How to lose weight is a question many of you look for. Embarking on the weight loss journey has been a quest many have pursued for years. The quest for how to shed those extra pounds intertwines accessibility and challenge. The simplicity lies in the clarity of principles, which are easily grasped and understood. Yet, the execution of these steps unfolds as a formidable challenge. In my perspective, it signifies not just a set of instructions but rather a transformative process—a pathway to success attainable by anyone committed to the journey.
Let’s start from the beginning.
In late March 2023, I convinced myself it was the final opportunity to take decisive action for weight loss. At 49 years old, I was confronted with the widely prevalent misconception that shedding excess pounds becomes an insurmountable challenge once you cross the threshold of 40. Contrary to this notion, my journey strongly refutes such a belief.
Moreover, grappling with excess weight brings about a host of adverse effects on one’s well-being. These repercussions are undeniably detrimental. The challenges of carrying extra weight entail a myriad of unexpected consequences. In effect, I said to myself: “Enough is enough.” I was 318 lbs. You can imagine. Below, I want to show you what I was afraid of.
I was determined to find the answer to How To Lose Weight.
Here’s a list of potential unpleasant effects caused by obesity, including some well-known health problems:
- Hypertension (High Blood Pressure): Excess weight can contribute to increased blood pressure, leading to hypertension, a significant risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Obesity is a significant risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. The body’s ability to regulate blood sugar becomes compromised with excess weight.
- Heart Attacks: Obesity is associated with an elevated risk of heart attacks and coronary artery disease. The strain on the heart from carrying extra weight can contribute to cardiac issues.
- Joint Problems: The additional weight stresses the joints, particularly in the knees and hips, leading to osteoarthritis.
- Sleep Apnea: Obesity is linked to an increased likelihood of sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, impacting overall sleep quality.
- Stroke: The combination of hypertension, Diabetes, and other cardiovascular factors associated with obesity increases the risk of stroke.
- Fatty Liver Disease: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is more common in individuals with obesity and can lead to liver inflammation and cirrhosis.
- Certain Cancers: Obesity is linked to an increased risk of various cancers, including breast, colon, and pancreatic cancers.
- Depression and Mental Health Issues: The emotional and social consequences of obesity can contribute to mental health problems, including depression and low self-esteem.
It’s essential to note that the impact of obesity on health is multifaceted, and individual experiences may vary. Addressing and managing obesity can significantly reduce the risk of these associated health problems. I intentionally skip the above controversy about high cholesterol. I understand people think cholesterol is dangerous at exceptionally high levels. Nevertheless, the latest data and study show we were lied about it. To close it, we were conditioned for years to believe what doctors say unquestioningly.
My Journey to How to Lose Weight Solution.
At age 31, I was diagnosed with hypertension. On an average day, I had 160/100. There is nothing to be scared of. Regular visits to the doctor’s office and getting pills seemed to be just enough to solve the problem—a simple solution. Every three months, follow-up, new prescription, and new medication load looked good. So far, I have learned that a lot of people follow this pattern, thinking that all the pills they take fix their health problems. I wasn’t happy with this solution because I have a fundamental medical background (I can work in a doctor’s office). Simply put, I don’t think allopathic medicine is a fix to our health concerns.
In 2018, I started complaining about constant burping. It wasn’t friendly at all. After my check-out visit to the doctor’s office and following procedures, I found out I had fatty liver and was pre-diabetic. It scares me. I was afraid not only about my health but about, to put it simply, life. My physician wanted to put me on metformin. As you may know, it is a primary drug for diabetics.
I need to mention that, at that time, I consumed a tremendous amount of soft drinks. In addition, I worked where access to cookies, cupcakes, and other pastries was almost free. The outcome of the situation wasn’t too good. I lost control over my weight. Month after month, I noticed I was getting heavier. I went from size 40 to 46 in just half a year.
In contrast, if you want to be a sumo warrior, that is a great idea. Unfortunately, it wasn’t good for me, and I don’t think it suits anyone.
“Enough was enough.”
My journey from 318 to 205 lbs, from size 46 to size 34, started just before 2020. Unconsciously, I began applying principles that allowed me to lose weight. As everyone knows, it was the time of lockdowns. I was out of work, and it was a blessing for me. I was cut off from excessive, abnormal eating of pastry products. It wasn’t easy. No way. The habits I created during years of work with breakfast sweets were hard to beat. But I have done it. In addition, I stopped drinking soft drinks. I exchange them with seltzer water.
Another big thing that helped me to shed extra weight was cutting out on bread, any bread. It doesn’t matter what bread you eat. It can be white, black, 7-grain, or 20-grain. Modern bread is a no-no for people. I was inspired by “The Wheat Belly.” It is a fantastic book with deep insight into the role of wheat in our diet. I am sure that for many of you, ditching bread or, in general, any wheat product sounds like heresy.
