SIX MONTHS ON ETL

I've finished my second week of reaching my exercise goals. I've got my strength training in 3x week. My cardio each week has been four hours. There was one day I missed walking this week, but made up the minutes.

I'm using my Tony Little Gazalle for the cardio. It's been great to be on and watch TV and not be outside in the cold. My weigh in weight this week was 169 which is within the target range.

This week I reached a milestone by following the Eat to Live lifestyle for six months!

WINTER GOALS

Here are my winter exercise goals:
Cardio 30 minutes a day to total 3.5
Strength Training 30 minutes for 3x a week total 1.5
Total exercise 5 hours.

My weight goal is to maintain a range of 172 – 167. I am not stressing about losing weight just maintaining what I lost. Exercising and eating properly. Yes, I would like to get to a 36 inch waist and get down to 159. But if I’ve not been able to do it these last 4 months, it's very unlikely to happen during the winter.

TURNING THE CORNER

The last two days, I've held to the three squares and ate appropriately. Weighed in this morning at 166.5. That was a big swing. So I expect it may bounce up the next few days even holding to the eating plan.

Got my 30 minute walk in this evening, plus a strength training on the Bowfex.

Hurray!

BACKSLIDING CONTINUES

September was another month of backsliding. I weighed in at at the end of the month at 170, a 3 pound gain. I eating nutritionally but adding some unhealthy eating. Fortunately, I am maintaining my walking program. I stopped strength training due to a shoulder cramp.

My goal for October is get back to basics, avoid snacking, impulse eating, and maintaining my exercise program. I shooting for weighing in at the end of the month at 165.

3 Week Backslide

I gained 2 pounds in August, ARGHHH!!!!!!! My 12 week goal looks unlikely. I only have 9 weeks left. I’m keeping that 11/1 goal. Okay, I need to get back to basics on my ETL eating plan. I am looking at 12 weeks before my 57th birthday. My next goal is 158 that will put me at a BMI of 22 at 11/21. I want to burn the fat and build muscle. I need to concentrate on my weight training by increasing the resistance. I am also increasing my cardio and shooting for 6 hours of exercise per week.

Week 13 - 25 and Holding

I completed week 13 with a weight of 165. No pounds lost this week and no pounds gained. My vital statistics are chest – 39, waist 38, hips 38, and BMI is 23. This week I purchased a fat analyzer/weight scale. It gives me a reading of 20 % body fat...

My short-term goal is to reach a weight of 160. My mid-range goal is to weigh 160 with losing 10 pounds of fat and gaining 5 pounds of muscle. I would like to reach a waist of 36”, if not lower. I’ve always been flat butted and with losing more fat that measurement will go down. I will have to concentrate in building up my gluteus maximus, THE GLUTS!

Right now at 165 with 20% fat means 132 of lean tissue and 23 pounds of fat. If I add 5 pounds of muscle a 4% gain of lean tissue and lose 10 pounds of fat; my proportion would be 137/13 = 160; 86% lean and 14% fat. My BMI would be 22.3.

I think this is challenging. My target date for this is November 1st - 12 weeks away.

Week 10 - 25 N10

This week I completed week 10 with a total of 25 pounds lost! The last 4 weeks have only seen a pound lost per week. As I'm only now 5 pounds from my goal this rate is acceptable.

I've added fish twice a week to my diet; usually; sardines or wild salmon. My wife Sharon has been following the plan to and recently had to buy new clothes.

I am exercising between 4 to 6 hours a week. Strength training 3X for 30 minutes and daily walks of thirty or 60 minutes if I didn't do my strength training.

This is a very workable way to live and eat!

Week 7 - 22 N 7

Completed my seventh week on the Eat to Live diet life-style, and have lost 22 pounds!

I've added cardio back to my exercise regime. Early on I was feeling the affects of over-exercising. Here is my new plan:

• I will strength train 3 times a week. Each session is about 30 minutes.
• I will do cardio vascular work, walking and biking for 30 minutes a day. The total is 3.5 hours.
• The total of above is 5 hours. Some days I will walk a hour.

I've been strength training on my Bowflex, but stopped walking for a hour each day. It was just too much for a former couch potato.

Yesterday on my walk, a gal in her SUV pulled up to me and said you are really losing weight. She commented she has seen me walking through the neighborhood and noticing the leaner look. I told her about my '21 n 6', the Eat to Live book and Dr. Fuhrman's website.She said she needed to do something as she was so tired of being so tired of being over-weight. When I told her about my more energy and greater initiative to do the chores around the house, she commented she had to get her husband on it!

Six Week Results

I’ve just completed my six weeks of the Eat to Live diet life-style. Before I announce the pounds lost, let me say that the weight loss is number three on the benefits I received on this eating plan.

The benefits that I am receiving:
1. No food cravings! I have no desire for sweets or my salty snacks. These things have been my downfall in all other dieting attempts.

2. ENERGY!!! I have a lot of pep and go. My wife is totally amazed in my increased initiative in doing chores around the house. She says, “Who are you?” She jokingly calls me ‘vegetable man.’

3. Twenty one pounds lost in 6 weeks!

4. Sense of well being. I actually felt a buzz or high, like from endorphins for the first couple of weeks just three days from detoxing from the bad stuff.

5. Less moody! Gave up caffeine and the need for that java fix.

Why would one want to stop eating this way! I am looking forward to the next fours weeks in losing an additional ten pounds to reach my target weight of 160.

Inching Down - Day 35

Now at the end of my 5th week, I lost 18 pounds and two inches from the waist. Yeah!

The last several days, I've worked out on the bowflex, but not walked. My body is feeling better from the rest.

I really enjoy my breakfast smoothie. I blend; one banana, cup of frozen strawberries & blueberries, 1/2 cup of raw oats, tablespoon of ground flax seed, half cup of soy milk and half cup of orange juice. Boy is it good!