By quitting drinking alcohol
Literally the only thing I changed about my life at that time and I went from 185 lbs to 165 lbs in 3 months
I was drinking a fifth per night of alcohol that was at least 100 proof, so I was a bit of an alcoholic at the time
I quit cold turkey and within just a few weeks I started feeling a lot better overall and by about 4 months after I quit the cravings stopped every time I smelt alcohol
I've been sober now for about 5 and a half years and the weight has stayed off the whole time. I've basically been 160±5 lbs since
- Water. No drinks other than water or black coffee/ tea.
- Understanding nutritional value better and counting calories (for a while). Intuitive eating has been sven better for me after that.
- OMAD. One meal a day. Suited my hunger pattern for a long time and allowed me to feel full after a meal which I like while feeling light most of the day which I also like.
- Home cooked meals 99% of the time. Literally. Maybe eat out once a month most months.
- Enjoying feeling healthy, so liking eating the things I ate and working out etc.
Things I didnt need but do recommend:
- Improved fiber intake.
- Cutting all caloric drinks.
- Know how much fat youre adding to your food, that tsp you just added are actually 2 tbsps.
- Choose better carbs. Thats mostly about fiber content again. So whole wheat instead of white.
- Dont mean to sound like that guy but good for gut foods. Yogurt, pickles and other fermented products.
- The mental side. Know that a bad meal, day, week doesnt ruin anything. You don't need to be perfect, just improve in the long term.
I could go on forever but I'll stop here.
I see a lot of exercise reccomended ITT, but just remember that it takes an hour to "burn" 300 calories walking, but under a minute to eat a donut. Dieting is your battle. Also, doing a little exercise (5 min walk) everyday that you can keep yourself doing consistently is WAYY more important than the 2 hour gym sesh you hit twice then get demotivated and never do again
(This is coming from someone with no experience losing weight, so take it with a grain of salt)
No magic tricks or diet fads.
Eat less, move more.
Eat more vegetables and salad, cut down bread and meat.
Stop drinking sodas and juices with extra sugar in them and learn to quench your thirst with water.
Limit eating candy or cookies to one day per a week, if you can't let them go entirely.
Got a divorce and lost my job. Spent six months eating 1500 calories a day, 600 of which were liquor, and walking five to seven miles a day. Hours of walking by the Sound in the rain every day. Felt like the only thing I could control was what I ate and how much I walked. Lost thirty pounds. I got a few compliments on how much thinner I looked. Didn't tell anyone that every pound was burned with hate.
I'm doing better now.
I tried to do a bunch of small things. No single thing was the key.
- started drinking my coffee black
- drink more water, and drink water instead of other things
- I take the stairs instead of elevator/escalator whenever possible
- I try not to eat seconds at dinner
- "Real" exercise (like running, rowing, etc.) every other day, but if I can squeeze in extra ones, (e.g., 2 days in a row), I go for it
- If I'm not up for real exercise, I'll go for a walk
- intermittent fasting in the mornings, so often no breakfast, but not necessarily every day
- No snacking after 19:00
- At restaurants, if 2 options look good, go for the one with fewer calories
There are probably more, but those are the kinds of habits we're talking about.
Also important: if you don't stick to all habits, don't beat yourself up about it.
With the above, I was able to get from a high of 235 lbs down to around 180. I'm a bit more than that right now, but pretty close still.
Eliminating certain kinds of food entirely
Some foods tended to be things I quite simply ate too much of, and eliminating them entirely was the simpler option. Snacks are obvious in this category, but less obvious for me was bread and sandwiches.
Walking, a whole lot of it
Running can often be the exercise that comes to mind when wanting to lose weight, which is natural on account of its cultural prevalence and high energy requirement. The problem is that you can't really do a whole lot of it without getting tired, and if you're overweight it probably hurts like hell to do it.
Walking, on the other hand, can be done essentially in unlimited quantities. I took every opportunity to go for long walks at a brisk pace, listening primarily to podcasts but also audiobooks to keep me entertained. It was also a good opportunity to catch up with family by giving them a call.
Caloric restriction
At the end of the day, no matter what kinds of food I ate, my appetite still pushed me to put more energy into my body than I was able to spend. As such, I had to implement some form of caloric restriction to keep the number going down.
These things worked for me but may not be appropriate for you. Losing weight is very hard, some trial and error is probably a good idea. Good luck!
Use a calorie counting app like lose it. Log everything you eat. It's very tedious at first but pretty soon you get really good at judging how many calories are in things. Don't stop logging! Track your weight. When you hit plateaus zoom out on the time scale and look at your trend line going down and feel good about yourself.
The trick is being honest with yourself. There are no free calories. Those 2-3 little cookies you had at work? They count. The extra scoop of rice? That counts. Most people have no concept of how many excess calories they're really taking in.
Over COVID lockdown my wife and I both gained 10-15 pounds and I was already a good 20 pounds over where I wanted to be. We both started this and never stopped. I lost 40 pounds in about 9 months (230 to 185) , she lost 20, 155 to 134, and we've both kept it off for the last three years. We log all our meals and we exercise. Exercise becomes rewarding because burning extra means you can cheat! Did you bike twenty miles today? HAVE YOU A FUCKIN DONUT THEN!
amphetamines
I started slow jogging every other day, using an app called Just Run that has you alternate walking/running until you're built up to running a full 3k. It goes for 9 weeks and I just completed week 6. There's a 10k version I'll be moving on to after.
On the days I don't run, I use Chloe Ting weight-training videos on YouTube to target areas I need strength support in, like my lower back and shoulders. I also use her cool down routine every day, it's the best stretching video I've found.
