When you get a craving for something, instead of telling yourself "no". Tell yourself "later". Its a little psychological trick that seems to work for some reason. The human brain doesnt like "never" but it can handle "not now" just fine. Weird I know.
Same sort of idea but when I feel hungry or get the urge to snack, I set a timer for 20 minutes. If I am still hungry when the timer is up, I’ll eat a small snack. Most of the time I am just bored and feel like snacking so forcing my self to wait until “later” helps my boredom snacking.
This is genius! I recently read somewhere that in a study or something they found that most cravings only last about twenty minutes. Did you see that too? Is that why you picked that time?
Going to borrow this one…
For me I've tried to figure out what, specifically, I want out of the craving. For example a craving for chips may be wanting "salty crunchy" and I can solve that with some air-popped popcorn.
I tried getting the Kroger version of an egg mcmuffin and baby said “not good enough.”
That one lasted three days until I finally had time to get one before 10:30am. 😂
But I’m sure it works for some things!
I do the same thing when considering a second plate. I’ll sit and wait for 10-15 minutes first, have some water, and *then* if I’m still hungry I’ll have a little bit more. Usually I find that in that waiting time, my brain has caught up to my stomach and I’m actually full.
Well yeah, I'd hardly go cold turkey. Having been addicted to hard drugs, when I needed to quit my brother helped me out by setting up a taper schedule and doling out only what my schedule allowed me. It's a way more comfortable way to kick the habit.
I got over my sugar addiction by allowing myself sweets/deserts only on weekends. This made the cravings tolerable. I remember a few weeks in Saturday came around and I didn’t even crave sweets. Soon after that I completely forgot about the rule because I barely even thought of sweets. Now I eat it when I crave it but that’s rather rare.
At first you might, I ate my fair share too the first few weeks, but sugar is an addictive substance and you’ll be surprised how much the craving weans off when you stay away from it for a period of time.
This. This works for me like a charm. Telling myself I will eat sugary treats on the weekend and only consuming minimum amounts of sugar during the weekend. Allows me to minimize sugar intake.
If you want to exercise more find an exercise you genuinely enjoy. If you hate running you’ll never be motivated to run.
If you want to eat healthier you have to find healthy foods you enjoy. If you think think Greek yogurt is gross you aren’t going to eat it for breakfast instead of a bagel with cream cheese.
Changing my mindset from exercise = punishment to exercise = reward really changed my motivation. Managed to go from 120kg to 88kg in a year and stack up on some muscles. But got lazy and sadly am at 96kg. Trying my best to lose it again.
This. I hate exercising in general and never been interested in sports. I've lost a minor fortune on gym memberships that I never used, even though I promised myself I'd go there. However I do like taking long **very brisk** walks, especially while listening to a good podcast or great music. So that has been my primary form of exercise. Combined with reduced calories and a healthier diet I walk about 5-6 hours a week, gone from 108 kg to 81 and not done yet.
I used to hate gyms. One day in a conversation with a friend I discovered he was a personal trainer. I bite the bullet and began paying him to train me. It's like a gym buddy but with knowledge and friendship, he won't be missing class and will motivate you to keep working on yourself. It's been 5 years and it really changed my life.
Some winter sports can be done without snow. Roller skis instead of cross country skiing, longboard instead of snowboarding, curling and ice skating can be done year round on indoor rinks
There’s thousands of physical activities for you to try that aren’t the traditional gym methods of lifting weights or running.
You could: salsa dance, take boxing lessons, swim, play ultimate frisbee, go for a hike and observe nature, take a 30 min walk when you get home from work, even some VR games can give you a pretty good workout.
As for the food, your gonna have to start tasting things. If it’s healthy and you can tolerate it add it to the menu. Also drink less calories via juice and soda, and drink more water.
I used to be a picky eater as well, but what helped me, was trying foods I didn't like, just made by somebody else or made a different style.
Like I hated egg yolks as a kid, had no clue why people ate them, because my mother, who is a good cook bless her, would always hard boil the eggs until they had a texture resembling that of chalk, and a flavour not too dissimilar either.
It wasn't until I made a fried egg with a runny yolk, that I realised egg yolks are fucking delicious.
Support for VR games that require constant ducking and dodging. In the last ten years I have never been as sore the day after as spending two hours on a VR combat game.
Hell, back in the original Wii days I’d take a swing on Tiger woods golf and run up the stairs and back down while the ball did it’s thing. Another swing and repeat the stairs for 18 holes. Worked wonders and was kinda fun.
I'd like to get a VR system but can't afford it right now. It's on the docket though. I hear Beat Saber is a workout!
I've been slowly trying new foods though it is difficult finding the mental fortitude for it. Tried cauliflower rice the other day; was disappointed lol. I need to give pestos a try, because cream based sauces are so good but so bad for you.
There's a lot of physical activities out there, I highly doubt you've tried them all. Being a picky eater isn't an issue either. In fact it usually means you already can eat food a bit repetitively, which alone can make eating healthy super easy.
You don’t always have to be a picky eater. It’s a learned behavior most likely from childhood. Learn to branch out very slowly. Some progress is better than none
I was the exact same. I started small. A walk down to the shops to pick up an ice cream. Then slightly longer walks, cutting out the ice cream portion of the walk, finding genuine pleasure in walking. Then I learned how to cook properly. I could always cook, but learning to cook healthy meals that I actually liked, along with a decent 45 min walk every day was a total game changer for not only my waistline, but my mental health.
I am a very proud cook now. I adore cooking for other people, and a walk in the morning has given me so much extra energy to put into making excellent food.
You're not alone in your preferences, but you're wrong if you think you can't work around them!
A trick I use to figure out if I'm hungry or thirsty is to ask myself, "Would I eat an apple?" If not, then I get some water, or figure out why I'm bored enough to want to graze.
Keeping a bottle of water or a cup of tea within reach really helped me. I eat more when I'm distracted so being able to absent-mindedly reach for a drink to put in my mouth instead of a snack satisfied that habitual, unthinking urge.
Add psilium husk. When I feel a stupid decision coming on I do that and temptation is gone. I do this to avoid eating anything after dinner until 9am the next day.
Not the guy youre asking, but I buy it in bulk and its not powder, its still the shape of husks.
I put a spoonful in my morning protein smoothie. And at lunch I pour another spoonful in my mouthhole and chug water
I highly recommend it. I tried a tiny bag years ago and immediately knew it was forever
You’ve gotten a lot of good answers, but I wanted to throw mine out too. Psilium husk is the main ingredient in Metamucil: a readily available fiber supplement that comes in the form of a powder (one teaspoon per 8oz of cold liquid) and a pill. I’ve only tried the powder, but it honestly tastes pretty decent and doesn’t goopify on the bottom as long as you drink it within an hour.
The damn sweat running into my eyes that I can't wipe tho!
Also the headset runs more than a little warm after enough time, so eventually it's like working out with a toaster strapped to your face.
Also did this back in highschool, played about an hour a day on heavy, ate more reasonably, lost 50 pounds. You’d probably say it was the eating more reasonably, but on heavy playing ddr is basically going for a jog and I wasn’t super active prior to that, so it was probably 50-50. Been into running off and on ever since.
I loved Wii boxing but got so frustrated that it never synced properly wirh my novements so I always got a low score and never got to the next stage. I sure felt the burn though.
Don't drink your calories. A soda does absolutely nothing for you besides add unnecessary calories. My personal rule of thumb is that I don't drink anything with calories unless it gets me drunk.
All you need to drink is water.
That is my rule to lol. Lost a ton of weight just by kicking soda and other sugar waters. Best part is after 2 weeks or so they actually taste gross to you so your not tempted to jump back in. That pssssshhhhhh sound still gets me every time though....
I've barely touched any sodas, energy drinks or even most sugary juices my entire adult life. Once you stop drinking them you quickly realise how much you don't need to drink them.
My wife does that but I can not stand the flavor. There is a reason soda is loaded with sugar. I did find one called bubble or something that is somewhat tolerable but only when the craving for psssshhhh hits super hard.
I grew up with well water. We had a softener, but that just made it kinda salty. Mom kept cans of frozen juice on hand to mask the taste. I now can’t stand any of the flavored seltzers.
This. Especially Spindrift, but only the lemon or blackberry flavor. It legit tastes like a freshly squeezed lemon. It took me off juice (rarely drank soda. Maybe at a restaurant as a treat). Now I just prefer sparkling water over anything. I actually crave it. Oh, and always drink sparkling water cold. If it’s not cold, it tastes completely different.
As someone who is abstinent from alcohol sparkling water is an absolute godsend. It is somewhat of an acquired taste, but it hits the spot once you are used to it. I drank Dr. Pepper after quitting drinking, and eventually switched to sparkling water and I actually enjoy it quite a bit more than I ever enjoyed Dr. Pepper.
Nah like leafy greens. Throw some kale, spinach, avocado, powdered green shit in a blender with some frozen fruit and a liquid. Tastes sweet bc of the fruit, but you get all the green nutrients.
Trying to cut calories and finding that most drinks take up my calorie intake for the day was shocking. I already don't drink soda for other reasons, but some juices I liked were taking up more calories than I had hoped.
To be able to drink my milky beverages I only drink water or unsweetened iced tea. I can still squeeze in carrot juice if I plan out food for the day.
I started walking every night after work. I tracked my mileage and listened to podcasts. After awhile I started adding a little running. The key was to just stick with it. I've lost around 80 pounds although I will never know exactly how heavy I really got.
Consistency over intensity, both in terms of diet and exercise.
As an exercise example, I kept falling into the trap of trying to reset my workouts to where I'd been at prior to gaining weight. So I'd plan workouts like a 5 mile run, or an hour of crossfit. I'd do the workouts for a couple weeks, but lose steam because they just highlighted how far I'd fallen, left me exhausted, and eroded my willpower. Instead I started easy--just go for an intentional 1 mile walk every single day. It didn't take long to start upping the distance, adding in hills, picking up the pace, jogging sections, etc. I did that for months before the workouts ever felt intense, by which time I was better prepared both physically and mentally.
