I lost 5kg in 4 weeks. I say that to people and then their reaction is always one of admonishment. Typically because they think I was thin enough before I lost all that weight. I have never really been overweight at any stage in life for the past forty or so years.
So why then I get asked. It’s entirely because I want to wear things that demand a particular figure – tailored, fitted, angular. Very vain? Yes.
Before I embarked on the journey of losing weight and changing the way I eat, I had to make a fundamental decision of giving myself permission to be vain and frivolous. No matter what others say or think, the important thing is to be happy with myself. I told myself to hell with whatever else is stopping me from doing the things that needed to be done to lose that extra 5-7kgs I had gained in the past decade.
Rather than just dreaming, I decided to take action. That meant several things. In fact, several ‘doings’ instead of just :
- thinking I should exercise
- giving up on those trousers I bought in Paris in 2004
- procrastinating on clearing out baggy garments that are uber comfortable
- eating copious amounts of fluffy white rice and noodles
- fearing I wouldn’t get there.
We often talk about not having willpower. I found that willpower alone would not have helped me to get to where I am now. I took advice from various sources.
- Dr. Michael Mosley on his calorie restricted eating
- Dr. Chris Van Tulleken’s report on veganism
- Cowspiracy – Finding out the truth about animal farming and its effects on our environment
- Remit Sethi on human psychology
All the information I consumed while watching several documentaries/reports on the health and wellbeing of our planet was enough to get me out of the rut that I had been in for a long time. This doesn’t mean I suddenly became a vegan or an anti-animal farming activist. It simply means that I’m consciously opting for more plant based food and I weigh my food to ensure that I know how many calories I consume each day. I also walk every day with my dog.
From there, losing 5kgs was simple. It happened so quickly that I couldn’t believe my scale when I weighed myself. The biggest thing was being able to wear the trousers that were destined to be thrown away/donated to charity shops. It doesn’t stop at trousers though. There are boots, rings, jackets that were ever so tight before. Now they fit nicely with a bit of room. Oh joy.
Am I worried that I would gain all that weight back at some stage? Obviously, I thought about it. The conventional wisdom is that the faster you lose the quicker you gain when it comes to weight loss. According to Michael Mosley, it’s not so especially if the healthy eating habit sticks and it becomes your lifestyle. I’m not in any hurry (if ever) to venture back into the meat aisles when shopping. And my dog won’t be happy to be sitting around all day.