Weight Loss

Reading over my previous post, and looking at the picture of me with Don Awalt, I'm starting to realize that I really do look different without the extra weight. For reference, I dug up this picture that was taken of me on July 18th:


It's not too bad except that my face looks so swollen one might be inclined to think I'm having an allergic reaction to something. That's what 44 pounds looks like.

Sure, I've notice that I'm a lot more spry than I was 4 months ago, and that I don't look or feel so bloated. The difference in my face, though, is striking.

People ask me how I did it as if there were some secret to weight loss that I alone discovered. Unfortunately, my answer is always much less exciting: diet and exercise. The next question is inevitably which diet I follow. Is it Atkins? Maybe Weight Watchers? Some low-fat regiment?

If I had to classify the method I use, I would probably call it something like "Logic, Math, and Finite Suffering".

First, the logic part. Simple logic dictates that if you consume more calories than you burn, your body will store the excess as fat. Conversely, if you burn more calories than you consume, your body will convert fat into energy (it has to come from somewhere). At a very basic level, it doesn't really matter where the calories come from -- fat, sugar, carbs; it's all the same. That's why Gastric Bypass procedures work -- they limit the intake of all calories, not just fat or carbohydrates.

The math portion is equally simple. I did a little research and found out that one pound of fat is roughly the equivalent of 3,500 calories. Thus, to lose 1 pound per week, you must consume 500 fewer calories than your body requires each day (3,500 / 7 = 500).

The next question is how many calories are needed per day. There are a number of Internet calculators that will do this for you. There is a really comprehensive calculator here that includes figures for exercise, or a more simple version here. Back to some simple logic, if you don't exercise, you get fewer calories. If you do exercise, you get more calories (yummy food), plus you'll jump start your metabolism.

Finally, the "Finite Suffering". By that, I simply mean that there is a finite amount of pain, grief, or discomfort that a human body is capable of experiencing. If you're suffering a little, why not get the most bang out of your buck?

A lot of people have a problem staying on the diet wagon. What I do is let myself go every once in a while. On those days, I go crazy (usually on the weekends) and eat pretty much as much as I want of whatever I want. I get all cravings out of my system, and then get back to it again. Also, if I do go a bit over, I try not to let it get to me. This is a game of averages over time -- not a race to some arbitrary number. As long as I'm not averaging weight gain over time, I'm happy.