How I lost weight, and how you can too

By Trevor Andrews, Reporter

         I have been working out for about a year now. Since I had been avoiding a scale, I had not known what my weight really was. 

         Once I was forced to step on a scale at a doctor’s, it was time to face reality. I read that I was 191 lbs. Before this I would tell myself I was only slightly overweight, but with a number in front of my face, I decided I was going to do something about it. I had become obese due to a lack of self-discipline. While even today I still struggle with self-discipline, I have proven that I can change myself for the better. 

         Before I even began trying to lose weight, I had fasted for about a week due to a lack of appetite. Fasting is neither a good nor healthy way to lose weight. Fasting does have its benefits, but fasting is not something you should do to lose weight. While fasting, you may lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time, but it’ll cause your metabolism to slow down. Due to a slowed metabolism you will likely gain all weight back after fasting. 

         Instead of fasting, you should count calories instead. Counting calories is a great way to lose weight even if you’re not exercising alongside it. I believe that counting calories is by far the most efficient way to lose weight, and when used along with exercise you can lose weight at rapid speeds. 

         To start, you will need to find out how many calories you need. I recommend using: https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html to find this number. After figuring how many calories you may need a day, it is time to start keeping track of the calories you’ve eaten. Some ways you may keep track of your calories are to write down your calories on a paper, or use an app on your phone. If you want to use an app, I recommend using My Fitness Pal. 

         Once I officially began to try to lose weight, I started off by doing cardio. Cardio is a great way to lose weight, as it burns a lot of calories. I started off by switching between running and walking. As a beginner, it’s important that you do not push yourself too far, or feel bad about yourself due to the fact that you may not be able to run very far. Start off by only running for a short amount of time, and each time push yourself a little bit harder. You should try to slowly push yourself to be able to run a mile. 

         While running is great for burning calories, it can become pretty tiring. A great way to stop yourself from giving up is to mix up what exercises you do, and weight lifting is great for that. I began lifting weights after I got invited to go to the gym with a couple of friends. I began to go every week with them. The gym I went to had a scale that caused me to notice that I was losing a decent amount of weight. Each week I would lose one to two pounds. I would later buy a gym membership and go multiple times a week. If going to the gym isn’t for you then finding another activity like basketball, tennis, or skateboarding could also work. The important thing is to find at least one activity that can help you burn calories. 

         I began to use a split very late. A split is how you divide your workout throughout the week. The split I use is the push-pull and legs. If you work out three times a week then this split allows you to work each muscle group at least once. While you’re on a push day you will focus on working the chest, triceps, and shoulders. During a pull day you will focus on working the biceps, forearms, and back. Finally, on leg day you will focus on working your legs and abs. 

         After all that, I still had struggles. Due to my problem with self-discipline, I had gained weight on multiple occasions. For many people, their decision after they’ve gained weight is what determines if their weight-loss journey will be a success or a failure. 

         I used the weight gain to motivate me further to lose even more weight. For every step backwards, I took two steps forward. At other times I reached a weight loss plateau. I was eventually stuck at around 175 lbs. A lot of times losing weight is easier during the beginning of the process. This is due to the fact that the more weight you lose the fewer calories you need to maintain weight. I had not adapted my calorie intake to my new weight. At this time, I began to count calories. As a result of counting calories, my weight dropped to 159 lbs. 

         In conclusion, if you want to lose weight you must put in the work. You should find out how many calories you need to get in a day, and count your calories. This way you know you aren’t overeating, and you’re able to lose weight. 

         You should make sure to eat at least 1500 calories a day, because anything less is considered unhealthy. It’s important to burn calories, and running is a great way to burn calories. If running isn’t for you, then you can choose many other types of exercises that can also work for you.