This is my weight loss approach, meaning it worked for me. The basic principles are the same for everyone, so calibrate based on how you respond - nobody knows your body better than you.
A few years ago, just after New Year's celebration, I woke up and looked in the mirror. What I saw was an unwieldy version of myself that didn't seem right. I was 250 pounds with spare tire and love handles. I was often short of breath even after a short period of strenuous activity, had a vicious acid reflux following almost every meal, and could comfortably sleep only on my side in bed.
I did quite a bit of research with respect to proper nutrition and physical training required to get where I wanted to be. I devised a three phase approach that would introduce each aspect of a lifestyle change into my daily routine. I knew that for this lifestyle change to be permanent, these phases had to be reasonable enough to be performed every day, yet effective enough to keep me moving towards the target weight and shape I desired.
1) Nutrition. It doesn't matter how active you are or how much time you spend at the gym, if you are sabotaging yourself by eating unhealthy and/or overeating (even healthy food will harm you, if you eat too much). Before I revamped my daily nutrition, I was eating in excess of 3,500 calories daily. Nothing was off limits and bad habits like soda, fast food, and my favorite sin - ice cream; were near daily staples of my diet. After the adjustment, I started to keep a 2-to-1 protein-to-carbohydrates ratio. Majority of my protein is taken from low-fat and nonfat dairy, lean chicken, fish, egg whites and raw almonds. Carbohydrates are important too for daily energy and majority of my carbs are taken from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. I am now consuming between 1,975 and 2,500 calories, depending on that day's physical activity. I avoid most fried foods, full fat dairy, foods with added sugar, foods with high salt (and sodium) content, starchy carbs and limit my intake of lean red meat to twice a week.
2) Active lifestyle. Every move we make during the day burns calories and takes us closer to a healthier version of ourselves. As such, it is important to avoid laying on the couch to watch the television after work, spending the weekend at home and leading a mostly immobile lifestyle. Before I made the switch, the above statement largely described my way of life, aside from a trip to the bar or to eat. With the change, I plan my after work activity very deliberately. Whether it is going to the mall to get some steps in, the store to walk around and pick up a few items, or walking around outside listening to an audio-book; these are all net positive gains versus the couch potato lifestyle. There are other choices I make, such as taking the stairs instead of an elevator, walking short distances instead of taking the car and taking a leisurely stroll for a half hour at lunch time. The weekend and vacation are your opportunity to shine. I started going on hikes, zoos, pick your own fruit events, etc.; virtually any activity that requires me to walk for a prolonged period of time is on the table.
3) Gym. In order for anyone to effectively lose weight and keep it off, we have to build up and maintain lean muscle mass. Up until my moment of truth, I had an on and off relationship with the gym that had limited effect because I was still doing the same old full circuit workout that I got used to my freshman year in college. That workout was strenuous and ineffective. I trained every muscle group everyday, therefore breaking down the muscle tissue and not letting it rebuild completely. It was incredibly hard, therefore I stopped doing it just after a month of starting the program every time. This all changed, when I applied the proper rotation and rest day approach. I now employ a four day rotation system. On the first day, I do 30 minutes of cardio, upper back and biceps. On the second day, I do 30 minutes of cardio, shoulders, chest and triceps. On the third day, I do abs, quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. On the fourth day, I rest and recover. Each exercise involves 2 sets of 12 repetitions, with the first set being 85% of max weight and the second set being max weight to fail. This allows for a shorter more intense workout that is effective, while at the same time spreading it over 3 days to keep it easy enough to stick to continuously. All three days of activity are preceded with 6-7 minutes of stretches, related to the specific muscle groups that day covers.
The Result - 55 pounds lost within 6 months after starting this approach. And while I have gained back 10 of these pounds over the past few years, the weight I gained back is lean muscle mass and not fat.
P.S. This is an approach that worked specifically for me. Everyone's body and habits are different, and nobody knows you like you. I encourage everyone to educate themselves and tailor a custom plan that is specific and effective.
