I lost my ****-locker and have maintained my weight at a healthy level now since 1997. Back then I tried all the new-fangled diets and exercised my ass off and never lost a pound. Then I read in a sports magazine that I could lose weight by not altering too much WHAT I ate (within reason) but WHEN I ate it.
The simple rules were:
if you're hungry then eat, but obey these rules,
no carbs after lunch (protein only after lunch),
exercise twice per day for at least 30 mins,
no food after 19:00,
eat within 30 mins of exercise,
drink water, lots of water.
The weight started falling off me!
I went from being unfit, lethargic and just under 100kg to fit, energetic and just over 80kg in about three months. I started doing amateur triathlons whilst working in Adelaide, when before I started this regime I could barely wake up without raising a sweat!
To start each day, BEFORE you eat anything, get up, stretch and warm up, then go for a SPRINT around the block, rest a little, then SPRINT again, rest, sprint, rest, sprint until you have expended all the unburnt calories from the day before (i.e. when you cannot run any more, at all!) Some days this was as little as 5-10 mins of hard exercise interspersed with 10-15 mins of walking. Walk home, shower and eat within 30 mins of finishing the exercise. (Remember, no carbs after lunch, so you have to have your energy foods now, so you can burn the calories off during the day.) Steamed whole potato with yoghurt and spring onions with a sprinkle of paprika, or a big bowl of pasta with fresh parsley, garlic and oil (aglio e olio). Yum!
For lunch, balance the carbs and protein e.g. salad sandwich, grilled fish with potato, spag.bol.
Exercise in the afternoon... do whatever you like, but you have to do SOMETHING of medium to high intensity for at least 30 minutes! (I started walking quickly around the block, then built up to jogging, then finally running) Then eat dinner within 30 mins of finishing the activities, remembering, no carbs after lunch! Finding something to replace rice and pasta with for dinner was challenging, but when you realise that steak and three veg, no potato, is nearly all protein with very few carbs then you can eat as much as you want! No food after 19:00.
Within six months from starting, I was running 10km 3 days per week and swimming 3km three days per week. I ran a half marathon and completed three Olympic triathlons. I do a little less exercise now, but I still run once per week and swim 2-3 times per week, but have relaxed a little on the diet, but the weight has stayed off.
It worked for me, but it may not work for everyone. Always seek professional medical advice before starting any diet or exercise regime.
wabbit
P.S. Giving up smoking also helped. It will be ten years since my last cigarette on 22 October 2007.