So now I am about the weight I want to be.  The question I have now is: how do I keep it off?  This is something many people don’t consider.  They get to the end of a diet and just go back to the way they ate before only to need to go back on the diet a year later.  The answer for me is trial and error at this point.  I need to be eating more than I was to lose weight but still less than I did to get to the weight I was before.

The truth is there is no simple answer.  Just as you are vigilant in losing weight you must be just as vigilant, perhaps more so, in keeping it off.  One thing is for sure, you can’t just go back to the way you ate before.  That won’t work unless you drastically increase your exercise or physical activity.  It is about calories in – calories out.  One size won’t fit all.  You have to do your work and figure out what works for you.

Here is what I am doing.

• I am keeping track of my weight.  I’m not weighing every day but I am weighing regularly to make sure I am where I want to be.  If I am not I adjust what I am eating.
• I am eating a bit more than I did before.  I have started running again so I am taking that into account.
• I am keeping my level of physical activity up.  I don’t want to live a sedentary lifestyle.

I am a firm believer that weight isn’t everything.  There are plenty of skinny people who are “fat” on the inside.  Skinny does not always equal healthy.  So I am eating healthy too.  I am trying to make sure I eat lots of fruits and veggies.  I don’t eat many sweets and when I do I eat very little.  I very rarely eat fried foods (but I do on occasion).  I still only eat at work what I bring from home.  This keeps me from eating more than I plan to during the time of day that I am least active.

I have been successful the last couple weeks maintaining my current weight and I will keep you posted on how I do.  In the mean time I probably need to go shopping for new clothes.  The old ones are getting a little loose.

Throw a comment my way and let me know what has worked for you in keeping weight off.

Brian

Two goals that I have found to be complementary are budgeting and weight loss (or health gain, as I like to call it).  The first part of the budgeting process is finding out what your expenses are.  Then mold your budget into what you want it to look like.  You tell your money what to do.  If you live by this then you are successfully living by a budget.

The logical extension to weight loss would be limiting the amount of money you have to spend on “junk” food or cutting it out all together.  This includes eating out and snacky foods from the grocery store.  If you follow your budget in this area then you will eat less and will lose weight.

So you are spending less on food.  How does that help you lose weight?  Weight loss has developed into a large industry.  There are so many ideas being sold out there about how to lose weight that it can be confusing and, therefore, discouraging.  It doesn’t have to be.  I have lost weight simply by eating less.  I promise it works.  I have lost 20 pounds just eating less.  All it takes is some self-discipline but if you are disciplined enough to budgeting your money then I am sure you can do it.

Don’t let your budget (or lack thereof) contribute to your weight problems.  Control your budget, live within it, and you will find your weight will come under control as well.  Spend less, eat less.  Your wallet will be happier and your scale will be too.  It’s a win, win.

You might be asking, “What does your job have to do with losing weight?”  It turns out, pretty much everything.  The issue at hand is actually much broader than my job although it is the thing that is affecting me.  The larger issue is that, as a society, we have become sedentary.  We sit in front of a TV, we sit at work, we sit at a baseball game, we sit in the car, and we sit in front of our computer at home.  We sit.  A lot.

Ever since I got my behind-the-desk-job I noticed that I had a hard time keeping weight off.  I wasn’t gaining a whole lot but little bits over time add up.  I found myself weighing around 202 pounds.  That isn’t horrible for a 6’1” guy but it isn’t good either and I knew it wasn’t going to get better doing the same thing I had been.

I had already cut out soft drinks, most sugar, and most fried foods from my diet.  I was already trying to be healthy.  What else do I do?  The answer I came up with was so simple.  How about take my own advice and eat less?  I wanted to see how far only eating less would go so I didn’t change my level of physical activity.  I was already doing pull-ups and push ups several times a week so I kept doing those but I didn’t add any other normal physical activity.

Our bodies work much like the engine of a car.  We take fuel in and then we expend it.  The difference between us and a car is that our bodies are smart.  When we take in too much fuel our bodies store the left over amount for later use.  This is a wonderful thing during a time when food is scarce.    The problem is we don’t live in that time and we don’t use it later.  And so we continue to gain weight.

