Scott Lewis -- The Weight Loss Success Story Of A Regular Guy

Scott Lewis is a regular guy -- just like you or me. Except that he lost 126 pounds in a very simple way. Rather than give you the details, click the link below and read Scott's story in his own words.

Short, sweet, and to the point! This goes hand-in-hand with last month's post about low cost weight loss methods.

http://www.theweighwewere.com/index.php/weight_loss_success_stories/more/not_rocket_science_scott_lewis_reveals_secret_to_126_pound_weight_loss/

How Josh Peck Dropped 110 Pounds

My kids are big fans of Nickolodeon's hit show "Drake and Josh". It's a sitcom geared for kids under fourteen and is about two step-brothers and their various adventures and mis-adventures. The premise is that one of the brother is a heartthrob and ladies man while the other is overweight but lovable.

If you've watched the show lately however, you've noticed that Josh Peck (the fat lovable one) has lost a ton of weight and is really looking great! I was curious about his weight loss and found a People magazine article that explained how he lost 110 pounds during 2006. Apparently he decided that he could be a better role model for America's kids if he got into shape. He basically spent 18 months working out with a personal trainer and changing his eating habits. Simple yet effective!

Congratulations to Josh and to his improved health and appearance! Way to go!

More On The Reverse Diet

A quick note about Tricia Cunningham's diet plan. Tricia consumes just 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day on this plan. The benefit of eating "meatloaf in the morning" is that you'll possibly lose more weight since people tend to be the most active after breakfast. High-protein fish and poultry give you sustained energy and help you feel better physically during the early hours of the day.

Another benefit is the reduced cravings for junk food on this plan. There's simply no desire (or place) to squeeze in things like potato chips or ice cream. If you're already accustomed to eating junk food later in the evening, you can tweak the Reverse Diet a bit by having a sensible dinner in the evening instead of the suggested oatmeal and shredded wheat.

The Reverse Diet

Came across a new diet book by Tricia Cunningham who explains how she lost 115 pounds by eating dinner for breakfast. She follows what she calls a "backwards menu" in which the day's first meal is chicken. Yes….chicken for breakfast, followed by a banana for a morning snack.

Lunch is typically a 6 ounce portion of broiled grouper with asparagus….followed later with an afternoon snack of one rice cake with a tablespoon of low-fat peanut butter. Dinner of course, is actually breakfast and consists of a half-cup of shredded wheat cereal and a half cup of oatmeal with four ounces of no-sugar-added cranberry juice.

Rather than try to explain how Tricia stumbled on this unique diet plan, visit her blog for the details at http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2005/05/25/the_reverse_diet_solution.php. Or simply click the title of this blog post to be redirected there.

A Great Workout Routine

Came across this routine and thought it worth sharing. This is just a sample routine of course and may not fit your particular schedule. Feel free to modify or slightly alter parts of the following:

1. Ride the stationary bike while watching the morning news. 15 minutes into the ride, begin drinking 64 ounces of water.
2. After an hour on the bike, watch a workout DVD and do kicks, punches, and curls. After 20 minutes do stretches for 5 minutes to cool down.
3. Switch the DVD to a high-burn program such as cardio-kickboxing and do 20 minutes of an intensive workout. Start another 64 ounce bottle of water.
4. If you're watching a live workout show on TV instead of a DVD, do situps (or run in place) during the commercials to keep your heart rate up.

From start to finish, the above routine covers one hour and 50 minutes.

Some Reasons To Get Off The Couch

Here's some true facts that you may already know....but swallow these little mind vitamins anyway! They're good for you!

1. Physical activity helps you lose weight by burning calories, boosting resting metabolism, and buffering you from bone and muscle loss that can result if you diet alone.

2. High levels of physical activity can decrease your risk of colon cancer by 40 to 50 percent.

3. Exercise helps you get better sleep. In one study, people who walked more than six blocks a day had 1/3 fewer insomnia problems than their less active cohorts.

4. Walking 30 minutes five days a week can increase your life span by one and a half years. Running can add up to four years according to a 2005 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. It's never too late to increase longevity.

