How can I be more effective in my weight loss efforts? This is a question that’s been on my mind over the last several days. I’ve been jogging everyday, but my total weight loss for July was not impressive.
So, I’m thinking about the Pareto Principle and how it might help me get the most effectiveness out of my dieting. I also found this article on applying the 80/20 rule to your diet.
The basic ideas is this: some things make a much bigger difference than others, if you can focus on the most efficient tactics you can do more for less energy.
Bottom line for me: my diet is affecting my total weight loss much more than my jogging. This makes sense if you look at estimated caloric burn versus caloric intake.
Added to all this is the fact that I have many opportunities to overeat everyday, while I typically run only once. So, if I can get control of my eating I’ll be that much closer to loosing weight. Right?
Yes, the biggest thing is getting a handle on calorie intact. What have done to lose 35 pounds was the following :
1) Started tracking my calorie intact using Weight Watchers. It’s pretty easy after a week or so and you can tell what something is by looking on the back of the package.
2) Exercising at least 1 hour a day. Sometimes long walks or long walking videos with weights. At this point I only walk back and forth to work for a total of 45 minutes.
3) Enjoying some sorts of foods like Pickle’s in replacement of dessert. Find a veggie you really like and eat it. I eat alot of veggies. Find joy in drinking water instead of pop. It is much more refreshing and going back to pop once a week or so is okay, but don’t overdo it.
I have done this since March and have done pretty well. I lost 40 pounds from 210 to 170. Then I gained back about 5 pounds back. I am in a health weight at 175 so I don’t worry about it, however I do try to keep up the routine. The times I have problems is mostly intack of food. For example a few weeks ago I went out to eat about 5 times that week and I forgot about thinking of what I was eating and I could feel the heaviness. I decided to do an extra hour of walking awhile ago and that seemed to have helped. Sometimes it’s best not to sweet the mistakes.
I don’t track my points anymore and once in awhile go overboard with eating, but weight watchers has taught me how to eat out at restaurants and estimates at home. This week I am going back to tracking my points again so it reminds me when I am out to eat to get a plan setup before I go out to eat on what I will eat.
Again the biggest thing in losing my 35 pounds I didn’t go out to eat much during that time, but now that I am maintaining my weight I go out to eat more and must be more careful.
@shawn: Thanks for sharing your plan. The intake side is really what has been slowing me down. I keep thinking that if I just keep running, I’ll eventually be able to eat whatever I want.
Of course, that is not true until you get to massive training levels. I really appreciate your comments and I think I’ll go have my weight watchers yogurt now.
I have noticed I feel much better and start really really enjoying the salads and veggies and nuts better than the big calorie things I used to eat.
I’m not sure why it happens, but I have a handle on my body needs more and I recall how much better I feel when I eat the good things and though I originally didn’t want it I am really really enjoying it. I don’t know what helped me but I recall during the whole time of reduced calorie intact that i never felt like I was depriving my body, but that I was feeling better and better each day. If you can remember how you feel after you overeat before you begin a meal it sure helps and then when you feel good by losing weight and your health improves it’s hard to go back. Yes once in awhile I have an ice cream cone, but I eat about as half as much as my friends, but I still find alot of joy in it and don’t have the sugar highs and lows either. I was all over the place with my odd sugar intact now I feel more balanced.
I think alot this has to do what you find joy in. If you think you need to give up stuff you love to lose weight it is so much harder. However if you think moderation is enjoyable and less over-eating feelings in your stomach it is much easier.
What happened with me is after a week or so I found joy in eating the good stuff because of how much better I felt.
I feel so much better watching my food. Now if I go overboard, I feel I pay for it so much so it is not really exciting to eat the high calorie food.