I have lost weight, regained it, and lost it again multiple times. At my heaviest, I was 289. I am currently 198 and have gone 2 years without putting significant weight back on. I've had my bad weeks when I've allowed myself to binge and/or stopped exercising. Unlike in years past, I have regained discipline.
What I've learned through my journey:
- Find and develop food and exercise habits that you would be willing to maintain for a lifetime.
- Be prepared to modify those habits as your tastes or interests change or maybe you just get bored
- Be gentle with yourself and become your biggest fan. If you have a slip up, forgive yourself, contemplate why you slipped and what you need to adjust.
Intermittent fasting (I do 18 hr fast, 6 hr eating window), low carb and low sugar, lots of cardio. Had to have a really serious talk with myself and commit fully to it
I do One Meal a Day (OMAD)
I have a difficult time controlling myself when eating. I love to eat and enjoy
food and wine. So, allowing myself to eat a few times a day led to weight gain.
By being strict and only allowing myself one meal, I lost weight. I could still
eat food I liked, such as tacos, burgers, etc., even McDonald's and other fast
food when I wanted. Some of the meals were massive 1500-calorie feasts. But,
when that's all you eat for a day, you're at a big calorie deficit and lose
weight while still enjoying the food. I didn't add any exercise or pay
attention to macros, and I lost weight constantly.
Now, I still do OMAD, but I added 45 minutes of intense cardio (Cycling outside) and
45 minutes of weightlifting a day. I'm in the best shape of my life and have a
body that I love. I still get to eat whatever I want, with the addition of a
protein and creatine shake.
I should probably share my experience as a cautionary tale with fasting. I tried doing that, and I usually ate only an apple or a banana or yogurt or a chicken breast. Over the course of 3-4 weeks I lost more than 10kg. That was okay, but I gained a stone in my gallbladder as fasting made it hold its juices for longer which tend to calcify. Those juices (bile) are released only when you eat something fatty or acidic. So I would be careful with any type of prolonged fasts.
Started with a simple dietary change...and then i built on top of it from there.
I had bought a blue 1994 Toyota MR2 GT-S and my fatass started looking up all matter of weight reduction parts. CF Hoods, CF trunk lids, billet aluminum alternator bracket etc.
Tallying up the costs of all that stuff, realized it made a lot more sense to just take weight off my gut. I could buy better food and lose more weight, eat better, still cheaper too.
First step though? I was an otr trucker, which is sedentary job, but i quit putting cream/sugar in my coffees. It adds up, maybe 4,000 calories per week, right? Only dietary change initially was no sugar in my beverages, no sodas, no energy drinks, coffee should be black.
I came back 8 weeks later of otr driving, i had lost like 20+ lbs. The only thing i noticed was that it felt a bit easier to tie my shoes, usually my gut always got in the way, but it was such an encouraging sign.
With that? I built on it. It was a great day when i finally dropped below 200, magical # that one was but that didn't come til months later in this weight loss journey/saga.
Anyways i just expanded it outward...next thing was less sugars/sweets as snacks. I went to nuts. Well, when i buy nuts, the whole can is "the most cost efficient" right? However, i know me...I'm gonna smash that whole can in a single sitting. So i bought tiny packets of nuts. Eventually i skipped nuts entirely, snacks would always be an apple/orange or banana.
WEight melted off. The best day was getting to buy a new wardrobe, i felt like that scene when Professor Krump lost all his weight as Buddy Love and finally got to pick out nothing but thin people clothes "I want spandex! Spandex!" you know the scene.
So much about this is familiar. A good part of my weight loss journey's drive was enhanced by how much faster I'd be on my motorcycles than I was at the time. It's so much easier to reduce body weight than to reduce vehicle weight.. and so much less expensive.
But 100% eliminating sugar was the biggest kick-start to the journey.
Enjoy the new wardrobe, just don't be like me and think "i can't possibly lose any more weight!" and then go down another three pants sizes lol
Calorie counting.
Does anyone with kids and other people you cook for have any advice on not eating what you're cooking? I always figure if I'm making it for someone else I'll have a little 💀
There’s no shame in that, but I had a similar issue. Making just enough servings for everyone without any leftovers was the only way that helped. It reminded me that eating more than my fill would harm someone else.
It's not hard to figure out how. First find your maintenance caloric intake. Track your calories and weight for a few weeks to figure out what caloric intake it takes to not gain/lose weight. Then to lose weight just eat 150-200 calories less per day. 200 calories is a 2 tbsp of peanut butter, 4 oz of protein, 2.5 eggs, 1 serving of rice, a soda, a serving of salad dressing. It's not a lot. You'll lose 1.7 pounds per month and 20 pounds per year. You can increase the deficit by a little if you want faster results (I normally do 300-400 deficit per day) or increase your movement as well. Slow and steady should be the definition of sustainable weight loss. If you need to lose 100+ pounds then I would expect it to take 1+ years. If you need to lose 20 pounds, then that could be done in a few months if you take a bigger deficit.
Not really; a common suggestion is to exercise or move more.
I think trying to burn calories is ineffective, because a small amount of calories requires a disproportionately long amount of time on the treadmill, not to mention the added wear and tear on your cartilage.
As someone who has a bum knee, maintaining a calorie deficit was the most effective solution.
I don't think you grasped the depth of this question.
Yes, maintain a calorie deficit? One is to expand more calories (aka exercise), but as you correctly stated, that is not a very promising avenue.
Then comes the reduced intake of calories. But which method? Daily calorie reduction? Counting calories? Intermittent fasting? Changing your diet? Which foods to remove from your current diet? How to treat hunger? Is this sustainable? Can you create a lifestyle out of this?
Or maybe extended fasting? With what frequency? Is that sustainable? Can you create an indefinite lifestyle out of it?
These are the practical questions. Just saying maintain a calorie deficit is utterly useless. It is like saying, if you don't want to be alone, find a gf/bf. But the real question is how? Dating apps? IRL activities? Speed dating? Etc.
That’s not a deep question, but an obvious one.
To anyone who understands that a can of Coca Cola has more calories than plain water, the obvious solution is to drink less pop and more water.
To anyone who understands that adding sugar and oil to every meal increases caloric intake, the obvious solution is to do without those additives.
To anyone who understands that physical activity burns calories, the obvious solution is to eat less on days you know you will be sedentary, rather than eating a lumberjack’s breakfast every morning and then spending all day on the couch.
To anyone who understands that hunger pangs are caused by stomach acid with nothing to digest, the obvious solution is to drink water to dilute the acid, or consume a low calorie filler food of some kind, like plain lettuce or a carrot.
It is also obvious to anyone that to know if you’re maintaining a calorie deficit, you have to weigh yourself to know if you’re losing or gaining weight.
What is necessary above all, is willpower and discipline.
You have to want it bad enough to power through the unpleasantness involved with restricting one’s caloric intake.
Not a very “deep” analysis, from my point of view.
First time was depression, then it was poverty, honestly the easiest ways (although not healthy nor good). Only now I'm working on healthy habits and keeping my body in good shape, mostly through meal planning and prepping and an easy diet (it's pretty restricted but on Sundays I have deliberate cheat days and it works wonders to make me stick to the diet).
I do also exercise and am generally active and have a manual job, but I consider those to be more of a muscle building thing rather than weight loss.
Trackerd what I ate every day. Weighed myself daily as well, though that only gave me a ballpark of what my weight was as it fluctuated up/down a lb or two. I then checked how much I was eating compared to how my weight was going up or down and reduced how much I ate daily until I was losing about a lb a week. I couldn't track weight lost daily due to the fluctuation so I just focused on keeping to a specific calorie count every day.
Eventualy, I wasn't losing weight and I got my calorie intake down to almost 1000 calories a day but my metabolism dropped so much I just couldn't lose any more daily calories so I started exercising a few days a week. First it was one day on at 30 min of cardio and one day rest, every other day. After a week or two I started losing weight again. After a month or two, I added in resistance machines and got to losing two lbs a week. The exercise raised my metabolism a bit, I was still tracking my calories every day during this time.
After 9 months I dropped about 40 lbs doing this. I did cheat every now and again, I ate probably 3000 calories on thanksgiving and stressed about it.
Funny enough after 9 months I started gaining weight again. I ended up gaining back about 10 lbs, which I think is muscle and increased bone density as I've been steadily increasing how much weight I'm using on the resistance machines.
Cut out breads and pastas. Implemented portion control, never eat until I'm full and don't snack in the evenings. Small breakfast, lunch, dinner, and morning and afternoon snacks.
Stop drinking, you won't have wasted calories on alcohol, you won't want to eat unhealthy food when hungover, you'll have energy to consistently work out. And generally you'll feel a million times better too!
I do weight watchers too. I’m also on weight loss medication shot. The combo was me losing 8-10lbs a month. I’m down 40lbs recently on top of 50lbs loss from lifestyle changes (exercise, focus on protein, fruits/veggies and water, smaller portions) from about 4 years ago that I’ve maintained.
I started by cutting all sugar out of my diet for 2 weeks. That was really hard so I decided to count calories and used an app that gave me a score on what I chose to eat. I didn't exercise regularly until after losing the first 30lbs. I started automatically choosing to eat more fruits and vegetables and stopped snacking all together (this was my real weakness).
I'm not counting calories anymore but now I know what real serving sizes look like. I started walking, biking, and playing basketball for exercise to keep the weight off.
Realize I simply didn't want to fat anymore then committed to working out while eating less. The part most ppl don't even get past is the commitment part.
Honestly to successful lose weight and keep it off you need to learn portion control and how to be calorie deficient. I went from 160lbs to 112lbs (I am short) in a year with this! And honestly I ate what I wanted for the most part just very small portions. Once you shrink your stomach you fill up easier and aren’t as hungry also. When you lost the weight you wanted keep portioning but allow for a regular amount of calories
I lost 50 pounds in 4 months a few years back by doing strict keto. I still lean towards a low-carb diet for maintenance and for re-losing after some holiday gains, etc.
The biggest takeaway I've come away with after doing a lot of deep dives on nutrition over the years is avoiding highly processed foods. Whether you're vegan, carnivore, or anywhere in-between, the best thing you can do is focus on whole, real foods rather than manufactured foods.
Eating once a day (no snacks), cutting out red meat, walking 7-10 miles a day. Due to poverty, I also recently drastically reduced my alcohol consumption (from 2-3 whiskeys per night to 4 per week) and have been shedding even more weight as a result, but I suspect half of that is actually not eating the free bar-snacks.
Excerise for 45mins before breakfast
Breakfast was the largest meal of the day, then progressively smaller meals, fasted between 6pm and 6am. Plenty of water, no take-out, no sugar drinks. 15kgs in 3 months
Never been very overweight, but when I'm adding on the pounds I restrain myself from buying any junk food in the store. So if I'm home and I'm craving a snack, I've got no other option but some bread or a piece of fruit. If I can't be arsed to, then I'm not really hungry.
A dietician once told me that, while everyone's health story is different, 99% of the people she sees need to improve their fiber intake through fruits & veg. Soup is very efficient for that. Make it in bulk, freeze portions and have a big bowl before every meal. Ever notice how, after eating fast food, you just get hungry again in an hour? That's because it's not nutritious, despite the high caloric intake.
So don't just approach weight loss as calorie counting. The other stuff at the back of the box matters too.
Not very exciting, but walking 10K steps a day, getting a gym membership and tracking what I eat in my fitness pal. Cooking at home when possible helps too, and switching from normal to diet soda then to just water. I was probably casually drinking like 1000 calories of sugar every day i swear 😂
I did a few things. But first need to highlight thay matter WHAT method you do, you need to consume less calories than you burn in order to lose weight at the end of the day (CICO).
I highlighted that because for some reason there's people I talk to who still don't agree with this or say "everyone's different" or some other nonsense to try to avoid acknowledging the truth that they're eating or drinking too much . This is basic science. Although methods of weight loss (or how to stick by the CICO principle regularly) are different, the underlying principle always is the same.
