In January of 2013, a bunch of us at Rackspace joined in on a weight-loss competition. $250 buy-in, 6 months, the person with the highest percentage of weight lost wins. The pot? Roughly $9,000. I won by dropping 31.7% of my total weight; going from 214 pounds to 146 pounds. How did I drop 68 pounds in 6 months? I'll tell you.

For about the first two months, the weight loss was almost completely from a diet change alone. I tried to be active (taking walks, opting for stairs instead of escalators) but I didn't really exercise at all. Once I hit 179, the weight loss stopped for 3 weeks. At that point I knew that I had to start working out. I've been playing around with my workout routine trying to find what works best for me to keep burning fat and not lose too much muscle while maintaining a calorie deficit. I believe I've found a great regime which I'll talk more about later.

Nutrition

Through the years I have tried about every fad diet out there and what I have learned is that calories in vs calories out is what works for me. I eat roughly 1800 calories a day and pick foods that taste good and keep me full. I'm never starving, or even hungry for that matter, and I rarely get cravings. Throughout the day I limit my carbs and bad fats and pile on the protein. Out of my 1800 calories, I try to keep my macronutrient intake to: <40g fat, <180g carbs, & >180g protein. You can read more about macronutrient ratios here.

My Typical Day of Eats

Breakfast
Oatmeal - 390 calories, 11g fat, 61g carbs, 13g protein
(1 packet Central Market Maple Spice, 1 packet Central Market Original, 2 tbsp Central Market Ground Flaxseed and 1 packet of Sweet'N Low)

Brunch
Coffee - 45 calories, 0g fat, 3g carbs, 6g protein
(Coffee with 1/2 a cup of Mootopia Fat Free and 2 Sweet'N Lows)

Lunch
Chicken Breast - 240 calories, 2g fat, 0g carbs, 52g protein
Yogurt - 343 calories, 15g fat, 30g carbs, 25g protein
(I bake my chicken breasts in bulk for the week. I marinade them over night and then bake them for roughly 25 mins on each side at 375 degrees. The yogurt is usually Fage Total 0% (no flavoring). I then add about 1/4 cup of sliced almonds and 1 tbsp of honey.)

Snack
Jerky - 100 calories, 1g fat, 4g carbs, 18g protein
Wasabi & Soy Almonds (14 Nuts) - 43 calories, 3.8g fat, 1.5g carb, 1.5g protein

Dinner - Pre-Workout
OatmegaBar - 190 calories, 6g fat, 23g carbs, 14g protein

Dinner - Post-Workout
Protein Shake - 375 calories, 3.5g fat, 24g carbs, 55g protein
(My protein shakes consist of 7 ice cubes, 2 scoops of chocolate EAS Whey, 2 cups of Mootopia Fat Free and 2 scoops of PB2.)

This all comes out to 1726 calories, 42.3g fat, 146.5g carbs and 184.5g protein. I also drink LOTS of water throughout the day. To keep the cravings at bay, I always keep a pack of Extra Dessert Delights gum nearby.

Do I have cheat days? Not really. I do still go to restaurants but I typically order something healthy and drink loads of unsweet iced tea with Sweet'N Low. If you are going to cheat, I say keep it small.

Supplements

• Central Market Ground Flaxseed (fiber, omega-3/6 fatty acids and lignans)
• EAS Whey Protein
• Dymatize BCAA (Branch Chain Amino Acids)
• Orange Triad Multi-Vitamin, Joint, Digestion & Immune Formula
• Citrucel Fiber Caplets

Workout

I workout in my apartment's fitness center three days a week. For me, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday work best.

Sunday: Back and Biceps
Chin-Ups - 5 sets to failure
Seated Cable Rows - 12, 10, 8, 6, 12-15
Dumbbell Curls - 12, 10, 8, 6, 12-15
Incline Dumbbell Curls - 5 sets of 12
Reverse Curls - 5 sets of 12
Wrist Curls - 5 sets of 12

Tuesday: Legs and Abs
Dumbbell Squats - 12, 10, 8, 6, 12-15
Romanian Dead Lifts - 12, 10, 8, 6, 12-15
Hanging Leg Raises - 5 sets to failure
In-Outs - 2 sets of 25
Wide-Leg Situps - 2 sets of 26
Pulse Ups - 2 sets of 25

Thursday: Chest, Triceps and Shoulders
Bench Press - 12, 10, 8, 6, 12-15
Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes - 5 sets of 12
Standing Military Press - 12, 10, 8, 6, 12-15
Dumbbell Lateral Raises - 5 sets of 12
Lying Tricep Extensions - 12, 10, 8, 6, 12-15
Cable Pressdowns - 5 sets of 12
Close Grip Pushups - 3 sets to failure

My Personal Results

Final Note

Dropping that much weight over a relatively short period of time took a lot of work and dedication but the plan above works. If anyone has any questions, just let me know via the social links above.

Useful Links

Bodybuilding.com
A wealth of information. Also a great place to buy supplements for a low price.

Body Recomposition
Lots of good info.

Lose It!
My favorite site for tracking my progress and finding caloric values of food.