I looked down at the scale and saw it spinning as though The Brofessor just spun the wheel on The Price is Right. Holy crap, would it ever stop?

The scale gave out a defeated moan and finally came to a stop at 248 pounds. Yikes. I hadn’t weighed this much ever. As a high school hockey player, I weighed about 195. High school hockey ended, but I kept on eating like a hockey player. After a decade of bad habits and very little exercise, I was looking straight down the barrel of the 250 club (and a lot of potential health issues). I needed to lose weight. Fast.

Improve your diet to lose weight

When I hear the word diet I think of dreadful things like cutting everything delicious out of my life, gnawing on rice cakes and starving myself to the point of exhaustion. I have good news, that is NOT a diet! Your diet is your overall nutrition, which can (and should) include some cheat foods.

I made small changes. I used to eat at the work cafeteria every day for lunch, to the tune of about $7 and 1000 calories, again, every day. I replaced my lunch with Shakeology, a meal replacement shake. The result? I saved myself about $20 and 3000 calories per week! Now I feel better and have more energy.

Next, I reduced the amount of diet soda I drank. I didn’t cut it out, but I limited myself to one can a day. After a couple of days, I realized I didn’t even want soda anymore! Instead I drank water and learned some interesting things.

Did you know dehydration makes you feel hungry? I didn’t either. Once I started drinking water regularly, I found my appetite decreased. I used to skip breakfast, eat a carb heavy lunch, then get so hungry I’d chew on my mousepad until I could go home and eat more garbage food. Once I started drinking water, I found I wasn’t as hungry during the day. I felt better and my mood improved, much to the delight of my co-workers.

Cheat Meals

Cheat meals are necessary for me because they allow me to eat whatever I want, a few times per week, while still losing weight.

Outside of reducing soda and drinking Shakeology, I didn’t make many changes to my diet. I am more aware of what I eat, but I still have room for cheat meals throughout the week.

I absolutely love Indian food and pizza. Every Tuesday, a great Indian restaurant sets up shop in the workplace cafeteria. And, every Tuesday, I splurge and order a big plate of rice, chicken tikka masala, paneer and naan. I may also be known to throw down a little pizza on Saturday nights. 

I do not have a perfect diet. Sometimes I overeat, but I do not feel guilty about it anymore. I know that, as long as I eat healthy most of the time, I will continue to lose weight and improve my health. The bottom line is, depriving yourself of your favorite foods only sets you up to fail.

Exercise to lose weight

A great diet is 80% of losing weight, but your body needs exercise if you hope to get in great shape.

I started exercising by running, just three days per week. Like my diet, I started out slow. Remember, I started about 250 pounds. I didn’t do much of anything fast (except maybe go for seconds at the pizza buffet).

I followed the RunDisney Marathon Plan for beginners. Am I ever going to run a marathon? Maybe, maybe not, but a solid plan helped me stay on track and be consistent. After only one week, I was able to run the full distance instead of taking walk breaks.

Make exercise a habit

Exercise will become a habit if you stay consistent, just like eating junk food became a habit. After three weeks of running, I added some strength training using Beachbody on Demand workouts. This added a little variety to my week and keeps exercise fun.

I cannot stress enough the importance of finding a program and sticking with it. A good exercise program will build strength, flexibility and endurance across your entire body. If you are just getting started, I highly recommend a good body weight workout. Body weight workouts are cheap, can be done anywhere and can be modified if some moves are too difficult. If you are looking for a comprehensive workout and exercise program that’s effective but not too intense, I love P90.

It’s going to hurt… a little

Let’s be real. Changing your body is going to take some effort, and you will be sore for awhile! The good news: your body will adapt, fast. After your first workout, you will experience the “two-day hurts.” This is the not-so-awesome pain and stiffness that happens two days after a good workout.

A good post-workout stretch will go a long way to relieving your discomfort. I also recommend a protein recovery supplement to feed your muscles. Again, your body will adapt fast. It took me about two weeks of consistent exercise before the two-day hurts went away. Now I am able to exercise five days per week.

I lost 20 pounds in four weeks

I dropped 20 pounds in just four weeks. With only a few lifestyle changes, I feel and look better than I have in a long time. My clothes fit different, I have more energy and my friends definitely notice. 

If I can do it, you can do it too. Just do what I did: start slow, make small changes and be consistent. Remember, fitness is a journey. Your body didn’t get out of shape overnight. It will take some time, effort and a little willpower, but it will be worth it. You can do this, and I am happy to help you along your journey.