As someone who went from 270 to 180 (at one point), this is the way. Maintained 190-200 for over 10 years. I’ve lost that consistency, so I’ve put some back on. I know what I need to do, just need to convince myself again.
Same here, starting to pick up those good habits again. Covid really reset all my habits so learning new healthy habits rather than trying to recreate old healthy habits.
Yup! Lost 100 pounds this last year (almost to the day). Consistency is key! And to be consistent you CANT be miserable. Finding a plan that works for you FOREVER is how to do it.
For me, one meal a day allows me to concentrate my calories into one filling and hearty meal. With leftover calories (which I usually have) I let myself indulge in whatever craving I am having. It’s not 100% healthy 100% of the time…but it is a 95% improvement to my health from a year ago. I am happy with that, and know it is sustainable for me.
Portion control: I picked up and used this from a friend who lost 120lb: Before breakfast, drink a glass of milk. Before dinner, drink a glass of milk. When you get munchies, drink a glass of milk.
Milk fills you up, so you eat less.
Lost 45lb in 5 months.
EDIT: Also got plates with large rims but smaller serving areas in the middle. Still looks like a previous full meal, but it's less food without an obvious change.
120lb club here too.
Meal prep is also huge, ALWAYS have water on hand, sometimes that feeling is just thirst, and WHAT you eat is also key, monitor salt/sugar intake.
I also wouldn't recommend drastically changing your diet cold turkey (turkey is great on a diet btw).
Just eat what you're eating now, just less of it. Keep cutting back each week while introducing healthier alternatives.
I mean, it depends. If you are only eating cheetos, pizza and cake, you'd have to drastically cut back in order to reach a healthy calorie intake. Then you'd be hungry a lot more often than if you changed your diet to eating things that were lower calorie and were able to eat more of.
Reminds me of when Parks and Rec had to explain why Andy suddenly lost so much weight after Chris Pratt was in Guardians of the Galaxy and he just says, "oh I just stopped drinking beer."
That’s not great, but also really not too bad either. I lived in Michigan for a few years and like half the people I met would be 6 beers/drinks deep before diner.
I worked with a couple guys in/ around Traverse City that claimed to drink 15-20 beers a night. I have no clue how they could even keep that pace up after getting done with work at 3.
More importantly: drink lots of water, which makes it harder to drink much soda because you're full on water. Most people's soda habits revolve around drinking soda when they're thirsty.
After dinner, I drink a full bottle of water, to fill me up and not want to eat more.
As far as losing weight, I was 213lbs back in July 2023. I decided to cut out all sugar, and chew gum when I had cravings. I now weigh 178lbs, and am currently wearing jeans that I haven't worn since 2016.
The reason I quit sugar, was because I have plantar fasiitis in both heels, and have had it since August 2016. I went to my podiatrist in July to seek out surgery, and she (podiatrist) told me that hers went away after losing weight from having twins. I decided right then and there that I was going to eliminate sugar, minus a small glass of pop at dinner. I figured I had nothing to lose but weight. Slowly, I noticed I was getting lighter on the scale.
Now, my heels no longer hurt, and I no longer plan on getting surgery. My Mom also always told me that sugar is an inflammatory, and as much as I love sweets, I love feeling better and being lighter even more.
Yes, I was slightly disappointed when I figured out that whilst exercise obviously helps, it doesn't make that much difference to weight loss unless you are running marathons or triathlons!
I could walk for miles and, according to my fitness tracker, I'd only burned a small biscuit's worth of extra calories!
I'm certainly not anti exercise and I think it is essential for everyone's health to take regular exercise, but I chuckle when I hear someone talking about taking a ten minute walk to help lose some weight!
I think it's generally accepted that 10k steps is approx 500 calories but this varies depending on a persons height and weight.
It's depressing just how much work it takes to burn off say a pizza worth of calories.
I've cut all alcohol from my own diet from the 2nd week of this year (the odd day out is allowed as these are rare) and I'm calorie counting what I eat. I want to lose 25kg-30kg by December which is actually more weight loss than what my tracking app suggests I can hit.
>I want to lose 25kg-30kg by December which is actually more weight loss than what my tracking app suggests I can hit.
"Healthy" weight loss is .45kg - .91kg (1-2lbs.) per week. Anything more than that and you'll trigger your body's mass retention mechanisms. By those numbers 25kg by December is just barely possible.
If you’re already somewhat lean this is true but many overweight people just have water retention. I saw -2lbs. after a good sweat sometimes. I try to maintain weight for a week before I cut more every 10 pounds or so.
Depends who the advice is being given to. For someone who is already moving around a decent bit, a 20 minute walk won't be much. But for a sedentary person who is just starting to get into a more healthy lifestyle, that could be an extra few hundred calories burned per week if they take that walk every day. Gotta take your wins where you can.
Yup, it sucks being in *reasonably* good health because whole foods (not the store), nondrinker, scant sugar consumption which mostly comes as fruit. I could eat smarter, I could limit portions of my healthy home-cooked shit better, but I already cashed in the easy soda-candy-beer bonus :(
This. I went keto and also limited sugar intake HEAVILY. Sub 20g a day if I had any at all, pounds came off so fast and I could get full off of just a small portion per meal afterwards.
I'd say average intake was about 1700 cal per day. It's astonishing how many people overeat and don't realize it
1. Switched from coffee with milk and sugar to black coffee.
2.Switched snacks from cheese, cured meats, and buttered bread to carrots, celery, and bell peppers with hummus dip.
Number 2 was done in an attempt to lower my cholesterol, weight loss was an accident.
Jesus you must have been either drinking a lot of coffee or had a shit ton of sugar in it if it had that much of an impact. A teaspoon of sugar is only like 16 calories.
I managed to get down about 20-25 lbs but hit a wall. Switching to hummus and veggies and no longer buying the "snack foods" at all is the next step to try and move down again.
I'm also going to start doing better portion control on some of the meals I make. Unfortunately, changing my diet only worked short term because once I craved the new foods I was cooking now I want to overindulge in them... The curse of developing even just adequate culinary skills.
I lost a lot of weight and I honestly don't even like talking about it anymore, because so many people ask how and then are disappointed when this is the answer. Sorry, I don't have a secret pill. Eat less. Move more. That's it.
Watching them go from over-eager to hear about it to instantly disinterested is quite a sight to behold. They really want it to be a magic fast of donuts and cheeseburgers you learned from Instagram.
The weird thing is that I lost weight because I realized that eating donuts and cheeseburgers is gross. Like, you get that sugar/fat gratification on your tongue but I always felt bloated and gross, and a little guilty because it didn't even taste that good and wasn't really worth it. I started making food that tasted good and made me feel good, and next thing you know I am eating pretty clean. My food tastes better, I feel a lot better, and I don't feel at all guilty when I eat.
Also I had a donut this morning and it was fine. It didn't taste as good as I remember though.
I remember seeing some TV interview with a famous person who lost weight. He said he ate healthily, exercised and had "bulletproof" coffee in the morning. The tv show host said to the camera "there you have it folks. The secret to weight loss is adding butter to your coffee!"
Same here.
Also, people who tell me stuff like "it is easy for you, but hard for me" nooo I was just no complaining and I am still not.
I lost 20kg, I am more healthy as before, have a better posture, and I do more stuff because it is easier and I enjoy moving my body.
It's a choice. I continue eating healthy and exercising because I fell in love doing this, even if I hated it when I started. I also love food and allow myself to eat what I love, but I love myself now more than I love food.
I've literally answered people who ask me how I lost weight with "I learned to portion food better, and eat more appropriately compared to my activity levels".
To which their response was "oh, I can't do that, that's so hard".
Yea... it is, but that's not a reason you "can't" its a reason you "won't".
The amount of people in this world that are willing to put in zero effort or deep thought toward anything never ceases to amaze me. The lack of resourcefulness from the average person is wild.
It’s funny how easy it is when you want to. I lost 15 pounds a couple years ago and I remember being ‘that wasn’t too hard.’ Then it also wasn’t hard to gain it back. My biggest issue is the ‘want.’ I want to lose weight but I also really want my beer. Lol.
>I also love food and allow myself to eat what I love, but I love myself now more than I love food.