I've also been fasting every Monday. Just nothing but coffee (which I do put some sweetener and milk in in the morning) and water.
I only weigh myself once my period has come and gone, since I tend to fluctuate about 10 lbs during. I weighed myself about 3 weeks ago and I've lost 13 lbs. I've just now started seeing and feeling a change.
My weight loss started in a thread exactly like this. I read about someone using My Fitness Pal to track their food intake and consuming less than they were burning. I tried the same thing and within days I was losing weight and feeling better.
I lost 80 pounds over the following year, took up running using the Couch 2 5K program and have been maintaining that since 2018.
Finished my first triathlon last summer.
I'm struggling with this right now. I started going to the gym 6 times a week almost a year ago knowing it wouldn't be enough by itself but trying to only make one big lifestyle change at a time. Now my gym habit is well and truly locked in I really need to improve my diet as my next big change. My weight has been basically exactly the same since I started. Lots more muscle mass now but still....
Good luck to everyone trying to make improvements to their health!
Oh I actually did lose like 20kg a few years ago by doing keto but it wasn't sustainable to me so I put it all back on. I guess the lesson for me there is to keep trying until you find a sustainable change you can stick to as a lifestyle, not just temporarily.
There are many methods that are ultimately a combination of psychological tricks, and finding food and meal times that you work well with.
The one thing they all have in common is calories in being less than calories out.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to get started is simply establishing a baseline. Don't try to change anything, just count everything. And yes that means everything. After that, look for things you know don't make you feel good. Maybe limit or drop soda, cut a snack in half, limit dessert, reduce alcohol, etc.
Radical diet changes aren't required, just consistent.
When you start to run into problems with something that feels like self control (snacking, meal size, alcohol, sugar, etc), then look into ways to work through that. Often it's just learning new habits (never eat from the bag, seconds are ok but start small and wait, etc). Those habits really depend on the individual and where you're currently at though.
Some people do great with keto, some with fasting 20 hours a day, some with only snacks instead of meals, or only meals and zero snacks. Just trying those at random without understanding where you're currently at first can lead to feeling failure and giving up unless you happen to get lucky with what you try first.
And, always be kind to yourself.
Counting calories. I used MyFitnessPal, but I'm sure there are other apps.
Figure out how many calories you need daily to maintain your current weight, depending on age/gender/height, and then subtract about 500 calories from that. This also depends on your stats; you don't want to go below your minimum daily calories. You'll be hungry and dizzy all the time, and your body will try to store extra fat because it thinks you're starving.
You can eat whatever you want, as long as you stay under your daily calorie number. You might not be healthy (depending on your food choices), but you will lose weight.
Good luck!
I'm down about 30 pounds since last Summer, and it's had sticking power. I went from a few pounds over obese on my BMI to a normal BMI weight (200 lbs to 170).
I'm a data-driven guy, and I started using a phone app where you scan barcodes, or manually enter your food and weight. I got a scale off amazon for like $10. Before I even started changing my diet, I just started entering everything I was eating and drinking. It was a bit eye opening. The calorie count was too damn high. Lots of carbs, cheese, and alcohol.
I didn't follow any specific diet or anything, but I tried to keep my calorie count around or just under 1500 calories per day. If you're trying to meet a calorie count and not be hungry all the time, you figure some stuff out. You can eat a lot of vegetables. You can eat a decent amount of seasoned meats. Pasta and bread are things you can only have a little of. Drinking alcohol ruins the day.
Anyway, sticking to the count, I watched 1-3 pounds a week drop off and stay off. It was very satisfying. Math. Data. Measurable results. I recommend it.
Stopped drinking soda, started walking daily. 60 lbs over the course of a year a few years ago, haven’t gained any back
100% calorie counting, NO 'extra' exercise. Lost 30 lb in 30 weeks just by being ~500 cal negative every day.
Don't drink calories, skip breakfast, and cutting out obvious 'junk' made it rather easy once I got past the first 4 weeks of willpower & adjustment.
that's it, nothing fancy. (40yr old male)
It might sound weird, but I've been progressively losing weight by religiously brushing my teeth after eating anything.
I used to have a problem of eating small things like candies and biscuits randomly, as a way to control anxiety. Now I think twice before eating anything, because I don't want to go and brush my teeth again. After some time doing that, I ended regulating myself and eating at specific times, with no extra eating between them.
Restricted my calories. It works, you just have to eat fewer calories than your previous weight to maintain your new weight, so a lot of people put that weight back on. That said, if you put yourself in a mild caloric deficit, it's extremely easy. Then it's mostly a matter of not keeping binge-worthy foods in your living space (you can eat them as much as you want when you're out), and it's pretty easy.
Wherever I vacation to a walkable city, I lose weight.
Europe, please let me move in 😭
Started walking/jogging 2 miles on the treadmill every other day.
Did 20 squats and hip/pelvic exercises while brushing my teeth for 2 minutes every night.
Kept light weights on my desk so I could work my arms while watching videos.
Got a job where I was on my feet walking 15000-20000 steps a day. In the summer I was sweating buckets and drinking a lot of water.
Oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, bottle of Soylent for lunch, normal dinner with my husband. I would still snack and have dessert and stuff, but I wouldn't have as much as I used to. For example, instead of a whole slice of cake, I would have just a thin slice.
Eventually started jogging/running outdoors.
Went from 14/L to 8/S. I'm not sure how much time it took exactly because I wasn't keeping track but I think it was less than a year. Just weighed myself one day and I had lost like 30 pounds.
Edit: I forgot to add that I also would only drink water or an alcoholic beverage with my meals. I figured lemonade and soda and iced tea were all extra calories and sugar that I didn't need.
