Installment #51 in Monolisticle's Ongoing Campaign Against the "Internet of Endless Listicles."
Remember the “Freshman 15” back in college? It's kind of like that. Except, in this case, it’s the “Pandemic 15.” Or Pandemic 20.” Or “Pandemic-whatever-your-personal-number-of-LBs-packed-on-over-the-last-year” was.
It’s okay. No one’s judging. Especially not me. I’m going to tell you how I lost my Pandemic 15 (okay, 20), and got back in shape. And hopefully my experience will help you, too. I’m rooting for you.
First, the good news. You don’t need an expensive gym membership. You don’t need to join Weight Watchers. You don’t need a personal trainer. You can lose weight all on your own. Like I did. All you need is a plan. But not just any plan. Your plan. A plan that works for you.
And that’s the key. Figuring out what works for you. And finding something that will be sustainable for you over the long term. Because the fact is, everybody is different. Everybody has different foods they love, or crave, or frankly, can’t bring themselves to give up. And everybody has different types of exercises or activities that they enjoy (okay maybe “enjoy” is not the right word. How about "tolerate?").
Now, for the second bit of good news. You don’t have to go to the extreme to lose weight. Extreme doesn’t work. Extreme is not sustainable. What you’re trying to do instead is to alter your lifestyle in do-able, non-radical ways that you can sustain over time. Too often people go 100% cold turkey with strict diets, or think they have to run 10 miles a day to lose weight. Not true. The truth is, you can lose weight simply by doing a bunch of small things that raise your overall activity level, and adjust your diet without completely denying yourself the things you love. Sound doable? It is. So let's jump into it.
Okay, so let’s talk about food. The key to what you eat is to not think of it as a diet. Diet implies that you are denying yourself. My approach is about finding the foods you love that are healthy, and then make those the bulk of your diet, replacing the foods that are unhealthy. So what exactly do I mean by healthy foods?
Healthy foods are whole, natural foods. Foods that aren't packaged in a box. Or a can. Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, that kind of thing. Basically, it's food you could go out and hunt or gather, if you were so inclined. It's food that is still in its original form and has not been processed. Among these foods, I've cut out the high-carb ones as much as possible, with a few exceptions. And I've cut out added sugar. But foods that naturally contain sugar such as fruit, they're okay—just in smaller quantities (more on sugar later).
So think about what you eat. Think about what you love to eat. Which foods do you currently love that fall into the above categories?
Breakfast. For me, for example, I love cereal for breakfast. While I have cut out carb-heavy foods like breads (no sandwiches), potatoes, and pasta, I did keep whole grains in my diet in the form of muesli cereal for breakfast. I mix my own muesli using organic whole bran flakes, corn flakes, rice puffs, nuts, a few raisins, berries, and 2% milk (sure, I could use almond milk or soy milk instead, but why? I think that’s just going too far). This breakfast works for me because it doesn’t feel like I’m on a diet; it’s something I love to eat. Plus, I think having the bulk of my carbs in the morning gives me the entire rest of the day to burn them off.
Next, lunch. I love egg scrambles, which are super healthy. I try to mix it up by using different variations of vegetables and spices. Spinach and mushrooms one day. Basil leaves, green pepper, and onions another day. Or one day I’ll toss in some bacon bits and garlic. Or I’ll have scrambled eggs with a side of sausage. Another day I’ll boil the eggs and slice them up on a salad with beets, veggies, and goat cheese. Again, I love eggs, so it doesn’t feel like I’m denying myself or that I'm on a so-called “diet.”
Now, for dinner. Dinner is slightly more complicated, because my family and I eat dinner together and it can be tricky aligning our meals. I’m not going to ask my wife and kids to change what they eat, so if I’m not cooking for all of us, I try to adapt to whatever they’re having. If they’re having a meat dish (chicken, beef, pork, fish), I’ll eat that, of course. Plus I’ll add a side of vegetables I enjoy. Like corn, or green beans, or a salad, or whatever.
