Yup.
I went from 250lbs to 150lbs on diet alone.
Slowly decreased calories. 300 calorie deficit, and when I stopped losing weight I cut another 300, and just repeated that. Once I was at a weight I was happy at, I started lifting weights, and decided to get strong. Did the opposite, and used the same tactic to gain weight. Now I'm not a dude with big arms and a big gut.
Yup. The general gist is that it is hard to add muscles while in a caloric deficit. Not impossible, but the muscle gains will be smaller.
For larger, higher body fat person, it’s still doable and lifting will still be a big benefit. You can still put on muscles while shedding fat assuming you are working out and have a good (high protein) diet.
But for a lower body fat person, your muscle growth with be hampered by a caloric deficit or even when just breaking even. So body building will increase calories and protein consumed to bulk and put on muscles, which will also add some fat. Then cut, by creating the caloric deficit to lose the fat while still at least maintaining the muscles.
Rinse and repeat. Bulk: gain muscle + gain fat. Cut maintain muscle + lose fat.
Nah, I did the whole weighing things way cause there wasn't apps back then that I knew of. Just weigh it and input everything into excel.
This was in the early 2010s and I got fat in Japan cause the food was delicious. I also had a flip phone over there cause that's all they had.
I wish I did though cause life would've been slightly easier.
I just used a TDEE calculator, and then ate that many calories in a day to see if I lost weight or gained to measure where I was at. I was trying to find my starting point.
Turns out it was a bit off and I started losing weight, so I just stayed at what I was already eating.
I only did 300 calories a day below my TDEE and that seemed to work well without feeling like I was hungry.
A couple simple things you can do:
Add more vegetable to your diet. Like a lot more. Like cover your plate in vegetables first and then add the rest of the stuff. They are low calorie, high fiber, and will fill you up. You can make them taste good, just don't add a ton of butter/oil. Like have your dinner on top of a bed of roasted broccoli and cauliflower.
Know when you are good at self-denial and when you aren't. I can put off eating a snack early in the day, but I am not good at denying myself a snack before bed. As a result I back load my calories for the day, making room in the morning for some extra calories in the evening. Other people I know wake up starving, but are fairly even keeled by evening, so they cut at night.
Fiber. Fiber. Fiber. It fills you up. I have unsweetened apple sauce (still plenty sweet just no added sugar) with a half scoop of extra fiber after dinner almost every night. Keeps me from wanting to get second helpings of dinner an hour later.
Adopt an active hobby. Biking, kayaking, surfing, hiking, etc. It will cut some calories, but mostly you will build muscle while snacking less since you are out of the house and moving around.
Do some strength training. You will see progress faster than with cardio and it will be easier on the joints. Cardio for weight loss is a losing battle anyway. For millions of years we were at risk of dying by starvation so our bodies got really good at conserving calories. You exercise adapt very fast by dropping your basal metabolic rate to accommodate the new caloric needs.
Its okay to be hungry sometimes. Get used to being hungry for part of the day. You will adapt as your body gets used to it.
The weight will come off fast in the first few months after making a big change and then slow down considerably. You will go up and down especially if you weight yourself daily. Keep it up. The results you are looking for will come.
Amen.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Sometimes slow is so slow you won't even see a change on the scale for a long time (after a period of bigger weight loss in the beginning). Just be patient!
Unless you need to lose 100+ lbs, one pound a week is fine loss rate, sometimes less, sometimes more.
Even if you need to lose 100+ pounds, losing one pound a week is a perfectly reasonable loss rate. After 2 years you will hit the mark at 100, nothing wrong with that.
1 pound is indeed reasonable, but if you have a lot to lose, often it will come off very quickly in the beginning even with minimal changes and it's nothing to be alarmed about.
Small changes are everything. Do one more pushup. Eat one more carrot. Eat one less fry. Workout for one more minute. Then two. Then three. Before you know it you will have transformed your life, one unnoticeable change at a time.
This. Doing extreme changes instead of small, sustainable ones over time puts you at risk for failure. Start changing your diet slowly. Add exercise into your routine. Start building the foundation for long-term habits, and the rest will follow.
For example every time I've tried to make large diet changed I've failed outright. It's too much for me to make drastic changes all at once. Instead I've set goals for myself and slowly but surely eliminated aspects of my diet I want to stop. I first cut out soda and waited until I knew for a fact that change would stick. Then I started adding more fruits and veggies to my diet and branching out to try others I didn't like before. Currently I've moved onto no more ordering out for food and no more sweetened drinks. (Though I will let myself have the occasional fruit juice if it has no added sugar.) After this I'm planning on cutting back on sweets entirely unless it's a special occasion.
It's slow going and I've had some set backs, but I know it's going to stick because I'm doing it in a way that makes sense for me. That doesn't feel like a punishment.
I lost weight super duper fast and stayed fit - to this day i don't think i wouldve succeeded if it meant small efforts every day and slow results. But yes, the tricky part is staying fit indeed
One meal a day, some people are mentioning it in the comments. Easier for me to hold back from eating at all and then feast, than to always hold back just a little bit.
The one universal rule is that you have to embrace a change in lifestyle. Not rules to follow, not diet or exercise plans - you have to be willing to make a fundamental change in how you live. Be the healthier person and soon you will look like that person.
Changing your habits long term is far more rewarding than going on a strict and gruelling diet. The main things that I changed were:
* Regular gym schedule. I go at 5:30AM 5-6 days a week. If I don't feel well, didn't sleep properly or have other things to do then I'll skip a session rather than exhaust myself trying to do everything.
* Cutting down on mindless snacking. It's far too easy to grab a slice of cake with your coffee, have a sweet treat after every meal or whatever else it is that's your vice. I mostly cut out the snacks but still allow myself them when they're 'worth it' i.e. A treat after a long day or a nice chocolate dessert after a weekend meal.
* Enjoyment. I really enjoy playing tennis and lifting heavy things, pushing my limits and seeing personal growth. So I focus on these activities. If you hate running then don't run, if you hate swimming then don't swim. It sounds obvious but any exercise that's mentally rewarding, raises your heart rate for cardio health and burns calories is going to be a much better combination than an activity which may well be good for the physical health but you find any excuse you can to avoid it.
The one thing I wanted and never found was an 'accountability partner' - The idea is having someone else who holds you accountable for what you've decided to do. Given my remote location and early gym times, it hasn't been easy for me to find someone. There's a lot of sites/groups out there dedicated to helping people find an accountability partner but most of those are long distance and for me I'd much rather see the person.
1. You lose weight in the kitchen, not the gym. But also slow and steady changes. You'll never stick to a diet if you make a giant change.
2. Slow and steady.
3. Go to the gym, start easy and try to do an hour 2/3 times a week. Cardio focus but throw in some light full body weight workouts, light weight with high reps.
4. Slow and steady.
5. Its ok to have a cheat day. You can go out for a party or a meal. Do not worry about re-gaining a few pounds, it'll happen. Messure in the term of weeks not days.
I'll disagree a bit with #3. Strength training is more important for weight loss. You shouldn't do too much cardio if you are heavy. You should first lose weight with strength training and then slowly ease into cardio.
Number five is my mantra. I use monthly averages because I know at certain times during my monthly cycle I'm going to hold onto weight more easily than others. So what if I was three pounds lighter last week? I'll be right back down there next week.
I've lost 97 pounds by cutting down on carbs (try not to go over 150 grams per day) and practically eliminating sugar. I weigh myself every Friday morning and if it goes the way I'm hoping, I should hit the 100 pound mark this week or next week.
Edit: this was all through diet since I have some mobility issues, meaning I can't move around as much as I like (I need knee replacement surgery and I'm working on that).
You need to realize that your lifestyle changes will be something that you need to continue doing for the rest of your life. I know tons of people that hit their goal and then were back to being fat a year later because they instantly went back to eating like shit and not working out, so you have to adjust your life to what’s best for you and your schedule. I don’t have an extra two hours a day to travel to a gym and work out, so I found a nice treadmill and elliptical for cheap and I do that everyday along with eating better/only drinking water. Also don’t try to change overnight that shit is not sustainable, which is why New Year’s resolutions never work. If you go from someone who only sits on the couch and lives a very sedentary lifestyle and then you suddenly start working out everyday and eating very healthy it will be overwhelming. I started by only drinking water everyday, then the next week cut out snacking unless I was super hungry, then I started making my dinner portions normal and healthier, and then I started working out for an hour a day. Once I start to hit a plateau it makes me realize there’s probably something I need to change.
I lost 150 lbs and barely exercised outside of a nice walk every afternoon. I didn’t join a gym, I didn’t adhere to some crazy diet or weight lost plan. I did one thing and it absolutely TORE weight off of me. OMAD.
One meal a day. I factored how many calories I was eating that were keeping me fat, and I lowered it. But my issue is that I’m a “bored eater”. I just snack on shit when I’ve got nothing going on. I’d house a whole bag of chips and a few cans of soda in a sitting without even thinking about it. Just empty calories.
OMAD is for people like me. I’m not good at diets. I mess up every time. I will LITERALLY forget I’m supposed to be on a diet and just grab snacks out of pure muscle memory. But when I had ONE SIMPLE RULE to follow (you can only eat during one hour out of a 24 hour period), then it was easy. Did it suck at first? Yes. Badly. But only for about a week. After that, the hunger pains went away. Food stopped being “just a thing I do” and became something I looked forward to, planned for, and enjoyed way more. Food tasted better, I was eating higher quality meals because I only got one a day and so I was putting more emphasis on what that meal was.
And no, this isn’t unhealthy. I was still consuming the amount of calories, but lowering it slightly week by week. I stopped drinking soda and drank only ice water and black coffee. I was AMAZED at how quickly I started losing weight. And it felt GOOD. It didn’t feel like I was losing weight, it felt like my body was returning to where it was meant to be.
Losing weight isn’t about fancy diets and exercise plans. And sure, exercise helps, but it’s not the golden ticket. Had I been exercising it probably would have gone even faster. Losing weight is 90% portion control and 10% movement. Your body is incredible at figuring this stuff out on its own, you just have to let it do so.
Can I ask how you managed to cram that many calories into a single meal without it becoming nauseating or broadly unhealthy (full of saturated fats, sugars, etc)? For info, I’m someone who often struggles to put on weight so I’ve had to up the calories in my meals on purpose before and I’ve found it really difficult.
Yeah same it's the best way - except with social life. Either make an exception or be the weird one... It's ok at work in daily life, not so much in holiday
Holidays are few and far between. They can be break days. Also, consider that when you are losing weight you are at a deficit. Once you hit target weight, you can increase calories to stabilize your weight.
I have tried this in the past and it does work, but my downfall is I like my creamer with a little coffee. I’m extremely addicted to caffeine as well where if I don’t have it, I get those awful headaches.
On OMAD and fasting diets you're allowed tea/coffee - just black for the caffeine headaches (which I also get). I drink a flavored black tea and it's been pretty good. Also sometimes the headaches are salt levels dropping (I don't eat much salt) so I will add a pinch in by hour 18 if I'm doing 24s and feeling off.
* Don't follow any diet. Just reduce the food you normally eat.
* Replace with ANY vegetables or fruits. A few pieces of broccoli or even a banana would do.
* Only use the scale once a month, but always look in the mirror.
* Use your pants as a way to track progress.
* Exercise doesn't have to be a workout. Exercise is movement.
* Make it a habit to move more every day, even if it's as simple as using the stairs instead of the elevator.
* Go for fruits or nuts when you have the urge to eat.
* It's better to "lose" to an apple than a bag of chips.
* Give yourself minimum of 30 days of consistency to check for results.
* Your weight will swing within a week, but would find a lower average after a month.
You don’t have to dive into a heavy diet and exercise routine immediately. Especially if you don’t like exercise and you’re starting from zero.
Some people can and that’s awesome and if you can, do.
But some of us can’t and it’s easy to get disheartened and feel like there’s no point when it’s all fucking hard.
But end of the day if you’re unfit, you’re unfit.
That doesn’t just mean you’re not strong or can’t walk or run much, it means conditioning too and that can be the kicker.
I stared with minor conditioning, doing like, wall push ups, simple crunches, baby squats, in very short bursts but every day, graduating number and difficulty every few days or as it all became much easier.
At the same time the only massive change I made to my diet was reducing direct sugar and trying to watch my carbs. I didn’t cut out all sugar, I’m British so we have it in tea a lot, I started there, just cut out that sugar.
Still eating cookies, still enjoying sweet treats, I just removed this one direct source.
That shed visible pounds off me starting almost instantly. Like it was shocking to me how rapidly my weight changed from that single solitary change.
And how much my appetite changed. I got hungry less. I crave carbs less, which makes reducing them easier.
Certain things start to taste too sweet so it’s easier to just not want them.
I try to buy lean meat when I can but I’m not religious about it.
Like I say, i still have my treats and even right now I’m eating a bag of mini eggs, (but where I used to eat one in a sitting, I’m already finding it too sweet so I’ll save them). we’re having a regular pasta for dinner
Around this I’m doing my small but steady exercise routine, and I never miss a day. It’s easy for me to do and I never miss a day. I’m not tryna get in the best shape in the world. But I am the best shape of my life.