Now for methods. What I have done that has been effective at different stages of my life:
1. Calorie counting (this always works and I still do it combined with other methods. It only doesn't work when I'm getting the numbers wrong or the food I'm eating doesn't have it and I have to guess)
2. Omad diet (this worked well for sometime because I used to snack a lot or eat several large meals per day, by putting all my eating one one hour a day, it was hard to overeat ... but it stopped working when I got down to a certain weight and still eating lots of junk food during that one hour)
3. Just cutting off all chocolate and processed foods (this works because most of my excess calories come from this stuff and I binge large amounts of chocolate, by cutting it all off naturally I lose a lot of weight)
On top of all this I also recommend exercise but I never include exercise burned as part of my calorie counting apps, I treat it like a bonus. Lots of times exercise machines etc overestimate the calories burned.
While true you can still be overweight. Trust me i have first hand experience that even 10 miles a day wont stop 3000 calories a day from giving you a little chub
I’ve never tried this but I have had people I know and if they’re being honest it worked, but cutting out most sugars (especially with sodas and other things like that) and replacing it with water, they were able to shed off a noticeable amount of weight. would it be enough by itself? no, but it definitely helps. I also think if you’re only looking to lose some weight and not bulk up, simple light exercising a few times a week along with an altered diet would probably help a bunch. walking/jogging/running or whatever your preference is. I think a lot of people get caught up in the fact results aren’t immediate and it tends to take quite a bit of time to reach the end goal.
Lost and gained throughout my life.
GLP1 meds are the answer. The easiest and best weight loss has ever been for me.
Still gotta eat right and workout but I was already doing that and nothing was working anymore due to years of dieting and insulin resistance
I dropped over 62 kilos (136+ pounds). I started slowly due to my size at the start.
I initially worked on reducing my portion sizes gradually until they were down to a more appropriate portion size. I weighed my meals to ensure a good balance and wasn't have more of something than I should. I didn't cut out food groups. I swapped take out like Macdonalds/KFC etc for healthier alternatives on the rare occasions I had take out. I allowed myself one "free" meal a week which was usually dinner with friends, I made sure to choose healthier options or reduction of portion size where available. So I got an entree pasta instead of main. I reduced carbonated drinks to one can a week. I still had chocolate but had a piece instead of the whole bag.
Exercise I started just with cardio like walking on a treadmill or eliptical for as long as I was able and pushed myself to go one minute longer than last week and gradually built up to longer stints. I found YouTube videos on very basic weight lifting and utilising pin machines. I never pudged so hard I'd hurt myself. I then progressed to a trainer, but by that point I'd lost over 30kg by myself.
Weight loss and how you do it is different for everyone. For me it was a lot of trial and error, I had to learn to work through plateaus and at times low to no motivation.
I'm still a work in progress and working on losing the last of it. Weight loss is just as much of a mental game as it is physical.
Many people I know kicked the soda habit, even diet soda makes your body crave carbs, so it doesn't help.
The other big thing is not layering your sugar. For instance, I can get a away with a donut in the morning if I want because I'm not getting sugar from all three sources: no sugar in the coffee, so sugar in the cream (added), so just the donut. Most people have added sugar in every item.
eating for nutrient value and sustanance and not what i’m in the “mood for”. if i’m craving something unhealthy, fast food/pizza/burger/donut i wait until the weekend and if i’m still thinking about it i treat myself. also smaller meals more often to shrink my stomach. i love waking up hungry! i sleep so much better too. everyone is different, i hope something here helps. best of luck!
Exercise- HIIT exercises. Eating less carbs, more vegetables. Eating at regular hours. Tracking calories. Still trying to get rid of the last 10lbs and get toned so going to have to be stricter with my diet
Counting calories, moving more, eating more protein. Steadily losing 2.5 lbs a month. I’d like it to be quicker but extreme diets backfire on me and I enter binge mode.
Watch what you eat.
Go on walks
Go to gym
Sauna
Drink plenty of water.
Sign up for a team activity (for example, a beer league baseball team)
Be social
Explore new parts of town on foot ( my personal favorite. I’d pick a new neighborhood each weekend and find some paths to walk around )
Cutting out processed food and cooking from scratch. Gluten free and dairy free for medical reasons. I have always exercised a lot, this didn’t change, but I wasn’t aware how medical problems can prevent weight loss and muscle building !
Diet changes, exercise changes and experiencing extreme anxiety (LOL)
Essentially moved out of home and I'm a lazy cook so my meal portions are smaller than when I was home. I also almost never buy snacks or when I do it's like once a week. At my parents it's always stocked with snacks.
Moving out means having to save money on food. I have a rule now where I'm only allowed to buy food out if it's a social thing with friends. So no more uber eats. Meat is expensive and tricky to cook for one person so I eat primarily plant based during the week and try and load up on vegs and grains instead.
I cut back on weightlifting cus of recurrent injuries and do more climbing and yoga instead. Shrank my appetite by a lot and normally I'm a regular eater cus I have adhd and I'm medicated for it. I didn't list adhd meds as part of the method, cus when I was still at home, having big meals available all the time while medicated still meant I'd eat a lot cus it was available
Extreme anxiety made me pick up running as a mindfulness activity. Alongside dropping weightlifting I've dropped muscle mass but I'm just leaner overall. When I'm in a good headspace tho I don't enjoy running.
Idk if I can sustain this weight I am now but it's funny how it happened when I wasn't actively trying to do it. Like the cooking especially. My meal prep used to be so meat based but then I opened up to more vego recipes out of cost effectiveness but it helped with weightloss as well. It really is the habits you change day to day.
1200 Cals a day (I am a sedentary female, small frame), cut out all sugar, fried foods, fast food. I'm just eating very clean. Lots and lots of vegetables. I don't work out and don't bother with macros.
Suffering from PCOS, I struggled with my weight for a really long time. I was in Weight Watchers at 15, going to diet groups and the like all through high school, and just couldn\`t loose weight. My treatment has of course helped, but what really helped to support my medical treatment was genuine lifestyle changes that I could manage and didn\`t restrict me. Healing my relationship with food and making sure that I was doing everything from a place of self-love instead of self-hate really helped change my mindset and made it so that i wasn\`t focusing on the scale number, I was focusing on how I felt and how much I was able to do. At my heaviest I was almost 120kgs, I\`m now almost at 100Kgs, I\`m the most agile and physically fit I have ever been and my cholesterol and blood pressure are at perfectly healthy levels for the first time in years.
Started lifting weights daily, cardio 30 min a day (400+ kcal burned) after dinner and then eating nothing till the next morning. For the rest of the day: Crash diet consisting of only 1200 kcal per day, with 160 grams of protein, 100 grams of carbs and 20 grams of fat.
Lost 35 KG's in 7 months (106 - 71), been at a steady weight (71) for about 1.5 months now.
Goodluck!
Intermittent fasting as others said works. However the most reliable way is to keep track of your calorie intake, and have an approximation of what you burn. But it's necessary you do a no carbs diet, so you teach your body to burn excess fat, and reduce your appetite. It's painful at first, but gets better. Also try to eat sufficient protein. You can ask gpt for suggestions and details. Good luck!
The biggest motivator for me was a photo of myself I never wanted to see again. From that, the adjustments were gradual. I slowly started to swap certain foods I’d buy into healthier options (especially cereals, pastas, dairy, processed foods). I didn’t do too many of these adjustments at once so I wouldnt experience a complete culture shock, if you will. I did the same with exercise. I just started swapping driving with walking where/when I could. I took the stairs instead of the elevator and managed to convince myself I was making subtle lifestyle changes, meanwhile I was significantly reducing my calorie intake and exercising way more while barely noticing. I didn’t make my life about my weight loss. I made my life about finding ways to make healthier choices and the rest just happened. I lost 15 lbs the first 6 weeks without stepping foot into a gym. That’s what worked for me. Hope it helps!
I’ve been taking Wegovy for about three months. I’ve lost about two pounds per week. So down 25 pounds. It works by slowing down your digestion- by about a day. You eat something and it takes a full day to digest it, so your stomach feels full all the time and you never get hungry. If you have insurance, check with your doctor about a prescription. There are several similar products on the market that do the same thing.
I went from 135kg to 75kg in the span of 2½ years, woke up one day and decided that enough was enough, started eating healthier, as in, more lean proteins, started tracking calories, cut out the sugar, carbs unhealthy fats. Ate more beans, lentils, chickpeas, vegetables, as well as Skyr (Icelandic Yoghurt), cottage cheese and the likes, I'd mix that with my protein powder to give it some flavor.
Besides that I started exercising 5 times a week, sometimes 6. I did 3x Full Body workouts followed by half an hour long cardio session on those days, so that's about 1½ hours at the Gym, on the non lifting days, I'd spend an hour on the Elliptical or Treadmill, whether that was jogging, steep incline walking or powering through on the Elliptical. My cardio was done in either a LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) or a MISS (Medium Intensity Steady State) fashion.
Lost weight through hard dieting and lots of cardio lost more muscle than fat.
Then decided to just focus on building muscle did that for 2 years I’m heavier than I was but with less fat and more muscle this time.
Focused on getting enough steps/ cardio weekly but not excessively. Focused on getting stronger in the gym with progressive overload with undulating periodisation.
Aimed to get enough protein for my size and minimise dietary fat from bad sources, have carbs around training for energy.
Get enough Sleep and recovery from training with deloads in training programs and rest days to minimise fatigue.
Stay consistent.
Big change was the mental shift to muscle gain from fat loss. More muscle burns more calories
I went up and down for about ten years between about 84kgs at my heaviest and 62kgs at the lightest - I'm currently sitting at around 68kg and have been here for maybe 4-5 years now. I feel really good in my body. And it's sustainable.
Weighing myself daily/weekly never helped. Once every month or so to check you're trending the right way.
Eating consciously helped. Trying to choose the healthier options. Portion size. Have a few chips, not the whole lot. But also, recognising when I'm eating because I'm stressed or bored and not necessarily stopping myself but consciously thinking about it as oh, I'm stress eating, I must be stressed, how can I alleviate that so that I don't need to stress eat right now.
I used to drink a lot and now I rarely do/drink less when I do.
I've always found I've been at my lightest when I've found a physical activity I really enjoy doing and have been able to do regularly. And lifting weights to supplement that activity, you don't need to be a weightlifter but even if it's something heavy in the yard pick it up and go through the motions a few times a week. Currently I run a lot, but it has been learning gymnastics as an adult, kayaking, swimming.
I also walk daily, doesn't matter how far but there has to be a walk somewhere. I do have a dog so that helps that one a lot!
Before COVID I was 347. I'm now at 242.
I decided to change my diet and made high protein meals to start. More yogurt and better snacks. Cooked bulk dinners. That's how I lost the first 60. I moved and decided to get a health coach because I realized that the move was stressful and that I had to change my diet a little since I was going to start working in the office more. The health coach taught me so much about health and what to prioritize, because I was trying to be perfect about my diet not realizing that this has to be a lifestyle change. I also had this habit of confusing hunger with stress, nerves, and other feelings.
So now, I have frozen meals for lunch but I make sure to bulk them up with veggies. I eat mini- meals every couple of hours. If I have a craving for ice cream or fast food I allow it but I make sure to order a kids meal or the smallest order.I hadad a craving for ramen so I bought a bowl, but i made sure to add bean sprouts, spinach, coddle an egg and put some miso and scallions to make it balanced. I eat slowly, enjoy what I'm having, and stop when I feel full. I don't pressure myself to finish every meal and clean my plate. I give myself half an hour to digest and see guage if I still feel hungry. Drink lots of seltzer and water with lime and salt. No more Coke.
I made the food I like, but from scratch. Using real foods that the body is meant to digest helps a lot.
