[warrioraks]

The credit of this post goes to D’Bhpian – graaja. I came across his thread (Fat to Fit - A journal of my fitness journey) couple of months back and that motivated me to pen-down my story. The lazy guy in me kept procrastinating till now and it took quiet some time to get to this. Never the less here we are.
Before I go any further, let me call out that this post is going to be about my wellness journey and the smaller things that changed my life. If you are a fitness freak or value advanced techniques to good health, then this thread would be of minimal use to you.

Prologue
I have been over-weight for majority of the last decade. Think of any typical lazy guy/couch potato around you and that is pretty much me. Being an arm-chair general worried about his health, I have tried to make efforts in the past. There have been brief periods where I tried to gym, jog, do yoga, swimming but could never sustain it beyond the initial hype of 1-2 months. Unsurprisingly there were no significant health benefits that I experienced because of this start-stop pattern. This hopping from one activity to another made me realize that yours truly and exercising don’t go along very well and hence I stopped trying.
Over past few years, I have also come across threads on Tbhp where I saw members commenting that they are fitter now as compared to 10 years ago. These stories were highly motivating and showed me that all is not lost. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm always turned out to be short-lived. No doubt looking at other people’s fitness journey and comments is always motivating. But the key is to follow through on your resolutions. In my case, I made resolutions everytime I saw an inspiring post but eventually these ended up where all new year resolutions end – in a garbage bin along with all the empty pizza boxes and ice-cream tubs that yours truly had ravaged!

I have structured the write-up in 4 brief sections:
1. The transformation - things that mattered
2. Things that I tried without success
3. The impact - Things that I did not expect would happen
4. Wrapup

[warrioraks]

The transformation - Things that mattered
I have typically weighed between 90 to 100 kgs over the last 5 years. Being a foodie with a sweet tooth led me to pile up kgs over kgs. A stressful work-life involving occasional travel did not help. In hind-sight, these seem to be excuses for not doing what had to be done.
Sometime last year, I was reading a book on Wellness that mentioned - '70% of the diseases in human body relate to our digestive system health'.
Being a lazy guy with aversion to exercising, this was a god-sent fact. The way I read it was – just changing my eating habits could improve my health without compromising on my lazy/sedentary lifestyle

I planned to give it a shot and if my memory serves well, 1st December 2020 was when I started introducing some of these changes.
At the fundamental level, the eating habits align to promoting an alkaline diet for the body. If you google on benefits of an alkaline diet, you will find supporters as well as detractors of this concept. Maybe because every person has a different body style and there is no one size fits solution for all. In my case specifically, things have worked out well. There have been changes, big and small that I have made over the last 4-5 months. I am sharing the bigger ones since I am not sure of the benefits of the smaller ones except for providing a feel good factor or a placebo. Let's get into the heart of the matter:


1. Cutting down on refined sugar – I have ALMOST eliminated refined sugar from my diet. My sugar intake now comes from natural sources like fruits, wheat, etc. For anyone planning to cut down on refined sugar, FRUITS are the biggest saviors. My fruit intake has gone significantly up and saying that I relish my fruits would be an under-statement.

2. Last meal of the day 3-4 hours before sleeping – Some studies recommended that we hit the bed on an empty stomach and having dinner early certainly helps. After going through graaja’s thread, I got to know that there is a concept called Intermittent Fasting (IF). Following this habit is my way of baking some IF in the routine. It was tough initially because of midnight hunger pangs, but slowly and steadily the body gets into the routine and you would not even feel like having something after 8 or 9 pm in the night. Now I am wiser than I was 5 months ago and I know that IF is recommended all over the internet. Eating dinner early is one of the best bets to break into IF habit.

3. Cutting down on packaged food and caffeine – Packaged/processes food with preservatives tends to be acidic in nature. Considering the lock down and work from home, I have been a big consumer. But no more!
Also, I loved coffee. Initially it was tough not to start the day with my favorite cuppa. Eventually I got there. The only time now I have coffees is during my road trips.
If I feel like having some snacks, I try to have them home cooked and eat it fresh, devoid of all the chemicals that packaged food typically comes with.

4. Walking 10k steps per day – I know this might not sound much but achieving this goal was a struggle during initial days. I picked this because it was the easiest activity I could engage in. Anyone looking for good health needs to have some sort of exercise baked into the routine. A post-dinner walk or taking office calls while walking is the easiest way to un-jam your body.

[warrioraks]

Things that I tried without success

Like all mortals, I am subject to my cravings and have not been able to follow-through on everything I had set out for. Sharing some of the things that I tried but did could not follow through completely. Needless to say, this list is longer than the list of things I was able to do

1. Eliminating meat and eggs – I have cut down significantly on meat but have not been able to remove it completely. Regarding eggs, I continue to love and enjoy home cooked omelettes in my diet.

