Join us for a father and son weight loss challenge as we attempt to lose a combined 50 lbs by adopting lifestyle changes such as eating healthy, exercising daily and fasting at night. My Dad and I are not health professionals, so if you’re thinking of doing a challenge like us be sure to consult first with your doctor, dietician or other health care provider.
Our goals were different but our desired results were the same. My Dad and I both wanted to lose weight to improve our health. My reasons were that I have put on quite a bit of weight in my 30s and have tried many times unsuccessfully to lose it by doing extreme yo-yo diets of calorie restrictions combined with intense exercise. My Dad on the other hand is now close to 70 and had a couple of health challenges including type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. His goal for losing weight was to reverse his healthy problems and get off of his medications.
The protocols for our 50 pound weight loss challenge was simple. 8 to 9 hours of a feeding window and 15-16 hours of fasting. What this looked like in practical terms was having breakfast at around 8 or 9am (typically just a small amount of fruit), lunch at noon (often a healthy platter of fermented vegetables, fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds) and a portion controlled supper at 5pm (trying our best to avoid rice, noodles and pasta while eating a protein and vegetable combination without dessert).
In terms of exercise we stuck to a daily protocol of either walking or riding our bikes. The idea was that we would do low impact exercise to help shed weight without increasing our hunger to unbearable levels. We did have cheat days but they were for what we considered as appropriate moments such as dinners with friends and family, eating out at restaurants when traveling or to celebrate birthdays. Aside from that we more or less just stuck to our regular plan of eating and exercise and when we did we lost weight.
The lifestyle changes my Dad tackled included eliminating snacking in between meals (especially at night), portion controlled suppers and eating healthy lunches. His exercise routine of riding his bicycle in the summer was already an established habit.
My lifestyle changes were to stop yo-yo dieting, binge eating and overexercising. I actually toned down my exercise and focussed more on slow, steady and sustainable weight loss. Instead of trying to lose more than a pound per day I was happy with just seeing the scale go down slightly on a day to day basis.
By doing this weight loss challenge together we were able to keep each other accountable. There were definitely times when we both wanted to throw in the towel. It is not easy changing your lifestyle when habits are already deeply entrenched. What worked for us was seeing the results in real-time. My Dad was especially thrilled to have a blood sugar and cholesterol reading in normal ranges. His doctor was able to reduce his medications and by the second blood test in the fall (after this video was filmed) he was able to get off of all medications. It is an accomplishment that is incredible and I’m very proud of him for achieving it.
We hope this inspires you to create a challenge for yourself whether it be weight loss, saving for travel, learning a language or some other things you’ve been putting off. By setting a challenge and doing it with a friend or family member you’ll increase your chances of success. We wish you the best with whatever challenge you decide to take on!
Now over to you. Have you tried to lose weight before? What worked and what didn’t work for you? Please share any weight loss tips in the comments below.
Father & Son 50 lbs WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE | Lifestyle Changes: Eating Healthy, Exercising & Fasting
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