Weight Loss For Men and Women

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.
uk
Blog - ifonlyicouldloseweight.blogspot.com
Weight Loss
for Men and Women
Michael Heyworth
[Front cover contains art from freedigitalphotos.net]
This version of my eBook should have been downloaded for free. If you have paid for this version
of my eBook, then you have been scammed. Please let me know where you bought it from –
mick.weightloss@gmail.com.
You may distribute this eBook, in its original form (without modifying it) for free.
Thanks and enjoy the book!
Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Introduction
Welcome to a completely new and very much improved you. If you are willing to put
in some time and effort, you can lose and keep off the weight that has been holding
you back and bringing you down.
Before I tell you a little about myself, you need to know something. You are already
on a diet. Your diet is what you eat, whether good or bad. Don't think of the word diet
and think 'hungry, tired, failure' etc. Instead think of your diet as eating to make
yourself feel good, energetic, motivated and positive. It is a new way of life, not a
temporary fix to a simple problem. Your health is extremely important and affects
every aspect of your life. Remember this and your weight loss will be successful.
I was always overweight. I was a chubby child and throughout my teenage years my
weight spiralled upwards out of control. Food always got the better of me, and once
the depression kicked in, I was in that vicious circle that many overweight people are
very familiar with [pictured below].
I was unhappy at high school and never involved myself in the activities that many
others did. OK I had friends and went out socialising, but sports and adventure trips
were beyond me. I never had the confidence to talk to girls, and spent much of my
time sat in my bedroom on my computer playing games or watching TV or films.
By the time I was 18 years old I weighed 19 stone [close to 250 pounds]. The only
thing I looked forward to at all was going to the pub with my mate and getting drunk.
A big night out in the city was rare, as I was never keen on going, and when I did I
simply got drunk and hid away.
At 22 years old, feeling depressed, inactive, not confident, tired [mentally and
physically], single and unhappy with my quality of life, I stepped on the scales to
learn I had reached 23 stone – that is 322 pounds.
I had dieted before for short periods, usually ranging from 1-7 days, but had never
managed to lose any weight. I genuinely believed it could not be done by me, and at
such a weight, this scared me. I felt I may be doomed to be overweight until it finally

killed me.
But here I am, 100 lbs down and feeling better than I ever hoped I would. Life is
good, and if you feel that excess weight is making you unhappy in some way, then
this book is going to help you a great deal along your path. My intention is to share
with you the knowledge and resources I have gained, and to inspire you to strive to
reach your goal, however far away it may seem.
Please don't let anything discourage you along the way, and trust the words in this
book. They are spoken by someone who has been there, done that, and had to buy the
T-shirt in XXXL, XXL, XL and L.
I would be delighted to help you become as happy and confident as I am.

Getting Motivated
Having realised that my weight was so high, and coming to terms with the fact that I
might never be happy if I didn't lose the weight and that my future, lifespan and
happiness were all in my hands, I decided to do something. This time however, things
were different. I set my goals on getting myself a girlfriend. I did not know at the
time, but it was this motivation that pushed me through where other diets had failed.
I set about on google searching the internet for a sensible diet that would work. I did
not want to do exercise as I did not have the confidence. I assumed people would be
watching and laughing at me if I went cycling or jogging, and the gym was out of the
question. I didn't mind, however, exercising in the privacy of my bedroom at home
where nobody, not even my family, would know.
There was little success in finding such a diet. I did find one diet that could be done
in such a way, by following a set calorie limit, and doing a small number of push-ups,
sit-ups etc., but the diet yielded no results after a couple of weeks, and so my search
continued.
Eventually I struck gold with a small handful of websites [which are credited at the
end of this book]. They contained much of the information I am providing you with
in my book. On top of this, information was gathered from forums, where others
losing weight shared their knowledge.
Summary
● Find something to motivate you to reach your goal.
● Think of your motivation as much as possible, to keep you going.
● Try visiting weight loss forums – check out the back of this book for resources.

