Weight Loss the fun way – How I lost forty pounds and got into shape
I used to be 210 pounds with a 38 inch waist size back in high school and then halfway through college. I was shy and preferred to stay indoors and read books while other classmates went out and had fun. I rarely participated in sports. I tried dieting and exercising but could never sustain it for long.
And then in one magical year, I dropped down to 170 pounds and a 34 inch waist size. I started playing basketball, could run several miles, hung out with different groups of friends and started loving my life.
So what changed?
I didn’t start any special diet. I didn’t eat any magical pills. I didn’t start a super workout or buy an ab-crunch machine.
The magic answer? I made new friends and learned to have fun…
It started with me going out to a basketball court during my summer vacation and watching some kids playing. There was a large crowd with some really good players and some who were just learning. They let me join in even though I sucked at basketball.
It was amazing – being a part of a team, cheering others on, trying my best to play and being totally accepted by a group of strangers – that day I had a lot of fun. I came back the next day, and the day after, and then kept coming back every day. To me it wasn’t just about the basketball, it was about being a part of this amazing fun group of people. We would play till it was dark so we couldn’t play any more, and then we would just hang out and laugh and talk. It was one of the best summers of my life.
When I went back to college, I had already lost a lot of weight and everyone noticed the difference. The best part was, I hadn’t even been trying for it – It had just happened while I was having fun. I now liked exercising and staying fit, and I didn’t want to go back to being unhealthy and shy and unhappy ever again. I loved this new me.
I hung out with a friend circle that enjoyed staying in shape and motivated me. I started going out for runs and to the gym with these friends every day. I started playing basketball at college. I started socializing and going out with my classmates and friends more often. Without even meaning to, I realized that I had also started avoiding unhealthy eating and living (probably because all my friends ate healthy). If I ever spent a few days eating unhealthy, my body would just raise an alarm and I would feel a strong urge to exercise and get back into shape. I was used to being healthy now and my subconscious mind did not want me to change.
Since then I have always found some form of exercise that I enjoy wherever I go. I went for long four day treks, or rock climbing or whitewater rafting or skydiving. Life became an adventure of trying new fun things wherever I went.
Now days, I try out new things like training for a marathon or the hundred push-up challenge just because they seem like fun. I keep weights and use an exercise video at home so I find it convenient to exercise anytime I want. I stay in shape because it has become a habit – my new way of life.
If you dislike gym and exercise, don’t try to force yourself to do it.
If you find making these changes too difficult to implement and need a way to build these good habits slowly, take a look at how to implement large changes easily using the kaizen way. Since I started the Kaizen experiment, I go to the gym every day no matter what and find it effortlessly easy.
If you dislike gym and exercise, don’t try to force yourself to do it. There is always a fun way that you will enjoy that will give you the results you want. Find it. For example, a really fun way to exercise is dancing – either with dance dance revolution, or going out for Salsa dancing. I went out for taek-wando for a long time. It was grueling exercise, but I had so much fun doing it with my friends that I kept going. Building a community and going out with others to do it is what makes it sustainable and fun.
No matter what you decide to try, don’t do it because you want to lose weight. Do it because you enjoy it. Just have fun doing it, and everything else will take care of itself.
