Losing Weight Quickly and Not So Easily
Losing weight quickly is not so easy for many people.
I want to start with the not easy part because every diet program out there tries to sell things as “quick and easy” in order to trick people into using their programs.
I’ll be honest with you and tell you it is not so easy. This is especially true in the beginning.
However, I think recognizing that there will be discomfort is the key to going through that discomfort to the other side where you actually are losing weight and keeping it off.
Why I Decided to Lose Weight
Well, I was having a separate problem with neck pain. So I went to my doctor to try to get relief. I’d been dealing with the pain for a couple months. I’d been trying, unsuccessfully, to remedy the pain by myself.
As a result they gave me a checkup taking my weight and drawing blood to check my cholesterol. They were a bit alarmed at my blood pressure which was about 160/100. Even asking me, “Are you alright? Do you feel ok?” My response was, “Yeah, why?”
So they let me sit for a while and retested my blood pressure and it was then 140/100 or so. As a result they decided I needed blood pressure medication.
My response was, “I don’t need it. My diet is terrible. I eat chips and Combos all day and frequently have McDonalds for dinner. I’ve gained 10 pounds recently. I will change my diet.”
Well that was to no avail. The doctor thought it was best to take the medication while I lose weight.
“Ok. ok,” I thought.
But wait! There’s the Cholesterol test
So about a week or so later they called about the blood work.
“Uh, Barf, your numbers are so bad we can’t calculate your overall cholesterol!”
Well, not surprised. Again, I was well aware of my potato chip and fast food diet with soda pop chasers.
My triglycerides were 493! Haha. That’s top of the charts there. It’s supposed to be 140 or less.
I don’t have my HDL and LDL numbers in front of me. But, suffice it to say they weren’t good either.
How I Quickly Lost 8 pounds
Well, I think I did this in a period of 2 weeks.
It’s important to say that exercise wasn’t a part of this weight loss. During these two weeks the pain in my neck was keeping me from being able to do much.
Did I use a “diet?”
Well, kinda.
I’d say it’s mostly based on what I’d learned from The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferris. This book is based on the Keto diet.
Mostly it was responsible for the food choices I was making.
So the first thing I did was change what I was eating.
Step 1 for me was eliminating 99.9% of junk food, fast food, and soda from my eating habits.
Instead of drinking 3-4 24 oz soda pops a day I had maybe 1 every 2 days. I ate 1 or 2 chips a day instead of eating a whole bag. I did this just to enjoy a taste from time to time.
What Did I Eat?
In order to stop eating all the junk I had to replace it with other foods.
Here’s what I ate (including spices and sauces):
- Rice
- Chicken
- Green peppers
- Onions
- Spinach
- Corn
- Tortillas
- Chili paste
- Panda Express Teriyaki Sauce
- Eggs
- Chik Fila sauce
- Adobo sauce
- Ancho chiles
- Black beans
- Milk
- Chocolate Rice Chex
- Ice water
I basically created my own “Chipotle” bowl and ate it for lunch and dinner. For breakfast I eat about 1/4 cup of cereal with a little milk. I only have enough to get going and make it to lunch.
Note on the sauces: I only used about a quarter size amount of the sauces. Just enough to add some spice or flavor.
The Not So Easy Parts of Losing Weight Quickly
Number one is cooking instead of eating out or frozen meals.
This can be a barrier for many. For me it’s not much of an issue because I worked as a cook in restaurants when I was a teenager. So I already have that skillset.
However, the cooking I am doing is very basic. I cook the chicken breast in an iron skillet and then chop it up. The breasts I get are thick so I slice them in half so they cook in about 10-13 minutes.
The veggies are fresh frozen. I use a cup of corn, cup of spinach, and 2 cups of pepper and onions. I heat those in the pan right after I finish cooking the chicken.
Other than that I use a rice cooker for the rice. Overall, I invest about 30 minutes cooking. This will typically last me 2 days.
The number two, and most difficult part, is getting used to not eating and being hungry in between meals.
The main problem is it is so easy for me to get out of my office, walk to the cafeteria, whip out the debit card, and buy snacks from the food store. I’m sure if you work in a factory you can relate. They put in the self-serve kiosks with food and drink so people can have snacks.
Then one day you forget to bring lunch and buy something out of the fridge. And so it begins. Eventually you decide to just buy what’s there. It doesn’t satisfy so you buy chips to top it off. Then you buy a pop. And next, “Oh, how a bout a bag of candy?”
The temptations are always there and very easy to indulge.
Quick Summary of My Losing Weight Quickly “Diet Plan”
First off I don’t consider myself to be dieting.
I view it as I have changed what I eat. A diet is simply the sum of what a person eats. The commercialization of the term “diet” muddies the water for people who need to change what they are eating.
I don’t view foods as “off limits” or that I’m “not allowed” to eat something.
Instead I think, “I am choosing to eat chicken with rice and vegetables.” I have a goal of losing weight and getting my blood pressure and cholesterol under control so I don’t die. Changing what I eat is the quickest path to that goal.
So here’s my meal plan.
Breakfast 6:30 am approx. 1/4 cup of cereal with a little milk.
Drink water until lunch.
Lunch 11:30 pm Chicken with rice, black beans, spinach, corn, green peppers and onions, and chili paste. My guess is about 2 cups worth.
Drink water until dinner.
Dinner 5:00 pm same as lunch: 2 cups Chicken with rice, black beans, spinach, corn, green peppers and onions, and chili paste, teriyaki sauce, or chipotle sauce. Or 3 soft tacos with the same ingredients with chili paste, teriyaki sauce, or Chik-fila sauce.
Drink water the rest of the evening. Occasionally have a hard boiled egg or banana for a snack.
Is it repetitive?
Well, yes.
But, isn’t getting the same bag of chips, pop, and fast food meal repetitive as well?
I’ve simply replaced something fattening, sugary, and salty with foods that aren’t.
Here’s how I think of my “diet” in a general sense:
No snacks, let myself be hungry between meals, and eat a tasty and healthy meal for lunch and dinner.
At first the hunger is quite intense. However, two weeks in and the intensity is markedly reduced.
As always, consult your physician before starting a diet or exercise plan. I am not a doctor nor do I play one on the internet. This is only what has worked for me.