Starting our weight loss journey together

There are many nay-sayers in my life right now telling me I will not be able to lose weight, and for good reasons. Most of these people care about me, and I can see why they are telling me that trying to set a goal to lose weight now is a fool’s errand. I will share their reasons with you, but before we do, I want to say that I am looking for my healthy weight, not my lowest weight. I have included a link at the end of this article for you to find your healthy weight.

Alright, now that we’ve got the formalities out of the way, let’s get real for a second. Everyone’s got their reasons for wanting to lose weight. Some want health, others confidence, and some even want revenge on their high school crush. No judging. Really! They were probably jerks. But I want you to consider this: if I can do it, then just about anyone can. I’m not saying that to sound motivational. I’m saying it because the evidence is a hard slap in the face.

Why will I bet against the odds? Because I did it before. This will be my third major surgery since August 2023, and I lost 55 pounds from that day to the day of my lowest weight in years, which was 185 pounds. A lot of years. Like decades.

The reasons they warn me not to try and lose weight

First, I am basically 24 hours from total right hip replacement surgery. That means any such activity, even one with a moderate daily burn, will be impossible. There will be absolutely zero intense activity. No resistance exercises, no weightlifting, and, quite frankly, going to the bathroom will be a chore. I got it. However, aside from the pain, daily chores of living burn some calories, and I am going to track my calories on my Apple Watch, as few as they may be.

Second, and the one that really is my biggest fear, is the sleep issue after surgery. Trying to sleep after that surgery is horrible. A good night’s sleep was next to impossible for me at first, and sleep is essential for life. How do I know this? Because this is my second hip replacement, and trust me, it sucks. I could go on and on about the downside of improper sleep, but the ones that haunted me were the impairment of hormones and the regulation of hunger.

If you haven’t read my book, I delve into what I call the essentials. These are the things that make our overall life better. They help every other area of life to work together. The first one I mention in the chapter on the essentials is sleep because I believe it is that important. My goal is to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night.    

Third is the stress, and there is plenty of it after surgery. In “Become the Boss of You,” we address stress right away. It’s a killer. Later in the book, we explore various aspects that will help us lead a better and more fulfilling life. For example, in Chapter Five, I explore how prayer, meditation, and mindfulness can help reduce stress. I’ve used these life hacks for years, and they help with everything. That includes losing weight.

I know damn well that if I don’t stay on top of this, I’ll slide right back into comfort eating. I think you can relate to that emotional black hole where we use Spicy Doritos and ice cream to soothe our problems. Spoiler alert: Every time I play that game, I lose. Every. Single. Time. The triggers don’t disappear, especially if it was chocolate peanut butter. They just hide and pop up again.

Also, in Chapter Five of “Become the Boss of You,” I share the story of John, who was struggling with both sleep and stress. This is an unholy pair for sure that likes to hang out together. We will try to keep this in mind as we journey together on our weight loss challenge.

One of my favorite sections in my book is the section entitled “Warning; No BS Zone Ahead.” I used these to address uncomfortable truths and to keep my promise of being straight with my readers. Here is one of those examples from Chapter Five of the book. I am including it here because we will apply some of the principles from Chapter Five to achieve a healthy weight.

Warning: No Bullshit Zone Ahead – (From BBY Chapter Five)

There have been many wonderful concepts in this chapter. It would only be wise to expect to improve some of them simultaneously. Tackle them one at a time based on your priority system. Work them into your life at a pace you can manage. Expect setbacks; nobody’s perfect, even if you become a true boss. Stay focused on your goals; your desired behavior will become second nature over time. Remember, you’re the boss of yourself, and with these habits, you’re becoming a good one. We can condense this thought with a quote from Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. “Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never reach it.”

Mapping out our plan to lose weight

There are many things that can help us lose weight. For example, almost everyone knows that water is an essential part of a healthy diet. When I lost 55 pounds, I was terrible at managing my water consumption. That is something I will work on improving at this time, and I am creating a water chart to keep all of us on track. Below are the five areas we will focus on, and although I will be in post-op by the time most of you read this, I plan to focus on at least two.