In instances when they're having pasta or pizza or something else heavy in carbs, I’ll make soup. Soup is a great meal for me because I love soup. Love it. And it fills me up. I make soup easily by putting a little olive oil in a sauce pan, sautéeing some veggies, spices, and protein of choice (chicken or shrimp) with a little garlic, and then adding organic chicken broth. I usually buy a pack of thigh-meat chicken and wild-caught shrimp and divide them into several soup-sized portions which I keep in the freezer and pull out when needed. It defrosts in just a few minutes or less in the microwave. To mix it up, sometimes I’ll add kimchi (from a jar) to my soup. I’m always looking for new recipe variations, or new veggies or spices I can add. Be inventive. Have fun with it.
Things I don't eat
Now let’s talk about the things I chose to give up. And when I say “give up,” I mean “mostly" give up. Again, radical doesn’t work over the long-term. Denying oneself 100% is a flat-out recipe for failure. You have to decide what unhealthy foods are realistic for you to give up. It's your choice. Besides foods heavy in carbs like pasta, bread, potatoes, and rice, I also don't drink sodas. They're pretty much just liquid sugar.
Speaking of sugar...
For most people, cutting out sugar completely is a hard no. I get it. The stuff is addictive. Seriously—it is literally addictive. Just as addictive, if not more, than alcohol or drugs. I recommend watching a documentary called That Sugar Film. It's kind of a reverse Supersize Me, where a guy who has been living a sugar-free lifestyle suddenly starts adding sugar to his diet via so-called "healthy" foods like juices, smoothies, yogurt, etc. The results are nothing short of fascinating. I wrote about it here. It will completely change your views on sugar.
But in my case, instead of completely giving up sugar, I chose to only get rid of added sugar in my diet. So the only sugar I’m consuming is sugar that’s already naturally part of foods I eat. Like fruit. And I no longer add sugar to my tea. Unsweetened only.
The second really big one: dessert
I’ve (mostly) given up desserts, candy, yogurt, and even harder for me, chocolate (I know, I know, it wasn't easy). That said, if I’m at a birthday party and someone pulls out a chocolate cake or brownies, I’m going to have a piece. No question. If my wife bakes a cherry pie, I’m not going to deny myself one of my favorites things in the world. The point, again, is that the occasional indulgence is fine. You just can’t let it return to becoming a habit.
The funny thing about sugar (and potato chips and other delectably addictive snacks) is that once I had given them all up for a month or so, I stopped craving them. But there was certainly a challenging withdrawal period for a while. Especially ice cream and chips. But if you can manage to get through that brief period, you will no longer crave them as much.
With dessert, it's as much about breaking a habit as it is overcoming a craving. Typically after dinner, my wife and I usually watch a TV show. And my habit had always been to grab some kind of dessert. Instead I will grab a piece of fruit, or better yet, a handful of almonds. So I'm continuing the habit, but substituting a healthier alternative to the craving. I wouldn't call it easy, but psychologically, it gives you a "yes" to something. Which is a big part of my approach. You're not denying yourself food altogether. You're not making yourself hungry. You're just replacing unhealthy with healthy. Just make sure to maintain reasonable portion control. Eating healthy is not free license to stuff yourself.
The next really big one: alcohol.
I’ve never been much of a drinker, but I do enjoy myself an occasional glass of wine with pasta (which I gave up), or with a block of Brie or Camembert. It's a love I've had since my days living in France during college. But I consume it only occasionally. I know that most people will have a hard time cutting back on this one. We've all seen the studies that show that cutting back on drinks like alcohol, soda, etc will, by itself, lead to significant weight loss.
Staying active
As with food, I tried to examine my overall activity level and lifestyle to find ways that I could be more active, without going to the extreme. And why is that? Because extreme doesn't work.
Some small things that can add up to big weight loss:
· Avoid prolonged periods of sitting. Try standing at your desk at work instead of sitting.
· Stand up while watching a TV show or viewing content on your phone
· Try “walking-meetings” at work. Why sit inside in a conference room when you could have the same meeting/discussion outside while getting fresh air and walking?
· Park at the back of the parking lot at stores and work and get a few extra steps in.
· Bike or walk to errands in your neighborhood instead of always driving your car.
