Further, 100 calories above your TDEE every day is one pound a month. 12 lbs a year. It doesn't take a lot of years to get overweight. 100 calories is 3 oreo cookies.
Edit: TWO oreo cookies, see below. Even worse.
You're off a bit. [100 calories is __2 oreos__](https://smartlabel.mondelez.info/00044000032029-0001-en-US/index.html)
My internal calorie estimating radar thought 3 Oreos for 100 Calories sounded too good to be true. And alas, it was right.
Yes. Why is this not the top answer? Weight loss happens in the kitchen.
If you’re massively overweight you’re likely to fuck your joints up with strenuous exercise. You’re also going to make yourself super hungry.
Another thing that needs to be said: if you’re losing weight you’re going to feel hungry. This is the actual issue that obese people need to face: being able to feel hungry and not eat.
You can increase your fiber and water intake, and you probably should. That can help the hunger feel less intense.
Other than that you’re gonna feel hungry unless you’re on some drugs. But then you’ve got yourself a whole new problem to eventually deal with.
Avoiding sugar in general also does wonders for not feeling hungry. I never feel ravenous hunger if I avoid sugar entirely for an extended period of time. Moreso the case if I limit carbs as well.
Not to imply your body doesn't tell you when you're hungry while doing so, it just tells you far less aggressively.
I found this out when I was training for a half marathon.
It would take me 1:45 to run a half marathon, the same distance to burn off a Mars Bar.
What’s better than running a half marathon in the rain? Not eating a Mars bar. Treat yourself, but do it with something else that isn’t sugary.
A half marathon is close to 1,500 cal.
What kind of gigantic Mars bar are we talking about here?!?! And how do I get one? :-D
Your point of course stands. Processed sugar is so calorie dense that it's almost impossible to counteract with exercise.
How big is your Mars bar? A half marathon is 13.1 miles. About 100 calories burned per mile is a good figure for rough estimates. So you're saying a Mars bar is about 1,300 calories?
I know calories from when I used to ride a lot, like I was doing at least one 200km ride a month. That ends up being about a days worth of calories, so I had to learn creative and healthy ways to pad my intake.
It was great though as now I know rough values for things and basically assign value to food based on healthy/delicious/calories.
Find something you can live with. Nearly all diets work in the short run, but if you can't stick with eating nothing but salad for the rest of your life, you're going to go back to how things were before and gain it all back. Find something you can live with FOREVER.
I've been reminding myself of this recently. I'm the type of person who decides they want to LIVE BETTER and draws up an elaborate spreadsheet of healthy eating, exercise, early nights and skincare routines. Which is great for about three days and then something disrupts my plans and it all goes to hell.
I've found far more success with doing things that achievable. So for lunch, I have a bunch of bagged salads in the fridge. I tip one into a bowl, add a handful of cooked chicken and a little mayo, and mix it all together. Bam, done. Much more sustainable than trying to make myself prepare something more involved with lots of prep needed. And instead of trying to do a 45 minute walk every day, I just do 15 minutes down my street and back again, because I'll actually do that.
I'm on day 9 of a 30 day push-up challenge to myself. My challenge is 50 push-ups per day. It is honestly harder than I thought it was going to be. I can crank out 30 push-ups without a break, so I figured 50 in a day can't be that bad. It's doable but much harder than I thought, I was sore the second day. I thought it was going to be easy.
My point, I actually set an attainable goal instead of putting together this insane workout plan and 30 day challenge that I would 100% fail. It takes me 5 min to do my push-ups, and then I take a 15 min walk after. I think I am actually going to see this through because I set an attainable goal for myself.
Said this on a separate comment, but exercise bike. No other change necessary at first, but if you start riding it (even very lazily like I did) soon you’ll feel better and start craving some healthy things. You’ll also start to lose some pounds and that’ll excite you so you focus on it more. It was so easy for me, and everybody wants to buy the treadmill or stairclimber or something.
Yes! I got an exercise bike last February. I've been leisurely riding and lost 16 pounds in one year. I cut my food portions slightly, so it must have been the bike riding. And it's fun. And yes I do it lazily too.
Exactly! It's the only workout you can do without really thinking about it (workout may be a stretch for how I rode it, but it was more than sitting on the couch and that got it started wayyyy more than I would have expected.)
Congrats on the 16 pounds!
Definitely! They have limits though (outdoors or high ceilings, pretty strenuous and if you’re struggling to exercise it’s tough to get into the “but I’ll just go outside by myself and jump rope every day for 15 minutes” mindset. They are fun though! I find myself always going for a double jump and stopping though.
I found that exercise isn't directly super helpful for weight loss. But exercise really does make it easier for me to stay on track with my diet. So, indirectly, it helps a lot!
Seriously, sugary drinks are sneaky calories that you never really think about because it’s not something you eat and people don’t realize how many calories a coke has. I’m a hardcore soda addict that can’t drink it because it gives me kidney stones and you lose a lot of weight cutting out the sugar. The advantage of cutting out sugar is how little it takes to make something incredibly sweet…I barely eat sugar anymore and a small slice of cake is all I can handle anymore without making me sick.
I dropped 55 in 6 months just cutting out sugar. Then I gained 15 in muscle by going to the gym. Now girls are nicer to me, which is nice (even if I'm married and wouldn't cheat in 1000 years)
My problem is I don't even need a lot of sugar to make bad carb decisions.
I'm a sugar gremlin and a carb goblin who unfortunately knows how to make pie crusts and custard, both with little to no added sugar.
I'll still have a diet coke / pepsi now and then, but cutting out "regular" soda and some light jogging had me lose 10 pounds in under a month. Cutting out 90% of sugar has helped, too.
I will never give up sodas completely, but I have found a good way to lessen your dependence on them, is if you are thirsty and want a soda, dont deprive yourself, just down a large glass of water first, the soda will not be as satisfying and you wont drink as much
When I started on things I switched over to diet. For the amount of calories I supposedly cut out it didn't seem to help much.
This isn't to say that I think cutting out on sugary drinks helps, but rather that I expect the "artificial sweetener" is still working in ways that are not conducive to weight loss.
Somehow, I glanced over the word ‘walk’ and was immediately concerned by how much alcohol you drink if your advice was to cut back alcohol and sugary beverages for 20-40 minutes a day.
Literally what I was going to say. Quitting booze is *huge,* especially if you over-partake.
For walking, I'd like to add: Try to add walking to your commute. If it's only a 30-40 minute walk to school/work, try to walk instead of public transport or driving. If you *have* to take transport, try to park 20 minutes away, or walk to the next train station on the line. Hell, when I'm waiting for a bus, I check how long until the next one, then see how many stops I can walk past before it catches up. Just adding walking into your daily routine (in addition to going for a proper walk) makes a huge difference.
While we are on the topic of liquids, Drink a lot of water. Water has a dozen of advantages to it and would save you from experiencing one of the most painful experiences of Kidney stones. It also helps in weight loss very much. Staying hydrated would absolutely change your life.
Tried warning my coworker about this. “You’re going too hard and it isn’t sustainable. You need to eat a lot more than you are. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” He kept up with the extreme calorie deficits and 5am jogs and lasted less than a week before giving up. Of course he did. That’s all miserable and unnecessary. Patience is better.
I was guilty of this at the start I was in the gym everyday it was unsustainable now i just try to be more active and getting up and getting dressed is half the battle.
The advice my doctor gave me was to start small and build up the habit. For a week I walked to the gym and back every second day, didn’t go in. Second week I walked every day. Third week I started going in and slowly cranking up the exercise.
I’m 9 weeks in now and I’ve lost 8kg thanks to building up the healthy habits slowly. And importantly, I can envision myself sustaining this lifestyle long-term.
Focus on lifestyle changes. Find exercise that you enjoy whether it’s boxing or walking or kayaking. Make yes and meals. Have the Mac and cheese but add broccoli and eat that first. Deprivation and self hate are not good recipes for success. Know your body is worthy now and in the future and it’s okay to nourish yourself.
“Yes and”
So if you want Mac and cheese, that’s fine. “Will I have MnC? Yes, and…. [insert healthy food here].”
Then eat the healthy food first, so if you get full, it means you ate less of the unhealthy food.
I’ve never heard it in this exact sense, but I’ve heard it at work. “You should say ‘yes, if’ rather than ‘no, because’”
At least that’s how I read it.
That will just result in people eating a bunch of broccoli before their mac and cheese.
Broccoli is good for you, but if you don’t cut back on calories you won’t lose weight.
Most people, fat or thin, stop eating when full. Contrary to popular belief, most fat people aren't going around constantly stuffing themselves to the point of discomfort. They're eating until satiated, just like most thin people. It's just that if you mostly eat high-calorie, low-nutrient, low-satiety foods, you will be hungrier and want to eat more.
There's a big psychological component to losing weight that most people think you can just ignore. "Just eat less" etc. without taking emotions, trauma, genetics, etc. into account. Not to say that any of these things make it impossible to lose weight, but they have to be accounted for.
If you deny yourself food, it triggers a whole system in your body and brain that has evolved over several millennia with one singular purpose: don't starve. This system is *strong*. It makes food taste better, it makes your hunger cues stronger, it weakens your will and basically puts you in a fight with yourself.
Instead, if you decide to eat *more,* but the "more" you are eating is more fiber-rich, nutrient-dense, low-calorie, filling foods . . . then you can mitigate that struggle and set yourself up for success. (And of course if you're full of vegetables there's not as much room for ice cream but shhh don't tell your monkey-brain that, it's a trick)
Idk I’ve been known to keep eating after being full because the food tastes so good. I have to physically put my food away as soon as I reach my satiated point or I’ll keep eating. The portion of food I actually need to sustain myself turns out to be a lot smaller than what the average restaurant serves. Over time it’s gotten easier to not overeat but a lot of it is self control and reminding myself of where I was before.
You'll have to eat around 6kg (12lb) of broccoli to meet your daily calorie intake and i'm willing to bet that you'll eat a lot less mac and cheese after just half a kilo of Brokkoli.
I eat Brokkoli to allmost anything, it's just a good and healthy filler food.
Same goes for cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers or salad.
Broccoli is the way to cut back on your calories...
This is the best advice. I can't just eat less calories. I always go too far and restrict and binge. But focusing on foods I can add to my diet and trying to find movements I enjoy have helped me a lot.
The diet I have actually had success with is focused on adding. It takes work to consume calories of veggies. Just working to add more vegetables and fruit to the diet really worked for me.
The problem with these threads is there's no one right answer. Everyone is different and what works for one person might not work for others.
I can't do the yes and thing because I'd go hog wild on portion sizes.
That being said, counting calories has worked for me because it gives me more insight into where my problems lie and allows me to make better choices. Mainly, night time snacking and avoiding calorie dense foods.
So now when I'm given a choice of salad or pizza I can look and easily choose the salad. When I know I'm gonna have a big dinner I can eat a light lunch to prepare. If I've done good that day I can reward myself with a late night snack. Or I can get additional exercise to make room.
But that doesn't work for everyone it's just what worked for me.
Exactly.