Edit again: I forgot I also would take the stairs instead of the elevator. So really overall it's just little things here and there and they all add up. I can't give up carbs or any food really because I love to eat, just enjoy a smaller portion. :)
Eating less. When making dinner I wold make half of what I usually made, for lunch I would only have small things like a salad or soup, I stopped supplementing during/after training with gels and recovery drinks, cut out desserts. Went from 68kg to 63kg in couple of months.
I found exercise that I actually wanted to do. For me, this started out as cycling. I enjoyed being able to go places and see things. I used to just cycle casually with my family but when the COVID lock downs happened, I would go on 30+ mile bike rides. It was nice to get out, see things and the roads were pretty empty around me so I could go just about anywhere.
The biggest problem with that around here is that it gets really cold during the winter so I started doing a combination of cardio, hand weights and basic exercises like pushups, etc to just get my heart rate going and sweat a bit. I do have an indoor bike trainer but I don't enjoy that quite as much because it's just sort of boring compared to being out and seeing scenery.
I was sort of stuck at this weight of around 190, which by the BMI charts is a few pounds overweight for my height. This last fall, I was challenged by my sister in law, along with her other siblings, to run a half marathon. I used to play soccer and I used to run for a good while in my 30s - it's how I stayed in shape back then and was able to lose a good bit of weight. So I started running and I found it to be really easy, probably because I didn't have to fight through the getting winded - it was mostly my leg muscles getting used to running. Now I run around 30 miles a week, even in the cold. The only thing I struggle with now is taking care of my knees and leg muscles as that's the biggest issue I run into that could prevent me from keeping it up. I've been running since November and am down to 180 and I feel great.
Now food wise, I mostly just try to be generally aware of going in excess for anything that is just sugar or a food that calorie dense but not providing nutrients. I try to keep fruit around the house. if I think I am hungry, I ask if I am hungry enough to eat and apple or a plum - something like that and will do so if I am. I still snack on stuff like pretzels, crackers, etc. I eat things that aren't healthy for me but I try hard to not go overboard on anything.
Intermittent fasting. It takes a fair amount of discipline, but if you stick with it past the first week or two it becomes very easy
Logging my calories intake with an app and logging burning calories with a smart watch while playing BeatSaber and Supernatural on my Quest 2/3.
Lost 40 lbs in 1.5 years while consuming 1500-1800 calories per day. I'm now right in the middle of my BMI. I'm proud and I'm now trying to stay right there! I can still eat cake and drink wine! Just need to count those calories and adjust!
Keto. Cut out all carbs, less than 50g per day. Eat mainly veggies and fish and chicken, occasionally red meat. Don’t pig out on bacon and cheese either, go for walnuts and avocado and similar for unsaturated fats. No sugar at all. No beer. Only healthy fats. I lost 40 lbs in 6 months. Then switch to a low carb diet afterward and exercise more and watch your calorie intake to keep the weight off. Do NOT do keto for long term (over 1 year) unless your doctor says it’s okay.
Edit: here’s some good meal ideas
Breakfast: plain Greek yogurt with raspberries, or a hard boiled egg and some walnuts or almonds. If you have time at home, cook a few eggs and put them over a sautéed veggie hash
Lunch: Romaine lettuce wraps with turkey, avocado, and light cheddar cheese and light mayo. Chicken stuffed bell peppers is pretty amazing too. Or you can get cauliflower crusts and make a proper pizza with your favorite non-carb toppings(which most aren’t)
Dinner: cauliflower fried rice with your favorite protein. Baked salmon and Brussels. Philly cheese steak lettuce wraps. Spaghetti squash is a great replacement for lighter noodles. Spiralizing zucchini is great too
Snacks: have fresh almonds and walnuts around. Try tossing them in light olive oil and throw some spices on them! String cheese, hard boiled eggs, and avocados are awesome to have around if you feel snacky.
Calorie counting through MyFitnessPal. I am unable to accurately gauge how many calories I'm consuming just by eyeballing it, and this is especially difficult given my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is about 1350 calories. (I'm short.) The only way I've been able to manage my weight is by turning it into concrete understandable numbers.
I have a 3,312 day streak of calorie counting now. It's the one habit I've managed to keep up, and while my weight has gone up and down I've kept track of it all. At my starting point, I weighed 150lb (obese by BMI), and I'm currently down to 118 (high end of normal by BMI).
Counting calories was the biggest thing, I like Cronometer. I did a crash diet to reset what my body expected out of portion sizes but quickly scaled back up to healthier amounts (no point getting an eating disorder over this). Don't obsess over tracking things exactly it's all flawed anyway. Instead just be consistent so trends over time can be identified and adjusted. I didn't do this for weightloss but I also quit drinking around that time which helped too. Started going bouldering regularly, recently bought a bike, and I don't own a car so I tend to do a lot of walking.
Recently something shifted where I'm no longer counting calories to make sure I'm eating small enough portions, I'm counting calories to make sure I'm eating enough. I never changed what foods I eat I just changed the portions.
Oh and if I'm feeling really hungry but don't have a lot of calories for the day I'll microwave a potato for a bit then pop it in an air fryer to finish. Baked potato quality in under 10 minutes, if you don't load it with dairy then they are less than a calorie a gram making them pretty diet friendly.
I started living alone and grocery shopping for myself so I just stopped buying high calories food and sugary snacks. And count calories.
Being poor. Lost 20 kilos.
