Three months of toning up...

Thirty pounds in three months. That's what I've lost.  How? Well, simply because I decided to. At 6', 220lbs, I was a big guy, but I worked out and ran constantly. I was in good shape. While at or near that weight, I ran six or seven half-marathons, two full marathons, and completed a GORUCK. I even actively maintained that physique by eating right after lifting ("Protein needs to be taken within the first hour after exercising in order to maximize its impact on muscle growth." Yea... whatever.)

Then, through no fault of my own, I took a week off of lifting. Well, it was to tour Italy for 10 days, so I guess it's partially my fault. But, while I didn't lift, I walked an insane amount around Rome, Venice, Florence, and Pompeii. And, more importantly, I rarely ate.

Why? Did I skip meals because I wasn't near a restaurant? Too expensive? Nope. I was just distracted by all the awesomeness and simply forgot. I forgot to eat. You know what that means? It means I didn't NEED to eat. And, that's the single greatest reason that we as a society and culture are so damn fat. Food is too readily-accessible to us now. So, I lost 10 pounds in about two weeks and decided to become a 'not-eater' and see what it would do to me. Result? I've toned up. I'm down 30 pounds. I'm lifting the same (if not more) weight at the gym than before. I'm running faster and further than before.

Not-eating is good for you. Who knew?

Now, I admit that there are a dozen little things I do in my day that contribute to my toning up. I work out everyday by either running or hitting the gym. I walk up the five floors to my office at work. I've found foods that I like that aren't high in fat and calories. But, those are the little things. What one thing can I point to that has had the biggest effect? I'm a non-eater.

After the gym, do I go eat a piece of salmon to get that protein? Hardly ever. Why should I? To gain the effects of the protein? All those articles are sadly over-rated, I hate to tell you. Should I go eat because it's 6:30 PM? Why do you eat at dinner time if you aren't hungry?

The secret to toning up and losing weight? Don't eat unless you're hungry. And, even then, wait an hour. You aren't 'starving.' People in third-world countries are starving. You're simply letting your body switch over from burning the calories you ingested this morning to the fat you've been storing. Know what? That's the point. It takes some discipline. I used to grab crackers at work, and I've cut down on that. I don't drink empty calories. Diet Coke? Totally acceptable from a caloric perspective. You can argue the point that the rest of the stuff in soft drinks are bad for you, but I haven't changed my soda intake at all during the past three months.

I'm 6', 190 pounds now... three months later. I still work out. I run regularly and have dropped my pace nearly a minute per mile. I carry a rucksack full of bricks that add up to essentially where I was three months ago, and it amazes me that what's in that bag used to be on me. I never cared to lose weight before, and now I weigh less than I have in nearly 20 years. Feels good.