat but I eat what I want as long as I can stay within my calorie goal. I have found that "what I want" has changed some by logging everything but I still have treats - tonight's Lindt chocolate truffle wrapper is within reach - and I stay within my calorie goal. My daughter wanted cheesecake for her birthday and I was able to fit it in. Protein is my second goal - I have a hard time getting there most days but I usually get close and I've never gone over my calorie goal.0
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What a great plan, sustainable for the long term, similar to my diet plan, I eat the same foods as the rest of the family just less of it.
You've done a great job, Well Done !!!0 -
Wonderful!! And great job!
As a newbie the thing that makes me the saddest is realizing I may have to give up foods I enjoy. If I can treat myself to my faves it makes this journey less depressing! LOL
And I'm sure you end up making healthier choices by default.0 -
Absolutely love the sanity check on the idea of "bad/junk" vs "good/clean" both in food and exercise. I like how you don't even mention how long it has taken you; it seems completely irrelevant as this is something you clearly plan on doing for the rest of your life. Way to go!0
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Yup - this is definitely something I'll do for a lifetime, which is why one of my major goals was a lifestyle that is actually sustainable.
I do in fact eat healthier by default - mainly in that I reduced a lot of "snack" type foods a lot. I certainly haven't given them up, but I now eat them in healthier amounts and frequencies. I may have a donut from time to time, but I no longer buy and eat three donuts in a single evening multiple times per week. I wouldn't say I even consume treats rarely, I think I consume them at about an average level, which for me is a significant decrease from the amount I ate before.
And I do eat more grilled chicken, mainly because I was looking for another type of lean protein and I found a really tasty recipe (it's here if you want it). I initially tried it because I didn't have a really good chicken recipe before and wanted one, but I keep doing it because it tastes great and it's a dinner I will look forward to. If I didn't like it I wouldn't force myself to eat it.
And really, by far the healthiest thing I can do in my diet is not overeat. All the health impacts of red meat, sodium, etc. pale in comparison to the health impacts of morbid obesity. I have a diet I can live with that will help me reach and maintain a healthy weight - that is going to be the biggest and most critical thing possible for me to do for my overall health.0 -
CICO is the way to go. Congrats on your progress and thanks for sharing what you are doing. Looking forward to future posts from you.0
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@rankinsect nice to see everything I have read on your posts gathered together into a succinct package.
It is so nice to read how you have approached your weight loss. Lots of common sense and very little drama.
You live it like you give it.
Cheers, h.
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Congrats on your success so far!0
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Makes good sense. Thanks for sharing.0
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