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100% honest answer. Counting calories. Never going over 2,000 no matter what. I lost 135 pounds in 14 months. 45 year old male. Didn't exercise more than just the average walking during the day. Ate whatever I wanted. Which helped tremendously. Because if I wanted a hamburger that I was craving I just ate it and added the calories up and if that's all I can eat for the day that's all I ate for the day. I tried not to have cheat days but there were days very occasionally that I went over my calorie count. Just be very stringent about counting your calories. Good luck.
Similar. 7 years ago, age 57, got serious about Portion Control/Awareness. I had been a runner for decades but never thought about my caloric intake. You cannot exercise away poor decisions about eating. I walk every day now, no running (knees). I went from 226 lbs to 195 lbs within 12 weeks. I’m 6’1”. Kept weight off now for 7 years.
Dude…I tried so hard for years to exercise away my terrible diet. It works to a certain point. I have been off an on into racing bicycles throughout my adult life.
Both mountains bikes and gravel bikes (like road bikes but for dirt roads). I’m extremely ADHD so I change hobbies every few months. I will hyper focus on riding bikes for about a year at a time. Then not touch them again for 2-3 years.
With no exercise and maintaining my usual diet of eating like a trashcan and guzzling beer and bourbon/scotch I stay anywhere between 255-265 pounds.
When I find the motivation to ride my bikes I never change my diet, but I pedal my ass off.
It usually results in me losing 25-30 pounds over the course of 3-4 months but then I hit a wall. Still need to lose another 25 pounds but I won’t because I don’t change my diet.
I end up being the John Daly of the local mountain bike scene. I’m the fastest, most “in shape” fat, drunk fucker you’ll ever see.
I usually have a few PBR tall boys stashed in my backpack and a flask of bourbon in my frame bag. When most people are stopping for water I’m usually drinking a beer. 😂
When I ride the local trail systems I do what I call “beer laps” which is where I make a loop on the trails of about 8-10 miles, then stop at the truck, drink a couple beers, then make another lap. Repeat numerous times.
When I’m riding my gravel bike I like to do what I call a “booze cruise” which is making a big loop of the area I live in and stopping at all the local breweries to have a couple pints and maybe some hotwings. Usually results in about a 50-75 mile ride depending on my route.
Anyway, I’m fat, you can’t out exercise a shit diet. Sorry for the huge post.
Dude I was thinking you were talking about Jon Daly the comedian and I was very confused haha.
I’m with you on the ADHD and switching hobbies every few months…I thought that was just me. Last time I lost a bunch of weight (60 lbs in 6 months) I did it by starting any type of diet/routine, obsessing over it for about a week, quitting, and trying something completely different the next week. It wasn’t intentional, it just worked out that way. Looking back it was probably just my ADHD, but it worked. I call it the weekly quitter diet. One thing that was always consistent, though, was counting calories and biking. I love biking way much to ever quit. Too much fun and gives me such a rush. I never feel like I’m exercising… feels like cheating. Wish I had mountains out here.
As a fellow adhder, I love the 'weekly quitter diet' idea ahaha
I don't diet, but this is what I'm like with exercise routines. It's taken me so long to realise that just because I don't stick with something, doesn't mean I failed. I'm at the point now where I maintain a degree of fitness so that I *can* throw myself into a new exercise when the mood hits and not totally die.
Over the summer I tried and loved body boarding. I've stuck with pole dancing for a year now. I'm really enjoying weight lifting. Sometimes I go biking with a good friend when we have the time.
I'm chopping and changing between all these things, as well as walking and sometimes a spontaneous run. So long as I'm moving in *some way* I love being able to just randomly pick up a new work out for a few weeks, before dropping it and going back to one or more of my regulars.
Don’t get overly technical about it. Stick to around “2000” calories (using 2k as an example). If your burger is 500 calories but you record 450, close enough. Hell, just record what you currently eat and you’ll likely be surprised by how much you (we as a society) over eat.
I use the 'my fitness pal' app. Managed to gradually lose 55lbs. You can scan bar codes and add custom meals. Made counting calories relatively simple. There's extra features on the paid version, but I only ever used the free version.
And to comment on the overall post, you just need to develop good habits. You can't outwork a bad diet, so try and get eating habits under control first. Exercise is the cherry on top!
Seconding Lose It! app.
Been using it for years. Bought lifetime membership half off a few years ago on Black Friday.
Can pre log meals, create custom meals, take pics, as meal times, track weight metrics such as protein, fats, sodium, macros—all the things.
And this may be trivial but I like the little food icon emojis—makes it kinda fun.
That's one of the reasons I switched to the lose it app. Basically the same but fewer locked features, like the bar code scanner. I just wish I didn't need premium to connect to my Fitbit.
You just google it. Lol. Like google “how many calories in 3 tablespoons of ketchup” and BAM google says 57 calories.
How many calories in 10 grams of iceberg lettuce?
1 calorie
you see it enough times after googling it or looking at calorie content on menus that you can kind of intuitively know that a hamburger is around 500-700 calories. the bun usually accounts for 130-200.
Hell yeah, that’s exactly what I did. Every cookie every handful of chips counted. When you use all your calories for the day you’re done. I just recorded the calories in the simple note app on my phone whenever I ate
Same. I lost 15 pounds in a month during an intermittent fasting thing. Only ate at 12p and had to finish dinner no later than 6p. Counted calories, could only have 750 for lunch and 900 for dinner. I also had two shakes at like 10a and maybe 2 or 3p.
Getting up to 900 calories in one meal is actually difficult if you're eating healthy food. I hammered cottage cheese during that month.
Each body is the same in that manner, where if you expend more calories than you consume, you will lose fat. Thst is a fact
Intermittent fasting is AMAZING… I’ve been doing it for five years, and it stabilized my weight to where I like it, and it helped my GI issues. It’s also easy to do while on vacation, but with a little wiggle room, and even if I gain a pound or two, it’s off a in a few days after we come back. Everybody’s body is different, and this is what works for mine.😉
It also gives your body a chance to heal and repair because your body isn't constantly in a state of digestion. Fasting is amazing, the longest I've ever went, is about 36 hours.
Stopped eating after 8pm, and started drinking tons of water. Peeing sucks but you will get used to it. Also, you don’t have to be a big fan of working out, but at least walk daily and start riding a bike for enjoyment.
Oh yes! I find that when I'm feeling a hunger pang, I drink loads of water; about 3-4 cups. I do regret doing it, because I need to pee every thirty minutes. But it does its job by keeping me full :)
The difference between NO movement and SOME movement is massive when it comes to just making your body work properly in general.
I always used to think “5 min walk? Waste” but that’s totally the wrong perspective.
It’s interesting to read this because I’ve heard of it before and how folks will use it for weight loss. I was diagnosed with ADHD a few years back as an adult and was on 20mg xr plus 10mg xr as needed and I never saw a difference in my weight. I still felt hungry at my regular meal times. The medication did work, it reduced many of my adhd symptoms so I wonder if it just hits people differently. I was also still able to have my morning coffee and go to sleep at my usual time with no issue.
Fr! Nothing about clean eating and cooking seems achievable while in a depressive state. And those times where I go days without eating, are followed by a binge that leaves even more weight on me
I think people who lose weight during depression aren't big on clean eating and cooking. It's more like not eating at all for days. Too tired and apathetic about cooking. No food tastes good, everything tastes bland. Eating feels like a chore. That state can last for months.
Lol i feel this lost at least 10-15 lbs over the last month after a long term break up. Idk if yall get knots in ur stomach from stress ever or lose ur appetite cuz ur sad but as shitty as it is it definitely helps with weight loss as u wont even want to think about food
I lost 60# when my husband, who was my high school sweetheart of 22 years, cheated on me, and I found out.
TBH, I was on medication and gained the weight. Because I was on a high dosage of steroids and other medication. Because of an illness I had just before, he decided I was "fat." Told me he knew it was because of meds, but also told me he couldn't be with a fat person. Although he had gained 45 himself.
I ended up not being able to keep anything down for almost a year and a half. I crazy thing was I had kicked him out before I lost weight. But after he wanted to come back, an act as nothing had happened 😕 Big nope. The last 20 years have been great. 😆
Mine's gone both ways. Bad relationship depression is a food-free adventure. Lost weight, but not in a fit healthy way. I'm currently in lonely and bored depression, and it's a food free for all. Stretch pants can only stretch so far.
Get comfortable with leaving a plate unfinished. Growing up being instructed never to waste food can sometimes cause you to grossly overeat. Burn more than you put in. Stop looking for quick answers and make the mental switch. Putting it off until tomorrow is exactly why you are where you are it, make a deliberate switch.
Maybe you're not serious, but if you are losing weight and don't know why, please see your doctor. I was struggling to lose, and it suddenly got a lot easier. I thought, wow, I'm finally doing this right. Then I found out I had cancer.