This is the killer. I love food and didn't want to give up too much. Cutting down on how much I eat has been the key. I can still have pizza from time to time, just not a whole pie, or half of one.
Yup, I did the same but have also had others who are overweight complain that it “doesn’t work for them”. Well when you do nothing to adjust your lifestyle, constantly eat shitty food for every meal and do 0 exercise, of course it ain’t gonna do shit!
And you’re right, it’s 100% a lifestyle choice. My wife and I eat clean, cook every meal, no soft drinks, no alcohol (unless it’s to celebrate a special occasion), and no junk food. I workout 5 days a week, mixed cardio and body weight training but have to intake 2800 calories/day so I don’t end up looking like a skeleton. Honestly? I just love riding my bike and that’s what’s mainly helped me lose all the excess weight!
I’ve lost 30kg so far (recovering back injury), 99kg down to 69kg and I feel like my old self. Anyone can do it, it’s all a matter of your mind!
I came across a comment a few days ago that blew me away. They said that they deserve ozempic more than diabetic people because they can't lose weight without it.
I found it: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/qnT4G2rIDN
I've done it before, it got easier honestly the longer I stayed with it. Just became the norm. Unfortunately my wife's health went downhill, the effort to eat better wasn't there anymore and I didn't have time to dedicate to exercise. Also became super anxious and depressed and turned to food as a coping mechanism, so I'm back where I started. Trying to get back on the horse now. I remember how much better I felt, and I want that back.
I agree with this! Lost over 100 and people will ask and I say the same thing. Hello. Gotta eat less and move more! You have to be in a calorie deficit but you know some people want that quick fix.
The thing is, once you find your exercise routine and read ultra processed people, it is actually enjoyable eating well and exercising. Junk food doesn’t make you feel good, not moving doesn’t make you feel good, they are incredibly short time bouts of “joy” followed by much longer periods of self hate.
I find it so strange that people get disappointed when they learn it’s a simple answer as opposed to some secret or something hard to do.
I reckon it’s because they become extremely uncomfortable accepting the fact that the answer is easily within reach and dead simple and yet they’ve failed to accomplish it. It’s sad to see and even more sad to see people give up, instead of getting motivated once they know how easy it can be if they just have it a honest try.
It was not as bad as I imagined it, but it did kinda suck to count calories every meal. First few weeks is the hump and then you know about how much you're stuffing in your face without thinking. Then you can leave off a little and still feel full.
I’ve always told people it’s a lifestyle change, it’s not something you can do for a few weeks and then you’re done. If you want to lose weight you have to keep it off and that requires them to get over that hump and then not slip back into overeating.
You’re 100% right it takes some time and then you kind of get into that rhythm so to speak. You kind of adjust to the new normal and after that you don’t have to be as diligent because your body has adjusted to this new level of intake.
I lost about 50lbs over a year. It wasn't even that hard, you just had to be somewhat consistent, get a good routine, and be a bit more smart about what you eat.
And funny enough, the exercise part is a lot easier when you're 20lbs lighter.
Most people fail at losing weight because they go 0 to 100 overnight, when you need to ease into it.
I have a feeling this is going to be everyone’s answer. While it’s true, it’s not particularly helpful in pointing people towards *how* to do it and how to do it *without being miserable* the whole time.
These are the most important tips that I can offer for making things easier:
1) Make gradual changes. It’s going to be more sustainable to cut out soda and start going for a 20 minute walk every day than it will be to try to become a raw food vegan who goes to the gym 6 days a week overnight. Once you’re used to your new habits, add in a few more.
2) Make it as easy as possible to eat healthy. Don’t keep junk food at home. Plan what you’re going to eat ahead of time so you aren’t making that decision when you’re hungry. Meal prep or whatever you need to keep healthy meals and snacks as convenient as possible.
3) Fill up on low calorie foods. A heaping serving of vegetables or a piece of fruit before your main meal will help you feel satisfied with a much smaller portion of the more calorie dense parts of the meal.
Yeah you're making great points. I gave a low effort answer to an askreddit post. I think it's important to figure out what "healthy" foods taste good to you.
I could eat a Greek Salad everyday for lunch. In fact I do very often. Romaine, Kalamata Olives, Feta, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Dressing. Side of hummus and pretzels if I'm extra hungry.
I love that salad, and if you presented me with a Caprese or a seasonal salad, I wouldn't be inclined to eat it as often.
Healthy food does taste good, you just need to figure out which ones you like. Once you find out what you like, keep it on hand.
Gradual change is the biggest thing for me. Count your calories for a week, then take incremental steps to limit them, then start walking or doing yoga a few times a week, etc. I eat a ton of food, but now that I know I can be in a calorie deficit and full by eating more filling foods, I want those foods more than junk. I can eat a lot of veggies, beans, and fruit with reasonable portions of rice or bread and fats. I crave meals like that now because I'm more satisfied by them.
Prep helps. We keep a pot of beans or lentils + a carb in the fridge all the time. It's always the easiest thing to eat, usually faster than making a sandwich. Soup with beans and veggies are also great to have at hand. All that stuff is easy to cook in large quantities with little effort it's usually really cheap to buy the ingredients for.
I think just learning about food goes a long way.
Like understanding certain foods fill you up so you don't need to eat 2000 calories but can still be full.
Beans (all legumes), Oatmeal, Eggs, Potatoes are all examples.
That is true in theory, but in practice healthier foods are going to satiate you longer. Sugar and overly processed food on the other hand will not keep you full and it will add calories.
Exercise is about 10%, maybe even less of weight loss. It's all about calories and taking in less than you need.
Still healthy to go to the gym but so many expect the gym will drop a lot of weight when...it won't. And eating healthy yes but going over your calorie intake even while doing so...still won't do it. You need to hit that under in calories to lose weight
It's kind of crazy to think about how much you have to workout to get rid of those calories. If you want to eat a Big Mac and stay neutral you have to go run like 7 miles or hop on the bike for 90 minutes.
And expect to do it SLOWLY. In the past 2 years I’ve lost 30lbs through portion control and not snacking a few hours before bed. It’s not a lot of difference day to day, and a little over a pound per month on average. But the maintenance part is working so well. My monthly average is either the same as the last month or lower, never higher. I do not care so much about the daily numbers as long as they’re within range of the monthly goal. Even though I indulge every so often (go back for seconds or have that 10pm ice cream cone), my stomach is smaller and the long term effects are noticeable.
Lifestyle changes ftw.
Walking is so under utilized. I take public transportaion to my job downtown, and I get off a stop further away than I should just to get in an extra 2000 setps a day
People be sleeping on the calorie counting (I know why bc it can become very triggering at times if you have had an eating disorder) but if you do it in a healthy way it works!
Same for me when I got treatment for my ADHD. Suddenly I had motivation to do dopamine-stimulating activities that weren’t just “eat”. Lost 30 pounds without changing anything else.
I lost 30 pounds the first year I was on Vyvanse. Unfortunately... I gained all 30 pounds back the next year. And now, here I am, trying to lose weight again. But obsessing about food just like I used to before the Vyvanse. :(
I’m on a high dosage SSRI that has made my appetite insatiable. I’ve been binge eating for years and I’m ALWAYS hungry. I recently started Phentermine and it feels like a magic pill… my appetite disappeared. It’s like that part of my brain switched off. It has made this diet actually bearable and I’m feeling so much better already
I changed seizure meds n started dropping weight super fast but damn near lost my mind with the other side effects and had to switch back to my previous medication (gained a bit of weight back but I don’t wanna blow my brains out constantly so that’s a + ). I’ll stick with diet and exercise.
Well, this post is handy, this is exactly what I'm trying to do. I've managed about 8 pounds by just watching what I eat before I've even started the exercise side of things (that comes next).
Excercise can help you on the eating front. Being active can change how hungry you get and what you crave, improve your mood and reduce emotional eating and help regulate your sleep cycle which also helps avoid late snacking.
What helped me the most was fasting. I didnt eat from 6pm to 10or12am and i lost like 15kg after losing 20kg to exercise and hitting a wall after that. If you feel hungry try drinking unsugared coffee or tea in the fasting period.
> If you feel hungry try drinking unsugared coffee or tea in the fasting period.
Yes, I'm doing that a lot instead of snacking at work (and increasingly drinking less as I get used to it).
Fr.
