Hey stranger,
How are you today?
First of all, I tried to upload this article all day yesterday but the website didn't agree with me. Wow, my last two articles have over 400 views, one close to 500, that's amazing! Thank you so much! I do want to apologise that I couldn’t reply to many messages but I did read them. Unfortunately you won’t get my replies unless you complete the lead capture form but I fully understand the anonymity, I am kind of anonymous too.
As I promised, this will be a detailed article about my weight loss journey. I will try to be as explicit as possible, share my tips, eating habits and I will try to talk a bit about my workouts.
Few days ago, I checked the scale again and officially I lost almost 15 kg. I can’t even believe it!
How did it happen?
I mentioned before that I tried the ketogenic diet for three months, I hit plateau and I wasn’t losing weight more. I would say this diet works well as long as you have a higher percentage of body fat. After the first month, I lost 5 kg. I didn’t track my food, it was more like instinctual eating, trying to keep in mind what I was allowed and what I wasn’t. I did have days when I had a cheat meal. After the first month, I was barely losing weight. One month strict keto and less than 2 kg lost, it happened the same after the third month. I lost approximately 8 kg just with keto. The last two months, I tried to learn more and track my macros with MyFitnessPal (good app but it can be really annoying at the beginning and maybe even restrictive but trust me, you should know what you are eating. It’s not only educational but sometimes, it’s the only way to figure out what’s slowing down your progress). I must confess, it was really hard to stay under 20-25 g of net carbs...
You should buy a food scale but also, a smart scale to track your weight. There are plenty of choices on Amazon, under £/$50. Why should you buy a smart scale? You can see more than just your weight, for example: BMI (body mass index), body fat, fat-free body weight, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, muscle mass and more!
I have to mention that I didn’t buy these things now, I had them before because I know how useful they are.
Last year I decided to buy a Fitbit watch. I used it every day at work too and now I even sleep with it. When my anxiety was really bad, I had mild chest pain and a lot of palpitations. I figured it could help me monitor them and also, it’s definitely great to track your steps, calories, workouts, weight and sleep.
I can say that we are inseparable!
Speaking about weight, you really need to keep in mind to have a realistic goal. In my case, I knew a gained some weight but I also know that it takes me forever to lose even 2 kg. I wanted to lose 15 kg until the end of this year. Once I found what seems to make my body burn fat and lose weight faster, everything was a surprise.
I am so used to fail when it comes to weight loss, I didn’t really have many expectations so I was chill about it, little to no pressure. I wanted to make sure that I focus on healthy food and to control binge eating and constant cravings.
Guys, once I stopped having unrealistic expectations and constantly stressing myself, everything has started to come together. It was like someone lifted a heavy weight from my chest.
I would look in the mirror and I would say: I love you and thank you!
Thank your body for everything, slowly learn to love it! It’s yours and it’s there for you all the time.
I am currently doing intermittent fasting every day. I use Fastic, it’s great to keep track and it offers a lot of important information about what a fast does to your body. I usually go for 16h or 18h. I am not a breakfast person. Of course, I could start fasting at 6 pm and then I could have breakfast too but it’s a personal choice.
Food wise, I am eating low-carb, around 80g of total carbohydrates daily, but please, keep in mind that consuming enough protein is vital. I’ve realised that if I don’t eat enough protein, I start craving carbs, especially sweets. I try to eat around 130g of protein daily, I am still struggling with it a lot but baby steps!
Let’s talk about meal prepping. Is it a must? Nope. It’s a choice, it’s easier to track your macros/calories, saves time, money and food. I am working on being more disciplined but I am not the biggest fan yet.
I don’t use sugar anymore, I am still getting to know stevia but let’s say we are getting close.
If I feel like eating chocolate or crisps, I won’t deny it to myself. Moderation is key, I track my cheat meals/snacks too. I am only human after all.
I think my goal is to lose 5-7 kg more, don’t know how long that will take but I am patient with myself.
Let’s talk about workouts. Are you physically active? Do you enjoy it?
I bloody dislike cardio, I have to be honest but it’s an important activity, also known as ‘cardiorespiratory’ or ‘cardiovascular’, it can be defined as the ability of the heart and lungs to transport oxygen to the tissues that require it so that energy production may continue.
I chose to add 15-30 minutes of cardio almost every day and then get on with my body weight workouts. I workout 5-6 times per week but remember, that’s just me. You can workout 2-3 and it would still make a difference. Any movement is better than no movement.
Another thing, quality over quantity. When you decide to workout, focus on your form, you don’t have to do 20 reps and 4 sets. Start slowly, you will improve both muscular strength and muscular endurance.
Try to add a short walk daily, not only it will relax you but you get your steps in. I would suggest at least 30 minutes, think about it as a lovely break away from home and your problems.
Please remember that this isn’t a race. Don’t compare your progress with someone else. Be patient, think about this as a lifestyle change, not a punishment and if today doesn’t go according to your plan, there is always tomorrow, just don’t give up! You’ve got this!
I hope I covered most of it, there are few more tips but I will write them in the next article, you can always message me for more. I’d be happy to help!
Here is a picture of my last meal prep instead of the sky.
Take care!
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