Because of this NY Times article, Dieting? Put Your Money Where Your Fat Is, I’ve made a vow not to purchase a new RC plane until I’m 5 pounds less than my present weight for at least a week (this is to prevent low readings from loss of water).
In the article, they say placing bets with others to see who can lose the most weight provides the needed incentive for those people who have tried to lose weight for years. You can either bet with personal friends, or go online and bet. What was very interesting was sites that said they would donate to a charity you hate if you don’t lose a certain amount of weight. Right now, I’m very interested in getting a 3D Hobbyshop 40″ Edge, so this is a great incentive for me instead of placing a bet or something else.
I’ve already been very much more cognizant of what I’m eating, and I’m planning on doing 3×50 jumpings jacks, 3×30 situps, and 3×20 pushups in the morning. Last night, I did 3×5 minutes of rowing with a run around the block between each set to break up the monotony of rowing. This seemed to work pretty well while I listened to my radio/mp3 player.
Regarding what to eat, I did some research last night on fish oil vs. flaxseed oil, and it seems that fish oil wins hands down in terms of its effectiveness. The main reason is oil from fish contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); both are omega-3 fatty acids. EPA and DHA are the fatty acids that really help your body out. Flaxseed oil also has omega-3s, but they’re alpha linolenic acid (ALAs) which have to be converted to EPAs and DHAs in a very inefficient conversion process. Flaxseed oil also has omega-6s which are already too high in a typical Western diet. The main reason people take flaxseed oil is because it’s not an animal product and it’s cheaper. So instead of a combo of fish oil and flaxseed oil, I’ll just be taking fish oil in the future. Google fish oil vs flaxseed oil and see for yourself.