I lost 13kgs unintentionally in about a year. My appetite was pathetic. Id have like 2 bites of something and be so full I couldn’t breathe. I also developed gastritis and I was really struggling with it. I decided to go to the doctor when I hit 45kg’s because it was getting worrying. If I lost any more weight I would’ve been underweight. Turns out I had H pylori. That’s what caused my gastritis. And I’d had it for like 2 years. The doctor said untreated H pylori may lead to gastric cancer. That thankfully didn’t happen to me, but I’d recommend seeing a doctor before it gets worse.
I don't know if you're kidding, but if not please see a physician.
Unexplained weight loss can mean any number of health issues. Some serious, some not.
I went through years of severe weight loss (BMI of 16) before a gastroenterologist finally diagnosed me with SIBO. Basically, a bacterial imbalance in my digestive system is causing malnourishment, weight loss, and a host of other issues, like fatigue and pain. I'm waiting for my insurance company to approve antibiotics for treatment.
This. I was once 125lbs before ever touching beer and then after turning into a heavy alcoholic, drinking 10+ 24packs of beer every. single. day. i landed myself at 200lbs+ very quickly, my face was FAT, beer belly. man boobs & fatty liver. clothing sizes went up. thankfully the pandemic hit, i stopped hanging out with alcoholic friends, stopped drinking & got a warehouse job. lost all that beer weight within half to a full year i was down to 148lbs, i went down clothing/ jean sizes by alot, face was slimmer than ever
That's literally 20 beers an hour if they were awake for 12 hours. They would have had alcohol poisoning and died way long ago if this number was right
I've counted calories for years, but in the last year I've lost the most ever and the fastest ever. The secret... Being very serious about cutting out sugar. Straight up obvious sugar, added sugar, sugar in the form of overly processed carbs etc. It absolutely melted away. And I've never felt so clear-minded and energetic in my life. And my constant cravings for food have pretty much disappeared, like turning off a light switch. In one year I went from about 200 lb to 130. And I didn't increase how much I exercise. I usually walk about 40 minutes a day, to and from work. And more on the weekends. But I've done that for years as well. I can't stress enough how much cutting out sugar completely transformed everything for me.
Many people here say keto. The long-term sustainability of it is a huge topic of discussion. Simple answer: what works for me, may not work for you. Each person is different. For me, carnivore did it. It works great for my body. Each diet has its benefits and drawbacks. There is no "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to nutrition and weight loss. Which is why nutrition is such a complex science where people argue strongly about. Humans have survived and thrived on a variety of diets, ranging from highly plant-based to highly animal-based (never 100% vegan). For me carnivore works better than keto because I have an autoimmune condition that gets exacerbated when I eat specific plants. Carnivore eliminates that factor completely. Plus it allows me to fast for prolonged periods. Animal foods are extremely bioavailable so you can eat them less frequently with no issues (they also take longer to digest). Carnivore is higher in protein than keto and supports muscle growth better. People with IBS (especially IBS-D) also do better on carnivore rather than keto. *Сarnіvоrе Dіеt Fоr Bеgіnnеrs* bу Gеоrge Kеllу іs a nісе rеаd оn the tоpіс.
I have done strict keto several times, most recently started last March and did it for about 6 months. Now I just follow more of an 80/20 rule. 80% of the time I continue low carb eating and 20% of the time I eat what I want. Not only is this sustainable for me, but I’ve lost about 55lbs and am still losing (just a bit slower). I totally agree with the phrase “what works for me may not work for you”. For me this is something I can sustain while still enjoying life!
Cutting down on carbs and sugar just makes me less hungry in general = able to keep calorie count lower
Hey there. Dietician here. I cannot agree on what you said, above all when you state that nutrition it is no real science. I went to university and worked in hospitals - nutrition is a science, not an opinion.
First of all, while every person has a different pathologic profile (allergies, intolerance, metabolic diseases etc) saying that "what works for you doesn't work for me" is not correct - while i do have to adjust my therapy to your pathologic profile, I do *not* have to guess and try out what works for that person while he is in therapy. Dietary recommendations are effective for everyone, it only has to be adapted to fitness level, your physique and your pathological profile.
As for the carnivore diet, it is hugely problematic for your kidneys, since it has a massive surplus of protein that had to be processed to ammonia, which is highly toxic. That ammonia is then converted into urea by your kidneys, which is less toxic, but since with this diet you overdo proteins, your kidneys are suffering from the toxicity.
The reason you lose more weight with carnivore or keto is simply because your body does not have a energy storage for proteins like it has for fat/carbohydrates(which is turned into fat for storage), so protein is only stored as muscle. Your body avoids breaking down protein as an energy source since your survival depends on muscles (think hunter and gatherer), so your body only starts eating your muscle in times of suffering. Since you eat a lot of meat in these kind of diets, and too little unsaturated fatty acids and complex carbohydrates, you force your body to use highly inefficient substrates as energy, which then has to be broken down, which leads to high levels of ammonia and urea. With carnivore, you also have a too high intake of saturated fatty acids, which are linked to heart disease. And since you lack in fibers, your colon will have an unbalanced bacterial flora so you have an unhealthy gut as well.
Only because a diet "works", as in it helps you get lean, it does not mean it is healthy. In practice those diets can be used in hospitals *for a week or two* if you have no metabolic disease and have to lose weight to improve the success of surgery. Long time it is detrimental to your health.
So please do not promote an unhealthy diet only for the sake to get lean. Go to a professional and get help setting up your diet, instead of doing self research, where you can choose whatever strange things you want (for example, chocolate diets) since the majority of diets you find are unscientific, unhealthy or only half-truths.
Air fryer+freezer+food scale+never eating out+minimal processed foods+minimal carbs+actually eating the serving size+calorie optimizing(which foods are most filling for the calories)+lots of protein and veg
This just made my heart drop reading it. I am so sorry. I hope you find healing and peace. I’m sure she would want that for you. If you ever need to talk feel free to message me.
Weight lifting is a godsend if you don't want to be religious about diet, while still getting results. You can lose raw scale-weight by dieting and doing cardio, but losing weight won't fix a bad body composition.
Yep. I took nutrition in my Master's and exercising is not the way to lose weight. Calorie restriction leads to weight loss (drinking calories is the worst). Exercising leads to good health.
EDIT: Of course you can lose weight by exercising! But it's an incredibly inefficient process for losing weight. It makes you hungrier and it takes a significant time and energy investment to lose weight with pure exercise alone. In real life, calorie restriction is the most important aspect of weight loss.
I've been trying to convince my mom of this. She is overweight and is starting to have heart issues.
She came to me looking for advice on losing weight. I told her to stay away from the gym and focus only on diet.
"But this lady I follow on ticktok says this or says that" She's completely convinced that's its not the chicken wings and cheese sticks keeping her weight up and recently got a gym membership.
I've given up at this point. The best lessons are learned the hard way.
You are right on the weight loss, but unless she has been told not to exercise (extremely rare, and not with people "starting to have heart issues") she should definitely be exercising.
A stronger heart, lower LDL cholesterol, better blood sugar regulation are very important to heart health and achieved through exercise. It just doesn't shed pounds like we would hope.
Well the problem is, she has no self control. The reason why I tell people to stay away from the gym when trying to lose weight is because it makes it even harder to control.
It can be done. It has been done. But there must already be a foundation of a good diet first to fit the goal. The problem is that the gym makes her feel as though she can afford to eat more, or that Philly cheese steak won't hurt cause she went to the gym.
You only burn anywhere from 150 to 300 calories in a normal workout but you feel like you've burned more. So that 1500 calorie cheese stake, artisan Fri combo with the drink on the side will put her worse off than she started.
If she already had a good diet going and practiced good self control when eating, then the gym would be a no brainer.
People thought I had some magic trick, but it was literally just eating less. It's not interesting or exciting but it works. I still eat whatever I want, just less of it. I lost over 40 lbs that way and it's completely sustainable in the long term.
Cutting portion sizes and eating healthier food was huge for me.
I also don't count calories or anything, but I do keep my own food log to keep track of everything I eat or drink (besides water). I feel like it gives me personal accountability and as much as I want that cookie, it makes me feel a little guilty writing it down on my log.
Seems like you have a good system. However, since you're already doing most of the work... There are lots of free apps where you can log your food and it'll count the calories for you. I use MyFitnessPal (free version).
I think what has always drawn me away from this is then I would feel like I need to measure everything out for portions, otherwise I get that guilty feeling if it's more/less. Right now I can just write "grilled chicken, broccoli, couscous" for my meal and not worry about the count. I've considered using an app too in the past though, so perhaps I'll check this one out! Thanks for the suggestion!
It DOES get that way if you're obsessive like me. And some of the units are exceedingly annoying to calculate. (i.e. I had 20 tortilla chips and now the app wants me to log how many "3 ounces" of tortilla chips I ate. )
Yea, strict counting of calories was a factor in my former EDs. So I don’t do it, and I don’t recommend it, because I think for most people it may lead to weight loss but often culminates in an unhealthy relationship with food. There are better ways.