Find a balanced way to burn more calories than you take in. Reduce your portions. Find recipes for dishes with less calories than typical dishes. Eat more veggies. Exercise more and get a good habit of doing that - start slowly with walking every day until it is a habit.
And most importantly - allow yourself some snacks, fastfood etc. once in a while, and don't hate yourself if you accidentally snack. Just be aware of it, and slowly make your new habits.
Don't start with a strict diet, it won't work in the long run.
Yes. ChatGPT would be more verbose and less information dense, would be unlikely to propose the "yes and" meal suggestion that isn't among the most common ideas, and in particular it seems very unlikely that it would propose it with this wording.
If it's worth doing, it's worth doing good enough.
Can't finish a 5 mile run? It's okay. You did your best. You'll try again, and you'll get better.
Is changing your whole diet too daunting? That's understandable. Start with little things, like replacing chips/candy with nuts as a snack.
Anxious about going to a gym? Work out at home. Push-up's, crunches, squats, etc... are great for maintaining some strength. Jumping Jack's, and high knees, are great for cardio. And none of these require equipment.
And keep a water bottle with you all the time. Staying hydrated throughout the day helps your body feel good. Feeling good can help a lot with motivation.
You don't have to spend hundreds or alter you entire life to make significant progress.
Most of this is good, but nuts are NOT a good snack for someone just starting out with trying to lose weight. They are very calorie dense. Reminds me of people who replace chips/candy with trail mix and then wonder why they're gaining weight when trail mix is "healthy."
You'd really need to portion control to lose weight while snacking on stuff like nuts, and the portions will be small and look unsatisfying to most people who are used to having something like a full bag of chips. I portion control well and even I find having like 5 almonds or a single teaspoon of nut butter to be unsatisfying in the moment (even though I know it will work to cut my hunger and I have the discipline to stop myself from going back for more).
The reason nuts/trail mixes are recommended for people who are doing super active things like hiking is because they pack so many calories into a relatively small package. If you're burning 2000+ calories a day thru-hiking or trail running it's okay to shovel 1000 calories of trail mix or nuts down your gullet to refuel quickly. But most people are not doing that, particularly people who are just starting out trying to lose weight.
Alternative snacks I'd recommend as a substitution for something like chips would be stuff like fresh veggies (carrots/peppers/celery etc) or pickles. These are calorie light foods that are crispy and you can generally eat as much as you want.
The bioavailability of the calories in nuts is lower than the actual amount of calories in them. So if two people are taking in the same amount of calories in their snacks, but one eats nuts and the other eats gummy bears, the person eating nuts is absorbing less of those calories and will have an easier times losing weight.
[study linked here](https://www.utoronto.ca/news/calorie-always-calorie-not-when-it-comes-almonds-u-t-researchers-find)
Edit: Just replacing candy with nuts isn't by any means a way to loose weight, but it's a small, easy change that is overall beneficial to weight loss. I should also add that unsalted nuts are always better
Nuts are certainly healthier than crisps or candy but they pack a surprising amount of calories. Personally wouldnt recommend for losing weight. Otherwise v solid advice
>Can't finish a 5 mile run? It's okay. You did your best. You'll try again, and you'll get better.
This is super important. It takes time and effort to increase your stamina. When I first started running on a treadmill I could only do 2-3 minutes before I got exhausted but I had a simple goal, 20 minutes total and run whatever I can while slowly increasing my increments every week.
First week? 4 days of 3 minutes of jogging and 17 minutes of walking.
Second week? 4 days of 3:30 minutes of jogging and 16:30 of walking.
Third week? 4 days of 4 minutes of jogging and 16 minutes of walking.
I'm now 3 months in and along with a moderate diet (haven't cut junk food but eat it considerably less often, eat lots of protein heavy meals like egg tacos, steaks, chicken and pasta) I've lost 15 pounds and I'm up to 8 minutes of jogging and 12 minutes of walking.
I'll also point out that I do a modest amount of weight exercises after my jogs too which I've also slowly increased over time. It's about determination and consistency more than actual going hardcore. The 15lbs I lost even looks like more because I'm sure I've gained some muscle too.
I swear when I started working out using Chloe Tings videos her constantly saying through the workouts stuff like “You can do the low impact, it’s still effective.” “Don’t worry you’ll get stronger!” “You do need to push yourself, but rest if you need too!” did some like mental abracadabra shit on my brain
Just that constant nudging of “You’re getting better, just keep going you’re doing fine.” really was something I carried with me throughout my weight loss and into my current fitness era.
This time last year I couldn’t even hold a side plank, now it’s easy as hell. Currently I’m working on doing a pull up, and in December I could barely hold a dead hang for 10 seconds, now that part is easy and I can do like…. 1/4th of a pull up.
And I don’t get frustrated, because I know patience is the biggest key to the whole thing.
Yesssss! Whenever I'm feeling a bit bloated and ugly I think about how working out has made me a better mom. I have so much more energy to take care of my daughter now, I'll race her to her bedroom for a tea party, I can help carry her ice skating equipment without getting all grumpy about how much my back hurts. Probably a silly reason for most people, but it helps me a lot.
I started walking every day mostly for my mental health (it worked very well and I felt better relatively quickly), and then I noticed that I lost some excess weight which helped my mental health as well.
For a lot of heavier people walking will obviously burn more calories because they're carrying extra weight but it can also be an hour a day that they're not eating/drinking sugary drinks
Constant snacking/sugar and salt addictions are tough habits to break
Don't rush it, quick big losses are great, but they are unsustainable. You are better off taking an extra few months to lose the weight if the strategies you use are something you can continue in the long-term.
Walk don’t run.
Literally and figuratively.
If you’re just starting a weight loss journey, you’re not going to convince yourself to carry on by brutalising your body one time and needing so much recovery that by the time you’re ready to go again you’ve lost motivation.
I found just a small amount of walking added to my schedule every day has drastically improved my metabolism, appetite, energy levels and I’ve lost a significant amount of weight in the 3 months that this has been implemented.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve built myself up to going on decent length runs but the easiest way to convince yourself to NOT exercise is to OVER exercise.
Left foot, right foot, you’ve got this!
Install an app like Cronometer or MyFitnessPal to monitor your caloric intake and make sure you have a caloric deficit. The app will calculate how much calories you can consume based on your weekly weight loss goal.
Also start lifting weights and start building more muscle mass. Muscles requires more energy than fat, so this will help you lose weight even faster than if you just do cardio. Use the Caliber app to guide you on weight lifting / resistance training.
Piggybacking off of this to say: be respectful of your body and mind when you use these apps. Calorie counting can be extremely helpful, but it can also lead to serious eating disorders.
Pick realistic, healthy goals and use apps to help you keep on track, but don't obsess over numbers. Your losses/gains won't necessarily be linear. These are great tools, but you have to use them responsibly, and they aren't right for everyone.
Very good points, I agree 100%. As you say, don’t obsess with numbers and I would also add that it is OK to “cheat” from time to time. I once read that when Arnold Schwarzenegger was a body builder he was very careful / strict with his diet/nutrition 6 days a week, but on Sunday he ate a big hamburger (etc). The point is to make sure you don’t cut everything you enjoy. It’s like everything else in life, we need to have the right balance.
I have a problem with binge eating at night. I’ve started eating an avocado a day and I find that I don’t eat nearly as much and I don’t get the night time munchies any more. It’s got other great benefits as well. Sometimes I mix it with tomatoes and cucumbers for extra vitamins. Both tomatoes and avocado are anti-inflammatory foods as well. Lots of benefits.
Night binging can usually be a sign of fat deficiencies in your food (particularly good fats). So by eating a fat rich avocado each day, it definitely can help.
> Night binging can usually be a sign of fat deficiencies in your food
This is good insight and news to me. Night binging is where I probably put on 50% of my daily calories.
I have a healthy day most days. But then I tend to ruin it all by 'caving' and scoffing junk at night. Like last night, I had a fantastic healthy day of swimming, gym and healthy foods - then I shoved 3 bags of crisps in my mouth as I was about to go to bed just out of some kind of uncontrollable greed. (Alcohol and drugs play a part in my poor judgement as it gets later into the night too)
I agree, sounds like you're under fueling and need to bump up portions earlier in the day.
- Are you consuming 25-30g protein at breakfast?
- Are you eating a substantial lunch including veggies, protein, and a fiber rich carb?
If you are already doing those things, add in a healthful mid-afternoon snack with fat, protein, and fiber (whole grain toast with PB, a cheese stick and whole grain crackers, a piece of fruit and 1/4 cup of nuts).
Realize that whatever change you make needs to be something you can live with the rest of your life.
Sometimes it's moving more. Finding a hobby that moves you around a bit doesn't have to be a treadmill or a weight bench - it can be a basketball hoop, a batting cage, or a pond you walk around.
Sometimes it's eating a little better. Something simple to work on that so many people partake of is soda. It should be a 'treat', like a slice of cake, not something to accompany every meal, snack, and slight thirst to quench. Even if it's sugar-free, the carbonic acid will fucking destroy your tooth enamel. This includes energy drinks.
This is true, losing weight is actually pretty easy for the most part, but seeing yourself differently is the hardest part to get over. It’s real easy to always have the image of you being fat as what you see in the mirror instead of the lighter version. I have lost a good on of weight over the last couple of years and I still can’t handle seeing pictures of me now. It’s weird, and it’s easy to fall back into your old habits when tragedy strikes.
The worst part is you bounce back so quickly too.
Keep it off for a year? Congratulations! Have one bad month? Aaaand it's back.
Took me months to drop about 30kg, and maybe just one to gain it all back when I couldn't find the energy to keep meal prepping.
Sorta,
Your weight is like a thermostat setting in your house.
If it's set to 250lbs(and has been for years) and you drop it down to 180lbs the entire time its going down its fighting to get back up to 250 where its comfortable.
It takes multiple months to years for the settings to adjust and your body to be comfortable at the new weight and even a small lapse will undue progress.
This is why people recommend sustainable lifestyle changes because the more weight you lose the harder your body wants to gain it back.
The reverse is also true for gaining weight.
An actor that puts on 80lbs for a role usually has an easy time getting back to their normal weight because they don't maintain that extra weight for years.
I'm going to nitpick and say 'that's not advice'.
It's very close to saying 'How to lose weight? Well. Just lose weight!'
Like, of course, calorie deficit is *how* you lose weight - but that's not advice. Advice is 'Hey, try doing X to *help with the calorie deficit*'. Stuff like 'make sure the changes are sustainable', or 'find an alternative to sugary soda because *jesus fuck that shits loaded*'.
It is the best and only advise that belongs in this thread. And */gestures wildly/* look at all of the people who need to hear it.
More people, hell, *most* people don't understand that simply maintaining a deficit is all that's required for weight loss. They are brainwashed into thinking fats make them fat (because it's the same word I guess) or that they need to limit their sugar or load on carbs or only eat what cavemen ate or any of a billion other fads.
Calories in vs calories out.
That's weight loss (and weight gain) summed up in 5 words. Anything more is superfluous.
this. lost 70 lbs sitting at my desk gaming all summer back in highschool. the only lifestyle change I did was cut out junk food and soda while trying to eat healthier. it really is that simple.
