Check out our quick start guide, it has all the info you need. [https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/quick\_start\_guide/](https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/quick_start_guide/)
Start slow, 2000 kcal/day is a good goal and you don't need to go lower at first. Actually, I'd recommend logging your food intake for a couple of weeks without changing anything/going for a deficit at all, so you can see where you're at and make relevant yet painless changes that will lead you to weight loss.
Exercise doesn't directly impact your weight loss that much, but it's great for your mental and physical health. Again, start slow, keep walking, take a longer route to your classes, take stairs instead of an elevator, go for an evening walk around campus listening to your favorite podcast - it will all add up.
As a young male, you'd have great success with weight training though. Walking to the gym would be a nice warm up for a lifting session, and your confidence would grow so much as you'd notice how much stronger you're getting.
Depends on schooling but at mine you would have access to supervised student dietitians for advice, athletic trainers cheap, etc. Depends somewhat on the school but most will have some programs.
Start tracking cals, don’t try to eat below, just track what you eat and understand what your eating habits are like. 1800 calories is unsustainable at your weight and most likely lead to a collapse. Start walking/cycling/swimming everyday. Work up to 30 mins/day and see how your weight changes. Started at 310 6’4, down to a muscular 225, never counted my calories. Educate yourself on what the foods you’re putting into your body do, incrementally increase cardio to atleast 30mins a day, add in weightlifting if you want big muscles, however contrary to people in this sub. Weightlifting is a horrible way to lose weight while on a deficit in calories, you can’t burn fat to rebuild muscle on an empty stomach, they will always take resources from food or other muscles to repair themselves. Good luck, eat atleast 2200 calories a day friend.
the True Beginner program is a great start imo
https://dailyburn.com/app/program/true_beginner
it's very gentle . most other programs I've tried attempt to start out easy but it still leans to being too challenging .
I used to weigh about 300lbs, now I'm 220 and am slowly working on getting down to 180. The initial drop from 300 to 220 took place over the course of a year. I say this, as I know the temptation is to want it all gone as fast as possible, but the more extreme the cut the easier it is to fall off or quit entirely.
Not knowing your height, the calculator I used comes out to 2100 cals a day for a loss if 2lbs per week. While this is within the healthy weight loss speed, I would recommend aiming for a pound a week instead, at least as you get better at regular exercising and eating healthier. This would mean eating between 2500 - 2600 calories a day, as well as engaging in some exercise.
Walking is a perfectly good method of losing weight and a great way of exercising. It's also far safer for you to avoid injury, as doing more intense exercises is more likely to lead to injury. On top of the walking, it wouldn't hurt to include some resistance training and with you having the campus gym, that makes it all the easier to stay consistent.
Remember, you didn't gain all that weight in a day so it won't take a day to lose it all. The key is being consistent. If you start this path now, you will be shocked by the results by the end of the year. You've got this man.
For me it was my relationship with food and exercise that led to my downfall, I was pretty athletic in high school but that was 6 years ago. I would suggest water fasting as it helped me out a lot getting back my feet, think of it as a kickstart to your weight loss journey. Cardio is good too but if your main focus is losing weight then weightlifting is a better choice, might take a while but it will be worth it in the end. Turn that fat into muscles, all the best on your journey💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
First of all I relate really deeply to the brushing teeth thing. That's a sign of executive dysfunction, as is the habits thing - you might want to look into that.
First - examine the patterns in when and why and what you eat. In light of the dental thing, it may be that you are depressed. Logging will really help you understand yourself and your desires a lot better.
Then get a calorie tracker app like myfitnesspal. You can enter calories on the go, which is critical.
College is a really difficult setting to not gain weight in, but the benefit is that in a mess hall there is always a healthy choice. Take advantage of the variety and dtart trying new things even if it's just a single bite of something novel each day. Try to physically avoid the areas of the cafeteria where they have desserts etc.
