My New Podcast Has Dropped!

The Weighting has begun…a weekly podcast as I work to lose the final 20 of 101 pounds. 

After more work than I imagined, and the help of a wonderful producer and dear friends, my podcast, The Weighting, is live on iTunes, Google Play and SoundCloud and more. 

If you are interested in following me on my journey to see if I can lose my 101st pound by Independence Day click and subscribe. I’ll be talking to smart people about exercise, fitness, psychology and nutrition. And I’ll be talking to you about how to set goals for yourself and turn your wishes into realities. 

Here’s some links to the first two episodes; please subscribe, listen and rate us so others can hear about one man’s story of setting and meeting goals one pound at a time. 

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weighting/id1386717204

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/avidzell/the-weighting-episode-1

Being ON is Just as Important as Being OFF

My first trip abroad has been a massive challenge to my ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I am really ready to resume my fairly tedious dietary life. 

Yesterday in London was awesome for me. Why? I found a gym that had the basics I needed and did a double workout. I really craved the neural release that comes with being connected to my body, and loved the sense of normal that comes with exercise. 

I was also benefitting from the confidence that comes with reestablishing a handle on my nutrition. After loading up Saturday at Holland & Barrett, I packed my bag with 2100 calories and 200 grams of protein, while also factoring in a half a piece of fish and some chips (I am in London after all). 

The gym, Nuffield Health in Covent Gardens was a labyrinth, as so many city gyms are, stairs down and more stairs down and then stairs up and around to the changing room and gym floor. The staff was nice but the facility was so-so — not enough variety in equipment, no wifi — but it was clean and I was able to hobble together a kick-ass workout and then got in a full 2.5 mile run as well. I then ate a bit and ran around London. When I got back to my hotel room I looked in my food bag and was amazed — I had over 1000 calories I had no consumed. It seems my body clock was still off causing my under-eating. I was going to dinner at the London Playboy Club so at least I had plenty of room to explore. 

At the Club, I had an amazing meal and hands down the best Caesar salad I have ever had. The meal was primarily meat to keep my protein up, but I still had to eat some more when I got back to keep my numbers in place. 

And then today I made a major discovery — London takes Christmas very seriously. The tube shuts down, regional trains are closed, Victoria Station is sealed shut. I was going to store my bags at Victoria, grab a workout and then take a long self-guided walking tour before my flight. Luggage storage was all closed. No gyms are open, at least that I could find. So I walked 1.5 miles to an open Pret with my luggage and decided to wave the white flag. A $100+ Uber ride got me to the airport as it was that or a 2 1/2 hour bus ride with hundreds of other puzzled travelers. 

So here i sit fairly late into the day and I still have a 9 hour flight ahead of me. So my day is going to be….

The above sentence is unfinished because my flight was called and I slid into business class, watched movies, played games and came to a realization: time off means time off from scrutinizing my diet and recording every morsel. I started thinking about the professional athlete I have worked with for years — I know he takes time off from his training and nutrition, he has talked to me about it many times. I started thinking about the coach of another big sport who has mentioned the importance time off plays in training for himself and his players. And I thought about basketball, baseball, football — all have seasons where players are on and equally off. 

So that my friends, is the end of me attempting to control my diet when I am away. That said, healthy eating is contagious (just like unhealthy eating I suppose). Me “cheating” means using butter on a piece of bread or eating an extra protein bar, not downing a pint of ice cream or getting drunk and binging. So letting my hair down is not that big a deal based on who I am in 2017. 

And the result of the overeating and under-eating and no gym? I weighed in at 5:30 EST — very nervous might I might add — and I gained a whopping 2.2 pounds while I was away. Big deal. All that worry for a 34-ounce gain. 

So what now? Back to it folks. I know what happens when I don’t exercise and eat well — I get fat, out of shape and depressed. So the choice is clear and I’m going back to what I did to lose all that weight and keep it off. After all, I’ve still got major goals ahead!  

Happy Boxing Day to you all — see you in the gym.

The Downside of Being a Mammal

Just like squirrels, bears and cows, we slow down when the temperatures drop. Slower achievement can make us feel like changes aren’t occurring, even if they are. Feelings are not facts. 

I diligently (some would say obsessively) weigh myself every morning at 5 AM. That data has given me a great deal of insight into what works and what does not with regard to my fitness, training and diet. It also helps me make accurate predictions about my progress. Most of the time I can predict how much loss will occur with pretty surprising accuracy, especially considering my compromised numeric skills. 

Keeping that in mind, I have noted a rather disappointing trend in that my weight loss has plateaued despite my moderately good (I hesitate to call them “best”) efforts at being disciplined. You see, I put on a good show with regard to weighing myself, recording my food and going to the gym. But I’m a tad bit of a fraud. How? Well, despite my preaching the gospel of writing EVERYTHING down that I eat and drink, there are a few indulgences that typically don’t effect my long-term goals. 

For example, I don’t record the skim milk calories in my coffee, typically I use between 6–9 ounces a day. Another allowance I give myself is pickles and watermelon. If I am hitting the wall with regard to macros and I still need a nosh to get me through, pickles and/or watermelon are my defaults. On long days with a small amount of calories I will go between one or the other based on the needs of my palate and what I think will satiate me. Up until now this has worked; but as it gets colder and I move less frequently and more slowly, my numbers are alarmingly static so every calorie is suspect. 

I’ve been told most bears don’t truly hibernate,

 they sleep for long periods called “torpor.” 

