Shed 20 pounds in 2010
Ok this might seem like a start to one of those articles promising you all sorts of body changes if you just buy one gadget or if you just follow one special diet. I am kind of a dumb person who does not have the patience or the money to try this. I wanted to share some things I did in 2009 to lose 10 kilos and that you can try in 2010. This is no miracle cure, just plain ideas that you can use or ignore. It is up to you.
Background
I was a very active person when I was younger and even into University. After graduating however I got a job which required me to be on the road constantly. I had 200 or more travel days for about 4 years. This put serious traces on my waistline. I also love to eat and have a vicious sweet-tooth. Along the road it came to the point where I started asking myself, who is that fat guy I see in also those pictures. I felt really uncomfortable about it and in 2009 I decided to do something about it.
I read and tried all sorts of diets, did many different sports and found out what worked and what did not. My goal was to find a combination of diet and exercise that did not require a major lifestyle change, but would still allow me to get to where I wanted, which was feeling better about myself. This boiled down to some simple truths that I would like to share with you. Please note that this is not a universal solution and will not work for everyone. If you like this article please let me know and I will publish the rest of the truths in a free ebook. Anyway, on to the truths:
1. losing weight is simple
That is right. If you burn more calories than you ingest you will lose weight, it is that simple. The best combination is to eat better and exercise more. However getting there is harder. There is no simple cure that will help you fix everything at once.
2. Diets do not work
The reason for this bold statement is that diets are a temporary remedy. You cannot for example follow Atikins all the time. Then you will feel very lousy. You need to make smaller changes that have ongoing effects. My recommendations are to:
*Not ever eat or use sugar as a sweetener. Nothing good comes from it.
*Stay away from white bread. If it is airy and light it mostly contains air.
*If you need to eat sweets, try dark chocolate (70-90%).
*Enjoy food in the weekends but stay stricter in the weeekdays
*Eat 3 meals (at least per day) but keep the proportions small. The rule of thumb is 1-2 fistfuls of protein 2 fistful of vegetables and 1 fistful of carbohydrates.
*If you are in a restaurant don’t eat all the food, but ask for a doggybag
*If you are over 30 you cannot eat the same amount of food you did when you were 20, you will grow fat.
*Drink in moderation. One glass of wine or beer is ok, but 2-3 shows up on your waistline.
Low-carb diets do not work unless you moderate your calorie intake.
3. Exercise is boring but necessary
If I could choose between staying at home and watching TV and going to the gym I would not go the gym. Exercise more often that not is just really, really boring. The challenge is to find something that fits you and you can enjoy doing.
Exercise should be finding something you enjoy doing and the getting fit/losing weight part should be a positive side effect. Personally I hate going to the gym and will do anything to stay away from there. Walking my dog, riding my bicycle to work every day and keeping myself busy.
In the start though all these things can be hard and boring as well. There is no quick fix here unfortunately. You should try to do some exercise, the more the better. But it needs to be something you enjoy or at least dislike as little as possible.
4. I lack the motivation
For me the motivation was simple. Going up stairs left me winded and every picture taken of me showed a fat guy that I did not recognize. I was also at the point in life where I was considering having a child. Being overweight lovers your sperm-count. That was important motivation for me.
Fear was the main motivation for me. A less radical motivation approach is to find a partner. Your spouse, your friend or your colleague could be good partners for you. They can be your support when you are not motivated and you can be their's when they are not motivated. They are also an excellent exercise partner.
5. I do have the time
We all have very stressful lives. Stress has a negative side effect, it makes the body secrete the stress hormone cortisol that actually makes us fat. Our body cannot separate between the stress of having to face, say an angry bear like our ancestors and just being angry with your boss. Therefore it is important to make time. If you enjoy your activity that is easy. Otherwise I would recommend cutting 1 hour of TV per day. Look you suddenly have 7 hours of exercise time every week. If you are one of the very few people who do not watch TV I recommend changing your daily required activities to more strenuous ones. One example could be riding your bicycle to work. Walking for 30 min during your lunch break. Getting up 30 min earlier to walk a dog (It doesn’t even have to be your own). In short, make time.
The truths presented about are just some aspects I felt were important to me when I started changing my life. They are not the only ones and might not be perfect for you. I work with IT so I am usually stuck in front my computer for 8 or 10 hours per day. The older I get the more important staying in shape gets to me. I am going to continue working out the truths in exercise and diet and share them with you.
If you have questions or feedback about this article please email me at kerry.reid (at) digital-defender.com