Weightloss Journey via the Great Outdoors

Screw you Covid, after gaining all the weight I had lost while traveling for work (plus some extra) I am starting to turn the corner. After trying weight watchers, myFitness pal, and reading countless books on weight loss and diets I realized something...

It is all about being healthy

I started to really use the Peloton consistently, which means every day. Don't crush yourself with an hour-long ride, if you aren't ready, start with a 20-minute ride a day, 30 minutes, working your way up to 60.

Look at your total movement every day. The Apple Watch starts you off way low and doesn't aggressively take you up. Did you know that by Apple's definition, ~1200 calories a day is considered active? What does this look like in real life? That is a 30-minute Peloton ride, with another 30-minute run on the treadmill (really like Apple Fitness+) with a 20-minute walk. I change it up every day to keep it interesting. We have a five-mile loop that is a lot of fun combined with a 30-minute Peloton ride that closes out all my Apple Watch rings.

Mentally healthy

There are so many distractions from work, the crazy news, family, money, etc. I still struggle with having the discipline to track what I eat in myFitnessPal but I have found intermittent fasting allows me to eat with very little sacrifice without having to track every little thing that I eat.

My days are pretty easy, wake up around 6 am, listen to inspirational podcasts (not murder, news, or money), and jump on the Peloton for 30 minutes. If it is raining, treadmill for 30 minutes. Have a cup or two of green tea, and work with a walk sometimes while being in meetings. Huge lunch, with a normal dinner. I feel great and less stressed, and even though I no longer travel feel like I am experiencing something new every day.

Prescriptive what to eat

With so many diets and opinions out there I came to the conclusion you can't restrict what you eat. This is how I eat what I want, and feel very full while also exploring new foods:

• 7:00-9 am - 1-2 cups of green tea and lots of water
• 12:00 pm - a huge salad, I get the cheap stuff at Walmart and then augment with tomatoes, feta, beans (fiber is so good for you), green onions, protein, carrots, etc. Load it up, tastes great and fills you up
• 5:00-6 pm - a normal dinner with my family, I don't care if there is bread, pasta, etc... Just have realistic portions. I'm usually still pretty full from lunch

Don't tell my doctor, but I do drink caffeine every once in a while and on special occasions have wine/beer. I have high blood pressure but have a prescription to keep it in check. Just the genetic lottery with what I can handle. Your results will vary :).

Good luck with your health journey

I wish you the very best in what is healthy for you. I have not looked after my health for the majority of my life. If there is anything good about the COVID pandemic, it is given me a lot of time to reflect and get something positive out of it. I hope my story helps.