Sunday, June 30, 2024

My Fat Loss Journey 6 (My Diet)

Before I begin, let me say that today's post is brought to you by the David Alan Black Foundation for raising awareness about the importance of smashing the like button and leaving comments saying "Thanks, Dave, for all of the fitness content over the years. You've totally changed my life and given me tranquility in a world filled with stress and anxiety." 

Oh wait. That was meant for my fitness Youtube channel. 

Oh wait. I don't have a fitness Youtube channel.

Anyways ....

Shortly I'll be writing a fairly lengthy blog post about what I'm eating on a daily basis to lose 28 pounds between now and September. But that's for another day. Today's post is just an "appetizer." (Get it?) Since my total maintenance calories add up to 3,000 calories per day, this means that I need to keep my daily calories under 2,500. So far I'm finding this to be a realistic goal. One day I might consume 2,370 calories, while the next day I might consume 1,970. But I'm actually finding it fairly easy to stay under 2,500 without sacrificing the pure enjoyment of eating. Here's what I had for lunch today at the local Mexican eatery after walking my 5 miles:

My total calories were a mere 736 for this delicious meal (Mexican rice = 199, refried beans = 217, soft taco with ground beef = 220, a few chips with salsa = 100). 

For breakfast, as I do each and every day, I had one Bojangles sausage biscuit (470 calories).

Finally, tonight I'll consume a salad (20 calories) with a light dressing (60 calories per serving) and a can of tuna (100 calories; grand total of 180 calories). 

This adds up to a total caloric intake of 1,386 calories for Sunday, June 30, 2024. And, because each of my meals contains protein, at no point during the day will I feel overly hungry (protein has a very high satiety value). 

As you can see, I'm not a Puritan by any means when it comes to diet. I don't stick religiously to any specific foods or to any specific plan. In fact, if the diet has a name, that's a huge red flag for me. (As I see it, the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth of the hole.) So I avoid dietary fads. I mean, it's pretty obvious you're not going to be in the best of shape if all you do is lie on the sofa with a cold beer soda and a bag of potato chips. Interestingly, this isn't the way you approach any other aspect of your life. When I was eating like that, I was doing something I would never have let happen to my job or to my responsibilities. I think you'd agree that such a way of living just doesn't make any sense. 

There are so many people in this world who think they're just too overweight or too weak or too old to get into great shape. Maybe you're one of them. Please remember that a person who is in shape had to start one day just like everyone else. I'm doing what I'm doing because, frankly, I looked in the mirror one day and told myself, " I don't want to look like this any longer." Anyone can do what I and many thousands of others have done. Don't wait until you have a heart attack before you remember that you have a body that requires care and attention. As you'll discover, that's the purpose of my "Fat Loss Journey" series of blog posts -- to help you learn how you can become your own real-life success story. 

More on diet soon. 

Have a wonderful week!