Not Getting Fat in 2010

January 5, 2010

My pants don’t fit. I finally admitted this sometime around Christmas. This won’t do, so I’m going to lose some weight. I’m about six feet tall and I’ve weighed somewhere around 185 pounds for about the last seven years. As I write this, I weigh 203.

2010 has brought the realization that I can’t take my health for granted. I officially need to start paying serious attention to my lifestyle—indeed, I’ve joined the group of people who resolve to lose weight at the beginning of the year.

This doesn’t mean that I can’t also make the same high minded resolutions I have for the past two years. I’m still trying to do those enlightened things, but I want to do something measurable, too.

I want to weigh 180 pounds or less on my 32nd birthday in May, so I’m going to lose a little over a pound a week between now and then.

Here’s how I plan to do it.

Eat well

I’m not a believer in diets designed to shed pounds quickly (what Rafe Colburn calls “metabolism hacks“). I’m a believer in consistently eating the right amounts of the right things, but I’m in the habit of eating some combination of the wrong amounts of the wrong things. What I consider to be “right” is summed up in these two adages:

Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. This comes from Pollan’s 2007 article Unhappy Meals, which has influenced my thinking about food more than any other writing. I highly recommend it. When Pollan says food, he mean things that humans have eaten because they encounter them in nature—things that our bodies are designed (by evolution) to ingest. Skip to the end of the article for further explanation of what he means by “food.”
Treats should be treats, meaning that I should only eat things like cookies and ice cream on special occasions. I’m extending it to apply to eating out as well. I’m pretty sure I came up with this one myself, but Pollan has some insight on this one too:

When we let corporations do the cooking, they’re bound to go heavy on sugar, fat and salt; these are three tastes we’re hard-wired to like, which happen to be dirt cheap to add and do a good job masking the shortcomings of processed food. And if you make special-occasion foods cheap and easy enough to eat every day, we will eat them every day. The time and work involved in cooking, as well as the delay in gratification built into the process, served as an important check on our appetite. Now that check is gone, and we’re struggling to deal with the consequences.
— From Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch

Exercise

I was very good about exercising in grad school, especially whenever I felt pressured by coursework. I was convinced that my brain and overall happiness would be better off if I took care of my body. I seem to have forgotten that. Just as good food should be part of my life, so should exercise.

My plan for the coming months:

I’ll be running the Carlsbad half marathon on the 24th of this month. I will run the La Jolla half on April 25th and the America’s Finest City half on August 25th, completing San Diego’s half marathon Triple Crown. Registering for these events motivates me to run regularly. I’m aiming to run six days a week. Join me if you want.
Thanks to Shan, I’ve been working with a trainer once a week. I’ll keep doing that.
When I’m not seeing the trainer or taking my weekly day off, I will go to yoga or complete the daily workout on the Workout of the Day iPhone app—none of these workouts requires a gym or weights and they’re extremely effective.
I also have vague plans to go on a long backpacking trip on the Teton Crest trail sometime in the fall. And as always, I want to surf more often (although surfing isn’t great exercise other than the paddling).

Track my progress

This part is inspired by Rafe Colburn’s post on “the line diet”, which simply requires people to plot their daily weight on a chart over time. This gives the dieter timely feedback on how he should adjust his diet and behavior. I’m going to plot my weight weekly rather than daily. Shan has convinced me that weekly weigh-ins are better. I want to change my behavior broadly, and daily weigh-ins may foster ad hoc adjustments rather than general adjustments.

The main point here is the acknowledgement that I’m trying to lose a particular amount of weight rather than simply “eat better” or “exercise more.”

My progress can be seen in the chart at the top of this post, and will be updated continually over the next few months. I’ll revisit my goal on my birthday, deciding then if I should keep shedding pounds or maintain.