1.)    We will focus on better habits, but not perfection

This is an area that I can start with, even as I struggle to get out of bed or wonder if I should take another dose of Oxycodone during recovery. This community is a support community, and we need to understand that seeking perfection breaks momentum. It is our consistency that will build lasting results. Something that starts small and grows. We will build new and better habits gently but consistently.
We will focus on tracking, reviewing, and adjusting on a weekly basis so we can stay in control. We will ask ourselves, “What worked?” We will also ask, “What can we tweak in some small way that won’t ruin momentum?”

2.)    Prioritize Food Quality Over Quantity

This is another area that even I will be able to focus on, even though I will be almost chair-bound for a few days. We aim to base our meals on whole, unprocessed foods, lean proteins, colorful vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats. We want to ask ourselves if what we are eating came from nature or a package.

This is something that we want to move the needle on. Slow but steady, we want to take steps to put our food intake cycle a little closer to nature and a little further from a processing plant. But here is the kicker: it has to be easily ingrained into your life. It can’t be a major chore. To do that, we must integrate it into our routine. If making healthy eating so much work that it becomes a strain, we are doomed.

A couple of things to keep in mind. First, nutrient density keeps you full, stabilizes your energy, and supports metabolic health. The second is to understand the long game of that first statement. I think it was Emmet Fox who said something like, “If you don’t find time for prayer and meditation, you will find time for misery and the doctor.” Well, that can also be said about eating properly. The bottom line is that we have been conditioned to think and feel that we live to eat. The problem with that mindset is that the excess weight we gain and carry around is just one way our animal bodies rebel against improper eating.

If we do not eat properly, we are essentially choosing to shorten our lives and compromise our physical health. Excess weight is one symptom of many. The truth is that we should not live to eat but eat to live.

3.)    Sleep Well & Manage Stress

I’m going to try my best to engage in this one, but pain is no joke, and I am kind of a sissy when it comes to pain. Sleeping after hip surgery did not work out well for me last time, but I am going into it with an open mind. Poor sleep and high stress elevate cortisol and hunger hormones. That drives cravings and fat storage. The aim is to get 7–9 hours of sleep.

I believe I can achieve daily stress relief through prayer, meditation, walks, and journaling. The reality is that these always help me in all my endeavors, and I fully understand that I cannot out-diet chronic stress. Here is my secret weapon. Us. Yes, forming this support community to inspire one another is my secret. I truly hope I can inspire some of you in the future, but I know that, at the beginning, I will need to hear about other people’s wins. Trust me. I know that the odds are stacked against me. But in time, because of you, I will be able to give back some inspiration.

4.)    Move it to lose it, especially strength training

I know I will be of little help to the community in this area for some time. Yet I can build the tools to help us out. I am brainstorming easy workouts that can be done at home to integrate into our daily lives. I prefer a balance of cardio that burns calories and resistance training that helps protect muscle and metabolism.

When it comes to cardio, I still hold to the father of aerobics, Dr Ken Cooper. His research was excellent and unbiased. More to come on that in time. As for strength training, a gym is great, but you can also build muscle with push-ups. Deep squats can challenge the best of athletes, and you will find that the gym rats are doing sit-ups and crunches dressed in fancy outfits. Think of a true integrated workout routine as metabolic insurance. You know that whole animal body thing I talk about. Even two to three short sessions weekly can reshape how our bodies use energy.

5.)    We will work toward a small and consistent calorie balance

I do not believe I will be successful at this one right away, but as soon as I can start moving, I will be all in. You see, we only need a modest 400–500 calorie deficit to see build to a healthy, steady change. We also do not have to do that every day, as long as we are not binging because we are starving ourselves.
Eating the right foods and not cutting back too much will help prevent muscle loss, which is essential for our bodies to function properly. It will also help us avoid fatigue and the rebound weight gain that many of us have experienced. It’s a simple plan: eat just a bit less, or move a bit more, but not to a drastic degree that puts our progress backwards.

Get ready, we start soon. Joe

Link to my Instagram page at loseweightwithjoep and stay in touch with us.

Link to find a healthy weight. Heart-Healthy Living – Aim for a Healthy Weight | NHLBI, NIH