*warning, this post has before and after photos, I'm sorry in advance*

Today, I weighed myself and I’ve officially lost 30lbs+ since last year.

This is the thinnest I’ve been since college. I wasn’t overweight but was definitely “skinny fat”.

I’ve tried a few diets over the years (keto, etc) and some worked, but I always gained it back.

This time, I won’t gain it back. Why? Because I’m not on a diet! 

I don’t think much about what I eat. I rarely weigh myself. I’m not even trying to lose weight...

So what’s the secret? Practical lifestyle change.

Although it may take a little bit longer to see results, lifestyle change feels way more sustainable than something like the Keto diet.

Here are the lifestyle changes that worked for me:

1 - Counting calories.

Late last year, I downloaded MyFitnessPal and logged everything I ate. I didn’t do macros, and I didn’t subtract calories from working out. I just counted pure gross calories. Here’s a great video that shows why MFP works and the mindset behind it (not some fitness guru, a normal ass guy who lost 100 lbs).

I didn’t realize this at the time, but counting calories is not the solution to losing weight. Counting calories is the solution to getting knowledge about food and knowledge about your own body.

Knowledge is power! I can’t emphasize this enough. When I counted everything I put in my body, I learned a lot about food, and more importantly, I learned a lot about my own body!

With this knowledge, I was able to identify that I often binge eat for dinner (1600+ calories in one meal). This helped me learn how to eat less, and how to stop eating *before* I feel full. I also learned how many calories per day puts me at equilibrium (meaning I don’t gain or lose weight). 

Most importantly, I learned that losing weight is simple. I ate less calories, and I saw the results before my eyes. Now, I'll never be tempted to try out new trendy fancy diets and exercise plans.

2 - Making exercise enjoyable.

The second most important lifestyle change was building exercise that I truly enjoyed into my daily routine.

I had to come clean with myself, I was never going to "go to the gym 4 days/week”.

The truth is, I hate the gym. I never liked it. If I enjoyed the gym, I would have gone every day since I bought my first gym membership in 2009...

Instead of forcing myself to like the gym (tried many times), I instead picked up sports that I found truly enjoyable. For me, it was running and tennis and skateboarding.

I love these activities so much that I actually crave to do them. I feel shitty if I don’t!

Because I love doing these so much, I often work out twice per day, and it never feels like a chore.

I won’t go into these much, but they do help. I don’t think they are as important as #1 and #2, though.

I am a bit embarrassed to post these before and after pics... But I feel like I should... Sorry!