Remember that pasta is a wheat product, and pizza is a type of bread. Subsequently, another question arises: what is wrong with the bread? Everybody eats it. Right? Excellent, although why are so many people around us so metabolically sick? I don’t don’t want to be sick. I don’t like it, do you?
Step by Step to Lose Weight Solution.
After a few months, I noticed I had lost a few pounds. I didn’t know why, but I was so happy and didn’t realize what had happened. Later, in 2021, I started a new “career” in a supermarket. I was on the move. My work wasn’t sedentary. I could make between ten and fifteen thousand steps per day. I kept losing weight. It wasn’t significant. Anyway, my weight dropped from over 300 lbs to under 300 lbs. However, it is still a lot. I wasn’t aware of why at all.
How to Lose Weight? Be aware of what you eat.
I have to say about my lunch in this place. My lunch was usually around 7 PM every day. For almost over one year, I mainly ate beef broccoli. The only thing that made this dish different from a regular meal was that I didn’t order rice. Rice was a big no for me. Why? It was just too much food, and lunchtime was too short. Rice and soy sauce are a great-tasting combination. Thus, often, we train our tastebuds to like certain food combinations. Nevertheless, I was lucky. I am sure I bypassed the trap made by the rice.
Later the same year, I was introduced to Zlem. It is the bio-hack solution that helps you improve your sleep and amplify your effort in the process of losing weight. More about this product is here. Sleep is a crucial factor when you are in the process of losing weight. In reality, we lose extra pounds while we sleep. Our body has time to rest and “burn fat.” As a result, I started losing weight faster than I had expected. I began to be happy with all the things I was doing.
Let’s get closer to the present times.
Now, let’s return to 2023 at the end of March.
There is one more thing worth adding. I wasn’t alone. I took my trip to be in good health with my mother. You may ask why. As a result of our lifestyle, she was in the same condition as I was—hypertension, Diabetes, etc. I would admit she was in worse health than me due to her age. I mention this because I am sure If you want to accomplish some significant goal in your life, doing this with someone helps. In my case, it was my mom. For her, it was a tough decision to make whether to change her lifestyle or keep getting sick and sick.
Then, the same day, I prepared a lot of garbage bags and started filling them with everything that contained wheat, sugars, and starch. To get rid of unhealthy foods, I spent hours reading labels. You can believe me or not that even salt has sugar. To point it out, I am talking about iodine salt. This kind contains dextrose (simple sugar). Dextrose helps iodine to stick to salt. As a result of my decision, I trashed about ten huge black bags filled with all the bad stuff.
If you think it was only sweet stuff, you are wrong. We were strict. Although it was a painful decision, it was good, and we don’t regret it.
Self Education
The process of losing weight includes an aspect of self-education. I bet if you apply my steps to your success, you may be shocked at the beginning that all the things you knew about nutrition weren’t correct at all. Here’s a list of standard dietary components, along with brief descriptions of their potential adverse effects on the human body:
- Sugar. Excessive consumption of sugar is linked to weight gain. Increases risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. In addition, sugar is a highly addictive substance. Eight times more than heroin.
- High-fructose Corn Syrup is a simple concentrate of sugar. It is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, liver damage, and an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.
- Starchy foods (Refined Grains) lack essential nutrients and fiber, leading to rapid blood sugar spikes, weight gain, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Ultra-processed foods often contain high levels of unhealthy additives and preservatives and have low nutritional value. They are linked to weight gain, metabolic issues, and adverse effects on overall health.
- Seed Oils (e.g., Canola, Sunflower, soybean, Corn, and many others). The high omega-6 fatty acids in seed oils can lead to an imbalance with omega-3 fatty acids, promoting inflammation. This can contribute to various chronic diseases.
- Trans Fats. For example, margarine is linked to heart disease, inflammation, and an increased risk of cardiovascular issues. Many countries have banned or limited their use.
The reason you can’t lose weight
For that reason, it is a good idea to educate ourselves about our food choices. When you know more about all the stuff you can get from your grocery store, why you can’t lose weight is apparent. It’s important to note that moderation and balance are vital to maintaining a healthy diet. Understanding the potential adverse effects of confident food choices can empower individuals to make informed nutrition and overall well-being decisions.
I don’t believe them. In my story “How to lose weight,” I said I trashed a lot of foods. I made the above general list of bad stuff. Let’s make it more detailed. I got rid of everything in boxes, from pasta to fake instant soups. Now is the time to surprise you a little bit. Rise, potatoes, garlic, and carrots became my enemies. Whatever was growing under the soil went out. In case you forgot about fructose, Fruits contain it in large amounts, so I didn’t keep them. They went out.
