Success Story: Rob

AKA "Robcheshire" on Weight Loss Resources

Dieting History

I have been overweight for all of my adult life, ever since I left school, stopped playing team sports regularly and discovered beer!

I have started many half-hearted diets, as well as at least 3 serious diets that were temporarily successful.

One that sticks in my mind is from the mid-eighties, when I dieted based on a book called The Rotation Diet, which advocated alternating 3-4 day periods of very low calorie intake with periods of much higher weight-maintenance calorie levels. This apparently keeps the metabolism off balance, so preventing it shutting down completely. In any case, it worked and I lost at least a couple of stones.

The other significant period of diet success was in early 2002 when (wait for it!) I used this very website to manage a diet that saw me lose 2.5 stones over about a 4 month period. Unfortunately, I was then made redundant, and in a general round of economising, I cancelled my membership to WLR and lo and behold, the weight all crept back on over the next year or so.

I swear that this time when I achieve my goal weight, I will use the site at least periodically for weight maintenance. This is probably the single biggest lesson that I have learnt and would like to share.

Have you lost weight before and regained the weight?

Yes, many, many times!

On Being Overweight

To be honest, I don't think that this was ever a big issue for me. I think there is less stigma attached to being a fat bloke than being a fat woman. I have always been pretty active. I have always walked very fast, for example, and I play golf regularly. I certainly have never been very confident about taking my shirt off in public! I guess that this will become much easier now.

Finding the Motivation

I think that the primary motivator is that I am approaching my forties and if I continue to be obese then I will inevitably start to run into health problems. I have a 2.5 year old son who I want to be able to encourage to love sports like his dad does. I want to feel fit and healthy and be as active as I possibly can be. I am no longer going to rationalise to myself that it is OK to be fat. It isn't! I previously used to tell myself that I was a naturally "big-guy", that I didn't have time to exercise, that I would get around to losing the weight eventually. This is all nonsense! Now I think of food as fuel for my body. It is no more or less than this. I also tell myself that "nothing tastes as good as thin feels!"

Discovering Weight Loss Resources

As I have already said, this is my second stint as a member of WLR. I originally found it from from a web search, probably google.

How Weight Loss Resources Helps

The discipline of the food diary and the motivation of seeing my exercise calories added to my food allowance are the two key benefits for me. I also find it extremely useful to be able to pick from the database of packaged foods.

As I have already mentioned, I am a pretty active person anyway, so I really enjoy exercising every day. I have a Reebok Cross Trainer in my garage that I try to use for 30 minutes most mornings (at least 5 out of 7, typically). I have started getting up 30 minutes earlier on a work day to give me the time to exercise. I also go out for a 30-40 minute walk at lunchtimes if I am in the office, which gives me back at least half the calories from my lunch!

I don't post that much on the message boards, but I do spend a few minutes each day reading some of the posts. I haven't really needed the support network myself yet, but I know it is there waiting if I do need it!

The Best of Weight Loss Resources

Food and exercise diaries. Message boards sometimes.

Dieting Tips

It is not rocket science, but I am convinced that exercising every day is the key to success with sustained weight loss. I try to vary my routine, including the cross trainer and walking regularly, and cycling and swimming occasionally.

The other thing that I have done is still allow myself the occasional extended trip to the pub(!), which usually sees me go over calories by at least 1000 on the day. I always follow this with a sub-1000 calorie eating day, which seems to offset the damage and allow me to maintain a weight loss on the week.

Finally...

I have already said this, but I want to reiterate. Do not quit WLR just because you have reached your target weight! The weight will go back on for sure if you relax back into your old lifestyle. I intend to be a very long-term member of WLR this time, just keeping myself on track with my new healthy lifestyle.

Rob's Vital Statistics

	Before	Now
Weight	17st 6lb	14st 11lb