Tony's Weight Loss System

Someone who knew what they were talking about once said:

We all have two responsibilities in life:

1. Learn something new.

2. Share what we've learned with others.

In the spirit of this quotation, here is something I've learned recently about losing weight that really works well for me, without all the past misery associated with weight loss. I previously lost between 30-52 pounds on three separate occasions. : ) That's right. I would lose the weigh and then put it back on, as I could not sustain the "DIE-t".

Could what I'm about to share with you help you lose weight faster than the IRS can collect money from an entrepreneur? Maybe. I don't know for sure. I do know this: It helped me drop 35 pounds a lot faster than I thought I could. And I'm still losing.

Lose weight faster than the IRS can collect money from an entrepreneur.

Part One: Eating.

A few months ago I weighed in at 236 pounds, with a 48 inch waist - making about 56 pounds of me my wife was not legally married to. Not good. I'm 58 years old and 5 feet 8 inches tall (without shoes).

I am now down to 201 pounds, with a 40.5 inch waist (7.5 inches thinner than before) for a weight loss so far of 35 pounds. And like the Energizer Bunny I am still going ... going ... and going. And I feel so much better now, yet still have a ways to go. But the trip to here has been a more pleasant one, compared to my past experiences with diets, because I now have a system that works. Not a "DIEt" ... a system. : )

How do I do it? By drinking a cup of water before my meal, two cups during my meal (as a portion-control device) and one cup of water afterwards.

Got the idea from watching a TV interview about a guy who lost 71 pounds in 7 months, basically eating what he wanted while drinking a cup of water before, during and after each meal. That's it. No counting calories, or avoiding any favorite foods.

This guy shared his "Before, During and After" cup of water plan with a friend who consequently loss the 40 pounds he needed to lose within a few months.

So, I thought, "Why not? I'm already doing the Before and After part as far as the cups of water are concerned, so the extra cup of water during the meal certainly couldn't hurt."

So, I tried his plan, but after I finished that one cup of water during my meal, I just kept eating ... and eating ... and eating. The weight stayed on. Not good.

Then I had an impression to *adapt* this guy's idea and switch to two cups of water during my meal. I would use these two cups of water as a portion-control device for eating. I would take a bite of food, chew and swallow ... and then take a swallow of water. I would alternate back and forth between a bite of food and a swallow of water until the two cups of water were gone.

Then I would stop eating. Period!

I would drink one more cup of water afterwards, as I suspected it would provide the hunger-buster insurance I needed so desperately, so if there were any trace of hunger left (there rarely, rarely has been), there wouldn't be any left after that last cup of water.

Badda-bing-badda-boom! I was right. It worked and is still working!

Not only am I not hungry any more, the "full feeling" lasts for the next four hours, and then I repeat the process.

I now eat only the foods I really like. Period. And this includes desserts. Like 'em. Want 'em. Gonna have 'em!

I usually save the last half cup of water, from those two cups during my meal, for desserts of my choice. I eat only 3 times a day: Morning, noon and late afternoon. Why? Because I'm not hungry more than that. Really!

I shoot to finish my last meal no later than 7:00pm. Because?

Because the general rule-of-thumb consensus of the experts is to not eat 2-3 hours before going to bed. That alone, if you do nothing else, will result in significant weight loss, according to Opra's fitness trainer. And I suspect it's a major factor in my weight loss.

Hope this inspires you to come up with something of your own that will work for you! People tend to get more excited about something they've *adapted* to fit them rather than something they've *adopted* that fits someone else. Therefore ...

"People will support what they help create!" - Tony Brigmon

Part Two: Exercise

I devised a simple walking program that requires no equipment other than the clothes you feel comfortable in. I wanted something I could do in a kitchen or hotel room, anywhere that would allow me to walk 4 steps (a step is each time my right leg comes forward, if I begin with the right foot) in one direction and then turn and walk 4 steps back.

I go back and forth at a comfortable pace for 5 minutes to warm up. When my 5 minute timer goes off I take off like a bat out of Texas, walking as fast as I can back and forth. When the next 5 minute beep goes off I do 15 squats, 15 push-ups, and then rest on my forearms (while in the push-up position) for 15 seconds. This strengthens the core of my body similar to a Pilates exercise. Feels great afterwards and has had positive effects on my posture.

Then I get up and walk until the next 5 minute beep goes off. So, it's a five minute warm up walk, 30 minutes of fast walking, concluding with a 5 minute cool down walk. My ending heart rate is always between 140-160, with 150 being the norm. I have been told this kicks my metabolic rate into high gear for the next several hours.

With the aid of my fun collaborator Martin Howey (www.BusinessConsultantsWanted.com), I learned how to calculate how far I walk without the use of a pedometer. And I now can do it with aid of the simple stop-watch feature on my wrist watch.

Here's how I did it. If you really want to know how far you walk, here's how you can know. I'm going to break this down to a step by step process.

In reality it went lightning quick. (Translation: A lot faster than it's taking me to describe it in writing.)
I went to local the track and timed myself walking at a normal pace one time around the track, or 1/4 mile. I walked it in 4 minutes and 12 seconds.

Next I converted the 4 minutes and 12 seconds into seconds: 4 minutes x 60 seconds = 240 seconds, plus the additional 12 seconds = 252 seconds. So it takes me 252 seconds to walk 1/4 of a mile.

Next, I needed to know how many seconds does it take me to walk a mile. I multiplied the 252 seconds x 4 laps: 252 x 4 = 1008. So, I walk a mile at a normal pace in 1008 seconds.
So far, so good.

Next, I wanted to know how far I walk in one minute. There are 5,280 feet in a mile. I walk a mile in 1008 seconds, so I did the math: 5, 280 feet divided by 1008 seconds = 5.23 feet. So, I walk 5.23 feet per second. Multiply that times 60 seconds: 60 x 5.23 feet = 313.80 feet per minute. I rounded that off to 314 feet per minute. That's how far I walk per minute.

So, throughout my work day, I take a 5 minute walking break. So far today, I've taken 5 of those. How far have I walked so far? I walked 5 x 5 for 25 minutes. I walk 314 feet in one minutes, right? So, 25 x 314 = 7, 850 feet. Convert that to miles by dividing it by 5, 280 (feet in a mile): 7, 850 divided by 5, 280 = 1.48 miles, or about 1.5 miles.

Add that to my 40 minute routine this morning and my total so far today is: 3.8 miles. And I'm feeling pretty good about that.

Bottom line: One you know how far you walk in one minute, just multiply that times the number of minutes you walk throughout the day. You'll be amazed at what a few 5 minute breaks here and there will add up to by the end of the day. Try it. You'll be glad you did.

Thanks for letting me share my weight loss program with you. Remember to share what you learn with others, because everybody wins! More sharing from me later. Promise!

Tony Brigmon
Keynote Speaker and Emcee
Former Goodwill Ambassador for Southwest Airlines
Author and Singer of Feel Good Songs
Creator of Tony-isms (Original Pearls of Wisdom)
www.funmeetings.com
972-641-6615