HOW I LOST 10 KGS IN TWO MONTHS?

       Running a faster marathon requires a lean body with low body fat percentage. I weighed 71 kgs (156 pound) during the start of Jan 2017 before starting training for my Organisation’s Marathon championship in Apr 2017. I looked more like a bodybuilder & wrestler.  We were a team of three runners. The leanest runner on our team weighed 52 kgs (114.64 pounds) whereas the other runner weighed 63 kgs (138 pounds): I was 19 kgs and 8 kgs overweight respectively against these two teammates. 

            

      As per Matt Fitzgerald, the Author of ‘Racing Weight’, a 160 pound (72kg) runner expends 6.5% more energy than a 150 pound (68 kg) runner at the same pace.  This meant that I was expending around 15-20% more energy than my teammates while practising at the same pace.   An easy run for my team mates turned out to be a pace running for a heavy person like me. 

I was running since last 1-2 years and was not making any significant improvements in my race timings. My marathon time of last year was 3 hours 12 mins and 29 seconds.  I was of the same weight (71 kgs) at that time. So I made it my top most priority this year to reduce my weight before the Marathon and did a lot of reading on the subject through varied books from sports nutrition to general diet.

I had tried to reduce my weight earlier during races but had been unsuccessful so far. I had the delusion that I will loose my weight automatically since marathon training required lot of practice (around 3-5 hours daily).  I felt I was expending more calories during training and hence needed to refuel lots of calories for recovery.  Because of this misunderstanding, I used to gobble up everything within my sight throughout the day from sweets, oily foods to all kinds of junk food. The result was that I never lost a single kg of bodyweight despite training for 4-5 hours everyday in the month of Jan 2017.  I then started focusing entire attention on diet and lost 10 kg during the two months of Feb & Mar 2017 by incorporating some simple basic steps as given below.

Before proceeding, I would like to state that I did not resort to dieting i.e eating less at any time to loose weight.  Almost all the weight loss diet strategies that focus on consuming few calories work well in the short term and not in the long term. Research has shown that people who resort to dieting loose weight initially but thereafter gain more weight later than they had lost.  Another drawback of various dieting programs is that your body will be denied some of the essential nutrients required for various functions within the body. Also, dieting is not a solution for sportsmen because they need a high amount of good quality diet to recover after hard training sessions and also for optimal performance. 

ELIMINATING REFINED SUGAR FROM DIET

            

     The bad effects of consuming too much sugar is known to everyone. Sugar contains lots of calories with no essential nutrients. Sugar is known to botch up our metabolism thereby increasing our weight.  Consuming too much sugar can cause obesity, elevated blood sugar, high blood pressure and hosts of other problems. 

            

     Sugar is a modern innovation.  A wikipedia search reveals that it was innovated around 4-5 centuries ago but people started consuming it in large amounts since the last century.  It was available earlier but people avoided buying as it was extremely costly.  Earlier, people used natural sweetners like honey to make sweet foods. 

            

     Sugar is ubiquitous in today’s diet. If we analyse our everyday diet, we consume sugar in copious amounts through the following means.  My sugar intake was also the same :-

(a)          Coffee/Tea – An office going person consumes around 4-5 cups of tea on an average everyday.  That makes around 7-8 spoonfuls of sugar only through Coffee/Tea.

(b)          Biscuits/cakes/chocolates  & other packaged/processed foods that contain sugar – All words on packaged foods like Fructose, glucose, Maltose, sucrose etc that end in ‘ose’ are nothing but sugar.  Snacking on these foods has become the latest trend as they are readily available.  But the long term ill effects of these foods are extremely high.  

(c)          Packaged Fruit juice & cold drinks -  All packaged fruit juice contain sugar. If we carefully read Nutritional Information lable on these packets/bottles, the percentage of sugar is sometimes more than 50% of the total ingredients.  Also be aware, even the juice vendors add big spoonfuls of white sugar to make the juice sweeter. 

(d)          Consuming too much milk -        We use milk for making tea/coffee as well as for making juice.  For many vegetarians this may sound strange but milk contains a naturally occuring sugar called lactose.  Consuming too much milk is also not good and I will elaborate on this topic in detail in the next para.