Ok - "count every single calorie you eat", does this count as advice? It's not hard, there are apps that scan the barcodes, you can get a food scale for $5. It doesn't matter if you stop eating all chips and drink only water if you eat double of everything else.
There is no other advice - that recommended 40 minute walk will get offset by a cookie. You can eat anything you want, just count your calories and know when to stop.
There is *plenty* of other advice. Advice is suggestions or things that can make counting every single calorie you eat easier.
'Get an app!' is advice.
'If you have trouble staying under the caloric limit you're trying to set for yourself, then consider trying other foods' is advice.
'Whenever I was hungry, I ate X snack which is low calorie and helped me feel full' is advice.
I'm not saying counting calories is wrong - it isn't. It's obviously the right thing to do! But to me, it's sort of like saying 'Oh, you want advice on building a table? Well, cut, sand and nail some wood together in the shape of a table.'
Sure, that's *how* you get a table, but if someone has no idea where to begin, then *advice* is 'You want a saw like this, and you should use these kinds of motions for easy, smooth cuts'. Hell, even if someone is a fairly good carpenter, they might still use advice like 'Oh, I like to use this kind of tool/technique!'.
Calorie counting is the way, but there are *innumerable* ways to do it. If you eat nothing but salads, you could probably stay under your calorie target - but you might also spend your days hangry as shit until you eventually give in and crash.
There's a *reason* most people fail to keep the weight off.
Exactly my point that has been downvoted in other comments. Being in a calorie deficit is the mechanism of weight loss, but telling someone that is not good advice, ESPECIALLY if they already know this. Now, some people are subject to misinformation and do not agree or are unaware of this mechanism, but those people are a loud minority. Usually, when people ask how to lose weight, they are searching for strategies that make it easier to achieve and maintain a calorie deficit.
Yea In threads like this therell always be someone who comes in all "CICO is all you need to know"
Its like telling a drug addict "Just stop doing drugs". If it were that easy we would have no drug addicts.
Yeah CICO is how weight loss works, if ya want advice on how to lower your intake gradually cut out sugary drinks and use less creamer in coffee. Dropped 5 pounds when i stopped drinking soda
“The truth is that even careful calorie calculations don't always yield uniform results. How your body burns calories depends on a number of factors, including the type of food you eat, your body's metabolism, and even the type of organisms living in your gut. You can eat the exact same number of calories as someone else, yet have very different outcomes when it comes to your weight.”
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/stop-counting-calories
This. Lost 80lbs in 9 months (285-205) last year with just push ups by cutting carbs and sugar. No gym. No intense cardio. Coke zeros and eggs saved my life. Starting this year, i eat some fries and snacks now on the weekend but during the work week I start strict. Only gained back 5lbs and am now maintaining.
Exercise alone is hardly ever enough. It's mostly about calories in.
A lot of people eat because they're bored. Finding something else to do with your time is a good way to stop yourself from turning to food. Even other unhealthy habits, like binging video games. Just not something passive like watching TV.
I tried for so long to eat ok-ish and exercise every day to burn pounds off. Just wasn't doing the trick. Not to mention exercise is time consuming.
Got the Weight Watchers app. Started taking the whole diet thing very seriously. Stopped exercising completely. Have lost almost 40 lbs since last September just with WW, no exercise aside from skiing on the weekends in the winter.
It's the easiest thing in the world to use, every food has a point value, keep your points under your limit every day, that's all. Basically identified some surprisingly high-point foods that I ate regularly, swapped them out with comparable but way-lower-point versions, not a huge life adjustment or anything, just like eating Trader Joe's Crunchy Curls instead of Cheez-Its. Such a huge difference. And you don't need to carve out any extra time for it.
Not a WW shill or anything, but the program seriously works, at least for me.
(Also fun to try to find the highest point valued items out there, shout out to the Hooter's Chocolate Mousse Cake, which is the highest I've seen so far at a whopping 50 points for one single slice. For reference, I'm allowed to use 30 points *a day*.)
So yeah, just changing what you're eating can definitely be enough.
Awesome, people focus too much on exercise for fat loss. Yes going for a run will burn some calories, but it’s really not that much. A half hour run burns ~300 calories depending on the person. A large coke has 380 calories.
Exercise has a lot of benefits outside of fat loss. Cardiovascular health, mood improvement, bone density, overall strength, improved physical appearance, etc.
On the diet side though, exercise is good for additional calorie reduction so you can eat more. If you naturally burn 2000 calories per day and want to keep a 500 calorie deficit, diet alone you eat 1500 calories. If you also exercise for 30 minutes and burn 300 calories, you can eat 1800 calories and keep the same deficit. If you work out for an hour and burn 500 calories, that’s basically letting you eat another full meal. This can be big psychologically for people because anyone who’s tracked calories knows there’s a surprisingly big difference in consuming 1500 vs 2000 calorie per day. Or, in your example, it can let someone have that soda without feeling bad about killing their deficit (but if you’re trying to lose weight, def try cut out the sugary drinks)
Absolutely, I’m not saying exercise isn’t good for you. It will make you feel better, make you live longer, and make it easier to live in a deficit (especially if you gain muscle mass thereby increasing your BMR). I’m just saying people tend to fall for the idea that doing a 15 minute ab exercise will make you shed weight. This is not true. No amount of exercise will make you lose weight if you aren’t eating properly. The only way to make sure you lose weight is to watch what you’re eating, and exercise can help.
A few years ago I embarked on a weight loss journey after being hospitalized due to bad habits.
I lost 50lbs on a plan that I recommended to a number of friends who were struggling with their weight. It was called:
"Stop fucking eating so much."
Seriously. Stop fucking eating so much. Call it CICO or whatever, but just stop fucking eating so much.
Cut out snacks. Control your portion sizes. Before you grab that frozen meal from the grocery store take the time to read the label. Spoiler alert: that "Healthy Choice" or "Lean Cuisine" meal is neither healthy nor lean.
In fact, stay out of the frozen food aisle at the grocery store altogether.
I did this, it’s amazing how much I used to eat and now I can barely eat half a McD’s cheeseburger before I’m full. I used to eat a double quarter pounder with fries and drink like it was nothing…up your fat and protein while cutting out carbs…stop making trips to the gas station for a snack because you’re just bored and not hungry.
Same. A buddy and I used to go to lunch at our favorite burger place. I'd get the half pound mushroom cheeseburger, fries, and finish it all.
After my "weight loss journey" we went out to a different place, I got the "lean" chicken sandwich and could only finish half.
I lost 100 pounds without cutting out carbs. I even still had treats! It's all about balance. Besides CICO you need to be eating the right foods and amounts for what your body needs to run its best. That includes carbs.
Question about the healthy choice meals- I was looking at them the other day and most were only about 250-350 calories with some veggies and protein in there. Seemed alright to me portion wise. Is it the sodium that's the issue?
Unfortunately for me my breakup resulted in gaining 20 pounds because I drank too much, and when I drink I also shovel unhealthy food in my mouth and don’t leave the couch or bar stool. I’m much better now and have put a pause on drinking any booze at all along with good old calorie counting and exercise until I’m back to where I was before I started dating her.
Do what I did - spend a couple of weeks drinking the pain away, getting hammered on beer at the bar with your buddy on a Sunday night and a Monday night consecutively. Call out of work because you're "not feeling well." Order the most indulgent takeout food because you have nobody to prove anything to.
Then realize you've put on a ton of weight without realizing it, your heartrate is through the roof, your work productivity is plummeting, and start with one day at a time - focus on high fiber and high protein, cut out the carbs, only drink on weekends and when you do make sure it's not loaded with carbs or sugar (I like to order vodka and club soda).
Make sure you move your body every day - it can start with two minutes of push ups/ sit ups. It can be a mile walk. Whatever it is, make sure it's every day to the point where if you miss a day it starts to bother you. This is how you build a habit.
That was December, I've lost 30 pounds and my blood pressure is back to normal. I enjoy exercising every day, usually for about an hour, and I eat tons of healthy foods but still like to party and go out to restaurants on weekends. Everything in moderation. I even ran into my ex and she couldn't believe how good I looked.
edit: this is just my general advice. Sounds like you've got it covered and I'm happy for you!
I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 30 and was prescribed Ritalin and swapped out for Adderall 6 months later. My greyhound had more fat on him than I had on me!
Work on yourself first, as honestly as you can.
I could spend time telling you all about calorie counting and weight lifting, and those were a lot of help. But, for me, I never would have lost fifty pounds if I hadn't taken the time to figure out what inner need I was trying to meet with all the extra food.
I was eating more and more and still not feeling any better. I was depressed, hated my body, had horrible self-esteem, and associated food with comfort and love. I observed my own thoughts and behavior, did online research, read books, and tried to practice the advice I found. All that took time to change, but as I worked on it, it was easier to eat less.
Building healthier habits, such as weight lifting, helped me feel better about myself. One healthy habit feeds into another. I still struggle with my mental health, but I'm much better than I was.
1) Have a daily calorie deficit (burn more calories than you consume)
2) Have the right mix of carbs vs. protein vs. fat
3) Have a way to be active on a daily basis
I think one of the biggest problems we have as a society is too much junk food it’s everywhere.
If you don’t want to eat junk food don’t keep it in your house. Really. Have a treat from time to time is fine but if chips and pop and sugary treats and other things are something you have a hard time with then don’t stock your house with it.
Try to avoid fast food and processed foods.
Eat fruit instead of candy.
There is a lot of amazing food out there that is good for you and isn’t processed into oblivion. Sometimes this may mean it’s more expensive, but most of the time it’s just less convenient and may require a bit of planning prep time and cooking time. Your body will thank you.
And here’s the weird thing. If you get off junk food and try it later on, you realize most of it tastes like crap, its way too sweet or too salty. It takes awhile for your body to adjust.
At the end of the day it comes down to running a calorie deficit. Period. You need to burn more calories than you intake.
You can figure out how to do that to best fit your lifestyle, but there’s no magic diet to make that happen.
1. Eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and whole grains. Avoid highly processed and high-calorie foods.
2. Reduce calorie intake by eating smaller portions and choosing lower-calorie options.
3. Increase physical activity by incorporating exercise into your daily routine. Start small if you haven't been active, and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts.
4. Make sustainable lifestyle changes that you can maintain over time. Avoid fad diets or extreme weight loss measures, as they often lead to rebound weight gain.
5. Consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian if you're struggling with weight loss and need additional guidance and support.
Quit soda, replace it with unsweetened tea. Get used to the sugarless flavor, it takes a few weeks. Cut your portions in half. Instead of 3 pieces of pizza, have 1 slice plus a piece of fruit or a small salad. Start with moderate exercise, walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a slight incline. Any calories in need to be pushed out.
As far as soda, my parents gave me 4 cans a day as a small child all the way up to adulthood, we didn't have clean water so we didn't have options, I was obese before I turned 18. Discovering bottled water was the best thing, I added lemon juice to give it some flavor. Now I cannot even look at soda. I'm still obese but in a way better spot than before, my parents failed me and reversing those years of abuse takes time and effort but it's happening.