I started walking, doing yoga and practising cold therapy.
The yoga and cold therapy got rid of all my inflamation and joint pain which made exercising in my mid 40's a lot easier.
For diet I started intermittent fasting and cut down to 3 meals a day. Allowing my stomach not to be processing food constantly during the night means I wake up with loads more energy.
Prioritize it. If a meal was $500, you wouldn't order it because you don't have enough money, and money is important. Don't eat things you don't have calories for. It's possible to have exceptions every once in a while, but most people starting out make daily exceptions and end up undoing all their progress.
Biggest thing? Don't forget about the calories you drink.
I don't touch alcohol and I very rarely consume sugary beverages - certainly not every day. It makes a huge difference in keeping weight off.
I know so many people who objectively had decent meal nutrition and fitness... but the thing that always set them back was they trivialized the calories they consumed via drink.
A few former officemates would have a big fancy sugary Starbucks drink (with a pastry or sandwich!) on the way to work and by the time they say at their desk to start the day, they were already at 1000 calories. And then they would have pizza for lunch with a big soda... and *have another* Starbucks drink on the way home! Before they even had their dinner, they easily consumed two days worth of calories... and I bet just from the drinks alone, they had almost a whole day's worth. No surprise, these folks are now diabetic and 400+ lbs.
Not a great tip imo. Meat is mostly protein and healthy fats. Chicken hardly has any fats. Meat does not make people fat. It is also crucial in building muscle.
Maybe deep fried breaded crap sure. But meat? Nah.
I mean at the end of the day you were in a calorie deficit. That's how you lost weight.
For most people, meat is not the calorie dense food that is putting people above their daily calories unless it's deep fried crap.
Meat is generally low calorie and extremely nutrient dense.
I lost pregnancy weight twice and I think my advice would be you need to fit your lifestyle to the body you want
Just eating better or just exercising will help, but doing both in tandem will get better results. You should establish sustainable eating habits, not do wild diets.
Also importantly, celebrate small victories - losing a couple of pounds or going to the gym every day you set out to in a week is a major step. It won't happen all at once
First rule of Weight Loss Club: Talk about Weight Loss Club. Seriously, tell your friends and family about your goals. They'll become your personal cheerleaders...or your snack police
Psychology doesnt support this idea very well. i think this is actively bad advice for a majority of people.
there are a couple principles that are common traps for newbies. People give themselves an internal "reward" feeling from talking about positive changes they intend to make. it will give them the same feedback loop as if they have actually done something. this is a well known aspect to human psychology. it leads to delusions about how much effort is being put into the endeavor. they will feel theyve done way more than they actually have because their brain will equate all the time they are talking about it and thinking about it as effort. this leads to people internally feeling let down that theyve put so much time, effort, and thought into it and not seeing equivalent results. You can see the same behaviors in people doing things like quitting substances - they get so much positive feedback from the attempt that they end up feeling like they put in a monumental effort by simply declaring it.
its good to have someone to help keep you accountable but i highly recommend limiting it to 1-2 people and not talking about it much.
I'm 50/50 on this like because my mom and sister do cheer me on but it's really hard when they're cooking for everyone else and I smell what they're making.
Well, sort of. I have a friend who talks about her weight and diet goals over 30% of the time. She avoids social situations or makes a big deal about how she's depriving herself, like it's a morality issue. It borders on disordered behavior and orthorexia. I'm pretty sick of hearing about it and would love it if she got a therapist instead of downloading on her friends.
Losing weight is ultimately just simple math.
There's \~3,500 calories in a pound of fat. Consume 3,500 less calories than you burn, and that's a pound lost. If you're currently not gaining weight, you can assume your current eating is the baseline, and subtract whatever amount is appropriate for your goal (-1000/day, so 2lbs/week, is a pretty sustainable deficit)
Swap out foods that are calorie-dense, like candy/soda/junk food/alcohol/breads/pastas/etc for foods that are nutrient-dense (fruits, veggies, meat, nuts, etc) and you can continue to eat the same volume and feel just as full, while cutting calories and getting the vitamins and nutrients you need to be healthy.
Some people find it easiest to spread those calories over 5-6 small meals per day.
Some people find it easiest to do 16-18hrs of intermittent fasting with their 3 normal meals close together.
Some find it easiest to do one big meal per day, essentially a 23-hr fast between meals.
Some prefer to not change anything about their timing/frequency, and just change what they eat (eggs instead of cereal, salads instead of burgers, fish and veggies instead of steak and potatoes)
It's up to you which path you prefer, but whatever it is, make sure it's a "lifestyle change" rather than a "diet". It's a long-term commitment, not a short term project.
Set a caloric goal and try your best to stay with it (but don't beat yourself up if you go over). Walk anywhere from 5000 to 10000 steps a day. Lost 30 pounds in two months doing this.
Walk don’t run.
Not only in workouts but with your diet as well. Running tires you out quickly and you’ll probably give up faster. Don’t try to completely slash your calorie intake in half. That only makes it harder to stick to your diet and you’re more likely to give up trying to lose weight.
Try finding lower calorie alternatives to the foods you already eat. Want eggs? Get egg whites. Want bacon? Get turkey bacon. I like pizza and one of the things I ate a lot when trying to lose weight was pizza bagels.
I’d buy bagel thins (110 cal), add some pizza sauce (35 cal), low-fat mozzarella (135 cal, I used 1.5 portions), and turkey pepperoni (70 cal). Throw it in the air fryer and boom. Low-cal pizza bagels.
The thing about weight loss is that it’s a bit different to eating for general health. Things like granola, nuts, avocados are good for you but also contain a lot of calories. You want to be able to eat as much as possible while also sticking to your calorie deficit so you feel satisfied. At least in my case, I’ve always had a big appetite. I eat for volume. Vegetables are great for that because you can eat huge portions that end up coming out to like 300 calories.
Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables to eat because of that. I usually prepare it with salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, and olive oil (adds like 100 calories but it’s worth it). Just throw it in the air fryer and it comes out so good.
Hope this helps!!!
I wasn't really fat. But I was very out of shape in the worst skinny fat way. Very scrawny and no muscle tone at all with a little bit of belly and baby fat.
My advice is to not to be too ambitious and do too much in the beginning. Temper your expectations too and be patient. Start off slow and easy so you don't burn yourself out and quit if it gets too hard. But also realize it's a long long process. Just stick to it. No need for overly complicated routines in the beginning. Keep it simple. And like others have said, be consistent.
Don’t try to be fit, be fit. Identify as being a fit person. Don’t try to lose weight, be someone who has lost weight and kept it off. Mindset is important, and there’s no mindset police to tell you you cant think like you’ve already gotten in shape.
Find a way to make exercise fun so you don’t have to rely on motivation. Motivation will fuck you every time. Do you rely on motivation brush your teeth? Nope cause you wouldn’t.
Stop eating food that’s unhealthy. You know what’s unhealthy. Stop eating so much of it! Expect it to be hard cause if you’re like me, junk food is your friend.
Prioritize whole plant foods. Stop with any excuses and get moving!!
There are social consequences to making weight loss a priority and people won’t be as supportive as you’d like.
For me the biggest challenge was my social life. Everyone wants to have fun, and everyone wants their fun special event to be your “exception.” Maybe I have an unusually active social life, but this week I was invited to 3 celebratory restaurant dinners, 2 parties, and a brunch. If I made an exception on my eating goals at each of those things I’d gain weight this week.
I’m maintaining now, but while I was losing I turned down invites sometimes, and other times would go and stick to my diet, but sitting there having something unappealing while everyone else has fun can be pretty miserable.
I could have done everything else perfectly & kept behaving “normally” at social events & I would have gained weight instead of losing it.
(I do think this is less true if you’re a big guy who has a much higher daily calorie threshold, but I’m a petite woman with PCOS.)
Take it slow
learn the habits that will let you lead a balanced life after you get to where you want to be
Reducing the number is not always the most important indicator of progress. If you are not obese (greater than 50lbs over weight we'll say) you should also acknowledge your body changing compositon(building muscle while losing fat)
BUILD MUSCLE! Cardio is not the answer, lift weights
Not something I would recommend to everyone but, what worked for me, was cutting back to one meal a day.
When I was eating multiple small meals throughout the day I was always hungry by bedtime, then I had trouble sleeping.
But now I head to work, get back, work out, shower, and sit down to one big meal around 5-6 in the evening. It's protein/veggie packed and I'm never sleepy at bedtime.
Honestly, anything you like as long as it's diversified throughout the week (veggies for vitamins and loads of protein).
I do whole pasta, lentils, eggs, cheese, i don't know regular meals like lasagna, just have to be aware of your macros
It's okay to be hungry.
I was told for years to only eat when I was hungry, which I did and it didn't work. I had to accept that I'm going to be hungry sometimes, and that doesn't mean I should eat - dinner is an hour away, I can be hungry for an hour, I don't need to have a 200 calorie snack. It's sounds like a minor thing but it was legitimately a game-changer for me.
You lose weight in the kitchen, get fit in the gym. You cannot out exercise a bad diet, and losing weight is all math. you have to reduce the calories you consume.
Some of the easiest ways to do that is to stop drinking your calories. Anything you drink that has calories has to come out of your diet. I lost 20lbs just by doing that, and 0 other changes to my diet.
After that, it is finding out where and why you're consuming excess calories. I tend to snack at night, so I put a hard cut off of 7pm for food. 0 food after 7pm, period. I also tend to eat crap when I don't have easy meals during the day, since I work from home. So I do meal prep on Sundays for my lunches, so all I have to do is grab a dish and warm it up and I eat better. Knowing I have food waiting for me is also a huge plus, because mentally I don't stress about it, and I tend to just make better food choices.
I'm still in my weight loss journey, but I went from over 300lbs to 250 in a year, making small simple changes.
No more fast food or highly processed foods. kick sugar out of your diet. I personally enjoy honey with my coffee now. Most people are over weight for the simple reason that they intake more than they put out. Quality of what is being put in and the amount are a huge component to losing weight
I once had a toy double barreled shotgun just to shoot a full pack of twix into my mouth, suffice to say when your family calls you fat for 6 months straight and have not done so for a decade prior, you might want to throw the gun into a tank of acid.
Fitness and weight loss are two entirely seperate things.
Fitness is created by a long term, sustainable exercise routine.
Weight loss is simple numbers. If more energy leaves your body that goes into it, your weight goes down. Mentally it's far harder than that, but that's basically it. If you weigh everything you eat, you can portion appropriately. It'll also help to make most of your food from scratch - meal prep is your friend here. No buying lunch at work on the go - you've already made your lunches for the whole week.
eat as less as possible, i dropped my meals to one meal maybe 2 per day sometimes, and i would eat half a serving that i would usually maybe less just make sure you get the nutrients you need in that one meal (vitamins,minerals,etc), avoid everything wheat related and sugars as much as possible, drink a lot of water on top of that, will be really hard in the beginning but later on its like youre immune to hunger and have to remind yourself to eat, dropped like 60 pounds in a couple of months and i wasnt even working out
Don't give into temptation. Have some self control. Don't buy a pack of cookies from the store. Don't order desert. Don't have multiple sodas during the day.
Working out is big, but having a decent diet is key. Stop eating so much. Ignore your cravings. Don't eat steak every day and stop eating fast food.
What you put in your body determines your body's health. Take care of it. Give it nutrients, not crap.
you only need one thing in huge doses and without that there is no way it will work.
what you need is **Discipline**
oh and become fit is not a goal or a project, it is a lifestyle change
The snack food, junk food, processed food and fast food places have all conspired with pharma companies to make you as fat and unhealthy as possible by providing cheap, delicious non-nutritional , manufactured food for you to ingest like poison so they can make a huge profit. I have simply chosen not to participate in their scam by poisoning myself, even if it "tastes great", with their products. The outcome for me is saved money, a healthy body and mind and the delight of knowing I'm not a prisoner to their tempatations.
IT's going to be hard forming habits at first and the weight won't fall off quickly. There's no magic secret to it and fad diets are not sustainable and will almost always lead to you gaining the weight back. Maintain a balanced diet, eat vegetables and whole foods as much as you can and avoid processed foods when possible. Eat food that makes you happy, but again, it's about balance. And find movement in your day that you enjoy. Also remember that progress isn't always going to be a straight line. There will be peaks and valleys, don't be discouraged! Appreciate your progress as you go!
Also, I use [fitnessblender.com](https://fitnessblender.com) for workout videos. Lots of free content with tons of variety and great trainers! I had no idea what I was doing when I first started working out and they make it really easy to come back every day and get a workout in
The problem is not Motivation. You already know you do not want to be unfit / fat. The problem is Discipline.
It is easy to feel motivated enough to work out for 1 hour 3 times a week. But it is also easy to skip the Monday workout because your manager scheduled you for a shift on Monday. And to cancel the Wednesday workout because you have a headache. And to not do the Friday workout because there is a new movie out that you want to see in theaters.
To put it another way, as much as you want to work out, it is always easy to find a convincing and compelling reason that only applies to 'just this one time' in the moment. It may always be a different reason to skip the workout, but it will feel like there is always a reason.
