How this Busy Doctor Mom of Two Lost (and maintains) 8 inches off her Waist

When thinking about body fat, the adage “prevention is better than cure” for sure applies. This is because losing weight can be quite challenging for some of us whose bodies seem to be quite adept at storing fat. Indeed! I could probably gain weight during a famine. Studies that have looked at the human genome (genome-wide association studies) have identified multiple genetic loci associated with increased susceptibility to obesity.  The more of these genes one has, the greater the impact on one’s jeans.

Apart from genetics, many different lifestyle factors can significantly impact one’s ability to lose weight and/or maintain a healthy weight—factors like busy work and life schedules, lack of fitness and nutrition knowledge, socioeconomic factors, poor opportunities for maintaining an active lifestyle, limited access to healthy foods etc. Take me for example—apart from my genetic predisposition to weight gain (Obesity and Type II Diabetes run in my family), I also have a very busy home life (wife and mother to two boys with many extended family responsibilities as well) and a very busy career.

Looking at the factors stacked against me, the path of least resistance would be to just accept my overweight-since-puberty body and just keep on keeping on. As I continue to learn more and more about fitness and appropriate health parameters, I know it will  be a lifelong challenge to continue to avoid that path.  There is actually no need for me to embrace despair anyway because there are many studies (like this one) that have demonstrated that with key lifestyle changes, you can overcome your genetics when it comes to obesity and weight gain.

So here is how I did it—here are 10 factors that helped me lose (and help me maintain) 8 inches off my belly:

1. Stopping the Cycle of Weight Gain: A New England Journal of Medicine article reported that the average annual weight gain in adults under age 25 was approximately 0.5 to 1.5 pounds. Between the ages of 25 and 44, the annual increase in weight jumped to 3.4 percent in men and 5.2 percent in women (about 5 pounds per year for men and 8 pounds per year for women). Bearing this in mind, it makes sense to focus first on preventing weight gain as the more urgent matter. It’s like if a roof sprung a big leak and began to fill your house with water. Plugging the hole as early as possible would prevent water from continuously flooding your house, so that one can then fully focus on pumping out the water that got in the house prior to closing up the leak. I found it to be quicker and easier to stop the cycle of weight gain with simple adjustments which then significantly boosted my motivation to lose weight. By accomplishing this goal first, you will set yourself up better for weight loss success and healthy living in general.  
2. Greatest Motivators: When you find what motivates you, it is much easier to develop a laser focus and achieve success. My greatest motivators are good health and vanity. I would like to live my best life for as long as possible to be there for my loved ones, especially my kids, and I love to dress nice and look good. Both of these ideals push me to get up every day determined to accomplish my fitness goals come rain or sunshine. So if looking spectacular in your wedding dress or the fear of needing heart bypass surgery will get you off your caboose, then conjure up those images in your mind and get to work. 
3. No Excuses: I banished away thoughts like “I have had two kids, so it is expected that I will have a big tummy” or “I have such a busy career and life, how can I be expected to work out and be fit on top of all that,” or “If I had Beyonce’s budget and glam squad, I would look like Beyonce, but I don’t” or “Obesity runs in my family—it’s hopeless” or “to lose weight and be healthy, you have to become a gym rat, and I don’t have the time or money to do that.” None of these statements is true. First, just because you have had kids does not mean you cannot lose abdominal fat—you don’t need a six pack, you just need your waist circumference to be within a healthy range (please refer to my blog article on Health Parameters–see link below). Second, if you don’t make time for your health, then you will eventually be forced to make time for sickness—it is inevitable. Third, neither Beyonce’s money nor her glam squad can exercise and eat healthy on her behalf; she still has to do it herself. Fourth, studies have shown that a healthy lifestyle can overcome obesity genes. And, fifth, you DO NOT have to go to the gym or work out for 2 hours a day to lose weight and stay fit.
4. Setting Bite-Size Realistic Targets: When you break down a large goal into smaller targets and you give yourself enough time to accomplish your goals, you are more likely to adopt sustainable lifestyle changes that will help you achieve your larger weight loss and fitness goals in the long run. For example, my goal was to lose 25 pounds in 6-12 months, so I set a target of 1-2 lbs of weight loss every 1-2 weeks. As I dropped each 1-2 lbs, I was motivated for the next one and I didn’t get derailed by the sadness of not seeing big jumps on the scale immediately.
5. The Power of a Fitbit: My husband got me a Fitbit Blaze after our second baby (#SoRomantic)—LOL! I actually asked him for one. The Fitbit Blaze revolutionized my fitness routine because I have gotten addicted to meeting my daily targets of 10000 steps, 5 miles, 30 minutes of Activity, 10 Floors to climb, and 9 hours of 250 steps or more each hour per day. Also, when I began to see my resting heart rate drop from 80s to 50s (signaling my heart was learning to work more efficiently with training), you could not tell me I wasn’t the bees’ knees. To meet my daily goals, I walk more whenever possible, I jog in place a lot throughout the day, I climb up to 20 flights of stairs per day  (my office is on the 6^th floor of the hospital, the ICU on the 7^th floor and the Operating Rooms on the 3^rd Floor and I always take the stairs), and I exercise for at least 30 to 60 minutes per day 6 days per week. Please note that I do 98% of all this outside of a gym. My Fitbit Blaze has helped me use my hours awake more wisely to help me reach my fitness goals.

