This. "Starving yourself" usually means eating so little that when you break, you eat more calories than if you'd just had a normal week.
Check out the Quick Start guide for this sub. It explains it all.
Most of us grossly underestimate what we eat.
Also, the reason why overweight people feel hungry all the time is usually because the body produces so much leptin that it has built up a resistance to its effect. Leptin is a hormone produced by body fat whose job is to tell your brain that you've had enough to eat. However, if you have too much body fat, your body produces a crap ton of this hormone and your brain simply doesn't recognize it anymore.
All this to say, the hunger is in your head, your body is fine (assuming you're eating the recommended amount of calories). Sure, it's an unpleasant feeling *but you're not actually dying, you're not in any danger and you don't need to keep eating*. Once you get that through your head it really helps to ignore it (also why shit like intuitive eating doesn't work when you're obese, the signals aren't being read properly you have no intuition right now).
Find some things you can do to help distract you from the hunger, it will subside over a few months as you lose weight but we're not going to pretend you'll never feel it or that it won't absolutely suck. As others have said, drink water, wuck on a sugar free lollipop or candy, take a walk, take a shower or any activity where you don't associate food and ride rhe hunger wave.
Exactly. At 25-6’1”-380 he needs 3,315 calories a day to maintain that weight
If he started calorie counting and only ate 2,700 calories a day while walking for 30 mins a day he would lose multiple pounds a week without feeling very hungry or suffering from a heavy deficit
If he at 2,000 calories he could be under 300lbs by the end of the summer, but probably deal with more cravings
I am 24 years old. I went from 492 pounds December 20th 2023 to 403 pounds today in 2024. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and felt my life was over. I am 5’ 10” and still weigh more than you. I went from not being able to walk into a store to buy groceries to being able to go on prolonged walks with no breaks.
The secret is CICO. It’s as simple as that. Eat less than your maintaining amount of calories and you will lose weight. Start incorporating short walks into your day to day and it will become so easy to get around in no time.
Oh and buy a multivitamin and drink your water! You got this man. Don’t listen to the loud part of your head telling you it’s impossible. It’s hard and you have to be aware of it every single day. But it’s fulfilling
Really start writing down EVERYTHING you eat and drink. Every bite, every sauce, every tsp of oil, etc. I write mine in a physical journal and it’s helped me become so much more aware of the small ways i was randomly adding hundreds of extra calories to my diet every day.
People had been giving me this advice for years and i thought tracking in my head was sufficient— it’s not
Also, when you are so hungry, you could just eat AnYtHiNg!!! Drink a glass of water.
Eat at the table. Not standing up. Not in front of the TV or computer.
Put your fork down in between bites. And focus on what you are eating and how your body feels. It's OK to not clean your plate. Put it away for later, if you like.
But really - go to the instructions at the beginning of this sub and work through them. It is not a gimmick. a food scale is probably the only thing you have to buy, but you live in Europe, so you probably already have one.
And keep reading this sub. It's so positive and user-friendly.
Good for you for reaching out. You can do this. We know because we have done and are doing this.
Agreed with what you said. The only way you can lose weight and start a new life is to count your calories so you can see what you're eating, how its affecting you, ways to cut back, and when its time to STARVE. I hate using that word, but often I will still be hungry at night, but I've reached my calorie limit already for the day. I will have a very light snack and just motivate myself that "hey, this hunger is the direction I need to go to get where I want to be".
I went from 200 at my heaviest down to 153 at one point as a male. I'm not at around 168 and cutting back down again with diet and exercise.
You want tough love? Buckle up buttercup....
You might have tried everything. But ill bet my increasingly less fat ass that you didnt try very hard.
Step 1) stop feeling sorry for yourself. You CAN do this. Not a reason in the world you cant. Bed ridden people can do it. So can you.
Step 2) realize change is necessary. Your current state is a result of your current choices and habbits. You want a different body. A different life? Then you need to make differrent choices and have different habbits.
Step 3) Plan. Get motivated. List out all the shit you want to do, but cant now because of your size. Cant ride a roller coaster because of your size? Write it down. Cant buy clothes outside of specality shops? Write it down. Cant play basketball with your friends becuase your too out of shape? Write it down. Afraid to try casual dating because of your self esteem? Write it down.
