By They are simple but may not be that easy to do
My secret to long term, consistent weight loss and maintenance don’t fall into one category — as most people might assume. Instead, it’s an accumulation of things I have uncovered during my many years of trying and failing. Every time I fell, I didn’t know how to get back up. But, I had the belief that one day, eventually, I would run out of things that don’t work, and then the right way would appear. But weight loss is never linear. It doesn’t run in a smooth line as clear as day. What works for one person may fail for another. So perhaps you can extract from this something new that you might try, which could be one of the many things you may need to do for weight loss. Sure, you must take in fewer calories than you consume. But, that has not worked well long term for me. It had to be a part of the weight-loss toolbox — but not the overall strategy. I have exhausted the list of secrets here by no means — it’s a step that I took and had been working well so far. Perhaps in my 50’s or 60’s, it will not, then I may need to tweak something. What worked in our 20’s may not apply to our 30’s and beyond. Our bodies begin to age, we become less mobile, and brewing health conditions manifest. It’s easier to change when you have a baseline starting point as your life progresses. I can share three essential strategies I have used which made a big difference in my body’s ability to lose weight, keep my health in check and maintain those results that I see as important. We all have different goals to achieve, and the starting line is discovering yours and working your way forward from that. I do hope these help you along your journey.
One: When I began to intermittently fast — I lose the most weight, put on more muscle and experienced peak health
While bodybuilding, I ate a lot of protein — and a lot of food in general. But unfortunately, I also took a multitude of vitamins which would cause me a lot of health challenges. For instance, once I was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver, high cholesterol and more. I could not believe it at the time. I was supposedly “eating healthy”, yet I had all these markers of concern come into my blood results. I was only in my early thirties at the time. But that was a big sign that I was overeating and ingesting supplements I didn’t need, which caused health concerns. When my bodybuilding phase ended, I put on some weight and wasn’t happy with my shape. So I took my eye off the prize, and my results were a less than ideal shape. If you have ever prepared yourself for such a show, you know just how much dedication and effort are made to getting “stage-ready” and looking more like a normal human being after the show ends, a stark reality. Most of us don’t like looking “normal”, or as I call it, “soft around the edges.” It’s a brutal and unsustainable body shape to maintain. I didn’t have a period for about 3–6 months because my body fat was low. But after trying the diet again, and it failed me this time around — I decided to try fasting. Skipping one meal a day wouldn’t be too bad — but after you ate a minimum of 4, it is challenging to cut even one!! After a week or two of that “fog of delirium” phase, I felt better. My bloating and uncomfortable digestive symptoms seemed to ease, and I started to gain energy plus that so-called “clarity” everyone talks about when your body runs on ketones than glucose. It was a wonderful feeling to become human-like again — not plagued with the complexities of digestive and stomach issues. My blood finally stabilised, and I began to get leaner. I have not looked back since 2018 — and I will never go back to the standardised way of eating again. Although fasting may not work for many people, it worked well for me and my goals. I can now sustain my body weight without succumbing to caloric deprivation or eliminating the foods I love to eat. I like chocolate, and sometimes I indulge in some other treats when they fit into my overall caloric range for the day. But the good news is, I don’t have to be that strict, and it all balances itself out. Perhaps if you are struggling with weight loss and have tried everything — think about fasting. Use it in conjunction with a calorically controlled strategy and wait about a month. Of course, results come around faster than that, but a month will help solidify your habits.
Two: I gave up animal protein
While I still eat eggs here and there, I have eliminated all animal protein. Why did I do that? Because my digestion went quite crazy every time I ate animal protein, I didn’t like it anymore. I thrive on vegetables, fresh fruits and raw foods. I keep my diet simple to give my gut as much diversity from vegetables as possible. Some people might think this is crazy, but I have experienced nothing but benefits from doing so. There are lots of studies that also indicate vegans and vegetarians are less likely to experience disease. However, if you eat many vegan or vegetarian processed foods, you may not have that upper hand. For example, I do not eat processed vegan meats or meals -I don’t like them, plus they hurt my digestion. Veganism, for me, is also based on ethics. I wouldn’t say I like the slaughtering of animals for our pleasure. They, too, have a right to be here as much as we do. But, unfortunately, animals are treated poorly — whether in the home or bred for food. Humans have the upper hand with such vulnerable creatures who have feelings too. They feel pain, joy and love. Perhaps your own beliefs might not be as heightened as mine, and that’s fine. However, I urge you to take this on as an added benefit to your diet and eat more live foods and vegetables. Take a leaf out of my book and eat vegan 1–2 days per week. Or maybe have two meals a week based on vegetables only — without animal protein. Why not go vegan or vegetarian for 30 days. Then, challenge yourself to add more vegetables into your diet for better health and wellbeing.
Three: Lifting weights and being active
I love lifting weights and becoming more assertive, leaner and more muscular. Fasting helps me keep up my muscle mass by activating the human growth hormone. But, as much as I love to lift weights and the results I get from it — I also love a little bit of cardio. I don’t do a considerable amount, but I do like to get my steps in. Using my iWatch keeps me accountable for my step count and movements during the day. I always make sure that I do the necessary activity to keep myself healthy and lean. Walking has helped me get that incidental exercise when I work. However, working full time doesn’t leave me with mountains of space in the day to get up and start my cardio. I fit it in by doing the following things:
- Walking at lunchtime
- Walking in the mornings to work and home
- Taking my dog for a walk when I finish work and regularly on weekends
- Doing my housework
- Investing in a treadmill to get my steps in anytime I want to
- Getting a standing desk at home
These are some of the strategies I have used for years and still do. Every little bit of activity counts, and don’t dismiss it as small. I have learned that everything makes a difference over time — both good and bad habits. Keeping those good habits in place for months and years will see you in the best shape of your life, well into old age. Those weight gain issues that plague others will be unknown to you. You’ve gone the extra mile to find out what works for you — sticking to it as a lifestyle plan. All the best along your journey.
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