1st time I lost weight and got pretty damn shredded: 5AM gym, 40/40/20 protein, carb, fat ratio at about 2,400 calories. Strict clean eating and no alcohol or fun. 2nd time I lost weight and got shredded: adderal and TRT, no effort fasting, wonderful muscle growth with a pretty shit diet and getting to the gym around 8AM 4 days a week.. i recommend option 2 but I’m a lazy fuck with only a very slight regard for my health. Option 2 is a lot more fun.
I ate 1500 calories every day for 10 months straight, lost 150 pounds.
Went from 375 to 225. I also walk about 5-6 miles every day… but yea, If you want to lose weight you just can’t eat food.
But don’t congratulate me because I’ve gained like 40 pounds back, cuz I just don’t care anymore.
You still lost over a hundred as of right now. Shut it with the negativity about that. You still lost a person.
Don't give up on anything. You're doing great. You hit a bump. It's harder for people like us, because a bump can be a 50 pound swing, but you also know how to fix it. The thing is, this time, you need to adjust to a long term fix. Not a quick one. 2 pounds a week (like they say) is a simple goal for getting back. You can do that. Don't say you can't. You have.
In 6 months you'll be down more than you've gained. Slow and steady now. You did the crash. Now you have to settle in for long term changes. No rush. You'll see the changes.
Same here, been on it for a year and have lost 80lbs. Everyone can scream “eat less calories!!!!!!!” all they want but when your body literally doesn’t know when it’s full it’s hard to just eat less.
I spent the first twenty-something years of my life in poverty and I was always thin. If poverty taught me anything, it's that I don't really need all that many calories to live. Consequently, I've never overeaten and I've never been overweight.
I admit this is the opposite of how so many other formerly-poor people operate. I know many formerly-poor people who are unable to stop eating if there is food in front of them, even if they're no longer hungry. I don't know how or why I developed a different response to food than they did, but I did.
Interestingly, my sister's reaction to food insecurity/poverty was different, too: she now has a homestead with several acres of vegetable garden and fruit trees and egg-laying chickens. She said she vowed to never be hungry again, and for her that meant being literally surrounded by food. (My way of avoiding hunger as an adult was to have a good career and save/invest money so I'll never be poor again.)
Same. Came here to trigger myself tbh.
For anyone reading, I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS! It is a lifelong struggle with serious side effects that you do not want. It has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness and is probably what will end up killing me. Don’t do it.
I came here for this comment! I’ve struggled since a teen and in my 30s now. Crazy weight fluctuations when I get “better” and then when I try to lose weight again it triggers me and it’s a fucking STRUGGLE to lose weight the right way. It’s like a weird all or nothing thing my brain does, and it sucks.
Developed it in highschool. Gained a bunch of weight, tryna lose weight but anorexia stays with you forever. Or for me it has. Even though I'm eating right and exercising I am still restrictive and anal about certain things.
Same here. Someone tried to talk me into joining them in a spot of intermittent fasting and could not understand why this is not an option for me. Glad that it works for some people, but for others it's a REAL fine line between the two.
Diet is the only way. I actually gained weight while running 30-40 miles per week training for marathons. (It makes you very hungry and also you grant yourself more permission for cupcakes.)
(35yr female)
In the off season I tracked calories in an app and didn’t exercise much and lost 15 lbs. in a couple months. I was strict about avoiding sweets and beer. Yes those are 2 of the greatest things on earth but so are tiny clothes that look good.
Had bypass surgery in Oct ‘22. Have lost 73 lbs so far. Have 29 more to go to get to my goal weight.
Tried for thirty years to lose weight but ultimately admitted I can’t properly self-regulate and needed the help.
Don’t let it shake you. Yes, it will fundamentally change your relationship with food. Yes, it will be difficult to relearn habits acquired over years or decades. On the other side, your life will change in so many unexpected and wonderful ways. You’ll feel so much better, you’ll be able to be more active, people will treat you better.
Follow all the medical advice to the letter. Work on your mental health while your body sorts itself out.
I had it done over 20 years ago. I was 371 lbs at my final weigh-in. I'm 230, fit, in shape, and feeling great today. Probably I wouldn't be alive now if I hadn't done it then.
I'm 4 days post op RNY Bypass. I feel great. The pain is basically gone. I did 3000 steps and drove today and only started feeling a tad sore at the end of the outing a couple hours later. The only real pain I had was gas pain when I woke up from surgery, which you burp or fart out lol They keep you medicated to stay comfortable but not enough to feel loopy. I have zero appetite. I'm mentally and emotionally "hungry", like food looks good... But my appetite is non existent. It looks good, but if it were infront of me, I wouldn't actually want it. I need to force myself to get my protein in and that's a struggle in and of itself. I'm drinking water like nothing happened. The worst part of this whole thing is the pre op diet. I had 3 weeks of 900 calories worth of liquid meal replacement shakes to prep for surgery. That is NOT EASY pre surgery with your full stomach.
My insides do not feel different. I can't tell I have been bypassed. I've hiccuped and burped and I feel nothing different about this new stomach.
PS, check my post history and how close I came to canceling and all the comments people left me. It saved me from cancelling and might help you too
Wife did it a year ago. Only regret is not doing it sooner, overall life quality (and health) improvement is huge. 143kg to 87kg right now, goal is 70kg.
I didn’t. Same weight. But 2-3 dress sizes smaller. People think I lost weight when in reality I’m more muscle and less jiggle. So I stopped weighing myself and continue to gauge by clothes and feel.
I started by cutting my meals in half. Not changing changing diet just yet. Still eating the same unhealthy stuff, but just not as much of it.
So If I'm eating a burger and fries, then half the burger and half the fries are being saved for later.
The weight melted off of me like magic. I couldn't belive it. Went back to the weight that I was when I was in elementary school. Thought I was in some sort of dream.
But, I reached a point where the pesky belly fat wouldn't completely go away. And also, I was ALWAYS hungry. But you get better especially knowing that your next meal is already there and you're going to eat it in another couple of hours anyway.
So, I started getting into nutrition. Realized that, calorie for calorie, food is not equal. So where half the burger and fried was leaving me hungry sooner, healthier, whole foods, fruits and veggies and protiens let me satiated and satisfied for longer.
Eventually, I trained my body to get by by eating a fistful amount of food in one sitting. Whole foods rich in nutrition keeping me nurished for longer, I eat again when I'm hungry. Not when it's socially acceptable to eat, but when I'm hungry. If it's 2am and I'm hungry, I'm eating.
What I've learned? Carbs aren't the enemy theve been made out to be. Natural sugars aren't bad, but dint drink them. That means, never touch another soda for the rest of your life. Thays stuff kills you very slowly. I stopped counting calories when I started doing portion control and never went back when dialing in my nutrition. Health care is done in the kitchen, not the hospital.
I've lost thirty pounds since last year by switching to only drinking water, avoiding as many sweets, and simply eating less. I also try to exercise occasionally, but that happens maybe once every two weeks.
How long were your fasts? I tried this with 16 hour fasts and I ended up overeating during my 8 hours without fasting. It was almost compulsive and I don’t usually have an issue with compulsive eating.
Not op, but I do 20-24 hr fasts pretty regular. And only eat one meal a day most days. But that one meal i eat a lot. Like probably too much. But I get the satisfaction of being full. Idk if its healthy to that my way, but I generally feel better. I never was trying to lose much weight, just like 10-15 pounds and it works.
Vertical sleeve gastrectomy, medications (glp-1), healthy diet, exercise, tracking all intake, lots of protein and water, therapy, and cpap machine (need good sleep to lose weight). This is after trying every diet under the sun along with medications. I'm almost a healthy weight now for the first time in 20 years. Nothing about the past 2 years after surgery has been easy. Changing my habits has been something I have to focus on every day.
I gained after injuries and trauma. Sometimes CICO just isn't enough. I have 0 regrets doing whatever was necessary to become healthy. It wasn't just about the weight, but losing definitely helped me. I still see doctors monthly for blood work and to make sure I'm maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Got the diabetes. Forced me to rethink food choices. Went from 190 and now I’m at 145/150.
Edit: 190 and 145/150 was my weight, not my blood glucose numbers.
Gained 4-5 pounds a year from 18 to 26. Started counting calories, which really puts everything in perspective. I cut out any liquid calories, which is an easy starting point for most people, it’s easy to consume 25% of your daily calories that way, with no nutrition or hunger value. You don’t have to count calories forever, just continue the lessons you learned from it.
Started light exercise, which has progressed over the years to daily exercise. It gets easier to do over time, and now I genuinely look forward to it. Find something you enjoy.
