Thank you very much for your support. I much appreciate it. Below is my weight-loss blueprint that I followed. Kind regards,

Sadi

1. Find Your Why

Start with your why. No why, no discipline. My why was this: Upon exercising meditation practices regularly, I realized that my mind and my body are literally life-long companions. I decided to make them best friends forever with each other. My mind has not been such a good friend to my body. That was my why.

Find your own why. You don’t have to get it on the first try. If your why is not correct, you will realize over time as you reflect. If there is one secret, it is the why part. Find out your why.

Your Turn: Write down your current “why.” Keep it somewhere visible. Revisit it often, and don’t be afraid to adjust it until it truly motivates you.

2. Measure to Manage

Measure your calorie intake and measure your weight regularly. Visualize your data using apps and their graphs for health and weight management. There are many. I have never made progress without measuring.

You will see whether things are going well or not, and you can take corrective action if necessary. Revisit your why if you need a refresher.

Your Turn: Pick your apps to track calories and weight. I use My Fitness Pal and Apple Health. Review your numbers once a week to spot trends and make changes early.

3. Diet Over Exercise (At Least for Me)

Paying attention to my diet was the key, and the hardest part, much harder than working out. It is a lifestyle change that has to stay. Unfortunately, it’s incredibly easy to reverse all the progress when you go back to old habits.

I regained all the weight I had lost so many times before. Keeping it off is still an ongoing goal. We’re talking about making lots of choices every day to restrain ourselves. In my case, habit changes regarding diet have been the main cost/discomfort item against the benefit of my why.

It is a very personal area. Some approaches like keto did not work me at all. Lean protein, fresh vegetables, low carb, and low fat worked for me. Read and consult with a healthcare professional for a healthy diet.

Your Turn: Identify one eating habit that’s holding you back. Replace it with a better option you can stick with long term.

4. Cardio Plus Strength Training

Early on, I focused mainly on cardio exercises to lose weight. I made great progress but was concerned about muscle loss. To prevent muscle loss, I incorporated resistance and strength training.

My favorite cardio exercises are the elliptical, outdoor walking, and inclined walking. I also enjoy rowing with the ergometer, a great combo for both cardio and strength.

For strength, I do the most common weightlifting exercises at the gym. Apple Fitness+ has great strength training sessions as well as core and Pilates exercises. I start and end my day with a 10-minute exercise like stretching or core work at home. I admit it does not happen every day.

Your Turn: Add one strength session to your weekly routine if you’re only doing cardio. If possible, try rowing or another activity that combines both cardio and strength.

5. Full-Day Fasting

I tried full-day fasting upon encouragement from a friend, after reading about autophagy and learning how well our bodies are wired against lack of food. I now do it twice a week and will keep it that way willingly.

Jolting such a strong habit of eating every day, multiple times, has been a wonderful mental experience for me.

Your Turn: If your doctor approves, experiment with one full day of fasting this month. Pay attention to how your body and mind respond. It’s as much mental as physical.

6. Accountability Groups & Pledges

A health and fitness WhatsApp group can help you a lot.

It feels bad (really bad for me) if I promise something and don’t follow through.
You can learn a lot from other people’s experiences.
Some members can become your mentors. I learned long-distance running from one.
It can be quite fun.

Another option is an accountability pledge. For example, I pledged to my wife that I would run 5K if I didn’t lose weight. Eventually, I started running longer distances willingly.

I’ve also read about other pledges like telling your sister-in-law, mother-in-law, or a colleague that you will give them a decent amount of money if you don’t achieve your goal.

Your Turn: Either join or create an accountability group, or make a pledge with real consequences if you fail. The more it matters to you, the more it will keep you moving forward.

Final Thought:
These points are genuine and worked for me. My hope is that they help you too whether your goal is to lose weight, gain strength, or simply feel better in your own body.

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