Changing his diet and exercise have brought Dave very close to his weight loss goal
March 27 2007
Dave B.
-City & country: North Carolina, USA
-Age: 31
-Weight before diet: 285 lbs.
-Weight now: 206 lbs.
-Target weight: 190-200 lbs.
Changing his diet and being physically active are the major components of Dave's weight loss program, one that's been successful for him. He's
hovering at a level near his target weight, and he doesn't plan on stopping what he's doing anytime soon. His method is accessible to almost
anyone, since it's inexpensive and practical. Dave also shares some of his insights and tips on losing weight.
-What finally made you decide to start with a weight loss program?
Vanity and honesty. I knew what I could do in the past
and I was still young enough to try again.
-What type of weight loss program did you follow?
Walking/Running, and slight diet changes. The diet changes were: no more
buffets and no more fast food breakfast combo meals.
-Why did you choose this weight loss program?
Two reasons. It's cheap and it's what I know. I used to run cross country back in high school, and have a lot of memories on how I need to move.
And I do want to stress how cheap walking/running is. The only costs are about 50 US$ or so for a decent pair of shoes and whatever you feel 30
minutes of your time is worth. To me, and this is part of the reason I'm in agreement with Cris of http://thelifeledger.com, your health is an investment. You can either let it be and not gain any advantages for later in
your life, or consider it as planning for the future.
-How long were you on your weight loss program?
For the rest of my life. Heh, I'm a big believer in taking back the word
"diet." So many people use it to describe temporary changes to their life. The word is more about your current consumption, whatever that is. So
I will continue doing what I do now.
But, I started my weight loss back in end of 2001 and the majority of the loss occurred in the following 2 years. My weight loss went like
this: I lost about 10 pounds instantly, over the next 4 weeks lost around 30 pounds, stayed the same for about 3 months, dropped another 20,
leveled, and then dropped a set of 5 here and there, until I reached where I am now (fluctuating between 205 and 210 tops).
-What kinds of physical activities do you like doing to maintain your weight and to stay fit?
Running, karate, and
recently I have added weight lifting. Cooking at home is a great help as well.
-What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome or are still overcoming?
Biggest issue is what I call
"over-grazing." If food is around, such as at a party, and my hands aren't active I might snack on this or that. At the same time, I do have a
bit of trouble staying motivated. The reason is the "Law of Diminishing Returns." And as I've gotten closer to my goal the rate of loss seems to
be asymtopic and it’s hard to get the momentum to get over the line.
-How did you keep yourself motivated?
Diversity in activity. While running is fun, I'm not very competitive, so usually no
races for me. That means finding different trails when I can for a change of scenery.
-Do you have any weight loss tips for our readers?
Don't get frustrated. While weight loss is the same goal for everyone, how it is lost is individualistic. So don't get frustrated by plateaus. At
the same time don't focus 100% on the hard and fast number of your weight. I would suggest do using a Running Average technique or consider your
weight to be in brackets of about 5 pounds. That way little changes won't frustrate you.
-Do you think it will be easy to fall back into your old lifestyle pattern? How do you prevent this from happening?
Being married helps. ;) She and I both love to cook, so eating healthy comes easier. At the same time I believe that as long as I don't gorge I
will be able to keep the weight off.
-Do you have a favorite Web site or blog that helped or inspired you to lose weight?
The blog I use to share ideas and support is The Life Ledger.
Fitday.com is good for tracking your weight as well.
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