I’ve hit a milestone in the weight loss project.  I’m no longer “obese” by many charts.  I’m merely “overweight.”

I’m also at the halfway mark to “normal weight.”

It’s been less than four months since I started this project.  I would say that the plan is working and working extremely well.  I’m pleased with the results.

The plan was to simply try out every eating plan that made any sense… and change from one plan to another weekly… all while gathering data.  The data would then be used to decide which plans worked best for me and increase their frequency.

In addition to weight loss, I have also lowered my pulse rate and blood pressure by significant amounts.  I feel great… perhaps better than I have ever felt in my adult life.

Exercise has not been a priority.  I take walks when the weather is nice.  I took one hike of over five miles with a 30 pound pack just because I felt like it.

I will eventually study exercise, but I know that most (like me) who are grossly overweight are simply not interested in doing aerobics with Richard Simmons while swinging 300 pounds of fat around.  It’s obviously not required to lose weight.  Losing weight by simply changing eating patterns and eating a lot of food works just fine.  As you do that in a healthy way, your activity level automaticallly increases.  I sometimes feel the urge to just sprint 100 yards to a destination just because I now can.  That is how the hike happened.

I know people who have lost weight using the opposite method… they didn’t change eating patterns, but did exercise obsessively.  The result?  A plateau and the constant need to exercise obsessively to keep from regaining all of that weight.

Exercise by definition is wasted time and I value my time very much.  I would much prefer higher activity where I am doing something exciting or fun and getting the same benefit for my body.

I may change my mind about that as I approach my ideal weight if I don’t like my body shape… and IF it becomes easy to find a quick and effective exercise routine using the same tools I used for the eating plans.  But I’ll cross that bridge if and when I ever come to it.

-James D. Brausch