2. Eliminating soda – I loved soft drinks and other sweetened beverages. Have cut them out completely but still a big fan of soda (carbonated water). Lemon soda without sugar is something that I don’t think will go away from my life soon.

3. Cooking bread at home – Bread is packaged food at the end of the day. Multiple times I have discussed my wife the possibility to cook our own bread at home. Too lazy to even try!

4. Eliminating oily/fried food – I occasionally indulge in home fried food considering these are staple breakfast or evening items in North-India. It's common knowledge that these are not very healthy but I do gorge on home cooked pooris and pakodas from time to time.

5. Avoiding stale food – This is one place where I have not been successful at all. Avoiding consumption of stale food stored in the refrigerator is a tough thing to achieve. Especially considering the lifestyle and resources I have at my disposal. But this is one thing which I feel needs to change. I just haven't cracked on how to do this yet.

[warrioraks]

The impact - Things that I did not expect would happen
I have been pleasantly surprised with the way my body and mind have reacted to these changes. At the back of my mind, I was certainly hoping for good health when I embarked on this journey. But the magnitude has truly astonished me. I feel now I am getting into a zone where sustenance is more important rather than moving to the next level, but maybe that's just the lazy me talking! Here are the good things that have happened over the past few months:

1. Significant weight loss – I have lost around 13 kgs over last 5 months. I think it is way more than I expected considering the timeframe.

2. More energy – To explain through an example, I have always found jogging/running to be super-boring and extremely tiring. But over the last few weeks, I find myself being pulled towards jogging because of the extra energy I seem to have. Have started with 10-15 km jogging a week. Now both I and Fitbit are happy to see some good stats shaping up at the end of every week.

3. Reduction in Resting Heart Rate (Beats per Minute) – As per my Fitbit, resting heart rate which used to be in mid-70s now hovers around low 60s. Google tells me this is a healthy development.

4. Better sleep quality – I sleep better. Earlier I used to spend hours after midnight glued to my cell phone or OTT. This also led to me dragging myself every morning straight out of bed to my work table. Now I typically doze off before midnight and wake up early around 7 am which seems to be giving me more productive hours per day.

[warrioraks]

Wrapup
I have realized that wellness is a journey and I have just started on it. If you have any advice or questions for me, then do post.
Wrapping up with a Before/After pic. For the fun of comparison, I made sure it's the same shirt that I am wearing in both the images. If you look hard enough, the changes tend to be evident!
Thank you for reading.

[GTO]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[rbabar]

This is great. Many times we see transformations that involve drastic changes which are hard to keep up. I could completely relate to your situation, as at times I am in the same boat.
Things mentioned above are doable and seems impactful too. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[V.Narayan]

Congratulations on your tremendous achievement. Very creditable.
I second your view that Graaja is an inspiration and his post was life transforming for me too. Sincerely we owe him a Guru Dakshina.

To be honest I am not capable of the super strict regime you follow of no sugar, no coffee, no sin foods and walking 10,000 steps a day. I love my mithai and coffee hope to cling to both till my dying day.

For those, like me with less will power, there is hope. My combination for years has been mindful eating & yoga. I eat every thing (vegetarian, eggs, sweets, sugar in tea etc) just that it is in modest quantities. This actually kept my weight steady for 20+ years - ages ~40 to 60. But the 20 years prior to that I had put on 20 kilos in stealth mode the kind that creeps on to you so slowly you don't realize it till you meet a girl from your 10th standard class. And nothing I did between the three worlds made a dent to that foundation of excess till I hit upon @graaja's Intermittent Fasting (IF) thread and now I hope to get back to the weight I was in college <wolf whistles>. If I wish to remain, at 75, as active physically as I am today - work, travel, meetings, stress etc - then I need the body back where it was at 20.

Clearly IF is working visibly because this week my wife who did not put on 20 kilos in stealth mode has also jumped onto the IF bandwagon.

My very best wishes to you on your journey.

[AMG Power]

One of the best titles to a thread on this forum.

Well written and straight from the heart.

A lot of tips that can be picked up by folks who may not be fitness freaks but would nevertheless like to remain fit. And there’s a lot of such folks.

All the best for your continued wellness journey and thanks for sharing!

[McLaren Rulez]

As a very lazy guy, the best exercise hack I have found is to get a hobby that requires physical work.

Woodworking, washing your car, gardening, etc. are all things that sneak in quite a bit of physical activity into your life without you realizing it.

[condor]

Congratulations, @warrioraks. Good start, and good that you have kept at it.

I myself am trying to build my fitness and improve my health, though I am in the opposite side wrt weight and body fat. But the goal of being healthier is the same.