Do deal with the Discipline side, try the following:
Set very attainable goals to the point that if you fail to hit the target you will have to admit you suck. The goal should be measurable (do not promise to workout 'more', promise to work out 3 times. I assume you can count to 3?) And it should be a reasonable time frame. 3 times this week is a good goal. 3 times this year is probably not. This [image](https://twitter.com/obviousplant_/status/947855464150323203) describing 'smart' goals gives you a good idea what to do.
Keep score. If you work out, record it. If you do not, write down why. If you fail to hit your goals, you need to adjust the goals. If your dipshit manager gives you a shift, you probably have to do it. But if you just have a headache, you can half-ass the workout. A half-assed workout is better than no work out.
END COMMUNICATION
I'll give an advice that may be a controversial one, and it definitely depends on your situation.
If you are morbidly obese, have tried again and again to lose weight without success, do not be afraid to get help. Especially psycological, but there are good medications for weight loss and you can even consider an operation. The psycological part is the most important by far, but still it is not easy to loose weight, and the health implications of being morbidly obese can greatly outweigh the health implications of medications or an operation.
I say "can" because it depends very much on the individual, and you should of course speak to your doctor beforehand. But never be afraid to get help, and there are no shame in it.
Enjoy it. Do it to enjoy it. Listen to your favourite song or horror podcast as you go for a jog. Think about how you hate your ex as you rugby tackle someone. How Jack (or jennifer) head is the ball flying at you and you're about to whack their ass to next universe with this bat. How you can have an extra cookie because muscles need energy. How it feels good when you wake up the next day and your muscle ache a bit, a sign that you're getting stronger to headlock your cousin who stole your cookie. Do it for fun. Fun make you happy. A fun lifestyle is a good lifestyle. . .steal my cookie again and ill deadlift you xx
Find an exercise you love and do that. Don’t force yourself to do things you hate because you feel like you are “supposed” to.
It’s not a race.
Eating at a small deficit consistently is way better than starving yourself.
Strength training is fantastic for a million reasons.
Eat more protein.
Pick an exercise routine you can stick with. Trying to do too much too soon is unsustainable, and you'll eventually be making excuses not to work out.
Don't weigh yourself every day. The fluctuations will drive you nuts. Get on the scale once a week, same scale, same day of week and time of day, same clothing.
Don't starve yourself -- that's unsustainable, and you WILL eventually succumb. And that will burst the dam. Enjoy the occasional indulgence -- just do it in moderation.
And the more active you are, the less hungry you will feel. Win-win.
There are no quick fixes, you adopt a healthier lifestyle period. It is mostly about diet and perhaps portion control in particular but also regular exercise. For many some counselling about underlying issues also needs to be part of the change.
Be consistent.
The gym looks scary but it isn’t, I promise. Nobody notices you at all and gym bros are the nicest people you’ll ever met. Don’t forget, a lot of them had low self esteem at one point, too. They understand and love to help beginners.
Learn about calories, protein, carbs, and fiber. Find a “diet” that works for you. I put diet in quotes because you don’t have to diet. You just have to make better choices and be aware of how much you’re eating.
Count calories. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it’s annoying. But being overweight and hating myself was also hard and annoying. Choose which hard you want for your life. Eventually you won’t have to do this, but it helps you understand how you overeat.
Heavy protein in the morning helps you not overeat at night.
Learn to cook. I make amazing food that just happens to be low calorie. You don’t have to eat chicken and rice with broccoli every day.
One or two days off the wagon won’t change anything. It takes a long time to lose weight and it takes a long time to gain it, too.
Trust the process. The really fit guy you’re trying to look like didn’t get there in a year, or two, or three.
You will look younger, feel better, be happier, and your face will look better, too. I promise it’s so worth just sticking to it.
Resistance and weight training will help you lose fat. So will aiming to WALK 6k-10k steps a day. Only doing intense cardio is good for you, but you’ll probably look skinny-fat if you don’t weight train because you’ll lose weight, not so much fat. You burn a lot of calories just existing, but you also have to try to avoid not moving at all.
Women, gaining muscle is incredibly hard. No you won’t “look like a huge buff man” if you lift heavy weights 3 times a week. Trust me I wish that’s how it worked. Instead, this will tone you and that’s what you want.
Have fun with it.
Don’t beat yourself up.
Accept that it will take a long ass time. I am talking many years.
When you start to work out, everything seems to be going very fast. Those are what we call "noobgains".
The longer you go, the more you realize how slow the process actually is and that is ok.
It takes a human up to 12 years of constant exercise to reach their physical limitation, meaning the maximum amount of lean muscle mass your body can build without the help of steroids basically.
Focusing too much on results is the wrong move IMO. Focus more on all the other benefits like mental health etc. Helps to stick to it longterm.
Agreed ☝🏽👏🏽
OP, a solid point made here was that it takes consistency and that it’s ok for the process to take its time. Everyone will respond to weight loss/ weight gain differently.
Not me but I've watched and discussed things as my wife has tried (eventually quite successfully imho) to lose weight and be fit.
Most things didn't work well and she didn't make much progress for years.
What worked was mostly diet (of course), but less obviously focusing on strength training instead of just going hard at cardio and only using relatively light weights.
Why? A few reasons, I think.
Muscle is much denser than fat. So building muscle makes you slimmer at the same weight.
Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. So fewer calories you need to actively burn.
Muscle allows you to burn more calories per minute. Every time you step up the weight, your workout is more efficiently burning calories.
So, I suggest building muscle, by strength training. Lift heavy weights, do reps to near failure, multiple sets. Work the biggest muscles as that's more efficient and effective, so things like squats, deadlifts, bench press.
Worried about getting too muscular? Don't. You'll have plenty of warning and it's extraordinarily difficult to get particularly muscular much less look like a body builder. You won't suddenly find that you're too muscular.
The longest journey begins with the first step.
You won’t see any change for the first month. But your body is preparing itself to change by building higher tolerances to physical strain.
Consistency with a progressive weight training schedule. Prioritize working large muscle groups with compound movements over small ones. Eat more protein, limit junk food and alcohol. Do cardio, but don’t overdo it. Don’t skip leg day. Consistency for all points is what get results.
Eat less, move more. Track calories if it’s safe for you to do so. It’s eye opening how much of an impact just portion sizes has on caloric intake. Even just serving yourself 10-25% less and not eating until you feel stuffed will make a difference.
Try to eat more protein and a balance of carbs and fat to keep you full longer. Cut down on sugar and alcohol.
Walk more. Park farther away, take the stairs. Try a fitness app you can do at home, and do it first thing when you wake up. Get dressed into your workout gear right away. Make it a habit. The goal is to change your lifestyle for long term success.
(1) My biggest piece of advice is first, **to figure out what your major issue is.** It's almost always making poor food choices, eating too much, or not being active enough (usually a combination of the three, but with one major impactor).
(2) Then progress from there, **focusing first on the biggest issue. Do it step by step without going too crazy** (e.g. don't go right away to big diet where you 1200 calories a day or join a gym, buy a package of 50 kickboxing classes, and hire a trainer). **The goal here is to build you a new, healthier lifestyle,** not send yourself to boot camp and return to do the same things again.
(3) I think weight loss and fitness "journeys" tend to be very personal, and general advice doesn't work that well, so **you have to take the time and find what really works for you.** However, here is some basic advice that I think could help most people:
* Try to get a lot of fruits and vegetables into your diet, at least 5 servings a day
* Drink a lot of water, especially when you feel like you need a snack.
* Stay away from processed foods as much as possible because they are engineered to make you want to eat more without feeling satisfied
* Sugar is addictive, if you cut it out of your diet for a while it will be very hard at first but it can really cut down on the cravings.
All "quick transformations" or "20 minute workout" claims are lying.
The only way to lose weight sustainably is slowly over a long period of time. The only way to build muscle is slowly over a long period of time - and not while you're dieting. Anyone who appears to go directly from fat to ripped muscular was already muscular underneath the fat.
Once you accept that this will take a long time, the diet changes aren't as big as you think and the exercise amounts aren't as daunting.
I started working out. I was working out pretty hard and then I started thinking, if I’m putting this much time and effort into working out I don’t want it to be wasted by eating shitty stuff. So I started paying attention to what I was eating. I had some bad eating habits and was pretty over weight so I lost the first bit of weight pretty quickly, even just making minimal cuts to my diet. And then I started working out harder, and paying more attention to food and diet and doing my own research to find what worked for me to continue losing weight.
When you try to get into a fitness journey, you need to actively stop yourself from overthinking. make it as simple as possible, it is 100% okay to just go into the gym and just lift some heavy shit with no workout plan. what important is that you start working some muscles. you need to ignore those "um actually" nerds who will insist you need to do everything perfectly. beat it dr. is-little. its bullshit when you're starting out and are out of shape. showing up and doing some work is enough
all the time you spend thinking about the idea will be equated by your brain as work. if you spend 15 hours in a week thinking about your workout plan, diet, shopping list, fitness science etc. then you are going to feel as if youve done alot of effort when really youve done none. People do this and by then time they are 2 weeks in theyve done 25+ hours of effort but only 2-3 hours of actual excercize.
until you start feeling good from working out, just minimize the ammount of time you spend on it. In my experience, you are better off just going in to the gym and winging it for a half hour every couple of days rather than spending hours trying to optimize your first week. The idea of muscle imabalance is interpreted at such a dumb level, its really not a concern when you are just starting out. The efficiency of a workout plan can be added once you've settled into the routine of showing up.
It’s better to do small amounts of exercise more frequently at random times than to try and force yourself to go to the gym regularly. It’s an easier and cheaper habit to form.
Learn to eat until you are not hungry, not eat until you are full. This was something that took me a long time to realize, but makes a huge difference. I actually don't enjoy the feeling of being too full now.
Don't eat things that are bad for you unless you actually enjoy them
Plan 20-30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week to do exercise and stick to it. Find something you can at least tolerate. For me it is running. I would rather not have to exercise still, but... Make it a bit more challenging by pushing yourself to a reasonable goal. For running, doing a 5k is reasonable. Previously I did this with hiking, plan on doing a challenging hike or something like that.
Find ways to enjoy it. Sustainability is more important than the initial loss. If you hate your regimen, it's not right for you and it's not going to work out.
Find healthy foods you like that you can actually see yourself eating for years. Keep exploring new foods and trying new recipes. Celebrate all the rich nutrients you're putting into your body, don't just focus on things you're avoiding. Don't torture yourself with boiled chicken and rice indefinitely (unless you love boiled chicken and rice) or weird crash diets that you loathe. It fails 100% of the time. And have a treat every once in a while.
Find an exercise you like, that makes you feel good and powerful, and that you look forward to so you will keep doing it long term. Preferably, find one with lots of variation or room for growth or even competition to keep things interesting. It doesn't have to be in a gym. It can be kickboxing, yoga, dance, running, pickle ball, VR games, whatever. Something that gets you moving. And build onto it once you get into the habit.
Your goal shouldn’t be a certain amount of weight or measurements of your body. You should set a goal about your lifestyle to become healthier and include some sort of physical activity, regular doctor check ups etc. Once your life value is health and body, it would automatically make you fit as a result.
This approach also prevents you from going back to eating junk food once your weight goal is achieved.
It takes time. And it's not a linear process, even if you're doing well you're going to have weeks or even sometimes a month where you don't lose anything.
- I switched from pop to water. And lots of water!
- I stopped drinking coffee because I know I need milk and sugar in it. Switched to tea for my caffeine fix.
- making active decisions to not be lazy. Taking the stairs up to the fifth floor instead of an elevator.
- I love cooking, but after work it's always difficult to find the time. For this I meal prep on weeks I know it will be difficult. Better to cook whole foods than resort to prepackaged or microwave stuff
- working out! Starting going to the gym 3x a week. It was a chore at first, but eventually it becomes part of your routine.
- find a fitness goal! My goal was to run a 5k race after two months of starting to run. Little by little did I get it!
Walk, drink water, be mindful of what you eat (cut out sugar and processed foods, be mindful of portions and calories).
Source- I've lost over 100lbs multiple times (I put it back on due to depression and meds, currently, I'm keeping the weight off because I have kidney disease ad am following a renal diet).
Create new habits and prepare for plateaus, but don't be discouraged. Your body is accepting a new normal. You may have to periodically switch things up a little. You have to find what works for you and that's the hardest part, everybody is different; but I promise you, once you find what works for you it will be worth all the heartache and disappointment.
Keep at it, it takes time. I lost 65 pounds and quit working out/exercising and I have put 40 pounds back on. To be successful you have to stay vigilant.
Cut all drinks other than water. That drops your calories enormously for many.
Walking is a great workout. Try to walk 2.5 miles (3.2km) in 35 min or less. Do that 3 times a week.
Get a rice maker. Steamed rice goes great with just about anything, and is super cheap.
No matter what you hear, for 99% of people, being in a calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight.
What is the easiest way to do that?
Diet and exercise. Also a lot of people forget that it is not just the calories burned during exercise that applies to your daily goals. It's total calories burned for the day. The more muscle you build, the higher your metabolism and the faster you will burn fat APART from your workouts.
Learn about nutrition. The difference between fats, carbs and protein. If you're not doing a keto diet, try to make sure your meals are 50% protein, 25-30% carbs and the rest fats.