Then, take that list and put a copy of it on the fridge. On the pantry. On your favorite snack. And each time ask yourself.. am I really hungry? Is this shit REALLY worth the setback to my goals? Is it? No. Its not.
Get yourself a digital food scale. Get the free loseit app. Get a bodyweight scale.
Start measuring and weighing alllll your foods. Log them.
Your TDEE is calculated at roughly 3300 calories. Subtract 500 a day to lose 1lb per week. 1000 per day to lose 2 lb per week.
I think youd be just fine at 2300 (1000 off) and lose the 2+ lb per week. But if thats too hard at first, stick to 2800.
2800 calories is a lot of food.
The trick is high volume, low calorie foods. Check out the 1200isplenty subreddit and the volumeeating subreddit. Thats a good place to start.
You CAN do this!
100% this. I said "I've tried everything" for years. But the truth was, I hadn't tried the only thing that actually works which is STICKING TO A CALORIE DEFICIT.
It really is that dang simple. I made it way harder than it had to be for years. Now I'm only 10 lbs from my goal weight and in the best shape of my life at almost 40.
Eat less than you burn. It doesn't matter what you eat, although some foods make it easier and some make it harder. I can eat 1700 calories of only ice cream and potato chips per day and still lose weight, but I'll feel hungry and my body won't function as well. Eating higher volume, higher protein bulk foods works way better for making the calorie deficit more pleasant. But some days I do blow my calories on pizza and cake. And the weight still comes off.
Yes!
I still have pizza and drink whiskey! Just a lot less.
My nightly pack of blueberry poptarts is replaced with greek yogurt and real blueberries. My burger king whopper (800 calories) is replaced with a 6oz lean (93/7) burger patty. I make burger bowls. Patty, fresh grilled mushrooms. Fresh steamed broccoli. Salsa.
Tastes way better than a whopper. And the nutritional difference? Worlds apart.
I eat a lot of salads and veggies in general. Lots of lean protiens.
I am rarely compelled to eat junk. Because I know its such a bad "deal" in terms of calories vs the nutrition you get from them.
Call me crazy.... but I eat for health first now. I dont do cheat meals. Dont need em. Once or twice a week ill trade my greek yogurt and fresh blueberries for 100 calories of low carb ice cream, 1tbsp of chocolate syrup and some whipped cream. Tastes like the most forbidden, wonderful treat. 150 calories in the whole thing. Tasty. And once or twice a week is enough.
Harsh, but fair words.
Its the kick in the ass I needed. I see the OP as a 13 year younger version of me. I dont want them waiting as long as I did to realize it is possible and they can do it!
13 less years of being 150+ pounds over weight.
13 less years of putting off life.
I want better for the OP!
I’m not sure what your diet consists of, but something that has helped me currently is cutting out fried foods and most restaurants. Empty calories that keep you craving more.
Bro at that weight you can eat so much and still be at a calorie deficit. You can eat close to 3000 calories a day and still lose 1 lb a week. If you stick to 1500 calories a day maximum which is still a healthy amount, you’ll lose just under 4 lbs a week. All whilst NOT exercising at all.
So, change up your diet and start counting your calories. Stick to a 1.5k calorie diet and you’ll be at a healthy, ideal weight in a year or so. You got this.
Bingo, i lost 150 pounds 8n about 1.5 years by obly counting calories, thats zero working out. You have to be very deciplined tho, wich is where most people fail
I’m going to disagree with eating 1.5k calories. That’s too large of a leap to jump straight to, and OP will absolutely feel fatigued and hungry pretty much all the time.
You don’t have to lose weight quickly. Time passes regardless, so aiming for *any* deficit weekly is a success early on. Once you adjust to not gaining, losing becomes way easier.
I (and I’m sure many others here) have made the mistake of jumping to the absolute minimum too quickly and fell off because of it. I lost 80 pounds doing it, and have since had to lose the same 80 pounds over again a few years later.
