Consumerist
After a year-and-a-half of blogging out of the comfort of my apartment, I was out of shape and overweight. I'm 5'11" and I weighed 220 lbs. Pants weren't fitting. I learned that buttons popping off pants didn't just happen in the cartoons. My family noticed my doublechins, my dad worried I had diabetes.
Something had to be done, and I was going to use what made me fat, computers and the internet, to help me do it.
I decided to put all my diet and workouts online to make me feel publicly accountable. I also figured that the idea that I was doing an internet project makes it seem less of a chore.
I figured it would make a good Consumerist post because there's no better way to cut down on future health care costs, and never have to do battle with the insurance company in the first place, than if you are fit and healthy. Not to mention, considering how bombarded we are with ads and marketing for weight loss programs, pills, videos, bizzare equipment, etc, it's nice to know the path to loosing fat can be simple and inexpensive.
METHODS
Cameraphone & Flickr
I took pictures of what I ate, when I worked out, and my weight scale results and uploaded them to Flickr, a free photo sharing site.
Traineo.com
I entered my weight and workouts into Traineo, a free diet and fitness social networking site. Check out my profile here.
Shangri-la Diet
I implemented the principles of the Shangri-la Diet, which mainly involves supplementing your diet with oil and sugar water. Reduced appetite is the result.
Gym
I began working out every other day, tracking my results on a sheet of paper I brought with me.
TOOLS
Gym membership
Flickr.com
Traineo.com
Stopwatch
Scale (the Tanita BF679W Duo Scale Plus Body Fat Monitor with Body Water)
Canola oil
Sugar
Water
Tablespoon
Internet
computer
Cameraphone
Pen
Paper
Soccerball
Gym shorts
New tshirts
SCHEDULE
Drink 1 tablespoon of canola oil around 11am
Drink 4-6 glasses of water with 1 tablespoon of dissolved pure sugar
Throw in some playing with the soccerball on in-between days
Eat meals as normal
Workout every other day. My workout includes 20 min stationary cycle, walking to and from the gym, and the following weight machines (3 sets of 10 reps each):
- dual action chest press
- seated leg curl
- rotary calf
- fly
- abs
- arm curl
- leg extension
- triceps
- prone leg curl
- leg press
- glutes
RESULTS
In two months, I went from 218 lbs to 205.4 lbs, and from 25.5% to 20% body fat.
The Shangri la Diet (SLD) actually does reduce my appetite. I used to always clean my plate. Now I have leftovers and doggie bags. I will always have the ability to be a great eater, to scarf everything down, but now I feel full a lot earlier. The key is to listen to my stomach and stop eating. SLD takes care of the physiology, some of it is still up to me and my brain.
The taking and uploading of photos helps keep me honest. I know that if I fall behind, I have to announce it. Not many people are watching it but just seeing a few views here and there helps reinforce the idea that I'm being monitored. Uploading has an additional benefit: by looking at my "sent" cellphone messages I can see when I last ate and what.
Traineo is pretty and user friendly and provides good ways to track progress. I'm not really using the social aspect of it at this point. Frankly, watching strangers try to lose weight is kind of an odd idea to me, even though I'm putting myself on display so that others might do the same. Guess you've got your exhibitionists and your voyeurs.
LITTLE THINGS THAT HELP MAKE IT WORK FOR ME
- I mentioned the workout program and website addresses in emails and IMs with friends and family to help gather a few supporters.
- Save your Flickr upload email address (located under account/upload by email) as the first contact in your cellphone. Preface its name with @ symbols (or any symbol) to make it show up first. Not having to scroll through contacts makes doing the cameraphone thing a lot easier.
- I take a picture during my workout, but only upload it after I leave the gym. This gives me something to look forward to and amplifies the sense of completion.
- My gym has a bowl of candy by the front door. I eat one peppermint hard candy on the way in, and one on the way out, as a little reward.
- Don't pose your food or pose with it. Just whip out the cam and snap a quick shot and upload it. Otherwise it ends up being a pain in the ass and will undermine your will to keep taking pictures.
- I take a photo of the weight scale right after I get out of the shower after a workout. Keeping the "feedback reward" as close to the completion of the task help motivate me.
- For the same reason, I enter the data for the workout right after I get out of the shower and get dressed.
CONCLUSIONS
The single best way to reduce future health care costs is to be fit, healthy, and not overweight. Using a mix of calorie control, increased exercise, and a few tools on the internet, you lose weight, get fit, have fun and not starve.
By diligently identifying and amplifying the little things that motivate, and identifying and mitigating or eliminating the things that demotivate, it's possible for to significantly alter one's behavior in a new, positive direction.
My Profile Pages
Traineo or follow with RSS
Flickr or follow with RSS
Comments
What a geek. Just stop eating, and get off your ass once in a while. Congrats on the weight loss. Now keep it off will ya so I don't have to be bored through another rambling post about it.
wait?! lemmie get this straight, you went on a diet, worked out, and you lost weight?!
if it takes you posting it on the internet to motivate you, then post away!