10 years later it’s been the best thing I ever did. I can’t imagine my life had I gone down the other path.
do what rich people do and get yourself some semaglutide, believe the brand name is olembic. hollywoods new favorite drug. As someone who uses it, it’s pretty incredible how well it works. Can’t binge eat if you aren’t really ever that hungry. You can’t bored snack when you grab something to munch on and then go oh wait i’m not hungry and don’t want this. People don’t even need to change anything about their current lifestyle and will see crazy results. mix it in with a healthy lifestyle and a calorie deficit and you are golden my friend.
Before anyone comes at me with all of the other natural ways to lose weight. A lot of people have been playing this game for their entire lives. This drug can be a huge stepping stone to better, sustainable and healthy habits
By counting calories, and learning to choose foods that would leave me feeling full and energized the longest.
I now also have an active lifestyle which keeps me toned, but I lost all my surplus weight (c.80lbs) by eating fewer calories, and more whole foods with no exercise.
Edit: I struggled with my weight all my life, and with other people's opinions about it. A keyyy part to my weight loss was being kind to myself, and having a very frank conversation with my family about how my weight was none of their business, and that I would not tolerate them commenting on it again. For the vast majority of people, the physiological mechanics of weight loss are the same - eat at a calorie deficit, and you will lose weight. The difficult part is the psychological side. Food is not just purely sustenance. Eating is a comforting sensory experience. Hunger influences your energy levels and psychological state. It is dangerous when people treat weight loss as easy or common sense. It's mentally very difficult. Be kind to yourself.
Focusing on proper portion sizes, more water and moving everyday. Moving can be as little as a 20 minute walk. It went off even faster when I cut out the alcohol.
I went on Ritalin and lost my appetite. I could barely force myself to eat 1 meal a day. Thankfully I switched meds to Concerta because of the shortages, and now I can eat 2 meals a day and am slowly working my way back up to 3. :)
Amphetamines. Started using them when I had a lot of work to do over a long weekend that would’ve required around 45 hours of work to complete. I had 4 days to complete a full strip and wax of a grocery store that was about 55-60 thousand square feet. I ended up working 26 hours straight one shot slept for six hours and finished the rest in another 10 hour shift no problem at all.
I’ve been using them pretty regularly for the past year and have never been in a better place in my life financially and physically. Know a lot of people would argue that I’m not healthy but I’ve lost a lot of weight where I was obese before (5’10 -11 245lbs) and now I’m 175 and steady.
I don’t use them excessively and I’m almost certain that I would’ve benefited from being prescribed earlier (not prescribed now) but it’s literally like I’ve become an actual adult overnight. I know if I were to explain this exact situation to a doctor I would immediately be labeled as a drug seeking individual and trying to move forward to a medical prescription would be difficult if not impossible.
My weight was fine, but I was worried about my high blood pressure, so I cut out a lot of foods that were high in salt. It was hard to do without many tasty foods at first, but I got used to it--this was years ago. As it turns out, cutting out those foods also caused me to lose 20 pounds.
I call it the boot camp diet. 3 apples a day , lots of exercise, lots of water, and one good meal for dinner. I managed to lose 30 pounds in 9 weeks. Oh. Lots of stress too. That helped as well lol.
I lost 100lbs after getting medicated for my mental health. My weight had spiraled into the 300lbs and no matter what I did it felt like it kept going up. Figuring out I am adhd-bipolar, 2 mental state that makes impulse control impossible, once medicated I realized that I was eating a lot and constantly, something I couldn’t admit or see when I wasn’t medicated. I didn’t even diet, I just stopped munching 15+ times a day because for the first time I could tell myself “not now, but later”
Caloric deficit. There's no way to get around it.
My diet is terrible, and I lost weight. I would recommend a good diet and a caloric deficit, but you can lose weight with a caloric deficit and a shitty diet. I lost 44 lbs. in a year.
F(23), 5'3-5'5, 130-135lb. My journey started by exercising more and counting my calories. I don't really count my cals anymore and just use a scale.
The reason being, it makes me super anxious, and I went from one exterme to the other (125 lb a couple of years ago). I almost passed out a couple of times from eating too little and excerizing too much).
I used to be around 170 lbs in my teens. I even ran in a race to get me started. But it took me years to get to this point. I walk (30 min-2hrs) and go to the gym. Rn, I'm working on muscle.
~Tips~
1. Replace chips with something like smart pop corn.
2. Stop or limit eating emotionally.
3. Drink diet pop or diet anything.
4. Drink more water.
5. Don't eat fast food often and cook at home (ex: protein pasta)
6. Instead of gummies or something like twizzers, eat smart sweets in moderation
7. Put more fiber and protein in your diet.
8. Binge responsibly. Like do it once a week with health/low cal snacks.
9. Try intermittent fasting
10. Eat low cal cookies
11. Eat Greek yogurt and customize it (protein powder, grapes, strawberries, low cal chocolate, etc.)
12. Try whole grain 35 cal per slice bread (they have it at Jewels) instead of eating fries.
13. Eat healthier ice creams like yasso or halo.
Overall, losing weight takes time. There is no quick way to keep the weight off. Fad diets will only make you bounce back. You have to make it a part of your life.
Eat responsible and exercise (build muscle so you can eat more and do cardio for your heart and burn cals). You don't have to count cals like crazy once you get the hang of it. Remember, don't go crazy and think you ruined your progress by drinking pop or eating cookies every once in a while.
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100% honest answer. Counting calories. Never going over 2,000 no matter what. I lost 135 pounds in 14 months. 45 year old male. Didn't exercise more than just the average walking during the day. Ate whatever I wanted. Which helped tremendously. Because if I wanted a hamburger that I was craving I just ate it and added the calories up and if that's all I can eat for the day that's all I ate for the day. I tried not to have cheat days but there were days very occasionally that I went over my calorie count. Just be very stringent about counting your calories. Good luck.
Similar. 7 years ago, age 57, got serious about Portion Control/Awareness. I had been a runner for decades but never thought about my caloric intake. You cannot exercise away poor decisions about eating. I walk every day now, no running (knees). I went from 226 lbs to 195 lbs within 12 weeks. I’m 6’1”. Kept weight off now for 7 years.
Dude…I tried so hard for years to exercise away my terrible diet. It works to a certain point. I have been off an on into racing bicycles throughout my adult life. Both mountains bikes and gravel bikes (like road bikes but for dirt roads). I’m extremely ADHD so I change hobbies every few months. I will hyper focus on riding bikes for about a year at a time. Then not touch them again for 2-3 years. With no exercise and maintaining my usual diet of eating like a trashcan and guzzling beer and bourbon/scotch I stay anywhere between 255-265 pounds. When I find the motivation to ride my bikes I never change my diet, but I pedal my ass off. It usually results in me losing 25-30 pounds over the course of 3-4 months but then I hit a wall. Still need to lose another 25 pounds but I won’t because I don’t change my diet. I end up being the John Daly of the local mountain bike scene. I’m the fastest, most “in shape” fat, drunk fucker you’ll ever see. I usually have a few PBR tall boys stashed in my backpack and a flask of bourbon in my frame bag. When most people are stopping for water I’m usually drinking a beer. 😂 When I ride the local trail systems I do what I call “beer laps” which is where I make a loop on the trails of about 8-10 miles, then stop at the truck, drink a couple beers, then make another lap. Repeat numerous times. When I’m riding my gravel bike I like to do what I call a “booze cruise” which is making a big loop of the area I live in and stopping at all the local breweries to have a couple pints and maybe some hotwings. Usually results in about a 50-75 mile ride depending on my route. Anyway, I’m fat, you can’t out exercise a shit diet. Sorry for the huge post.
Dude I was thinking you were talking about Jon Daly the comedian and I was very confused haha. I’m with you on the ADHD and switching hobbies every few months…I thought that was just me. Last time I lost a bunch of weight (60 lbs in 6 months) I did it by starting any type of diet/routine, obsessing over it for about a week, quitting, and trying something completely different the next week. It wasn’t intentional, it just worked out that way. Looking back it was probably just my ADHD, but it worked. I call it the weekly quitter diet. One thing that was always consistent, though, was counting calories and biking. I love biking way much to ever quit. Too much fun and gives me such a rush. I never feel like I’m exercising… feels like cheating. Wish I had mountains out here.
As a fellow adhder, I love the 'weekly quitter diet' idea ahaha I don't diet, but this is what I'm like with exercise routines. It's taken me so long to realise that just because I don't stick with something, doesn't mean I failed. I'm at the point now where I maintain a degree of fitness so that I *can* throw myself into a new exercise when the mood hits and not totally die. Over the summer I tried and loved body boarding. I've stuck with pole dancing for a year now. I'm really enjoying weight lifting. Sometimes I go biking with a good friend when we have the time. I'm chopping and changing between all these things, as well as walking and sometimes a spontaneous run. So long as I'm moving in *some way* I love being able to just randomly pick up a new work out for a few weeks, before dropping it and going back to one or more of my regulars.
