The Final Fifteen Pounds

My weight loss has slowed down over the last six weeks, plateaued in the last two or three weeks. I know because I record my weight daily.  Maybe it's the salt.  This is me 11-21-20. This is me 11-19. Weight-loss researchers write about the value of recording your weight. Some have said that making that one change leads to weight-loss for many . Not all. (I wonder if there is any one thing that leads to weight-loss for all over the long term?) Since I've tracked my weight, I can explain to myself why I've gained or lost weight. (It's nobody else's business unless I decide to make it theirs.) There are two weight levers I pull to make weight loss changes in one or two days. One is to cut carbs. The other is to close my feeding window. I don't count carbs. For me, that's too much work. I do educate myself on what foods are high carb vs low carb.  I've been battling with peanuts. That's right. I want them. Really, really want them. I've decided to g...

Obsessed. I feel too obsessed. Too obsessed. I think the word obsessed already implies the word too in it! I am tracking data and I enjoy that part of this process. My smart scale tells my phone how much I weigh and a bunch of other stuff like BMI. I am the lowest weight I've been in my non-teen life right now, 178.5. And that's good. And I'm am grateful.  But I'm not down to my goal yet. In fact, I'm not exactly sure what my goal weight is. I'm not even sure if I need to know what that number is... My BMI is sitting at 25.5 and my smart phone colors that as orange to let me know that this number needs improving. To have what is considered a "normal" BMI should be under 25.  These are just numbers that are somewhat helpful.  But my belly still hangs over my belt. Not like it used to. But there it is. That's the measure I am looking to change. I want a flatish belly. Ish.  I want to look down and visually see my belt buckle. I remember being able to...

I stepped on my bathroom scale today and saw the lowest weight I've seen on a scale since I was a freshman in college.  Because I've lost so much weight, people have been asking me about what I've done. Here's the short answer. In January of this year, I weighed 218 pounds, so at the advice of my doctor (Jeremy Smith), I started intermittent fasting. I had no confidence that I would be able to stick with it. I was so worried that I would be miserable.  I picked a weekend where I knew I could focus on the fasting. I went to work on Friday with an empty stomach and figured I could make it to lunch time. I was right. The last hour was tough. But I knew I would get to eat so I was okay. Plus, I was very busy and that helped a lot. My fast looked like this that weekend. I at lunch at 11:30 or so. I snacked when I felt hungry during the afternoon. I ate dinner between 5 and 6. Monday was a day off for me, so I kept on doing the 17 - 18 hour fast. And I've been doing it ev...

June of 2020 and I'm still losing weight. I'm at 185.6 pounds and it seems to be holding there for several days. My weight sometimes comes off little by little, a few ounces here and there, and sometimes I get a big drop all at once -- 2 pounds. In the past, when I would get lower than 188, I would bounce back. This blog was first called The Final Fifteen because I was trying to get down to 173. Then, gradually my weight creeped back up to 217, 218. That's what I weighed in January of this year (2020).  With this intermittent fasting, things have begun happening that I thought might not work for me. The main thing is this: I'm not hungry much.  I get hungry at lunch, but then I go right through dinner time with no food and it's easy. The hardest part is just staying busy. I get little cravings when my family is all eating food around me, but they aren't monstrous (the cravings I mean).  Here's what I think has happened. My body is what they call fat adapted....

On New Year's Day of 2020, I weighed 217. March 31st, I weigh 197. I didn't plan it, but here's how it happened. 1. I started doing intermittent fasting (I.F.). For me that means that I fast for about 18 hours every day and eat during a 6 hour time. Usually that means that my first meal of the day is at noon and I am done eating anything by 6 PM. I drink water, tea, or coffee during my fasting period. 2. I started walking. I like to walk for 30 minutes or more. Recently I have turned my walking into a basic HIIT workout by walking fast for 40 steps, then walking normally until I catch my breath. I do about 4 sets of those on my walk. Then, I just enjoy the rest of my walk. Eventually, I expect to build up to 7 sets or so. If I do too much, my joints hurt. 3. I quit eating grains and processed sugars. This was because my blood work showed that I was allergic to gluten. This has been the hardest change. After two weeks of eliminating the grains, I have more energ...

I went on a road trip just before the United States shut down. It was during my Spring Break. During that week the virus went from being casual conversation to the beginnings of the Great Shut Down. As I was driving home, the NBA shuttered for the season and Disneyland shut it's gates.  Just before the trip, I took a blood test and found out that I was allergic to gluten, oranges, and carrots. And that my body was highly sensitive to a host of other foods. I tried to stay away from those foods on the trip, but I didn't know how to plan for it yet.  Also, I did my Intermittent Fasting most of the days, but not all of them.  I gained 2 pounds back, weighing in at 202 or 203. Two weeks later, I'm weighing in at 196 - 197. I've lost about 5 pounds in 2 weeks. This is at a time that many Americans are gaining weight because they are sitting around watching T.V. The truth is that I'm sitting around a lot too. But I am still walking a little. Still it...

Okay, here's how it's working... First, I was advised to stop consuming foods with flour in them. That took a week before that sank in. And, I was told to fast 18 hours every day. So my first meal of the day every week has been lunch. I slipped up a little bit a couple of times. But I've kept to the fasting schedule. Results so far: I've lost 10 pounds in 16 days. Oh, and this is worth saying: I am a teacher. I walk 7000 plus steps a day. Most of that is in the classroom. There it is.

I have actually dropped 9 pounds. I wasn't expecting it. 2 weeks ago 215. Today, 206. I'm still not used to the fasting period. I do 18 hours of fasting and 6 where I can eat. On some days, I don't actually get the eating in that window. I've probably done more 17/7 than 18/6. I'm not horribly uncomfortable. I'm just so used to eating so often, that I want to keep doing it.

After years of struggling with my weight, I've started with intermittent fasting. I've been at it for about 8 or 9 days now and dropped from 215 to 208. Let's see what the next week holds! One way or another, it ought to be interesting.