_lose_34_lbs_in_42_days

i just pigged out today with a post-BLC lunch at TGIF with Eire, and it was simply satisfying. it was my first time in a very long while to feel too full from eating chicken, french fries, and other oily stuff that i had to completely avoid for 42 days in the Takbo.ph BLC.

today's lunch...a day after the BLC


sharing what i actually did to lose 34.4 lbs, not implying that this is for anyone out there who wants to shed some pounds. i'm 5'11" and internet literature says my ideal weight should be around 160-185 lbs, considering my build & age. since i started at 200.8 lbs with the BLC, i had a lot to lose.

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i confess that i consulted once (only once) with a nutritionist 2 weeks into the BLC period who gave me a meal plan, which i eventually didn't follow as i didn't like the idea of measuring portions and timing my meals & snacks. the plan entailed that i consume 2,200 calories consisting of about 60% carbs, 20% protein, & 20% fat. i completely dropped the plan and decided to work on my own.

from internet research, intuition, pondering, & determination, here were the 2 simple rules i followed throughout the BLC weight loss period:

1) FOLLOW A 2,000-CALORIE DIET WITH 60:20:20 CARB, PROTEIN, FAT RATIO

i tracked every single fruit, drink, & food morsel that i consumed everyday and recorded them at daily burn, including my weight progress. i could actually eat anything i wanted, but i focused on those foods that would make me full longer, either high in fiber (like papaya/apple) or known to lessen people's appetite (like coffee).

since my food cravings included high-calorie goodies that i knew wouldn't satisfy my hunger, i skipped all of them.

a normal list of foods that i usually eat in a day include:

BREAKFAST
1 cup of oatmeal or corn flakes with soy milk

A.M. SNACK
1 hard-boiled egg
1 mug brewed coffee with cream & non-calorie sweetener
1 banana

LUNCH
1 viand from bodhi or canned tuna (any flavor, either century tuna or san marino)
1 cup brown rice

P.M. SNACK
2 slices of multigrain wheat bread
2 tbsp sugar-free strawberry jam
1 cup instant coffee, sugar-free

DINNER
1 bowl tuna pasta
1 banana
1 apple

when you search these foods at daily burn, they come to around 1,900 calories with about 62% carbs, 17% protein, & 21% fat. i'm not totally strict about the 60:20:20 rule.

notice that this food list actually seems too much for someone on a BLC diet. :) this complements what i did in #2 as i needed a lot of energy to run. without energy, i'd be stuck at home just watching TV or hanging out at the SB. :P

2) RUN AS MUCH AS I CAN, WHENEVER I CAN

another net tool that i've been using since i started with my running addiction is daily mile.

for 42 days, i ran a total of 274km consisting short & long runs, with a few races. most of the time, i ran in the evening, around 2 hours after dinner and there were even a few times when i started past 10pm (with eire getting a bit worried about what i was doing to myself). my usual route includes the fort, mckinley hills, and pioneer-ortigas (when i'm lazy to drive to the fort). i hated waking up in the morning as i preferred sleeping a bit more. :) except for the races, i did only 1 solo run in the morning and it was probably just 5km.

daily mile weekly log--the 88km log was when i ran nightly for at least 12km, including the 32km baguio race


i noticed that for every run, i'd lose around .5 to .7 lbs the following day, even after eating breakfast. that even got me motivated to run more.

the only danger when i did consecutive runs, up to 7 straight days of long runs, i knew that i would become more prone to injury based on what i've heard & read from other runners. i just said to myself that since i'm running only at a slow, fat burning zone pace, i'd be okay...while crossing my fingers & toes. :) i was very, very fortunate that i didn't have to face any injury during that entire running frenzy.

as for gym, i only did weights 3 times (with 1 week intervals) in the entire period as i didn't want to build muscles. :P

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like i said in my FB status, i thank Takbo.ph for sparking & nurturing such a very fun Filipino running community, all the inspiring BLC participants who gave so much of their effort to lose weight as their passion to change for the better, to Rico & Gerard for organizing the BLC, and to Eire for her untiring support and tolerance to my nightly runs and sacrifice to test my limits in this competition.

i have changed for the better. i am truly blessed & i am sincerely grateful. :)

gobbling a cupcake 1 minute after my final weigh-in


me & alan (2nd placer, super weight-loser too)


final scores/percentages


happy BLCers at the takbo.ph party...Ley, Rico, Mike, Marga, me, Sam, Alan, Gerard, Raff, Yan, Gail, Rodel, & Neil


thanks to Brando & Pio for the photos!

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after the BLC, i plan to maintain my weight and not go over 185 lbs. :) i think it seems realistic as i want to start eating the foods that i crave for...without overindulging, of course. ;)