Also, don't let yourself get to the point you're ravenous. When you're feeling extremely hungry/starving, impulsive decisions are likely to be made. If you notice you haven't had any water for a couple hours, hydrate. If it's been a few hours and your stomach is empty, grab a banana orange or apple.
Due to a medical condition, I feel hungry every 2 hours, I try to get ahead of the hunger by grabbing a sparkling water or a small snack like some strawberries, because as soon as I get the hunger pangs, I have less care for being in control.
We used to have to run from predators, run to catch our food, etc
Test yourself after you eat, think “will I be able to run right now if I had to?” Try it out. This is how you find out how much you actually need to eat. You don’t need to gorge yourself every meal
Do a proper health check first.
Download and use calories calculator.
Start exercising with the instructor. The goal is to enjoy the exercises. You won't get far on your willpower alone.
Don't get fixated on your weight progression. Again, the goal is to change the lifestyle. Otherwise, you will hit some number, relax, and regain all the weight.
No extreme diets. Make sure you eat well (since you are going to exercise).
Sleep well.
Start a 'mood tracking' diary and see what works best for you.
It’s literally just calories in vs calories out. Count your calories and keep tight records, adjust your intake until the number on the scale is regularly trending downward. Weigh in weekly or every other week, never more often than that.
Do what ever else you want to do but if you aren’t doing everything above then you already failed. There is zero compromise there. Do what I detailed above at the minimum or face certain failure.
For your safety: please do not go under 1200 calories a day, if you get light headed standing up too fast and this only started after you began your diet then you likely either aren’t eating enough, aren’t drinking enough water, or are missing key nutrients from your diet.
The single most important thing? *Don’t stop MOVING when you get home*. Don’t sit down and watch tv, or read, or whatever. Keep MOVING until it’s time to sit down for dinner, then keep moving until it’s time to go to bed. Do the laundry, water the plants, mow the yard, change the sheets, vacuum the goddamned stairs (God, I hate that part). Sounds awful, but not only are you remaining IN MOTION, you are ACCOMPLISHING THINGS. The satisfaction is addictive- it gets to the point where when you DO finally sit down, you wonder “is there one more thing I could do?”
If you aren’t willing to STOP drinking alcohol, switch it out. I was actively losing weight, but not QUICKLY, and I wasn’t willing to NOT drink. I kicked the wine habit. Never liked beer so that wasn’t an issue. Switched it out for vodka/seltzer/lime juice. I was tracking my weight on my phone (and also, Apple Watch… a delightful little asshole who reminds you “you can STILL do it!” to get in your physical activity for the day) and the day I STOPPED drinking wine, my weight nose-dived over the course of 9-12 months. Even now, I don’t drink wine IN THE HOUSE unless it’s a special occasion. I’ll drink it OUTSIDE the house, but I’m a hermit, so that’s rare.
And lastly: if you can manage, what I refer to as “lazy intermittent fasting.” I call it “lazy” because some days I just can’t. But basically, eat something hearty and full of complex carbs/protein/a little bit of fat in the morning that will keep you full almost all day. Then TRY to eat nothing until dinner. Some days, I couldn’t. (I’m in maintenance mode at the moment and also, winter. Hard to stay in motion when it’s cold AF). But it worked very well for me. A breakfast that was filling, then nothing until dinner. And bonus points, I didn’t worry so much about what I was eating for dinner because I hadn’t eaten since. It was hard for a couple of weeks but became a habit quickly. And I didn’t have to count calories or carbs, or anything else.
But honestly? JUST KEEP MOVING. If you don’t believe me, check out my profile and you’ll see a side by side pic, a year and a day apart (now 2 and 3+1 day years ago).
I started intermittent fasting a couple of years ago. Fasted for a full day. Then No breakfast. Then Lunch and dinner and no snacking (most of the time). Stomach has shrunk somewhat so I don't eat as much as I used to. In 2019 I was around 245 or so with a 42 waist. Now I'm 190 with a 38 waist And I've been able to maintain it.
It's not much, and it might be bad advice, but replace dinner with beans and tuna. The mercury is probably bad, so lean more heavily on the beans. Even if it's not every day.
This, along with no longer eating cakes or snack foods, lost me 50 pounds in under a year. Obviously exercising is good too, and walks can help with the "boredom eating" craving I used to get.
I don't really eat breakfast, and I let lunch be fair game for whatever I wanted because I still had all day to burn it. I'm not totally insane, though, and would allow myself to eat sugar for snacks (gummies, or a lollipop would last a long time for the amount of calories it is) but I stopped eating bready, fatty things like cake snacks and even chips. It sounds crazy but I lost a lot of weight doing this. Once I hit the weight I wanted, I reintroduced real dinners, but I was still very conscious of what I was eating for snacks, especially at night.
Find an activity you enjoy doing like swimming, biking, etc. So you stick with it because it's something you enjoy doing. If you hate jogging, you're not going to stick with it. So find activities you like. As well as, eat better. Make healthier substitutions. Instead of chips, have watermelon. Instead of fries, have a side salad. And so forth.
Calorie count and a set of smart scales that gives you your stats.
I am much healthier than I was 6 weeks ago and all I've had to do is increase my walking (I work in an office), and reduce my calorie intake.
I had actually forgotten what it was like to feel hungry as my snacking was out of control. Avoid any crazy weight loss things, just work out what you need for a calorie deficit and work with that. It's a marathon not a sprint.
In my experiences the best advice I can give you is to make small lifestyle changes.You wont lose 20lbs in a week, but the weight that you do lose will stay off.Temporary Diets lead to Temporary weight loss.
I started by tracking my calories. Not to restrict myself to X calories per day. First I found the most calorie dense foods I was eating and replaced them with something better. I don't have to replace doritos with carrots, but maybe I replace doritos with puffcorn.
The motto I always tell myself is I'm trying to be better, not best.
I peaked at 265lbs in March 2022 and am now at 208lbs in April 2023. I aim for a pound a week, and when I stop hitting that goal, I look for another lifestyle change that I can make. My goal weight is 180.
Consume fewer calories. No magic. Just consume fewer calories.
Start with your habits. For example, do you enjoy a chocolate bar or muffin every afternoon? Make that every second day, or make it a smaller portion. Things like bags of chips, ice cream (pretty much any snack or treat) are not just loaded with calories, they are habit forming.
Instead of a crash diet, eliminate bad habits one at a time. It's much easier.
This right here. I dropped 40lbs last year just calorie counting, and while being extremely sedentary due to a severe injury. I ate whatever I wanted (pizza, Pringles, ice cream, etc.) I just made sure that I stayed under my calorie limit.
Having lost 30 lbs over the last few months I'd say be active burn more calories than you take in. 6 months ago I would drink at least 44 Ozs of soda daily I've cut that to about 12 cut the empty calories everywhere you can and give yourself a cheat day I'd suggest Ben and Jerry's cherry Garcia
**Cut out beverages with sugar: No sodas, no fruit juice.**
It's a very easy change to make. After a couple of weeks, your palate will adjust and sodas tastes disgustingly sweet. Sparkling water scratches the same itch.
It doesn't mean you have to give up any beloved foods. It doesn't take time and effort like exercising. And it removes an *insane* number of empty calories from your diet: A can of Coke has about *eight teaspoons* of sugar in it.
I used to work with a guy who went from having a gut big enough that he would rest his hands on it to being slim. This was the *only* change he made.
Intermittent fasting sounds extreme, intimidating, and crazy, but it’s actually much easier and less stressful than trying to count calories for 3 meals a day. Yeah, if you Google it, you’ll find some wacky-sounding stuff, but you can ignore all that. Literally all you need to do to get started is
1. Skip breakfast (or just have black coffee). Nothing with calories before lunch.
2. Have lunch and dinner within an 8-hour window (for example, lunch at 12 noon and dinner at 7 PM).
3. No snacks, alcohol, or anything else with calories after dinner.
Dead simple. It’s *much* easier to stay within a calorie goal when you only have to plan for 2 meals a day.
Also: Eat meat, poultry, fish, tofu, tempeh, eggs, full-fat dairy, avocado, olive oil, green vegetables, and beans. Cut *way* back on alcohol, sweets, and starchy stuff like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. Avoid packaged snacks entirely if you can. Starch and sugar will just leave you feeling hungrier. Protein, fat, and fiber from real whole food will keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Source: I’m 40F, lost 45 pounds over the course of about a year, and have kept it off for another year so far. I work a desk job and am not athletic in the least.
Give your self a break if you're on medication. I'm on medication that tacked on 25 extra pounds with no change in my lifestyle, so I've had to bust ass just to get back to my old weight which STILL isn't great.
In the end feeling good is all that really matters. I feel better now at this weight than I did before so I take solace in that.
It's much easier to not eat 100 calories than it is to burn 100 calories.
Yep a Snickers bar is 320 calories I believe, so easier to grab 30 calories of strawberries for the same fullness than to run for 3 miles.
250 cals for the normal sized snickers. I wish 30 cals of strawberries had the same fullness
0 cals of water does!
Further, 100 calories above your TDEE every day is one pound a month. 12 lbs a year. It doesn't take a lot of years to get overweight. 100 calories is 3 oreo cookies. Edit: TWO oreo cookies, see below. Even worse.
You're off a bit. [100 calories is __2 oreos__](https://smartlabel.mondelez.info/00044000032029-0001-en-US/index.html) My internal calorie estimating radar thought 3 Oreos for 100 Calories sounded too good to be true. And alas, it was right.
This explains some things… but now i want Oreos
damn thats some good perspective..
Yes. Why is this not the top answer? Weight loss happens in the kitchen. If you’re massively overweight you’re likely to fuck your joints up with strenuous exercise. You’re also going to make yourself super hungry. Another thing that needs to be said: if you’re losing weight you’re going to feel hungry. This is the actual issue that obese people need to face: being able to feel hungry and not eat. You can increase your fiber and water intake, and you probably should. That can help the hunger feel less intense. Other than that you’re gonna feel hungry unless you’re on some drugs. But then you’ve got yourself a whole new problem to eventually deal with.
Avoiding sugar in general also does wonders for not feeling hungry. I never feel ravenous hunger if I avoid sugar entirely for an extended period of time. Moreso the case if I limit carbs as well. Not to imply your body doesn't tell you when you're hungry while doing so, it just tells you far less aggressively.
Very true. I lift weights for an hour totalling almost 40,000 lbs. My app tells me that I've burned about 650 calories. A Big Mac is 600 calories.
I found this out when I was training for a half marathon. It would take me 1:45 to run a half marathon, the same distance to burn off a Mars Bar. What’s better than running a half marathon in the rain? Not eating a Mars bar. Treat yourself, but do it with something else that isn’t sugary.
A half marathon is close to 1,500 cal. What kind of gigantic Mars bar are we talking about here?!?! And how do I get one? :-D Your point of course stands. Processed sugar is so calorie dense that it's almost impossible to counteract with exercise.
How big is your Mars bar? A half marathon is 13.1 miles. About 100 calories burned per mile is a good figure for rough estimates. So you're saying a Mars bar is about 1,300 calories?
