A Weight Loss Thread

Kudos on the challenge.

I notice you have been eating only breakfast, lunch and supper. Eating smaller more frequent meals will be a huge help. It will speed up your metabolism and prevent binge eating. 4-6 meals a day, maybe look into getting some protien shakes for between meals.

My wife does the beach body work outs and they work great! Lots of different types of workouts that you can easily do in home. I sometimes workout with her but im most often beat from work.

As far as the fasting goes it doesn't seem like a long term plan. As long as you fuel up property throughout the day and stop eating around 7-8 your body does a natual "fast" and get roughly 12hrs of no food.

Yeah, I've seen the small meals strategy work well, but I've tried it and it just doesn't work for me. If I could stick to it I'm sure it would work well, but my daily schedule just doesn't allow for it.

I'll eat something small, get started working on something and look up to find 7 hours have gone by. Just not something I'll be able to stick to.

I think I should be able to meet my goals though by just making healthier choices and increasing my activity a bit.
 
Yeah, I've seen the small meals strategy work well, but I've tried it and it just doesn't work for me. If I could stick to it I'm sure it would work well, but my daily schedule just doesn't allow for it.

I'll eat something small, get started working on something and look up to find 7 hours have gone by. Just not something I'll be able to stick to.

I think I should be able to meet my goals though by just making healthier choices and increasing my activity a bit.

Keep it simple, try to think long term and avoid gimmicks or extremes. Try to eat real food. If it wasn't being consumed 100 years ago its probably not beneficial to a diet, (I'm talking processed food and fake foods) all these artificially sweetened and low fat options are usually not the best option as well.

Best of luck with the plan! My wife uses an easy hunger test that seems logical "if you arent hungry enough to eat an apple, you're not hungry"

I've been up there, 285 was my max im now down to 220 and have been pretty consistent for about 10 years. Could probably take my own advice and drop 10-20 myself.

The at home videos sound silly but its really convenient and if you have youtube, you have all you need.

Again best of luck
 
Complete readjustment of diet, lifestyle and exercise.
I was a 300 pounder but at 6'6" I carried it well with a past history of sports and working out. Just not enough cardio later on and my BP was through the roof.
At 50 years old I decided it was time for a change and might be my last chance while I had enough energy to accomplish the task.
After 3 years I was down to 185 and looked like a bean pole so bulked up to my 200 pound target where I'm now at 2 years later, and I refuse to go even an ounce over that weight.
I stick with a diet of lean proteins and low carbs.
Absolutely nothing processed, no sugar for sure. There are plenty of natural sweeteners out there to satisfy cravings.
And I work out like a maniac.
Modest amount of strength training and I live on my mountain bike.
I went in for an exam last month and my BP was 120/60 something and my heart rate was 37 BPM.
Hooked me up to an EKG and was told I had an extremely healthy heart.
A relief after all of the abuse I put it through eating trash for so many years.
It's all about dedication, it takes a lot of it.

Good luck on your endeavor.
I'm off for a couple hours of riding!
 
When I stopped snacking after dinner I lost it pretty quick. I switched to unleaded energy drinks and h2o.
I suggest buying a nice water filter. Since I bought my Aquarain 404 it is easier too drink more water because it tastes much better.
 
Day 4:

Breakfast:

Light Yoghurt and Cantaloupe - 250 Calories
Rockstar Cucumber-Lime Energy Drink - 10 Calories

Lunch:

Carrots and Celery w/ Ranch dip - 200 calories
Salami & Roast beef w Mustard - 325 calories
Sharp Cheddar cheese - 125 calories

Dinner:

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli pasta - 550 calories
Piece of Garlic Toast - 175 calories
Scoop of Butter Pecan ice cream - 150 calories

Daily total of 1785 calories. Lazy day. Didn't do a lot, just chores around the house.

308.8 lbs
 
Day 5:

Breakfast:

Microwavable Breakfast on a Stick - 230 calories
Soda - 150 calories

Lunch:

Green salad with Carrots, Celery and Turkey - 350 calories
Water - 0 calories

Dinner:
Two slices of pepperoni pizza - 700 calories
Small Caesar Salad - 175 calories
Soda - 150 calories

Daily total of 1755 calories.

306.2 lbs

Almost 10lbs down. Only 66.2 to go. 240 is the goal.
 
Contrary to most poor information people get, the best way to loose weight is to actually EAT MORE but of good lean food and skip the walking and do weights, heavy weights. If you don't eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode and turn anything you eat to fat as a reserve.

If you want to loose fat, even when sleeping, you need more muscle mass. Muscle burns fat 24 hours a day, 365 days a week. More muscle, more calorie/fat burning. Cardio only burns calories while doing it.. when you stop, the burning stops.

There is a simple app for your phone called Fat Secret. You can scan about any food in your house and it will add the calories for the quantities you eat. Now, you have to be honest and correct in your quantities. Most people can't look at something and tell if it's 2 tablespoons or 4. They can't tell the difference between 4 oz of protein or 8 oz. So get all the needed measuring instruments and USE THEM.

Try eating 2000 clean calories.. it's a TON and that excluedes veggies which have about zero calories. You need those to push to clean you out. That and LOTS of water.

You have to lift heavy (low reps, high sets). You should be maxing out at 5-8 reps but doing 5 sets. Do the compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, bench press. Everything else is not really worth it for weight loss (curls, calves, etc). All that small stuff gets worked out with the big lifts, so save your time there.

