I Want to Lose Weight
So a couple years ago I did a sincere and intense weight loss regimen, and it worked. I lost about 50lbs (23kilos) in about 4 months. Though since that time a few years ago, I've gotten about 30lbs of it back (took 2 years though). So this year I'm going to take it off again, and with the New Year approaching I bet many of you are too. So I figured I'd share how I did it the first time. Though I must warn you, it kind of sucks. I don't think there's any way around that though. If there was an easy, comfortable way to lose weight, we wouldn't be asking about it so much.
Right, so immediately off the bat, this takes a lot of determination and discipline. It's super difficult at first, but actually gets easier as you go. Also, this is for people with no outstanding medical conditions, it's a harsh plan and could be dangerous for people who are sensitive or have medical conditions.
The three pillars of weight loss are Diet, Exercise, and Rest. Diet does about 80% or more of the work. You have to have it, and stick with it. Think you can succeed at losing weight if you give yourself an 80%+ disadvantage? I'm not even kidding, that is how important it is. Even a good workout can only burn a couple hundred calories a day, and as you get more fit you get more efficient too, so you'd have to work harder and harder to burn that couple hundred calories, the equivalent of one can of soda and a small snack. Simply skipping the soda and snack has the same effect as a full normal workout. You have to have a diet, and stick to it.
That said, exercise is an important tool as well. Activating your muscles during dieting prevents your body from wanting to steal their proteins for energy. Your body won't consume an active muscle if it can avoid doing so. That's important, because it makes you use your fat reserves for energy, and that's what we all want. Muscle is also metabolically active, consuming calories to function and exist, which helps weight loss.
And of course, rest. I think people overlook the importance of getting enough sleep a lot. Your body restores and replenishes itself during rest. Without enough time to do that, you'll be driven to eat more for energy to keep you up during the day, and the extra tiredness makes working out harder. Not getting enough sleep is the ultimate sabotage to a weight loss plan. Additionally, getting plenty of rest makes your body use calorie reserves to fuel itself while you're sleeping. You can lose a few hundred calories a night like this, as much as a decent workout! So making time to rest is very important to an effective weight loss plan.
My Diet and Exercise
So I divided time into three day periods of dieting. For two days I was on the strict diet, and one day I was on the normal diet. In general, avoid most non-vegetable carbs. Vegetables are great to eat. Protein is highly recommended too. Fats are okay in moderate amounts. Like I said, carbs other than vegetables are not advised, that's sugars, breads, pastas, potatoes, cereals, etc. If you do eat them, eat very little of them. Bananas and oranges are okay because they are very good for workout health, but I wouldn't recommend eating too much fruit either. Always remember to stay hydrated too. Water has no calories, and is crucial for life and weight loss. You may not like the idea of water making you heavier on the scale, but it's fat loss that you really want anyway, that's where all the health and body image benefits come from. Depriving yourself of water is just going to make your life hell.
The strict diet was:
Breakfast: One egg, any style, optional sprinkle of cheese. Spices are free for diet purposes to me. And yes, that's not a big breakfast at all. I did say this was going to suck. Immediately after that breakfast I did stretching, jumping jacks, and a 2 mile trot. I say trot because I can't rightly call it a run. The truth is whatever speed you like is probably fine. The idea of this is that you definitely burn more calories than you just ate (that's weight loss!) but the egg does provide you with some protein and the like.
Lunch: A about 3 ounces of tuna, with a half cup of frozen vegetables. Spices free. If your muscles feel sore from exercising, or you are weight lifting, add a protein drink to this.
Before Dinner: I don't eat at this time, but this is when another workout happens. I did another 2 mile trot, and sometimes weight lifting. It's important to note that you might feel tired, and not performing your hardest because of that. That's okay. It's about spending energy, and activating muscles. You don't have to be at the top of your game, but do take serious note: WARNING: If you have medical conditions like diabetes, hypoglycemia, anemia, or anything that might pose a threat to you during such a strict, calorie restricted regimen, you should adjust accordingly. This is a harsh plan, and won't be suitable for everyone.
