Welcome to the GR-8 Gastro-Economic Summit addressing Economics of Scale. My topic; how to create a deficit and reduce inflation. Let's tighten our belts without biting off more than we can chew by accepting that in most cases, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs and it is better to nibble away at our problems than gobble them up whole.
Aren't mixed metaphors fun?
Whew, almost dozed off for a second there. Here's the thing, losing weight efficiently and effectively and keeping it off requires that I eat fewer calories than what my body requires to sustain itself- the exact opposite of my behavior prior to my decision to change my life way back in May, 2007. Fourteen months and 152 pounds has taught me that it is just that simple and that dramatic results require very little drama. It's more like that monotonous infomercial you just can't kick completely out of your head (mine is "You just set it and forget it." Thanks, Ron Popeil!). Eat less, move more. That's all I have to do- over and over while my body takes care of the rest.
There is a never-ending parade of programs and products that promise to help me do just that and they're all good in one respect or another. It's just that I have to ask myself whether or not I could sustain any of them over the long run. Programs wax and wane in popularity while products flip-flop in toxicity. The only constant in the equation of me (minus) the extra pounds is "me" and I had to decide what I could do day in day out for the rest of my life without external pressure or encouragement. It all boils down to a simple equation:
Steve + Eat Less, Move More = Less Steve
Eating less just means consuming the recommended number of calories for a guy the size I wanted to become and exercising each and every day. Easier said than done. I learned a lot along the way (my 50 tips) and am still learning as I work towards losing the last bit of weight (40 pounds) between now and next June (2009).
Today I am focusing on the specific activities that have been effective in losing the weight I have so far; eating the right things in the right quantities and sticking to my exercise routine. This morning was a slightly less than typical workout at the gym followed by my usual protein smoothie. Tomorrow I'll add a session of bleacher-running to my usual gym routine.
(Day 426 / -153 lbs.) Why A Deficit Is The Sure Cure For Inflation
7/22/2008 10:46:00 AM | affirmation, diet, exercise | 3 comments »
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Sure make it sound easy!
When you say "consuming the recommended number of calories for a guy the size I wanted to become" does that mean that from the very beginning you were eating that many calories or did you slowly reduce over time as you lost the weight?
@John - SIMPLE, not easy. I cut the calories from the very beginning. That meant cutting out all fast food, bread, starchy vegetables, and any kind of sweets or baked goodies. I ate every 3 hours (countdown timer on my watch) and focused on staying busy between the beeps. I was sure to get plenty of vegetables and some fruit. The first two weeks were really SIMPLE (aka TOUGH). Three weeks into it became a little easier and I was able to broaden my dietary choices a little as long as I stayed focused.
Diet has a lot to do with it (diet: the way you eat, not diet: the current fad). I've never had a real weight problem but over the years pounds had been moving south. Just the slight change in eating habits that I picked up from my new girlfriend stopped that.