Colin McNamara – CCIE 18233 , VCP, EMCIE, NCDA, GEEK

I used to be obese. I tipped the scales at 290 pounds, and could barely walk up a flight of stairs without getting short of breath.

The picture on the left was taken back then. I was on staying in a hotel 110 nights a year and at on a flight at least twice a week. Living the jetset life was bringing me to a quick end to my life.

While I can talk all day about the journey from fat to skinny(er) I’d like to take the chance to share a couple key tools that helped me shed the pounds.

Getting back on the bike

I didn’t get to be 290 pounds in one day. I gained it one day at a time, while sitting at a desk typing on a computer (while eating something incredibly yummy). The human body is an amazing machine that reacts well to physical activity.

I personally found that getting back onto a bicycle provided a way for me to burn some calories while doing something that is very enjoyable. It also provided a physical activity that wasn’t as hard on my joints (which at 290 is a big risk) as running.

I ended up dragging one of my old racing bikes out of the garage, however that is not necessary for everybody. You burn just as many calories on a 150 dollar Walmart bike as you do riding 5000 dollar custom bike. What is important is that you are out being active, not what you are being active on.

What can’t be measured can’t be improved

Nobody wants to hear that you need to track your calories and weight to lose weight. But here it is – You have to track your calories and weight. Sorry, I know it sucks but you have to do it. Losing weight is simple math. Take in less calories then you need each day and you lose. Eat more then you need and you gain. How do you find out what your magic number of calories per day is? It is simple. You have what is called your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and the calories burned during daily activity. Put those both together and that is your calorie budget for the day. Now you just have to find some tool to track it.

I have used a tool called the daily burn tracker for a couple years now. There is a free option that allows you to track via a webpage, and also a low cost iPhone app that allows you to look up foods and log them throughout the day. This allows me to keep an eye on my food intake, and make sure that calories aren’t sneaking up on me.

After measuring the calories you put into yourself, it is important to measure the results. When I started losing weight I just used a spreadsheet to track my progress. As time moved on I got introduced to the Withings scale.

I have to say, this scale is awesome for the inner geek in you. It measures your weight, your body fat, and your BMI (Body Mass Index) all automatically. Not only does it do that, but it upload your statistics via WiFI to a personal private account on www.withings.com . After your data is there you can set it up to sync to other services, (such as dailyburn listed before) or to twitter if you are up for some public support and/or embarrassment.

One other item that Withings makes, and I use it he blood pressure monitor.

This plugs into your iPhone or iPad and automatically takes your blood pressure and resting pulse. This is uploaded to the same interface that you use to view your weight and fat percentages. I find that it provides yet another window into the state of my health, and also provides a great feedback loop when I am training to hard (resting heart rate in the morning will be elevated).

You have to find balance and enjoy yourself

It is easy to become myopic in focus and become consumed with hitting a calorie goal each and every day.

While it is good to be focused it is important to remember that becoming fat didn’t happen in a day, it took time. The same is true with getting skinny. It is a long road, and it is ok to have fun for a day, enjoy some drinks and a good meal in moderation and have a good time. Just remember, the next day to get back on track, capture those calories and continue on the road to the skinny you.

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