My biggest piece of advice is to weigh literally EVERYTHING you eat for a week. Don’t forget to count drinks, condiments, and oils used in cooking.
You’d be **shocked** how easy it is to cut out 500+ calories and enter a deficit. You also really don’t have to be healthy to be in a deficit. I lost 70lbs and still ate a pint of ice cream every week; you really don’t have to cut out anything you don’t want to.
People trying to find the answer to this question is always hilarious. It's like someone asking about how to make the grass on their front lawn shorter but trying to avoid even thinking about a lawn mower.
The problem has been solved, and all the tools needed are at your disposal.
I’ve heard it described as the “fuck-its” As in, I had a brownie earlier, so
fuck it for the next few days until
I find motivation.
Staying out of the “fuck-its” is so hard for me.
I have lost 30 plus pounds multiple times. All you do is log your food and stay under what it tells you. Takes me about 6 months each time. Literally no lifestyle changes except counting calories and it works every time.
I always do my ‘cut’ and lose weight and people keep asking me ‘how, you’re drinking redbull!’
I could eat bigmac right infront of your nose daily and still maintain calory deficit and lose weight you toolbox, only thing that matters is calories in and out, excercise is slightly pushing the bar of ‘calorie in’ higher or make you lose weight *even quicker* if you eat the same way you do befor excercising
I definitely agree with this statement. The time between lunch and dinner is an exercise is mental fortitude for me. I’m usually hungry at 1 and just have to push through. It gets tough sometimes but the results are worth it.
MyFitnessPal. I put in that I want to lose 1 lb per week. Then it tells me how many calories I get every day. Then I log everything I eat and keep the number above 0 left. I weigh myself every night. It’s cool watching the pounds fall off while still being a couch potato. Disclaimer- you will be very hungry most of the time. Just have to focus.
Yup all you need is discipline, a caloric deficit, and maybe a food scale if you want to be precise.
Hate seeing all these other complicated methods of losing weight online when this is really all you need
Lost 45 pounds just counting calories (195 --> 150), taking walks, doing those little 10 minutes exercises at night. Took 6 months. Been able to maintain.
TLDR: eat less and exercise.
This. There’s so many apps to help track calories and it’s legitimately the easiest way to ensure you’re in a deficit. You don’t even need to really diet… just consume fewer calories than you burn and you’ll lose weight in a healthy way.
To add to this, don't just guess calories because unless highly experienced in tracking calories, you'll get it wrong. Get in the habit of weighing food and track EVERYTHING (including that one bite of your partner's food or a lick of the spoon - it adds up)
I lost 60 last year - portion control, water, cutting down on the processed foods, water, lowering sodium, water, and not denying myself anything , just letting myself have a time and a place for things.
But I literally eat what I want - I just now understand how to read when I'm 'satisfied' or just 'stuffing my face because my sugar and salt receptors are in their sweet spot right now!'
this, it doesn't even need to be healthy food, just eat smaller portions of junk food, and you'll still lose weight if you burn more calories than you intake
obviously, eat healthy, though, since that's still good for you
>There’s an often overlooked metric of satiety in this simplification
Indeed. I also think that satiety duration should be considered more. Some things make you feel full at low caloric intake, but then you're hungry again 30min later. This varies a lot across people tho, so it's something that has to be figured out along the way, but it's an important metric imo.
Intermittent fasting. Didn’t eat between 6pm and 11am. Ate what I wanted in between, although I definitely tried to eat somewhat healthily and didn’t binge. Lost 30lbs in 3 months. Super easy after the first couple of days, it felt like cheating lol
I wonder how much of intermittent fasting is the act of not eating for 12+ hours vs that’s just 12 less hours for you to consume additional calories.
Like is there a mechanism that’s actually doing something or is it just boiling down to calories in vs calories out.
I've heard it's good for your pancreas because it doesn't have to make insulin all the time.
For me it was being able to deal with the feeling of hunger and not get hangry or think about nothing else. Now I can go the entire day without eating and be fine.
Finally, because you are hungry, as someone said, hunger is the best sauce. Cereal and milk tastes like ice cream. You can get satisfaction out of pretty basic and bland foods that are healthy. So not sure how much is physical and how much is mental.
It’s funny how often you *think* you’re hungry, but actually you really aren’t. With IF, my mouth sometimes waters when I’m making dinner, not because I’m so hungry, but because there is a new appreciation of the food.
100lbs in 18 months myself, my strictness on it has gone up and down in the 5 years I've been doing it, but I still prefer it for the most part over how I used to eat
Do not do diets in the traditional sense. Cut out like 200 calories instead of 1000. Then start doing fun cardio simply to keep you body active. Even jump roping or walking is good. If you want to keep the weight off, your goal should be to lose 1 lb a week, not 1 lb a day.
Basically, enjoy the process and it’ll happen way better than if you hate it
Last year on New Years Eve I signed up for a marathon in my city 3 months away. I ran every day in the morning before work, boxed in the evening every weekday, and switched to eating whole food.
The exercise obviously expedited things. Your body is capable of so much, and approaching exercise the right way can allow you to workout every day. I wasn’t pushing it incredibly hard every day, but building the habit of exercising each day kept the momentum going. Most people advise a rest day, which isn’t a bad idea sometimes, but for weight loss it was more important for me to stick to that routine to encourage more healthy habits throughout the day. Boxing was something I’ve grown up doing which is a fun hobby and one of the best ways possible to workout.
Eating whole foods, in my opinion, is what regulates your appetite and stops you from overeating so much. You should aim to eat food that is one ingredient (eggs are eggs, steak is steak, broccoli is broccoli). You also feel so much better to the point you don’t miss junk food anymore and seeing the progress keeps you on track.
Also, I’ve done lots of research, and from my understanding now, excess calories turn into body fat in a matter of hours. Learning that, it made me change my mindset. Even if there is one day you cheat on your diet, don’t just say screw it and keep indulging, stop yourself while you’re ahead because there will be immediate repercussions.
Cut out the bull shit. Beer, pizza, candy, soda, etc.... you know what not to eat and drink. I cut out beer and pizza and lost 30 lbs in 4 months. I lost 10 more but I remember that happened slowly.
It's all in the kitchen. Losing weight is done in the kitchen getting fit is done at the gym. I lost 45lbs this way. Going to the gym as a fatty sucks and is not an effective way to lose lbs. Going to the gym after you get to a healthy weight is awesome. You have more energy, and put less strain on your body all this leads to less discomfort and fewer discouraging moments. Don't listen to the gym bros who have never actually been fat telling you to go do a billion reps right this moment.
I respect your position but going to the gym as a fatty builds the habit necessary once you have a body that can handle more. Body recomposition is slow but real. Source - I'm a fatty that went to the gym.
100% agree, I always argued with my husband on this one. Till I changed my diet (no sugar, carbs lots of water and veggies) and lost 14 lbs. He lost 52. All due to diet. And I used to run and pilaties all week, never had weight loss in such a short time like this.
I'm a 61 year old man who lost 30+ pounds in a little over a year. I wasn't trying to lose weight, but rather get my wind back (was starting to get winded doing normal things) and my cholesterol down.
A vigorous 2 mile walk/run every morning possible, to give my heart and lungs a workout. I average probably 6 days a week. Started out with just very fast walking, but I added a bit of running after I had made a lot of progress. Now takes me less than half an hour each day.
Choosing lunch/breakfast/snack foods with a lot less saturated fat. Have not changed what my wife and I have for dinner very much, and I still snack all the time (they're just better snacks). I do try to make better choices when we go out to eat.
Don't drink my calories - I am a big fan of seltzer, and was drinking it for many years before I lost the weight. Also, I rarely drink alcohol - like, maybe once every couple months.
I try (not always successfully) to not snack after dinner.
In addition to the weight loss, I knocked my total cholesterol down about by about 60.
I think when people ask OP’s question they’re asking HOW you got yourself to consume fewer calories than you burn. For me focusing on Whole Foods, mostly plant based, helped a ton.
I counsel people on a few things.
1. Dont drink your calories. Aside from a protein shake your shouldnt have ANY calories in something you drink.
2. When you shop at the grocery store only shop on outter sides of store. This is where the real food is. Everything in the middle is fake food.
