I will never forget it. I used to be so terrified going into the doctors office because she would check my vitals.
And the most unfortunate part?
Every time I would go in, I would get increasingly less healthy. This got to the point where people were telling me that I was "pre-diabetic," "morbidly obese" and other terrifying words.
After a trip to the Sahaj Marg ashram in Chennai to visit my spiritual guru Chariji and Kamlesh Patel, I went through some imaginable changes, one of them being severe weight loss.
I can sit here and tell you the million reasons that could have contributed to my severe weight gain -- working a lot, not exercising enough, lack of focus, etc.
Here are the rules I used to lose 50 pounds in three months.
Start meditating
For me, meditation is a major hobby of mine. I get up every single morning and meditate, and meditate in the evening as well. I invest almost 1.5 hours a day in meditation and experience a massive return.
But the real reason meditation contributed to my weight loss was because it gave me something to take my mind off of, especially focus on something bigger than myself.
For example, these next few revelations did not just come because I watched Dr. Oz or learned something through a book, but because I had introspection and analysis every single day, something that most entrepreneurs don't get time to do.
Cut your current food intake in half
When I first starting losing weight, I knew that I needed some kind of lifestyle change. That meant both exercise, and dieting habits.
Unfortunately, I was in India, which meant running outside was out of the question. In the beginning I remember running outside of our apartment complex to get some kind of exercise in. But what I later learned, is that exercise has very little to do with weight loss.
Typically, I would eat a full sandwich for my lunch. So, instead of eating a full sandwich, I would force myself to eat half of the sandwich. And, if I was still hungry, I would drink water. Plenty of water.
During the first week, it was extremely difficult to not eat the full sandwich; however, after some point, I got used to not needing the full sandwich.
Avoid all sweets, unhealthy fats, and processed items
As most diets mention, sweets, fats, and processed items were out of question. Initially, it is a huge change, especially if you were a sweet tooth like me and would eat all the chocolate in the pantry in a given evening.
To ease off of these habits, I would suggest avoiding it at all costs. I also followed Dr. Oz's processed items rule, which indicated that if the food item has a shelf life of more than 7 days, don't eat it. This hard and fast rule made it pretty simple to cut out things like my favorite junk foods which included, but were not limited to; Oreos, cookies, Cookie Dough Ice Cream, etc.
I also tried my best to eat as many natural foods as possible. Do you remember the smart plate that was introduced a few years back? This plate is composed of a fruit, veggies, fats, carbs, and a protein.
So for breakfast, I would oatmeal with two tablespoons of peanut butter, raspberries, and celery on top.
DON'T Calorie Count!
One of the biggest mistakes I made early on is my emphasis on calorie counting. For example, if you type in "how to lose 15 pounds in one week" you will see an article, which mentions eating roughly 1,000 calories a day.
The biggest problem with calorie counting, especially for overly obsessed foodie like me is I begin to think about food constantly, which resulted in overeating.
Again, focus on health, nutritious, and wholesome foods that are high in fiber, and nutrient dense. Think about the foods you CAN eat vs. the ones you CAN'T.
Eat when you are hungry
How many people eat breakfast because it is 8 a.m. and that is considered "breakfast" time?
In the beginning of my weight loss, I realized that just because I wasn't hungry, did not mean that I had to eat. Later on however, I learned that that just like your sleep schedule, your body needs a rhythmic eating schedule to manage its food.
Cut your red meat/meat intake
One of the biggest things that attributed to my weight loss was I became a vegetarian. I can confidently say that becoming vegetarian was one of the best decisions I made.
Although there are people that become vegetarian because they feel they are doing justice to animals, I became vegetarian because I felt heavy after eating chicken or turkey.
Try cutting out read meat and if you are like me, chicken all together. People will tell you that you won't be able to get enough protein, but there are many foods such as beans, legumes, lentils, tofu, etc. that you can eat to get your protein.
Also, I learned to eat more natural foods came from the teachings and introspection periods during meditation.
Conclusion
After losing 50 pounds, I haven't felt better in a long time. I love how I look, and more importantly, how I feel.
I'm happy to say that after my 50-pound weight loss, I am in a normal cholesterol range, out of risk of diabetes, in a healthy weight range, along with being on no medication!
What are your opinions or struggles you have had with weight loss? Share on your comments below.