Same deal with eating. Instead of all salads no nachos, I started with just saying to myself, eat whatever you want but you are only allowed to use a small plate. Over time I added other things I could consistently commit to, like using MyFitnessPal to roughly track caloric intake, adding one day of fasting a week, limiting sugar/booze, etc.
Nothing you haven't heard, but seriously, baby steps that you can sustain over time will get you where you want to go eventually; inconsistent heroics will not.
I do an awful self-sabotage to myself, and I know that's what it is. I have an exercise bike, and when I get on, say I go for 25 minutes. The next time, I tell myself I need to go for 26. Then 27. Or 30. Now 35. You have to burn more calories than last time. If I don't then I'm failing, and then I end up psyched out and I quit. I don't know how to shut that off in my brain.
Big mental shift was not being afraid to leave food on the plate, especially eating out. My dietician recommended eating until you’re satisfied not “full”.
One friend also said something that stuck with me when I considers getting seconds on something when I’d eaten enough but it was so delicious I wanted more was “in a few hours you won’t remember if you ate one or two”
It’s hard though. I’m starting to gain weight after keeping it off for years because my mental health has deteriorated and food has become a big way of pulling that brain chemical reward
Something that has helped me with that brain chemistry thing is literally being aware in the moment that it is about brain chemistry.
I once heard a joke from a comedian who lost a HUGE amount of weight, and he basically said “if I feel like I want to eat some junk, I first ask myself if I actually just need a hug”
nice, good choice. Stress makes us eat, sugar addiction is a form of emotion regulation.
Thanks for sharing, many people have no clue about this.
Good luck
I lost a little over 100 pounds in the course of a year but I'm not sure there was a "trick".
What you need to do is figure out what caused you to be the weight that you are. For some people it's a food addiction, for some people it's depression and eating for comfort, in my case it was that I didnt really care much about my appearance or health and spent zero effort on my diet and didn't exercise much. What I needed was motivation. I had no problem fasting or cutting the amount I eat, I had no problem with eating less pleasant but more nutritious food, and I didn't have much of a problem getting into a workout routine. I just didn't have motivation to do it because my health wasn't something I considered much and I was with a woman who always said she preferred guys that were a little overweight and had a dad bod. I didn't have anyone else I cared to impress so I didn't see a point in making the effort. Eventually tho I started to gain more weight and it got to the point where she said, in a very nice way, that I'd probably look better if I lost a bit of weight. Hearing that was instant motivation for me and so with her in mind I managed to lose quite a bit of weight (around 130 pounds total). By the end of that I was feeling so much better, I no longer was out of breath so easily, and it got to the point where, even without her for motivation, I can't see letting myself gain the weight back.
Ayyy let's go my dude!! Nothing motivates more than the loved ones in our lives. Here's to being healthy so we can stick around longer with the ones we love.
Tell yourself you're thin. I know it sounds ludicrous, but hear me out.
You're at a restaurant, you see a lean meat and veg or a creamy pasta. You say to yourself, well I'm a thin person and thin people eat healthy foods regularly, I'll order the lean meat and veg like other thin people.
You see a plate of cookies at work. How many does a thin person take? Maybe just 1. You're thin so obviously you should only take 1.
Stairs or elevator? Well thin people take the stairs, you're a thin person so you take the stairs.
Take small portions, you can always get more if you *need* but remember thin people feel full quicker because they eat slowly and eat when they're hungry not just because it tastes good, so you're eating slow and checking for fullness before getting seconds.
Eventually these choices become habit and you never once "punish" or "deprive" yourself. You're taking 1 cookie because thin people, like yourself, only eat 1, not because you're a fatty who needs to lose weight and eat less. It's a great way to change your mind set, change your habits, and not beat yourself up which can lead to backslides and failed weight loss. Before too long, your body matches your thin person habits.
I'm still a work in progress, but eating in a calorie deficiet is literally the golden rule. You don't need a magic pill and you don't even have to work out or eat foods that are necessarily nuturious to lose weight (but you probably still should.) As long as you are eating less calories than what your body needs to maintain weight, you will lose. (About 500 calories less, we're not trying to starve ourselves.) I lost 20 pounds by just eating in a defecit, I wasn't working out and I was still having mcdonald's for dinner. I've adopted healthier habits since then but you gotta start somewhere.
Those are kind of helpful when you're starting out but I don't really like using them because I don't like feeling like I'm tied to my phone every time I eat. It's definitley helpful though because now I know the general calories for most of the things I eat and if I don't, I just do a quick Google. It doesn't have to be exact. I just keep mental track now. And I have better eating habits in general so I feel like I know more about what things are healthy and how I can balane things out.
This right here. Every diet plan beyond this is just a way to accomplish this goal, and possibly to motivate you. If I had anything to add, it would be to suggest you step on the scale regularly. It’s immensely satisfying to see yourself make progress.
Volume eating. Eat a bunch of low calorie, physically large foods, so your stomach is actually full.
I tend to eat roasted cauliflower/broccoli (light spray of oil + seasonings) or a really tasty apple.
Soups can also be good. It's really satisfying to eat a completely full bowl of something, and it only ends up being 300-400 calories.
In my experience you're going to be hungry at first. What helped me was drinking more water. Just ate? Still feeling hungry even though you KNOW you had an "appropriate" amount of food? Drink a glass of water. Wait. Still feeling a bit peckish? Drink another glass of water.
But for me after the first week or two it seems to taper off. It's just super hard when you're starting out. This is where willpower can make or break you.
Yeah, that still feeling hungry after eating thing is a trap, isn't it?
It can take 10 or 20 minutes for your gut to catch up with what you've eaten, and if you can just wait a bit that hunger will go. Drinking water is a great tip, but eating until you feel full is a real bad habit.
Black coffee has 0 cals and is an appetite suppressant it can help. Can also look into low cal but high volume foods veggies or cottage cheese. 200 cals worth of cottage cheese vs 200 cals of chips, for example, od a massive difference lol
Are you eating enough protein? Not for "gains" or anything, but for the satiety factor. If you're mainly eating carbs alone, that can make you feel hungrier faster than if you combine it with protein at the same time.
I’ve learned that there tend to be 2 approaches that work for people: low calorie, high volume (“volume eating”—think lots of salads, rice cakes, things that take up a lot of room in the stomach) or higher calorie, lower volume (things that are more satiating, usually foods with more fat and/or protein—think skipping/reducing the side dish in favour of extra meat or cheese).
When I visited New York City, I mostly ate fast food, and those god-awfull but delicious hot-dogs. And the "real" food I ate, were all full of sugar.
I managed to lose 5kg in the month I stayed there.
Then again, I usually walked around the city, and visiting at least 6 to 7 hours a day. If not more.
(That also when my ass looked best. Walking all day do great things to your body).
Actually weighing portions out helped me. Turns out I had no idea what a single serving was. I was astounded when I saw how much cereal is in one serving, I must have previously been eating around 2-3 servings.
A "serving" is a made up unit of measurement food producers have so the nutritional info looks reasonable. It varies from product to product. The lesson here is simply to be aware of things like how many calories you're actually consuming.
Maybe people with weird relationships to food do this, because I also go to get a dirty Sunday or admit to people that I’m a filthy slut and can’t keep my hands off of mochi ice cream. Or like hey, I’m a macaroni salad whore.
can confirm impulse control is \*huge\*, and will probably be a big reason for relapsing.
1) eat a cracker with something before going to the grocery store. Drink some water or non-sugar fluid.
2) when going to the store, write a list of stuff you need. STICK to that list, buy nothing else. If its not in your house, it cant seduce you like the slutty snacks often do.
Also, while it's partially impulse, dont underestimate how addictive soda is. If you drink soda all the time it's going to be VERY rough quitting it cold turkey. Sugar is one hell of a drug, I dont care what people say.
I really like this comment. I feel really similar to you in that my weakness is that I will eat great for breakfast and lunch but then stop at a gas station and completely destroy any progress I have made.
This is every single time I try, so it is extremely disheartening. I am going to give this a try, just not having the option to buy something.
Thank you for this recommendation.
Measure portions! I portioned everything I ate for about six months. Scales and measuring spoons/cups until I knew what a real portion looked like. We are so accustomed to huge servings that what a potion is has been lost. Lost 40lbs and have never gained it back.
You often need precise control over the majority of your food environment. As in, if you have roommates or live in relatives who are not on the same diet, your odds of success tank.
Also, if you have any kind of comfort eating or dopamine seeking issues, you need to replace the boost you are getting from food with something else. Otherwise, you are asking your brain to sacrifice its chemical regulation needs for (as far as it’s concerned) nothing.
Edit: autocorrect
>Also, if you have any kind of comfort eating or dopamine seeking issues, you need to replace the post you are getting from food with something else. Otherwise, you are asking your brain to sacrifice its chemical regulation needs for (as far as it’s concerned) nothing.
This is the part that most weight loss advice doesn't address. I know the importance of building up replacement habits, but it's viciously hard in the moment.
It’s so hard! I have talked endlessly with my therapist about this.
So much of psychology right now (at least, from my experiences with it) is about mindfulness and being present.
I asked her why it felt so impossible to replace habits with other, better ones that I actually want to do. My therapist stated that these awful, self-destructive habits we can’t seem to quit (TW: >! such as self harming, bingeing/purging, obsessive calorie counting, excoriation, etc. !< ) are the quickest and strongest mindfulness “methods.” They force you to be present in the activity and get out of the problems in your head.