I used to struggle majorly with weight. Went on a pretty strict 20gm keto cut in about 2016 and dropped form 200lbs to 155lbs. Since then I've just settled around 160-170lbs. Whenever I notice I'm getting a bit heavy I just go back on Keto for 6 weeks or so and I'll be back down. Keto for me has a real appetite suppressing effect, so I'll usually only eat dinner and nothing else except a couple of coffees through the day. This all sounds very difficult to someone who hasn't done it, but I was shocked how easy it became after a week or two. You cut a lot of bloat and water weight in the first few weeks, so it's really rewarding looking at the scales day after day. Once you've done it and realise how easy it is, I find there's a lot less anxiety around weight.
In 2012 I went from 245 to 170 in about 6 months using keto. Straight up keeping net carbs below 20 was enough to get me to 200 where I plateaued for a few weeks. After that I started calorie restriction to 1800 (as a 30ish M) and that got me to 170. My 30ish wife had to restrict to 1400 calories to hit 140 on keto. We allowed ourselves up to 1 low carb drink a day and that seemed to help keeping water weight off and avoiding plateaus.
The nice thing about keto is hunger is much weaker without carbs driving the insulin cycle.
After losing all that, I stopped counting calories but kept my carbs at or below 30 net a day and maintained my weight no problem. I also started biking and got down to 158 which was too low for my frame so I upped protein and started lifting. That got me leveled off around 175 and looking good.
I held that for 8 years until 2020. I started night school, moved states, and got a new job and went back to standard diet due to stress and time constraints. I gained ten pounds a year even trying to limit calories and finally said enough is enough and got back on Keto this month. Losing weight again no problem, I plan to be back below 180 by my camping trip on Memorial Day.
Keto and Intermittent Fasting during Covid while WFH and not going out to eat for 2 years.
I had always been thin, but from 2017-2020 I gained a lot of weight, and I was scheduled to start a new job the day that lockdowns went into place. So I WFH for a couple of years before I met any of my new coworkers face to face.
Once I realized I had some time, I ordered a 64 oz water bottle with times and volume on the side. I tried to drink 3 of those filled with water a day, only eating a small lunch at 12.
I never weighed myself - I only went by how my clothes fit. I still had jeans from when I was thin and that was my goal - to fit in them again. Once that was done, I would figure out how to proceed.
A year or so into it, I’d lost a couple of pants sizes. I was getting compliments - positive reinforcement. That’s when I became obsessed and doubled down and it got really unhealthy.
I just didn’t eat. Do not do this. It wasn’t intentional but it happened. My hair was falling out. I’ve since gained some of the weight back but I probably lost around 50 lbs and have kept 90% of it off. And I still try to drink a ton of water during the day and eat better.
TLDR I’m not proud of it and never intended to go that far, but I didn’t realize I was doing it so just be aware.
I appreciate this doesn't work for everyone and might not be a long term solution, but I dropped 20kg by fasting on a 20:4 schedule.
Cico, exercise, good sleep, and a solid reason to lose
Started eating a shit tonne of rice.
Losing weight really isn't that hard. It's calories in verses calories out. If that doesn't work, congratulations you are breaking the laws of thermodynamics and physics is changed forever.
I just took out some higher calorie food and ate a lot more chicken and rice and the weight dropped off kinda scary fast seeing as I was eating 4 meals a day. Ended up adding extra calories with eggs and was more comfortable with sauces.
Another time I took up surfing. Fucking hell surfing is hard, running 10 miles is easier. Increased my food load and ate a crap load more protein and just changed shape in a few months, lost the fat around my tummy and my shoulders grew huge.
I won't give a specific solution.
What works for you ultimately depends on you; be it intermittent fasting, OMAD, cutting sugar and/or salt, simply eating less, working out, a combination of the previously mentioned, etc. but what I feel allowed me to actually lose weight (~50 pounds so far) was accepting that -- whatever you end up doing -- it's not temporary. It's a lifestyle change. You're just going to regain that weight if you return to the habits that brought you there in the first place.
Mentally, I also approached it as "one step at a time". Weight fluctuates for all sorts of reasons be it water intake, you just ate, etc. I didn't get discouraged as I saw the number go up and down a few pounds here and there, but continued to view every few pounds as a milestone worth celebrating (not with a cheat day, mind you). The general trend kept going down, I was getting and remaining healthy, and that's all I really cared about.
Long COVID.
Lost my appetite, smell, & taste. Appetite came back in about a month, smell & taste were off for 6-8 months. Lost over 50lbs from just not wanting to eat.
Naltrexone and then became vegan. It's AMAZING.
Edit; should clarify I am not taking naltrexone for weight loss, it's for an anxiety disorder, and it's a side effect. It made me loathe the taste of animal products and I have almost no appetite, but bitch is SKINNAY.
Moved to a walkable city in a country with better food quality, and sold my car. It's a cheat code.
Also slowly regaining it, and need to cut down on snacking and drinking.
I went from 110 to 75kg a few years ago by no longer snacking in the evening.
I eat something at 5-6, and then that's the last thing for the day.
That alone did it already.
From 2013 to 2017 I lost 60 pounds and I've kept it off since.
I tried everything to lose that fat.
I've tried at different times: keto, calorie counting, intermittent fasting, low fat, low carb, Soylent, cutting alcohol, high fiber, if it fits your macros, power lifting, CrossFit, running, vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, and Renaissance periodization.
What's actually worked consistently for losing and keeping it off? Simple. Intermittent fasting 20/4 with low carb during the week, free cheat weekends, and no alcohol ever. With that protocol I can control my weight to the pound, consistently, and I've held it there for over 5 years.
It's such a great feeling to be totally in control of it.
Stopped drinking my calories (alcohol, juice, soda, etc.) and fell in love with running.
Went vegan.