I started looking at how I was eating and realized that I was eating like a very active person should.  Sitting behind a desk meant that I wasn’t that person.  So I decided that while at work I would eat less and see what happened.  Quite a bit less.  Here were some of my guidelines:

• I couldn’t eat anything I didn’t bring to work.  This meant that I controlled what I was eating by bringing my own stuff and cutting out all the junk that sat around at work.
• I ate a very small breakfast.  Usually some fruit, vegetables, or yogurt.
• I replaced my lunch with a shake made from a meal replacement supplement and fruit.
• I brought snacks of vegetables, fruit, and nuts and I slowly cut back on them until I ate about one small snack per day at work.
• I weighed once a day to remind me of my goals and track how I was doing.
• After work I ate a sensible but normal dinner.  I even went out to eat on occasion but if I did I tried to order something healthy, eat slowly, and eat less than they served me.  (restaurants always serve more food than you need)

By doing these things I drastically cut the amount of fuel I was taking into my body during the time that I was using the least.  It took a couple of weeks for my stomach to get used to this but it is possible to do with some self-discipline.  And then I lost 15 pounds.  Just by eating less.  And I’m not done yet.

Brian



It doesn’t bother me.  Not one bit.  I love wearing these things.  They are the most comfortable feet-adornment I have ever worn.   I wear them to church.  I have worn them to a barn dance.  I will be wearing them to play softball in (I’ll let you know how that goes).  I wear them to work.  I wear them to the gym.  So, pretty much, I wear them anywhere and everywhere.

People who know me or know who I am are much more inclined to come up and ask me about my weird looking shoes.  People’s first response, before I tell them the many reasons I wear them, is usually skepticism and a little shock.  I do get the occasional positive first response but even then some objection comes up.   Here are some of the most common objections I get and then my response.

Objection:  They look weird/They aren’t fashionable

This is probably the most common response.  My wife asked me when I first got them if I was really going to wear them out in public.  The answer was yes. To her credit, she has gotten used to them and is even considering getting a pair for running.

Response: What did people say to the guy who invented the first close-toed shoe?  I will admit that they do look different from other shoes but, in my opinion, that is a good thing.  They are not trying to be shoes.  They are letting my feet be feet.  If fashion and being socially accepted means more to a person than comfort or healthy feet then FiveFingers aren’t for them.  Who am I to tell them their priorities are in the wrong place? (Please read that last statement as a joke.  It really was intended that way.)

Objection: “Doesn’t it feel weird having something between your toes?”

This is another very common one.  And a good question.  If having stuff between your toes bothers you then FiveFingers might not be for you.  The truth is most people have never had stuff in between their toes (aside from sandals) so I would say that this objection comes mainly from a fear of change.  It is something different.

Response: No.  It doesn’t feel weird to me.  To be honest, I didn’t even notice the first time I put them on.  They are the most comfortable shoes I own.  And even if it did bother me I would get used to it to get the benefit from them.

Objection: Some people don’t like feet.  FiveFingers look like feet.

When I wear my FiveFingers people say that it looks like I have gorilla feet.  Or that they can see my toes.  And for some reason this makes them uncomfortable. Again, this seems to come from the fact that we are not used to seeing toes in shoes.  And what people aren’t used to they are not sure about.  Or they are scared of feet.  And that is much stranger to me than these shoes are.

Response: Get over it.  Everyone who wears shoes has feet.  They are attached to you so you might as well get used to them.  Seriously though, why let a social norm keep you from experiencing something great?

As many negative reactions as I get I do get some really good positive reactions to them as well.  Many people get very excited about them as I tell them more about the benefits they provide.  My favorite positive response came from my brother-in-law.  He tried some on at a store and immediately remarked that he felt like he could run 90 miles an hour.  And that he wanted to right then!  He said that his feet just wanted to move.

I couldn’t agree more.  I imagine that if my wife gets some to run in that she won’t want to take them off.  That is usually what I tell people.  Try them before you knock them.  They will win you over.

Brian

The problem here is that most people want to see quick results and may change a few things about their lifestyle to get those quick results only to revert back when they see results or get tired of trying.  I would contend that focusing on your weight as the primary means of permanent weight loss and health does not work.

Why doesn’t it work?  I’m glad you asked.  When you make your target a number you are giving yourself a finish line.  Most people that cross that finish line end up reverting to old habits that led to their old weight.  They reached their target.  They can “afford” to splurge every now and again.  That is a recipe for failure.

So if a target weight shouldn’t be your primary goal what should?  Your overall health gain.  Here are three main areas to consider in changing your mindset from weight loss to health gain.

What you eat:  This is pivotal.  You can’t change your health by simply eating less of the same thing that got you to where you are.  You might lose a little weight this way but it won’t be permanent and you won’t make a meaningful impact on your health.  A good start is cutting out fried foods and pure sugar foods.  Replace your snacks with fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

How much you eat:  Portion size is a huge problem in the US.  Go to almost any restaurant and you will be served way more than you need to eat.  You must control how much you eat.  A quick fix for this in a restaurant is to ask for a to go box with your meal and put a large portion in the box before you eat.  Another way to eat less is to eat slower.  Not only is this good for your digestive system you will have time to feel full and stop eating.

