When people ask me how I have managed to lose over 65lbs and keep it off I will generally point to 3 things…what I eat, when I eat, and exercise. These principles are nothing new and have been time tested for millennia. The formula seems pretty straightforward: eat less than you need and burn off what you don’t. Presto! Weight loss.
Of course, if you have struggled with losing weight or being fit and healthy then you know that this approach is overly simplistic and that reality is much more nuanced.
The fact is, the types of calories you are consuming matter almost as much as the number of calories you are putting in your pie hole. Further, the kind of exercise you do is as important as how much exercise you get.
And it is found in these small nuances that you will achieve success or experience failure with weight loss.
Today though, I want to focus on the second piece of the formula: when you eat.
After being diagnosed with Type II diabetes, I learned that every time you eat your body produces an insulin response. Because I am insulin resistant, the key to losing and maintaining my weight is simply managing the number of insulin responses my body has in a given day. That essentially means limiting the number of times I eat every day.
That’s where intermittent fasting comes into play. There is a ton of science behind why intermittent fasting is so effective (even for non-diabetics) and if you are interested in that science I would encourage you to read an excellent book about this topic called The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung. (On a side note, I wrote a full review about this book that you can read here)
If you are unfamiliar with intermittent fasting it simply means not eating anything during a block of time and only eating in the time that is left. So, for example, if you are on a 16/8 fasting schedule that would mean that you are eating during an 8-hour window and fasting the other 16 hours. You may decide to eat from 11am to 7pm and then not eat anything until 11am the next day.
Or, your schedule may be 20/4. Maybe you are eating from noon to 4pm and fasting the rest of the time. Hardcore fasters may choose to eat just one meal per day. In the fasting world you may see this expressed as OMAD (one meal a day).
Fasting can be intimidating for a lot of people. We are so used to our western diet schedule of eating 3 meals a day with plenty of snacks in between that we can’t fathom how we could possibly fast and go without.
But, trust me. If I can do it, then anyone can do it. That being said, here are three tips to help you maintain a good fasting schedule.
Tip #1: Start Small and Work Up
When I first started fasting my eating schedule was completely out of control. I would generally wake up, eat a huge carb heavy breakfast, then a snack around mid-morning, then lunch, another snack in the afternoon around 3pm when the sugar cravings hit, dinner around 6 or 7, and then bowls of sugary cereal in the evening. And I wondered why I was fat.
So, when I started fasting I thought it was going to be really hard to limit my eating times. That’s why I decided to start on a 16/8 schedule. I would eat 3 meals per day, but only between 11am and 7pm. It was difficult the first few days, but after that it got progressively easier. After a few weeks it was pretty easy, so I narrowed my window to 18/6 and would only eat between 11am and 5pm. I also reduced my meals down to two instead of 3.
After a few more weeks I went to a 20/4 schedule, eating between 11am and 3pm. Then I went to one meal a day after that.
Now that I am more experienced with IF and have reached my goal weight, I am back to a 20/4 schedule with 2 meals. It can still be hard not to eat late at night sometimes, but it isn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be.
My advice then is to start small. Get in the rhythm and habit of fasting and build from there.
Tip #2: Drink LOTS of Liquids
By liquids I mean water, coffee, or tea. Not beer or soda…sorry, those don’t count! In general, you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces in water every day. That means that for me, since I weigh about 165lbs, I need to drink at least 83oz of water per day. I usually shoot for 100oz, but you get the point.
When I wake up in the morning I do 2 things: I make a big pot of coffee for myself and my wife and I grab my 33oz water bottle out of the refrigerator. I read, study, journal, and blog first thing in the morning and I drink my coffee and water while doing so. I will refill that water bottle twice during the day and drink it throughout, but getting in the coffee and the 33oz right away helps curb any morning hunger pangs and keeps me hydrated and feeling full.
Most of the time, when you think you are hungry you are really just thirsty. Try drinking a big glass of water before eating anything and a lot of times you will find that your craving for food goes away.
I have a really high tolerance for caffeine so coffee and tea are my go-tos in the afternoon when I am craving those sugary treats that I used to indulge in. I will usually add just a splash of cream to my coffee to knock the color off and avoid artificial sweeteners altogether.
If a cup of coffee or tea at 3 or 4pm would keep you up all night (like it does my wife) then try decaf. It really helps drinking something in the late afternoon that feels more substantial than water and will go a long way in helping you curb your appetite.