Lost 10kg, was pretty worried, got 8 back
Exercise and diet. That allowed me to lose 15 kg.
For exercise: I bought Ring Fit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch at the start of 2020. That's the only thing that has motivated me to exercise. Now I even do some additional weight lifting and cardio exercises. This has helped me the most to lose weight.
For diet: I have gastrointestinal issues. Since 2022 I started a diet to alleviate those problems. This helped only a little for losing weight.
Eating less sugar, fat and carbs. More protein. Exercising frequently, if you don’t like the gym find something else. Swimming for example is great fun and very gentle on an overweight body.
I replaced sugar with date sirop
I'm eating less transformed food and fast food
Lot of sport between 5 and 30 km of running + walk a day
No change in portionsNot a method I'd ever recommend to anybody but depression did it. Just stopped eating, like, almost entirely, had no appetite whatsoever, would force myself to eat at least something around dinner time, around 50g of carbs (when dry) like pasta, rice or noodles. Drank tea during the day for some caffeine. Combined with some exercise - started walking then running about 5k every few days.
Things got a bit more normal after a while and just kind of went with watching calories. Mostly just kept an eye on carbs - no more than 100g per day, used less fat or oil in cooking, picked slightly (but not excessively) leaner cuts of meat, more veggie dishes, skimmed milk, no sugary drinks. Never was one for eating breakfast, my day would normally be some kind of lunch time thing like a couple of crumpets with some jam, an afternoon snack - usually rice cakes, japanese-style crackers, pickled stuff (gherkins, onions, sauerkraut) then dinner as I mentioned above. There was a few brands of ice cream that did low calorie versions I would buy for dessert, or I would have fat-free yoghurt and a couple of squares of chocolate.
I found this pretty easy to do during covid (started this all maybe mid 2020). It was easy to hide the fact you were eating strangely if people aren't aware. The bit that I found (and still find) hardest is the intention to start or cut portion sizes. I never intended to do it but I found that when I stopped eating because I had no appetite, it was like a kind of reset that allowed me to build up to a more appropriate diet. I can't say I think this is a good idea for a whole host of reasons but that is what happened to me.
Keto!
By figuring out how I would eat to keep a healthy weight. Then I just started eating like this. Its slow, but you don't run into the problem of being "done" with losing weight and picking up weight again. You just have a better eating habit and can stick with it basically forever - and as a bonus you can even have things like Pizza while losing weight.
2 hours of moderate exercise a day, ate less and replaced things like potato chips etc. with healthier things eg. nuts
Lost 100 lbs by having a slimfast shake for breakfast and a Greek yogurt or banana for lunch. Anything I want for dinner.
Dance Dance Revolution. More specifically, an open source clone of it called StepMania. Very fun way to lose weight. You'll want to invest in some high quality metal dance pads if you really enjoy it though.
I'll focus on decision making with a threefold approach. If that sounds fancy, well that's because it is.
Firstly, large change comes from seemingly insignificant decisions. Actually, they just seem so small because they are made in the current moment. But decisions made in the moment are all anybody has and ever had, and so they are actually most meaningful.
Secondly, grow your capacity for decision making. Don't start with the oak, but with the seed. Start small, slow, and with low expectations. Keep in mind that these take place in the moment.
Examples:
- Pay attention to the moments in your day when you could have made a decision. Don't interfere, just observe.
- While going for a walk, decide to change your path. Take an unplanned turn. Try a U turn.
- See how long you can just sit somewhere. More challenging than it sounds.
- Swim one extra lane.
- Stop watching after one episode.
- And so on.
Thirdly, the same as point two, but focused on cultivating healthy eating patterns.
Examples:
- Observe your eating behavior without interfering and judgment. You're simply learning about how things are and have been.
- Throw away a handful of chips. It's alright to toss food given your circumstances.
- Switch out a chocolate bar with stracciatella quark. Chocolatey protein!
- Read up on nutrition while waiting for the train. What is glycogen? How does one properly store prepared food?
- Cook something nutritious and tasty by adding spices, cheese, cream, butter, salt, sugar. Can't be worse than a factory meal, right?
- Standing in the store in front of what you're craving, and pay attention to what you're feeling. Buy it.
- Standing in the store in front of what you're craving, and pay attention to what you're feeling. Say no.
- And so on and so forth.
Lastly, I'd like to say that weight loss is a personal journey, filled with unique challenges and discoveries. Beyond these practical steps, it's crucial to remain open to deeper insights about yourself. Whether it's addressing emotional eating, seeking social support, or trying out sport, the essence lies in making a series of informed decisions in the present moment. Each choice, no matter how small, propels you forward, shaping the future you envision for yourself.
I stopped eating ice cream. Still not sure why that did it, I didn't think I was eating that much. 70lbs down.
Measured everything I ate and put it into a calorie counter app. Ate whatever I wanted, but if I wanted to eat (or drink) it, I had to measure it and put it in the app.
I tried not to go over the recommended calorie amount, and if I did, I did some exercise that the app would put me under the calorie amount for the day.
I had it set to the slowest weight loss amount (something like 0.5lbs per week?), but lost weight faster than that.
It helped me improve my diet, get a better understanding of what I was eating, helped me get better in tune with my "fullness", and got me drinking more water.
Overweight and obesity are extremely complex disorders, that combines genetic predisposition, changes in hormonal levels and horrible obesogenic environment that we have nowadays. There is no simple answer on how to lose weight as it depends on multiple factors too - your home and work environment, availability of stores with fresh products, your medical history, your goals in general. What is working well for one person, may not be ideal for others or even sometimes dangerous (depends on other comorbidities).
