I lost weight recently over a three month period. I was floating around 200 (height 5 feet 11 inches) and tried exercising more to get down to 190 but was still stuck around that number(200) I started looking at the other side of the equation and looked at the side of the 20 ounce soda bottle. 250 calories a pop. I was drinking three a day - two of which were usually doctor pepper. I looked up that 3500 calories is equal to one pound of weight. I figured that no soda would mean 750 calories less a day and that would translate to about a pound and 1/2 a week.
Anyway, I found I still wanted a soda but when I walked to the machine or cooler, I went to a sprite or some other soda that I didn't really crave but would still hit the spot. So I went from three sodas a day to one a day. I weighed myself at the end of the week but didn't detect any change . I put the scale back under the sink and sort of gave up on my plan. I had written 190 on july 31 on the calendar when it was May 18 .I still drank only one soda a day and stopped weighing myself, "knowing" that 200 was gonna be my number for awhile.
Time went by and towards the end of June, my neighbor remarked that I was losing weight. I shrugged it off but wondered. When I got home, I pulled the scale out and weighed myself. I was 194. Hmm! Next day, I turned the calendar page and it was July and noticed the 190 I wrote on the box for July 31. I said to myself, "oh yeah, I remember that and realized I was on pace to hit that number". I continued with my soda plan and kind of made a point to walk a little more. I really didn't walk that much more but noticed how much easier it was to go up the stairs.
Well, July 31 came and I weighed 190. I had it in my head that 185 would be something to shoot for and I weighed 185 5 weeks later. I am a little afraid to move towards 180 because I don't want to dip into the upper 170s .
I just walked over to the scale and weighed myself, 185. 15 pounds lost and they are staying off. I have a mental barrier against going lower but if it went down to a buck 80 , I could live with that. Below that, I don't know.
I basically lost a pound a week. I tell those who asked what I did and they don't like the plan. They feel a diet should have them losing 5 pounds a week, minimum. My feelings are if you are overweight, you probably didn't get that way by 5 pound weekly increments but that it occurred more slowly. My weight is off and it is staying off because it happened so slowly that I feel I didn't deprive myself.
So that is my story. Take from it what you will. Perhaps , I should write "lottery winner" on december 31 and forget about it and see what happens.
Final note: I weighed myself with the same scale and just a pair of underwear on. I didn't want to weigh myself with other scales and wearing clothes and shoes that would differ from weigh to weigh and hence fudge the comparisons.