The Beginning
With all this information I had gathered, I decided to try a calorie controlled diet,
with a little bit of cardiovascular exercise [cardiovascular exercise can be walking,
swimming, running, cycling etc. - I chose walking as a nice simple starting point].
One website recommended 30 minutes of walking and so I [like a fool] did the full 30
minutes in my bedroom, walking on the spot. It was boring, but I enjoyed the food I
was eating and so followed the diet. The next day I drove out to the sea front 25
minutes from where I live and I walked along the shore for 15 minutes, and then back
again. It was great fun and I was not embarrassed, so two days later [as it is
recommended to do cardiovascular exercise 3 or more times a week] I went for a
walk round the park, again for 30 minutes. Once again, I enjoyed it.
In addition I was doing a small number of strength exercises in my room [push-ups

etc.] on the same days as the walking.
After a week of enjoying the diet and exercise, I decided to see if it was working. I
stepped up on the scales, expecting to see the 23 stone mark looking at me again. But
it wasn't. It had gone down to 22. So I checked again, and once again, the results
were 22 stone. I had lost 14 pounds in the first week. I knew this was it.

My Weight loss, from Start to Finish
Before I discuss what you need to do in order to get started on the same path as me, I
will briefly overview the year in which I lost weight, from the moment I realised I
had lost that first stone until the end where I had lost over 7 stone [which is approx
100 lbs]...
Me weighing 322lbs, before I started my diet
Me now after losing 100lbs [at Download festival with my girlfriend, June 2007]
From the moment I looked at the scales after losing 1 stone, I was ready for whatever
was thrown at me. I knew I could lose weight and went about setting myself a goal.
The goal was to lose 100 lbs. Not a magic number, but a weight I knew I would be
healthy and comfortable at, and that I could achieve. Of course, there were sub goals
– each month I set myself the goal of losing 8 lbs, although I usually ended up
beating that goal easily. People were already noticing the difference in my face - it
was a lot thinner than before.

I increased the amount of walking I was doing and started doing about 40 minutes
every day. After a couple of months, I started jogging. I was amazed at my own
confidence. I started in the woods, where it was quiet with only a few bird watchers
and dog walkers around, and jogged around for 20 minutes. I was tired by the end
and had to reward myself with 4 x 30 second breaks in between, but I made it round
the woods.
By now I was well on the way. I was still sticking with the diet, the strength exercises
3 times a week, and the jogging and walking. I went and bought a bike [bicycle] and
started riding that. By the hot summer [for England] I was cycling 50 minutes and
jogging 20 minutes every weekday. I felt good [not tired, in fact more energetic].
Every so often I would hit a plateau – a period of time in which I lost no weight.
These could last from a few days to nearly a month. I continued with my diet, but
varied my exercise a little, and eventually bust through the plateaus.
I had a really good holiday in June with my mates, I went swimming, went out at
night and had a great time. I was confident, energetic and above all had fun. After the
holiday, I carried on the diet and exercise, and eventually reached my main goal of
losing 100 lbs.
Now I've got my girl, my life and my future. I love life and live it as much as I can.
You want in on this?

Planning your Weight Loss
You've already got this book now, and so you are already on your way. Let's simplify
the process of getting started by following these steps:
1. Decide on your motivation – anything you like.

2. Decide on your goal [this can be a weight, measurement, clothes size or just to
feel better.
3. Start eating sensibly immediately [not tomorrow].
4. Start exercising as soon as possible, just a small amount, as often as you can
manage.
Motivation – this should be easy to decide on. There should be plenty of reasons to
lose weight. Here are a few suggestions:
● Improve relationship/sex life

● Gain confidence
● Enjoy time with kids more
● Live longer
● Reduce illness
● Increase energy
● Improve your mind
● Improve mood
Goal – you can use anything for your goal. It can be easier to use a number such as
waist size or weight, but anything can be used to set your goal. I personally set
myself a goal weight, which motivated me to do more to reach the goal quickly yet
steadily.
Eating – we will be discussing the technicalities of the diet for you to follow later on
in the book, but for now get it into your head that healthy food [fruits, vegetable, fish
etc.] are good for you and should be eaten for most of your meals. High fat meats,
fried food, greasy snacks and so on should not be eaten, or eaten in low quantities as
some are beneficial. Try to get into this habit and soon enough it will become second
nature to you.
Exercising – Try going for a short walk. Perhaps half an hour, maybe more if you
can. Exercising will be discussed in more detail later in the book.

