As I started telling the story of my health journey in January, I shared some before and after pictures, comparing my appearance then to what it had been in 2016.
The difference was stark, as I had dropped from about 260 pounds to 223, with my most significant weight loss coming from a low-carbohydrate, relatively high-fat diet, which also supported an intermittent fasting/time-restricted eating lifestyle.
According to conventional wisdom, it was unlikely I would be able to maintain that 37-pound loss. The so-called experts tell us “all diets eventually fail.” It’s mainly because we try to stick with the diets they recommend. So much of what they’ve told us for five decades is simply wrong.
They say that for those who lose more than 10% of their body weight, only 20% are able to maintain that loss for a year or more. So having lost 14% of my initial 260 pounds as of January, the odds were against me being below 230 today.
Especially given the lockdown uniqueness of 2020.
So how have I done?
I had originally set my goal weight at 210, which was five pounds more than what I weighed in high school, when I was playing competitive basketball. I thought it was pretty ambitious target.
I reached that mark in early May and, as you see below, I kept going.
I averaged 198.6 during September, and my lowest weight was 196.4, at which point Lisa said I needed to stop because I was getting “too skinny.” Since then I’ve dialed back a little, and am averaging 201.1 for the first half of November.
I’m not sharing my story to boast of willpower or determination or self-discipline. I can honestly say I have hardly ever felt deprived through this whole time. I’m rarely hungry, and I feel stronger, healthier and more fit than I did 25 years ago.
Lisa feels the same. She never imagined it was possible, being post-menopausal and with thyroid issues.
So while I haven’t felt hungry or deprived, I have had lots of other negative feelings about the standard dietary “wisdom” we have been fed for a half century, which has left a trail of metabolic misery in its wake.
So if you’ve been discouraged by or struggling with a weight problem, I hope you’ll catch up on the posts in this series, and follow along as I continue to tell the story.
If we can do it, so can you. And you’ll be glad you did.
I kind of want to shout it from the rooftop, but I also don’t want to be obnoxious, so I’ll settle for writing about it here, and sharing on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Next time I’ll share some updated progress photos.
Meanwhile, what’s your story?