Most important part is not just to lose weight, but do it safely and maintain the weight loss. For that you need a whole lifestyle change, that is why it is so hard for many people. The major rule is: permanent dietary changes needed for a weight loss and regular exercises needed for maintaining the result.
My advise (if you are in the US) - find an obesity clinic with obesity board-certified physician, discuss all your concerns and develop a plan what will work specifically for you. It is pretty well covered by insurances and you will always have a specialist who can answer your questions and help to overcome any barriers in the future.
And remember we all are just internet strangers, take all our advices with healthy skepticism.
I follow a simple diet called "half". I eat a half portion of whatever I'd like. I don't eat any better or worse, just less of it. Did you know a frozen burrito has 300+ calories? Eat one, not two. Portion controls are essential, don't get a tub of ice cream, get a box of little ice creams, and then eat one instead of gobbling two or more. Giant bowl of pasta? Half now, half goes in the fridge for tomorrow, instead of packing my gut full.
I probably cheat enough that I'm getting 2/3 or 3/4 of my full calorie intake, but it's good enough that I've lost 30 lbs in a couple years, I'm not putting it back on, and it's required no real hardship.
- Dr. Ian Smith Fat Smash Diet (Except I kept the coffee in the first part)
- It don't happen overnight (Weigh in about once a week or so...)
- Stop all Fast Food (Seriously, when cheat days come along make your own with better ingredients)
- Pack lunches (& you will also save a ton of $$$)
- Large meal earlier in the day
- Exercise (I walk / hike allot now)
- Make good choices (It really comes down to this, there is tons of crap in the grocery store - don't take it home)
You can and will do it, but it will take time.
As someone else mentioned, Intermittent fasting helped for me as well. I eat from 12:00 - 20:00. I was never really obese, but my weight was definitely heading that way if I didn’t take action. Been on IM for a year now (with some cheat days here and there due to social obligations) and my weight dropped about 7 kg. That doesn’t sound like much, but I was only a little overweight and I’m still a lover of sweet foods and other unhealthy things :)
This in combination with adding 40 min walking to my commute and a weekly Pilates session (for all those important core muscles) seems to work for me. Oh and taking the stairs whenever possible. I work on the 7th floor and like to climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator with the rest of the lunch crowd.
Basically I managed to turn an upward trend into a downward one, and in the long run that’s what’s most important to me.Cooking at home. 100%. For 3 months to start. Then give one day a week out for another 3 months. And meal plan and prep on Sundays.
Warning: expensive
Answer: grapes, pineapple, raspberries
Filling, low kcal, keeps you busy, especially grapes.
I had a lot of anxiety that made me overeat.
I worked with my doctor to find the right medication that worked for me. I then had control over my impulses.
I also had more motivation, so I started tracking my food and workout 2-3 times a week.
I've lost 30lbs since the end of October.
Figure out how many calories you need to maintain your weight and eat less then that.
A calorie calculator can estimate how many calories you burn a day and can estimate plans based on how much weight you want to lose per week.
Exercise so that you don't lose muscle mass and your body burns the stored calories.
And finally, test things and find what works for you. Staying consistent is key.
For myself, I like a Zig Zag plan for losing weight cause I can still enjoy some junk food on the weekend. I track my calories using MyNetDiary because it syncs with other apps I use.
I've lost 15lbs in 4 weeks but I know it's going to take about 5 more months to meet my goal weight.
Good luck on your journey!
Lost around 10 kg in lockdown era. Ate less and did some exercises 3 days a week (nothing fancy. Just played a YouTube video and followed along). Most importantly I got used to feeling a bit hungry sometimes.
I read labels and...
- Eat only trace amounts of saturated fat.
- No sugary drinks.
- Eat a lot of fiber.
- No breakfast, it isn't necessary.
- Walk or bike 1 hour every morning.
- Lift & run every work day during my lunch hour.
I've never been more fit.
Counted calories, ate less, reduced sugar, flour and potato consumption. No exercise.
Exercising has a lot of health benefits and helps with loosing weight but food consumption is the most important.
Eventually I started running but this was after I lost weight. If exercising demotivates you, don't force it
Sport, I run, cycle or swim every day of the week. 1 hour mon-fri and 3-5 hours sat/sun.
And I went to a sport nutritionist who gave me a diet which makes me eat actually MORE (and much more balanced) than before.
Lost 15kgs in 6 months while gaining lots of muscle tissue that is heavier than fat.
60lbs. Calorie deficit. Aimed for 1500 calories, bled over with a reasonable margin to 1800 calories. Per day.
"Lose It" app, which is a food log. Awareness does the trick. I set it to about 2/3 of my average daily calorie burn, and stick to it, with a day off every two weeks or so.
Works for me.
Edit: just in case someone sees this, making an update in bold.
Stopped eating breakfast. No eating after 8 pm. Ate 4 ounces of meat, a cup of veggies and a 1/4 cup of some kind of nuts for lunch at noon and dinner at 7 pm every day except Saturdays. For energy/appetite control, I keep a 1/4 of nuts and a cup of baby carrots that I sometimes eat around 5 pm, but not always.
On Saturdays, ate whatever I wanted from 4:30-8 pm which motivated me to get back on diet the next day.
Walk or ran an hour a day. At first during the evenings, then woke up an hour early and did it in peace. Started causing me to go to bed earlier, a good thing.
Lost 70 pounds from March to October of last year. Stopped dieting and gained 40 back to date. Started back on diet this week. We just had our cheat meal and I could already tell the difference in where it felt more special than eating badly all the time. Going to shoot for 80 pounds total.
I’ve been back on diet for almost a week and lost 6 pounds. Likely water weight, not normal rate, but nice to see nonetheless. I’m already feeling better too.
