Introduction

My goal is to lose 22 pounds and get healthier in 1 month.  I’m starting at 272 pounds (yikes) and want to get to 250 by the end of May.  In this blog I will post updates and progress along the way.  Last summer I did this for a month and lost 20 pounds - since then I have slowly put 10 of the pounds back on.  I didn't really have a plan last time though, I just started working out and eating well for a month.  Then I had surgery and had to stop working out for a couple of weeks and kind of just lost my steam on the whole thing.

My ultimate goal is to be fit and healthy, not to lose weight.  However, there is no way to be fit and healthy when you are 50+ pounds overweight.  I’d like to be able to walk up a couple of flights of stairs without becoming winded.  I’d like to not worry about high blood pressure and not worry about dying from a heart attack when I’m 50.  I’d also ultimately like to weigh between 200 and 220 (I was 180 when I got married).

Plan:

Diet:

I will eat a semi-strict paleo/primal diet for the entire month (and hopefully after the month is up as well).  This means little or no processed foods and limited carbs.  I will be eating mostly meat, veggies, eggs, nuts, and berries with limited amounts of fruit, rice, peanut butter, potatoes, etc.  My goal is for around 90% of my diet to be meat, non-starchy veggies, eggs, nuts, and berries.  I am also eliminating all alcohol and soda (I only drink diet anyway, but getting rid of it to be healthy), and will be drinking only water and flavored water.  I think that I rarely drink enough water so staying well hydrated is also part of my diet plan.

My goal is:

Around 1,500 calories a day

70% from fat

20% from protein

10% from carbs

Here’s an idea of what that looks like (from last July)

Exercise:

I will work out at least 3 times a week doing a kind of modified p90x plan with free weights and some cardio.  As energy/motivation increases I will try to add in a couple of days of just cardio.  I’m also attempting to complete the 100 pushups challenge - http://hundredpushups.com/index.html (I can do 8 right now…)

Supplements:

I'm going to try adding in some supplements and see what happens. I’ve ordered them and they will be here in 2 or 3 days, so I won't be taking them from day 1.  I will be taking:

1,000mg Quercetin - supposedly helps you burn fat, increases stamina, reduce fatigue, and prevents illness.

500mg Acetyl L-carnitine and 250mg Alpha Lipoic Acid - supposedly gives you more energy, increases fat burning, improves memory, and improves learning ability,

60mg Coenzyme Q10 - supposedly reduces high blood pressure, improves energy, and improves immune system.

Additionally, all 4 of these are supposed to improve mitochondria health and production.  I've been reading about mitochondria health and its importance in staying healthy and having energy.  I'm not sure if it's all bullshit or not, but figured I'd give it a try.

I'll also be eating between 1 tsp and 3 tablespoons of coconut oil every morning which acts as an appetite suppressant, improves energy, and has other health benefits.

Psychology:

I like to eat.  Actually, that's a lie - I fucking love to eat.  Food is a reward, a comfort, and a relaxer for me.  Eating makes me feel happy.  This is why I weigh 272 pounds!  I’m sure there are some deep psychological reasons for my love of food, but the bottom line is that I have to train myself to control my eating.  To that end I have developed some strategies to help me:

1. No spontaneous eating.  If I think I’m hungry I’ll drink a glass of water and wait 5-10 minutes.  If I’m still hungry after that I’ll eat a snack.
2. Drink water to feel full.  In addition to drinking water when I want to snack I will drink a glass of water every morning and a few minutes before every meal to help avoid feeling “empty”.
3. No eating after 8PM.  I like to watch TV at night and snack – I have to break that habit.
4. No sunlight.  Wait, that’s gremlins…never mind.

I think the goal of losing 22 pounds in a month is ambitious, but realistic considering how much I have to lose. I'll really be satisfied with anything over 15, but it would be great to see 250 on the scale and know that I am half way to the goal to get to 220 that I set a year ago when I was at 280.