Forty-one pounds later (from 236 lbs at Christmas to 195 lbs by the end of June) -- there is now living proof that anyone can lose weight. It is actually easier than most people think. There were no fancy diets or magic pills. Instead, it was (and still is) a journey in discipline.
How? Here are some thoughts from someone that no one would have expected to make it.
1. Make the decision every day. Some people think that the decision to lose weight is one made on New Year's Day or after a physical, and then it happens. They aim high and start strong, but it never lasts. Set a different goal - just stick to it one day. The fact is that losing weight is a decision that is made at the beginning of each day with a single goal - make it one day. No worrying about a week or a month or the weekend or the holidays - just focus on one day. Then, at the beginning of the next day, focus on one day - just one day.
2. Don't give up, don't give in. Occasionally, unexpected circumstances will cause lapses. It's okay. It happens. The key is to make them the exception, not the rule. Real change involves changing habits. Habits start with one single set of actions which are repeated continuously. Pretty soon, the actions become patterns, which become habits, which become automatic. having your auto-pilot set on good habits is a really good thing. For men, basically, the rule is the less thinking involved, the better.
3. Stop starving and eat more often. Crash-anything rarely accomplishes anything and crash-dieting does worse. It is not going happen in a day or even a week. No one is going to lose twenty pounds in one week and no one should try. Starvation (which is what crash-dieting really is) only makes the human body store more fat and crave more food. Here is a better plan - lots of little snacks (grazing). And try nature's candy - bananas, peaches, and watermelon. The body thinks it is getting fed and the stomach gets so much smaller.
4. Give it up. As former Arkansas Governor Mark Huckabee points out, being southern and being thin is a tough combination. Generations have worked to perfect the best fried chicken, bar-b-que, pies, and the list goes on. These can all spell disaster for the arteries, organs, and waistline. Of course, it does not have to be all or nothing. But, it is a choice - daily bad food with a shorter "quality life," or occasionally bad food with a longer "quality life." Importantly, this is not a decision to be made in the buffet line. It is a decision that must be made at the beginning of every day before the choices come along.
5. Exercise a little every day. Some people only think of exercise as a vigorous work-out in the gym. It does not have to be. Exercise can come from the little things that all add up. Try things that work - like walking the concourses at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport rather than taking the train; or, pacing around the office while on the phone; or, parking at the first available space and then walking to the store. Minor inconveniences that translate into a kind of multi-tasking that involves exercising. There are many others. Mostly, it just requires thinking about what's ahead and deciding where a little walk here or there can be worked in.
6. Stop using food as a meeting place. Not everything has be built around eating. There are some couples who use dinner as a way to get the family together. There are some business people who schedule every new encounter around a breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is the essence of today's multi-tasking world. Here is a different approach. Get it "to go." Sitting in a restaurant increases both the time and opportunity to eat too much. Making it worse, there are servers eager to encourage an appetizer, a soup, a dessert, and more. And who hasn't felt the need to get their money's worth at the buffet. "Take out" limits the quantity and, often, the type of food. "Take out" "brought in" is one good way to multi-task without all the shouting. (For family time, try the back porch with a little "take out.")
7. Make it a priority. Here is a simple rule of thumb - if something is important enough, it will get done. The question is whether it is important enough. Answer this question tomorrow morning and then make it through the day with discipline. Then, repeat. Every day is easier than the one before.