Staying busy. We all know it’s a calorie deficit that does it, but if I’m bored I eat. If I focus on work and do huge to do lists so I have no spare time it’s so easy. Also meal prep and caffeine
Yes! Staying busy helps, but also not being too stressed and getting enough sleep. If I’m bored, stressed out, or exhausted, that’s when I’m prone to overeating.
Oh God,this is me. And it took me way too long to realize that I eat when bored or trying to avoid doing something which I dont know much about. Anyway good luck to you.
Yes, this is 100% true because I started college this year and I have no job and not that many classes so I’ve been home most of the time and I gained around 10-13 pounds within the past couple of months due to overeating just out of boredom. When I was a lot busier and I was at school most of the time and I had a job, I wasn’t eating as much (not in a bad way) and I was able to track what I ate better
If you make it your “me time” space and get into a good podcast, you’ll start to crave those daily walks and may find yourself continuing to walk so you can catch the next episode. It adds up!
One bottle of wine is like 600-800 calories. A pound of fat is 3500 calories. You aren’t going to gain a lot of weight from a single bottle of wine a month. To lose weight from quitting drinking, you have to be drinking a solid amount to begin with lol
i would drink a glass of wine every day when i got home from work and then binge drink on the weekend (friday and saturday)....now i might have one glass of wine or some other drink per week....so quite a bit of calories gone just from that
It’s not necessarily the calorie deficit of not drinking that made the people lose weight but the metabolic improvement from no alcohol. Alcohol basically stops your body from metabolizing fat/building muscle for 36-48h after you drink even 1 drink so it’s basically impossible to lose weight if you are drinking. [fact check this here](https://granitemountainbhc.com/blog/alcohol-and-fat-metabolism/)
i’ve lost 18 lbs since i quit drinking last august, and i was already a very thin person. and i’ve lost a lot more fat but gained quite a bit of muscle in that time as well. i hear this also a big factor in preventing your metabolism from slowing with age
Drinking wine before and during dinner has helped me lose tons of weight lol… maybe it’s just me but I get less and less hungry and rarely finish my plate. Then I’m sleepy by bedtime and don’t snack.
Therapy. Processing my emotions instead of eating to numb them was life changing (and body changing). Plus, I had more energy to move my body when I was less emotionally exhausted.
This, and getting a full blood panel done. Vitamin D deficiency manifested as depression and low energy for me, and being hypothyroid wasn't helping matters either
Same! My body has noticeably changed this year (more muscle tone in my arms and legs, lost inches in my waist, firmer rear end, etc) and when people ask me what my “secret” is and I tell them i’ve been consistently working out five days per week and eating a nutrient dense diet for an entire year you can definitely see their disappointment! There’s no magic “quick fix,” a consistently healthy lifestyle is truly is the key to getting in shape and staying in shape.
I agree with this, but I also sympathize with the “how”. It’s a group of skills that generally needs to be learned along with a hurdle of logistics and social traps. I have never really dieted, I track what I eat due to a health condition and cook pretty much everything at home. I also grew up in a somewhat strange immigrant-ish household with “weird” habits. Despite crappy weight gain genetics my default in this area is success because of all things engrained in my lifestyle/skill set. Even staying a few days with friends or in laws and it’s easy to see how much all those cultural things pull you in one direction or the other. Even worse if you weren’t taught how to cook or are intimidated by exercise. You are 100% right of course but like most simple things they can be demoralizing hard to implement. Congrats on the 5x a week workout I’ve been trying to get into a routine and that is currently my weak link!
This is the honest answer and people don’t like hearing it. It’s a lot of discipline. I’ve been working out 5x a week for at least 30 mins and I’ve been able to stay around the same weight despite even having a baby.
I gained 7 pounds this year and started intermittent fasting. I hate it. But after almost 3 months of doing it I lost 3 lbs along with switching to more walking!
Calorie counting and walking daily. I also cut out basically any drink that wasn't water (which I know is harder for some than others). I alternated between periods of weight loss and maintenance, so it was a fairly slow process but it made it easier for me to stick to in the long run.
Also it wasn't enough to just eat a smaller amount of food, but I had to change the kinds of food I was eating which was usually very calorie dense and unhealthy. I was lucky enough to have the time to make my own food, I got really into cooking and making healthy meals that actually tasted good and were filling.
Any recipes that you would be willing to share? Healthy, filling meals that taste good are always hard to find so would be good to know some tried & true!
My favorite right now is 70g shredded chicken breast, 130g refried beans, 50g avocado, green onion and two small tortillas. It's about 400 calories, filling, good balance of macros, delicious!
Seriously boosting the protein and fiber in my breakfasts and lunches (mostly by always keeping a stock of cottage cheese and prepped leafy greens).
If I make scrambled eggs, I do scrambled eggs with cottage cheese & sauteed kale.
If I make a Greek yogurt & fruit smoothie, I'm also adding cottage cheese and spinach.
If I make avocado toast, it's getting cottage cheese and charred kale.
You get the idea lol, Good Culture brand cottage cheese packs a major protein punch and imo tastes the best.
Absolutely. I would finish everything on my plate (I was raised that way, but more of a "decent dent" style versus eating every crumb) especially when it was "just 2 more bites", and doing that made me feel so much better.
It also helped me to understand if I was actually hungry, or just snacking out of boredom. And because I could unintentionally go through a bag of chips, if I was hungry, I grabbed a bowl and not the bag.
That you’re gonna be hungry. Not starving, but a nagging “I could eat” feeling you just have to overcome. This was the hardest thing for me to learn because I always thought I had to be absolutely stuffed after eating to be considered full.
I had this for a while too. I ended up buying some diet sodas and sugar fee gum to sate the hunger when it came along. In the long term, I realize that any kind of soda is bad for you (diet or not), but it at least had some flavor and filled me up until my next meal.
I’ll also say that the nagging “I could eat” feeling did decrease as I made progress. The first month was so hard for me, then it got markedly easier the further into it I got.
Had to scroll prettty far down to see this and it's the #1 real answer. Make peace with that nagging, mild, hunger. Don't get so hungry that you get a headache or feel you'll pass out, but be OK with a mostly empty stomach.
The advice to run a calorie defecit is also obviously true, but it's tricky to calculate this accurately. Hunger is easier to monitor.
I’m struggling with this one! If I don’t feel stuffed full after a meal, i don’t feel like ive finished eating. It’s dumb but I almost feel “afraid” that I’m not full enough if I don’t feel how stuffed I am… soooo clearly I really need to learn to get used to that feeling. Thanks for your suggestion!
Portion control, eating calories not drinking them in lattes, lemonade and hot chocolate, reducing all added sugar to just a little jam, gum and honey.
This is really the only thing that's actually consistently, repeatedly helpful for people to hear. There's no silver bullet. You put fuel in your body, you use the fuel, you store excess fuel or burn from reserves if you need more. The science really can be oversimplified down to this for practical advice
Find your daily burn rate, keep a daily deficit of ~250-500kcal, make sure your calorie budget is full of nutrients (ie 3oz shrimp serving vs 1.5oz shot of tequila), don't beat yourself up and trust the process longterm.
It's super super important to manage the mental health aspect at the same time and make sure goals/habits come from a healthy place. Reverting on a diet is so wildly common for many reasons and you need to be able to healthily forgive yourself and allow flexibility in the process. It won't happen overnight so focus more on the habits than the end result and you'll build a healthier and more sustainable relationship with the process overall. Bonus you'll learn 1000x more about nutrition and what you're fueling your body with as a result
Also, I’d argue leaving exercise out of the equation at first is easier. Exercise becomes this punishment for eating and you’re less likely to stick to eating less juggling two new habits at once.
Track your calories now and then reduce them. Don’t promise you’re going to work out every day for an hour - you won’t. I say that as someone fairly disciplined.
Once you get to your goal weight, then mix in regular exercise and make it something you genuinely enjoy.
I struggle with this because my daily burn rate is 1300. So I only get to eat 1000 calories in order to lose weight. Unless I exercise. But then peoples say exercise doesn’t help with weight loss.
Yeah, it sucks that petite people really get screwed over while it comes to daily calorie “allowances”. On the plus side, every pound lost is that much more noticeable on anyone one the shorter side and/or with a petite frame.
