Each one of us has gone through different experiences during this pandemic - some positive, some learning and some not-so-good. I wanted to highlight an area where I have used this period to focus on my health, which has been positive and a learning experience.
Before the pandemic started, I was at about 84 kgs and at a BMI of 29.1 (overweight according to the BMI scale). Today, I weigh 65.8 kgs - 22.8 on the BMI scale (Normal). While I realize BMI is not the only way to measure health, yet at the same time, I feel more refreshed and energized. To me, that is always a good feeling
Based on feedback, I wanted to pen down a short post on my journey, in case it helps you. I am not an expert nor did I follow any fancy gym etc.
Before you start
- Invest in a good digital weighing scale. I had a manual one earlier and would never get a accurate weight. This led to demotivation and hence a start-pause-stop phase
- Check with your doctor before you start any weight loss journey - this is essential.
- Buy a good smart watch. This helps you keep track as well as motivate you. I have a Samsung Gear S3 Frontier.
- Enlist friends and family for support - they can be good motivators too.
- Have a good playlist of songs (I used Gaana!) and a wireless headset.
What I did
- I started off with intermittent fasting (16 - 8 i.e. 16 hours fasting and 8 hours eating). So I would eat dinner early at around 5 pm and then have breakfast at around 9 am the next day. You can start off by 12 - 12 if you want (12 hours break after dinner)
- If you feel hungry after dinner, you can drink some soup.
- I started with a jog every day for 30 minutes initially and then slowly increased it to 45 mins and then 60 mins. On my watch, this was around 8000 steps (watches do vary). Since I could not jog outside, I used to jog in my hall itself.
- I also played music to keep me distracted since running in the hall can become boring
- I would also walk after meals (lunch and dinner) for 10 - 15 mins each. At the end of the day, I had usually clocked 12000 steps or more
- Food - I ate everything including pizzas (albeit wheat pizzas), pav bhaji with butter etc. I had tea 3 or 4 times , normal tea not green tea. While I ate whatever I wanted, I ensure I did not eat too much or too little. Eating too little impacted the metabolism negatively. I also ate French Fries etc but again within reason and not everyday
- I kept track on the smart watch and then on the phone (Samsung App). I also made notes on when I was losing weight and the food I ate. This is different for each person so you need to track for yourself. For example, when I ate pizzas, I lost weight if I had paneer toppings (I guess the proteins and veggies helped)
- I also kept track of my weight at the end of the day. This helped me calculate my metabolism during sleep
- After a few months, when I was in the 74 range or so, I did a combination of running and exercises. I still ran for 45 mins but added exercises. The reason to do that was to ensure I developed better metabolism and it lasts.
- I used a combination of 3 workout routines by Chloe Ting. I liked her routines because they are not too difficult and she is very encouraging
- You can decide which ones you want to but I would suggest you definitely do the first one (warm up) and then alternate between 2 and 3.
- Do drink water - while you will see a weight gain as soon as you drink, it helps flush out toxins and help in the long run.
Now
- I DO NOT jog much now. I still do Exercise 1 and 3 (and on some days 2) and then end with short run (around 10 mins)
- This way I spend only 30 mins per day but try keep my lowest weight in the day to be 65.x
- I eat dinner at around 7 pm, mucnh something at around 9.30 and have breakfast at 10 am
Do remember two things
1. Each of us is unique so what works for me might not work for you but you will find it out eventually
2. There will be good days and bad days - it is the average that counts.
The picture below tells the story - I did gain by losing!
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