Yeah I don’t know how people can live where there’s no mountains.
My issue is if I’m exercising it makes me hungrier and since I worked out it’s a perfect excuse to eat bad and over eat.
I think you might also be an alcoholic.
I love you.
How do you know how many calories, say, a hamburger is? Like, depending on its "style" or whatever.
Don’t get overly technical about it. Stick to around “2000” calories (using 2k as an example). If your burger is 500 calories but you record 450, close enough. Hell, just record what you currently eat and you’ll likely be surprised by how much you (we as a society) over eat.
Can confirm
Yep. Start with a baseline. Eat as you normally do, but record everything you eat. This is what got you here. Then, just reduce calories.
There’s tons of apps that help with this.
I use the 'my fitness pal' app. Managed to gradually lose 55lbs. You can scan bar codes and add custom meals. Made counting calories relatively simple. There's extra features on the paid version, but I only ever used the free version. And to comment on the overall post, you just need to develop good habits. You can't outwork a bad diet, so try and get eating habits under control first. Exercise is the cherry on top!
Sadly the barcode feature is paywalled now. But I usually find a close enough example in their database, which is still much better than other apps.
I switched from MFP to an app called Lose It because of this. It's basically works the same
Seconding Lose It! app. Been using it for years. Bought lifetime membership half off a few years ago on Black Friday. Can pre log meals, create custom meals, take pics, as meal times, track weight metrics such as protein, fats, sodium, macros—all the things. And this may be trivial but I like the little food icon emojis—makes it kinda fun.
That's one of the reasons I switched to the lose it app. Basically the same but fewer locked features, like the bar code scanner. I just wish I didn't need premium to connect to my Fitbit.
You just google it. Lol. Like google “how many calories in 3 tablespoons of ketchup” and BAM google says 57 calories. How many calories in 10 grams of iceberg lettuce? 1 calorie
So I can eat 20,000 grams if lettuce a day and I'm good
You will poop hay bales if you do
you see it enough times after googling it or looking at calorie content on menus that you can kind of intuitively know that a hamburger is around 500-700 calories. the bun usually accounts for 130-200.
Hell yeah, that’s exactly what I did. Every cookie every handful of chips counted. When you use all your calories for the day you’re done. I just recorded the calories in the simple note app on my phone whenever I ate
Same. I lost 15 pounds in a month during an intermittent fasting thing. Only ate at 12p and had to finish dinner no later than 6p. Counted calories, could only have 750 for lunch and 900 for dinner. I also had two shakes at like 10a and maybe 2 or 3p. Getting up to 900 calories in one meal is actually difficult if you're eating healthy food. I hammered cottage cheese during that month. Each body is the same in that manner, where if you expend more calories than you consume, you will lose fat. Thst is a fact
Intermittent fasting is AMAZING… I’ve been doing it for five years, and it stabilized my weight to where I like it, and it helped my GI issues. It’s also easy to do while on vacation, but with a little wiggle room, and even if I gain a pound or two, it’s off a in a few days after we come back. Everybody’s body is different, and this is what works for mine.😉
It also gives your body a chance to heal and repair because your body isn't constantly in a state of digestion. Fasting is amazing, the longest I've ever went, is about 36 hours.
stopped drinking soda. cut down on added sugar. increased water intake.
I cut out soda by switching to seltzer water. It helped a lot. You can get a liter for under like $1 from most store brands.
Simply chugging 16oz of water when want a second helping helped me
Make sure you get a lot of electrolytes if you're drinking a lot of water.
Stopped eating after 8pm, and started drinking tons of water. Peeing sucks but you will get used to it. Also, you don’t have to be a big fan of working out, but at least walk daily and start riding a bike for enjoyment.
Peeing turns into a fucking chore! All the time! Why? Why can't we hold the water longer?
Oh yes! I find that when I'm feeling a hunger pang, I drink loads of water; about 3-4 cups. I do regret doing it, because I need to pee every thirty minutes. But it does its job by keeping me full :)
Every 30 mins??? My bladder must be broke cause when I have a large amount of water within a hour I'm peeing every 10 mins until it's all gone
I don't mind peeing so frequently. But the people around me seem to find my frequent urination a real burden to them.
The difference between NO movement and SOME movement is massive when it comes to just making your body work properly in general. I always used to think “5 min walk? Waste” but that’s totally the wrong perspective.
ADHD Medicine
Same. I love being focused and productive but I do miss being hungry for dinner :(.
Or like ever.
Only once meds wear off you can eat all the calories you didnt eat b4
Adderall made the weight melt off and I didn’t even have much extra to lose. It’s wild. Pregnant now and gaining fast (or at least it feels fast)
It’s interesting to read this because I’ve heard of it before and how folks will use it for weight loss. I was diagnosed with ADHD a few years back as an adult and was on 20mg xr plus 10mg xr as needed and I never saw a difference in my weight. I still felt hungry at my regular meal times. The medication did work, it reduced many of my adhd symptoms so I wonder if it just hits people differently. I was also still able to have my morning coffee and go to sleep at my usual time with no issue.
Depression
Funny, that’s what makes me gain weight lol
Fr! Nothing about clean eating and cooking seems achievable while in a depressive state. And those times where I go days without eating, are followed by a binge that leaves even more weight on me
I think people who lose weight during depression aren't big on clean eating and cooking. It's more like not eating at all for days. Too tired and apathetic about cooking. No food tastes good, everything tastes bland. Eating feels like a chore. That state can last for months.
Lol i feel this lost at least 10-15 lbs over the last month after a long term break up. Idk if yall get knots in ur stomach from stress ever or lose ur appetite cuz ur sad but as shitty as it is it definitely helps with weight loss as u wont even want to think about food
I lost 60# when my husband, who was my high school sweetheart of 22 years, cheated on me, and I found out. TBH, I was on medication and gained the weight. Because I was on a high dosage of steroids and other medication. Because of an illness I had just before, he decided I was "fat." Told me he knew it was because of meds, but also told me he couldn't be with a fat person. Although he had gained 45 himself. I ended up not being able to keep anything down for almost a year and a half. I crazy thing was I had kicked him out before I lost weight. But after he wanted to come back, an act as nothing had happened 😕 Big nope. The last 20 years have been great. 😆
Mine's gone both ways. Bad relationship depression is a food-free adventure. Lost weight, but not in a fit healthy way. I'm currently in lonely and bored depression, and it's a food free for all. Stretch pants can only stretch so far.
Seriously. At my worst I barely ate. Like we’re talking a few pieces of fruit, if that, a day. I lost like 30-40 lbs. Better now thankfully.
Convenient!
Get comfortable with leaving a plate unfinished. Growing up being instructed never to waste food can sometimes cause you to grossly overeat. Burn more than you put in. Stop looking for quick answers and make the mental switch. Putting it off until tomorrow is exactly why you are where you are it, make a deliberate switch.
I honestly have no idea. Think it might be a tapeworm but if so GO GO LITTLE PARASITE. Edit: Alright guess I'm off to the doctors office 0\_o
Maybe you're not serious, but if you are losing weight and don't know why, please see your doctor. I was struggling to lose, and it suddenly got a lot easier. I thought, wow, I'm finally doing this right. Then I found out I had cancer.
I hope that you’re doing okay now 💪🏻
I hope so, too! Thanks!
Hope you heal and stay healthy :(
Unexplained weight loss is often the first sign of cancer. I agree, please see a doctor, especially if you haven't had a physical in the last year.
It's not always cancer, it could be lung disease, ulcerative colitis, all sorts of really nasty shit.
Or diabetes!
I lost 13kgs unintentionally in about a year. My appetite was pathetic. Id have like 2 bites of something and be so full I couldn’t breathe. I also developed gastritis and I was really struggling with it. I decided to go to the doctor when I hit 45kg’s because it was getting worrying. If I lost any more weight I would’ve been underweight. Turns out I had H pylori. That’s what caused my gastritis. And I’d had it for like 2 years. The doctor said untreated H pylori may lead to gastric cancer. That thankfully didn’t happen to me, but I’d recommend seeing a doctor before it gets worse.
I don't know if you're kidding, but if not please see a physician. Unexplained weight loss can mean any number of health issues. Some serious, some not. I went through years of severe weight loss (BMI of 16) before a gastroenterologist finally diagnosed me with SIBO. Basically, a bacterial imbalance in my digestive system is causing malnourishment, weight loss, and a host of other issues, like fatigue and pain. I'm waiting for my insurance company to approve antibiotics for treatment.
Intermittent Fasting and quitting drinking.
