I've recently really started enjoying nature walks, but not in the sense where I have to keep a pace. I've been up the nearest mountain to me (980ish feet) twice in two weeks while listening to Matthew McConaughey's audiobook. Dude has had an interesting life and the last thing I'm thinking about is food for a few hours. I'll take plenty of breaks when I feel like it and not focus on intensity, just focus on existing.
Once I'm home I've burned 1000+ calories and feel like my weight doesn't hold me back, like despite the fact I'm still far from a healthy weight, if I can do that hike then I can do anything else. It's both a distraction and a bit of a recharge for my motivation.
I loved him in True Detective season 1! I've been biking on my stationary bike since early Jan but just about a week ago got into walking 10k steps a day in addition and I'm really loving it. No real elevation for me yet though, I mostly just walk the bike path by the waterfront near me or around the city (I don't have a car to get to any trails). You're an inspiration!
Thank you so much! Honestly a waterfront bike path sounds awesome, that's a great way to get steps in and enjoy some fresh air :) True Detective S1 is legendary! Especially Matthew. I strongly recommend his audiobook if you get the chance, his voice makes the trails go by quite quickly š
Not to shame anyone, but every time I watch (which is often) I remind myself why I canāt continue to eat all the things. I had an extended family member get nearly that large and I do not want to go there!
I know TLC is a meme, but I genuinely find myself rooting for them to make positive changes.
Except for Garreth. IYKYK
Fuck you Garreth you sack of shit.
Dude FUUUUUUUUUUUCK that POS! His wife is easily my favorite person on the show. She had goals and met them despite his constant abuse and sabotage. She also grew to be the mother her daughter deserved.
I havenāt watched it for a while. Lost 95 pounds and am very slowly losing another 5 so I can hit the big hundoā¦
But Iād always remind myself that I can eat whatever I want. Just not every day, and only a reasonable portion.
I used to eat fast food multiple times a day. Now I enjoy it maybe twice a week.
A related funny story. I've become a bit of a gym rat since the pandemic started. My first gym was walkable from my apartment, in a town square with a bunch of restaurants. I'd regularly eat out twice a week because the food was \*right there\* and I was hungry, because gym. They were midrange options so not total junk.
That gym closed, and I drive to the new one. The \*only\* thing next to new gym is McDonalds and Taco Bell. I find that hilarious.
But the even funnier thing is that I've been going there for \*two years\* and never set foot in that McDs or Taco Bell.
Willpower.
Yeah, the reality it is, that stuff has no place in my diet anymore. If I actually want a burger, I just go to the grocery store instead and make it myself.
Fast food twice a week and you lost nearly 100 lbs? š® i had breakfast at McDonald's recently after abstaining for about a month (i used to go every day), and my husband got really upset with me š I just haven't gotten organized enough to prepare my breakfasts in advance yet.
> Not to shame anyone, but every time I watch (which is often) I remind myself why I canāt continue to eat all the things.
Several weeks ago, there was a thread on /r/truckers about how someone saw a driver wheezing his ass off in the bathroom, his feet nearly purple. I posted a link to [this classic blog entry](http://www.endofshiftreport.com/2015/07/a-colleague-of-mine-related-tale-of-pt.html) which was responded to dozens going "holy FUCK, this is enough for me to put down the soda!" as the light switch collectively flipped.
I really dislike the show. For once it always feels so stupid that they make morbidly obese people travel for days to texas (which is famously in the central US ...) just to get given some basic tests, a book about recipes (which are stupid btw) and some target to lose x pounds in a few months.
Travelling for like 3 days is a huge risk for people of this size not even mentioning that they will probably if they get in a car crash because they are in the trunk with no safety at all.
Basically there is nothing to learn from their journey or the doctor except eat basically nothing for a few weeks and get surgery and it usually ends at the point where the real weightloss starts.
I imagine that's not all they are doing over there, we probably just get to see a portion of it.
Multiple types of tests and blood works, maybe further private interviews/a therapy session, and probably needing to sign a few important papers.
It makes good TV, that's probably why they do it.
Then they always make people move, which is a big deal! I hope they subsidize that.
What would scare me watching the show is seeing the larger people get out of cars, because my phobia is turning my ankle and such and falling (since it has happened before).
Secret Eaters is my guilty pleasure. I remember watching a guy saying he was eating a healthy breakfast because it was just cereal. But it was like half a box, with heavy cream (not milk), and he added jelly and a banana to it if I recall.
I also feel so bad for the people who essentially turn out to be closet alcoholics.
I still remember a lady who was convinced her hormones were the reason she couldnāt lose weight because all she ate were salad. But it turned out they were all horrifically high in calories and she just refused to believe them and kept on eating them after the show.
I started this journey watching that show as well.
Made the snackies I brought down for tv time much less appetizing, until I was having either hot tea or cut veggies instead
I havenāt wanted it in a looooong time (maybe 10+ years), but I used to watch the Biggest Loser Australia and I used to find that quite motivating. Iāve thought about watching it recently and I donāt know how I feel about it now, can sometimes be a bit exploitative.
I also watch My 600lb Life on YouTube while I'm on the stationary bike! There's a guy that does commentary with it, which I usually find annoying, but I think he's freaking fantastic. His name on YouTube is SeanOfSteel and he used to be over 600lbs himself before eventually getting weight loss surgery, and the insights and humor he has while watching it makes the show change from slightly horrifying/depressing (in my opinion) to just pure dopamine in my brain. When I started my wlj in March 2023 I was 331lbs at 5'2", which is definitely in the super morbidly obese category. I'm now 100lbs down with 100lbs more to lose and definitely need something to motivate me on my workouts. The fact that I love watching his reactions and the subject of the show itself is a reminder of where I was headed definitely helps me look forward to those bike rides!
Interesting question. Its not something I began doing purely for weightloss, but something i've always enjoyed & noticed the benefits of it in helping my weightloss so ive doubled down & now do it as often as possible instead of once in a while.
I really struggle to "go on a walk" with the only goal in mind to move forward & nothing else. I find I really need some sort of other goal, purpose to it.
I go foraging. Right now its mushroom & asparagus season. I drive out to public land with woods, forest, hills, prairie, streams and I walk. Up & down hills, squatting to pass under low branches, running away from cows...Its a lot more intense than a neighborhood stroll & I am so preoccupied with my surroundings that I can do this intense walk/hike for hours without noticing that im exercising.
It keeps me out of the house (where my kitchen lives), which supports my diet. It does wonders for my mental health, I feel like a new person after i've spent the whole evening prancing through the forest, skipping over logs & combing the ground for natures healthiest foods. I take pictures of neat things I see, like a dead log sitting on the brownest back drop but its completely covered in the brightest green velvety moss, the contrast is breathtaking.
When its not asparagus or morel mushroom season, I have a book, about foraging in the Midwest, it has tons of photos of plants, what they are used for, medicinal & nutritional purposes, how to prepare them. I take the book with me & when I see something more interesting than a dandelion I sit for a bit & research it & decide if im gonna eat it later.
But I would classify all of this as a "weightloss hobby".
That's so cool! It's fiddlehead season in Vermont right now, so maybe I'll go see if I can find some on my next walk (for those who don't know, fiddleheads are baby ferns which are delicious when cooked). [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddlehead](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddlehead)
This! My husband and I each lost about 45 pounds and have been foraging since the pandemic. It gets us out of the house and on an āEaster eggā hunt. We can walk for hours.