Tip #3: Brush and Floss Your Teeth After Your Last Meal
This may sound like strange advice, but for me, the act of brushing my teeth after the last meal of the day means I am “done” eating. Psychologically it helps my mind and body accept that I am not eating again that day and it really keeps me on track. It’s weird, but it works.
I am guessing it has something to do with the triggers in my mind that have been established through routine and habit. Use these triggers as leverage. Make no mistake, you are at war with your body and all is fair in love and war. Manipulate, cajole, beg, lie, cheat, and steal to win this war. Your health and longevity depend on it. Use whatever tricks and manipulation you have to in order to get your body to comply.
You can be self-loving and kind to yourself after you have established new habits. Right now though, it’s gloves off. Take control and get on track.
Intermittent fasting changed my life. It’s not for everyone, but I would urge you to just try it at least to see if you experience the benefits as I have. Make no mistake, it’s going to be hard. You WILL be hungry and miserable for a bit. That is normal. Your body is so used to eating whenever and whatever it wants that any sort of limitations on quantities of food or your schedule will induce feelings of panic, FOMO, and longing. That’s ok. You’re not going to die. Your body has everything it needs to stay alive. The pain is temporary, but the benefits are forever.
Good luck, and let me know if you have any other tips that help you in the comments below. I would love to hear from you about what is working for your situation!
Let me preface this blog article with the following disclaimer:
I am not an outdoorsy type of guy. I NEVER go camping, much less by myself and I am what people might refer to as an “avid indoorsman”. My idea of roughing it is a hotel with no room service.
Which is why I am perfectly qualified to review this tent. If an outdoor novice like me can use it, then anyone can use it. Also, down below I have a video showing me putting it up and taking it down so you can see how easy it is. There is also a link to purchase the tent if you like it. (That link opens up to Amazon and is an affiliate link, meaning I will get paid a small commission if you make a purchase. Purchasing through my link doesn’t cost you anything additional and you absolutely do not have to purchase from my link if you don’t want to.)
For whatever reason, I got a hankering to go camping a few weeks ago. Maybe it was because I feel like I am cooped up working from home all the time or just wanted to get up into the mountains and chill a bit, but whatever the reason, I made the decision to go. We have a tent, but it sleeps 6, is an absolute nightmare to put up and take down, and just wouldn’t be a good fit for what I wanted to do.
(As an aside, I don’t know who the sick bastards are that created the tent and tent bag, but was it really necessary to make the tent bag much smaller than the rolled up tent itself? This seems contraindicated in my opinion and causes me no small amount of grief as I wrestle with the tent, trying to shove it back into ridiculously small tent bag while my family watches me sweat and curse. Anyway, back to the review…)
So, I went online to search for a tent that would do the trick. I wanted a small, 2-person tent that was easy to set up and take down, would keep me dry, and was high quality but not too expensive.
Out of all the choices I found, I decided to go with the ABCOSport Pop Up Tent. I was a little worried about it being high enough quality and sturdy enough for my needs, but the reviews were good and it was only $69.99 so I decided to roll the dice.
My first impressions were that it came packaged up kind of weird. I guess I expected it to be rolled up, but it came packaged flat and round. After extracting it from the packaging, it made sense why. The tent poles are built into the tent itself and are collapsible so that you can fold it up easily.
When I took it out of the package it was contained in a zippered pouch with straps for carrying it. It is extremely lightweight and easy to handle, if a bit awkward. But, it fit in my car fine.
At the campsite I unzipped the pouch and pulled the tent out. You are supposed to simply fling it in the air and it “pops” open, fully assembled. As I let go of the tent it did indeed pop open just as a gust of wind came in through the campsite. That gust threatened to carry my tent away with it as I scrambled to grab it before it went heading down the side of the mountain leaving yours truly in a bit of a pickle, so to speak.
Anyway, after that bit of excitement, I was able to get it all staked down and secured. The inside was surprisingly roomy and seemed bigger than it was. It can fit 2 people easily.
The inside has some sort of UV coating that reflects heat and keeps the inside at a pleasant temperature. Two mesh windows on either side allow for a cross breeze if needed.
As I bedded down for the night, it got really cold up in the mountains, but the UV coating played its part and keep it relatively warm inside. In fact, I had brought an extra blanket in case I got cold, but didn’t end up needing it at all. It was surprisingly comfortable inside.
The next morning I awoke, expecting to be damp from the dew, but it was dry as a bone inside. No problems whatsoever. It was also a testament to how well the tent retained my heat, because stepping outside the next morning it was a good 10-15 degrees cooler outside than inside.
