How I lost 50 pounds by doing one thing
All I had to do was count
That’s right. I just decided to count calories.
I did not change my diet or start exercising.
It was about a little over a decade ago, and I weighed almost 240 pounds. I was obese. My quality of life was pretty bad.
I decided I needed to change something.
I tried exercising and dieting. I had success for a few days, and I was back to my old habits. Some bad habits die hard, and that was true with my excess food consumption.
I remember reading a study about changing behaviors. The author claimed that counting influenced behavior change. If you wanted to drink more water, then counting how many cups of water would help you consume more water over time. The same was true with losing weight. If you counted the calories you were eating every day, you would be more conscious about calorie consumption and consume less over time.
This concept seemed too good to be true. What did I have to lose by trying it?
I downloaded a calorie-counting app and started my journey.
I entered my current weight, my desired weight, and how fast I wanted to lose it. I entered I wanted to drop to 180 pounds in six months. To achieve this goal, I had to reduce my caloric intake from approximately 3000 to less than 1500.
The first week was surprising. I was overshooting my targets. I was eating closer to the 3000 calories I needed to maintain my weight. I chose not to let it discourage me. This was just an experiment after all.
A month later, I found I was eating slightly less, and I had lost some weight. The trend continued.
It didn’t take me six months. (I purposely put an aggressive goal in the app.)
It took me almost two years to lose those 50 pounds. I lost the most weight within the first six months. The weight loss was at a slower pace after that.
I lost 50 pounds, and I did not change my diet. I still had not exercised.
Over time, I realized that diet and exercise were essential. I have been a vegetarian since then and attempt to exercise. (I need a better exercise regimen though.)
I have ranged between 150 and 180 pounds since then. Most recently, I reached 180 pounds due to the 20 pounds I have gained since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A couple of weeks ago, I became committed to losing my pandemic weight when the scale reached 182.
I remembered my calorie-counting experiment and decided to give it a try. This situation would be slightly different since I have an exercise routine where I’m trying to strengthen my muscles and core. I would be gaining some muscle weight that would offset some of my fat loss.
I have been counting calories for about three weeks now. I have lost a little over three pounds, and my pants fit better.
I hope my experience helps you with your weight management.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or weight loss expert. Consult your doctor before starting a new weight management program.
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