Regarding a couple of points above - my meat eating, exercising friends say meat is important part of the diet. They have cut down on grains, but keep meat and eggs as a regular component. So I guess you dont have to stop that.

About carbonated drinks - the sugar in these, even if diet versions, is the culprit. Lemon soda with salt should be fine I guess.

And a point about water - dont drink too much water before sleeping. Also, only half to 1 cup of water immediately after food. But can have some after minimum half hour. This helps the food get digested better.


All the best to a healthier you.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Before I go any further, let me call out that this post is going to be about my wellness journey and the smaller things that changed my life.

Congratulations in switching to a healthy lifestyle and for the transformation you have achieved in these 5 months.

Originally Posted by warrioraks

The transformation - Things that mattered
Sometime last year, I was reading a book on Wellness that mentioned - '70% of the diseases in human body relate to our digestive system health'.
Being a lazy guy with aversion to exercising, this was a god-sent fact. The way I read it was – just changing my eating habits could improve my health without compromising on my lazy/sedentary lifestyle

1. Cutting down on refined sugar

2. Last meal of the day 3-4 hours before sleeping

3. Cutting down on packaged food and caffeine

4. Walking 10k steps per day

You nailed it. Almost 90% of the common diseases we face these days are due to lifestyle and mainly from how and what we eat. Fixing this alone is the biggest step to a healthy life. Please continue all the above for life and you will enjoy a disease free life for sure. Now that you are getting used to an active life as well with your 10k steps per day goal, gradually add some strength training to the routine. You don't have to go to a gym for this. You can just do some bodyweight exercieses like squats, lunges, push ups and pullups. This will help in building lean muscles and will further increase your metabolic rate.

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Things that I tried without success

1. Eliminating meat and eggs
2. Eliminating soda
3. Cooking bread at home
4. Eliminating oily/fried food

Don't worry about #1. Contrary to conventional belief, meat and eggs are not bad for health, but sugar and carbs are. So, there is no need to cut down meat or eggs. Instead focus on reducing the portion of grains (rice, rotis etc)

As long as you are having just carbonated water without sugar, or fresh lime soda with salt, you are perfectly fine. The sugar is the culprit in sodas (coke, pepsi etc.)

Packaged or cooked at home, bread can be avoided or kept in moderation.

As long as you do not have fried food in your daily diet, enjoy those occasional puris without any guilt.

Originally Posted by warrioraks

The impact - Things that I did not expect would happen
1. Significant weight loss – I have lost around 13 kgs over last 5 months. I think it is way more than I expected considering the timeframe.
2. More energy
3. Reduction in Resting Heart Rate (Beats per Minute)
4. Better sleep quality

These are fantastic results. I am glad you have tasted how good your health can be with a lifestyle change. Continue this lifestyle, and you will see more improvement in all these aspects.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Sincerely we owe him a Guru Dakshina.

...now I hope to get back to the weight I was in college <wolf whistles>

You are too kind Narayan Sir. The only Guru Dakshna I look forward is you inspiring many in your friends and family circle and making them healthy. You have already started this by converting your wife

And you will definitely rewind your biological age by 20 years for sure with this lifestyle.

[papr23]

High-fi warrioraks! Great results in 5 months with a plan that is practical and sustainable for longer periods of time.
I have been doing something similar for the past 3 months and lost ~5kgs with very little effort. Of course, the end goal is not just loosing weight but getting fit.

Originally Posted by warrioraks

2. Last meal of the day 3-4 hours before sleeping

Kudos for doing this over months! I gave up in the second week itself due to various constraints. However, I have cutdown the carbs significantly in the last meal.

Originally Posted by warrioraks

3. Cooking bread at home – Bread is packaged food at the end of the day. Multiple times I have discussed my wife the possibility to cook our own bread at home. Too lazy to even try!

The taste of the bread is directly proportional to the amount of maida used. Whole wheat bread's taste is not to my liking. Too dry and dense. If you crack a tasty recipe, please share it.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by rbabar

Things mentioned above are doable and seems impactful too.

Thank you for summarizing my experience in one line. This is exactly what I intended to share. Over the past few years, I had developed a perception that good health can only come through hours spent in gym or other physical activities. But now I understand that there is fine line between wellness and fitness. The things mentioned in my initial posts have the potential to take anyone towards wellness.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Congratulations on your tremendous achievement. Very creditable.
I second your view that Graaja is an inspiration and his post was life transforming for me too. Sincerely we owe him a Guru Dakshina.

To be honest I am not capable of the super strict regime you follow of no sugar, no coffee, no sin foods and walking 10,000 steps a day. I love my mithai and coffee hope to cling to both till my dying day.To be honest I am not capable of the super strict regime you follow of no sugar, no coffee, no sin foods and walking 10,000 steps a day. I love my mithai and coffee hope to cling to both till my dying day.