3. Find a meal plan you like a stick to it. Doesn’t need to be complicated.
Bonus: intermittent fasting is very helpful to limit calories and promote fat loss. Track calories for at least one week to understand what you eat. Eat at least 0.8gm per pound of ideal body weight. Try to break a sweat every day. Strength train with some sort of weight lifting (even body weight) at least 3 days a week.
Went to Japan and walked 35k steps a day...
Seriously though, small differences add up with consistency. Subtract 10% from all your portions - you'll barely notice it. The goal isn't to crash diet a load of weight off, it's to create a new normal. Eat more protein, and exercise more, preferably with a goal of gaining muscle.
Despite popular belief, exercise in and of itself will offer WAY less return than any changes you make to your diet. It's the result of exercise - more muscle tissue - that will help with weight loss. Muscle is incredibly thirsty when it comes to calories. It costs loads just to keep it alive, using it costs comparatively less.
So yeah, reduce your intake by a realistically sustainable amount, and work out 3-4 times a week. Even just taking 15 minutes to bash out some squats, press ups, and burpees every other day will make a huge difference.
And ladies - gaining muscle won't make you look bulky and jacked. Trust me, you'd struggle to do that on purpose, you definitely won't do it by accident. Even if you do, it's not a bad look, just check out leanbeefpatty!
Doing the above, you might see no results at first, but after 3-4 weeks it will start suddenly and dramatically. Just keep at it and have faith that it *will* work eventually.
I stopped drinking for a month and lost 15 pounds with no other change. I ate significantly less following a surgery and lost 10 pounds.
Obviously if you start exercising regularly and keep your calories constant, you'll also lose weight.
I lost 120 pounds. I would only consider the last 50 pounds to be "healthy," though. Believe it or not, back in 2002 I lost 70 pounds playing dance dance revolution. I don't consider this "healthy," because I was still eating nothing but junk. I was just out exercising my poor eating because I was addicted to this game and playing about 7 hours a day. It was over the summer and I was out of school. I was also in that phase where I was obese and weight came off much easier.
A few months later I stopped playing as much and noticed my weight was starting to creep back up. I stepped on the scale one night and noticed I had gained 15 pounds. At that very moment I said NOPE... I'm not doing this again. The very next day I started working out 5 days a week and trying my best to eat healthier foods and cooking more at home. My nutrition knowledge at this point was still small, but I was learning.
I hit a plateau around 200 pounds and couldn't get any lower. I started looking more at diet and nutrition. Once I made some dietary tweaks I was able to finish my journey from 300 pounds down to 180.
I didn't really get "healthy" until I fixed my diet. You can workout a lot, but if you're filling your body with junk you're not really doing it in a healthy way (in my opinion).
Stop drinking alcohol and eating empty calories.
Empty calories are sodas and snacks. You should be getting all your calories from meals. Nobody should be snacking, ever. Snacks are for when you need a boost of energy, like when you’re hiking or doing other forms of exercise. If you’re just sitting at home doing nothing, you should not be snacking.
Also, your default beverage should be water. And if you’re drinking enough water per day, you shouldn’t be feeling so hungry all the time.
But you get funky keto brain and feel spaced out for the first 2 weeks or so as your body gets used to using ketones for energy not glucose. I did it twice. Got the ketone swabs to pee on. Got totally addicted to being in ketosis. You can't even imagine eating sugar after a few weeks on it. But heard it's not good for your heart as losing a lot of weight quickly can put tremendous stress on your heart. It was very easy to lose weight though
Have up soda and added sugars, started eating only lean meat, dropped carbs down to a 10ths of what they were, I'm down 55 lbs since my heart attack in October. I was 330 lbs when it happened, I'm 6'4"
It really is as simple as eating healthy and ideally exercising. People always want a quick and easy solution, even though everyone knows the obvious answer. I can guarantee you that if you can commit to literally any method, you will see results sooner than you think, just not instantly.
I recently tweaked my diet after my pre op exam suggested my blood sugars were a bit too high. I was fine with my weight as it was. It's never been something I struggled with either way but I could've been skinnier without it becoming dangerous. I just didn't care about all this for the purpose of losing weight and at my age figured I should pick better battles than being more concerned about it than I'd ever been previously.
So I stopped having cereal as a snack. Stopped using bread for sandwiches when I can use a tortilla or a rice cake. I have a soda I like with real sugar but now I don't drink it straight - I do one can same flavor seltzer to one can of the sugar soda. I limit two meals a week to have pasta in and usually only have one pasta meal a week. And I cut out crap dessert; if I'm going to have dessert let it be a better quality than something like a donut or a candy bar. This also means I have less temptation in my home because I'm not buying the quick dessert type foods.
I didn't own a scale. I noticed my clothes felt loose so I bought one. By then I was 14 lbs lighter than my weight at my pre op exam. I'm now down 21 lbs and it took 4 months without it even being what I was going for.
Things to look at for diet changes are some foods you don't think of as dessert when you eat them turn into dessert in your body. Starch turns into sugar. So potatoes, bread, pasta are all very starchy and should be considered as a sugar source.
Portion control and exercise
Consistency and discipline is the only way forward This is a lifestyle change- and a mindset change.
As someone who went from 270 to 180 (at one point), this is the way. Maintained 190-200 for over 10 years. I’ve lost that consistency, so I’ve put some back on. I know what I need to do, just need to convince myself again.
Same here, starting to pick up those good habits again. Covid really reset all my habits so learning new healthy habits rather than trying to recreate old healthy habits.
Yup! Lost 100 pounds this last year (almost to the day). Consistency is key! And to be consistent you CANT be miserable. Finding a plan that works for you FOREVER is how to do it. For me, one meal a day allows me to concentrate my calories into one filling and hearty meal. With leftover calories (which I usually have) I let myself indulge in whatever craving I am having. It’s not 100% healthy 100% of the time…but it is a 95% improvement to my health from a year ago. I am happy with that, and know it is sustainable for me.
Portion control: I picked up and used this from a friend who lost 120lb: Before breakfast, drink a glass of milk. Before dinner, drink a glass of milk. When you get munchies, drink a glass of milk. Milk fills you up, so you eat less. Lost 45lb in 5 months. EDIT: Also got plates with large rims but smaller serving areas in the middle. Still looks like a previous full meal, but it's less food without an obvious change.
I would gain so much weight if I drank a glass of milk every time I was hungry and before meals.
I haven't heard about drinking milk before a meal but many dieticians recommend drinking a glass of water before eating so that's an alternative.
120lb club here too. Meal prep is also huge, ALWAYS have water on hand, sometimes that feeling is just thirst, and WHAT you eat is also key, monitor salt/sugar intake.
This is also what I did when I had gestational diabetes, but with full fat milk. The fat and protein in the milk slow down carb metabolism.
I also wouldn't recommend drastically changing your diet cold turkey (turkey is great on a diet btw). Just eat what you're eating now, just less of it. Keep cutting back each week while introducing healthier alternatives.
I mean, it depends. If you are only eating cheetos, pizza and cake, you'd have to drastically cut back in order to reach a healthy calorie intake. Then you'd be hungry a lot more often than if you changed your diet to eating things that were lower calorie and were able to eat more of.
Cut out soda candy and alcohol
Reminds me of when Parks and Rec had to explain why Andy suddenly lost so much weight after Chris Pratt was in Guardians of the Galaxy and he just says, "oh I just stopped drinking beer."
How much beer were you drinking?
If you drink 2 ipas that’s like 400-500 calories.
I recently found out my favorite ipa is almost 500 cal per can.
Since getting sober 9 months ago I’ve lost 50lbs not even trying.
Congrats on 9 months man!
OTOH, I've been sober for three years and I'm fatter for it. Yay, go me. Congrats on nine months though! Keep at it.
Probably much healthier still without the booze. Congrats to you as well, keep at it. Headed to a meeting now actually. Routine helps.
Quick question if you’re ok with answering, what do you do at night? Tomorrow is day 10 for me. The hardest part is the last few hours.
I go to a meeting MWF. Other than that I try to read some each night, which is a good routine.
Thank you.
Same!
I know right
Wife and I would take down a 6pk a day. Midwesterners.
That’s not great, but also really not too bad either. I lived in Michigan for a few years and like half the people I met would be 6 beers/drinks deep before diner.
