It happened about two months ago. My wife and children were thumbing through some of our photo albums and came across our wedding pictures. There were lots of pictures of my beautiful wife in her beautiful white gown. But many of the photos had a skinny guy holding her hand. A skinny guy who my kids weren’t familiar with.
They said, “Who is that with mommy?”
“That’s daddy,” my wife replied.
“What? But he was so skinny. What happened to him?” they laughed.
It was an embarrassing, eye-opening moment for me. I knew at that moment that I had to figure out how to lose weight…and fast!
How To Lose Weight Fast
Many of my Twitter followers and friends on Facebook are going to be doing the Lose 28 Challenge. That is, we’re going to lose 28 pounds in the 28 days of February. (Hashtag for Twitter: #Lose28)
Enough is enough. Like many of you, I’ve never been so out of shape or unhealthy in my life. It’s time to take back our health and get our energy level back to what it should be.
I’m not a doctor or a fitness expert. However, I’m an ex-jock. I played sports through high school and college, so I know the basics. And thankfully, the basics are more than enough. In fact, during my junior year in college, I lost 36 pounds in just over 2 weeks! I went crazy on eating right, drinking lots of water, and exercising three times daily. So I know it can be replicated.
Here’s how we’re going to do it.
Step 1: CHANGE YOUR MIND
We need to change our thinking. Intentionality is key. There needs to be a switch in our thought process. Stop wondering how to lose weight and start knowing that you are—indeed—going to lose the weight…and fast! It begins in the head.
Step 2: IT IS A LIFESTYLE CHANGE
Even though the initial challenge is for 28 days, realize that this needs to be a change in your life, not just over the the next month or so. Our bodies got the way that they did over time, not in one month. We need to alter behavior to make a lasting impact.
Step 3: DON’T OVER DO IT
The fear of failure can be an ugly thing. Let’s deal with it right upfront and get real. There are going to be days that we miss exercising, days that we don’t eat right, and days we get sick. Take it slowly (but not too slowly) and remember that this lifestyle change is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t feel bad if you miss a day here and there.
Step 4: STRETCHING
I’m not a doctor, so consult your own doctor or physician if you need to. Each person is at a different stage health-wise. Be smart about it. Personally, I’m going to stretch for about 5-10 minutes before I exercise. Stretching makes me feel good and it helps loosen up your muscles, etc. for the exercise ahead. If you don’t stretch or warm-up properly, you’re going to hurt yourself and then you’ll be done. Finished. Again, be smart.
Step 5: EXERCISING
You’ll need to figure out a time that works best in your schedule, and do your best to exercise at the same time of the day, every day. For me, I plan to wake up at 5:00 am, eat and pray and check email, and then begin exercising at 6:00 am. I will stretch and then go on a walk/run for no less than 30 minutes. I will walk “briskly” for three blocks and then jog one block. Then briskly walk a block and then jog one block. I will do this over and over for the 30+ minutes. In the evening, when I get home around 5:00 pm, I will do it again. Each time when my cardio workout is complete, I will walk a few blocks to allow my body to cool down. This is important and needful. I will then stretch some more once I get back home, and then do some sit up’s and push up’s.
Step 6: EATING & DRINKING WISELY
When I lost my 36 pounds in two weeks, I was drinking nearly a gallon of water each day. Every day. A gallon of water. Drinking water like there’s no tomorrow. Your body will need it and it needs to flush itself regularly. Moreover, during those two weeks, I actually ate food 5 times per day (at 6:00 am, 9:00 am, 12:00 noon, 3:00 pm, and 6:00 pm). What I did, however, was drastically lower the amount of food I ate. I ate a ton of chicken breasts, green beans, and potatoes, but in very small quantities. A small chicken breast and a cup of green beans. Take the amount of food you might normally eat in a single meal and cut it by 1/3. I plan to do this again.
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Look on the internet and find yourself a good exercise program that will work for you but will also push you. For me, I plan to do the above for the first week, and then step it up some more. Increasing the resistance is important. It won’t be easy, but I can guarantee that you’ll love how skinny feels!
Summary: How To Lose Weight
Lastly, one thing that you need during this process is encouragement. Let’s mentor one another. In the comments section below, we’re going to start keeping one another accountable and encourage each other to not quit and to keep going! You can do this. You’re strong enough! I know you are…and so do you.
ACTION TO TAKE: In the comments section below, let us know who you are and that you’re taking the #Lose28 Challenge with us. Go for it!
* Image credit: lululemon athletica (Creative Commons)
About Charles Specht
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