The longest I have ever kept this up, and here is why...
Yesterday I hit day 90 of my weight loss journey. Counting the days isn't something I plan to do after I reach my goal weight because if you make weight loss about keeping a streak, then you will always break it and never change your eating habits forever. I only know what day it is because I log my calories every single day, and I track every single workout to increase resistance during training. I plan for this to be a permanent change to my life and not about being on a "diet" to reach a certain weight only to abandon it shortly after.
My total weight loss is 39.3 pounds, and I am not finished yet. As you can see from my flair, I have another 30 or so lbs to go, and if I am not satisfied with how I look, then I'll continue eating in a deficit until I am satisfied with my appearance.
My current routine:
- 2-hour workout in the morning before work with a mix of 80% strength training and 20% mid/high-intensity cardio daily, whether incline treadmill or elliptical. My workouts typically burn 1200-1400 calories per session, and I usually work out six days per week, sometimes five. So my daily/weekly caloric deficit is pretty aggressive.
- I eat around 1800-2200 calories per day; it varies on how late I take my lunch, or if I don't feel hungry in the evening, I will skip dinner and have fruit.
Changes I noticed:
- Increased energy all around.
- Takes higher intensity cardio to tire me out than before.
- Pushups & Chest Dips are a lot easier now.
- Strength is increasing.
- Jeans that didn't button before fit me perfectly now.
- Confidence is going up, and motivation increasing in the gym as well as in work/personal life.
- Can stand for long periods of time without getting too tired.
- Don't sweat as much when getting ready after a shower in the morning as before.
- Sense of accomplishment after each training session.
Things that helped me:
- Realizing that nobody is going to look after your health other than yourself
- Persistence and discipline beats motivation
- Finding a balance between eating clean and whole foods but still allowing yourself to enjoy foods you like. (So you can keep your sanity)
- Ditching the all-or-nothing mindset; typically, on Sundays, I eat maintenance calories, and sometimes I eat so much, but I feel no guilt because I made that choice consciously and know that one heavy day won't drag me down like before.
- Holding myself accountable when I would eat a lot of food and would always make up for it on the day before or the day after. Since I eat a lot on Sundays, Saturdays, and Mondays, my workouts are a lot more vigorous. Saturdays are one of my lowest calorie-consuming days, and I would usually have my first meal around noon and keep my dinner to a minimum to prepare for the next day.
- Imagine where I would be if I hadn't started 90 days ago.
- Realized I have nothing to lose from eating properly and exercising daily but everything to gain.
- Anything materialistic means nothing without good health.
- During times of plateau, in the beginning, remind myself that progress is happening that's not visible.
- Imagine how I want to look next summer.
- Family members commenting and noticing the fat loss.
- Realizing that whether or not you make this change, the time will pass anyways, and it's just a matter of where you want to be in the future.
If you're just starting:
Remember, if you want permanent results, then this has to be a permanent change to your life. Going on crazy diets and then crashing and burning is not productive. There is one true way to lose weight, and that is calories in vs. calories out. Weight loss has been overcomplicated, so the path can be sold to you. It all comes down to the basics, and that is portion control and sufficient exercise (you can't outwork a bad diet.) Realize that is time to take control of your life and have a healthy relationship with food because that is something you should control and not vice versa. Despite what some people say about not having a choice when they are eating out, that is just an excuse. I have been out plenty of times, and I made it work. I get salads if that is an option, grilled meat instead of fried, and stop drinking sugary drinks because that is a waste of calories; water is the best for you, and get this, it has zero calories. Don't take on more than you can handle because that is a recipe for disaster and will lead you right back into your binge and purge lifestyle. Don't read this and think, "well, I'll start going to the gym for 2 hours a day, six times per week, and eat 1800 calories per day." If you are just starting, then you will most likely burn out on this schedule. It is better to start working out maybe 3x per week, 45 min sessions, calculate your TDEE, and eat in a deficit of 400-500 calories, and your progress will begin. Then as time goes on, you start building tolerance and adjust your numbers accordingly.
If you read to the end, I am happy you decided it was worth your time and I hope in some way I inspired you to keep going or to just get started.
Good luck to everybody!