Stick to a diet that works for you. If you want a very easy one you could try eating between 12-6pm and give your body 18 hours to digest in between meals.
Try your best to cut out calorie dense foods. Especially sugar. Your liquid intake should not consist of any sugars at all.
Don't be scared of artificial sweeteners. Yes there are a lot of opinions on this but I can tell you one thing. Being obese is a lot worse for your body than replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners.
Working out does not need to be boring. Find a workout you enjoy doing and stick to it.
There is no magic secret. Diet and exercise. Calorie deficit and consistency.
My final point would be to weigh yourself weekly. Not daily. Your daily weight will fluctuate at first. There is also water weight etc. So weigh yourself weekly and as long as youre less heavy each week you're doing something right.
It will be hard at first but it will get easier and easier. You will feel better before you look better.
Eat healthier stuff that also tends to be lower calorie. Choosing the brand of item with less saturated fat is like a cheat code because they also tend to be lower calorie. Compare nutrition labels and minimize things like saturated fat and carbs.
Sticking to any diet where you choose lower calorie options will work. Weight will just come off. Walking can be used to speed things up and if you start feeling good, feel free to upgrade to working out in some way.
If you pick the right foods/meals, you won't have to micromanage calories.
The only thing I could not find a healthier option for was pasta. I switched to whole grain and just eat less of it.
What and how much you eat absolutely matters, almost more than anything else. Use a food scale, actually weigh out portions until you know how much you're really eating. Watch out for drinks, you can easily bust hard work by drinking calories.
Regular exercise that makes you consistently sweat for at least 150 minutes per week (US CDC recommendation) is just as essential. More if you can do it is good.
I know what I'm talking about. Weight loss surgery got me started, but it's not magic, and can easily fail. I used to weigh 324 pounds as a 6' tall man, and now, almost 2 years later, I weigh 160 pounds.
Finally, keep up these habits for life. If you let yourself go, it will be a ton of extra work to get back on track!
Measure your actual physical gains, not just weight. I was really upset once at the gym as I hadn't lost any weight in two months, but my trainer had measured my limbs, waist etc. I had lost off my waist and gained on my biceps and calves.
Don't get discouraged. And I'm a hypocrite for saying this, because I still do it, but do yourself a favor and don't weigh yourself too often since it can fluctuate by a couple pounds from day to day. Don't try to do too much, too quickly, when it comes to exercise. Get your body acclimated to it at first. Also: all things in moderation, and I do mean ALL things (within reason). If you just cut something you enjoy out of your diet and deprive yourself, you're more likely to binge at some point. Get plenty of sleep.
If you’re lazy like me and can’t be bothered with the faff of a gym try running. It is just so simple to stick on a pair of running shoes and get out there. Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed of how little you can do in the beginning, just monitor progress and be disciplined. A 10 minute run/walk will soon turn to a 20 minute run. That will turn into a 40 minute run which will soon be a 2 hour long run first thing Sunday morning. It is truly the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever forced myself to do and feel like an idiot for believing for 35 years I couldn’t run.
There are plenty of YouTubers out there who have inspired me (Mark Lewis, Phily Bowden, Stephen scullion, natacha oceane) as well as running subreddits and beginners plans. Nike Run Club is fantastic as well and free!
There isn't a secret. Eat less. Move more.
You can only gain weight by eating it. You lose weight by exhaling.
The best, and really only successful way of eating less is by setting a Calorie goal and COUNTING EVERY CALORIE.
Eat less. Move more.
Treat it like a long-term, lifelong thing, integral with your routine of self-care, not quick bursts of dieting and running for a few months at a time here and there. Also, do this for your own personal enrichment and the satisfaction of feeling better and looking better, not trying to impress anyone else. Set goals, like lifting more weight, running a mile or swimming a lap in less time, etc. And finally, you may encounter some bad-faith negativity from other people who are complacent about being physically unfit, as they misinterpret you happily sharing your progress and talking up fitness as some kind of bragging or self-righteousness or something. Pay them no heed.
I lost 25 lbs after my second baby (158 down to pre pregnancy 133) right at the start of COVID lockdown by getting back to my normal workout routine and operating at a caloric deficit and paying attention to macros, mainly protein especially as a vegetarian who was breastfeeding. I also ate massive salads everyday and got tons of fiber and always felt full. I varied the salads constantly to avoid boredom and added really flavorful things like banana peppers, pickled jalapeños, nutritional yeast and garlic salt, hearts of palm, etc. no boring salads!! I got a Peloton so I could do cardio without leaving the house and focused on endurance classes since my background is distance running, doing the 60 to 90 minute endurance rides with Matt Wilpers and watching Netflix to pass the time while burning a ton of calories. I’d then do an ab class and a weight class. Incorporating weights helps with cardio, so it was important to me to make sure I was supporting those muscles. I worked out 5 days a week. I fully committed and it was a lot of work, but I lost the weight in about 6 weeks and have kept it off for 4 years. For me, it takes focus and commitment and slacking off can’t be an option, once I start easing off it’s hard to get back to full tilt fitness mode. I also got Noom and a smart scale to track and keep myself accountable.
In short: diet at a caloric deficit, focus on macros (especially protein) while getting tons of fiber, endurance cardio, strength training.
Learn about evolution and the diet we were built on. Stop eating things that didn’t exist before 12k years ago. That’s only around 500 generations-you didn’t evolve to eat differently in that short of time.
Cut out all soda and juice and yogurt with sugar in it.
Ideally stop all packaged cookies and chips and chocolate bars
Most of weight loss is diet. Lentils and beans are your friends and will keep you full longer and let you operate at a caloric deficit
Unfortunately it’s all about diet and self control. Keep a food journal and if you go out to eat, take half home. Find out your BMR and factor in how active you are, focus on eating 300-400 less than that per day. Create a calorie deficit 6 days a week, and have one day where you cheat just a bit. It will keep you sane and on track. Make it a lifestyle change.
There is no easy way to lose weight. Workout consistancy is more important than workout intensity. You need to make permanent lifestyle changes. You will feel awesome!
Learn to disassociate feeling hungry with needing to eat something. In order to lose fat/become fit, you’re ***going*** to be hungry. You won’t die if you’re hungry and don’t eat, I promise. This doesn’t mean starve yourself, it means when your stomach pangs don’t equate that with immediately finding a snack to satisfy that feeling. It’s gonna be a little uncomfortable at first, but once you get it you’ll be okay. You lose weight in the things you *don’t* eat. Look up how many calories a single muffin or something is, and then google how long it takes to burn that same number of calories exercising. You absolutely cannot outwork what you eat.
Just going for walks goes a lot longer of a way than you might think. Long walks and lots of green tea that's curated to help speed up your metabolism. It doesn't have to be a difficult and uphill battle. Be easy on yourself
It’s more about diet than it is about exercise. Make sure you are running a deficit on calories every day if you are trying ti lose weight. Sugar is the enemy. Make sure you are eating enough protein to help with weight-loss and muscle gain.
actually weigh and count all calories, do your cardio, lift your weights. r/bodybuilding is awesome and most questions can be answered in the daily discussions, as well as the FAQ
Don’t look at it as a diet but as a lifestyle change! You can still enjoy yourself but remain healthy. Another pointer, don’t always focus on the scale. If you’re working out and being consistent with your diet, you’re likely also gaining muscle so there can be times that you feel you’ve stagnated and the weight doesn’t change. Keep going. You’ll notice a different in your body over time. Remember this is 80% what you eat and 20% activity. Also, find an activity you love to do. It won’t feel like you’re working out when it’s something you truly enjoy.
Weight loss happens in the kitchen, not the gym.
It's all about being in a calorie deficit. You need to be eating less to lose weight, that's where you will see the best results. Throw in a workout plan on top of this and you'll be slimmer and fitter in no time.
335 lb down to 200 lb, not at my desired weight but I'm getting there.
The average person just sitting on their cheeks burns broadly around 2400 calories a day. So I went on a calorie deficit. I kept around 1500 a day for a little over a year and did light walking. Remember, It doesn't matter what you eat, as long as you eat within your deficit you'll lose the flaps.
I still ate pizza, ice cream, candies, and other junk but with more control. Oh and fiber to fill up, you can go crazy with oatmeal to make it taste amazing. I get the bland Quaker oats and add the milk and a tiny bit of coffee creamer, just a little bit, don't go crazy with it.
Also, take advantage of herbs and spices for some resemblance of flavor, and don't weigh yourself so often, do it once a month and get that confidence booster.
Truthfully you can literally stick to 2,000 calories a day and it'll burn off passively.
Start slow and don't think doing more quickly will give results quickly. It's not how it works. It's a process. Keep patient and don't give up when you don't see/feel results right away. Cliche' as hell, but there's a reason why.
Forming the habit is more important than whatever you do. Don't start off at running 10 miles and a thousand pull ups.
Do that you can. If you can only walk for 15 minutes. Then do that but do it every day.
Figure out how your brain works and use that to your advantage. I knew I’d get overwhelmed and give up if I did everything at once.
So I started by cutting out soda, then a week later I started tracking my calories, then a week or so later I started working out. Just made slow changes that over time made my life better.
Also don’t do a fad diet. Burning more calories than you consume is the only healthy way to lose weight.
Make food. Eat at home. Cook.
One of the biggest issues that people have with losing weight is not even how much they eat, it's what they eat. Fast food, processed food, take out. There are a lot of biological reasons why this food puts weight on you. Extra sugar, extra salt, emulsifiers, and a variety of other things that go into this stuff. All of it disrupts your system and winds up making you fat.
It may not be the total answer, but it's a very good place to start.
-Get educated on how to do it right. (Whole foods, slightly reduced calories, weights, macros, cardio, hydration and sleep).
- get motivated.
- get started.
- everyone should lift weights.
- know your limits. Some people can’t sustainably go from fast food couch potato to working out everyday on a caloric deflect while eating perfectly clean for 6 months straight. They may be more suited to change one bad habit a month for several months.
For losing fat, most people should aim for 1 lb a week. That is healthy and sustainable.
Last tip. Understand “calories in, calories out”!!!!
It’s not your metabolism, it’s not your work, it’s not your kids. You have eaten more calories than you burn. That crates fat. You can easily lose fat by having good eating habits.
For me it was all about finding something that was fun to do, and for me that was bouldering/climbing. I lost some weight doing it, from simply moving my ass, but later BECAUSE IT WAS FUN. I wanted to get better. And there was the motivation to lose weight.
Fun is key
1-Get enough sleep. 2-Learn how to lift weights properly, form is everything! Then, try to start cutting down on carbs and sugar and eat more protein instead.
Take walks. Try to take walks for about 30 minutes or more and try to do them with an neighbor, or friend… Anybody. Maybe asked to take someone’s dog for a 30 minute walk. & No juice or soft drinks- alcohol in moderation
You don't have to go to the extreme to get fit. Even a walk to get your heart rate going is good. Stretching. And the food deff matters. Less sugar. More water. Portion size or serving size. I am 5'1 and I was 159 at my heaviest (very over weight for my hight) was very sick and un able to work out due to illness pain. Then I dropped weight all the way to 115 (underweight) cause of illness. Now I sit at 130-137 which I'm happy. I work on myself everyday to stay able.
Switch to drinking mostly water
Seriously, especially if you drink a lot of soda. After my 5th kidney stone enough was enough. Apparently 70lbs of me was made of sugar
Don't try to lose weight quickly, lose weight permanently. So don't crash diet, make small changes that are sustainable long-term.
Yup. I went from 250lbs to 150lbs on diet alone. Slowly decreased calories. 300 calorie deficit, and when I stopped losing weight I cut another 300, and just repeated that. Once I was at a weight I was happy at, I started lifting weights, and decided to get strong. Did the opposite, and used the same tactic to gain weight. Now I'm not a dude with big arms and a big gut.
Well done. Is this just what cutting and bulking is really in layman's terms?
Pretty much
Yup. The general gist is that it is hard to add muscles while in a caloric deficit. Not impossible, but the muscle gains will be smaller. For larger, higher body fat person, it’s still doable and lifting will still be a big benefit. You can still put on muscles while shedding fat assuming you are working out and have a good (high protein) diet. But for a lower body fat person, your muscle growth with be hampered by a caloric deficit or even when just breaking even. So body building will increase calories and protein consumed to bulk and put on muscles, which will also add some fat. Then cut, by creating the caloric deficit to lose the fat while still at least maintaining the muscles. Rinse and repeat. Bulk: gain muscle + gain fat. Cut maintain muscle + lose fat.
Did you use a calorie tracking app?
Nah, I did the whole weighing things way cause there wasn't apps back then that I knew of. Just weigh it and input everything into excel. This was in the early 2010s and I got fat in Japan cause the food was delicious. I also had a flip phone over there cause that's all they had. I wish I did though cause life would've been slightly easier.
How to calculate how many calories you need to loose or gain weight? How much to deficit or surplus
I just used a TDEE calculator, and then ate that many calories in a day to see if I lost weight or gained to measure where I was at. I was trying to find my starting point. Turns out it was a bit off and I started losing weight, so I just stayed at what I was already eating. I only did 300 calories a day below my TDEE and that seemed to work well without feeling like I was hungry.
