I thought I would share with you how I lost thirty pounds a couple of years back. It may not work for everyone, but it did work for me. It doesn’t require any real drastic measures, either.
For a few years, I didn’t even realize I was gaining weight. It came on gradually. It snuck up on me slowly. So slow, that I didn’t see it happening when I looked in the mirror. It equated to about one pound per month.
It took someone who hadn’t seen me in three years to make the observation and bring it to my attention. I’m certainly glad she did.
It was an observation made by my aunt at a family reunion. It went something like this:
“Damn boy, you fat!”
Initially, I didn’t even realize she was talking to me. Looking back at photos taken that day, it’s blatantly clear I was the intended recipient of the comment.
Take a look at these three simple steps I used to get rid of those unwanted pounds.
Step 1 – Motivation and Education
“Recognizing you have a problem is the first step in solving it.”
Motivate yourself by placing the biggest mirror you own in front of you at the dinner table. Watch yourself eat a few meals in silence, with no outside distractions—just you and your reflection. If you don’t like what you see, keep reading.
Educate yourself on the four main enemies you need to start being more cognizant of. They combine as sort of an Axis of Evil that leads your body to begin packing on fat. I’ve nicknamed them the Terrible C’s. They are:
- Cokes (any sugary soft drink or energy drink)
- Carbs (bread, fries, and potato chips)
- Calories (candy and desserts)
- Couch (lack of physical activity)
This may seem like common sense. It is. But, if you’ve gained weight like I did, you don’t pay enough attention to the Terrible C’s, either.
Step 2 – The Hard Part
Fighting the Cokes, Carbs, and Calories
No pain, no gain. I’m not saying that you have to eat lettuce and rice cakes. I am saying that you have to stop putting a few items into your body. No exceptions and no excuses. I’ve listed them again in bullet form so you can print this out and tape it inside your wallet. If you go to pay and realize that you’re about to buy one of these items, you’re cheating.
DO NOT EAT. DO NOT DRINK.
- Soft Drinks & Energy Drinks
- Bread
- Fries
- Potato Chips
- Candy
- Desserts
In Western society, I realize that fast food is almost a fact of life. So, here’s the exception: If you have to eat at McDonald’s or Burger King, enjoy the burger but ditch the fries. Or, trash the bun, eat the meat, and enjoy a small order of fries. Eat one or the other, but never both.
No more soft drinks. You can have tea, coffee, juice, water, and even light beer. An occasional diet soft drink is ok, but realize they’re full of chemicals.
Eating out at an Italian restaurant? No problem. Enjoy the spaghetti but stay away from the garlic bread. Sorry. I love garlic bread, too.
Stop with the candy and potato chips every time you fill up your car.
Don’t even think about ordering from the dessert menu.
There. That’s the hard part. What this change does is substantially reduce the number of calories and carbohydrates your body has to try and burn off.
Step 3 – The Easy Part
Fighting the Couch
A lack of physical activity allows your body to store fat with ease. The way you attack this problem is by…Walking. There, that’s it. All you have to do is start walking. There’s no need to join a gym or hire a personal trainer.
If you have the time, go for a walk every day for about an hour. Take your kids and the dog and get after it. Hit the pavement. An hour of walking per day is the best workout plan for the average person. It’s free, so there should be no excuses. There’s no big chance of a sports-related injury with this activity.
No time? Ok, so your schedule is too busy to take an hour off for your health. No problem. You can easily accomplish this throughout the normal span of your day by:
- Taking the Stairs Instead of the Elevator
- Parking a Couple of Blocks Away From Your Office or Place of Work
- Volunteering to Run Errands for Your Boss or Any Task That Gets You Up and Away From Your Desk
- Parking A Few Extra Spots Farther From the Door When Out and About
- When Grocery Shopping, Purposely Walking Down Every Aisle for Exercise
There are few excuses you can cite to avoid walking for an hour a day.
Simplicity
Most weight-loss plans and diets require you to carry around a book to remember what you can and can’t put in your mouth. They basically ask you to give up everything you love to eat. Most of us can’t commit to that.
Others require rigorous physical training regimes that we don’t have time nor the energy for.
I don’t think the majority of people have to resort to these extremes to lose weight. Just fight the Terrible C’s for a while and see what happens.
Don’t Cheat Yourself
If you’re going to cheat yourself on just these few rules, then you’re probably not quite ready to make a change. That’s ok. Maybe you are looking for an easier route. You may still be experimenting with other weight-loss methods.
The Things You Really Don’t Need
Trust me, you don’t need diet pills, an exercise bike, or a treadmill. Weight-loss and fitness products make up a huge industry. That’s a fact. But, how many people really need them? Weight loss is free. Losing weight should actually save you money.
How to Lose Thirty Pounds in a Nut Shell
#1: Wake Up
#2: Stop Eating Junk
#3: Start Walking
“I’m just not big on excuses… You’ve just got to get after it.” – Mark Cuban (Entrepreneur and Billionaire)