My weight has seen a very wide range during my adulthood. When I’m fit and doing lots of long-distance running, my weight is about 51kg. The highest it’s ever been is in April this year, when I weighed 64.5kg due to an excessive workload, a toxic work environment, eating poorly, sleeping poorly, not having time to exercise, and dealing with a lot of stress. Over the years I have gained a lot of personal experience with weight loss strategies, so I’ve gathered a few ways in which you can get started (which is the hardest part!). I’ll also write a follow up article on strategies of weight loss and maintenance.
Losing excess weight is easy for some, and harder for others. There are several factors that contribute to this. Some you can’t change (like genetic factors, medical conditions or side effects of necessary medications), but most other factors can be changed, which is the good thing, but only if you want to make those changes.
That’s the first step in weight management. Are you ready and committed to making the lifestyle changes necessary? You don’t need to make drastic changes. In fact, it’s often the subtle, small choices that you make every day that contribute most to the long-term picture of health and well-being.
What is your ideal weight / size?
For most of the population, the body mass index (BMI) is a good indicator of what weight you should be. A BMI of 20-25 is considered healthy, however it is not the only indicator of ideal weight. Some people are very muscular – muscle weighs more than fat, so they may be very fit but have a BMI above 25. Conversely, there may be “skinny fat” people who have a low BMI, but have a high percentage of fat and not a lot of lean muscle. I’ve known plenty of skinny-fat people who are a dress-size smaller than me but wouldn’t be able to run 50 metres without having to stop to catch their breath.
Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio are much better indicators of overall health than BMI. Weight around the abdominal organs – visceral fat – is the unhealthy fat, and correlates with the fat that clogs up your arteries and leads to diseases like heart attacks. For women, a waist circumference of greater than 80cm confers an increased risk of disease, and for men, >94cm.
If you are into endurance events, your ideal weight will be lower than the general population. For me, having extra weight for a long-distance run is like running with a heavy backpack on – why would I disadvantage myself or let myself struggle like that? There are several guidelines for ideal race weight, including the Stillman formula, which you can read more about here.
How do I start?
Starting is the hardest step. There is so much information out there about what you should or shouldn’t eat, and what exercises you need to do – it can be overwhelming! If you can afford it, a personal trainer can be useful. Most gyms will have some sort of introductory offer so you can see if you like a particular personal trainer or not.
Similar to finding a hair dresser you like, there are some personal trainers who are good and some who you just don’t gel with. It’s worth spending the time to find one who works well with you. I’ve had eight trainers over the years, if that’s anything to go by. Each trainer has a different background, experience and specialty area, as well as personality traits, so it does take time to find one who is just right for you and your needs.
I’ve always been an active person – I started various sports since I was 3 years old – but I’d never stepped foot in a gym until 2014. It can be quite intimidating! Having a personal trainer made me feel more comfortable because he would show me how to use the different machines, and give me ideas of what exercises I could do. Once I found a few exercises that I enjoyed doing, I felt more comfortable going to the gym by myself and stopped using a personal trainer.
The thing is, everyone is just doing their own thing at the gym. There’s no reason why you should feel uncomfortable or self-conscious. No one’s judging you. Chances are, they are too busy looking at their reflection in the mirror or taking a selfie. You do you.
If you’re not into weights, maybe doing group fitness classes might be more suitable. I personally recommend RPM or spin classes. There is fun music pumping, which really does help with motivation, and you can do things at your own pace because you are in control of your own resistance dial. If you’re not feeling up for it on any particular day, no one has to know that you’ve kept the dial on a low resistance.
If you’re not a gym person, maybe joining a community group might help. It’s a great way to make new friends, and a way to explore parts of the city that you didn’t know existed. If you’re a couch potato and detest the idea of running, there are many walking or hiking groups. These are great because they combine exercise with nature. Immersing yourself in nature is wonderful for your mental health. If you live in a scenic area, take advantage of that!
If you’re more introverted, having an exercise buddy might be more comfortable for you than joining a group. Having a buddy system is great because you are held accountable. If you don’t turn up, you’re not only letting yourself down, you’re also disappointing your friend.
If you’d rather exercise by yourself, that’s fine too. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that teach you exercises that you can do at home. You may also want to invest in some equipment for a “home gym”. I have a barbell set at home, which I bought a few years ago when I had a long commute to work with no convenient gyms to go to on the way to work. I also have a chin up bar that hangs off my door frame.
Depending on what kind of exercise you like, there are many different types of equipment you can buy to exercise in the comfort of your own home. However, I would still recommend seeing a trainer because you may not be doing the exercises with the correct form or technique therefore increasing your chance of injury or not getting the full benefit of the exercise.
If you are morbidly obese, have medical conditions or injuries, it’s best to see a doctor before you start any form of exercise program. Your doctor can refer you to a dietician and/or an exercise physiologist who can tailor a program that takes into account your current physical state.
Making time to exercise
“I don’t have time to exercise” is probably the commonest excuse I’ve heard and it’s mostly bullsh*t. (See above image). Most people have time, they just choose to do other things with it, like going to the movies or <insert leisure activity here>. It depends on how much you prioritise exercise.
The easiest way to make time for exercise is to incorporate it into what you already do. A pedometer is worth getting if you do a desk job. You may not be ready to start an exercise program yet, but increasing your daily steps is a good start. Some simple things you can do are; using the stairs, walking or cycling to work, using public transport (and getting off a stop early), walking outside during your breaks, or walking over to a colleague to speak to him or her instead of calling or emailing.
If you’re ready to give exercise a go, look at your commute from home to work. What gyms, pools or other facilities are there? Perhaps there’s a gym across from your office, or a park near your home. It doesn’t get easier than that.
Your mindset
Before you start embarking on a weight loss program, ask yourself why? Your intention is extremely important because it will shape your attitude towards the changes you are about to make. As you may have read on a meme somewhere, exercise because you love your body, not because you hate it. Exercise is not a punishment, it should be seen as something enjoyable and positive.
“I want to look skinny” is not a good intention. Why do you want to look skinny? Do you think that being skinny will make you happy? If your sense of happiness derives from how you look, you will never be happy. It’s also important to be mindful of the language you use to describe yourself. “I’m so fat” is not a useful thing to say to yourself. Re-phrase any self-degrading comments into more proactive ones, such as “I want to be more active”, or “I want to feel more energised”.
I find that having a functional goal is a better way of setting an intention. For me, I wanted to run a half marathon in under 100 minutes, and part of that goal included reaching my race weight. I will talk about “SMART” goals in another post, but when you set an intention, it should also come with specific goals to help you manifest that intention.
Thinking about your values can also help you come up with intentions. For example, if you value community, joining a local swimming group might be a good way of starting exercise. Other examples of intentions are; I want to participate in a charity bike ride. I want to lose weight so that I can come off my blood pressure medications. I want to exercise to improve my sense of wellbeing. I want to make new friends by joining the local football team. These are all positive intentions, and in my next post I will talk about setting goals and strategies to help you stick with them.
The key points from this post are:
- You need to want to change
- Choose an activity you’re actually going to like
- You don’t need to do it alone – consider getting a trainer, joining a group, or having a buddy
- Start a routine that fits with your life. If it’s inconvenient in terms of location/time, you will not stick to it.
- Set an intention based on your values
It’s not always easy, but you can do it!
Take care,
Miko xx
