'80% nutrition, 20% exercise': Woman reflects upon losing 10kg in 9 months

Achieving weight loss is a popular personal goal, just ask around during the beginning of each year.

Unfortunately, it's quite easy for one to get sidetracked from a fitness plan.

Christie Cheah isn't like most others, she was determined to lose weight and, in a span of nine months, managed to lose a whopping 10kg.

That's quite a feat that not many can accomplish.

On June 14, Christie shared a post on social media app Lemon8 about her weight loss journey, and more specifically what she's learned over the last nine months.

Firstly, it's about choosing your battle. Keeping fit and healthy is hard but so is being overweight, according to Christie.

"It was only when I saw the scale hit 60kg for the first time, and I could no longer wear my favourite pair of jeans, that I knew I needed to do something about it," she explained.

The start of a fitness routine will likely be the most difficult, as the progress would be incremental, if any.

It took six weeks for Christie to start "seeing results".

And results doesn't simply mean a drop in one's weight.

Christie learned that one can use body measurements or progress pictures to understand how far they've come in their fitness journey.

"I found it much more satisfying to be able to wear my favourite jeans again!" she added.

A lesson which might come as a relief to foodies would be that it's fine to have the occasional cheat meal.

For Christie, it's important not to restrict oneself too much even when on a weight-loss plan.

The key word is, of course, "occasional" as weight loss comes with exercise and nutrition.

In fact, the general rule of thumb that worked for Christie is "80 per cent nutrition [and] 20 per cent exercise". 

Enjoy the occasional cheat meal, but there has to also be a conscious effort to eat cleaner, as a whole.

Finally, Christie feels that finding the right motivation will help your weight loss journey. After all, it's a marathon, not a sprint.

In her case, it wasn't simply a matter of aesthetics or numbers. Christie was keen on losing weight largely for health reasons.

She made it a point to celebrate small wins and not be overly harsh on herself to keep herself motivated.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my fitness journey, and in order for you to make progress, you need to find ways to enjoy yours too," Christie advised.

Many Lemon8 users headed to the comments section to let Christie know how inspirational her weight loss journey was.

Some netizens wanted some fitness and nutrition tips and Christie was more than happy to share it with them.

While she did not have a specific diet plan, Christie made a conscious effort to increase her protein intake, eat more vegetables and reduce carbohydrate and sugar intake.

In March this year, Christie shared a Lemon8 post explaining why she restarted her fitness journey last September.

Having returned to Singapore from an exchange programme, it was a bit of a lull period as her internship has yet to start.

She began snacking while resting at home which led to the inevitable weight gain.

Christie took action and is at a point where she now feels good about her fitness and health.

"Learn to love the journey so you can achieve healthy and sustainable weight loss that will last for life," she said.

ALSO READ: Losing 42kg in under 2 years: Singapore woman achieves feat mostly by walking

amierul@asiaone.com

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