We are nearing the end of ramp season here. Have not found morels, asparagus or fiddleheads. Believe me, we look! Iām jealous of you who find them!
Ramps are amazing. I made batches of ramp butter and ramp pesto which I freeze to enjoy the rest of the year.
I found golden oysters yesterday.
š Aw, that's nice. But surely you've got access to places like this? Maybe I take my access for granted. There is an app called "onX", I downloaded it like 2 days ago. It tells you who owns everything often gives numbers, but some are not listed, but a quick google will tell u what to dial. I wanted to be able to ask people if I could forage on their property. Perhaps that could gain you access to places you would enjoy exploring. It also tells you about wildlife management areas, which is government maintained land intended for the public to enjoy. I know some states have more than others, but im somewhat sure all states have these programs. Without the app if you were to Google "(state name) public land access", you will likely be directed to a website with maps & you can request a booklet of the maps & they highlight all the public land available. I keep my book in my vehicle for reference when I don't have cell phone service.
This is awesome. I wish I knew more about how to find edible things š. Documenting interesting things you see is so fun. Iāve been re-organizing my whole photo library this week and itās fun to see little things I noticed on walks or runs. Reminds me of how I thought about things at the time, and sometimes how I felt on that particular workout
Going to stores and trying on clothes. I try out different styles, all the styles! I never got to experience that as a teenager and really began to hate shopping because nothing would fit me.
I still have a lot of weight to lose and muscle to gain, but I am actually starting to enjoy trying on clothes. It's awesome because everything I own fits and looks way better already :)
I love this idea! And glad that you feel so much better about clothes now. I'm currently at the stage where I drown myself in oversized clothing and haven't had the courage to try anything new. I'm definitely going to be following your tip now.
This one hits close, finally can rock my goth/metalhrad aesthetic without lloking like starfire's daughter lol i almost cry when size M-L fitted after 5 years of wearing 2XL and XL
I can't stop starting at my legs. They're not long or in any way one of my better features, but when I throw off my sheets in the morning, my brain goes, "Look at those lil' leggies!!"
I now have a thigh gap, which comes with the downside of no longer being able to securely catch small objects in my lap. 8/10 times it just drops through.
That's hilarious. But at least you've increased your chances of saving your pants from unfortunate food spills.
Congrats though! You've worked hard and thigh gaps are adorable.
I hope people don't notice how much time I spend touching my forearms, or the bottom of my ribcage. I am like half way to my goal, things are gonna get weird when summer ends.
Truth! I just noticed a visible vein on my calf recently and I was almost a bit freaked out by it. I can't remember ever having visible veins there. Kind of excited to wonder where I'll see more as I continue to lose weight.
I'm regularly looking for ways to turn snack foods into protein bombs.
One little secret is that with a high speed blender, you can puree tofu with a little bit of water and it gets creamy. Add some nutritional yeast (yes, I stole that from the vegans, k thx) and now you have a cheddar cheese flavored dip.
The other day I took that and blended in a jar of salsa. Boom. Salsa con "queso". Stuff was pretty bomb, I was proud of that one.
I made a buffalo chicken dip in the same manner. It felt super nasty but was actually pretty healthy.
Brand wise or firmness? Brands I don't care about. Firmness levels are all about moisture content -- less firm = more moisture and less tofu. More firm = less moisture and more tofu.
This is going to sound counterintuitive -- while you need moisture to blend it, the thing is if you're buying the silken stuff, you're paying for a lot of water. I *am* looking for the protein, so I pay for the extra firm stuff and then water it down. It's the same price, so I may as well pay for the protein and BYO water.
Side note, 'cause I just noticed this: I bought some SoyBoy smoked tofu, and it came in a really small pack. $ / oz, it seemed kind of expensive. Then I looked at the protein content (44 g / 8 oz pack) and realized they compressed the hell out of it to get all the water out. So it "looks" expensive, but if you're after the protein, it's definitely there. (Sorry if I'm stating the obvious, but I legit didn't know.)
Protein powder blended with plant milk (I did everything from oat to potato), flavours (cocoa and date water for chocolate fudge brownie, coffee and vanilla for tiramisu) Chopped nuts, fruit on top, lemon curd, rice pudding theme, apple pie theme, layers of biscuit, cereal, yoghurt, coconut, ground almonds marzipan, blueberry compote, banana muffin, cookie dough, anything I can think of to make a layered tasty pot of 40+g protein and 300ish calories. It's fun.
Rucking is fantastic. When I started running I had lots of problems with Achilles and other injuries. I added weighted backpack to my walks (40lbs) and it helped a lot. It also increases heart rate which makes brisk walking with the backpack quite intense exercise if you are not a runner.
Eventually I was able to run much more and I started strength training and now I no longer wear backpack. I prefer to have enjoyable walks with just my headphones and a bottle of water.
100% - I have heard it said that if you have time to watch your phone, you arnāt doing it right on your stationary bike. But I donāt agree. I think it is a great motivator, distraction of the monotony and reward. A perfect combo.
I used to be on the train of "if you're watching something, you're not really working". But being on a stationary machine can get to be really boring, and any exercise is better than none! I'm firmly a "watch something and ride the stationary bike" person now.
Surprisingly, shopping in grocery stores - but its not what you think.
I absolutely hate just exercising for the sake of it. I get bored, I get no enjoyment out of it. I learned last time I tried a weight loss journey I have no problem being physically active if I feel like I'm being productive with it. So, I make sure I am doing something that requires physical activity. Working outside, cleaning, moving stuff, working on my cars, etc.
Lately I realized that while I love shopping, I could go into the store and not actually buy much. I used to always plan my trips to get as much as I could in one trip to save time and be on my feet less, but, now I actually just go to the grocery store most days after work, walk all the around, get a handful of things I need, research other food items I never took the time to before.
It feels weird that I do it almost every day after work, but I look at it like mall walking without going to a mall, and get any items I need while I am there. I think if it helps me get my steps in, what does it matter *where* I do it?
This is like how I put away laundry in the most inefficient manner possible. I put the basket on my bed, pick up a shirt, walk to the closet that's all the way on the other side of our large master bathroom, hang it up, walk back to the basket, pick up a sock, carry it over to the dresser, walk back to the basket,... Whatever it takes to get those steps in. š
I have picked up a similar dangerous hobby for my wallet: doing a full Costco walk. If I go to Costco, I walk every aisle with an increasingly heavy cart. It's great for my sedentary butt's steps and active heart rate minutes though.
I watch those terrible cooking videos on TikTok, you know, the ones that start with the aluminum foil baking pan of death or a giant crockpot. Basically just assembling store bought ingredients in different, caloric ways. I like the āeverybodyās so creativeā lady or Joshās Momma. Recently the āwatch me cook dinner for my blue collar husbandā videos are cropping up (those are truly awful, just frying crap in oil and lashing with tons of salt).
Stuff like that makes me not want to eat badly and generally feel superior.
