Episode SummaryIn this episode, Ravi talks about his experience growing up as a heavy kid and how he started his relationship with food. He discusses losing the weight and gaining it back multiple times and the actions that he has taken to help maintain the loss this time. He has several tips and some inspirational words about changing and building habits.HighlightsRavi noticed he was bigger than other kids.Ravi lost weight and then gained it back but then decided to try again.This time he has kept the weight off for over a year and a half.Ravi grew up in a household with two deaf parents that were also immigrants. When he was young, he had communication hurdles to overcome.Ravi believes that when he was younger, he used food to help cope with some of his communication issues and that is where his journey of loving food began.He was frequently a victim of bullies for his weight and his parent's lack of hearing.He had to start standing up for himself and his parents and got into frequent fights. He was once jumped by five kids and after the fight, he just wanted to eat.Food was one of his only sources of feeling good.Using food as a therapeutic resource makes it difficult to control.Finding something to replace food is one of the hardest parts of the journey.For Ravi, the gym was his replacement for food.Trying to do exercise that is too tough can be a problem. You have to be able to do something that you can commit to.If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. Start somewhere that you can sustain.It took him 2 months of going to the gym to stop hating it. It can take time.Many big people try to start by doing intense workouts. They do not realize how much more work it is to do those at a large size.Lifting weights helps build mental toughness and understanding how to push past resistance.Body positivity didn’t work for Ravi. His negativity drives him to stay focused. But he does give himself positive talk in the gym.The internet has changed everything. The power to find information from credible people is easier than ever. Ravi believes that without the internet he wouldn’t have lost weight.Thoughts control your emotions. Try and understand what the thoughts are that are driving the emotion.Reframing your thoughts change the way you feel and that directly determines the decisions that you make.New things are difficult and it's easy to lack confidence. But like tying shoes, over time, you can do anything proficiently and confidently. You just have to give it time.Relevant Linkshttps://www.youtube.com/c/RaviLochan/videoshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rav-lochan-2a8a3a126/https://www.instagram.com/charismaticrav/?hl=enhttps://www.amazon.com/Power-Habits%C2%AE-Science-Success-Automatic%C2%AE/dp/1640950966All past episodes of the podcast: https://www.feelingfull.com/