"It was exactly three years ago, that I decided to take back control of my life. I was 5’11, 220 lbs in February of 2018. My waist was creeping up on 38 inches and every time I went to a physician, I was told I needed to be on high blood pressure medication. I had always been athletic; weight training and trail running were my passions, but like they say, you can’t out train a bad diet, especially in your late 40’s.
The Chipotle burritos and nightly (big) glass of vino were taking their toll. I have tried EVERY diet under the sun, with the exception of macros/calorie counting/IIFYM. I thought it was too much work, but of course, I was wrong. Once I got the hang of it, it was the easiest thing ever. I bought a food scale, did some basic calculations on how much calories/protein I needed to maintain muscle growth and lose weight simultaneously. I weight trained in the morning and went for a walk at night.
After six months, I was down 30 lbs, shedded six inches off my waist and felt better than ever. Now, two and half years later, I am 180 lbs, (40 lbs loss total) and am continuing to enjoy life. Ar 48, I feel better than at any time in my 20’s or 30’s. I cheat once in awhile but mostly love eating clean healthy food; that’s what my body wants, so that’s what it gets.
Now, I use the “Lose It” app for food tracking (it’s ridiculously simple), weight train 5-6 days a week, and hike 2x a week. Tricks I found most helpful: Measure and manage your progress, but be gentle with yourself. There will be setbacks, cheat days and even cheat weekends, but always go back to your plan and be patient. Find low calorie (satiating) foods (hacks) that you enjoy to replace unhealthy high calorie choices. Train hard in the gym and walk as much as you can. Best of luck!"