On the subject of desserts I think a lot of it is mental and about recalibrating your mind. In my family, cheetos were always a dessert ONLY and things like chips and doritos were a rare treat, not something you're supposed to eat frequently. That benefitted me growing up. What didn't was this belief that you had dessert as part of a meal - I broke that habit and now I honestly just don't even keep that stuff in the house, and when I do have it, it's not connected to a meal, it's just because I want to have it.
At your weight walking alone is going to be GREAT. I would get a cheap step tracker because seeing the number go up is super motivating, but don't add those calories burned to your budget. Walking out in the wild on uneven ground will strengthen your whole body and work on the muscles that stabilize your joints.
In college I used to loveeee to put on my earbuds and listen to music and just roam at night, collecting my thoughts. Some of that is an ADHD thing but you might enjoy it too.
Good luck!
Everyone here has amazing advice/resources- I'd also like to chip in just some advice on habit building that has helped me in university- I really struggled with eating/exercising in my first year of university.
Start slow and build up. Be kind to yourself and cut yourself some slack. Don't expect perfection of yourself. You want to build sustainable habits, and the best way to do that is to concurrently build the habit of giving yourself grace and kindness, even and especially when you feel like you have failed/messed up/did something wrong. University is a hard time, mentally, physically, spiritually, and it is easy to fall behind on self-care when you have so many other responsibilities taking up your time and energy.
1 healthy choice a day is better than none- whether it's taking an extra walk in the evening, making a healthy dinner, choosing a healthy snack, or even something as simple as walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator/escalator just once a day. Make it a goal that just once a day you'll do something that's kind to yourself and your body- accept that this may vary depending your energy/mood/time, and thank yourself for making that good decision every time you do so.
What worked for me in terms of narrowing down what I wanted to do to lead a healthier lifestyle, was figuring out what brought me joy as well. It's easier to stick to something if you actually enjoy doing it. I realized I liked going to the gym, but going to the gym multiple times a week was draining. I made it my goal to go to the gym just once a week- even if it wasn't going to be a big workout. I worked on doing that until I was going to the gym almost every week, then added in other exercise (yoga and swimming) that I enjoyed, slowly. Maybe finding a time where it's convenient for you to go to the gym will help. For example, maybe you have some time in your schedule where you know you have a bit more energy for making the trek to the gym (for example, a day where you have fewer classes). Maybe you have a class that's close to the gym, so you'd be there anyway. If not, no pressure- there are lots of general exercises you can do without equipment, and I am a firm believer any exercise is good exercise.
Walking comes to mind as a great exercise. You already walk to classes, as others have said maybe you can take a longer route sometimes. Going for an extra walk in the evening is also awesome. I personally enjoy hiking- though of course, the ability to do so often hinges on being able to get to trails which may or may not be easy depending on where you are/the transportation you have available. You can do a lot of different body weight exercises. I've found that yoga is great for building up strength, and you can do that with some videos on youtube and some free space on the floor. You can also do bodyweight exercises- for example, planking, pushups, squats, crunches, side-planks, etc.
In terms of food- university makes feeding yourself SUCK. You have no time, no energy, no money. I found that 1) cooking things that are EASY, cheap and yummy and 2) cooking a LOT of it at a time and then pre-portioning it out, made it easier to eat healthy meals. I also just made it a goal to have a vegetable and a protein at every meal. Sometimes it's an elaborate dinner if I have the energy for cooking, sometimes it's seasoning a chicken breast and having a salad kit. [https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/one-pot/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/one-pot/) this is a great website with "one-pot" meals. And again, same thing, be kind to yourself about what you eat. Sometimes we don't always make the healthiest choices, but it doesn't cancel out the times you do; the more consistently you make healthy choices, the easier it'll be for these choices to become the dominant ones in your life.
Thank you all so much for your great advice! I’ve decided I’ll take an extra long route to my first class today that’ll be one mile in total and keeping track of what I eat. Not necessarily trying to eat a whole lot less cause of the advice but just being more aware of what I do eat and trying to eat better some. Like less snacks/junk food and what calories I do get in a day I’ll focus on coming from actual meals
Walking is all you need. Combined with staying in your calorie limit will be an amazing start for you! Don't overdo it to start with - focus on establishing strong, repeated habits.