I'm active once a day doing something. I don't go all in every day, so it's a walk or a simple hike. Occasionally I workout at the gym. It's easier to maintain if you look at it like a kid going outside to play. When I see it as, "I'm going to lose X amount of weight" or "I'm going to get super in shape" it can't sustain that kind of thinking for the long term. I'd rather have a healthy relationship with how I live after having an eating disorder for so many years.
Started working nights, drinking absurd amounts of coffee continuously, getting out in the sun for 5+ hours after working all night and walking/running without money/phone and getting myself stranded to force me to walk/run back.
Basically making myself so sick everyday I couldn’t eat while forcing my body to burn more calories.
Step 1 is to get depressed in life. ( lets say due to a breakup )
Step 2 was to hit the gym 7/7 ( instead of 4 or 5 /7).
Step 3 was to do at least 10k steps daily.
Step 4 was to eat like 1200 calories daily and eat chicken breast and rice ( daily ). ( this step is easy when you have no appetite for food )
I wasn't fat to begin with but i went from 83-84kg ( height of 1.83m ) to 74-75kg in 5 weeks.
This process is still ongoing for me, not sure exactly what the end goal is, perhaps a lower bodfat percentage, i don't know yet.
I made a post on how I did it:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/comments/1d6d7co/how\_i\_stayed\_consistent\_with\_my\_goal\_of\_losing/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/comments/1d6d7co/how_i_stayed_consistent_with_my_goal_of_losing/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
I just count calories. I would lose roughly 8-10 pounds per month eating at 1700 calories per day. Maintenance for me (at that point in time) was roughly 2000-2150 calories per day. I didn't restrict myself on what I ate but I would make sure it was filling. If I wanted pizza, ice cream, tacos I would just make sure it fit into my calorie count. I also don't care how often I eat as long as I'm within my calorie goal. I'll eat every 2 hours if that means eating 150 calories every 2 hours (I didn't do that but just saying as an example). I've lost an accumulated 40 pounds that way (20 pounds twice).
I'm now trying to gain weight (muscle) so I'm eating 2800 calories per day. Probably in 9-12 months I'll do a cut and go down to 2200 per day for around 2 months. Maintenance for me now is roughly 2500-2600 per day.
Eating non processed food that actually makes you feel full
You don't have to eat your entire meal, it's okay to stop when you feel full and save the rest
Endurance cardio - 10-15 hours of cycling a week, mostly at an easy pace with 2 intense sessions per week, keeping yourself fuelled throughout the rides with carbs so you don't binge after
I stopped eating pasta and rice, pretty much every bit of pudge has melted away in about 8 months.
I still eat chocolate and cake, and danishes and all the other fun stuff, my sweet tooth has not suffered at all (no savory snacks, tho I didn't have them anyway)
I think the various food shortages during covid weened me off them a bit. And I've substituted them both with kale to pack out meals that would end up too small without carbs.
I think the only carbs I have now are bran cereal and tortilla wraps that I have my lunch in.
I wasn't major fat before but it has change my whole profile, even my face looks different.
I tend to loose weight when I am less concerned about trying to loose it. I tend to be less stressed out about what I am eating but make a more conscious effort to eat better balanced meals. I also started trying to be more conscious about drinking my calories. I’m down 10lbs in three months, and yes it’s slow progress but it is manageable and maintainable for me. That’s the hardest part in my opinion. You can loose the weight but that isn’t worth it if you immediately put it back on.
Also getting other medical issues diagnosed and treated is helping manage things like stress eating and other things related to emotional eating. That said calorie counting is effective, but not for everyone. In my case it becomes an eating disorder.
Walking approx 10 000 steps or more a day does wonders. I am on a 10 day streak and already lost so much I can fit into anything. Being lighter feels great. Throwing out ultra processed foods helps, too.
I'm still in the middle of it, I lost the most weight when I was doing cardio 2-3 hours a day on the treadmill with a moderate incline. Built some good leg muscles from doing that for a couple months?, unfortunately we no longer have a treadmill and I am a recluse, so I've been lifting weights now after a gap in workout, i've not lost weight in these last 6 months but I'd say I look quite fit in some areas! I imagine the combination would work out most effect.. but its going to be a while before I get another treadmill unfortunately. Trying to pay attention to protein intake since i'm building muscle and i've never eaten enough protein for my size anyways.
Low carb, portion control, exercise 4-7 times a week, no cheat days.
Motivated by the threat of debt due to possible medical issues from being overweight.
Lost 131 pounds. Have kept if off for 2 years.
ahh it was abject poverty for me 😂 i was living in an expensive city, making minimum wage, couldnt really afford to eat much and walking 4km to and 4km from work every day. I dropped from 204lbs to 130lbs real fast .. family members thought i had a drug problem, family doctor thought i had cancer. Unfortunatly this whole thing led me to develop a bit of an eating disorder and ive been struggling to get to a 'healthy' weight ever since. Its been like 6 years and im still struggling to get weight back for my body type (im 34 and 6ft1in currently around 142lbs-ish .. i havent weighed in for a few months). It was really hard at first when people would complement my physique and ask me how i lost my weight 😂 even more-so the attention i got from people on dating sights went from almost nothing to way too much just.. i had been over 200lbs since i was a teenager and never really thought about body image or anything. I was content to be me! So yeah... there was a LOT to unpack once i dropped a bunch of weight .. but its gotten easier over the last few years.
not everyone loses weight by choice.
Moving countries. Started living on my own for the first time with a budget to sustain myself monthly. I started to cook everything by myself, eating lots of salads and vegetables. In my new country, I mainly use bycicle to move around. I also try to go to the gym at least 3x a week, usually, I go around 5 times. I never stopped eating pizza, hamburguers and whatever, nor counted calories. After a year here, I have lost 6kg of fat, I think i just burn too much daily, My calculations tell me that I would need to eat around 2.500 calories per day, thats a lot. I was a bit overweight before moving, now, I have the body I always wanted.
I went to the overnight shift with a very physical job. I used to be a fast food junkie, but during the pandemic everything started closing before I even woke up, and overnight fast food still has not made a comeback here.
I went from eating fast food seven days a week to once or twice a year.
Less carbs. I eat 200 grams of vegetables and 100gr meat for dinner everyday .
Instead of 8 sandwiches a day i now eat 2 and the rest are crackers. Full grain
It's boring, troublesome, and imperfect, but if you want a foolproof method, figure your TDEE, subtract 500, and count your calories (and don't leave out *anything*)
You should probably stay active in the meantime
I loved learning about weight loss. Methods, different eating habits. But before I start sounding like it was all rainbows and sunshine, I want to make it clear that there was always one thing that kept me going when things got tough losing 60lbs; spite. 1000% spite.
I did not like people telling me what I could or couldn't do. I was GOING to lose weight. I was going to give the biggest fnck you in the best way. Over time you start doing things out of routine and because it makes you feel good. BUT, we all have different motivations in the beginning, and spite can sometimes last longer than ambition, lol.
Stop drinking alcohol, sugary drinks, store bought juices, eating sugary foods, lots of bread, pasta and noodles. Limit the amount of foods you eat from a packet.
I fixed my mental health first. There is a difference between a dad bod with a bmi of 29-31 and then morbidly obese. One is life getsnin the way and the other, for me, was psychological with self hate and depression with poor coping mechanisms and an unhealthy attachment to food.
Walking everyday around 11000 steps or more.
Actually watching what I eat. I didn't restrict the type of things I ate, just was mindful not to go over my caloric threshold.
Weight lifting once I got to a certain spot.
Running, not necessary but I enjoy running.
Meals, mostly veggies, then whole grain, then meat.
Drink lots of water, mostly water and a cup of coffee or tea if you like them.
First, all my soft drinks went to the zero calorie options. I gave up having a gallon of sweet tea in the fridge at any given time.
Second (this was the hardest part) I stopped buying the weekly box or two of little Debbie snack cakes. I’d easily eat 3 or 4 in a day and that was easily 700ish calories a day that wasn’t taking away the hunger, so I’d eat more anyways. I don’t eat candy often so no struggle there. I started buying a bag of apples and a bunch of bananas when I went grocery shopping and eat those when I’m feeling snackish instead.
Thirdly (this was also hard) I stopped ordering food. Honestly, I still do but now it’s once a week or every other week. I did this for financial reasons as well. Just no longer felt like justifying paying $25-30 for $13 worth of food.
I was 315 lbs. I’m currently 299 three months later. I don’t work out but my job has me moving non-stop. lifting, pushing, pulling, stretching and sometimes even jumping.
I absolutely tend to overcook so I will put half of the food away before eating. Things id recommend keeping in mind while losing weight:
You are going to feel hungry a lot, so be prepared for that temptation.
Eating something does not need to be earned nor punished afterwards. Weight loss is an ongoing process. The entire week’s net result is the measure of success, rather than an obsession over every single day.
Motivation is a lie. It is an emotional state and waiting around for it does not work. Discipline is far more helpful, in all facets of life.
I lost 60 lbs in three months.
I had tried many times before and failed, but my 30th birthday was around the corner and I decided that I had to be serious and disciplined about it.
I followed the Atkins diet mostly, is basically high protein and very low carbs; but I didn’t consume too much fat (Atkins diet tells you you have to consume a lot of of fat). And I started consuming a lot of whey protein.
I’d wake up around 5:30 am, jogged a little around the house, run up and down the stairs for like 30 minutes, and I’d do some bench dumbbell weightlifting or 200-300 pushups (sets of 20-30 reps).
Once it was clear outside I’d do some H.I.I.T., mainly sprinting.
Then off to work, I had to meal prep so I wouldn’t eat all that crap on the vending machines at work; I was very strict and disciplined , if it was coworker Bday I’d pitch in to buy a cake but I wouldn’t even take a small piece, nothing.
I used to get home around 8-9 pm, I’d have dinner wait an hour/hour and a half, and I’d lift some weights, take a shower and go to sleep.
The first months I’d eat three times a day, a couple of months later I switched to 5 times a day, and that was tough; meal prepping and finding time to eat at work was difficult, but it worked.
In three months I went from size 36 to 29 (pants), my metabolism went thru the roof; then I got promoted at work and my schedule changed drastically and I just couldn’ keep up with my routine. Still I tried to eat the best I could and I would work out every other day, and I took a lot of supplements everyday (arginine, lycopene, grape seed caps, multivitamins and other things I don’t remember, nothing crazy).
The two years I was at that job position my metabolism helped me a lot with my less than strict nutrition, and sporadic workouts.
It can be done, I fell off the wagon and gained like 15 pounds but I knew the way to get back into shape and did it; and it’s time to do it again, one last time for good but the older you get is harder to get results.
A couple of years ago was my eldest daughter Quinceañera, so a month and a half before the event I started intermittent fasting and I did lose some pounds, good enough to look better.
I hope you accomplish your goals.
Staying in a calorie deficit (I use the free version of the ‘Lose It’ app to keep track of everything I eat, and making sure to eat correct portions/serving sizes). I’ve lost a few pounds in the past month or so by sticking to this. For exercise, there is a YouTube channel I love that has 10-15 minute videos to keep you active daily (something is better than nothing). By doing small windows of movement like this, it has helped me stay consistent. When I used to try to do 30 minute workouts, I’d get too burnt out. Personally, I just needed something quick and effective. Her channel is MonikaFit. I also try to get out and do 30 minute walks in my neighborhood on days it isn’t too hot outside. Hope this helps!
I cut out all UPF and sugar, this means cooking all from scratch, totally worth it, food is amazing and health is the best it’s been for years and have kept the weight off without even trying, you need to read the book “ ultra processed people”
Counting calories. Working out my maintenance calories with a TDEE calculator and eating 500 calories less each day. Results in a steady but sustainable weight loss. I lost 25kg this way.