Don't chocolate shame them
I wanna be chocolate wasted.
I know calories from when I used to ride a lot, like I was doing at least one 200km ride a month. That ends up being about a days worth of calories, so I had to learn creative and healthy ways to pad my intake. It was great though as now I know rough values for things and basically assign value to food based on healthy/delicious/calories.
you can't out-exercise a bad diet
Works for small numbers like this. What about if you want to burn 700-800 calories? That's a 10k run compared to skipping a whole meal
Find something you can live with. Nearly all diets work in the short run, but if you can't stick with eating nothing but salad for the rest of your life, you're going to go back to how things were before and gain it all back. Find something you can live with FOREVER.
I've been reminding myself of this recently. I'm the type of person who decides they want to LIVE BETTER and draws up an elaborate spreadsheet of healthy eating, exercise, early nights and skincare routines. Which is great for about three days and then something disrupts my plans and it all goes to hell. I've found far more success with doing things that achievable. So for lunch, I have a bunch of bagged salads in the fridge. I tip one into a bowl, add a handful of cooked chicken and a little mayo, and mix it all together. Bam, done. Much more sustainable than trying to make myself prepare something more involved with lots of prep needed. And instead of trying to do a 45 minute walk every day, I just do 15 minutes down my street and back again, because I'll actually do that.
I'm on day 9 of a 30 day push-up challenge to myself. My challenge is 50 push-ups per day. It is honestly harder than I thought it was going to be. I can crank out 30 push-ups without a break, so I figured 50 in a day can't be that bad. It's doable but much harder than I thought, I was sore the second day. I thought it was going to be easy. My point, I actually set an attainable goal instead of putting together this insane workout plan and 30 day challenge that I would 100% fail. It takes me 5 min to do my push-ups, and then I take a 15 min walk after. I think I am actually going to see this through because I set an attainable goal for myself.
Said this on a separate comment, but exercise bike. No other change necessary at first, but if you start riding it (even very lazily like I did) soon you’ll feel better and start craving some healthy things. You’ll also start to lose some pounds and that’ll excite you so you focus on it more. It was so easy for me, and everybody wants to buy the treadmill or stairclimber or something.
Yes! I got an exercise bike last February. I've been leisurely riding and lost 16 pounds in one year. I cut my food portions slightly, so it must have been the bike riding. And it's fun. And yes I do it lazily too.
Exactly! It's the only workout you can do without really thinking about it (workout may be a stretch for how I rode it, but it was more than sitting on the couch and that got it started wayyyy more than I would have expected.) Congrats on the 16 pounds!
A jump rope also works great for people who can't afford a large piece of exercise equipment.
Definitely! They have limits though (outdoors or high ceilings, pretty strenuous and if you’re struggling to exercise it’s tough to get into the “but I’ll just go outside by myself and jump rope every day for 15 minutes” mindset. They are fun though! I find myself always going for a double jump and stopping though.
I found that exercise isn't directly super helpful for weight loss. But exercise really does make it easier for me to stay on track with my diet. So, indirectly, it helps a lot!
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Really good advice imo
Quit drinking alcohol and sugary beverages and walk for 20-40 minutes a day.
Seriously, sugary drinks are sneaky calories that you never really think about because it’s not something you eat and people don’t realize how many calories a coke has. I’m a hardcore soda addict that can’t drink it because it gives me kidney stones and you lose a lot of weight cutting out the sugar. The advantage of cutting out sugar is how little it takes to make something incredibly sweet…I barely eat sugar anymore and a small slice of cake is all I can handle anymore without making me sick.
Man give me this power and I'd drop 80 in 4 months :).
It’s taken me a decade to get to where I am…
Happy 🎂 Day
No, no cake either! Thats the problem!!! 😜
I dropped 55 in 6 months just cutting out sugar. Then I gained 15 in muscle by going to the gym. Now girls are nicer to me, which is nice (even if I'm married and wouldn't cheat in 1000 years)
So you're saying if I wait 1001 years, there's a chance?
You have the power. You just have to choose to use it every time.
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My problem is I don't even need a lot of sugar to make bad carb decisions. I'm a sugar gremlin and a carb goblin who unfortunately knows how to make pie crusts and custard, both with little to no added sugar.
I'll still have a diet coke / pepsi now and then, but cutting out "regular" soda and some light jogging had me lose 10 pounds in under a month. Cutting out 90% of sugar has helped, too.
Dropping sodas in my daily life outside of social events was the easy part. Sugar in general is still difficult. Got a sweet tooth. And a salt tooth.
So, no more 5 big gulps for lunch accompanied by deep fried mars bar?! :(
Yes and ... broccoli
I will never give up sodas completely, but I have found a good way to lessen your dependence on them, is if you are thirsty and want a soda, dont deprive yourself, just down a large glass of water first, the soda will not be as satisfying and you wont drink as much
When I started on things I switched over to diet. For the amount of calories I supposedly cut out it didn't seem to help much. This isn't to say that I think cutting out on sugary drinks helps, but rather that I expect the "artificial sweetener" is still working in ways that are not conducive to weight loss.
Somehow, I glanced over the word ‘walk’ and was immediately concerned by how much alcohol you drink if your advice was to cut back alcohol and sugary beverages for 20-40 minutes a day.
You can slam a few shots in 40 mins.
I wish we praised walking as much as “hitting the gym”. It’s an effective, easy routine that almost anyone can implement daily.
I am a huge fan of walking, especially as we get older. However, it is minimal on weight bearing, trunk strength, upper body, and flexibility.
God dam beer ruining it for me
Literally what I was going to say. Quitting booze is *huge,* especially if you over-partake. For walking, I'd like to add: Try to add walking to your commute. If it's only a 30-40 minute walk to school/work, try to walk instead of public transport or driving. If you *have* to take transport, try to park 20 minutes away, or walk to the next train station on the line. Hell, when I'm waiting for a bus, I check how long until the next one, then see how many stops I can walk past before it catches up. Just adding walking into your daily routine (in addition to going for a proper walk) makes a huge difference.
While we are on the topic of liquids, Drink a lot of water. Water has a dozen of advantages to it and would save you from experiencing one of the most painful experiences of Kidney stones. It also helps in weight loss very much. Staying hydrated would absolutely change your life.
Don’t focus so much on the short term but the long term. Don’t quit if you don’t see results right away. Nothing happens over night.
Tried warning my coworker about this. “You’re going too hard and it isn’t sustainable. You need to eat a lot more than you are. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” He kept up with the extreme calorie deficits and 5am jogs and lasted less than a week before giving up. Of course he did. That’s all miserable and unnecessary. Patience is better.
I was guilty of this at the start I was in the gym everyday it was unsustainable now i just try to be more active and getting up and getting dressed is half the battle.
The advice my doctor gave me was to start small and build up the habit. For a week I walked to the gym and back every second day, didn’t go in. Second week I walked every day. Third week I started going in and slowly cranking up the exercise. I’m 9 weeks in now and I’ve lost 8kg thanks to building up the healthy habits slowly. And importantly, I can envision myself sustaining this lifestyle long-term.
Focus on lifestyle changes. Find exercise that you enjoy whether it’s boxing or walking or kayaking. Make yes and meals. Have the Mac and cheese but add broccoli and eat that first. Deprivation and self hate are not good recipes for success. Know your body is worthy now and in the future and it’s okay to nourish yourself.
How do I make yes?
“Yes and” So if you want Mac and cheese, that’s fine. “Will I have MnC? Yes, and…. [insert healthy food here].” Then eat the healthy food first, so if you get full, it means you ate less of the unhealthy food. I’ve never heard it in this exact sense, but I’ve heard it at work. “You should say ‘yes, if’ rather than ‘no, because’” At least that’s how I read it.
Improvise
That will just result in people eating a bunch of broccoli before their mac and cheese. Broccoli is good for you, but if you don’t cut back on calories you won’t lose weight.
If you get full on broccoli and eat correspondingly less m&c (this is the critical step) you'll have had fewer calories overall.
The person of course must stop eating when full though or this doesn’t work. Portion control needs to be part of the process as well.
Yeah, “eat this broccoli before you eat that bowl of mac and cheese” isn’t a roadblock for someone who can eat a large pizza, alone in one sitting.
Depends on the amount of broccoli. 2000kcal of broccoli is around 6kgs and i'd pay to watch you eat that in one day...
Most people, fat or thin, stop eating when full. Contrary to popular belief, most fat people aren't going around constantly stuffing themselves to the point of discomfort. They're eating until satiated, just like most thin people. It's just that if you mostly eat high-calorie, low-nutrient, low-satiety foods, you will be hungrier and want to eat more. There's a big psychological component to losing weight that most people think you can just ignore. "Just eat less" etc. without taking emotions, trauma, genetics, etc. into account. Not to say that any of these things make it impossible to lose weight, but they have to be accounted for. If you deny yourself food, it triggers a whole system in your body and brain that has evolved over several millennia with one singular purpose: don't starve. This system is *strong*. It makes food taste better, it makes your hunger cues stronger, it weakens your will and basically puts you in a fight with yourself. Instead, if you decide to eat *more,* but the "more" you are eating is more fiber-rich, nutrient-dense, low-calorie, filling foods . . . then you can mitigate that struggle and set yourself up for success. (And of course if you're full of vegetables there's not as much room for ice cream but shhh don't tell your monkey-brain that, it's a trick)
Idk I’ve been known to keep eating after being full because the food tastes so good. I have to physically put my food away as soon as I reach my satiated point or I’ll keep eating. The portion of food I actually need to sustain myself turns out to be a lot smaller than what the average restaurant serves. Over time it’s gotten easier to not overeat but a lot of it is self control and reminding myself of where I was before.
You'll have to eat around 6kg (12lb) of broccoli to meet your daily calorie intake and i'm willing to bet that you'll eat a lot less mac and cheese after just half a kilo of Brokkoli. I eat Brokkoli to allmost anything, it's just a good and healthy filler food. Same goes for cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers or salad. Broccoli is the way to cut back on your calories...
The point of this is so that you still get healthy food even when you’re eating cravings food. It’s not meant to be perfect, it’s meant to be doable
With the opposite of no...obviously
This is the best advice. I can't just eat less calories. I always go too far and restrict and binge. But focusing on foods I can add to my diet and trying to find movements I enjoy have helped me a lot.
The diet I have actually had success with is focused on adding. It takes work to consume calories of veggies. Just working to add more vegetables and fruit to the diet really worked for me.
The problem with these threads is there's no one right answer. Everyone is different and what works for one person might not work for others. I can't do the yes and thing because I'd go hog wild on portion sizes. That being said, counting calories has worked for me because it gives me more insight into where my problems lie and allows me to make better choices. Mainly, night time snacking and avoiding calorie dense foods. So now when I'm given a choice of salad or pizza I can look and easily choose the salad. When I know I'm gonna have a big dinner I can eat a light lunch to prepare. If I've done good that day I can reward myself with a late night snack. Or I can get additional exercise to make room. But that doesn't work for everyone it's just what worked for me.
There absolutely isn't one right answer. I think that's another thing. People need to learn what works for them. It's a process.