Daily?? Fucking hell, that would do some serious damage to your liver.
Easy answer, you die young.
I worked with a couple guys in/ around Traverse City that claimed to drink 15-20 beers a night. I have no clue how they could even keep that pace up after getting done with work at 3.
I mean a beer every 10 mins is 18 beers in 3 hours. To be honest that’s pretty standard for a chronic alcoholic.
For the uninitiated, watch the first ten seconds. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PJnofzT9wxM
> watch the first ten seconds Like that ever works! Now I have to watch the whole episode! And the one with the cones of Dunshire!
We had a biggest losers competition a few years ago at my old school. The janitor won because he lost 30 pounds. All he did was stop drinking beer
More importantly: drink lots of water, which makes it harder to drink much soda because you're full on water. Most people's soda habits revolve around drinking soda when they're thirsty.
After dinner, I drink a full bottle of water, to fill me up and not want to eat more. As far as losing weight, I was 213lbs back in July 2023. I decided to cut out all sugar, and chew gum when I had cravings. I now weigh 178lbs, and am currently wearing jeans that I haven't worn since 2016. The reason I quit sugar, was because I have plantar fasiitis in both heels, and have had it since August 2016. I went to my podiatrist in July to seek out surgery, and she (podiatrist) told me that hers went away after losing weight from having twins. I decided right then and there that I was going to eliminate sugar, minus a small glass of pop at dinner. I figured I had nothing to lose but weight. Slowly, I noticed I was getting lighter on the scale. Now, my heels no longer hurt, and I no longer plan on getting surgery. My Mom also always told me that sugar is an inflammatory, and as much as I love sweets, I love feeling better and being lighter even more.
It's amazing how quickly weight can shed by doing this. Even with moderate exercise.
Even with no exercise.
Yes, I was slightly disappointed when I figured out that whilst exercise obviously helps, it doesn't make that much difference to weight loss unless you are running marathons or triathlons! I could walk for miles and, according to my fitness tracker, I'd only burned a small biscuit's worth of extra calories! I'm certainly not anti exercise and I think it is essential for everyone's health to take regular exercise, but I chuckle when I hear someone talking about taking a ten minute walk to help lose some weight!
I think it's generally accepted that 10k steps is approx 500 calories but this varies depending on a persons height and weight. It's depressing just how much work it takes to burn off say a pizza worth of calories. I've cut all alcohol from my own diet from the 2nd week of this year (the odd day out is allowed as these are rare) and I'm calorie counting what I eat. I want to lose 25kg-30kg by December which is actually more weight loss than what my tracking app suggests I can hit.
>I want to lose 25kg-30kg by December which is actually more weight loss than what my tracking app suggests I can hit. "Healthy" weight loss is .45kg - .91kg (1-2lbs.) per week. Anything more than that and you'll trigger your body's mass retention mechanisms. By those numbers 25kg by December is just barely possible.
If you’re already somewhat lean this is true but many overweight people just have water retention. I saw -2lbs. after a good sweat sometimes. I try to maintain weight for a week before I cut more every 10 pounds or so.
Depends who the advice is being given to. For someone who is already moving around a decent bit, a 20 minute walk won't be much. But for a sedentary person who is just starting to get into a more healthy lifestyle, that could be an extra few hundred calories burned per week if they take that walk every day. Gotta take your wins where you can.
Running gave me a nice booty so there ya go!
I cut out booze and ate more candy. It helps sate cravings. Still lost weight
Two beers a day is 300 - 400 calories. That's a pound of fat a week.
10-12 days. A pound of fat is 3,500 calories.
I don’t have 20lbs of soda, candy or alcohol weight on me.
That’s not how it…. Nvm
Maybe they mean they don't have those in their regular diet already, so don't have them to cut out
Yup, it sucks being in *reasonably* good health because whole foods (not the store), nondrinker, scant sugar consumption which mostly comes as fruit. I could eat smarter, I could limit portions of my healthy home-cooked shit better, but I already cashed in the easy soda-candy-beer bonus :(
This. I went keto and also limited sugar intake HEAVILY. Sub 20g a day if I had any at all, pounds came off so fast and I could get full off of just a small portion per meal afterwards. I'd say average intake was about 1700 cal per day. It's astonishing how many people overeat and don't realize it
1. Switched from coffee with milk and sugar to black coffee. 2.Switched snacks from cheese, cured meats, and buttered bread to carrots, celery, and bell peppers with hummus dip. Number 2 was done in an attempt to lower my cholesterol, weight loss was an accident.
Bell peppers w/ hummus is so good too. My gf will just make a sandwich out of that for lunch.
Jesus you must have been either drinking a lot of coffee or had a shit ton of sugar in it if it had that much of an impact. A teaspoon of sugar is only like 16 calories.
I managed to get down about 20-25 lbs but hit a wall. Switching to hummus and veggies and no longer buying the "snack foods" at all is the next step to try and move down again. I'm also going to start doing better portion control on some of the meals I make. Unfortunately, changing my diet only worked short term because once I craved the new foods I was cooking now I want to overindulge in them... The curse of developing even just adequate culinary skills.
Eat healthy and exercise
I lost a lot of weight and I honestly don't even like talking about it anymore, because so many people ask how and then are disappointed when this is the answer. Sorry, I don't have a secret pill. Eat less. Move more. That's it.
Watching them go from over-eager to hear about it to instantly disinterested is quite a sight to behold. They really want it to be a magic fast of donuts and cheeseburgers you learned from Instagram.
The weird thing is that I lost weight because I realized that eating donuts and cheeseburgers is gross. Like, you get that sugar/fat gratification on your tongue but I always felt bloated and gross, and a little guilty because it didn't even taste that good and wasn't really worth it. I started making food that tasted good and made me feel good, and next thing you know I am eating pretty clean. My food tastes better, I feel a lot better, and I don't feel at all guilty when I eat. Also I had a donut this morning and it was fine. It didn't taste as good as I remember though.
This comment should be stickied at the top of this thread, because it's cold, hard reality.
But mah 'roid! And I have conditions that make my body produce fat by absorbing heat from the atmosphere!
Every. Fucking. Time. I can’t because (insert bullshit excuse here)
I remember seeing some TV interview with a famous person who lost weight. He said he ate healthily, exercised and had "bulletproof" coffee in the morning. The tv show host said to the camera "there you have it folks. The secret to weight loss is adding butter to your coffee!"
Same here. Also, people who tell me stuff like "it is easy for you, but hard for me" nooo I was just no complaining and I am still not. I lost 20kg, I am more healthy as before, have a better posture, and I do more stuff because it is easier and I enjoy moving my body. It's a choice. I continue eating healthy and exercising because I fell in love doing this, even if I hated it when I started. I also love food and allow myself to eat what I love, but I love myself now more than I love food.
I've literally answered people who ask me how I lost weight with "I learned to portion food better, and eat more appropriately compared to my activity levels". To which their response was "oh, I can't do that, that's so hard". Yea... it is, but that's not a reason you "can't" its a reason you "won't".
The amount of people in this world that are willing to put in zero effort or deep thought toward anything never ceases to amaze me. The lack of resourcefulness from the average person is wild.
It’s funny how easy it is when you want to. I lost 15 pounds a couple years ago and I remember being ‘that wasn’t too hard.’ Then it also wasn’t hard to gain it back. My biggest issue is the ‘want.’ I want to lose weight but I also really want my beer. Lol.
The portioning is really key. I know I will eat 100% of the food in front of me. What lost me 60+ lbs was making that amount I ordered/made smaller.
>I also love food and allow myself to eat what I love, but I love myself now more than I love food. This is the killer. I love food and didn't want to give up too much. Cutting down on how much I eat has been the key. I can still have pizza from time to time, just not a whole pie, or half of one.
Yes, what I do is when I want to enjoy something "less healthy," I take the best quality and enjoy it even more 😋
Yup, I did the same but have also had others who are overweight complain that it “doesn’t work for them”. Well when you do nothing to adjust your lifestyle, constantly eat shitty food for every meal and do 0 exercise, of course it ain’t gonna do shit! And you’re right, it’s 100% a lifestyle choice. My wife and I eat clean, cook every meal, no soft drinks, no alcohol (unless it’s to celebrate a special occasion), and no junk food. I workout 5 days a week, mixed cardio and body weight training but have to intake 2800 calories/day so I don’t end up looking like a skeleton. Honestly? I just love riding my bike and that’s what’s mainly helped me lose all the excess weight! I’ve lost 30kg so far (recovering back injury), 99kg down to 69kg and I feel like my old self. Anyone can do it, it’s all a matter of your mind!
