Over the past five months, I lost 10 kilograms, going from 86kg down to nearly 75kg. This wasn’t about extreme dieting or marathon workouts; it was all about small, sustainable changes that you could also try. Here’s what helped me make it happen.
Walking More: The 10,000+ Step Target
To increase daily movement without hitting the gym constantly, I started taking day trips and long city walks, aiming to reach over 10,000 steps each day. Tracking steps with a fitness band kept me on point. Tip: Find outdoor activities and walk there if possible, like going to school or work.
Managing Junk Food Cravings
Early in my journey, cravings for junk food were a challenge. To counter this, I decided not to bring any junk food home. Instead, I stocked up on low-calorie fruits and caffeine-free herbal teas, which helped satisfy cravings without adding unnecessary calories, generally given by fats. Tip: Avoid keeping tempting foods around. If they’re out of sight, they’re less likely to disrupt your goals. Plus, herbal teas can help keep you hydrated and stave off hunger between meals.
Keeping My Regular Exercise Routine
My exercise routine stayed consistent, mainly focusing on bodybuilding, with occasional light running. This approach allowed me to keep up my strength training without adding extra physical strain. By sticking to my usual workout, I could focus my energy on making changes in other areas of my lifestyle without feeling overwhelmed.
Adding Low-Impact Cardio
After each workout, I started biking at the gym, which helped reduce lactic acid and gave me a chance to relax mentally. I’d watch something on YouTube, making it a simple cool-down.
I suggest to start small with about 10 minutes and gradually go up to 30-40 minutes if you enjoy it. Keep it low-key and fun.
Sleeping Better for Better Hunger Control
Keeping a sleep routine and limiting caffeine after 17:00 made my sleep more consistent, which had a noticeable impact. With better sleep, I felt less hungry during the day, and overall energy was higher.
Staying Focused on Other Parts of Life to Manage Hunger
With university studies and my software development projects, staying mentally engaged helped me stay distracted from food cravings. When I’d get deep into a topic, the desire for food would just disappear. I also took a few day trips to explore new places, giving me breaks while staying active.
Focus Tip: Staying mentally engaged, whether it’s work, hobbies, or something new, keeps you from fixating on food.
Staying Hydrated
This is often overlooked but hydration is super important to feel more satiety, for example I drank more water, herbal tea, and zero-calorie sweet drinks, all this helped manage hunger.
Small Tweaks to Diet
My main diet change was lowering my carb intake while keeping fats at a healthy level. I also added more low-calorie fruit and vegetable which immensely helped.
Tip: Learn new recipes with vegetables or fruit, my top 3 are: cous cous with chicken and mixed vegetables, noodles with broth of vegetables and microwaved apples with cinnamon, this is the best before sleep!
Results
The results came with more than just weight loss. My resting heart rate dropped by nearly 10 points, and my basal heart rate variability (HRV) increased from 100 to around 120. My advice to anyone looking for sustainable weight loss is to make it about balancing life: stay active, get good sleep, and focus on other areas of life.