None.
Because I was one and know from my own experience that the solution is in one’s own hands – and mouth – and no one else’s.
Brutal. Honest. And true.
So stop your whining and just get on with it.
Let me tell you how I got it done.
- Determination
- Commitment
- Sacrifice, and
- AÂ vision for where I wanted to be
Hold on to that number four, believe me that alone will drag you out of bed, make you determined to say no to that sweet cake or extra food and allow you to go the extra few minutes in the gym to complete your program.
Also, again from experience, nothing is as powerful as one’s own determination to start. Real determination. When I started I was at one of the lowest points in my life and I made the commitment to change to the better at 5pm on the 9th of June 2013 in Vienna, Austria. I was 116.5kgs then. I’m 84.2kgs now, and as you can see from my weight progress chart, I managed to keep off what I lost for the last two years.
How I managed to lose that weight was hard work both emotionally and physically. Maintaining the “no campaign” is emotionally hard. I still struggle sometimes with saying no to bread and other goodies. Keeping the vision of what I want to be helps me maintain that all important no.
The physical part became a welcome habit now. I actively look forward to going to the gym and practicing sports whenever I can. That time is precious to me because apart from it allowing me to maintain a fitter body, it also resets my mood and makes me a happier, calmer and a more content person. It allows me to focus on an issue that I need to pay attention to and the regular exercise allows me to have much more restful sleep which is so very important to the maintenance of health and weight too.
I don’t like the fact that I’m going against doctors’ orders not to run, but it’s too much of a good thing and a pleasure to ditch altogether. I’ve reduced the running distance now to just 5km in 30 minutes at a time, and I only run three or four times a week. Way below my iconic Athens Half Marathon, but good enough for me at this present time. As you can see from the chart, I was able to maintain my new weight over the last two years and surpassed my supposed ideal weight as suggested by the Dukan Diet, which was the weight-loss program I followed.
So in essence, if I can do it, so can you!
I’d be happy to help anyone lose the blubber by sharing my own experiences. I won’t give you advice, so please don’t expect that. Go to a qualified doctor to give you that kind of stuff. What I can give you is an honest sharing of my own experience of how I got it done to inspire you to gain a better and healthier lifestyle.
Now off you go and start your own journey to better health.
Comments
Dear Mahmood,
I’d like to encourage you to set aside a few minutes to show people what you did and also explore how it affects other body metrics, since you’re a fellow fitbit user you should notice. 😉
I had gained a bit of weight too and had a stroke in my right eye, reducing my previously superior vision from 125% to 80%. At that point my doctors realized I was a late onset type 1 diabetic. Unfortunately a vitreous bleeding followed soon thereafter leaving my vision on the affected eye at < 5 %. After being constantly active, I lost the weight and I am at a normal level. My vision is now back at 85% and the doctors said might be able to reach the 100% again (though they initially told me I'd need to get accustomed to settling at something like 60% vision) and my blood sugar values have also gone back to normal levels. Blood pressure has gone from slightly elevated to normal to optimal. Thanks to my Fitbit I can tell that my pulse has also changed. All of this happened while I lost weight, walked more frequently and changed my nutrition. The only thing that worries me right now is that I have reached all goals and the tough part will be to keep things running smoothly.
To sum up my personal experience: Everything you said is true. There is no excuse to not be active and lead a healthy lifestyle. Even if you have a certain condition, being active reduces the risk of follow up complications. A German proverb says: "If you don't have enough time for your health right now, you will spend a lot of time on your diseases later on."
Author
Thank you Sasha. I’m glad that your health has improved. I know that mine now is incomparable to what it was like just a couple of years ago. The change in body AND mind is huge that I don’t even recognise myself sometimes.
Thank you too for suggesting that I share the actual steps I have taken in this fascinating journey. I’ll do that and hope that it will inspire others to tread the same path.