My Fat Loss Journey

Introduction 

Some say the greatest punishment was given to Sisyphus by Zeus to roll a boulder up a hill for eternity but I’d say that it pales in comparison to what an obese person has to go through in their everyday life. Being obese from an early age, I don’t know or remember what it feels like to be thin, to be normal. I have always been this overweight kid my whole life- being bullied by my peers, being poked at by “friends” and strangers alike.

The Struggles of Obesity

I never felt comfortable in my skin in public. I wore clothes to hide my flaws, and my insecurities and not to bring out my strengths as I felt like there were none. I wore clothes that were two sizes bigger for me so that when my belly bulges out, it isn’t very noticeable. The situation got worse during COVID-19 where I gained over 20 kilograms in two years due to binge eating and lack of physical activity. I don’t know which was worse- my mental state or my physical health. Depression and obesity is not a combination one wants in themselves. 

Everyday activities which were as easy as breathing for the average folk were painfully difficult for me. Climbing up the stairs, I felt like I’d puke my heart out. Clothing was also a big problem for me. It was extremely difficult for me to find clothes that fit. Every piece of clothing had to be tailored to fit me. I couldn’t expect to walk into a store, choose a piece I liked and buy it. It just wouldn't fit and if by some miracle one would, I’d buy every piece of it available in the store.

The Turning Point

Constant bullying and discrimination tormented my very existence. But the thing that broke the camel's back was when one day I got onto a bus to travel to my friend’s place and I wouldn't fit. The conductor made snide comments about my weight and size. I was devastated. I felt like I’m incompatible with society. Being ridiculed in front of thirty or so strangers does something to your brain that only those who experienced it would understand. It was at that moment I decided that this is the time to do something. I felt like if morbid obesity doesn’t get me then my own hands will.  

Learning the Basics

From that day, I started researching weight loss and fat loss, both of which are different things that I came to know later in my journey. I joined a local gym in my area. I started to watch and follow many different fitness “influencers” most of whom were there to sell me a magic pill or a slimming. Most of these “fitness gurus”, who posed shirtless, claimed their physique to be possible only through their special supplements or their cutting-edge “exercise plan” which I’d have to sell my kidneys to afford. Among these shameless scammers, I found two heroes whose content helped me a lot - Ben Carpenter with his to the point dialogue, refuting all the misinformation the internet holds about fitness and weightloss in general and James Smith whose content motivated me to ignore all the naysayers and push myself forward.

Initial Progress

Firstly, I learned about calorie deficits and surpluses. I also learned about proper form and the importance of not ego-lifting. As I despise cardio, most of my exercises were resistance training meaning exercising with weights, dumbbells, and barbells. Many people seem to have this misconception that you can only lose weight through cardio which is a total myth and I, myself, is a living proof of that. Anyways, I fixed my diet, started using MyFitnessPal to count my calories, and made myself a full-body exercise program with the help of my trainer. I also became more consistent with my training and diet. With this, my weight started dropping like waterfalls!

I lost 8 kilograms in the first month. I was over the moon. The excitement, the joy, and the feeling of achieving something I thought was impossible gave me a great boost of motivation. Later, I found out that most of those 8 kilograms were from gut water. You see, after you start a diet and exercise routine, you’ll experience diarrhea within one week. Most people think that this is the “fat” melting away but in reality, it’s our gut recalibrating itself to adjust to our new diet. Even though this information was shocking to me when I realized what happened, I had lost quite a bit more weight and had physical changes in my face and body. People started to notice the changes in my body so it wasn’t very demoralizing for me at that time. 

Facing setbacks

After about six months, my weight dropped by a staggering 25 kilograms. I had dropped from XXXL to an XL size chart. My confidence was higher than ever before and people got to see my confident self. For the first time in my life, I was somewhat confident in myself. But, it didn’t take long for the heavens to crumble. My weight loss slowed down and eventually plateaued. I went from losing more than 2 kilograms a week to barely losing a kilogram a month. I got extremely demotivated. I felt like my dream physique would remain a dream forever. This caused me to skip gym for four whole months which I still regret to this day. I thought this was the end of my journey and there was nothing more I could do. But, I was wrong. Thankfully.

The Reboot

I joined the university. I enrolled to study my favorite subject. I started to care for myself again - joined the gym, and fixed my sleeping schedule and diet. I started to track my calories again. 

And this brings us to the present. Currently, I weigh 82.2 kg. My target is to drop to 63 kilograms which I predict will take two to three years at most. 

Conclusion

I have to say this journey has not only given me a healthier lifestyle but also instilled in me a form of confidence that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. Life will throw at us many obstacles, that’s what life does. We can not let it disheartened us. We have to push ourselves through all these and “grab life by the throat”. We must remember that each step forward is a triumph, and every setback is a chance to learn and grow.