Who Am I
I'm Brian, 40 years
old, divorced dad with 3 great kids (most of the time), and I have
struggled with weight all of my adult life. I was a "husky" kid
who got involved in martial arts and wrestling when I was a teenager. I
quickly lost the weight and stayed skinny until 21 when my wife
got pregnant with our first child. She ate so I ate! This started a
roller coaster of weight loss and gain that has plagued me for the
last 20 years.
Unfortunately I am an Endomorph and I don't lose weight easily.
With moderate exercise and a descent diet (good by america's standards) I
walk around at 20-25% body fat. I'm in good shape (especially for a
40 year old man) but I don't seem to be losing the weight like I did at
20. What I really want to know is...
Can I Eat Ice Cream &
Still
Lose Weight
Losing weight really is easy. There are literally hundreds of
diets on the web that will work but they don't tell you the most
important thing...Keeping the weight from coming back is really the
hard part. As long as you stick to the diet everything is good, but
think back on ALL the diets you've tried in the past...Could you really
keep any of them up for the rest of your life? I knew I couldn't.
The
best diet I have ever been on is the cabbage soup diet. I lost weight
and I really wasn't all that hungry but how long can you eat cabbage
soup day in and day out? Besides, as always, your body will
eventually get used to it and adjust. It always does.
So I
decided to take a different approach this time...I was going to SLOWLY
add and subtract things from my life a little bit at a time and see
Can I Eat Ice Cream & Still Lose Weight?
5' 7" - 215 Pounds
Yeah,
I Was Definitely Fat! (April 2009)
The first thing I did was build some muscle. Using very simple Total Body Exercises I lost 10 pounds in
a couple of weeks and stayed there for 2 months. So now I'm 5'7" 205 pounds with some muscle so I'm back to husky.
Next I started
looking at my diet. I began making wiser choices when I eat. Basically I choose the lesser of the evils. Wheat bread over white bread, rice over potato etc. (Healthy Diet Plan) I also allow myself 3-4 meals a week that I can cheat
on. I eat whatever I want, within reason, and go back to my diet at the
next meal. This takes me down another 10 pounds but I have also
stepped up my weight training (still no cardio conditioning as it is
my LEAST favorite form of exercise) I've put on about 5 pounds of
muscle so my total fat loss is about 25 pounds.
And here I am 5'7" 195
pounds. I'm in good shape. I just hiked 45 miles in the Smokey
Mountains with a 50 pound pack on my back so I know I'm physically fit
but I'm still looking to lose 20-30 more pounds. 170-175 pounds
is my goal.
Now comes the fun part. How does a fat boy like
me lose the last, "Hard To Lose" fat. At this point I have 1 of 2
choices. 1) Cut out some of my favorite foods or 2) Start doing cardio.
As I love to eat way more than I hate to run I have opted for curtain
number 2....Start Doing Cardio.
I am changing my workouts
to include more running and yoga/endurance exercises and less
lifting/strength exercises. I don't know what to expect. Of course I
am hoping the weight will just fall off and I will be able to continue
to eat my favorite foods but I really don't know. Follow the website
and find out.
I reached my goal of 175# and who knew, it's really not that skinny for me. Turns out for whatever reason I have to change my diet to lose weight. I went for months doing cardio over and over, lifting 3x a week and still didn't lose any weight. I had to change my diet and the worst part is if I go off the diet I put on 10# almost instantly. Going to stick too it and see what happens.
UPDATE: March 2011
I'm still between 170-175# and nothing seems to work. About the only thing left to try is lots of small meals (6-8) a day. Will keep trying. Shooting for 160#
Workout Philosphy
While I am not a certified personal trainer I have spent my lifetime
involved in various sports such as basketball, baseball, wrestling,
taekwondo, yoga, tai chi, jogging, bicycling and most recently hiking. Throughout
the years I have learned a lot about training, fitness, overall health
and safe weight loss.
I think the most important thing Life has
taught me is you MUST cross train. Simply performing one
exercise will help you get in shape but it will not help you be the best
you can be physically. This is true not only in exercise but also in
many areas of your life.
It is important that you take time to nourish
not only your body, but also your mind and spirit on a regular
basis. One of the best things I have found for this is meditation.
There are many different forms of meditation so don't be afraid to try them
all until you find the one that is right for you. I read one time that
your body is just a fancy package with a pretty bow but to the people
who care about you what's inside is the real gift.
You must
have balance to be the best that you can be. Not only balance
between lifting and cardio exercises but between physical andmental/spiritual exercises. Balance between working out and resting,
between work and play, between self and others. Applying this balance
to every area in your life is the best step you will ever take toward
"Being All You Can Be"
Whether you are trying to get in shape so
you can keep up with your kids, lose a few pounds or you want to run a
marathon it is important that you choose a workout routine that will build
your entire body not just a few areas. It is vital that you
understand these concepts if you are going to achieve your fitness and
health related goals. | 
