So, my wife's been pregnant and the batteries in our scale were dead, so from the beginning of last school year to about a month ago I hadn't been weighing myself and my wife was eating more so I was too.
Needless to say, I went from my shameful 208lbs to 213lbs over winter.
So, I've finally dedicated myself to fixing the problem and losing the weight. I have a goal of 190lbs or maybe 185lbs. I'll see if I feel like losing some more when I hit 190.
How I'm doing it . . .
Well, I have an iThing now, so I got this app called myfitnesspal. I input my level of activity at work, my height, starting weight, and weight loss goal (limited to 2lbs a week). It then gives you a calorie budget per day and you can also look at specific places you can improve (too many carbs, sugar, salt, etc.) It has a ton of food in it that you can search and then add easily, which is one of the best features of the app. You can also add your workouts which will estimate how many calories you burned and appropriately add them back on your budget.
But the best thing about it is that you can complete your daily diary and it will give you an estimate of "if every day were like today you would weigh "x" lbs in five weeks." This has been a really great way to keep me motivated and accountable for what I eat. I can add a food I want to eat, fake completing my diary and see what it will do to me in the long term. It's a nice motivation and a good way to make me accountable and thinking of the long term.
I've also started running every day. There's a nice loop from my house around a sheep farm then on some roads and back to my place that's a little under 4 miles. I use this other app called "Zombies, Run!" which tracks my speed and gives me some fun story to listen to while I run. I've been doing this run almost every day for three weeks now, but tonight I decided to go for a longer run.
I went from my place around the sheep farm, then up around campus, then on the old rail trail up to the cinemas, then way out to the subsidized housing on the edge of town, then up past the 24 hour fitness place, then past the building supply store, then past the grocers, and home.
Final run: 8.1 miles in 1:14:14 for an average mile of 9:09. Not bad, and I didn't stop running once. I'm also at 208lbs again in just three weeks, although I'd much rather it be 207 so I would be meeting my 2lbs a week goal.
Just thought I would share!