Taking the tent down was almost as easy as putting it up. With just 5 simple folds, I got the tent collapsed and put back into its pouch with minimal effort. It was actually enjoyable to go camping this time without having to worry about the tent situation.
Overall, I was very pleased with the functionality of the tent as well as how easy it was to setup and take down. If you are looking for a reliable, sturdy, inexpensive tent that you can manage easily by yourself, give this one a shot.
To see it in action, check out the video below…
Did you ever read the Harry Potter series or watch the movies? I think I have probably read the books 4-5 times each and watched the movies at least twice that I can think of.
Anyway, there’s a moment in the story where Harry is competing in the Tri-Wizard Tournament and has to navigate through a maze to reach the Tri-Wizard Cup and win the contest. Shortly after entering the maze he comes upon this golden mist. Unsure of what to do he boldly steps into it and immediately the entire world is turned upside down. Harry freezes in place, feeling as if he is dangling dangerously upside down, too terrified to move. Franticly he weighs his options. Should he attempt to lift his foot off the ground? Doing so feels as if he would fall into the sky. Or, should he give up and send up sparks from his wand, indicating he needed rescued? That would mean losing the tournament and bring no small measure of shame.
He decides to try and take a step forward. Closing his eyes tightly, fear in his heart, he lifts his foot to step forward. As soon as he does so, the world turns right side up again and he is free to keep moving forward.
It is sometimes very simple to dismiss books, movies, or other stories as fiction and not worth exploration or understanding. But, most stories are based on fundamental human issues that have plagued generations before us, wrestled with, and (sometimes) solved. It is expedient to give these stories our attention because in most cases, they can teach us a great deal about life.
Metaphorically speaking, Harry stepping into the unknown when his world is up-ended is something that we all face at some point in our life. Things will go awry, mistakes will be made, pain suffered. We need to know how to navigate these instances as they come.
So, what was the solution to the problem at hand? Making that first bold step towards regaining a sense of order.
That was it. Taking a simple step forward. Harry didn’t have to perform some complex bit of magic, lay out some grand scheme, call on the help of countless others, or make some drastic choice.
To be sure, the choice he did make called for courage. It demanded bravery. But it wasn’t complex. It was a simple step forward.
In order for you (or me) to change anything in our lives, we have to make that first step. Sometimes that step can be scary. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming. Yet, at other times it can feel as if taking such a small step won’t make any sort of noticeable impact at all. And you could be right…but that isn’t the point.
The point is to get moving. To get the proverbial ball moving. To simply start.
After all, starting is usually the hardest part. Once you have started, generated some momentum, and moved forward a bit you will begin to experience a snowball effect. That momentum will make the next step and the next and the next easier, and easier, and easier. Soon, you will wonder why you didn’t take that first step sooner.
So, take that step. Get your world right side up again. Then keep moving. Keep stepping. Change is just around the corner.
If you are ready to take that first step, try this one: download a free copy of my ebook, Take Your Life Back: A Practical Guide to Self-Creation by clicking on the image below. In it, I lay out the exact strategy I used to get my world right side up again. Give it a read. It's free, and who knows, it could change your life.
Growing up in Louisiana, we engaged in all manner of hunting, fishing, and catching things…frogs, snakes, crawfish, catfish, deer, raccoons, rabbits, and whatever else we could get our hands on, our hooks into, or sighted in with a rifle.
This led to a fairly interesting childhood with nary a dull moment. I remember leaving the house during the summer when school was out at 7am and not returning until 9pm or 10pm at night. We’d go out into the woods, the bayous, and “the ditch” behind our neighborhood and stay there all day long, every single day. I don’t remember what I did for food or water…peeing wasn’t a problem, anywhere we could whip it out and let go would work, but the fulfillment of other basic necessities escapes me at the moment. I know I didn’t die, so it must not have been so bad.
I remember one day having a discussion with one of my pals about trying to catch some raccoons. I must have been 10 or 12 probably and we weren’t allowed to hunt at night, which is generally the only time you can hunt a raccoon since they are nocturnal. As we sat brainstorming, I remembered a story I had read in Where the Red Fern Grows, which I had just recently completed reading. (Yep, I was that much of a bookworm that I actually read for fun, even during the summer when school had let out.)
I recounted the story to my friend. The way to catch a raccoon is to find a big log and bore a hole into it about a half inch in diameter. You’d drop something shiny down in the hole, a bit of tin foil maybe, and then nail four nails in at an angle on four sides of the hole. The idea was that the raccoon, attracted by the shiny tin, would reach down into the hole, grab ahold of the tin foil and attempt to pull his little paw out.