What to expect
So we've covered the reasons you want to lose weight, but before you start losing
weight, it will be beneficial to know what to expect during the process.
Firstly, don't be disappointed if your weight loss is slow. Everybody is different, and
for some people there may be no difference in weight even after dieting for a while.
However, if you are following the diet properly, there will be a difference
somewhere, even if you cannot see it. The weight loss will show up sooner or later.
For me the results were clear on the scales after a week.
It is also common for the dieter to lose a lot of weight during the start of a diet due to
water lost in the dieting process, and also your body's adjustments to what you are
eating and the amount of exercising you are doing. This will slow down, hopefully
leaving you with a steady weight loss.
Plateaus are the final thing I want to mention in this section. A plateau is a stage in
your weight loss efforts where your progress seems to freeze. You may try many
variations to your diet and exercise and yet it seems you are stuck at the same weight.
Don't worry – keep pushing on and eventually you will break through the plateau.

Your Diet
Please consult a doctor before changing your diet. He or she will advise you sensibly
and help you to make decisions specific to you.
When choosing an effective diet, you need to consider the following criteria. The diet
should:
● Allow you to eat enough food without being hungry.

● Encourage eating of a healthy variety of foods.
● Be a sensible diet that can continue for the rest of your life.
From my endless searching of the web for diets that meet all of the above criteria, I
came up with a small selection of sensible ideas. Personally, the two top diet styles
are:
Calorie control – great for the technical minded people who may find that numbers
and limits help to control what they eat and the exercise they do. Ensure, however,
that you vary your food every day.
Healthy eating – obviously you would eat healthily on any diet, however healthy
eating does not require counting of calories. It does require a lot of self control and
the understanding of when you are hungry. When you are definitely hungry you eat
something healthy. No counting or recording of what you eat if you don't want to.
Calories? What are they? How many should I have?

So you are interested in a calorie controlled diet? If so you need to think carefully
about the number of calories you are going to consume. You have a few options:
Firstly you could follow the GDA [guideline daily allowance]. This is 2000kcal for
women and 2500kcal for men. If you consider yourself only slightly overweight then
this seems a sensible option.
Your second option is the work out what you are currently eating, and reduce the
amount gradually. Consider your average day – and count very thoroughly being sure
to count all drinks, alcohol and snacks, as well as sauces and dressings. If, for
example your average day amounts to around 3500 calories you could reduce to 3000
for a while. When comfortable, reduce again until you reach the GDA.
The third option – and one which I recommend all people do when they change their
diet – is consult your doctor. He/she will tell you how many calories are right for
your size, and will be able to provide you with additional helpful information.

Plan what you eat
This is a good idea – especially for those doing a calorie controlled diet. Fill out a
spreadsheet, write in a notebook – whatever is easiest. Keep tabs on everything you
eat, and your diet will be so much easier.

Exercising to lose weight
Note: Before carrying out any exercise you should consult your doctor. They will
provide advice as to what exercise you are capable of doing.
Exercising can seem daunting. You may feel embarrassed about it, scared that you
will do it wrong, that it is for thin people and so on. But exercise can be fun. No
really! I tried it and liked it. Try this – go for a walk round your village/block/road or
local park. Enjoy the fresh air. If you take it easy you shouldn't even find it difficult
or tiring. Try to do this 3 times a week [or more if you want – the more the better].
Trust me this is a major step in your goal.
So you could devote half an hour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to exercise?
Or maybe Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday? Mornings, afternoons, evenings or
nights. It's up to you. Involve others with it. Or do it alone. Just do it though. If you
do this you are well on your way.
Strength Exercises
In order to get the most out of your changed diet and to boost weight loss, as well as
keeping yourself healthier and stronger, you need to do some strength training
exercises. The reason strength exercises contribute so much to your weight loss is not
due to the calories burned during the exercise (which is not as many as during
cardiovascular exercise) but due to the fact that it increases lean muscle mass.
Muscles require a lot of calories to function, and so incorporating some strength
training into your regime, you will boost your calorie burning [metabolism] during
everyday routines.
Again you are presented with options:
● Buy dumbbells from a store, or over the net [ebay?]