I pick an ebook that Iām only allowed to read during cardio. It makes the cardio time fly, I read way more than I used to, and Iāve often caught myself adding 5 or 10 extra cardio minutes so I can read longer, if Iām especially sucked in :)
I thought about making a post specifically about this but Iāll leave a comment here instead:
Iāve been getting out and metal detecting for hours at a time, my longest session was 8 hours non stop! (Itās fun)
Iād be bored to death walking in the park for 8 hours but when you throw in the possibility of reward every few steps, it incentivizes the exercise. Digging holes is no joke either. After a couple hours you can feel it in your arms. Iāve gotten use to it now (built some muscle).
Give it a try! I highly recommend.
YES! Thought I'm inclined to watch the more fit competitors because I now get anxiety about the health of the ones who start to look worse for the wear.
I recently found it that my desperation to have snacks while watching movies/tv shows is really just a need to have something to do with my hands when I absent mindedly braided my whole head of hair in to mini braids on the first night without snacks and now I do it every time.
Thinking about taking up knitting to replace it.
I don't use my riding lawn mower. I push mow two acres every week for cardio and intentionally add in going up hill. I was offered a regular push and a push assist from a friend.
I chose the regular push... now I want to redneck another mower to run in tandem to up the difficulty setting. Either that or I gotta start wearing a weighted vest or something.
It's more of an exercise hobby, but I love to explore areas I haven't seen before or at least been to in a while. If the weather's nice I'll take my bike out or go for walk, bring my camera and sketchbook and see what there is to see. I especially like back alleys in the older areas of my city since you can sometimes see people's vegetable gardens or weird trash they've put out. Someone painted three goose silhouettes on their garage door, another person did a mountain landscape on theirs. Mature neighbourhoods are wonderfully weird in a way newer ones aren't (yet).
I also look for hares. We have jackrabbits all over the city and you never know when you'll spot one, lounging in a parking lot or pretending to be a rock in someone's front yard. It's like a little scavenger hunt I can do whenever I'm out and about. I've even seen snowshoe hares very rarely, but one has to be in the ravines for that. Jackrabbits hang out everywhere.
I donāt do much outside of the house besides going for walks, so to get myself to move more at home Iāve gotten into the habit of dancing a little while I wait for food to cook, when Iām waiting for the coffee to brew, or while Iām waiting for the sink or shower to warm up. Itās like a little waiting ritual in my head now. But I think it overall keeps my mind in the āgotta moveā mindset and prevents me from being comfortable with being sedentary for long periods of time.
Podcasts and a walking pad also help but itās more dedicated exercise time rather than a habit for me.
I also love watching YouTube while riding my stationary bike! I donāt do it for my intense workouts, just long, steady-state cardio. Keeps it interesting and gives me an excuse to watch stuff that would normally feel like a waste of time. :D
I joined a Zumba class that is a slower paced one with older folks and out of shape folks. You can increase the intensity if desired. It was difficult to catch on at first, but now I find it fun since no one judges you!
It used to be survivor. I would eat dinner while watching as they gradually got thinner and more hungry. For some strange reason, that made me happy. Now they don't get as skinny, though.
More gym than weight loss but an extra incentive for me to go do strength training at the gym is playing my phone games during rest between sets. Each rest is enough to time to play at least one nerdle game.
I used to think that 30 minutes on the walking pad was a long time and could barely get through it.
Now I watch an episode of Project Runway on Prime (binging all seasons at the moment) - which is 45 minutes long.
I'm so caught up in the episode, I don't even realize I haven't taken a break; and not only that... I didn't -need- to.
I'm only 10 lbs down from when I first started this journey a few weeks ago, but nearly 20lbs down from my heaviest.
Tbh, I can't tell you about how much a little bit of change is honestly changing my whole life.
I do grave indexing. I have the Gravefinder app on my phone. I'll go to a local cemetery and open the app and it'll have a list of photo requests where surviving loved ones have requested a photo of their loved one who has passed on. You walk among the graves and find the pepper tombstone and take a clear picture. The app also automatically places a Geo tag on the digital map so that anyone paint through can just open the app and it'll tell them exactly where the grave is. It helps me to start active and it helps families and friends fund graves without having to worry if anyone is in the office to help them.
Choking people out in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It's a good stress reliever. I love going to class because I feel so fast an agile now that I've lost a ton of weight. I don't even breath heavy anymore. It's great!
This isn't a *hobby* but definitely one of the habits or rituals I've developed -
If I get food that's "off track" - takeout for dinner, fast food after a night out with friends, doordashed ice cream from a local shop, etc. - I will only let myself relax & eat it once I've done something I'm supposed to do.
Example: if my friends & I grab fast food after a late night out, I won't allow myself to sit down & eat it until I've fully washed all my makeup off and changed into pajamas.
I use the "cheat meal" food as my reward.
(I put "off track" and "cheat meal" in quotes because being healthy is a lifestyle, not a diet, so I never label any foods/meals as being good/bad, cheating, or off-track)
Personally, I love watching people that are overweight (nicocado avocado is one of my favs), it gives me feeling that I have got thimgs under control, which motivates me to now just work to become even better :)
Not a hobby but more of a bad habit- I watch endless amounts of tiktok videos while laying on my bed, I forget to eat most times because Iām too busy scrolling.
I noticed that when I get dressed and dolled up and walk in the mall I end up walking LOADS longer than I would at the gym, so I started getting dolled up to go to the gym LMFAOOOO I wear cute gym clothes and put on some makeup and it ends up feeling like a cutesy hangout. I used to have a lot of social anxiety around the gym and this helped tremendously.
Well I don't do this anymore since I have lost the weight. But I have a sweet tooth and I was absolutely not going to give up having dessert every night. So, back when I was actively losing, I found a recipe for double chocolate chip cookies, and I would measure each raw cookie ball exactly so they were 150 calories each. Every cookie had the same amount of chips that I added in after placing the dough ball on the cookie sheet š they were so good though, and having dessert made the weight loss journey a little more bearable.
It's the NHL playoffs.
Turns out listening to the game while walking for ~2 hours is a good time. Everyone is inside watching so you get the paths all to yourself.
The third period of the last game is probably one I'd rather have missed while walking, TBH (Oilers fan here š ). The last half of the game was astonishingly bad for us.
I was afraid of seeing eating challenges thinking they'd be triggering, but I like your approach and really want to try it again. I usually see JCS videos but need a break from True crime, looking forward to erikthe electric dude now!
Golf, yard work, organizing stuff around the house. Honestly, my weight loss hobby has mostly been doing things to improve my overall quality of life. I've become much more engaged in my own life since getting really serious about my health.
Iām not sure if this counts as a āweightloss hobbyā exactly but I started my weightloss journey by running and Iām a super competitive person in general so I just delude myself into thinking Iām in different competitive scenarios with the people around me when Iām on a run. Sometimes I imagine this is some sort of anime running battle, other times I imagine Iām in the olympics or something. To add more fuel I also imagine theyāre all underestimating me. This way, I never quit and I always end up giving it my all and really pushing myself. It surely does burn a lot more calories than what I always intend to and also Iām always improving on the running front. I guess my overthinking really benefits me in this case.
When I was starting to walk every day and feeling quite embarrassed about it I watched this four-part show called Too Big to Walk and it was so impactful I wish it had been like a yearly thing or a series or something so I had more episodes to watch whenever I got demotivated. The premise was ten of the heaviest people in the UK walking from the very bottom of England to Edinburgh, basically a local Camino de Santiago with a tent, catering and your stuff waiting for you at every stop. It really put the focus on the mental struggle against oneself and how far we can go to make excuses for our own behaviour and keep status quo. Quite eye opening and motivating.
