April, 2022- I was 216 lbs and 16% body fat at the start of 2022. These were both personal highs; The kind of record you don’t want to set. My pants were fitting snug. Last week I measured 204 and 9%. I changed 3 habits to lose 7% body fat.
Disclaimer: Weight loss is personal. These 3 habits worked for me. They may work for you, they may not. One size doesn’t fit all and there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Read this, try out what fits, discard what doesn’t. Your friends at Fit are here to help.
Change #1
Massive amounts of cocaine and pills. That disclaimer was boring. Just making sure you’re having fun. Let’s try again.
Change #1 (for real)
Intermittent fasting (IF). I read about this, watched a few videos on YouTube and decided to give it a go.
I ate all my meals bw noon and 8 pm, although I allowed myself coffee and/or a scoop of Peanut Butter some mornings. IF is calorie restriction. It’s cutting out boredom eating. It’s stopping eating early enough that eating doesn’t affect bed time (nor sleep).
I thought that at 11:59 every day I would desperately watch the second hand on the clock, waiting ravenously for the moment I could eat. Not so. Turns out I like feeling fasted in the morning. It makes me sharper mentally and physically. Restricting like this wasn’t hard but…
Initially- I lost no weight. Why? Because I committed to the smallest possible change. I restricted the eating window but I learned that wasn’t enough. Time to step it up a notch.
Change #2
I cut out processed sugar.
Now there’s no way you can cut all of it. Sugar is everywhere. I successfully cut out the processed foods that are LOADED with it and didn’t sweat the small stuff.
For example- As has been noted, I would periodically eat a scoop of peanut butter. That has a gram of sugar in it. Turns out 5-7 scoops of peanut butter per week aren’t enough to crush my dream of becoming an underwear model at 43.
Some things to know about cutting processed sugar.
- Berardi’s Law states that If you are in possession of an unhealthy food you or someone you love will consume that food. Purge your pantry before you start.
- You don’t crave sugar after day 3.
- Your taste buds change. You notice subtle tastes. Fruit and slasa are more amazing than ever.
- I allow myself slip ups and even the occasional treat.
- It’s not as hard as you think.
When you do have a sugary treat you KNOW IT because you feel like sh********t.(*= i in case you couldn’t tell. The extra *’s are for effect, so you know how shiiiiiiiiitty I felt. Big headache and a major energy crash.)
This has always been an effective weight loss method for me. I’ve done 30, even 40 days of no (more like extremely limited) processed sugar in the past. This time I went further than ever before. 3 whole months with almost zero processed sugar.
The scale really began to move. Let’s let the numbers tell the story:
- 1/1: 216 @ 16%.
- 3/28: 204 @ 9%.
My Actual body fat total went from 34 lbs to 18.4. I gained 4 lbs of muscle during the 3 months. I had not been working out consistently at the end of 2021 (injured knee and shoulder). Moreover I was busy building out the beautiful studio you all want to come train with me in.
I also made excuses, skipped work outs, ate comfort foods and told myself that on January 1st I was going to change.
Change #3
I decided to LOVE my body.
Thanks Biebs. It’s well documented that women compare themselves to unattainable ideals from fashion magazines. Turns out plenty of men do as well (ahem). I was always comparing my body to professional athletes, or models, or who I used to be.
99% of the thoughts concerning my bod were negative. Thoughts become things. If your thoughts are consistently negative it will show up in your body. So I started to thank my body.
For being fast; for it’s strength, flexibility and resilience; for it’s ability to change.
And the body responded.
Most importantly I thanked it by feeding it well. Results came slowly… until they didn’t.
It all started January 1st
I’m a Resolutionary. A cliche. I’m kind of embarrassed, but hey, Whatchagonnado?
And I’m telling you the truth: It feels so good. I’m more energetic, my sleep is better, food tastes better, and I recover quickly from workouts. Early in my career I suffered from a bit of impostor syndrome. I knew how to lift, I knew the basics on diet but I trained solely for performance; never for weight loss.
Now I have trained specifically for weight loss. Again. Over the years I’ve lost weight by;
- cutting sugar (10+ lbs)
- fasting (12+)
- following the 5 simple habits I outlined in a recent newsletter. (10+)
- Running 70+ miles a week. (10+)
- Getting mono (5+)
- Cutting my hair (5 oz)
- Taking a dump (2-3 lbs)
- Using a Continuous Glucose monitor (20+)
As can be seen I’ve walked the walk. And so have the Trainers we work with at Fit. I’ve seen my peers lose baby weight, Dad bods and get lean for physique shows or summer fun. So if you’re reading this, and you’re thinking about hiring a coach or a trainer I know a Guy (or Gal) who’s been in your shoes. I can make the introduction.