(photo courtesy of fun-with-pictures.com) 

Humans are animals, mammals by vertebrate class, and mammals slow down (and in some cases totally stop) when the temperatures drop. Humans are not immune to that process and I am feeling the effects of shorter days, longer nights and frosty mornings as I make my way to the gym. As a result my march towards losing 101 pounds is more like a saunter in December.

I feel like the weight is not coming off to my liking. But when I study the facts I am reminded of one of the central tenants of cognitive behavioral theory — feelings are not facts. Just because I feel something is true does not mean it is. Keeping that in mind, let’s examine the facts. 

During this time of year most people gain weight — on average about a thirteen pound weight gain starting in October (per a study done by Cornell University). Not only have I not gained any weight, I’ve dropped some weight over that time as you can see below. Yes it has peaks and valleys — totally normal for weight loss, but the jagged line continues along a negative slope — with the peak being 231 in mid-September and the lowest point being 218 in the first week of December (my lowest recorded weight is 217 even on December 15th — 83 pounds lost total. 

Keeping that in mind makes me feel better I did not gain since October, I have lost. And if we factor in the typical seasonal gain, the results are even more impressive. Take Thanksgiving Day; the day after I gained .02 pounds by eating whatever I wanted but eating small portions. I have changed my thoughts about food. I don’t have to gorge myself to enjoy the flavors of the season. I have a more sophisticated relationship with food and that come from examining the beliefs around it not only in everyday life, but on holidays and special occasions as well. 

Speaking of holidays and special occasions, I am going to London for Christmas. On the trip as I make my way across that sprawling metropolis I going to work hard to keep my waistline from sprawling by working out and finding healthy ways to eat like a Brit while I’m there. 

What foods do you think are truly British? Tweet them to me DavidEzell and I’ll put them on the list. And if you have a suggestion for great eating, healthy eating, or both, send those my way as well. 

81 pounds down!

I’m delighted to say yesterday’s prediction of moving into the teens happened, even better than expected. Now the next step….

This morning I woke up a bit early and laid in bed, meditated, napped a bit more and then hit the scales. I was strangely anxious and really needed to see good news. I heard the “beep!” and looked down to see this glowing up at me: 

Needless to say, I was delighted. I was hoping for 219.9, so this is damn solid. I hopped off the scale, took the above picture and celebrated with my Starbucks cheat drink, a Masala Chai (70 calories) and my favorite protein bar, Stronger with caramel pretzel (300 calories, 25 grams of protein). 

I looked at my stats and realized this weight had not only moved me into the teens but made we only 20 pounds shy of my goal, 101 pounds lost. It’s been an amazing year for me and I’m stoked about finding what the next 20 pounds off will have to offer. 

I’ve gotten so much great response from writing about my journey — a woman stopped me outside Equinox and said she and her husband were pulling for me; a man at church tapped me on the shoulder and offered his support; and several of the phone calls we have gotten at our amazing mental health practice, Darien Wellness, over the past month have been inquiries about how people can work with me as a coach. It’s always a surprise and I am so grateful for the kind words and expressions of support. 

I actually already have a waiting list for clients in Connecticut (pleasant problem) so I have been thinking about a way I can help people keep weight off for life. I’m in the process of putting a plan together, and I still have some details to iron out. But once I have it all set up I’ll announce it here and across the web. 

Okay, I’m off to start the day — aerobics, writing, meetings and more — have a wonderful Friday! 

How to Create Effective New Years Resolutions

Definable Goals = Success

I'm a big believer in resolutions and think New Years Day is a wonderful date to begin. If you are interested in creating a change in your life I'm going to share a few pointers to help make the transition as easy as it can be.

The first step is to create a resolution that can be easily measured. Instead of making some sort of global statement such as, "I want to be happy," create a goal that can be monitored and measured to see the change take place.

In preparation for this entry I did a little reading and found a list of the ten most common resolutions. Some were great--clearly defined and discrete--and others, well, not so much.

One great example is number four on the list, "I want to quit smoking. That is a very clear and really easy goal to measure. Simply quit smoking. If you go three days and then put one in your mouth, you have had three days of success. The next day give it another go and see how many days you can continue without smoking. This is a goal that is nice, simple and to the point.

What's an example of a bad goal? How about number five, "enjoy life more?" What does that mean? How can you measure "enjoying life?"

The spirit of the goal is wonderful--who wouldn't like to enjoy life more? But if you want that to be a goal, that is not the way to get there. You need to list specific activities that you enjoy and then determine how frequently--daily, weekly or monthly--you want that to occur.

For example, if you like going to art galleries, pick one day a week and go to a gallery. This still relates to enjoying life but now it has a real goal connected to it. Did you go to an art gallery last week? If so, you met your goal and should be one step closer to having a happier life. If not, find out what is keeping you from getting there and give it another shot. Congrats!

In a day or two we'll talk about the next step in the process--creating realistic goals.

Happy New Years!

P.S. To see the complete list of top ten goals click here

How Can I Lose Fat Fast?

work + time = value

You can't. You can lose water weight or you can deplete your body of muscle mass...but you can't lose body fat quickly. Sorry.

No one like the fact that weight loss takes exercise and smart food choices. It is that simple and that hard.

It takes thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of hours to become obese. Doesn't it make sense that it would take an equal, if not a greater, investment to reverse the process?

The rewards of being fit are multiple and well worth the work but it is WORK. Anything valuable is typically hard to attain. If it were not, it would not be of value.