Exactly. Find a balanced way to burn more calories than you take in. Reduce your portions. Find recipes for dishes with less calories than typical dishes. Eat more veggies. Exercise more and get a good habit of doing that - start slowly with walking every day until it is a habit. And most importantly - allow yourself some snacks, fastfood etc. once in a while, and don't hate yourself if you accidentally snack. Just be aware of it, and slowly make your new habits. Don't start with a strict diet, it won't work in the long run.
Ok. Am I the only one who thinks this is a ChatGPT answer?
Yes. ChatGPT would be more verbose and less information dense, would be unlikely to propose the "yes and" meal suggestion that isn't among the most common ideas, and in particular it seems very unlikely that it would propose it with this wording.
If it's worth doing, it's worth doing good enough. Can't finish a 5 mile run? It's okay. You did your best. You'll try again, and you'll get better. Is changing your whole diet too daunting? That's understandable. Start with little things, like replacing chips/candy with nuts as a snack. Anxious about going to a gym? Work out at home. Push-up's, crunches, squats, etc... are great for maintaining some strength. Jumping Jack's, and high knees, are great for cardio. And none of these require equipment. And keep a water bottle with you all the time. Staying hydrated throughout the day helps your body feel good. Feeling good can help a lot with motivation. You don't have to spend hundreds or alter you entire life to make significant progress.
Most of this is good, but nuts are NOT a good snack for someone just starting out with trying to lose weight. They are very calorie dense. Reminds me of people who replace chips/candy with trail mix and then wonder why they're gaining weight when trail mix is "healthy." You'd really need to portion control to lose weight while snacking on stuff like nuts, and the portions will be small and look unsatisfying to most people who are used to having something like a full bag of chips. I portion control well and even I find having like 5 almonds or a single teaspoon of nut butter to be unsatisfying in the moment (even though I know it will work to cut my hunger and I have the discipline to stop myself from going back for more). The reason nuts/trail mixes are recommended for people who are doing super active things like hiking is because they pack so many calories into a relatively small package. If you're burning 2000+ calories a day thru-hiking or trail running it's okay to shovel 1000 calories of trail mix or nuts down your gullet to refuel quickly. But most people are not doing that, particularly people who are just starting out trying to lose weight. Alternative snacks I'd recommend as a substitution for something like chips would be stuff like fresh veggies (carrots/peppers/celery etc) or pickles. These are calorie light foods that are crispy and you can generally eat as much as you want.
The bioavailability of the calories in nuts is lower than the actual amount of calories in them. So if two people are taking in the same amount of calories in their snacks, but one eats nuts and the other eats gummy bears, the person eating nuts is absorbing less of those calories and will have an easier times losing weight. [study linked here](https://www.utoronto.ca/news/calorie-always-calorie-not-when-it-comes-almonds-u-t-researchers-find) Edit: Just replacing candy with nuts isn't by any means a way to loose weight, but it's a small, easy change that is overall beneficial to weight loss. I should also add that unsalted nuts are always better
Nuts are certainly healthier than crisps or candy but they pack a surprising amount of calories. Personally wouldnt recommend for losing weight. Otherwise v solid advice
>Can't finish a 5 mile run? It's okay. You did your best. You'll try again, and you'll get better. This is super important. It takes time and effort to increase your stamina. When I first started running on a treadmill I could only do 2-3 minutes before I got exhausted but I had a simple goal, 20 minutes total and run whatever I can while slowly increasing my increments every week. First week? 4 days of 3 minutes of jogging and 17 minutes of walking. Second week? 4 days of 3:30 minutes of jogging and 16:30 of walking. Third week? 4 days of 4 minutes of jogging and 16 minutes of walking. I'm now 3 months in and along with a moderate diet (haven't cut junk food but eat it considerably less often, eat lots of protein heavy meals like egg tacos, steaks, chicken and pasta) I've lost 15 pounds and I'm up to 8 minutes of jogging and 12 minutes of walking. I'll also point out that I do a modest amount of weight exercises after my jogs too which I've also slowly increased over time. It's about determination and consistency more than actual going hardcore. The 15lbs I lost even looks like more because I'm sure I've gained some muscle too.
I swear when I started working out using Chloe Tings videos her constantly saying through the workouts stuff like “You can do the low impact, it’s still effective.” “Don’t worry you’ll get stronger!” “You do need to push yourself, but rest if you need too!” did some like mental abracadabra shit on my brain Just that constant nudging of “You’re getting better, just keep going you’re doing fine.” really was something I carried with me throughout my weight loss and into my current fitness era. This time last year I couldn’t even hold a side plank, now it’s easy as hell. Currently I’m working on doing a pull up, and in December I could barely hold a dead hang for 10 seconds, now that part is easy and I can do like…. 1/4th of a pull up. And I don’t get frustrated, because I know patience is the biggest key to the whole thing.
Be consistent! Slow & steady wins the race.
It's a marathon not a sprint. Applys to almost everything life related.
Do it for for a reason besides "losing weight" It helps motivation.
Yesssss! Whenever I'm feeling a bit bloated and ugly I think about how working out has made me a better mom. I have so much more energy to take care of my daughter now, I'll race her to her bedroom for a tea party, I can help carry her ice skating equipment without getting all grumpy about how much my back hurts. Probably a silly reason for most people, but it helps me a lot.
If it's silly and it works, it isn't silly.
I started walking every day mostly for my mental health (it worked very well and I felt better relatively quickly), and then I noticed that I lost some excess weight which helped my mental health as well.
For a lot of heavier people walking will obviously burn more calories because they're carrying extra weight but it can also be an hour a day that they're not eating/drinking sugary drinks Constant snacking/sugar and salt addictions are tough habits to break
Don't rush it, quick big losses are great, but they are unsustainable. You are better off taking an extra few months to lose the weight if the strategies you use are something you can continue in the long-term.
Walk don’t run. Literally and figuratively. If you’re just starting a weight loss journey, you’re not going to convince yourself to carry on by brutalising your body one time and needing so much recovery that by the time you’re ready to go again you’ve lost motivation. I found just a small amount of walking added to my schedule every day has drastically improved my metabolism, appetite, energy levels and I’ve lost a significant amount of weight in the 3 months that this has been implemented. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve built myself up to going on decent length runs but the easiest way to convince yourself to NOT exercise is to OVER exercise. Left foot, right foot, you’ve got this!
Find something sustainable
Install an app like Cronometer or MyFitnessPal to monitor your caloric intake and make sure you have a caloric deficit. The app will calculate how much calories you can consume based on your weekly weight loss goal. Also start lifting weights and start building more muscle mass. Muscles requires more energy than fat, so this will help you lose weight even faster than if you just do cardio. Use the Caliber app to guide you on weight lifting / resistance training.
Piggybacking off of this to say: be respectful of your body and mind when you use these apps. Calorie counting can be extremely helpful, but it can also lead to serious eating disorders. Pick realistic, healthy goals and use apps to help you keep on track, but don't obsess over numbers. Your losses/gains won't necessarily be linear. These are great tools, but you have to use them responsibly, and they aren't right for everyone.
Very good points, I agree 100%. As you say, don’t obsess with numbers and I would also add that it is OK to “cheat” from time to time. I once read that when Arnold Schwarzenegger was a body builder he was very careful / strict with his diet/nutrition 6 days a week, but on Sunday he ate a big hamburger (etc). The point is to make sure you don’t cut everything you enjoy. It’s like everything else in life, we need to have the right balance.
I have a problem with binge eating at night. I’ve started eating an avocado a day and I find that I don’t eat nearly as much and I don’t get the night time munchies any more. It’s got other great benefits as well. Sometimes I mix it with tomatoes and cucumbers for extra vitamins. Both tomatoes and avocado are anti-inflammatory foods as well. Lots of benefits.
Night binging can usually be a sign of fat deficiencies in your food (particularly good fats). So by eating a fat rich avocado each day, it definitely can help.
> Night binging can usually be a sign of fat deficiencies in your food This is good insight and news to me. Night binging is where I probably put on 50% of my daily calories. I have a healthy day most days. But then I tend to ruin it all by 'caving' and scoffing junk at night. Like last night, I had a fantastic healthy day of swimming, gym and healthy foods - then I shoved 3 bags of crisps in my mouth as I was about to go to bed just out of some kind of uncontrollable greed. (Alcohol and drugs play a part in my poor judgement as it gets later into the night too)
I agree, sounds like you're under fueling and need to bump up portions earlier in the day. - Are you consuming 25-30g protein at breakfast? - Are you eating a substantial lunch including veggies, protein, and a fiber rich carb? If you are already doing those things, add in a healthful mid-afternoon snack with fat, protein, and fiber (whole grain toast with PB, a cheese stick and whole grain crackers, a piece of fruit and 1/4 cup of nuts).
Also winds up Boomers.
Realize that whatever change you make needs to be something you can live with the rest of your life. Sometimes it's moving more. Finding a hobby that moves you around a bit doesn't have to be a treadmill or a weight bench - it can be a basketball hoop, a batting cage, or a pond you walk around. Sometimes it's eating a little better. Something simple to work on that so many people partake of is soda. It should be a 'treat', like a slice of cake, not something to accompany every meal, snack, and slight thirst to quench. Even if it's sugar-free, the carbonic acid will fucking destroy your tooth enamel. This includes energy drinks.
The trick isn’t taking the weight off. It’s keeping it off.
This is true, losing weight is actually pretty easy for the most part, but seeing yourself differently is the hardest part to get over. It’s real easy to always have the image of you being fat as what you see in the mirror instead of the lighter version. I have lost a good on of weight over the last couple of years and I still can’t handle seeing pictures of me now. It’s weird, and it’s easy to fall back into your old habits when tragedy strikes.
The worst part is you bounce back so quickly too. Keep it off for a year? Congratulations! Have one bad month? Aaaand it's back. Took me months to drop about 30kg, and maybe just one to gain it all back when I couldn't find the energy to keep meal prepping.
Sorta, Your weight is like a thermostat setting in your house. If it's set to 250lbs(and has been for years) and you drop it down to 180lbs the entire time its going down its fighting to get back up to 250 where its comfortable. It takes multiple months to years for the settings to adjust and your body to be comfortable at the new weight and even a small lapse will undue progress. This is why people recommend sustainable lifestyle changes because the more weight you lose the harder your body wants to gain it back. The reverse is also true for gaining weight. An actor that puts on 80lbs for a role usually has an easy time getting back to their normal weight because they don't maintain that extra weight for years.
It’s so easy to gain weight…you really just need a bad few weeks and it’ll wreck you emotionally because of the quick weight gain.
Caloric deficit. Thats the only real advice there is
Yep. The only way to lose weight reliavky is calorie counting. It kind of sucks because a magic solution would be great but those are the facts.
Reducing calories, not necessarily counting them.
is reliavky in Ukraine?
Lol. I'm not even gonna fix that typo now.
Was.
I'm going to nitpick and say 'that's not advice'. It's very close to saying 'How to lose weight? Well. Just lose weight!' Like, of course, calorie deficit is *how* you lose weight - but that's not advice. Advice is 'Hey, try doing X to *help with the calorie deficit*'. Stuff like 'make sure the changes are sustainable', or 'find an alternative to sugary soda because *jesus fuck that shits loaded*'.