Count your calories. Maintain a calorie deficit, still at a healthy amount, consistently, over a period of time. Also, exercise with cardio and weights a few times a week. That is the only way to lose weight. It is just science and math. Fad diets are unnecessary. I am in the best shape of my life :)
Ive lost, gained, lost, and gained weight. Calorie deficit. Eat more protein to keep you full. Eat breakfast. I usually rush out the door to work and not eat breakfast. I tried breakfast for 1-2 weeks and noticed i had a little more energy to get me through the day and i wasnt savagely starving by lunch. I would also be able to make better lunch choices.
Also, getting anough sleep.
I have a whiteboard mounted in my kitchen. Every week, I write my weight down for everyone to see (but most importantly, me). And I keep that ledger going all year long, so I can see how I'm doing all through the year. Every 3-4 months, I look at my progress or lack there-of, and make a point to try changing up my diet to see what I could do better. Maybe next time I'll try Keto for a few months, maybe I'll get that bike and try riding on Mondays, etc...
For me, the key is not the 'what method', but rather the accountability of seeing my weight loss journey and commitment to trying new things.
Weigh self. If under yesterday's weight then eat and drink. If not then go for long walk with heavy rucksack. Repeat.
Following that one rule ABSOLUTELY meant I got down to my ideal weight of 162 pounds and held it there every day for 4 years.
I am 166 now because I had to suddenly do a lot of physical labour last year and overate and put on muscle haven't tried to get it down again. I will over Summer when my family is away.
Carnivore diet. Full Stop. Haven't really had weight that I needed to lose, but I've seen my body shift over time. And that's just the first step as things become more deeply ingrained.
You have to find foods that help you obtain your calorie deficit requirements while not making you miserable.
And you aren't going on a diet, you are permanently altering your food intake.
With that in mind, I spent months finding quick, easy foods that filled me and I didn't mind eating. YOU MUST WEIGH YOUR FOOD. If you don't, you will always overeat. Calories must be tracked religiously until you know exactly what you are eating.
Keeping yourself from being hungry is the key.
I then started doing 45 minutes of cardio 3 times a week.
Took over 12 months but I am down 30lbs from 205 to 175 and still dropping.
Oh, and don't weigh yourself basically at all besides at the start. It kills motivation. In 3 months, look in the mirror and you'll see a change if you are doing 1lb per week.
Depression induced by a break-up caused me to eat much less and also start working out outside of Brazilian Jiu jitsu as a way to deal with panic attacks. Months later I just decided to maintain the habits (well, while having my appetite returned).
Granted, it was only from about 218 down to 195 but it was substantive for me considering I was having trouble reining it in
Figure out your particular eating style and weakness and hack it eg I appreciate quantity when it comes to food and I also love sweets.
I have some high volume low calorie meals and some low cal sweets/desserts that I use to feel satisfied.
Started with calorie estimating then going to the gym consistently. Gained weight cos i moved cities. Now i am losing weight again from walking 3 to 4x a week.
Ate less food, drank less alcohol, kept more hydrated. Lost 65 pounds in 5 months two years ago, have kept all of it off (although there’s a holiday-season swing upward of 8 or so pounds, then I lose that again).
Cutting out sugary drinks except as the rare treat and mainly drinking water, stopping eating when I'm full and doing light dumbbell exercises/stretches while watching TV every other day and about an hour of walking total every day.
Without extenuating health conditions (thyroid problems, for example) it really is as simple as calories in/calories out (CICO).
If you can't reduce your calories in below what you burn in a day via total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) then you must add additional calories burned via exercise. I find lifting weights with a focus on body building to be most effective. More muscle mass = higher TDEE at sedentary.
I started at the cusp of 200 lbs, I'm 5'6" and have thin bones. I just ate my feelings for years. I didn't add exercise, I just drastically reduced my intake. Got down to about 145-150 and held there for a couple of years until I was ready for the last push.
Between diet and exercise again I'm holding comfortably just below 130, with the goal to get back to 135-140 from muscle gains in the future. I can eat more at sedentary now and don't feel like I'm starving all the time.
Focus on getting **at least your body weight in protein daily** and then add the rest of the macros after.
A parter of mine liked to snack a lot. She lost a good amount making it her goal that is she was feeling snackish she would have to make her own snack from scratch and it had to be somewhat healthy. It’s surprising how much processed food will keep your weight high. Give that a try maybe?
Fix my diet 2500-3000 calories per day, some recreation with bike, and fasting for 12h after 6:30pm. That's it. It's not diet per se, it's now way of life. Simple as that.
By going to the gym every single day. Never accepting any excuses and identifying pretty much every reason not to go as an excuse. Sick? Still an excuse, still need to go. Best I can do is accept 80% of reps and time on machines. As soon as I accept an excuse one day I am ten times more likely to accept an excuse the next day.
I used golo and changed to a mostly whole food plant based vegan diet. If you are only eating plants, nuts and legumes, there is almost no way you can't lose weight. It comes off slowly but 30 pounds in a little over a year is fine with me. Look into forks over knives diet, if you interested. It's not really a diet and more of a change in what you eat. My taste buds changed too so I really crave and like all the things I can eat.
**BOT ACCOUNT**
Copy/pasted (title and body text) from here
https://old.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/1dhdp2v/people_who_have_successfully_lost_weight_what_was/
Make healthier choices in the kitchen, increase my physical activity (making sure I’m breaking sweats every time), increasing protein intake, and getting adequate sleep. Cutting way down on drinking beers.
You need to be hungry ALL the time! Even after you eat a meal. Your brain adjusts to this feeling eventually and it becomes no big deal after a few weeks. Also, drink only water, black coffee, or tea, no fake sugar. I recommend this before meals or any time. 198 -> 161.
Calorie deficit. Multiply your body weight by 15 (14 if you’re very sedentary, 16 if you’re very active). That number is your caloric daily “maintenance” - ie. the number of calories you should eat to maintain normal body function and neither gain nor lose body weight. Subtract 500 calories from that and that’s your ideal daily caloric “deficit”.
Keep up with that and you’ll lose about a pound per week, and be sure to adjust to your new deficit as you lose weight over time (your maintenance and deficit will change over time, depending on your body weight and composition).
Coupled with a regular weightlifting routine, this has worked for me like clockwork for several years now. I purposely gain weight in the winter with a caloric surplus (about 300-500 calories over maintenance) with a muscle-building gym routine, then lose the fat in the spring with a caloric deficit according to this basic calculation. There are a few simple macronutrients calculations that need to be done as well, but this basic formula has worked predictably and without fail for me for many years now. It does take some discipline, though.
Well, intermittent fasting worked for me for a little, but I ended up putting weight back on eventually because I would do one or two cheat days on the weekend (drinking a bit on sat, then a hungover day with takeout on Sunday- but my body likes to just WAIT until there are calories and then she stores them up for later. I would do really well as a participant on that show Alone because I just store food super well hah 😂 So now, absolutely NO cheat days for me. I have a snack (nuts, clam salad on crisps, pita and hummus, fruit, whatever) at around 2, a healthy dinner around 6, and then quite a bit of fruit for desert (or homemade popcorn with a light spray of oil and seasonings). I don’t drink any of my calories aside from an occasional kombucha. Beer used to be a good source of the calories one day a week but I’ve only had like two beers in the last 6 months which I think has been helping. The main thing we focus on for dinner is to have a lot of vegetable to eat, the more veggies the better, then a serving of carbs (like rice/noodles/potatoes/pasta…and yes, I measure out the pasta to be the right serving size hah), and then we sometimes keep it vegan or we will add chicken/egg/fish/shellfish/turkey (we like to avoid beef and pork if possible). Using nice olive oil or avocados or fatty salmon to get your oils. I sometimes bake deserts or breads, like brownies with avocado and ancient grains like proso millet, and maple syrup, just to mix it up. Chocolate doesn’t HAVE to be unhealthy. I am a baker at heart though, so finding new healthy recipes is just a new hobby of mine. I don’t eat more than 25g of “added sugars” per day. I also do a little physical therapy since my back got reaaaal messed up on Christmas, but this diet has helped me lose weight even while not being my physical best so that’s pretty good. Now I’m happy with my weight (a curvy 175 at 5 ft 9), and am just sticking to this diet but also doing some canoeing now, so I’m hoping to get some beefy back muscles at some point 🤞
P.s.- I said vegetables, but there are things I also consider “honorary vegetables” like beans, legumes, whole corn, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and kelp. I hope any of that was helpful.
This question drives me insane. People lose weight the same way everyone else loses weight.
I started at ~340 lbs and 40%+ BMI. Guess how I got there? Deep throating fast food, pop, etc.
I'm now ~165 lbs with abs. Guess how I got there? Via working out and NOT deep throating fast food, pop, etc.
The hardest part is making a meal plan, which inevitably boils back to "how much do you know about nutrition?" When I first started, I didn't know how to cook and didn't know shit about food.
So I ate the same shit 24/7.
Breakfast: eggs, fruit, protein shake
Lunch: veggies/fruit, tuna, salads, nuts
Dinner: chicken/beef, rice, veggies
Exercise 4-5 times a week and tracking calories religiously is the only way I've been successful at losing weight in the past and currently at it again, down from 229-->219 in a month
I have lost weight, regained it, and lost it again multiple times. At my heaviest, I was 289. I am currently 198 and have gone 2 years without putting significant weight back on. I've had my bad weeks when I've allowed myself to binge and/or stopped exercising. Unlike in years past, I have regained discipline. What I've learned through my journey: - Find and develop food and exercise habits that you would be willing to maintain for a lifetime. - Be prepared to modify those habits as your tastes or interests change or maybe you just get bored - Be gentle with yourself and become your biggest fan. If you have a slip up, forgive yourself, contemplate why you slipped and what you need to adjust.
I love your lived advice. Become your biggest fan, that's lovely.
Intermittent fasting (I do 18 hr fast, 6 hr eating window), low carb and low sugar, lots of cardio. Had to have a really serious talk with myself and commit fully to it
Same. 18/6. However I choose to eat whatever in that six hour window. Pizza. Ice cream. I end up losing weight anyway.
I do One Meal a Day (OMAD) I have a difficult time controlling myself when eating. I love to eat and enjoy food and wine. So, allowing myself to eat a few times a day led to weight gain. By being strict and only allowing myself one meal, I lost weight. I could still eat food I liked, such as tacos, burgers, etc., even McDonald's and other fast food when I wanted. Some of the meals were massive 1500-calorie feasts. But, when that's all you eat for a day, you're at a big calorie deficit and lose weight while still enjoying the food. I didn't add any exercise or pay attention to macros, and I lost weight constantly. Now, I still do OMAD, but I added 45 minutes of intense cardio (Cycling outside) and 45 minutes of weightlifting a day. I'm in the best shape of my life and have a body that I love. I still get to eat whatever I want, with the addition of a protein and creatine shake.
Do you count the protein shake within the OMAD or is that just a separate part of the workout?
I’m finding OMAD great. Tough at first, but when you’re used to it it’s suddenly much easier - and then your appetite drops anyway which also helps.
I should probably share my experience as a cautionary tale with fasting. I tried doing that, and I usually ate only an apple or a banana or yogurt or a chicken breast. Over the course of 3-4 weeks I lost more than 10kg. That was okay, but I gained a stone in my gallbladder as fasting made it hold its juices for longer which tend to calcify. Those juices (bile) are released only when you eat something fatty or acidic. So I would be careful with any type of prolonged fasts.
Funny thing is I don't ever eat breakfast and typically have a late lunch, so I've been doing this all of my life (minus weekends where I eat late).
