Nine Tips for Losing Weight

Some more tips from Quality Health (can't say I disagree with any of these):

1. Start Right. As cliche as it may sound, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day—especially when you're trying to shed pounds. A study conducted at the University of Minnesota found that those who eat a healthy breakfast tend to have a lower body mass index than those who skip the first meal of the day.

2. Stick with Cereal. It's important to eat a healthy breakfast, and you may lose even more weight by choosing cereal for your morning meal. In a recent study, people who ate cereal for breakfast every day were much less likely to be obese or have diabetes than those who didn't.

3. Go Nuts. Instead of reaching for your staple snack, eat a handful of nuts. In a study conducted by the City of Hope National Medical Center, overweight adults who consumed a moderate-fat diet with almonds lost more weight than a control group who ate the same diet without the almonds.

4. Get Your Z's. According to research by France's INSERM organization, sleep loss causes a 23 to 24 percent increase in hunger, which can mean major weight gain. Not surprisingly, studies have also shown that people who get at least eight hours of sleep a night have an easier time losing weight than those who don't.

5. Eat Slowly. When it comes to weight loss, slow and steady really does win the race—because people eat less when they savor their food. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island found that women who ate their meals quickly (in nine minutes) consumed a total of 646 calories, while those ate the same meals slowly (in 29 minutes) consumed only 579 calories.

6. Be Prepared. That vending machine at your workplace doesn't offer many nutritious food choices (neither does the office candy jar or the mall food court). That's why it's important to bring a healthy lunch and energy-boosting snacks with you to work, school, shopping, or anywhere else you'll be for extended periods of time.

7. Downsize. Restaurant portions are likely to be much larger than anything you'd prepare for yourself at home. So the next time you're dining out, ask for a take-home box when your entrée is served. Scoop half of your dish into the box, refrigerate it when you get home, and eat it for lunch or dinner the following day.

8. Buddy Up. Several studies have shown that having a diet buddy can help you lose weight faster and more effectively. At the gym, a workout partner has the same effect. So find a friend, family member, coworker, or acquaintance who shares your goals, and make a pact to support and motivate each other and achieve your objectives together.

9. Indulge Yourself. According to experts, limiting yourself to a rigid diet can lead to feelings of deprivation and undermine your weight-loss efforts. For better results, allow yourself an occasional—but modest—weekly splurge, such as a piece of angel-food cake with strawberries or a few spoonfuls of ice cream.

Cardio, strength training... or both?

I found this of interest, from Quality Health:

If the search for ultimate fitness came down to either cardio exercise or strength training, which would be the better choice? The answer may surprise you.

People work out with different goals in mind. Some are looking for weight loss, some want cardiovascular fitness and some want to tone and build muscle. A complete fitness plan includes both cardiovascular and strength training but each has its benefits.

What are those benefits?

• Strength (weight or resistance) training. According to the Mayo Clinic, muscle mass naturally decreases with age. If you don't do anything to replace the muscle loss, it'll be replaced with fat. Weight training can help you reverse the trend at any age. As your muscle mass increases, you'll be able to work harder and longer before you get tired. You'll maintain joint flexibility, increase bone density and better manage your weight." The more muscle mass you have the less body fat you'll store. Muscle burns more calories than fat.

• Cardio Exercise. The Mayo Clinic also clarifies the benefits of cardio (aerobics). "Aerobic exercise causes you to breathe faster and more deeply, which maximizes the amount of oxygen in your blood. The better your aerobic fitness, the more efficiently your heart, lungs and blood vessels transport oxygen throughout your body. The bottom line? It's great for your heart, lungs and long-term health and burns calories.

Waist Not, Want Not

It's been more than two years since I wore the pants I'm wearing today. The visible crease line from the hangar is embarrassing, but I don't care. They fit again!

How clothes fit is a good indicator of how one's body is changing during a weight-loss program. When combined with weight lifting, weight loss is hard to gauge sometimes because added muscle mass takes away from the fat loss, in terms of the scale. But when clothes start fitting again... that's a good thing!