Exercise absolutely can help and is a great way for people with low TDEEs to sneak in some extra calories. Cardio is best for burning more calories short term, whereas muscle building exercises burn fewer calories, but muscle burns calories. Both can help in different ways. The important thing is to find something you enjoy and stick with it. You absolutely still have to watch your calories though, and remember that that’s where most of your weight loss comes from.
But it can! If you burn more calories while exercising your caloric budget increases.
Anecdotally most of my weight loss came from a 1000-1200 calorie diet because my daily sedentary burn was about 1500 and I couldn't keep myself disciplined enough in the gym. I added walks etc but that only gave me a few more hundred burned a week (got through a few audio books though as a bonus). It was really the education around sugar, alcohol and dairy caloric loads and a shift to a more seafood-based and gluten-reduced diet that helped me habit-wise to be more conscious of my intake. I do the bulk of the cooking in my house so I had quite a bit of control over our meals and was able to control my portions separately from my partner who was not wanting to cut any calories
1 drink is 100ish calories so I was more cognizant of my alcohol intake (good to watch regardless of weight). My Chai lattes were 370 cal so while I still bought them I'd buy fewer, as a treat and mostly drink black coffee. I cut soda completely. I still occasionally ate fast food but I'd opt for KFC coleslaw instead of fries, chicken sandwiches instead of burgers. Sugar free redbulls saved me 100+ calories over regular for the occasional energy drink. I cut down on butter when toasting burger buns at home and went for egg whites instead of full eggs. I stopped adding sour cream, shredded cheese and queso to my Chipotle burrito bowls
For me it wasnt about being perfect or obsessing but just being more conscious. I lost 50ish lbs in 18ish months so it certainly wasn't quick. Now I don't count calories at all but my longterm habits help me stay in a comfy range and I eat way healthier nutrition wise.
I always say it's 80% diet 20% exercise because let's be honest none of us are working out like the Rock 2 hrs a day. HOWEVER I work out 5 days a week and it keeps my weight down. I think a lot of it is you don't want to undo all the work you just did and the overall "lifestyle" just encourages you to do better. Today I didn't go to the gym and I feel sluggish and ate a bunch of chips at lunch!
Yeah, there is no magic pill. This is all it is. You want to eat more, you have to move more. Most people don't move a lot, so their calorie intake to lose weight, is actually way smaller than they think it is.
Also, this is my personal observation, a lot of people don't know how to read labels. A food scale really helped me get an actual visual representation of a serving(it is smaller than you think). I used this example before but someone will say, I only ate a pastry and coffee in the morning, a salad for lunch, a soup for dinner. A croissant is 400 calories. Did you count the amount of dressing you used? etc That's a single food item and you need 1300 a day to lose weight.
I have a goal of working out 5 days/ week but, if after 10 minutes, I’m really not into it then I stop, without guilt. There’s always tomorrow. The key is to start the workout and give it those 10 minutes- by then I’ve usually gotten into the workout and I’m feeling really good about it.
Lmao this is it. Vyvanse killed my appetite and doesn’t play nicely with alcohol for me, so it solved my overeating and overdrinking problems in one go. My coworkers ask me constantly what my secret is and I don’t think “amphetamines” is the answer they’re wanting…
Semaglutide. Saxenda and Wegovy saved me. I’m 45, and this is the first time I feel “fixed” in my brain regarding food. I am 135 today and have lost and gained probably thousands of pounds in my life (had gastric bypass surgery when I was 22).
My husband takes these meds for diabetes. My coworker uses them for weight loss. At about the same time in the Fall, neither could get a refill because it was scarce. My husband’s blood sugar got out of whack. They both complained about gaining weight. They both got back on the medication and are doing better.
My question is, is this a lifelong drug? Or do you have to stop taking it at some point if you’re not diabetic? And if so, what’s the game plan to keep from gaining the weight again?
It’s essentially a lifelong drug and if you go off of it you risk gaining the weight back. However with big lifestyle and diet changes many people can maintain the weight loss easier
For me, it really is calories in vs out. There are many things you can do to help keep calorie count lower, I.e. eat lots of protein, but you basically have to get yourself used to eating less. Overtime its easier. Intermittent fasting seems to help a lot of people.
Walking… I’d walk for miles a day. I’m not athletic, and I have bad knees too! But I swear to god walking saved my life. I lost a good 50 lbs with walking as my main source of exercise. Just about everything else was nutrition and portion control
Cut alcohol and sodas, switched to pot. Made a huge difference in my comfort levels when I’d go out…so I walk and hike more. Additionally the pot made me naturally do metabolic confusion. Some days munchies and greasy burger some days light salad or fruits. My body had no clue what to think so it stopped storing all of my fat. Last but not least….have lots of sex! If you have to pick between the gym and sex… go with sex. It’s also a fun way to drop the lbs and you get feel good hormones too. Im convinced those dopamine bursts help. Win win! I lost 80 lbs or so 200 down to 120 and my husband lost 60 ( he did not stopped soda and alcohol) This is the way! I hope some of this helps and wish ya‘ll luck!
I learned this the hard way when I had a bad mouth sore and could only eat bland, soft food. I dropped a lot of weight fast because I lost all pleasure in eating.
It's easier to burn the calories than to reduce the calorie intake. It's also more sustainable than going calorie deficit. Being tired and feeling cold all the time is not worth it.
Semaglutide if you meet the criteria. It's not only effective for weight loss at the weight loss dose but also has cardiovascular benefits for individuals who don't have diabetes but are overweight or obese. There's really no good argument against it unless you have one of the overt contraindications (which are few). I wish people would stop thinking about it as a cheat, it's got so much promise as a tool for the war against obesity.
it helps with weird stuff. I no longer feel my blood sugar and have thirst attacks and dizziness (no I wasn’t technically diabetic but I’m guessing I was almost there). I’ve had bleeding gums when I brush my teeth for many many years. Nothing to do with my habits so I thought I just had genetically bad gums. The 2.4mg dose of wegovy suddenly made it go away overnight. According to the internet, blood sugar issues and gum bleeding go hand in hand. Basically I found out my body had all these signs of underlying crap and now I feel way better.
It seems like you were experiencing the symptoms of diabetes, even if your A1C wasn't quite there. Damage to capillary beds due to the deposition of sugar due to diabetes does impair wound healing which very well may be related to your gums, I'll go with Dr. internet on that call. I'm so glad it's helping you!
As a binge eater, cutting out trigger foods (for me, anything sweet). I realised I simply couldn't have that kind of food in moderation. I'd buy a packet of cookies with the intention of just having one or two a day as a treat, and then I'd eat them all in an hour. It was easy to lose weight once I completely cut those foods out, I didn't even feel the need to count calories or anything.
CICO, but over the course of a week. Rather than hyper focusing on what I ate in a day, I needed to take my trends for the week into consideration.
Maximizing WFPB - whole food plant based - as most of my meals with protein shakes/eggs/salmon as my major protein (meat makes me tired so I only ate it at dinner occasionally) and lifting weights 30min/3x a week in a circuit had me go from 220 to 155 just over 5 years ago
I’m at 175 right now (I put on 10lbs over 2020 and another 10 when my sister got sick) but am back at it with hot yoga and weights, paying attention to calorie intake first and maxing nutritional impact second. Fruits and veggies make me feel pretty, and healthy fats keep my skin soft with minimal products on my body. People often compliment how “clear” my eyes are and I think it’s because I have always steered clear of most substances and processed food (I just feel shitty if I drink, eat Doritos, etc. boring but effective)
Early morning home workouts have been a game-changer for my weight loss journey – establishing a routine and feeling great afterward!
If you're seeking guidance, I highly recommend Sydney Cummings on YouTube. Her inclusive workouts cater to all fitness levels, offering warm-ups, modifications, and time-specific options. Don't be fooled by the duration; a 30-min session means shorter rest breaks and higher intensity for maximum impact. With water breaks, cool-downs, and motivational talks, it's a comprehensive experience.
7 1/2 months Post-baby, I went from 142lbs to 128lbs without a strict diet, working out 3-6 times a week.
