You’re likely on a weight loss journey like me if you’re here.
Trust me, I’ve been there – the frustration, the self-doubt, and the never-ending battle with the scale.
But let me assure you, there’s hope, and it all starts with my personal experience.
As a personal development enthusiast, I must mention my weight loss journey. I enjoy food, and I like to eat. What can I say?
I also like to look good, but I didn’t want to give up all my favorite comfort foods while staying in shape.
My weight has been under control for a long time.
However, if you like me and enjoy food but want to avoid gaining too much weight or losing weight, this article is for you.
Everything I shared in this article worked for me.
Could you not take it as gospel? You know your body and what you can handle, so take what works and leave the rest out.
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Before reading the entire article, I’ll tell you what worked for me.
- Fasting: I fasted to lose weight. Twenty hours of fasting for a month, and the weight dropped.
- I drank coffee to curb my hunger.
- I ate only meat – a carnivore diet.
- I drank water all day to help flush out the toxins my body released during the weight loss.
- My motivation: My skinny doctor told me I had to lose weight and stop eating carbs. I wanted to show him I could!!!!
Not too long ago, I stared at the mirror, feeling unhappy with the person looking back at me.
The cargo pants that used to fit comfortably were now snug and climbing stairs left me breathless.
It was time for a change. My health was deteriorating, and I knew I had to take action.
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The first step on my weight loss journey was setting realistic and achievable goals. Instead of aiming for a drastic overnight transformation, I took small, manageable steps.
Whether opting for a brisk walk after dinner or choosing water over sugary drinks, every little change added to a healthier lifestyle.
One of my biggest game-changers was adopting a mindful approach to eating. I no longer mindlessly snack in front of the TV or finish off my plate just because the food is there.
I started paying attention to my body’s hunger and fullness cues, savoring each bite, and choosing nutrient-dense foods that fueled my body rather than empty calories that left me craving more.
Exercise became my ally in this weight loss journey. Instead of dreading the gym, I experimented with various activities to find what I enjoyed.
Whether running, hiking, chopping wood, or hitting weights, the key was finding a routine that burned calories and brought joy.
Exercise should celebrate what our bodies can do, not a punishment for our eating.
Consistency is the secret sauce in the recipe for successful weight loss. I consciously tried to stick to my new habits, even on the tough days.
It’s normal to face setbacks, but not letting them derail your progress is crucial. Surround yourself with a support system—friends, family, or even an online community—that understands and encourages your journey.
Weight loss is a journey of milestones, both big and small. Celebrate every victory, whether dropping a dress size, reaching a fitness goal, or resisting the urge to indulge in that tempting dessert.
Acknowledging your achievements keeps you motivated and reinforces the positive changes you’ve made.
As the pounds started to melt away, I realized that this journey was about more than losing weight; it was about adopting a healthier lifestyle.
The habits I cultivated weren’t temporary fixes but long-term changes that became a part of my daily routine. Eating well and staying active transformed from chores into habits I genuinely enjoyed.
How I Maintain My Weight
I rarely go on a scale. When I am bloated or my pants are snug, I know I must alter my diet.
It’s easy to lose focus and forget your diet goals, so make sure you have a plan when you notice old habits returning.
I don’t eat much refined carbs, but I get bloating and indigestion when I do. My remedy is the carnivore diet.
I recently bought a ‘Hot Pot’ maker and already have a large electric hibachi grill. I prep the food: sliced beef, shrimp, chicken, mushrooms, and assorted vegetables. I toss them into the hot pot or hibachi and enjoy the results.
My dipping sauce is:
- Sesame Oil
- Minced Garlic
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Light Soy Sauce
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Losing weight is often a gradual process that involves making sustainable lifestyle changes.
It’s important to remember that healthy weight loss is a journey, not a quick fix. It’s about making sustainable changes to your lifestyle that you can maintain over time.
Here are some practical tips to help:
Diet:
- Prioritize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. These foods are nutrient-dense and filling, keeping you satisfied while helping you stay within a calorie deficit.
- Reduce processed foods and sugary drinks: These are often high in calories and low in nutrients, leading to unhealthy weight gain. Swap sugary drinks for water or unsweetened tea/coffee, and limit processed snacks like chips and cookies.
