My Way

[LabRat]

I have not read the Warrior Diet book, so the information I have on it is just what I've gathered by reading various blogs and articles on the Internet. I started eating in a pattern similar to the Warrior Diet on 1/1/09. I'm not sure if my plan fits neatly into the Warrior Diet rule book, as I am not following any prescribed dietary guidelines, but rather just fitting my meals into an under-eating/evening-meal eating pattern.

From where I started:
- I was obese and very unfit. My health was suffering.
- I had high blood pressure.
- My cholesterol/triglyceride numbers were nearing the point where medication to control them was being considered.
- I feared Diabetes and Heart Disease, as both of these conditions are suffered by close relatives, making me susceptible to them as well.
- I was tired all the time.
- I did not sleep well.
- I hated my reflection in the mirror and lacked confidence in myself.

To where I'm going:
- My first priority is Health. I want to be and feel well and sleep better. I want better lab results and doctor reports. I want to feel good and feel good about myself.
- Weight loss. I want to get down to a healthy weight and stay there as this is so important to maintain good health, longevity and well being.
- Fitness. I want to be more fit, I want to have more energy, strength and endurance.
- Lifestyle change. I want a realistic plan to accomplish and maintain my goals. A permanent diet and fitness program that I can incorporate into my everyday life and live with even after my goals are realized.

What I was looking for:
- No crash diets. No fads or regimented plans that become a chore to follow or are impossible to maintain in the long term. It had to be realistic and permanent. I wanted to change how I live, so I can live a longer and healthier life.
- No counting. Not calories, carbs and/or grams of fat. I wanted a simple plan that did not require a calculator, tedious record keeping, or daily journaling.
- No extreme prescribed food plans that omit entire food groups or macro nutrients and result in an unbalanced and unhealthy diet.
- No measuring. I was looking for a plan that could be healthy and balanced, with moderate portions
- No fake/weird foods. I wanted to avoid all artificial foods, additives, chemicals and supposedly healthy foods that taste like cardboard or tofu. I want to enjoy the taste of my food and have satisfying meals that fulfill my nutritional needs and satisfy my taste buds at the same time.
- No excessive preparation time. I didn't want to be spending hours focused on my food, planning meals based on some prescribed formula, shopping for special ingredients, and hours slaving away in the kitchen preparing each meal.
- No forbidden foods. I enjoy healthy foods and prepare nutritional meals for my family, but I also enjoy dessert and wanted to be able to enjoy such treats a few days a week.

The path I followed:
I wanted a simple to plan, a healthy/balanced diet that I could fit into my life so it would become a permanent lifestyle change and I would have no problem eating that way forever. The way I got started was to just to learn to listen to my body and allow my natural eating pattern to evolve. I started eating only when my body indicated that it was time to refuel. Within a week I had settled into an eating pattern that is much like the Warrior Diet plan. A very small, nutrition-packed meal after my morning workout (on an empty stomach) and a healthy/balanced meal in the evening with my family. I could feel the good results of these changes by the end of the first week, this diet has improved my health and energy levels and it fits easily and comfortably into my lifestyle. Best of all, my weight loss has been much better than I ever expected it would be.

My progress so far:
Today, it's four months (17wks) since I started eating the Warrior Diet way.
Date @ Start: 1/1/09  >>>  Today: 4/30/09
Weight @ Start: 258 pounds  >>>  Today: 209 pounds - Down 49 pounds
Jean Size @ Start: Snug size 24  >>>  Today: Comfortable size 14
Blood Pressure @ Start: High  >>>  Today: Normal - Low
Cholesterol @ Start: High  >>>  Today: Well within normal ranges
Sleep Pattern @ Start: Insomnia, exhaustion  >>>  Today: Sleep like a baby, alert and energetic.
Energy Level @ Start: Fatigued, sluggish  >>>  Today: More than I need

I'm so glad I finally found a solution to my health and weight problems. This plan is working for me and I intend to follow it for life. I still have some weight to lose, but my test results are much improved and I feel better than ever.

Since I am apparently on a modified form of the Warrior Diet, not following the plan to the letter, am I welcome to post here with my progress? Or is this board restricted to those following the diet more precisely?

[Dano3000]

THIS IS A RESTRICTED BOARD.....
  just kidding.

Please do let us know of your progress! Its always uplifting to read the story of someones self betterment.

[clake16]

Great to hear about your success.  If you ever get to any sticking points or want to take it any further, feel free to ask questions.  Lots of helpful/smart people lurking around these boards.