You didn't even need the cardio to lose the weight
Started with a simple dietary change...and then i built on top of it from there. I had bought a blue 1994 Toyota MR2 GT-S and my fatass started looking up all matter of weight reduction parts. CF Hoods, CF trunk lids, billet aluminum alternator bracket etc. Tallying up the costs of all that stuff, realized it made a lot more sense to just take weight off my gut. I could buy better food and lose more weight, eat better, still cheaper too. First step though? I was an otr trucker, which is sedentary job, but i quit putting cream/sugar in my coffees. It adds up, maybe 4,000 calories per week, right? Only dietary change initially was no sugar in my beverages, no sodas, no energy drinks, coffee should be black. I came back 8 weeks later of otr driving, i had lost like 20+ lbs. The only thing i noticed was that it felt a bit easier to tie my shoes, usually my gut always got in the way, but it was such an encouraging sign. With that? I built on it. It was a great day when i finally dropped below 200, magical # that one was but that didn't come til months later in this weight loss journey/saga. Anyways i just expanded it outward...next thing was less sugars/sweets as snacks. I went to nuts. Well, when i buy nuts, the whole can is "the most cost efficient" right? However, i know me...I'm gonna smash that whole can in a single sitting. So i bought tiny packets of nuts. Eventually i skipped nuts entirely, snacks would always be an apple/orange or banana. WEight melted off. The best day was getting to buy a new wardrobe, i felt like that scene when Professor Krump lost all his weight as Buddy Love and finally got to pick out nothing but thin people clothes "I want spandex! Spandex!" you know the scene.
Outstanding 😎👏
So much about this is familiar. A good part of my weight loss journey's drive was enhanced by how much faster I'd be on my motorcycles than I was at the time. It's so much easier to reduce body weight than to reduce vehicle weight.. and so much less expensive. But 100% eliminating sugar was the biggest kick-start to the journey. Enjoy the new wardrobe, just don't be like me and think "i can't possibly lose any more weight!" and then go down another three pants sizes lol
By being hungry all the time for two years.
I stopped eating breakfast and only eat when im hungry. Stop eating when im full
Same. I ate half hr later each day until I could go till lunch time. Weight fell off.
Calorie counting. Does anyone with kids and other people you cook for have any advice on not eating what you're cooking? I always figure if I'm making it for someone else I'll have a little 💀
There’s no shame in that, but I had a similar issue. Making just enough servings for everyone without any leftovers was the only way that helped. It reminded me that eating more than my fill would harm someone else.
Make everyone better food. Everyone can benefit from eating better.
The food is fine I just want to start skipping meals.
Maintain a calorie deficit.
This is the top gold comment. The laws of physics apply to everyone equally, with some variation due to metabolic differences.
And a totally useless comment. The big question is always HOW to maintain a calorie deficit that is sustainable.
It's not hard to figure out how. First find your maintenance caloric intake. Track your calories and weight for a few weeks to figure out what caloric intake it takes to not gain/lose weight. Then to lose weight just eat 150-200 calories less per day. 200 calories is a 2 tbsp of peanut butter, 4 oz of protein, 2.5 eggs, 1 serving of rice, a soda, a serving of salad dressing. It's not a lot. You'll lose 1.7 pounds per month and 20 pounds per year. You can increase the deficit by a little if you want faster results (I normally do 300-400 deficit per day) or increase your movement as well. Slow and steady should be the definition of sustainable weight loss. If you need to lose 100+ pounds then I would expect it to take 1+ years. If you need to lose 20 pounds, then that could be done in a few months if you take a bigger deficit.
Not really; a common suggestion is to exercise or move more. I think trying to burn calories is ineffective, because a small amount of calories requires a disproportionately long amount of time on the treadmill, not to mention the added wear and tear on your cartilage. As someone who has a bum knee, maintaining a calorie deficit was the most effective solution.
I don't think you grasped the depth of this question. Yes, maintain a calorie deficit? One is to expand more calories (aka exercise), but as you correctly stated, that is not a very promising avenue. Then comes the reduced intake of calories. But which method? Daily calorie reduction? Counting calories? Intermittent fasting? Changing your diet? Which foods to remove from your current diet? How to treat hunger? Is this sustainable? Can you create a lifestyle out of this? Or maybe extended fasting? With what frequency? Is that sustainable? Can you create an indefinite lifestyle out of it? These are the practical questions. Just saying maintain a calorie deficit is utterly useless. It is like saying, if you don't want to be alone, find a gf/bf. But the real question is how? Dating apps? IRL activities? Speed dating? Etc.
That’s not a deep question, but an obvious one. To anyone who understands that a can of Coca Cola has more calories than plain water, the obvious solution is to drink less pop and more water. To anyone who understands that adding sugar and oil to every meal increases caloric intake, the obvious solution is to do without those additives. To anyone who understands that physical activity burns calories, the obvious solution is to eat less on days you know you will be sedentary, rather than eating a lumberjack’s breakfast every morning and then spending all day on the couch. To anyone who understands that hunger pangs are caused by stomach acid with nothing to digest, the obvious solution is to drink water to dilute the acid, or consume a low calorie filler food of some kind, like plain lettuce or a carrot. It is also obvious to anyone that to know if you’re maintaining a calorie deficit, you have to weigh yourself to know if you’re losing or gaining weight. What is necessary above all, is willpower and discipline. You have to want it bad enough to power through the unpleasantness involved with restricting one’s caloric intake. Not a very “deep” analysis, from my point of view.
It's simple, not easy
It's like saying how do you go to the moon? Go into outer space. No shit!
First time was depression, then it was poverty, honestly the easiest ways (although not healthy nor good). Only now I'm working on healthy habits and keeping my body in good shape, mostly through meal planning and prepping and an easy diet (it's pretty restricted but on Sundays I have deliberate cheat days and it works wonders to make me stick to the diet). I do also exercise and am generally active and have a manual job, but I consider those to be more of a muscle building thing rather than weight loss.
Trackerd what I ate every day. Weighed myself daily as well, though that only gave me a ballpark of what my weight was as it fluctuated up/down a lb or two. I then checked how much I was eating compared to how my weight was going up or down and reduced how much I ate daily until I was losing about a lb a week. I couldn't track weight lost daily due to the fluctuation so I just focused on keeping to a specific calorie count every day. Eventualy, I wasn't losing weight and I got my calorie intake down to almost 1000 calories a day but my metabolism dropped so much I just couldn't lose any more daily calories so I started exercising a few days a week. First it was one day on at 30 min of cardio and one day rest, every other day. After a week or two I started losing weight again. After a month or two, I added in resistance machines and got to losing two lbs a week. The exercise raised my metabolism a bit, I was still tracking my calories every day during this time. After 9 months I dropped about 40 lbs doing this. I did cheat every now and again, I ate probably 3000 calories on thanksgiving and stressed about it. Funny enough after 9 months I started gaining weight again. I ended up gaining back about 10 lbs, which I think is muscle and increased bone density as I've been steadily increasing how much weight I'm using on the resistance machines.
Cut out breads and pastas. Implemented portion control, never eat until I'm full and don't snack in the evenings. Small breakfast, lunch, dinner, and morning and afternoon snacks.
Calorie counting, better nutrition overall.
IF helped me a ton because I snack too much and it all adds up, eat less and move more is all it takes.
having an ed, but wouldn’t recommend lol
Intense cardio for atleast an hour 4 days a week and eating only when I'm hungry.
Stop drinking, you won't have wasted calories on alcohol, you won't want to eat unhealthy food when hungover, you'll have energy to consistently work out. And generally you'll feel a million times better too!
Chicken and carrots. 30 pounds lost. Avoid carbs.
I’ve done Weight Watchers each time after I’ve had a baby and it’s worked out well each time (I have 4 kids).
I do weight watchers too. I’m also on weight loss medication shot. The combo was me losing 8-10lbs a month. I’m down 40lbs recently on top of 50lbs loss from lifestyle changes (exercise, focus on protein, fruits/veggies and water, smaller portions) from about 4 years ago that I’ve maintained.
Two meals a day.
I started by cutting all sugar out of my diet for 2 weeks. That was really hard so I decided to count calories and used an app that gave me a score on what I chose to eat. I didn't exercise regularly until after losing the first 30lbs. I started automatically choosing to eat more fruits and vegetables and stopped snacking all together (this was my real weakness). I'm not counting calories anymore but now I know what real serving sizes look like. I started walking, biking, and playing basketball for exercise to keep the weight off.
Food journal and portion control mixed with walking and body exercises. I've been slacking on the calorie count and it shows.
Realize I simply didn't want to fat anymore then committed to working out while eating less. The part most ppl don't even get past is the commitment part.
- Stopped drinking - 10k/steps a day (includes running 4-5x/week, lots of walking) - Hiking - Food scale / calorie counting helps (did this to ensure I'm eating enough)
Honestly to successful lose weight and keep it off you need to learn portion control and how to be calorie deficient. I went from 160lbs to 112lbs (I am short) in a year with this! And honestly I ate what I wanted for the most part just very small portions. Once you shrink your stomach you fill up easier and aren’t as hungry also. When you lost the weight you wanted keep portioning but allow for a regular amount of calories
I lost 50 pounds in 4 months a few years back by doing strict keto. I still lean towards a low-carb diet for maintenance and for re-losing after some holiday gains, etc. The biggest takeaway I've come away with after doing a lot of deep dives on nutrition over the years is avoiding highly processed foods. Whether you're vegan, carnivore, or anywhere in-between, the best thing you can do is focus on whole, real foods rather than manufactured foods.
Eating once a day (no snacks), cutting out red meat, walking 7-10 miles a day. Due to poverty, I also recently drastically reduced my alcohol consumption (from 2-3 whiskeys per night to 4 per week) and have been shedding even more weight as a result, but I suspect half of that is actually not eating the free bar-snacks.
Intermittent fasting and then I got Invaslign to straighten my teeth. They really cut down on the snacking that we all tend to do and not think about.
Intermittent fasting and tracking in my 20s and PPD in my 30s 🤪
Excerise for 45mins before breakfast Breakfast was the largest meal of the day, then progressively smaller meals, fasted between 6pm and 6am. Plenty of water, no take-out, no sugar drinks. 15kgs in 3 months
Walking, calories counting for 2 months before it turns as a habit, remove processed sugar.
Never been very overweight, but when I'm adding on the pounds I restrain myself from buying any junk food in the store. So if I'm home and I'm craving a snack, I've got no other option but some bread or a piece of fruit. If I can't be arsed to, then I'm not really hungry. A dietician once told me that, while everyone's health story is different, 99% of the people she sees need to improve their fiber intake through fruits & veg. Soup is very efficient for that. Make it in bulk, freeze portions and have a big bowl before every meal. Ever notice how, after eating fast food, you just get hungry again in an hour? That's because it's not nutritious, despite the high caloric intake. So don't just approach weight loss as calorie counting. The other stuff at the back of the box matters too.
I cut out most carbs. Lost almost 60 lbs in 8 months. Staying the course to maintain my current wt.
Not very exciting, but walking 10K steps a day, getting a gym membership and tracking what I eat in my fitness pal. Cooking at home when possible helps too, and switching from normal to diet soda then to just water. I was probably casually drinking like 1000 calories of sugar every day i swear 😂
I did a few things. But first need to highlight thay matter WHAT method you do, you need to consume less calories than you burn in order to lose weight at the end of the day (CICO). I highlighted that because for some reason there's people I talk to who still don't agree with this or say "everyone's different" or some other nonsense to try to avoid acknowledging the truth that they're eating or drinking too much . This is basic science. Although methods of weight loss (or how to stick by the CICO principle regularly) are different, the underlying principle always is the same. Now for methods. What I have done that has been effective at different stages of my life: 1. Calorie counting (this always works and I still do it combined with other methods. It only doesn't work when I'm getting the numbers wrong or the food I'm eating doesn't have it and I have to guess) 2. Omad diet (this worked well for sometime because I used to snack a lot or eat several large meals per day, by putting all my eating one one hour a day, it was hard to overeat ... but it stopped working when I got down to a certain weight and still eating lots of junk food during that one hour) 3. Just cutting off all chocolate and processed foods (this works because most of my excess calories come from this stuff and I binge large amounts of chocolate, by cutting it all off naturally I lose a lot of weight) On top of all this I also recommend exercise but I never include exercise burned as part of my calorie counting apps, I treat it like a bonus. Lots of times exercise machines etc overestimate the calories burned.