● Visit the gym
● Do exercises that don't require equipment
This kind of exercise requires a day break between each session, but does not take
long. Try to do a little upper body exercises [such as push ups], some work on the
middle section [sit ups, crunches], and some leg exercises [lying on your back and
raising your legs up in the air and holding the position for 10 seconds]. If using
dumbbells consult documentation for information on various exercises. A good place
to get more information on this is www.sparkpeople.com [you need to register but it's
free and contains tons of stuff including forums and exercise/diet information]. Try to
do 15-30 minutes of strength exercises 3 times per week, with a day between each
session. Don't push yourself too hard – you don't want to hurt yourself or put yourself
out of action.

How much weight should you be lifting?
It is recommended that you lift a weight that you are comfortable with repeating 15 or
so times. For example, if you can comfortably lift 10kg 15 times consecutively, and
not much more, then you have found a good training weight for that particular
exercise. When lifting 10kg 15 times becomes less challenging, try increasing the
weight by a small amount, in order that you improve rather than maintain your lean
muscle mass.
Remember – if you simply increase your repetitions you will be burning more
calories but not increasing lean muscle mass. You need to up the weight and continue
doing the same number of repetitions.
Also remember that muscle tissue weighs much more than fat so if you are not losing
weight, remember you are gaining muscle tissue. Trust me this is much better that fat.

Your first day, and planning the rest
Okay so I have provided you with plenty of information to help you get started. Lets
get to it if you haven't already.
It doesn't matter what time of day you are reading this you can still get started. If it is
late you can plan out tomorrows day otherwise plan out the day ahead.
Think about what you would like to eat... cereal for breakfast? How about some
healthy cereal like muesli or cornflakes? Why not add chopped banana or apple on
top?
Dinner/Lunch could be tuna and/or salad on wholemeal bread or jacket potato.

Perhaps tuna steak with boiled potatoes or simply a salad with a small dollop of salad
cream or some light dressing. An apple or orange for afterwards.
For your Tea/Dinner you could have some boiled vegetables [or fresh uncooked – up
to you], a boiled or poached egg and a couple of sausages [grilled]. Maybe throw in
some crusty bread to dip in your egg. A yoghurt and piece of fruit afterwards. Make
sure you use all your daily calories [if counting them] but don't go over.
Go for a 20 minute cardiovascular exercise session [even just a walk] and do some
strength exercises. Enjoy your food and exercise and you will continue to lose weight
until you reach your goal.
The best thing is that when you have lost the weight you will be able to maintain the
healthy lifestyle you have attained as you will enjoy doing exercise and eating the
tasty food.
So that is a brief overview of your first day. I hope it seems like a positive
introduction. Try it and you will be pleasantly surprised. Just remember don't let
yourself become hungry, but learn to tell the difference between genuine hunger and
being tempted to eat.

Boosting your Metabolism
Simply put, your metabolism can be used to describe how quickly you burn calories
[this meaning is not scientifically correct, but if you hear someone talking about
metabolism, this is probably what they are talking about]. Therefore a high
metabolism = high calorie burn. So how do you go about increasing your
metabolism?
● Eat chilli peppers – this spicy food can boost your metabolism, tastes good and
is full of vitamin A.
● Ensure you strength train regularly – three times a week is great.
● Cardiovascular exercise not only increases your metabolism while you
exercise, but for some hours afterwards.
● Get plenty of sleep to enable your body to metabolise efficiently.
● Eat all of your meals – this keeps you body rtunning correctly and
metabolising efficiently.
● Keep hydrated – key to good metabolism.