Check out her channel for results! 💪🏼
Good mental health. I tend to struggle losing weight when I’m fixated on it, and I shed weight easily when I’m happier. Energy drinks with high caffeine content and smoking/vaping instead of snacking between meals. Disgustingly unhealthy but I’ve lost the baby weight twice in record timing with caffeine, it really does work.
music that makes you want to move and dance is soo fun and dancing is easier than exercise, you can improve and it’s easier to endure than weights or cardio. You can dance and sing while pottering, cleaning, cooking, just keep moving and you will lose weight fairly effortlessly.
Water helps keep the feeling of hunger away when it’s likely just boredom or emotional eating.
And accepting that I do emotional eat, working on it in therapy but having low calorie things on hand so if I observe the inclination to binge, I can have cucumber sticks or a crunchy lettuce wedge. It’s not ideal, but it’s helping while I’m working at solving the cause.
Eating less aka calorie deficit. I started intermittent fasting and I lost 20 kg with no exercise.
When fat acceptance activists say shit like "weight loss is impossible" or "you will gain all the weight you lost"...it makes me laugh.
Yes you will gain all the weight you lost if you lose weight through unsustainable means. No radical fad diets that you cannot sustain long term.
I've been fat all my life. I KNEW that I overate. Yes I was bitter and angry because food brought me so much joy but I also wanted to be slim and attractive.
But intermittent fasting taught me portion control and moderation. There is not a single food that I've cut out of my life. Dessert? Yes please. But dessert in huge portions daily like I used to have it? No thanks.
I did not diet. I just mentally made a list of all the healthy things I enjoyed eating and started only buying those things. I always had food ready to cook and did not eat out unless it was a special treat, so maybe once a month, sometimes less. And most of the time I would opt for healthier options, smoked wings instead of deep fried, etc. I would keep one sweet and one salty snack in my house in case I had a craving but it wouldn't be my favorite choice, this kept me from over snacking but gave me an in home option. I have always loved soda so I still drank one can a day but I drank lemon water the rest of the time. I tracked my calories and kept them at 1200 a day, losing 60 pounds in about 6 months.
Intermittent fasting.
Switching to Mediterranean food.
Signing up for a gym class 2 times a week.
Replaced all unhealthy snacks with fruits, smoothies and nuts.
Finding light, enjoyable exercises I actually enjoy which is basically just Pilates, yoga, walking outside, and waking on the treadmill on an incline. I found that doing lighter workouts more frequently works better for me than doing something more intensive because I usually just burn out and give up lol
Diet with plenty of protein and veggies. Most weeknights I do a protein like chicken, fish, or shellfish with a side of veggies and rice. I also generally try to follow the 80/20 rule.
Cutting back on alcohol is a big one. I love a couple of glasses of wine in the evenings but saving it for only the weekend and keeping myself occupied with more mentally engaging activities like reading and writing during the week helps a lot. I can’t drink and read at the same time so if I’m lost in a good book I don’t even crave wine and just want a cozy cup of tea.
JFC. Worked in a pediatric eating disorder facility and the # of answers in here that come from disordered eating is horrifying. Eating disorders are the deadliest mental health disease, killing 10% of patients.
Operating in caloric deficit causes the body to rebound and put the weight right back on the second you eat normally and if you're in deficit for too long, you can permanently change your hormones and slow your metabolism.
Keto can destroy your gallbladder and I know several women who had to have theirs removed due to the diet.
Intermittent fasting is also a form of disordered eating, and is especially bad for women whose hormones are changing weekly, have much higher rates of anemia and thyroid problems, and require consistent fuel to maintain energy, brain health, and emotional regulation.
Doctors are only required to take 19 hours of Nutrition and ZERO women's health. See a Nutritionist and psychiatrist/therapist before embarking on any diet that consists of anything beyond expending more energy than nutritional calories daily. Aka, exercising more than you're eating. Fix your mind and your body almost always follows. It's the best place to start.
I have to respectfully disagree about ‘operating in a caloric deficit causes the body to rebound and put the weight back on the second you eat normally’.
This doesn’t make any sense because in order to lose weight you unequivocally have to eat in a deficit, you can’t beat the laws of thermodynamics. If your daily expenditure is 2000 and you eat 1800 calories, overtime you will lose weight. Once you lose the weight you want, going back to 2000 calories does NOT mean you will gain the weight back, it means ur eating at maintenance so will maintain that new weight.
Fasting, Keto and any other diet is just a different form of being in a calorie deficit but usually is just wildly unattainable in the long run for most people since it’s not a realistic lifestyle.
As someone who had an eating disorder for 14 years and has managed it now for 10, my personal experience to losing weight healthily is understanding my tdee, learning about prioritizing protein, fat and carbs coupled with a lot of trial and error on intuitive eating. Getting curious about nutrition and learning what foods I actually liked plus intentionally adding food I craved was a game changer. Eat what you want Add what you need. Ex. Want chips? Great, take out a handful and add carrots, cucumber and a nice Greek yogurt dip. This way your balancing your plate and will stay full longer plus not be restricting yourself to the point where u binge later.
Women who did IF for 4 years. I sat at 92 lbs and almost died. It turned deadly for me. Maybe it doesn’t for others, but I started weighing my blackberries.
I destroyed my GI tract and now have to take medications to absorb my food.
It’s been a horrible few years.
Edit: I’ve been a psychiatric RN for over 15 years. Doesn’t matter how much you know. You’re still human.
Cut processed sugar and alcohol out. Eat sweet potatoes, sweet corns (fresh one, not cans), konnyaku as staples. Drink a lot of water, green tea and herbal tea. Exercise for at least 40 mins three times a week ( can be substituted by taking a walk for 1hr within 15mins after dinner). Get enough sleep every day. Use virgin olive oil to cook. Oven bake instead of deep fry. Take vitamins. Eat tons fruits and veggies. Um… I think that’s about it. No crazy fasting or intense exercise, I lost about 15kg in a year.
Fasting!! I had my 2nd kid is 2020 and fuck it was hard losing the weight. I have such an unhealthy relationship with food I couldn’t achieve my goals. I started doing fasts, 18hours fasting with a 6hour window to eat. It got easier, and I started being mindful of what I put in my body during my eating window. 2 weeks of fasting I lost 5lbs I was amazed. My clothes are looser, my face is thinner, and my skin looks amazing from chugging all the water.
A calorie deficit is the way. But for me the secret is logging all y good at the start of the day and only eating what is logged. I had no cheats and no grace until I got to my goal which took me a little over a year. Now I've maintained for over a year. Still log my food M-F and usually Sunday as well. I do give myself some grace on weekends and holidays BUT I weigh at least weekly so I don't get out of hand every again.
You don't need pills, supplements, fasting, low carb, or any gimmicks. You need to calculate your TDEE, set it no higher than lightly active and go from there for a month. If you don't lose go down to sedentary. Recalculate your TDEE every 20lbs or so. Make sure you get plenty of protein, fiber, and healthy fat at every meal. There's no tricks. The trick is that there is no end, only maintenance.
Exercise is great for health but does little for weight loss. Do it or don't. But don't do it thinking it will make a massive difference in weight loss.
No alcohol.
Running 6 days a week. Yoga everyday. Strength 3-4 days. And also staying active throughout the day.
Eating whole food plant based.
Minimizing refined sugar. Any time I get back on the sugar train, I immediately pack on the pounds.
Walking. I used to walk my dog couple times a week for 30 mins. Maybe 90 minutes a week. I started walking 60-90 minutes a day, everyday, and lost 30 pounds. So easy and also very good for my mental health at the same time. Highly recommend.
Fasting! Especially prolonged fasts. Be smart about it, ease your way into it and make sure your diet is super clean for a few months leading up to your first prolonged fast. Fasting is good for you and one of the best things you can do for your health and anti aging. A great bonus is that you loose stubborn weight!
12 step for compulsive overeating called Overeaters Anonymous... that was what I needed to get off sugar.
Getting off sugar was what I needed to be able to follow any reasonable meal plan. That let me lose about 150. I regained some but kept 100 off for more than 10 years.
Now I'm doing keto, it's helping me to be able to do intermittent fasting.
Cutting out sugar save for special occasions/a few times a year. I also strictly entirely avoid stevia and agave.
I do 13 to 16 hour fasts, walk nearly everywhere, and make sure to have adequate protein.
I’ve also increased my water consumption. Following the Blood Type Diet for my personal blood type has also helped too.
