How I Lost 50 Pounds and Kept Them Off.

Cleaning my closet, I decided to discard the first pairs of jeans I bought after I started losing weight five years ago. They were a trim size 38, way slimmer than the unspeakable size 40 I was wearing. I loved them. But now I cannot bear to wear them anymore. They feel heavy, baggy, and without a belt, can slip down my hips zipped and buttoned. Meanwhile, even the size 34s that I had gotten more recently feel big. Moreover, I managed to get into size 33 jeans I had saved from 1995 !  So now, the size 38s are out of commission. (I only kept wearing them so long for sentimental reasons that no longer apply)

So how did I do it? How did I lose some 50 lb., and over five sizes, and get to feel 25 years younger, in five and half years?

Discarding my first "weight loss" jeans from 5 years and more than 5 sizes ago.

There is no magic potion. The way I did it was through small changes in my lifestyle, introduced gradually, one at a time, until each change was embraced and became a habit.

1. Slow and SteadyFirst off, notice the weight loss was gradual, extremely so. I was losing a little under a pound a month, on average. That's less than the changes in my weight within a single day. In other words, it's almost imperceptible. There's no need to weigh yourself daily and lose your mind over it.  Chill, relax, it will take time. The good news is that, because it took me so long, the habits I built to get here are so ingrained, it will be unlikely that I will gain back. 
2. Get Active
   Probably the most important factor in stimulating my metabolism. I started by walking, 10 min. a day, then 20 min, and so on. I made it a daily habit to walk first thing in the morning. Walking is a great fat-burner. As I got more fit, I needed more activity. Walking for more than an hour a day became impractical, so I took on weight training, then running. I still walk, but I find I need a mix of activities to keep me fit, and interested. Note that I constantly adapted my training program to my changing body, strength, and injuries.
3. Eat More
   This is probably the most counter-intuitive advice. I got it from No Meat Athlete, tried it, and found it actually works! If you eat fewer calories, you will feel lethargic and won't have the energy to do the most important thing you could do to lose weight, namely "Get Active".  Therefore, you need to eat enough to cover the level of physical activity you want to be doing.  That can be significantly higher than your base metabolic rate. I basically lost all that weight while eating some 3500-4000 calories a day!
4. Eat Healthy
   More important than the quantity of food is the quality. You want to seek whole, unprocessed foods as much as possible. I made my biggest strides after switching entirely from white bread and rice to whole grain breads and brown rice. I mostly cook at home now, so I have total control over the ingredients that go into my food. Typically, I use fresh ingredients as much as possible.
5. Eat Often
   I eat 6 meals a day: two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners. It's the only way I can divide 4000 calories into manageable meals. I eat until I feel full, so my meals are smaller and I can better control how much I eat by controlling their frequency. For example, I notice I get hungry more often on days when I exercise intensely, such as after a long run.
6. Cut Soft Drinks
   I was used to having a can of Coke a day. Looking at the 4 tbsp of sugar in each can, I decided to quit. Within a few weeks I lost 10 lbs. Same goes for my daily vodka drink. No need for unnecessary, un-nutritious calories. I mostly cut alcohol for the sake of my liver, too. Coffee, however, is one bad habit I'm holding on to, for now.
7. Join a CSA Farm ProgramMy CSA farm keeps me well supplied with a wide variety of organic and in-season vegetables during the summer and fall. As I upped my intake of vegetables, I noticed it became easier to lose weight and keep it off.  
8. There Will be Relapses My weight has gone steadily downwards in the last five years, but there were relapses, especially after extended travel. The key is not to let those upward turns faze you. Simply go back to what worked - your healthier eating habits and activity - and it will come back down in due time.
9. Watch out for Winter Winter is difficult as our bodies are programmed to store fat, and the season is preceded by many holidays that involve eating and candy. The weather tends to further limit outdoor activities. I try hard to moderate my intake of sweets, without completely depriving myself. At the same time I step up exercise in the fall, and try to go out as much as I can in winter. I figure if I can maintain my weight during winter, I will have no problems losing more in the spring and summer.