Dinner: Should be taken 5 hours or more before bedtime ideally, with nothing to eat for the rest of the day afterward. Anything you like that's less than about 600 calories. This is when you make up for nutrients you may not have eaten earlier, vegetables and proteins are a great pic. Carbs like sugar, bread, pasta and the like are permissible but not advised. The goal is that the entire days calorie intake should be about 1100 or less. When you do go to bed, make sure you have plenty of time to sleep. And remember to stay hydrated.
You will probably feel hungry a lot. I dealt with that by remembering that feeling hunger means I'm winning. Every stomach rumble is the sound of calories slipping away from my waistline. It's not the most pleasant, but it is a sweet victory.
The Normal Diet:
On every third day you get a normal diet day. This is a day where you get to eat up to 2000 calories instead of the limit of 1100. For morale, I gave myself more leeway in what I ate too, but remember, you're still dieting. A small treat is fine, but using all 2000 of your calories on a slice of chocolate cake is going to hurt you. This is a great time to catch up on nutritional needs, getting extra protein or fiber if you feel like you need it, keep your calcium intake up too. Vitamin supplements are fine, but personally I try to get as much nutrition from food as I can without going over my calorie limit.
You should also enhance your workouts on this day. You'll have more energy, so it's okay to add in another exercise, or make your present workout slightly more intense. If at any time you find yourself getting sore muscles though, it's okay to lighten (but not eliminate) your workouts until the soreness leaves. Keeping hydrated, stretching, proper sleep, and light exercise should help the soreness go away faster. If you need to have a normal diet day on a certain occasion, like a party or something, you can adjust the timing of the diet by adding in an extra strict day to your cycle, until your normal diet day lands where you need it to be.
I know this might sound psychotic to some people, and I acknowledge that this is a harsh regimen. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone because it could even be dangerous. It's always best to check with your doctor before starting a diet and workout regimen. I'm sharing it because it's what I did, and it worked for me. It does get easier over time though, all diets and lifestyles do if you stick with them.
EDIT: And remember, if you ever feel dizzy, faint, disoriented, or have chest pain at any time during exercise, you need to cool it. Don't push beyond your safe limits.
Right, so immediately off the bat, this takes a lot of determination and discipline. It's super difficult at first, but actually gets easier as you go. Also, this is for people with no outstanding medical conditions, it's a harsh plan and could be dangerous for people who are sensitive or have medical conditions.
The three pillars of weight loss are Diet, Exercise, and Rest. Diet does about 80% or more of the work. You have to have it, and stick with it. Think you can succeed at losing weight if you give yourself an 80%+ disadvantage? I'm not even kidding, that is how important it is. Even a good workout can only burn a couple hundred calories a day, and as you get more fit you get more efficient too, so you'd have to work harder and harder to burn that couple hundred calories, the equivalent of one can of soda and a small snack. Simply skipping the soda and snack has the same effect as a full normal workout. You have to have a diet, and stick to it.
That said, exercise is an important tool as well. Activating your muscles during dieting prevents your body from wanting to steal their proteins for energy. Your body won't consume an active muscle if it can avoid doing so. That's important, because it makes you use your fat reserves for energy, and that's what we all want. Muscle is also metabolically active, consuming calories to function and exist, which helps weight loss.
And of course, rest. I think people overlook the importance of getting enough sleep a lot. Your body restores and replenishes itself during rest. Without enough time to do that, you'll be driven to eat more for energy to keep you up during the day, and the extra tiredness makes working out harder. Not getting enough sleep is the ultimate sabotage to a weight loss plan. Additionally, getting plenty of rest makes your body use calorie reserves to fuel itself while you're sleeping. You can lose a few hundred calories a night like this, as much as a decent workout! So making time to rest is very important to an effective weight loss plan.
