be Patient my Friends

When I started this journey 115 days ago, I had done countless hours of research; I spent so much time reading everything I could get my hands on, so much time talking to everyone I could find that thought they knew anything about any of this; I thought I was prepared. I realize now, that I knew the words that needed to be spoken, I just had no idea how to make the sentences, paragraphs, and pages that needed to be placed together to succeed. But, it has been a work in progress.

When I started I really didn't have any idea how much I could safely lose in a week, what my real sustainment level really was, or hell for that matter I didn't know why I should do cardio. Well, it is that reason I write today, in hopes that I can help out that one person that wants to know how to get started on their weight loss journey through weight training and cardio activities.

1. Those ads on the side of this page, the ones that claim you can lose X number of pounds in X number of days... They're all a lie. Click one, I dare you. Read through it and I bet you that it sounds too good to be true, espessially compared to me sitting here telling you that you have to work your ass off to get where you want to be. Well, it is too good to be true. Weight loss is a very simple matter of calories in vs calories out. That's it. If you use more energy than you consume in a day, you will lose weight. To stay within a rather healthy range I'd suggest you do not try to create a differance of more than 1000 calories a day though, anymore and I'd talk to your doctor.
2. For me, on paper, my sustainment level is about 3000 calories a day. Now, I've used several formulas that I've found and all of them peg me around this level. I usually go by a 1500 calorie diet per day, which gives me about 3 pounds a week or so. It's not that agressive of a plan, but it takes dicipline to do that. I would not suggest EVER going below 1000 calories a day, no matter how small you are or you're just going to gain it all back, and possibly more. If you want to create more of a differance, try uping your calories out instead.
3. This brings me to cardio. I bike with a heart rate of 140 to 150 beats per minute for a minimum of half an hour every week day. Why, simply to up that differance. With 1500 calories a day consumption I should be losing 3 lbs a week, but some days I find it hard to stick to that level, espessially now that I'm almost at my fifth month doing this. Anyone can starve themselves for a month to lose what they want, but it takes a very dedicated person to pace themselves and not try to push it too hard.

This brings me to my final point. I've done this for almost four months straight, and I've "only" lost 40 lbs. I say "only" because there isn't a day that I wake up that I cannot look towards that final goal and wish that it was going faster... there isn't a second in any minute of any day where I don't think that I could go harder, I could push past this, I could do five lbs this week... I'm not going to say that I can't, but when it really comes down to it... I won't. Yes, I want that great body that everyone dreams of, and I WILL have that body given time but I have been raised better than to beleive I could trully appreciate anything I didn't have to work my ass off for. Respect is earned, not given.

T.