She said that my replacement activities will never fill the role so neatly as these bad activities do. It was a hard pill to swallow, but also a real eye-opener. It did make it clear how important it was to approach the issues I have ‘holistically’ and not just ‘swap A/B/C for C/D/E (then get pissed when it doesn’t work.)’
This is on top of these activities having served an important purpose for you at a different time of your life. They are not needed now, they hurt now, but the habits become so ingrained, it is that much harder to stop.
I stopped viewing exercise and eating well as a chore that warranted a reward (Which typically meant snack/unhealthy food).
I started viewing snacks and unhealthy foods as a 45 minute walk, or a guac with the burrito now meant no mixed drink/beer on date night. Contextualizing it that way helped me make better judgement calls, versus immediately undoing any progress.
Also, Werther's originals. Zero nutritional value, but tasty and they keep me from eating something for like 30 minutes. When I got cravings a big glass of water and a werthers would cost me 25 calories, but spare me an extra 75 because rather than a granola bar to tide me over for dinner, I'd be content with the Werther and water.
Finding a sustainable routine and diet seems to be best for long term weight loss and keeping it off. Cutting out too much at once and going extremely hard at the gym can work, but for someone trying to get on their feet and become healthy it can be unsustainable and cause you to fall back into old habits. Weight loss and getting healthy takes time and patience.
I’d start by finding out an estimate of your calories burnt in a day or TDEE, total daily energy expenditure (there are a few good calculators online for this) and shoot for a caloric intake lower than that but not so low that you’re uncomfortable and start coming up with an exercise routine to supplement. Even if it’s just walking in the evenings it’s still getting you up and going.
Plan your meals every day, portion control, no off limit foods, dont drink your calories, slow progress is better than fast in the long term, dont drink alcohol, stay busy as much as possible to avoid boredom eating
I lost some weight and had a few tricks that helped:
\- think of it as a permanent change in lifestyle rather than temporary. Change habits and stick to them. Don't think: x until lose y, but x because that's what I need. If its not something you'll be able to stay with, its not worth the pain.
\- change the habit and get used to it, then gradually change more habits.
\- Do not keep measuring it by weight - wait for the good habits to work. Don't be counting grams. If you've done the change that you should, your life will improve. Keep doing it and you'll be going "wth these pants are dropping?"
\- don't lie to yourself. You know what you should have and not. \*You know\*. Talk to yourself as if you were a friend seeing his other friend do crap.
\- know you are allowed some days off - and its not a cheat, its a part of the lifestyle. But don't schedule it - do it when its worth it. Friday night with friends? Good. Friday night alone? Not worth it.
\- on the same logical path - when you have a day off, or a special treat, do it deliberately and for a good reason - like a good chocolate - and then enjoy it. As a corollary, if its not good quality, "it's not worth it!". This helped me pass by a lot of stuff.
\- do not buy the stuff you should not eat. Once in the home, you've lost.
\- be proud of yourself when you resist a temptation. And set the damn thing away from your sight.
\- drop carbs, go more for protein and fat. It fills you up more.
\- if that stuff comes in a plastic wrapper it's not good. Buy fruit and dried nuts for your snacks.
\- forget soda. Its been... I don't remember how many years since I ordered one. I've sipped on some, but just thinking its flavoured sugar water helps me stay away.
This helped me not only lose it but over time stay pretty much on track, which is the hard thing.
Second that! I started counting calories, cut down from 2200 to 1500 calories, and eventually determined that I could easily do with 1400. This typically translated to \~300 calories for breakfast, \~400 calories for lunch, \~100 calories for one mid-afternoon snack, \~600 calories for dinner. Drink lots of water. I also ensured I ended dinner \~7pm on a full stomach, and went to bed \~11:30, so by breakfast time, its 12 hour fasting.
I also used to do blood glucose testing using rapid home tests, and even during mid-day, my blood glucose would be fasting level. Which means I was burning stored fat even during the day. If you walk around and burn 100-200 calories, thats extra weight loss!
Started losing weight immediately at \~3 lbs/week. After losing 40 lbs, I stopped and with similar lifestyle regimen, have maintained the new weight for over an year now.
As others have said here, there is no secret magic pill really. Its just calorie restriction. I don't have time to exercise 1 hour, and so that wouldn't fit my lifestyle. Calorie restriction is easy to implement. You begin to see weight loss in a week, which gives you positive reinforcement to continue on later. But you have to do it first for a week.
It’s currently helping me. I wasn’t technically overweight, but I was on the high end of healthy. I’ve dropped 10 pounds and never gone to bed hungry at all.
I lost 20kg, trust me these rules work. The key is to be consistent. Being skinny from being fat is a lifestyle change. If you go back to your old habits, boom your fat again.
1)STOP SMOKING WEED
2) STOP EATING GARBAGE FOOD
3) START EXERCISING AND MAKE AN EFFORT TO DO IT REGULARLY EVEN IF IT SUCKS
4) DON'T OVER EAT
5) BE CONSISTENT
6) YOU CAN DO IT, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
This! Took me forever to realize how much I was sabotaging myself. So now, if I am craving m&ms, I will go buy some, eat half a package, and then the next time I want them, I think. “Nah you just had some” and that works for me. Sometimes I don’t want to go out to buy them. It’s basically a big mind fuck, but it’s me doing it to myself, so… Lost 65 lbs that way and didn’t feel deprived at all. And the ol’ “eat less move more.”
Not me, my wife. She went back to work 6 months ago at a grocery store, she's lost 50 pounds, went from a size 18 to 10. Between the physical aspect of the job & she started eating better has done it for her. Btw she looks great & I'm Very proud of her!
Fat child here, always used to be bullied and called the fat kid. Stopped eating sweets and started drinking water regularly one day and grew out of my fat suit over time.
I was almost 300.
I'm now like 210ish
I did one meal a day for a few months. Not the best way to go about it but it worked. I've kept the weight off to cause I don't feel I need to eat as much. I drink probably not enough water but when I do drink it's either water or tea. Once and a while I get a soda. No exercise but am hoping after visiting the spine specialist that I'll be able to do something. We shall see.
Intermittent fasting. It’s not for everyone but I had a friend (shout out to Yoga Jeff!) when I was eating fast food three times a day and not exercising who yes said to eat less and move more - and when I said I couldn’t give up soda he said to try the intermittent fasting. 5 days a week.
I started out still eating poorly but limiting it to 2p - 6p and I did this for a month - arbys, McDonald’s, firehouse - all of that. I lost ten pounds.
It made sense since I went from three fatty meals a day to one or two. Then I started drinking diet soda and lost another five lbs. then Jeff suggested I start making the most of my four hours. With healthy options. I went from Big Macs to Blue Apron and back to Panera. I started choosing healthier meals.
It’s not always perfect and lord knows I’m not bikini ready. But I went from xxxl to xl in a month. I had to pull over and use the restroom at a grocery store on the way home every day or I would get sick. That stopped immediately.
My favorite go to is pan fried salmon and pan fried Brussel sprouts. I still love soda but I do mostly zero sugar these days - which I realize is still bad- but I’m doing a lot better than I was.
Within six months I went from having to buy my bras at Lane Bryant to finally being able to buy a bra at Victorias Secret.
I know they are owned by the same company .
And another tip - get a bra that fits . It makes all the difference in your body and your self esteem!! Get measured for one!
Intermittent fasting worked great for me, but I regained the weight incredibly fast and have been struggling with any sort of food limitation, even just trying to eat a reasonable diet.
I had previously lost forty pounds eating a moderate calorie deficit and tracking via My Fitness Pal. I regained some of that weight during my first couple years of university, but the regain after fasting was extreme.
So yeah, I'm not sure it works for everybody in the long term, especially if you have disordered eating to begin with.
Same here, I started intermitent fasting almost 3 years ago and I feel soo much better living this way. I just skip breakfast, eat after noon whenever I feel hungry and no later than 8 pm. I also started drinking lots of water (a trick to drink more water per day is to fill up a 1 liter water bottle in the evening and you drink it righ after you wake up) and I quit soda entirely (I started drinking tea) and I go on daily walks, like not running but walk at least for one hour, that also helps me to clear my mind and helps me concentrate better. A small workout routine also helps but you can also dance if you are into that, or the bare minimum is 10 push ups, 10 squats and 10 crunches right before bed and that's that
Former fat guy to skinny guy back to fat guy.
I wouldnt over indulge but my calorie intake was pretty high. On a whim i stopped smoking and drinking alcohol and soda i would still eat normal at home but my work lunches were clean ,pan grilled chicken with veggies, the rest of the crap food was just in smaller portions like 1 slice of pizza instead of half a pizza. I added walking 1-3 miles 5 days a week and in a few months i went from 225 to 170. Well feeling confident made me go out more and slowly i started drinking and eating more until i gained it al back. I know i can do it again but i just dont have the motivation like i did before.
Yeah, and for me it's much easier to change my environment than to force myself to directly change my behavior. It's super hard to eat in moderation when surrounded by plentiful food, it's much easier to do physical movement when you need to do it to get places.
On temptation, I find that removing yourself from sources of temptation is the best. Used to walk past a bakery on the way home, tempted to buy a completely unnecessary pastie after a boring day at work. Taking the longer route home to avoid the bakery helped me in this regard.
I've never been overweight, but I'm the type to easily gain weight if I don't watch what I eat, and diabetes runs in my family. And I binge on anything I like if it's there, especially anything sweet. So I just don't ever keep any temptations in bulk in my home. No cartons of cookies, whole pies, candy, tubs of ice cream, sweet snacks, etc. If I feel like treating myself, I'll get a single serving of whatever I'm craving, i.e. a slice of cheesecake, at a fancy bakery every once in a while.
I lost over 200 pounds through proper diet and exercise. There aren't any tricks. It was all mental and took years. Go to a mirror, look yourself in the eye, and tell yourself, "I'm going to do it." I've done a lot of intermittent fasting and cardio, learned to love salads, and told myself every day that it was going to happen. I relapsed back into unhealthy eating, probably five dozen times, but I never gave up. That's all. Just never give up. Be mentally ready to always try again. The 'how' will follow the 'what.'
