A man who lost 30 pounds in a year has revealed the simple weight loss hacks that were the key to his success.
Michael L Hicks, who is the senior editor and resident expert on wearables and fitness at Android Central, recently dished on the healthy habits he adopted to gain back control of his weight.
The writer, who is based in Walnut Creek, California, candidly detailed the tech tools that helped him go from 225lbs to 192lbs in just one year.
He credits his success to using a scale with body composition data, a smartwatch to monitor his daily steps and a Google Doc to help keep his journey on track.
Michael also shifted his perspective, explaining: ‘Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. If you’re motivated to hit monthly goals, it doesn’t matter if you fall behind for a few days, so long as you try to make up lost ground in free moments, or bounce back the next month.’
Michael L Hicks, who is the senior editor and resident expert on wearables and fitness at Android Central, recently dished on the healthy habits he adopted to gain back control of his weight
The writer, who is based in Walnut Creek, California, candidly detailed the tech tools that helped him go from 225lbs to 192lbs in just one year
Michael had a stark wake-up call last July when he found out that he was close to being labeled as medically ‘obese’ after tipping the scales at 225lbs.
‘My weight gain snuck up on me,’ he said, having previously had a healthy lifestyle.
‘I ran consistently throughout my 20s and early 30s, and a walk-heavy lifestyle in Boston and New York City kept my body pretty healthy.
‘I was never conscious of grown-up concepts like restrained eating, even as my metabolism slowed, my pace fell by minutes per mile, and my belly and love handles steadily grew.’
He said that his weight gain was exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and, after his extra pounds caused him to suffer a foot injury, decided to make a change.
Now, one year on, his efforts have paid off – and Michael was keen to share the secrets to his success.
First up, Michael urged people to invest in a tool to keep track of progress.
His equipment of choice was a scale complete with body composition data, which gave him a more detailed look into the bigger picture of his journey.
His equipment of choice was a scale complete with body composition data, which gave him a more detailed look into the bigger picture of his journey
Unlike a regular scale that simply provides a number, the body composition scale provides context, regarding the percentage of your ‘body fat, muscle, visceral fat, basic metabolic rate, hydration, and a few other metrics.’
Michael stayed consistent by weighing himself twice a week on Wednesday or Thursday and then again on Saturday or Sunday.
He stressed: ‘Weighing daily puts too much obsessive emphasis on everything you do in a given day.
‘But weighing once a week leaves you without context for whether that data is accurate or just a fluke.’
Michael also took the opportunity to emphasize that weight loss success is not linear.
‘Sometimes, I gained or lost weight solely based on muscle gain or hydration, while my body fat stayed the same,’ he wrote.
‘More often, I’d lose body fat after a hard workout, and then my body would naturally add some fat back over the next few days.’
Long term, Michael’s body fat decreased from 25 to 19 per cent – despite his body ‘naturally fluctuating’ day-to-day.
Michael stayed consistent by weighing himself twice a week on Wednesday or Thursday and then again on Saturday or Sunday
Additionally, Michael explained how he used a simple Google Doc to document his progress instead of any mobile app
Next, the writer revealed that the second habit was keeping his steps logged with the help of a smartwatch.
In August 2023, he committed to walking over 10,000 steps daily for one month, which added up to a staggering 374,000 in total.
He urged: ‘Daily walks carved out about 1.5 to two hours of my day for walking, showering, and filling up on water that might normally have been spent sitting and snacking.
‘For people with a sedentary lifestyle and a lot of weight to carry, long walks are both a mental distraction from cravings and a low-impact physical activity, one that won’t leave you too tired to exercise the next day…
‘Just buy some good running shoes with cushy insoles to protect your feet before you start, and pick out podcasts, or audiobooks to fill the hours.’
Additionally, Michael explained how he used a simple Google Doc to document his progress instead of any mobile app.
‘I track my monthly miles run, miles walked or hiked, steps, exercises like push-ups and squats, and a bunch of other fitness (and non-fitness) stuff,’ he shared.
‘I never let a setback demoralize me enough to give up entirely because the Google Doc shows how many more chances I have to hit my goals this year.’
Michael helpfully concluded: ‘My weight loss advice is simple: Carve out time in your schedule to walk, with or without company, and write down your progress somewhere to keep yourself honest’
Last but not least, Michael addressed the nutrition aspect of his regime.
He explained: ‘My approach has nothing to do with eating exactly 2,000 calories (or less to lose weight) and everything to do with moderation.
‘I want to lose this weight and then keep it off – and I know myself. I’m not going to give up on sugar, snacks, or the occasional beer for the rest of my life, so I had to find the balance of indulging myself without going too far.’
He advised people to concentrate on portion control, adding he now buys ‘snack-sized options that are more expensive but less dangerous.’
Michael helpfully concluded: ‘My weight loss advice is simple: Carve out time in your schedule to walk, with or without company, and write down your progress somewhere to keep yourself honest.
‘Don’t trust yourself to deprive yourself of delicious food for the rest of your life, instead, try to find ways to eat less than you did yesterday, while still enjoying those guilty pleasures in moderation.’