Introduction
Inspired by some posts I've seen online about "slow-carb" dieting, I decided to get back into the diet again after some time away. I also thought that blogging would help me stay the course and also help anyone else new to the diet or those searching for inspiration during the dog days of a weight loss plan.
First, let's start with some background about my weight now, my goals and why I know a little bit about weight loss. It's quite the roller coaster, so here we go.
Also, one quick disclaimer: Never will I pretend to be a weight loss expert. I'm not a physician or a dietitian. I've also never dropped 100s of pounds. With that said, feel free to draw tips from my writing, but please don't count it as super scientific research or anything like that.
Up and down growing up
As a kid, I was very skinny. In elementary school, I was always one of the skinnier kids and mildly athletic. Not the most athletic in the class, by a long shot, but I played my share of sports with the junior jocks.
Through middle school, I gained a little weight and then dropped a good bit of it heading into high school.
Near the end of high school, I started the weight gain again. By the time I was a freshman in college, I was close to 200 pounds.
I am now 24-years-old and about 5'9 or 5'10. My dad is just under six feet and I'm still a shade shorter than him. So that estimate is probably pretty close.
College weight loss
Realizing I was carrying way too much weight (particularly around my midsection) for my height in college, I started my own weight loss program. Instead of to the freshman-15 gain, I wanted to drop some weight.
Basically, it wasn't anything super strict. I cut out burgers, pizza and sweets-- all of which have long been, and still are, my biggest vices. I'd eat a good, balanced breakfast. For lunch I would grab a piece of grilled fish with veggies. For dinner, a house salad.
Oh, and no sodas. Or sports drinks. Or energy drinks. Basically, I was cutting out 60+ grams of sugar a day from those alone. I was a bit of a Coke and Gatorade junkie at some points in my life.
Along with my new diet choices, I started working out. And when I say that, I don't mean that I was in the gym six days a week absolutely cranking it on the stair climber and doing lots of weight training.
Actually, it was really far from that. I would go to the gym in our student union about three or four times a week and hop on the stationary bike for 20-30 minutes.
I wasn't ever dripping sweat or on the verge of passing out. I just got in and worked a little bit when I had time. I got my heart rate up a bit and watched a bit of Sports Center.
By my sophomore year of college, I was down from about 180 to 140 pounds. I felt great. My waist shrunk from about a 35 to a 30. I could wear size small T-shirts. It was wonderful. I was frequently the skinniest guy in the room and that continued through the rest of my college days.
Weight gain again
Then, I got married. And it's true what they say-- getting married can, and frequently does, cause some significant weight gain. I think it's a combination of the fact that you feel like you no longer need to impress someone because your dating days are over and the frequency and amount of food that the two of you buy and make, but that's a whole different discussion.
Long story short, I gained enough weight to make me the heaviest I've been. At last check, I weigh about 185, some days probably closer to 190.
I've dabbled with the slow-carb diet in the past. A couple months ago, I hopped back into it and lost about five pounds. High protein, especially in the mornings, veggies, beans and a super cheat day on the weekend. It was short lived, though, and the usual habits pretty much canceled out any of that progress.
My waist is a 36 (maybe bigger, maybe smaller depending on the brand) and I wear a medium or large shirt.
The straw that broke the camel's back for me was looking at photos of myself on a vacation my wife and I took to Mexico back in December. I look huge. It's one of those things where I think we become so used to seeing ourselves and accepting it that sometimes pictures are the truest mirror.
I was like, "whoa, when did I get so huge"?
I'm deciding to go full-on on the slow-carb plan again, starting today.
Advantage?
I feel like I have at least a slight advantage because I've lost a significant amount of weight before.
Also, I understand the slow-carb diet. Anything I read on it tends to be review for me. Believe it or not, I do have willpower.
I'll let you guys know how the opening days go. I hope to post once or twice a week or so. Maybe sometimes more or less. Depends on the time I have.
