The Joy of Fitness and Permanent Weight Loss (2)

When asked how am I shedding the weight, here’s my answer, based on years of trying the “wrong” way.

There is no secret (sorry).  Unless you have a medical condition (make sure you see your doctor), weight loss is a simple formula: reduce the goes-in and increase goes-out. 

However, the way you apply the formula has significant implications for how successful and how healthy you will be over the long-term.  You can go on a traditional diet that simply restricts calories and it will work for a while, but eventually you will stop and more than likely put back the weight lost plus some more (as I always did).   This is because you did not address the reason you put the weight on in the first place.  You are not a bad person, but a person lacking a good approach to eating, exercise and health.

 

You can walk (always a good idea) and join a gym and do the rounds of all the machines (nothing wrong with that).  You will get benefits, because no exercise (unless your doctor tells you otherwise) goes amiss so don’t stop.  However, there are ways to exercise that will provide greater and longer-lasting benefits. 

The “right” way, as I discovered haphazardly, is to become more fit.  Fitness is defined here as having an increased ability to use your body for broad ranges of time and different actions.  When you are fit, you will not only lose the extra pounds, you will do it in the most healthy manner possible with positive long-lasting effects increasing your physical abilities. 

Here’s the hardest part I had to face-up to:  To reduce my weight in a lasting and healthy way, I had to rebuild my approach and adopt a different lifestyle changing the way I approach health, eating and exercise. 

At the encouragement of my athlete daughter, I joined what I thought was a group exercise program only to learn that I really joined a fitness community.   We emphasize creating fitness through challenging workouts that draw from gymnastics, weightlifting and cardiovascular training (geared to each participant’s capability) performed at relatively high intensity.  We ally the exercise with an appropriate eating regimen.  I started out two times per week and now go four times per week for an hour each time.  I am fitter, healthier, stronger and thinner than I have ever been.  While I have a long way to go, after nine months, I am always amazed at what my body can now do. 

Your focus must be on fitness to achieve lasting weight loss.  Incorporating these principles in your workout, along with an appropriate eating style, will help you reach your goals. 

Is it hard – you bet – but nothing worthwhile is easy.