Weight management, dieting and exercise
What you see here is a graphical interpretation of how I used to manage my weight (left), and how I currently manage my weight (right). The line running through the middle signifies my numerical weight target (in pounds), which is a combined, simple formula of what the Body Mass Index (BMI) recommends plus what I am personally satisfied with through my own knowledge and/or experiences.
For instance, the BMI calculation thinks that the optimal weight for a male individual of my height should be around 140 pounds. The last time I was in the 140 pound range (besides in high school), I was sick for a straight week and couldn’t hold any food or liquids down. When I finally recovered, I hopped on the scale and weighed around 145-147 pounds. Currently, I am several pounds above that, which places my BMI at the higher end of average but not considered overweight.
The graph on the left-hand side illustrates how I used to manage my weight. It indicates that I peaked at levels considered overweight (10-15 pounds actually), would slowly come down, and then start and repeat the 10-15 pound gain/loss cycle over and over. It also importantly shows that when I did hit my weight target, I never really went too far under it, and then I eventually ate my way back up to Mt. Tubby. (Frankly, my peak weight was never THAT bad — I’m just injecting humor here folks.)
This weight cycle was a wild roller coaster ride that I eventually got fed up with. I initiated a discussion about it a couple of years ago on my personal blog with a declaration that I was going to try a weight management plan that worked for me. Although at that time, I told myself that I wouldn’t write about it until I got into a groove with a process that worked for the long term.
The graph on the right-hand side illustrates how I currently manage my weight. I view it as a process that should be kept steady, but one that constantly requires maintenance. It also shows something very important: that I may constantly go a little above my target, but if I keep managing it I’ll eventually whittle down to my weight target and may even drop a little below it.
Ok, so now you may be wondering how I manage it all. Let me start with a story. Several years ago I was watching actor Tobey Maguire being interviewed, which was around the time the first Spiderman movie that he was in came out. Entertainment circles were gushing about his newfound physique including the interviewer on television who asked: “Tobey, you look amazing! WHAT’S YOUR SECRET?!?” And without skipping a beat Mr. Maguire sarcastically responded, “Well, believe or not two things — DIET AND EXERCISE!”
Taaa daaaaaa!!!
Regarding dieting, I don’t take pills nor do I starve myself. I eat anything that I want (although I typically lean to the healthier side), but I don’t eat a lot. Basically, I eat enough to feel sated and not stuffed. In short, I practice portion control. You shouldn’t look at dieting as starving yourself. Think of it as managing your eating habits to feel sated, not full.
As far as my exercise plan, I do a mix of cardiovascular and strength training (although mostly cardio, I hate strength training), and I typically mix in daily habits of walking, stair-climbing and/or parking my car further distances so I’m forced to walk. I am also lucky that my neighborhood is very pedestrian-friendly. (Typically on weekends, I hoof it to friends’ houses or nearby markets and cafes.)
Lastly, there is one big thing that helps me manage all this. I weigh myself every day. My wife hates this because I leave our scale in the middle of the bathroom floor and she constantly has to move it out of the way. But I equate this to something like a cash flow spreadsheet that one would use to manage their personal finances. It helps me figure out a daily weight management plan like if I should definitely exercise that day (and maybe even add a few more minutes or repetitions), or if I should forgo dessert later on. Weighing yourself daily may seem depressing, but in my case I find it to be an indicator and a motivator.
Ultimately, the process has been working for me long term, so I’m not inclined to change anything right now.
So now I want to hear from you. What are some of your success stories? Frustrations? How do you manage it? What’s been working for you? Not working?
by Gene Lee, Food and More blog
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© 2012 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
27 comments Add your comment
mrmambo
February 8th, 2012
6:30 am
I’ve been using an iPhone app, Lose It!, (also on Android) for the last year. It lets you set your current weight and weight goals and sets a target calorie range for each day. I, too, use it like a spreadsheet or Quicken–I have a calorie budget and can hit it thru a combination of diet and exercise.
Yes, it takes time, but it’s pretty quick to enter items, esp. if you have any kind of routine (you can copy entire meals). And it lets me make decisions like you said–do I need to run today because I’m having 3 beers tonight at a party? Overall, it’s helped me lose 15 pounds and maintain that weight for over a year.