I'll get more into the meat (no pun intended) of what I'm doing soon and share some diet tips with you. I'd like to try it myself first and actually be able to describe the experiences and sensations firsthand.
Stay tuned.
First, let's start with some background about my weight now, my goals and why I know a little bit about weight loss. It's quite the roller coaster, so here we go.
Also, one quick disclaimer: Never will I pretend to be a weight loss expert. I'm not a physician or a dietitian. I've also never dropped 100s of pounds. With that said, feel free to draw tips from my writing, but please don't count it as super scientific research or anything like that.
Up and down growing up
As a kid, I was very skinny. In elementary school, I was always one of the skinnier kids and mildly athletic. Not the most athletic in the class, by a long shot, but I played my share of sports with the junior jocks.
Through middle school, I gained a little weight and then dropped a good bit of it heading into high school.
Near the end of high school, I started the weight gain again. By the time I was a freshman in college, I was close to 200 pounds.
I am now 24-years-old and about 5'9 or 5'10. My dad is just under six feet and I'm still a shade shorter than him. So that estimate is probably pretty close.
College weight loss
Realizing I was carrying way too much weight (particularly around my midsection) for my height in college, I started my own weight loss program. Instead of to the freshman-15 gain, I wanted to drop some weight.
Basically, it wasn't anything super strict. I cut out burgers, pizza and sweets-- all of which have long been, and still are, my biggest vices. I'd eat a good, balanced breakfast. For lunch I would grab a piece of grilled fish with veggies. For dinner, a house salad.
Oh, and no sodas. Or sports drinks. Or energy drinks. Basically, I was cutting out 60+ grams of sugar a day from those alone. I was a bit of a Coke and Gatorade junkie at some points in my life.
Along with my new diet choices, I started working out. And when I say that, I don't mean that I was in the gym six days a week absolutely cranking it on the stair climber and doing lots of weight training.
Actually, it was really far from that. I would go to the gym in our student union about three or four times a week and hop on the stationary bike for 20-30 minutes.
I wasn't ever dripping sweat or on the verge of passing out. I just got in and worked a little bit when I had time. I got my heart rate up a bit and watched a bit of Sports Center.
By my sophomore year of college, I was down from about 180 to 140 pounds. I felt great. My waist shrunk from about a 35 to a 30. I could wear size small T-shirts. It was wonderful. I was frequently the skinniest guy in the room and that continued through the rest of my college days.
Weight gain again
Then, I got married. And it's true what they say-- getting married can, and frequently does, cause some significant weight gain. I think it's a combination of the fact that you feel like you no longer need to impress someone because your dating days are over and the frequency and amount of food that the two of you buy and make, but that's a whole different discussion.
Long story short, I gained enough weight to make me the heaviest I've been. At last check, I weigh about 185, some days probably closer to 190.
I've dabbled with the slow-carb diet in the past. A couple months ago, I hopped back into it and lost about five pounds. High protein, especially in the mornings, veggies, beans and a super cheat day on the weekend. It was short lived, though, and the usual habits pretty much canceled out any of that progress.
My waist is a 36 (maybe bigger, maybe smaller depending on the brand) and I wear a medium or large shirt.
The straw that broke the camel's back for me was looking at photos of myself on a vacation my wife and I took to Mexico back in December. I look huge. It's one of those things where I think we become so used to seeing ourselves and accepting it that sometimes pictures are the truest mirror.
I was like, "whoa, when did I get so huge"?
I'm deciding to go full-on on the slow-carb plan again, starting today.
Advantage?
I feel like I have at least a slight advantage because I've lost a significant amount of weight before.
Also, I understand the slow-carb diet. Anything I read on it tends to be review for me. Believe it or not, I do have willpower.
I'll let you guys know how the opening days go. I hope to post once or twice a week or so. Maybe sometimes more or less. Depends on the time I have.
I'll get more into the meat (no pun intended) of what I'm doing soon and share some diet tips with you. I'd like to try it myself first and actually be able to describe the experiences and sensations firsthand.
Stay tuned.
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