My story -- I never imagined this

I'm not one of those people who can say "I've tried everything" or my weight "yo-yos" up and down. I was never skinny, but in my 20's and 30's I was very fit, thanks probably to a pretty healthy lifestyle and regular cardio exercise, mostly running. My diet was neither the healthiest nor the worst: Like a lot of people, I didn't get enough fruits and vegetables and my diet was high in fats and carbs. I tried to compensate by taking multi-vitamins but I knew that wasn't a real substitute for a truly healhier diet. As I moved into my late 30's, my weight gradually increased over the years and I started having some pain in my knees after running. I tried cycling and that was great for about a year, but eventually I quit doing it and I gradually became heavier over the years, still doing some exercise but not running or cycling, only walking or hiking and not enough of that.

I'm not sure what exactly prompted me to change. I don't think it was 1 thing. Partly it was the approach of my 50th birthday and not wanting to get old. Partly it was my employer, who required that I enroll in a few "healthy weight coaching" sessions in order to get a cheaper premium on my health insurance. But that had already happened for a few years and I didn't really change. I always sort of thought I had to make weight loss my "top priority" and focus on it and then I would be able to do it. My weight coach suggested "Lose It!" I tried that for a few days but I didn't like that they wanted me to pay an annual fee to get more features in the app, so I searched for an alternative and I found myfitnesspal. I really like myfitnesspal because it is ad-free, nicely designed, provides all the critical nutrition information, it's reliable and quick to use. Some people don't like the fact that all your personal eating data is uploaded to the myfitnesspal server, but I don't mind that. I don't do "social media" and I was glad I could minimize those features. Anyway, I'm sure using the myfitnesspal app was the final factor or intervention that really pushed me into a successful program.

A few other things about my experience:

1. I could not meet my calorie budget without daily exercise. I quickly often found myself "out of calories" by dinnertime, and the only way I could get a little more food for dinner was to go for a long walk. So I resigned myself to the necessity of walking every night. Working full time and commuting home, sometimes it was dark by the time I got out the door for my walk. But I had to do the walk every night and I'm sure that was critical. I think the daily "easy" stress on my knees from walking gradually made my knees stronger, and at the same time, my weight went down, which meant less stress on my knees. Starting after 2 months and after I'd lost about 25 lbs., I very gradually started jogging again for short stretches. Now I'm actually able to jog 4-5 miles and my knees are holding up very well. But I'm wearing the best running shoes and I'm trying to be very careful. I still go back to walking 1 or 2 nights a week to take it easier on my knees, and I hope to mix in cycling again in the near future.

2. I think we all have a tendency to eat whenever we feel even a little hungry. It helped me to try to EMBRACE the idea that *it's OK to feel a little bit hungry.* It's normal and I think now I've adjusted my "hunger meter" to a different level.

3. I got a Nutribullet, and I'm sure that has helped by doubling or tripling my intake of fruits, vegetables and fiber. I also take multivitamins every day, whereas for years I probably forgot half the time. And I've looked for other ways to improve the nutritional value of what I eat. I still love and crave high fat foods, and I haven't quit entirely on them, but I've cut WAY back on chips, bread, milk, cheese and cookies. I've learned how to make really nutrient-rich smoothies that I personally really love. Knowing that I'm eating healthier and seeing the great results makes it a little easier to make do with a lot less of my old comfort foods.

So those 3 points would be the main things I would share with others. So how much have I lost? Over 40 lbs. and counting. I'm 6'2" and when I first started in late July I was 247 lbs (that was my first entry on Lose It! before I immediately switched to myfitnesspal). On myfitnesspal I started at 244 lbs. My weight can vary by 2-3 lbs. depending on when I weigh in. Yesterday I was down another pound for the week at 201. A couple days before that I was just barely under 200 for probably the first time in over 15 years. Not only can I fit into old jeans that used to be too small, I'm actually buying new jeans that are yet 1 size smaller than that, and I'm starting to buy a whole new wardrobe. I'm truly amazed. I always knew I could lose weight if I made a determined effort, but I never imagined I could lose so much weight so fast, and even get back to running (well, "jogging") again.

I won't say it was "easy." It's been my main focus lately and I've had to think about it a lot each day. The daily exercise takes time and I've also had to make a little more time to shop for food and plan my meals. Entering everything into the phone is a bit of a pesky chore sometimes, but it doesn't take long, and occasionally I just take a wild guess and add the calories only if I'm eating out. So not easy but also it hasn't been that hard either. It helps to try to eat slowly and savor the food you eat.

Now the challenge will be to maintain my new healthier habits. I don't know if I will continue to track every calorie on the phone forever, but for now I do intend to keep doing it indefinitely. I'm getting close to "leveling out" at a constant weight, and I'll be very interested what my "maintenance" regime will be. To some extent I think it will require a constant effort to maintain this. I'm sure I will need to "weigh in" for the rest of my life. But I can imagine it will become second nature and I think I can do it.

Dave