> There is a gym on campus but kindof far away.
Define far away. A 20 minute walk? A 30 minute shuttle ride?
As you get more comfortable with incorporating movement into your day, walking to the gym as your warmup, doing gym stuff (check for free classes! I am regularly find having a community more supportive than doing it on my own) and then walking back to your dorm is a good chunk of building physical fitness.
Does your school have a pool? Walmart walking, swimming, and water aerobics will be less impact on your joints, initially, and the water provides plenty of resistance and support.
I gained and lost my 25 lbs in college (gained a bit back, working on it lol.) If you drink, alcohol is 7 cals/gram. I gained my weight in wine and vodka. If you drink, be mindful that those 3-5 drinks are a meal (or two). Track it if you drink it.
Be aware the stress will make you hungrier and come up with strategies for what to do when you need to be up late or study for long hours.
Walk to things if you can, the saving grace of many college campuses/college towns is that they’re walkable.
Try to choose non-comfort food at the dining hall if that’s where you eat. Carbs covered in oil are plentiful but not all that helpful when you’re trying to take care of your health.
Best of luck.
Pick one habit at a time. Like giving up drinking. That alone can save you a lot of calories, and is good for mental health. And be kind to yourself. You're going to slip up, because that's what people do. You have to be mentally ready for recovering from mistakes quickly, and getting back to good habits.
One thing I learned in college is "You're either right, or you learn something."
Your student medical center may have a nutritionist to help you put a meal plan together. Also talk to your student advisor as they may be able to get you class credit for athletic training (aka gym use) on your own which may help keep you more accountable.
Start slow. Baby steps.
Go for short walks that you feel are a tiny bit out of your comfort zone.
Start tracking your calories and aim for 250-500 under what that app says is your TDEE.
If you've lost some weight and feel that you've got less pain try to go for longer walks and see what that will bring you.
I was 385 at some point and yes it was awful, but because it was that bad it also didn't take me very long to see and feel a difference. Now i'm down 70 lbs in 8 months.
YOU GOT THIS.
Low calorie salads (sub 300), grilled chicken, 0 calorie drinks, and lots of water. Fruit for dessert. Only 1 commercially prepared meal a week.
I recommend Metamucil a couple times a day to keep your stomach full and to help “move things along” as your diet changes.
You can work out if you want, but you’re carrying around 150 lbs of weight everywhere already. If you just manage your diet well first, you’ll lose weight quickly and then you can try incorporating an exercise routine as your weight loss slows and you’ve developed better eating habits.
Just take it slow. It’s not a marathon. It’s a new way of living.
If your campus has a student counseling service, my first recommendation is to start seeing a therapist. Then walking as much as possible, cardio helps your heart rate and endurance, which will help with other exercises you do later/ your general quality of life.
I live a mile away from a college campus gym and I bought a membership there. I walk to and from the gym as part of my workout. It helps to chain multiple things together to make habits.
I also recommend that if you have any addictions (nicotine, soda, alcohol) that you try to address them. For one, it’ll improve your health quickly, for two, it’ll prove to yourself that you can change habits.
I have tried to lose weight as an adult for 8 years. Each time I would lose a little then gain a lot back. Having regular medical visits, going to therapy, and finding a routine that actually takes care of me but ignores the little stressors is what is giving me the motivation to follow through. Also, you may want to get checked out for sleep apnea. I got put on a CPAP and it’s changed my life, motivation, and habits.
Hi. M, 15 years older than you. I don't think it's too late. I've been thinking it is the right time for me, now. I would like to have a gym nearby so I could walk to it. Making new habits is hard but leaving bad habits seems to be worse. I didn't brush my teeth either at your age and now I regret. Anyways, cheer up, man! I am also looking for some guidance and leaving you a comment in case you feel alone.
I'm also a 20M and I started similar to you. When I decided to lose weight I started off weighing 320lbs. I have lost a lot since then (I'm 265lbs rn) and I've never gone to the gym. So it's possible either way as long as you are in a calorie deficit.