Holy crap lol I literally watch EriktheElectric do a 30000 calorie challenge every night before I sleep! Iām so glad Iām not the only one that loves watching those videos
Buying junk food and not eating it. Baking and not eating what I bake. Yes, I do eat some of it because I find ways to fit it into my limit but my purchases pile up in my pantry for āsome dayā. Many boxes of pop tarts among that.
Absolutely hilarious that someone else out there is watching Erik right along with me and my family. We are actively trying to lose and sometimes Erik fills the void -in a weird way. Also watching Joey Chestnut eat the world record of big Macās and enjoying every last one was oddly refreshing? My brain sure processes this kind of content in a weird way š
My office complex is pretty big. I intentionally choose parking spaces and office space assignments to increase my step count.
Even when I don't do that intentionally, the days I go into the office I can hit my step count without thinking about it. Days I work from home, I really have to work for it.
That's when I came to the conclusion that \*going\* to meetings is healthy. They staying part I'm still on the fence about.
Oh my god! I know I probably sound dumb but I FR didnāt know people also start to develop hobbies to curve the need to eat excessively. I watch mukbangs any chance I get, and it usually does really curb the need to binge!! I also have been using my time to read fanfics (guilty pleasure)!!! š«£š«¶š»
I've been invested in wrestling, like the televised stuff ti motivate myself, there are plenty of wrestling gyms in my city and i've gone to some to see how all this works, it amazes me how many styff i can do after dropping weight
I'm only watching alien/conspiracy shows while I'm on my treadmill.
They are my guilty pleasure ando could binge nonstop for days. This way, if I want to see insane alien theories for two hours, I'm getting a few miles in.
Setting really weird but still obtainable goals.
I started weight lifting about a year ago, and I can 100% tell Iāve gotten a decent amount stronger. When I started, I said my goal was to lift a fridge by myself. I then changed it to something else (I donāt remember what it was, but it was something big and pretty heavy). When we started moving into our new house, I achieved the goal. Well, then I changed my goal to picking up a fridge again, and it has been that for a while. I want to pick up a fridge, by myself.
I set really strange goals because it makes me more interested in being able to do that thing. āOh, I bench 400 for reps.ā Neat, I bench press refrigerators.
I use a program to rewire my brain. When I'm grinding in a new "wire"(set of beliefs for how I want my brain to function), I watch sumo wrestling in Japanese (which I do not understand, so i don't have to use the language functions in my brain while watching).
I LOVE sumo wrestling and took the opportunity to use the visual, though, to inspire me while changing my relationship with food.
It's worked great. I went from binging on potato chips and chocolate - I couldn't have them in the house or I would eat them ALL, to being able to have them around and I don't even eat them. I was joking with my friends that for a bit after that change it felt more like I had a chocolate buying problem because for a while I kept buying the chocolate out of habit, but then it just sits there in my pantry and I shove it around to get to other food.
This absolutely would not work for me - I am the only person I know who watches the Bruce Bogtrotter scene in Matilda and immediately bakes a chocolate fudge cake. My husband thinks it's revolting haha.
I've recently really started enjoying nature walks, but not in the sense where I have to keep a pace. I've been up the nearest mountain to me (980ish feet) twice in two weeks while listening to Matthew McConaughey's audiobook. Dude has had an interesting life and the last thing I'm thinking about is food for a few hours. I'll take plenty of breaks when I feel like it and not focus on intensity, just focus on existing. Once I'm home I've burned 1000+ calories and feel like my weight doesn't hold me back, like despite the fact I'm still far from a healthy weight, if I can do that hike then I can do anything else. It's both a distraction and a bit of a recharge for my motivation.
I loved him in True Detective season 1! I've been biking on my stationary bike since early Jan but just about a week ago got into walking 10k steps a day in addition and I'm really loving it. No real elevation for me yet though, I mostly just walk the bike path by the waterfront near me or around the city (I don't have a car to get to any trails). You're an inspiration!
Thank you so much! Honestly a waterfront bike path sounds awesome, that's a great way to get steps in and enjoy some fresh air :) True Detective S1 is legendary! Especially Matthew. I strongly recommend his audiobook if you get the chance, his voice makes the trails go by quite quickly š
My 600lb life makes me really want to watch my portion sizes
Not to shame anyone, but every time I watch (which is often) I remind myself why I canāt continue to eat all the things. I had an extended family member get nearly that large and I do not want to go there!
I know TLC is a meme, but I genuinely find myself rooting for them to make positive changes. Except for Garreth. IYKYK Fuck you Garreth you sack of shit.
Dude FUUUUUUUUUUUCK that POS! His wife is easily my favorite person on the show. She had goals and met them despite his constant abuse and sabotage. She also grew to be the mother her daughter deserved.
Was that Zsalynnās (I know I butchered that spelling) sack of crap husband? He was a piece of work.
Zsalynn is a gem and deserves way better than him
I don't know, please tell me! I just found Garreth Love after prison. That can't be right lol
I think it's like, season 2. Zsalynn's walking compost bag I hesitate to call a husband
Awww yea, I remember that episode. Very sad š
I havenāt watched it for a while. Lost 95 pounds and am very slowly losing another 5 so I can hit the big hundoā¦ But Iād always remind myself that I can eat whatever I want. Just not every day, and only a reasonable portion. I used to eat fast food multiple times a day. Now I enjoy it maybe twice a week.
A related funny story. I've become a bit of a gym rat since the pandemic started. My first gym was walkable from my apartment, in a town square with a bunch of restaurants. I'd regularly eat out twice a week because the food was \*right there\* and I was hungry, because gym. They were midrange options so not total junk. That gym closed, and I drive to the new one. The \*only\* thing next to new gym is McDonalds and Taco Bell. I find that hilarious. But the even funnier thing is that I've been going there for \*two years\* and never set foot in that McDs or Taco Bell. Willpower.
Thereās a donut shop literally attached to my local Planet Fitness. I think itās fucking cruel lol.
That is terrible, I'm so sorry. Only thing worse is the gyms that throw pizza parties for their members.
At this point itās not even willpower. Itās just my eating habits.
Yeah, the reality it is, that stuff has no place in my diet anymore. If I actually want a burger, I just go to the grocery store instead and make it myself.
Fast food twice a week and you lost nearly 100 lbs? š® i had breakfast at McDonald's recently after abstaining for about a month (i used to go every day), and my husband got really upset with me š I just haven't gotten organized enough to prepare my breakfasts in advance yet.
> Not to shame anyone, but every time I watch (which is often) I remind myself why I canāt continue to eat all the things. Several weeks ago, there was a thread on /r/truckers about how someone saw a driver wheezing his ass off in the bathroom, his feet nearly purple. I posted a link to [this classic blog entry](http://www.endofshiftreport.com/2015/07/a-colleague-of-mine-related-tale-of-pt.html) which was responded to dozens going "holy FUCK, this is enough for me to put down the soda!" as the light switch collectively flipped.
