THIS IS PERSONAL
It really couldn’t be otherwise, since these are my most effective weight loss tips. I have lost 40 pounds in the last 3 years and 60 total pounds over a period of 12 years.
My tips may not appeal to everyone, but they may be of interest to some. None of us is able to speak for weight loss benefits for everyone. We can only speak from our own experiences – what worked and what didn’t.
There is a reasonable chance that my most effective tips may resonate with others who seek weight loss.
The first picture below was taken 16 years ago, with a friend. I was not really trying to lose weight at the time. I weighed around 240. I remember an earlier time when my weight may have been closer to 250.
RECENT TIMES
The picture below, with one of my daughters, was taken 2 years ago. I weighed around 185 and was very near my goal of 180-183.
At this point, I am not really overweight, though I do see deviations from time to time. I stay between 180-183 (most of the time). If I go above 183, I cut back on calories and increase my workout time.
My history seems unusual upon reflection. I played sports and worked out with weights consistently throughout my entire life. Note that I did not say that I ate carefully throughout my life.
Many very active people gain weight as they become more sedentary. Most do.
In my case, I have been better able to manage my weight after I was in my 70s and no longer very active. I still work out every day, though with lighter resistances. I also walk – on my treadmill or outdoors – every day.
MY TIPS
CONTROL CALORIES
I had always eaten until the food was gone, whether I was hungry or not. My woefully inadequate reasoning was that I could eat anything I wanted, since I was burning the calories with my activity. Apparently, I was consuming many more calories than I was burning. Hunger really was not an issue. Taste was. Salts, sugar and fats. I may have been a food addict.
It occurs to me that I accomplish all of my goals more easily if I simply write down what I am doing. I began to write down calories consumed per each meal or snack, with totals for the day. This required checking calories on grocery items and estimating them when eating out. This took a while.
At this point, I do this every day. It is not a great burden, given the result. I have become an expert on calories per food portions.
KEEP WORKING OUT
Gradually, my competitive sports activity lessened and then disappeared. Even my non-competitive tennis and golf were in the past. My basketball career ended after high school, except for college intramurals. But I still can do a daily workout, including weights and cardio. This makes a big difference for me.
I had known people who had lost huge amounts of weight, but had done so without sculpting their changing bodies. I didn’t want this to happen. It is still important for me to do a senior bodybuilding routine every day, without stressing the same body parts on consecutive days.
DRINK LOTS OF WATER
Soon I stopped drinking any soda drinks of any kind. I want to drink half of my bodyweight in ounces of water per day, at least. At 183 pounds today, I will drink 100 ounces of water. More water is added to that unofficial total since many foods contain water, especially fruits. Healthy hydration is now crucial for me.
FRUIT AND PROTEIN DRINK
It is good for me to start my day with a blended drink containing a banana, some berries, ice, lemon juice, whey protein and water.
I am an Amazon affiliate and may recommend their products that I like. I also may earn commissions from qualifying purchases. For example, whey protein is readily available and is shown below.
INTERMITTENT FASTING
I discovered intermittent fasting by accident when I began to work out before breakfast. This prolongs my first meal and lengthens my time with no food, which is now usually 19 hours. Intermittent fasting is now a means to rev up my metabolism and to keep my weight under control. It is not burdensome at all and allows me to feel better in general. I recommend that anyone who seeks weight loss give this some consideration.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
I am not interested in drinking apple cider vinegar. The taste doesn’t appeal to me, but the probiotic benefits certainly do. Goli Nutrition has created a very tasty version of ACV – gummies. They curb my appetite effectively and are really quite delicious. Other Goli products provide a guardrail for me, since I like to be sure that I eat enough fruits and vegetables. Check prices and reviews.
BREATHE DEEPLY AND CONSIDER MEDITATION
It is helpful for me to slow down when I eat, to put my mind in low gear and to eat slowly. Nervous eating is destructive for me. Unhealthy and ineffective. It’s not a race to the finish line. I can enjoy food when I don’t gobble it. I address this in one of my earlier articles.
TRACKING
As I stated earlier, I accomplish goals more readily when I write down the goals and then keep track of them. Three items in particular help out with this.
Fitness journals
Amazon has a simple and neat planner, shown here. Only $10.00
FitBit Smartwatch
Manage heart health and stress with this FitBit. Or look at some of the others.
FitTrack Dara Scale
Manage 17 important body metrics by simply stepping on the scale.
FINAL THOUGHTS
During my heavier days, I constantly tried diets – any and all that I could find. Even the process of dieting made me uneasy. Some would work – temporarily. It was a time of yo-yo weight control.
Calming down, breathing deeply before eating and then eating slowly worked wonders. So did my emphasis on hydration. But the best benefits came and are coming now from being accountable to myself. I like to see where I am on my journey and then make changes as necessary.
I like analytics – personal readouts. They work for me.
Another nice discovery was that I can get good cardiovascular benefits from resistance training. I like high reps with very limited rest time. Going to a gym to do heavy bench presses does not interest me as it once did. I do 50 – 60 reps with several exercises, of course with lighter weights. I get winded. Then I know I am making progress.
One final point – I have not mentioned nutrition, only calorie cutting. Hopefully, a nutritionist will read this and make a comment. I am not a nutrition expert and only eat what I believe is healthy. But I know that calories differ in their value.
Please leave me any comments or questions in the “Comments” section below. Or email me, richard@myworkoutathome.com.
Stay healthy!
