My Weight Loss Resolution

Although I do have a quite a few things going on I have one major resolution that I am going to keep. I have never gone so far out of my way to make resolutions as I don't typically find myself in a state of reflection in January as many people do. Typically I find myself reflecting on the year much earlier. My Birthday falls in July. Every year I start to look back around mid July and realize that maybe I have not put in the necessary effort to achieve my goals in life. Whether it is work, social, or personal goals I have in my life, July tends to be the time I start to make notice of these things.

Do not get me wrong I am still talking about a New Years resolution here, but I must start at the beginning of my process. In July I put to thought what I wish I had accomplished in the prior year, but I will have yet the focus to actually put into action the plan. Usually around September as my daughter goes to school things really start to hit me the plans start going into place. And most times by October or November I have actually started well on my way.

This year I have resolved to finally lose weight. In the first few weeks of October I met with a doctor and a nutritionist, we put a weight loss plan together. The plan goes as follows:

1. start a calorie journal

2. keep myself under 2000 calories per day

3. eat 4 meals a day and make those meals to fit the nutritionist guidelines

4. eat breakfast within 45 minutes of waking up

5. do not eat less than 2 hours before going to bed

I know most people are not willing, nor do they feel they have the time for the calorie journal but it has proven to be the most educational aspect of this entire adventure and probably the greatest influence over my success. Reading labels has changed my life and the way I view the foods I eat.

Keeping myself under the 2000 calorie marker sounded like a daunting task at first considering the ridiculous amount of calories I had currently been consuming but as I discovered the new healthy foods I found that 2000 calories turned out to be quite a bit of food.

Finding meals that would fit my nutritionist guidelines actually turned out to be the biggest challenge of all. Basically the regimen was to eat one serving protein, to one serving carbohydrate and one serving fat in every meal. The fat was typically found either within either the carbohydrate or within the protein, that part was easy. The hard part is balancing the carbs and the protein. Just look at a sandwich, two slices of bread equal two servings of carbohydrate. I do not want to add double the meat as I don't typically want THAT much meat in my sandwich. Over time I did find meals that I enjoyed and were well balanced between the food groups. I must also add that there are certain free foods such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and green leafy veggies that I could use as free foods to add a fullness factor.

I have been on this diet plan for just over two months now and am currently down 40 pounds. As you can imagine I am a very large man to be eating that many calories and still losing 20 pounds a month. As 2010 progresses I will be increasing my activity and adding a work out to my weight loss regimen.

I do not feel like a fat man anymore although I certainly look like one. If all goes well I will be telling you next year how I plan on gaining muscle weight because I had met my fat man weight loss target.

I will share more in depth knowledge of my weight loss plan in later writing and as I educate myself more.