I lost 30 pounds in 2 years.

I lost 30 pounds in 2 years.

I lost 30 pounds in 2 years and successfully maintain the weight since then, 2 years and counting.  I lost most of that weight after I retired from Texas Instruments after 36 years, 35 1/2 years with National before the acquisition.  What did I do at work?  I was a middle manager.  That means I spent my days mostly in meetings or at my desk in front of a monitor.    Was I overweight?  Yes!  The BMI index so indicates.  Here are the stats/timeline:  I stand 5′ 7.75" tall.

• A wake-up call (2008):  around 168 pounds BMI index =25.7 (overweight*)  Red flag: Blood sugar level was high — fasting glucose was 119, pre-diabetes (normal fasting glucose is 60-99 mg/dl; Diabetes >126 mg/dl)
• Before retirement (Before January 2012):  165 pounds.   BMI index =25.3 (overweight)
• Two years after retirement (January 2014):  133 pounds.  BMI index = 20.4 (normal)
• Today (April 2016):  133 pounds fluctuating by a few pounds.

How did I lose the 30 pounds?  Maybe by accident.  I simply wanted to lower my blood sugar level in response to the wake up call in 2008.  I didn’t particularly think about losing weight.  Instead I approached the challenge like practicing yoga.  Start with setting an intention to embrace a healthier way of life and to revert my blood sugar trend**.  Bring it down to normal.  Enjoy the journey and not to focus heavily on the final target.  Healthier lifestyle means yoga and more physical activities along with switching to a healthier diet.  I didn’t know what will work.  "Just try something and make adjustments as I go" is what I kept in mind.

• 2008:  Switched from white to brown rice.  Quit drinking soda.  Switched to black coffee (was coffee with cream and sugar).  Results:  Blood sugar trending down but not losing a lot of weight.
• 2009 - 2012:  Quit eating rice and noodle altogether at some point.  That was my main source of carbohydrate.  Cut back on sweet.  Results: Blood sugar level continued to drop.  
• 2012 - 2014:  Reduced the portion.  Started reducing gradually.  Eat just enough so that I don’t feel hungry soon after or at night.  This made a big difference.  I used to eat more than the body needs especially during the holidays and when eating out.  Plus I increased the level of physical activities.  Living a more balanced life through yoga helps.  Now I do yoga almost every day plus walking our dog (after May 2013) almost every day for 30 minutes or more.  When the weather is nice I enjoy spending time outdoor usually tending our small gardens.  Results:  I lost 30 pounds.  My blood sugar is back to normal in 2014.  I am no longer pre-diabetic.

More on diet:

After 2008 I also slowly converted to a more plant based diet.  I stopped eating red meat altogether.  That means no beef/lamb.  Where am I getting my protein?  For that I kept eggs, salmon, pork and chicken/turkey… but consuming much less than I used to.

• After 2012 (post retirement) I eat a lot of fruits, vegetables (mostly raw), and nuts daily.  
• Nuts — walnut, cashew, almond and sunflower seeds.
• Vegetables —  broccoli, lettuce, carrot, spinach and so on.
• Fruits:  seasonal — banana, orange, asian pear, mango, avocado, papaya, berries, apple and more.
• No man made desert as a rule.  Go for fruits instead.
• Rarely clean the plate when eating out.  The restaurants are out to get us. I think.  Why do they provide way too much food? When a big portion of fries comes with the food.  I eat just a few and leave most of it on the plate, for example.

Walking away message:  To lose weight enjoy the journey.  Embrace a healthier way of life — eat the right things, eat less and increase physical activities.  Give it time.  I lost 30 pounds in 2 years.

Photos:  My breakfast today 4/21/16 with coffee - a typical breakfast.

 * CDC.Gov BMI …..Weight Status

• Below 18.5……… Underweight
• 18.5—24.9……… Normal
• 25.0—29.9……… Overweight
• 30.0 and Above….Obese

** My Fasting glucose trend.  Credit:  Kaiser medical record