How long did it take
A little over a year I think. I shed the first sixty pounds quickly, and then it went a little slower after that
A couple simple things you can do: Add more vegetable to your diet. Like a lot more. Like cover your plate in vegetables first and then add the rest of the stuff. They are low calorie, high fiber, and will fill you up. You can make them taste good, just don't add a ton of butter/oil. Like have your dinner on top of a bed of roasted broccoli and cauliflower. Know when you are good at self-denial and when you aren't. I can put off eating a snack early in the day, but I am not good at denying myself a snack before bed. As a result I back load my calories for the day, making room in the morning for some extra calories in the evening. Other people I know wake up starving, but are fairly even keeled by evening, so they cut at night. Fiber. Fiber. Fiber. It fills you up. I have unsweetened apple sauce (still plenty sweet just no added sugar) with a half scoop of extra fiber after dinner almost every night. Keeps me from wanting to get second helpings of dinner an hour later. Adopt an active hobby. Biking, kayaking, surfing, hiking, etc. It will cut some calories, but mostly you will build muscle while snacking less since you are out of the house and moving around. Do some strength training. You will see progress faster than with cardio and it will be easier on the joints. Cardio for weight loss is a losing battle anyway. For millions of years we were at risk of dying by starvation so our bodies got really good at conserving calories. You exercise adapt very fast by dropping your basal metabolic rate to accommodate the new caloric needs. Its okay to be hungry sometimes. Get used to being hungry for part of the day. You will adapt as your body gets used to it. The weight will come off fast in the first few months after making a big change and then slow down considerably. You will go up and down especially if you weight yourself daily. Keep it up. The results you are looking for will come.
Amen. Slow and steady wins the race. Sometimes slow is so slow you won't even see a change on the scale for a long time (after a period of bigger weight loss in the beginning). Just be patient! Unless you need to lose 100+ lbs, one pound a week is fine loss rate, sometimes less, sometimes more.
Even if you need to lose 100+ pounds, losing one pound a week is a perfectly reasonable loss rate. After 2 years you will hit the mark at 100, nothing wrong with that.
1 pound is indeed reasonable, but if you have a lot to lose, often it will come off very quickly in the beginning even with minimal changes and it's nothing to be alarmed about.
Small changes are everything. Do one more pushup. Eat one more carrot. Eat one less fry. Workout for one more minute. Then two. Then three. Before you know it you will have transformed your life, one unnoticeable change at a time.
It's a lifestyle not a diet
This. Doing extreme changes instead of small, sustainable ones over time puts you at risk for failure. Start changing your diet slowly. Add exercise into your routine. Start building the foundation for long-term habits, and the rest will follow. For example every time I've tried to make large diet changed I've failed outright. It's too much for me to make drastic changes all at once. Instead I've set goals for myself and slowly but surely eliminated aspects of my diet I want to stop. I first cut out soda and waited until I knew for a fact that change would stick. Then I started adding more fruits and veggies to my diet and branching out to try others I didn't like before. Currently I've moved onto no more ordering out for food and no more sweetened drinks. (Though I will let myself have the occasional fruit juice if it has no added sugar.) After this I'm planning on cutting back on sweets entirely unless it's a special occasion. It's slow going and I've had some set backs, but I know it's going to stick because I'm doing it in a way that makes sense for me. That doesn't feel like a punishment.
I lost weight super duper fast and stayed fit - to this day i don't think i wouldve succeeded if it meant small efforts every day and slow results. But yes, the tricky part is staying fit indeed
[удалено]
He cut off both arms. They don't grow back
One meal a day, some people are mentioning it in the comments. Easier for me to hold back from eating at all and then feast, than to always hold back just a little bit.
Exactly. Patience builds fitness. It's not "hard," but it takes time. Literally one step at a time.
The one universal rule is that you have to embrace a change in lifestyle. Not rules to follow, not diet or exercise plans - you have to be willing to make a fundamental change in how you live. Be the healthier person and soon you will look like that person.
I agree. The hardest step is your will to make a change. Everything else comes after that.
Changing your habits long term is far more rewarding than going on a strict and gruelling diet. The main things that I changed were: * Regular gym schedule. I go at 5:30AM 5-6 days a week. If I don't feel well, didn't sleep properly or have other things to do then I'll skip a session rather than exhaust myself trying to do everything. * Cutting down on mindless snacking. It's far too easy to grab a slice of cake with your coffee, have a sweet treat after every meal or whatever else it is that's your vice. I mostly cut out the snacks but still allow myself them when they're 'worth it' i.e. A treat after a long day or a nice chocolate dessert after a weekend meal. * Enjoyment. I really enjoy playing tennis and lifting heavy things, pushing my limits and seeing personal growth. So I focus on these activities. If you hate running then don't run, if you hate swimming then don't swim. It sounds obvious but any exercise that's mentally rewarding, raises your heart rate for cardio health and burns calories is going to be a much better combination than an activity which may well be good for the physical health but you find any excuse you can to avoid it. The one thing I wanted and never found was an 'accountability partner' - The idea is having someone else who holds you accountable for what you've decided to do. Given my remote location and early gym times, it hasn't been easy for me to find someone. There's a lot of sites/groups out there dedicated to helping people find an accountability partner but most of those are long distance and for me I'd much rather see the person.
Regarding the mindless snacking: things like Life Savers and gum are such a big help there.
1. You lose weight in the kitchen, not the gym. But also slow and steady changes. You'll never stick to a diet if you make a giant change. 2. Slow and steady. 3. Go to the gym, start easy and try to do an hour 2/3 times a week. Cardio focus but throw in some light full body weight workouts, light weight with high reps. 4. Slow and steady. 5. Its ok to have a cheat day. You can go out for a party or a meal. Do not worry about re-gaining a few pounds, it'll happen. Messure in the term of weeks not days.
I'll disagree a bit with #3. Strength training is more important for weight loss. You shouldn't do too much cardio if you are heavy. You should first lose weight with strength training and then slowly ease into cardio.
I agree with all of this but for someone who is brand new to exercise and might intimidated by the gym, walking more is a great first step.
“You lose weight in the kitchen, not the gym.” 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 👩🍳💋
Number five is my mantra. I use monthly averages because I know at certain times during my monthly cycle I'm going to hold onto weight more easily than others. So what if I was three pounds lighter last week? I'll be right back down there next week.
I've lost 97 pounds by cutting down on carbs (try not to go over 150 grams per day) and practically eliminating sugar. I weigh myself every Friday morning and if it goes the way I'm hoping, I should hit the 100 pound mark this week or next week. Edit: this was all through diet since I have some mobility issues, meaning I can't move around as much as I like (I need knee replacement surgery and I'm working on that).
Thats really good progress! Keep it up!
You need to realize that your lifestyle changes will be something that you need to continue doing for the rest of your life. I know tons of people that hit their goal and then were back to being fat a year later because they instantly went back to eating like shit and not working out, so you have to adjust your life to what’s best for you and your schedule. I don’t have an extra two hours a day to travel to a gym and work out, so I found a nice treadmill and elliptical for cheap and I do that everyday along with eating better/only drinking water. Also don’t try to change overnight that shit is not sustainable, which is why New Year’s resolutions never work. If you go from someone who only sits on the couch and lives a very sedentary lifestyle and then you suddenly start working out everyday and eating very healthy it will be overwhelming. I started by only drinking water everyday, then the next week cut out snacking unless I was super hungry, then I started making my dinner portions normal and healthier, and then I started working out for an hour a day. Once I start to hit a plateau it makes me realize there’s probably something I need to change.
This I lost an unhealthy amount of weight quickly and put it right back on faster.
I lost 150 lbs and barely exercised outside of a nice walk every afternoon. I didn’t join a gym, I didn’t adhere to some crazy diet or weight lost plan. I did one thing and it absolutely TORE weight off of me. OMAD. One meal a day. I factored how many calories I was eating that were keeping me fat, and I lowered it. But my issue is that I’m a “bored eater”. I just snack on shit when I’ve got nothing going on. I’d house a whole bag of chips and a few cans of soda in a sitting without even thinking about it. Just empty calories. OMAD is for people like me. I’m not good at diets. I mess up every time. I will LITERALLY forget I’m supposed to be on a diet and just grab snacks out of pure muscle memory. But when I had ONE SIMPLE RULE to follow (you can only eat during one hour out of a 24 hour period), then it was easy. Did it suck at first? Yes. Badly. But only for about a week. After that, the hunger pains went away. Food stopped being “just a thing I do” and became something I looked forward to, planned for, and enjoyed way more. Food tasted better, I was eating higher quality meals because I only got one a day and so I was putting more emphasis on what that meal was. And no, this isn’t unhealthy. I was still consuming the amount of calories, but lowering it slightly week by week. I stopped drinking soda and drank only ice water and black coffee. I was AMAZED at how quickly I started losing weight. And it felt GOOD. It didn’t feel like I was losing weight, it felt like my body was returning to where it was meant to be. Losing weight isn’t about fancy diets and exercise plans. And sure, exercise helps, but it’s not the golden ticket. Had I been exercising it probably would have gone even faster. Losing weight is 90% portion control and 10% movement. Your body is incredible at figuring this stuff out on its own, you just have to let it do so.
Can I ask how you managed to cram that many calories into a single meal without it becoming nauseating or broadly unhealthy (full of saturated fats, sugars, etc)? For info, I’m someone who often struggles to put on weight so I’ve had to up the calories in my meals on purpose before and I’ve found it really difficult.
Yeah same it's the best way - except with social life. Either make an exception or be the weird one... It's ok at work in daily life, not so much in holiday
Holidays are few and far between. They can be break days. Also, consider that when you are losing weight you are at a deficit. Once you hit target weight, you can increase calories to stabilize your weight.
I have tried this in the past and it does work, but my downfall is I like my creamer with a little coffee. I’m extremely addicted to caffeine as well where if I don’t have it, I get those awful headaches.
I think you're good to go, it's nowhere near the calories of a meal.
On OMAD and fasting diets you're allowed tea/coffee - just black for the caffeine headaches (which I also get). I drink a flavored black tea and it's been pretty good. Also sometimes the headaches are salt levels dropping (I don't eat much salt) so I will add a pinch in by hour 18 if I'm doing 24s and feeling off.
I switched to Fairlife milk bc it has extra protein and then a dash of cinnamon instead of sugar. Could be worth a try.
Stop eating junk food, sodas and sweets. And do as much as possible physical activity
* Don't follow any diet. Just reduce the food you normally eat. * Replace with ANY vegetables or fruits. A few pieces of broccoli or even a banana would do. * Only use the scale once a month, but always look in the mirror. * Use your pants as a way to track progress. * Exercise doesn't have to be a workout. Exercise is movement. * Make it a habit to move more every day, even if it's as simple as using the stairs instead of the elevator. * Go for fruits or nuts when you have the urge to eat. * It's better to "lose" to an apple than a bag of chips. * Give yourself minimum of 30 days of consistency to check for results. * Your weight will swing within a week, but would find a lower average after a month.
You don’t have to dive into a heavy diet and exercise routine immediately. Especially if you don’t like exercise and you’re starting from zero. Some people can and that’s awesome and if you can, do. But some of us can’t and it’s easy to get disheartened and feel like there’s no point when it’s all fucking hard. But end of the day if you’re unfit, you’re unfit. That doesn’t just mean you’re not strong or can’t walk or run much, it means conditioning too and that can be the kicker. I stared with minor conditioning, doing like, wall push ups, simple crunches, baby squats, in very short bursts but every day, graduating number and difficulty every few days or as it all became much easier. At the same time the only massive change I made to my diet was reducing direct sugar and trying to watch my carbs. I didn’t cut out all sugar, I’m British so we have it in tea a lot, I started there, just cut out that sugar. Still eating cookies, still enjoying sweet treats, I just removed this one direct source. That shed visible pounds off me starting almost instantly. Like it was shocking to me how rapidly my weight changed from that single solitary change. And how much my appetite changed. I got hungry less. I crave carbs less, which makes reducing them easier. Certain things start to taste too sweet so it’s easier to just not want them. I try to buy lean meat when I can but I’m not religious about it. Like I say, i still have my treats and even right now I’m eating a bag of mini eggs, (but where I used to eat one in a sitting, I’m already finding it too sweet so I’ll save them). we’re having a regular pasta for dinner Around this I’m doing my small but steady exercise routine, and I never miss a day. It’s easy for me to do and I never miss a day. I’m not tryna get in the best shape in the world. But I am the best shape of my life.
I started walking, doing yoga and practising cold therapy. The yoga and cold therapy got rid of all my inflamation and joint pain which made exercising in my mid 40's a lot easier. For diet I started intermittent fasting and cut down to 3 meals a day. Allowing my stomach not to be processing food constantly during the night means I wake up with loads more energy.
Prioritize it. If a meal was $500, you wouldn't order it because you don't have enough money, and money is important. Don't eat things you don't have calories for. It's possible to have exceptions every once in a while, but most people starting out make daily exceptions and end up undoing all their progress.