This might not work for everyone but this is honestly what I did:
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I made sure my health was in check. Were my Hashimoto's medications up to date? Did I have any deficiencies? etc
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Started eating filling food, without calorie counting. Both when I cooked and when I ate out I picked options that used nutritious ingredients and a variety of food groups, but also weren't absolutely fucking dreadful to consume. Getting rid of enjoyment from your diet completely is the fastest way to relapse into binge-eating and just generally isn't helpful.
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Started not just exercising, but also moving around more. Either alone to run errands or just with friends, we can just walk around and talk, see where the road takes us. (I understand this might be difficult for suburbia Americans though)
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Understood my goals. I wasn't sure initially if I wanted to just lose weight or gain muscle. I had some not-so-great experiences with the scale when I was an athlete that I only just started overcoming. I wanted to decrease my overall volume so I stopped looking towards the scale and just made sure to do the workout exercises that catered to my body's needs and checked for progress in the clothes that stopped fitting me.
Hope this helps! I've been a lot healthier and happier since taking my health into my hands and staying away from the disordered habits of my gymrat family 🫡
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I've seen a few people recommending calorie counting here but haven't seen anyone mention Macrofactor, which seems weird considering how often I see people recommending Kagi. I draw the parallel because, while it's a paid product, I find it significantly better than the competition.
I started using it at the start of the year and have had steady progress. Foremost, it is extremely snappy and easy to log food. The database is fairly expansive without having poor quality user submissions. The real win of the app is the feedback loop. Rather than estimating calories expended using formulas meant to be accurate across a population (but not necessarily accurate to each person), it uses your calorie intake data and your weight data to derive your expenditure.
This, to me, helps reduce the stress of tracking significantly. Reason being, if you habitually do not track something like small bites during cooking or condiments, the calculation will take it into account and reduce your calorie target accordingly.
It also doesn't take into account data from activity trackers. Instead, your exercise is essentially smoothed over the following weeks. It helps psychologically to break from "I exercised so I get a treat" mentality, where you 1: immediately eat back whatever you've burned (or more) and 2: are telling yourself a reward for good behavior is calorie-dense food.
The website has a lot of data driven articles.
It also has a bunch of neat graphs. Anyway. Would recommend it. Obviously there's a LOT of different ways to lose weight, but for me it starts with understanding what I'm putting in my body. Can't outrun a bad diet.
Stopped drinking beer and doing HIIT/circuit workouts regularly -- lost about 30lb so far
Ulcerative colitis
Carnivore. Went from 275 to 150 in a year of as close to zero carbs as possible.
I went from 217->173 and have stayed in that range for 4 years. I’m 5’10” / M / 43years
Short answer: high protein / adequate fat keto with skipping breakfast (aka 16:8 intermittent fasting)
I tried it for weightloss, and immediately had health benefits within 36 hours of switching over. I’m never going back. I feel 10 years younger. Brain fog lifted, joint pain gone, more energy to move and do things, more patience and clarity at work and home. Hunger is a signal now and I’m never hangry.
It’s also just not that hard. I eat a ton of awesome meals full of chicken and roasted veg, bbq meats I smoke, steaks, omelets, huge salads. Life is good and I feel good.
COVID. Lost 10kg.
I started taking antidepressants
I rode an elliptical, lifted weights and ate healthier to lose 60lbs. Lots of water too.
I ate less by keeping snacks out of my home.
I was never good at staying on a diet. I have really bad self control and go through phases where I get hooked on soda or energy drinks or smoking, etc.
Two things helped me finally lose weight and maintain a pretty healthy build (these days 90kg 183cm originally 110-115k).
First, I found I could lose weight in short periods when I had a concrete goal. I lost 10k in maybe 6 weeks. Plenty of it was water weight and came back. But after doing that 3 or 4 times I was down to a place I felt more comfortable with myself. During those cycles I was basically always thinking about my calories. It would get tiring in normal life but it was ok if I was trying to hit my goal.
Second, by focusing on my macros and trying to limit salt every day I ended up filling my stomach way before I went into calorie surplus. By going low sodium it eliminated any kind of fast food and most frozen foods. Getting rid of salt wasn't really for health it was just to lose water weight and hit my goal. But getting rid of salt ended up making my diet way healthier.
I also had some success by cutting out bread. I don't think bread is terrible for you or anything, but by giving myself that limitation I made myself choose better options
Eat raw veggies (salads)
In the first week or two you won't feel like it was a real meal since your body still craves sugars, fats and junk. But once you get past the cravings you find out that this huge meal filled with fiber is super filling but the calorie count is really low, and so you start losing weight
Nutritional Ketosis reversed my obesity and high blood pressure (after 6 months)
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/for-doctors (they have references just hover over the numbers)
Ketogenic: The Science of Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction in Human Health a scholarly book for medical professionals if you prefer heavy book medical texts 🦜⛵
There are many paths to metabolic health, this path worked for me. Because my insulin levels are kept low by avoiding carbs by body is able to self regulate hunger, satiation, and cravings. I no longer had to struggle to maintain my diet, it was no longer a impossible hill to climb. I found the hormonal model of healthy eating much easier to maintain then the calorie counting model.
The body is an amazing homeostasis machine, if you let it.
The hardest part was learning how to go out socially and eat drink on plan without hurting my social life. Bars: soda water. Restaurants: salad/eggs are always available. Coffee shops: black coffee, Americano. Clubs: Soda again, with a lime slice.
This is not going to be helpful, but I started weight loss that resulted in about 35 pounds lost simply by going to a con and waiting for people to meet up to eat. Ended up with me not eating until like 8pm each day, so close to 24 hour fasts for 4 days in a row.
