I dropped 30 pounds this year.  2 weeks on my back with the flu.  Couldn't eat.  Don't recommend it.

Afterwards, so as not to waste the weight loss, I've gone to small portions, no seconds, almost no bread and chips, lots of fresh fruit, and regular exercise.  Seems to be working.  Haven't been putting it back on and my blood sugar is under control.  I suspect that carbs were the problem  --- taste good and make you hungry.

   Every road cyclist I know is fairly thin. Not sure about cause and effect. Maybe only thin people are willing to don the Lycra. But I do know that long bike rides burn through calories without beating one's body to bits.

   But a long, hard row in a dory can also burn through the calories. Try pointing that out to your wife . . . And making some promises in that regard.

Simple answer, harder to impliment: Burn more calories than you consume. 

Start by figuring out your daily caloric needs. Plenty of resourses online. Google "Calorie calculator."

Once you know how many calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight, you subtract "X" number of calories to create a calorie deficit, depending on your weight loss goals  and you will lose the weight. You create a calorie defecit by consuming fewer calories and burning more calories. You don't want to drop the weight too quickly, slow and steady wins the race. A couple of pounds a week is good.

Start a food journal and track your calorie consumption each day. Everything you put in your mouth contains calories. Even vitamins, though not many. Black coffee has calories, coffee with cream and sugar has a lot of calories. Cut out the cream and sugar. Write it down and add up the calories. When you are out of calories for the day stop eating and nothing to drink but water for the rest of the day.

Make sure you exercise at least 3-5 days a week at least 30 -60 minutes. Doesn't have to be high intensity, but should be moderate.

 Eat "high octane" foods that are high in nutritional value, but low in calories. Most vegetables meet this requirement. Some are better than others. Kale is excellent, you can eat tons of the stuff. 

Learn to spread your available calories out over the day so you don't run out too early. That will make you prone to cheat if you get hungry in the evening.

If you do fall off the wagon and binge eat, don't beat yourself up about it, you are only human, just start fresh the next day and do better. 

Do reward yourself. Want pizza on friday night? If you have done good all through the week, go for it. But don't over do it and mess up all your hard work.

"Everything in moderation, even moderation."

That's how I did it anyway. Lost 50lbs.

Post before and after pics with you and your new Dory!

Good luck! 

 

Black coffee has calories, coffee with cream and sugar has a lot of calories. Cut out the cream and sugar.

Never waste good coffee with cream and sugar......bad coffee, well maybe.

Gain 30 pounds from where you are right now, then they'll be easier to lose ;^)

Seriously, similar to what Dick said, I started splitting what normally would have been the amount of food I would normally put on my plate with my girlfriend.  We also stopped eating the bread she would bake whenever we would have a dinner party.  Sigh.  After a few days, your stomach will shrink and you won't feel like you're starving to death.

Good luck.  "Goals are important.  I learned that in rehab." - Captain Ron

Lot of good stuff there from plainoldjason but to be honest, you don't need all that complicated advice.

Eat smaller meals, exercise more. That might take a bit longer than you want it to though so try the 5 and 2 diet. Eat normally for 5 days in the week (you can still eat smaller meals - that 30 pounds probably came from too much food) and only eat about 500 calories on each of the other 2 days. Good luck!

   Birch2 wrote, " Every road cyclist I know is fairly thin. Not sure about cause and effect. Maybe only thin people are willing to don the Lycra. But I do know that long bike rides burn through calories without beating one's body to bits."

Cycling burns calories, but not on short rides. Think endurance rides frequently.  Twenty miles is a short ride. Think about 100+ miles a week. Ankles, wrists, and sit bones take some wear and tear. One header over the bars and your wrists, face and collar bones will be torn up. Every sport has its dangers.

I recommend you walk. Most of us can do that. Increase the milage. Make it a lifestyle not an exercise. Walk a few "runs" most events have a group of walkers. Cycling, rowing, all those take going somewhere or equipment. Walking can be done most anywhere. 

Just dont compensate for the effort by eating more. 

   People make a big deal over a very simple thing.  If you weigh too much, it's because you eat too much - that simple.  I used to eat a sausage biscuit every morning.  When I noticed I weighed too much, I started cutting the buscuit in half.  That was the only change I made and over the course of a year I lost 10 pounds.  It's the things you eat day in and day out that count.  Special occasions and weekend restaurants are not what make you overweight.  Get on the scale every day.  If you don't weigh less than the same day a week ago, you need to reduce somewhere.  Stopping soft drinks is an easy way to lose a lot fast.  When my son was in third grade, he gave me a revelation I have not forgotten.  He was a pathologically picky eater and there were only 2-3 things he would eat.  When he wanted to go on a 3 day field trip I asked "Well son, what will you eat"?  He looked me straight in the eye and said, " It takes 2 weeks to starve to death."

Hooper Williams - Brevard, NC

All the posts here have very good thoughts, are true and useful. Having spent 25 years as an athletic trainer and last 12 years as a RN here is my 2 cents. It is mind over matter. All the scientific evidence based practice doesn't matter if you don't commit to a lifestyle change. Find something you can like and live with. It cannot be a chore or you will not achieve your goal. There may be some trial and error until you find what works for you. Usually a combination of diet change and exercise will get the best and most consistent results. Building and using the dory will be most pleasing in a healthy mind. If you haven't already done so, get a physical before you start an exercise regimen. Long slow exercise burns the calories, weight training builds strength. Lots of wood clamps eases the mind. Remember, each step gets you closer to the dory. Each forkful gets you farther away. Good luck finding what works, Dan    

Thanks for all the responses! This is actually something that I needed to do anyway. I am not obese...well in my mind. I am at the heaviest point in my life. I am 6' tall and last Sunday night I weighed myself at 228 lbs. My wife is aware that I have been saving money toward a new rifle. She told me last week that if I dropped to 215lbs she will let me buy the new rifle! So the race is on! I got the bright idea the next day and asked her how much weight I needed to drop to get the Dory. Her response was get to 190lbs. Off we go!