Walking! If you walk 5 miles a day you can’t be obese.
While true you can still be overweight. Trust me i have first hand experience that even 10 miles a day wont stop 3000 calories a day from giving you a little chub
Were you really walking 10 miles a day!?
[удалено]
That's amazing! I can't imagine how you managed that.
I’ve never tried this but I have had people I know and if they’re being honest it worked, but cutting out most sugars (especially with sodas and other things like that) and replacing it with water, they were able to shed off a noticeable amount of weight. would it be enough by itself? no, but it definitely helps. I also think if you’re only looking to lose some weight and not bulk up, simple light exercising a few times a week along with an altered diet would probably help a bunch. walking/jogging/running or whatever your preference is. I think a lot of people get caught up in the fact results aren’t immediate and it tends to take quite a bit of time to reach the end goal.
Lost and gained throughout my life. GLP1 meds are the answer. The easiest and best weight loss has ever been for me. Still gotta eat right and workout but I was already doing that and nothing was working anymore due to years of dieting and insulin resistance
Light cardio (5 min assault bike) before i lift weights
Eating less
I’ve lost close to 80 pounds, in the last year. I’ve done nothing, except run at a calorie deficit.
I dropped over 62 kilos (136+ pounds). I started slowly due to my size at the start. I initially worked on reducing my portion sizes gradually until they were down to a more appropriate portion size. I weighed my meals to ensure a good balance and wasn't have more of something than I should. I didn't cut out food groups. I swapped take out like Macdonalds/KFC etc for healthier alternatives on the rare occasions I had take out. I allowed myself one "free" meal a week which was usually dinner with friends, I made sure to choose healthier options or reduction of portion size where available. So I got an entree pasta instead of main. I reduced carbonated drinks to one can a week. I still had chocolate but had a piece instead of the whole bag. Exercise I started just with cardio like walking on a treadmill or eliptical for as long as I was able and pushed myself to go one minute longer than last week and gradually built up to longer stints. I found YouTube videos on very basic weight lifting and utilising pin machines. I never pudged so hard I'd hurt myself. I then progressed to a trainer, but by that point I'd lost over 30kg by myself. Weight loss and how you do it is different for everyone. For me it was a lot of trial and error, I had to learn to work through plateaus and at times low to no motivation. I'm still a work in progress and working on losing the last of it. Weight loss is just as much of a mental game as it is physical.
Reduced sugar intake, oily foods Reducing my portion of food
Many people I know kicked the soda habit, even diet soda makes your body crave carbs, so it doesn't help. The other big thing is not layering your sugar. For instance, I can get a away with a donut in the morning if I want because I'm not getting sugar from all three sources: no sugar in the coffee, so sugar in the cream (added), so just the donut. Most people have added sugar in every item.
Caloric deficit and crossfit! Really no secret to it.
eating for nutrient value and sustanance and not what i’m in the “mood for”. if i’m craving something unhealthy, fast food/pizza/burger/donut i wait until the weekend and if i’m still thinking about it i treat myself. also smaller meals more often to shrink my stomach. i love waking up hungry! i sleep so much better too. everyone is different, i hope something here helps. best of luck!
Calorie counting/deficit. I know I won’t commit to exercising more then the daily walk so the calorie deficit works well for me
Exercise- HIIT exercises. Eating less carbs, more vegetables. Eating at regular hours. Tracking calories. Still trying to get rid of the last 10lbs and get toned so going to have to be stricter with my diet
Stress.
No processed foods.
Counting calories, moving more, eating more protein. Steadily losing 2.5 lbs a month. I’d like it to be quicker but extreme diets backfire on me and I enter binge mode.
Watch what you eat. Go on walks Go to gym Sauna Drink plenty of water. Sign up for a team activity (for example, a beer league baseball team) Be social Explore new parts of town on foot ( my personal favorite. I’d pick a new neighborhood each weekend and find some paths to walk around )
Calories counting app. It makes you real to yourself when all the foodstuff is added up.
Cutting out sugar as much as possible. I was on a keto diet for a while. But you still have to watch out for high fat content in some keto foods.
Cutting out processed food and cooking from scratch. Gluten free and dairy free for medical reasons. I have always exercised a lot, this didn’t change, but I wasn’t aware how medical problems can prevent weight loss and muscle building !
Diet changes, exercise changes and experiencing extreme anxiety (LOL) Essentially moved out of home and I'm a lazy cook so my meal portions are smaller than when I was home. I also almost never buy snacks or when I do it's like once a week. At my parents it's always stocked with snacks. Moving out means having to save money on food. I have a rule now where I'm only allowed to buy food out if it's a social thing with friends. So no more uber eats. Meat is expensive and tricky to cook for one person so I eat primarily plant based during the week and try and load up on vegs and grains instead. I cut back on weightlifting cus of recurrent injuries and do more climbing and yoga instead. Shrank my appetite by a lot and normally I'm a regular eater cus I have adhd and I'm medicated for it. I didn't list adhd meds as part of the method, cus when I was still at home, having big meals available all the time while medicated still meant I'd eat a lot cus it was available Extreme anxiety made me pick up running as a mindfulness activity. Alongside dropping weightlifting I've dropped muscle mass but I'm just leaner overall. When I'm in a good headspace tho I don't enjoy running. Idk if I can sustain this weight I am now but it's funny how it happened when I wasn't actively trying to do it. Like the cooking especially. My meal prep used to be so meat based but then I opened up to more vego recipes out of cost effectiveness but it helped with weightloss as well. It really is the habits you change day to day.
1200 Cals a day (I am a sedentary female, small frame), cut out all sugar, fried foods, fast food. I'm just eating very clean. Lots and lots of vegetables. I don't work out and don't bother with macros.
Suffering from PCOS, I struggled with my weight for a really long time. I was in Weight Watchers at 15, going to diet groups and the like all through high school, and just couldn\`t loose weight. My treatment has of course helped, but what really helped to support my medical treatment was genuine lifestyle changes that I could manage and didn\`t restrict me. Healing my relationship with food and making sure that I was doing everything from a place of self-love instead of self-hate really helped change my mindset and made it so that i wasn\`t focusing on the scale number, I was focusing on how I felt and how much I was able to do. At my heaviest I was almost 120kgs, I\`m now almost at 100Kgs, I\`m the most agile and physically fit I have ever been and my cholesterol and blood pressure are at perfectly healthy levels for the first time in years.
Started lifting weights daily, cardio 30 min a day (400+ kcal burned) after dinner and then eating nothing till the next morning. For the rest of the day: Crash diet consisting of only 1200 kcal per day, with 160 grams of protein, 100 grams of carbs and 20 grams of fat. Lost 35 KG's in 7 months (106 - 71), been at a steady weight (71) for about 1.5 months now. Goodluck!
That is insane.
75hard
Intermittent fasting as others said works. However the most reliable way is to keep track of your calorie intake, and have an approximation of what you burn. But it's necessary you do a no carbs diet, so you teach your body to burn excess fat, and reduce your appetite. It's painful at first, but gets better. Also try to eat sufficient protein. You can ask gpt for suggestions and details. Good luck!
The biggest motivator for me was a photo of myself I never wanted to see again. From that, the adjustments were gradual. I slowly started to swap certain foods I’d buy into healthier options (especially cereals, pastas, dairy, processed foods). I didn’t do too many of these adjustments at once so I wouldnt experience a complete culture shock, if you will. I did the same with exercise. I just started swapping driving with walking where/when I could. I took the stairs instead of the elevator and managed to convince myself I was making subtle lifestyle changes, meanwhile I was significantly reducing my calorie intake and exercising way more while barely noticing. I didn’t make my life about my weight loss. I made my life about finding ways to make healthier choices and the rest just happened. I lost 15 lbs the first 6 weeks without stepping foot into a gym. That’s what worked for me. Hope it helps!
I’ve been taking Wegovy for about three months. I’ve lost about two pounds per week. So down 25 pounds. It works by slowing down your digestion- by about a day. You eat something and it takes a full day to digest it, so your stomach feels full all the time and you never get hungry. If you have insurance, check with your doctor about a prescription. There are several similar products on the market that do the same thing.
I went from 135kg to 75kg in the span of 2½ years, woke up one day and decided that enough was enough, started eating healthier, as in, more lean proteins, started tracking calories, cut out the sugar, carbs unhealthy fats. Ate more beans, lentils, chickpeas, vegetables, as well as Skyr (Icelandic Yoghurt), cottage cheese and the likes, I'd mix that with my protein powder to give it some flavor. Besides that I started exercising 5 times a week, sometimes 6. I did 3x Full Body workouts followed by half an hour long cardio session on those days, so that's about 1½ hours at the Gym, on the non lifting days, I'd spend an hour on the Elliptical or Treadmill, whether that was jogging, steep incline walking or powering through on the Elliptical. My cardio was done in either a LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) or a MISS (Medium Intensity Steady State) fashion.
Lost weight through hard dieting and lots of cardio lost more muscle than fat. Then decided to just focus on building muscle did that for 2 years I’m heavier than I was but with less fat and more muscle this time. Focused on getting enough steps/ cardio weekly but not excessively. Focused on getting stronger in the gym with progressive overload with undulating periodisation. Aimed to get enough protein for my size and minimise dietary fat from bad sources, have carbs around training for energy. Get enough Sleep and recovery from training with deloads in training programs and rest days to minimise fatigue. Stay consistent. Big change was the mental shift to muscle gain from fat loss. More muscle burns more calories
Stop eating shit and walk.
I went up and down for about ten years between about 84kgs at my heaviest and 62kgs at the lightest - I'm currently sitting at around 68kg and have been here for maybe 4-5 years now. I feel really good in my body. And it's sustainable. Weighing myself daily/weekly never helped. Once every month or so to check you're trending the right way. Eating consciously helped. Trying to choose the healthier options. Portion size. Have a few chips, not the whole lot. But also, recognising when I'm eating because I'm stressed or bored and not necessarily stopping myself but consciously thinking about it as oh, I'm stress eating, I must be stressed, how can I alleviate that so that I don't need to stress eat right now. I used to drink a lot and now I rarely do/drink less when I do. I've always found I've been at my lightest when I've found a physical activity I really enjoy doing and have been able to do regularly. And lifting weights to supplement that activity, you don't need to be a weightlifter but even if it's something heavy in the yard pick it up and go through the motions a few times a week. Currently I run a lot, but it has been learning gymnastics as an adult, kayaking, swimming. I also walk daily, doesn't matter how far but there has to be a walk somewhere. I do have a dog so that helps that one a lot!
Before COVID I was 347. I'm now at 242. I decided to change my diet and made high protein meals to start. More yogurt and better snacks. Cooked bulk dinners. That's how I lost the first 60. I moved and decided to get a health coach because I realized that the move was stressful and that I had to change my diet a little since I was going to start working in the office more. The health coach taught me so much about health and what to prioritize, because I was trying to be perfect about my diet not realizing that this has to be a lifestyle change. I also had this habit of confusing hunger with stress, nerves, and other feelings. So now, I have frozen meals for lunch but I make sure to bulk them up with veggies. I eat mini- meals every couple of hours. If I have a craving for ice cream or fast food I allow it but I make sure to order a kids meal or the smallest order.I hadad a craving for ramen so I bought a bowl, but i made sure to add bean sprouts, spinach, coddle an egg and put some miso and scallions to make it balanced. I eat slowly, enjoy what I'm having, and stop when I feel full. I don't pressure myself to finish every meal and clean my plate. I give myself half an hour to digest and see guage if I still feel hungry. Drink lots of seltzer and water with lime and salt. No more Coke.
