One Stop Along the Weight Management Journey

 


What did I do to lose almost 13 lbs in two months?

Introduction

About two months ago, in early February, I decided that I was carrying too much weight.

I'm 5'9 and 49 years old, and I prefer to walk around at approximately 150 lbs, or 68 kg. That's within 2 kg of the 66 kg (145 lbs) weight class for many BJJ and judo events. I don't compete, but I like to think that if I were to compete, that would be a good division for me.

On February 8 I recorded a weight of 166.8 lbs, or 75.6 kg. That was still 20 lbs under my all-time highest weight of 186 lbs, but over 16 lbs heavier than my preferred weight. I decided it was time to take action.

The Plan

I took the following three steps to get my weight gain under control.

1. Food choices: I took a close look at my calorie intake. I eat a fairly narrow diet anyway, but I made sure those choices would not add weight.

2. Eating times: I restricted my eating times from 7 am to 7 pm, and when possible, 7 am to 6 pm. This was a sort of "intermittent fast" that I hoped would enable weight loss.

3. Exercise daily: Due to Covid I have not been training jiu-jitsu, so my main exercise was a daily 35 minute walk. I had walked nearly every day for the last year anyway, but I made sure I stayed with this commitment.

The Results

Over the course of the last two months, my weight dropped from 166.8 lbs to 153.9 lbs. As shown in the figure at the top of the post, I did not enjoy a straight downward progression. There were some bumps along the way, and I still have to lose about 4 lbs. I hope to hit my 150 lbs goal by the end of April.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nothing But the Best for My Stuff

Image
If you've heard anything about Krav Maga, you've probably heard about the need for groin protection. This Simpson's video , starting at the 45 second point, makes that requirement abundantly clear! When I started training in Krav Maga six months ago, I realized I needed to upgrade my personal protection. I had relied on my old hockey cup and strap when practicing other martial arts. For Krav Maga I decided to do some research, buy some gear, test it live, and let you know my findings! The first product I bought was the Shock Doctor Core Compression Short with Bio-Flex Cup . At the time of writing, the Web site shows this product for $29.99. Using compression shorts was a new experience for me, but I quickly adjusted. This product relies on a pouch positioned inside the shorts to hold the cup in place. While this system seemed to be an upgrade from the simple cup and strap I wore under my hockey equipment, I didn't stay with it. The cup was not comfortable and it did not...
Read more

Passing My BJJ Blue Belt Test

Image
It's been a while since I blogged, incidentally about returning to Jiu-Jitsu  in January, but I have good news -- today I passed the test for my blue belt. I began studying at Professor Pedro Sauer's headquarters school in January 2017. I began mostly with the Gracie Combatives system, then switched to the Pedro Sauer fundamentals classes by the end of the year. In May of 2018 I essentially stopped training BJJ to focus on my Krav Maga studies, finishing with my G1 grading in December 2018 . With G1 accomplished, I switched attention back to BJJ and resumed training in January 2019. Not all BJJ schools require testing to advance in rank. Prof Pedro Sauer believes that tests are an opportunity to demonstrate required skills. The core of the blue belt test is a set of over 80 techniques that must be successfully demonstrated on your training partner, one after the other as the instructor calls them out. The test also includes positioning rolling (i.e., start with your partner in ...
Read more

Retiring from Martial Arts, For Now at Least

Image
  I've decided to retire from martial arts, for now at least. I started this social media presence in January 2016 , so the seven year journey is now concluded. I took my last BJJ class in March 2020 , as Covid-19 was first surging in the US. I injured my back in that session, and my left arm and shoulder had been bothering me for months. I figured some time off might help anyway. In April 2021, after getting my first two vaccinations, I had another round of shoulder surgery . The rotator cuff fix combined with a bicep repair was worse than my previous three shoulder surgeries. It took about a year to return to a relatively pain-free life, even with diligent physical therapy and care. I originally had a goal of staying with BJJ for the long haul in order to earn a black belt. Given that it took me  2 1/2 years to pass my blue belt test , I had many years ahead of me, even before Covid hit.  I think of earning my blue belt as one of the five toughest physical challenges I...
Read more