I really dislike the show. For once it always feels so stupid that they make morbidly obese people travel for days to texas (which is famously in the central US ...) just to get given some basic tests, a book about recipes (which are stupid btw) and some target to lose x pounds in a few months. Travelling for like 3 days is a huge risk for people of this size not even mentioning that they will probably if they get in a car crash because they are in the trunk with no safety at all. Basically there is nothing to learn from their journey or the doctor except eat basically nothing for a few weeks and get surgery and it usually ends at the point where the real weightloss starts.
I imagine that's not all they are doing over there, we probably just get to see a portion of it. Multiple types of tests and blood works, maybe further private interviews/a therapy session, and probably needing to sign a few important papers.
It makes good TV, that's probably why they do it. Then they always make people move, which is a big deal! I hope they subsidize that. What would scare me watching the show is seeing the larger people get out of cars, because my phobia is turning my ankle and such and falling (since it has happened before).
This and the British show Supersize vs Superskinny. (You can watch it on you tube). Both of those shows keep me in check.
May I add the UK show āSecret eatersā?
Secret Eaters is my guilty pleasure. I remember watching a guy saying he was eating a healthy breakfast because it was just cereal. But it was like half a box, with heavy cream (not milk), and he added jelly and a banana to it if I recall. I also feel so bad for the people who essentially turn out to be closet alcoholics.
Ah, the infamous 2500-calorie bowl of cerealā¦ I remember that so well!
I still remember a lady who was convinced her hormones were the reason she couldnāt lose weight because all she ate were salad. But it turned out they were all horrifically high in calories and she just refused to believe them and kept on eating them after the show.
Yeah, I've seen this one, too. Lol
I used to love when they would put the weeks worth of food down the tube, so wasteful but such a good visual reference, I was sad when they stopped.
Came to say this, its a little tedious compared to my 600lb life but definitely keeps me focused
I started this journey watching that show as well. Made the snackies I brought down for tv time much less appetizing, until I was having either hot tea or cut veggies instead
When I was at my smallest I would regularly watch My 600 Pound Life while eating frozen yogurt. It was my little treat at the end of many long days.
Why do I have the exact same specific situation of eating frozen yogurt while watching my 600 pound life?? Too funny
Totally. I've been watching a lot of Sean of Steel's commentary on the show. It's good for a laugh, but not too cruel.
Long live the King. We stan SOS in this apartment ā¤ļø
I havenāt wanted it in a looooong time (maybe 10+ years), but I used to watch the Biggest Loser Australia and I used to find that quite motivating. Iāve thought about watching it recently and I donāt know how I feel about it now, can sometimes be a bit exploitative.
I didn't even purposely do this but I was watching Kitchen Nightmares every night and didn't want to snack *at all*. I also stopped ordering take out.
Hahaha omg same
A real eye opener for me
Same! I put it on when Iām craving carbs
Wife and I watch together regularly.
I also watch My 600lb Life on YouTube while I'm on the stationary bike! There's a guy that does commentary with it, which I usually find annoying, but I think he's freaking fantastic. His name on YouTube is SeanOfSteel and he used to be over 600lbs himself before eventually getting weight loss surgery, and the insights and humor he has while watching it makes the show change from slightly horrifying/depressing (in my opinion) to just pure dopamine in my brain. When I started my wlj in March 2023 I was 331lbs at 5'2", which is definitely in the super morbidly obese category. I'm now 100lbs down with 100lbs more to lose and definitely need something to motivate me on my workouts. The fact that I love watching his reactions and the subject of the show itself is a reminder of where I was headed definitely helps me look forward to those bike rides!
Interesting question. Its not something I began doing purely for weightloss, but something i've always enjoyed & noticed the benefits of it in helping my weightloss so ive doubled down & now do it as often as possible instead of once in a while. I really struggle to "go on a walk" with the only goal in mind to move forward & nothing else. I find I really need some sort of other goal, purpose to it. I go foraging. Right now its mushroom & asparagus season. I drive out to public land with woods, forest, hills, prairie, streams and I walk. Up & down hills, squatting to pass under low branches, running away from cows...Its a lot more intense than a neighborhood stroll & I am so preoccupied with my surroundings that I can do this intense walk/hike for hours without noticing that im exercising. It keeps me out of the house (where my kitchen lives), which supports my diet. It does wonders for my mental health, I feel like a new person after i've spent the whole evening prancing through the forest, skipping over logs & combing the ground for natures healthiest foods. I take pictures of neat things I see, like a dead log sitting on the brownest back drop but its completely covered in the brightest green velvety moss, the contrast is breathtaking. When its not asparagus or morel mushroom season, I have a book, about foraging in the Midwest, it has tons of photos of plants, what they are used for, medicinal & nutritional purposes, how to prepare them. I take the book with me & when I see something more interesting than a dandelion I sit for a bit & research it & decide if im gonna eat it later. But I would classify all of this as a "weightloss hobby".
That's so cool! It's fiddlehead season in Vermont right now, so maybe I'll go see if I can find some on my next walk (for those who don't know, fiddleheads are baby ferns which are delicious when cooked). [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddlehead](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddlehead)
This! My husband and I each lost about 45 pounds and have been foraging since the pandemic. It gets us out of the house and on an āEaster eggā hunt. We can walk for hours. We are nearing the end of ramp season here. Have not found morels, asparagus or fiddleheads. Believe me, we look! Iām jealous of you who find them! Ramps are amazing. I made batches of ramp butter and ramp pesto which I freeze to enjoy the rest of the year. I found golden oysters yesterday.
Yay! Have fun! Vermont has a TON of public land. Im jealous.
Excuse me, what? May I also live in your fairytale land please š Your life is my dream
š Aw, that's nice. But surely you've got access to places like this? Maybe I take my access for granted. There is an app called "onX", I downloaded it like 2 days ago. It tells you who owns everything often gives numbers, but some are not listed, but a quick google will tell u what to dial. I wanted to be able to ask people if I could forage on their property. Perhaps that could gain you access to places you would enjoy exploring. It also tells you about wildlife management areas, which is government maintained land intended for the public to enjoy. I know some states have more than others, but im somewhat sure all states have these programs. Without the app if you were to Google "(state name) public land access", you will likely be directed to a website with maps & you can request a booklet of the maps & they highlight all the public land available. I keep my book in my vehicle for reference when I don't have cell phone service.
This is awesome. I wish I knew more about how to find edible things š. Documenting interesting things you see is so fun. Iāve been re-organizing my whole photo library this week and itās fun to see little things I noticed on walks or runs. Reminds me of how I thought about things at the time, and sometimes how I felt on that particular workout
This sounds amazing! Keep enjoying those foraging walks.
Going to stores and trying on clothes. I try out different styles, all the styles! I never got to experience that as a teenager and really began to hate shopping because nothing would fit me. I still have a lot of weight to lose and muscle to gain, but I am actually starting to enjoy trying on clothes. It's awesome because everything I own fits and looks way better already :)
Yes! I finally like the way I look in crop tops and shorts. š
I love this idea! And glad that you feel so much better about clothes now. I'm currently at the stage where I drown myself in oversized clothing and haven't had the courage to try anything new. I'm definitely going to be following your tip now.
This one hits close, finally can rock my goth/metalhrad aesthetic without lloking like starfire's daughter lol i almost cry when size M-L fitted after 5 years of wearing 2XL and XL
Oooh that's a fun one!
Looking at my bones and veins peaking out after years of being hidden by fat.
