How did Ray drop 215 pounds in 18 months?
Hear how some late-night reading changed the course of Ray’s health and life. Also, listen for a piece of wisdom from SpongeBob Squarepants that can help on your health journey!
“What is today but yesterday’s tomorrow?”
Weight gain background and contributing factors
Ray had always been heavier kid, and a delicate medical condition at a young age also led to less activity and a somewhat sheltered lifestyle. Ray’s father has diabetes.
Ray reached a peak weight between 380-390 pounds. (172-177 kg)
How being overweight impacted Ray’s life
Ray describes experiencing some social awkwardness, such as being self-conscious in gym class, but tried not to let his weight impact his life too much. More impactful was the fact that Ray’s family moved around a lot, which held him back from building friendships.
The turning point for Ray
Ray’s friend, a type-1 diabetic, suggested some reading material that Ray put aside at the time.
Much later, while procrastinating on college homework, he re-visited his friend’s reading material and learned some surprising facts about ketogenic diets. What Ray learned about sugar’s impact on energy levels sounded like what he was experiencing, and this information set him on a new path.
Starting the weight loss journey
Ray started tracking his food and purchased a food scale to ensure his tracking was precise. (TipsOfTheScale host Sam uses and recommends the Escali 115NS food scale [via Amazon].)
However, he did not openly share his intent to lose weight with others, because he knew that if he was congratulated on his efforts, he would derive a sense of accomplishment from the praise that would undermine his motivation. Keeping it a personal goal helped Ray remain motivated and consistent.
Ray’s discoveries
- Fat is not your enemy, and that it’s important to consider the nutritional value of food choices.
- “Weight lifting is really, really fun!”
- Other people in the gym really don’t care as much about what you’re doing as you might think.
Ray’s advice for your weight-loss journey
- It’s better to think in terms of what you can eat & do, than to focus on what you can’t.
- Ray recommends weight lifting once you reach a safe weight range for it.
- Persistence is the most important thing!
- Spaghetti squash is a great pasta replacement.
- Bicycle riding is a great low-impact exercise.
- Don’t put your health on hold for any special time or event; life will happen anyway.
Resources discussed in this podcast
- Starting Strength – weight-lifting program Ray follows and recommends [ Amazon ]
- Intermittent Fasting – an increasingly popular eating pattern for weight loss
- /Keto – ketogenic diet support community on Reddit.com
- /KetoRecipes – recipes for ketogenic diets
- /Fitness – fitness community on Reddit.com
- MyFitnessPal – online calorie tracking & support community
Blogs Ray personally enjoys and recommends:
- I Breathe… I’m Hungry – keto and low-carb recipes
- All Day I Dream About Food – gluten-free and low-carb recipes
- Caveman Keto – more keto recipes
On Ray’s workout playlist
Ray writes about the auto industry at AutoWaffle.com and can also be found in the Reddit Keto group on facebook.
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