The Author and Weight Loss
Weight loss was not a subject that would have caught my attention until 10 years ago. Before this I was skinny and it didn’t matter what I ate. I ate in my late thirties as I ate in my early twenties. It did not occur to me that we need less food as we grow older. Like most people I came to realise it when I was already overweight. I ate carbohydrates,proteins, fruits, vegetables, fats and a lot of sweetened beverages and did little exercise except occasional walking.
My daily routine activities promoted weight gain and I needed to lose weight though it was not in my mind then. I would wake up in the morning and shower, take breakfast which consisted of 2 slices of bread or a bowl of cereals with milk, a beef sausage or a fried egg and a cup of tea or drinking chocolate.
My mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack would be a cup of tea with or without a cake or biscuits. My lunch usually consisted of rice with beef stew or cabbages or mashed potatoes which enhanced weight gain. My dinner was also mainly carbohydrates with fruits, vegetables and beef or chicken. Although the meals were balanced I probably ate more than I should have eaten.
Although I was doing a lot of biomedical research with passion, it did not occur to me that I was neglecting my body as I allowed weight gain to continue to creap into my life. I got my wake up call when I begun to experience backaches and joint pains because of lack of fitness and weight gain.
My family doctor advised that I eat fat loss foods. Out of curiosity I searched books in the library and realised that I needed to lose weight to achieve physical fitness which I really needed. I needed fat loss weight lifting and regulate on the quality and quantity of what I ate.I learnt about weight loss foods and weight loss maintainance which helped me greatly.
There was no reason to delay as I was convinced I needed to exercise regularly. All the other alternatives for body fat loss had risks which I was not willing to take. I knew that I could lose weight and fat with these alternatives but I could not achieve physical fitness and I needed both.
This was the beginning of a new habit and a lifestyle for fitness and weight loss. I took a one year of gym-membership and began to do exercise 3 days a week 30-40 minutes a day. The staff at the gym taught me the basics of free weights and cardio training. It took less than 12 months to shed off 10 pounds and become more physically fit and flexible than I had been.
I didnot need to buy anymore larger size pants and jackets.I have bought the same size on clothes ever since.If you increase size of your pants or shirts, its a sign that you need to lose weight.
This habit is now well established. My children know the days I go to the gym. They know its part of my lifestyle. As we live in Canada,where winters can be very cold I dont allow winter to be an excuse for failure to go to the gym for exercise.I exercise even in winter and control weight gain.
To lose 10 pounds through exercise and sensible eating was not very difficult but to keep it off is a challenge.You must have realised by now that weight loss maintenance is not easy. I have to watch over what I eat as well as exercise regularly.
Over those 10 years I have gathered a lot of useful information which I would like to share with visitors to this website. I have experimented with exercises and diets.
With my background in biochemistry, physiology and nutrition I will give you information that I have evaluated as a scientist. Just as I have a passion for science, I also have a passion to provide information to visitors of this website on weight loss and I hope you will visit us often.
If you have something you would like to share through the internet you could also have your own website just as this site.
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Job Kiruki (PhD)