You mean 2 workouts a week on your Bowflex, purchased for only 12 easy installments of $99, wasn't enough?? Good diet and a support system were necessary?
Impossible. The television lied!
Yeah, there's 10 minutes of my life I'll never get back. You admit it yourself.. you sit around blogging and not exercising.. of COURSE you're going to get a fat ass!
At the end of the day, ANY system that includes both "eat less" and "move around more" will result in loss of excess weight.
The fact that this guy needed to use his (let's face it) internet addiction to accomplish those 2 basic things is good for him, but a colossal waste of time for most people.
Good for you Ben! Gotta do whatever works for you.
I actually lost a few pounds last summer, but not by doing anything or moving. My parents told me they didn't want food upstairs, and since I would be on my computer most of the time, no food meant no soda, and no candy. Unless I walked downstairs, I'd be drinking water, so I ended up losing weight because I was forced to drink water instead of other drinks.
I think that story is awesome. No matter what the motivator is, if the pounds are coming off, it's pretty admirable. Stop knocking him for how he did it-it's much better than if he starved himself or just gave up altogether.
whatever. i lost 20 pounds in 2 weeks snorting blow and eating 4 laxatives a day AND i didn't make a consumerist post about it
I was hoping he actually lost weight just sitting in front of a computer. I might try that shangri-la diet. Even though canola oil sounds pretty nasty.
Somehow the thought of drinking sugar water and doing spoonfulls of oil sounds pretty disgusting.... I'll take eating healthy (but not obsessively) and a simple exercise routine of walking a couple of miles and chasing my dog around a field for an hour.
@headon: Pot, meet Kettle.
Really - if you're bored enough to read through such a post, you might just be spending too much time in front of the computer, yourself.
It's all about personal responsibility. Live it. You'll be a better person for it. This goes for both Ben's goal as well as anyone complaining that they just lost 10 minutes of their day reading about it.
Wow, you guys are harsh. Anonymity really brings out the worst in people sometimes. I'm just impressed that he had the balls to put this entire thing out there for all you vultures to pick at. Especially the picture of him in what appears to be an adorable green womens v-neck. :)
5'11" huh.. must be nice being so tall.
Blogs are bloring. This guy's is a "Who cares?" Really, now?
It's a good post, but I'm not sure why it belongs on Consumerist. Maybe Lifehacker is a better place.
Congrats Ben - I wish I had the same personal dedication. I'm a bit of a tubby myself, and although I've had a few aborted attempts at losing 20lbs or so, I just can't seem to manage it.
Not moping - just saying that I know how impressive it is when someone manages it.
fuckin ben popken
Well it's about a kind of consumption...
Alright, it may be a bit off topic, but it takes a little bravery to post this sort of thing for all the world to see. And I'm sure there's a lot of Consumerist readers-including you douchebags complaining about the post-who could use Popken's advice.
Congratulations! Ignore the haters. I'm glad you found a way that works for you. I've done many different things through the years and sometimes I need to use sort of a gimmick to keep me motivated. Tech seems to be the best way for you. Good luck!
I'm not complaining about the post, and I'm not "hating" on Ben. Congrats on the weight loss, I always say whatever someone needs, support that.
But this really has nothing to do with consumerism. And I'm glad another person can support the "eat healthier and get off your ass" diet plan. It's amazing how often it works, and yet it's the last resort because it actually takes a little effort.
@agb:
You mean until now, right?
Quote: At the end of the day, ANY system that includes both "eat less" and "move around more" will result in loss of excess weight.
Exactly but good job monitoring your food. Small portions throughout the day are much more beneficial to your metabolism that a heaping plate of Applebee's or similar at the end of the day.
Also keep moving! And get away from the net. (Yes I need to take my own advice) But I bike to work and back 8 miles each way. Regular daily cardio is necessary in addition to a good diet and gym weights. And it's much more fun if you work your cardio into something you enjoy daily like biking, raquetball, running - rather than running onwhere on a gym treadmill. (my opinion)
james [www.futuregringo.com]
canola oil??? Is that to give you diarrhea???
@dbeahn: All that said tho: Losing weight is HARD. A few years ago I dropped just over a hundred pounds, and I've kept most of it off. Congrats Ben, and if it's working for you, stick with it!
It is no mercy day on Lifehacker it seems.
I agree that it is as simple as, "Eat less, workout more, or a mix of the two."
Maybe it's just me but if you Dad thought you were diabetic then drinking sugar water is not the ideal choice!
I have just recently been diagnosed with diabetes and I have so much to learn about eating right. But I am pretty sure that drinking oil and sugar water aren't the way to go!
Glad you lost weight but I think exercise and eating right is what did it not sugar water and oil.
The man lost weight and used internet resources to both get info, and share his experience. He used a site for social weight loss as it was intended.
He's not asking you to join in his program, he's not selling you weight loss tips. No, it's not amazing, no, it's not earth shattering.
At least he's doing something about his weight instead of this being another post about someone else suing McDonald's for making them fat.
