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6 Pack Abs Weight Loss Update.

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Easter has come and gone and my weight remains at 170lbs ( 77 kilos ) or 12 stone 2lbs, so a little short in terms of reaching the  six pack abs target by Easter Sunday. I think I am still a month or so away from it,  I just have underestimated what I need to lose to get to my target. Even if I had lost another 2lbs to make a 7lb loss, which was my original target, I would still not have made it, I think I will need to be around 166lbs but it is hard to know exactly, so I will just keep going until I can see  my abs properly. I am going in the right direction, and I will get there, but the time frame I set in relation to my current lifestyle  was just was too short.  I can see my abs if I tense up, but that is cheating ! .

My BMI is currently 24.37 , so at the top end of the normal range.

So in the first 3 months of 2010 I have lost another 5lbs of fat , certainly nothing to be upset about, I had set what I thought was a  realistic goal of 7lbs in 12 weeks, and managed 5lbs so I am happy with that. As always this was done  without changing or giving up anything that I eat and drink , but just focusing on consuming  a little less and  trying to keep my calories at my BMR level.  I will look to get the comparison pictures online in the next few days.

Thanks for all the emails with questions about weight loss. I have noticed a couple of common themes running through them, so my next few posts are going to be talking about those, rather than just my own situation. One main theme I want to talk about is our expectations of weight loss, my own belief is we expect too much and then get discouraged when things are slow, but how do you determine what is fast or slow ?  take my current case here, is 5lbs of fat lost over 12 weeks slow or not ?  So more on that subject in the next few posts.

In the meantime as always, if you want to email me you can reach me via retireddieter[at]gmail.com or just leave a question in the comments.

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Fasting For Weight Loss – Back On Track

Friday, March 26th, 2010

What a difference a normal week makes. With last weeks weight gain I was expecting this to even out this week and that is exactly what happened.  The scales show a 3lb drop, so last weeks 1lb gain is no more. While I do not believe for one moment I have lost 3lbs of fat ( no way was my calorie deficit that low ) I am of course pleased that I am back on track.

So today I weigh 170lbs  a little over 77 kilos, or 12 stone 2lbs.  I should point out here that although the scales dropped 3lbs this week, if you look over the last 11 weeks of my six pack quest journey , I have  dropped 5lbs over 11 weeks.  With one week to go on my original abs target I think I may come up a little short. The problem may not be that I don’t hit the 7lbs I set to lose, but more the fact I think I  have slightly underestimated how much I need to lose to get the abs showing properly. My guess today is I probably need to go lower by another 2lbs than my original target of 7lbs. So more likely I need to end up at 166lbs and not 168 as I initially thought. I am learning there is no exact science to it, but I do at least know I am going in the right direction, it just may take slightly longer than I thought to get there. More on the abs goal next week though.

I do want to be honest here, cutting down my weight from 175lbs to 170lb has been much tougher. There is no easy way to say it, to lose body fat now, I have to watch the amount of calories I eat far more than I did last year.  I had managed to keep my weight controlled for over 2 months, but after about 10 weeks of maintenance , I found I was not cutting back enough on what I was eating in the first few weeks of my new abs quest. I did lose a little body fat, but the fact was, in order to  lose the amount of body fat I had targeted, then I was going to have to restrict the amount I was eating, not easy when I am trying to stick to the retired dieter principles of weight loss of not giving up the foods or drink I love.

It would be easy for me to say I am not going to drink beer for 2 weeks, but that is not what my way of losing weight is about. I want to still drink beer and lose weight while I am doing it, I have to do it this way to prove what it is possible. Could I have stopped drinking beer and got the abs quicker ? … Yes absolutely, but I would be as miserable as hell, and in my world, that just isn’t worth it.

My point is, I will be able to show that you can get and keep yourself in shape, and still enjoy the food and drinks you love. The skill is fitting them into your weekly calorie allowance. For me it is beer, for others it is chocolate, for some it is ice cream, we all have our favourites, and if you are wanting to lose weight, the last thing you should do is give them up.

It Really Is About Calories In V Calories Out

So what does my weight loss which is now over 60lbs show ?

Weight loss is not so much about what you eat, it is more to do with how much you eat. We all ( me included) tend to underestimate how many calories we eat, and we also tend to overestimate how many calories we need, or how many we burn through exercise. Focus first on just eating less, the problems caused by overeating are far greater than consuming too much of one macro nutrient.  The problem is consuming too much in general, not just too much sugar or fat etc. If you are overweight, then you are overeating. No matter how the fancy diet goo r00s dress it up, the solution is  undereating , the trick is to find how best to undereat for you and your lifestyle.