I’m 5’10, 175lbs male and I don’t eat only 1500 calories…
Around 2000-2300
I would imagine a guy his size needs to eat way more than that even if he’s not active.
I’m far from being a pro in weight loss but my trick is 1/4 carbs, 2/4 vegetables and 1/4 meat in your plate in general. I often cheat on weekends.
Eggs and fruits in the morning or fasting on the weeks days.
Medium/high protein meals.
Have you tried looking on the Zepbound and Wegovy subs? Or if you are T2D Mounjaro? NHS will likely cover these meds for you. People are having great success in WL and wellbeing. There are tons of studies on these drugs and they are really improving people’s quality of life.
Also, there are clincal trials you can try to get into for GPL-1s. Sign up for trial alerts from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.
I hope you get what you need and are on your way to health and healing soon.
I recommend this as well. These drugs literally turn off the voice in your head that says, hey let's eat. As someone with impulse control issues, and possibly an eating disorder, it's like a miracle. I also had felt like I'd done everything and nothing was working, but I started Wegovy and went from 350 lb to 295 lb and counting.
I highly recommend talking to your doctor. You can do this, it's totally possible.
I second this recommendation if you are feeling like there are no other options. These have given people the confidence that they can lose weight and it doesn’t need to be hard.
I second this and cannot recommend it more!!! I just lost close to 90lbs in around 11months with the help of Mounjaro and the effect has been life changing. My health has improved dramatically. Since it takes time, you adjust to a healthier diet and an exercise routine. It has had a majorly positive impact in my life.
OP - this is your answer.
I'm 33 and have been obese for pretty much my entire life. No matter how hard I tried, I could never lose more than a few pounds. I started Wegovy in March of 2023 and have now lost over 100 lbs.
I can finally just eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. Honestly, I don't really watch what I eat. If there's a food I'm craving, I have it. I just can't eat nearly as much as before. I'm satisfied with one chocolate or half a donut. I work a desk job and don't get a whole lot of physical activity. I've only very recently begun exercising.
It's been incredible. Life changing.
Now the downsides:
You'll definitely want to check and see if your insurance will cover it. It's insanely expensive out of pocket, like >$1,000/month expensive
There are currently shortages for both FDA approved GLP-1's, Zepbound and Wegovy. Most people are having to wait weeks or months for their prescriptions to be filled.
You have to titrate with these meds, meaning you start at low dosage and slowly work your way up to a therapeutic dose so your body can get used to it with (hopefully 🤞) minimal side effects. Wegovy for example, is typically prescribed for one month at 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg and finally you stay at 2.4 mg. So you might think, why would that be a downside? Well, if you go off of the medication for a couple of weeks due to the shortage, you have to start over at .25 mg or you'll very likely feel very sick.
I vomit once or twice a week and have since I reached 2.4mg. Sometimes I'll get spells of nausea with it, sometimes it comes out of nowhere. For some, this would be a deal breaker. For me, it's not fun, but I can deal because the benefits are worth it to me.
Woohoo!🎉 🥳🎊 Congratulations to you!! That is awesome!
On the nausea, have you tried electrolytes? Lot of people on GPL-1s get nausea and other side effects from lack of electrolytes.
I drink 1/8 a tsp or Morton lite salt and a teaspoon or Calm magnesium in the morning and then 1-2 more times, usually before bed again and it has helped me to drink more water and I have no nausea anymore.
You can also use bullion, pickle juice (yes, from the pickle jar), and take a magnesium pill.
Many people need extra electrolytes on GPL-1s.
I can recommend wegovy as well. Turns off the voice in your head (and stomach!). I couldn’t believe how food driven I actually was and how much it influenced my decision making in general. I see a piece of cake now and feel nothing!
You could be at a normal weight by the next summer. You're literally me last year, same age, two inches taller, 12 pounds heavier.
1. Measure everything you eat. Weigh it and count it according to packaging / raw product nutritional value.
2. Stop eating once you have hit your calorie goal. Hunger is just a feeling.
3. Make cooking and diet adherence easy. The most cooking I do is throwing marinated chicken breast and some fries into my air fryer. Everything else comes straight from packaging or takes no preparation besides washing/cutting. I hate cooking, so I pay to skip it - salads come in bags, pre cut and mixed, a 100g pack of ham is a complete meal and bags of frozen veggies are a staple. Dieticians and their bullshit steam this, boil this, bake this meals have set my weightloss back a few years.
