There’s a lot of information and mis-information on this topic. The hard truth is it does take time. From 2016 to 2017, I was able to go from 182lbs to 151lbs. Looking back, I attribute it to changing my diet and habits and sticking to it.
Changing Your Diet
Changing your diet is the most effective way to reduce weight. A common misconception is that you need to exercise a lot in order to lose weight. The most important thing to understand is that sugar intake is one of the leading causes of weight gain.
I started getting into the habit of blending a shake in the morning to ensure that I had a healthy serving of fruits and vegetables every week day and the weekends would be my cheat days. This would replace my previous breakfast of McDonalds drive through every morning.
This is by far the most effective way to do it. I started getting into the habit of blending a shake in the morning to ensure that I had a healthy serving of fruits and vegetables every week day and the weekends would be my cheat days. This would replace my previous breakfast of McDonalds drive through every morning.
I would mix together, spinach, kale, celery, carrots, and oranges. I still “drink” this breakfast everyday and it make it easy to ensure I had the nutritional intake I needed.
The blender I recommend the most is the Nutribullet. I have been using it for over 2 years now and I absolutely love it. The most convenient feature is the fact that you can drink the shake directly from the cup. It also blends everything in less than 10 seconds.
Start Exercising Gradually
Although exercising does not contribute to weight loss as much as diet, it does help to curb your appetite. It’s also good for your overall health.
I would never advocate to hit the gym immediately. What I would recommend is first is to start forming a habit around exercising.
I started with 2 mins every weekday. I would do 20 push ups in the morning every Monday to Friday. I then increased this to 30 push ups after several months. Then I started adding chin ups. Then soon after that, I started doing 10 minutes on the elliptical. Now I do 40 push ups, 15 chin ups and 15 minutes on the elliptical every week day. It started by forming a habit.
Chin up bars are really cheap and provide the most effective workout for your upper ody. These ones sell on Amazon for around $25 for one that hangs from the door. Or if you have space for a standing one, it can start at $150. I personally recommend the ones below as I have the hanging one at home and the standing one at the office.
The hanging chin-up bar is very sturdy and I was surprised at how easy it was to stand up. It has been over 5 years and it still holds up. The only downside is, it has scratched some of the paint above the door sill.
The free standing one allows you to do more than just chin-ups. When I am at work I do a few reps of chin ups but I also do a few reps of leg lifts. The only real downside is the amount of space it takes up. Luckily I have a rather large shared office area.
Another easy way of exercising is to join a sports league. It’s great for cardio and because you’re there to have fun, you won’t notice the exercise.
Start Small and work your way up
Consistency is the key but it starts out with having small goals and the discipline to put them into action. For your diet, start replacing one of your meals with something healthier, like I did with my shake in the morning. And for exercise, start small with just a 5 minute exercise. Once you form a habit, it is easier to increase your workload.
The first step is usually the hardest but after just 2 weeks, you will already start to feel healthier. I noticed that I started feeling more awake and I also started having more energy and focus. Furthermore, exercise can actually make you feel happier. Your goal should not be to only lose weight but to be healthier.