By Mark Fisher as told to Shannon Clay
Hey! My name is Mark Fisher and I’m 29-years-old from Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Currently, I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been in my adult life! But that wasn’t always the case. A few years ago my life looked very different. I was unhealthy and miserable and I knew I needed a change. Overall, it took me roughly three years to lose 90 pounds. And I’ve kept that weight off for over two years!
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Why a change?
The truth is, I just wasn’t happy with myself. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t like what I saw looking back at me. That wasn’t the person I knew myself to be. And I reached a point where I just didn’t want to feel like crap anymore. I knew I had to address my self-image if I wanted my life to be better.
I realized that the only thing I can control in life is myself. Who I am and what I do is completely up to me. I might not be able to control what happens to me in this world but I can control how I react. How I react is always up to me. I realized that if I wanted to feel like I was more in control of my life then I really had to start with myself.
I also knew it was important for my mental health that I make big changes in my life. Men don’t talk about it enough, but addressing my mental health has been a huge part of my health and weight loss journey. Making the decision to talk with my doctor about my mental health absolutely contributed to my weight loss and my ability to keep the weight off.
7 Habits That Helped Me Lose 90 Pounds
Cutting out most processed sugars.
Years ago, I would have junk food nights multiple times a week. Now, the truth is, I love junk food! So, I don’t completely restrict myself, however, I limit how frequently I eat it. Nowadays, I let myself have a junk food night once a month or so and allow myself to really enjoy it without any guilt.
Portion sizes.
When I was a swimmer in my teen years I could more or less eat whatever I wanted and as much as I wanted. And I ate that way for about a decade. However, when I stopped swimming my body didn’t automatically get rid of my swimmers’ appetite. For a long time, I continued to eat like a swimmer out of habit which led to my weight gain.
When I was ready to lose 90 pounds, I knew I had to relearn portion sizes and get used to eating smaller amounts of food.
Honestly, it was a lot of willpower for the first few months. And It was difficult to get used to, my stomach felt hungry because I wasn’t eating like a swimmer anymore. However, one little trick that helped me get through cravings was having some soda pop on hand. If I felt hungry or had the urge to eat some junk food I would take a big gulp or two of Coke and that would be enough to satisfy the craving for sugar. I allowed myself to be satisfied by the Coke and this really helped me from going to the store to get candy and junk food.
Adopted a more physical lifestyle.
Changing my lifestyle meant changing lots of different aspects of my life. In general, I just started being more active and made a point to move around more. Plus, I got a more physical job which helped a lot. Having a more physical job has been great not only for my physical health but for my mental health as well.
Since my job is physically tolling I keep it basic for physical activities outside of work. Mostly, I enjoy walking, hiking, or snowshoeing in the winter. This amount of physical activity has been enough for me to lose 90 pounds and keep it off years later.
Intermittent fasting.
Originally, I fell into intermittent fasting because of work when I didn’t have much time to eat during the day. I was trying to eat healthier and didn’t want to be snacking constantly, so I decide to eat one main meal a day. During this meal, I would eat until I was completely full. During the day, I drink coffee and water and I have found keeping to this schedule has really helped my weight loss. A year into eating this way I learned that what I was doing was actually called intermittent fasting and that it had many positive health effects. It was really cool to find out other people ate this way and that it was proven to be a healthy way of eating.
One point I will say about intermittent fasting is that I never deny myself food. If I am truly hungry, I will always let myself eat regardless of the hour.
Cut out drinking.
Cutting out drinking took a little convincing on my part but it ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made. At my heaviest, I drank as self-medication for my depression. It was a way to forget the day and, honestly, I would often hope there wouldn’t be a next.
But after realizing there were people who cared about me and wanted to help it became an easy decision to just stop completely. I went a year without drinking any alcohol. When I did decide to try a drink again I just felt instantly sick and it wasn’t remotely enjoyable. Another year after that, I tried another drink at an event and again felt sick so that’s when I decided I was completely done. I realized alcohol has no place in my healthy lifestyle and it’s astounding how much better I feel!
Plant-based eating.
I have been following a plant-based diet for nearly four years, and I feel great! I initially switched for various ethical, moral, and scientific reasons, and I haven’t looked back since. A couple of years prior, I had cut out red meat because it appeared to be one of the reasons for some digestive issues I was having so making the switch completely wasn’t too much of a leap for me.
I don’t want to sound like one of those “woo-woo” people but I do believe I wouldn’t feel as good as I do now if I still ate meat, and I recommend everyone give it a try! Looking for a place to start? Try a Meatless Monday!
Have a treat on hand.
Generally, if I have a craving I indulge with a couple of sips of soda pop or a handful of chips. And I don’t feel bad about it! Having soda pop on hand where I can take little sips when a craving hits stops me from bingeing. If I can satisfy the craving in the movement it will stop me from eating foods that are more unhealthy and overindulging.
Connecting with who I am.
Something I’ve always done is stand in front of the mirror and make a decision about how I felt about myself. Again, for a while, I would stand in front of the mirror and not like what I saw looking back at me. But since taking control of my physical and mental health, everything is different. Nowadays, I look in the mirror and I feel really good about myself! I like how I look and I like how I feel.
It’s important to me that I regularly check in with myself, with how I feel, and how I’m doing. I’ve found that it’s important to stay connected to who I am as a person. And doing this helps me to stay on track! Overall, I feel 100% better! I no longer wake up feeling like garbage.
I’m constantly trying to improve my health so I started researching daily supplements to improve my overall well-being. Here is a list of the supplements I take regularly to stay my healthiest!
Supplements I take
- Fibre
- Multivitamin
- B12
- Vitamin D
- Omega-3
- Plant-based protein powder
Want more tips for large weight loss? Check out the 10 habits that helped my sister lose 100 pounds!
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