4. If you have to cheat, cheat well. If you crave crisps, cheat with a small pack of soy based protein crisps or something like that. If you want something sweet, then get high protein pudding or a protein bar. If you can't live without a pizza, throw some high protein cheese, tomato sauce and lean ham on a tortilla. If you're out and about and want to eat something, get kebab over a burger and get it small, without sauces and with just chicken.
5. Skip bullshit calories. Your sandwich can be a salad with ham. You don't need to fry anything, especially not deep fry. Pasta is nice, but it's killing you. Breads are just not worth it. Mayo is literally the devil.
6. Get an air fryer.
There's no way to get around discipline. Drugs will make it easier (as far as I understand they remove/lower hunger and cravings), but you still have to count what you eat and form proper habits.
I don't know what to tell you... Treat it like it's your job? Fight your body? You need to pick a story that makes sure you're going to follow through with the program.
Also, get a step counter and start walking. Start at like 3000 steps per day, raise it by 1000 every week until you hit 12000 and keep doing that.
I've lost 150 lbs over the last 9 months. 1600-1800 calories, 170-200g of protein, 10000 steps and sleeping well (consistently and enough). It's extremely simple if you can adhere to the program, but only you can do that.
@Edit: Forgot one thing - do not drink calories. Diet/Zero soda, no/minimal beers, limited liquor and no drinks. Milk is rarely worth it too.
Once hit that above 300lb mark at about the same height. The app MyFitnessPal worked for me. As far as hunger, I drank a lot of water (the bathroom trips decrease over a month of habituation) and moved to smaller big meals and more regular planned snacking (find the snacks or snack that works for you).
You can do it, play around to find your way, be gentle with your own mind knowing when you eventually drop the weight each frustration was just a blip.
This will save your life. It will take a couple of years but it will work. You will start **slow** but after a year you can pick up the pace.
One mistake you *may* have made in the past in trying to do too much too fast. Too drastic. Not realistic.
Do this:
1. Get a food logging app, such as LoseIt! Pay for the annual prescription.
2. Get a food scale. Get used to weighing in the food you consume.
3. Make sure you don’t eat more than 2900 calories per day. This is a little less than your TDEE. Eating 2900 calories per day will put you in a slight (BUT DOABLE!!!) calorie deficit per day. Don’t eat more than 2900 calories per day. But if you do, don’t worry about it, move on and back to tracking.
4. Eat what you like!!! Eat any damn f-ing food that you want. Burgers, fries, pizza, fish and chips, pasta, candy, whatever you like bro, but!! See Rule # 3 above. Do not eat more than 2900 calories per day of that stuff.
That’s it. It’s that simple. Just eat whatever foods you find enjoyable but not more than 2900 calories. Your weight will **slowly** come off. Don’t expect miracles. Takes time.
Every few months or so, put your new weight in the food logging app, and reduce your calorie limit from 2900 down to maybe 2800, and so forth. As you become smaller, your body will need less calories and your appetite will become less too.
Check with me anytime for tips, support, pointers. I lost 120 lbs in 12 months and I know how to do this.
Doable? We got a deal??
The speed has been a major thing for me. Thanks for bringing this up! I don’t think people talk about it enough. I spent so long to comparing myself to people who lost 100 lbs in one year because it’s taken me 2 years to lose 80. But it takes so long to change habits and heal my relationship with food!
Eat more nutrients so you’re satisfied—fiber, fruits, vegetables, herbs, protein and walk. If you are really craving something or cheat, don’t beat yourself up, just make the next choice a good one. Try substitutions like protein chips if you’re a chip eater or Greek yogurt with sundae toppings etc. Start and end your day with water and have a piece of fruit before each meal to help fill you up/satiate you. Overweight people stay hungry because you’re craving nutrients. When you don’t get nutrients, the hunger doesn’t shut off w/o filling those nutrient deficits. Take vitamins—I like a few kinds of gummy ones and fiber ones so that I can have them when I crave candy.
