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.
Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Monday, July 3, 2017
Thursday, October 16, 2014
How to Minimize Debt
How do you avoid being buried by debt?
Most well off individuals will tell you that the first step to saving and accumulating wealth is to live below your means.
1) Don't borrow money unless it is absolutely necessary.
2) Budget your spending, revise and reduce periodically.
3) Pay off any debts as soon as you possibly can.
Some people, such as myself, are fortunate enough to have had the right education and upbringing to understand personal economics very well at a young age. However, there are far too many people in this country who borrow, refinance, and borrow again; all as a part of what they consider to be the normal order of things. Pretty soon, this debt gets so large that you are only able to pay the minimum payments. This all ends, when you are staring up at the impossible debt mountain, while deciding whether it's worth to go to a debt forgiveness specialist and plead for mercy or to declare personal bankruptcy and have your debts (aside from school loans) written off.
It doesn't have to be this way. As long as you are employed and have income going into your bank account every month, you can work out a strategy to protect yourself from potentially toxic debt cycle.
Education
The first big decision you will make in your life as a young adult is to decide which college to attend. But it starts even before that, with the question - what do you want to do in your life in order to earn a living? Therefore, it is my suggestion to all High School kids out there to truly use your early years wisely to discover what you want your profession to be. Higher Education is incredibly expensive, and these loans cannot be defaulted upon in order to be written off. Once you have your direction in life, research the Colleges which have the best programs for your chosen profession in your locale - living at home while attending college will save you money. Out of those schools, pick one that has the lowest net cost = (tuition + meal plan + fees) - (qualified school scholarships + grants). In addition, make sure to apply for all relevant scholarships and grants available from your State and Federal Government - these will knock down your net cost of education even further. If the remaining net cost cannot be offset by contributions from your parents or relatives, that's when you will need to make use of the student loan institution. Finally, as long as it doesn't interfere your studies, find part-time employment to offset cost further.
Living Space
Once you graduate College, as long as you have a good relationship and understanding with your parents, I suggest you live at home for the first couple of years. It saves you money and allows you to pay off your School loans faster. But sooner or later, you will have to move out and live on your own. Do yourself a favor, disregard the mainstream media with respect to home ownership - it is a losing game for someone who cannot buy a house outright (or pay at least 80% of the cost up front). Even with a friendly 30 year Fixed Rate of 4.25%, you still wind up paying twice the cost of the home over the lifetime of your loan. This was strictly mortgage - there are other upkeep and maintenance costs that come with home ownership, which puts the financial squeeze on the owner further. This prevents you from putting away money which you can save, invest, or use to create another stream of revenue. Renting, on the other hand, allows you to forego financing, maintenance and upkeep costs; all while retaining that money for another purpose. On the other hand once you have saved enough to pay at least 80% of the desired home, you may want to purchase the house if you have, or are intending to start, a family. Assuming the home is paid off in full, or in a short amount of time, you are only paying for property taxes after that.
Food
Learn to cook and learn to shop for cheap ingridients. A lot of people get lazy in the age of the internet, choosing to spend their time with their cell phones, tablets and laptops; rather than choosing to protect their wealth. You don't have to become a master chef, just learn a few quick simple recipies that you enjoy and won't break the bank. The use of store-bought ingridients and home utilities can save you up to 50% over middle of the road restaurant in terms of food preparation and clean-up. On those occasions when you do choose go out, ty to find a discount such as a coupon, flyer, groupon, livingsocial, etc.
Clothing
Make sure shop at stores that offer quality goods at a deep discount (Marshalls, TJ Maxx, etc.) or go to outlet stores that get their goods directly from the manufacturer. As long as the clothes have a brand name and look in current style, chances are people won't be able to tell where you got them. Only buy the clothing you plan on wearing, as opposed to collecting dust. Value your money, to spend it frivolously.