- Pay attention to hunger cues and slowly savor your food. This helps you avoid overeating and make better choices about what you put on your plate.
- Use smaller plates and bowls to help control your portion sizes. You can also try measuring your food to ensure you’re not overeating.
Exercise:
- You’re more likely to stick with an exercise routine if you enjoy it. Try walking, swimming, dancing, biking, or team sports. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
- Building muscle helps increase your metabolism, burning more calories even at rest. Include strength training exercises for major muscle groups 2-3 times weekly.
- Don’t do too much too soon, as this can lead to injury or burnout. Gradually increase the duration and intensity of your workouts as you get fitter.
Lifestyle:
- When you’re sleep-deprived, your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol, which can promote weight gain. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
- Stress can lead to unhealthy eating habits and weight gain. Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as yoga, meditation, or spending time in nature.
- Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can help curb your appetite and keep you feeling full. Aim for 8 glasses of water per day.
- Tracking your food intake can provide valuable insights into your eating habits. It helps you identify patterns, areas for improvement, and areas where you’re doing well.
- Start with achievable, realistic goals. Aiming for small, consistent changes over time is more sustainable than drastic, short-term solutions.
Remember:
- Consult a doctor or registered dietitian before starting any new weight loss plan, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.
- Set realistic goals and celebrate your progress along the way.
- Don’t get discouraged by setbacks. Everyone slips up sometimes. Just pick yourself up and keep going.
Bad Eating Habits
Our ancestors were lucky to eat once a day. We currently do not have this problem, yet most eat at least thrice daily, plus snacks and high-calorie coffee beverages or other drinks.
Unused calories get stored in the body as fat/fuel for future use. But the future never comes, and people stay heavy.
You will no longer gain weight when consuming only the necessary calories. If you use more calories than you’ve eaten, your body will start to use the fat reserves on your body. This is the secret to losing body fat.
Bodybuilders are known to consume large amounts of calories, but guess what? Yes, they use all of the calories they consume to build muscle.
That is why bodybuilders are not fat; they use all the calories they eat and have an incredibly high metabolism because they consistently exercise their entire body.
I’ve watched several YouTube videos showing bodybuilders grocery shopping. If you get a chance, search for it on YouTube. Many competitive bodybuilders consume chicken breast, fish, beef, leafy green vegetables, and small rice portions.
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Change Takes Time
It took me years before I entirely went to a vegetarian lifestyle (2013-2018.) I’m a carnivore again. It took years of trial and error before I quit alcohol for good (2005). I also went gluten-free for a year and a half.
When making changes, I always dip my toe in the water. Whenever I try to make full steam ahead, they never last permanently.
The key is to start small, have one vegetarian meal a week, and go one weekend without drinking alcohol. Go gluten-free for just one week.
Carefully experiment with healthy dietary changes, have fun, and make a game of it.
Spend Time Researching Food
Exploring your direction is one of the best ways to get motivated to change. If you want to lose weight, you have to make changes.
The whole eat three meals a day thing is a load of crap. When settlers came to America, they noticed the natives didn’t have a set schedule for eating. They pretty much ate and drank when the need arose.
Therefore, they never force-fed themselves as we do today. Three meals a day caught on during the industrial era.
We needed focused workers and couldn’t afford productivity to slow down so people could eat or drink when they felt like it. Our school system runs on the same principle.
I recently stumbled upon a book about specific foods according to your blood type. I’ve been trying this approach when making food choices.
Mimmick Animals In Nature
They don’t gorge themselves on food and drink. They eat and drink what they need when they need it. It’s also much less taxing on the body when you graze throughout the day.
Every time you gorge, you overburden the heart, the liver, the pancreas, the gallbladder, the stomach, and the intestines. You could even try intermittent fasting.
You can try this by either skipping breakfast or skipping dinner. In the Mindvalley Beyond Fasting Course, I learned that intermittent fasting gives the body additional time to heal and recuperate.
One form of fasting I like is eating just twice a day. Once at 11 a.m., I am usually not hungry until then, and once again around 6 or 7 p.m. The key is no snacking in between meals. You can eat three times a day, but once again, no snacking in between. Proper food assimilation is equally essential.
Once again, you know your body. If you’re about to pass out or have blood sugar issues, do not fast until you have talked with a professional.
