Let it begin...

I don't want to call it a resolution because I don't do that crap, but early into the new year I got sick of how out of shape I felt and decided to get off my ass and do something about it.

There are thousands of people willing to take your money to help you lose weight but there is only one true way to lose weight and it's completely free. Eat less and exercise more.

You should also make changes to your lifestyle you are willing to stick with because you can't return to your old lifestyle without gaining the weight back.

So with this in mind I made a two fold plan for myself.

Diet

1. No changes necessary for breakfast and lunch. Those meals are already reasonable for me.
2. No second helpings on dinner.
   
3. No snacking at night.
4. No sugary desserts during the week.
5. Any snacks between meals will be fruits, vegetables or unflavored nuts.

In addition to these reductions I am allowing myself the following cheats in the interest in helping me stick with my plan.

1. Once a week I can have a second helping on dinner. My wife is a great cook, and I need at least one chance to truly enjoy it!
2. Once a week I can have a sugary dessert or snack at night.
   

Exercise

1. I will get five sessions of 30+ min of cardio exercise.

This may seem like a lot but should be achievable for me. I play hockey twice a week, so this really only represents three new 30 min sessions. I have a treadmill facing my television so there is no reason I can't just do 30 min while watching TV a few nights a week.

The above diet represents a reduction in the calories I take in, and the above exercise plan represents an increase in my exercise as well. I know this plan will work because five years ago I had a lot of weight and kept it off for years until a combination of events led to me gaining most of it back. I should not that I fell back into my old habits, that's why I gained it back.


Plan Details

Start Date: Jan 7th, 2008
Starting Weight: 203 lbs
Target Weight: 180 lbs