Andrey Erlikh: "How I lost 20 kg and learned to tie shoelaces again"

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

After the publication of the series of articles "Beyond the Hundreds", readers' stories began to come to our mail. And this is very cool, since we are all different and everyone has their own path. You may not need to put on your sneakers and run. Maybe you just need to find the optimal weight, switch to the right and tasty food and do whatever sport you like. The main thing is to start.

I am 30. I am a handsome, slender, pink-cheeked boy. Weight 125 kg. However, I can hardly climb the stairs. The belly hangs down to the legs. If you sit on a chair for a long time, your legs become numb. The wife suffers and sleeps with earplugs: impossible snoring is worth it. And I myself forgot when I had a good sleep. But I'm cheerful. I'm holding on. Sometimes I wear a corset. At work - success. Everybody loves. The wife is beautiful. The car is good, its own apartment. Well, what more could you want? And then - bam! I can't tie the laces!

How it all began

1979 year. I was born and they began to feed me hard. The time was like that. All the best for children. High-calorie bun and a bottle of kefir. Then the nineties. Snickers, beer, powdered juices. Like most children of the 70s and 80s, I grew up watching American films and, in fact, with the same dream. The idea of a successful white collar life is expensive cigarettes, beer with colleagues every day, cognac and whiskey on Fridays. I am not talking about kebabs and hamburgers at all: this has already become a ritual.

In the end … 2009, and I can't tie my shoelaces. I can't, that's all! I bent down - I almost lost consciousness. So I realized that it was time to end this life. Enough!

To say that I have not tried to lose weight before is to say nothing. I tried it. Many times. And he was starving. And he drank pills with teas until he realized that they work as a laxative. I re-read books about a dozen. Even put enemas, God forgive me. Nothing helped.

But at some point I realized: apparently, the problem is not in the diet. Something I am doing wrong. Well, and then I finally decided: we should not go on diets, but change the way of life.

Why do I drink a lot, eat fatty and fried foods? Why do I eat at night? I didn’t find the answer. But I realized what I want. It’s time to be healthy and beautiful. Living long and setting an example for your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are two. Well, and, in the end, independently, without losing consciousness, to tie the shoelaces. And I made up my mind: I will be thin, tall and slender, it is better also a blue-eyed blonde, but more on that later.

So I started to lose weight

First of all, I realized that we create the biggest problems for ourselves. My strongest enemy is myself. And the most interesting thing is that our way of life, our habits and our desires determine our state. They program us.

I quit smoking. Just. One day. I had to give up the smoking company. Then there was a problem with alcohol. I had to limit its consumption. Then I went to the gym for the first time. Before that, I had been there for three years. I think my manager at the gym was very surprised when he saw me. Perhaps he didn't even count on it. I can imagine how many people like me are there: who bought a subscription, but never visited the gym. I mostly pedaled my bike. About an hour a day. I did it diligently, six times a week. Revised all the series during this time.

I also had to make changes to the diet. Compulsory breakfast, dinner no later than six in the evening. And most importantly, I had to change the regime. I used to have a hard time getting up to work because I went to bed very late. As a rule, he dined just as late and very hearty. As a result, in the morning I woke up sleepy and hungry. Now I understand that the body must rest at night. And the stomach is no exception. And then it was a discovery for me.

With great difficulty in the first month, I lost 10 kilograms. It was a success. I was as happy as a child. This was noticed by my loved ones. At work, I became a hero. They came for advice: “How are you so?”, “What did you do?”, “Or maybe a beer with wings? You can tell at the same time."

Then I noticed a very interesting fact: I began to re-learn the taste of products. Apples became sweet, not sour, meat - delicious without ketchup. And broccoli, it turns out, can also be eaten. In the evening I was already exhausted due to the early rise. This saved me from the evening spree with colleagues. I turned down most of the invitations precisely because I was tired. Willpower has nothing to do with it.

For the next eight months, I took up nutrition. I ate all the same food, only stretched out over six meals. For example, at lunch there is only soup and salad, and at four o'clock in the afternoon there is already the main course. Removed all the sugar.

In these eight months, my weight approached the 89 kilogram mark. I had to change my wardrobe several times. I really got younger. Of the minuses: I began to freeze. Muscle mass was gone along with the fat. I didn't like myself. The pressure dropped. As the doctor later explained, this was due to the fact that the body was used to pumping more blood.

Breakdown and insight

The weight of 89 kilograms lasted for about a year. I relaxed. Sport faded into the background. Almost properly organized nutrition and a young body, apparently, still supported me for some time. And then there was a vacation …

How it burst through me. In just four months I have added 20 kilos. It was tin. I ate like I was hungry for eternity. It was like a fog. New wardrobe again, and I'm on the verge of depression. And then I finally understood the meaning of the phrase "We are what we eat." You cannot treat the process of losing weight as a process of treatment. You are either smart or beautiful - it's up to you. It's like an enlightenment.

Food is just fuel. And the better this fuel is, the longer your engine will serve you.

Moreover, the harm that we inflict on ourselves with alcohol does not in any way justify the pleasure that we allegedly receive as a result of drinking it.

Well, what happened next is what happened. I took up myself completely. True, no one believed in me anymore. And there was only one person left whom I could trust. And who saw in me that spark that burned in my eyes. This person is myself. If I don't make myself the way I want to be, no one will do it for me.