Your Attitude Affects Losing Weight
You have to change your attitude if you want to lose weight permanently. You can discipline yourself for a few months or even a year, but can you do it indefinitely? You must change from the inside (transformation) to be at an ideal weight.
When I graduated high school, I was 215 pounds, wore 36″ pants, and was 5’10”.
Now, before you think I was a fat oinker, I wasn’t.
I was a weightlifter throughout High School, beginning in the winter of my freshman year. My bench weight as a freshman was 125 pounds, and my football teammates ridiculed me. The ridicule motivated me to begin my weight-lifting journey.
I held the Bench Press record at 305 pounds in my senior year, which I performed in April. The bench press was done raw. I didn’t even do any warm-ups or stretching before my bench.
Also, I could rep 225 pounds about 15 times, sometimes more, before fatigue and without a spotter on most occasions. (I took a weight training class in college in the fall and could still rep 225 pounds fifteen times.) I stopped working out for the summer after I graduated.
I am sure my max bench press would have been around 320 by the end of the school year. I was steroid-free, drug-free, and supplement-free. It was done naturally only because I didn’t have the money to buy any of the above.
I was big and had muscle, but I also had body fat. I was never a disciplined eater; I always ate what I wanted when I wanted back then.
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How I Lost 30 Pounds of Body Weight In 30 Days
In 1994, I worked for a Pager Company; remember those things; they were also known as beepers. While sitting in my office, I had my office with two IBM computers; I thought I was cool.
Anyway, I sat in my desk chair and looked down at my protruding stomach.
I looked at it objectively (without negative judgment) and thought, “You know what? It’s time to lose weight.” What changed me was I ultimately accepted the extra weight instead of ignoring or justifying it.
Starting that day, I completely transformed my diet.
One secret to losing weight is to accept yourself exactly as you are. It will be nearly impossible to lose weight if you reject your current physical state – how you look – how you look.
It goes like this:
- Accept yourself and how you look without judgment and resistance to what is.
- Next, imagine the way you would prefer to look.
- Take action towards your weight loss goals.
Instead of going to Wendy’s and getting fried chicken and French fries, I went to Roy Roger’s and bought a grilled chicken breast sandwich with no mayo and a plain baked potato.
Instead of eating lo-mein or fried rice, I ordered sauteed chicken and green beans when ordering from a Chinese restaurant.
I also packed my lunch and usually ate a tuna fish sandwich on 12-grain bread, a banana, and yogurt. Dinner was also pretty simple — usually chicken and rice.
I even cut out sugar for the most part. As a result, I went from 215 to around 178 to 180 in less than a month. The key was that I was highly active while reducing my caloric intake.
During work breaks, I would ride the Company’s exercise bike, and after work, I would play basketball, football, and baseball with my brother or friends. I was focused on losing weight and adding muscle to my body.
I maintained that weight for about a year. Although my weight increased over the years, my pant size never went above 34.”
Also, I would mention it’s not wise to lose weight quickly. I was nutrient-deprived, and my thyroid was negatively affected. My hair was falling out (I didn’t go bald,) but that is a sure sign that the body is distressed.
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Resting For Weight Loss
One area of personal growth that I need to improve upon is relaxing. I am a total Type-A Personality who is prone to stress.
I don’t like idleness, and I’m happiest when working or creating something. However, this summer, I experimented with taking mini-breaks.
My mini-break involves watching a good movie on the couch without being disturbed. The irony is that when I allow mini-breaks, I am more clear-minded, energized, and productive the next day.
It’s still hard for me to stop my momentum, though.
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Conclusion
So here I am, sharing my weight loss journey with you. It wasn’t always easy; sometimes, I felt like throwing in the towel.
But the perseverance paid off, and the benefits exceeded the scale’s number. I gained confidence, energy, and a newfound appreciation for the amazing things my body could accomplish.
If you’re on a similar path, know you’re not alone. Each journey is unique, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss.
Find what works for you, be patient with yourself, and remember that the most important thing is to prioritize your health and well-being. Cheers to your journey and the healthier, happier version of yourself waiting on the other side!
Lastly, please don’t try to lose weight or get into shape without first liking yourself as you are. Many believe they will like themselves more if they only look a certain way. In most cases, you won’t.
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