BEDM 2 - Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at
Losing Weight
I believe I am good at losing weight. I’m saying this because I feel like I have ‘cracked’ the code; I have found the way that works for me.
I lost nearly 3 stone (17kg) but before that I had tried many, many diets, joined many gyms, and I worked hard in those gyms for months at a time on running machines, exercise bikes, cross trainers… And don’t get me wrong, I saw results, but never enough to compared to the sheer amount of gut wrenching time and energy I was putting into it.
Once upon a time, I read somewhere that to lose a pound of weight in a week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories per week. This means eating 500 calories less than you actually need every day. After many years of struggle, this seemed to be an outrageously simple concept. But it really is that simple…
What’s harder is the motivation, finding the will-power and sustaining this; everyone lacks this sometimes because we’re HUMANS! So I’ve written below the things that helped motivate me. And this is just for me, different things work for different people…and the key is tailoring a list of things for you.
• Keeping a food and exercise journal. I'd say this is paramount - the number one thing for me.
• Learning about Nutritional Information charts (all items but particularly calories, fats and sugars) and educating myself on the foods I’m eating.
• Finding out how many calories MY body needs
It took some time to work out how many calories my body needs a day – for the average man it is said to be 2,500. However in reality, mine is nowhere near as high as that figure. Partly because I’m not exactly the tallest person and partly because I reckon I just have a slow metabolism.
• Using my daily routine to incorporate whatever ‘health’ choices I’d made. Routine is important partially because it takes the ‘choice’ out of things sometimes eg. Walking past your favourite Sausage sandwich shop every morning – take a different route instead or brushing my teeth earlier in the evening so I’m not tempted to snack again.
• Changing your mindset – quality over quantity. Reduce portion sizes, really taste the food you eat, eat slowly.
• You’re eating less, so what you DO eat, choose wisely. Cut out processed foods, eat lots of veg, eat fruit and keep the balance between protein, carbs, fat. Eating well is important because when you’re creating a calorie defecit, you’re going to feel a little weaker – so you need all the nutrients you can get Also - take a nutritional supplement – make sure you’re not missing out on any vitamins whilst you’re eating less.
• Drinking more water / green tea. It’s good for you and it helps make you fills you up.
• Find a friend who also wants to lose weight - sharing the experience with someone helps a lot too.
• I try to limit my Carb intake at night time – I am less active in the evenings, and so there’s less opportunity for my body to use the energy. For the same reason, I try not to eat late at night.
• Eating one of your meals after cardio exercise – there have been studies that suggest that calories burn off more quickly within a certain period after exercising (it’s about 30 mins I think)
• Think: what is your reward? Is it having that chocolate bar you want or is it feeling healthy, lean and fitting into your favourite clothes? Leaves notes or pictures around the house to motivate you.
• Don’t deny yourself everything! If I want chocolate, I will eat chocolate. But I will eat a small portion. Once I have tasted it, I feel satisfied.
• Don't leave yourself starving. If you're hungry in between meals, eat something. Being hungry will make you miserable and weak. Whatever you eat, just make sure its within your set calories range for the day.
• Keep yourself busy – this is also to do with changing your mindset. When dieting you feel like you’re enduring something awful – but you need to just accept it and get on with your day. Think of it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. When you have lost the weight you want to, you'll be eating an extra 500 or so calories a day again - thats where the lifestyle change comes in because you can't go back to your old habits otherwise the weight will return.
• Obviously, exercise, 3 x times per week for 30 minutes minimum – something that gets your heart rate up. Exercise releases endorphins in your head and makes you happier. Happier mind = less moping = less snacking.
• Be creative – find what works for you, and see how you can do more things like it. An example for me is that I found foods that I loved that were low in calories and so I ate more of them as a treat to myself – for me this was chicken and prawns.
I spoke to a friend who said she would never be able to open a chocolate bar and just eat one piece and be satisfied – so for her she said that wouldn’t work. But also don’t assume defeat because you can’t imagine something; thinking positively is a massive part of being successful in anything.
At the end of the day YOU control your OWN mind and you’re more powerful than what you realise.