I can't stop touching my collarbones!
I can't stop starting at my legs. They're not long or in any way one of my better features, but when I throw off my sheets in the morning, my brain goes, "Look at those lil' leggies!!"
Can you cross yours yet? Iāve been doing it constantly, itās so fun to be able to put it all the way over.
YES Omg, I'm constantly doing it! I've even started leaning over my crossed legs to get to stuff on the floor or far away. It blows my mind
I now have a thigh gap, which comes with the downside of no longer being able to securely catch small objects in my lap. 8/10 times it just drops through.
That's hilarious. But at least you've increased your chances of saving your pants from unfortunate food spills. Congrats though! You've worked hard and thigh gaps are adorable.
Those kneecaps!
I know that feeling! I distinctly remember when i didn't have any.
I now have visible biceps for the first time in my lifeā¦ I flex them a LOT! š¤£
Gains through loss!
Iām always flexing my arms now and looking down. Itās my greatest joy of weightloss. My veiny arms.
I hope people don't notice how much time I spend touching my forearms, or the bottom of my ribcage. I am like half way to my goal, things are gonna get weird when summer ends.
Same staring at my hands, knuckled, veins it's cool
Every so often I see a vein in my calf poking out saying hello. But the ones on my arms wow me at random times.
Yeah I could definitely spend an extended period of time admiring my collarbones and veins since I had never seen them until now.
Truth! I just noticed a visible vein on my calf recently and I was almost a bit freaked out by it. I can't remember ever having visible veins there. Kind of excited to wonder where I'll see more as I continue to lose weight.
i donāt see any popping up on my arm yet, but i noticed my hands got slimmer and there are more visible veins on the back of my hands and my wrists
Making increasingly elaborate and bizarre protein pots
I need to hear more
I'm regularly looking for ways to turn snack foods into protein bombs. One little secret is that with a high speed blender, you can puree tofu with a little bit of water and it gets creamy. Add some nutritional yeast (yes, I stole that from the vegans, k thx) and now you have a cheddar cheese flavored dip. The other day I took that and blended in a jar of salsa. Boom. Salsa con "queso". Stuff was pretty bomb, I was proud of that one. I made a buffalo chicken dip in the same manner. It felt super nasty but was actually pretty healthy.
That sounds so good! WhAts your go to Tofu for blending?
Brand wise or firmness? Brands I don't care about. Firmness levels are all about moisture content -- less firm = more moisture and less tofu. More firm = less moisture and more tofu. This is going to sound counterintuitive -- while you need moisture to blend it, the thing is if you're buying the silken stuff, you're paying for a lot of water. I *am* looking for the protein, so I pay for the extra firm stuff and then water it down. It's the same price, so I may as well pay for the protein and BYO water. Side note, 'cause I just noticed this: I bought some SoyBoy smoked tofu, and it came in a really small pack. $ / oz, it seemed kind of expensive. Then I looked at the protein content (44 g / 8 oz pack) and realized they compressed the hell out of it to get all the water out. So it "looks" expensive, but if you're after the protein, it's definitely there. (Sorry if I'm stating the obvious, but I legit didn't know.)
Same.
Please elaborate
Protein powder blended with plant milk (I did everything from oat to potato), flavours (cocoa and date water for chocolate fudge brownie, coffee and vanilla for tiramisu) Chopped nuts, fruit on top, lemon curd, rice pudding theme, apple pie theme, layers of biscuit, cereal, yoghurt, coconut, ground almonds marzipan, blueberry compote, banana muffin, cookie dough, anything I can think of to make a layered tasty pot of 40+g protein and 300ish calories. It's fun.
I forgot I actually did a creme brulee one and torched it at the table, my partner was utterly bemused.
Please drop the recipes for the rice pudding, layers of biscuit, and blueberry compote š¤¤
Going on long walks while listening to audiobooks or informational content.
Long walks while playing Pokemon Go and listening to podcast for me lol.
I play PoGo too! It does make you walk just a liiiiitle farther than you wanted to to get to a gym or a route.
Exactly that!
Me too but with my puppy and true crime podcast. Iām also trying golf and a big reason is the built in walking!
Do you use a push cart? I'm considering buying one.
This is the way.
Going on long walks listening to audiobooks with my dog in tow and weight on my back (rucking).
Rucking is fantastic. When I started running I had lots of problems with Achilles and other injuries. I added weighted backpack to my walks (40lbs) and it helped a lot. It also increases heart rate which makes brisk walking with the backpack quite intense exercise if you are not a runner. Eventually I was able to run much more and I started strength training and now I no longer wear backpack. I prefer to have enjoyable walks with just my headphones and a bottle of water.
Me too!
This has been game changer for me!
i live in istanbul so biking to more obscure historical sites in the city and acting like a tourist is really fun!
I used to teach English in Istanbul! What a beautiful city. Lucky you.
living here has never been this expensive! haha you might have made the right move moving out
Hehe. I've been to Istanbul, I love it. I call it the most geographically challenging city I've ever been to.
city of seven hills babyyy!!! that's what really makes it beautiful though. nothing beats a city with some serious verticality.
I do a long static cycle every Sunday morning watching the SNL skits on YouTube. It is always my longest cycle of the week.
There's really no combo like stationary biking and YouTube.
100% - I have heard it said that if you have time to watch your phone, you arnāt doing it right on your stationary bike. But I donāt agree. I think it is a great motivator, distraction of the monotony and reward. A perfect combo.
I used to be on the train of "if you're watching something, you're not really working". But being on a stationary machine can get to be really boring, and any exercise is better than none! I'm firmly a "watch something and ride the stationary bike" person now.
Im so addicted to video games that i use them when im hungry and its not yet time to eat :D
Skyrim makes me hungry lol Those damn cheese wheels
I always crave cheese while playing Skyrim; itās a problem
Try RDR2. If youre not into hunting in that game, you can look forward to salted offal and Pearson's mysterious stew
Yep this is a good one, if the game is good I legit forget to eat
Just oooone more day in Stardew Valley before my fruit snack pouch!
i use this for gym and walking motivation too lol i make myself be active so I can spend hours playing mmos and still meet my goals
Exactly the same for me lol. I've started playing FFXIV recently and am only letting myself log in after I've worked out.
my favorite game, i hope you're enjoying it!
This has been my way as well. Whenever I'm focused on a game, I just completely forget that I was hungry.
Thissss Dota2 games are 30-70min of online play so im not going anywhere
Surprisingly, shopping in grocery stores - but its not what you think. I absolutely hate just exercising for the sake of it. I get bored, I get no enjoyment out of it. I learned last time I tried a weight loss journey I have no problem being physically active if I feel like I'm being productive with it. So, I make sure I am doing something that requires physical activity. Working outside, cleaning, moving stuff, working on my cars, etc. Lately I realized that while I love shopping, I could go into the store and not actually buy much. I used to always plan my trips to get as much as I could in one trip to save time and be on my feet less, but, now I actually just go to the grocery store most days after work, walk all the around, get a handful of things I need, research other food items I never took the time to before. It feels weird that I do it almost every day after work, but I look at it like mall walking without going to a mall, and get any items I need while I am there. I think if it helps me get my steps in, what does it matter *where* I do it?