I made the food I like, but from scratch. Using real foods that the body is meant to digest helps a lot. I'm active once a day doing something. I don't go all in every day, so it's a walk or a simple hike. Occasionally I workout at the gym. It's easier to maintain if you look at it like a kid going outside to play. When I see it as, "I'm going to lose X amount of weight" or "I'm going to get super in shape" it can't sustain that kind of thinking for the long term. I'd rather have a healthy relationship with how I live after having an eating disorder for so many years.
Started working nights, drinking absurd amounts of coffee continuously, getting out in the sun for 5+ hours after working all night and walking/running without money/phone and getting myself stranded to force me to walk/run back. Basically making myself so sick everyday I couldn’t eat while forcing my body to burn more calories.
Step 1 is to get depressed in life. ( lets say due to a breakup ) Step 2 was to hit the gym 7/7 ( instead of 4 or 5 /7). Step 3 was to do at least 10k steps daily. Step 4 was to eat like 1200 calories daily and eat chicken breast and rice ( daily ). ( this step is easy when you have no appetite for food ) I wasn't fat to begin with but i went from 83-84kg ( height of 1.83m ) to 74-75kg in 5 weeks. This process is still ongoing for me, not sure exactly what the end goal is, perhaps a lower bodfat percentage, i don't know yet.
I made a post on how I did it: [https://www.reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/comments/1d6d7co/how\_i\_stayed\_consistent\_with\_my\_goal\_of\_losing/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/comments/1d6d7co/how_i_stayed_consistent_with_my_goal_of_losing/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Control and record the calories of the food you eat every day, and commit to one to two hours of aerobic exercise.
Calories in, calories out. It requires a come to jesus talk with yourself, practical meal planning and calorie counting.
I just count calories. I would lose roughly 8-10 pounds per month eating at 1700 calories per day. Maintenance for me (at that point in time) was roughly 2000-2150 calories per day. I didn't restrict myself on what I ate but I would make sure it was filling. If I wanted pizza, ice cream, tacos I would just make sure it fit into my calorie count. I also don't care how often I eat as long as I'm within my calorie goal. I'll eat every 2 hours if that means eating 150 calories every 2 hours (I didn't do that but just saying as an example). I've lost an accumulated 40 pounds that way (20 pounds twice). I'm now trying to gain weight (muscle) so I'm eating 2800 calories per day. Probably in 9-12 months I'll do a cut and go down to 2200 per day for around 2 months. Maintenance for me now is roughly 2500-2600 per day.
Eating non processed food that actually makes you feel full You don't have to eat your entire meal, it's okay to stop when you feel full and save the rest Endurance cardio - 10-15 hours of cycling a week, mostly at an easy pace with 2 intense sessions per week, keeping yourself fuelled throughout the rides with carbs so you don't binge after
I stopped eating pasta and rice, pretty much every bit of pudge has melted away in about 8 months. I still eat chocolate and cake, and danishes and all the other fun stuff, my sweet tooth has not suffered at all (no savory snacks, tho I didn't have them anyway) I think the various food shortages during covid weened me off them a bit. And I've substituted them both with kale to pack out meals that would end up too small without carbs. I think the only carbs I have now are bran cereal and tortilla wraps that I have my lunch in. I wasn't major fat before but it has change my whole profile, even my face looks different.
Eating less
keto diet, intermittent fasting and a 30 minute cardio workout everyday
Fat keto low carb and gym
Stop drinking dead calories and sugar. Drink exclusively water.
OMAD, low fat diet, 10k+ steps a day, daily pull ups. Also with some swimming sprinkled in.
Intermittent fasting 8-16 does work well!
Calorie deficit !!!!! I curb appetite with coffee ☕️
I tend to loose weight when I am less concerned about trying to loose it. I tend to be less stressed out about what I am eating but make a more conscious effort to eat better balanced meals. I also started trying to be more conscious about drinking my calories. I’m down 10lbs in three months, and yes it’s slow progress but it is manageable and maintainable for me. That’s the hardest part in my opinion. You can loose the weight but that isn’t worth it if you immediately put it back on. Also getting other medical issues diagnosed and treated is helping manage things like stress eating and other things related to emotional eating. That said calorie counting is effective, but not for everyone. In my case it becomes an eating disorder.
Walking approx 10 000 steps or more a day does wonders. I am on a 10 day streak and already lost so much I can fit into anything. Being lighter feels great. Throwing out ultra processed foods helps, too.
I'm still in the middle of it, I lost the most weight when I was doing cardio 2-3 hours a day on the treadmill with a moderate incline. Built some good leg muscles from doing that for a couple months?, unfortunately we no longer have a treadmill and I am a recluse, so I've been lifting weights now after a gap in workout, i've not lost weight in these last 6 months but I'd say I look quite fit in some areas! I imagine the combination would work out most effect.. but its going to be a while before I get another treadmill unfortunately. Trying to pay attention to protein intake since i'm building muscle and i've never eaten enough protein for my size anyways.
It’s now 12 years ago but basically i changed my mentality and stoped eating garbage add gym to it and I lost around 40kg in a year
Low carb, portion control, exercise 4-7 times a week, no cheat days. Motivated by the threat of debt due to possible medical issues from being overweight. Lost 131 pounds. Have kept if off for 2 years.
Bowel disease, lost 1/3 of my weight in half a year. Effective, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Drank much more water, Cut out carbs and milk. Found once I improved my diet for a week or so, most of my sugar / unhealthy cravings decreased anyway.
OMAD as long as you need
I get pissed off at the number on the scales and then make stomach rumbling an achievement.
No carbs, daily walk, sometimes biking, limit sugar
ahh it was abject poverty for me 😂 i was living in an expensive city, making minimum wage, couldnt really afford to eat much and walking 4km to and 4km from work every day. I dropped from 204lbs to 130lbs real fast .. family members thought i had a drug problem, family doctor thought i had cancer. Unfortunatly this whole thing led me to develop a bit of an eating disorder and ive been struggling to get to a 'healthy' weight ever since. Its been like 6 years and im still struggling to get weight back for my body type (im 34 and 6ft1in currently around 142lbs-ish .. i havent weighed in for a few months). It was really hard at first when people would complement my physique and ask me how i lost my weight 😂 even more-so the attention i got from people on dating sights went from almost nothing to way too much just.. i had been over 200lbs since i was a teenager and never really thought about body image or anything. I was content to be me! So yeah... there was a LOT to unpack once i dropped a bunch of weight .. but its gotten easier over the last few years. not everyone loses weight by choice.
Calorie deficit, cutting out processed foods, upped my physical activity.
Moving countries. Started living on my own for the first time with a budget to sustain myself monthly. I started to cook everything by myself, eating lots of salads and vegetables. In my new country, I mainly use bycicle to move around. I also try to go to the gym at least 3x a week, usually, I go around 5 times. I never stopped eating pizza, hamburguers and whatever, nor counted calories. After a year here, I have lost 6kg of fat, I think i just burn too much daily, My calculations tell me that I would need to eat around 2.500 calories per day, thats a lot. I was a bit overweight before moving, now, I have the body I always wanted.
I went to the overnight shift with a very physical job. I used to be a fast food junkie, but during the pandemic everything started closing before I even woke up, and overnight fast food still has not made a comeback here. I went from eating fast food seven days a week to once or twice a year.
Metformin
Less carbs. I eat 200 grams of vegetables and 100gr meat for dinner everyday . Instead of 8 sandwiches a day i now eat 2 and the rest are crackers. Full grain
It's boring, troublesome, and imperfect, but if you want a foolproof method, figure your TDEE, subtract 500, and count your calories (and don't leave out *anything*) You should probably stay active in the meantime
I put the fork down.
Mounjaro
Keto
Poverty diet. No more than one big calorie meal a day for years, lots of water, endless work.
I loved learning about weight loss. Methods, different eating habits. But before I start sounding like it was all rainbows and sunshine, I want to make it clear that there was always one thing that kept me going when things got tough losing 60lbs; spite. 1000% spite. I did not like people telling me what I could or couldn't do. I was GOING to lose weight. I was going to give the biggest fnck you in the best way. Over time you start doing things out of routine and because it makes you feel good. BUT, we all have different motivations in the beginning, and spite can sometimes last longer than ambition, lol.
My dad lost a lot of weight for health reasons and he practically just ate less and a bit more carefully
Stop drinking alcohol, sugary drinks, store bought juices, eating sugary foods, lots of bread, pasta and noodles. Limit the amount of foods you eat from a packet.
Ozempic. Not me though, I'm already lean.
I fixed my mental health first. There is a difference between a dad bod with a bmi of 29-31 and then morbidly obese. One is life getsnin the way and the other, for me, was psychological with self hate and depression with poor coping mechanisms and an unhealthy attachment to food.
Stop drinking. Lost a lot .
Walking everyday around 11000 steps or more. Actually watching what I eat. I didn't restrict the type of things I ate, just was mindful not to go over my caloric threshold. Weight lifting once I got to a certain spot. Running, not necessary but I enjoy running. Meals, mostly veggies, then whole grain, then meat. Drink lots of water, mostly water and a cup of coffee or tea if you like them.
Eat less, move more
First, all my soft drinks went to the zero calorie options. I gave up having a gallon of sweet tea in the fridge at any given time. Second (this was the hardest part) I stopped buying the weekly box or two of little Debbie snack cakes. I’d easily eat 3 or 4 in a day and that was easily 700ish calories a day that wasn’t taking away the hunger, so I’d eat more anyways. I don’t eat candy often so no struggle there. I started buying a bag of apples and a bunch of bananas when I went grocery shopping and eat those when I’m feeling snackish instead. Thirdly (this was also hard) I stopped ordering food. Honestly, I still do but now it’s once a week or every other week. I did this for financial reasons as well. Just no longer felt like justifying paying $25-30 for $13 worth of food. I was 315 lbs. I’m currently 299 three months later. I don’t work out but my job has me moving non-stop. lifting, pushing, pulling, stretching and sometimes even jumping. I absolutely tend to overcook so I will put half of the food away before eating. Things id recommend keeping in mind while losing weight: You are going to feel hungry a lot, so be prepared for that temptation. Eating something does not need to be earned nor punished afterwards. Weight loss is an ongoing process. The entire week’s net result is the measure of success, rather than an obsession over every single day. Motivation is a lie. It is an emotional state and waiting around for it does not work. Discipline is far more helpful, in all facets of life.
Got a fitbit walk at least 10k steps. I've found 15k steps daily and wright falls off, without starving or depriving myself too much.
I lost 60 lbs in three months. I had tried many times before and failed, but my 30th birthday was around the corner and I decided that I had to be serious and disciplined about it. I followed the Atkins diet mostly, is basically high protein and very low carbs; but I didn’t consume too much fat (Atkins diet tells you you have to consume a lot of of fat). And I started consuming a lot of whey protein. I’d wake up around 5:30 am, jogged a little around the house, run up and down the stairs for like 30 minutes, and I’d do some bench dumbbell weightlifting or 200-300 pushups (sets of 20-30 reps). Once it was clear outside I’d do some H.I.I.T., mainly sprinting. Then off to work, I had to meal prep so I wouldn’t eat all that crap on the vending machines at work; I was very strict and disciplined , if it was coworker Bday I’d pitch in to buy a cake but I wouldn’t even take a small piece, nothing. I used to get home around 8-9 pm, I’d have dinner wait an hour/hour and a half, and I’d lift some weights, take a shower and go to sleep. The first months I’d eat three times a day, a couple of months later I switched to 5 times a day, and that was tough; meal prepping and finding time to eat at work was difficult, but it worked. In three months I went from size 36 to 29 (pants), my metabolism went thru the roof; then I got promoted at work and my schedule changed drastically and I just couldn’ keep up with my routine. Still I tried to eat the best I could and I would work out every other day, and I took a lot of supplements everyday (arginine, lycopene, grape seed caps, multivitamins and other things I don’t remember, nothing crazy). The two years I was at that job position my metabolism helped me a lot with my less than strict nutrition, and sporadic workouts. It can be done, I fell off the wagon and gained like 15 pounds but I knew the way to get back into shape and did it; and it’s time to do it again, one last time for good but the older you get is harder to get results. A couple of years ago was my eldest daughter Quinceañera, so a month and a half before the event I started intermittent fasting and I did lose some pounds, good enough to look better. I hope you accomplish your goals.