How you view exercise:  Most people who are trying to lose weight see exercise as a way to lose weight.  It will work for that but, more importantly exercising on a daily basis is good for your health.  If you view it as important for your heath then you will continue to exercise after you lose your weight.  Make exercise a normal part of your daily life and your health will thank you.

Losing weight is fine.  Just make sure you are putting it in the right order.  Skinny does not always equal healthy. Instead make your focus being healthy and the weight loss will naturally come with it.

When I say hefty I mean it.  The bottom of the Trek is a little thicker than the KSO and has more tread.  The top is made of leather which gives it more durability and makes it waterproof.  It is simply a more heavy duty shoe than the KSO.

Why purchase the Trek, you ask?  I wanted to wear my FiveFingers on a daily basis and I knew one pair probably wouldn’t cover it.  I also didn’t want to wear out the KSOs too quickly between running and everyday use.  The Trek looked like it could stand up to more daily use so it became my choice.  The Trek is quite a bit more expensive than the KSO so the fact that I had some Christmas money went into my decision too.

I am very happy with that decision.  It has been a great shoe to wear to work, at home, and around town, especially during the colder months of the year.  I wear my KSOs as my running shoe and my Treks as my everyday shoe.  The Treks are a little more “dressy” looking so they fit their role well.

When I first put the Treks on I noticed a bit less connection with the ground than the KSOs due to the thicker sole.  This has not been a problem the more I wear them.  The leather feels great and I like the grip of the sole.  Even though the KSOs are my primary running shoe I have tried the Treks in this role and they work great here too.

Since I have been wearing FiveFingers on a daily basis I have become increasingly uncomfortable in normal shoes.  I got a kick out of looking down at my regualr-shoe shod feet one day and thinking they were funny looking.  I am really getting used to the FiveFingers look.  Another thing I have noticed since starting to wear them most of the time and for running is the strength in my lower calf and toes.  I can tell that my balance has improved as a result.

I still get weird looks and questions about them but that is fine with me.  I like giving people the low down on why I wear them.  I tell people that if they enjoy being barefoot then they will enjoy these shoes.  Or if they want a better running stride then these are the way to go. Bottom line, they are healthier and more comfortable than regular shoes.  Why wouldn’t you buy them?  Whatever model you get you will be happy with them.

Brian

Not in this case.  I want to provide you with a few reasons to consider running barefoot or in a pair of FiveFingers.  (These reasons are based on my observations and study and not a scientific study.  Feel free to disagree.)

First and foremost, it is the way we were made.  All the other reasons are possible because of this one.  The foot and leg are an amazing creation.  Would you build a building designed to house eight hundred people and then, when the building opens, tell people that you would only be filling it to half capacity?  Wouldn’t you want to fill it all the way up?  I would.   Your feet were designed to run a certain way.  When we encase them in a shoe we lose much of their intended potential.

Running barefooted uses the arch of the foot and calf muscle the way it was intended: as a shock absorber.  Running in modern running shoes promotes a heel first strike motion.  When your heel strikes the ground first you are bypassing the mechanisms in your foot and leg intended to absorb the shock.  This puts unneeded stress on your knees and other joints.  Running barefoot promotes a front to mid-foot strike which utilizes the arch of the foot and calf as a shock absorber, lessening the stress on the knees.  With less stress on the knees you reduce the risk of injury.

Using your feet and legs the way they were designed to be used will strengthen them and provide a stronger “base” for your body.  You have five toes on each foot.  Can you use them independently?  Probably not.  Try to separate your little toe from the rest of the bunch and you will probably find that it won’t do it.  It hasn’t had to because of the shoes we wear.  Strengthening your toes and the rest of your foot and lower legs will increase your balance and makes you less prone to leg injuries.  It will be much harder to roll your ankle if it is stronger and closer to the ground (running shoes have a raised heel on them).

Your foot is naturally a very flexible part of your body very similar to your hands.  When you put a running shoe on it you are putting a cast on your foot more or less.  When you step on an object in shoes the rigid bottom causes your foot to roll either front to back or side to side to compensate.  A barefoot or a FiveFinger shod foot will cup the object instead, reducing the risk of injury.

