Growing up, I was always a skinny kid. I biked to the football ground every day and played for hours until sundown. I ate everything I could get my hands on and thankfully never had to think twice before stuffing my mouth full of donuts or chips. And then one day when I was 20, I started gaining weight. I could feel myself gravitating towards the classic dad-bod shape with a large belly. Mentally, I was still always thinking about sports and fitness but physically, I was feeling worse every day.
Since then, I’ve tried everything from lifting weights, running, trying out crazy diets to intermittent fasting. Hell, I think one of my motivations for shifting towards a vegetarian diet was the idea that by restricting myself to cheap, fast food items, I will eat more healthy (I was wrong). My weight and fitness fluctuated over the years and I definitely developed a minor case of body dysmorphia. An eye-opening moment for me was when I went for a swim at Lake Superior last year and truly realized how far away I was from my fitness goals. This was the moment that I decided to be more consistent with my diet and exercise. For those of you starting out on your fitness journey, or just curious to find out how I overcame my insecurities, here are my two cents.
Diet
Losing weight really is simple math. All you have to do is stay in a calorie deficit for a certain amount of days. Of course, that’s not as simple as it sounds. The main difference between trying to lose weight earlier and now was that I wasn’t focusing enough on my diet previously. Burning 500 calories at the gym and then coming home to eat a 1500 calorie pizza is just not going to work. You need to stay in a calorie deficit on most days, which means avoiding high-calorie meals and replacing them with low calorie and nutritious ones. This is my advice:
- Focus mainly on avoiding simple carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, naan bread, and anything with processed sugar like drinks, desserts, or sweets. Replace these with complex carbohydrates like brown rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and beans. Not only are complex carbohydrates healthier, but also they keep you full for longer as they are digested slowly in the body. If you take sugar with coffee and tea, it’s really important to cut back on that as well.
- Incorporate as many healthy fats as you can in your diet. My favorites are avocados, cashews, plain greek yogurt, peanut butter, and chia seeds. Keep in mind that fats are not your enemy. It’s sugar.
- Supplementing with a low-calorie protein shake is a really good way to reduce late-night cravings. I usually take one scoop of Optimum Nutrition’s double rich chocolate whey protein per day (120 calories).
Exercise
I am in no way an expert on the subject of exercise. The information given here is based on my personal experience and the results may vary from person to person. However, here are some basic things that were most effective for me:
- Lifting weights is one of the BEST ways to lose excess fat around the belly. I have felt this more strongly in the last few months after the closure of gyms due to the coronavirus pandemic. At least four days a week, lift weights targeting two body parts each day.
- Additionally, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) burns calories faster when compared to walking or running. My favorites are home workouts like this one, spinning (stationary bike), and uphill sprints.
- Convert your rest days into active rest days by incorporating jogging, walking, pilates, yoga or some bodyweight exercises in your routine. Make sure, you are doing something to get your heart rate up every single day.
- For abs, do this seven-minute workout from Athlean X (or something similar) at least three times every week.
Tips
- Keep in mind that losing weight is really, really hard. Especially if you have a full-time job. Don’t beat yourself up if the scale doesn’t shift despite following all the rules. Give it time (at least 3 months) before expecting any results whatsoever. It took me 6 months to fulfill 20% of my fitness goals. I have a long way to go and I know that staying consistent with my diet and exercise is the best way to get there.
- Intermittent fasting (16-8 method) is a really useful technique that forces you to stay in a calorie deficit and stay off the late-night cravings. I had a really positive experience with it and still practice it a few days a week. Normally, I don’t eat breakfast (other than black coffee) and my first meal of the day is around noon.
- Remember, discipline is a thousand times more effective than motivation. You might be motivated to exercise or diet three days a week. But, it’s discipline that will keep you on track all days of the week. Develop a habit of doing things that make you uncomfortable to detox your mind of excuses.
- Have someone to keep you accountable. This can be social media (not a big fan), your friends, or a coach. I did this by signing up for a swimming club that met at 6 am three times a week and a spin class that met at 6 am twice a week. On mornings when it was -30 degrees outside and not even a single cell in my body wanted to leave the warm bed, it was that accountability to my coaches that got me out. Use every single resource at your disposal.
- Lastly, have fun! If you hate lifting weights and it feels like a chore to you, then switch it up. Do some bodyweight exercises or join a sport that you actually enjoy. As humans, we can only do so much of something we hate before giving up. It’s really important to focus on sustainable goals that you can see yourself doing in the span of many months.
I really feel like I am only at the start of my fitness journey but I know that I am going in the right direction. Last year, I ran a half marathon (13 miles/22 km) to test my fitness. It nearly killed me. I couldn’t feel my legs for days and I basically limped the last 3 miles. Last week, I ran another half marathon. My time was 22 minutes faster, I felt fresh throughout and the next day I went for another 5-mile run. There’s nothing better than seeing tangible proof of your progress after months of hard work. I hope this provides some inspiration for you to take the first step in achieving your wildest fitness dreams. You can do it!