Rob's weight loss

If anyone hasn’t looked at the May newsletter, Rob’s weight loss over the last six months is detailed there.

First of all, congratulations on your success, Rob. You’re looking svelte! Maintaining a pound-a-week weight loss for six months takes dedication and perseverance.

I appreciated many of the side points in Rob’s story. For example, it was okay for him to eat pizza three days a week while losing weight. What’s important is that he determined his calorie needs and created a slight deficit, without going too crazy. A little hunger is pretty much inevitable, but that doesn’t mean we need to deprive ourselves completely.

I also think it’s important that Rob maintained his strength training program, because otherwise it’s easy to lose muscle along with the fat. It can be frustrating to keep lifting when you’re losing weight, because gains can be slow or even non-existent, but the lifting is still essential for staying strong. Also, keeping up lean mass will make the weight loss a lot easier to maintain, because it’s easier to stay active when you have the strength and energy to move around easily.

Rob and I haven’t followed exactly the same approach, but our differences are relatively minor. The key points, in my opinion, are that he kept a consistent but moderate calorie deficit, didn’t deny himself the foods he likes, and kept a regular exercise program. I think those three things are the most important for anyone attempting to lose weight and keep it off.