Like many others, I set a weight-loss goal and then diligently set out to accomplish it.
The other day I stepped on the scale and let out a muted yes!
Lets be clear, I wasnt trying to drop a tremendous amount in the 10 to 15 pound range. Back in the day, I could lose that much in a month by thinking positive thoughts and skipping the second dish of ice cream after dinner.
But heres the deal, once the odometer clicks past 50, nothing comes easy.
Accomplishment requires a conscious, concerted effort. The flip side is, gains made over several months can be lost by slip-ups that last a week. Im not sure of the physics behind that phenomenon but its undeniably true.
So, no 30-day meal plan or 60-minute weight loss for me. What I like to think about, though, is how long it took the Colorado River to form the Grand Canyon a really long time, even longer than the last time the Mariners were in the playoffs.
By applying an epoch time scale to personal weight loss it places it within the proper context.
Anyone who knows me, knows I dont play the blame game. Im not a finger-pointer. And, this nugget comes straight from all the self-help bibles, you cant stop blaming others until you stop blaming yourself.
Stand in front of a mirror and say, none of this is my fault, and I guarantee youll instantly feel like youve lost 100 if not 200 pounds.
Still, its useful to trace problems to their root cause. In my case I determined it was being a guy, and not just a guy but a guy on the bigger side.
If youre 6-2 with a decent frame and the Haggar Expandomatic slacks you can carry some weight. It may not be fair, but if a smaller person suddenly gains 15 pounds, its noticeable. When I was in my 20s and 30s, if I added that much weight, I might think that Id just forgotten to empty my pockets of loose change.
The other thing is coming to the realization that you are not in your 20s or 30s when you reach your 40s or 50s.
I was going to avoid getting too deep into the science because some people dont believe in that sort of factual mumble-jumble, but a guys eating habits are set for life based on what he consumed as a growing teen.
Seriously, if you see a 56-year-old man reaching across the dining room table for the mashed potatoes, rest assured in the deep recesses of his mind hes thinking, a growing boy has to eat. Its kind of cute, at least it is until he knocks over the gravy.
I gradually in the past two years became self-aware that I was no longer 18. Its a remarkable story the kind of stuff they use to make made-for-TV movies out of.
I had all these habits based on the calorie consumption rate of an 18-year-old male. You can look up the calorie consumption rate charts online, but basically theyll tell you that an 18-year-old male needs to consume about 2,600 calories a day but by age 56 that calorie requirement drops to 5, which you can get by adding cream to your coffee.
That three-meal a day, plus snacks every 15-minutes regimen that served you so well when you were growing four inches a month becomes a liability.
I went around for months asking myself if I was eating out of hunger or habit. The answer was usually habit so I set a goal of weaning myself of that habit.
Its an imperfect system given that the results accumulate at a rate not discernible to the naked eye, but if youre willing to work and wait, eventually you become the type of natural monument that people travel from across the globe to come see. And, you can fit into those slacks.
Link:
Nation of Mike: Miracle 2-year weight loss plan - Daily Record-News
