Turning on the fat furnace: how I lost 11 kg in 4 months
“You mean I have to start taking those pills for life, doctor? I think I’m too young to be a pill coffin.”
In early March, a week after being discharged from the hospital and placed on a long list of prescription drugs, I decided to improve my overall health. On the exact date of my birthday, I was officially diagnosed with diverticulitis, high blood pressure. The gout also made a comeback.
The prospect of taking pills for life was too bleak, and so on my birthday, I vowed to myself that my increasingly sedentary lifestyle had to give way.
I started by walking to work in the morning for 3 days a week. Work was about 3 km from home. This was dubbed “the Perpetual Walk” after a friend whose morning walks inspired me.
It’s not a brisk walk by any means, but just a lazy walk, if you will, to help me get used to the idea of being on the move.
Once I got used to it after a month, I started incorporating jogging after work, each time for half an hour. Again, nothing too strenuous. Just a slow smooth jog. The kind of jog where I can still talk while running. I do this about 2 times a week, on a weekday.
As soon as I got the hang of it, I jumped on a regimen of running longer distances on the weekends. The more consistent I was at it, the better my stamina and speed.
I’ve learned that for thirty-somethings like yours, the most important thing isn’t exactly losing weight, but staying healthy. Weight loss will occur naturally and eventually as a bonus.
After 2 months since starting the regimen, I was faced with a weight loss plateau. The weight loss plateau is demotivating and can be overwhelming. But it happens and it is inevitable. My weight remained stagnant for three weeks. In those three weeks, I even increased my runs to 4 times a week and included 2 half marathon runs. Still refused to budget. But persistence is the key. Finally, the plateau was broken and the weight began to drop again. As I lost weight, a healthier me was revealed. And that’s what matters.
I also learned that watching what I eat and drink is more important than exercising. I used to use an app, MyFitnessPal, to count calories and do my best not to exceed my recommended calorie intake for the day.
These days I don’t use the app anymore, I just watch what I eat. Smaller portions each time. For lunch I prefer vegetables and fruits. I don’t eat rice for lunch.
I’ve also stopped eating red meat completely (due to my taste condition), but chicken is still a must. I started telling people I’m a pollotarian, much to their annoyance. I strictly drink pure water even when eating out. Boring I know. But I don’t want to risk another bout of debilitating gout. I find that the sugar in drinks triggers them. So far in these 4 months I have not had another attack.
I watched my weight drop from 87kg to 76kg currently. But the most important thing is that I feel better and have more energy.