[Rachel421]

labrat! please do report and honor all your hard work and progress!  it keeps you focused to document and share, and it helps others as well! 

you're experience reflexs mine so much. isnt this plan the best?

question, what kind of exercise do you enjoy? i find it most amazing to go from nearing physical disability to training hard the way i do now.  cheers and welcome to the board!

[LabRat]

Thanks to all, for being so welcoming. I haven't had the opportunity to explore this forum very much yet, but I plan to do so as time permits.

question, what kind of exercise do you enjoy? i find it most amazing to go from nearing physical disability to training hard the way i do now.  cheers and welcome to the board!

Hi Rachel,

My philosophy on exercise is much the same as my belief on how best to eat a health promoting diet. Variety is important in both, to avoid boredom and keep things balanced. In diet, eating a wide variety of foods helps to cover the spectrum of nutrition and assure that my body is fueled in the best way and has the building blocks to maintain a strong immune system, tissue repair and all functions necessary for health. I don't want my diet to become monotonous, I want to enjoy my meals. I've learned that eating healthy does not mean I have to give up on taste and eat nothing but salads and chicken or "health" foods that don't appeal to my taste buds.

The same goes for exercise. I don't enjoy doing a workout simply for the sake of working up a sweat and burning a few calories. I want to have fun and get a workout at the same time. If you do the same basic exercise routine every day your body soon becomes accustomed to those movements and is no longer challenged by it. You also run the risk of only working those particular muscles within a certain range of motion and not working others to create a balance of strength over all your muscle groups. So I vary my exercise each day to work all my muscles in a wide range of motion and to build all-over body strength and muscle tone.

On the weekends my husband and I usually do something fun that challenges our body at the same time, we enjoy participating in a lot of outdoor activities. Monday through Friday we work out at a club that offers a wide range of workout options and we take advantage of all of them, even those we aren't particularly good at. Weekday workouts typically last about one hour. Weekend workouts are more fun oriented and longer.

So far this week my exercise has included 4 hours of rough-terrain mountain biking on Sunday. Monday was boxing for one hour at the club, this included (overall) 20 minutes socking, 20 minutes blocking and 20 minutes kicking. This morning we did an hour in the torture chamber for an intense, all-around core workout.

[LabRat]

Today is my 20 week anniversary and my progress toward health and weight loss continues. I am still losing at an average rate of 2 pounds per week. Daily weight fluctuations sometimes tempt me to fudge with my diet in an attempt to attain more weight loss, but I have resolved to staying steadfast to my eating plan. I have learned how to eat in order to maintain my insulin levels in order to facilitate protein synthesis and fat burning, resulting in steady weight loss without risk to muscle tissue or a reduction in energy levels.
 
My progress so far:
Today, it's 20 weeks since I started eating the Warrior Diet way.
Date @ Start: 1/1/09  >>>  Today: 5/21/09
Weight @ Start: 258 pounds  >>>  Today: 203 pounds - Down 55 pounds
Jean Size @ Start: Snug size 24  >>>  Today: Loose size 14

[LabRat]

Only dropped one pound this holiday-shortened week, but my jeans are feeling a bit roomier so it could be that I'm still in an adjustment phase where I don't drop the pounds but my body becomes noticeably leaner. Played racquetball this morning, great game for burning calories and getting an all over workout and having fun at the same time.

[LabRat]

I finally broke through the 200 pound barrier, it's been several years since I saw a number lower than that when I stepped on the scale. What a psychological boost that is. I am so motivated by the weight loss I've achieved so far, and amazed at how easy it is to stay on my program. I will soon have to embark on a shopping trip to buy some smaller jeans.

My progress so far:
Today, it's 23 weeks since I started eating my modified Warrior Diet way.
Date @ Start: 1/1/09  >>>  Today: 6/11/09
Weight @ Start: 258 pounds  >>>  Today: 198 pounds - Down 60 pounds
Jean Size @ Start: Snug size 24  >>>  Today: Need a belt size 14

[Rachel421]

congrats lab!  you r an inspiration!   

[Theo]

yeah man, nicely done. very good progress

[LabRat]

yeah man, nicely done. very good progress

Thank you, Wolf. I still have a ways to go, but I'm happy with the progress so far.