@zolielo: Nah, it's Consumerist. 'Round these parts, we call it "Sunday".
Though I commend him for your weight loss, and it is wonderful to see people take an interest in their diet. I am completely baffled that he took on the approach of a sugar-water diet.
Coming from somone who works out a lot, and has spent months perfecting the right diet for my weight loss plan I find the idea of the diet he decided take on completely ludicrous.
Even the slightest bit of research into proper fat cutting diets and exercise regimens would have told him how bad of an idea it was.
But whatever works, I suppose.
Nice job, Ben!
I'm working on losing a few pounds myself. I'll check out that website.
The diet seems a little suspect. I'm wondering if some of it is placebo effect. I'm betting that eating less (whatever the reason), exercising, and tracking your efforts (which involves paying attention to what you eat and how much you exercise) played a bigger part.
And for those who say this isn't appropriate for Consumerist, consider the amount of marketing targeted at people who would like to lose weight, tone up, be more fit/healthy, etc. -- gym memberships, special foods, weight loss programs, books, videos, pills, supplements, shakes, exercise equipment and apparel -- the list goes on and on... It IS a consumer issue.
Just a reminder - do your resistance training. You don't need weights, but push-ups, pull-ups, leg lifts, etc. work just fine. It's important to build up muscle mass especially while losing weight, not just to avoid sharpei skin, but also to help with bone density and to improve metabolism over the long run.
good job, ben. i need to lose about 20 pounds myself. stick with it.
Here's one thought:
Instead of the canola oil, why not have half a handful of peanuts? You'll still feel very satiated, and they'd taste a lot better. 2 tablespoons of peanuts have about 100 calories, compared to 120 calories per tablespoon of canola oil. Also, with the peanuts you'd get several grams of protein (vs. 0 from canola oil).
I know then it wouldn't be the Shangri-La diet, but it's a thought...
Oh, and I'm not some shill for the peanut industry. ;-)
Good job on losing the weight.
Two things really bugged me about this. One, your gym lets you use a camera phone? The gym I go to only allows phone use in the lobby, anywhere else would get you thrown out. Two, please some equating ALL health issues with people's bad habits. There are many serious health issues that have nothing to do with your lifestyle. Sure living a healthier life will decrease your risk of some of the big ones like diabetes, heart disease and obesity related injuries. It won't prevent things that are genetic or have nothing to do with your habits.
Wow, way to go, Ben! Maybe your next task should be to trim the fat from the commenter rolls.
@drjayphd:
Hehe - truly awesome comment. The Gawker fellows cross posted...
Congrats, Ben!
I have lost about ten pounds using thedailyplate.com. You can tracks your meals and workouts and it tells you how many more calories you can have for whatever specific goal you have.
@bohemian: I was thinking the same thing. Gym does not allow phones because almost all of them have cameras, especially in the locker room!!
And it certainly wouldn't allow actual cameras!
Maybe he goes to one that's behind the times on this?
What a shame. If Ben had used Alli for weight loss, we could call him Ben Poopken!
(I've been waiting a long time to use that one...)
The best way to find out about about the Shangri-La Diet (other than, um, buying the book) is from the forums at [boards.sethroberts.net.] The oil most practitioners recommend is extra-light olive oil, which is flavorless and relatively healthy.
If you're like most people, this plan probably will lower your appetite. But you still have put some effort into consistently sticking with a lower-calorie diet.
@Seiphas: The newest(September) edition of Scientific American focuses on diets and obesity worldwide. One of the authors had a good point on liquids.
Up until recently, water was the only liquid to drink. Now, we consume A LOT of beverages that aren't neutral, they ADD to out caloric intake. Our bodies haven't adapted to this yet, so they don't offset the amount of food we intake accordingly. In Mexico, where sugar laced beverages have flooded the market lately, over 60% of the adult population is obese, and diabetes is becoming epidemic. In fact, world wide, the amount of obese people has risen over the level of undernourished people.
On a personal note, after my GF dumped me after 3 years for a blind guy, I took control and went from over 220 to about 160 since last November. The biggest change is I drink about a gallon of water a day, eat a little more sensibly, and try to get an hour of walking done each weekday. And I must say when I saw her last April for the first time since November, and she had PUT on weight, a smile crept across my face. About a week later she declared on her blog that she was joinging weight watchers so she could lose "70 to 80 lbs", and sent me an e-mail asking me for tips.
Don't listen to the haters Ben. Keep it up. Or "off", as it were.
Great post, but man, amazing people are that vicious, even to the blogger himself.
Anyway, the shangri-la thing really works. And no, ACAMBRAS, a handful of peanuts would not work better. A lot of what you've been told about diet are just memes.
I haven't read up on the diet or anything, but I'm curious. I wonder if flax seed oil might be better than canola?
Shangri-la diet worked for me as well. From 240 to 170 pounds with almost no effort (though it took a year and a half). I think you may find the oil works better than the sugar (and is less rough on your system), but whatever works for you. Good luck.