So, I changed my attitude to the problem of excess weight. I'm not losing weight. I just live differently now. My morning starts at five o'clock. While I'm preparing breakfast, I have time to read a book. By seven o'clock in the morning, I'm already in the gym. I go to bed at nine o'clock in the evening. My children began to take an example from me and now they also train. I have a lot of free time, and I spend it with my family. There is no dilemma of where to go and what to eat: we choose either street sports or sports clubs.

Today my weight is 105 kg. And I can say that this is my comfortable weight: I do not snore and can tie my shoelaces!

rules

You are probably wondering how I do it? Here are five rules that help me in my life.

1. Daily routine

Almost everything depends on the organization of your day: how you will work and how you will rest. You need to know your reserves and capabilities.

For me, as it turned out, the best time to start the day is five o'clock in the morning. Why five? Very simple: it is directly related to sports. I have to prepare breakfast and eat at least an hour and a half before training. And since my training starts at seven, there are no options here. I have two hours of free time, and I spend it reading.

I read in the morning. I set myself the goal of reading two books a month. And now I train not only the body, but also the brain. In the evening I get tired, and there is not always enough time. And in the morning I know for sure that I can read while the whole city is asleep and while I make breakfast.

I do all the intellectual work in the morning. I leave the whole routine for the second half. I make appointments and agree to them only before lunchtime, because I know that afterwards I will no longer be able to think productively.

I go to bed at nine o'clock in the evening so that the sleep lasts at least seven and a half hours. I am sure that sleep is a very powerful tool and should be used to the maximum.

2. Nutrition

As I said before, I organized six meals. I don't eat fried foods. With the purchase of a double boiler and a multicooker, cooking has ceased to be a hassle. I don't eat very fatty meat. I practically do not use sugar and milk, I completely excluded flour products. Everything related to carbohydrates is the first half of the day. I noticed that the food for young children is organized according to this principle. So why should I change anything in adulthood?

So:

• 5:30. Light breakfast. Nuts or a little porridge in the water.
• 9:00. Basic breakfast. Omelet and vegetable salad.
• 10:30. Fruits.
• 12:30. Dinner. Vegetable soup plus meat or poultry with a vegetable side dish. Everything related to meat must be well boiled or chopped. You need to love your stomach and help it. If you don't want to chop the meat, then chew very carefully.
• 16:00. Afternoon snack. You can have a vegetable casserole, baked apples, vinaigrette.
• 18:00. Dinner. Fish and stews.

Be sure to drink plenty of water. Make it a rule to drink a glass of water - preferably lukewarm - before each meal.

I very rarely eat in street restaurants or cafes. I have come to the conclusion that they cannot offer me the food that I need. Over time, I began to eat a lot more vegetables. I cook at home and try to take food thermoses with me. It was difficult at first, but over time I got used to it. Moreover, the way I cook, no restaurant can cook.

Despite the fact that my diet may seem very difficult to you, I assure you: it is not. I'm not fixated on food and I boldly eat a piece of cake on my birthday.

The main thing is not to make unnecessary foods an obligatory part of the daily diet and not to keep trash in the refrigerator.

3. Sports

Five times a week from seven to eight in the morning. In general, aim for a workout of no more than 40 minutes. This is quite enough to lose weight and keep fit. After training, you should not drag your legs, you should easily fly out of the gym, because you still have to work all day. Leave your strength training or swim two kilometers on the weekend.

Believe me, 40 minutes a day for a specific muscle group is enough. And be sure to rest. Take breaks. The main thing is to always be in shape and be confident in your abilities.

4. Comfortable weight

A comfortable weight is a very entertaining thing. The fact is that 50 kilograms can look different. Therefore, do not look at the scale. Do not aim for the reference weight, as in the books. He has his own.

Better pay attention to shortness of breath, if you have had it before. For the size of the clothes. On the state of health. The mood. Pay attention to yourself.

5. Love yourself and your loved ones

Spend more time with your children, husbands, wives, and parents. First of all, you need to be healthy.

For a very long time I could not figure out how to spend time with children with benefits for them and for their health. Many parents pay off their children or leave their children at the mercy of teachers, tutors, TVs, smartphones and tablets. Even if these are the features of the modern world, but I did not want to put up with it. And here's what I came up with.

Every weekend in spring, summer and early autumn, we ride bicycles with the whole family. Right in the city center. We prepare food, put it in food thermoses - and go ahead. I have three wonderful children, and they are very happy with our travels. The charge of vivacity and physical activity is off scale. In addition, we are exploring the sights.

Having lived in Moscow for 36 years, I was surprised to realize that I did not know my city at all. At the same time, on vacation, I always enjoy sightseeing. So why not start from your hometown and combine an excursion with recreation and sports?

This is just one of the activities. We also train outside, play football and tennis, and generally do whatever is good for body and soul. And this is my greatest achievement. My loved ones energize and inspire me.

I know that my example shows them: if you wanted something, you will definitely succeed.

Conclusion

This is not the end of the story, this is only the beginning. Be prepared for positive changes in your body and well-being. It won't be fast, but very entertaining. You will rediscover yourself and your possibilities. Maybe someone will find my story and my advice useful. I hope my example will help you look at yourself from a different angle and believe in yourself.

Rest assured you can do it. I could!