On May 4th, I posted that I wanted to drop my weight to 160lbs from 170lbs by Memorial Day weekend. I got close: 162 – 163lbs. We were on vacation in Pacific Beach, California over Memorial Day weekend, so even though we were active, I ate A LOT. I returned to Arizona a heavier man. Then we were off to visit family in Pennsylvania, where I once again overindulged. In Pennsylvania, I particularly enjoyed a new discovery: Half Mast Imperial Hazy IPA by VK Brewing Co.:
At any rate, when I returned from Pennsylvania an even heavier man to the sizzling Southern Arizona summer, it was too hot to do the midday walks that were part of my plan to get my weight down. However, I also soon received news of my alarmingly high cholesterol levels. Those results were the kick in my ass that I needed to get back on track. I immediately went almost completely vegan and stayed with that diet. Because I could not walk midday, anymore, I increased my mileage on my morning walks. I also almost entirely cut out dessert. For lunch I alternated between PCH and fiber cereal loaded with fruit and flax seed in almond milk. I experimented with jogging, but my back told me NO on that, so I stuck with walking. I also did moderate resistance training.
Fast forward to last week and my weight dropped below 160! I’ve been vacillating between 159 and 161 over the last few days. While walking gets props, I give the biggest credit for my weight loss to changing up my diet: going mostly vegan and largely eschewing desserts.
Now, my goal is to get back down to 155lbs where I was three years ago. Due to back issues, I no longer have running in my toolbox. To kick my efforts up a notch, I’m researching stationary recumbent bikes as a possible back friendly replacement for the higher level cardio exercise that running formerly provided me.
By focusing on getting my weight down, I’ll focus on eating properly and exercising, which will in turn lower my cholesterol and make me healthier in general. Also, I’m curious to see if lugging around less weight will noticeably alleviate stress on my back.
Another positive effect of the changes I have made is that I rarely have “stomach” issues anymore at night. I attribute that to eating lighter dinners, rarely drinking alcohol at dinner, and rarely having dessert after dinner. Not having stomach issues at night helps me sleep better, which is a good thing. (I also think early sunlight exposure via morning walks helps my circadian rhythm and thus also contributes to better sleeping).
Salud!,
P. Gustav Mueller, author of The Present