Once I was kinda used to it, I did shorter ones and started roughly calorie counting as well.
I know people say you can't lose weight with exercise, that diet controls your weight and exercise your health, but personally I guess I eat about the same amount all the time on average, because increasing activity (except for weight lifting) either on purpose or accidentally, has always been the factor most related to my wright. I'll note that I haven't been overweight so YMMV, but I have been hugely pregnant several times.
Weight lifting makes me gain weight but stay about the same size, which is also a good result. But anything else - walking to work instead of driving, jogging couple times a week, aerobic dance, those will drop my weight the most, the quickest, and without dieting (which isn't good for me mentally).
When I started wfh, I started eating more snacks, smaller meals (or not finishing after I was full), walking a lot while listening to podcasts (I had given up driving for taking rides hares before that was suddenly a danger).
Today, I live in a place that doesn't have a lot of natural beauty (downtown of my city) so walking sucks. I have a car again. And I work in the office 2-3 days per week. I have regained the weight.
Metformin. No other changes. Guess the better blood sugar levels make a difference. Still drinking coke and eating whatever I feel like and dropped 10lbs. The only reason I noticed was because my pants kept falling down.
For me to keep it off was the challenge. I Started by working out how much I needed to eat for maintenance, through calculators and counting my calories for a couple of weeks.
Then I just brought a small deficit of a couple hundred cals, and increased exercise; making sure to go for a walk each day, started lifting weights at the gym.
Now im halfway to my weight goal. But it was all about setting the habits and keeping them going, turning down extra cake in the office or having a smaller lunch to balance everything out, now I dont have the same cravings I used to. Its been a slow year but I am happy with it.
What worked best for me was fitting eating around my weekly routine.
I have a standard 5 days work, 2 days weekend.
In general, the weekend is for fun so I applied that to food as well.
The week is for healthy eating. No snacks, bed early to be well rested. The weekend is for blowing off steam and eating treat foods.
For me, this meant that I reduced my cravings as I wasn't eating unhealthily all week. By the time the weekend rolls around now I don't want that unhealthy food that much. Note. It's taken a while to get to this point but my weight has now been consistently low for over 2 years.
I think the main thing is whatever you find that works for you, it has to become something you can sustain.
Semaglutide. It makes eating less way easier.
Worked night stock.
I found out I was diabetic and had damage to my eyes. So I switched to a diabetic diet overnight and lost 12kg in a couple months. Kept it off too, gained a little back over Christmas (because Christmas is all about the food for me) but lost it by end of January again.
No sugar unless it's fruit, very controlled carbs portions and all wholemeal/ brown varieties. Some days no carbs only vegetables. I've not eaten potatoes since October. Snacks are nuts or fruit, deserts are yogurt and fruit with some dark chocolate every now and then to help with the sugar cravings. It's not easy but I really want to keep my feet and eyes.
Lots of physical activity, like lots. First I got into back country snowboarding. Then the snow at the resort was also really good, so I would skip lunch to ski more. Picked up running in the off season, did some pretty long trail runs. Back in snowboard season, lots of uphill in the mornings when I can. Running when it's warm. Cross country skiing when there's snow.
I also try to stay away from refined carbs, since they make me sleepy, and then hungry in a couple hours. Also eat lots of protein. Also quit drinking booze mostly.
Eat healthily, exercise.
I eat less for my main meal so now I don't feel hungry after it but not stuffed. I've also cut out added sugar and don't snack between meals - I make sure to leave the snacks on the supermarket shelves as I will eat them.
I also try and get a work in each day but walk harder not further, so usually at a pace averaging 110 steps per minute - walk harder not further.
I added more fiber and water to my diet. It keeps you full.
I got a vitamix and I regularly blend two stone fruit or fibrous fruit (oranges and such) with a bunch of water. I drink it all the time because I love fruit juice. It is less.. vibrant than store juice but it tastes more natural and you get all the fiber and water. DO NOT STRAIN IT. If it's too pulpy add more water, or add less fruit.
Find the nearest store or hangout to your house. Walk/Bike/Jog there every day. You don't have to buy anything. It helps to become a regular because you can make new friends as well.
Cutting snacking, calorie dense foods, and counting caloiries.
Calories in/calories out is the only thing that works long term. You dont go on a diet, you change how you eat permanently.
I keep bread in the freezer so i dont snack on it. I only have a small desert. Measure portions until you have a good eye for it, etc.
Working out to burn calories is unsustainable for the majority of people.
Stop drinking soda and alcohol at random. They are loaded with empty calories. You can easily drink 600-1000 calories a day with soda if you have a couple of glasses with meals and snacks.
did most of what others said -(mostly) plant based diet, work out, don't eat too many snacks (crisps, chocolate, etc). additionally I stopped eating gluten bc my gf is allergic - started losing weight almost immediately. srsly have been really bad when it comes to snacks and skipping workouts these last few months and I still lost quite a bit of body fat.
Intermittent fasting and A LOT of physical exercise - running and cycling mostly, with some longer walks and hiking. By "a lot" I mean every day at least one activity. One day something more vigorous, then the next something light (a walk in most cases)
I started small, I'd just make better decisions here and there, choose the healthier of two options, not eating the chips. Then I would make more healthier decisions, I should go on a walk, I'm gonna lift some weights. What ends up happening is once you get used to the easier decisions I would feel like I could/should be doing more. Eventually I'm dieting and exercising regularly and didn't even make any hard choices, just easy and small incremental choices.
The four hour body by Tim Ferris
Extended fasting.
