Learn one essential item, four key habits, and six secrets that will greatly improve your chances to lose weight and keep it off.
The one essential thing you need to do to lose weight and keep it off is to learn how to set a goal and stick with It until you achieve the results. Regarding weight loss, it will likely not be an easy journey, however it will be a rewarding journey if you stick with it. The facts on weight loss are brutal and can be discouraging, as less than 10 percent of people can lose 10percent of their bodyweight and keep it off for a year.
I personally achieved this weight loss goal amount twice over the last six years. I have gone from 284 to as low as 205. Currently, my weight has been between 212 and 217. I wear a32-inch pair of jeans at age 53 standing roughly 6 feet 3 inches.
I am a firm believer that anyone that is at 30 percent BMI (body mass index) or greater, should start with this goal, i.e., lose 10percent of their bodyweight and keep it off for a year. If you regain the weight before the year, you need to adjust your approach. The goal would be to get back under the 10percent weight loss and then restart the clock for a year.
As you set out to achieve this weight loss goal, the following four key habits will greatly improve your chances of success. They are essential if you want to experience weight loss success.
Habit #1: Be Patient. Dr. Jeffry Life is the perfect example of someone that has exercised patience and produced amazing results. Look at pictures of him when he started his transformation at age 52compared to what he looks like now at age 78. He has built a system that allows him to look great and feel great. More importantly, he found what worked for him, which takes us to our second recommendation.
Habit #2: Experiment and find what works for you. I have seen people lose weight and transform their body while looking and feeling great using several different plans. I have seen people have success with Keto, Paleo, Intermittent Fasting, Vegetarian, Iso-Caloric, Glycemic index, High Fiber, Point Counting, High Protein and even High Carbohydrate/Low Fat. In fact, I have personally lost 70 pounds over the last six years and eight inches off my waist eating a higher carbohydrate approach which has worked best for me. I have also seen people struggle to see any long-lasting results using these exact same programs. You need to find what works for you. It must be something you can stick with.
Habit #3: Avoid the Naysayers. When you start transforming your body and making changes all kinds of people will pop up, telling why and what you’re doing is wrong. That you can’t possibly lose weight doing it that way. I laugh when fat guys tell me you must give up carbohydrates to lose weight – I sure didn’t). Many of you probably remember the documentary about the guy that gained a lot of weight in just 30 days eating just McDonalds. What many don’t realize is another medical doctor did the same experiment but made different choices and he lost weight. The same eating location made one guy fat, while it made another one fit and he lost weight.
Habit #4: Start by seeing a Medical Doctor (who is also ideally a Regenerative Wellness and Hormone Specialist). Get a physical, get your blood work taken, look at your hormone levels and imbalances. Just because your key hormones are in the normal range, does not mean you’re ok. I have seen people that have had thyroid hormone at the low end of normal wonder why they can never lose weight, people with elevated estrogen levels and imbalances wonder why they can’t lose weight, or men with Testosterone levels on the low end of normal with elevated blood sugar wonder why you can’t lose weight. There are also some doctors producing some amazing results using certain peptides like GLP-1.Would you drive your car hard and at top levels if key fluids where at the low end or even on empty?
Hold firm to these four habits and do not take your eyes off the prize of losing 10percent of your bodyweight and keeping it off for a year. Don’t get discouraged (remember Habit #1). Now, I want to give you six bonus secrets that I found to be incredibly valuable and effective.
Secret #1: Start by restricting your eating timeframe daily. Some people refer to this as intermittent fasting, others call it time-restricted eating. I call it one of the most powerful dieting tools you have at your disposal. I recommend that everyone start with a 9-hour eating window (regardless of which eating system they choose). This means you only eat calories within 9-hours each day (I personally like a 10 am to 7 pm eating window, but you need to find what works best for you). The other 15 hours you can consume non-caloric liquids (water should become your drink of choice). I have found this approach an extremely effective way to teach your body to become more insulin sensitive, which is crucial to lose weight and keeping it off.
Secret #2: Find foods that make you feel full, satisfied, and energized. This secret ties into Habit #2. You need to experiment and find food that fuel your mind and body and that you like. You may be VERY surprised when you start paying attention to this in the beginning, I sure was. Peaches made me feel incredible and my blood sugar levels stayed perfect, same with strawberries. In contrast, eating eggs, sausage or bacon left me feeling not as good and often hungry in as little as 30 minutes. Don’t pre-judge or let people convince you what you should or should not eat. Experiment and find what works for you.
Secret #3: Don’t assume you have to eat 6-7 meals a day to keep your metabolism high. I personally have made some of my best progress eating just two meals daily (both between 800-1500 calories with a 300 to 500 calorie snack within my 9-hour eating window). By eating this way, I never feel deprived or hungry. Also, at 53 eating this way has me at a waist size fitting into 32-inch jeans, while at the same time feeling strong, and consistently mentally energized. Again, this is what works best for me, you need to find what works best for you (eating a 200-calorie snack, protein drink every hour in your 9-hour window may work best for you – I tried it but like the other approach better).
Secret #4: Don’t feel like you must eat before you workout. I have personally done all kinds of workouts, i.e., high intensity, high volume, cardio, etc. on an empty stomach and have found it improves results across the board. What I personally like is to have your toughest workout first thing in the morning (I have a zero-calorie specialty drink I love to use at the start of my workout). Then at 10 am I have one of my two big meals for the day. Then after my window closes (usually at 7 pm) I try to put in some low intensity work like walking. I try to get 8k to 20K steps in daily. Walking is amazing for you.
Many high-performance business expert/coaches point to working out in the morning as a hugely beneficial activity that improves performance across health and business activities – I agree 1000percent.
Secret #5 – Consider investing in a tool to measure your blood sugar. I personally like the button that attaches to the back of your arm. This deal allows you to take your blood sugar quickly without pricking your finger. The data you gather is priceless. Using this approach allowed me to find out that wheat bread elevated my blood sugar while white bread did not (so I eat white bread). You must keep your blood sugar level in check while also eating foods that make you feel full satisfied and energized. Low blood sugar, while feeling like crap, and lethargic is not something you can or should keep doing long-term.
Secret # 6 — Don’t be afraid to change approach. If something is not working switch it up. I have recently helped a 29-year-old fellow lose 70 pounds in just six months. We have bounced between a four- and nine-hour eating window. We have played with different food combinations and adjusted and tested. We have done several 10-day, intensive Chicken and Vegetable meal plans and then switched to more fruit and starchy carbohydrate plans. By doing this simple deal, we found that for him eating two apples a day was very beneficial for him and made him feel full, satisfied, and energized while not raising his blood sugar levels.
In closing, have fun, enjoy the journey and don’t listen to naysayers.
Uma Rajagopal has been managing the posting of content for multiple platforms since 2021, including Global Banking & Finance Review, Asset Digest, Biz Dispatch, Blockchain Tribune, Business Express, Brands Journal, Companies Digest, Economy Standard, Entrepreneur Tribune, Finance Digest, Fintech Herald, Global Islamic Finance Magazine, International Releases, Online World News, Luxury Adviser, Palmbay Herald, Startup Observer, Technology Dispatch, Trading Herald, and Wealth Tribune. Her role ensures that content is published accurately and efficiently across these diverse publications.