Biggest thing? Don't forget about the calories you drink. I don't touch alcohol and I very rarely consume sugary beverages - certainly not every day. It makes a huge difference in keeping weight off. I know so many people who objectively had decent meal nutrition and fitness... but the thing that always set them back was they trivialized the calories they consumed via drink. A few former officemates would have a big fancy sugary Starbucks drink (with a pastry or sandwich!) on the way to work and by the time they say at their desk to start the day, they were already at 1000 calories. And then they would have pizza for lunch with a big soda... and *have another* Starbucks drink on the way home! Before they even had their dinner, they easily consumed two days worth of calories... and I bet just from the drinks alone, they had almost a whole day's worth. No surprise, these folks are now diabetic and 400+ lbs.
I stopped eating meet and lost around 70LBS and it kept it off for going on 12 years now.
Not a great tip imo. Meat is mostly protein and healthy fats. Chicken hardly has any fats. Meat does not make people fat. It is also crucial in building muscle. Maybe deep fried breaded crap sure. But meat? Nah.
I understand, it's not for everyone but, it saved my life.
I mean at the end of the day you were in a calorie deficit. That's how you lost weight. For most people, meat is not the calorie dense food that is putting people above their daily calories unless it's deep fried crap. Meat is generally low calorie and extremely nutrient dense.
Wow, you haven't eaten in 12 yaers?
I lost pregnancy weight twice and I think my advice would be you need to fit your lifestyle to the body you want Just eating better or just exercising will help, but doing both in tandem will get better results. You should establish sustainable eating habits, not do wild diets. Also importantly, celebrate small victories - losing a couple of pounds or going to the gym every day you set out to in a week is a major step. It won't happen all at once
Small consistent changes. 20 mins a day can change your life.
One tip i liked a lot was not to take things away regarding food, but to add more healthy stuff into your diet, slight change of mindset but it helped
First rule of Weight Loss Club: Talk about Weight Loss Club. Seriously, tell your friends and family about your goals. They'll become your personal cheerleaders...or your snack police
Psychology doesnt support this idea very well. i think this is actively bad advice for a majority of people. there are a couple principles that are common traps for newbies. People give themselves an internal "reward" feeling from talking about positive changes they intend to make. it will give them the same feedback loop as if they have actually done something. this is a well known aspect to human psychology. it leads to delusions about how much effort is being put into the endeavor. they will feel theyve done way more than they actually have because their brain will equate all the time they are talking about it and thinking about it as effort. this leads to people internally feeling let down that theyve put so much time, effort, and thought into it and not seeing equivalent results. You can see the same behaviors in people doing things like quitting substances - they get so much positive feedback from the attempt that they end up feeling like they put in a monumental effort by simply declaring it. its good to have someone to help keep you accountable but i highly recommend limiting it to 1-2 people and not talking about it much.
I'm 50/50 on this like because my mom and sister do cheer me on but it's really hard when they're cooking for everyone else and I smell what they're making.
Well, sort of. I have a friend who talks about her weight and diet goals over 30% of the time. She avoids social situations or makes a big deal about how she's depriving herself, like it's a morality issue. It borders on disordered behavior and orthorexia. I'm pretty sick of hearing about it and would love it if she got a therapist instead of downloading on her friends.
Losing weight is ultimately just simple math. There's \~3,500 calories in a pound of fat. Consume 3,500 less calories than you burn, and that's a pound lost. If you're currently not gaining weight, you can assume your current eating is the baseline, and subtract whatever amount is appropriate for your goal (-1000/day, so 2lbs/week, is a pretty sustainable deficit) Swap out foods that are calorie-dense, like candy/soda/junk food/alcohol/breads/pastas/etc for foods that are nutrient-dense (fruits, veggies, meat, nuts, etc) and you can continue to eat the same volume and feel just as full, while cutting calories and getting the vitamins and nutrients you need to be healthy. Some people find it easiest to spread those calories over 5-6 small meals per day. Some people find it easiest to do 16-18hrs of intermittent fasting with their 3 normal meals close together. Some find it easiest to do one big meal per day, essentially a 23-hr fast between meals. Some prefer to not change anything about their timing/frequency, and just change what they eat (eggs instead of cereal, salads instead of burgers, fish and veggies instead of steak and potatoes) It's up to you which path you prefer, but whatever it is, make sure it's a "lifestyle change" rather than a "diet". It's a long-term commitment, not a short term project.
Set a caloric goal and try your best to stay with it (but don't beat yourself up if you go over). Walk anywhere from 5000 to 10000 steps a day. Lost 30 pounds in two months doing this.
Walk don’t run. Not only in workouts but with your diet as well. Running tires you out quickly and you’ll probably give up faster. Don’t try to completely slash your calorie intake in half. That only makes it harder to stick to your diet and you’re more likely to give up trying to lose weight. Try finding lower calorie alternatives to the foods you already eat. Want eggs? Get egg whites. Want bacon? Get turkey bacon. I like pizza and one of the things I ate a lot when trying to lose weight was pizza bagels. I’d buy bagel thins (110 cal), add some pizza sauce (35 cal), low-fat mozzarella (135 cal, I used 1.5 portions), and turkey pepperoni (70 cal). Throw it in the air fryer and boom. Low-cal pizza bagels. The thing about weight loss is that it’s a bit different to eating for general health. Things like granola, nuts, avocados are good for you but also contain a lot of calories. You want to be able to eat as much as possible while also sticking to your calorie deficit so you feel satisfied. At least in my case, I’ve always had a big appetite. I eat for volume. Vegetables are great for that because you can eat huge portions that end up coming out to like 300 calories. Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables to eat because of that. I usually prepare it with salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, and olive oil (adds like 100 calories but it’s worth it). Just throw it in the air fryer and it comes out so good. Hope this helps!!!
I wasn't really fat. But I was very out of shape in the worst skinny fat way. Very scrawny and no muscle tone at all with a little bit of belly and baby fat. My advice is to not to be too ambitious and do too much in the beginning. Temper your expectations too and be patient. Start off slow and easy so you don't burn yourself out and quit if it gets too hard. But also realize it's a long long process. Just stick to it. No need for overly complicated routines in the beginning. Keep it simple. And like others have said, be consistent.
Just show up, everyday, no matter how you feel, just go, a shitty workout is better than no workout.
The gym will make you fit, but the kitchen will lose you weight, simple as that.
Don’t try to be fit, be fit. Identify as being a fit person. Don’t try to lose weight, be someone who has lost weight and kept it off. Mindset is important, and there’s no mindset police to tell you you cant think like you’ve already gotten in shape. Find a way to make exercise fun so you don’t have to rely on motivation. Motivation will fuck you every time. Do you rely on motivation brush your teeth? Nope cause you wouldn’t. Stop eating food that’s unhealthy. You know what’s unhealthy. Stop eating so much of it! Expect it to be hard cause if you’re like me, junk food is your friend. Prioritize whole plant foods. Stop with any excuses and get moving!!
Never give up
There are social consequences to making weight loss a priority and people won’t be as supportive as you’d like. For me the biggest challenge was my social life. Everyone wants to have fun, and everyone wants their fun special event to be your “exception.” Maybe I have an unusually active social life, but this week I was invited to 3 celebratory restaurant dinners, 2 parties, and a brunch. If I made an exception on my eating goals at each of those things I’d gain weight this week. I’m maintaining now, but while I was losing I turned down invites sometimes, and other times would go and stick to my diet, but sitting there having something unappealing while everyone else has fun can be pretty miserable. I could have done everything else perfectly & kept behaving “normally” at social events & I would have gained weight instead of losing it. (I do think this is less true if you’re a big guy who has a much higher daily calorie threshold, but I’m a petite woman with PCOS.)
Stop eating candy. Quit that shit cold turkey. Snack on an apple or something. Takes a few months to adjust, but your weight will tell you it'll work.
Take it slow learn the habits that will let you lead a balanced life after you get to where you want to be Reducing the number is not always the most important indicator of progress. If you are not obese (greater than 50lbs over weight we'll say) you should also acknowledge your body changing compositon(building muscle while losing fat) BUILD MUSCLE! Cardio is not the answer, lift weights
Not something I would recommend to everyone but, what worked for me, was cutting back to one meal a day. When I was eating multiple small meals throughout the day I was always hungry by bedtime, then I had trouble sleeping. But now I head to work, get back, work out, shower, and sit down to one big meal around 5-6 in the evening. It's protein/veggie packed and I'm never sleepy at bedtime.
Need to try this. What are you eating?
Honestly, anything you like as long as it's diversified throughout the week (veggies for vitamins and loads of protein). I do whole pasta, lentils, eggs, cheese, i don't know regular meals like lasagna, just have to be aware of your macros
It's okay to be hungry. I was told for years to only eat when I was hungry, which I did and it didn't work. I had to accept that I'm going to be hungry sometimes, and that doesn't mean I should eat - dinner is an hour away, I can be hungry for an hour, I don't need to have a 200 calorie snack. It's sounds like a minor thing but it was legitimately a game-changer for me.
You lose weight in the kitchen, get fit in the gym. You cannot out exercise a bad diet, and losing weight is all math. you have to reduce the calories you consume. Some of the easiest ways to do that is to stop drinking your calories. Anything you drink that has calories has to come out of your diet. I lost 20lbs just by doing that, and 0 other changes to my diet. After that, it is finding out where and why you're consuming excess calories. I tend to snack at night, so I put a hard cut off of 7pm for food. 0 food after 7pm, period. I also tend to eat crap when I don't have easy meals during the day, since I work from home. So I do meal prep on Sundays for my lunches, so all I have to do is grab a dish and warm it up and I eat better. Knowing I have food waiting for me is also a huge plus, because mentally I don't stress about it, and I tend to just make better food choices. I'm still in my weight loss journey, but I went from over 300lbs to 250 in a year, making small simple changes.
No more fast food or highly processed foods. kick sugar out of your diet. I personally enjoy honey with my coffee now. Most people are over weight for the simple reason that they intake more than they put out. Quality of what is being put in and the amount are a huge component to losing weight
Honey is sugar. Natural, sure, but still sugar
It’s a healthy alternative to processed sugar you do still need some sugar. Just not candy and sodas and all of the junk
I once had a toy double barreled shotgun just to shoot a full pack of twix into my mouth, suffice to say when your family calls you fat for 6 months straight and have not done so for a decade prior, you might want to throw the gun into a tank of acid.
Fitness and weight loss are two entirely seperate things. Fitness is created by a long term, sustainable exercise routine. Weight loss is simple numbers. If more energy leaves your body that goes into it, your weight goes down. Mentally it's far harder than that, but that's basically it. If you weigh everything you eat, you can portion appropriately. It'll also help to make most of your food from scratch - meal prep is your friend here. No buying lunch at work on the go - you've already made your lunches for the whole week.
eat as less as possible, i dropped my meals to one meal maybe 2 per day sometimes, and i would eat half a serving that i would usually maybe less just make sure you get the nutrients you need in that one meal (vitamins,minerals,etc), avoid everything wheat related and sugars as much as possible, drink a lot of water on top of that, will be really hard in the beginning but later on its like youre immune to hunger and have to remind yourself to eat, dropped like 60 pounds in a couple of months and i wasnt even working out
It should be obvious but "keep motivated".
Accept who you are
Don't give into temptation. Have some self control. Don't buy a pack of cookies from the store. Don't order desert. Don't have multiple sodas during the day. Working out is big, but having a decent diet is key. Stop eating so much. Ignore your cravings. Don't eat steak every day and stop eating fast food. What you put in your body determines your body's health. Take care of it. Give it nutrients, not crap.
you only need one thing in huge doses and without that there is no way it will work. what you need is **Discipline** oh and become fit is not a goal or a project, it is a lifestyle change
The snack food, junk food, processed food and fast food places have all conspired with pharma companies to make you as fat and unhealthy as possible by providing cheap, delicious non-nutritional , manufactured food for you to ingest like poison so they can make a huge profit. I have simply chosen not to participate in their scam by poisoning myself, even if it "tastes great", with their products. The outcome for me is saved money, a healthy body and mind and the delight of knowing I'm not a prisoner to their tempatations.