Working out
Like everything else I’m suggesting, the key to working out is sustainability. Think back on the exercises and workouts that have worked best for you. One of the things that has always worked for me is playing competitive sports. I’ve found that if I’m chasing a ball or a frisbee, it doesn’t feel like working out. I’m having fun. The same with mountain biking. But since I don’t have the time to play sports like I used to, the bulk of what I do is walking, biking, and weight training (and when I say “weight training,” most of the workouts I do actually don’t involve many weights at all. Just a couple dumbbells is all I need).
It took me a long time to realize that I don’t have to go out and run 10 miles to keep my weight down. Walking and weight training (as an ongoing habit) is more than enough. I do it three times per week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and take the weekend off.
The great thing about working out is that after a month or two, your body starts to crave the activity. That is, as long as you're not overdoing it. When trying to form a habit, moderation is important. And habit, habit, habit.
My own personal workout
I start with a walk outside, or a bike ride. About 30-40 minutes. Mornings work best for my schedule, plus I have more energy during that time and feel more motivated to do it. It also jumpstarts my day with a clear head.
With my legs warmed up from walking or biking, I will do a set of squats. I start with ten squats as a warmup, then about 4-5 sets of 20 reps. I always use proper form and in controlled steady movements. In between my squat sets, I do controlled high knee lifts while simultaneously raising my hands straight over my head as if doing a military press (but without weights). You’d be surprised how much of a workout you can get by simply using your own body weight for resistance. The arm raises not only work my muscles, but they get my shoulders and chest warmed up for the push-ups that follow.
Next, I do a warm-up set of pushups. About 10 reps. Until I got my chest and shoulder muscles back into shape, I did my pushups against a kitchen counter, pressing off the counter edge with my hands, with my body straight at a 45-degree angle to the floor. This makes it easier and puts less strain on my wrists than floor pushups. It’s up to you. You can still get a great workout using the kitchen counter.
In between pushup sets, I do dumbbell bicep curls. I would start with a super light weight that you can easily do for a set of 10 reps. Stay controlled. Don’t rock the weight up. Don’t bounce the weight up. Keep your back straight. The important thing is strict, controlled form. It’s not about seeing how much weight you can lift. It’s about getting toned, and burning fat. Annnnd...you guessed it, habit.
I then move to the floor and do five sets of planks for 20 seconds each. Even though you can probably go for a lot longer, I’d recommend starting with 10 seconds or less per set until your body gets used to doing planks. Maintain good plank form (I’d recommend going online to find tutorials on all of these exercises mentioned in this article to make sure you’re always using proper form).
After planks I lie on my back (on a yoga mat) and do leg bends toward my chest in order to work my abs. I make sure to always keep my back (and spine) flat to the floor. I use slow, controlled movements.
What to expect
After a couple weeks of following this eating and activity routine, you should notice weight loss. Personally, I noticed a substantial decrease in the first few weeks. And then, as I continued to lose fat and began adding muscle, the incremental weight loss plateaued a bit. Because muscle weighs more than fat, a leveling out of weight loss isn’t a bad thing. It just means that your body is re-distributing weight from fat to muscle. Don’t be discouraged. Just keep at it. And be proud of yourself for being consistent, and turning this new lifestyle into a habit.
Soon, you will notice your clothes starting to fit better. You’ll have to re-adjust your belt loops (always a great feeling!). And after a couple months, you will experience a more toned physique. And well before next summer, you will start to fit back into your bathing suits. Use this incremental success as motivation to keep going.
And finally, let’s end with even more good news. Give yourself at least one indulgence per week. Give yourself an occasional skipped workout. Occasionally going out for ice cream is not going to blow up your diet. Occasionally eating a pizza is not going to blow up your diet. The same way, conversely, that one workout isn’t going to suddenly make you lose 20 pounds. If you’re taking a long-term view, which you should be, what you’re trying to get to is at least 80% consistency. Most importantly, you’re trying to build a healthier, happier lifestyle that you can sustain.
So to recap:
Find what works for you.
Become more active in lots of small and creative ways.
Don't be extreme (because extreme isn't sustainable).
It's not a diet. It's replacing unhealthy foods with healthy foods you love.
Allow yourself the occasional indulgence (yaay, pizza!)
And stay at it until "at it" becomes a habit.
Good luck. And like I said before, I’m rooting for you.
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