I have a pair of shorts that I haven't worn in about 10 years. I probably shouldn't wear them again, since they're 10 years (or more) out of style. But the day I fit in them is the day I know I've arrived. I'll keep you updated!

18 Days to Go

It's March 1, with just 18 days to go before I turn 45. Between now and then, the word of the day -- every day -- is "cardio."

Weight training is important for weight loss. Muscle burns calories -- the more muscle, the more calories burned. So long as I don't increase my caloric intake, weight training works.

But for me, cardio exercise works even better. In addition to the 40-minute workout -- 20 on the treadmill, 20 on the recumbent bike -- the body continues to burn calories for up to an hour after the workout. Other than drinking water, I don't eat for 60 minutes after my cardio workout, so I allow my metabolism to continue doing its wonderful work.

I'm just shy of being halfway to my goal -- 15 pounds gone, 15 to go. Will I lose 15 in 18 days? I certainly hope not. But the good news is I have plenty of cardio opportunities ahead of me. In addition to my regular workout, I'll be able to play with the girls travel soccer team I coach, with the indoor team on Wednesday nights, and with my Saturday night outdoor team, which starts this month.

So for me, March is "Cardio Month." So on the 18th, I'll be able to report that, if I'm not at 185 pounds, I'll be awfully close!

The Legs are Back

Had one of my best leg workouts in a while Monday -- extensions, curls, presses, calf raises and lunges. My legs were wobbly all day, but in a good way. Going up stairs was fun! (Yeah, right...)

Busy day today, but I'm hoping to get my cardio in tonight. If not, I'm doubling up Wednesday. Hate those, but gotta do it.

I'm about halfway to my goal, so I'm behind schedule. Given the circumstances, though, I'm not upset with myself. I still hope to get to 185 by March 18, but if I don't make, it'll be April 28 -- my wife's birthday. Either way, I'm getting there, and I can't wait to do it.

Indoor Soccer

After a layoff of a couple of years, I've decided to start playing indoor soccer again, at the Dulles SportsPlex. I thought I was joining an over-40 co-ed league, but it turns out it's co-ed OPEN -- which means far too many players on the opposing team are quicker, faster and stronger than me.

So what.

Talk about a cardio workout! My philosophy is: get on the field, work hard on and off the ball until breath comes in gagged gasps, then get off. That's a bout a four-minute spell. My brother Dan, who played professionally for two years in the Continental Indoor Soccer League -- remember the Washington Warthogs?! -- says a typical "shift" in the CISL was two minutes. I'm not a hockey guy, but I wouldn't be surprised if the same applied to the NHL.

With all of the accelerating, cutting, back peddling, passing, shooting and defending in indoor soccer, it's not surprising that the workout is intense. I get annoyed when my teammates -- other than Dan, I don't know any of their names yet -- don't work hard, but stay on the field for 8 minutes at a time. I have no time for that (pun intended). Get on, work hard, get off, rest, then do it again. Otherwise, stay home!

So on game days -- Wednesday nights -- I don't do any lifting or running. I needed it all for "the match." By the time I get home, soaked t-shirt and all, the hot shower feels good. Of course, Mrs. Doc always examines me with a keen eye, looking for an injury. So far, so good!

A Natural Workout

Who needs a gym when you have three feet of snow outside?

After several days of shoveling snow at my house and at my son's gymnastics center, I thought my back would be in severe discomfort by now, if not outright pain. But not so! For this, I credit a variety of sources who made it clear that using the legs is crucial to proper shoveling technique.

I look a little silly, dropping down into a squat position each time I fill the shovel full of snow, slush and ice, but I can feel the stress in my legs, not my back. It truly is a great leg workout. I also emphasize throwing the snow a bit, giving me a good upper body workout. I particularly feel it in my triceps and shoulders. Good stuff.

There has to be a cardio component as well, given that after a few minutes of this I'm breathing pretty heavy. I make sure to take a break every 10 minutes or so to catch my breath and to let my heart rate settle down.

It's not quite the Body for Life Program, but if it works, don't fix it.