To summarise, there are no fruits and vegetables in my kitchen. For many people, this approach means torture. I don’t blame them. I understand. Sugar is addictive, and we are addicted to it. But even so, all plants we eat also contain carbohydrates and compounds similar to morphine.
Poisons
Nonetheless, to plants, mass media bombard us with how beef is terrible for health. We are under extensive plant-based diet propaganda. All celebrities advocate a vegan lifestyle. Eat plants; all greens are good for you.
I want to tell you something to consider. Plants are living organisms. However, they are stationary; they don’t walk or run. What do you think? What is their self-defense mechanism? Poisons. They want to discourage us and other animals from eating them. Looking at the foods I mentioned above, you will notice that everything is made of plants.
Beef
I mention above about highly processed food. What about meat? What about red meat? Red meat in present days is demonized. But when you spend some time searching the history of the food industry, you will be surprised. I don’t want to make this article unnecessarily long because it was about how I lost almost 120 lbs. Why do I mention beef? When you base your diet on beef and other meats, you need to exclude highly processed meats; in a very short time, you lose weight.
Right now, almost 50% of the US population is obese. As a society, we stick to the SAD diet. We suffer from all types of metabolic diseases, and we don’t know what to do. To be sure, you may apply the three easy steps:
In the first place, we need to adopt a low-carb diet.
Second, we need to advocate for high-quality meats.
In third place, society needs to remove from its environment all harmful additives.
In brief, if you are reading this article, you are lucky enough because I am happy to share one of the best beefs in the USA with you. You can read more about beef here. I am so glad I finally got access to such good-quality food. I generally advocate for a meat-based diet instead of a plant-based one.
How to Lose Weight – Final Thoughts.
Here, I present the principles I have stuck to for about eight months.
- I stopped eating sugar, soft drinks, and alcohol.
- I stopped eating bread, pizza, pasta, and other wheat products you can think of.
- I stopped eating any vegetables with high glucose index. I limited myself to iceberg lettuce and cucumbers as a salad with sour cream and vinegar as dressing.
- I stopped using milk, yogurts, and kefirs; as a snack, I was eating hard cheeses.
- No more any type of chips.
- I stopped using seed oils. I replaced them with tallow, lard, butter, and MCT oil.
- I stopped using olive oil because I didn’t trust its quality. Olives come from different parts of the world, and I wasn’t sure where they came from. If you like olive oil, look for Single-Origin, Organic olive Oil.
According to the list above, a solution to losing weight looks easy. However, the beginning was challenging because of our food habits, sugar addiction, and wrong eating patterns. Besides eliminating poisons, I adopted intermittent fasting.
Fasting.
I sipped breakfast in the first place. I replaced it with black coffee, one teaspoon of MCT oil, and a piece of butter. Until now, it has been my breakfast. Generally speaking, it doesn’t break your fast. Four times a week, I ate only once a day. When you fuel your body with fat, prolonged periods of not eating don’t bother you. For me, it was hilarious not to think about food. I was able to focus on other things. I was much more productive.
Furthermore, the ability to focus gets better, and cognitive function improves. It was amazing when I started reading books with pleasure again. At the same time, my energy levels went up so high. To illustrate, I remodeled my apartment without help. I did all the needed work, including some construction, by myself. Without a doubt, I TRANSFORMED MYSELF.
Since this is a strict approach to food choices, you may ask what I eat. Thus, I eat beef, chicken legs with fatty skin, a lot of eggs, and pork from time to time. And yes, I have to admit my diet up to date looks boring. My plate doesn’t look colorful. The choice I made wasn’t to make my eyes happy but to heal myself. Therefore, my decision wasn’t to indulge myself but to get the desired effect.
Eat food as medicine, not medication as food.
After years of trying to lose weight and looking for solutions, I did it. My principles were to get rid of carbohydrates in any form and stick to the meats. In effect, I lost almost 120 lbs, and my hypertension vanished in thin air. However, I am no more pre-diabetic. Isn’t that enough? I had excellent support from my mother and vice versa. And yet, it wasn’t easy for both of us. Her A1c dropped from 8.7 to 6.2. We are going to recheck her blood sugar very soon. My mom’s endocrinologist cut half her doses of metformin and canceled her insulin injections. Aren’t remarkable achievements?
Because of my actions, many people who saw my transformation started asking me what happened. I made new friends, and some were inspired to follow my path.
I think we made the right decision. In short, we applied KETO principles to our lives. We got the result we were aiming for. I believe you can also achieve the same results. Nothing is magical; it’s just our body’s response to our food. I want to refer to THE PROPER HUMAN DIED proposed by Dr. Ken Berry. In addition, from my perspective, I lean toward becoming a carnivore.
