How I lost over 50 lbs and Kept It Off

Between October 2021 and June 2022, I went from 224 lbs to 172 lbs, while dropping 11 inches on the waistline. Five months later, I haven’t gained back any lbs — my current weight is 170 lbs. At the start of my weight loss journey, I needed XL cloths, now I comfortably fit in M size. Several friends and relatives asked me to share my weight loss story. In this post, I will share how I lost weight and kept it off.

No Refined Carb

I do not eat any refined carbohydrate, which includes rice, breads, cookies, ice cream, sugar, chocolates. Since our young children eat such foods, I couldn’t throw those foods away from my home. Instead, I restricted my access to these foods by locking them in a cabinet, whose unlock code only my wife knows. Refined carbohydrate causes an insulin spike, which is the primary reason for weight gain or failure to lose weight.

Breakfast

At the breakfast, I drink protein shake blended with unsweetened almond milk. I do not add any fruits to my shake. This ensures I begin my day with a protein rich, low car breakfast. Also, this keeps me satisfied until the lunch time.

Lunch and dinner

I begin my lunch and supper with a large bowl of nutritious and delicious salad. My salad includes lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sometimes apple and onions. I do not buy any salad dressings from the store. Instead, I add 1 teaspoon olive oil or real mayonnaise to my salad, along with 1/8th teaspoon of salt, ground black paper, sumac. Sometimes I add 5ml of lemon juice to the salad. It tastes great.

After salad, I eat a cup of steamed, grilled, or cooked vegetables, and a palm sized portion of protein.

No Snacking Between Meals

In the first four months of my weight loss journey, I didn’t snack between the three meals of the day. After losing the first 20 lbs, some days I snacked with an apple or 1/2 cup of berries — strawberries or blueberries or 1/4 cup of nuts. They days I snack, I do this between lunch and dinner.

Eating Window

I eat my breakfast between 9 and 9:30, lunch between 12 and 12:30, and supper between 6:00 and 7:00. No food outside of this window. I go to bed between 10:30 and 11:00pm.

2–3 Cheat Meals Per Week

Between Sunday morning and Friday afternoon, I make no exceptions to the above 5 rules. These 17 meals, which account for 80% of my food consumption, I strictly eat healthy. The remaining 3 meals — Friday supper and Saturday breakfast and lunch — I allow some flexibility to my diet and enjoy a meal or few with outside foods with my family. I acknowledge my human limitation that I love some unhealthy treats. But instead of having them throughout the week, I restrict their consumptions to a fixed window each week.

2.5L of Water Each Day

Every day, I drink at least 2.4L of water. I use the Fitbit app to track my water intake.

30-min Walk 4–5 Days a Week

First three months, 4–5 days a week, I did just 20 minutes of easy walk either on a treadmill or outdoor. No gym, no dumbbell, no running. Once that habit of easy walking locked in, I gradually incorporated running into my walking habit. Now, 3 days, I walk for 30-min. Another 2 days, I run 3KM under 20 minutes. The key is to begin small and become comfortable in performing an easier version of the desired habit. Then upgrade it later.

Measuring Weight Once a Week

Each Friday morning, I measure my weight and the body fat percent. I record these numbers on both on a printed tracker on the wall and also on the Fitbit app. After Friday weigh-in, I hide the scale in the garage until next Friday. Hiding the scale between weekly weigh-in days prevents me from stepping on the scale every and gets demoviated from not seeing progress between days.

Last Friday of Each Month is the Photo Day

Last Friday of every month, I take my full-sized photos and share them along with my latest weight on Facebook. This gives me a motivation to stay on track.

This weight-loss system is working for me; however, I am not a health professional, and everyone has a different health situation. So, please take these rules with a grain of salt and consult your doctor for a safe and personalized wellness program.

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