How I Lost 40 Pounds in My Classroom Teaching

by Guy E. White on 14 August, 2014

Getting healthier, being a better role model, and losing 40 pounds was a lot easier than I expected.

Teachers have exceedingly demanding schedules. Can one get healthy and feel more energetic without massively disrupting his or her life? Could one make simple changes within the four walls of his per her classroom and have major results?

In the last twelve months, I have lost 40 pounds, enjoyed more energy than the entirety of my adult life, and largely done so without exercise. Now, right up front, I want to say that I’m not a physician or licensed expert: so consult your doctor before you go out and do anything. For me, in 2013, after a summer of “no worries” I found myself barely able to button my typical classroom shirts. A few weeks later, a friend sent a photo of me from my birthday party – nasty! My doc said I was at significant risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes and a myriad of other problems. I had to change immediately. Lots of questions hit me.

How can one get big results without having to make unrealistic, unsustainable changes to one’s life? I’d tried many diets and exercise plans before. Why is it that all these blended smoothies are doing nothing for me – and seem to making me fatter? Why do I feel so freakin’ tired every afternoon? I did lots of research and lots of experimentation. Below, here is what I discovered in the last 12 months past and 40 pounds lost.

1. Think 80/20

The 80/20 Principle is the consideration for the 20% of activity that produces 80% of the results. What “small” actions could one take to have “large” results? I read the 4-Hour Chef by Timothy Ferriss, a (gorgeous, colorful) book about how to “learn anything.” On page 75, he outlines what he calls the “Slow Carb Diet,” which basically asked me to remove grains and (most) sugars from my menu. Basically, I could still have meat, greens, beans, and a myriad of vegetables that largely already made up my diet. I had to give up bread, dairy, juice, and (yes) fruit six days each week. On day seven, I could have a day of sin and eat anything and everything that I possibly could.

Because of these small actions (which really were not a big deal after reading a few pages of this book), I lost ten pounds in the first three weeks and twenty pounds within three months. Because of the spike in energy, I was able to give up my afternoon Diet Soda fix most days of the week and actually found myself able to have a coherent conversation with my wife after 8pm. I don’t know what results you could get, but check out this book. My students began saying, “Dr. White, you’re actually in a good mood during sixth period?” Mission accomplished.

2. Re-Ritualizing Food

As a teacher, lunch becomes the ritual purification of the day’s woes via my tastebuds. Grabbing a burger or huge burrito on my lunch break made the day extra amazing. Whenever my wife packed me a salad, it simply was not the same thing. So, I had to institute two food-related rituals.

First, every evening when cooking myself dinner, I would always create an extra portion that became the next day’s lunch. I could modify the recipe slightly for this extra portion. NEVER could I go to school without a lunch packed. If I forgot or ditched my cooking duty, I would be cheating the next day. I sat down with Netflix on my iPhone and ate my packed lunch most days in my classroom.

Second, my cheat day became (and still is) a ritual that involves multiple meals of absolute depravity throughout a single day each week. Think: American breakfast in the morning, crazy cheesy lunch, a hulking carb-filled bready dinner, and ice cream sundae for dessert. Throughout the week, if I saw anything tempting, I would take a picture of it. If I thought of anything tempting, I would note it in my iPhone. On day seven, I would return to my photos/list and go to town. I often schedule cheat days when I will not be in the classroom so I can maximize the “time off.”

3. Friends Friends Friends

Let’s face it, most of my friends are bad food influences. Bagels, pizza, and sushi rolls are the currency of love that filters through many of my relationships. So, I began to be very protective about when and where I would schedule outings with my friends. At first, I would only attend if I could realistically only order a meal that fit my new eating habits. Eventually, I began to schedule many of my friend-times on my cheat days such that I would not be the crazy guy at the table only eating meat and veggies.

For gatherings with my fellow educators, I learned that I should always arrive fed, unless I know for sure that there was going to be something that I can eat. This one change probably resulted in about 25% of my weight loss.

In short, teachers typically don’t have the time to be on carefully measured, point-based diet plans – and, let’s face it, food is a great medicine throughout the workweek. I recommend checking out Tim Ferriss’ book, the 4-Hour Chef and seeing what happens for you.