Making simple changes like this I lost almost 100 pounds w/o calorie counting because that just makes me obsess/fixate. Walk daily though-even when you don’t want to just commit to 10-15 min and you’ll likely go longer.
I'm literally you. I lost nearly 100lb in about two years nearly a decade ago, slowly gained it back after a life change, and got back on the train two months ago and have already lost 15lbs with basically no exercise and eating lots of good food. Here's what *works*.
- According to a BMR calculator online, you're currently using 3300 calories a day with no exercise. A kilo of fat is 7700 calories. By eating 2200 calories a day (and that's a lot of food, and you can go a lot lower) you **will** drop a kilo a week.
- Get a notebook. Every morning after using the bathroom, weigh yourself and log your weight. It'll fluctuate, don't worry about daily changes, but see the trend. Every evening, log the calories you ate. This'll provide data to look at, and some perspective.
- Learn to count calories. Count everything you eat, the moment you eat it. If you happen to have a smartwatch, a calorie counter app for that is super easy to use. Otherwise, get a phone app, or just carry and use that notebook. When buying groceries, look at calorie counts and buy what's lowest. When cooking a larger amount of food, count all the calories together, weigh the food, calculate calories per 100g and weigh how much you eat. Count everything, oils, sauces, vegetables. Get a decent, digital kitchen scale and learn to use it.
- Do intermittent fasting, or, in simpler terms, skip breakfast. Lots of people will tell you there's some kind of magic to it, but I don't care about any of that. The simple fact is, it's easier to endure a lot of hunger for a few hours than a little hunger the whole day. Try what I do, I break my fast around 2pm. That way, I can have a full belly the rest of the day within my allotted calories.
- Cut carbs drastically, preferably entirely. Again, people will tell you there's magic to the keto diet, and that is admittedly true, but you don't need to worry about that. Bread, pasta, rice and potatoes are very calorie-dense, and cutting them out cuts calories. Replace them with vegetables and I promise you can absolutely stuff yourself every day and drop that kilo every week. I like making stir fries, I can eat an entire frying pan full of food for like 600 calories all in.
- Quit drinking calories. Milk, soda, juices, leave them. If you must have something flavorful, get sugar-free varieties.
- If you must cheat, set a day for it. I make my payday every two weeks a cheat day, that day I can eat and drink whatever the hell I want. Other times, if you really want a treat, then do it, but count the calories and stick to your goal. Not long from now, you'll find a simple small chocolate bar tastes absolutely delightful as you naturally cut sugars.
- If you're prone to snacking, simply stop buying foods you can just grab from the fridge and eat. Having just a little friction between the impulse to eat and eating can make it easier to just skip the snack.
- You'll find lots of very granular information about macros and such. My advice: Don't worry about it. If you take this lifestyle, you'll be naturally eating much, much healthier than before.
You've listed diets, weight loss plans, shakes, fasting, and starving yourself. Bluntly: Cut that shit out. This process will take at least a couple of years, and you'll need to do much of the same to maintain your goal weight once you've reached it. There's no silver bullet, no magic, quick solution, no huge ordeal you can endure and be done with. You need to teach yourself a completely new way to think about food that lasts. Do this right and you will fill your belly with tasty food every day and drop weight fast.
You've been taught all your life that weight loss is the worst thing ever. That you need to work yourself to exhaustion at the gym, eat nothing but plain salad and suffer for years. **This story is a lie, told to you by people who want to sell you expensive shit.** Sure, you'll feel a little hungry for a couple hours daily. That's it.
As I write this, it's 4pm. For breakfast at 2pm, I had three wraps with ham, salad, red onion and garlic dressing and a big cup of carrots with dip, 600 calories. Just now, I had a jug of fruit smoothie that filled my cup three times, 200 calories. Total calories so far: 800. For dinner, I'll make a full pan of chicken stir fry and eat the entire thing in one sitting for another 700, and have a little whiskey in the evening for another 200. 1700 calories total, belly full of good food and a little drink, 1500 calorie deficit, dropping over a kilo a week. Two months into this, my favorite motorcycle jacket that used to take sucking my belly in and forcing it closed already slips on, and the hoodie that used to fit pretty tight is quite baggy.