Have a question , want some help ? send me an email retireddieter[at]gmail.com, or leave comment.

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Fasting For Weight Loss – Bad Weeks Happen.

Friday, March 19th, 2010

Well after  3 meals out in the last 7 days , I paid the price on the scales this week. I had gained one pound putting my weight at 173 lbs.  I still did my fasts as normal, and ate less on the days I was not out, but I don’t doubt for a moment that have  consumed 3,500 calories above my requirements this week  to gain that extra pound, no excuses from me, this is just one of those weeks where due to social engagements I have eaten and drank more than usual.

With no extra major social gatherings this week , I expect to see the gain corrected and things be back on track by next Friday.

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Flexible Intermittent Fasting – Doing What Is Best For You

Friday, March 12th, 2010

It is my Daughter Amber’s 14th birthday this weekend, and because she sings in a school gospel choir and has a concert on her actual Birthday on Saturday, we all went out to her restaurant of choice last night.  Her choice was a pizza and pasta place called Ask, there are number around the UK.

So even though I am on my get 6 pack abs quest, there was no way I was holding back last night.

2 large 660ml Peroni beers

A bowl of olives

One Peperoni pizza ( Stromboli is what Ask call it )

And to top it all off a warm Chocolate Nemesis with a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream for desert.

The only truly low calorie thing I had all night was my double macchiato

I don’t know the calories for sure, but my best guess is around  3,500 calories in total.

What I wanted to point out was I knew this meal was coming, so yesterday I did not eat before going to the restaurant so I broke my fast there, but today I got up this morning and was not hungry, and as I write this at 3 in the afternoon, I have decided to wait until dinner this evening before I eat again. I will also keep my evening meal a little lighter than usual for a Friday, which is usually one of my higher calorie days.

My point with this post is that you should fit how you eat around your life, not your life around how you eat. I enjoyed last night, I did not have any guilt about what I had to eat, I did not think about ” healthy choices ” I just had what I wanted on a family celebration and that is how it should be. At no time was I obsessing over going out for the meal, or what I should choose from the menu. As a retired dieter these are things I no longer worry about,I am aware I ate more, so now I just need to eat less to balance things up. This is what I have mastered over the last year or so, and it is very liberating to no longer worry about ” blowing the diet “. Yes I will have done more than 2 fasts this week, but as I say, for this week, that is what works best for me, it is about flexibility, there are no rules. I don’t do it every week, but today it just felt right to take a break from eating. This will mean I will have fasted for about 20 hours by the time I eat tonight. I find this  the easiest way for me to eat less, especially when I want to offset a more indulgent day.I did not plan on it this morning, but the fact I wasn’t even hungry this morning made it a logical choice.

And what about the abs you may wonder ? well I still have 3 weeks , but I do have a St Patrick’s day meal out next week too, so I better plan some low calorie days.

All of us in our daily lives have these situations, I just wanted to share how I approach mine and what works for me.

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Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss – Q&A

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

As I have  used Intermittent Fasting for weight loss and weight control, I find I am asked  a number of questions  about fasting for weight loss. It has been a while since I posted any frequently asked questions about Intermittent Fasting, so now seemed as good a time as any to post some.

As always if you have any questions that are not covered here, feel free to put them in the comments section, our you can mail me at retireddieter [@ = at] gmail.com

Q  Does Intermittent Fasting Slow Down Your Metabolism

A No, you are only taking a break from eating for a period of 24 hours. Studies show that periods of fasting for even 72 hours have no effect on your metabolism. The diet industry loves to talk about metabolism, but the truth is your base metabolic rate really does not change. I think the best example I can give here is my own weight loss success . I continued to lose body fat using intermittent fasting without any metabolism issues.  Claims that your metabolism slows down if you don’t eat for a few hours is a myth.

Q  Is Juice Fasting  The Same As Intermittent Fasting ?

A  No , if you drink a fruit juice, you are still consuming calories. I actually the find the term Juice Fasting misleading, as you are not fasting at all. It would be quite possible to drink more than your normal daily calorie limit from fruit juice, though hardly satisfying.

Q What Do You Have During Your Fasts ?

A I have black coffee, the real stuff, no instant ! I drink green tea and fruit teas,  Twinings green tea with mango is one of my favourites. I also will drink diet drinks like Pepsi Max, though I tend to mainly stick to hot drinks.

