Fighting FAT: The New Plan

Now that Beth is back in school, I have to refocus. This weight is not going to lose itself. I tried that approach already. Yeah, not so good.

Weight Loss Tool 1 - Exercise: Instead of hitting the treadmill for a decreasing amount of time, I’m going to pick up the pace and start using the arm machine at the gym. I've planned to do it after the treadmill, but it never happens. My upper arms are icky, so I’m going to quit making excuses. Next, I’ll do 40 minutes on the treadmill. No one is waiting for me to get home, so I have no excuse to slack off.

• 1st 5 minutes … 3.5 mph, 10 incline with 10 arm exercises every minute
• 2nd 5 minutes … 3.6 mph, 11 incline, continue arms
• 3rd 5 minutes … 3.7 mph, 12 incline drop arms
• 4th 5 minutes … 3.8 mph, 13 incline (Are you noticing a pattern?)
• 5th 5 minutes … 3.9 mph & 14 incline
• 6th 5 minutes … 4 mph & 15
• Last 10 minutes ... Last night I started my cool down at this point. With in a week or so, I want to do 4.1 and a 16 incline. Then cool down fore the last 5

That will be Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. This will burn 400 calories a night.  On Tuesday, I’m going to Pilates. My first class was not as intense as I had feared, but there was a lot of explaining. That’s not to say my muscles didn’t tremble every now and then. I’m learning as I go here, but I think you have to sweat to loose weight. Based on one experience, the Pilate’s class does not look like a lot of sweat, but I still think it will be useful. I have a flabby gut I’d like to get rid of.

If this doesn’t work, I can do more arm exercises on the treadmill, add Friday to my gym routine and pick up a second Pilates class.

Weight Loss Tool Number 2 – Food: After my last plateau, I started counting calories. It’s dull, but I saw where I was going wrong. Whoever invented mochas was an evil genius. With Beth cooking this summer, I quit paying attention, so now I’m back to 1300 calories a day. If that doesn’t work, I can go to 1200 or 1000, but I don’t think I have the discipline for lower.

• Breakfast: Yogurt & fruit on weekdays ... oatmeal on weekends– 200 calories
• Mid-Morning Snack: No-Fat, Sugar-Free Latte or International Coffee – 100 calories
• Lunch: Take out salad or low sodium Healthy Choice dinner – 250 to 300 calories
• Mid Afternoon Snack: Diet Soda & one of the following: 100 calorie pack, fiber bar, fruit or low fat pudding – 100 calories
• Supper: I have an advance copy of the Full Plate Diet. I though I’d experiment with his high-fiber options -- something around 400 calories
• Evening snack: One of the following: fruit & yogurt, fruit & low fat pudding, toast with fruit spread, Weight Watcher Chocolate Fudgicle – 200 calories

Just by writing it down, I can see one place I’ve been off track. Too much evening snacking. I’m not hungry and yet watching TV makes me want to eat.

Weight Loss Tool Number 3 – Liquids: Liquids make you feel full. I’m going allow 2 caffeinated beverages per day. I know it’s bad, but I get the napsies in the afternoon. I’ll have at least one 8-ounce glass of water with each meal and several more during the day, particularly in the afternoon.

So this is the plan. Now I have to stick to it. At my age, I don’t get instant weight loss. This fat and I have been together 20 years. It won’t go quietly. I need to stick with this at least a month. If by October 1 I’m still not losing, I’ll have to try something else