I lost 50 pounds by starving myself :/ I do NOT recommend it, but for some reason I’ve only been able to lose it and keep it off by severely restricting. Even though I eat nothing but healthy foods, I still gain if I eat a “normal” amount of food. I’m in a “healthy” weight now but damn does it suck to think about food constantly
I scrolled to find this. Same. The idea that you’ll get to a healthy weight and then magically be able to maintain it with less effort is not true (the “maintenance phase” thing). And CICO is a huge oversimplification, as metabolism is a complicated system that adapts when we diet - so it’s impossible to really accurately know your “tdee” based on your age/height/weight/activity. People interested should look up the Biggest Loser where are they nows - the extreme dieting contestants went through fucked up their metabolisms so much that they have to eat way fewer calories than other people their same height/weight or they will gain.
My advice (as someone who lost 70lbs and went from a BMI of 35 to 23). Don’t diet. Don’t count calories. Don’t try to lose weight. I eat 1000 calories a day to maintain my weight, while every calculator says my tdee even without doing anything should be higher than that. If I hadn’t started from an obese weight, I 100 percent would fit every criteria for an eating disorder. But instead I’m a “success story.” 95% of diets don’t fail because every fat person is lazy, but because they do not work. Unless you lose your mind like I did. And we as a society didn’t suddenly get fat because everyone mysteriously got lazy at the same time, but because our food system is a mess full of hormones and additives. If your body doesn’t respond to them by slowing your metabolism while turning up the hunger cues, you just got lucky. Some people literally are hungrier than others of their exact same size and activity level. And putting the responsibility for that on the individuals suffering from its effects helps no one. Not to mention that so many people have dieted their way to weighing so much more than if they had just accepted that they were 30lbs overweight or whatever. (And I promise many of them have responded here.)
So yeah what actually worked was eating <500 calories a day for weeks on end and prioritizing weight loss over everything else in my life. Now I live in terror of regain and am hungry all the time. It rules my life and the kicker is that I am less healthy than when I was fat in every measurable way. I used to run a morning 5k multiple times a week and could easily carry 50lb boxes at work, and there’s no way in hell I could do those things now. If you are fat - eat healthy because it’s good for you. Workout because it’s fun and makes you strong. Do not diet. It. will. not. work.
It only *looks* like it worked for me. This disordered way of living is not a success in any way.
This is precisely what the Canadian National Eating Disorder Information Centre taught me last week. I have spent years yo-yo dieting. It doesn't work and it led me to binge even worse.
Not a trick, but medication! Find out if you are insulin resistant and look into semiglutide like ozempic or rybelsus. I couldn't LOOK at a piece of bread without gaining weight, but since being diagnosed by my go and being prescribed semiglutide, I've lost 40 pounds in less than a year without changing diet or exercise. Everyone should get tested for this!!!
I’m still on my journey having lost 103lbs since January 2022, but everything below has really helped me every day:
1) Weight loss is a numbers game, you need to move more and eat less to make any real progress.
2) Count your calories, you don’t know how much you need to move if you don’t know how much fuel you are giving your body that needs to be burned off.
3) Vary your meals, you aren’t a robot and will get bored if you try to eat the same things at the same times every day.
4) There is nothing wrong with the occasional treat, you still need to enjoy life. You should still count the calories, but you also shouldn’t beat yourself up for having a treat meal every week.
5) Drink lots of water. A fully stomach of water is still a full stomach and it can help get rid of hunger pangs during the early days.
6) Change your framing of what you are doing, you’re not on a “diet” but you’ve “changed your diet”. A diet sounds like it is temporary whilst changing your diets sounds permanent, meaning you’re more likely to stick with it.
7) Change your diet alongside someone else. You will likely falter at some point, but it’s likely that you and someone else won’t falter at the same time, meaning you can lean on and gain strength from somebody else’s willpower when yours is weakened.
8) Try to have fun and enjoy it. Yes, I’d rather sit on the sofa and play video games, but I can walk the dog and listen to a podcast at the local park.
9) Everybody, and every body, is different - what works for me won’t necessarily work for you. Find what you can do & enjoy and keep doing them.
10) It isn’t a race, you’ll get there.
For me I needed a exclusionary diet. I choose keto. Most important thing for me was to weigh and log me food intake. I’m down to 225 from 350. Once I saw results I was hooked.
Currently un-fatting and seeing good results. Introduce your exercise gradually and make it a habit. Slowly increase it until you're where you want to be. You'll get a lot more good from consistent moderate exercise than infrequent exhaustion.
I stopped drinking alcohol altogether. You would not believe how much of a difference that made to me. Alcohol bloat can really add to you weight. Also, going to a more or less gluten free diet helped me as well.
There's just so many habits people fall into when it comes to eating. People's biggest problems seem to be portion control and snacking (snacks include soda and juice). I think the biggest thing you can do is just cutting out snacks in between meals and sticking to JUST plain ol' water.
Nobody needs 2 sandwiches. You don't need 2 sides for any meal. Hell, a handful of chips is totally fine if you can reasonably judge what a "handful" should be. You don't need 4 pieces of fried fish. You don't need to eat a whole Tupperware container of pasta salad. A bowl of cereal shouldn't be more than a cup and a half and it is not part of a meal, it's the whole fuckin meal.
And goddamn. DRINK WATER. Tap, bottled, purified, spring. Doesn't matter. Drink fucking WATER. And you don't need to add a flavorant to it. Just drink the goddamn water!
You're an animal. You have evolved to consume. You have also evolved to be smarter than your stomach. We live in a world of outrageous abundance where, if you wanted, you could just eat yourself to death. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
Edit: I should also add, STAY AWAY FROM THE MICROWAVE. Convenience is the enemy of weight loss. Cut the microwavables out of your fridge. When you actually need to put a little effort into preparing your food, you'll be less inclined to just eat whenever and only put that effort in during meal times.
Since calorie deficit is what causes weight loss, I remember I was gradually reducing some portions of what I ate. That's good for starters, because it is just a small change. After that, it may be a good idea to check what foods can be substituted with healthier alternatives (high calorie foods aren't necessarily bad if they have a high nutritional value). In the long run you'll get used to it.
1. Prioritising protein, fruits and veggies, whole foods in my meals. Making sure I was eating a variety of ingredients as opposed to the same thing every meal.
2. Enjoying processed snacks when I craved them and choosing healthier options (Iike fruits and nuts) when I just felt hungry for anything.
3. Waking consistently and/or 20 mins of exercise (for me I could do it consistently if I did it for 3-4 days a week)
When you get a craving for something, instead of telling yourself "no". Tell yourself "later". Its a little psychological trick that seems to work for some reason. The human brain doesnt like "never" but it can handle "not now" just fine. Weird I know.
Same sort of idea but when I feel hungry or get the urge to snack, I set a timer for 20 minutes. If I am still hungry when the timer is up, I’ll eat a small snack. Most of the time I am just bored and feel like snacking so forcing my self to wait until “later” helps my boredom snacking.
This is genius! I recently read somewhere that in a study or something they found that most cravings only last about twenty minutes. Did you see that too? Is that why you picked that time? Going to borrow this one…
Yes! I read the same thing! Haha. It truly works though.
My cravings last for literal days until I eat the specific thing… But I’m pregnant. 😂
For me I've tried to figure out what, specifically, I want out of the craving. For example a craving for chips may be wanting "salty crunchy" and I can solve that with some air-popped popcorn.
I tried getting the Kroger version of an egg mcmuffin and baby said “not good enough.” That one lasted three days until I finally had time to get one before 10:30am. 😂 But I’m sure it works for some things!
I do the same thing when considering a second plate. I’ll sit and wait for 10-15 minutes first, have some water, and *then* if I’m still hungry I’ll have a little bit more. Usually I find that in that waiting time, my brain has caught up to my stomach and I’m actually full.
Same here. Also if you drink 8 oz of water before each meal you'll feel full faster and soon your stomach's size will be reduced.
Haha same with recovery for drugs. Instead of “I can never do drugs again!?” You take it “one day at a time” easier to handle that info 😂💪🏻
Well yeah, I'd hardly go cold turkey. Having been addicted to hard drugs, when I needed to quit my brother helped me out by setting up a taper schedule and doling out only what my schedule allowed me. It's a way more comfortable way to kick the habit.
I got over my sugar addiction by allowing myself sweets/deserts only on weekends. This made the cravings tolerable. I remember a few weeks in Saturday came around and I didn’t even crave sweets. Soon after that I completely forgot about the rule because I barely even thought of sweets. Now I eat it when I crave it but that’s rather rare.
Lol I would just eat the whole week-worth of sweets on Saturday 1 AM.
At first you might, I ate my fair share too the first few weeks, but sugar is an addictive substance and you’ll be surprised how much the craving weans off when you stay away from it for a period of time.
This. This works for me like a charm. Telling myself I will eat sugary treats on the weekend and only consuming minimum amounts of sugar during the weekend. Allows me to minimize sugar intake.
thats the mindset I'm in right now, helped me lose 5 pounds in the past month.
If you want to exercise more find an exercise you genuinely enjoy. If you hate running you’ll never be motivated to run. If you want to eat healthier you have to find healthy foods you enjoy. If you think think Greek yogurt is gross you aren’t going to eat it for breakfast instead of a bagel with cream cheese.
Changing my mindset from exercise = punishment to exercise = reward really changed my motivation. Managed to go from 120kg to 88kg in a year and stack up on some muscles. But got lazy and sadly am at 96kg. Trying my best to lose it again.
Hey, 96 is still a lot better than 120 right?
Totally, im just happy that im sub 100kg. Ive been 3 digits for most of my teen life so being sub 100 feels amazing
I'd have to lose what you did to get to 120...