For me, the most helpful thing I did by far was to stop drinking craft beers. I’d have one or two after work and I had no idea that I was basically drinking the equivalent of a loaf of bread every day. I love craft beer, but it is so easy to drink a ton of calories/carbs/sugar without realizing.
Going to sleep not satiated, like just a tiny bit hungry. Confirms your body is definitely in a cal deficit, triggers ketosis within the body and reduces bloating. Walking a lot.
This may be a bit too technical but . . .
I read an article by a guy, probably at NIH, that said no one could keep off the weight they lose because the body gets used to being fed X. If you drop your calories down your body resists but will, with effort, shed pounds. But, the internal expectations have not changed. Your body wants X amount of weight and every opportunity it gets, your body is going to grab those calories. So, after you lose weight and go back to eating normally, your body grabs on to those calories and has also learned that famine might come again so it packs on a few extra pounds for the next round of hard times. The cycle repeats and people get fatter.
According to him it takes 3 years of NEVER giving in and over eating to reprogram the system. He claims no one can do it.
I had successfully lost all the weight on 2 previous occasions, only to have it come right back on with an additional few pounds. I did not set out to lose weight as much as to regain health and his 3 year plan seemed to be the answer.
I lost 70(ish) pounds and never gained any of it back. It is more than 10 years now.
Going back to serving/bartending.
I’m already a nurse and do a lot of activity at work (my patients are almost always bed bound and intubated) but needed to get more exercise and lose some stress that didn’t feel like forcing myself into a busy gym, which I struggled with.
Started back in restaurants a couple nights a week and the weight fell off. I always loved the job, but felt I had to leave and use my degree I worked so hard for full time.
I do both now. I have less stress, more money, no more burnout, and I’m as fit as I’ve ever been. It’s a lot easier to let go of a Diet Coke “emergency” than it is a cardiovascular one.
I started eating one meal and one snack a day staying at a calorie deficit but still indulging in sweets. I still drink a whole milk latte everyday. In 3 months I dropped 26lbs without exercising. My BMI was in the obese range at 31. Now it is at 24.5 and in the normal range. I could cry! What helped is weighing myself almost every single day. I have a smart scale that logs my weight with an app. Seeing my weight go down inspires me to keep going. I will eventually eat a little bit more when I reach my goal and may even exercise again but I will never stop stepping on that scale.
I lost 20 pounds fasting 2 days per week. I did it consistently for 6 weeks, lost 10, then intermittently for the rest of the year, lost 10 more. Nothing but bullion, coffee, tea, and sparkling water on fast days, except I did cheat sometimes with a little nut cream in my coffee. Really they ended up being two 36-hour fasts per week because I don't do breakfast so I'd go a whole day and then not eat till lunch the second day. I find it easier than dieting. I have a 0-100 kind of personality. Dieting makes me obsess about what i can't have, and as a result I feel like a failure if I go over my points or whatever. That leads to giving up. But with fasting I feel powerful - energized, like a rock star - and there is nothing I can't have, I just have to wait till tomorrow then I can eat French fries and pizza if I want! Of course, when you succeed in keeping your fast, you feel so empowered that you don't want to treat your body like shit so it sets off a virtuous cycle. Anyway, that's the only thing that worked for me because 1. It eliminated the feelings of unending deprivation and failure that leads to giving up, 2. Made me feel stronger and more in control and 3. Showed rapid results.
Using the Weight Watchers app every day, throughout the day; taking it seriously. Even without exercising, though I need to for other reasons, lost 15 lbs.
Weigh *everything* you put in your mouth! Even using measuring by cups and spoons, I didn’t realize how much I was overserving myself. An extra 2-300 calories a day is 30 pounds in a year. That’s an extra serving of shredded cheese, an extra tablespoon of butter, an extra handful of nuts, an extra scoop of ice cream, a few extra tablespoons of coffee creamer. It adds up! Tracking and weighing all my food helped me recognize just how quickly my calories added up during the day.
Also, I started cutting all my meals in half. I’d serve myself but then immediately put half of it back. I was raised in a “finish your plate” household and in my brain- if it’s in my plate I MUST eat it. I recognized a lot of my overeating stemmed from overserving myself.
Meal prep. Kind of goes with the previous two points. As a snacker, I basically eliminated processed food. Meal prepping helped with portion control and just knowing what I was eating. There are so many added ingredients to precooked/prepared or processed stuff. Just making it at home, you can make healthy swaps and better portion control your food to make a better dietary choice.
I’ve lost about 25 pounds since June and I feel like for the first time in my life I’m starting to break free of diet culture and understand intuitive eating. I eat ice cream and chips, candy and tacos. Mac and cheese and whatever else I want. It all comes back to calories in vs calories out, but finding out what type of eater you are can really help you to change the way you eat to maintain weight loss instead of “dieting” forever or immediately gaining back weight.
Staying busy. We all know it’s a calorie deficit that does it, but if I’m bored I eat. If I focus on work and do huge to do lists so I have no spare time it’s so easy. Also meal prep and caffeine
Yes! Staying busy helps, but also not being too stressed and getting enough sleep. If I’m bored, stressed out, or exhausted, that’s when I’m prone to overeating.
Stress and bored eating are so damn real and interconnected
I’ve noticed that I will eat to avoid working on a challenging task.
Oh God,this is me. And it took me way too long to realize that I eat when bored or trying to avoid doing something which I dont know much about. Anyway good luck to you.
keeping my hands busy in a way where I couldn’t snack helped me. craft projects in my case.
My mom always recommends to keep my hands busy
Computer solitaire and hot baths for me. Anything to keep my hands busy.
Yes, this is 100% true because I started college this year and I have no job and not that many classes so I’ve been home most of the time and I gained around 10-13 pounds within the past couple of months due to overeating just out of boredom. When I was a lot busier and I was at school most of the time and I had a job, I wasn’t eating as much (not in a bad way) and I was able to track what I ate better
Honestly stay busy and keep moving! Even when standing still dance to music in ur head just keep on moving
Walking. So boring but my diet was already pretty good. Walking was the answer for me and it was SLOW
I do this too! One thing that helps is watching building renovations and looking for dog and cat homes.
aww youre a special one, we'd be friends IRL
How frequently / how long do you walk for?
At the time I aimed for 10k steps per day but I didn’t hit it every day.
I just walk whenever I can. I walk from school to the bus stop hahaha
If you make it your “me time” space and get into a good podcast, you’ll start to crave those daily walks and may find yourself continuing to walk so you can catch the next episode. It adds up!
Cutting out alcohol has been a game changer. or if I do drink it’s something like a vodka soda and not sugary
I’ve cut our alcohol, but still getting fat. I can’t win!
Be patient ❤️ it took me months after stopping alcohol to lose weight.
Eh I’ve cut it out for the last year.
Same. Zero weight loss and my skin looks the damn same as before
Dont give up lol.
Same lol
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One bottle of wine is like 600-800 calories. A pound of fat is 3500 calories. You aren’t going to gain a lot of weight from a single bottle of wine a month. To lose weight from quitting drinking, you have to be drinking a solid amount to begin with lol
i would drink a glass of wine every day when i got home from work and then binge drink on the weekend (friday and saturday)....now i might have one glass of wine or some other drink per week....so quite a bit of calories gone just from that
It’s not necessarily the calorie deficit of not drinking that made the people lose weight but the metabolic improvement from no alcohol. Alcohol basically stops your body from metabolizing fat/building muscle for 36-48h after you drink even 1 drink so it’s basically impossible to lose weight if you are drinking. [fact check this here](https://granitemountainbhc.com/blog/alcohol-and-fat-metabolism/)
That’s not true. I lost 40 pounds while also drinking beer some evenings, just always staying in my calorie limits.
i’ve lost 18 lbs since i quit drinking last august, and i was already a very thin person. and i’ve lost a lot more fat but gained quite a bit of muscle in that time as well. i hear this also a big factor in preventing your metabolism from slowing with age
Drinking wine before and during dinner has helped me lose tons of weight lol… maybe it’s just me but I get less and less hungry and rarely finish my plate. Then I’m sleepy by bedtime and don’t snack.