Here are some guidelines.. base your diet off the weight you want to be at. For example.
Eating clean that is a crap ton of food. But if you lift hard, your muscles will need that. You'll feel like all you are doing is eating, but you will lose weight.

Goal of 200lbs = 2400cal / day
Protein = 1gr / lb = 200 gr
Carbs = 1gr / lb = 200 gr
Fat = .4g / lb = 80 gr
 
That's a tough battle! Lots of great advice here already!

The key for me was to track my calorie intake. I believe 80% of weight loss is food intake. You can eat your way through any workout.

I used My Fitness Pal app/website to trade my food. Really easy to use. It is a real eye opener when you see where your calories are coming from!!

They also have a lot of great articles on food, exercise, etc.

I completely changed my diet. I lost 45 lbs in 5 months and have keep it off for the last year using that app.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Whoever said that it's mostly about food intake reflects my experience too except for me it's also important to get some exercise and it is surprising how effective low intensity exercise can be if you just do it consistently. I got a Fitbit and try for 10000 steps a day and it was very very helpful for me together with watching the scale., Slow and steady works!
 
Good job! Keep it up. Or down, I guess.

I'm down from 312 to 304 since I started my own diet 3 weeks ago.
 
I second my fitness pal, that helps a ton. It has calorie amounts for whole menus of popular Resturants. As far as eating goes I recommend just eating clean foods like chicken, turkey, veggies and, rice, etc.

As far as exercise goes, HIIT (high intensity interval training) is the best for fat loss. It's quick and the most effective. You can look up how to do it exactly.

To find out how many calories you need to eat, you need to find your maintenance calories here http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutcal.htm Try to eat that amount everyday. Too little calories will make you hold on to fat, to much will make you gain it (obviously)

Good luck! I've been in your shoes once before and it does work and change is possible!
 
No programs for me. I run about 15-20 miles a week along with weights 2-3 times weekly. I eat what I want when I want and always have time for a beer 🍻 I was at 218 three weeks ago, down to 210 now. 190 is where I want to be.
 
I've been a long term fitness advocate and can tell u my best results from cutting fat while are simply just cutting out flour and sugar. It sounds strict, but if u get board with ur current strategy and want to get really good results just cut out anything containing flour and sugar! And I personally guarantee you that the fat will literally melt off. Need a caffeine boost have a diet soda or coffee. Just 2 cents worth. Good luck
 
I've been a long term fitness advocate and can tell u my best results from cutting fat while are simply just cutting out flour and sugar. It sounds strict, but if u get board with ur current strategy and want to get really good results just cut out anything containing flour and sugar! And I personally guarantee you that the fat will literally melt off. Need a caffeine boost have a diet soda or coffee. Just 2 cents worth. Good luck

I plan on doing this when I plateau, which I expect to happen around 275.
 
I plan on doing this when I plateau, which I expect to happen around 275.

Not start an argument, but imo this type of diet is not maintainable longterm. In fact all diets are not maintainable. What you need is a lifestyle change. Cutting out flour and sugar is almost the same as a ketogenic diet, which is usually not maintainable also.

Losing weight is as simple as calories in and calories out. As long as you take in less calories than you expend you will lose weight.
 
Not start an argument, but imo this type of diet is not maintainable longterm. In fact all diets are not maintainable. What you need is a lifestyle change. Cutting out flour and sugar is almost the same as a ketogenic diet, which is usually not maintainable also.

Losing weight is as simple as calories in and calories out. As long as you take in less calories than you expend you will lose weight.

The lifestyle change already happened. The diet listed there would just be used briefly to maintain the pace of weight loss through the plateau when my body settles into my new habits.

After reaching my goal I'd settle back into a sustainable, healthy-ish diet.

Who knows though, I may not plateau at all and just truck right on down to my goal weight doing what I'm doing now. We'll see.
 
The lifestyle change already happened. The diet listed there would just be used briefly to maintain the pace of weight loss through the plateau when my body settles into my new habits.

After reaching my goal I'd settle back into a sustainable, healthy-ish diet.

Who knows though, I may not plateau at all and just truck right on down to my goal weight doing what I'm doing now. We'll see.

You are right. You have to change your attitude to eating and activity. It's a struggle and you need to reinforce what works in a sustainable way. I'd be lying if i said I knew the answer but, so far so good. But for me it was really important to take off those first 20 pounds, by hook or by crook, to get the momentum going and the positive reinforcement i needed, and better fitness to push a little harder more easily. After 30 pounds I hit a diet i could live with and i actually lost another 17 on my sustainable diet. Still going. But what will be when it gets dark at 4 pm, its a crappy slushy winter outside and work pressure makes me want to explode? That's when the Pizza fairy comes calling and you can hear the burgers sizzling two miles away. I don't think it will ever be easy.
 
One small change you might try (OK, maybe more than one :-)
Shift calories toward earlier in the day (i.e. more calories earlier in the day, less at the night meal). The body burns calories while sleeping, but not as much as during the awake hours.

Shoot for the same size meals (calorie and type of calorie) every day for at least a month to give yourself a baseline.
If you don't start t lose body fat (not necessarily weight as muscle gain may offset fat loss), then start reducing the size of those meals a little bit at a time.

Don't starve yourself. It can actually cause you to gain in the long term. No time for a meal? Keep a granola or cereal bar handy so you at least give your body SOMETHING to know it's not being starved.

It's a long process, but it will pay off if you keep at it, and then turn it into a lifestyle change instead of a "diet".
 
Sorry. I didn't mean to incinuate you hadn't. I was just speaking in a general sense.
 
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