Diet: Tomi Takamaa did everything “wrong” and lost weight

New the year has started again, and that means for many new promises, wishes and goals for the upcoming trip around the sun.

One recurring theme on the dream list every year is losing weight. There are many myths associated with the topic, but Tomi Takamaan the example shows that even by doing things “wrong” the results can be quite good.

Takamaa, 47, told the message service X before Christmas that he lost 9.3 kilograms in 105 days by acting contrary to many established ideas. Health-related readings also improved.

Before Christmas, the 177-centimeter man weighed about 88 kilograms. The scale showed one result, the other measuring devices said that Takamaa’s health condition had also improved.

The reason for the experiment was the accumulated kilos during the summer. The doctor’s words also had an effect. In the summer, Takamaa’s LDL cholesterol (“bad cholesterol”) value was high, and the doctor suggested starting medication. Takamaa said he wanted to handle the matter in his own way.

During the fall, the LDL-cholesterol value dropped by 1.2 units, i.e. significantly. No medication is needed. In addition, the blood pressure decreased.

Takamaa, who works as a fitness coach, does not consider the project’s outcome to be in any way miraculous or surprising.

“It’s nice to break the beliefs that you won’t lose weight if you eat this and drink that,” he says.

Often when it comes to losing weight, you hear talk about the idea of ​​eating small meals throughout the day. Takamaa ate three times and did not take snacks.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, is also a familiar phrase. Takamaa often had a handful of cashew nuts and whey isolate, a low-fat protein drink, for breakfast only around 11 o’clock. A couple of times a week, breakfast was omelette.

“After a good night’s sleep, it’s easiest for me to continue that fasting state for several hours.”

Quite a lot of people thinking about losing weight have heard the idea that you shouldn’t eat too much in the evenings. The biggest meal of the day in the backcountry was the evening snack at 8 p.m.

And you should at least go for a run if you want to lose weight, right? Takamaa says that he did no aerobic training at all. He went to the gym 4-5 times a week, as he had for 28 years before.

Takamaa does not claim to have found the Philosopher’s Stone. He emphasizes that this method worked for him, but for someone else, something else works better.

“If someone wants to copy something from this, they would not eat directly, but adopt the rhythm of the three meals. After all, those meals can basically be anything, as long as it’s somewhat reasonable.”

“If a healthy person eats only three times a day, there is a good chance that he eats less than his own consumption.”

Lunch was usually 140-180 grams of oats, three servings of yogurt, 200 grams of berries and 45 grams of whey isolate.

For dinner, Takamaa often made two chicken burritos with plenty of vegetables, including avocado.

The backcountry left out the treats. Once a week, he deviated from his routine and ate, for example, a hamburger meal or chicken and plow cheese pasta.

Takamaa also reminds us that a low-carbohydrate diet may be more appropriate for someone else.

“If I suffered from fatty liver or insulin resistance, I would definitely try a low-carbohydrate diet. It’s an easier way to eat fewer calories and reach your goals.”

Takamaa reminds that for some people, health issues can affect the way they lose weight and how challenging it is. However, this is not the case with most of them.

The lack of patience, on the other hand, is characteristic of modern times.

“We would like to get rid of the excess weight accumulated over ten years in four weeks.”

Takamaa also sees making a big life change too quickly as a general problem.

“Let’s follow some social influencer who works out six times a week and imagine that by clicking his fingers we can get his life.”

“You can work the same way for a few weeks, but after that, exhaustion and starvation will surely strike. Those steps can and should be taken gradually.”

The experiment didn’t just remain an experiment, but the meal rhythm that started in the autumn of Takamaa is here to stay.

“This has been so uncomplicated for me that I am going to continue with the three-meal strategy for the time being.”

Nutritionist Kaisa Hall finds Takamaa’s experiment interesting.

“The project changed myths that were a little too firmly rooted,” says Sali.

According to him, regularity is more important than the number of meals in the meal rhythm. It helps with weight control.

“It’s good to eat something in the morning, but you don’t have to eat breakfast right after waking up. For most people, breakfast helps control blood sugar during the day.”

“A typical mistake is to only drink coffee in the morning, and eat very lightly at lunch. After the workday, we go straight to training, and in the evening we eat too much of everything when we are very hungry.”

According to Sal, there is some research evidence that the biggest meals of the day should be eaten during the day, not late at night. On the other hand, for example, in Southern and Central Europe, dinner is clearly eaten later than in Finland.

It’s not a good idea to go to bed hungry, as the result will likely only be poor sleep quality.

“If you’re thinking about losing weight, it’s essential that you eat less than you consume. Your daily rhythm is a good starting point for thinking about your eating rhythm, so that you have enough energy for the whole day.”