It’s been over 75 days of calorie counting and the results are still showing. I went to the gym a few days ago and hopped on the scale… 150.6 pounds. That’s almost 20 pounds gone since I started! The main reason I wanted to lose weight is because I felt so out of shape all of the time and I had no energy. Another reason is I was technically overweight, and sitting at a desk all day wasn’t helping. At the rate I was consuming calories, eating bad food, and not exercising, I’d be obese in no time. To do that, I’d only have to gain about 20 pounds, which is very easy.
It’s shocking to think that almost everyone I know is overweight, and many are obese. And none of them would believe they were. My BMI (Body Mass Index) was 26.6 and now it’s 23.7. That doesn’t sound like a big drop, but it is. Actually, anyone who has a BMI over 25 is overweight. So to stay under 25, my weight needs to be between 119-160 (based on my height of 5’7″), but I’d feel anorexic if I weighed any less than 130 or even 140.
I try to eat 4-6 small meals and stay around 1400 calories every day. It’s pretty tough if any fast food or junk food is involved, but I’ve learned from mistakes here and there. Occasionally I’ll eat out for special events or a cheat day. I’ll usually try to get something healthier but the thing that helps more than anything is watching the portions! I don’t think people realize the amount of bad food they are eating. Bad food is obviously bad, but it’s ok here and there if you are only having a serving of it or small amounts.
An example is McDonald’s. If you were to get a cheeseburger, small fry, and a water, you’d be having 530 calories, which is still a little more than you want for a meal, but not hateful. The main problem is you are having all of these calories, but you aren’t really consuming any fruits or vegetables or basically anything healthy. But suppose you were a typical American and you went the easy route and ordered a combo meal… “Ya, I’ll take a Big Mac combo, large, and a Coke to drink.” This weighs in at 1310 calories, almost the total amount for the day for me. I’d have to spend about 3 hours on a bike to gain back most of those extra calories, which I wouldn’t plan on doing. Actually, I’d probably be ready for a nap after a meal like that. And I didn’t even bring up the 59g of fat, 1440mg of sodium, and the 94g of sugar!
Well, thanks for reading another one of my random posts. I’d love to hear your comments or your stories about becoming healthier. Until next time, watch those portions, count those calories, and keep living the dream.