Make a resolution

 At the start of 2020, I weighed 118.5 Kg, and thanks to all that fat I had been piling on for the past few years, most of it was due to work stress and bad eating habits. 

Junk food was my life.

Ending 2019 was different, it was about ending a decade that wasn't the kindest to me, and hence I was determined to make a new start. 

I had a few goals, on top of them all was WEIGHT LOSS

During the months of Jan - Feb, I started going to the gym, did the usual cardio, some weight training with the customary sipping of protein shakes. While my body was getting fitter, weight loss was much slower than I desired. 

Lockdown - 2020 

Okay, so the lockdown was unexpected, I thought it would last for 2-3 months and the world would get back to normal, with every passing week, it seemed unlikely the world was going to open up anytime soon. With each passing week, meeting my goals for the year also looked unlikely. 

That's when I switched to my professional learnings -

Plan, assess, re-plan and execute

In June of 2020, I had managed to reach 115 Kg, thanks to no outside food and home exercise, but I was still overweight and not close to hitting my target weight of 95-98. I was disappointed with my progress and eventually managed to connect with a diet coach.

Lesson 1, always knew but never managed to implement it Eating right is the first step towards weight loss. 

During my weight loss journey I met Navin, a young Indian who spent a few years in the Indian mortgage lending market, went through a journey of his own, and found his calling in the health and fitness industry. One of the first things he told me was over the next 12 weeks, we will be making lifestyle changes and the rest will follow.

I gave up on 

• Processed food 
• Alcohol 
• Soda
• Fatty Indian food
• Carbs - Bread, Rice,
• Sugar - all forms

The journey was not easy, as some of the above foods were part of my diet and above all, there were days with bad cravings. 

What kept me going was my discipline and determination, I had a target in mind and a resolution to myself. 

Few things I did that helped me, 

- Drinking a lot of water (3 - 4 ltr)

- Timing my meals and their quantity 

- Daily morning exercise and walking/running for 3 km 

- Sleeping for 8 hours at minimum 

- Stopped stressing about 2020 

Things began to change, my weight began to decline, this helped me gain confidence in myself, I had more energy during the day and I felt good about myself. 

But then my journey stalled, I was now stuck at 103,  things that were working till now were not working anymore. I was just stuck, my disappointment was on a rise. 

What did I do next? (re-assess)

I revisited what I was eating, my calory burnout, and those cheat meals. Complacency had stepped in. 

The progress I had made was good but there was a risk of things going out of control. 

Re-start

I re-started the diet and exercise, I began being more cautious about what I was eating, and began monitoring my weight now on a weekly basis, which helped reduce my anxiety about how I was progressing. 

Hitting the target 

Around November is when I hit my target weight of 98. I was extremely proud of myself for having met my goal. 

Over the last few months, I have steered away from the diet but I am continuing to exercise, alcohol intake is now negligible, drinking a lot of water, and most importantly my body has gotten accustomed to a limited quantity of food. 

In conclusion, all I wish to say is do not shy away from making a resolution, but when you make one draw out a plan and keep assessing your progress. 

Happy Healthy living!