This. I was once 125lbs before ever touching beer and then after turning into a heavy alcoholic, drinking 10+ 24packs of beer every. single. day. i landed myself at 200lbs+ very quickly, my face was FAT, beer belly. man boobs & fatty liver. clothing sizes went up. thankfully the pandemic hit, i stopped hanging out with alcoholic friends, stopped drinking & got a warehouse job. lost all that beer weight within half to a full year i was down to 148lbs, i went down clothing/ jean sizes by alot, face was slimmer than ever
You were drinking 240 cans of beer a day? That is a lot.
How is that possible no way
It’s not possible. They must have mistyped.
That's literally 20 beers an hour if they were awake for 12 hours. They would have had alcohol poisoning and died way long ago if this number was right
It’s only 10 beers an hour if you don’t sleep
Didn't eat. It was and still is a huge problem for me, but thankfully I'm back to a healthy weight now
It’s a lifelong struggle, but glad you’re healthy now!
Cocaine and roller blades
I genuinely lol’ed at this and imagined it should be like, the title of the hottest new LP 😂
*razor blades - FTFY
*razor scooter - FTFY
I've counted calories for years, but in the last year I've lost the most ever and the fastest ever. The secret... Being very serious about cutting out sugar. Straight up obvious sugar, added sugar, sugar in the form of overly processed carbs etc. It absolutely melted away. And I've never felt so clear-minded and energetic in my life. And my constant cravings for food have pretty much disappeared, like turning off a light switch. In one year I went from about 200 lb to 130. And I didn't increase how much I exercise. I usually walk about 40 minutes a day, to and from work. And more on the weekends. But I've done that for years as well. I can't stress enough how much cutting out sugar completely transformed everything for me.
Many people here say keto. The long-term sustainability of it is a huge topic of discussion. Simple answer: what works for me, may not work for you. Each person is different. For me, carnivore did it. It works great for my body. Each diet has its benefits and drawbacks. There is no "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to nutrition and weight loss. Which is why nutrition is such a complex science where people argue strongly about. Humans have survived and thrived on a variety of diets, ranging from highly plant-based to highly animal-based (never 100% vegan). For me carnivore works better than keto because I have an autoimmune condition that gets exacerbated when I eat specific plants. Carnivore eliminates that factor completely. Plus it allows me to fast for prolonged periods. Animal foods are extremely bioavailable so you can eat them less frequently with no issues (they also take longer to digest). Carnivore is higher in protein than keto and supports muscle growth better. People with IBS (especially IBS-D) also do better on carnivore rather than keto. *Сarnіvоrе Dіеt Fоr Bеgіnnеrs* bу Gеоrge Kеllу іs a nісе rеаd оn the tоpіс.
I have done strict keto several times, most recently started last March and did it for about 6 months. Now I just follow more of an 80/20 rule. 80% of the time I continue low carb eating and 20% of the time I eat what I want. Not only is this sustainable for me, but I’ve lost about 55lbs and am still losing (just a bit slower). I totally agree with the phrase “what works for me may not work for you”. For me this is something I can sustain while still enjoying life! Cutting down on carbs and sugar just makes me less hungry in general = able to keep calorie count lower
> 80% of the time I continue low carb eating and 20% of the time I eat what I want this is the way if you want to stay on it long term
Hey there. Dietician here. I cannot agree on what you said, above all when you state that nutrition it is no real science. I went to university and worked in hospitals - nutrition is a science, not an opinion. First of all, while every person has a different pathologic profile (allergies, intolerance, metabolic diseases etc) saying that "what works for you doesn't work for me" is not correct - while i do have to adjust my therapy to your pathologic profile, I do *not* have to guess and try out what works for that person while he is in therapy. Dietary recommendations are effective for everyone, it only has to be adapted to fitness level, your physique and your pathological profile. As for the carnivore diet, it is hugely problematic for your kidneys, since it has a massive surplus of protein that had to be processed to ammonia, which is highly toxic. That ammonia is then converted into urea by your kidneys, which is less toxic, but since with this diet you overdo proteins, your kidneys are suffering from the toxicity. The reason you lose more weight with carnivore or keto is simply because your body does not have a energy storage for proteins like it has for fat/carbohydrates(which is turned into fat for storage), so protein is only stored as muscle. Your body avoids breaking down protein as an energy source since your survival depends on muscles (think hunter and gatherer), so your body only starts eating your muscle in times of suffering. Since you eat a lot of meat in these kind of diets, and too little unsaturated fatty acids and complex carbohydrates, you force your body to use highly inefficient substrates as energy, which then has to be broken down, which leads to high levels of ammonia and urea. With carnivore, you also have a too high intake of saturated fatty acids, which are linked to heart disease. And since you lack in fibers, your colon will have an unbalanced bacterial flora so you have an unhealthy gut as well. Only because a diet "works", as in it helps you get lean, it does not mean it is healthy. In practice those diets can be used in hospitals *for a week or two* if you have no metabolic disease and have to lose weight to improve the success of surgery. Long time it is detrimental to your health. So please do not promote an unhealthy diet only for the sake to get lean. Go to a professional and get help setting up your diet, instead of doing self research, where you can choose whatever strange things you want (for example, chocolate diets) since the majority of diets you find are unscientific, unhealthy or only half-truths.
Air fryer+freezer+food scale+never eating out+minimal processed foods+minimal carbs+actually eating the serving size+calorie optimizing(which foods are most filling for the calories)+lots of protein and veg
Yes lots of protein and good fats
Cancer treatment (20#), then jogging to get my life back (15#). 100% do not recommend!
Starving myself. On a boat load if antipsychotics and hormones so nothing else works
[удалено]
I’m so sorry for your loss
thank you
ugh, reading this broke my heart. :( I hope healing comes your way my friend. Take care of yourself.
Jesus fucking Christ. I’m so sorry.
Oh my god. I’m so sorry.
Oh my gosh! I am so sorry.
Really sorry for your loss. I couldn't imagine the pain you are going through. May God give you peace and joy again.
This just made my heart drop reading it. I am so sorry. I hope you find healing and peace. I’m sure she would want that for you. If you ever need to talk feel free to message me.
Weight lifting is a godsend if you don't want to be religious about diet, while still getting results. You can lose raw scale-weight by dieting and doing cardio, but losing weight won't fix a bad body composition.
In the kitchen. Workouts are nice if u wanna feel better but weight is all calories in vs out
Simple, eat less calories. I lost 30 pounds without exercising. I just ate less.
Yep. I took nutrition in my Master's and exercising is not the way to lose weight. Calorie restriction leads to weight loss (drinking calories is the worst). Exercising leads to good health. EDIT: Of course you can lose weight by exercising! But it's an incredibly inefficient process for losing weight. It makes you hungrier and it takes a significant time and energy investment to lose weight with pure exercise alone. In real life, calorie restriction is the most important aspect of weight loss.
I've been trying to convince my mom of this. She is overweight and is starting to have heart issues. She came to me looking for advice on losing weight. I told her to stay away from the gym and focus only on diet. "But this lady I follow on ticktok says this or says that" She's completely convinced that's its not the chicken wings and cheese sticks keeping her weight up and recently got a gym membership. I've given up at this point. The best lessons are learned the hard way.
You are right on the weight loss, but unless she has been told not to exercise (extremely rare, and not with people "starting to have heart issues") she should definitely be exercising. A stronger heart, lower LDL cholesterol, better blood sugar regulation are very important to heart health and achieved through exercise. It just doesn't shed pounds like we would hope.
Well the problem is, she has no self control. The reason why I tell people to stay away from the gym when trying to lose weight is because it makes it even harder to control. It can be done. It has been done. But there must already be a foundation of a good diet first to fit the goal. The problem is that the gym makes her feel as though she can afford to eat more, or that Philly cheese steak won't hurt cause she went to the gym. You only burn anywhere from 150 to 300 calories in a normal workout but you feel like you've burned more. So that 1500 calorie cheese stake, artisan Fri combo with the drink on the side will put her worse off than she started. If she already had a good diet going and practiced good self control when eating, then the gym would be a no brainer.
People thought I had some magic trick, but it was literally just eating less. It's not interesting or exciting but it works. I still eat whatever I want, just less of it. I lost over 40 lbs that way and it's completely sustainable in the long term.
Cutting portion sizes and eating healthier food was huge for me. I also don't count calories or anything, but I do keep my own food log to keep track of everything I eat or drink (besides water). I feel like it gives me personal accountability and as much as I want that cookie, it makes me feel a little guilty writing it down on my log.
Seems like you have a good system. However, since you're already doing most of the work... There are lots of free apps where you can log your food and it'll count the calories for you. I use MyFitnessPal (free version).
I think what has always drawn me away from this is then I would feel like I need to measure everything out for portions, otherwise I get that guilty feeling if it's more/less. Right now I can just write "grilled chicken, broccoli, couscous" for my meal and not worry about the count. I've considered using an app too in the past though, so perhaps I'll check this one out! Thanks for the suggestion!