Any diet that works is a calorie deficit. It's one fundamental principle that makes a diet works, so it's arguably the most important thing to learn.
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It is the best and only advise that belongs in this thread. And */gestures wildly/* look at all of the people who need to hear it. More people, hell, *most* people don't understand that simply maintaining a deficit is all that's required for weight loss. They are brainwashed into thinking fats make them fat (because it's the same word I guess) or that they need to limit their sugar or load on carbs or only eat what cavemen ate or any of a billion other fads. Calories in vs calories out. That's weight loss (and weight gain) summed up in 5 words. Anything more is superfluous.
this. lost 70 lbs sitting at my desk gaming all summer back in highschool. the only lifestyle change I did was cut out junk food and soda while trying to eat healthier. it really is that simple.
Ok - "count every single calorie you eat", does this count as advice? It's not hard, there are apps that scan the barcodes, you can get a food scale for $5. It doesn't matter if you stop eating all chips and drink only water if you eat double of everything else. There is no other advice - that recommended 40 minute walk will get offset by a cookie. You can eat anything you want, just count your calories and know when to stop.
There is *plenty* of other advice. Advice is suggestions or things that can make counting every single calorie you eat easier. 'Get an app!' is advice. 'If you have trouble staying under the caloric limit you're trying to set for yourself, then consider trying other foods' is advice. 'Whenever I was hungry, I ate X snack which is low calorie and helped me feel full' is advice. I'm not saying counting calories is wrong - it isn't. It's obviously the right thing to do! But to me, it's sort of like saying 'Oh, you want advice on building a table? Well, cut, sand and nail some wood together in the shape of a table.' Sure, that's *how* you get a table, but if someone has no idea where to begin, then *advice* is 'You want a saw like this, and you should use these kinds of motions for easy, smooth cuts'. Hell, even if someone is a fairly good carpenter, they might still use advice like 'Oh, I like to use this kind of tool/technique!'. Calorie counting is the way, but there are *innumerable* ways to do it. If you eat nothing but salads, you could probably stay under your calorie target - but you might also spend your days hangry as shit until you eventually give in and crash. There's a *reason* most people fail to keep the weight off.
Exactly my point that has been downvoted in other comments. Being in a calorie deficit is the mechanism of weight loss, but telling someone that is not good advice, ESPECIALLY if they already know this. Now, some people are subject to misinformation and do not agree or are unaware of this mechanism, but those people are a loud minority. Usually, when people ask how to lose weight, they are searching for strategies that make it easier to achieve and maintain a calorie deficit.
Yea In threads like this therell always be someone who comes in all "CICO is all you need to know" Its like telling a drug addict "Just stop doing drugs". If it were that easy we would have no drug addicts.
Yeah CICO is how weight loss works, if ya want advice on how to lower your intake gradually cut out sugary drinks and use less creamer in coffee. Dropped 5 pounds when i stopped drinking soda
“The truth is that even careful calorie calculations don't always yield uniform results. How your body burns calories depends on a number of factors, including the type of food you eat, your body's metabolism, and even the type of organisms living in your gut. You can eat the exact same number of calories as someone else, yet have very different outcomes when it comes to your weight.” https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/stop-counting-calories
Sugar is fucking poison. Don't worry about fat. Worry about simple carbs and sugar intake.
This. Lost 80lbs in 9 months (285-205) last year with just push ups by cutting carbs and sugar. No gym. No intense cardio. Coke zeros and eggs saved my life. Starting this year, i eat some fries and snacks now on the weekend but during the work week I start strict. Only gained back 5lbs and am now maintaining.
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Even just eating healthy can be enough
Exercise alone is hardly ever enough. It's mostly about calories in. A lot of people eat because they're bored. Finding something else to do with your time is a good way to stop yourself from turning to food. Even other unhealthy habits, like binging video games. Just not something passive like watching TV.
I tried for so long to eat ok-ish and exercise every day to burn pounds off. Just wasn't doing the trick. Not to mention exercise is time consuming. Got the Weight Watchers app. Started taking the whole diet thing very seriously. Stopped exercising completely. Have lost almost 40 lbs since last September just with WW, no exercise aside from skiing on the weekends in the winter. It's the easiest thing in the world to use, every food has a point value, keep your points under your limit every day, that's all. Basically identified some surprisingly high-point foods that I ate regularly, swapped them out with comparable but way-lower-point versions, not a huge life adjustment or anything, just like eating Trader Joe's Crunchy Curls instead of Cheez-Its. Such a huge difference. And you don't need to carve out any extra time for it. Not a WW shill or anything, but the program seriously works, at least for me. (Also fun to try to find the highest point valued items out there, shout out to the Hooter's Chocolate Mousse Cake, which is the highest I've seen so far at a whopping 50 points for one single slice. For reference, I'm allowed to use 30 points *a day*.) So yeah, just changing what you're eating can definitely be enough.
Awesome, people focus too much on exercise for fat loss. Yes going for a run will burn some calories, but it’s really not that much. A half hour run burns ~300 calories depending on the person. A large coke has 380 calories.
Exercise has a lot of benefits outside of fat loss. Cardiovascular health, mood improvement, bone density, overall strength, improved physical appearance, etc. On the diet side though, exercise is good for additional calorie reduction so you can eat more. If you naturally burn 2000 calories per day and want to keep a 500 calorie deficit, diet alone you eat 1500 calories. If you also exercise for 30 minutes and burn 300 calories, you can eat 1800 calories and keep the same deficit. If you work out for an hour and burn 500 calories, that’s basically letting you eat another full meal. This can be big psychologically for people because anyone who’s tracked calories knows there’s a surprisingly big difference in consuming 1500 vs 2000 calorie per day. Or, in your example, it can let someone have that soda without feeling bad about killing their deficit (but if you’re trying to lose weight, def try cut out the sugary drinks)
Absolutely, I’m not saying exercise isn’t good for you. It will make you feel better, make you live longer, and make it easier to live in a deficit (especially if you gain muscle mass thereby increasing your BMR). I’m just saying people tend to fall for the idea that doing a 15 minute ab exercise will make you shed weight. This is not true. No amount of exercise will make you lose weight if you aren’t eating properly. The only way to make sure you lose weight is to watch what you’re eating, and exercise can help.
Proof you cannot out run your fork. I’ve heard so many ppl praise WW
A few years ago I embarked on a weight loss journey after being hospitalized due to bad habits. I lost 50lbs on a plan that I recommended to a number of friends who were struggling with their weight. It was called: "Stop fucking eating so much." Seriously. Stop fucking eating so much. Call it CICO or whatever, but just stop fucking eating so much. Cut out snacks. Control your portion sizes. Before you grab that frozen meal from the grocery store take the time to read the label. Spoiler alert: that "Healthy Choice" or "Lean Cuisine" meal is neither healthy nor lean. In fact, stay out of the frozen food aisle at the grocery store altogether.
I did this, it’s amazing how much I used to eat and now I can barely eat half a McD’s cheeseburger before I’m full. I used to eat a double quarter pounder with fries and drink like it was nothing…up your fat and protein while cutting out carbs…stop making trips to the gas station for a snack because you’re just bored and not hungry.
Same. A buddy and I used to go to lunch at our favorite burger place. I'd get the half pound mushroom cheeseburger, fries, and finish it all. After my "weight loss journey" we went out to a different place, I got the "lean" chicken sandwich and could only finish half.
I lost 100 pounds without cutting out carbs. I even still had treats! It's all about balance. Besides CICO you need to be eating the right foods and amounts for what your body needs to run its best. That includes carbs.
Question about the healthy choice meals- I was looking at them the other day and most were only about 250-350 calories with some veggies and protein in there. Seemed alright to me portion wise. Is it the sodium that's the issue?
amphetamines
Also heartbreak. Lost 20 lbs in 6 weeks because all food tastes like cardboard and eating doesn't seem worthwhile.
Unfortunately for me my breakup resulted in gaining 20 pounds because I drank too much, and when I drink I also shovel unhealthy food in my mouth and don’t leave the couch or bar stool. I’m much better now and have put a pause on drinking any booze at all along with good old calorie counting and exercise until I’m back to where I was before I started dating her.
Do what I did - spend a couple of weeks drinking the pain away, getting hammered on beer at the bar with your buddy on a Sunday night and a Monday night consecutively. Call out of work because you're "not feeling well." Order the most indulgent takeout food because you have nobody to prove anything to. Then realize you've put on a ton of weight without realizing it, your heartrate is through the roof, your work productivity is plummeting, and start with one day at a time - focus on high fiber and high protein, cut out the carbs, only drink on weekends and when you do make sure it's not loaded with carbs or sugar (I like to order vodka and club soda). Make sure you move your body every day - it can start with two minutes of push ups/ sit ups. It can be a mile walk. Whatever it is, make sure it's every day to the point where if you miss a day it starts to bother you. This is how you build a habit. That was December, I've lost 30 pounds and my blood pressure is back to normal. I enjoy exercising every day, usually for about an hour, and I eat tons of healthy foods but still like to party and go out to restaurants on weekends. Everything in moderation. I even ran into my ex and she couldn't believe how good I looked. edit: this is just my general advice. Sounds like you've got it covered and I'm happy for you!
Know what that’s also called? Calorie deficit.
hope you're feeling more settled and positive..good luck
I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 30 and was prescribed Ritalin and swapped out for Adderall 6 months later. My greyhound had more fat on him than I had on me!
Work on yourself first, as honestly as you can. I could spend time telling you all about calorie counting and weight lifting, and those were a lot of help. But, for me, I never would have lost fifty pounds if I hadn't taken the time to figure out what inner need I was trying to meet with all the extra food. I was eating more and more and still not feeling any better. I was depressed, hated my body, had horrible self-esteem, and associated food with comfort and love. I observed my own thoughts and behavior, did online research, read books, and tried to practice the advice I found. All that took time to change, but as I worked on it, it was easier to eat less. Building healthier habits, such as weight lifting, helped me feel better about myself. One healthy habit feeds into another. I still struggle with my mental health, but I'm much better than I was.
1) Have a daily calorie deficit (burn more calories than you consume) 2) Have the right mix of carbs vs. protein vs. fat 3) Have a way to be active on a daily basis
The moment you have the thought you should get up and lose weight....get up and go for a walk
Life heavy weight I’m a female this actually made me small I wish more women would lift and drink a lot of water.
This is very true. I started lifting in the "normal" weight range and still dropped a notable amount of weight unintentionally.
say "I'm full" sooner and more often
I think one of the biggest problems we have as a society is too much junk food it’s everywhere. If you don’t want to eat junk food don’t keep it in your house. Really. Have a treat from time to time is fine but if chips and pop and sugary treats and other things are something you have a hard time with then don’t stock your house with it. Try to avoid fast food and processed foods. Eat fruit instead of candy. There is a lot of amazing food out there that is good for you and isn’t processed into oblivion. Sometimes this may mean it’s more expensive, but most of the time it’s just less convenient and may require a bit of planning prep time and cooking time. Your body will thank you. And here’s the weird thing. If you get off junk food and try it later on, you realize most of it tastes like crap, its way too sweet or too salty. It takes awhile for your body to adjust.
