How I Lost 25 lbs In 4 Months

April 10th, 2008 by john in Categories: Diet, Exercise

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Weight Loss 

Alright! So here it is. My big announcement. I weighed in Monday morning and behold! I finally hit the big 25! That’s twenty-five pounds! Gone. Vanished. Disappeared. Elvis has left the building! Or at least 25 pounds of Elvis. =) I waited until today to tell you because I wanted to make sure I would maintain the loss, which I have, all week. I’m actually down 28 pounds as of this morning. But who’s counting? Ahhhh, I am!!!

I guess the big question is “How did you do it?” I started my weight loss discussion with the post “Next Stop 25 Pounds“. But I wanted to wait until I had some real progress to share with you what I have been doing. And I guess there is no arguing that 25 pounds is “real” progress. So Here goes.

1. Diet

If you having been paying attention, you probably know that I cook most of the meals in our family. Further, if you have seen my recipes, you know that I mostly cook healthy meals. Or at least try to! I believe that diet, more than anything else is responsible for my weight loss results. So I will try to document what I am doing. Please note that I have tried all kinds of diets over the years, read many diet books and have talked to many other people about dieting. What I am doing is a cumulative result of my past experiences and is not a completely documented “diet”. So, here are my “diet” guidelines.

  1. I have decided that this is permanent, not a “diet”
  2. I eat breakfast every morning.
  3. I have a 10:00 AM snack
  4. I eat a healthy lunch
  5. I have a 3:00 PM snack
  6. I eat a healthy dinner
  7. I restrict meat to 4 oz portions
  8. I have reduced all of my portion sizes
  9. I never eat after 8:00 PM
  10. If I’m bad one day, I make it up the next
  11. I try to substitute chicken for beef and pork
  12. I try to always have a veggie with dinner
  13. I restrict my fat grams to 19 per meal
  14. I try to eat low calorie meals
  15. I have researched what I can eat at different restaurants
  16. I try to avoid fast food
  17. I try to avoid deserts
  18. I try to avoid bleached, processed white flour
  19. I use wheat flour and whole grains whenever possible
  20. I substitute whole wheat pasta for regular pasta
  21. I cook brown rice instead of white
  22. I drink a large glass of water 1/2 hour before a meal
  23. I substitute ground turkey for ground beef
  24. I try to eat at least one meatless dinner a week
  25. I try to avoid anything with high fructose corn syrup
  26. I try to avoid anything with partially hydrogenated oil

Breakfast
I usually eat oatmeal and fruit

Snacks
I snack on fruit, veggies, pretzels, 100 calorie snack packs & yogurt

Lunch
Veggie or turkey subs, salad, homemade sandwich, soup, veggies, fruit
I watch fat and calories

Dinner
One of my recipes, anything with chicken, whole wheat spagehtti, veggies
I watch fat and calories

2. Exercise

I started walking regularly in November 2007 which you can read about in 5 Reasons To Start Walking Today! My dog and I take a 1/2 an hour walk every morning and most nights. Additionally, I started out with a vigorous workout last November which included the stationary bike, treadmill, push ups, crunches and Hindu Squats. I think this helped kick start my metabolism, which seemed almost non-existent at the time. =) My problem with this routine lately is a severe lack of time. I hope to return to this routine sometime in the future. Until then, I will keep walking. Here are some ways I try to maximize my walking time:

1. I park as far away from my destination as possible and walk

2. I try to get up and personally visit co-workers, instead of calling on phone

3. I park at work and then walk around building to get to the entrance

4. I am trying to walk during my lunch at work

5. I bring my mail to work and walk to the corner post box

I started doing the above because of my time shortage, I figure it can’t hurt.

3. Alli

My wife and I started using Alli in January. Alli is the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved diet pill available without a prescription. It is a watered down version of the prescription diet pill, Xenical (orlistat). It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.

How it Works
Alli comes in a pill form and is taken with each meal. Alli blocks fat from being absorbed into the body. It is said to block 25% of your fat intake allowing it to pass through your digestive system and out of your body.

My Personal Take
I believe, based on my past experiences, that we have lost more weight while taking Alli, than if we did not take the diet aide. Having said that, I am not recommending you try Alli. It is hard to tell how effective it has been because we started our new eating habits and exercising at the same time. But, I do believe it is worth checking out. If you decide to try it, you can purchase it here at a good price.

A Word of Caution
I don’t really want to go into great detail here, but some people have reported “side effects” while taking Alli. Neither my wife or I have had any side effects while taking it. I recommend you visit the company website and decide for yourself. As always, before taking anything or starting any diet or exercise program, please consult your physician.

Wrapping It Up!

So there you have it. Diet, Exercise and Alli. That’s what’s working for me. Have any weight loss suggestions? Please leave a comment and get the discussion started!

John

Related Posts:

  • Next stop 25 pounds
  • Wordless Wednesday: Dog Outhouse
  • 5 Reasons To Start Walking Today!
  • 5 Reasons You Should Eat Breakfast
  • Savings Bonanza: Check It Out!
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    { 12 comments… read them below or add one }

    Blake April 11, 2008 at 12:10 pm

    Nice; i like how your ‘diet’ is not really a diet at all, but a long-term healthy-eating plan that can actually be maintained.

