On February 24 I stepped on the scale and received a shock--for the first time in my life, I weighed 200 pounds. I'm 45 and 6 feet tall, and most people wouldn't say I was fat. Looking at me in shorts and a loose-fitting t-shirt, I did not look overweight. But I had developed quite a spare tire and some belly fat. Over the past five years, I had made several attempts at losing body fat, but never stuck with anything. With help from this forum and its wonderful members, I have finally made significant progress.
What is "it" in "it works?" Changing your lifestyle so that you eat less, eat healthier, and become more active. No matter how dissatisfied I was with my appearance and fitness level, I refused to be taken in by all the ads for diets, supplements, exercise equipment, etc. I knew that 99% of them wouldn't work.
What did I do? What most people who have successfully lost weight and kept if off have done. I changed my lifestyle to include smaller, more frequent meals of healthier and more wholesome foods and maintained a calorie deficit through eating less and being more active.
It hasn't been easy. It hasn't always been difficult either, however. I naturally enjoy being active, playing sports and doing things with my teenage kids. The hardest part was giving up some foods that are unhealthy and very calorie dense. Yes I have to count calories, and probably will for some time. But it's becoming easier as time goes on. And I'm definitely seeing results.
I now weigh 177 pounds and have lost about four inches around my belly and an inch and a half around my waist. I can see a difference in my face, legs, and arms. My wedding ring is starting to slip off. My shorts are too big around the waist.
The most discouraging thing in this process is this: despite the fact that I've lost 23 pounds, I still have a spare tire! It's smaller, yes, but still there. I realize that for most men, fat around the middle is the last to go. So I will keep going, knowing that it's working, and eventually I will be rid of that spare tire.
For those people who are overweight and just starting out--it works. Follow the advice given on this forum. Persevere. Never give up. You WILL lose weight and body fat. But remember--you're not going on a diet or starting a fitness program, per se. You are changing your lifestyle. For the better.
What is "it" in "it works?" Changing your lifestyle so that you eat less, eat healthier, and become more active. No matter how dissatisfied I was with my appearance and fitness level, I refused to be taken in by all the ads for diets, supplements, exercise equipment, etc. I knew that 99% of them wouldn't work.
What did I do? What most people who have successfully lost weight and kept if off have done. I changed my lifestyle to include smaller, more frequent meals of healthier and more wholesome foods and maintained a calorie deficit through eating less and being more active.
It hasn't been easy. It hasn't always been difficult either, however. I naturally enjoy being active, playing sports and doing things with my teenage kids. The hardest part was giving up some foods that are unhealthy and very calorie dense. Yes I have to count calories, and probably will for some time. But it's becoming easier as time goes on. And I'm definitely seeing results.
I now weigh 177 pounds and have lost about four inches around my belly and an inch and a half around my waist. I can see a difference in my face, legs, and arms. My wedding ring is starting to slip off. My shorts are too big around the waist.
The most discouraging thing in this process is this: despite the fact that I've lost 23 pounds, I still have a spare tire! It's smaller, yes, but still there. I realize that for most men, fat around the middle is the last to go. So I will keep going, knowing that it's working, and eventually I will be rid of that spare tire.
For those people who are overweight and just starting out--it works. Follow the advice given on this forum. Persevere. Never give up. You WILL lose weight and body fat. But remember--you're not going on a diet or starting a fitness program, per se. You are changing your lifestyle. For the better.
Keep it up! And good advice.