            We all know that we are consuming too much sugar through the above means and through various other sources.  But the main question is how to stop consuming it. Especially for sweeth toothed people like me, the thought of eliminating sugar from diet sounds scary.  But its quiet easy and the benefits of quitting sugar are manifold.  The good feeling and abundant energy that you get once you stop consuming sugar is undescribable.  Here’s how I stopped taking sugar in my diet :

(a)          Organic Brown Jaggery instead of sugar       -          Jaggery is a rich source of iron and other minerals.  While sugar is refined by addition of sulphur di oxide, jaggery is more natural than sugar as it does not undergo any refinement process.  Jaggery helps in purifying blood, aids in digesting foods and strengthens the muscles, bones and is also rich in antioxidants. 

However, it may be noted that all Jaggery that is sold in market is not good.  Most of the jaggery available in market is added with sugar and undergoes similar process like that of sugar.  During my interaction with a sugarcane-jaggery producing owner on the Bangalore-Belgaum highway, I found out that the sugarcane jaggery which is more brownish/black in colour is bereft of sugar.  The owner also told me that the yellow colour in jaggery means it is added with sugar.  So I have started buying organic sugarcane jaggery which is a bit brown/black in colour and the benefits it is offering me are immense.  

I have started using jaggery in tea/coffee instead of sugar.  I have even stopped adding milk to tea and instead consume green tea with water and jaggery. It may feel tasteless in the beginning to have your tea without sugar and milk but once you get the hang of it you will feel refreshed. More on this green tea topic later.

(b)          Eating copious amounts of natural sweets like fruits & dates-     Fruits and dates are the best alternatives to sugar for people like me who have sugar cravings.  Dates are rich in calcium, iron and other important minerals.  They are also good carbohydrates especially for runners.  Dates can be added to juice to make it more sweeter instead of adding white sugar. Honey is also a good alternative for sugar in juice.  Taking honey with hot water also helps in weight loss. Fruits also minimise sugar cravings as they are sweet to taste and are the best alternative to white sugar. 

(c)          Eating sweet potato, pumpkin and carrot -     Sweet potato, pumpkin and carrots are sweeter in taste and minimise sugar cravings. Eating carrot halwa and mashed sweet potato with jaggery gives a good carbohydrate diet for a runner.  Be careful to not add lot of jaggery.

REDUCING MILK CONSUMPTION                   

            

     Being a pure vegetarian, milk was my main source of protein and I consumed it in copious amount only to find out later that I was doing it all wrong.  My milk consumption throughout the day was around 5-6 cups. Two cups were for tea/coffee, two cups for juice/oats/daliya and one cup each of full cream milk in the morning and evening after lunch and dinner respectively.

      

      Here is what I found out about milk after reading various books. Milk contains a natural sugar called lactose. Now this sugar called lactose is broken down by an enzyme called lactase during digestion.  Children have this enzyme called lactase and hence can consume milk in copious amounts because they can digest the lactose (sugar) in milk. And the sad part is that adults no longer form lactase (enzyme) and are therefore unable to digest lactose (sugar) in milk.  This is the reason why most people are lactose intolerant. 

     To really believe this fact, I reduced my intake of milk by around 80-90%.  The good feeling that I got after reducing my milk intake was undescribable. The constipation and head ache that followed after consuming large amounts of milk disappeared. I no longer remember when I had my last head ache. I used to have a bout of head ache every second week due to constipation.  Also, too much milk consumption used to make me feel bloated and heavier.  So I reduced my milk intake to only one glass per day.  To reduce my milk consumption :

(a)       I started drinking my green tea without adding any milk and sugar and felt  more energised and refreshed. 

(b)       To make up for the proteins, I started consuming home-made yoghurt (dahi) instead of milk.  Yoghurt helps in digestion and absorbing nutrients from other foods. Yoghurt is also rich in calcium.  Be careful to not consume packaged frozen yoghurt as it contains lot of fat.

(c)        I also consumed various types of lentils and beans to take care of my protein requirements.

(d)       Adding only small amount of toned milk to juice and oats.

