Before and After - Feb 2012 to Nov 2013

I just wanted to share the picture of my before and after. When I was going through the process myself, it was so important to me to see how others had transformed themselves. For me it was a slow and steady process where consistency as the most important thing. In the past, I had always relied on maximal effort and failed. Looking back, I always expected too much of myself and somehow thought if I lived an extreme life that I would have an extreme physique. The reality was I needed to be patient and loving towards myself. I needed to keep eating in check and my calorie deficit consistent and reasonable. I needed to accept that I wasn’t going to run a marathon or bust out 100 pushups but I could work out every day before work for at least 15 minutes and proudly managed it for 14 months straight without missing a single day. For me, the consistent calorie deficit largely maintained by limiting my food was what caused me to lose weight. The workouts helped a little with the weight loss but mostly the workouts just made me feel great and allowed me to live life more fully. Looking back on my time, the most valuable days were the ones where I logged my failures or where I exercised when I really didn’t “feel” like it. Avoiding the reality of our failures and shortcomings is avoiding a big part of our lives and who we really are. Success comes from accepting the whole me and concentrating mostly on the things where I fall short and struggle the most. Today I am smiling at my success and hoping that by sharing the reality that it is possible without any gimmicks or tricks or heroics. Enjoy and live life fully!!