Hello again. Ok here's a topic that's timely for me and hopefully useful for you. I recently changed jobs and joined eBay as a senior Enterprise Architect. So, I took the opportunity to re-organize my schedule, my eating habits, and my exercise routine. As a result, I've lost 35-40 pounds over the past 6 months, and now I weigh about as much as I did when I graduated from high school. Here's how I did it and you can do it. Enjoy.
- Change jobs. This is good for the career anyway, but it allows you to reset your schedule, prioritize workouts higher, and re-design your day.
- Don't have any alcohol on weekdays. This helps you be more productive in the evenings as well.
- Do your workout early in the morning. Get it done before any meetings can pre-empt it. I signed up for a "bootcamp" class at my corporate gym, which went from 6:30-7:30am for four weeks. It forced me to get up and got me in the habit. Try like heck to 4-5-6 workouts in every week. Mix up your works (stairmaster, stationary bike, treadmill, weights). Serious sweat required.
- Have a light breakfast, i.e. a banana and a 1/2 a bowl of cereal.
- Have a light lunch from food packed at home. I use a small Tupperware container and just fill it with extra food from the previous night's dinner. This is much easier than buying cold cuts, making sandwiches, etc.
- Avoid the company cafeteria like the plague. It's expensive, and always too much food. If you do go there, eat half a sandwich or whatever and save the rest for the next day.
- Eat a light dinner. Really focus on portion control. Remember to make a little bit extra of whatever it is for lunch tomorrow and put in tupperware as you're cleaning up from dinner.
- On the weekends, revert to normal, but don't go crazy. The result for me was that I'd gain back 1 - 1 1/2 pounds, which takes a day or two to get back on Monday/Tuesday, but then I would continue losing the rest of the week. This is a little inefficient, but keeps moral up and let's your body take a break.
- Use the time saved at lunch to catch up on personal tasks, errands, etc.
- Be creative. I started a routine where once per week I would put one of my kids in the jogger and run for 30 minutes, picking up cheap Chinese food on the way. That way I earn the meal and get some aerobic activity in. I do this on a day where I can't get my workout in for some reason.
- Always stay hydrated.
- Weigh yourself every day and write it down to stay motivated. Don't get impatient or try to take too much off too quickly.
- Give yourself a goal (e.g. 25 pounds off in 3 months). When you make it, reward yourself (I'm still thinking about reward. BMW Z4 roadster? Maybe a 12-pack and a bowl of rice krispy treats?)
That's it. Important thing is to stick with it. Consistency is key.
Wayne

Wayne's not kidding here! As someone who does a weekly run with Wayne, I can tell you that this weight loss story is amazing!
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