How to Lose 100 Pounds

(Note: This hub describes my trials and tribulations in losing over 100 pounds, as prescribed by two doctors. Always consult your physician before starting any weight loss program. A journal of my progress can be see at my weight loss blog, 200by40.)

The subject of weight loss continues to make headlines no matter where you look, and there are all sorts of programs, pills, or snake oils out there that promise to turn you from wimp to pimp in no time flat.

Get real. We all know they don’t work.

The story I’m about to tell you is true. I know because it is about me and my weight loss journey over the course of three years, in which I lost over 100 pounds by doing the right thing: sticking to a plan and never looking back.

The Beginning

After the birth of my son in 2004, I made the decision to lose weight. At the time I had no idea how much nor had I devised an acceptable time frame but I knew I wanted it. A trip to my doctor also confirmed what I already knew: 297 lbs. was not healthy. He even remarked that I had “gained a little weight” since the last time I had seen him. He was definitely right about that and it was all I needed to hear.

But allow me to describe my eating habits before I go any further. In a word, they were incredible and I’m amazed that my health wasn’t worse than it actually was (which was confirmed by numerous blood tests). I would eat a three-item Chinese plate at least three times a week at a restaurant where the employees knew me by name, order the biggest burritos any given Mexican place had to offer, constantly snacked on processed foods, lived on hamburgers. This was my way of life all through adulthood, even after previously losing almost 100 pounds over six months in high school. Yes, it was a crash diet and yes, I gained it all back.

But this time I was determined to make the change and stick with it.

First Things First: Doctor Consultation

I can’t stress how important this is. Outside of yourself, your doctor knows what’s right for your body and they will recommend a plan according to your needs. In my case, I was given a goal of 1-2 pounds lost per week which is an easily achievable goal. The trick is how to do it.

Set a Realistic Goal and Time Frame

At nearly 300 pounds, the thought of losing any kind of weight—let alone 100 pounds—seemed impossible. But in 2005, I chose to set a realistic goal and time in which to do it: I wanted to weigh 200 pounds or less by my 40^th birthday in 2009. That gave me a good three years to get there with no pressure or immediate substantial changes in my lifestyle. Speaking of which…

Change Your Lifestyle

Both of my doctors recommended Weight Watchers which simply teaches a change in lifestyle rather than a crash diet or buying their brand of processed foods. While I did stick to the WW program, what I preach here does not necessarily point to said program. Rather, it focuses on how changing the way you live will help you lose weight.

During my transformation, the word “diet” never entered my mind and not once during my program did I ever tell anybody I was on a diet. Rather, I told them I was “changing my lifestyle” in order to lose the weight.

What exactly does that mean? A lot of different things.

As previously mentioned, I was a glutton; a serious overeater with absolutely no concerns other than to satisfy what I thought my stomach was telling me. But I knew that in order to get where I wanted, this sort of activity had to stop and soon. No, it had to stop NOW. So I decided to do the following cold turkey and never look back:

• Exchanged milk for soy-, almond- and rice-based alternatives. This worked well since I’m lactose intolerant to begin with.
• Exchanged red meat with chicken which is high in protein, has less fat and not as heavy as red meat.
• Exchanged diet sodas with green tea. This is the big once since I used to drink at least 6 cans of diet soda each day. I am not kidding—I was addicted to the stuff.
• Stayed active as much as possible. I began walking a mile during my lunch hour, then expanded it to almost two miles.
• Made healthier food choices including eating more salads, fruit, vegetables, giving up fast food, eating prepared meals rather than processed foods. I do admit, however, to eating my share of Lean Cuisines and Smart Ones while losing weight. I now know better.
• Avoided fatty foods. This one’s a no-brainer.

The one thing I didn't do was give up bread or pasta. That would have just stopped me dead in my tracks because I love them both equally.

Another change I made was walking down to the local sandwich shop during my lunch for a footlong veggie sandwich that I would split in two and eat over the course of two days.

In short, properly losing weight came down to a few simple rules: eating less, eating better, moving more. That’s it.

Understand Food and Read Nutrition Labels

Which has more fat? A) a McDonald's cheeseburger or B) three pieces of Almond Roca candy? While the cheeseburger beats the candy in a few departments, the candy has 3 more grams of fat. And as this blog post clearly indicates, eating what may appear to be healthy on the surface can actually be worse than eating a Happy Meal!

This is where reading nutrition labels on everything you eat is extremely important. Take the time to educate yourself on proper nutrition by reading all labels and understanding what exactly you're putting into your body.

Water, Water, Water

Regular hydration of your body is a must and diet sodas don't do the trick. Remember to drink the recommended eight 8-oz. glasses each day and even more if you have been exercising.

Three Meals a Day

Starving yourself thin doesn’t work and is definitely bad for you. But I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that not once was I ever hungry during my weight loss program. Oh, no. There were days when my stomach was growling so loud the people in the next cubicle could hear it.

And not once during my program did I starve myself, save for those few times I was ill with gastroenteritis and the stomach flu. Those were definitely unplanned and not the right way to drop the pounds.

Speaking of which, just as important as eating thrice daily is snacking. So when losing weight, be sure to give your body the nutrients it needs whenever it tells you. And I’m not talking a bag of Doritos, either. Go for something healthy, like a cup of grapes (or any kind of fruit), a piece of chicken breast to get some protein, etc. They should curb the rumblies, and your co-workers will thank you for it.