I realize diet and exercise aren’t simple balanced equations for some folks with sticky metabolisms, but it’s worked great for me and lets me feel like I’m in charge and making decisions that have a real impact.
dorishamill
February 8th, 2012
6:30 am
Companies use “Get Official Samples” to distribute free samples and product samples to give consumers the opportunity to try their latest and greatest product lines.
Independent
February 8th, 2012
6:35 am
Walk at alot.. eat salads.. drink lots of water !!! walk.. walk..walk some more.. lose 10 lbs.. wife takes me on a cruise.. gain 10 lbs.. start over
Weight management, dieting and exercise – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) – Fasting And Weight Loss
February 8th, 2012
7:27 am
[...] the original post: Weight management, dieting and exercise – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) ← New Study Shows Yo-Yo Dieting Won’t Kill Me – [...]
dcb
February 8th, 2012
7:31 am
I agree with Independent above – walk, eat salads, drink lots of water. And most of all, I agree with the author – weigh yourself daily. It is amazing what that little reminder does for you and likewise, how easy it is to gain two or three pounds one day (at least so says the scale), as a result really watch yourself the next, and feel great when you see the dip down to where you want it the next. Also like the author, I dislike strength training. But I do belong to a gym and force myself over there as much as possible to use the machines.
Jenn B
February 8th, 2012
8:09 am
I don’t know about weighing daily. As a small woman, my weight fluctuates a few pounds during the course of a day. I weigh the same time, once a week. The only time I’ve ever had to lose a substantial amount of weight (after the birth of my son) I did weight watchers. But for regular maintenance, all I do is track my weight. If it starts to creep up a few pounds, make some adjustments, namely portion control. That’s about it. No one gains 50-100 lbs in a week, it happens slowly and it it’s ignored until it’s too much to easily overcome.
Christina
February 8th, 2012
8:47 am
Eat less and move more. If that isn’t working for you, then eat EVEN LESS and move EVEN MORE until it does. Everyone is looking for some kind of magic pill to do the hard work for them but it doesn’t exist. If being hot was easy, everyone would look great. It’s hard work but it is worth it. Before some 300-lb couch potato chimes in about “hormonal problems” or whatever else, let me just say, you are less than 1% of the “obese” population category, so save the whining.
Negative Nellie
February 8th, 2012
9:05 am
@Christina
Preachy much?
M.Johnson
February 8th, 2012
10:21 am
I have a favorite pair of jeans that serve as my measuring stick. If the jeans don’t fit, I eat less and walk more.
kmb
February 8th, 2012
11:09 am
There is one simple rule to weight management. Every pound gained or loss represents 3500 calories in excess or deficit, respectively. Either you eat less calories or exercise more. How you do this is your choice.
Christina
February 8th, 2012
11:10 am
@ Negative Nellie – Maybe? Just tired of everyone acting like weight loss is rocket science. Same as the people who point at the rich and say “NOT FAIR!” Bottom line is this – in life, you get what you work for.
mrmambo
February 8th, 2012
11:22 am
Agree with most of the above comments and it’s what I was saying–you have a budget (food and exercise) and you have to decide how to spend it.
I run 3-5 times a week (about 4.2 miles each), walk every day, do lots of yard work, go hiking occasionally, and generally stay active. I feel better when I’m active, enjoy feeling light and nimble when thinner, and like the options that burning calories provides: not just good health but flexibility in what I eat and what I do. If you have more money in the bank (thru calorie savings), you have a lot more options.
jimmy
February 8th, 2012
11:36 am
Methamphetamine benders.
Great sandwich!
February 8th, 2012
12:01 pm
I’ll bet Christina is both hot and rich!
George
February 8th, 2012
12:08 pm
Easy fix for all those worried about their weight: BULIMIA. Quick, easy, to the point. Don’t have to count calories or watch what you eat-except on the way back up (should you choose to).
Debbie
February 8th, 2012
1:03 pm
Exactly how you described it, Gene. I lost 16 pounds on WW in 1999, and have never put it back on. I fluctuate between that 16 pound mark and 5 pounds heavier, and I’m happy with that. When the weight starts creeping up, I start reviewing my portions and making sure I’m exercising enough. And, I weigh myself every day. It’s painful some days, but it’s what gets me back on track.
eat real food
February 8th, 2012
1:06 pm
Stopped eating bread and sugar about 2 years ago, dropped 15 pounds in 5 weeks (i.e. lost my “spare tire”), have maintained the same weight down to one decimal since then (body fat is around 8%). I’m pretty active, but even if I go through prolonged periods of inactivity my weight doesn’t budge. No calorie counting (or even exercise) required.
