Taking it one step at a time

This journey has been going on now for 9 weeks.  Back when I started this I had a goal that I wanted to be at by this time.  It was of course a ridiculous goal.  I wanted to be down 60 pounds by now.  That is not the case.  Real weight loss takes time and effort.  Using the 7minute work out model, and a healthy diet plan, I have managed to actually lose 45 pounds in 9 weeks.  Much better than I actually thought I could do.  I am living this diet and this exercise program daily.

Going through my closet is becoming a challenge.  I am now finding more clothes that are too big instead of being forced to by clothes because they are getting too small.  I like the challenge and I am finding that my hunger cravings are more sympathetic cravings than actual cravings.   My fiancée is doing this same program and she is finding it hard to deal with the cravings.  I have wants, but I wouldn't call them cravings.

I like food and I am learning how to eat foods that I haven't had before in a new way.  I love Bok Choy.  I eat Swiss Chard like it is going out of style.  Growing up I couldn't stand broccoli or cauliflower.  Now I look forward to eating it.

So I am learning to take things one step at a time.  Everything worth doing is worth doing well.

Increasing Exercise Intensity

Water is Life

Are you drinking your water?  I don't mean a glass when you are thirsty.  I am talking about drinking 8 - 10 8oz glasses of water a day.  More if you are overweight.  Lots more if you are obese.  Also, drink water after a 7min workout.  Your body is always using the water that you consume.  You are 60 - 70 percent water.  You must keep hydrated to function properly.

Let me guess, you don't like drinking a lot of water because you have to use the restroom often.  Don't worry.  After a couple of days of drinking proper amounts of water, your organs become more efficient in eliminating waste and toxins from your body. You will actually take fewer trips to the restroom.


If you are a coffee drinker, you need to remember that coffee is a diuretic and robs your body of water.  So if you love your coffee, drink a glass of water for every coffee you have.


I have a 32oz schooner mug that I always have with me when I am at home.  Easy to fill and I know that if I have 2 of those, I have my 8 glasses of water.  But I am obese, so I drink more water. I actually need 14 8oz glasses of water a day.  That works out to 0.9 Gallons of water.  That seems like a lot.  


No one expects you to drink all this in one sitting.  If you are at your desk at work, have a glass of water every hour.  I bring 2 16oz refillable water bottles to work.  I drink one through the morning and one through the afternoon.


Water is essential to health.  Helps curb your appetite, helps with brain function.  If you are tired all the time, you may actually be dehydrated.  The majority of people in North America are dehydrated because they take water for granted and only drink when they are thirsty.  When you experience thirst, your body is actually demanding relief from the intense pain that every system is in.  Even if you don't feel actual pain, your organs are suffering.


I am no expert.  I am only relaying articles that I have read in the past and my own experiences.  I can tell when I am getting dehydrated and no thirst response has happened.  So I drink water.


That dryness in your mouth, scratchy throat, sore muscles, dull skin.  All have been attributed to lack of water.


So grab your glass and get drinking.

Time to celebrate

I have been on this diet and exercise regime now for 8 weeks.  Not a long time, and the time has gone quickly.  I am happy to say that I have reached a milestone.  40 pounds lost, and a total of 48" lost as well.  That's FOUR FEET.  I am only 5'7" tall.  So that is a staggering amount of lost inches.  I take measurements every few weeks. I measure my neck, chest, belly, waist, left and right thigh, hips and left and right arm.  I have been keeping track and I am very pleased with the results.

One very nice surprise I have encountered is trying on clothes that I have not been able to wear in a few years.  I am currently wearing shorts that I have not even looked at in 3 years.  The shirt I am wearing is an XL and it is loose on me.  I was a 2XL 8 weeks ago.

So in order to celebrate correctly, I am not going to go on a pig out fest and eat my face off.  That's what caused this problem to begin with.  Instead, I am going to continue my diet and exercise program and look forward to the next milestone.

It is important to set goals.  Don't set loft goals, especially in the beginning.  Set goals that take some work, but are attainable.

7 minutes to fitness

Getting fit for only 7 minutes at a time

May 4th, 2011 § Leave a Comment

I have been meaning to start this blog for a while now.

First of all, let me introduce myself.  I am a 40 year old guy who has been overweight most of my adult life. I am currently on several medications that help me deal with the problems associated with my weight.  I find this unacceptable.  I have had trouble sleeping and I get shot of breath just doing easy tasks.

I have started on a healthier eating plan. I cut out all junk food.  No carbs, lots of protein, limited fats and lots of water.  Since my diet is so drastic, I am also taking vitamins, and supplements that will replace the nutrients that I am not currently getting.

When I started this new page in my life, I weighed in at 266 pounds.  I am only 5’7″ tall.  That’s a BMI of over 42.  I am currently 230 pounds.  My BMI is now 35.  Still classed as obese, but I am moving in the right direction.

I was introduced to a website that I will provide soon.  I can’t yet, because it is still in testing mode.  Anyway, on this site, I have learned that you don’t have to kill yourself in the gym to lose weight and feel great.  They are very informative and supportive about the right way to work out.

A typical day for me is I get up at 6:30, shower and for breakfast have a protein drink.  For lunch, I have a protein soup and 2 cups of vegetables, steamed or raw. Then I have a protein shake in the afternoon.  For supper I have an 8 oz serving of very lean meat with 2 cups of vegetables.

There are limits to the type of vegetables that I can eat.  Lots of lettuce, cucumbers and celery.  raw onions, raw or steamed broccoli and cauliflower, swiss chard, radishes.  Basically no legumes and no starchy items.  Starch breaks down to sugar as do carbs and your body needs to learn how to burn sugar and not store it.  This diet that I am working on is to help reprogram my pancreas in order to burn calories and not simply store them.

Let me tell you, after only 7 weeks of this diet and exercise program I have lost 36 pounds and I am feeling much better.  I have more energy and I am sleeping much better.

I can’t wait to share my successes as they happen.

Hoping to see less of me each day.