[LabRat]

As I reach my six-month milestone I am amazed at the weight loss I've achieved so far. When I set out on this journey, the destination seemed so far away, I was so out of shape and feeling the effects of some very serious health problems from the years I had not paid more attention to my diet and allowed myself to become obese and unhealthy. I never expected to be over half way to my goal just six-months in and to have completely reversed the health concerns that I had which included high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, and a diagnosis of being borderline Diabetic. Now the doctor, who just six months ago wanted to put me on several medications, gives me a clean bill of health, though it's advised that I keep working at weight loss until I get into a healthy weight range and I continue my improved diet for life, which I fully intend to do. The whole idea doesn't seem so over-whelming anymore, my regime doesn't require any extra effort and it fits so comfortably into my lifestyle I know practicing it for life will not be a problem. The changes I've made to accomplish my goal must be permanent in order to maintain my weight loss once I reach my goal.

The rate of my weight loss has slowed now, for the first five months I averaged a loss of just over 2 pounds a week but now it's down to 1 to 2 pounds a week, that's to be expected now that my body is 60 pounds lighter. I figure, as long as I'm still losing than I'm still working toward my goal. I'm so glad I can accomplish this success while still eating the foods I enjoy and sharing dinnertime with my family. I like that this program fits naturally into my life. I haven't made radical changes to my diet, other than to change when I eat and apply a bit of moderation with some added focus on choosing healthy foods and preparation methods. Keeping it all reasonable has helped me develop an eating plan that is easy to live with and has given me better than expected results for weight loss. I'm not depriving myself of my favorite dishes, I eat a wide variety of foods to enjoy more nutrition as well as more flavor in my diet, so far I have not experienced any food cravings or even felt the need to indulge in cheat days.

Today, I have a good workout ache across my shoulders, down my back and in my legs from 4½ hours of heavy-duty gardening I did earlier in the week. All that toting, bending, reaching and digging worked some muscles that don't normally get so much attention. The garden is looking great too, the view out my window will be beautiful once all those new plantings take root and bloom. It's so gratifying to work my "exercise" into something that is productive other than just burning calories. I would go batty if my daily workout was just moving in some repetitious way for the sole purpose of working up a sweat and ticking off the minutes until it was over. If I'm having fun or accomplishing a task in the process, the workout isn't so tedious and I'm getting the benefits of exercise by default. I find doing it that way also tends to work more muscle groups in a greater range of motion than the typical workout that focuses only on the specific muscle groups doing the same movement over and over for a counted number of repetitions. Exercise with a purpose helps to accomplish two goals at one time.

Several years ago I had a gym membership and regularly did the routine workout (30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training) but I remember that I was less than satisfied with the final results of that program, even though I was training under the guidance of a good fitness trainer at the time. My weight was within an acceptable range and some muscles were well-toned while others seemed less so, due to the over training of some muscle groups while under training others that commonly occurs with such focused workouts. Afterwards, I saw an interview with a workout coach who made an interesting point, he said he prefered workouts that challenge the muscles in "real life" movements the way we actually use our bodies, so that muscles are strengthened in proper proportion to the tasks we use them for in life. He made the point that being able to bench press 200 pounds wouldn't be real handy unless you were being raped by a 200-pound guerrilla and you needed to push the beast off you. I liked his perspective on how the workout should build strength all over your body, to work all the muscles in proportion and keep the strength balanced across the entire muscle group. That's why I decided, when I started my new eating program which was designed around eating at the times my body naturally needed to be fueled, I would try to get my exercise in ways that gave my muscles a good workout while also completing a task or at least enjoying some sport for entertainment, what seemed like a more natural approach to the plan to become more active. Now that I've lost so much of the fat that my muscles were buried under, it's revealed some nicely toned curves in all the right places with great all over muscle definition with no bulkiness. I much prefer this to the unbalanced appearance I had gotten from the gym workout method. I find I have more power and energy to perform everyday tasks, even long hours of work that once was exhausting after just 20 minutes. This workout method not only seems to be burning the calories, but it's giving me a balanced all-over toned appearance at the same time. I'm anxious to see where I'll be six months from now.

Hoping all my fellow Americans enjoy the 4th of July weekend. Happy Birthday, America.

My progress so far:
Today, it's 26 weeks (6 months) since I started eating my modified Warrior Diet way.
Date @ Start: 1/1/09  >>>  Today: 7/3/09
Weight @ Start: 258 pounds  >>>  Today: 194 pounds - Down 64 pounds
Jean Size @ Start: Snug size 24  >>>  Today: Slightly snug size 12

[giantmonster]

congrats lab... keep up the good work and let us know more about your success....