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Weight Loss Diary 8

Covers days 15 * 21

It's hard to believe that I am three weeks into my diet and the results are starting to show. On Friday (Day 19) weigh-in my weight was down to 192 pounds (95 kilos). That is a loss 5 pounds in three weeks, two pounds ahead of my schedule of losing one-pound per week.

As good as the weight loss may be it isn't what is exciting me most; that is the return of my aerobic fitness. My morning walk ends with a short but very steep hill to climb and when I started this plan I was breathless and my legs felt weak when I made it to the top. Now my legs show very little or no reaction when I reach the peak and although I*m a little breathless it isn't anywhere near as severe as it was. My three-times weekly exercise sessions are now stretching to fifteen minutes rather than the original ten minutes. This is because as fitness returns it is taking more effort to increase my pulse rate.

Maybe now is a good time to reiterate the rules of my program for the benefit of those just starting out.

- I never give up any food for more than one day. Each day I nominate one item of food that I will give up for the day only. Today it is potato. I just leave a space on my plate where potato would normally go and this helps reduce my calorie intake. It also has the benefit of taking away the old excuse that *I can't bear to give up the foods that I love.* Anybody can give up something for one day and that's the only dietary requirement of this program.

- In my normal daily life I have become more aware for the need to exercise and to achieve this I always question whether I need to use the car or could I walk? I use stairs rather than elevators or escalators where possible. When I do use the car I purposely park as far from the store, or office, entrance as possible. This helps to burn off calories that would normally become fat.

- I exercise for ten minutes three times each week. (That is the aim but as you see from the second paragraph that this has already increased to 15 minutes each session as I become fitter). The exercise goal is to spend a few minutes stretching to warm up, check my pulse rate and then exercise until I raise it by 50%. After this I revert to warm down stretching exercises. This increases my aerobic fitness and burns off excess calories.

Because 3,500 calories is equal to one-pound body weight my aim is to reduce my calories by 3,500 per week by my limited diet and light exercise program. You can do it too.

Copyright * David McCarthy 2006.