Curt's Weight Loss

For more than 30 years---my entire television career---I’ve been asked one question more than any other: how tall are you? 6’4” is my answer and, yes, I know I look much shorter on TV and, no, I’m not sure why. This year, the question became: how much weight did you lose? And how did you do it? The answer is 60 pounds. It took 9 months to lose and I’ve stayed at 200 pounds for 8 months.

Here is the CURT Plan:

C stands for Curtailing Calories. Studies indicate that various animal species on calorie-restricted diets live longer and are generally healthier. So how do you restrict calories? I did it by adopting a foodstyle. Whenever I consider what I am about to eat, I look for foods that are low fat and high fiber with no added sugar. Any food that meets those criteria, I allow myself to eat as much as I want. Anything else, I eat less. This means eating fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains until I’m full. I also drink lots of 100% fruit juices and skim milk. For snacks, I munch on pretzels and raw vegetables. One guideline: foods aren’t evil, portions are.

U stands for Uplifting weights. I have two 20 lb. dumbbells, two 5 lb. ankle weights and two 5 lb. hand weights. I keep them in my closet and work out with them for ten minutes daily at a pace that will leave me

exhausted. Ten minutes, that’s it. My exer-style. We need regular resistance training or our bodies lose muscle tone and bone density. Using weights, for me, is the quickest, most convenient method for getting

my heart rate up and building strength. Always, pace yourself. There are plenty of excuses not to exercise: bad weather, takes too long, gym membership and exercise equipment are too expensive, embarrassment about your body. Working out daily with weights is fast, cheap, efficient and done in the privacy of your home. Hint: play a tape something you like, e.g., David Letterman’s monologue, so you will look forward to your work-out.

R stands for Reflection and Reinforcement. Prayer helped me find the strength to make the right choices about my weight and fitness. Perhaps meditation is a better form of reflection for you. Whatever, you need to deal with the issues about why you over-eat and under-exercise. Second, as you ‘grow out’ of you fat clothes, give them away and buy new clothes. (You’ll be able to afford it because, believe, this foodstyle is cheaper than your current diet.) Treat yourself, reinforce your success. Be proud of yourself.

T stands for Telling The Tale. During social situations, politely inform your companions that you are trying to get fit. So, you’ll have only a couple bites of the birthday cake, and no butter and sour cream on the baked potato. This does two things: 1) if you are serious, people will sympathize and help you; and, 2) making the public declaration makes you accountable.

So, that about covers all the bases: food, exercise, internal issues and external influences. Good luck with the CURT Plan. Give it a chance for two weeks. And, of course, always talk with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise plan. Feel free to e-mail me with your questions, comments, frustrations and successes.