November 13, 2003
CALORIC INTAKE, OR LACK THEREOF
Since October -- when I enrolled in Lifestyle Strategies of Central Indiana's medically supervised weight management and counseling program -- I've reduced my daily caloric intake by approximately 300-400%, and have continued to step up my daily level of exercise. And as hard as it may be to fathom (because it certainly has been for me), I now consume just 800 to 960 calories per day. To put that number into perspective, consider this... In order to maintain my old weight, which was around 230 pounds for the last 18 months, I consumed 2,500 to 3,500 calories per day, which I can assure you I had no problem doing. Three eggs (or the equivalent thereof) for breakfast, followed by a large sandwich / chips / and a pasta or potato salad for lunch, topped off by a Qudoba burrito or some another fast food product for dinner, and it's easy to see how I packed on and maintained such a gross amount of weight for my frame.
What I started eating on the 13th of October, and will continue to eat until around the end of February, are medically formulated meal replacements consisting of 100% of my daily nutritional requirements, in 160 calorie packets. Five packets a day equals 800 calories, and they come in Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Potato flavors. For the sake of ease, I've been drinking 90% of my meals. I have this great 200 watt portable Braun hand mixer which whips my packets and some ice and water into the most delicious shakes. On the weekends, or when I just have to have solid food, I mix a couple of potato packets with water and create dough which can then be baked into muffin-like rounds that taste really good with Healthy Choice spaghetti sauce and low-fat parmesan cheese (can you say mini-pizza).
While I find that I'm hungry at very predictable times of each and every day -- like in the morning right after I exercise, or in the late afternoon before dinner -- I've been pleasantly surprised with how I've handled the change in diet. That being said, I do realize that I'm going to need to step up to the plate on the cooking and baking side of the equation. Long-term success with the 40 x 40 Plan means that I'm going to have to get into the habit / routine of preparing my own meals. As someone very smart posted to this Blog just recently, "Choosing a fast food meal over a meal prepared at home is neither a rational nor reasonable choice; it is a copout for being lazy." Copping out is what got me here in the first place, and I get to choose -- No More Copping Out!
Hold onto your seats boys and girls, because tomorrow on Monday I'll cover (from a mathmatical perspective) how the low caloric diet stimulates weight loss. In the meantime, for bigger laughs, check out the post from last night, below.
Posted by Mikal at November 13, 2003 5:02 AM
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Congraulations, Mikal. I believe choosing a fast food meal over one prepared at home can be a rational AND reasonable choice. However, choosing a lifestyle akin to that is not necessarly a healthy choice or healthy lifestyle. I look forward to your mathematical presentation tomorrow!
Way to go, Mikal. You're obviously learning that the key to weight loss is education. And it's not about fat vs. carbs: It's all about the calories, and managing the calories is all about balance and moderation.
Couple years ago I made a big lifestyle change and dropped about 40 pounds in six months. The key was reading and understanding the Hacker's Diet, which put diet and nutrition in terms I could understand and appreciate. The lightbulb went on and the weight went off (and stayed off, though running two marathons a year helps).
Be careful with the medically formulated goop, though. I'd worry that it would drive me nuts and I'd go on an extended binge and cancel out a week's worth of suffering. Are you exercising more? A few long walks each day will "earn" you the solid food that will save your sanity. And learn which solid foods are so low-calorie -- celery, cucumbers -- that you can nosh on them when you're hungry without a second thought. You'll have plenty of time for a liquid diet when you're 90.
And, jeez, four pounds a week? That's a lot! Is your doctor cool with that? Have you thought about making a soft landing to your goal, like maybe shooting for one pound a week?
