Pages

Monday 7 July 2008

The Google 15 - measure your weight every day gives weekly moving average weight


After my last 'diet' aided by The Google 15 tool, I reduced my weight to 12st 1 pound (Feb 07). From mid 2006 I measured my weight every day reducing quantity or changing type of food. Plus a bit of exercise (run or walk). Every day I measured my weight on Google 15. Over some 9-12 months I had lost 20 pounds.

However over the last 18 months I've put back on the 20 pounds I lost! At April 2008 I was 13st 5 pounds.

As the Google 15 FAQ says "Of course, the big secret that you never hear is that the hardest part about losing weight is keeping the weight off once you've lost it... So don't stop using it once you've made your goal weight--enter your weight every day and it will give you an early warning if you start to pack on the pounds!"

That was my mistake - I stopped using Google 15 every day and soon had gained all the weight I'd lost!

My mum told me a few weeks ago "I weigh myself everyday, adjusting my diet and exercise levels, to maintain my weight". I think she is within a few pounds of 8 stone so at 5'1" has a healthy BMI 21.1. She has been that weight or thereabouts for most of her adult life.

Using The Google 15 I reduce lunch intake to a banana when my weight change one week ago is less than 0.5 pounds and less than 0.1 pounds yesterday. In this way losing 1 to 2 pounds loss a month is achievable (mathematically). 2 pounds a month or 0.5 pound per week means a deficit of 1750 calories a week or 250 calories a day or ~10% normal calorie intake.

Unlike some diet recommendations (says Katie Geary) I think I should weigh myself every day both during AND after my diet - take a lesson from my mum!

No comments: