Normally, weight-loss issues are attributed to women. Women are not afraid to talk about their struggle to lose weight and slim down, and rarely a day passes without a slimming topic in the media. How to get in shape fast is a question on which billion-dollar weight loss industry is built upon.

Well, guys, even though Russian and Ukrainian women are less fussy about the looks (the saying there is, “a man should be just slightly more attractive than a monkey“), they still prefer men who are not overweight. Very few ladies actually include this requirement in their profiles, but if you wonder why your response rate is not as high as you would like, this may be the reason.

Why would you bother losing weight?

First of all, having a large belly affects your performance in bed. It’s not very pleasing for women to have something separating your bodies and impinging on the depth of your intimate contact. It will also help you to feel more energized if you have no belly. Carrying it around takes energy.

Even if you are not concerned about looks and being attractive to women, think about your sexual performance, and maybe this would be a good incentive to get in shape. I remember how guys used to say, “slim girls need more in bed”, justifying their selections — well, gentlemen, women also prefer someone who has a nice body. You don’t have to be athletic (it won’t hurt but not compulsory) but being of normal weight for your height and body type definitely is more attractive to women than being overweight.

My personal experience with weight loss

My hubby and I just have returned from a vacation in a tropical paradise (which I begged him to have for months), where we mostly were eating chips and plenty of seafood, drinking fresh coconut milk cocktails, and laying by the pool. After a week of this, the scales showed +4 kg (8.8 pounds) over our normal weights for both of us. For me it means I don’t fit into my jeans and dresses.

So, we started walking every day for 45 minutes and cut down on the alcohol, fatty foods, bread, potatoes, sweets, and chips. Then added a bit of jogging to the walks. After 5 days, he was back to normal.

Not me. I was still 2 kg (4.4 lbs) over. After another 4 days of less food and more exercise, nothing — no change. I decided to stop eating anything expect vegetables and fruit, and drinking juices, tea, and coffee.

Straight away there was a change, and now, after only 3 days of this “strictly vegan” eating, I only have 400 grams (about 1 pound) to go before I am back to my regular weight.

Weight gain and loss — how to get in shape fast

It happened to me previously that after Christmas I put on weight and struggled to lose it. The only thing that works for me is cutting down on food intake, totally removing any carbs and fats, and eating only proteins and vegetables.

First days it’s always a challenge, and I do need to be busy to handle cravings. Instead of meals, I simply eat tomatoes, cucumbers (uncut — just like you would eat an apple), celery sticks, carrots, asparagus, etc. It also helps drinking lots of green tea with lemon, which I love. If I really need to push it, I don’t eat any proteins for 3-5 days.

Physical activity helps greatly but if you haven’t been doing anything, better don’t jump head in, or you will be very sore and probably won’t be able to move. A simple 15-30 minute walk is fine for the first couple of days, if this doesn’t cause too much body trouble, increase the length and speed. The goal is getting in a better shape, not competing in the next Olympics. To facilitate a fast change, you only have to do more than you usually do, and then keep increasing it little by little.

My weight fluctuates through the day, but I consider the true weight is the one being measured early in the morning as soon as I get up. My height is 164 cm (5’4″) and I like being 54 kg (119 lbs). I was 49 kg (107 lbs) when I graduated from the high school, but there is no way I can ever get back to that weight. But I am determined to keep my current weight for as long as I can.

Because I have done the same thing losing weight quite a few times in my life, I know exactly what works: I have to eat less, and completely remove certain foods.

This means:

• No chocolate
• No pasta or bread
• No cheese
• No chips
• No cookies
• NO ICE CREAM!

Ice cream is absolutely the worst food that makes you gain 500 grams (1.1 lbs) after eating just a 200 gram (0.44 lbs) popsicle.

Physical activity

For some reason, people think they have to sign up for gym to exercise. It’s totally unnecessary!

Push ups, sit ups, lunges, and squats can be done basically anywhere, and give you an excellent muscle tonus, is you do it 3 times a week for 15-25 minutes. Weights are great and dumbbells are cheap. Walking and jogging is free. Swimming is a great exercise as well.

After increasing my physical activity I actually feel much more energetic and not that tired by the end of the day, even though I work just as much.

Your weight is not just about you

I want to live long and happy with my family and see my kids grow up and have their own children. I want to be energetic enough to play with my grandkids, when the time comes. This is why I am trying to maintain my goal weight, so it doesn’t get out of hand.

Don’t get me wrong: I do enjoy eating and great food.

But I also realize that I can go without eating for a few days, to get where I want to be, so that my life, hopefully, lasts into my 90th, as my grandmother’s, who lived up to 92 and stayed physically active until just a few months before she passed away.

There is more fun in life than food. Intimacy, seeing your kids grow, doing things. It’s worth it.

Read more:

• How much exercise per day do we need to stay healthy?
• Low carb diets may kill you
• Artificially sweetened drinks aren’t better for heart health than sugary drinks
• Exercise makes you smarter