    When I came to college this year, I was determined to change my eating habits at the time when most students begin eating worse and worse. I have noticed a difference big time. I’ve gained about 12-15 pounds of muscle while losing probably 5 pounds of fat. Now, looking back, I can’t believe how crappy I ate in high school. Like you, I’ve just made fundamental changes to my eating habits without doing anything wacky that’s impossible to stick to.

    Nice work!

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    John April 12, 2008 at 1:58 am

    Blake – It’s cool to hear a college student talking about making such positive life changes. When I was your age the last thing on my mind was my health! In hind sight, I should have starting thinking about these things back then. I would not have so many areas in need of improvement now! You are correct about making permanent changes rather than putting yourself on an unrealistic diet. By doing so, I don’t feel deprived and I am less likely to binge. I have tried “crash” diets and they don’t work. In fact I usually end up gaining everything back and then some. Also, by blogging about it, I have put myself in a position where I really don’t want to fail. I have publicly announced what I am doing which keeps a certain amount of pressure on me to succeed. On another note, I have become a regular reader of your blog http://youngdough.com . Keep up the great work!

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    Robin Baker April 12, 2008 at 2:08 am

    Hi John,
    That is excellent news. I’m sure you feel better & have more energy. Your health is very important. This could help you to live a longer life. I had lost 30 pounds after my 3rd child. I took herbalife. I had a protein shake every morning & a lean ham meat salads at work. For supper another protein shake. Anyway herbalife had helped me lose my weight. I do not work a public job anymore & I am not using herbalife. I have put some of the weight back on. I need to exercise & drink more water. I like my soda. I am on the computer a lot & I need to try & get my health back on track. Thanks for sharing your story. I’m sure I will follow some of your tips. :-) Robin

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    John April 12, 2008 at 7:04 am

    Robin – Thanks for sharing the tip about herbalife. I assume this helped to curb you appetite? This is an area I am still working on; portion control. My problem is I love to eat good food! And lots of it! So I have been looking for something to help in this area. Maybe I’ll give it it try. BTW, I spend alot of time on the computer as well. This is where my daily walks have really helped. It is a pick-me-up. My energy level actually increases after walking. I highly recommend it! Also, I’m glad to hear you find some value in my tips! That’s what it is all about. Thanks for your support! =)

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    allison April 12, 2008 at 9:51 am

    Great going John! Congratulations! Keep up the good work. I enjoy your site and your great tips and recipes. Those squats look a little scary though ;) I would love to see your dinner menu for the week along with side dishes. We can find low-fat menus all over the net but I’d rather get it from someone who actually eats the food and loses weight. I’ve thought about Alli but not sure yet. Thanks for this post, it encourages me.

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    John April 12, 2008 at 11:22 am

    Allison – Thanks for the encouragement! Yes, the Hindu Squats are kind of scary, when you first start! On the dinner menu, that’s a great idea! I will try to put something together soon. I really appreciate you participating in the conversation. Also, I do enjoy your site as well. Lots of cool goodies over at http://webgoodies411.blogspot.com/ . I have become a regular reader! Thanks again and see you soon! =)

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    Blake April 12, 2008 at 4:32 pm

    Thanks a ton John! I’ve still got a ton to learn about this blogging stuff, and it gets frustrating at times, but getting to know some other helpful bloggers like you make it a lot better.

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    John April 12, 2008 at 4:53 pm

    Blake – No problem! I’m glad I can help. Hang in there, you’re doing a great job! I believe in what Zig Ziglar says “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” It’s a karma thing! Take care and see you soon!

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    paul August 26, 2008 at 9:09 pm

    lifestyle eating is a better description. I do something similar, but I basically eat leafy greens, veggies, fruits, legumes, and a few other things. I lost 20 lbs doing this without too much exercise. The best thing about it was big drop in blood pressure and cholesterol and i feel wonderful. i’m never going back to eating the garbage i used to eat. and i refuse to take pills. a friend reported similar weight loss – actually better. it’s a great feeling to lose it tho – isn’t it!!!

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    Babette October 17, 2008 at 9:13 pm

    Great job on your weight loss! For my exercise, I rely on the treadmill.
    Since I’m on the computer a lot, I had my husband put a piece of wood (wide enough for my notebook) on the treadmill’s arms. So when I’m dropping EC, I am also walking on the treadmill. As for now, I’m only doing EC drops and reading mails and news. Speed is on 3.5, a brisk walk. :)

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    Robin November 6, 2008 at 1:15 pm

    Hi John,
    I enjoyed reading your guest post on Heidi’s blog. I love how you don’t give up. You will lose those pounds again. I applaud you for not smoking anymore, that was one of the best health decisions you could of done for yourself. Take care! :-)

    Robins last blog post..Herbalife – Nutrition For A Better Life

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    Albert November 26, 2008 at 1:34 pm

    Thanks so very much for taking your time to create this very useful and informative site. I have learned a lot from your site. Thanks!!n

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