Twice over a two day period last week, two people who know me well asked if I had lost weight. I found that odd since I weigh exactly what I weighed at the beginning of April. Since neither of them is allowed to drive or walk to the fridge without glasses or contacts, I’ll just assume it was a nice social compliment.
That’s not to say that this year has been a total waste in the weight control department.
Maintaining my weight for a calendar year would be quite an accomplishment these days. When I left the military in July 1999, I weighed 155 pounds. At 6′ 2″ that was pretty slim. People actually used to make fun of me about it.
It has been a steady climb of the weight classes since that point. January of this year, I topped out at 218 pounds. For literally the first time in my life I might lose weight over a calendar year.
So what is the secret.
No more pop.
After years of drinking 40 to 100 ounces a day, I stopped last Thanksgiving in the most fitting way; cold turkey.
I switched to coffee (no cream, no sugar) for the caffeine and made no other changes to my diet. I had two colds between February and the beginning of April that each stole about 5 pounds that never came back. Apparently I am at a perfect equilibrium of ice cream and laziness to make sure that my weight remains constant.
Parents. Keep your kids away from pop. It is a horrible habit that should be stopped before it is ever started.
For all of you recreational users out there, just remember that the small pop you are drinking today is probably the same size as the large pops you dreamed about when you were a kid.
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I pretty much swore off pop a few years back – and stopped putting sugar in my coffee too. Luckily my 5 year old daughter doesn’t like pop either – ice cream and fruit are her thing
I just don’t keep any in the house anymore. I find myself either drinking water or water with a bit of fruit juice (real) mixed in. I’m no fitness guru and quite due up to lose some weight, but if I had kept on with the pop, I’m sure I would be 40lbs heavier than I am.
People also forget that setting by example is so crucial when it comes to kids. After a small glass or two of apple or orange juice, my daughter always seems to ask for water. Let’s hope that keeps up!