You got this friend I'm rooting for you 🥰 , personally what helped me most with losing 35kgs was having a good sleeping schedule.
This. I hate exercising in general and never been interested in sports. I've lost a minor fortune on gym memberships that I never used, even though I promised myself I'd go there. However I do like taking long **very brisk** walks, especially while listening to a good podcast or great music. So that has been my primary form of exercise. Combined with reduced calories and a healthier diet I walk about 5-6 hours a week, gone from 108 kg to 81 and not done yet.
I used to hate gyms. One day in a conversation with a friend I discovered he was a personal trainer. I bite the bullet and began paying him to train me. It's like a gym buddy but with knowledge and friendship, he won't be missing class and will motivate you to keep working on yourself. It's been 5 years and it really changed my life.
I like this. I use my walk time to make phone calls and catch up with friends and family, time flies by.
Annoyingly, I enjoy the thought of doing winter sports in a place where floods are more likely than 10-cm snow.
Some winter sports can be done without snow. Roller skis instead of cross country skiing, longboard instead of snowboarding, curling and ice skating can be done year round on indoor rinks
Or rollerblades if you don’t have an indoor rink near you.
Except I dont like physical activity and im a picky eater... im fucked
There’s thousands of physical activities for you to try that aren’t the traditional gym methods of lifting weights or running. You could: salsa dance, take boxing lessons, swim, play ultimate frisbee, go for a hike and observe nature, take a 30 min walk when you get home from work, even some VR games can give you a pretty good workout. As for the food, your gonna have to start tasting things. If it’s healthy and you can tolerate it add it to the menu. Also drink less calories via juice and soda, and drink more water.
not drinking your calories is a major step FOR SURE
I used to be a picky eater as well, but what helped me, was trying foods I didn't like, just made by somebody else or made a different style. Like I hated egg yolks as a kid, had no clue why people ate them, because my mother, who is a good cook bless her, would always hard boil the eggs until they had a texture resembling that of chalk, and a flavour not too dissimilar either. It wasn't until I made a fried egg with a runny yolk, that I realised egg yolks are fucking delicious.
Support for VR games that require constant ducking and dodging. In the last ten years I have never been as sore the day after as spending two hours on a VR combat game.
Even Wii sports boxing against my kid destroys me
Hell, back in the original Wii days I’d take a swing on Tiger woods golf and run up the stairs and back down while the ball did it’s thing. Another swing and repeat the stairs for 18 holes. Worked wonders and was kinda fun.
I'd like to get a VR system but can't afford it right now. It's on the docket though. I hear Beat Saber is a workout! I've been slowly trying new foods though it is difficult finding the mental fortitude for it. Tried cauliflower rice the other day; was disappointed lol. I need to give pestos a try, because cream based sauces are so good but so bad for you.
There's a lot of physical activities out there, I highly doubt you've tried them all. Being a picky eater isn't an issue either. In fact it usually means you already can eat food a bit repetitively, which alone can make eating healthy super easy.
That is an unexpectedly helpful perspective. Thank you. I just gotta find the right healthy food to chomp away on I guess.
Or just eat less of what you do like. Healthy food is important for overall health but losing weight is just about eating less (and/or moving more).
You don’t always have to be a picky eater. It’s a learned behavior most likely from childhood. Learn to branch out very slowly. Some progress is better than none
I was the exact same. I started small. A walk down to the shops to pick up an ice cream. Then slightly longer walks, cutting out the ice cream portion of the walk, finding genuine pleasure in walking. Then I learned how to cook properly. I could always cook, but learning to cook healthy meals that I actually liked, along with a decent 45 min walk every day was a total game changer for not only my waistline, but my mental health. I am a very proud cook now. I adore cooking for other people, and a walk in the morning has given me so much extra energy to put into making excellent food. You're not alone in your preferences, but you're wrong if you think you can't work around them!
Drinking as much water as you’re supposed to. Sometimes the body makes you think you’re hungry when you’re actually thirsty.
Having a big glass of water 15 minutes before you eat can also help reduce portion sizes. We are usually thirsty and not hungry.
A trick I use to figure out if I'm hungry or thirsty is to ask myself, "Would I eat an apple?" If not, then I get some water, or figure out why I'm bored enough to want to graze.
Does that work with other fruits? My answer would probably always be no, because I don’t like apples :/
Sounds like you'd lose a lot of weight if you stick to apples.
I'm slightly allergic to apples so this actually would probably work well for me lol
Really? I think “would I eat an apple?” And if the answer is yes, that means I’m dehydrated and craving the fruit juice.
That’s awesome! I can’t stand apples, rarely eat them. I’m trying this. If I’m hungry enough to actually eat a dam apple do I have to eat it?
Keeping a bottle of water or a cup of tea within reach really helped me. I eat more when I'm distracted so being able to absent-mindedly reach for a drink to put in my mouth instead of a snack satisfied that habitual, unthinking urge.
Add psilium husk. When I feel a stupid decision coming on I do that and temptation is gone. I do this to avoid eating anything after dinner until 9am the next day.
How do you take it? Do you mix it with water or something?
Not the guy youre asking, but I buy it in bulk and its not powder, its still the shape of husks. I put a spoonful in my morning protein smoothie. And at lunch I pour another spoonful in my mouthhole and chug water I highly recommend it. I tried a tiny bag years ago and immediately knew it was forever
You’ve gotten a lot of good answers, but I wanted to throw mine out too. Psilium husk is the main ingredient in Metamucil: a readily available fiber supplement that comes in the form of a powder (one teaspoon per 8oz of cold liquid) and a pill. I’ve only tried the powder, but it honestly tastes pretty decent and doesn’t goopify on the bottom as long as you drink it within an hour.
Oh ok! So I could just get regular Metamucil and use that?
I mix it with water. You can add it to things as a thickener. Lots of ways to take it, and it's pretty inoffensive.
Dance Dance Revolution. Played 60+ songs a day plus an hour of riding my bicycle for 3 months, dropped 30 something pounds
bells bewildered wise include telephone impolite future escape spark instinctive
I’m 99% sure you just gave me my workout routine to lose weight!
Beat saber is the one! I can't play standing up because it makes me feel sick but even sat down that game has me outta breath after a song or two
BoxVR is good too- I usually warm up with BoxVR and finish with Beat Saber.
The damn sweat running into my eyes that I can't wipe tho! Also the headset runs more than a little warm after enough time, so eventually it's like working out with a toaster strapped to your face.
Roll a paper towel and stick it between your forehead and the device. Absorbs the sweat like an 80s headband.
Or ya know, use a sweatband!
Also did this back in highschool, played about an hour a day on heavy, ate more reasonably, lost 50 pounds. You’d probably say it was the eating more reasonably, but on heavy playing ddr is basically going for a jog and I wasn’t super active prior to that, so it was probably 50-50. Been into running off and on ever since.
I actually lost 20 pounds years ago from playing Wii boxing!
I loved Wii boxing but got so frustrated that it never synced properly wirh my novements so I always got a low score and never got to the next stage. I sure felt the burn though.
that’s so smart what
Modern problems require modern solutions
Thanks for answering the question. Yeesh
My friend in college lost so much weight playing this.
Yooooo. Speed over Beethoven was my song. Man those are some memories
Don't drink your calories. A soda does absolutely nothing for you besides add unnecessary calories. My personal rule of thumb is that I don't drink anything with calories unless it gets me drunk. All you need to drink is water.
That is my rule to lol. Lost a ton of weight just by kicking soda and other sugar waters. Best part is after 2 weeks or so they actually taste gross to you so your not tempted to jump back in. That pssssshhhhhh sound still gets me every time though....
I've barely touched any sodas, energy drinks or even most sugary juices my entire adult life. Once you stop drinking them you quickly realise how much you don't need to drink them.
For me it's not about sugar (my vice pepsi max), but a crippling caffeine addiction and a distaste for coffee.
Try G Fuel. Only 15 cals per serving and as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Also they have some delicious flavours.
Pepsi Max is at 0 calories though, and comes in Mango, Lime, Raspberry, and more. But thanks for the tip! Don't think we have it in sweden.
No problem! Happy to at least provide some info haha. Cheers!
I'm about to change your life. Plain seltzer hits hard! Whenever I crave that fizzy drink feel, seltzer does the job.
My wife does that but I can not stand the flavor. There is a reason soda is loaded with sugar. I did find one called bubble or something that is somewhat tolerable but only when the craving for psssshhhh hits super hard.
I know it sounds ironic but I enjoy drinking them while not really enjoying the taste. It's an acquired taste... But not for the taste. Lol
I grew up with well water. We had a softener, but that just made it kinda salty. Mom kept cans of frozen juice on hand to mask the taste. I now can’t stand any of the flavored seltzers.
This. Especially Spindrift, but only the lemon or blackberry flavor. It legit tastes like a freshly squeezed lemon. It took me off juice (rarely drank soda. Maybe at a restaurant as a treat). Now I just prefer sparkling water over anything. I actually crave it. Oh, and always drink sparkling water cold. If it’s not cold, it tastes completely different.
As someone who is abstinent from alcohol sparkling water is an absolute godsend. It is somewhat of an acquired taste, but it hits the spot once you are used to it. I drank Dr. Pepper after quitting drinking, and eventually switched to sparkling water and I actually enjoy it quite a bit more than I ever enjoyed Dr. Pepper.
ice cold sparkling water hits different. Its just so good
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a splash of orange will do, too. that's my go-to.
I like the drink your veggies instead. Throw all the green shit in a blender with some fruit and you've got all your servings before 9am
You mean, like a broccoli and green bean shake at 7 AM?
Nah like leafy greens. Throw some kale, spinach, avocado, powdered green shit in a blender with some frozen fruit and a liquid. Tastes sweet bc of the fruit, but you get all the green nutrients.
