I have wished, hoped and prayed for weight loss for as long as I can remember being obese. I have also tried a lot of stuff..walking, power-walking, exercising, joining a gym, taking herbal life dietary replacements/ supplements, fasting on certain days of the week, exercising on wii with Wii fit plus. I wish I had not wasted time, energy, health and money on some of these.
Did it work? No. The only thing that did happen, however, was that it fostered a need, a desperation for sustainable weight-loss without self-harm.
This is the second on a series of self-help posts that I am writing for those who are serious about weight loss. The first was http://doctorroy.blogspot.com/2013/07/metamorphosis.html I hope you found it motivating and inspiring.
But first let me tell you why I presume to 'tell' anybody all this. It is because I have finally come down from a BMI of 36 to 26, from trouser size 14 to 6 (of the same brand, eliminating the pitfall of vanity sizing), and lost a whopping 50 lbs in 6 months. It has been difficult, but sweetened by success! And if I can do it, so can you.
So where do I begin. Let me start with inspirations and compelling reasons that pushed me towards finding ways and means towards sustainable and yet reasonably fast weight loss methods.
Epiphanic cliches are dull and annoying but even so I would like to share this with you. One day I realized all energy is simply energy. People who sent me negative energy in the form of jibes, sneers and thinly veiled ugliness in the form of comments..sent me energy from their energy stores. Instead of letting these affect me negatively I decided to look for an alchemist's tool within myself. A transducer. Something to convert negative energy to brilliant positive energy. Something that would carry me forward toward my weight loss goal. And I found the proverbial philosopher's stone. Within.
The mind is an amazing tool. And it is yours, free and clear, given to you by your maker..whatever your faith or belief. Use it. So is your will. Train it, discipline it. Set a weight loss goal. Make it real. Write it down. Writing goals is more productive than simply thinking about them. I believe in setting very practical and realistic short term goals. This keeps us going from one mile-marker to the next. Onward and forward. However, I also believe that long-term goals/ the end-point should be the stuff that our wildest dreams are made of. What we consider impossible in our heart of hearts. And do yourself a favor..instead of disbelief, foster belief. Everything is possible. But you have to wish it, want it and work towards it.
There will be a lot of negative people in your way. 'Friends' will drop their masks when you start losing weight. Take it as a compliment and stick with it. I have been repeatedly told by one person that I have started resembling Abraham Lincoln. This is vicious, false and ridiculous. Try telling my heart that..it was still hurt. Until I decided to look at it as a sign of progress.
Sometimes 'circumstances' will just not be right to diet or exercise. But your self-motivation for weight loss must be strong enough to overcome your strongest excuse. I have been there too. A demanding job with odd hours making it pretty much impossible to stick with fixed meal times, old parents, running two households simultaneously, raising kids..been there done that. And I know things I could have done then. I could have made it a point to keep healthy snacks handy. Ahead of time. I could have filled the pantry and fridge with healthy choices instead of palate pleasing unhealthy junk. I could have made it a point to drink measured quantities of water. Every day. And I could have cut down on my carbohydrate consumption each meal that I could.
Weight loss is more about diet. Having a fit and toned body is what the exercise is about. One cannot out-exercise a bad diet and attempting to do so is stupid as it can damage your joints irreparably and still not achieve your weight loss goal. Both together make an unbeatable combination. Hey it works for everybody with a human body..why will it not work for you? Make it happen.
Things to do to get started on your weight loss journey:
And yes, I am qualified to tell you this. I used to be a hypothyroid, hypertensive obese eye-surgeon with polycystic ovaries. Now I am 20 lbs away from ideal weight for my height, I am euthyroid and I am off medication for the polycystic ovaries. My blood pressure is as good as it gets, with no medication.
But first let me tell you why I presume to 'tell' anybody all this. It is because I have finally come down from a BMI of 36 to 26, from trouser size 14 to 6 (of the same brand, eliminating the pitfall of vanity sizing), and lost a whopping 50 lbs in 6 months. It has been difficult, but sweetened by success! And if I can do it, so can you.
So where do I begin. Let me start with inspirations and compelling reasons that pushed me towards finding ways and means towards sustainable and yet reasonably fast weight loss methods.
Epiphanic cliches are dull and annoying but even so I would like to share this with you. One day I realized all energy is simply energy. People who sent me negative energy in the form of jibes, sneers and thinly veiled ugliness in the form of comments..sent me energy from their energy stores. Instead of letting these affect me negatively I decided to look for an alchemist's tool within myself. A transducer. Something to convert negative energy to brilliant positive energy. Something that would carry me forward toward my weight loss goal. And I found the proverbial philosopher's stone. Within.
The mind is an amazing tool. And it is yours, free and clear, given to you by your maker..whatever your faith or belief. Use it. So is your will. Train it, discipline it. Set a weight loss goal. Make it real. Write it down. Writing goals is more productive than simply thinking about them. I believe in setting very practical and realistic short term goals. This keeps us going from one mile-marker to the next. Onward and forward. However, I also believe that long-term goals/ the end-point should be the stuff that our wildest dreams are made of. What we consider impossible in our heart of hearts. And do yourself a favor..instead of disbelief, foster belief. Everything is possible. But you have to wish it, want it and work towards it.
There will be a lot of negative people in your way. 'Friends' will drop their masks when you start losing weight. Take it as a compliment and stick with it. I have been repeatedly told by one person that I have started resembling Abraham Lincoln. This is vicious, false and ridiculous. Try telling my heart that..it was still hurt. Until I decided to look at it as a sign of progress.
Sometimes 'circumstances' will just not be right to diet or exercise. But your self-motivation for weight loss must be strong enough to overcome your strongest excuse. I have been there too. A demanding job with odd hours making it pretty much impossible to stick with fixed meal times, old parents, running two households simultaneously, raising kids..been there done that. And I know things I could have done then. I could have made it a point to keep healthy snacks handy. Ahead of time. I could have filled the pantry and fridge with healthy choices instead of palate pleasing unhealthy junk. I could have made it a point to drink measured quantities of water. Every day. And I could have cut down on my carbohydrate consumption each meal that I could.
Weight loss is more about diet. Having a fit and toned body is what the exercise is about. One cannot out-exercise a bad diet and attempting to do so is stupid as it can damage your joints irreparably and still not achieve your weight loss goal. Both together make an unbeatable combination. Hey it works for everybody with a human body..why will it not work for you? Make it happen.
Things to do to get started on your weight loss journey:
- Weigh yourself. Find out your ideal weight-for-height.
- Calculate your BMI. Find out what it should ideally be.
- Consult your physician. If you don't have one, get one.
- Ask to get tested for at least these basics : Thyroid, Fasting and Post-Prandial blood sugar, blood pressure (to know your baseline) and a Fasting Lipid Profile.
- If you have polycystic ovaries/ fertility issues, ask for a baseline hormone panel as well.
- While waiting for the test results, get into the habit of drinking 8 glasses of water a day. At least. Easier said than done as it probably involves as many/ more trips to the bathroom..
And yes, I am qualified to tell you this. I used to be a hypothyroid, hypertensive obese eye-surgeon with polycystic ovaries. Now I am 20 lbs away from ideal weight for my height, I am euthyroid and I am off medication for the polycystic ovaries. My blood pressure is as good as it gets, with no medication.
I hope you find this weight loss article useful and inspiring. I will help you through this journey if you are motivated enough.
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