Losing Weight
I believe I am good at losing weight. I’m saying this because I feel like I have ‘cracked’ the code; I have found the way that works for me.
I lost nearly 3 stone (17kg) but before that I had tried many, many diets, joined many gyms, and I worked hard in those gyms for months at a time on running machines, exercise bikes, cross trainers… And don’t get me wrong, I saw results, but never enough to compared to the sheer amount of gut wrenching time and energy I was putting into it.
Once upon a time, I read somewhere that to lose a pound of weight in a week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories per week. This means eating 500 calories less than you actually need every day. After many years of struggle, this seemed to be an outrageously simple concept. But it really is that simple…
What’s harder is the motivation, finding the will-power and sustaining this; everyone lacks this sometimes because we’re HUMANS! So I’ve written below the things that helped motivate me. And this is just for me, different things work for different people…and the key is tailoring a list of things for you.
• Keeping a food and exercise journal. I'd say this is paramount - the number one thing for me.
• Learning about Nutritional Information charts (all items but particularly calories, fats and sugars) and educating myself on the foods I’m eating.
• Finding out how many calories MY body needs
It took some time to work out how many calories my body needs a day – for the average man it is said to be 2,500. However in reality, mine is nowhere near as high as that figure. Partly because I’m not exactly the tallest person and partly because I reckon I just have a slow metabolism.
• Using my daily routine to incorporate whatever ‘health’ choices I’d made. Routine is important partially because it takes the ‘choice’ out of things sometimes eg. Walking past your favourite Sausage sandwich shop every morning – take a different route instead or brushing my teeth earlier in the evening so I’m not tempted to snack again.
• Changing your mindset – quality over quantity. Reduce portion sizes, really taste the food you eat, eat slowly.
• You’re eating less, so what you DO eat, choose wisely. Cut out processed foods, eat lots of veg, eat fruit and keep the balance between protein, carbs, fat. Eating well is important because when you’re creating a calorie defecit, you’re going to feel a little weaker – so you need all the nutrients you can get Also - take a nutritional supplement – make sure you’re not missing out on any vitamins whilst you’re eating less.
• Drinking more water / green tea. It’s good for you and it helps make you fills you up.
• Find a friend who also wants to lose weight - sharing the experience with someone helps a lot too.
• I try to limit my Carb intake at night time – I am less active in the evenings, and so there’s less opportunity for my body to use the energy. For the same reason, I try not to eat late at night.
• Eating one of your meals after cardio exercise – there have been studies that suggest that calories burn off more quickly within a certain period after exercising (it’s about 30 mins I think)
• Think: what is your reward? Is it having that chocolate bar you want or is it feeling healthy, lean and fitting into your favourite clothes? Leaves notes or pictures around the house to motivate you.
• Don’t deny yourself everything! If I want chocolate, I will eat chocolate. But I will eat a small portion. Once I have tasted it, I feel satisfied.
• Don't leave yourself starving. If you're hungry in between meals, eat something. Being hungry will make you miserable and weak. Whatever you eat, just make sure its within your set calories range for the day.
• Keep yourself busy – this is also to do with changing your mindset. When dieting you feel like you’re enduring something awful – but you need to just accept it and get on with your day. Think of it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. When you have lost the weight you want to, you'll be eating an extra 500 or so calories a day again - thats where the lifestyle change comes in because you can't go back to your old habits otherwise the weight will return.
• Obviously, exercise, 3 x times per week for 30 minutes minimum – something that gets your heart rate up. Exercise releases endorphins in your head and makes you happier. Happier mind = less moping = less snacking.
• Be creative – find what works for you, and see how you can do more things like it. An example for me is that I found foods that I loved that were low in calories and so I ate more of them as a treat to myself – for me this was chicken and prawns.
I spoke to a friend who said she would never be able to open a chocolate bar and just eat one piece and be satisfied – so for her she said that wouldn’t work. But also don’t assume defeat because you can’t imagine something; thinking positively is a massive part of being successful in anything.
At the end of the day YOU control your OWN mind and you’re more powerful than what you realise.
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