How I Lost 25kg in 9 months and Here's How You Can Do It too

 

I previously wrote about my weight loss journey where I lost 20kg over 6 months. That was in October last year and by the end of December, I lost another 5 kg to go below 70kg for the first time since I was in Secondary School.

So there you go, a total of 25kg lost over 9 months. But I do know that weight was unsustainable so presently, I weight about 73kg (74kg on cheat days 😁). Still not too bad as I have been somewhat maintaining it since the start of 2021... although I would like to think the increase is weight was due to the build-up of muscle mass. 😆

In any case, I have been reluctant to write this follow-up post because when your weight have fluctuated widly for at least the past 25 years (up to 105kg at one point), you know very well that today's lean weight could be tomorrow's banana skin for 'flexing' my weight loss publicly.

But it has been slightly over 15 months, and I am still watching my diet and exercising regularly. Heck, I even completed two firsts within 3 months - a half-marathon in May and a full marathon in July this year. So I think I should share my experience.

Because if this helps to inspire even one fellow parent, or any other individual, then it will be worth it. Plus the fact that putting this out in the public domain is a form of accountability for me to hold myself accountable... so that I will not let my weight creep up again. 😅

How to start losing weight?

First and foremost though, let me preface this by saying I'm NOT a trainer, I'm NOT an athlete, and neither am I a fitness blogger. And I'm sure not a doctor. I'm just a regular guy with a (huge) Dad bod, decided one day to do something about it and just went about doing it.

Motivational speakers often say, "When you understand your WHY, you will know the HOW." And that applies to weight loss too. Why do you want to lose weight? For me, it because I wanted to be healthier for my family. Simple as that.

So if you understand why are you doing this, the know-how is the easier part.

I began by taking my starting weight (95kg). Then I wrote down my 'boomerang weight' - the weight (84kg) that I always hit whenever I tried a fad diet in the past, be it intermittent fasting, crash diet or a carb-free one.

I made hitting that target weight of 84kg my first goal in my weight-loss journey. Why? Because I hit that weight before so I know I can achieve that. The only difference this time is I will be using a sensible plan comprising of exercise and diet to achieve it.

Next, I wrote down my target weight (75kg). This is a number that I know I will be over the moon if I could achieve it. So when setting a target weight for yourself, do not aim for an unrealistic figure; like what you used to weigh when you were in school, but choose a number that you feel that you will be really grateful for if your goal is attained.

There must be a lifestyle AND mentality change

Weight loss can be tough, no two ways about it. There are NO shorcuts. Which is why most people fail after a few months because the weight loss doesn't seem to be making any more progress and they give up.

So right from the beginning, I told myself that this time, I will not allow it to suffer the same fate as my previous weight loss attempts. 

I have to change both my lifestyle and mindset.

I need to form better exercise and eating habits and a lifestyle that is sustainable. So coming up with a plan at the onset is crucial. 

Exercise and Diet

If you had read my previous post, these are the things that I set out to do that were markedly different from my previous weight loss attempts:

- I exercise at least 6 times a week with each session ranging from 30 minutes to 90 minutes. I do a mix of excercises: cardio, HIIT, weight-training, kickboxing, muscle-focused and even stretching. The key is to be active, even on days when you feel lazy. Even a simple 20-min stretching exercise is better than lying on your bed and scrolling through your IG feed.

- I also go for weekly jogs, usually two to three times a week. This is on top of my exercises in the morning.

- I started by going for a weekly hike in Singapore together with the whole family. We have visited numerous parks and even off-the-beaten-track places so far, and you can see our weekly adventures on my Facebook and Instagram accounts. If you are adverse to exercising, going on hikes frequently is also a good way of keeping active.

- For meals, I try to avoid carbs for at least 2 meals a day. This isn't set in stone but if I do eat carbs, I only finish half the portion now.

- I eat a serving of fruits every morning after each workout, mainly low sugar fruits like jambu and guava. They contain a lot of fibre too, so that keeps me full for a longer period. 

- Breakfast consists of rolled oats, muesli... and sometimes bread - but only if the wifey bakes them at home. For muesli, I go for those with low sugar content and avoid those with dried fruits. Lunch is where I can afford myself to a little carbs while I totally avoid carbs for dinner.

Putting everything together

Let me be clear, the first month for me was torturous.

On some days during the first month, I dread getting up in the morning because I knew I had to exercise. But I pushed through it because I wanted to hold myself accountable.

Now, everything is like clockwork. In fact, I have grown so used to sweating it out on a daily basis that if for some reason, I can't workout in the morning, I will make it up with a session in the evening.

I also made it my neurotic priority to close ALL of my rings on my Apple Watch. Til today, I still make it a point to hit my daily goal of burning 620 calories and exercising for 50 minutes. On days where I only do a 30-minute exercise, I would try to find ways to make up the shortfall by walking to the supermarket to pick up groceries or the kopitiam to buy food.

All rings closed for the entire month

Yes, it may seem maniacal but it works for me. And why did I do it, and am still doing it now?

Because I was mentally ready to. It’s that simple.

Excercise alone can make you lose weight.

Going on a fad diet alone can make you lose weight.

Eating healthily alone can make you lose weight.

But it will not last.

It can only bring you to your 'boomerang weight'. Which is why once you stop doing what you are doing, the weight rebounds.

Getting to your target weight requires more than just exercising and eating right. You have to have a good mental plan for sticking with your weight loss goal.

Consistency is key.

And once there is consistency, habits will be formed.

Which probably explains why I was crazy enough to complete my first-ever Full Marathon last month! 🤪

That was what worked for me and hopefully, it will continue to do so.

I’ll leave you with this…

The weight loss journey comes from the development of habits. I have learnt that it is important to improve the good ones and remove the bad ones, if you are serious in reaching your target weight.

This will only come through with consistency.

And with consistency, I have made losing weight a habit rather than a chore. So now, maintaining my weight is has become a way of life rather than a restriction.

If you have been wanting to lose some weight, or just lead a more active lifestyle, I hope I have inspired you to do so. I am sorry if you were expecting some magic potion because there isn't.

It is purely just hard work, consistency and daily habits.

Wishing you a successful journey towards your target weight! If you have anything to ask, feel free to drop me a PM via Facebook or Instagram. I will be most happy to share. 😃