The 'Secret' to Weight Loss Success

Sorry if this seems like a gimmicky sales pitch, but I was able to lose 40 pounds and keep them off, and you can too!

I never saw myself typing such words. But like many people, I saw my weight gradually increasing over time until, approximately three years ago, I was weighing an unhealthy 208 pounds. According to my doctor, I was 25 pounds above the upper limit of my safe weight range, putting me at considerable risk for future health problems. I obviously needed to take action.

I made the decision to use a reason-based strategy rather than resort to the most recent trendy diet. I sought to comprehend the topic more holistically, as opposed to adhering to the rules of some current diet prescription—"eat this, don't eat that," etc. Why did my weight gradually increase over time? What am I supposed to eat? I considered the accepted information on eating well and maintaining a healthy weight while attempting to apply logic to my predicament. No miraculous diets or fads. The outcome was not a fast cure to cause momentary weight reduction, but rather a shift in perspective towards nutrition and food that led to practical lifestyle improvements.

Earlier this year, in 2017, I began dropping weight slowly but gradually almost right away—a few pounds per week at first, then a little more slowly as time went on—until I leveled out at approximately 170 pounds six months later. I weighed 168 this morning after circling that weight for the previous two years.

I am aware that losing 40 pounds is not exactly extraordinary. Yet I constantly see others struggling with weight loss, and I frequently get questioned about my "secret." Here is a summary of my views and activities for anybody who may be interested:

• Eat less and burn more calories. While a healthy diet takes careful planning, the basic science of weight reduction is rather simple: You must expend more calories than you take in. The "secret" to losing weight is to have a lifestyle that involves consuming less calories than you expend. This is true unless there is a medical issue that is causing weight gain or impeding weight reduction.
• It's not workout, it's diet. Exercise definitely helps with general health and burns calories, but it isn't the only way to lose weight. Less calories are burned during a two-mile jog—around 200—than during a bagel. It would take a lot of jogging if you are really overweight to lose all of the extra weight. Practically speaking, creating healthy eating habits is the best method to start burning calories. Exercise for health, but consider your nutrition if you want to lose weight.
• The answer isn't "discipline." Psychologically, you can be setting yourself up for failure if you tell yourself that "discipline" would enable you to eat healthily. A "discipline" mentality implies that there is something really appealing to which we can only successfully resist. We either impose discipline on ourselves or are forced to do it by adults. As a result, discipline might occasionally work for a while, but ultimately we get weary of it, crumble, and go back to our unruly ways. So instead of forcing oneself to be disciplined, approach food with an attitude of knowledge and intelligence and a true desire to build lifelong good eating habits.

Consider the challenges that excellent habits face. Even while excellent habits are more successful than discipline in ensuring long-term nutritional success, it's still critical to understand the biological and cultural barriers that stand in the way of forming such habits. Among the significant ones are:

We are bred to eat too much. We are the result of millions of years of evolution, and we possess the same genes that allowed our ancestors to endure famines and droughts in the wild. Unfortunately for us, those genes prompted our forebears to overeat. We possess a biological need to ingest calories when they become accessible, much like our prehistoric ancestors who lived thousands of years ago. You are only doing what enabled your ancestors to survive in a time of scarcity when you sit on the couch and devour a bag of potato chips or a box of crackers, licking your lips to savor every last particle of salt. In such circumstances, the tendency to overeat had a survival benefit, but it's critical to realize that the impulse is really detrimental in a culture that regularly permits caloric excess.

the abundance's two-edged sword. Because of the nature of our economic system, which makes low-quality foods like processed foods with added sugars, salts, and preservatives the most widely accessible and heavily marketed, obesity is made worse even if our society has been successful in making food abundant despite our innate tendency to overeat. While it is admirable that society has succeeded in producing an abundance of food, it is also crucial to acknowledge our individual duty to only eat wholesome foods.

next actions Armed with this information, I thought about my own circumstance and examined my regular daily diet. I discovered that I was eating too many calories practically every day as a result of a number of unhealthy behaviors. Actually, I did very well for much of the day, but I usually ate too much at dinner. Even worse, I developed a nasty habit of eating unhealthy snacks after supper to keep up my high-calorie diet. Looking even more closely, I discovered that the majority (but by no means all) of my excessive calorie intake was made up of carbs, including breads and cereals for breakfast and lunch, large portions of rice, potatoes, and pasta for dinner, and processed snacks high in sugar and salt. A comparable honest evaluation of your own regular diet is essential if you're serious about losing weight since it will show you where your issues are.