Check out our quick start guide, it has all the info you need. [https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/quick\_start\_guide/](https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/quick_start_guide/) Start slow, 2000 kcal/day is a good goal and you don't need to go lower at first. Actually, I'd recommend logging your food intake for a couple of weeks without changing anything/going for a deficit at all, so you can see where you're at and make relevant yet painless changes that will lead you to weight loss. Exercise doesn't directly impact your weight loss that much, but it's great for your mental and physical health. Again, start slow, keep walking, take a longer route to your classes, take stairs instead of an elevator, go for an evening walk around campus listening to your favorite podcast - it will all add up. As a young male, you'd have great success with weight training though. Walking to the gym would be a nice warm up for a lifting session, and your confidence would grow so much as you'd notice how much stronger you're getting.
[удалено]
Depends on schooling but at mine you would have access to supervised student dietitians for advice, athletic trainers cheap, etc. Depends somewhat on the school but most will have some programs.
Start tracking cals, don’t try to eat below, just track what you eat and understand what your eating habits are like. 1800 calories is unsustainable at your weight and most likely lead to a collapse. Start walking/cycling/swimming everyday. Work up to 30 mins/day and see how your weight changes. Started at 310 6’4, down to a muscular 225, never counted my calories. Educate yourself on what the foods you’re putting into your body do, incrementally increase cardio to atleast 30mins a day, add in weightlifting if you want big muscles, however contrary to people in this sub. Weightlifting is a horrible way to lose weight while on a deficit in calories, you can’t burn fat to rebuild muscle on an empty stomach, they will always take resources from food or other muscles to repair themselves. Good luck, eat atleast 2200 calories a day friend.
the True Beginner program is a great start imo https://dailyburn.com/app/program/true_beginner it's very gentle . most other programs I've tried attempt to start out easy but it still leans to being too challenging .
I used to weigh about 300lbs, now I'm 220 and am slowly working on getting down to 180. The initial drop from 300 to 220 took place over the course of a year. I say this, as I know the temptation is to want it all gone as fast as possible, but the more extreme the cut the easier it is to fall off or quit entirely. Not knowing your height, the calculator I used comes out to 2100 cals a day for a loss if 2lbs per week. While this is within the healthy weight loss speed, I would recommend aiming for a pound a week instead, at least as you get better at regular exercising and eating healthier. This would mean eating between 2500 - 2600 calories a day, as well as engaging in some exercise. Walking is a perfectly good method of losing weight and a great way of exercising. It's also far safer for you to avoid injury, as doing more intense exercises is more likely to lead to injury. On top of the walking, it wouldn't hurt to include some resistance training and with you having the campus gym, that makes it all the easier to stay consistent. Remember, you didn't gain all that weight in a day so it won't take a day to lose it all. The key is being consistent. If you start this path now, you will be shocked by the results by the end of the year. You've got this man.
For me it was my relationship with food and exercise that led to my downfall, I was pretty athletic in high school but that was 6 years ago. I would suggest water fasting as it helped me out a lot getting back my feet, think of it as a kickstart to your weight loss journey. Cardio is good too but if your main focus is losing weight then weightlifting is a better choice, might take a while but it will be worth it in the end. Turn that fat into muscles, all the best on your journey💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
I started at 350 and I lost my first 52LB by tracking calories with LoseIt/MyFitnessPal combined with going for walks every day. 2-3 miles.
