Too Skinny?

Of course there is such a thing, but I keep hearing it. Everyone tells me that I have lost too much weight. At the same time they almost all say that I am looking good. I think I must be walking the line or something. When I was in high school I was a stick. I’m not a stick anymore, but I have definitely lost a lot of weight.

In 2005, when I was working out quite a bit and drinking too much beer I was hitting 160 lbs. In 2007 I was up to 167 lbs. – mind you, I am 5’6”. I started losing weight slowly and got down to about 155 lbs. in 2011. Then I was diagnosed with diabetes and altered my lifestyle.

Depending on what you read and look at I am probably a tad on the skinny side for my age and height. An average weight for a 5’6” male of medium frame is 139-151. Another chart shows that a 40-year old male averages almost 180 lbs., excluding height consideration. The last two months I have averages 128.3 lbs. with a body fat of 9.2%. 

So how did I do it? Did I hit the gym every day for a billion hours? Did I kill myself dieting eating only raw veggies? Not really…. As usual, it has been a bit of a combination of things, but predominantly:

Cut out as much sugar, especially refined sugar, as possible – being diabetic this is a priority. I never cared for sweets too much, so it hasn’t been a big deal for me with one exception – sodas. I haven’t had a soda in almost a year. Not one. Not by itself, and not as a mixed beverage. I don’t even drink diet soda (can’t stand the taste). I’ve also cut out sugar from simple things like milk – I don’t drink milk. I use non-sweetened soy-milk in my cereal. I eat protein bars or snack bars with less than 5g of sugar in a bar. Not easy to find, but there are some good ones out there if you look. I attribute this factor more than anything else to losing the weight and reducing my body fat. Mind you, it’s not easy. Start reading labels and you’ll see why.

I don’t drink during the week – Aside from cutting out mixed beverage like Jack and Coke (my favorite) I don’t drink any alcoholic beverages during the week. Sure, I make an exception if a friend is in town, or its someone’s birthday or something, but not every night can be an exception. Most of my friends are still getting used to it, but they understand it. I save my drinking for the weekends and then I try to keep it pretty tame – a couple of beers here and there, or something stronger, such as whiskey, but without any sugary mixers. A good bourbon or whiskey on ice can be really tasty. I also don’t drink much wine – too much sugar in it. I will have some from time to time, but I try to limit that as well.

Cut the carbs – if you are avoiding sugar and alcohol then you are already doing this to an extent, but take it to the next level and avoid the simple carbohydrates as much as possible. This doesn’t mean to stop eating carbohydrates. Your body needs them. But you can eliminate “empty calorie” carbs like potato chips and what-not. If it’s white try to either severely reduce the intake or don’t eat it. Substitute whole grains where possible – it’s really not that bad. Bottom line is to be reasonable and eat a sensible portion of carbohydrates, preferably complex carbohydrates, with your meals.

Cut the fast food – I won’t say I don’t eat any fast food, but it’s few and far between. Since I am trying to eliminate the bad things from my diet if I am going to blow it on a hamburger or pizza I sure as shit am not going to eat Jack In The Box.

Eat plenty of veggies – This isn’t hard. A good salad can fill you up and raw veggies are great for you. I try to either eat a small salad with most of my meals, or one big salad at the end of the day. I vary it up so it’s not always the same. One thing that I love and is quick and easy is cucumbers, tomatoes, and some purple onion. For salad dressing try a light balsamic or make your own. You can make it and scarf it all down in 10 minutes. Do that before you go out to eat and you’ll reduce your hunger before you get to the restaurant! I can’t eat a lot of fruit, but I always have some every day. It might be an apple, or some blueberries with a shake or my morning cereal.

Avoid blatantly fatty foods – these don’t count towards your sugar / carb intake, but they aren’t good for you in general. If you are going to eat them, try to do it sparingly.

Eat healthy snacks, and consume plenty of protein – sounds easy, but it’s hard to do. Remember carbs, above? Well that’s an easy thing to snack on. Cut the carbs and sugar and what’s left? Remember those quick salads? Those work. Or eat a good cracker that is high in fiber, low in simple carbs, and no sugar – like Triscuits. Eat that with a little cheese or humus and you have a nice snack. Or, carrots and humus – my g/f turned me on to that. Makes a great snack. Popcorn is also good, but I eat a TON of popcorn and I get burned out on it. I think snacking is the hardest thing for me to control because I love to eat all the time.

I also drink plenty of protein shakes. I’ve found some that I like (Labrada) that have almost no carbohydrates or sugar, yet are very high in protein. Instead of using all water I mix it with ½ soymilk. Then I add spoonful of peanut butter and some type of fruit – blueberries or blackberries if the shake is strawberry flavored, a ½ of a banana if it’s chocolate. This is a meal replacement, not a snack. Drink one for lunch and you are good to go. Don’t forget to load up on some veggies for dinner!

Do eat on a regular basis – when you skip meals your blood sugar goes on a roller coaster. It spikes way up and falls off rapidly. Your body  does far better if you are constantly fueling it than hitting it really hard and then starving yourself for long periods. Try to eat 3 times a day with 2 snacks. More if you work out a lot, but in most cases not less. Remember it’s not about stuffing yourself to the gills every time you eat. It’s about fueling your body with what you need.

Mostly I am pretty strict during the week, and not as strict on the weekends without going “hog wild.” That seems to have worked well for me so far.

Oh – and I didn’t even mention exercise did I? Well, don’t forget to exercise. I started on the Insanity program and really enjoyed it. It’s tough, but you don’t need anything but a DVD player and the willingness to sweat. It’s a great kick-start. Bottom line is to do *something.* Get your ass off the couch and do anything to keep mobile and get your heart rate up on a regular basis.

As always, here is my cop-out where I tell you to consult a physician before changing your diet or starting an exercise program.

And is it so bad? Not really. I still drink beer, I still have a good glass of whiskey. I still eat steak and go out for a nice meal. I don’t starve myself – I never want for food, I just eat the right things. And I do treat myself to that occasional burger, pizza, or Mexican food! Just don’t make a habit of it.

Accumulative I’ve lost well over 30lbs this way!