I may not be the glamorous example of fat to fit, but I represent the 99% common people who feel that they are not looking good enough to fit into the kind of dresses they like. Many times I felt that I should give up my desires to fit in those fitting V-neck T-shirts, boot cut jeans because I felt that I don't have any control on my weight. For past couple of years I had been wearing 34" pants even though my waist was crossing 35" uncomfortably tight in the crotch area and myself trying to keep cool. I even thought of "ageing gracefully" by adding still more weight and shifting to Dhoti's, pyjamas bidding an adieu to my jeans, T-shirts with a sigh.
Weight Loss
But all changed when I accompanied Aadhithya for swimming classes. I too enrolled along with him and attended the classes for just 3 weeks before we discontinued the classes. But my body showed considerable changes in the appearance which was pointed out by my friends in the office. That gave a thrust in getting back to Cardio exercises. I had already attempted gymming in 2007 and 2010 for 3 months each and met with little success too. But at that time I had no idea about the importance of nutition and cardio then. But this time I understood that nutrition is all 90% whereas workouts form the rest 10% in fitness. So we started with nutrition first.Our dietary plans went for a complete overhaul. We ate lot of sprouts, soya chunks, grilled chicken, compulsary chappati at night, included Oats, dates... avoided Oil as much as possible, sugar replaced with honey. I started drinking Green Tea 3-4 times a day. Nutritionally we made sure that we cut down fat to the lowest and carbs to a maximum. I realised (even though can't claim to be expert) the 'working' composition of food for each body types. Atleast I can't keep adding extra calories / empty calories unknowingly.
I presented myself with a Btwin Roadbike for my birthday in June and I started cycling to office. This was rejuvenating because I need not wait endless hours for public transportation, I need not worry about the raising petrol prices, traffic jam doesn't stress me too much anymore, I need not pay to gym and ride a stationary cycle there to burn calories... I am getting these additional benefits along with physical exercise. This is one of the best investments made.
Yes... there is some activity going on that improved the agility of the body but I had to get down to the process of cutting those extra flabs. We need to burn 3500 Calories to cut down 1 pound (0.42 kgs) of fat. So if my target is to cut down 1 pound of fat everyweek (more than which is not recommended by fitness gurus) I should burn 500 calories a day. To know how much calories I spend, my search led to so many useful android apps, that can help you immensely. So my mobile is my fitness partner, so even that investment is also useful :-) I'll give the list of Android apps I use in the later part of this post.
By cycling I burn 350-375 extra calories a day and I cycle only 4-5 days a week when I report to work. That leaves too much of deficit in the calories to be burnt for cutting the fat. So I took additionaly another form of cardio - walking to meet up the remaining calorie requirement. All these efforts - Diet, Cycling and Walking yielded results and I lost 5 kg in 6-7 weeks. From bulky 77+ kg, I came down to 72+ kg in 3rd week of August, considering that I started cycling from July 1st and started walking from first week of August.
I bought a bathroom scale to keep monitoring on the weight and it is really a motivating factor to see your weight coming down and all the efforts are getting paid. Once I saw the weight falling down and within 69~70, I gave up my restrictions and started binging on icecreams, jalebis along with Aadhithya. The weight once again shot back to 72 kgs and I felt bad that my efforts are going in vain. Now the actual challenge started. It is to sustain the weight but at the same time should indulge myself a little whenever possible.
Now walking and cycling remain fixed in my daily routine not only because of sustaining the weight, but also I enjoy them a lot. If cycling makes me feel young (all Bollywood effect), walking gives me the exclusive time for myself. These activities not only exhausts me at night leaving with a sound sleep but also helps in avoiding distractions like internet addiction, excessive masturbation etc.
I recommend walking and cycling to all my friends even if they think they are fit enough. You can skip gyms (if building muscles is not your agenda) if your visits are purely for weight loss only.
Update:
1. Now I weigh 67~68 kgs and my waist measures a little over 32". I intend to lose some more weight to reduce my fat levels and then bulk up with muscles.
2. I don't look tired, feel the fatigue due to so called dieting because I am not starving but eating just necessary / right.
3. I didn't spend anything on food supplements till I lost 6 kgs. I started taking Protein supplements and BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids) tablets after I started gymming.
4. I am able to fit into the dresses I like without being uncomfortable. Infact I started spending more on grooming myself.
Walking
Walking is not only good for what ails you. It's also one of the easiest and most convenient exercises you can do, and is completely free. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes that fit well and a little desire. Here are a few tips to help you get started.
Start walking: Start out slow if you need to. For many people this means head out the door, walk for 10 minutes, and walk back. Do it every day for a week. If that seems easy, add five minutes to your walks next week and keep adding five minutes until you are walking as long as you desire. It's also a smart idea to start and finish your walk with a few simple warm up and cool down stretches. Stretching will make you feel better and help prevent injury.
How far: Any walking is better than none, but most fitness professionals recommend walking about 30 minutes, five days a week. Research has shown that the 30 minutes can be broken up throughout the day - 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there. I aim for a minimum of 7 km per day i.e 1 hr 10 minutes per day and 50 kms per week (7 km X 7 days). I feel OK if I cross 42 kms per week (6 kms i.e 1 hr per day x 7 days) and if I cross 46 kms ~ 50 kms per week, that is a happiest weekend for me.
How fast: The right walking speed depends on your fitness level. Ideally you should walk at a brisk pace that has you breathing heavily, but you are still able to carry on a conversation. Ideally we all are able to walk at the rate of 6 kmph which is fine.
If possible find some walking buddies. They can provide motivation and support along with companionship and security. Paranthaman used to be a terrific company when we walk in Mentone beach. There are times I feel like running along with him because of his long strides, but eventually every walking session became excited.
Use a pedometer: Accountability brings in benefits of motivation. Measuring how far you've walked in steps and miles, providing high by spurring you to meet a particular goal and warning you if you haven't met the goals. If you're a smartphone user, consider downloading few fitness apps.
Keep a journal: Use it to keep track of your walking minutes, steps, or mileage and total it up at the end of each week to see how you're progressing. Your smartphone app will do this for you so you need not worry about maintaining entries.
Listening to music make the best walking companion. If you are a smartphone user, integrate your fitness app with Music player. Invest in good headphones that take you away from this world while walking.
Have a backup plan: If bad weather, allergies or other factors limit your outdoor walking have a backup plan like walking at your local mall, buying a home treadmill or joining a health club.
Android Apps and Links
Calorie Counter by FatSecret
The Calorie Counter is the essential Android application for people who want to keep track of their food, exercise and weight and be able to sync and access all their information online at FatSecret.com.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fatsecret.android
My Fitness Pal
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.myfitnesspal.android&hl=en
Runtastic Running Pro
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.runtastic.android&hl=en
Runtastic Roadbike Pro
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.runtastic.android.roadbike.lite&hl=en
Google Fit
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.fitness&hl=en
HydroCoach
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.codium.hydrocoach&hl=en
C25K - Couch to 5K
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.c25k&hl=en
Keto Diets and Plans:- http://www.ketoforindia.com is a wonderful blog maintained by Priya who had token Keto Route to lose 25+ (and counting) kgs to get back to fit. I'll share more details about Keto diets in another post.