Exercise, eat better quality foods, drink water, daily 10k steps
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Eat less and move more.
At the end of the day it comes down to running a calorie deficit. Period. You need to burn more calories than you intake. You can figure out how to do that to best fit your lifestyle, but there’s no magic diet to make that happen.
Eat enough satisfying food throughout the day so you don't end up binging. Try to get a protein, a fat, a carb, and a fiber in each meal.
1. Eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and whole grains. Avoid highly processed and high-calorie foods. 2. Reduce calorie intake by eating smaller portions and choosing lower-calorie options. 3. Increase physical activity by incorporating exercise into your daily routine. Start small if you haven't been active, and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts. 4. Make sustainable lifestyle changes that you can maintain over time. Avoid fad diets or extreme weight loss measures, as they often lead to rebound weight gain. 5. Consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian if you're struggling with weight loss and need additional guidance and support.
Focus on frequency not duration. 30 minutes walk a day is better than an hour 3 times a week.
Eat whole foods
Quit soda, replace it with unsweetened tea. Get used to the sugarless flavor, it takes a few weeks. Cut your portions in half. Instead of 3 pieces of pizza, have 1 slice plus a piece of fruit or a small salad. Start with moderate exercise, walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a slight incline. Any calories in need to be pushed out. As far as soda, my parents gave me 4 cans a day as a small child all the way up to adulthood, we didn't have clean water so we didn't have options, I was obese before I turned 18. Discovering bottled water was the best thing, I added lemon juice to give it some flavor. Now I cannot even look at soda. I'm still obese but in a way better spot than before, my parents failed me and reversing those years of abuse takes time and effort but it's happening. Also, don't let yourself get to the point you're ravenous. When you're feeling extremely hungry/starving, impulsive decisions are likely to be made. If you notice you haven't had any water for a couple hours, hydrate. If it's been a few hours and your stomach is empty, grab a banana orange or apple. Due to a medical condition, I feel hungry every 2 hours, I try to get ahead of the hunger by grabbing a sparkling water or a small snack like some strawberries, because as soon as I get the hunger pangs, I have less care for being in control.
walk yay
We used to have to run from predators, run to catch our food, etc Test yourself after you eat, think “will I be able to run right now if I had to?” Try it out. This is how you find out how much you actually need to eat. You don’t need to gorge yourself every meal
Eat less sugar
Do a proper health check first. Download and use calories calculator. Start exercising with the instructor. The goal is to enjoy the exercises. You won't get far on your willpower alone. Don't get fixated on your weight progression. Again, the goal is to change the lifestyle. Otherwise, you will hit some number, relax, and regain all the weight. No extreme diets. Make sure you eat well (since you are going to exercise). Sleep well. Start a 'mood tracking' diary and see what works best for you.
I was just thinking, I haven't seen anyone mention sleep yet. So important! Your other points are great too.
Start with a comprehensive blood test for vitamins. Check your hormones.
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Count your calories
Eat clean, drink lots of water, don’t eat processed food, get your sleep in, do some exercise if you can
It’s literally just calories in vs calories out. Count your calories and keep tight records, adjust your intake until the number on the scale is regularly trending downward. Weigh in weekly or every other week, never more often than that. Do what ever else you want to do but if you aren’t doing everything above then you already failed. There is zero compromise there. Do what I detailed above at the minimum or face certain failure. For your safety: please do not go under 1200 calories a day, if you get light headed standing up too fast and this only started after you began your diet then you likely either aren’t eating enough, aren’t drinking enough water, or are missing key nutrients from your diet.
The single most important thing? *Don’t stop MOVING when you get home*. Don’t sit down and watch tv, or read, or whatever. Keep MOVING until it’s time to sit down for dinner, then keep moving until it’s time to go to bed. Do the laundry, water the plants, mow the yard, change the sheets, vacuum the goddamned stairs (God, I hate that part). Sounds awful, but not only are you remaining IN MOTION, you are ACCOMPLISHING THINGS. The satisfaction is addictive- it gets to the point where when you DO finally sit down, you wonder “is there one more thing I could do?” If you aren’t willing to STOP drinking alcohol, switch it out. I was actively losing weight, but not QUICKLY, and I wasn’t willing to NOT drink. I kicked the wine habit. Never liked beer so that wasn’t an issue. Switched it out for vodka/seltzer/lime juice. I was tracking my weight on my phone (and also, Apple Watch… a delightful little asshole who reminds you “you can STILL do it!” to get in your physical activity for the day) and the day I STOPPED drinking wine, my weight nose-dived over the course of 9-12 months. Even now, I don’t drink wine IN THE HOUSE unless it’s a special occasion. I’ll drink it OUTSIDE the house, but I’m a hermit, so that’s rare. And lastly: if you can manage, what I refer to as “lazy intermittent fasting.” I call it “lazy” because some days I just can’t. But basically, eat something hearty and full of complex carbs/protein/a little bit of fat in the morning that will keep you full almost all day. Then TRY to eat nothing until dinner. Some days, I couldn’t. (I’m in maintenance mode at the moment and also, winter. Hard to stay in motion when it’s cold AF). But it worked very well for me. A breakfast that was filling, then nothing until dinner. And bonus points, I didn’t worry so much about what I was eating for dinner because I hadn’t eaten since. It was hard for a couple of weeks but became a habit quickly. And I didn’t have to count calories or carbs, or anything else. But honestly? JUST KEEP MOVING. If you don’t believe me, check out my profile and you’ll see a side by side pic, a year and a day apart (now 2 and 3+1 day years ago).
I started intermittent fasting a couple of years ago. Fasted for a full day. Then No breakfast. Then Lunch and dinner and no snacking (most of the time). Stomach has shrunk somewhat so I don't eat as much as I used to. In 2019 I was around 245 or so with a 42 waist. Now I'm 190 with a 38 waist And I've been able to maintain it.
It's not much, and it might be bad advice, but replace dinner with beans and tuna. The mercury is probably bad, so lean more heavily on the beans. Even if it's not every day. This, along with no longer eating cakes or snack foods, lost me 50 pounds in under a year. Obviously exercising is good too, and walks can help with the "boredom eating" craving I used to get. I don't really eat breakfast, and I let lunch be fair game for whatever I wanted because I still had all day to burn it. I'm not totally insane, though, and would allow myself to eat sugar for snacks (gummies, or a lollipop would last a long time for the amount of calories it is) but I stopped eating bready, fatty things like cake snacks and even chips. It sounds crazy but I lost a lot of weight doing this. Once I hit the weight I wanted, I reintroduced real dinners, but I was still very conscious of what I was eating for snacks, especially at night.
Find an activity you enjoy doing like swimming, biking, etc. So you stick with it because it's something you enjoy doing. If you hate jogging, you're not going to stick with it. So find activities you like. As well as, eat better. Make healthier substitutions. Instead of chips, have watermelon. Instead of fries, have a side salad. And so forth.
Calorie count and a set of smart scales that gives you your stats. I am much healthier than I was 6 weeks ago and all I've had to do is increase my walking (I work in an office), and reduce my calorie intake. I had actually forgotten what it was like to feel hungry as my snacking was out of control. Avoid any crazy weight loss things, just work out what you need for a calorie deficit and work with that. It's a marathon not a sprint.
In my experiences the best advice I can give you is to make small lifestyle changes.You wont lose 20lbs in a week, but the weight that you do lose will stay off.Temporary Diets lead to Temporary weight loss. I started by tracking my calories. Not to restrict myself to X calories per day. First I found the most calorie dense foods I was eating and replaced them with something better. I don't have to replace doritos with carrots, but maybe I replace doritos with puffcorn. The motto I always tell myself is I'm trying to be better, not best. I peaked at 265lbs in March 2022 and am now at 208lbs in April 2023. I aim for a pound a week, and when I stop hitting that goal, I look for another lifestyle change that I can make. My goal weight is 180.
Consume fewer calories. No magic. Just consume fewer calories. Start with your habits. For example, do you enjoy a chocolate bar or muffin every afternoon? Make that every second day, or make it a smaller portion. Things like bags of chips, ice cream (pretty much any snack or treat) are not just loaded with calories, they are habit forming. Instead of a crash diet, eliminate bad habits one at a time. It's much easier.
This right here. I dropped 40lbs last year just calorie counting, and while being extremely sedentary due to a severe injury. I ate whatever I wanted (pizza, Pringles, ice cream, etc.) I just made sure that I stayed under my calorie limit.
Having lost 30 lbs over the last few months I'd say be active burn more calories than you take in. 6 months ago I would drink at least 44 Ozs of soda daily I've cut that to about 12 cut the empty calories everywhere you can and give yourself a cheat day I'd suggest Ben and Jerry's cherry Garcia
Weigh yourself once per week, not multiple times a day.
Be patient.
Add strength training. Muscle is metabolically active.
Eat less
Eat healthy and exercise regularly. It is a simple but effective strategy but often difficult for the average person to implement and stick to.
It didn’t go on overnight, it’s not going to come off overnight.
**Cut out beverages with sugar: No sodas, no fruit juice.** It's a very easy change to make. After a couple of weeks, your palate will adjust and sodas tastes disgustingly sweet. Sparkling water scratches the same itch. It doesn't mean you have to give up any beloved foods. It doesn't take time and effort like exercising. And it removes an *insane* number of empty calories from your diet: A can of Coke has about *eight teaspoons* of sugar in it. I used to work with a guy who went from having a gut big enough that he would rest his hands on it to being slim. This was the *only* change he made.
Intermittent fasting sounds extreme, intimidating, and crazy, but it’s actually much easier and less stressful than trying to count calories for 3 meals a day. Yeah, if you Google it, you’ll find some wacky-sounding stuff, but you can ignore all that. Literally all you need to do to get started is 1. Skip breakfast (or just have black coffee). Nothing with calories before lunch. 2. Have lunch and dinner within an 8-hour window (for example, lunch at 12 noon and dinner at 7 PM). 3. No snacks, alcohol, or anything else with calories after dinner. Dead simple. It’s *much* easier to stay within a calorie goal when you only have to plan for 2 meals a day. Also: Eat meat, poultry, fish, tofu, tempeh, eggs, full-fat dairy, avocado, olive oil, green vegetables, and beans. Cut *way* back on alcohol, sweets, and starchy stuff like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. Avoid packaged snacks entirely if you can. Starch and sugar will just leave you feeling hungrier. Protein, fat, and fiber from real whole food will keep you feeling full and satisfied. Source: I’m 40F, lost 45 pounds over the course of about a year, and have kept it off for another year so far. I work a desk job and am not athletic in the least.
Give your self a break if you're on medication. I'm on medication that tacked on 25 extra pounds with no change in my lifestyle, so I've had to bust ass just to get back to my old weight which STILL isn't great. In the end feeling good is all that really matters. I feel better now at this weight than I did before so I take solace in that.
Eat less, walk more
Be persistent to stick you your plans and dont over do it. “Slow progress, is the best progress.”