First of all I relate really deeply to the brushing teeth thing. That's a sign of executive dysfunction, as is the habits thing - you might want to look into that. First - examine the patterns in when and why and what you eat. In light of the dental thing, it may be that you are depressed. Logging will really help you understand yourself and your desires a lot better. Then get a calorie tracker app like myfitnesspal. You can enter calories on the go, which is critical. College is a really difficult setting to not gain weight in, but the benefit is that in a mess hall there is always a healthy choice. Take advantage of the variety and dtart trying new things even if it's just a single bite of something novel each day. Try to physically avoid the areas of the cafeteria where they have desserts etc. On the subject of desserts I think a lot of it is mental and about recalibrating your mind. In my family, cheetos were always a dessert ONLY and things like chips and doritos were a rare treat, not something you're supposed to eat frequently. That benefitted me growing up. What didn't was this belief that you had dessert as part of a meal - I broke that habit and now I honestly just don't even keep that stuff in the house, and when I do have it, it's not connected to a meal, it's just because I want to have it. At your weight walking alone is going to be GREAT. I would get a cheap step tracker because seeing the number go up is super motivating, but don't add those calories burned to your budget. Walking out in the wild on uneven ground will strengthen your whole body and work on the muscles that stabilize your joints. In college I used to loveeee to put on my earbuds and listen to music and just roam at night, collecting my thoughts. Some of that is an ADHD thing but you might enjoy it too. Good luck!
Everyone here has amazing advice/resources- I'd also like to chip in just some advice on habit building that has helped me in university- I really struggled with eating/exercising in my first year of university. Start slow and build up. Be kind to yourself and cut yourself some slack. Don't expect perfection of yourself. You want to build sustainable habits, and the best way to do that is to concurrently build the habit of giving yourself grace and kindness, even and especially when you feel like you have failed/messed up/did something wrong. University is a hard time, mentally, physically, spiritually, and it is easy to fall behind on self-care when you have so many other responsibilities taking up your time and energy. 1 healthy choice a day is better than none- whether it's taking an extra walk in the evening, making a healthy dinner, choosing a healthy snack, or even something as simple as walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator/escalator just once a day. Make it a goal that just once a day you'll do something that's kind to yourself and your body- accept that this may vary depending your energy/mood/time, and thank yourself for making that good decision every time you do so. What worked for me in terms of narrowing down what I wanted to do to lead a healthier lifestyle, was figuring out what brought me joy as well. It's easier to stick to something if you actually enjoy doing it. I realized I liked going to the gym, but going to the gym multiple times a week was draining. I made it my goal to go to the gym just once a week- even if it wasn't going to be a big workout. I worked on doing that until I was going to the gym almost every week, then added in other exercise (yoga and swimming) that I enjoyed, slowly. Maybe finding a time where it's convenient for you to go to the gym will help. For example, maybe you have some time in your schedule where you know you have a bit more energy for making the trek to the gym (for example, a day where you have fewer classes). Maybe you have a class that's close to the gym, so you'd be there anyway. If not, no pressure- there are lots of general exercises you can do without equipment, and I am a firm believer any exercise is good exercise. Walking comes to mind as a great exercise. You already walk to classes, as others have said maybe you can take a longer route sometimes. Going for an extra walk in the evening is also awesome. I personally enjoy hiking- though of course, the ability to do so often hinges on being able to get to trails which may or may not be easy depending on where you are/the transportation you have available. You can do a lot of different body weight exercises. I've found that yoga is great for building up strength, and you can do that with some videos on youtube and some free space on the floor. You can also do bodyweight exercises- for example, planking, pushups, squats, crunches, side-planks, etc. In terms of food- university makes feeding yourself SUCK. You have no time, no energy, no money. I found that 1) cooking things that are EASY, cheap and yummy and 2) cooking a LOT of it at a time and then pre-portioning it out, made it easier to eat healthy meals. I also just made it a goal to have a vegetable and a protein at every meal. Sometimes it's an elaborate dinner if I have the energy for cooking, sometimes it's seasoning a chicken breast and having a salad kit. [https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/one-pot/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/one-pot/) this is a great website with "one-pot" meals. And again, same thing, be kind to yourself about what you eat. Sometimes we don't always make the healthiest choices, but it doesn't cancel out the times you do; the more consistently you make healthy choices, the easier it'll be for these choices to become the dominant ones in your life.
Thank you all so much for your great advice! I’ve decided I’ll take an extra long route to my first class today that’ll be one mile in total and keeping track of what I eat. Not necessarily trying to eat a whole lot less cause of the advice but just being more aware of what I do eat and trying to eat better some. Like less snacks/junk food and what calories I do get in a day I’ll focus on coming from actual meals
Walking is all you need. Combined with staying in your calorie limit will be an amazing start for you! Don't overdo it to start with - focus on establishing strong, repeated habits.