Apply social pressure

As if publicly embarrassing myself with this post weren’t enough, here’s how you can ~~guilt me into keeping at this~~ help me reach my goal:

I’ve created a campaign at The Point in which I’ve pledged to donate $100 to San Diego Roots, an organization that works to “educate, cultivate and empower sustainable food communities in San Diego County.” I will not actually donate the money unless I reach my goal.

If you’d like to encourage me to reach my goal, you can also pledge money to San Diego Roots through by joining the campaign. Your money will not be donated unless I reach my goal. That is, if I don’t reach my goal, I will effectively withhold your charity from this noble community group. I don’t want that on my conscience. Beth Kanter came up with this idea a few years ago; I’m happy to take it from her.

Let’s hope I never have to post something like this again.

If you liked this (you should have), you might also like:

Short link to this post:

Jeff Foster

I’ve been playing a lot recently with http://www.dailyburn.com (and their iPhone apps). I used it earlier this year to track diet/exercise/sleep for about 4 months and lost about 20 lbs. If you’re feeling super nerdy/frivelous, check out this scale that uploads data to the web app: http://www.withings.com/

Tracking helps me tons – it makes me feel like I’m playing a long, involved RPG or something.

Maybe I should start LARPing.
http://globalspin.com Chris Radcliff

Sounds like a solid plan. I’ll help you however I can.

Three suggestions as you start out, because you knew they were coming:

1. Keep a food diary. It encourages healthy eating, perhaps by keeping you aware of what you’re choosing to eat. (http://j.mp/8pi8CJ)

2. Make that 180 a 185. If you maintained at 185 for years (and were happy with it), that’s a sign that you could maintain around 185 in the future. It may not sound like a big difference, but “those last few pounds” might be a big (and unnecessary) barrier.

3. Extend that line out past May. Just copy-and-paste 185 for another 52 weeks. Weighing 185 pounds on May 25th is great, but only if it’s due to a lifestyle change that will carry to June, July, and 2011.

Good luck!
http://jedsundwall.com Jed

Jeff: yes, start LARPing. That scale is nuts, and I’m considering using the Daily Burn app to track my diet (thx for the tip), which brings me to Chris’s point…

Re: food diary, Shan’s first comment was that I might need to be more rigorous about my approach to food. My adages are easy to fudge, particularly the “not too much” part. I like the idea of making myself accountable for what I eat by accounting for what I eat…weird!

I wasn’t stoked about 185, so I want to see if I can break it. Who knows what lies beyond!

I’ll see how I want to extend the line in May. I may adjust it again before I flatten it out for all eternity.
Shannon

I’m trying to figure out how to make an emoticon that means “thumbs up”. I’m thinking this: ::’ (four fingers and a thumb?) Anyway, thumbs up! I’m excited about this.
http://jedsundwall.com Jed

Shan, they only have thumbs up emoticons in the orient: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_emoticons#Eastern_emoticons

d^_^b

still, : ::’
Jeff Foster

By the way, if I wasn’t clear, that scale has dailyburn integration, FYI. I’m ridin’ nerdy.
http://jedsundwall.com Jed

Jeff, I saw that it integrates w/ Daily Burn, but it’s too expensive. I just picked up this scale for $29.

Shan tipped me off to a great iPhone app called Lose It to keep track of calories.
http://dearworldgetright.blogspot.com/ John Short

I was linked to blog via yewknee.com and found this link very informative, not to mention a feeling of camaraderie from across the country. I’m not quite into my 30′s but I qualify as being 6’0 in stature and attempting to drop (and keep off) about 25 lbs by the summer. Just thought I’d let you know your blog is super. Losing weight is super. keep up the super-iority. That’s right.
http://www.sdpark2park.com Omar

I needed motivation to get back in shape. What better than a total stranger? Thanks for that. Jeff F’s “ridin’ nerdy” almost made me spit out my water. hahaha. Now bookmarking your site to keep the pressure on myself
MadSurfs

I think your diet plan is awesome, especially the donations you have committed to as motivation. Keep up what your doing and you’ll be there in no time, well May at least.