I just decided to change my diet to consume less and better food after the exam. The second point means consuming more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds while consuming less processed food, fried food, low-quality sugars, and carbs. It also said that I needed to consume less meat despite the fact that carbohydrates are a greater caloric concern than proteins. Though I didn't think I was ready to become a vegetarian entirely, I did make a deliberate effort to consume less meat (and no red meat or processed meats). The two most popular meats are fish and chicken.

When I wake up, I usually have a cup of black coffee, followed by a tiny glass of juice and a multivitamin before I leave for the day. perhaps a few raisins as well. When I go to the workplace, I have my own breakfast, consisting of two or three pieces of fruit (I usually switch up the varieties). I often don't give eating another consideration during the morning thanks to this. I generally have some water handy, which usually takes care of any little hunger pangs I may have in the morning. And if I still feel hungry before lunch, I have a supply of almonds and other varieties of nuts and seeds (never salted) on hand to nibble on. These foods are always great in the afternoon and help reduce hunger.

My go-to lunch is a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat bread with a glass of cashew, almond, or low-fat dairy milk. It's nothing fancy. I'll also have a handful or two more of raisins, and this usually keeps me going all day. Again, if you have the munchies in the afternoon, water and some nuts and seeds will do the trick. Simple, yet satisfying and healthful.

Dinner might vary a lot, although seafood, great salads, and a ton of veggies are often served. While a little amount of pasta, potatoes, or rice is OK, there should never be any more servings. However, seconds of vegetables and salads are usually a smart idea. When prepared properly, meatless cuisine like veggie burgers or sausages or eggplant dishes may be excellent.

Even a little sandwich, a Greek yogurt, maybe even a scoop or two of ice cream, or a few crackers and cheese with hummus can be enjoyed as a snack before going to bed if you eat healthily during the day. Your calorie intake has not surpassed what you have expended, particularly if you were active throughout the day, so your body can tolerate the snack without gaining weight. (And you should exercise for health reasons rather than only to lose weight.)

a few things to bear in mind You learn more about your desires if you actually start to examine your dietary choices. I discovered that hunger may be satisfied with very little food. Small servings are often plenty because, if we pay attention to our wants and act appropriately, we won't need to eat a ton of food at the dinner table or elsewhere to satisfy our hunger. We discover that we are pretty content and not at all hungry if we take a break after only moderate eating and concentrate on activities that divert our attention from food.

Because of this, developing habits like eating just a little amount of your original amounts and placing pans containing extra servings off the table and out of reach can aid in preventing overeating. Additionally, as soon as you've done your first serving, stand up and go on to something else. As you begin the dishes, have a family conversation while using the dishwasher. You may carry on your dinner conversation, but you aren't piling more food on your plate and down your throat.

Monitoring your eating patterns will also likely reveal the fact that people often consume too many calories when they are bored. Having hobbies or interests might be beneficial for this reason. Despite the fact that coaching a softball team may not truly burn many calories, it does get you outside and away from the refrigerator. The same is true for any other activity, including book clubs. If you do find yourself watching TV, keep in mind the nutritious snacks—fruits, veggies, and nuts are great—and stay away from the candy or chip dish.

You will be more likely to remain on track during this process and into the future if you keep in mind that you are not on some fad diet, but rather that you have logically evaluated your lifestyle and made long-term improvements based on reliable facts. You are aware of who you are, your biology, psychology, and culture, and you have thoughtfully handled one of the most important aspects of your health—the decisions you make about your diet. In spite of the fact that our society will almost certainly tempt you to sometimes indulge in bad eating choices, you won't "fall off the wagon" and revert to your old habits. You will shed pounds, improve how you feel about yourself, and keep it off.

Naturally, all of this is supposing otherwise excellent health, and it's essential to discuss food with your doctor before beginning any program that would drastically alter your habits. But acknowledging the significance of your thoughts and behaviors is the first step in making significant, long-lasting adjustments that may dramatically enhance your life and health. I wish you well if you are doing these actions, and I'd love to hear about your experiences.