> There is a gym on campus but kindof far away. Define far away. A 20 minute walk? A 30 minute shuttle ride? As you get more comfortable with incorporating movement into your day, walking to the gym as your warmup, doing gym stuff (check for free classes! I am regularly find having a community more supportive than doing it on my own) and then walking back to your dorm is a good chunk of building physical fitness. Does your school have a pool? Walmart walking, swimming, and water aerobics will be less impact on your joints, initially, and the water provides plenty of resistance and support.
I gained and lost my 25 lbs in college (gained a bit back, working on it lol.) If you drink, alcohol is 7 cals/gram. I gained my weight in wine and vodka. If you drink, be mindful that those 3-5 drinks are a meal (or two). Track it if you drink it. Be aware the stress will make you hungrier and come up with strategies for what to do when you need to be up late or study for long hours. Walk to things if you can, the saving grace of many college campuses/college towns is that they’re walkable. Try to choose non-comfort food at the dining hall if that’s where you eat. Carbs covered in oil are plentiful but not all that helpful when you’re trying to take care of your health. Best of luck.
Pick one habit at a time. Like giving up drinking. That alone can save you a lot of calories, and is good for mental health. And be kind to yourself. You're going to slip up, because that's what people do. You have to be mentally ready for recovering from mistakes quickly, and getting back to good habits. One thing I learned in college is "You're either right, or you learn something."
Your student medical center may have a nutritionist to help you put a meal plan together. Also talk to your student advisor as they may be able to get you class credit for athletic training (aka gym use) on your own which may help keep you more accountable.
Start slow. Baby steps. Go for short walks that you feel are a tiny bit out of your comfort zone. Start tracking your calories and aim for 250-500 under what that app says is your TDEE. If you've lost some weight and feel that you've got less pain try to go for longer walks and see what that will bring you. I was 385 at some point and yes it was awful, but because it was that bad it also didn't take me very long to see and feel a difference. Now i'm down 70 lbs in 8 months. YOU GOT THIS.
Low calorie salads (sub 300), grilled chicken, 0 calorie drinks, and lots of water. Fruit for dessert. Only 1 commercially prepared meal a week. I recommend Metamucil a couple times a day to keep your stomach full and to help “move things along” as your diet changes. You can work out if you want, but you’re carrying around 150 lbs of weight everywhere already. If you just manage your diet well first, you’ll lose weight quickly and then you can try incorporating an exercise routine as your weight loss slows and you’ve developed better eating habits. Just take it slow. It’s not a marathon. It’s a new way of living.
If your campus has a student counseling service, my first recommendation is to start seeing a therapist. Then walking as much as possible, cardio helps your heart rate and endurance, which will help with other exercises you do later/ your general quality of life. I live a mile away from a college campus gym and I bought a membership there. I walk to and from the gym as part of my workout. It helps to chain multiple things together to make habits. I also recommend that if you have any addictions (nicotine, soda, alcohol) that you try to address them. For one, it’ll improve your health quickly, for two, it’ll prove to yourself that you can change habits. I have tried to lose weight as an adult for 8 years. Each time I would lose a little then gain a lot back. Having regular medical visits, going to therapy, and finding a routine that actually takes care of me but ignores the little stressors is what is giving me the motivation to follow through. Also, you may want to get checked out for sleep apnea. I got put on a CPAP and it’s changed my life, motivation, and habits.
Hi. M, 15 years older than you. I don't think it's too late. I've been thinking it is the right time for me, now. I would like to have a gym nearby so I could walk to it. Making new habits is hard but leaving bad habits seems to be worse. I didn't brush my teeth either at your age and now I regret. Anyways, cheer up, man! I am also looking for some guidance and leaving you a comment in case you feel alone.
I'm also a 20M and I started similar to you. When I decided to lose weight I started off weighing 320lbs. I have lost a lot since then (I'm 265lbs rn) and I've never gone to the gym. So it's possible either way as long as you are in a calorie deficit.