One thing that bugged me though…
From your statement about surfing it sounds like your the one “ridin’ nerdy” out in the water- kook?! You said: I want to surf more often (although surfing isn’t great exercise other than the paddling). If you get better at surfing you will find that it is one of the best full body workouts you can get due to the explosive maneuvers that require quick and very powerful muscle response. Surfing may not be your key to getting lean but your endurance and strength will improve a lot. Get in the water more to improve your skills and you’ll flying down the line to 180.
Jen

I came across your website from San Diego Roots’ site, and I just had to drop you a line to let you know that I think it’s great that you’re taking the time and energy to be better to your body. I too was part of the “my pants don’t fit” club back in September, and I made a commitment to do something about it. Like you, I’ve been eating healthy, exercising, and going for the Triple Crown! Carlsbad was my first half marathon, and it was incredible. I can’t wait for La Jolla. Best of luck on your journey to a better you! See you at the finish line in April :)
http://pehrlabel.com adam

dude i agree with everything chris radcliff said. i started losing weight with wade two years ago. he took that idea and ran with it but that man is OBSESSIVE, he will stick to his workouts and eating routines like a maniac.

i just gave up after a while and i never got back to when i was at my fattest (pig level) but now i am just floating about 30 pounds above non-chubby level (doughy level).

don’t you have a computer job? those are the worst for fatness because you just sit there immobile. my friend in berkeley has a computer job in berkeley at home which is the worst, because you only do two things when you work unsupervised on a computer at home besides work: eat (refrigerator is right next door!) and you know the other thing. it is unmentionable.

hey also surfing does help you lose weight: your body working to stay warm, and all of the muscles you use for balance.

hugs, hervey
http://jedsundwall.com Jed

Hahahahaha, Adam.

I’ve been thinking about this surfing thing, and I’m realizing that I’m just a lousy surfer. I paddle out, which is hard, but then I’m either too timid to take waves or I’m not willing to work hard enough for them. I end up not doing enough surfing to work those balance muscles for very long.

I need to get back in the water.

Good on Wade for being a maniac!
http://www.leefur.com Lee

Dude, you’re doin it. Amazing. Keep at it… Terra and I are proud of you!
noosh

Great prep work, man! One other motivational tool I’ve heard about people using is donating to causes you don’t believe in when you fail to meet your goals. So, for instance, let’s say you wanted to lose 1 lb/wk. You could set yourself up to donate $10 for every lb you fall short in a month or any given period to some organization or cause you don’t believe in or are totally against. The idea being that you’ll be extra motivated to do the things necessary to reach your goal. I’m not personally a fan of doing this based on results, but more on inputs. So, I think it’s a great idea to fine yourself (e.g. donate to demon cause) for every day you don’t run, but not on your actual weight. That way, you’re only responsible for the things you can control.

Need to get back in gear, myself. Let me know when you’re running and I’ll try to motivate myself to join ya!

Peas,

noosh
http://globalspin.com Chris Radcliff

I say, sir. Well done. It’s May, and your line is looking completely liney.

Are you going to go horizontal with it now?
http://johntantalo.com John Tantalo

Man you don’t even go above the line ever. FLAWLESS VICTORY.
http://jedsundwall.com Jed

Thanks guys!

I’m not willing to declare a flawless victory until I weigh in on the 23rd. But…the scale read 178.2 this morning, so it’s looking like I’ll have something to declare! I will probably yell FLAWLESS VICTORY when on the scale.

Chris, yeah, I’m probably going to go horizontal although I want to spend at least a month not thinking about the line too much while maintaining some of the good habits I’ve developed and see how things settle.

I’ll be writing a follow up blog post next week.
Lindsay

Rad. Rad. Rad.

I used to love the Hacker’s Diet, but counting calories is starting to be a huge burden now that I am in an office and no working from home.

Thank you for introducing me to the Line Diet 155 days before my wedding.

:)