6. Adding more food to my diet: You heard me correctly—yes, I added more foods to my diet, tasty healthy foods that is. Often times we associate weight loss and fitness with food deprivation or cutting out certain food groups depending on the fad diet du jour. What I have found more helpful, however, is focusing on adding more healthy foods to my daily diet which has then helped curb my cravings by keeping me fuller longer. I eat almonds and cashews regularly, I switched to Icelandic-style yogurt (Siggi’s brand) which has much less sugar than typical yogurt and contains probiotics which promote gut health, I eat a protein-packed green salad on most work days for lunch (coming in at 600 calories or less), and I explore more vegetables and legumes than I have been used to in the past. I am now finding that I have less cravings for bread, pound cake and fries which have always been my weakness.
7. Adding a splash of Grapefruit Juice: I love to drink water, however, (for me) it can get a bit monotonous. So I started adding a splash of Grapefruit Juice to my 2 liters of water that I sip throughout the day. When I go out to dinner, my go to drink is sparkling water with a splash of grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice is naturally low in calorie (70 calories per 8 fluid ounces), it packs a ton of vitamin C which boosts your immune system, and it helps with weight loss and fighting insulin resistance. A 2006 study published in the Journal of Medicinal foods (click here for the abstract) found that eating half of a fresh grapefruit or drinking 8 ounces of grapefruit juice before each meal (three times a day) was associated with significant weight loss and improvement in insulin resistance in patients with Metabolic Syndrome.
8. Family Bonding over Fitness: Childhood obesity is a big problem in the Western world especially in our dear country, the United States of America. Helping children to eat healthy and getting them outdoors to enjoy physical activity is so crucial. Instead of driving to the public playground one mile away from our house, I walk there with my kids. Our health club also has a kids’ academy which has great programs for play, exercise and sports that keep kids engaged and learning about fitness at an early age while their parents work out. My husband is also a fitness buff and he constantly motivates me to keep fit—we even have some of our date nights at the health club where he helps me with my body-sculpting moves. Majority of my exercising is done at home, however, and my kids often come and jump along with me (you haven’t lived till you have seen a two year old attempt round house kicks—HILARIOUS!)
   

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9. Chalene Johnson: I owe both of my post-baby-body-bounce-backs to Chalene Johnson , a fitness authority, choreographer, and lifestyle expert who currently owns “The Guiness Book of World Records” for the most fitness videos ever—she has sold over 10 million exercise DVDs. I have used Chalene Johnson’s Turbo Jam and Turbo Fire video sets. Her workouts are fun, motivating and set to great music that keeps me jamming and having a great time. I do the work outs at home and even at work (in my overnight on-call room)—talk about maximizing my waking hours. I recently completed a 20 week advanced routine which accounted for post-second baby 20 pound weight loss. Click here and here to buy her exercise videos.
10. Claim your Rewards: As I set my bite-size fitness goals, I also promise myself a reward for meeting each one. For small goals, rewards can vary from spa treatments to beauty products to certain closet pieces or fitness gear. For my larger goals, rewards can vary from luxury handbags or small leather goods to dream vacations. Nothing quite motivates me like keeping my eyes on the prize.

My Dream Vacation: Four Seasons Maldives

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Please share health and fitness tips that have worked for you and any other thoughts you have in the comment section below and let’s grow together, building a strong community of healthy and fit lifelong learners.

Love,

Chichi