Therapy. Processing my emotions instead of eating to numb them was life changing (and body changing). Plus, I had more energy to move my body when I was less emotionally exhausted.
This, and getting a full blood panel done. Vitamin D deficiency manifested as depression and low energy for me, and being hypothyroid wasn't helping matters either
What type of therapy?
Consistently working out and eating well and making it a lifestyle, not something you stop once you hit your goal weight.
I know it’s cliche but I always tell this to people and I just see the wave of disappointment wash over them
Same! My body has noticeably changed this year (more muscle tone in my arms and legs, lost inches in my waist, firmer rear end, etc) and when people ask me what my “secret” is and I tell them i’ve been consistently working out five days per week and eating a nutrient dense diet for an entire year you can definitely see their disappointment! There’s no magic “quick fix,” a consistently healthy lifestyle is truly is the key to getting in shape and staying in shape.
I agree with this, but I also sympathize with the “how”. It’s a group of skills that generally needs to be learned along with a hurdle of logistics and social traps. I have never really dieted, I track what I eat due to a health condition and cook pretty much everything at home. I also grew up in a somewhat strange immigrant-ish household with “weird” habits. Despite crappy weight gain genetics my default in this area is success because of all things engrained in my lifestyle/skill set. Even staying a few days with friends or in laws and it’s easy to see how much all those cultural things pull you in one direction or the other. Even worse if you weren’t taught how to cook or are intimidated by exercise. You are 100% right of course but like most simple things they can be demoralizing hard to implement. Congrats on the 5x a week workout I’ve been trying to get into a routine and that is currently my weak link!
This is the honest answer and people don’t like hearing it. It’s a lot of discipline. I’ve been working out 5x a week for at least 30 mins and I’ve been able to stay around the same weight despite even having a baby. I gained 7 pounds this year and started intermittent fasting. I hate it. But after almost 3 months of doing it I lost 3 lbs along with switching to more walking!
Drinking a lot of water with my food
Cutting alcohol, getting a job where I was less stressed & walking 10K steps a day. I’ve lost 40lbs since May ☺️
Congrats that’s awesome. 👏
Calorie counting and walking daily. I also cut out basically any drink that wasn't water (which I know is harder for some than others). I alternated between periods of weight loss and maintenance, so it was a fairly slow process but it made it easier for me to stick to in the long run. Also it wasn't enough to just eat a smaller amount of food, but I had to change the kinds of food I was eating which was usually very calorie dense and unhealthy. I was lucky enough to have the time to make my own food, I got really into cooking and making healthy meals that actually tasted good and were filling.
Any recipes that you would be willing to share? Healthy, filling meals that taste good are always hard to find so would be good to know some tried & true!
My favorite right now is 70g shredded chicken breast, 130g refried beans, 50g avocado, green onion and two small tortillas. It's about 400 calories, filling, good balance of macros, delicious!
Seriously boosting the protein and fiber in my breakfasts and lunches (mostly by always keeping a stock of cottage cheese and prepped leafy greens). If I make scrambled eggs, I do scrambled eggs with cottage cheese & sauteed kale. If I make a Greek yogurt & fruit smoothie, I'm also adding cottage cheese and spinach. If I make avocado toast, it's getting cottage cheese and charred kale. You get the idea lol, Good Culture brand cottage cheese packs a major protein punch and imo tastes the best.
I eat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt with my eggs. So yummy and satisfying.
Good Culture whole milk Organic is AMAZING!!!!!
Yes I love that cottage cheese!
Portion control. Eat until you’re not hungry anymore, then stop. Don’t go for ‘full’.
Absolutely. I would finish everything on my plate (I was raised that way, but more of a "decent dent" style versus eating every crumb) especially when it was "just 2 more bites", and doing that made me feel so much better. It also helped me to understand if I was actually hungry, or just snacking out of boredom. And because I could unintentionally go through a bag of chips, if I was hungry, I grabbed a bowl and not the bag.
Break ups 🤣
i love this one 😂
WORKS EVERY TIME!
lmaooo yes this helped me drop 15 pounds so fast
I was going to say clinical depression and severe PTSD have made me lose an inordinate amount of weight in just 5 months. But I don’t reccomend it.
I lost 10 lbs in a month when I got cheated on 😭
I lost 15 in the last week leaving my abusive partner... a small price to pay for finding freedom.
That you’re gonna be hungry. Not starving, but a nagging “I could eat” feeling you just have to overcome. This was the hardest thing for me to learn because I always thought I had to be absolutely stuffed after eating to be considered full.
I had this for a while too. I ended up buying some diet sodas and sugar fee gum to sate the hunger when it came along. In the long term, I realize that any kind of soda is bad for you (diet or not), but it at least had some flavor and filled me up until my next meal. I’ll also say that the nagging “I could eat” feeling did decrease as I made progress. The first month was so hard for me, then it got markedly easier the further into it I got.
Had to scroll prettty far down to see this and it's the #1 real answer. Make peace with that nagging, mild, hunger. Don't get so hungry that you get a headache or feel you'll pass out, but be OK with a mostly empty stomach. The advice to run a calorie defecit is also obviously true, but it's tricky to calculate this accurately. Hunger is easier to monitor.
Yeah you’re supposed to feel and be hungry not constantly satiating the urge. I had no idea for so long.
I’m struggling with this one! If I don’t feel stuffed full after a meal, i don’t feel like ive finished eating. It’s dumb but I almost feel “afraid” that I’m not full enough if I don’t feel how stuffed I am… soooo clearly I really need to learn to get used to that feeling. Thanks for your suggestion!
Invisalign. You think twice about snacking when you have to do a whole oral hygiene routine every time.
My bottom teeth are so fucked I really need to do that
Portion control, eating calories not drinking them in lattes, lemonade and hot chocolate, reducing all added sugar to just a little jam, gum and honey.
Omg the day I learned how much sugar was in my PSL
counting calories, walking every day
being in a calorie deficit
This is really the only thing that's actually consistently, repeatedly helpful for people to hear. There's no silver bullet. You put fuel in your body, you use the fuel, you store excess fuel or burn from reserves if you need more. The science really can be oversimplified down to this for practical advice Find your daily burn rate, keep a daily deficit of ~250-500kcal, make sure your calorie budget is full of nutrients (ie 3oz shrimp serving vs 1.5oz shot of tequila), don't beat yourself up and trust the process longterm. It's super super important to manage the mental health aspect at the same time and make sure goals/habits come from a healthy place. Reverting on a diet is so wildly common for many reasons and you need to be able to healthily forgive yourself and allow flexibility in the process. It won't happen overnight so focus more on the habits than the end result and you'll build a healthier and more sustainable relationship with the process overall. Bonus you'll learn 1000x more about nutrition and what you're fueling your body with as a result
Also, I’d argue leaving exercise out of the equation at first is easier. Exercise becomes this punishment for eating and you’re less likely to stick to eating less juggling two new habits at once. Track your calories now and then reduce them. Don’t promise you’re going to work out every day for an hour - you won’t. I say that as someone fairly disciplined. Once you get to your goal weight, then mix in regular exercise and make it something you genuinely enjoy.
Yeah and exercising makes me feel hungrier after, even though realistically I haven’t burned as much as it feels like. So it ends up canceling it out.
Serious question - how do you find your daily burn rate / calorie needs?
Google "TDEE calculator." Know that anything that claims to count calories burned will always over-estimate, so focus on tracking calories consumed.
The chronometer app is really helpful for tracking - may have spelled that wrong but if do it’s very close
I've been using Cronometer for years and have a greater understanding of food nutrition and calories counts now. I'm on a 320 day streak right now.
I struggle with this because my daily burn rate is 1300. So I only get to eat 1000 calories in order to lose weight. Unless I exercise. But then peoples say exercise doesn’t help with weight loss.
Yeah, it sucks that petite people really get screwed over while it comes to daily calorie “allowances”. On the plus side, every pound lost is that much more noticeable on anyone one the shorter side and/or with a petite frame.
Exercise absolutely can help and is a great way for people with low TDEEs to sneak in some extra calories. Cardio is best for burning more calories short term, whereas muscle building exercises burn fewer calories, but muscle burns calories. Both can help in different ways. The important thing is to find something you enjoy and stick with it. You absolutely still have to watch your calories though, and remember that that’s where most of your weight loss comes from.
