Slimming Down - 220 lbs to 160 lbs - No Sweat.

Posted on March 24th, 2007 by Christopher.
Categories: True Story.

So anybody who has read my rages against fat people knows that I’m not the biggest fan of people who choose to be overweight and the reality of the situation is that people choose to be overweight, however our society doesn’t make it easy to stay in good shape. I should know. In 2004 I was checking in at 220lbs and felt horrible. Then I decided to start making changes, most of my changes were trial and error but I do have some observations that can help even the most dire body.

Exercise:

• Overeating is not the result of exercise. Vigorous exercise won’t stimulate you to overeat. It’s just the opposite. Exercise at any level helps curb your appetite immediately following the workout.
• When you’re exercising, you shouldn’t wait for thirst to strike before you take a drink. By the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Try this: Drink at least 16 ounces of water, sports drinks, or juices two hours before you exercise. Then drink 8 ounces an hour before and another 4 to 8 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. Finish with at least 16 ounces after you’re done exercising.
• Tune in to an audio book while you walk. It’ll keep you going longer and looking forward to the next walk—and the next chapter! Check your local library for a great selection. Look for a whodunit; you might walk so far you’ll need to take a cab home!

Cut Calories:

• Eating out? Halve it, and bag the rest. A typical restaurant entree has 1,000 to 2,000 calories, not even counting the bread, appetizer, beverage, and dessert.
• Eat the low-cal items on your plate first, then graduate. Start with salads, veggies, and broth soups, and eat meats and starches last. By the time you get to them, you’ll be full enough to be content with smaller portions of the high-calorie choices.
• Instead of whole milk, switch to 1 percent. If you drink one 8-oz glass a day, you’ll lose 5 lb in a year
• Cut back on or cut out caloric drinks such as soda, sweet tea, lemonade, etc. People have lost weight by making just this one change. If you have a 20-oz bottle of Coca-Cola every day, switch to Diet Coke. You should lose 25 lb in a year.
• Juice has as many calories, ounce for ounce, as soda. Set a limit of one 8-oz glass of fruit juice a day.
• See what you eat. Plate your food instead of eating out of the jar or bag.

Common Mistakes:

• Don’t “graze” yourself fat. You can easily munch 600 calories of pretzels or cereal without realizing it.
• Eating pasta like crazy. A serving of pasta is 1 cup, but some people routinely eat 4 cups.43. Eating supersize bagels of 400 to 500 calories for snacks.
• Thinking all energy bars and fruit smoothies are low-cal.
• Ignoring “Serving Size” on the Nutrition Facts panel.

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