Over the past few months, I have made some changes in my daily routine. Here’s 6 tips I used to lose 30 pounds:
1 | Find your motivation.
Find your motivation. I have been “fluffy” for much of my adult life. I have tried several different ways to lessen my largeness, but haven’t found anything that has worked long term and even started to lose motivation after each failed attempt.
Looking back, it’s funny how things happen: This summer Jared Lorenzen died at 38 years young. If you don’t know who that person is…he was a football player who was best known for his size. He was very large for a quarterback, but he was also very good at his position. He played at Kentucky and even went on to play some in the NFL. But the first thing people noticed about him was his size. I am a few years older than Jared, and I can vividly remember him playing football for UK. After he died, I clicked on an article that was listed on the ESPN app…it was written by Tommy Tomlinson. It was an amazing article and it linked back to a previous article by the same author about the same subject (Lorenzen’s long battle with his weight).
I sat in bed and read both articles. They inspired me for some reason…I even downloaded Tomlinson’s book, The Elephant in the Room, and devoured it. Tomlinson himself has struggled with his weight and his book was a yearlong diary of sorts that highlights a successful weight loss journey for Mr.Tomlinson. I loved the book and decided then that I wouldn’t let my weight define me the way it had defined Jared Lorenzen and Tommy Tomlinson. I downloaded MyFitnessPal that night and started to slowly make some changes. Those small changes have added up and I look and feel better now than I have in years.
Good Taste Guide is an amazon affiliate
Read
The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man’s Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America by Tommy Tomlinson
2| Keep tabs on what you put into your mouth.
If you aren’t paying attention to what you are eating, chances are…you are eating too much. Myfitnesspal (owned by Under Armour) is a complete food/exercise/water/etc tracker. It boasts a huge database of food, drink and exercise and it accessible on computer, iPhone or Android. After filling out your goals and personal stats, MFP gives you a daily calorie goal and lots of support/explanation as to how best track your intake.
If you stay consistently under your daily calorie goal, you will lose weight. As you track more and more, you will quickly figure out what food(s) are best for you to eat. For example: I found that Perfect Bar Peanut Butter Bars were a wonderful breakfast for me…keeping me satiated until lunch (when paired with a small apple and coffee) and not taking up too many daily calories. I have been tracking for over 100 days now and have found great success. An added bonus: UA sends you coupons if you use the program daily.
Download
My Fitness Pal lets you track food + activity and is easy to use. You can set a goal like “lose 30 pounds” and how many pounds per week you want to lose.
3 | Drink heavily.
At least drink water heavily. There are many articles and videos as to why drinking lots of water is so good for you, but I’m not even getting that fancy here. Know this: I drink a TON of water daily and it has helped me feel more full, flush out toxins, lose weight, stay regular and pee a whole bunch. I bought a big (36 oz) YETI bottle and carry it around with me all day. Random side note: when you concentrate on only drinking water (I drink black coffee in the morning as well), you save a ton of money (and calories) on other drinks. Places be charging $2-$4 for a drink now a days!!
Yeti Rambler
Carry water with you. My favorite is the huge 36 oz Yeti.
4 | Get into your head.
Dead right, if the head right, skinny there ery’night. This isn’t one that you see often when you web search for weight loss tips. Headspace is a “mindfulness app” (and website) that teaches mindfulness by utilizing proven mindfulness teaching technics. This is not something that I have any previous exposure to, but I listed to a lecture by Andy Puddicombe (actual monk and co-founder of Headspace) and wanted to give it a try. For me, it has helped shape my mind and allowed me to change my overall prospective. I feel better overall which has helped me along my weight loss path. There is a free 10 day trial, so download it and give it a 10 day try.
Headspace
Headspace is a mindfulness app.
5 | You’ve got to move it, move it.
In the past, I went all out when trying to lose weight. I bought a bike and many different (tight) cycling outfits back when I trying cycling…I bought boxing gloves, sparing equipment and a pricy boxing club/trainer package back when I trying boxing…there were crossfit boxes and HIIT sessions…along with several different ideas and mantras. This time, it’s been different…I have walked my dog. And I have lost over 30 pounds so far…you wanna know my secret?
I have walked my dog, gotten my heart rate up and moved my body. And I have done this: Every. Damn. Day. That’s my secret: consistency.
I gained lots of weight by consistently making bad choices (low exercise, high calories, etc)…I have lost lots of weight by consistently making good choices. You know what else? My dog is better behaved (and a little skinner too) after 100+ days of long morning walks!! Do get you some good sturdy walking shoes and some sporty walking gear though…just because you are walking doesn’t mean you can’t look good.
Sturdy & Comfortable Shoes
Looking good while walking consistently….
6 | Gym Time.
As I started to see some results, I realized that I wanted to add some strength training into my routine. I found a gym located near my work and figured out my best time to visit said gym…in the morning, before work. I pack my bag at night and shower there after I get swole. Using a different strategy from my daily walk, I try to go to the gym every other day or so. My walk is mandatory and the gym visit a nice bonus when it happens. If you live close to the Forestbrook location of Anytime Fitness, you should check it out…Patrick, the owner, is awesome and he really wants people to be healthier and happier.
Bonus Tip: Close your rings!!
So, I had success before I got my Apple Watch, but I have thoroughly enjoyed tracking my progress via my Apple Watch. If you are the type who is motivated by achieving daily goals, consider getting an Apple Watch or some other fitness tracker. I have literally walked back and forth in my driveway just before midnight, just so I could achieve my daily step count goal. Lol…close those rings.
Don’t stress – take it one day at a time.
While I realize that I still have work to do (and weight to lose) before I am mistaken for a fitness model, I also realize that that’s ok…I’m gonna keep on tracking my food, drinking my water, walking my dog, searching for headspace, hitting the gym, closing my rings and will keep on celebrating lower numbers on my scale.
Won’t you join me? Strap on your shoes, let’s go walk my dog…
About Will
Will sells wine. He walks his dog, Riley, and people laugh at his jokes. Read more Will’s Weigh posts.
Will, you are honestly the funniest person I know, but now I’m mad at you for getting that damn song from Madagascar in my head for-like-ever.
Maybe this will help get Move it out of your head : baby shark do do do do do….
Great read, Will. I need to take your advice. Very proud of you. You’ll always be Big Willie to me, though.
I mean always Big Willie, even if he’s a smaller version!!! -hat
Will, enjoyed your article. I need to lose 30 pounds. I’m approaching 80 and have always exercised. I can relate to walking up and down the driveway late at night to get my steps in. I have a dog and we definitely walk daily. But I put too many calories in my mouth and don’t drink enough water. I’m going to try the peanut butter bar at breakfast and drink more water for starters. Thanks for the motivation!!
Oh, Mary! You are awesome and sharp, and I’m so happy you could be motivated by this 🙂
LOVE all pieces to your story, thanks for sharing! My favorite is the ending ‘About Will’ don’t change a thing when you write your first book. (Gonna try the headspace app- thx)
This is awesome!! You’ve inspired me! Keep at it, my friend!