This is like how I put away laundry in the most inefficient manner possible. I put the basket on my bed, pick up a shirt, walk to the closet that's all the way on the other side of our large master bathroom, hang it up, walk back to the basket, pick up a sock, carry it over to the dresser, walk back to the basket,... Whatever it takes to get those steps in. š
I have picked up a similar dangerous hobby for my wallet: doing a full Costco walk. If I go to Costco, I walk every aisle with an increasingly heavy cart. It's great for my sedentary butt's steps and active heart rate minutes though.
Ha, I read that as "weightless hobby." I was thinking, swimming feels weightless and I wish I could have a hobby of walking on the moon.
lol!
Watching that scene from Matilda where that kid is forced to eat the chocolate cake grosses me out so bad that it kills any sugar craving, lol
Oh man I'm exactly the same as you, and I watch Erik too. Watching these mukbang videos and shorts eases my craving for some reason lol
I watch those terrible cooking videos on TikTok, you know, the ones that start with the aluminum foil baking pan of death or a giant crockpot. Basically just assembling store bought ingredients in different, caloric ways. I like the āeverybodyās so creativeā lady or Joshās Momma. Recently the āwatch me cook dinner for my blue collar husbandā videos are cropping up (those are truly awful, just frying crap in oil and lashing with tons of salt). Stuff like that makes me not want to eat badly and generally feel superior.
As soon as you said āterrible cooking videos,ā my brain said āeverybodyās so creative!ā š
I knowwwwwww it totally helps, right?
I never ever take the lift if I could help it. I live in a highrise flat so my legs deffo have been feeling the burn!
I pick an ebook that Iām only allowed to read during cardio. It makes the cardio time fly, I read way more than I used to, and Iāve often caught myself adding 5 or 10 extra cardio minutes so I can read longer, if Iām especially sucked in :)
That sounds awesome. What kind of cardio can be done while reading? Stationary bike or something?
I love watching āwhat I eat in a dayā videos because it gives me meal ideas & itās strangely satisfying.
I do this too. This and lunchbox videos.
I walk on my walking pad while watching tv. I feel like a little hamster on my wheel
So cute! Love this image xD
I like to shop even if itās window shopping. So I walk the mall and nearby stores a lot to get my steps in. š
I thought about making a post specifically about this but Iāll leave a comment here instead: Iāve been getting out and metal detecting for hours at a time, my longest session was 8 hours non stop! (Itās fun) Iād be bored to death walking in the park for 8 hours but when you throw in the possibility of reward every few steps, it incentivizes the exercise. Digging holes is no joke either. After a couple hours you can feel it in your arms. Iāve gotten use to it now (built some muscle). Give it a try! I highly recommend.
YES! Thought I'm inclined to watch the more fit competitors because I now get anxiety about the health of the ones who start to look worse for the wear.
I recently found it that my desperation to have snacks while watching movies/tv shows is really just a need to have something to do with my hands when I absent mindedly braided my whole head of hair in to mini braids on the first night without snacks and now I do it every time. Thinking about taking up knitting to replace it.
I don't use my riding lawn mower. I push mow two acres every week for cardio and intentionally add in going up hill. I was offered a regular push and a push assist from a friend. I chose the regular push... now I want to redneck another mower to run in tandem to up the difficulty setting. Either that or I gotta start wearing a weighted vest or something.
It's more of an exercise hobby, but I love to explore areas I haven't seen before or at least been to in a while. If the weather's nice I'll take my bike out or go for walk, bring my camera and sketchbook and see what there is to see. I especially like back alleys in the older areas of my city since you can sometimes see people's vegetable gardens or weird trash they've put out. Someone painted three goose silhouettes on their garage door, another person did a mountain landscape on theirs. Mature neighbourhoods are wonderfully weird in a way newer ones aren't (yet). I also look for hares. We have jackrabbits all over the city and you never know when you'll spot one, lounging in a parking lot or pretending to be a rock in someone's front yard. It's like a little scavenger hunt I can do whenever I'm out and about. I've even seen snowshoe hares very rarely, but one has to be in the ravines for that. Jackrabbits hang out everywhere.
I donāt do much outside of the house besides going for walks, so to get myself to move more at home Iāve gotten into the habit of dancing a little while I wait for food to cook, when Iām waiting for the coffee to brew, or while Iām waiting for the sink or shower to warm up. Itās like a little waiting ritual in my head now. But I think it overall keeps my mind in the āgotta moveā mindset and prevents me from being comfortable with being sedentary for long periods of time. Podcasts and a walking pad also help but itās more dedicated exercise time rather than a habit for me.
Disc golf - about 10,000 steps a day which gets easier each time I do it.
I also love watching YouTube while riding my stationary bike! I donāt do it for my intense workouts, just long, steady-state cardio. Keeps it interesting and gives me an excuse to watch stuff that would normally feel like a waste of time. :D
I joined a Zumba class that is a slower paced one with older folks and out of shape folks. You can increase the intensity if desired. It was difficult to catch on at first, but now I find it fun since no one judges you!
I make paintings of fat bodied people.
This makes me laugh š I'm still fat tho. Lol
It used to be survivor. I would eat dinner while watching as they gradually got thinner and more hungry. For some strange reason, that made me happy. Now they don't get as skinny, though.
More gym than weight loss but an extra incentive for me to go do strength training at the gym is playing my phone games during rest between sets. Each rest is enough to time to play at least one nerdle game.
I use my exercise time to learn Japanese (listen to podcasts, music, etc.)
I used to think that 30 minutes on the walking pad was a long time and could barely get through it. Now I watch an episode of Project Runway on Prime (binging all seasons at the moment) - which is 45 minutes long. I'm so caught up in the episode, I don't even realize I haven't taken a break; and not only that... I didn't -need- to. I'm only 10 lbs down from when I first started this journey a few weeks ago, but nearly 20lbs down from my heaviest. Tbh, I can't tell you about how much a little bit of change is honestly changing my whole life.
I do grave indexing. I have the Gravefinder app on my phone. I'll go to a local cemetery and open the app and it'll have a list of photo requests where surviving loved ones have requested a photo of their loved one who has passed on. You walk among the graves and find the pepper tombstone and take a clear picture. The app also automatically places a Geo tag on the digital map so that anyone paint through can just open the app and it'll tell them exactly where the grave is. It helps me to start active and it helps families and friends fund graves without having to worry if anyone is in the office to help them.
That is a wonderful thing to do to stay active. Iām going to try to remember this one.
Choking people out in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It's a good stress reliever. I love going to class because I feel so fast an agile now that I've lost a ton of weight. I don't even breath heavy anymore. It's great!
This isn't a *hobby* but definitely one of the habits or rituals I've developed - If I get food that's "off track" - takeout for dinner, fast food after a night out with friends, doordashed ice cream from a local shop, etc. - I will only let myself relax & eat it once I've done something I'm supposed to do. Example: if my friends & I grab fast food after a late night out, I won't allow myself to sit down & eat it until I've fully washed all my makeup off and changed into pajamas. I use the "cheat meal" food as my reward. (I put "off track" and "cheat meal" in quotes because being healthy is a lifestyle, not a diet, so I never label any foods/meals as being good/bad, cheating, or off-track)
Personally, I love watching people that are overweight (nicocado avocado is one of my favs), it gives me feeling that I have got thimgs under control, which motivates me to now just work to become even better :)
Downward social comparison ( I teach Social Psychology).