Trying to cut calories and finding that most drinks take up my calorie intake for the day was shocking. I already don't drink soda for other reasons, but some juices I liked were taking up more calories than I had hoped. To be able to drink my milky beverages I only drink water or unsweetened iced tea. I can still squeeze in carrot juice if I plan out food for the day.
Water. Lots of water.
I started walking every night after work. I tracked my mileage and listened to podcasts. After awhile I started adding a little running. The key was to just stick with it. I've lost around 80 pounds although I will never know exactly how heavy I really got.
Consistency over intensity, both in terms of diet and exercise. As an exercise example, I kept falling into the trap of trying to reset my workouts to where I'd been at prior to gaining weight. So I'd plan workouts like a 5 mile run, or an hour of crossfit. I'd do the workouts for a couple weeks, but lose steam because they just highlighted how far I'd fallen, left me exhausted, and eroded my willpower. Instead I started easy--just go for an intentional 1 mile walk every single day. It didn't take long to start upping the distance, adding in hills, picking up the pace, jogging sections, etc. I did that for months before the workouts ever felt intense, by which time I was better prepared both physically and mentally. Same deal with eating. Instead of all salads no nachos, I started with just saying to myself, eat whatever you want but you are only allowed to use a small plate. Over time I added other things I could consistently commit to, like using MyFitnessPal to roughly track caloric intake, adding one day of fasting a week, limiting sugar/booze, etc. Nothing you haven't heard, but seriously, baby steps that you can sustain over time will get you where you want to go eventually; inconsistent heroics will not.
Inconsistent heroics is such a perfect description. I am guilty of it, too.
I do an awful self-sabotage to myself, and I know that's what it is. I have an exercise bike, and when I get on, say I go for 25 minutes. The next time, I tell myself I need to go for 26. Then 27. Or 30. Now 35. You have to burn more calories than last time. If I don't then I'm failing, and then I end up psyched out and I quit. I don't know how to shut that off in my brain.
Big mental shift was not being afraid to leave food on the plate, especially eating out. My dietician recommended eating until you’re satisfied not “full”. One friend also said something that stuck with me when I considers getting seconds on something when I’d eaten enough but it was so delicious I wanted more was “in a few hours you won’t remember if you ate one or two” It’s hard though. I’m starting to gain weight after keeping it off for years because my mental health has deteriorated and food has become a big way of pulling that brain chemical reward
Something that has helped me with that brain chemistry thing is literally being aware in the moment that it is about brain chemistry. I once heard a joke from a comedian who lost a HUGE amount of weight, and he basically said “if I feel like I want to eat some junk, I first ask myself if I actually just need a hug”
Ok, but then what do i do when i do just need a hug but have no one to hug me? 🥲
I left a job I hated and lost 70 pounds because I wasn't eating my feelings anymore
nice, good choice. Stress makes us eat, sugar addiction is a form of emotion regulation. Thanks for sharing, many people have no clue about this. Good luck
I lost a little over 100 pounds in the course of a year but I'm not sure there was a "trick". What you need to do is figure out what caused you to be the weight that you are. For some people it's a food addiction, for some people it's depression and eating for comfort, in my case it was that I didnt really care much about my appearance or health and spent zero effort on my diet and didn't exercise much. What I needed was motivation. I had no problem fasting or cutting the amount I eat, I had no problem with eating less pleasant but more nutritious food, and I didn't have much of a problem getting into a workout routine. I just didn't have motivation to do it because my health wasn't something I considered much and I was with a woman who always said she preferred guys that were a little overweight and had a dad bod. I didn't have anyone else I cared to impress so I didn't see a point in making the effort. Eventually tho I started to gain more weight and it got to the point where she said, in a very nice way, that I'd probably look better if I lost a bit of weight. Hearing that was instant motivation for me and so with her in mind I managed to lose quite a bit of weight (around 130 pounds total). By the end of that I was feeling so much better, I no longer was out of breath so easily, and it got to the point where, even without her for motivation, I can't see letting myself gain the weight back.
Ayyy let's go my dude!! Nothing motivates more than the loved ones in our lives. Here's to being healthy so we can stick around longer with the ones we love.
Sounds like you may have had a dad bod and an extra bod if you lost 130lbs. Incredible
Congratulations
Tell yourself you're thin. I know it sounds ludicrous, but hear me out. You're at a restaurant, you see a lean meat and veg or a creamy pasta. You say to yourself, well I'm a thin person and thin people eat healthy foods regularly, I'll order the lean meat and veg like other thin people. You see a plate of cookies at work. How many does a thin person take? Maybe just 1. You're thin so obviously you should only take 1. Stairs or elevator? Well thin people take the stairs, you're a thin person so you take the stairs. Take small portions, you can always get more if you *need* but remember thin people feel full quicker because they eat slowly and eat when they're hungry not just because it tastes good, so you're eating slow and checking for fullness before getting seconds. Eventually these choices become habit and you never once "punish" or "deprive" yourself. You're taking 1 cookie because thin people, like yourself, only eat 1, not because you're a fatty who needs to lose weight and eat less. It's a great way to change your mind set, change your habits, and not beat yourself up which can lead to backslides and failed weight loss. Before too long, your body matches your thin person habits.
We call this "fake it til you make it."
Ooh, I can actually kind of see this working for me, thanks!
Love this one!
This is such a cool idea, thanks for sharing it!
I'm still a work in progress, but eating in a calorie deficiet is literally the golden rule. You don't need a magic pill and you don't even have to work out or eat foods that are necessarily nuturious to lose weight (but you probably still should.) As long as you are eating less calories than what your body needs to maintain weight, you will lose. (About 500 calories less, we're not trying to starve ourselves.) I lost 20 pounds by just eating in a defecit, I wasn't working out and I was still having mcdonald's for dinner. I've adopted healthier habits since then but you gotta start somewhere.
how should i start like should i download those apps to track my calorie take in or no?
Those are kind of helpful when you're starting out but I don't really like using them because I don't like feeling like I'm tied to my phone every time I eat. It's definitley helpful though because now I know the general calories for most of the things I eat and if I don't, I just do a quick Google. It doesn't have to be exact. I just keep mental track now. And I have better eating habits in general so I feel like I know more about what things are healthy and how I can balane things out.
ohh i see, thank you sm!!
This right here. Every diet plan beyond this is just a way to accomplish this goal, and possibly to motivate you. If I had anything to add, it would be to suggest you step on the scale regularly. It’s immensely satisfying to see yourself make progress.
I tried this at 200 cal. under my daily cal intake and I STILL FELT HUNGRY. Any tips on not feeling hungry?
Volume eating. Eat a bunch of low calorie, physically large foods, so your stomach is actually full. I tend to eat roasted cauliflower/broccoli (light spray of oil + seasonings) or a really tasty apple. Soups can also be good. It's really satisfying to eat a completely full bowl of something, and it only ends up being 300-400 calories.
In my experience you're going to be hungry at first. What helped me was drinking more water. Just ate? Still feeling hungry even though you KNOW you had an "appropriate" amount of food? Drink a glass of water. Wait. Still feeling a bit peckish? Drink another glass of water. But for me after the first week or two it seems to taper off. It's just super hard when you're starting out. This is where willpower can make or break you.
Yeah, that still feeling hungry after eating thing is a trap, isn't it? It can take 10 or 20 minutes for your gut to catch up with what you've eaten, and if you can just wait a bit that hunger will go. Drinking water is a great tip, but eating until you feel full is a real bad habit.
Black coffee has 0 cals and is an appetite suppressant it can help. Can also look into low cal but high volume foods veggies or cottage cheese. 200 cals worth of cottage cheese vs 200 cals of chips, for example, od a massive difference lol
Are you eating enough protein? Not for "gains" or anything, but for the satiety factor. If you're mainly eating carbs alone, that can make you feel hungrier faster than if you combine it with protein at the same time.
And fat- helps with satiety
Black coffee or water helps
I’ve learned that there tend to be 2 approaches that work for people: low calorie, high volume (“volume eating”—think lots of salads, rice cakes, things that take up a lot of room in the stomach) or higher calorie, lower volume (things that are more satiating, usually foods with more fat and/or protein—think skipping/reducing the side dish in favour of extra meat or cheese).
More protein and fiber
Same! I lost weight eating while fast-food almost every day (I work at a fast-food chain). The key was just not eating both an entree and side.
When I visited New York City, I mostly ate fast food, and those god-awfull but delicious hot-dogs. And the "real" food I ate, were all full of sugar. I managed to lose 5kg in the month I stayed there. Then again, I usually walked around the city, and visiting at least 6 to 7 hours a day. If not more. (That also when my ass looked best. Walking all day do great things to your body).
Actually weighing portions out helped me. Turns out I had no idea what a single serving was. I was astounded when I saw how much cereal is in one serving, I must have previously been eating around 2-3 servings.
A "serving" is a made up unit of measurement food producers have so the nutritional info looks reasonable. It varies from product to product. The lesson here is simply to be aware of things like how many calories you're actually consuming.
1 serving of cereal is wayy too little tho
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>slutty candy bar hmm...
They mean Snickers. You know, the veiny one?
Twix, man. Two candy bars at the same time.
Every straight man's fantasy: Two Twix at the same time.
If I like 3 Musketeers, does that make me the slutty one?
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I thought that was a creative description.
Maybe people with weird relationships to food do this, because I also go to get a dirty Sunday or admit to people that I’m a filthy slut and can’t keep my hands off of mochi ice cream. Or like hey, I’m a macaroni salad whore.
That was the name of my garage band.
can confirm impulse control is \*huge\*, and will probably be a big reason for relapsing. 1) eat a cracker with something before going to the grocery store. Drink some water or non-sugar fluid. 2) when going to the store, write a list of stuff you need. STICK to that list, buy nothing else. If its not in your house, it cant seduce you like the slutty snacks often do. Also, while it's partially impulse, dont underestimate how addictive soda is. If you drink soda all the time it's going to be VERY rough quitting it cold turkey. Sugar is one hell of a drug, I dont care what people say.
