Two Months – Ten Pounds Weight Loss Plan

Burning Off The Fat

 So, you need to lose some body fat. Dieting is painful – why not just exercise more?  Run for an hour - burn up 860 calories. Not bad.    

 But what if you decide to have a little snack afterwards? Surely you’ve earned it.   A half-dozen chocolate chip cookies chased down with a glass of milk, and there goes 850 calories. In less than 10 minutes. So let’s see, run one hour, burn 860 calories, eat for 10 minutes, add back 850. You’re 10 calories to the good. 

 Research confirms what you may have already experienced: it’s a lot faster and easier to consume calories, than it is to burn them off. Weight loss studies have shown that it is possible to lose weight through increased activity alone, but it’s slow going. Men, because of their larger size, have better luck losing weight with the “exercise more” method than women do. In fact, most studies show that dieting alone gets more results than exercise alone in reducing body fat. The best choice for an athlete?  Do a combination approach: a little more exercise, fewer bites of food.

Week I:  Add 2 hours to your fitness routine.  Swear off seconds, and skip desserts.

Weight Loss Psychology

 “If it tastes good, it’s not on your diet!”

Many of us fail to stick to solemn diet vows for a very good reason: food is a mood enhancer. There is a predictable drug-like induced pleasure that comes from sinking your teeth into a pizza with the works. Your brain shoots out happy signals as the grease drips down your chin.

Unfortunately, for vast numbers of Americans, food has become the cheapest non-prescription drug available. Lumped under the heading of “negative” mood state, obesity research has shown time and again that “negative mood”, call it depression, stress, boredom, or loneliness, is often cited to be the major reason why a person falls off the healthy nutrition wagon and indulges in unneeded calories.

If you find yourself in the “I know what to eat, but don’t eat it” crowd, then it’s time to practice some self-help psychology.  If you can’t be successful on your own, then form a group or join one. 

Week II: Identify your “negative” mood states.  Need some help? The most common identified are described as stress from jobs and/or time pressure, fatigue, boredom, sadness, loneliness and feeling unmotivated. Linking mood state to eating behavior is the first step toward eating for the right reason: hunger.  Before you reach for a handful of chips, rate your hunger level, and check your mood. Then try distracting yourself with another activity of your choice – that doesn’t involve eating.  

Think Sleep, Lose Weight

 Could doing less mean losing more?  Maybe.  Research has shown that decreased amounts of restorative sleep or slow-wave sleep have been associated with reduced levels of growth hormone, a critical protein that helps regulate the body’s proportions of fat and muscle. In addition to the metabolic disturbances that poor quality sleep induces, chronic fatigue encourages poor eating choices, and a decrease in physical activity.

Week III: Hit the pillow at a regular hour.  Aim for 8 hours of snoozing time. If you suffer from insomnia, ask your doctor for some help.

Fight The Golden Arch Syndrome

  We humans were wired to survive when food was scarce - not cheap. Readily available food is creating an obesity epidemic.  It isn’t a matter of willpower; virtually every society that adopts a Western lifestyle has become fatter. What to do about it? Implement an environmental protection plan. 

Week IV:  Limit your contact with food on a daily basis. Keep junk food out of your car, out of your house, away from your desk, and out of your mouth.

Check Impulse Purchases

To a large degree, snacks and meals have become interchangeable. The fast pace of our American life has created a convenience snack industry that is virtually exploding. “No preparation” and “ready-to-eat” products have created a food pyramid based purely on convenience and taste. And we’ve gotten heavier.  The solution? Check labels and be willing to pay more for healthier products that have less saturated fat, more fiber, and fewer calories.

Week V: Admit it.  You eat in the car or at your desk every day of the week. Shop carefully this week and stock up on healthy convenience foods like fresh fruit, low fat yogurt, ready-to-eat tuna, cottage cheese, turkey subs, and if you must eat fast food, choose the smallest burger on the menu – no sauce.

Go High Calcium

  Dieters who consume at least 1200 mg of calcium a day lose more weight than dieters who have a lower intake of calcium, even though they consume the same number of calories.

Week VI: Get your calcium and protein requirements from the same bite. Try low fat chocolate milk for a sweet treat, or grab a fruit yogurt for a quick snack. An ounce or two of low fat mozzarella cheese or feta cheese can be a welcome taste addition for sandwiches and salads.

Practice “hara hachi bu”

 Dr. Atkins, Ms. Somers, and to all loyal Zonies – my hats off to you for discovering the real truth of weight loss: cutting calories.  That’s right, no matter how you choose to lose, the real reason why anyone loses weight is because they reduce their calorie intake. The infamous centenarians of Okinawa (Japan) refer to this as “hara hachi bu,” which means to stop eating when 80% full. 

Week VII:  Decide to practice “hara hachi bu” this week.  With the big American portions restaurants serve, be prepared to leave food on your plate – or bring it home for tomorrow’s lunch.  Save money, get skinny.

Week VIII: Keep working on calorie cutting.  This step is important.

Grab A Pen

 It’s old, boring, hateful – but it works.  Recording your food intake still stands as the most reliable way to reduce the amount of calories you eat, and keep lost weight off. 

Week IX:  Buy a notebook.  A new pen.  Start recording.  Put down your food intake, and your training for the week.

Celebrate

 By now you should be about 10 pounds lighter. Let’s review the steps:  more exercise, better quality sleep, structured food environment, healthier convenience foods, more calcium, eating until 80% full, and keeping a food and exercise “training” log. 

 Ten pounds? They’re a distant memory, and so is your gut.  Great job!

Back to top of Page

Services offered by Endurance Sports Nutrition