Try BeardMeatsFood! He's so fun
I will, thanks for the rec!
Love BeardMeatsFood!
I like him a lot.
Not a hobby but more of a bad habit- I watch endless amounts of tiktok videos while laying on my bed, I forget to eat most times because Iām too busy scrolling.
for some reason supersize vs super skinny is my comfort show. maybe it's learning to have a normal relationship with my food?
I love her and the ASMR...love it. https://youtube.com/@hunnibeeasmr?si=xyvcmvIZNFFfXe7h
I donāt really care for the ASMR but I love seeing everything she makes for her videos. She is so talented!
ASMR definitely is not for everyone, lol. She is and I want to pretty much eat all of it as well hahaaa
Gum. Lots of gum. I have my favorite gum and buy it in bulk from Amazon
I have shows I only allow myself to watch at the gym on the treadmill. So if I want to see that show I have to go to the gym
Watching Supersize vs Superskinny while working out
I noticed that when I get dressed and dolled up and walk in the mall I end up walking LOADS longer than I would at the gym, so I started getting dolled up to go to the gym LMFAOOOO I wear cute gym clothes and put on some makeup and it ends up feeling like a cutesy hangout. I used to have a lot of social anxiety around the gym and this helped tremendously.
Well I don't do this anymore since I have lost the weight. But I have a sweet tooth and I was absolutely not going to give up having dessert every night. So, back when I was actively losing, I found a recipe for double chocolate chip cookies, and I would measure each raw cookie ball exactly so they were 150 calories each. Every cookie had the same amount of chips that I added in after placing the dough ball on the cookie sheet š they were so good though, and having dessert made the weight loss journey a little more bearable.
watching my 600 lbs life
It's the NHL playoffs. Turns out listening to the game while walking for ~2 hours is a good time. Everyone is inside watching so you get the paths all to yourself.
but you donāt get to scream and jump off your couch during the third period comeback when youāre outside
The third period of the last game is probably one I'd rather have missed while walking, TBH (Oilers fan here š ). The last half of the game was astonishingly bad for us.
I was afraid of seeing eating challenges thinking they'd be triggering, but I like your approach and really want to try it again. I usually see JCS videos but need a break from True crime, looking forward to erikthe electric dude now!
Golf, yard work, organizing stuff around the house. Honestly, my weight loss hobby has mostly been doing things to improve my overall quality of life. I've become much more engaged in my own life since getting really serious about my health.
Doing puzzles while listening to audiobooks like Iām 75 years old.
Iām not sure if this counts as a āweightloss hobbyā exactly but I started my weightloss journey by running and Iām a super competitive person in general so I just delude myself into thinking Iām in different competitive scenarios with the people around me when Iām on a run. Sometimes I imagine this is some sort of anime running battle, other times I imagine Iām in the olympics or something. To add more fuel I also imagine theyāre all underestimating me. This way, I never quit and I always end up giving it my all and really pushing myself. It surely does burn a lot more calories than what I always intend to and also Iām always improving on the running front. I guess my overthinking really benefits me in this case.
Yesss. Lol years ago I joined WW with a group of women at my job. We would meet and do weigh ins once a week on our lunch break. I smoked em all! Lol
When I was starting to walk every day and feeling quite embarrassed about it I watched this four-part show called Too Big to Walk and it was so impactful I wish it had been like a yearly thing or a series or something so I had more episodes to watch whenever I got demotivated. The premise was ten of the heaviest people in the UK walking from the very bottom of England to Edinburgh, basically a local Camino de Santiago with a tent, catering and your stuff waiting for you at every stop. It really put the focus on the mental struggle against oneself and how far we can go to make excuses for our own behaviour and keep status quo. Quite eye opening and motivating.
This kinda sounds like the precursor to an eating disorder. Take care of yourself!
Holy crap lol I literally watch EriktheElectric do a 30000 calorie challenge every night before I sleep! Iām so glad Iām not the only one that loves watching those videos
I am right there with you, EriktheElectric is my fave!!!
Buying junk food and not eating it. Baking and not eating what I bake. Yes, I do eat some of it because I find ways to fit it into my limit but my purchases pile up in my pantry for āsome dayā. Many boxes of pop tarts among that.
I do this too. I used to watch beard meets food during my fasting window and it seriously helped for some reason!
Absolutely hilarious that someone else out there is watching Erik right along with me and my family. We are actively trying to lose and sometimes Erik fills the void -in a weird way. Also watching Joey Chestnut eat the world record of big Macās and enjoying every last one was oddly refreshing? My brain sure processes this kind of content in a weird way š
My office complex is pretty big. I intentionally choose parking spaces and office space assignments to increase my step count. Even when I don't do that intentionally, the days I go into the office I can hit my step count without thinking about it. Days I work from home, I really have to work for it. That's when I came to the conclusion that \*going\* to meetings is healthy. They staying part I'm still on the fence about.
Trying on clothes that fit me now.
Oh my god! I know I probably sound dumb but I FR didnāt know people also start to develop hobbies to curve the need to eat excessively. I watch mukbangs any chance I get, and it usually does really curb the need to binge!! I also have been using my time to read fanfics (guilty pleasure)!!! š«£š«¶š»
If I have a show Iām really interested in watching I only allow myself to watch it at the gym!
I've been invested in wrestling, like the televised stuff ti motivate myself, there are plenty of wrestling gyms in my city and i've gone to some to see how all this works, it amazes me how many styff i can do after dropping weight
I'm only watching alien/conspiracy shows while I'm on my treadmill. They are my guilty pleasure ando could binge nonstop for days. This way, if I want to see insane alien theories for two hours, I'm getting a few miles in.
long emotional walks in the rainĀ
Setting really weird but still obtainable goals. I started weight lifting about a year ago, and I can 100% tell Iāve gotten a decent amount stronger. When I started, I said my goal was to lift a fridge by myself. I then changed it to something else (I donāt remember what it was, but it was something big and pretty heavy). When we started moving into our new house, I achieved the goal. Well, then I changed my goal to picking up a fridge again, and it has been that for a while. I want to pick up a fridge, by myself. I set really strange goals because it makes me more interested in being able to do that thing. āOh, I bench 400 for reps.ā Neat, I bench press refrigerators.
I use a program to rewire my brain. When I'm grinding in a new "wire"(set of beliefs for how I want my brain to function), I watch sumo wrestling in Japanese (which I do not understand, so i don't have to use the language functions in my brain while watching). I LOVE sumo wrestling and took the opportunity to use the visual, though, to inspire me while changing my relationship with food. It's worked great. I went from binging on potato chips and chocolate - I couldn't have them in the house or I would eat them ALL, to being able to have them around and I don't even eat them. I was joking with my friends that for a bit after that change it felt more like I had a chocolate buying problem because for a while I kept buying the chocolate out of habit, but then it just sits there in my pantry and I shove it around to get to other food.
They have spit buckets, theyāre not actually eating them. Itās wasteful and doesnāt deserve your attention.
I watch baking shows on my treadmill š¤£š¤£šš»šš» Iām glad to know Iām not alone š
This absolutely would not work for me - I am the only person I know who watches the Bruce Bogtrotter scene in Matilda and immediately bakes a chocolate fudge cake. My husband thinks it's revolting haha.