Unfortunately for the raccoon, his paw would now be bigger coming out than it was going in on account of the fist he made while holding onto the tin foil, and when he tried pulling it out it would snag on the nails, thus trapping him.
My friend thought for a moment and then, “Wait! All he’d have to do is drop the tin and he could get out!”
But I was ready for him and countered, “Yeah but raccoons are dumb and for some reason they just won’t let go of the tin, even if it means saving themselves!”
That made perfect sense to two 10-year old boys so we set out to find a suitable log and build our trap. After getting it all set up and checking on it every few days with nary a coon to be seen, we abandoned the project and turned our attention to other things. Thus, our short stint as coon hunters came to an abrupt end.
But, there’s a lesson to be found here. Two of them actually.
The first is to beware shiny objects. They aren’t always what they seem and chasing them could lead to entrapment…loss of focus and wasted time and/or money.
The second lesson has to do with sacrifice. By grabbing onto the tin and not letting go, the raccoon is willing to sacrifice the whole for the part. Like the dumbass raccoon, so many times in life we refuse to let go of things that are keeping us trapped.
These could be toxic relationships, past traumas, time invested into a business or career, or anything else that gives us potential momentary pleasure at the expense of long-term benefit.
Sometimes you just have to let go. It can be hard and painful. Trying and traumatic. But necessary for progress. What are the things keeping you trapped? Cut them. Cut them now and free yourself.
If you need some tools to help you do that, you may be interested in checking out my free ebook, Take Your Life Back: A Practical Guide to Self-Creation...download it for free by clicking on the image below...
I could see the end of the trail just up ahead. The problem was, I didn’t think I was going to make it there. My lungs were on fire, my legs felt like dead weight, and I wanted to give up so badly. As I plodded along, putting one foot in front of the other, I willed myself to keep going. I absolutely could not let myself quit.
I bargained with myself - if I could just make it there then I could stop running and walk at a leisurely pace. I would reward myself later with something that I wanted. A treat of some kind. Just don’t quit on me.
I cajoled - come on man, you can do this. You are good enough. You are worth it. You deserve this.
I pleaded - please don’t stop. I know you want to. But please keep going.
I berated myself - stop being a pussy. Keep running! You got this! If you quit now you are going to be disgusted with yourself. Don’t you dare quit on me!
That last little bit actually helped. It made me angry at myself for coming so far and then wanting to quit with the end so close. I don’t recommend this strategy necessarily, but in my case, at that moment, it spurred me on.
By this account you may assume that I was taking on some giant undertaking like running a marathon or competing in a triathlon. Maybe I was doing some SEAL training in my spare time or finishing up the 75 Hard program.
Nah. I was trying to finish a mile without dying.
See, I hadn’t run for any meaningful distance at all in over a decade. Although I had recently lost a significant amount of weight, I was in no shape to run anywhere. A mile might as well have been a marathon.
But, I had slowly been working up to that goal of running a mile without stopping for a couple months. I started by running for one minute without stopping. Then I bumped it to 3 minutes. Then a quarter of a mile, then a half mile and so on. Until finally, that day, I made it a mile without stopping.
As I crossed the “finish line” I slowed to a walk, hands on hips, breathing deeply in gasping breaths. I looked up at the sky and emotion overcame me. Tears began streaming down my face and I contemplated the progress that I had made.
Just months before I had begun this journey in an act of desperation. It was much more than my health. More than just being overweight. I didn’t care for myself much at all. I was literally eating myself to death. It was the only comfort I had as my entire life crumbled down around me.
So that mile wasn’t just a mile. It was a tangible result of my grit, my ambition, my determination. It was something for me to point to and say (at least to myself), I conquered that mountain and I am proud of you for not giving up. The mile was representative of the internal transformation I had gone through to make my life better, and by extension, the lives of my family, my friends, the people I work with, and dare I say, my community, better.
As we embark on a journey of transformation, we necessarily improve everything around us. Like a virus (but a good one), our positivity infects everyone in our vicinity. They see us working on ourselves, they see the struggle, and the wins, and the pig-headed determination to not let setbacks become permanent, and they say, “I want that too.” And they begin their own journey of transformation. That then spreads out to their sphere, infecting others around them, like infinite ripples in a pond.
Your life is felt by many. Start with yourself, and watch how it makes the world a better place.
If you don’t believe in yourself, well I do. So there. Go be the person you know you are capable of becoming. Start small if you have to. But start. The world is waiting. And so is your future self. Make them proud.