Non-Essential
With non-essential spending, such as gadgets, toys, vacations, and everything else that does not fall into living essentials category, it is important to keep this category as lean as possible. I get it - you want to enjoy your life. You should definitely go on a vacation, get yourself a big screen television, a nice reclining couch. However, realize that these are not time sensitive purchases and you can wait until a great deal presents itself. You will want to do a little research on what you want to buy and the cost range for that item. Just remember - the latest, greatest and trendiest, is also often the most expensive.
Budgeting
Keep track of your incoming money and outgoing money. Sounds simple, but very few people actually do this. It is as simple as opening your Excel Spreadsheet document (or a Google Spreadsheet document) and recording your salary and expenses. This will give you an idea if you are cash flow positive or negative. Cash Flow Positive is when you have additional money left over at the end of the month when you subtract all your expenses from your salary. Cash Flow Negative is when you wind up with money owed after all your expenses are substracted from your salary. In general, even if you are Cash Flow Positive, you will want to increase your salary and other sources of income, all while decreasing your expenses as much as possible.
Tackling Debt
When it comes to paying off your debt, you have to realize the interest with which your loans grow (4.5%, 6%, 7.5%, etc.) are a lot higher than the percentage the bank or treasury bonds will earn you (0.10%, 1.45%, 2.25%, etc.). Therefore, it is in your best interest to put some of your Cash Flow Positive money toward paying off additional Principal of your Highest Percentage Loan each month. This strategy will help you pay off your loans faster and greatly reduce the amount of your hard earned money that would otherwise be wasted on paying loan interest over the life of your debt.
New Streams of Income
Your primary profession does not have to be your only source of income. You should treat your time as a valuable resource. You may learn another skill, start investing, find small off-hours work that pay, write for money, teach, etc. Whatever you choose to do, try to figure out how to better spend the time you usually watch TV, play video games, or surf the interenet. This is all extra time that you can leverage to supplement your salary.
No matter at which stage of life you are in, if you work on these basics and apply them in your life consistently, it will allow you to evade your dependency on debt and save you money to enjoy living more comfortably.
Most well off individuals will tell you that the first step to saving and accumulating wealth is to live below your means.
1) Don't borrow money unless it is absolutely necessary.
2) Budget your spending, revise and reduce periodically.
3) Pay off any debts as soon as you possibly can.
Some people, such as myself, are fortunate enough to have had the right education and upbringing to understand personal economics very well at a young age. However, there are far too many people in this country who borrow, refinance, and borrow again; all as a part of what they consider to be the normal order of things. Pretty soon, this debt gets so large that you are only able to pay the minimum payments. This all ends, when you are staring up at the impossible debt mountain, while deciding whether it's worth to go to a debt forgiveness specialist and plead for mercy or to declare personal bankruptcy and have your debts (aside from school loans) written off.
It doesn't have to be this way. As long as you are employed and have income going into your bank account every month, you can work out a strategy to protect yourself from potentially toxic debt cycle.
Education
The first big decision you will make in your life as a young adult is to decide which college to attend. But it starts even before that, with the question - what do you want to do in your life in order to earn a living? Therefore, it is my suggestion to all High School kids out there to truly use your early years wisely to discover what you want your profession to be. Higher Education is incredibly expensive, and these loans cannot be defaulted upon in order to be written off. Once you have your direction in life, research the Colleges which have the best programs for your chosen profession in your locale - living at home while attending college will save you money. Out of those schools, pick one that has the lowest net cost = (tuition + meal plan + fees) - (qualified school scholarships + grants). In addition, make sure to apply for all relevant scholarships and grants available from your State and Federal Government - these will knock down your net cost of education even further. If the remaining net cost cannot be offset by contributions from your parents or relatives, that's when you will need to make use of the student loan institution. Finally, as long as it doesn't interfere your studies, find part-time employment to offset cost further.