Hints and Tips
● Brush your teeth or chew mint gum if you are feeling peckish. The fresh taste
will likely decrease your appetite.
● Enjoy the food you are eating. Try to add loads of variety to your meals.
● Never miss breakfast. It will fuel you throughout the day.
● Try and find yourself a hobby [the more energetic the better!] to replace the
times where you might binge eat.
● Drink less alcohol if possible. Failing that ensure you stay hydrated after a
night out in order that you feel ready to work and exercise the following day.
● Vary your workout routing to keep things interesting.
● Draw up a chart of whatever it is you are measuring your success on. For
example if you are using weight [as I'm sure most people will] then draw up a
weight chart so you can visibly see your progress.
● Set yourself milestones in order that your goal doesn't seem so hard to reach.
● Drink plenty of water. This is very important during exercise, and also
throughout the day. The recommendation is eight glasses, although I get
through much more.

Weight Loss Myths
● Focus training [focusing exercise on a particular part of the body] will burn off
the fat in that part of the body – NOT TRUE
● Starving yourself will help you lose weight – NOT TRUE
● Living off elephant tusks and burnt paper to lose 50lbs in 3 days is a good diet
– NOT TRUE – ignore silly fad diets
● If you do not lose weight on a diet, you need to eat less – NOT
NECESSARILY – if you are in the early stages or have hit a plateau, you may
not lose weight. If this continues take a look at your food and exercise.

The End of the Book
OK so you have reached the end of the book. Hopefully however you are ready for
the challenge that lies ahead of you. Enjoy losing weight as much as you can. If you
struggle with any aspect, find a way to make it fun.
If you stick with the information I have given you and your own plans, you will
change your life in a big way. When I lost my 'excess baggage' I felt so much better
it's hard to describe in words. I often wonder why I ever let myself get how I was, and
how I managed to live so unhappily for so long.
It doesn't matter now though – I'm happy, energetic, positive and enjoy everything I
do. I wrote this book in an attempt to share this feeling with others. Even if only one
person reads it, I will be happy.
So – get to it. This is it – your big chance to make the most of life. Don't let yourself
down.
Check out my website and blog for much more advice, tips, information and links to
valuable resources http://www.letsloseweight.co.uk/phpBB3

Resources
www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk – My personal website. If you are feeling as though you
need extra help, motivation or information, visit my site and my blog.
www.sparkpeople.com – a fantastic free online community devoted to helping people

who struggle with their weight. It contains information, forums, food and exercise
plans and loads more.
www.menshealth.co.uk – Resources for men, which cover weight loss, exercise and
other related topics.
www.weight-loss.fitness.com – Weight loss forums with many members – full of

usefull information.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ - Similar idea to sparkpeople.com with calorie tracker

and online community, as well as many other tools.
FreeDigitalPhotos.net - Some images found in this eBook were taken from

FreeDigitalPhotos.net.


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Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.

Thanks and enjoy the book!

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

I would be delighted to help you become as happy and confident as I am.

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

In addition I was doing a small number of strength exercises in my room [push-ups

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Me weighing 322lbs, before I started my diet

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

1. Decide on your motivation – anything you like.

● Improve relationship/sex life

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

● Allow you to eat enough food without being hungry.

Calories? What are they? How many should I have?

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Again you are presented with options:

● Buy dumbbells from a store, or over the net [ebay?]

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Dinner/Lunch could be tuna and/or salad on wholemeal bread or jacket potato.

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

www.sparkpeople.com – a fantastic free online community devoted to helping people

www.weight-loss.fitness.com – Weight loss forums with many members – full of

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ - Similar idea to sparkpeople.com with calorie tracker

FreeDigitalPhotos.net - Some images found in this eBook were taken from

Copyright © Michael Heyworth 2008 – www.LetsLoseWeight.co.uk

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