10 things people don’t tell you about weight loss | My experience after losing 40 kgs (87 lbs)
You know I don’t like to beat around the bush. However, this topic is very close to my heart and as this is the first time I am talking about it, I believe that setting the right context is necessary before I start giving out advice.
I have always been a big kid till I was 14 years old. Then, when puberty hit, like many people, my body started to change. My friends gained height and/or muscles. I started gaining fat.
What didn’t help was the fact that I was doing Karate from 11 years old to 14 years old. So, I was used to eating a lot and still not put on any fat. However, my parents wanted me to focus more on studies as 10th standard was a crucial one. So, my appetite remained the same but my exercise went down.
Of course, as many obese people would agree with me, world is unfair. Fat people are overlooked from a lot of things in life. Obviously, I don’t think it’s okay to be obese but strictly from a health perspective. However, fat shaming still continues to be a major thing and people can be very mean — not only friends but colleagues and coworkers who judge someone just by their appearance.
Anyway, I didn’t want to start my corporate career as someone who was overlooked from opportunities just because they were fat. Maybe my motivation was wrong. I don’t know. However, it helped me start my journey and that’s all that matters to me.
So, I started in 2015 when I was 21 years old and this was the first time after 7 years that I had been working out. Rocky road at first, I slowly realized what I was doing wrong and what I could improve upon, panicked when I was plateauing, had a lot of cheat meals, didn’t focus well on diet and slowly learned from my experiences after 3–4 years.
I have been doing this for 7 years now and I have had a few people who have come to me for advice and we have achieved good results.
Even now, I won’t say I am perfect. I don’t think anyone can claim that. A person who I look up to, Coach Greg, even he won’t say he is (I think). Anyway, as I was saying, even I make mistakes. However, I just try to be consistent. Perfection and consistency are two different things and I try to be the latter.
Before we go further, I will show some proof so that you don’t think I am just bullshitting.
Disclaimer: It took me multiple tries to get to this level. I lost. I gained. I lost again. I gained again. Then, finally, after 4 tries, I came at this weight. It took me almost 3 years to get to this stage and this is where I was happy being at.
I am 6 feet (182.88 cms) tall and I still want to lose another 8 kgs. So, I am slowly getting there.
Sorry for the long context. As I said, it’s a touchy topic.
1. Getting started is the hardest part
See, no one wants to make a huge life change. I mean, people want to but it’s not easy. However, you need to find what you want to do and what you love to do and take the first step. Often times, that first step is the biggest step. So, create a plan and just do it.
2. Not everyone will be supportive of you
Over the past few years, after and while I was losing this weight, sometimes not even my family members were supportive of me. If they had stayed neutral, it wouldn’t have bothered me. However, it was their constant discouragement like, “Oh, you can’t do this. Let it be.” or “Why are you wasting money on the gym?” or “This is just a phase and soon you will quit.”
I realized that you just need to ignore them and keep moving forward. It sucks, especially from family members but you have to keep doing it. And, when they see the results, they come to you on their own. Don’t be surprised if they aren’t supportive of you.
3. You may have to change tactics several times
You have to be prepared to switch up things. The process that was working for you in the past 6 months may not work for you anymore. The process that works for you may not work later. So, keep changing your process. However, remember that at the end of the day, it’s simple math: Calories in vs Calories out.
4. Lose skin
You will definitely have some lose skin when you lose this much weight. It’s okay. Don’t fall for gimmicks. Coconut oil and dry brushing doesn’t magically make your skin tighter or make you look younger.
5. You will mess up
As I already mentioned, you will fall off the wagon a lot. It’s inevitable. It goes up and down. You will have good days and bad days. It’s going to happen. However, the best thing to do is keep moving forward. Don’t beat yourself up.
6. Quick weight loss and gimmicks do not last
You have to be ready for change and you have to work it. Everyone wants that magic pill that they can take and it will do all the work for them. It doesn’t exist. So, set a goal, create a plan and work towards it.
Actively make changes into your eating and exercise. You have to be ready to change your lifestyle if you want to change your body. It will suck but it needs to be done.
7. Be ready to still not like your body
I am still conscious about my body even when I have lost so much weight now. I still try to be better and sometimes I fear that it will never be enough and I will be forever dissatisfied with the way I look.
So, it has become more of a mental game for me than a physical one now but yes, I still struggle with it. Just remember that losing all that weight will not make everything go away. Self-love is also something that you will have to work towards.
8. You might still hate exercising
People tell you that when you exercise, you get this high and a burst release of endorphins which make you feel really good. I get that when I lift weights or practice martial arts.
However, when I do cardio, I just want to die. When I am on that treadmill, I am just waiting for the earth to crack open and swallow me whole. That’s it.
Therefore, it is important to figure out what you enjoy doing and do those things. For example, I hate running but I do enjoy jumping rope. So, I try to incorporate that in my workout routine. And, I also try to do bag workouts such as boxing, Muay Thai, etc to get my heartrate up. They are fun for me.
So, just remember that once you lose weight, you are not going to magically start liking all forms of exercise. And, it’s still okay. Just figure out what you do enjoy.
9. Dieting is harder than working out
You might already know this but going to the gym is actually easy than telling your brain to stop craving those pizzas, burgers, chips, chocolates or whatever tickles your fancy. However, around 80% of the game is in dieting. If you are working out hard in the gym but that is offset by you eating 2 pizzas in a day instead of your usual 1, you will still put on weight.
As I keep saying, losing weight is calories in vs calories out. If you eat less than what you expend, you will lose weight. However, if you want to look a certain way, you will have to dig deeper into the macros, which are: protein, carbs and fats. The basic thing is to eat less but healthy. Then, you will want to change your usual 1 pizza to something that is less calorific yet filling. And, slowly incorporate small changes like these in your life.
Also, don’t think of it as dieting as, in my mind, dieting is temporary. Think of it as a change in lifestyle and slowly try to build it up towards healthy living. Dieting is temporary. However, change in attitude can be permanent.
10. People listen to you more and treat you better
It happens and there’s no denying it. It is called the halo effect. People look at you and make a judgement about you. And, if you look good, they will make a positive impression off of you. This is why salesmen are dressed neatly and crisply.
Your family and friends also start respecting you more because you achieved something tangible. Whether they doubted you or supported you, they will think that you are a person of discipline who did what you said you would. This earns their respect.
Conclusion
There are still a lot of things that I can think of that no-one tells you about. However, this is a list of major things that you need to be aware of before or during your journey; to mentally prepare for your weight loss.
Just remember two things:
- It’s calories in vs calories out.
- Be consistent and trust in the process. It shows.
See you soon!
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