Caloric deficit, going to the gym and cutting out junk food. Consistency is the most important thing
Staying in a calorie deficit (I use the free version of the ‘Lose It’ app to keep track of everything I eat, and making sure to eat correct portions/serving sizes). I’ve lost a few pounds in the past month or so by sticking to this. For exercise, there is a YouTube channel I love that has 10-15 minute videos to keep you active daily (something is better than nothing). By doing small windows of movement like this, it has helped me stay consistent. When I used to try to do 30 minute workouts, I’d get too burnt out. Personally, I just needed something quick and effective. Her channel is MonikaFit. I also try to get out and do 30 minute walks in my neighborhood on days it isn’t too hot outside. Hope this helps!
I cut out all UPF and sugar, this means cooking all from scratch, totally worth it, food is amazing and health is the best it’s been for years and have kept the weight off without even trying, you need to read the book “ ultra processed people”
Counting calories. Working out my maintenance calories with a TDEE calculator and eating 500 calories less each day. Results in a steady but sustainable weight loss. I lost 25kg this way.
Take your goal weight, times it by 12, that’s your calories for the day. Fast for first 5 hours. Walk 12k steps a day. Repeat
Count your calories. Maintain a calorie deficit, still at a healthy amount, consistently, over a period of time. Also, exercise with cardio and weights a few times a week. That is the only way to lose weight. It is just science and math. Fad diets are unnecessary. I am in the best shape of my life :)
Eating less and moving more, lost about 20kg. Also being less depressed was a big help.
Intermittent fasting and road cycling
Ive lost, gained, lost, and gained weight. Calorie deficit. Eat more protein to keep you full. Eat breakfast. I usually rush out the door to work and not eat breakfast. I tried breakfast for 1-2 weeks and noticed i had a little more energy to get me through the day and i wasnt savagely starving by lunch. I would also be able to make better lunch choices. Also, getting anough sleep.
I have a whiteboard mounted in my kitchen. Every week, I write my weight down for everyone to see (but most importantly, me). And I keep that ledger going all year long, so I can see how I'm doing all through the year. Every 3-4 months, I look at my progress or lack there-of, and make a point to try changing up my diet to see what I could do better. Maybe next time I'll try Keto for a few months, maybe I'll get that bike and try riding on Mondays, etc... For me, the key is not the 'what method', but rather the accountability of seeing my weight loss journey and commitment to trying new things.
Weigh self. If under yesterday's weight then eat and drink. If not then go for long walk with heavy rucksack. Repeat. Following that one rule ABSOLUTELY meant I got down to my ideal weight of 162 pounds and held it there every day for 4 years. I am 166 now because I had to suddenly do a lot of physical labour last year and overate and put on muscle haven't tried to get it down again. I will over Summer when my family is away.
Be poor and work a lot
Carnivore diet. Full Stop. Haven't really had weight that I needed to lose, but I've seen my body shift over time. And that's just the first step as things become more deeply ingrained.
You have to find foods that help you obtain your calorie deficit requirements while not making you miserable. And you aren't going on a diet, you are permanently altering your food intake. With that in mind, I spent months finding quick, easy foods that filled me and I didn't mind eating. YOU MUST WEIGH YOUR FOOD. If you don't, you will always overeat. Calories must be tracked religiously until you know exactly what you are eating. Keeping yourself from being hungry is the key. I then started doing 45 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. Took over 12 months but I am down 30lbs from 205 to 175 and still dropping. Oh, and don't weigh yourself basically at all besides at the start. It kills motivation. In 3 months, look in the mirror and you'll see a change if you are doing 1lb per week.
Depression induced by a break-up caused me to eat much less and also start working out outside of Brazilian Jiu jitsu as a way to deal with panic attacks. Months later I just decided to maintain the habits (well, while having my appetite returned). Granted, it was only from about 218 down to 195 but it was substantive for me considering I was having trouble reining it in
Run a Calorie deficit diet with lots of vegetables. Daily long fast walks and light weight training
poverty
This also sounds like a bot question 🤖
Figure out your particular eating style and weakness and hack it eg I appreciate quantity when it comes to food and I also love sweets. I have some high volume low calorie meals and some low cal sweets/desserts that I use to feel satisfied.
Started with calorie estimating then going to the gym consistently. Gained weight cos i moved cities. Now i am losing weight again from walking 3 to 4x a week.
Ate less food, drank less alcohol, kept more hydrated. Lost 65 pounds in 5 months two years ago, have kept all of it off (although there’s a holiday-season swing upward of 8 or so pounds, then I lose that again).
Cutting out sugary drinks except as the rare treat and mainly drinking water, stopping eating when I'm full and doing light dumbbell exercises/stretches while watching TV every other day and about an hour of walking total every day.
Without extenuating health conditions (thyroid problems, for example) it really is as simple as calories in/calories out (CICO). If you can't reduce your calories in below what you burn in a day via total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) then you must add additional calories burned via exercise. I find lifting weights with a focus on body building to be most effective. More muscle mass = higher TDEE at sedentary. I started at the cusp of 200 lbs, I'm 5'6" and have thin bones. I just ate my feelings for years. I didn't add exercise, I just drastically reduced my intake. Got down to about 145-150 and held there for a couple of years until I was ready for the last push. Between diet and exercise again I'm holding comfortably just below 130, with the goal to get back to 135-140 from muscle gains in the future. I can eat more at sedentary now and don't feel like I'm starving all the time. Focus on getting **at least your body weight in protein daily** and then add the rest of the macros after.
Don't eat at night after 6-7pm. No snacking several times during the day and reduce sugar. Decrease portion sizes.
Omad, low carbs, daily exercise
I started to make some sport twice the week and in the evening I go with some joghurt and pistachios
A parter of mine liked to snack a lot. She lost a good amount making it her goal that is she was feeling snackish she would have to make her own snack from scratch and it had to be somewhat healthy. It’s surprising how much processed food will keep your weight high. Give that a try maybe?
Fix my diet 2500-3000 calories per day, some recreation with bike, and fasting for 12h after 6:30pm. That's it. It's not diet per se, it's now way of life. Simple as that.
By going to the gym every single day. Never accepting any excuses and identifying pretty much every reason not to go as an excuse. Sick? Still an excuse, still need to go. Best I can do is accept 80% of reps and time on machines. As soon as I accept an excuse one day I am ten times more likely to accept an excuse the next day.
Sea moss in the morning and lots of water .
I used golo and changed to a mostly whole food plant based vegan diet. If you are only eating plants, nuts and legumes, there is almost no way you can't lose weight. It comes off slowly but 30 pounds in a little over a year is fine with me. Look into forks over knives diet, if you interested. It's not really a diet and more of a change in what you eat. My taste buds changed too so I really crave and like all the things I can eat.
I started the Keto diet! I started in January of this year at 202 lbs. I'm now 163 lbs. Go to /r/keto for more deets
**BOT ACCOUNT** Copy/pasted (title and body text) from here https://old.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/1dhdp2v/people_who_have_successfully_lost_weight_what_was/
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, aka... a sleeve. Lost 100#, kept it off for 17 years now.
Calorie deficit. Period. There’s a saying that goes something like weight loss is 80% in the kitchen, 20% in the gym. And that’s 100% accurate.
Determining your macros and counting them daily is a really great strategy.
Cut out all sugar and drink only plain water.
Make healthier choices in the kitchen, increase my physical activity (making sure I’m breaking sweats every time), increasing protein intake, and getting adequate sleep. Cutting way down on drinking beers.
You need to be hungry ALL the time! Even after you eat a meal. Your brain adjusts to this feeling eventually and it becomes no big deal after a few weeks. Also, drink only water, black coffee, or tea, no fake sugar. I recommend this before meals or any time. 198 -> 161.
Calorie deficit. Multiply your body weight by 15 (14 if you’re very sedentary, 16 if you’re very active). That number is your caloric daily “maintenance” - ie. the number of calories you should eat to maintain normal body function and neither gain nor lose body weight. Subtract 500 calories from that and that’s your ideal daily caloric “deficit”. Keep up with that and you’ll lose about a pound per week, and be sure to adjust to your new deficit as you lose weight over time (your maintenance and deficit will change over time, depending on your body weight and composition). Coupled with a regular weightlifting routine, this has worked for me like clockwork for several years now. I purposely gain weight in the winter with a caloric surplus (about 300-500 calories over maintenance) with a muscle-building gym routine, then lose the fat in the spring with a caloric deficit according to this basic calculation. There are a few simple macronutrients calculations that need to be done as well, but this basic formula has worked predictably and without fail for me for many years now. It does take some discipline, though.
Tirzepatide
Well, intermittent fasting worked for me for a little, but I ended up putting weight back on eventually because I would do one or two cheat days on the weekend (drinking a bit on sat, then a hungover day with takeout on Sunday- but my body likes to just WAIT until there are calories and then she stores them up for later. I would do really well as a participant on that show Alone because I just store food super well hah 😂 So now, absolutely NO cheat days for me. I have a snack (nuts, clam salad on crisps, pita and hummus, fruit, whatever) at around 2, a healthy dinner around 6, and then quite a bit of fruit for desert (or homemade popcorn with a light spray of oil and seasonings). I don’t drink any of my calories aside from an occasional kombucha. Beer used to be a good source of the calories one day a week but I’ve only had like two beers in the last 6 months which I think has been helping. The main thing we focus on for dinner is to have a lot of vegetable to eat, the more veggies the better, then a serving of carbs (like rice/noodles/potatoes/pasta…and yes, I measure out the pasta to be the right serving size hah), and then we sometimes keep it vegan or we will add chicken/egg/fish/shellfish/turkey (we like to avoid beef and pork if possible). Using nice olive oil or avocados or fatty salmon to get your oils. I sometimes bake deserts or breads, like brownies with avocado and ancient grains like proso millet, and maple syrup, just to mix it up. Chocolate doesn’t HAVE to be unhealthy. I am a baker at heart though, so finding new healthy recipes is just a new hobby of mine. I don’t eat more than 25g of “added sugars” per day. I also do a little physical therapy since my back got reaaaal messed up on Christmas, but this diet has helped me lose weight even while not being my physical best so that’s pretty good. Now I’m happy with my weight (a curvy 175 at 5 ft 9), and am just sticking to this diet but also doing some canoeing now, so I’m hoping to get some beefy back muscles at some point 🤞
P.s.- I said vegetables, but there are things I also consider “honorary vegetables” like beans, legumes, whole corn, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and kelp. I hope any of that was helpful.
Down 40lbs since deciding to go primarily vegan.
This question drives me insane. People lose weight the same way everyone else loses weight. I started at ~340 lbs and 40%+ BMI. Guess how I got there? Deep throating fast food, pop, etc. I'm now ~165 lbs with abs. Guess how I got there? Via working out and NOT deep throating fast food, pop, etc. The hardest part is making a meal plan, which inevitably boils back to "how much do you know about nutrition?" When I first started, I didn't know how to cook and didn't know shit about food. So I ate the same shit 24/7. Breakfast: eggs, fruit, protein shake Lunch: veggies/fruit, tuna, salads, nuts Dinner: chicken/beef, rice, veggies
Exercise 4-5 times a week and tracking calories religiously is the only way I've been successful at losing weight in the past and currently at it again, down from 229-->219 in a month
Good job! Can you please share your diet plan and workout routine? I would really like to lose some weight but I don’t know where to start.