This week I'm sharing with readers the way my husband was able to lose 20 pounds in one year. My better half weighed 200 pounds and measured 69 inches in height giving him a body mass index of 29, just short of being obese. I must confess that I had been encouraging, coaxing and cajoling him to lose weight for some time but to no avail. He had visited the dietitian once and then refused to return. He would joke that he hated food so much that he was compelled to get rid of it all. His wake-up call came when he developed severe pain and swelling in his knees due to arthritis. His doctor reinforced what I had been saying, "lose weight and you will be less likely to have arthritis in your knees".

Eat less

Over the next few months, I was amazed to see my husband reduce his food servings by half. He would stop eating as soon as he felt full. He snacked regularly on fresh fruits, reduced his servings of rice and other starches and avoided desserts such as cakes and ice cream. He also cut out his late night cup of chocolate.

Family support

He continued to eat from all food groups but doubled his vegetable intake. So, I was buying more callaloo, cabbage and pak choi. He ate his vegetables raw, stir-fried, steamed and added all manner of sauces. He reduced meat intake drastically by having one chicken thigh (his favourite part) rather than leg and thigh and reducing his serving of curry goat to about three ounces. He would have soups (without the yams and dumplings) as a meal. He reduced drastically his intake of crackers, breads, and I cut these and other similarly processed foods from our weekly grocery list. Instead, I bought staples such as breadfruit, yams and sweet or Irish potatoes.

Monitor regularly

I would chuckle as I watched my better half step on the scale to check his weight daily. I told him that it may not be wise to weigh every day, as his weight will vary, but my words of caution went unheeded. He would jump for joy as he shed each pound or become quiet when the scale showed no change in weight. He would then mutter under his breath, "I need to do something differently."

Physical activity

My husband would walk two to three times weekly. However, the arthritis in his knees didn't permit him to do vigorous exercising. He did 30 minutes of gentle stretches and climbed the stairs at work.

His secret

He kept his goal of losing 20 pounds in focus. Frankly, the pain in his knees was a constant reminder of his goal. Gradually, he was rewarded by the reduced pain in his knees. Compliments from friends strengthened his desire to lose weight. He was further rewarded as his waist size returned to what it was 15 years ago.

His success

My husband has been able to shed 20 unwanted pounds by sheer determination and he was motivated by his bouts of arthritis. He achieved weight loss by eating less, specifically eating less starches, meats and fats. He checked his weight regularly to keep his goal in focus and solicited family support to achieve success. He lost 20 pounds over a year. To maintain his new weight, he continues on the same regime. I hope this case will encourage men who are trying to take off unwanted pounds!

Dr Pauline Williams-Green is a family physician and president of the Caribbean College of Family Physicians; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.