Top 5 Lifestyle Changes I embraced that helped me to Lose Weight!

More than a year back, I lost 20 kgs (about 45 pounds) of fat weight and reduced five inches off my waist in a span of about 10 months, all by making a few lifestyle changes.

I was 73 kgs (161 pounds) when I started my weight loss journey; had developed a few diseases which directly attributed to my increased weight and needless to say, I looked a mess.

I had to lose weight somehow!

It is not that I had not attempted to lose weight earlier (read my weight loss story), I tried many things and each time I tried, I failed miserably. But this time it was different, I discovered this incredible method to lose weight. A few changes to my lifestyle and I started to lose weight like I never excepted.

Now, after losing weight, besides looking good, I look healthier, and feel much more energetic and confident so much so that I host my own weight loss and healthy living blog, where I share many tips and strategies to a healthy weight loss with my readers, as I want everyone to experience what I am experiencing.

You may be wondering what lifestyle changes I made in order to lose weight? Thus, without any further ado, I am listing down the 5 key lifestyle changes I did that resulted in a healthy, torture-free weight loss for me:

I took out more MEtime

I realised that I was just running around in a daily rut with absolutely no spare time at my disposal. All I was doing was just working like a machine without any idea on where my life was heading. I comprehended that I had to change my life and add more meaning to it, and certainly needed to do something about my lifestyle.

So one day I sat to jot down my routine. This helped me to figure out 2 things:

• What things I was doing during the day that were a complete waste of my time; and what I could do to utilise this time more constructively.
• Which of my chores was taking more of my time, and how I could work smartly to lessen the time I expanded on them.

This small change did wonders and I was able to take out some time for myself. I started to do things in a more focused manner, and even take out time for things that I liked.

I started to observe what I ate:

One of the main causes of weight gain is overeating, which mostly happens when people mindlessly eat or are distracted while eating.

When I started observing carefully what I ate, I realised that half the things I was eating were what I could have avoided. I was eating that food not because I was hungry, but because either I was bored and wanted to do something with my time or I was just not thinking while eating. Eg, the night time snacks or the meal leftovers. Everything contributes to weight gain.

I planned my Meals better:

I have always cooked for my family since after my marriage. Earlier I used to plan and prepare my meals on a daily basis. But to decide what to make every day and then actually preparing it was a constant challenge for me. And being in a full time demanding job made it even more stressful. Most of the time we ended up eating some kind of junk food or ordering from outside, which again was affecting our health.

But now I plan my meals for the entire week and organise myself accordingly. I plan, shop and prepare for the coming week. So on a given Sunday, I know what I am going to cook for each meal of the day, including my snacks, for the entire week.

Healthy eating resulting in less of stress!

I started to Exercise regularly:

Oh yes! Exercises are important. While eating healthy helps you to lose weight, regular exercising keeps your body toned and helps you build muscles. So if someone tells you that they can make you lose weight without exercising, don’t join their program. It will do you more harm, than benefit, whatever their methods.

Well, I did not spend hours and hours in the gym, as many people ask me now. Firstly, it was not practical for me, as I didn’t have that kind of luxurious time at my disposal and secondly, I am not a gym person. So all I did was 30 minutes of yoga at home, every alternate day. But I did it regularly and religiously.

I picked up a hobby:

Now many ask me, what picking up a hobby has got to do with losing weight! Let me explain. Hobby is something we love to indulge in and something that makes us happy. Some like to paint, some like to exercise or listen to music or even cook.

Normally in our daily routine and fast forward life, we forget to do what we like. This is one of the reasons we start to feel that our life has become dull and boring. Some also get into depression as they lose the thrill that is needed to enjoy life. If you take out time to do something you love and makes you happy, you would begin to enjoy your life and value it. This, in turn, would motivate you to take a keen interest in working towards a healthier body and you will take your weight loss efforts more seriously.

A Few Thoughts I am leaving you with:

Frankly, when I had started my journey, I had no idea the kind of change it would bring in my life. But believe me, more than losing weight, this entire journey and the process has given more meaning to my life. I feel stronger and more confident to face any situation I encounter.

In the past, occasionally someone told me that she didn’t need to lose weight, so didn’t have to listen to me. To which I responded that it is not about losing weight, it is about living healthy and asked a counter question, “You may be thin, but are you healthy?”

Hope you find this article helpful. I will meet you soon with another useful blog.

XOXO..