I Lost 20 Pounds in Two Months!

I'm Happy!

Sorry for the exclamation points.

But I've been following the Duh! Diet since January 6th. It's now March 1st. That's less than two months--much less, considering February is so short.

The results?

I lost 20 pounds in two months.

I went from 164 pounds to 143.6 pounds.

That's 12% of my original body weight (12.4% to be exact).

On Atkins, I never got below 150.

That's a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 22.5--down from 25.7. (A BMI of above 25 is considered 'overweight.')

This is kind of my target weight, although looking at my body, I realize I could lose a tiny bit more pudge around the middle.

Yes, it is a tad perfectionistic.

The more important thing is: I want to keep eating healthfully and see where that times me.

The Real Truth: Exercise Helps.

I confess: it's not just the Duh! Diet.

I added a Duh! Exercise Regime.

That is equally uncomplicated.

I go to the gym three to four times a week.

There I light some weights for five or ten minutes, just focusing on one body area: abs, shoulders, pecs, legs.

Then I do some cardio training for 30 to 35 minutes. Or I may do a lower intensity for a longer period--60 to 65 minutes.

I try to adjust up and down, to take it easier one day and worker harder another, to keep my body not knowing what's happening.

The cardio machines I use measure my hear rate, and I use the heart rate to target my effort.

My resting heart rate lying down is around 75 beats per minute, so I target 125-145 as the zone I need to reach to give myself a decent calorie- and fat-burning workout.

At 140-145 I work up a good sweat but am not exhausted.

Sometimes I don't lift the weights.

Sometimes if I'm tired, I take a long walk instead (at least 30 minutes), as I find that soothing.

And that is it.

The Good Side of Exercise: Eating More.

Of course, when I exercised more, I needed to eat more.

I could really tell the difference between "I would like to eat more" at 1400 calories a day, and "I absolutely need to eat more" when I had exercised. There is hunger and there is hunger. It's good to know the difference.

Now I can eat 2400 to 2500 calories a day and still be losing weight and fat.

Eating more need not mean eating worse. Partly I simply eat more of the same good food.

But I am able to do things like saute vegetables in oil or have more complex carbs--such as low-fat corn muffins, more oatmeal in the morning, cereal as a snack, etc. And yes, I can also eat a few pieces of candy or a bit more chocolate or nuts.

Results.

Using the Duh! Diet for a month, I lost 14 pounds.

Adding in the Duh! Exercise Regime for another month, I lost another 6 pounds.

But dieting I had only gone from 20% body fat to 18%. Adding exercise I went from 18.3% body fat to 16.4%--that's between Feburary 8 and March 1st.

The point is: it is not complicated or time-consuming.

Eat less, eat more healthfully, exercise more. Do it reasonably. Any reasonable program will probably work, within limits.

--E. R. O'Neill