My monthly fatloss progress report....

Today's Post:  Monday, 6-17-2013

This is one of my most promising reports for three reasons.

1.  Not only did I lose 1 and a half more pounds on the scale since the previous month, I also lost another half inch from my waist!

I’m now two and a half pounds below my goal weight on the scale.  And now with that second  half inch loss on my waist, I’m down to 3 and a half inches to go to reach my first goal for fat loss on my waist!

Progress on losing inches on my waist two months in a row is dramatically better than hardly any!

2.  Since last time, I’d read the book, FastDiet, which is about intermittent partial fasting just two nonconsecutive days a week. 

(It's: The FastDiet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting by Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer (Feb 26, 2013).)

AND this past month, I did it each of the last 4 weeks! 

I’d read similar things that share the great news that eating well most of the time particularly while getting plenty of health OK protein but cutting calories more than that every once in a while: 

removed fat without lowering metabolism or boosting hunger AND resulted in MORE fat lost and no fat regain! 

(Your body reads that as there IS enough to eat most of the time so no need to panic or throw the famine response to stop fat loss.  It’s just normal variation with a bit less some days.)

In case you missed it, just cutting calories sometimes causes MORE fat loss AND that fat stays lost!  People who cut every day have a LOT harder time doing it!  AND their body DOES reverse their efforts by slamming on the famine response!  This is proven fact.

So, I’d been eating a vegetable only lunch one day a week already.  But this book suggests not a total fast but a well below 1,000 calories partial fast two days a week.

It creates faster fat loss than less of a cut back.  And it loses only fat – NO muscle lost and with NO metabolism slow down.  Even better, it has dramatic other health benefits from lower blood pressure to better blood sugar and heart health indicator readings.

AND, though you get hungry a few times a day during those days, it’s relatively moderate and passes.  You only have to do it those two days.  And, you do get used to it.  Both the authors of the book and most of the people they studied found it doable.  AND, because of the spectacular results, every one of the people who could do it all WANTS to and plans to continue it indefinitely!

They suggest a very light breakfast, skip lunch, and a very light dinner. And, they provide premeasured menus to fit the calories they suggest for those two meals on those two days each week.

For me, my most important meal and for protein is breakfast right after I exercise each day.  It helps be sure my muscles have enough protein to recover and build.  And it fits the model that people who keep off the weight they lose always eat breakfast.  Plus I’d already found that I can have a vegetable only lunch and do fine.  So, in my case, on those two days, I now also eat a vegetable only dinner, have no wine those two days, and have cup of tea instead.  And, I get most of my calories from my completely the same as before breakfasts on those two days.

To avoid weekends and cutting back on Weds or Thurs when I do my hardest strength training workouts, I decided to do the partial fasts Tuesday and Fridays. 

Since I have an extra chore on Tuesday nights and a BIG extra chore on Friday nights, saving that half hour for dinner on those two nights really gives me more leverage on getting everything done without stress!

3.  The third reason is that the progress the previous month was from LOTS of coughing for 4 weeks getting rid of a bid chest cold.

Before when that happened, the following month I GAINED weight and inches.  To have lost some of each instead the following month suggests a VERY robust effect for the partial fasting two days a week!

Future thoughts:

I am still struggling with some issues on adding muscle due to a persistent left shoulder injury.  But I think I finally have got it improving and am rehabbing it slowly enough it will get better as my previous injuries have. 

And, once I have got it healed, I’ll be able to make progress again on my jump rope sessions for burst style interval cardio and the half of my upper body strength training it has been limiting.

Meanwhile I HAVE seen some progress in the other half of my strength training for upper body and for legs.

I even was making progress, before the injury, for the half of my upper body strength training the injury put on hold.

So as usual, it may take longer than I’d like.  BUT I AM losing fat each month and expect to continue to.

AND, I am doing exercises that WILL gradually add muscle as I recover from my injury and keep working to improve.

That means I now have a real shot at losing my belly fat from just those two things alone.

Plan to report more progress next time!