My Diet and Exercise
So I divided time into three day periods of dieting. For two days I was on the strict diet, and one day I was on the normal diet. In general, avoid most non-vegetable carbs. Vegetables are great to eat. Protein is highly recommended too. Fats are okay in moderate amounts. Like I said, carbs other than vegetables are not advised, that's sugars, breads, pastas, potatoes, cereals, etc. If you do eat them, eat very little of them. Bananas and oranges are okay because they are very good for workout health, but I wouldn't recommend eating too much fruit either. Always remember to stay hydrated too. Water has no calories, and is crucial for life and weight loss. You may not like the idea of water making you heavier on the scale, but it's fat loss that you really want anyway, that's where all the health and body image benefits come from. Depriving yourself of water is just going to make your life hell.
The strict diet was:
Breakfast: One egg, any style, optional sprinkle of cheese. Spices are free for diet purposes to me. And yes, that's not a big breakfast at all. I did say this was going to suck. Immediately after that breakfast I did stretching, jumping jacks, and a 2 mile trot. I say trot because I can't rightly call it a run. The truth is whatever speed you like is probably fine. The idea of this is that you definitely burn more calories than you just ate (that's weight loss!) but the egg does provide you with some protein and the like.
Lunch: A about 3 ounces of tuna, with a half cup of frozen vegetables. Spices free. If your muscles feel sore from exercising, or you are weight lifting, add a protein drink to this.
Before Dinner: I don't eat at this time, but this is when another workout happens. I did another 2 mile trot, and sometimes weight lifting. It's important to note that you might feel tired, and not performing your hardest because of that. That's okay. It's about spending energy, and activating muscles. You don't have to be at the top of your game, but do take serious note: WARNING: If you have medical conditions like diabetes, hypoglycemia, anemia, or anything that might pose a threat to you during such a strict, calorie restricted regimen, you should adjust accordingly. This is a harsh plan, and won't be suitable for everyone.
Dinner: Should be taken 5 hours or more before bedtime ideally, with nothing to eat for the rest of the day afterward. Anything you like that's less than about 600 calories. This is when you make up for nutrients you may not have eaten earlier, vegetables and proteins are a great pic. Carbs like sugar, bread, pasta and the like are permissible but not advised. The goal is that the entire days calorie intake should be about 1100 or less. When you do go to bed, make sure you have plenty of time to sleep. And remember to stay hydrated.
You will probably feel hungry a lot. I dealt with that by remembering that feeling hunger means I'm winning. Every stomach rumble is the sound of calories slipping away from my waistline. It's not the most pleasant, but it is a sweet victory.
The Normal Diet:
On every third day you get a normal diet day. This is a day where you get to eat up to 2000 calories instead of the limit of 1100. For morale, I gave myself more leeway in what I ate too, but remember, you're still dieting. A small treat is fine, but using all 2000 of your calories on a slice of chocolate cake is going to hurt you. This is a great time to catch up on nutritional needs, getting extra protein or fiber if you feel like you need it, keep your calcium intake up too. Vitamin supplements are fine, but personally I try to get as much nutrition from food as I can without going over my calorie limit.
You should also enhance your workouts on this day. You'll have more energy, so it's okay to add in another exercise, or make your present workout slightly more intense. If at any time you find yourself getting sore muscles though, it's okay to lighten (but not eliminate) your workouts until the soreness leaves. Keeping hydrated, stretching, proper sleep, and light exercise should help the soreness go away faster. If you need to have a normal diet day on a certain occasion, like a party or something, you can adjust the timing of the diet by adding in an extra strict day to your cycle, until your normal diet day lands where you need it to be.
I know this might sound psychotic to some people, and I acknowledge that this is a harsh regimen. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone because it could even be dangerous. It's always best to check with your doctor before starting a diet and workout regimen. I'm sharing it because it's what I did, and it worked for me. It does get easier over time though, all diets and lifestyles do if you stick with them.
EDIT: And remember, if you ever feel dizzy, faint, disoriented, or have chest pain at any time during exercise, you need to cool it. Don't push beyond your safe limits.
