My project # 20bis20. Or: So I will lose 20 pounds this year.
I'm a big friend of good intentions in the new year. And this year I have even made a very big good intent: My project "20 to 20" - I will lose 20 pounds in this year. And I'm really looking forward to it!
With and since my pregnancy 14 years ago (oh god, is that really that long ago?) I've been steadily gaining 22 pounds. That sounds like a hell of a lot. And that's probably what it would be if it had come to me overnight. But so I am very slowly and comfortably - almost imperceptibly - grown into my present self. 22 kilos in 14 years: That means just 1.5 kilos of weight gain per year, about 130 grams per month or 4 grams per day. And that is an order of magnitude that does not even stand out on a normal personal scale.
Such a creeping change does not even become apparent in the closet, because over the years the wardrobe changes over and over again, so that you have to large distances simply a clothing size "upgraded". Until at some point there are two, three or four sizes more.
22 kilos increased in 14 years - that's why it has to go back
So, and now is it so far - I'm annoyed. I want to weigh as much (or better as little) as I did before my pregnancy. That's my big goal! Not because I feel totally unappealing, fat and not desirable. I find myself on most days even very ok. But I have to admit that - now that I'm over 40, auweia! - physical activities become a little harder. And I'm trapped by one two abdominal rolls while sitting.
Of course, I also know that it's better for the organism, joints, body-chemical processes, and for the prevention of diabetes & co is to carry around less weight. In addition, I have no desire that I hang around in the obese area on the BMI scale (unbelievable, right ?!). Yes, ok - and because a narrower waist is not the most unattractive thing in the world for me personally. That's why I'm tackling my project "20bis20" now.
My "diet traps" as a young woman and my new approach
I do not want to conceal that never counted among the delicate elven creatures that so easily hovered over bars at school or balled their way through the area at the floor gymnastics. I was rather a bit more normal and did not get over the horse in physical education. But still I had (from today's perspective) always a very normal figure and regularly practiced sports such as swimming, roller skating or dancing.
Of course, in my teenage years and later as a young woman, I was particularly critical of myself and especially My Popo always seemed too pronounced. My mother was also always very slim and figure-conscious and encouraged me to try dieting. So I took a - for the 80s and 90s - totally normal diet career and over the years collected the usual experience: cabbage soups, SlimFast and other protein drinks, later vegetarian diet, food combining, Montignac, acid bases, low Carb, etc.
The longer-term nutritional concepts have worked well for a while. To a certain point, when I did not lose weight anymore, no matter how hard I tried and even sport. Most of the time I was completely satisfied with 3-4 kilos of weight loss and told myself that my body probably has its own setpoint (its natural weight) and does not want to go further down.
The bottom line was swinging at some point The realization that diets do not work for my body. For others, it may be the magic key to a slim body model. Not for me.And why I could not succeed with the diet concepts at that time.
An Aha! Experience in terms of nutrition and weight loss
A real asset to my research and a great aha effect was the book Overcoming Fat Logic * by dr. Nadja Herrmann. With a weight of over 150 kilograms, she is very overweight, so the nutritionist started to deal with the topic in a completely new way. Instead of relying on the common weight-loss beliefs advocated by the media and some of the medical profession, she has worked extensively on much-cited studies and papers on the subject.
She has analyzed exactly what is coming from whom how and why was investigated with what result. The result is sometimes more than devastating: many of the indispensable nutrition facts for us are misinterpreted or simply untenable and rather block massive on the way to a healthy body weight. Nadja has jettisoned these blocking beliefs and subsequently lost over 80 pounds.
In her book, Nadja gradually unmasks all the fake facts and nutritional myths that each of us, in the course of many years, exposes to the one or the other has internalized the other way and finally throws the reader back to a very simple, logical formula: If you eat more than you consume, you gain weight. If you eat less than you consume, you lose weight.
Almost terrifyingly banal - but with a resounding effect
As frighteningly banal as this conclusion may seem He does away with many (marketing-driven) myths, legends and complicated dietary restrictions, and gives the weight-loss takers something very important: the very simple control and responsibility for their weight. There are no special rules, forbidden foods or other corsets. Forget the time of day, the number of meals and carbohydrates, broken metabolism, superfood or the right magic powder from the pharmacy. None of this affects your acceptance process. positive or negative. Just the energy aka calories you take decide what you weigh.
First, of course, it can be very hard to accept that there are (almost) no natural or mystical reasons to give one make losing weight impossible. But the knowledge that neither genetics, one's body, or the universe actively prevents one from achieving one's goal seems to many to be very liberating and motivating. By the way, too. You can put aside all the barriers existing in your mind and just start. And from my own previous experience I can say: it works great.
My personal project timetable # 20bis20
I am an impatient person by nature. If I'm up to something, I do not want to hang around forever, but tackle it and see results in a timely manner. To stick with it, it's important for me to achieve a small but significant minus on the scale every week.
True to the motto, "If you eat less than you consume, you lose weight." All I have to do is consume fewer calories than I consume. All foods and meals are generally allowed around the clock. I just have to pay close attention to what nutrients and how much energy is in my meals, drinks and snacks. In short: I will count calories.In order to achieve my calorie deficit and decrease, I can eat between 1,000 and 1,900 calories per day. On average, the daily calorie intake for me is about 1,500 calories to lose about 3-4 kilos per month. In theory, I would then have reached my 20-kilogram reduction target by July at the latest. Let's see what life's about.
Since eating calories correctly in meals is next to impossible, I'll keep a digital food diary for an optimal view. My fitness tracker offers a very easy-to-use nutrition database in the associated app, recording movement and calorie consumption at the same time, and spitting my balance sheet at any time in black and white on my mobile phone display. A real smart solution, so as not to get cheated (too easy) and always know where you are!
Hey, is this going to be such a weight loss and fitness blog ?
Nothing there - everything stays as it is. For me delicious dishes that make happy, are much too close to the heart. But since I know that many people out there to the New Year make good intentions (which, incidentally, I think is really great and right!), I just wanted to make my plan and approach public and share with you. After all, blogging is the opposite of "keeping everything to yourself". And if I tell everyone, I can not back down easily when the inner bastard rebels, um. On the blog it goes on in any case with delicious recipes from real ingredients - maybe they are then even calorie-optimized, so they fit into my schedule. But delicious but easier food never really harms, yeah.
Together we're stronger lighter! # 20bis20
Well, now tell me what you think about the whole thing. Maybe you're in the process of optimizing your weight and want to share it. Or you have almost given up hope and find a new impulse here. I would be very happy!
How do you like my approach? Do you do something similar or completely different? Shall I keep you up to date sporadically, how I am doing, and what my progress is? Or would you be interested in my most important learning effects in terms of weight loss blockages? Do you want to know what exactly my meals look like now and how I keep my calorie balance in deficit? Then just let me know.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you - via comment, mail, at Facebook or Instagram !
And now it's tasty ღ
PS: There are updates on the project and delicious diets.
Photos: Nina Witte