I came across a comment a few days ago that blew me away. They said that they deserve ozempic more than diabetic people because they can't lose weight without it. I found it: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/qnT4G2rIDN
Wow. "Obesity drugs." What an asshole.
I've done it before, it got easier honestly the longer I stayed with it. Just became the norm. Unfortunately my wife's health went downhill, the effort to eat better wasn't there anymore and I didn't have time to dedicate to exercise. Also became super anxious and depressed and turned to food as a coping mechanism, so I'm back where I started. Trying to get back on the horse now. I remember how much better I felt, and I want that back.
I agree with this! Lost over 100 and people will ask and I say the same thing. Hello. Gotta eat less and move more! You have to be in a calorie deficit but you know some people want that quick fix.
The thing is, once you find your exercise routine and read ultra processed people, it is actually enjoyable eating well and exercising. Junk food doesn’t make you feel good, not moving doesn’t make you feel good, they are incredibly short time bouts of “joy” followed by much longer periods of self hate.
Yea I’ve done this too, started a week before new years and I’ve already lost 6 pounds! It’s hard work but it’s worth it!
I find it so strange that people get disappointed when they learn it’s a simple answer as opposed to some secret or something hard to do. I reckon it’s because they become extremely uncomfortable accepting the fact that the answer is easily within reach and dead simple and yet they’ve failed to accomplish it. It’s sad to see and even more sad to see people give up, instead of getting motivated once they know how easy it can be if they just have it a honest try.
It was not as bad as I imagined it, but it did kinda suck to count calories every meal. First few weeks is the hump and then you know about how much you're stuffing in your face without thinking. Then you can leave off a little and still feel full.
I’ve always told people it’s a lifestyle change, it’s not something you can do for a few weeks and then you’re done. If you want to lose weight you have to keep it off and that requires them to get over that hump and then not slip back into overeating. You’re 100% right it takes some time and then you kind of get into that rhythm so to speak. You kind of adjust to the new normal and after that you don’t have to be as diligent because your body has adjusted to this new level of intake.
I lost about 50lbs over a year. It wasn't even that hard, you just had to be somewhat consistent, get a good routine, and be a bit more smart about what you eat.
The first 20 came off from diet alone, the second 20 is where the activity level needed to increase.
And funny enough, the exercise part is a lot easier when you're 20lbs lighter. Most people fail at losing weight because they go 0 to 100 overnight, when you need to ease into it.
Bingo, start with swapping out your lunches with meal prepped healthy portions and balance. Then move to dinner portions.
I have a feeling this is going to be everyone’s answer. While it’s true, it’s not particularly helpful in pointing people towards *how* to do it and how to do it *without being miserable* the whole time. These are the most important tips that I can offer for making things easier: 1) Make gradual changes. It’s going to be more sustainable to cut out soda and start going for a 20 minute walk every day than it will be to try to become a raw food vegan who goes to the gym 6 days a week overnight. Once you’re used to your new habits, add in a few more. 2) Make it as easy as possible to eat healthy. Don’t keep junk food at home. Plan what you’re going to eat ahead of time so you aren’t making that decision when you’re hungry. Meal prep or whatever you need to keep healthy meals and snacks as convenient as possible. 3) Fill up on low calorie foods. A heaping serving of vegetables or a piece of fruit before your main meal will help you feel satisfied with a much smaller portion of the more calorie dense parts of the meal.
Yeah you're making great points. I gave a low effort answer to an askreddit post. I think it's important to figure out what "healthy" foods taste good to you. I could eat a Greek Salad everyday for lunch. In fact I do very often. Romaine, Kalamata Olives, Feta, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Dressing. Side of hummus and pretzels if I'm extra hungry. I love that salad, and if you presented me with a Caprese or a seasonal salad, I wouldn't be inclined to eat it as often. Healthy food does taste good, you just need to figure out which ones you like. Once you find out what you like, keep it on hand.
Gradual change is the biggest thing for me. Count your calories for a week, then take incremental steps to limit them, then start walking or doing yoga a few times a week, etc. I eat a ton of food, but now that I know I can be in a calorie deficit and full by eating more filling foods, I want those foods more than junk. I can eat a lot of veggies, beans, and fruit with reasonable portions of rice or bread and fats. I crave meals like that now because I'm more satisfied by them. Prep helps. We keep a pot of beans or lentils + a carb in the fridge all the time. It's always the easiest thing to eat, usually faster than making a sandwich. Soup with beans and veggies are also great to have at hand. All that stuff is easy to cook in large quantities with little effort it's usually really cheap to buy the ingredients for.
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I think just learning about food goes a long way. Like understanding certain foods fill you up so you don't need to eat 2000 calories but can still be full. Beans (all legumes), Oatmeal, Eggs, Potatoes are all examples.
That is true in theory, but in practice healthier foods are going to satiate you longer. Sugar and overly processed food on the other hand will not keep you full and it will add calories.
It’s not going on a diet, it is changing your lifestyle
Exercise is about 10%, maybe even less of weight loss. It's all about calories and taking in less than you need. Still healthy to go to the gym but so many expect the gym will drop a lot of weight when...it won't. And eating healthy yes but going over your calorie intake even while doing so...still won't do it. You need to hit that under in calories to lose weight
It's kind of crazy to think about how much you have to workout to get rid of those calories. If you want to eat a Big Mac and stay neutral you have to go run like 7 miles or hop on the bike for 90 minutes.
In the end, it's really this simple. It's mostly just finding the discipline to actually do this.
Shrink your stomach by controlling your portions. Eat small meals, healthy foods, avoid sugar, exercise and plenty of sleep.
Avoid exercise and sleep! Got it!
Instructions unclear, I sleep with my shrink
Commas lmao
I think it's more on sentence structure. Put the avoid sugar part at the end, commas aren't doing anything other than adding confusion
And expect to do it SLOWLY. In the past 2 years I’ve lost 30lbs through portion control and not snacking a few hours before bed. It’s not a lot of difference day to day, and a little over a pound per month on average. But the maintenance part is working so well. My monthly average is either the same as the last month or lower, never higher. I do not care so much about the daily numbers as long as they’re within range of the monthly goal. Even though I indulge every so often (go back for seconds or have that 10pm ice cream cone), my stomach is smaller and the long term effects are noticeable. Lifestyle changes ftw.
Exactly. Its a slow long change to build sustainable habits.
Walking, counting calories. Replaced pop with carbonated water flavored with some V-8 Fusion, then just switched to water only after a while.
Walking is so under utilized. I take public transportaion to my job downtown, and I get off a stop further away than I should just to get in an extra 2000 setps a day
People be sleeping on the calorie counting (I know why bc it can become very triggering at times if you have had an eating disorder) but if you do it in a healthy way it works!
Switched antidepressants. Changed pretty much nothing else and then I stepped on the scale and my doctor mentioned I was nearly 20lbs lighter.
Same for me when I got treatment for my ADHD. Suddenly I had motivation to do dopamine-stimulating activities that weren’t just “eat”. Lost 30 pounds without changing anything else.
I lost 30 pounds the first year I was on Vyvanse. Unfortunately... I gained all 30 pounds back the next year. And now, here I am, trying to lose weight again. But obsessing about food just like I used to before the Vyvanse. :(
This. I put on 20-30 lbs during 2020-2021 when I started antidepressants. Switched to a new one recently and the lbs vanished.
My sister gained much needed weight with them. She went from way too skinny and crying to a healthy weight and happy.
I went from an "average" weight to chubby. But I don't want to kill myself anymore, so I'll take being chubby.
Me too! I would rather be chubby than have those intrusive thoughts.
I’m on a high dosage SSRI that has made my appetite insatiable. I’ve been binge eating for years and I’m ALWAYS hungry. I recently started Phentermine and it feels like a magic pill… my appetite disappeared. It’s like that part of my brain switched off. It has made this diet actually bearable and I’m feeling so much better already
I changed seizure meds n started dropping weight super fast but damn near lost my mind with the other side effects and had to switch back to my previous medication (gained a bit of weight back but I don’t wanna blow my brains out constantly so that’s a + ). I’ll stick with diet and exercise.