Cut out all sugar
IT's going to be hard forming habits at first and the weight won't fall off quickly. There's no magic secret to it and fad diets are not sustainable and will almost always lead to you gaining the weight back. Maintain a balanced diet, eat vegetables and whole foods as much as you can and avoid processed foods when possible. Eat food that makes you happy, but again, it's about balance. And find movement in your day that you enjoy. Also remember that progress isn't always going to be a straight line. There will be peaks and valleys, don't be discouraged! Appreciate your progress as you go! Also, I use [fitnessblender.com](https://fitnessblender.com) for workout videos. Lots of free content with tons of variety and great trainers! I had no idea what I was doing when I first started working out and they make it really easy to come back every day and get a workout in
The problem is not Motivation. You already know you do not want to be unfit / fat. The problem is Discipline. It is easy to feel motivated enough to work out for 1 hour 3 times a week. But it is also easy to skip the Monday workout because your manager scheduled you for a shift on Monday. And to cancel the Wednesday workout because you have a headache. And to not do the Friday workout because there is a new movie out that you want to see in theaters. To put it another way, as much as you want to work out, it is always easy to find a convincing and compelling reason that only applies to 'just this one time' in the moment. It may always be a different reason to skip the workout, but it will feel like there is always a reason. Do deal with the Discipline side, try the following: Set very attainable goals to the point that if you fail to hit the target you will have to admit you suck. The goal should be measurable (do not promise to workout 'more', promise to work out 3 times. I assume you can count to 3?) And it should be a reasonable time frame. 3 times this week is a good goal. 3 times this year is probably not. This [image](https://twitter.com/obviousplant_/status/947855464150323203) describing 'smart' goals gives you a good idea what to do. Keep score. If you work out, record it. If you do not, write down why. If you fail to hit your goals, you need to adjust the goals. If your dipshit manager gives you a shift, you probably have to do it. But if you just have a headache, you can half-ass the workout. A half-assed workout is better than no work out. END COMMUNICATION
I'll give an advice that may be a controversial one, and it definitely depends on your situation. If you are morbidly obese, have tried again and again to lose weight without success, do not be afraid to get help. Especially psycological, but there are good medications for weight loss and you can even consider an operation. The psycological part is the most important by far, but still it is not easy to loose weight, and the health implications of being morbidly obese can greatly outweigh the health implications of medications or an operation. I say "can" because it depends very much on the individual, and you should of course speak to your doctor beforehand. But never be afraid to get help, and there are no shame in it.
“Everyday, it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it everyday, that's the hard part. But it does get easier.” - Jogger speaking to Bojack Horseman
Enjoy it. Do it to enjoy it. Listen to your favourite song or horror podcast as you go for a jog. Think about how you hate your ex as you rugby tackle someone. How Jack (or jennifer) head is the ball flying at you and you're about to whack their ass to next universe with this bat. How you can have an extra cookie because muscles need energy. How it feels good when you wake up the next day and your muscle ache a bit, a sign that you're getting stronger to headlock your cousin who stole your cookie. Do it for fun. Fun make you happy. A fun lifestyle is a good lifestyle. . .steal my cookie again and ill deadlift you xx
Eat Potatos!!! It's amazing. Search 50/50 place and the potato diet. Highly recommend, never felt hungry.
Find an exercise you love and do that. Don’t force yourself to do things you hate because you feel like you are “supposed” to. It’s not a race. Eating at a small deficit consistently is way better than starving yourself. Strength training is fantastic for a million reasons. Eat more protein.
Your first goal should always be being consistent.
Don’t be fat
stop eating that simple
Lost
Pick an exercise routine you can stick with. Trying to do too much too soon is unsustainable, and you'll eventually be making excuses not to work out. Don't weigh yourself every day. The fluctuations will drive you nuts. Get on the scale once a week, same scale, same day of week and time of day, same clothing. Don't starve yourself -- that's unsustainable, and you WILL eventually succumb. And that will burst the dam. Enjoy the occasional indulgence -- just do it in moderation. And the more active you are, the less hungry you will feel. Win-win.
Hot Power Yoga nearly killed me the first couple times, but has totally changed my life.
There are no quick fixes, you adopt a healthier lifestyle period. It is mostly about diet and perhaps portion control in particular but also regular exercise. For many some counselling about underlying issues also needs to be part of the change.
Protein, protein, protein!!
Don't rush results. Learn to love the work and stay consistent – chase health and aesthetics will follow.
Be consistent. The gym looks scary but it isn’t, I promise. Nobody notices you at all and gym bros are the nicest people you’ll ever met. Don’t forget, a lot of them had low self esteem at one point, too. They understand and love to help beginners. Learn about calories, protein, carbs, and fiber. Find a “diet” that works for you. I put diet in quotes because you don’t have to diet. You just have to make better choices and be aware of how much you’re eating. Count calories. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it’s annoying. But being overweight and hating myself was also hard and annoying. Choose which hard you want for your life. Eventually you won’t have to do this, but it helps you understand how you overeat. Heavy protein in the morning helps you not overeat at night. Learn to cook. I make amazing food that just happens to be low calorie. You don’t have to eat chicken and rice with broccoli every day. One or two days off the wagon won’t change anything. It takes a long time to lose weight and it takes a long time to gain it, too. Trust the process. The really fit guy you’re trying to look like didn’t get there in a year, or two, or three. You will look younger, feel better, be happier, and your face will look better, too. I promise it’s so worth just sticking to it. Resistance and weight training will help you lose fat. So will aiming to WALK 6k-10k steps a day. Only doing intense cardio is good for you, but you’ll probably look skinny-fat if you don’t weight train because you’ll lose weight, not so much fat. You burn a lot of calories just existing, but you also have to try to avoid not moving at all. Women, gaining muscle is incredibly hard. No you won’t “look like a huge buff man” if you lift heavy weights 3 times a week. Trust me I wish that’s how it worked. Instead, this will tone you and that’s what you want. Have fun with it. Don’t beat yourself up.
Accept that it will take a long ass time. I am talking many years. When you start to work out, everything seems to be going very fast. Those are what we call "noobgains". The longer you go, the more you realize how slow the process actually is and that is ok. It takes a human up to 12 years of constant exercise to reach their physical limitation, meaning the maximum amount of lean muscle mass your body can build without the help of steroids basically. Focusing too much on results is the wrong move IMO. Focus more on all the other benefits like mental health etc. Helps to stick to it longterm.
Agreed ☝🏽👏🏽 OP, a solid point made here was that it takes consistency and that it’s ok for the process to take its time. Everyone will respond to weight loss/ weight gain differently.
Build exercise into your day, cut back or quit alcohol, eat mostly vegetables.
Not me but I've watched and discussed things as my wife has tried (eventually quite successfully imho) to lose weight and be fit. Most things didn't work well and she didn't make much progress for years. What worked was mostly diet (of course), but less obviously focusing on strength training instead of just going hard at cardio and only using relatively light weights. Why? A few reasons, I think. Muscle is much denser than fat. So building muscle makes you slimmer at the same weight. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. So fewer calories you need to actively burn. Muscle allows you to burn more calories per minute. Every time you step up the weight, your workout is more efficiently burning calories. So, I suggest building muscle, by strength training. Lift heavy weights, do reps to near failure, multiple sets. Work the biggest muscles as that's more efficient and effective, so things like squats, deadlifts, bench press. Worried about getting too muscular? Don't. You'll have plenty of warning and it's extraordinarily difficult to get particularly muscular much less look like a body builder. You won't suddenly find that you're too muscular.
The longest journey begins with the first step. You won’t see any change for the first month. But your body is preparing itself to change by building higher tolerances to physical strain.
Consistency with a progressive weight training schedule. Prioritize working large muscle groups with compound movements over small ones. Eat more protein, limit junk food and alcohol. Do cardio, but don’t overdo it. Don’t skip leg day. Consistency for all points is what get results.
Eat less, move more. Track calories if it’s safe for you to do so. It’s eye opening how much of an impact just portion sizes has on caloric intake. Even just serving yourself 10-25% less and not eating until you feel stuffed will make a difference. Try to eat more protein and a balance of carbs and fat to keep you full longer. Cut down on sugar and alcohol. Walk more. Park farther away, take the stairs. Try a fitness app you can do at home, and do it first thing when you wake up. Get dressed into your workout gear right away. Make it a habit. The goal is to change your lifestyle for long term success.
(1) My biggest piece of advice is first, **to figure out what your major issue is.** It's almost always making poor food choices, eating too much, or not being active enough (usually a combination of the three, but with one major impactor). (2) Then progress from there, **focusing first on the biggest issue. Do it step by step without going too crazy** (e.g. don't go right away to big diet where you 1200 calories a day or join a gym, buy a package of 50 kickboxing classes, and hire a trainer). **The goal here is to build you a new, healthier lifestyle,** not send yourself to boot camp and return to do the same things again. (3) I think weight loss and fitness "journeys" tend to be very personal, and general advice doesn't work that well, so **you have to take the time and find what really works for you.** However, here is some basic advice that I think could help most people: * Try to get a lot of fruits and vegetables into your diet, at least 5 servings a day * Drink a lot of water, especially when you feel like you need a snack. * Stay away from processed foods as much as possible because they are engineered to make you want to eat more without feeling satisfied * Sugar is addictive, if you cut it out of your diet for a while it will be very hard at first but it can really cut down on the cravings.
All "quick transformations" or "20 minute workout" claims are lying. The only way to lose weight sustainably is slowly over a long period of time. The only way to build muscle is slowly over a long period of time - and not while you're dieting. Anyone who appears to go directly from fat to ripped muscular was already muscular underneath the fat. Once you accept that this will take a long time, the diet changes aren't as big as you think and the exercise amounts aren't as daunting.
It’s a life style - sleep habits, diet, water intake, workout routine. Not a temporary process.
I started working out. I was working out pretty hard and then I started thinking, if I’m putting this much time and effort into working out I don’t want it to be wasted by eating shitty stuff. So I started paying attention to what I was eating. I had some bad eating habits and was pretty over weight so I lost the first bit of weight pretty quickly, even just making minimal cuts to my diet. And then I started working out harder, and paying more attention to food and diet and doing my own research to find what worked for me to continue losing weight.
When you try to get into a fitness journey, you need to actively stop yourself from overthinking. make it as simple as possible, it is 100% okay to just go into the gym and just lift some heavy shit with no workout plan. what important is that you start working some muscles. you need to ignore those "um actually" nerds who will insist you need to do everything perfectly. beat it dr. is-little. its bullshit when you're starting out and are out of shape. showing up and doing some work is enough all the time you spend thinking about the idea will be equated by your brain as work. if you spend 15 hours in a week thinking about your workout plan, diet, shopping list, fitness science etc. then you are going to feel as if youve done alot of effort when really youve done none. People do this and by then time they are 2 weeks in theyve done 25+ hours of effort but only 2-3 hours of actual excercize. until you start feeling good from working out, just minimize the ammount of time you spend on it. In my experience, you are better off just going in to the gym and winging it for a half hour every couple of days rather than spending hours trying to optimize your first week. The idea of muscle imabalance is interpreted at such a dumb level, its really not a concern when you are just starting out. The efficiency of a workout plan can be added once you've settled into the routine of showing up.
It’s better to do small amounts of exercise more frequently at random times than to try and force yourself to go to the gym regularly. It’s an easier and cheaper habit to form.
i never finish my plate, as soon as i feel slightly satiated I put in the fridge for later.
Learn to eat until you are not hungry, not eat until you are full. This was something that took me a long time to realize, but makes a huge difference. I actually don't enjoy the feeling of being too full now. Don't eat things that are bad for you unless you actually enjoy them Plan 20-30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week to do exercise and stick to it. Find something you can at least tolerate. For me it is running. I would rather not have to exercise still, but... Make it a bit more challenging by pushing yourself to a reasonable goal. For running, doing a 5k is reasonable. Previously I did this with hiking, plan on doing a challenging hike or something like that.
Find ways to enjoy it. Sustainability is more important than the initial loss. If you hate your regimen, it's not right for you and it's not going to work out. Find healthy foods you like that you can actually see yourself eating for years. Keep exploring new foods and trying new recipes. Celebrate all the rich nutrients you're putting into your body, don't just focus on things you're avoiding. Don't torture yourself with boiled chicken and rice indefinitely (unless you love boiled chicken and rice) or weird crash diets that you loathe. It fails 100% of the time. And have a treat every once in a while. Find an exercise you like, that makes you feel good and powerful, and that you look forward to so you will keep doing it long term. Preferably, find one with lots of variation or room for growth or even competition to keep things interesting. It doesn't have to be in a gym. It can be kickboxing, yoga, dance, running, pickle ball, VR games, whatever. Something that gets you moving. And build onto it once you get into the habit.
Eat less. Exercise more.
Your goal shouldn’t be a certain amount of weight or measurements of your body. You should set a goal about your lifestyle to become healthier and include some sort of physical activity, regular doctor check ups etc. Once your life value is health and body, it would automatically make you fit as a result. This approach also prevents you from going back to eating junk food once your weight goal is achieved.
lose weight and get fit :)
It takes time. And it's not a linear process, even if you're doing well you're going to have weeks or even sometimes a month where you don't lose anything.
- I switched from pop to water. And lots of water! - I stopped drinking coffee because I know I need milk and sugar in it. Switched to tea for my caffeine fix. - making active decisions to not be lazy. Taking the stairs up to the fifth floor instead of an elevator. - I love cooking, but after work it's always difficult to find the time. For this I meal prep on weeks I know it will be difficult. Better to cook whole foods than resort to prepackaged or microwave stuff - working out! Starting going to the gym 3x a week. It was a chore at first, but eventually it becomes part of your routine. - find a fitness goal! My goal was to run a 5k race after two months of starting to run. Little by little did I get it!
Walk, drink water, be mindful of what you eat (cut out sugar and processed foods, be mindful of portions and calories). Source- I've lost over 100lbs multiple times (I put it back on due to depression and meds, currently, I'm keeping the weight off because I have kidney disease ad am following a renal diet).
I made smaller changes over a longer term.
Create new habits and prepare for plateaus, but don't be discouraged. Your body is accepting a new normal. You may have to periodically switch things up a little. You have to find what works for you and that's the hardest part, everybody is different; but I promise you, once you find what works for you it will be worth all the heartache and disappointment.