Q Do You Count Calories

A No I do not count calories in the sense of looking at every meal , but I would say I am aware of the approximate number of calories I eat. The problem with diets is we tend to underestimate the number of calories we consume, and this is one reason weight loss can be a problem. The days I fast make it easy to cover my calorie miscalculations.  I would suggest that if you are just starting to use intermittent fasting for losing weight, then keep a food diary for at least 7 days first. It will give you a good insight into where and when you use consume  most calories.

Q Do You Do Your Workouts While You Are Fasting ?

A  Yes I have done my bodyweight workouts on days when I am fasting, In my own experience I do not find any difference between working out fasted or when I have eaten, and I doubt you will be surprised to hear I don’t go in for the ” you must eat after a workout ”  advice.

Q When My Fast Is Over What Should I Eat ?

A  Just eat as if the fast never happened. For example if my fast is from dinner to dinner, then I just eat that evening meal as normal. I eat as I normally would, no special rewards because I fasted, just the regular meal.

Q  Will Intermittent Fasting Burn More Belly Fat ?

A Intermittent Fasting for a 24 hour period does burn more fat, but you can not spot target where on your body the fat is burned.

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Fasting For Weight Loss – Breaking The Fast

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

If I look at the questions I am asked, I think ones about what I eat when I break the fast, and what I eat on my normal eating days seem to be the most frequent.  I also noticed around some of the other blogs I follow, that they are getting the same thing. Brad Pilon did a post last week of a typical eating day for him . I also noticed John Barban talking about his own eating routine and morning coffee .  It fits well with what I was talking about in my Weight Loss Tips post, about not thinking of foods as good or bad, but to just enjoy what you eat.  So as I just finished a fast, I thought I will post some pictures and some information about what I had when I finished my 24 hour break from eating.

With having 2 kids, often meals in the week are based around what they will eat too, so the meals I mentioned here are a good example of that. Monday evening , my last meal before starting my fast was minced beef and jacket potato with a selection of vegetables. I did not have a desert, but I did have a 3 pieces of cadburys dairy milk chocolate with a cup of tea. Then it was into the fast.

Breaking the fast on Tuesday evening 24 hours later, this is what I ate.

I had 2 burgers in one bun ( Tesco Finest British Beef Burgers ) The bun was a malted grain bap ( also from Tesco)  There was a slice of mature cheddar on the burgers. And a  half dozen  British chunky chips ( oven baked ) Notice there is a touch of green on that plate and a bit in the bun itself, a token gesture, but it is still salad ;)  The picture may not make it clear, but the burger was large, there is 2 quarter pounders in there, and it is on a big plate, trust me it was more than enough to eat.

Fasting For Weight Loss- Breaking The Fast

Fasting For Weight Loss- Breaking The Fast

I followed that up with a cup of tea a slice of  this   Cinnamon and Nutella cake my wife baked , very nice it was too.

Cinnamon Nutella Cake

I would not normally look at the calories, but for this post I have done so as best I can.

The burgers were 185 calories each

The mature cheddar 80 calories

The Malted Bun  240 calories

The Chips     around 80 calories

Some Ketchup and Mayo on there I guess another 60 calories

That is a total of around 830 calories

The cake they say is about 360 per slice, but is for only 12 slices, and I have divided into twice that amount, which would mean about 180, but just to be on the safe side I will estimate up and say 250

So there we go, my calorie intake is somewhere in the region today of 1100 calories. As I write this  I am still feeling very full from the  meal this evening so I think the only thing i am likely to have before bed tonight is a cup of tea or 2, so I would say I am not likely to have more than 1200 calories today. As I pointed out earlier, I don’t really count calories fora meal like this normally, but if I started gaining weight, then I would certainly look more closely but I tend to have a good idea of what calories are in the foods I eat.

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Fasting For Weight Loss – Post Holiday Fast

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Happy New Year to everyone, have you become a retired dieter yet ?

Easing myself back into intermittent fasting today. I am doing  a shorter than normal fast for the first fast of the new year. I started last night at 10pm, and will end at 6.30 tonight, so a little over 20 hours.  I did wonder after the holidays if this one would be tougher than normal, but it has been very easy, I think my body is glad of the break from eating !.