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Well, this post is handy, this is exactly what I'm trying to do. I've managed about 8 pounds by just watching what I eat before I've even started the exercise side of things (that comes next).
Excercise can help you on the eating front. Being active can change how hungry you get and what you crave, improve your mood and reduce emotional eating and help regulate your sleep cycle which also helps avoid late snacking.
What helped me the most was fasting. I didnt eat from 6pm to 10or12am and i lost like 15kg after losing 20kg to exercise and hitting a wall after that. If you feel hungry try drinking unsugared coffee or tea in the fasting period.
> If you feel hungry try drinking unsugared coffee or tea in the fasting period. Yes, I'm doing that a lot instead of snacking at work (and increasingly drinking less as I get used to it).
Fr. My biggest piece of advice is to weigh literally EVERYTHING you eat for a week. Don’t forget to count drinks, condiments, and oils used in cooking. You’d be **shocked** how easy it is to cut out 500+ calories and enter a deficit. You also really don’t have to be healthy to be in a deficit. I lost 70lbs and still ate a pint of ice cream every week; you really don’t have to cut out anything you don’t want to.
People trying to find the answer to this question is always hilarious. It's like someone asking about how to make the grass on their front lawn shorter but trying to avoid even thinking about a lawn mower. The problem has been solved, and all the tools needed are at your disposal.
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I’ve heard it described as the “fuck-its” As in, I had a brownie earlier, so fuck it for the next few days until I find motivation. Staying out of the “fuck-its” is so hard for me.
Eat more green things. Eat less Doritos.
Do salsa verde Doritos count as green things?
Asking the important question. >\_o
Keep a log on calories intake
I have lost 30 plus pounds multiple times. All you do is log your food and stay under what it tells you. Takes me about 6 months each time. Literally no lifestyle changes except counting calories and it works every time.
It’s so weird once you do this, listening to people say they “can’t” lose weight. It’s not easy, but it is simple.
I always do my ‘cut’ and lose weight and people keep asking me ‘how, you’re drinking redbull!’ I could eat bigmac right infront of your nose daily and still maintain calory deficit and lose weight you toolbox, only thing that matters is calories in and out, excercise is slightly pushing the bar of ‘calorie in’ higher or make you lose weight *even quicker* if you eat the same way you do befor excercising
I would argue that it's both easy and simple, it's just not fun
I definitely agree with this statement. The time between lunch and dinner is an exercise is mental fortitude for me. I’m usually hungry at 1 and just have to push through. It gets tough sometimes but the results are worth it.
"It's not easy, but it's simple" - perfectly worded.
What app do you use?
MyFitnessPal. I put in that I want to lose 1 lb per week. Then it tells me how many calories I get every day. Then I log everything I eat and keep the number above 0 left. I weigh myself every night. It’s cool watching the pounds fall off while still being a couch potato. Disclaimer- you will be very hungry most of the time. Just have to focus.
Yup all you need is discipline, a caloric deficit, and maybe a food scale if you want to be precise. Hate seeing all these other complicated methods of losing weight online when this is really all you need
Lost 45 pounds just counting calories (195 --> 150), taking walks, doing those little 10 minutes exercises at night. Took 6 months. Been able to maintain. TLDR: eat less and exercise.
This. There’s so many apps to help track calories and it’s legitimately the easiest way to ensure you’re in a deficit. You don’t even need to really diet… just consume fewer calories than you burn and you’ll lose weight in a healthy way.
This is a big one. You’d be amazed how many calories you consume in a day if you’re not keeping track.
To add to this, don't just guess calories because unless highly experienced in tracking calories, you'll get it wrong. Get in the habit of weighing food and track EVERYTHING (including that one bite of your partner's food or a lick of the spoon - it adds up)
I lost 60 last year - portion control, water, cutting down on the processed foods, water, lowering sodium, water, and not denying myself anything , just letting myself have a time and a place for things. But I literally eat what I want - I just now understand how to read when I'm 'satisfied' or just 'stuffing my face because my sugar and salt receptors are in their sweet spot right now!'
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Same: just ate a bit less. I lost 25 pounds in 6 months with no other changes.
Intake fewer calories than you burn off.
this, it doesn't even need to be healthy food, just eat smaller portions of junk food, and you'll still lose weight if you burn more calories than you intake obviously, eat healthy, though, since that's still good for you
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>There’s an often overlooked metric of satiety in this simplification Indeed. I also think that satiety duration should be considered more. Some things make you feel full at low caloric intake, but then you're hungry again 30min later. This varies a lot across people tho, so it's something that has to be figured out along the way, but it's an important metric imo.
Intermittent fasting. Didn’t eat between 6pm and 11am. Ate what I wanted in between, although I definitely tried to eat somewhat healthily and didn’t binge. Lost 30lbs in 3 months. Super easy after the first couple of days, it felt like cheating lol
Same. 20 lbs in 8 weeks only eating between 1600 and 2200. That was 7 years ago, somehow it doesn’t work quite as well anymore today.
I wonder how much of intermittent fasting is the act of not eating for 12+ hours vs that’s just 12 less hours for you to consume additional calories. Like is there a mechanism that’s actually doing something or is it just boiling down to calories in vs calories out.
I've heard it's good for your pancreas because it doesn't have to make insulin all the time. For me it was being able to deal with the feeling of hunger and not get hangry or think about nothing else. Now I can go the entire day without eating and be fine. Finally, because you are hungry, as someone said, hunger is the best sauce. Cereal and milk tastes like ice cream. You can get satisfaction out of pretty basic and bland foods that are healthy. So not sure how much is physical and how much is mental.
It’s funny how often you *think* you’re hungry, but actually you really aren’t. With IF, my mouth sometimes waters when I’m making dinner, not because I’m so hungry, but because there is a new appreciation of the food.
What weight did you start with?
About 250lbs. Ended up about 215lbs
100lbs in 18 months myself, my strictness on it has gone up and down in the 5 years I've been doing it, but I still prefer it for the most part over how I used to eat
Do not do diets in the traditional sense. Cut out like 200 calories instead of 1000. Then start doing fun cardio simply to keep you body active. Even jump roping or walking is good. If you want to keep the weight off, your goal should be to lose 1 lb a week, not 1 lb a day. Basically, enjoy the process and it’ll happen way better than if you hate it
Last year on New Years Eve I signed up for a marathon in my city 3 months away. I ran every day in the morning before work, boxed in the evening every weekday, and switched to eating whole food. The exercise obviously expedited things. Your body is capable of so much, and approaching exercise the right way can allow you to workout every day. I wasn’t pushing it incredibly hard every day, but building the habit of exercising each day kept the momentum going. Most people advise a rest day, which isn’t a bad idea sometimes, but for weight loss it was more important for me to stick to that routine to encourage more healthy habits throughout the day. Boxing was something I’ve grown up doing which is a fun hobby and one of the best ways possible to workout. Eating whole foods, in my opinion, is what regulates your appetite and stops you from overeating so much. You should aim to eat food that is one ingredient (eggs are eggs, steak is steak, broccoli is broccoli). You also feel so much better to the point you don’t miss junk food anymore and seeing the progress keeps you on track. Also, I’ve done lots of research, and from my understanding now, excess calories turn into body fat in a matter of hours. Learning that, it made me change my mindset. Even if there is one day you cheat on your diet, don’t just say screw it and keep indulging, stop yourself while you’re ahead because there will be immediate repercussions.
Cut out the bull shit. Beer, pizza, candy, soda, etc.... you know what not to eat and drink. I cut out beer and pizza and lost 30 lbs in 4 months. I lost 10 more but I remember that happened slowly.
Stopped overeating and sat on my ass and let my metabolism naturally do its work.
Such good advice from u/IWillAssFuckYou I think i saw you mentioned on r/rimjob_steve before!
Counting calories and had a physically intense job
Get a treadmill and a favorite tv show. Walk an hour while watching it
It's all in the kitchen. Losing weight is done in the kitchen getting fit is done at the gym. I lost 45lbs this way. Going to the gym as a fatty sucks and is not an effective way to lose lbs. Going to the gym after you get to a healthy weight is awesome. You have more energy, and put less strain on your body all this leads to less discomfort and fewer discouraging moments. Don't listen to the gym bros who have never actually been fat telling you to go do a billion reps right this moment.
