New Year Resolutions?

[Rocky]

It is that time of the year when we all have the best of intentions and make well meaning resolutions, so I am wondering, what are they? What are my friends on the Forum resolving to do in 2020?

I will start:

1. I will be a better husband to my wonderful bride in our 55th year. I make the same resolution every year and usually fall woefully short of my goal.
2. I will reach something that approaches my "ideal weight." Because it is unlikely I will reach my "ideal height" (6'4"), I need to lose about 40-50 pounds. I am starting the NutriSystems regimen shortly.
3. I will be a better and more tolerant neighbor.
4. I will get my winemaking area into better shape. I have 4 barrels that I need to work on and recondition and I have to do some repair on my benches.
5. I will re-connect with as many of my "old friends" as I can. Our 60th High School Class reunion is this year.
6. I will double my support of our troops and their families.

That should get me started. These, to me, are doable stretch goals, the only kind worth having.

 

[Boatboy24]

I'm not one to make resolutions. But since it my last run was back in July when we were at the beach, I'm going to get back into running. I also want to try to be more grateful.

 

[RevA]

Good Idea to share resolutions.
Mine are:
1. spening more time with family
2. making time for my hobbies
3. losing the last 20lb I've wanted to lose for the last decade.
4. keep my workspace organised
5. spend as little money as possible

 

[BernardSmith]

This is not about making resolutions but a comment about losing weight. Rather than adopt a diet which we all know is unlikely to work you might adopt a set of practices that does appear to be effective and that is take a break of 12 hours between eating at night and eating the following day. That 12 hour "fast" forces your body to start using your fat deposits. Without any change in what you eat you will find that the pounds will begin to roll off. Twelve hour fasting works. You are going to be asleep for much of the time so the effort is not hard. Try it.

 

[jswordy]

This is not about making resolutions but a comment about losing weight. Rather than adopt a diet which we all know is unlikely to work you might adopt a set of practices that does appear to be effective and that is take a break of 12 hours between eating at night and eating the following day. That 12 hour "fast" forces your body to start using your fat deposits. Without any change in what you eat you will find that the pounds will begin to roll off. Twelve hour fasting works. You are going to be asleep for much of the time so the effort is not hard. Try it.

I'm using a 5-hour eating "window." The rest is fasting. Been doing it a month. My weight has bounced all around, from 10 pounds down to 0 pounds down to 3 pounds down, then back the other way. Those weights were all in ONE week. This morning I am 4 pounds down. My wife, on the other hand, took off and kept off 10 pounds with no worries. Like anything in life, it apparently doesn't work for everyone, at least not as I have seen it advertised in articles and research. I had my suspicions, since I was already following a window close to the one I do now without loss. Next step is to DIET with it. That's the traditional denial diet that has worked for me before. But I'll regain it eventually that way. I'm an efficient converter. I would never have starved to death in caveman days. LOL. The only way I have ever been able to keep off weight for any period is to deny food and alcohol, and work out at least three times a week to exhaustion. That hard workout gets harder to do when you get older, fellas.

 

[jswordy]

I'm not one to make resolutions. But since it my last run was back in July when we were at the beach, I'm going to get back into running. I also want to try to be more grateful.

I hear ya, Jim. My single resolution every year is identical and simple:

BREATHE

 

[Rocky]

Thanks, Bernard. I have lost a few thousand pounds over my lifetime. The problem is I have gained back all those pounds plus 244 more! I have struggled with weight most of my life and some of it is hereditary, some is lack of discipline and the rest is, I love food! My bride is amazing in many ways and prominent among these is her ability in controlling her weight. When we were married, she weighed 108 pounds. The most she has ever weighed in our 54 years of marriage is 125, right before she delivered our daughter. Today, she weighs about 115. With her, it is all discipline. If she gains a pound or two, she will stop eating until it is gone. I, on the other hand, rationalize, "It's only a pound or two." Before I know it, it is 10 or 12 pounds!

 

[BernardSmith]

Thanks, Bernard. I have lost a few thousand pounds over my lifetime. The problem is I have gained back all those pounds plus 244 more! I have struggled with weight most of my life and some of it is hereditary, some is lack of discipline and the rest is, I love food! My bride is amazing in many ways and prominent among these is her ability in controlling her weight. When we were married, she weighed 108 pounds. The most she has ever weighed in our 54 years of marriage is 125, right before she delivered our daughter. Today, she weighs about 115. With her, it is all discipline. If she gains a pound or two, she will stop eating until it is gone. I, on the other hand, rationalize, "It's only a pound or two." Before I know it, it is 10 or 12 pounds!

But "dieting" is not anything anyone can really do for any extended period. We all eat foods that are part and parcel of our cultures and for many of us the fuel that we get from those foods is not always well aligned with our energy needs. The problem with "dieting" is that we then view eating as not particularly pleasurable: fat in foods is what transports the flavors, and we have evolved to enjoy sweeter foods, while carbs tend to fill us up and provide a pleasurable sensation so denying ourselves those elements means that we then eat without pleasure and enjoyment and so eating becomes a sacrifice we make.

The 12 hour fast is supposed to make use of your body's own metabolism: rather than use the fuel you eat as your source of energy it uses the fuel that you have stored. But as Jim points out, everyone's metabolic rate is different and so the 12 hour fast does not kick in for everyone though it is supposed to kick in for a very large percentage of people. What this fast also encourages one to do is to resist "snacking" after dinner - or rather, if you snack after dinner you need to wait 12 hours before you should begin to break your fast (break-fast). But that said, you shouldn't view those 12 hours of not eating like a religious edict... If you munch on something before the 12 hours are over your body is still largely (no pun intended) going to be using your store of energy.

 

[Rocky]

Interesting take on dieting, Bernard. As far as a 12 hour fast is concerned, I think I regularly do just that. I eat late at night, go to bed between 1 and 2 AM, get up between 7 or 8 AM and don't eat anything until lunch time. There are many "diet experts" who say that skipping breakfast is a major no-no.

I think one of my major problems is portion control. My wife and I eat the same foods but my portions are significantly greater. I have even thought of mimicking her food intake and eating exactly what she eats in the same portion. Lack of activity is another issue, particularly in the Winter months when I cannot work outside on my yard. Another problem is my natural "conviviality." When I am with friends and family, I eat and drink to excess (no doubt a throwback to my orgiastic Roman roots). I can start out with two or three 3.5 oz. servings of Rye. That is 575 to 860 calories. Throw in hors d'oeuvres, cheese, crackers and before even sitting down to eat, I have consumed well over 1000 calories. Two or three glasses of wine with dinner (300-450 calories), dinner, dessert results in a 3000-3500 calorie intake.

Weight gain is the result of excess calories consumed over calories burned. Consuming an excess of 3000 calories per week would gain one a pound a week or 52 pounds in a year. Fortunately, the calculus works the same in the opposite direction, i.e. burning 3000 calories more than consumed should result in a pound per week weight loss.

My problem is solvable. I just need to make the commitment.

 

[jgmann67]

I committed to weight loss, being a better husband and father and finding happiness where I am. I did this year ago and resolve everyday to do the same.

I dropped 30 lbs through portion control, cardio and weight training. And, I feel I’m a better person overall.

But, there’s so much in my life unresolved - like where/what am I supposed to be... so rather than picking a single thing, I’m going to take the year and find resolutions to as many of life’s questions as I can.

 

[liamsoren]

When it comes to losing weight, dieting is a NO for me. I can agree with the portion control talks but not dieting. if you happen to use just 30 minutes of your time daily for cardio, you'll see a good amount of change as time goes on. I believe it's more beneficial and healthier than dieting. but what do I know?