Living Space
Once you graduate College, as long as you have a good relationship and understanding with your parents, I suggest you live at home for the first couple of years. It saves you money and allows you to pay off your School loans faster. But sooner or later, you will have to move out and live on your own. Do yourself a favor, disregard the mainstream media with respect to home ownership - it is a losing game for someone who cannot buy a house outright (or pay at least 80% of the cost up front). Even with a friendly 30 year Fixed Rate of 4.25%, you still wind up paying twice the cost of the home over the lifetime of your loan. This was strictly mortgage - there are other upkeep and maintenance costs that come with home ownership, which puts the financial squeeze on the owner further. This prevents you from putting away money which you can save, invest, or use to create another stream of revenue. Renting, on the other hand, allows you to forego financing, maintenance and upkeep costs; all while retaining that money for another purpose. On the other hand once you have saved enough to pay at least 80% of the desired home, you may want to purchase the house if you have, or are intending to start, a family. Assuming the home is paid off in full, or in a short amount of time, you are only paying for property taxes after that.
Food
Learn to cook and learn to shop for cheap ingridients. A lot of people get lazy in the age of the internet, choosing to spend their time with their cell phones, tablets and laptops; rather than choosing to protect their wealth. You don't have to become a master chef, just learn a few quick simple recipies that you enjoy and won't break the bank. The use of store-bought ingridients and home utilities can save you up to 50% over middle of the road restaurant in terms of food preparation and clean-up. On those occasions when you do choose go out, ty to find a discount such as a coupon, flyer, groupon, livingsocial, etc.
Clothing
Make sure shop at stores that offer quality goods at a deep discount (Marshalls, TJ Maxx, etc.) or go to outlet stores that get their goods directly from the manufacturer. As long as the clothes have a brand name and look in current style, chances are people won't be able to tell where you got them. Only buy the clothing you plan on wearing, as opposed to collecting dust. Value your money, to spend it frivolously.
Non-Essential
With non-essential spending, such as gadgets, toys, vacations, and everything else that does not fall into living essentials category, it is important to keep this category as lean as possible. I get it - you want to enjoy your life. You should definitely go on a vacation, get yourself a big screen television, a nice reclining couch. However, realize that these are not time sensitive purchases and you can wait until a great deal presents itself. You will want to do a little research on what you want to buy and the cost range for that item. Just remember - the latest, greatest and trendiest, is also often the most expensive.
Budgeting
Keep track of your incoming money and outgoing money. Sounds simple, but very few people actually do this. It is as simple as opening your Excel Spreadsheet document (or a Google Spreadsheet document) and recording your salary and expenses. This will give you an idea if you are cash flow positive or negative. Cash Flow Positive is when you have additional money left over at the end of the month when you subtract all your expenses from your salary. Cash Flow Negative is when you wind up with money owed after all your expenses are substracted from your salary. In general, even if you are Cash Flow Positive, you will want to increase your salary and other sources of income, all while decreasing your expenses as much as possible.
Tackling Debt
When it comes to paying off your debt, you have to realize the interest with which your loans grow (4.5%, 6%, 7.5%, etc.) are a lot higher than the percentage the bank or treasury bonds will earn you (0.10%, 1.45%, 2.25%, etc.). Therefore, it is in your best interest to put some of your Cash Flow Positive money toward paying off additional Principal of your Highest Percentage Loan each month. This strategy will help you pay off your loans faster and greatly reduce the amount of your hard earned money that would otherwise be wasted on paying loan interest over the life of your debt.
New Streams of Income
Your primary profession does not have to be your only source of income. You should treat your time as a valuable resource. You may learn another skill, start investing, find small off-hours work that pay, write for money, teach, etc. Whatever you choose to do, try to figure out how to better spend the time you usually watch TV, play video games, or surf the interenet. This is all extra time that you can leverage to supplement your salary.
No matter at which stage of life you are in, if you work on these basics and apply them in your life consistently, it will allow you to evade your dependency on debt and save you money to enjoy living more comfortably.
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