Your stride in running is very important.  I spoke earlier about the heel first strike stride caused by running shoes.  When you run this way you point your toe up as your heel comes down which puts your foot in a strained posture as it hits the ground.  It can also cause overstride (taking too long a stride which puts even more strain on the knee).  Running barefoot produces more natural and efficient stride. Your foot points down instead of up as it comes in contact with the ground in a more relaxed postion.  It also creates a shorter stride that puts your center of gravity directly over the impact.

Last, but not least, it feels great.  There is a certain amount of freedom that comes with feeling the terrain under your feet.  This might not be the best reason to run barefooted but it sure does feel good.

Fast forward to today and not much has changed.  I still prefer not having shoes on my feet.  When I am at work they come off.  The first thing to come off when I get home is my shoes.  But, just like when I was a kid, I can’t go barefoot everywhere.  Notice the “No shirt, no shoes, no service” rules.  If any of you are still with me at this point and you are nodding your head in agreement, I have good news for you.  I have found the perfect alternative to traditional shoes if you don’t mind a few weird looks from other people.

Enter Vibram FiveFingers

You might be asking, “Why?  Why would you wear these weird-looking shoes, Brian?”  (I know my wife is asking that question.)  Let me give you a few reasons:

• I like going barefoot.  (Based on the preceding paragraphs I hope that was obvious.)  This is the closest to being barefoot as one can get.  You have the use of all your toes independently of each other and you can still feel the ground beneath your feet.
• Being barefoot is healthy for your feet and legs.  Our feet were created the way they are for a reason.  Have you ever run around barefooted?  Doesn’t it feel grand?  There is a reason for that.  Your feet are one of the most complex bone and muscle structures on your body.  When they are allowed to move and flex the way they were created to it strengthens them and your legs.
• Being barefoot improves balance.  Why do you think gymnasts do their balance beam routines without shoes on?  Your toes are a large part of what keeps you balanced.  When you encase them in a tradition shoe you eliminate a large amount of their balancing power.

All of these are especially true during exercise, which is one of the main reasons I got them.  I bought them as running shoes but I am already using them for so much more.

All of the above I knew before I bought the FiveFingers.  So what do I think of them after I have used them for a bit?  I like them a lot!

The first time I tried to put a pair on I had some trouble.  My toes did not want to separate to go in their individual pockets.  Apparently this happens to everyone because the muscles that work our toes are not developed very well because of the shoes we wear. In a traditional shoe the toes work as a unit, many of them not even being used in your stride.  As you develop the muscles by being barefoot or wearing FiveFingers it is much easier for your toes to work independently of each other.  I am sure that an increase in balance and running power will come from strengthened toes.

The first time I ran in the FiveFingers I immediately noticed a difference in the way my foot hit the ground.  In a normal running shoe the heel strikes first.  This can cause a lot of strain on the joints of the leg. In the FiveFingers I ran more on the ball of my foot.  From what I have read this difference allows the arch of the foot to take a lot of the impact so it doesn’t translate up to your knees and hips which could help prevent injury.

I bought these as primarily running shoes but I have found that they serve many functions.  I have enjoyed wearing them around like normal shoes.  They are very comfortable.  I usually take long trips in sandals so that I can take them off while in the car.  FiveFingers allow me to have the barefoot feeling while not having to worry about taking my shoes on and off.  Very handy.

I haven’t tried them in this way yet but I am sure that they would work great for the lake or other water sports.  They would also be great for hiking and climbing.  I would also like to give them a try during weight lifting.

Oh, and they are machine washable and dry very quickly.

I own the KSO model of the FiveFingers but I am also looking into the Sprints and Treks.

I have only had them a short while but I can tell you that they are great.  They allow me to be essentially barefoot in situations that I normally would not allow it.  Whether it is exercising or going to the store these shoes deliver the comfort and performance that only barefooting can give.

Brian

Here are a couple websites to look at that will give you some more info on these remarkable shoes:

www.vibramfivefingers.com

www.birthdayshoes.com

Update:  I have made my first real run in my FiveFingers.  I ran a little over a mile and I understand why people say that it takes time to break your feet and legs into wearing them.  I found it most comfortable to run on the balls of my feet and by the end of the run they felt hot (friction I am guessing).  Also as predicted I felt the most soreness in the arch of my foot and my lower calf muscle.  It felt very natural to run in these shoes.