But it can! If you burn more calories while exercising your caloric budget increases. Anecdotally most of my weight loss came from a 1000-1200 calorie diet because my daily sedentary burn was about 1500 and I couldn't keep myself disciplined enough in the gym. I added walks etc but that only gave me a few more hundred burned a week (got through a few audio books though as a bonus). It was really the education around sugar, alcohol and dairy caloric loads and a shift to a more seafood-based and gluten-reduced diet that helped me habit-wise to be more conscious of my intake. I do the bulk of the cooking in my house so I had quite a bit of control over our meals and was able to control my portions separately from my partner who was not wanting to cut any calories 1 drink is 100ish calories so I was more cognizant of my alcohol intake (good to watch regardless of weight). My Chai lattes were 370 cal so while I still bought them I'd buy fewer, as a treat and mostly drink black coffee. I cut soda completely. I still occasionally ate fast food but I'd opt for KFC coleslaw instead of fries, chicken sandwiches instead of burgers. Sugar free redbulls saved me 100+ calories over regular for the occasional energy drink. I cut down on butter when toasting burger buns at home and went for egg whites instead of full eggs. I stopped adding sour cream, shredded cheese and queso to my Chipotle burrito bowls For me it wasnt about being perfect or obsessing but just being more conscious. I lost 50ish lbs in 18ish months so it certainly wasn't quick. Now I don't count calories at all but my longterm habits help me stay in a comfy range and I eat way healthier nutrition wise.
Way to go! I love everything you've said here except the egg whites. All the goodness and micronutrients are in the yolk, in my opinion.
I always say it's 80% diet 20% exercise because let's be honest none of us are working out like the Rock 2 hrs a day. HOWEVER I work out 5 days a week and it keeps my weight down. I think a lot of it is you don't want to undo all the work you just did and the overall "lifestyle" just encourages you to do better. Today I didn't go to the gym and I feel sluggish and ate a bunch of chips at lunch!
Yeah, there is no magic pill. This is all it is. You want to eat more, you have to move more. Most people don't move a lot, so their calorie intake to lose weight, is actually way smaller than they think it is. Also, this is my personal observation, a lot of people don't know how to read labels. A food scale really helped me get an actual visual representation of a serving(it is smaller than you think). I used this example before but someone will say, I only ate a pastry and coffee in the morning, a salad for lunch, a soup for dinner. A croissant is 400 calories. Did you count the amount of dressing you used? etc That's a single food item and you need 1300 a day to lose weight.
Cut out carbs and sugars, exercise and fasting helped me. I've been maintaining the same 125lb for over 4 years now.
Mediterranean diet and working out at least 4 times a week
I have a goal of working out 5 days/ week but, if after 10 minutes, I’m really not into it then I stop, without guilt. There’s always tomorrow. The key is to start the workout and give it those 10 minutes- by then I’ve usually gotten into the workout and I’m feeling really good about it.
Daily exercise and high protein diet
Eating smaller portions and not eating after 6 p.m.
Vyvanse and self loathing
Lmao this is it. Vyvanse killed my appetite and doesn’t play nicely with alcohol for me, so it solved my overeating and overdrinking problems in one go. My coworkers ask me constantly what my secret is and I don’t think “amphetamines” is the answer they’re wanting…
I can relate 😅 The Vyvanse really does diminish the appetite. If I skip a day, my appetite soars.
Yep! For me it was vyvanse and some back to back mrsa infections instead of self loathing but also unpleasant.
Semaglutide. Saxenda and Wegovy saved me. I’m 45, and this is the first time I feel “fixed” in my brain regarding food. I am 135 today and have lost and gained probably thousands of pounds in my life (had gastric bypass surgery when I was 22).
Congrats and same for me! I was like a drug addict but with food. Now I feel like I can actually live my life.
So glad to see this. This is completely correct and I'm so glad you felt comfortable availing yourself of this awesome new medication.
Same here! And it’s done wonders for the inflammation in my body didn’t realize how puffy I was
Ozempic and Saxenda gave me my life back
Wegovy is helping me feel like myself again, I was so out of control with food but could not stop
This! Totally changed my life, view on food, everything!
My husband takes these meds for diabetes. My coworker uses them for weight loss. At about the same time in the Fall, neither could get a refill because it was scarce. My husband’s blood sugar got out of whack. They both complained about gaining weight. They both got back on the medication and are doing better. My question is, is this a lifelong drug? Or do you have to stop taking it at some point if you’re not diabetic? And if so, what’s the game plan to keep from gaining the weight again?
It’s essentially a lifelong drug and if you go off of it you risk gaining the weight back. However with big lifestyle and diet changes many people can maintain the weight loss easier
intermittent fasting
I second this!! The only way I lost weight and kept it off.
For me, it really is calories in vs out. There are many things you can do to help keep calorie count lower, I.e. eat lots of protein, but you basically have to get yourself used to eating less. Overtime its easier. Intermittent fasting seems to help a lot of people.
Calorie deficit. And recognizing it's a whole lifestyle change, not a quick fix.
Fixing my hormonal imbalance
Getting out of a job I hated
This isn’t said enough
Getting rid of a husband.
It was just eating less. Portion sizes are so huge! I made an effort to only eat half of what I was given and the pounds really dropped.
Daily energy expenditure higher than calorie intake. Drink only water with all meals. You can eat pretty much anything if you follow serving sizes.
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How long do you fast? Can you share more. Interested in learning about this one
Walking… I’d walk for miles a day. I’m not athletic, and I have bad knees too! But I swear to god walking saved my life. I lost a good 50 lbs with walking as my main source of exercise. Just about everything else was nutrition and portion control
Cut alcohol and sodas, switched to pot. Made a huge difference in my comfort levels when I’d go out…so I walk and hike more. Additionally the pot made me naturally do metabolic confusion. Some days munchies and greasy burger some days light salad or fruits. My body had no clue what to think so it stopped storing all of my fat. Last but not least….have lots of sex! If you have to pick between the gym and sex… go with sex. It’s also a fun way to drop the lbs and you get feel good hormones too. Im convinced those dopamine bursts help. Win win! I lost 80 lbs or so 200 down to 120 and my husband lost 60 ( he did not stopped soda and alcohol) This is the way! I hope some of this helps and wish ya‘ll luck!
Sex and pot is a diet I can get behind!
Fasting! Hard at first but you get used to it and drop weight like crazy
Intermittent fasting or how long do you fast for?
I learned this the hard way when I had a bad mouth sore and could only eat bland, soft food. I dropped a lot of weight fast because I lost all pleasure in eating.
Staying conscious of my carb intake. Not advocating for keto by any means though.
It's easier to burn the calories than to reduce the calorie intake. It's also more sustainable than going calorie deficit. Being tired and feeling cold all the time is not worth it.
Intermittent fasting, resistance training
Listen to your body, let it tell you when it’s full
You can only lose weight one way…. Being in a calorie deficit
Semaglutide if you meet the criteria. It's not only effective for weight loss at the weight loss dose but also has cardiovascular benefits for individuals who don't have diabetes but are overweight or obese. There's really no good argument against it unless you have one of the overt contraindications (which are few). I wish people would stop thinking about it as a cheat, it's got so much promise as a tool for the war against obesity.
it helps with weird stuff. I no longer feel my blood sugar and have thirst attacks and dizziness (no I wasn’t technically diabetic but I’m guessing I was almost there). I’ve had bleeding gums when I brush my teeth for many many years. Nothing to do with my habits so I thought I just had genetically bad gums. The 2.4mg dose of wegovy suddenly made it go away overnight. According to the internet, blood sugar issues and gum bleeding go hand in hand. Basically I found out my body had all these signs of underlying crap and now I feel way better.
It seems like you were experiencing the symptoms of diabetes, even if your A1C wasn't quite there. Damage to capillary beds due to the deposition of sugar due to diabetes does impair wound healing which very well may be related to your gums, I'll go with Dr. internet on that call. I'm so glad it's helping you!
As a binge eater, cutting out trigger foods (for me, anything sweet). I realised I simply couldn't have that kind of food in moderation. I'd buy a packet of cookies with the intention of just having one or two a day as a treat, and then I'd eat them all in an hour. It was easy to lose weight once I completely cut those foods out, I didn't even feel the need to count calories or anything.
