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Getting in shape for those with serious weight problems is pretty much a journey of self-discovery. Here are some of the things that I have learned from my experience...
Observation 1
The universe can be mercilessly unforgiving when we try to do ourself favours and take shortcuts (that we deserve, really, honestly) but can be incredibly rewarding when we dedicate ourselves to doing our best (to those that have, more shall be given; to those who have not, even the little they have shall be taken away).
Observation 2
Calories in must be less than calories out to lose weight.
This is the cold hard bottom line that we cannot wiggle out of is. Within this general framework though, there is a lot of detail: general rules of good health and specific variation in personal body chemistry and preferences.
Observation 3
Never go hungry - eat plenty, regularly.
I think this is very dependent on body type but for me it is absolutely fundamental. Starvation diets don´t work for me. My blood sugar goes low, my mood goes bleak, I get intense cravings that I will inevitably give into (if not on Day 1 then certainly by Day X, sooner or later, probably sooner). And when I am driven to eat by cravings I will eat the worst things - e.g. chocolate and icecream and biscuits. And once I eat feeling like this, I can´t stop - it is as if the hunger switch is set not in my stomach but in my brain.
If you put (2) together with (1) - eat a lot but don´t eat too many calories - then you have the main challenge that you have to learn for yourself - what foods satisfy but don´t set off cravings? at what time of the day? What I have learned is that, for example, oats and chickpeas are very filling and if I eat them in the first half of the day, keeping me going, even when busy. In the evening, tonnes of vegetables and fruit allow me to fill my stomach without blowing my calorie limit - or setting off the craving cycle.
This is very much a matter of learning about one´s own physical responses to food and personal preferences.
This equation also shows the importance of exercise (apart from all the obvious advantages!!) - it allows one more calories - and encourages the consumption of calories that make you feel good during exercise...
Observation 4
High protein, low fat, low sugar diet.
This general pattern has qualifications - include foods with "good fat" like fatty fish, certain nuts, avocado etc; including only starches of certain kinds that contribute other nutrients or fibre, e.g. oats and chickpeas.
Observation 5
Exercise!
Find what suits you and enjoy it. As improbable as it seems (to me!) I am a gym bunny - I enjoy listening to music and using the cardio machines and the free weights. I don´t think of myself as a gym bunny but there we are, it works for me!
Observation 6
Don´t go for the quick easy solution - find a pattern that you can carry on with for the rest of your life!
This one took me a long time to learn - and accept - but boy, it feels better now!
It also helps you to put bad weeks or disappointing individual results in perspective - it is just one bump on the road - and the road goes to the horizon! Keep going!
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2071 kcal
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Fat: 67.04g | Prot: 162.80g | Carbs: 213.43g.
Breakfast: Skyr með hindberjum, Vanilla Syrup, coffee, jumbo oats, milk. Lunch: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Tuna Chunks in Brine, Boiled Chick Peas. Dinner: Aceto Balsamico di Modena (Balsamic Vinegar), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, cauliflower, radish, mushroom, sugarsnap peas, tomato, arugula, Pumpkin Pesto, Greenland Halibut. Snacks/Other: Skyr, Pineapple (Drained, Juice Pack, Canned), frozen mango, frozen strawberries, Skyr með vanillu. more...
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3647 kcal
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Exercise:
Weight Training (moderate) - 40 minutes, Sleeping - 8 hours, Resting - 14 hours and 15 minutes, Bicycling (moderate) - 21/kph - 10 minutes, Exercise machine (fast) - 30 minutes, Stretching (yoga) - 15 minutes, Exercise machine (moderate) - 10 minutes. more...
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