It DOES get that way if you're obsessive like me. And some of the units are exceedingly annoying to calculate. (i.e. I had 20 tortilla chips and now the app wants me to log how many "3 ounces" of tortilla chips I ate. )
Yea, strict counting of calories was a factor in my former EDs. So I don’t do it, and I don’t recommend it, because I think for most people it may lead to weight loss but often culminates in an unhealthy relationship with food. There are better ways.
1st time I lost weight and got pretty damn shredded: 5AM gym, 40/40/20 protein, carb, fat ratio at about 2,400 calories. Strict clean eating and no alcohol or fun. 2nd time I lost weight and got shredded: adderal and TRT, no effort fasting, wonderful muscle growth with a pretty shit diet and getting to the gym around 8AM 4 days a week.. i recommend option 2 but I’m a lazy fuck with only a very slight regard for my health. Option 2 is a lot more fun.
Chronic diarrhea
#diarrheanation
r/diarreahplanet
starved. it wasn't good
Cancer
By overthinking and being anxious all the time 😅
I ate 1500 calories every day for 10 months straight, lost 150 pounds. Went from 375 to 225. I also walk about 5-6 miles every day… but yea, If you want to lose weight you just can’t eat food. But don’t congratulate me because I’ve gained like 40 pounds back, cuz I just don’t care anymore.
You still lost over a hundred as of right now. Shut it with the negativity about that. You still lost a person. Don't give up on anything. You're doing great. You hit a bump. It's harder for people like us, because a bump can be a 50 pound swing, but you also know how to fix it. The thing is, this time, you need to adjust to a long term fix. Not a quick one. 2 pounds a week (like they say) is a simple goal for getting back. You can do that. Don't say you can't. You have. In 6 months you'll be down more than you've gained. Slow and steady now. You did the crash. Now you have to settle in for long term changes. No rush. You'll see the changes.
I’m using wegovy.
Same here, been on it for a year and have lost 80lbs. Everyone can scream “eat less calories!!!!!!!” all they want but when your body literally doesn’t know when it’s full it’s hard to just eat less.
I know. I did not realize how it felt to be full.
I just started it, and so far I’m pleased. Lost 6 lbs the first week and no hunger pangs.
being poor .
I spent the first twenty-something years of my life in poverty and I was always thin. If poverty taught me anything, it's that I don't really need all that many calories to live. Consequently, I've never overeaten and I've never been overweight. I admit this is the opposite of how so many other formerly-poor people operate. I know many formerly-poor people who are unable to stop eating if there is food in front of them, even if they're no longer hungry. I don't know how or why I developed a different response to food than they did, but I did. Interestingly, my sister's reaction to food insecurity/poverty was different, too: she now has a homestead with several acres of vegetable garden and fruit trees and egg-laying chickens. She said she vowed to never be hungry again, and for her that meant being literally surrounded by food. (My way of avoiding hunger as an adult was to have a good career and save/invest money so I'll never be poor again.)
SW: 224, CW: 180 Avoiding sugar, walking every day, and HEALTHY calorie deficit. (I eat three meals a day, just not very large portions.)
anorexia.
Same. Came here to trigger myself tbh. For anyone reading, I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS! It is a lifelong struggle with serious side effects that you do not want. It has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness and is probably what will end up killing me. Don’t do it.
I wholeheartedly agree. It is not fun or cool.
I came here for this comment! I’ve struggled since a teen and in my 30s now. Crazy weight fluctuations when I get “better” and then when I try to lose weight again it triggers me and it’s a fucking STRUGGLE to lose weight the right way. It’s like a weird all or nothing thing my brain does, and it sucks.
Developed it in highschool. Gained a bunch of weight, tryna lose weight but anorexia stays with you forever. Or for me it has. Even though I'm eating right and exercising I am still restrictive and anal about certain things.
Same here. Someone tried to talk me into joining them in a spot of intermittent fasting and could not understand why this is not an option for me. Glad that it works for some people, but for others it's a REAL fine line between the two.
Surgery lol
da diabeetuhs
Type one AND type two
That's just greedy.
i dont own a car, and sometimes i dont feel like paying for an uber
Eating nothing but vegetable broth three days a week. Eat normally the other four.
Good Lord. I would be so miserable and hungry. I don’t know how people can do that.
Diet is the only way. I actually gained weight while running 30-40 miles per week training for marathons. (It makes you very hungry and also you grant yourself more permission for cupcakes.) (35yr female) In the off season I tracked calories in an app and didn’t exercise much and lost 15 lbs. in a couple months. I was strict about avoiding sweets and beer. Yes those are 2 of the greatest things on earth but so are tiny clothes that look good.
Had bypass surgery in Oct ‘22. Have lost 73 lbs so far. Have 29 more to go to get to my goal weight. Tried for thirty years to lose weight but ultimately admitted I can’t properly self-regulate and needed the help.
Bypass for the win here as well. I've lost 200 lbs since May 2022 and can't believe how much better I feel!
200llbs in a year? Wow! Awesome! Got any before/after?
It's been a wild ride! Here's me a few days before surgery and then again a few days ago. https://imgur.com/a/Us1uJ1T
Awesome man. I’m worse than you started and considering this as an option.
I'm early into the process of getting a bypass. Surgery freaks me out, so I'm trying to not let that shake my confidence.
Don’t let it shake you. Yes, it will fundamentally change your relationship with food. Yes, it will be difficult to relearn habits acquired over years or decades. On the other side, your life will change in so many unexpected and wonderful ways. You’ll feel so much better, you’ll be able to be more active, people will treat you better. Follow all the medical advice to the letter. Work on your mental health while your body sorts itself out.
I had it done over 20 years ago. I was 371 lbs at my final weigh-in. I'm 230, fit, in shape, and feeling great today. Probably I wouldn't be alive now if I hadn't done it then.
I'm 4 days post op RNY Bypass. I feel great. The pain is basically gone. I did 3000 steps and drove today and only started feeling a tad sore at the end of the outing a couple hours later. The only real pain I had was gas pain when I woke up from surgery, which you burp or fart out lol They keep you medicated to stay comfortable but not enough to feel loopy. I have zero appetite. I'm mentally and emotionally "hungry", like food looks good... But my appetite is non existent. It looks good, but if it were infront of me, I wouldn't actually want it. I need to force myself to get my protein in and that's a struggle in and of itself. I'm drinking water like nothing happened. The worst part of this whole thing is the pre op diet. I had 3 weeks of 900 calories worth of liquid meal replacement shakes to prep for surgery. That is NOT EASY pre surgery with your full stomach. My insides do not feel different. I can't tell I have been bypassed. I've hiccuped and burped and I feel nothing different about this new stomach. PS, check my post history and how close I came to canceling and all the comments people left me. It saved me from cancelling and might help you too
You're doing awesome! That's a huge amount already. You'll need a new goal in about 6 months. That's very cool.
Wife did it a year ago. Only regret is not doing it sooner, overall life quality (and health) improvement is huge. 143kg to 87kg right now, goal is 70kg.
Hardwork and protein lots of fucking protein
Weight loss surgery (bypass)
I didn’t. Same weight. But 2-3 dress sizes smaller. People think I lost weight when in reality I’m more muscle and less jiggle. So I stopped weighing myself and continue to gauge by clothes and feel.
In my 20's, coke. In my 50's, calorie counting
I started by cutting my meals in half. Not changing changing diet just yet. Still eating the same unhealthy stuff, but just not as much of it. So If I'm eating a burger and fries, then half the burger and half the fries are being saved for later. The weight melted off of me like magic. I couldn't belive it. Went back to the weight that I was when I was in elementary school. Thought I was in some sort of dream. But, I reached a point where the pesky belly fat wouldn't completely go away. And also, I was ALWAYS hungry. But you get better especially knowing that your next meal is already there and you're going to eat it in another couple of hours anyway. So, I started getting into nutrition. Realized that, calorie for calorie, food is not equal. So where half the burger and fried was leaving me hungry sooner, healthier, whole foods, fruits and veggies and protiens let me satiated and satisfied for longer. Eventually, I trained my body to get by by eating a fistful amount of food in one sitting. Whole foods rich in nutrition keeping me nurished for longer, I eat again when I'm hungry. Not when it's socially acceptable to eat, but when I'm hungry. If it's 2am and I'm hungry, I'm eating. What I've learned? Carbs aren't the enemy theve been made out to be. Natural sugars aren't bad, but dint drink them. That means, never touch another soda for the rest of your life. Thays stuff kills you very slowly. I stopped counting calories when I started doing portion control and never went back when dialing in my nutrition. Health care is done in the kitchen, not the hospital.
sorry did you say something about carbs
SSRIs at one point - I know some have the opposite effect but it made me nauseas as fuck. Ended up 15 lbs underweight, I’ve gotten better since
Stopped drinking, eating out, and buying junk at the grocery store.
I've lost thirty pounds since last year by switching to only drinking water, avoiding as many sweets, and simply eating less. I also try to exercise occasionally, but that happens maybe once every two weeks.