Six Small Meals A Day

For those of you that are eating 5 or 6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism optimized to burn calories, here's some suggestions gleaned from various sources:

1. Load up on produce at the market -- especially spinach, broccoli, oranges, and grapes.
2. When purchasing meats, stick with lower-fat cuts of beef such as sirloin. Also look for organic chicken and turkey -- high in protein but low in fat.
3. When buying diary, go fat-free in your milk, yogurt, and string cheese. And don't be afraid of eggs.
4. Don't forget water-packed tuna instead of oil-packed…..and buy only fat-free salad dressings.

Thoughts On Low Carb Dieting

Of all the low-carb diets, the Atkins plan is the most famous. While most people don't want to swap pasta and bread for a diet of all-meat and green vegetables, there's a sensible median in this equation. You don't want to eat bacon every day and get clogged arteries, but it's wise to eat more greens and green vegetables and avoid high-sugar veggies like beets and carrots.

Two low-carb plans that have good track records are the Kimkins diet and the Atkins-like plan advocated on www.lowcarbfriends.com

Burn The Fat -- Feed The Muscle

Lose body fat without wrecking your metabolism?

If you've ever started a diet, then smashed into the dreaded "plateau," it's probably because you cannibalized your own muscle and slowed down your metabolism. There's a system that can teach you the only way to prevent your metabolism from crashing. You will also learn more than a dozen ways to fire up your "metabolic engine" and accelerate your body's natural rate of calorie-burning.

Check out Burn The Fat -- Feed The Muscle by clicking on the title of this post. Feel free to leave your feedback here and comment on this post.

Losing The Baby Weight

Although I'm not a woman and can't personally relate, I know this is a struggle for many recent mothers. What makes it extra tricky is that there's a resulting change in metabolism that must also be factored-in to any post-partum weight loss plan.

In my wife's case, she managed to lose 55 pounds after having our last child because she and a buddy religiously worked at it using Weight Watchers. Even afterwards however, there was still the remaining weight from the extra skin around her tummy that could only be removed by surgery (abdominoplasty). She doesn't count that little extra weight loss however. She only counts the 55 pounds lost doing Weight Watchers.

I'm reading a couple of blogs right now that deal with losing your "baby" weight. I'll post links to them here in the near future.

Thoughts On Permanent Weight Loss

Breaking the yo-yo dieting cycle is difficult because consistency is everything! Here's some tips gleaned from success stories of those who are no longer "yoyo-ing". You'll never get control of your weight without exercising. Join a gym and take an aerobics class twice a week. A surge in your energy level will be the first benefit. Weight loss should quickly follow. Strength training added-on to your plan will help sculpt your muscles and change your body shape.

You might have a few lapses though. Christmas binges for example, could lead to weight gain. You should start weighing and measuring your food. Once you decide to recommit to your exercise / aerobics / strength training / measuring portions strategy, and your weight loss will become permanent. For those no longer on the weight-loss yo-yo, those are the pieces to the puzzle.

For those doing Weight Watchers, simple replace the "measuring portions" piece with a "counting points" piece. Either way, you should have the puzzle solved!

Old Fashioned Weight Loss

When I first lost 55 pounds six years ago, I did it the old-fashioned way with diet and exercise because that's all I knew. My cardiologist simply told me:

1. Walk 30-45 minutes a day
2. Quit eating greasy, fried foods

Later, I fine-tuned my diet and exercise routine, but my weight-loss journey has been done all on my own. No meetings, no buddies, no forums, no websites or blogs. I'd describe my weight-loss method as the "Scared Straight" plan. My cardiologist showed me my angiogram and I freaked out! I've been a good boy ever since.

There has to be others out there whose weight loss journey started the same way. Feel free to post a comment or response.

A Slowing Metabolism?

Unfortunately, a slowing metabolism is a fact of life as we get older. I could eat anything I wanted until about age 28, then my metabolism began to slow...and the pounds began to show. I dealt with it (sort of) until the advent of "Fast Food Dollar Menus"!!

First one fast food chain, then aonther and another began to offer 99 cent items. It was so easy! And for a cheapskate like me, it allowed me to double or triple my intake of fat and calories for a measly three bucks a day!

By age 37, my doctor ordered me to lose weight and reduce my fat intake. I was too heavy and bloated. And after a "scary visit" to a cardiologist, I turned things around and dropped 55 pounds in six months. I'll share details in a future post, but for now I want to share a fantastic website.

If you've ever tried Weight Watchers, then you already know about Dotti's Weight Loss Zone (www.dwlz.com). Check out Dotti's wonderful site, then stop back here and comment!!