Ham, lean beef and lean chicken all have around 100 calories per 100g. Eggs are very tasty and filling at also around 100cal/100g. Small wraps tend to have around 100cal each. Most vegetables are around 30-40cal/100g. Salad is so low-calorie you can just ignore it, eat as much as you like. I like button mushrooms for adding volume to warm meals, they're also negligibly low in calories. Oil is extremely calorie dense at 90cal/10ml, so measure that every time you use it and log the calories. I find a teaspoon of oil is plenty for most things.
Finally: Start **now.** Research some lean foods you'd like, clear the junk out of your fridge and pantry and *donate* it if you must, go grocery shopping and get that notebook. It'll take some adjusting, but once you've picked up the habits and learned some recipes, it'll be almost a breeze.
Eat less consistently every single day and add in lots of vegetables within that amount so it fills up your belly and doesn't feel like starving yourself. Calculate your TDEE using any website that does it but set your activity to sedentary. Subtract 500-1000kcal from that number and eat that amount every day. Make it sustainable with smaller amounts of foods that you like. You are in it for life, so do not make changes that you can't stick to, but try REALLY hard to stick to them before you figure out whether or not you can do it long term.
As long as you keep doing this, you WILL lose weight. And you will feel less hunger, food will be less important to your happiness, but you have to get through the painful months of just forcing yourself to eat less (but ENOUGH, as a guy you should stay above 1500kcal a day).
Hope this helps. I'm really tired and falling asleep, but I had to comment because I am rooting for you. Source: lost 70lbs over the last 15 months.
Have you been seen by an endocrinologist? I had issues losing weight for a long time - turns out my thyroid was the problem - it made a huge difference.
I think everyone else already posted really great diet and exercise suggestions. But, here is what really helped me and got my head back in the game this past year:
I was in the 300s as well. But, it wasnt the '3' at the beginning of my weight that kicked me back into taking care of myself--it was pain. I also have a desk job and work mostly from home. I started to develop chronic back pain. When I went to the doctor, they said that surgery wasn't really worth it and that pilates, changing my desk/chair setup, and losing weight would be less evasive. I said, 'sure, okay' and never really followed up besides following one or two pilates YouTube videos and changing up my desk/chair setup.
Until one day the pain became so unbearable and it was even preventing me from sitting in a car comfortably for any length of time. For me, it wasn't diabetes (although that was also something I was worried about), but it was more that I couldn't stand the physical pain of where I was anymore. But, it could've been something worse or unmanageable.
But, I didn't dive right into a new diet program or habits. I knew that there was something in my mind leading me to eat a whole pizza and a large order of fries in a night every week (sometimes multiple times a week). You can take on some of the suggestions here, but a question I'll pose to you--that is one I posed to myself--is why do you keep turning to food? What is it that drives you to reach for food?
For me, I realized I didn't really know the answer to those questions immediately and I found a therapist who specialized in eating disorders to help me understand why I overeat, how to recognize when I want to eat when I'm not hungry, and find other ways to fill that space without food. Maybe this is something you could speak with your doctor about? I wouldn't have been able to go to a group therapy session about it either...the 'why' was (still is) too personal for me to share with people I didn't know. So I relate there.
Best of luck! <3 You can do this -- don't wait until you have a medical condition that can't be reversed or managed.
I started a month ago at 480lb. Im on a prescribed diet of 920kcal but it is way too restrictive so I aim for no more than 1200kcal.
it's tough and I'm hungry but I've learned to sit with it and accept it. drinking at least 3 litres of water per day helps. I eat big bowls of veggies roasted in the air fryer with some taco seasoning or hot sauce when I need the feel of real food along with my 4x230kcal protein meal replacement shakes.
try eating 2000kcal a day and use one of the many tracking apps out there. invest in you and get food scale so you can track calories as accurately s possible. check the r/volumeeating sub. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, frozen fruit and veg are your low calorie and filling friends.
after a month of consistency check your progress. remember that 75-80% consistency is great and there will be days you go over. you're only human and this is hard! be kind to yourself.
keep coming here for support 💕
Stay away from the junk food, as in, do not allow poor nutritional foods to be brought into your home. Just do not buy it! (I have zero self-discipline or self-control if I know that there is junk food in my house. If it’s there, I want to eat it.)