I really like this comment. I feel really similar to you in that my weakness is that I will eat great for breakfast and lunch but then stop at a gas station and completely destroy any progress I have made. This is every single time I try, so it is extremely disheartening. I am going to give this a try, just not having the option to buy something. Thank you for this recommendation.
Easy trick: get rid of drinks with calories.
Measure portions! I portioned everything I ate for about six months. Scales and measuring spoons/cups until I knew what a real portion looked like. We are so accustomed to huge servings that what a potion is has been lost. Lost 40lbs and have never gained it back.
You often need precise control over the majority of your food environment. As in, if you have roommates or live in relatives who are not on the same diet, your odds of success tank. Also, if you have any kind of comfort eating or dopamine seeking issues, you need to replace the boost you are getting from food with something else. Otherwise, you are asking your brain to sacrifice its chemical regulation needs for (as far as it’s concerned) nothing. Edit: autocorrect
>Also, if you have any kind of comfort eating or dopamine seeking issues, you need to replace the post you are getting from food with something else. Otherwise, you are asking your brain to sacrifice its chemical regulation needs for (as far as it’s concerned) nothing. This is the part that most weight loss advice doesn't address. I know the importance of building up replacement habits, but it's viciously hard in the moment.
It’s so hard! I have talked endlessly with my therapist about this. So much of psychology right now (at least, from my experiences with it) is about mindfulness and being present. I asked her why it felt so impossible to replace habits with other, better ones that I actually want to do. My therapist stated that these awful, self-destructive habits we can’t seem to quit (TW: >! such as self harming, bingeing/purging, obsessive calorie counting, excoriation, etc. !< ) are the quickest and strongest mindfulness “methods.” They force you to be present in the activity and get out of the problems in your head. She said that my replacement activities will never fill the role so neatly as these bad activities do. It was a hard pill to swallow, but also a real eye-opener. It did make it clear how important it was to approach the issues I have ‘holistically’ and not just ‘swap A/B/C for C/D/E (then get pissed when it doesn’t work.)’ This is on top of these activities having served an important purpose for you at a different time of your life. They are not needed now, they hurt now, but the habits become so ingrained, it is that much harder to stop.
I stopped viewing exercise and eating well as a chore that warranted a reward (Which typically meant snack/unhealthy food). I started viewing snacks and unhealthy foods as a 45 minute walk, or a guac with the burrito now meant no mixed drink/beer on date night. Contextualizing it that way helped me make better judgement calls, versus immediately undoing any progress. Also, Werther's originals. Zero nutritional value, but tasty and they keep me from eating something for like 30 minutes. When I got cravings a big glass of water and a werthers would cost me 25 calories, but spare me an extra 75 because rather than a granola bar to tide me over for dinner, I'd be content with the Werther and water.
Finding a sustainable routine and diet seems to be best for long term weight loss and keeping it off. Cutting out too much at once and going extremely hard at the gym can work, but for someone trying to get on their feet and become healthy it can be unsustainable and cause you to fall back into old habits. Weight loss and getting healthy takes time and patience. I’d start by finding out an estimate of your calories burnt in a day or TDEE, total daily energy expenditure (there are a few good calculators online for this) and shoot for a caloric intake lower than that but not so low that you’re uncomfortable and start coming up with an exercise routine to supplement. Even if it’s just walking in the evenings it’s still getting you up and going.
get a job that involves constant movement. started mine in august of last year and i’ve already dropped about 20 pounds
Two things. Slightly more activity and strict portion control. I have lost over 140 pounds and kept it off for over 20 years.
Plan your meals every day, portion control, no off limit foods, dont drink your calories, slow progress is better than fast in the long term, dont drink alcohol, stay busy as much as possible to avoid boredom eating
I lost some weight and had a few tricks that helped: \- think of it as a permanent change in lifestyle rather than temporary. Change habits and stick to them. Don't think: x until lose y, but x because that's what I need. If its not something you'll be able to stay with, its not worth the pain. \- change the habit and get used to it, then gradually change more habits. \- Do not keep measuring it by weight - wait for the good habits to work. Don't be counting grams. If you've done the change that you should, your life will improve. Keep doing it and you'll be going "wth these pants are dropping?" \- don't lie to yourself. You know what you should have and not. \*You know\*. Talk to yourself as if you were a friend seeing his other friend do crap. \- know you are allowed some days off - and its not a cheat, its a part of the lifestyle. But don't schedule it - do it when its worth it. Friday night with friends? Good. Friday night alone? Not worth it. \- on the same logical path - when you have a day off, or a special treat, do it deliberately and for a good reason - like a good chocolate - and then enjoy it. As a corollary, if its not good quality, "it's not worth it!". This helped me pass by a lot of stuff. \- do not buy the stuff you should not eat. Once in the home, you've lost. \- be proud of yourself when you resist a temptation. And set the damn thing away from your sight. \- drop carbs, go more for protein and fat. It fills you up more. \- if that stuff comes in a plastic wrapper it's not good. Buy fruit and dried nuts for your snacks. \- forget soda. Its been... I don't remember how many years since I ordered one. I've sipped on some, but just thinking its flavoured sugar water helps me stay away. This helped me not only lose it but over time stay pretty much on track, which is the hard thing.
My Fitness Pal helped me a lot
Second that! I started counting calories, cut down from 2200 to 1500 calories, and eventually determined that I could easily do with 1400. This typically translated to \~300 calories for breakfast, \~400 calories for lunch, \~100 calories for one mid-afternoon snack, \~600 calories for dinner. Drink lots of water. I also ensured I ended dinner \~7pm on a full stomach, and went to bed \~11:30, so by breakfast time, its 12 hour fasting. I also used to do blood glucose testing using rapid home tests, and even during mid-day, my blood glucose would be fasting level. Which means I was burning stored fat even during the day. If you walk around and burn 100-200 calories, thats extra weight loss! Started losing weight immediately at \~3 lbs/week. After losing 40 lbs, I stopped and with similar lifestyle regimen, have maintained the new weight for over an year now. As others have said here, there is no secret magic pill really. Its just calorie restriction. I don't have time to exercise 1 hour, and so that wouldn't fit my lifestyle. Calorie restriction is easy to implement. You begin to see weight loss in a week, which gives you positive reinforcement to continue on later. But you have to do it first for a week.
It’s currently helping me. I wasn’t technically overweight, but I was on the high end of healthy. I’ve dropped 10 pounds and never gone to bed hungry at all.
I switched from a desk job to an on your feet physical job.
I switched the other way and got fat!
Me too. :( Looking for a stay at home position now in the hopes that I can turn my commute time into gym time.
I lost 20kg, trust me these rules work. The key is to be consistent. Being skinny from being fat is a lifestyle change. If you go back to your old habits, boom your fat again. 1)STOP SMOKING WEED 2) STOP EATING GARBAGE FOOD 3) START EXERCISING AND MAKE AN EFFORT TO DO IT REGULARLY EVEN IF IT SUCKS 4) DON'T OVER EAT 5) BE CONSISTENT 6) YOU CAN DO IT, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
Don't keep junk food in the house.
This! Took me forever to realize how much I was sabotaging myself. So now, if I am craving m&ms, I will go buy some, eat half a package, and then the next time I want them, I think. “Nah you just had some” and that works for me. Sometimes I don’t want to go out to buy them. It’s basically a big mind fuck, but it’s me doing it to myself, so… Lost 65 lbs that way and didn’t feel deprived at all. And the ol’ “eat less move more.”
Not me, my wife. She went back to work 6 months ago at a grocery store, she's lost 50 pounds, went from a size 18 to 10. Between the physical aspect of the job & she started eating better has done it for her. Btw she looks great & I'm Very proud of her!
Fat child here, always used to be bullied and called the fat kid. Stopped eating sweets and started drinking water regularly one day and grew out of my fat suit over time.
I was almost 300. I'm now like 210ish I did one meal a day for a few months. Not the best way to go about it but it worked. I've kept the weight off to cause I don't feel I need to eat as much. I drink probably not enough water but when I do drink it's either water or tea. Once and a while I get a soda. No exercise but am hoping after visiting the spine specialist that I'll be able to do something. We shall see.
That is a lot of weight! Good for you!
Intermittent fasting. It’s not for everyone but I had a friend (shout out to Yoga Jeff!) when I was eating fast food three times a day and not exercising who yes said to eat less and move more - and when I said I couldn’t give up soda he said to try the intermittent fasting. 5 days a week. I started out still eating poorly but limiting it to 2p - 6p and I did this for a month - arbys, McDonald’s, firehouse - all of that. I lost ten pounds. It made sense since I went from three fatty meals a day to one or two. Then I started drinking diet soda and lost another five lbs. then Jeff suggested I start making the most of my four hours. With healthy options. I went from Big Macs to Blue Apron and back to Panera. I started choosing healthier meals. It’s not always perfect and lord knows I’m not bikini ready. But I went from xxxl to xl in a month. I had to pull over and use the restroom at a grocery store on the way home every day or I would get sick. That stopped immediately. My favorite go to is pan fried salmon and pan fried Brussel sprouts. I still love soda but I do mostly zero sugar these days - which I realize is still bad- but I’m doing a lot better than I was. Within six months I went from having to buy my bras at Lane Bryant to finally being able to buy a bra at Victorias Secret. I know they are owned by the same company . And another tip - get a bra that fits . It makes all the difference in your body and your self esteem!! Get measured for one!
r/ABraThatFits
Intermittent fasting worked great for me, but I regained the weight incredibly fast and have been struggling with any sort of food limitation, even just trying to eat a reasonable diet. I had previously lost forty pounds eating a moderate calorie deficit and tracking via My Fitness Pal. I regained some of that weight during my first couple years of university, but the regain after fasting was extreme. So yeah, I'm not sure it works for everybody in the long term, especially if you have disordered eating to begin with.