Thank you for the kind words sir. No doubt graaja has influenced so many of us towards a healthier lifestyle. I can't even dream of the level of fitness he has achieved through sheer grit.

I also fully agree with you that a super-strict regime is very difficult to follow and moderation is the key. For a person like me who lives in extremities of life, it is either this strict regime on one end OR being a glutton on the other. I hope one day I would be able to strike a balance like you.

Originally Posted by AMG Power

One of the best titles to a thread on this forum.

Well written and straight from the heart.

A lot of tips that can be picked up by folks who may not be fitness freaks but would nevertheless like to remain fit. And there’s a lot of such folks.

Thank you AMG Power. My wife agrees on the title, especially the first half - 'The lazy guy'

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

As a very lazy guy, the best exercise hack I have found is to get a hobby that requires physical work.

Woodworking, washing your car, gardening, etc. are all things that sneak in quite a bit of physical activity into your life without you realizing it.

That's a great suggestion. I have seen people around me who trek as a hobby and they are pretty fit.

Originally Posted by condor

Regarding a couple of points above - my meat eating, exercising friends say meat is important part of the diet. They have cut down on grains, but keep meat and eggs as a regular component. So I guess you dont have to stop that.

About carbonated drinks - the sugar in these, even if diet versions, is the culprit. Lemon soda with salt should be fine I guess.

And a point about water - dont drink too much water before sleeping. Also, only half to 1 cup of water immediately after food. But can have some after minimum half hour. This helps the food get digested better.


All the best to a healthier you.

These are great suggestions Condor. I will try to incorporate.
Regarding water intake, what I have read is - it is typically not healthy to have water immediately after having a meal. It makes our digestive system slow and exerts the body while processing food. I follow it as a practice not to have water within 60-90 minutes of a meal. But this is a debatable topic and internet will throws up articles which validate as well as reject this theory.

My best wishes on your wellness journey, keep rocking!

Originally Posted by graaja

Congratulations in switching to a healthy lifestyle and for the transformation you have achieved in these 5 months.

You nailed it. Almost 90% of the common diseases we face these days are due to lifestyle and mainly from how and what we eat. Fixing this alone is the biggest step to a healthy life. Please continue all the above for life and you will enjoy a disease free life for sure. Now that you are getting used to an active life as well with your 10k steps per day goal, gradually add some strength training to the routine. You don't have to go to a gym for this. You can just do some bodyweight exercieses like squats, lunges, push ups and pullups. This will help in building lean muscles and will further increase your metabolic rate.

I am hoping to continue and build on this certainly. Graaja sir - you are the real raaja (king) of wellness transformation on this forum. Thanks for all the tips and motivation.

Originally Posted by papr23

High-fi warrioraks! Great results in 5 months with a plan that is practical and sustainable for longer periods of time.
I have been doing something similar for the past 3 months and lost ~5kgs with very little effort. Of course, the end goal is not just loosing weight but getting fit.

.....

The taste of the bread is directly proportional to the amount of maida used. Whole wheat bread's taste is not to my liking. Too dry and dense. If you crack a tasty recipe, please share it.

High-five to you as well papr23. It is certainly not about weight loss. Your post reminded me of my comment (Fat to Fit - A journal of my fitness journey) on graaja's thread few months back. Seems we are in similar boats.

Regarding bread, I haven't made any progress with home-cooking recipes. But as a rule, I avoid maida based bread. Now I only pickup bread which clearly calls out percentage of whole wheat content. I realized some bread manufacturers consider maida (white flour) as wheat so no point taking those 100% wheat breads if they are made from white flour. The maximum whole wheat content that I have found on breads ranges between 50-60%. I just realized while typing this that I know more about bread than I thought I knew!

[r0ckstar.1]

Great thread to come across on T-BHP during these times! Very happy for your transformation and new found energy @warrioraks !

Like others mentioned earlier, sugar, processed food and fried items are the biggest culprits making us unhealthy. Avoid them and eat in moderation. What's important is an overall diet consisting of proteins, carb, fibre and micronutrients. Drink lot of water over the entire day and you will fell lighter and energetic.

On fitness, personally i do multiple things to keep me motivated. Just running/jogging gets boring after sometime. So, I mix playing badminton (3 times), gym (2 times), cycling (over weekend) and running (2 times) in a week. I am a foodie and love eating variety of food. So, keeping myself fit is a must to enjoy my food. I am 5 foot 10inches tall and I have been lucky to have maintained a weight of 76-78kgs in the last 5-6 years with the above regime.

You are on the right track! Keep up and thanks for sharing your journey. It's a motivation for all of us. Cheers!