I’ve continued to lose weight and body fat in my quest to get great abs. I’m down at least 40 pounds from last summer of 2020, when everything was locked down due to Covid. Now, it’s the spring of 2021 and I couldn’t be happier with my progress. My weight has consistently went down as well as my body fat. I’m 45 years old now, and my body weight hasn’t been this low since I was 18. Even in my 20s my weight was always around 210 – muscular but a little extra around the waist. However, last summer I got up to 225 to 230 – possibly even a bit heavier. Now I’m between 180 and 183 with visible abs even though I’m dad bod age.
It all comes down to creating a negative energy balance by consuming less calories than I am burning through daily activities. Expending more energy than you consume follows the first law of thermodynamics. This law states that energy can be only be recycled or converted but not created or destroyed. Your body will hold the extra energy from consuming too much food in the form of extra body fat. By eating less you give yourself a better likelihood of losing fat mass, especially if you are burning more calories through exercise.
So, how hard has it been to get my body weight down and my abs to show? It wasn’t difficult at all to be honest. It all comes down to lowering my daily caloric intake. This means no more ice cream or french fries and very little fast food (maybe a breakfast sandwich every now and then). Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy pizza now and then, just a much lower amount of it. If I do have a burger, I’ll have a salad or cup of soup or chili with it instead of fries or chips. It can be tough at first to cut down on certain favorite foods, but you really have to for success. Thankfully there are plenty of great lunch and dinner options you can enjoy with chicken, fish or lean meat. Try tacos with ground turkey instead of ground beef, a personal favorite. Do more salads and soups for lunch. For dessert, have a popsicle or frozen yogurt bar instead of ice cream. Once you get into the groove and see some positive results in the form of less body fat, you’ll be that much more motivated to continue.
I personally haven’t tried intermittent fasting as I’ve gotten great results without trying it. I can only go so long without a little something throughout the day. However, if you try intermittent fasting and like it – keep at it. I may even try it at some point if I can’t lose these last 5 or so pounds I’d like to get rid of.
It all comes down to wanting to make a change if you want to get in, and stay in, the best shape of your life. You have to think of it as a lifestyle change as opposed to going on a diet. Going on a diet means you’re gonna go off of it sooner or later, right? The way I think of it is that this is how I eat now all of the time, consistently consuming quite a few less calories than I used to.
Getting started is the toughest part, so take small steps at first. Eventually, you should find that lower calorie eating not only helps you lose weight, but you’ll be more energetic and not feel “weighed down” by overeating.
Of course, an exercise program that includes cardio and weight training will give you optimal results when it comes to eating less to lose weight. Whether at home or at the gym, try to get 4 to 6 good workouts in per week. Read up on the subject or hire a personal trainer to show you the ropes. This will only improve your results.
Shoot for small, short term goals that you can reach. Once you hit one goal, go on to a new one. When it comes to weight loss, this usually means a goal of 5 to 10 pounds at a time. If you think of the big picture of having to lose 50 or more pounds, it may seem insurmountable. Small goals are much easier to attain, and will help motivate you to keep going.
All of these factors will give your the best odds at succeeding at weight loss. Now the ball’s in your court. Good luck!