I get asked all the time what the secret is to losing weight. There is no secret to losing weight. People lose weight all the time. It’s a fairly easy thing to do on a short term basis. The struggle is maintaining that weight loss once you achieve your desired goals, and not falling into the yo-yo cycle of losing and gaining weight.
That pattern is more damaging than most people realize because each time it happens, you end up worse off than before. Most people crash diet and lose weight too quickly. If more than two pounds a week is coming off the scale, you are probably losing more muscle than you are fat, especially if you are not strength training while you diet. The result is you become the dreaded “skinny fat” where sure, you weigh less on a scale, and maybe your pants are a bit loose, but you also look like a mylar balloon that has lost its helium. All crash diets end with a period of binge eating, and then you gain all the weight back, only now you have less muscle than before you started, so in reality, your health and your looks get worse each time you go through this cycle.
I’ve shared the pictures before, but they are worth showing again. The first picture is from December of 2014, almost a full ten years ago now. Then I ate whatever and whenever, with not much regard for health, other than I always drank “diet” coke with my supersized meals. What an idiot I was:
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And here’s a current pic in 2024 being ten years older at 51 years of age. What did I do back in December of 2014 to change and never go back? I cut out all the highly processed foods, stopped eating take-out, limited my eating window, and incorporated strength and HIIT training into everyday activities:
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The real secret is being consistent, showing up every day for yourself both in what you eat and your activities no matter the circumstances, and not making excuses. It’s someone’s birthday.? Great. You are under no obligation to eat the cake, unless you make a healthy cake from this series of articles. It’s always going to be someone’s birthday/anniversary/family reunion/office party/holiday and if you make exceptions for them all, you will fail to maintain your goals and end up back where you started.
For example, I went on a trip to see my daughter who lives in the gulf coast. I would be away from my kitchen and work out equipment for several days. I have to go above and beyond to prepare for this type of departure from my normal routine. I food prep the day before like I am preparing to trek to the North Pole on foot. Is it a pain? Yes. Is it worth it? Double yes. Knowing I will have healthy foods both for the road and once I get there gives me a piece of mind and keeps me from stressing out about what I will do for food. Don’t let a trip or vacation wreck your progress. Think ahead, prepare foods that travel well, and make room for some coolers in the car.
As for the workouts on the road, if your hotel has a gym, use it. Most aren’t worth the trouble, but some will have a few free weights. Once you get up to cruising altitude on your fitness, however, you don’t have to worry about getting in a full scale workout while on vacation. Take some bands and a mat, and you can get in a quick 20 minute set of pushups, lat pulls, squats, and core work that will keep you right where you need to be. Odds are you will be walking far more than normal on vacation, and that will do wonders to keep you right where you need to be. I walked the beach for hours each day, and along with swimming around in the ocean, the abs were popping as much as ever.
There is one more crucial step to success while on vacation. Scout ahead on the interwebs and find restaurants that will have items you can eat and not blow your lifestyle. Don’t leave it to chance because you will find yourself with no options. I have several known places I can eat in the gulf, and many that I can not go, and I plan my day around which ones are convenient for the day. It is possible to eat a healthy meal when you go out. Don’t be afraid to swap out simple carb sides for roasted or steamed veggies, and always choose grilled proteins over fried and blackened versions. I’ve been known to bring my own healthy salad dressings and black bean chips to a restaurant, and I’m not ashamed of it. I also always have some 85% dark chocolate and roasted nuts on hand for a dessert while everyone else is eating 1000 calorie slices of cheesecake.
To summarize, it’s easy to lose weight quickly. It’s also going to set you up for failure over the long term. Crash diets look like they work, but they only make you weaker and with a higher body fat percentage over the long term. GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic are the same, basically forcing you into a starvation diet where you lose more muscle than fat. Don’t start any plan that you can’t see doing the rest of your life, because that’s what it takes to be successful. Track exactly what you eat for a few weeks, calculate your average calories, and reduce your daily intake by 500 calories at first. Lift weights. I can’t stress this enough. No, I do not mean like Arnold Schwarzenegger training for the Mr. Olympia contest. If you are new to lifting, start with bodyweight exercises, then progress to weights. It is absolutely crucial to losing the right weight, and overall health as you age.
I don’t train like a bodybuilder because I am not one. I train for real world strength and movement, so I’m not trying to set any world records on squats, deadlifts, or bench press. You don’t have to either. But, losing weight starts with lifting, and it is maintained by lifting. You have to make your body metabolically healthy to lose weight, and you do that by building muscle. Muscle enables you to burn fat, and they are a heat sink for insulin keeping your blood sugar in check. It’s easy and fun, and the more you do it, the more you will enjoy it. Seeing results is half the battle, and there’s no quicker way to see changes in your body than lifting weights.
I hope this helps with any questions out there. There are plenty of people selling “lose weight fast” schemes but just like the snake oil salesmen trying to steal your money with get rich quick scams, they will leave you worse off than when you started. Read the ingredients, pick natural whole foods, eat a little less and move a little more. If you can’t see yourself doing it every day, don’t start it.
Losing weight won’t fix all your problems. You’ll still have to deal with all the demons in your head that have already moved in and won’t do their share of the housework. But, being fit and healthy does make everything else a little easier, and when it comes down to it, without your health, there’s not much else. You can’t not get older, but that doesn’t mean you have to age. I’m living proof of that.
See the list of all the Shirtless Chef recipes at www.mysaline.com/shirtless.