BOILED FOOD INSTEAD OF DEEP FRIED FOOD

            

     Just like the thought of giving up sugar and milk, the idea of giving up delicious deep fried foods seems unpalatable to people like us.  To understand why deeply fried food, especially refined oil, is not good for health we need to understand how this oil is processed. In general, refined oils are made by various chemical processes to extract the oil from various plant seeds. Further, refined oil contain trans fat.  These trans fats contain free radicals that cause cancer and low immunity.  The most dangerous thing about eating deep fried foods is that some of the road side vendors & other eateries who sell deep-fried food items use the same oil on consecutive days without changing. Food prepared by frying in such re-used oil, without properly storing them, contain lot of free radicals that are very dangerous for the human body.  Its also a known fact that consuming lot of deep fried foods in refined oil leads to obesity.  Most of the enzymes present in vegetables that aid digestion also get destroyed when deep fried. Therefore, it is prudent to eat boiled vegetables instead of fried ones.

            

     To reduce intake of refined oil, I started having my vegetables and dals by boiling them with plain water in cooker instead of deep frying in a pan.  You may think that the taste of boiled vegetables and dals would be unsavoury. Instead, you will start finding it more tastier than fried food once you get accustomed to it. Add salt, chilli powder or chopped green chilli, garlic, potatoe, tomatoes and onions to your boiled vegetables/dals and you will get a better taste than fried foods.  Boiled food makes you feel more energetic than fried foods and helps a lot in weight loss.

            

     I have not yet tried using Olive oil since it is very costly but am planning to introduce it soon in my diet since it is considered good for health.  Another good option for frying food is ghee which I intend to add to my diet. 

EATING THE RIGHT FOOD AT THE RIGHT TIME IN THE RIGHT MANNER

            

     Timing the meals is the most important factor.  Here are some important points which I followed with regard to timing :-

(a)          Eating early in the morning within 1 hour of waking up – Eating early in the morning within an hour of waking up is extremely important because it kick starts the metabolism process and ensures that it works unhindered throughout the day.  Starting your day with caffeinated drinks like tea/coffee is not a good idea.  I find oats mixed with little bit of jaggery or honey to be the best morning snack and I follow it up with green tea boiled in water.

(b)          Eating dinner two hours before sleeping        This was one of the critical factor which helped in my weight loss.  Earlier, I used to sleep immediately after my dinner which used to slow down my metabolism which in turn used to aid me in gaining weight.  There are other bad effects associated with sleeping immediately after taking dinner. I started eating my dinner before 7.30 pm everyday before going to bed at around 9.30 pm.  I feel that starting to follow this step was the seminal moment in my fight against weight loss.

(c)        Eating within 45 minutes after workouts         There is a window period of 45 minutes after workout during which we have to consume some carbs and protein to replenish our body and to recover the damaged muscles/tissues post workout.  Eating after prolonged period followed by a workout is just like watering your crops when they are completely damaged.

            

(d)       Drinking water 30 minutes before a meal and atleast one hour after a  meal               Drinking water immediately after meals is said to interfere with our digestive systems and does not allow the body to absorb nutrients.  To be frank, I am not sure about this point. But I am following it meticulously since last few days and can feel less bloated after meals if I don’t consume water immediately.

(e)       Mindful eating -By mindful eating I mean eating your food with complete attention.  Some of the research done on the subject has shown that people eat more if they have their meals while watching TV. The reason behind is that we eat faster while watching TV as our brains are focused on the TV ahead and fails to send signals that the stomach is full.  By focusing while eating, we eat slower thereby chewing food properly. 

     Chewing our food properly while eating is very important because our mouth contains an enzyme called Plyalin, which needs to be mixed well with the food for proper digestion.  Certain complex carbs break down in the mouth first and their nutrient absorption becomes easier when chewed properly. 

    Another reason why chewing food properly is very important because our muscles involved in eating undergo a process called mastication.  If we chew our food properly, we undergo proper mastication process and our brain sends signals to stop eating food at the right time because the muscles involed in mastication get tired.  I feel that everybody can master the art of consuming the right amount of food that their body needs if they master this art of mastication.

VARIETY AND QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

                        

     Eating variety and quality food matters more than eating too much of the same food everyday.  For example, instead of eating only jowar roti/bread everyday we can have different kinds of roti made of wheat, ragi, corn etc.