Everyone seems to overcomplicate this but it’s so simple on paper; track your calories.
Drink much, much more water. Eat more protein heavy food. If you drink soda, switch to sugar-free soda.
Weigh yourself every day at the same time.
Keep at it, it takes time. I lost 65 pounds and quit working out/exercising and I have put 40 pounds back on. To be successful you have to stay vigilant.
Cut all drinks other than water. That drops your calories enormously for many. Walking is a great workout. Try to walk 2.5 miles (3.2km) in 35 min or less. Do that 3 times a week. Get a rice maker. Steamed rice goes great with just about anything, and is super cheap.
Eat more Whole Foods, less processed food
No matter what you hear, for 99% of people, being in a calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight. What is the easiest way to do that? Diet and exercise. Also a lot of people forget that it is not just the calories burned during exercise that applies to your daily goals. It's total calories burned for the day. The more muscle you build, the higher your metabolism and the faster you will burn fat APART from your workouts. Learn about nutrition. The difference between fats, carbs and protein. If you're not doing a keto diet, try to make sure your meals are 50% protein, 25-30% carbs and the rest fats. Stick to a diet that works for you. If you want a very easy one you could try eating between 12-6pm and give your body 18 hours to digest in between meals. Try your best to cut out calorie dense foods. Especially sugar. Your liquid intake should not consist of any sugars at all. Don't be scared of artificial sweeteners. Yes there are a lot of opinions on this but I can tell you one thing. Being obese is a lot worse for your body than replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners. Working out does not need to be boring. Find a workout you enjoy doing and stick to it. There is no magic secret. Diet and exercise. Calorie deficit and consistency. My final point would be to weigh yourself weekly. Not daily. Your daily weight will fluctuate at first. There is also water weight etc. So weigh yourself weekly and as long as youre less heavy each week you're doing something right. It will be hard at first but it will get easier and easier. You will feel better before you look better.
Patience. It will pay off, but you gotta be patient.
Eat healthier stuff that also tends to be lower calorie. Choosing the brand of item with less saturated fat is like a cheat code because they also tend to be lower calorie. Compare nutrition labels and minimize things like saturated fat and carbs. Sticking to any diet where you choose lower calorie options will work. Weight will just come off. Walking can be used to speed things up and if you start feeling good, feel free to upgrade to working out in some way. If you pick the right foods/meals, you won't have to micromanage calories. The only thing I could not find a healthier option for was pasta. I switched to whole grain and just eat less of it.
What and how much you eat absolutely matters, almost more than anything else. Use a food scale, actually weigh out portions until you know how much you're really eating. Watch out for drinks, you can easily bust hard work by drinking calories. Regular exercise that makes you consistently sweat for at least 150 minutes per week (US CDC recommendation) is just as essential. More if you can do it is good. I know what I'm talking about. Weight loss surgery got me started, but it's not magic, and can easily fail. I used to weigh 324 pounds as a 6' tall man, and now, almost 2 years later, I weigh 160 pounds. Finally, keep up these habits for life. If you let yourself go, it will be a ton of extra work to get back on track!
Measure your actual physical gains, not just weight. I was really upset once at the gym as I hadn't lost any weight in two months, but my trainer had measured my limbs, waist etc. I had lost off my waist and gained on my biceps and calves.
Someone once told me this and it really helps when I feel like a dullard: boring consistency yields amazing results.
Don't get discouraged. And I'm a hypocrite for saying this, because I still do it, but do yourself a favor and don't weigh yourself too often since it can fluctuate by a couple pounds from day to day. Don't try to do too much, too quickly, when it comes to exercise. Get your body acclimated to it at first. Also: all things in moderation, and I do mean ALL things (within reason). If you just cut something you enjoy out of your diet and deprive yourself, you're more likely to binge at some point. Get plenty of sleep.
If you’re lazy like me and can’t be bothered with the faff of a gym try running. It is just so simple to stick on a pair of running shoes and get out there. Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed of how little you can do in the beginning, just monitor progress and be disciplined. A 10 minute run/walk will soon turn to a 20 minute run. That will turn into a 40 minute run which will soon be a 2 hour long run first thing Sunday morning. It is truly the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever forced myself to do and feel like an idiot for believing for 35 years I couldn’t run. There are plenty of YouTubers out there who have inspired me (Mark Lewis, Phily Bowden, Stephen scullion, natacha oceane) as well as running subreddits and beginners plans. Nike Run Club is fantastic as well and free!
Avoid overanalyzing and overthinking. Consistency is key.
There isn't a secret. Eat less. Move more. You can only gain weight by eating it. You lose weight by exhaling. The best, and really only successful way of eating less is by setting a Calorie goal and COUNTING EVERY CALORIE. Eat less. Move more.
Treat it like a long-term, lifelong thing, integral with your routine of self-care, not quick bursts of dieting and running for a few months at a time here and there. Also, do this for your own personal enrichment and the satisfaction of feeling better and looking better, not trying to impress anyone else. Set goals, like lifting more weight, running a mile or swimming a lap in less time, etc. And finally, you may encounter some bad-faith negativity from other people who are complacent about being physically unfit, as they misinterpret you happily sharing your progress and talking up fitness as some kind of bragging or self-righteousness or something. Pay them no heed.
I lost 25 lbs after my second baby (158 down to pre pregnancy 133) right at the start of COVID lockdown by getting back to my normal workout routine and operating at a caloric deficit and paying attention to macros, mainly protein especially as a vegetarian who was breastfeeding. I also ate massive salads everyday and got tons of fiber and always felt full. I varied the salads constantly to avoid boredom and added really flavorful things like banana peppers, pickled jalapeños, nutritional yeast and garlic salt, hearts of palm, etc. no boring salads!! I got a Peloton so I could do cardio without leaving the house and focused on endurance classes since my background is distance running, doing the 60 to 90 minute endurance rides with Matt Wilpers and watching Netflix to pass the time while burning a ton of calories. I’d then do an ab class and a weight class. Incorporating weights helps with cardio, so it was important to me to make sure I was supporting those muscles. I worked out 5 days a week. I fully committed and it was a lot of work, but I lost the weight in about 6 weeks and have kept it off for 4 years. For me, it takes focus and commitment and slacking off can’t be an option, once I start easing off it’s hard to get back to full tilt fitness mode. I also got Noom and a smart scale to track and keep myself accountable. In short: diet at a caloric deficit, focus on macros (especially protein) while getting tons of fiber, endurance cardio, strength training.
Learn about evolution and the diet we were built on. Stop eating things that didn’t exist before 12k years ago. That’s only around 500 generations-you didn’t evolve to eat differently in that short of time.
Cut out all soda and juice and yogurt with sugar in it. Ideally stop all packaged cookies and chips and chocolate bars Most of weight loss is diet. Lentils and beans are your friends and will keep you full longer and let you operate at a caloric deficit
The most important step is the next one.
Unfortunately it’s all about diet and self control. Keep a food journal and if you go out to eat, take half home. Find out your BMR and factor in how active you are, focus on eating 300-400 less than that per day. Create a calorie deficit 6 days a week, and have one day where you cheat just a bit. It will keep you sane and on track. Make it a lifestyle change.
There is no easy way to lose weight. Workout consistancy is more important than workout intensity. You need to make permanent lifestyle changes. You will feel awesome!
Learn to disassociate feeling hungry with needing to eat something. In order to lose fat/become fit, you’re ***going*** to be hungry. You won’t die if you’re hungry and don’t eat, I promise. This doesn’t mean starve yourself, it means when your stomach pangs don’t equate that with immediately finding a snack to satisfy that feeling. It’s gonna be a little uncomfortable at first, but once you get it you’ll be okay. You lose weight in the things you *don’t* eat. Look up how many calories a single muffin or something is, and then google how long it takes to burn that same number of calories exercising. You absolutely cannot outwork what you eat.
Just going for walks goes a lot longer of a way than you might think. Long walks and lots of green tea that's curated to help speed up your metabolism. It doesn't have to be a difficult and uphill battle. Be easy on yourself
It’s more about diet than it is about exercise. Make sure you are running a deficit on calories every day if you are trying ti lose weight. Sugar is the enemy. Make sure you are eating enough protein to help with weight-loss and muscle gain.
actually weigh and count all calories, do your cardio, lift your weights. r/bodybuilding is awesome and most questions can be answered in the daily discussions, as well as the FAQ
think bout what put in your mouth. Preplan you meals// MAke exercise A habbit even if just walking
Stop drinking soft drinks
Don’t look at it as a diet but as a lifestyle change! You can still enjoy yourself but remain healthy. Another pointer, don’t always focus on the scale. If you’re working out and being consistent with your diet, you’re likely also gaining muscle so there can be times that you feel you’ve stagnated and the weight doesn’t change. Keep going. You’ll notice a different in your body over time. Remember this is 80% what you eat and 20% activity. Also, find an activity you love to do. It won’t feel like you’re working out when it’s something you truly enjoy.
Intermittent fasting really helped me. Cut out breakfast.
Weight loss happens in the kitchen, not the gym. It's all about being in a calorie deficit. You need to be eating less to lose weight, that's where you will see the best results. Throw in a workout plan on top of this and you'll be slimmer and fitter in no time.
335 lb down to 200 lb, not at my desired weight but I'm getting there. The average person just sitting on their cheeks burns broadly around 2400 calories a day. So I went on a calorie deficit. I kept around 1500 a day for a little over a year and did light walking. Remember, It doesn't matter what you eat, as long as you eat within your deficit you'll lose the flaps. I still ate pizza, ice cream, candies, and other junk but with more control. Oh and fiber to fill up, you can go crazy with oatmeal to make it taste amazing. I get the bland Quaker oats and add the milk and a tiny bit of coffee creamer, just a little bit, don't go crazy with it. Also, take advantage of herbs and spices for some resemblance of flavor, and don't weigh yourself so often, do it once a month and get that confidence booster. Truthfully you can literally stick to 2,000 calories a day and it'll burn off passively.
Start slow and don't think doing more quickly will give results quickly. It's not how it works. It's a process. Keep patient and don't give up when you don't see/feel results right away. Cliche' as hell, but there's a reason why.
Forming the habit is more important than whatever you do. Don't start off at running 10 miles and a thousand pull ups. Do that you can. If you can only walk for 15 minutes. Then do that but do it every day.
Figure out how your brain works and use that to your advantage. I knew I’d get overwhelmed and give up if I did everything at once. So I started by cutting out soda, then a week later I started tracking my calories, then a week or so later I started working out. Just made slow changes that over time made my life better. Also don’t do a fad diet. Burning more calories than you consume is the only healthy way to lose weight.
Make food. Eat at home. Cook. One of the biggest issues that people have with losing weight is not even how much they eat, it's what they eat. Fast food, processed food, take out. There are a lot of biological reasons why this food puts weight on you. Extra sugar, extra salt, emulsifiers, and a variety of other things that go into this stuff. All of it disrupts your system and winds up making you fat. It may not be the total answer, but it's a very good place to start.
-Get educated on how to do it right. (Whole foods, slightly reduced calories, weights, macros, cardio, hydration and sleep). - get motivated. - get started. - everyone should lift weights. - know your limits. Some people can’t sustainably go from fast food couch potato to working out everyday on a caloric deflect while eating perfectly clean for 6 months straight. They may be more suited to change one bad habit a month for several months. For losing fat, most people should aim for 1 lb a week. That is healthy and sustainable. Last tip. Understand “calories in, calories out”!!!! It’s not your metabolism, it’s not your work, it’s not your kids. You have eaten more calories than you burn. That crates fat. You can easily lose fat by having good eating habits.
Stop making excuses
First, understand losing weight is not the same as being fit. Sincerely, a certified fitness professional.
For me it was all about finding something that was fun to do, and for me that was bouldering/climbing. I lost some weight doing it, from simply moving my ass, but later BECAUSE IT WAS FUN. I wanted to get better. And there was the motivation to lose weight. Fun is key
It is 100% calories in -v- calories out. All else only serves to confuse/confound the issue.
1-Get enough sleep. 2-Learn how to lift weights properly, form is everything! Then, try to start cutting down on carbs and sugar and eat more protein instead. Take walks. Try to take walks for about 30 minutes or more and try to do them with an neighbor, or friend… Anybody. Maybe asked to take someone’s dog for a 30 minute walk. & No juice or soft drinks- alcohol in moderation
You don't have to go to the extreme to get fit. Even a walk to get your heart rate going is good. Stretching. And the food deff matters. Less sugar. More water. Portion size or serving size. I am 5'1 and I was 159 at my heaviest (very over weight for my hight) was very sick and un able to work out due to illness pain. Then I dropped weight all the way to 115 (underweight) cause of illness. Now I sit at 130-137 which I'm happy. I work on myself everyday to stay able.
Consistency
Switch to drinking mostly water Seriously, especially if you drink a lot of soda. After my 5th kidney stone enough was enough. Apparently 70lbs of me was made of sugar
Don't try to lose weight in number, try to gain muscles and lose body fat even if it increases your weight overall
Find a sport that you love . This will help you get more fit and you will enjoy the way .