Take Your Time

Part of the reason most “diets” fail is because people are in such a rush to lose the weight. This explains why so many people who are desperate to lose weight opt for lap-band or gastric bypass surgery (which, as you might have guessed, I’m completely against unless you are extremely obese).

But there’s no rush if you want it bad enough. Not only that, by taking your time with losing weight, you will be getting your body used to the change in lifestyle: foods, exercising, etc. This method may not appeal to the impatient but if you want to lose the weight and keep it off, you’d better get used to exercising some patience because that’s what it’s going to take.

Become Active

If you told me back in 2004 that I would be running on a treadmill nightly and eventually riding my bike to work or even take leisurely 20-mile ride to the beach, I would have fallen out of my chair laughing. But as of now, that’s exactly what I’m doing happened (except for riding to work since I’m currently unemployed).

And once I realized that I was definitely losing more weight, it was time to turn things up a notch. In addition to walking, I went out and bought a Wii Fit and whether it had a big impact on my weight loss is still debatable since I was already eating healthy, but using it nightly was a way to add a new routine to my daily regimen. The Wii Fit gave me something different to try, kept me busy at night and it also introduced me to jogging—at least a virtual level.

Eventually, I bought a treadmill and started off walking at a brisk pace which later turned into a light jog and then a steady pace. I can now run up to an hour at a pace of 4 MPH which isn’t extraordinary but compared to where I was in 2004, it’s an amazing feat.

Don't Believe Celebrity Endorsements

Whatever you do, don't let the allure of a celebrity's well-known, well-advertised weight loss program make you break out your checkbook and start buying the program's branded pre-packaged foods. Chances are they have personal trainers working with them behind the scenes in order to fulfill their contract obligation so they can all get paid.

Rather, look online, in magazines, or anywhere for motivating stories by real people who did it the right way: through perseverance, dedication, and the willingness to tackle an insurmountable task. Those are the people who really make a difference.

Motivate Yourself

Believe it or not, this is perhaps one of the most important factors in losing weight.

Dropping pounds can be a lonely and at times, a frustrating proposition. But the worst thing you can do is to let those little problems become big problems because that’s when trouble begins.

They key is to find your motivation: that outfit you bought years ago that never fit, your family, better health, or a simple weight loss goal. In fact, my wife had bought me a dress shirt years before I started my program and at the time, I could only button two of the buttons. I promised her I would fit into it and near the end of my program not only able to wear the shirt comfortably, I later had to throw it out because it had gotten to big!

It’s something like that which will not only motivate you to keep going, but to maintain your weight once you reach your goal. Remember that nobody is going to lose the weight for you and that you have a lot to live for.

No Excuses or Regrets

Here’s another area in which people tend to fail. You will have “those days” in which you eat a little more than you should have: company parties, family dinners, etc. Whatever you do, don’t dwell on those days and let them overtake your life! Move on and focus on your next goal, whether it is a pair of pants or another 5 pounds.

Believe in Yourself

Above all else, believe in yourself and what you’re doing. Don’t let anything or anybody get in your way or bring you down. If someone like me can go from weighing nearly 300 pounds to running on a treadmill for an hour or more, I know that anybody can lose the weight if they really want to.

What I Learned About Weight Loss

During my program, I learned quite a bit about myself and weight loss in general. Below is a list of those things, some of which I have already mentioned. These are simple, common sense rules that helped me reach my goal:

• It’s not easy to lose weight, but it is possible.
• Effective weight loss takes time.
• Diets don’t work, only a change in lifestyle does.
• Keeping it off is just as hard as losing it.
• Reward yourself when you have reached milestones or personal goals.
• Don’t let anything or anybody stop you.
• You control the food, it does not control you.
• Eat less, move more.
• Know your BMR and understand how it works.
• Take pictures of your progress. You won’t regret it.
• Nobody is going to lose the weight for you.
• Don’t be lazy. Stay as busy as possible.
• Everything in moderation, especially treats and sweets.
• You will have “those days” so don’t let them get you down.
• Regret nothing and make no excuses. If you fall off the horse, brush yourself off and get back on it.
• Stay focused and never lose sight of your goal.
• Find your motivation: a weight goal, your family, etc.
• Don’t resort to pills, diet drinks or other so-called weight loss products, gastic bands or other forms of surgery for weight loss. This is your time to shine, and you can do it because you’re better than all those things.
• Think of everyday tasks (laundry, yard work, etc.) as ways of burning calories, not chores.
• Educate yourself on [proper] nutrition and know what you are putting into your body, your temple. It’s the only one you’ll ever have.
• Don’t push yourself. Know when your body has had enough and needs to rest.
• There are no shortcuts to losing weight—it’s all or nothing, so find that “on” switch and never look back.
• Resist temptation, and finally…
• NEVER GIVE UP

By simply following those rules over the course of three years, I lost over 100 pounds and went from size 48 pants to size 36. At my current weight of 193 (which I understand is still overweight but I’m working on it), I feel better than I ever have and because I cut out the fat and grease, my face is no longer prone to breakouts the way it used to be. My eating habits are still healthy and there’s no way I’d ever be able to go back to my favorite Chinese restaurant and eat a three-item combo ever again. Looking back, I have no idea how I ever managed to do that.

And best of all, I can keep up with my son who is now in kindergarten and a whirlwind of activity.

Best of luck to you all. Believe me when I say that this by no means an easy task but if someone like me can do it, so can you.