OTHER MISC FACTORS

                        

     The list which I have indicated above is not exhaustive and does not show a complete picture on weight loss. There are numerous other factors involved for which I may need to write a book.  Some of the other diets which helped in my weight loss are given below :

(a)          Green tea -    Organic green tea is abundant in antioxidants and helps in weight loss by improving our metabolism.  However, it is to be noted that to derive maximum benefits of green tea it has to be consumed only with boiled water and not with any sugar and milk. 

(b)          Wheatgrass juice   I mix one tablespoon of wheatgrass in one glass of morning and have it early in the morning as soon as I get up.  Wheatgrass contains an important nutrient called chlorophyll and is a weight-loss wonder food. There are immense benefits that can be derived through wheatgrass and I can write a full page on this but due to paucity of space I would like to keep this para compact.

(c)          Brown rice instead of white rice      Brown rice is more healthier than white rice as it is not polished and is rich in selenium and fiber.  The main benefit of brown rice is that it releases enery slowly unlike in white rice and therefore is a fat loss food. Replace white rice in your house with brown rice as most of the housewives cook rice throughout the day as they find it very simple.

(d)          Taking in lot of liquid diet -          During my interaction with many elite athletes, most of them told me that they take a lot of liquid diet which comprises of juice of various fruits, almond milk, smoothies etc.  It needs no mention that liquid diet is best for faster absorption of nutrients in the body.

(e)          Taking natural sources of electrolytes like sweet lime (mausambi), tomato with salt, water melon etc. – Runners sweat a lot and loose lot of salts. Most of the runners rely on company manufactured electrolytes to compensate for the lost ones in training. However, these electrolytes contain lot of sugar and therefore I relied heavily on natural sources of electrolytes like sweet lime, water melon etc. It was only during race time that I relied on WHO recommended ORS for electrolytes.

(f)           Carbo loading  -   This is an important component of marathon training.  I am not a master on this but I tailored my carbo loading programme as per my requirements. Runners eat lots of carbs 2-3 days before the marathon to load their glycogen stores with enough carbohydrates so that they get enough energy while running a marathon.  Around 2500-3000 calories are burned while running a full marathon and therefore it is essential that our glycogen stores are replenished properly with enough carbohydrates before a marathon.  Runners consume carbs like boiled potato, sweet potato, pasta and also eat lot of sweets like chocolates and jalebis.  Since I had the fear of putting on weight by consuming sweets, I avoided eating chocolates and jalebis.  I ate chocolates but in a very limited quanity.  Instead, I ate home made ladoos made with wheat flour, jaggery and almond powder.  I also relied on pasta, boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes for carbo loading.  This ensured that I was properly carbo loaded without resorting to sweets made of refined sugar. 

Post script :  I weighed exactly 61 kgs before the day of my race.  I came second with a timing of 2 hrs 46 min and 51 seconds which was 26 minutes faster than my last year finish time. My friends who are into running may not believe this timing and my significant improvements because my best ever 10 Km timing before was 40 min 21 secs in TCS World 10K 2016 and my best half marathon timing was 1 hr 30 min in SP Bangalore Marathon 2015. Some may argue that the distance might be less than 42 kms. I can only say that I did check the distance through my Garmin watch and the distance was 41.90 kms i.e around 300 metres less than a Full Marathon.  The only consolation was that the route was flat.  Another benefit was that it was in Delhi which is at a much lower altitude compared to Bangalore where we trained most of the time on hilly routes.  I am sure people will believe me in near future after my performance in some prominent timed race.  And as expected the winner of the race was the leanest one from our team who weighed a meager 52 kgs. His timing was 2 hrs 46 mins and 22 seconds. I lost to him by only 29 seconds.  Perhaps, I may beat him the next time by reducing another 5 kgs of unwanted weight.

            

     I have spent my entire day in writing this blog with the intention that atleast a few of my friends benefit from it. I can write a book on this topic but the only person who gets benefited through such books is the publisher. Publishers never care for new writers like me and all that they give is 4-5 free copies of books to the writer. To make matters worse, they price the book highly and the people who need to read on such topics are denied important information in their lives. Hence, I resorted to write a short blog. If you have any points for discussion or any questions you can write me at jagadish457@gmail.com.  The views expressed above are based on my personal experience and are not intended as a medical advice.  Thanks for reading my blog.