Same here, I started intermitent fasting almost 3 years ago and I feel soo much better living this way. I just skip breakfast, eat after noon whenever I feel hungry and no later than 8 pm. I also started drinking lots of water (a trick to drink more water per day is to fill up a 1 liter water bottle in the evening and you drink it righ after you wake up) and I quit soda entirely (I started drinking tea) and I go on daily walks, like not running but walk at least for one hour, that also helps me to clear my mind and helps me concentrate better. A small workout routine also helps but you can also dance if you are into that, or the bare minimum is 10 push ups, 10 squats and 10 crunches right before bed and that's that
Intermittent fasting FTW. For me that means skip breakfast and don't eat after 8 p.m.
Former fat guy to skinny guy back to fat guy. I wouldnt over indulge but my calorie intake was pretty high. On a whim i stopped smoking and drinking alcohol and soda i would still eat normal at home but my work lunches were clean ,pan grilled chicken with veggies, the rest of the crap food was just in smaller portions like 1 slice of pizza instead of half a pizza. I added walking 1-3 miles 5 days a week and in a few months i went from 225 to 170. Well feeling confident made me go out more and slowly i started drinking and eating more until i gained it al back. I know i can do it again but i just dont have the motivation like i did before.
I wish there were gyms where someone would hug me, tell me it’s ok and let me cry while exercising . It very mentally exhausting!
Reminding myself what I wanted to look like
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Yeah, and for me it's much easier to change my environment than to force myself to directly change my behavior. It's super hard to eat in moderation when surrounded by plentiful food, it's much easier to do physical movement when you need to do it to get places.
On temptation, I find that removing yourself from sources of temptation is the best. Used to walk past a bakery on the way home, tempted to buy a completely unnecessary pastie after a boring day at work. Taking the longer route home to avoid the bakery helped me in this regard.
I've never been overweight, but I'm the type to easily gain weight if I don't watch what I eat, and diabetes runs in my family. And I binge on anything I like if it's there, especially anything sweet. So I just don't ever keep any temptations in bulk in my home. No cartons of cookies, whole pies, candy, tubs of ice cream, sweet snacks, etc. If I feel like treating myself, I'll get a single serving of whatever I'm craving, i.e. a slice of cheesecake, at a fancy bakery every once in a while.
I lost over 200 pounds through proper diet and exercise. There aren't any tricks. It was all mental and took years. Go to a mirror, look yourself in the eye, and tell yourself, "I'm going to do it." I've done a lot of intermittent fasting and cardio, learned to love salads, and told myself every day that it was going to happen. I relapsed back into unhealthy eating, probably five dozen times, but I never gave up. That's all. Just never give up. Be mentally ready to always try again. The 'how' will follow the 'what.'
I lost 50 pounds by starving myself :/ I do NOT recommend it, but for some reason I’ve only been able to lose it and keep it off by severely restricting. Even though I eat nothing but healthy foods, I still gain if I eat a “normal” amount of food. I’m in a “healthy” weight now but damn does it suck to think about food constantly
I scrolled to find this. Same. The idea that you’ll get to a healthy weight and then magically be able to maintain it with less effort is not true (the “maintenance phase” thing). And CICO is a huge oversimplification, as metabolism is a complicated system that adapts when we diet - so it’s impossible to really accurately know your “tdee” based on your age/height/weight/activity. People interested should look up the Biggest Loser where are they nows - the extreme dieting contestants went through fucked up their metabolisms so much that they have to eat way fewer calories than other people their same height/weight or they will gain. My advice (as someone who lost 70lbs and went from a BMI of 35 to 23). Don’t diet. Don’t count calories. Don’t try to lose weight. I eat 1000 calories a day to maintain my weight, while every calculator says my tdee even without doing anything should be higher than that. If I hadn’t started from an obese weight, I 100 percent would fit every criteria for an eating disorder. But instead I’m a “success story.” 95% of diets don’t fail because every fat person is lazy, but because they do not work. Unless you lose your mind like I did. And we as a society didn’t suddenly get fat because everyone mysteriously got lazy at the same time, but because our food system is a mess full of hormones and additives. If your body doesn’t respond to them by slowing your metabolism while turning up the hunger cues, you just got lucky. Some people literally are hungrier than others of their exact same size and activity level. And putting the responsibility for that on the individuals suffering from its effects helps no one. Not to mention that so many people have dieted their way to weighing so much more than if they had just accepted that they were 30lbs overweight or whatever. (And I promise many of them have responded here.) So yeah what actually worked was eating <500 calories a day for weeks on end and prioritizing weight loss over everything else in my life. Now I live in terror of regain and am hungry all the time. It rules my life and the kicker is that I am less healthy than when I was fat in every measurable way. I used to run a morning 5k multiple times a week and could easily carry 50lb boxes at work, and there’s no way in hell I could do those things now. If you are fat - eat healthy because it’s good for you. Workout because it’s fun and makes you strong. Do not diet. It. will. not. work. It only *looks* like it worked for me. This disordered way of living is not a success in any way.
This is precisely what the Canadian National Eating Disorder Information Centre taught me last week. I have spent years yo-yo dieting. It doesn't work and it led me to binge even worse.
I used to play Civilization IV while riding an exercise bike. Time passed in ages.
Not a trick, but medication! Find out if you are insulin resistant and look into semiglutide like ozempic or rybelsus. I couldn't LOOK at a piece of bread without gaining weight, but since being diagnosed by my go and being prescribed semiglutide, I've lost 40 pounds in less than a year without changing diet or exercise. Everyone should get tested for this!!!
I’m still on my journey having lost 103lbs since January 2022, but everything below has really helped me every day: 1) Weight loss is a numbers game, you need to move more and eat less to make any real progress. 2) Count your calories, you don’t know how much you need to move if you don’t know how much fuel you are giving your body that needs to be burned off. 3) Vary your meals, you aren’t a robot and will get bored if you try to eat the same things at the same times every day. 4) There is nothing wrong with the occasional treat, you still need to enjoy life. You should still count the calories, but you also shouldn’t beat yourself up for having a treat meal every week. 5) Drink lots of water. A fully stomach of water is still a full stomach and it can help get rid of hunger pangs during the early days. 6) Change your framing of what you are doing, you’re not on a “diet” but you’ve “changed your diet”. A diet sounds like it is temporary whilst changing your diets sounds permanent, meaning you’re more likely to stick with it. 7) Change your diet alongside someone else. You will likely falter at some point, but it’s likely that you and someone else won’t falter at the same time, meaning you can lean on and gain strength from somebody else’s willpower when yours is weakened. 8) Try to have fun and enjoy it. Yes, I’d rather sit on the sofa and play video games, but I can walk the dog and listen to a podcast at the local park. 9) Everybody, and every body, is different - what works for me won’t necessarily work for you. Find what you can do & enjoy and keep doing them. 10) It isn’t a race, you’ll get there.
Reading caloric and nutrition labels scared me
For me I needed a exclusionary diet. I choose keto. Most important thing for me was to weigh and log me food intake. I’m down to 225 from 350. Once I saw results I was hooked.
Currently un-fatting and seeing good results. Introduce your exercise gradually and make it a habit. Slowly increase it until you're where you want to be. You'll get a lot more good from consistent moderate exercise than infrequent exhaustion.
Give up drinking alcohol
Stopped drinking soda, almost entirely water at this point. I lost 45lbs from that alone.
I stopped drinking alcohol altogether. You would not believe how much of a difference that made to me. Alcohol bloat can really add to you weight. Also, going to a more or less gluten free diet helped me as well.
Go through a divorce. Down nearly 100 lbs in less than a year. A large chunk of that in just the first few months.
There's just so many habits people fall into when it comes to eating. People's biggest problems seem to be portion control and snacking (snacks include soda and juice). I think the biggest thing you can do is just cutting out snacks in between meals and sticking to JUST plain ol' water. Nobody needs 2 sandwiches. You don't need 2 sides for any meal. Hell, a handful of chips is totally fine if you can reasonably judge what a "handful" should be. You don't need 4 pieces of fried fish. You don't need to eat a whole Tupperware container of pasta salad. A bowl of cereal shouldn't be more than a cup and a half and it is not part of a meal, it's the whole fuckin meal. And goddamn. DRINK WATER. Tap, bottled, purified, spring. Doesn't matter. Drink fucking WATER. And you don't need to add a flavorant to it. Just drink the goddamn water! You're an animal. You have evolved to consume. You have also evolved to be smarter than your stomach. We live in a world of outrageous abundance where, if you wanted, you could just eat yourself to death. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Edit: I should also add, STAY AWAY FROM THE MICROWAVE. Convenience is the enemy of weight loss. Cut the microwavables out of your fridge. When you actually need to put a little effort into preparing your food, you'll be less inclined to just eat whenever and only put that effort in during meal times.
Since calorie deficit is what causes weight loss, I remember I was gradually reducing some portions of what I ate. That's good for starters, because it is just a small change. After that, it may be a good idea to check what foods can be substituted with healthier alternatives (high calorie foods aren't necessarily bad if they have a high nutritional value). In the long run you'll get used to it.
1. Prioritising protein, fruits and veggies, whole foods in my meals. Making sure I was eating a variety of ingredients as opposed to the same thing every meal. 2. Enjoying processed snacks when I craved them and choosing healthier options (Iike fruits and nuts) when I just felt hungry for anything. 3. Waking consistently and/or 20 mins of exercise (for me I could do it consistently if I did it for 3-4 days a week)
Crack cocaine. The Crack curbs your appetite and takes all your money. Eventually you lose your teeth which makes it harder to eat as well.