It wasn’t that I woke up suddenly and found myself at 215 pounds or 97 kgs. I had my weight under control for most of my life. I was 145 pounds 60- 65 kgs in my twenties. Throughout my adult student life and my initial service life. I did get some pounds added to my waist due to the sudden extra money I was getting which contributed to my slight bulge in the waist but I was still within my BMI. Marriage added some more as I was getting good food after the junk I ate earlier, I had to make do in my bachelor life. I would do some runs when it got more than I wanted and so the back and forth with the weight continued. I gained some and then lost it with my runs. Each time I gained the threshold of my base weight increased.

I would be happy when I was near 170 pounds. As I entered middle age I gained some more and I was 190. I got it back with some diet restrictions and my running to 180s. So, 180–190 was pretty much where I was for a long time. Later I got complacent and ate more sweets and sugared drinks. Before I knew I was at 215 and had practically given up. I compromised and convinced myself that I was fine there are no health issues. If I was doing good in the health parameters, I was fine.

One day that changed, after one annual health checkup and the routine blood tests my doctor’s office called me. My triglycerides and cholesterol had shot up above the threshold. I was asked to see the doctor. The doctor wasn’t happy with my weight and the increased levels in my health charts. He told me that he would have to start me on a statin. This was a shock I wasn’t prepared for. I did not want to be on meds. I asked him to give me 6 months and I will try to lower it through exercise and diet. He agreed reluctantly but gave me only 3 months.

The plan for getting into shape.

I thought about it and knew I had to act now. I had let the complacency go on far too longer than I wanted. I looked at the foods to increase my healthy cholesterol and ways to lower the bad ones along with the other triglycerides. Avocadoes were in, sugary drinks were out. I wanted to cut sweets out but I did not have the will so started with some reductions to it. I also planned to go on daily runs at least 5 times a week. Weekends, I kept it for my body to recuperate and rest for the next week’s grind.

Putting it into Action.

I have made countless plans earlier without implementing them new year resolutions or any others that you think of you name it and I had done it. This time I was serious about getting back into shape so I started eating healthy. I limited my carbs intake, especially things like bread, pasta, and white flour foods. I saw videos on YouTube for eating healthy and one thing that stuck with me was anything white was not good for the body. White flour, white sugar whatever else came in the markets.

The change in diet did result in some reduction in pounds. I also started running. I liked running on roads but it was too cold to venture out. I am not the type who layer up and run. I dusted off my treadmill, which had been lying in one corner of the house, and started running. I started with 15 min a mile in the beginning. It took me a lot of effort and my body not used to that effort started rebelling. I got aches in the knee and my shin area pained. I wasn’t going to give up as meds were the last thing I wanted to be on. I kept on it and soon my shin improved and the pain was gone. I still had some in the knee so I started a 2–3 min stretch of my legs before my runs.

Slowly my stamina increased and I went from 15 to 20 to 30 and then to 50 min of running. I was running 5–6 miles daily for those 5 days. Initially, I did not see many changes but gradually the persistence paid and my weight started going down. Each week I would notice some difference as I stepped on the scale. This provided me with the motivation to keep at it. My weight was down to 190 but then it wouldn’t budge. No matter what I tried the scale barely moved.

It had been 3 months since I saw the doc so I went in and had my blood test done. The results were better, there was some increase in my good cholesterol. The bad ones also had gone down. They were still on the margins but were down. Triglycerides were the ones that went down well below the limit. The doctor was happy, let me continue my exercise plan, and asked me to come in 6 months.

Change in diet and intermittent fasting to the rescue.

As my weight plateaued, I had to make changes to my plan. There had to be some way to take it further. I researched and looked at many new diet plans, but most had negatives. Difficult to follow the weight coming back once you are off them. Intermittent fasting excited me. Intermittent fasting plan is itself a lot to write about so maybe I will keep that for another article but the gist of it was that I implemented it in my diet and along with the exercise I was doing it helped me shed more pounds. The changes in my waist were noticeable the bulge in my tummy had reduced. I had gone from 36 waist size to 30. Well technically it was more like 38, or 39 as that was my psychological barrier of fooling myself with my waist 38 or 40 would have been bad. The pants were all very tight but I did not go to the next size at that time so to be able to fit into a 30 comfortably was something I was very happy about. My BMI was back in the lower 20s and I was looking much fitter. My weight had come down to 150. Some partying and food overdose did get it back to 160 but I was able to get it back to 155 where I am currently. It does feel good, I am fitter and have scaled back on the runs but intermittent fasting is still on. The next annual health visit will show me where I am if I need to change anything or continue doing it.

I feel it was well worth the effort. I feel more energy inside me, yes, I do have those knee aches sometimes due to the runs but overall things are positive. I have never been this lean in my adult life so does feel good, hopefully, the next doctor visit will be positive too, and show me the direction I need to take for the foreseeable future.