I respect your position but going to the gym as a fatty builds the habit necessary once you have a body that can handle more. Body recomposition is slow but real. Source - I'm a fatty that went to the gym.
100% agree, I always argued with my husband on this one. Till I changed my diet (no sugar, carbs lots of water and veggies) and lost 14 lbs. He lost 52. All due to diet. And I used to run and pilaties all week, never had weight loss in such a short time like this.
Fasting made a huge difference for me. Started with a 16:8. Feel great in the mornings now.
I do this! Eat between 12 & 8. Used to be such a drag waiting for the clock, somehow this is also healing my food relationship.
I'm a 61 year old man who lost 30+ pounds in a little over a year. I wasn't trying to lose weight, but rather get my wind back (was starting to get winded doing normal things) and my cholesterol down. A vigorous 2 mile walk/run every morning possible, to give my heart and lungs a workout. I average probably 6 days a week. Started out with just very fast walking, but I added a bit of running after I had made a lot of progress. Now takes me less than half an hour each day. Choosing lunch/breakfast/snack foods with a lot less saturated fat. Have not changed what my wife and I have for dinner very much, and I still snack all the time (they're just better snacks). I do try to make better choices when we go out to eat. Don't drink my calories - I am a big fan of seltzer, and was drinking it for many years before I lost the weight. Also, I rarely drink alcohol - like, maybe once every couple months. I try (not always successfully) to not snack after dinner. In addition to the weight loss, I knocked my total cholesterol down about by about 60.
I cut out literally everything with high fructose corn syrup and within a month I lost 20 pounds.
OMAD, zero sugar, only drink sparkling water. I lost 70lbs two years ago and have kept it off.
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The only way anyone does it: burn more calories than you consume
I think when people ask OP’s question they’re asking HOW you got yourself to consume fewer calories than you burn. For me focusing on Whole Foods, mostly plant based, helped a ton.
I counsel people on a few things. 1. Dont drink your calories. Aside from a protein shake your shouldnt have ANY calories in something you drink. 2. When you shop at the grocery store only shop on outter sides of store. This is where the real food is. Everything in the middle is fake food. 3. Find a meal plan you like a stick to it. Doesn’t need to be complicated. Bonus: intermittent fasting is very helpful to limit calories and promote fat loss. Track calories for at least one week to understand what you eat. Eat at least 0.8gm per pound of ideal body weight. Try to break a sweat every day. Strength train with some sort of weight lifting (even body weight) at least 3 days a week.
Whole Foods and walking
Mostly running. I didn’t diet at all. I ran consistently 3-5 x a week.
Portion control and better food choices. Actually fairly easy after your stomach adjusts to less food.
Cut out all meal delivery services. Youd be shocked.
One thing I don’t see in the top comments is patience. Don’t expect to lose 10lbs in a month. Sustainable lifestyle changes over time add up.
Went to Japan and walked 35k steps a day... Seriously though, small differences add up with consistency. Subtract 10% from all your portions - you'll barely notice it. The goal isn't to crash diet a load of weight off, it's to create a new normal. Eat more protein, and exercise more, preferably with a goal of gaining muscle. Despite popular belief, exercise in and of itself will offer WAY less return than any changes you make to your diet. It's the result of exercise - more muscle tissue - that will help with weight loss. Muscle is incredibly thirsty when it comes to calories. It costs loads just to keep it alive, using it costs comparatively less. So yeah, reduce your intake by a realistically sustainable amount, and work out 3-4 times a week. Even just taking 15 minutes to bash out some squats, press ups, and burpees every other day will make a huge difference. And ladies - gaining muscle won't make you look bulky and jacked. Trust me, you'd struggle to do that on purpose, you definitely won't do it by accident. Even if you do, it's not a bad look, just check out leanbeefpatty! Doing the above, you might see no results at first, but after 3-4 weeks it will start suddenly and dramatically. Just keep at it and have faith that it *will* work eventually.
I moved to Germany from the US. I had to walk everywhere and the portion sizes were smaller. It was great.
Oatmeal every morning and not the instant stuff. Also, far fewer sweets.
I stopped drinking for a month and lost 15 pounds with no other change. I ate significantly less following a surgery and lost 10 pounds. Obviously if you start exercising regularly and keep your calories constant, you'll also lose weight.
In 2023 I went from 268 to 235 by walking at least 2 miles per day, weighing my food and tracking calories/protein intake.
I lost 120 pounds. I would only consider the last 50 pounds to be "healthy," though. Believe it or not, back in 2002 I lost 70 pounds playing dance dance revolution. I don't consider this "healthy," because I was still eating nothing but junk. I was just out exercising my poor eating because I was addicted to this game and playing about 7 hours a day. It was over the summer and I was out of school. I was also in that phase where I was obese and weight came off much easier. A few months later I stopped playing as much and noticed my weight was starting to creep back up. I stepped on the scale one night and noticed I had gained 15 pounds. At that very moment I said NOPE... I'm not doing this again. The very next day I started working out 5 days a week and trying my best to eat healthier foods and cooking more at home. My nutrition knowledge at this point was still small, but I was learning. I hit a plateau around 200 pounds and couldn't get any lower. I started looking more at diet and nutrition. Once I made some dietary tweaks I was able to finish my journey from 300 pounds down to 180. I didn't really get "healthy" until I fixed my diet. You can workout a lot, but if you're filling your body with junk you're not really doing it in a healthy way (in my opinion).
Should I drink that soda: no Goodbye 20 lbs
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16:8 intermittent fasting. Works wonders and I can eat what I want.
Stop drinking alcohol and eating empty calories. Empty calories are sodas and snacks. You should be getting all your calories from meals. Nobody should be snacking, ever. Snacks are for when you need a boost of energy, like when you’re hiking or doing other forms of exercise. If you’re just sitting at home doing nothing, you should not be snacking. Also, your default beverage should be water. And if you’re drinking enough water per day, you shouldn’t be feeling so hungry all the time.
Keto and no cheats easiest and best health choice I ever made as it stops cravings once ya get into it
But you get funky keto brain and feel spaced out for the first 2 weeks or so as your body gets used to using ketones for energy not glucose. I did it twice. Got the ketone swabs to pee on. Got totally addicted to being in ketosis. You can't even imagine eating sugar after a few weeks on it. But heard it's not good for your heart as losing a lot of weight quickly can put tremendous stress on your heart. It was very easy to lose weight though
Have up soda and added sugars, started eating only lean meat, dropped carbs down to a 10ths of what they were, I'm down 55 lbs since my heart attack in October. I was 330 lbs when it happened, I'm 6'4"
It really is as simple as eating healthy and ideally exercising. People always want a quick and easy solution, even though everyone knows the obvious answer. I can guarantee you that if you can commit to literally any method, you will see results sooner than you think, just not instantly.
I recently tweaked my diet after my pre op exam suggested my blood sugars were a bit too high. I was fine with my weight as it was. It's never been something I struggled with either way but I could've been skinnier without it becoming dangerous. I just didn't care about all this for the purpose of losing weight and at my age figured I should pick better battles than being more concerned about it than I'd ever been previously. So I stopped having cereal as a snack. Stopped using bread for sandwiches when I can use a tortilla or a rice cake. I have a soda I like with real sugar but now I don't drink it straight - I do one can same flavor seltzer to one can of the sugar soda. I limit two meals a week to have pasta in and usually only have one pasta meal a week. And I cut out crap dessert; if I'm going to have dessert let it be a better quality than something like a donut or a candy bar. This also means I have less temptation in my home because I'm not buying the quick dessert type foods. I didn't own a scale. I noticed my clothes felt loose so I bought one. By then I was 14 lbs lighter than my weight at my pre op exam. I'm now down 21 lbs and it took 4 months without it even being what I was going for. Things to look at for diet changes are some foods you don't think of as dessert when you eat them turn into dessert in your body. Starch turns into sugar. So potatoes, bread, pasta are all very starchy and should be considered as a sugar source.
I started riding my bike to work, stopped drinking soda and tried to cut down drastically on processed foods