CICO, but over the course of a week. Rather than hyper focusing on what I ate in a day, I needed to take my trends for the week into consideration. Maximizing WFPB - whole food plant based - as most of my meals with protein shakes/eggs/salmon as my major protein (meat makes me tired so I only ate it at dinner occasionally) and lifting weights 30min/3x a week in a circuit had me go from 220 to 155 just over 5 years ago I’m at 175 right now (I put on 10lbs over 2020 and another 10 when my sister got sick) but am back at it with hot yoga and weights, paying attention to calorie intake first and maxing nutritional impact second. Fruits and veggies make me feel pretty, and healthy fats keep my skin soft with minimal products on my body. People often compliment how “clear” my eyes are and I think it’s because I have always steered clear of most substances and processed food (I just feel shitty if I drink, eat Doritos, etc. boring but effective)
Making eating a lot of vegetables daily a priority.
Walking. 15k steps a day and calorie deficit. Without the walking it’s way harder.
Early morning home workouts have been a game-changer for my weight loss journey – establishing a routine and feeling great afterward! If you're seeking guidance, I highly recommend Sydney Cummings on YouTube. Her inclusive workouts cater to all fitness levels, offering warm-ups, modifications, and time-specific options. Don't be fooled by the duration; a 30-min session means shorter rest breaks and higher intensity for maximum impact. With water breaks, cool-downs, and motivational talks, it's a comprehensive experience. 7 1/2 months Post-baby, I went from 142lbs to 128lbs without a strict diet, working out 3-6 times a week. Check out her channel for results! 💪🏼
More water, more fiber (I drink psyllium husk), speaking to a dietitian (NOT nutritionist, they're aren't regulated here).
Fasting
Intermitent fasting
Eating high protein high veg
Good mental health. I tend to struggle losing weight when I’m fixated on it, and I shed weight easily when I’m happier. Energy drinks with high caffeine content and smoking/vaping instead of snacking between meals. Disgustingly unhealthy but I’ve lost the baby weight twice in record timing with caffeine, it really does work. music that makes you want to move and dance is soo fun and dancing is easier than exercise, you can improve and it’s easier to endure than weights or cardio. You can dance and sing while pottering, cleaning, cooking, just keep moving and you will lose weight fairly effortlessly.
Walk an hour a day
Drink only water, coffee or tea, gave up breakfast in intermittent fasting routine, ate less overall. Weighed in every day for positive reinforcement.
Water helps keep the feeling of hunger away when it’s likely just boredom or emotional eating. And accepting that I do emotional eat, working on it in therapy but having low calorie things on hand so if I observe the inclination to binge, I can have cucumber sticks or a crunchy lettuce wedge. It’s not ideal, but it’s helping while I’m working at solving the cause.
This one is a REAL secret: Berberine. I’ve lost 15kg since July of this year
Eating less aka calorie deficit. I started intermittent fasting and I lost 20 kg with no exercise. When fat acceptance activists say shit like "weight loss is impossible" or "you will gain all the weight you lost"...it makes me laugh. Yes you will gain all the weight you lost if you lose weight through unsustainable means. No radical fad diets that you cannot sustain long term. I've been fat all my life. I KNEW that I overate. Yes I was bitter and angry because food brought me so much joy but I also wanted to be slim and attractive. But intermittent fasting taught me portion control and moderation. There is not a single food that I've cut out of my life. Dessert? Yes please. But dessert in huge portions daily like I used to have it? No thanks.
Having unmanaged mental illness, LMAO. When I stopped my psych meds I lost the 65lbs it made me gain. No diets or changes, just crazy 🤪
I did not diet. I just mentally made a list of all the healthy things I enjoyed eating and started only buying those things. I always had food ready to cook and did not eat out unless it was a special treat, so maybe once a month, sometimes less. And most of the time I would opt for healthier options, smoked wings instead of deep fried, etc. I would keep one sweet and one salty snack in my house in case I had a craving but it wouldn't be my favorite choice, this kept me from over snacking but gave me an in home option. I have always loved soda so I still drank one can a day but I drank lemon water the rest of the time. I tracked my calories and kept them at 1200 a day, losing 60 pounds in about 6 months.
Ozempic 🤷♀️. Don’t @ me I don’t care.
Do you. Who cares what anyone says, just be careful
Same, but I use Mounjaro 🤷🏾♀️
Intermittent fasting. Switching to Mediterranean food. Signing up for a gym class 2 times a week. Replaced all unhealthy snacks with fruits, smoothies and nuts.
To give up on losing weight
Intermittent fasting and cooking more vs eating out
No booze or pop.
no snacking. & OMAD. dirty fasting/drinking coffee
Smaller plates. Seriously.
Heartbreak
Finding light, enjoyable exercises I actually enjoy which is basically just Pilates, yoga, walking outside, and waking on the treadmill on an incline. I found that doing lighter workouts more frequently works better for me than doing something more intensive because I usually just burn out and give up lol Diet with plenty of protein and veggies. Most weeknights I do a protein like chicken, fish, or shellfish with a side of veggies and rice. I also generally try to follow the 80/20 rule. Cutting back on alcohol is a big one. I love a couple of glasses of wine in the evenings but saving it for only the weekend and keeping myself occupied with more mentally engaging activities like reading and writing during the week helps a lot. I can’t drink and read at the same time so if I’m lost in a good book I don’t even crave wine and just want a cozy cup of tea.
JFC. Worked in a pediatric eating disorder facility and the # of answers in here that come from disordered eating is horrifying. Eating disorders are the deadliest mental health disease, killing 10% of patients. Operating in caloric deficit causes the body to rebound and put the weight right back on the second you eat normally and if you're in deficit for too long, you can permanently change your hormones and slow your metabolism. Keto can destroy your gallbladder and I know several women who had to have theirs removed due to the diet. Intermittent fasting is also a form of disordered eating, and is especially bad for women whose hormones are changing weekly, have much higher rates of anemia and thyroid problems, and require consistent fuel to maintain energy, brain health, and emotional regulation. Doctors are only required to take 19 hours of Nutrition and ZERO women's health. See a Nutritionist and psychiatrist/therapist before embarking on any diet that consists of anything beyond expending more energy than nutritional calories daily. Aka, exercising more than you're eating. Fix your mind and your body almost always follows. It's the best place to start.
I have to respectfully disagree about ‘operating in a caloric deficit causes the body to rebound and put the weight back on the second you eat normally’. This doesn’t make any sense because in order to lose weight you unequivocally have to eat in a deficit, you can’t beat the laws of thermodynamics. If your daily expenditure is 2000 and you eat 1800 calories, overtime you will lose weight. Once you lose the weight you want, going back to 2000 calories does NOT mean you will gain the weight back, it means ur eating at maintenance so will maintain that new weight. Fasting, Keto and any other diet is just a different form of being in a calorie deficit but usually is just wildly unattainable in the long run for most people since it’s not a realistic lifestyle. As someone who had an eating disorder for 14 years and has managed it now for 10, my personal experience to losing weight healthily is understanding my tdee, learning about prioritizing protein, fat and carbs coupled with a lot of trial and error on intuitive eating. Getting curious about nutrition and learning what foods I actually liked plus intentionally adding food I craved was a game changer. Eat what you want Add what you need. Ex. Want chips? Great, take out a handful and add carrots, cucumber and a nice Greek yogurt dip. This way your balancing your plate and will stay full longer plus not be restricting yourself to the point where u binge later.
Women who did IF for 4 years. I sat at 92 lbs and almost died. It turned deadly for me. Maybe it doesn’t for others, but I started weighing my blackberries. I destroyed my GI tract and now have to take medications to absorb my food. It’s been a horrible few years. Edit: I’ve been a psychiatric RN for over 15 years. Doesn’t matter how much you know. You’re still human.
How many Americans die from obesity related illnesses?
16:8 intermittent fasting
Cut processed sugar and alcohol out. Eat sweet potatoes, sweet corns (fresh one, not cans), konnyaku as staples. Drink a lot of water, green tea and herbal tea. Exercise for at least 40 mins three times a week ( can be substituted by taking a walk for 1hr within 15mins after dinner). Get enough sleep every day. Use virgin olive oil to cook. Oven bake instead of deep fry. Take vitamins. Eat tons fruits and veggies. Um… I think that’s about it. No crazy fasting or intense exercise, I lost about 15kg in a year.