Body temperature, heart rate, respiration, fluid balance, blood electrolyte concentrations, etc. are all controlled within a very tight range by our body’s own homestatic mechanisms, regulated by the brain, and all done at a subconscious level. Body fatness is the same – things go south when we disrupt that regulatory process by eating foods outside our evolutionary experience (bread, sugar, and all manner of industrial made food products). Counting calories is no different than consciously deciding how many times to breathe a minute or basing your salt intake on hourly blood electrolyte panels, and only necessary for weight management if you consume refined grains, added sugar, and frankenfood.
Or maybe it’s all the meth
Tom Tom of Food
February 8th, 2012
2:36 pm
I dropped 20 lbs after tiered of slowly gaining weigh every year. I’m 44. What’d I do? I love to cook and eat, and eat out.
Started slowly, but reached running 2-3 miles or using an elliptical for 30 minutes 3-6 days a week. (I don’t punish myself if I do only 3 days). Started eating brown rice, quinoa or homemade whole wheat bread….Almost always paired with lean protein. Pumped up the veggie intake. Started eating breakfast!! I watched the volume of intake and spread it out more. I could eat “bad for you” food, but I really would treat it as contraband and i discovered I could survive with much less of it. I weigh myself everyday.
I planned to loose a pound a week and never got mad if I went the other way. I had a goal of the week at the beach (6 months from the start of the program) and I passed it by 3 pounds. I am now 10 lbs. away from what I weighed in College and am closing in on that!!
Lorenzo
February 8th, 2012
3:17 pm
Is it ironic that this article appears just above the German Chocolate Cake article?
Some Guy
February 8th, 2012
3:30 pm
Hold on I have to finish this bacon triple cheeseburger and ring/fry combo.
Muffin
February 8th, 2012
3:35 pm
I eat smaller meals/portions throughout the day instead of three gut busting meals. i don’t eat much, either, so that’s easy for me. i drink a lot of water, take a lot of fiber and try to fill up on veggies. i also take the stairs, walk farther to my car in the parking garage and crap like that. so far, so good. usually in the past when i needed to lose a few pounds i just went vegetarian for a couple of weeks.
Melba Toast
February 8th, 2012
4:07 pm
I try to keep in mind the adage attributed to Kate Moss… nothing tastes as great as being skinny feels.
nina
February 8th, 2012
6:01 pm
kate moss has never eaten anything good then, serves her right to think that.
Diet and Exercise Works
February 8th, 2012
8:28 pm
Mr. Kessler and many others who have responded are right….diet and exercise are the keys. It’s hard work but not brain surgery. Last year I began using a website called myfooddiary.com to log all of the food and drinks I consumed as well as all the exercise I did. The simple act of journaling helped me lose 30 lbs. The moment I stopped holding myself accountable for my intake and output I gained back several ofnthe pounds. But I am back to using the journal and the pounds are dropping once again.
Gene Lee
February 9th, 2012
8:37 am
Thanks for all of your responses. I’m glad to see that it’s working out for some of you, and how you are accomplishing it.
P.S. Say nope to dope..
Dieting for the Rest of Us » Blog Archive » Weight management, dieting and exercise | Food and More with …
February 10th, 2012
9:48 am
[...] Read the rest of this great post here [...]
Bhorsoft
February 10th, 2012
4:39 pm
It’s really a simple equation to lose weight: eat less calories than you burn. Nothing complicated – just easy math. The problem for most of us it it is hard to live that equation. We’re bombarded by food advertisements all our waking hours, when we go out, portion sizes are double or more what they should be and we are slowly becoming accustomed to larger meals. At the same time, most of us don’t do the hard labor our ancestors did. We work and play at computers and have to force ourselves to exercise instead of it being part of our jobs and life.
In my case, I can’t exercise much because I can’t walk (although I’d like to). I’m learning I can lose weight be diet alone. So far, 25 lbs. over the past 3 months. It isn’t easy because I really have to keep the calories down, making for very small meals.