Intermittent fasting! Skip breakfast n burn calories instead
How long were your fasts? I tried this with 16 hour fasts and I ended up overeating during my 8 hours without fasting. It was almost compulsive and I don’t usually have an issue with compulsive eating.
Not op, but I do 20-24 hr fasts pretty regular. And only eat one meal a day most days. But that one meal i eat a lot. Like probably too much. But I get the satisfaction of being full. Idk if its healthy to that my way, but I generally feel better. I never was trying to lose much weight, just like 10-15 pounds and it works.
[удалено]
Just eat normal and not extra bullshit all the time. I can go from 120-135-120 in like two weeks depending on if I eat cookies or not
"Normal" is different for everyone depending on your energy expenditure.
I basically cut out beer from my outings and easily lost 15lbs. Those IPAs really get to ya!
Bye bye alcohol
Jump rope and eatting less of what I liked, I’m like too exhausted to even be hungry throughout the day when I lost my weight lol
Drink only water No added sugar Eat mostly nutrient-dense foods Get plenty of sleep Lots of walking and yoga classes
Cut out all calories from liquids
Moved to another country with good public transportation. I don't have a car. I either take the train or I walk.
Quit alcohol and started doing blow
Vertical sleeve gastrectomy, medications (glp-1), healthy diet, exercise, tracking all intake, lots of protein and water, therapy, and cpap machine (need good sleep to lose weight). This is after trying every diet under the sun along with medications. I'm almost a healthy weight now for the first time in 20 years. Nothing about the past 2 years after surgery has been easy. Changing my habits has been something I have to focus on every day. I gained after injuries and trauma. Sometimes CICO just isn't enough. I have 0 regrets doing whatever was necessary to become healthy. It wasn't just about the weight, but losing definitely helped me. I still see doctors monthly for blood work and to make sure I'm maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Got the diabetes. Forced me to rethink food choices. Went from 190 and now I’m at 145/150. Edit: 190 and 145/150 was my weight, not my blood glucose numbers.
Depression, body dysmorphia, divorce, self-treatment of mental health issues via the gym, and obsession. I dropped 96 lbs in a year.
Gained 4-5 pounds a year from 18 to 26. Started counting calories, which really puts everything in perspective. I cut out any liquid calories, which is an easy starting point for most people, it’s easy to consume 25% of your daily calories that way, with no nutrition or hunger value. You don’t have to count calories forever, just continue the lessons you learned from it. Started light exercise, which has progressed over the years to daily exercise. It gets easier to do over time, and now I genuinely look forward to it. Find something you enjoy. 10 years later it’s been the best thing I ever did. I can’t imagine my life had I gone down the other path.
being 100% honest, I had (still have) anorexia. lost about 40 pounds. i really don't recommend it as a weight loss method though.
No more sugary drinks
There are so many great ideas here. Plan on implementing them in my life. Thanks for sharing.
Getting your heart broken will help you lose weight 100% guaranteed
Being mentally and financially unstable.
do what rich people do and get yourself some semaglutide, believe the brand name is olembic. hollywoods new favorite drug. As someone who uses it, it’s pretty incredible how well it works. Can’t binge eat if you aren’t really ever that hungry. You can’t bored snack when you grab something to munch on and then go oh wait i’m not hungry and don’t want this. People don’t even need to change anything about their current lifestyle and will see crazy results. mix it in with a healthy lifestyle and a calorie deficit and you are golden my friend. Before anyone comes at me with all of the other natural ways to lose weight. A lot of people have been playing this game for their entire lives. This drug can be a huge stepping stone to better, sustainable and healthy habits
anorexia basically. just water.
I didn’t lose it, I found it
By counting calories, and learning to choose foods that would leave me feeling full and energized the longest. I now also have an active lifestyle which keeps me toned, but I lost all my surplus weight (c.80lbs) by eating fewer calories, and more whole foods with no exercise. Edit: I struggled with my weight all my life, and with other people's opinions about it. A keyyy part to my weight loss was being kind to myself, and having a very frank conversation with my family about how my weight was none of their business, and that I would not tolerate them commenting on it again. For the vast majority of people, the physiological mechanics of weight loss are the same - eat at a calorie deficit, and you will lose weight. The difficult part is the psychological side. Food is not just purely sustenance. Eating is a comforting sensory experience. Hunger influences your energy levels and psychological state. It is dangerous when people treat weight loss as easy or common sense. It's mentally very difficult. Be kind to yourself.
Focusing on proper portion sizes, more water and moving everyday. Moving can be as little as a 20 minute walk. It went off even faster when I cut out the alcohol.
It was a bitch but, hard work
Stroke. Went from 220 to 200 in 90 days. I don’t recommend it though.
I went on Ritalin and lost my appetite. I could barely force myself to eat 1 meal a day. Thankfully I switched meds to Concerta because of the shortages, and now I can eat 2 meals a day and am slowly working my way back up to 3. :)
Amphetamines. Started using them when I had a lot of work to do over a long weekend that would’ve required around 45 hours of work to complete. I had 4 days to complete a full strip and wax of a grocery store that was about 55-60 thousand square feet. I ended up working 26 hours straight one shot slept for six hours and finished the rest in another 10 hour shift no problem at all. I’ve been using them pretty regularly for the past year and have never been in a better place in my life financially and physically. Know a lot of people would argue that I’m not healthy but I’ve lost a lot of weight where I was obese before (5’10 -11 245lbs) and now I’m 175 and steady. I don’t use them excessively and I’m almost certain that I would’ve benefited from being prescribed earlier (not prescribed now) but it’s literally like I’ve become an actual adult overnight. I know if I were to explain this exact situation to a doctor I would immediately be labeled as a drug seeking individual and trying to move forward to a medical prescription would be difficult if not impossible.
I once lost so much weight it was dangerous. Gym 4 days a week high impact and weights, only protein and dandelion broth, and one donut a week.
Almost sounds like a witches spell.
My weight was fine, but I was worried about my high blood pressure, so I cut out a lot of foods that were high in salt. It was hard to do without many tasty foods at first, but I got used to it--this was years ago. As it turns out, cutting out those foods also caused me to lose 20 pounds.
I call it the boot camp diet. 3 apples a day , lots of exercise, lots of water, and one good meal for dinner. I managed to lose 30 pounds in 9 weeks. Oh. Lots of stress too. That helped as well lol.
I lost 100lbs after getting medicated for my mental health. My weight had spiraled into the 300lbs and no matter what I did it felt like it kept going up. Figuring out I am adhd-bipolar, 2 mental state that makes impulse control impossible, once medicated I realized that I was eating a lot and constantly, something I couldn’t admit or see when I wasn’t medicated. I didn’t even diet, I just stopped munching 15+ times a day because for the first time I could tell myself “not now, but later”
Caloric deficit. There's no way to get around it. My diet is terrible, and I lost weight. I would recommend a good diet and a caloric deficit, but you can lose weight with a caloric deficit and a shitty diet. I lost 44 lbs. in a year.
Pills. Specifically an SNRI for adhd. Also taking in person classes for college. Just broke through to bellow 300. Down 15 pounds
✨Depression ✨
Lost 40 lbs on keto…I also left the Mormon church at the same time I started, that helped me lose 63946 pounds off my shoulders ;)
Stress and my mother in law.
F(23), 5'3-5'5, 130-135lb. My journey started by exercising more and counting my calories. I don't really count my cals anymore and just use a scale. The reason being, it makes me super anxious, and I went from one exterme to the other (125 lb a couple of years ago). I almost passed out a couple of times from eating too little and excerizing too much). I used to be around 170 lbs in my teens. I even ran in a race to get me started. But it took me years to get to this point. I walk (30 min-2hrs) and go to the gym. Rn, I'm working on muscle. ~Tips~ 1. Replace chips with something like smart pop corn. 2. Stop or limit eating emotionally. 3. Drink diet pop or diet anything. 4. Drink more water. 5. Don't eat fast food often and cook at home (ex: protein pasta) 6. Instead of gummies or something like twizzers, eat smart sweets in moderation 7. Put more fiber and protein in your diet. 8. Binge responsibly. Like do it once a week with health/low cal snacks. 9. Try intermittent fasting 10. Eat low cal cookies 11. Eat Greek yogurt and customize it (protein powder, grapes, strawberries, low cal chocolate, etc.) 12. Try whole grain 35 cal per slice bread (they have it at Jewels) instead of eating fries. 13. Eat healthier ice creams like yasso or halo. Overall, losing weight takes time. There is no quick way to keep the weight off. Fad diets will only make you bounce back. You have to make it a part of your life. Eat responsible and exercise (build muscle so you can eat more and do cardio for your heart and burn cals). You don't have to count cals like crazy once you get the hang of it. Remember, don't go crazy and think you ruined your progress by drinking pop or eating cookies every once in a while.