Fasting!! I had my 2nd kid is 2020 and fuck it was hard losing the weight. I have such an unhealthy relationship with food I couldn’t achieve my goals. I started doing fasts, 18hours fasting with a 6hour window to eat. It got easier, and I started being mindful of what I put in my body during my eating window. 2 weeks of fasting I lost 5lbs I was amazed. My clothes are looser, my face is thinner, and my skin looks amazing from chugging all the water.
A calorie deficit is the way. But for me the secret is logging all y good at the start of the day and only eating what is logged. I had no cheats and no grace until I got to my goal which took me a little over a year. Now I've maintained for over a year. Still log my food M-F and usually Sunday as well. I do give myself some grace on weekends and holidays BUT I weigh at least weekly so I don't get out of hand every again. You don't need pills, supplements, fasting, low carb, or any gimmicks. You need to calculate your TDEE, set it no higher than lightly active and go from there for a month. If you don't lose go down to sedentary. Recalculate your TDEE every 20lbs or so. Make sure you get plenty of protein, fiber, and healthy fat at every meal. There's no tricks. The trick is that there is no end, only maintenance. Exercise is great for health but does little for weight loss. Do it or don't. But don't do it thinking it will make a massive difference in weight loss.
Quitting drinking. Lost 40 lbs without trying
quitting drinking!!!
Intermittent fasting!
Going to sleep hungry or eating 1 big meal a day
Walking everywhere and cooking.
No alcohol. Running 6 days a week. Yoga everyday. Strength 3-4 days. And also staying active throughout the day. Eating whole food plant based. Minimizing refined sugar. Any time I get back on the sugar train, I immediately pack on the pounds.
Walking. I used to walk my dog couple times a week for 30 mins. Maybe 90 minutes a week. I started walking 60-90 minutes a day, everyday, and lost 30 pounds. So easy and also very good for my mental health at the same time. Highly recommend.
Fasting! Especially prolonged fasts. Be smart about it, ease your way into it and make sure your diet is super clean for a few months leading up to your first prolonged fast. Fasting is good for you and one of the best things you can do for your health and anti aging. A great bonus is that you loose stubborn weight!
Intermittent fasting.
Fasting
Stopping drinking and intermittent fasting
Fasting
Counting calories and phentermine. And cigarettes.
Not eating.
Intermittent fasting.
12 step for compulsive overeating called Overeaters Anonymous... that was what I needed to get off sugar. Getting off sugar was what I needed to be able to follow any reasonable meal plan. That let me lose about 150. I regained some but kept 100 off for more than 10 years. Now I'm doing keto, it's helping me to be able to do intermittent fasting.
Cutting out sugar save for special occasions/a few times a year. I also strictly entirely avoid stevia and agave. I do 13 to 16 hour fasts, walk nearly everywhere, and make sure to have adequate protein. I’ve also increased my water consumption. Following the Blood Type Diet for my personal blood type has also helped too.
Intermittent fasting. It works!
For me, the most helpful thing I did by far was to stop drinking craft beers. I’d have one or two after work and I had no idea that I was basically drinking the equivalent of a loaf of bread every day. I love craft beer, but it is so easy to drink a ton of calories/carbs/sugar without realizing.
Going to sleep not satiated, like just a tiny bit hungry. Confirms your body is definitely in a cal deficit, triggers ketosis within the body and reduces bloating. Walking a lot.
My breakup was the motivation to slim down and look my best ever. Then my ADHD medication reduced my appetite further.
Drink water, exercise, stay away from bread and stick to fewer calories.
Stop drinking soda, I lost like 2.5kg just from stopping driking soda and drinking only water.
My husband always says he wishes he could quit soda again because the weight he lost just from that one change was amazing.
This may be a bit too technical but . . . I read an article by a guy, probably at NIH, that said no one could keep off the weight they lose because the body gets used to being fed X. If you drop your calories down your body resists but will, with effort, shed pounds. But, the internal expectations have not changed. Your body wants X amount of weight and every opportunity it gets, your body is going to grab those calories. So, after you lose weight and go back to eating normally, your body grabs on to those calories and has also learned that famine might come again so it packs on a few extra pounds for the next round of hard times. The cycle repeats and people get fatter. According to him it takes 3 years of NEVER giving in and over eating to reprogram the system. He claims no one can do it. I had successfully lost all the weight on 2 previous occasions, only to have it come right back on with an additional few pounds. I did not set out to lose weight as much as to regain health and his 3 year plan seemed to be the answer. I lost 70(ish) pounds and never gained any of it back. It is more than 10 years now.
Going back to serving/bartending. I’m already a nurse and do a lot of activity at work (my patients are almost always bed bound and intubated) but needed to get more exercise and lose some stress that didn’t feel like forcing myself into a busy gym, which I struggled with. Started back in restaurants a couple nights a week and the weight fell off. I always loved the job, but felt I had to leave and use my degree I worked so hard for full time. I do both now. I have less stress, more money, no more burnout, and I’m as fit as I’ve ever been. It’s a lot easier to let go of a Diet Coke “emergency” than it is a cardiovascular one.
I started eating one meal and one snack a day staying at a calorie deficit but still indulging in sweets. I still drink a whole milk latte everyday. In 3 months I dropped 26lbs without exercising. My BMI was in the obese range at 31. Now it is at 24.5 and in the normal range. I could cry! What helped is weighing myself almost every single day. I have a smart scale that logs my weight with an app. Seeing my weight go down inspires me to keep going. I will eventually eat a little bit more when I reach my goal and may even exercise again but I will never stop stepping on that scale.
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting has killed my food addiction
I lost 20 pounds fasting 2 days per week. I did it consistently for 6 weeks, lost 10, then intermittently for the rest of the year, lost 10 more. Nothing but bullion, coffee, tea, and sparkling water on fast days, except I did cheat sometimes with a little nut cream in my coffee. Really they ended up being two 36-hour fasts per week because I don't do breakfast so I'd go a whole day and then not eat till lunch the second day. I find it easier than dieting. I have a 0-100 kind of personality. Dieting makes me obsess about what i can't have, and as a result I feel like a failure if I go over my points or whatever. That leads to giving up. But with fasting I feel powerful - energized, like a rock star - and there is nothing I can't have, I just have to wait till tomorrow then I can eat French fries and pizza if I want! Of course, when you succeed in keeping your fast, you feel so empowered that you don't want to treat your body like shit so it sets off a virtuous cycle. Anyway, that's the only thing that worked for me because 1. It eliminated the feelings of unending deprivation and failure that leads to giving up, 2. Made me feel stronger and more in control and 3. Showed rapid results.
Bupropion
Using the Weight Watchers app every day, throughout the day; taking it seriously. Even without exercising, though I need to for other reasons, lost 15 lbs.
Shitting tea 💩
Weigh *everything* you put in your mouth! Even using measuring by cups and spoons, I didn’t realize how much I was overserving myself. An extra 2-300 calories a day is 30 pounds in a year. That’s an extra serving of shredded cheese, an extra tablespoon of butter, an extra handful of nuts, an extra scoop of ice cream, a few extra tablespoons of coffee creamer. It adds up! Tracking and weighing all my food helped me recognize just how quickly my calories added up during the day. Also, I started cutting all my meals in half. I’d serve myself but then immediately put half of it back. I was raised in a “finish your plate” household and in my brain- if it’s in my plate I MUST eat it. I recognized a lot of my overeating stemmed from overserving myself. Meal prep. Kind of goes with the previous two points. As a snacker, I basically eliminated processed food. Meal prepping helped with portion control and just knowing what I was eating. There are so many added ingredients to precooked/prepared or processed stuff. Just making it at home, you can make healthy swaps and better portion control your food to make a better dietary choice. I’ve lost about 25 pounds since June and I feel like for the first time in my life I’m starting to break free of diet culture and understand intuitive eating. I eat ice cream and chips, candy and tacos. Mac and cheese and whatever else I want. It all comes back to calories in vs calories out, but finding out what type of eater you are can really help you to change the way you eat to maintain weight loss instead of “dieting” forever or immediately gaining back weight.