I’ve been on a long journey with weight loss. 14 years and counting. In fact, the weight loss bit was the shortest part of it. Once that was done, it’s been about maintenance… this has definitely been the tricky part.
It took me around 6 years to get to a place where I was happy. Now, don’t get put off by the length of time here. In fact, for me to be at a healthy weight it took around 2-3 years. To some of you, that might seem like a long time, but, putting on the weight I did (4 stone) took me 8 years. When you compare the two, it’s not so bad.
I want to share with you my take on weight loss. What worked, what didn’t and what is the best way to lose weight and keep it off.
What I will say is that it is hard work. So, if you are here looking for a quick fix then I’m afraid you will be disappointed!
Back to the beginning
At school, I was always a sporty and active kid. I played basketball 2-3 times a week, went to the gym and discovered cycling when I was around 15. I weighed around 9.5 – 10st
When I went to uni at 18, it all went out the window. Cycling stopped. Basketball stopped. Drinking, smoking, partying and eating started. This continued until I was 26 and over 14st.
Around summer 2006 I was getting a bit fed up of wearing baggy clothes. I had a tight chest all the time and generally felt pretty unhealthy. I needed to do something about it and decided to fix up my bike.
In 2007 I stopped smoking, and this is where my journey really began.
What I tried
Its easier to list down what I didn’t try, to be honest!
I tried all the big diets and fads over the years. Weight Watchers, Slimming World, Atkins, low carb, high protein… the list goes on.
I had varying degrees of success with them. But the one thing that always happened was that the weight piled back on. Often more than what I’d lost.
Some of them felt like I was starving myself, some of them made me feel very grouchy. Others did stuff to my insides that I really don’t want to think about!
What worked
Around 2009 I started to count calories and discovered an app that would change my life, My Fitness Pal.
To be honest, my love affair with this method got off to a bumpy start, which it may well do for you. It can be tedious writing down everything that you are eating. I did it on and off for a year. Eventually, it started to become a habit because it was the only thing that worked.
What it gave me was visibility. It is was the reality check that I needed every day that I was eating way more food than I needed! This gave me control over what I was eating. Over time, I’ve stopped mindlessly eating when I was hungry and have become a more mindful eater. My way of doing it is probably not an exact science… because I am not a scientist. But logically it adds up and today I am the result of all the trial and error over the years. I’ve lost the weight and kept it off for over 10 years.
Counting calories is second nature for me now… don’t get me wrong, I still go off-piste from time to time. But, I usually count on those bad days too. It’s about the long game, not the individual days. I get back on the wagon and start counting again.
In Summary
There are lots of different diets out there. For me, you cannot deny the science that eating fewer calories than you need should lead to weight loss. Having tried diets, I don’t particularly agree with them. In my opinion, they are generally a short-term fix, which, more often than not doesn’t fix the core problem.
For me, weight loss and maintenance is a lifestyle choice or change. You need to be mindful of what you are eating, particularly if you are susceptible to gaining weight.
Counting the calories is a habit that needs to be formed but once achieved will become second nature.
Weight loss should not be about punishing yourself. It’s important to understand that it is a process. It will not happen overnight.