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Intermittent Fasting – End Of Year Weigh-In

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

I am on my final fast for the year as I write this post.  The fast will end at around 6.30 tonight, and that will be my last one for the holidays. I also decided to check my weight today before the holiday festivities start. Even after a weekend wedding and a Sunday where I spent most of it avoiding the snow sitting in the pub, I still at my start of year  target weight of 12 stone 7lbs  or 175lbs  - 79  Kilos.

I have now stayed at this weight for  2 months, also showing that intermittent fasting will not only help you lose weight, but also be a fantastic tool to help you maintain the weight you want to be. As a retired dieter of course, even after hitting my target weight, nothing really changed. It wasn’t as if I was really doing anything different during the 10 months I was focused on losing body fat.

I have continued to fast twice per week, the only thing I would say I have done differently in the last 2 months is to be a little more indulgent on weekends.  For me that usually revolves around a beer or two, so in the last couple of months I will be more likely to have a couple of drinks on  a Sunday lunchtime than when I was looking to get the weight off.  Looking back though I have to say the eating and drinking is just not something I think about, I just do what I feel.

I know over the Christmas holidays I am likely to gain some weight, but no way am I going to worry about it. The holidays are a time to enjoy, and that is what I will do, safe in the knowledge that  fasting after the feasts will get me back to where I want to be.  I don’t know who said it, but  one phrase I like that has stuck with me is this one


It’s Not What You Do Between Christmas And New Year That Matters, But What You Do Between New Year And Christmas

I agree with that statement 100 %  , It is not about one weeks over indulgence over a holiday period, it is about 51 weeks of slightly over eating every day that causes the problem. Intermittent Fasting is now my way keeping me where I want to be, and also allowing me to enjoy food without any worries.

I will continue to write this blog as I think it is also important to show people not only can you burn body fat with intermittent fasting, but I.F. also helps you control your weight. Diets fail because they are restrictive. My first goal as a retired dieter was to show you I can  lose the weight without going on a diet, 2010 will be about showing I can keep the weight off just as easily. I have set myself a new personal goal for getting the 6 pack. I am doing this because I want to see how easy it is for a 45 year old former fat guy to achieve it. I think I need to lose about another 7lbs to get there, so that will be the first objective over the first quarter of 2010. Intermittent fasting will of course be my weapon of choice to get there !.

I hope that this blog provides inspiration for others out there to take the plunge, and become retired dieters too. Food was never meant to be as complicated as the nutritionists make it out to be.  There are no miracle diets, no new revolutionary ways to do it, if you truly want to lose weight, you just need to eat less, and find a simple way of doing it. I  can tell you after 12 months ( Yes 12 months not 12 weeks ! ) of using  I.F  that this is the way to do it.

Enjoy the holidays, and make sure you also become a retired dieter in 2010.

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Intermittent Fasting – Keeping Weight Off

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Just a quick update as I have not posted any intermittent fasting updates since hitting my target weight back in October. I am still doing 2 fasts per week, Sunday evening to Monday evening, and usually Thursday evening to Friday. I have just continued with my usual routine, and was pleased to see that not only am I keeping the weight off, but had lost another 1lb. This means I am 12 stone 6lbs or 174lbs – 79 kilos.

As we enter the holiday season, I am interested to see how my weight changes, I have noticed these days that I am more aware that when I have had a heavy couple of days socially, that I offset it with days where I eat less, and that really is what has changed for me this year. I now don’t look at the Holidays with dread of breaking a diet, because I retired from dieting a year ago. Now I will simply use my flexible eating process to help control my weight over the Holidays

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Intermittent Fasting Success Stories – My Target Reached

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

On the first of January 2009, I set a weight loss target to lose 4 stone over 12 months. I was going to do this without ” going on a diet ” I would not ban any of the foods I enjoy, instead I would simply reduce the number of calories I ate. Well this weekend , with a little over 2 months to spare, I have achieved my goal. My weight today is 12 stone 7lbs, or 175lbs – 79.5 kilos.

Over the years I have tried many different things to not only reduce my weight, but also to control it. Nothing has ever been so easy or so effective for me as using Intermittent Fasting.  In 10 months of using I.F I have not felt deprived, I have not felt at any time that I was on a diet and I think this is the single biggest reason for achieving my target.

So now I have reached my target what next ?   … Well first I am going to see if I can get the classic 6 pack,  I also want to try and reduce my body fat a little more, and continue to tone up. I do believe it is important to always set new targets, so for the end of the year, I am just going to try and improve my strength and fitness.

Update Jan 2010 If you arrived at this page without knowing my story,  You can see my weight loss before and after pictures here

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