How to Become Slim

Losing weight isn't easy. I tell you this from experience. I've lost weight, gained weight, stayed just about the same weight... If you struggle with weight loss, I feel your pain, and I've been there! But before you go sign yourself up for Fat Camp, or worse, schedule a stomach staple surgery (ew!) or even liposuction, consider this. Weight loss really shouldn't be complicated. There are plenty of people who manage to stay thin their whole lives. Is it purely good genetics, or are they doing something you're not.

The truth is, I'm no medical doctor, personal trainer, or an expert in weight loss in any way other than experience. And my journey is still in action. But if you think about it, you'll agree that what I'm saying is true. If you're spending thousands of dollars on magic pills, books with over-complicated, convoluted plans, or starving yourself, you're thinking way too hard about this.

Weight loss, at its core, comes down to an extraordinarily simple equation. Make sure you eat fewer calories than you burn. Or, if you like the way this sounds better, burn more calories than you eat. Simple, right? That's because it is. In theory, at least.

Making sure the number of calories (and we're really not even talking about where those calories come from!) you take in is lower than the number you put out is a multifaceted problem, and you should be taking a multifaceted approach.

The first thing you need to be doing is eating smaller portions. That way, even if you eat a calorie rich food like bread or potatoes, you just get used to having a smaller mass in your stomach at the end of the meal. And there are a thousand tricks you learn along the way to help you do just that, without starving yourself. Drink water with your meal. Eat on a smaller plate. Eat food that takes a long time to eat. The list goes on.

The second thing you need to be doing is eating foods with fewer calories. The easiest way to do that is to eat healthier. What I mean by that is to try to make sure that a larger percentage of your calories (NOT your food. I'll elucidate.) come from whole, raw foods. Eat lots of salad. Snack on fruits and vegetables. Eat seeds and nuts. Have foods in all colors of the rainbow. But keep in mind that I do not mean that a larger percentage of your plate should be filled with those foods. I mean to say that if you take in 2,000 calories per day, and you currently get only 200 calories from raw foods, try to pump that number up to 500 or even 1,000. The reason for this is that these foods not only force you to slow down when you eat (salad), and provide necessary fiber, they also fill you up so you have less room for the garbage you are probably feeding yourself up until now. Keep in mind, these calories can be from smoothies, juices, whatever. Just.... moderate.

The third thing is exercise. Now, I think people tend to overstate exercise when it comes to weight loss, but perhaps I am wrong. After all, if you truly can't seem to eat fewer calories than you're burning during the day, then perhaps it's time for you to get up and get your heart pumping.

The point here is that as long as you are performing on a deficit - i.e. you are burning more than you are eating - you will lose weight. It's physics. You can't argue with that. No one said it would be easy. No one said it would be quick. But I'll tell you right now, it will work.

A little extra info

on what I do to follow my own approach.

I stop eating after one serving and wait for 5 minutes, and drink a full glass of water. If I'm still hungry, I'll have another serving. That can be literally any food! Even lasagna!

I never get low fat foods. I need to enjoy the food I eat because I eat less of it. What's the point of being thin if it sucks to live like that? No way. I have whole milk, butter on my toast, meat all the time. I just make sure I'm operating on a deficit.

I don't train. I work out, but I'm not competing with anyone. I try my best to live an active lifestyle. Burning 2,000 calories extra in a couple hours working out is not as good as burning 5,000 calories extra over the course of a week. It's all about the endgame, and I'm willing to play the long con on what's going on.

I keep data. I love data. Data is awesome.

• I have a Fitbit Surge, which I LOVE. My wife got it for me, and the price tag is a little shocking at $250 (USD), but in comparison to all my friends items, I'd choose this every time. I've written about it in the past.
• I log my runs and bike rides on Strava, Fitbit, Nike+, and a couple others. I think my favorite is Strava because the social aspect is the strongest there, but the data on Fitbit is undeniable. Back when I used my phone to track runs (which I can still do), I used iSmoothRun and that was amazing. And the data was even better.
• I track my sleep patterns using SleepCycle app on my iPhone. Great app, and I love the data there too.
• I track everything I eat in MyFitnessPal. It's not terribly social (who wants to be proud of what they eat???) but it's got an awesome database and the app is very strong. I log my weight there too.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you find you're really having trouble losing weight doing all of the above, either work out more or eat less! It can't get more simple than that. It's hard, and falling off the wagon happens. When it does, pick yourself up and start again. It's frustrating but you can do it.

• Don't go it alone. Whenever possible, get someone to keep you honest. If you live with that person, your odds of sticking it out are better.
• Make short term goals. And don't make them dependant on a number. All data is meaningless if it is the thing that throws you off your path to success. Set a 2 week goal to burn over 3,000 calories per day, or something like that.
• Make manageable goals. If you have a desk job, don't expect to be able to burn a crazy number of calories while at the office. Instead, lower your calories burned during the week (and your calories taken in as well, obviously), and then raise your calories burned on the weekends, when you have more time.
• Take photos of your accomplishments, and post them to your social media platform of choice. You will get motivation from the likes and comments left from you compatriots out there.
• Make specific choices (and not blanket statements). Say, "Home cooked meals at least 5 times a week," not, "I'll never eat out again." Specificity keeps you honest.

Good luck!

And now for a photo update:

 

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