Have you ever heard someone say (or said yourself probably), “I am going on a diet.  I need to lose some weight.”  I have said those words before.  As a person who is very aware of words and their meanings it would behoove me to talk about what the word diet means.  Yes, it can mean specific foods designed to improve health in some way but the more traditional meaning is as follows:

diet – food habitually eaten; anything that is habitually provided or partaken of; the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group

In this case diet is, simply, what you eat on a daily basis.  I think it is better to view your diet as a constant thing, not as a stop and go way to get back in shape.  Your diet is what you eat all the time.  Changing your diet in order to improve an aspect of your health is just that, a change in diet, not a diet itself.  If we always have a diet (food habitually eaten) why don’t we make our diets good ones to begin with so that we don’t have to alter the way we eat to regain our health?

The cycle for most people seems to be that they eat however they want until they are unhappy with their body, then they do some kind of overkill diet in order to bring them selves back to something they are happy with only to fall back into their previous eating habits. (Rinse, Wash, Repeat, Rinse, Wash, Repeat…)  So instead of focusing on our small diets we should focus on our life diets.  How do we normally eat?  What foods do you normally eat?  Is healthy the norm or is that only when you need to loose some weight?  Changing your diet into a life habit instead of a quick crash diet only to revert is the best way.  It might not get the extremely quick results that some crash diets get but you will be healthier in the long run.

I don’t even know if crash diets are healthy.  Most of them require that you get rid of a whole part of your nutrition.  No carbs, no fats, and the list goes on.  Here are some of the things that I have implemented into my life diet:

1. Portion Size:  The restaurants here in the US serve far too much food in a dish for a single person, especially for someone who sits at a desk all day.  The rule I follow is only eat half of what is served to you at  restaurants.  You can extend this to what you eat at home as well if you want.  The less you take in, the less you will store as fat.  Another thing to consider here is that we have switched the portion sizes of meals around.  Breakfast is typically our smallest meal while dinner is our largest.  This is backwards.  Breakfast gets you geared up for the day so you should eat more here and dinner is closer to the time when you go to be so you should eat less here.
2. Fried Food:  As delicious as this kind of food is, it is one of the worst for you.  Cut out all fried foods.  This includes chips that are fried.  Look for the ones that are baked instead.  Or better yet substitute carrots or some other fruit or veggie for them as a side item.
3. Soft Drinks:  Talk about unnecessary sugar.  These things are nothing but sugar.  On top of that the phosphoric acid in them can weaken your bones (for all you diet drinkers).  Drink water instead.  It is better for you and you will save yourself a few buck in the grocery store and at the restaurant.   Water is also a good way to curb hunger at work.  If you get hungry get a glass of water before you search out the snacks.
4. Sugar:  Ah, the bane of my existence.  If you can go without sugar then good for you.  There are plenty of natural sugars in the everyday foods we eat that we do not need sweets at all.  They are an indulgence only.  For me however, I have to try to limit myself to one sweet thing a day.  To accomplish this I don’t eat sweets at work and I don’t keep sweets around the house (very often).  If it is available I will probably eat it so I just don’t make it available.  Keep sugar to a minimum.
5. Timing:  Our culture supports the three meals a day idea.  This is ok if the meals are small but most of us spread them out long enough that by the time we sit down to eat we are ravenous and then we overeat.  Instead, try eating smaller meals throughout the day or supplementing your hunger with small snacks.  Also, I set a time for myself that I try not to eat afterward in the evening.  The closer you eat to when you go to bed, the more calories you haven’t burned off yet so the more you will potentially store up at night.  Another part of timing is to get your body in a routine about eating.  Try to eat at about the same times everyday.
6. Exercise:  I know this isn’t an eating tip but the two go hand in hand since we are talking about this in reference to the diets most people go on to become healthier.  Do some kind of regular physical exercise.  Walk, run, lift weights, do jumping jacks, or push ups.  Just do some kind of physical activity.
7. Slow Down:  This one is very simple but it is one that I have to work on very hard.  Your stomach is on a communication delay with the rest of your body.  This means that when you feel full that usually means that you are over full.  By eating slowly you give your body the chance tell you when it is full.  Also, when we eat fast, we don’t chew our food well enough.  Chewing is just as much a part of our digestive process as what happens in the stomach.  Slowing down your eating will help you eat less and it will provide a nice time of fellowship with those you are eating with.

These are the things that I try to do.  Don’t try to create a habit for a few months only to stop. Change your diet permanently not just for a short time. Make a life habit out of eating healthy.  Not only will you be in shape but you will live a longer healthier life.

One other thought before I close.  I also think that being healthy is something that God requires of us.  Not only is it being responsible with what he has given us it shows Him that we are ready to follow where ever he leads.  How do we know what he will call us to?  If He calls me to something I want to be ready and this includes being physically capable of carrying out what He asks.

Brian