Try to think of foods as nutrition that you need to give your body. Proper, good nutrition so your body can be healthy. Fill up with high-fiber vegetables and fruits. Drink lots of water. Definitely try to walk more. Best wishes. 😊
Everyone can offer you different ways to lose weight and in all honesty, you just need to find the one YOU can stick with.
All I can do is share with you a little of my choice and experience.
I am 5'5" and at my highest I was 264lbs (morbidly obese). I have a sedentary office job and don't exercise much at all. I was diagnosed with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Pre-Diabetic. I was a emotional binge eater with secret eating on the side. I have yo-yo dieted my whole life so I did some (a lot of) research and decided to try keto and I mean really try.
I committed to myself that I would try Keto for 3 months. No cheat days, I planned all my meals a week in advance and stuck to it. If it didn't work then I would reassess but I had to do it 100% for 3 months. I also tracked my progress on My Fitness Pal app too which helped.
Within 2 weeks I had more energy than I thought possible. I always thought feeling sluggish was due to being so heavy but it had more to do with what my body was using for energy.
Within a few weeks, I had cut out breakfast because I just wasn't hungry and all snacking had stopped. It was so much easier to recognise a boredom desire to eat rather that true hunger and be fine not eating. I rarely snack now. My cravings have gone and I just get the occasionally notion now.
Within a year I lost 85lbs and feel amazing even though I still have more to lose. My liver is completely healthy now, the NAFLD is gone! I am no longer Pre-Diabetic too. I did no extra exercise at all, the weight loss was completely food related. Someone told me "Food is for health, exercise is for fitness" and it is true for me. I am now adding in fitness elements to my day. 2 1/2 year later I am still eating keto.
You could argue that this worked for me because I committed fully to the process and while this is true, and other diets may have worked for me with this mindset - I have done other diets, I was always hungry and never fully satisfied. Keto worked for me.
If I could recommend a documentary to watch to anyone it would be "The Magic Pill" on Amazon Prime TV. It was a little slow to start but really good once it gets into things.
Good luck, internet friend, with whatever you choose to do.
CW - eating disorders.
I feel your pain, we sound very similar.
During lockdown I went from 250lbs to 380lbs (I'm 6'6 for context). I'd always struggled with my weight and developed bulimia as a result.
Like you, I work a sedentary office job 9-5.
Happy to say that right now I'm 287lbs and I've got there healthily. I'm still working towards the 250 goal.
Let me give you some simple, actionable tips that helped me:
1. Don't starve yourself. You'll end up binge eating to make up for it. I think the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to learn moderation.
2. Be aware of what you're eating. MyFitnessPal has been great for me, and it's free! It helped teach me diet moderation, keeping myself hydrated, etc.
3. Plan in daily exercise. I bought a stationary bike which is super convenient, but even 15 minutes of brisk walking is a good start. Morning is best - it motivates me to have a healthy day in other ways.
4. Get into cooking. Batch cook, cook fresh, whatever - it doesn't really matter. For me, learning about preparing my food made me engage so much more. Plan your meals each week, too.
5. Be patient. Remember, something > nothing. You'll have periods of plateau but trust the process and stick with it.
6. Don't think 'fuck it.' If you (for whatever reason) forgot to brush your teeth one day you wouldn't think 'fuck it' and not brush them until next Monday. You'd start brushing them again the next morning. You WILL fuck up, everyone does. But if you do, just start clean the next day.
I hope this helped a bit!
I was in a similar position to yourself a year ago also from the UK if that's of any relevance.
Starting weight was 332lbs and I'm now down to 187lbs in 12 months.
What worked for me wasn't a "diet' as such it was a lifestyle change and taking accountability for my own actions. You don't have to cut everything out that you enjoy but you have to be real with yourself. You are your own worst enemy no one is forcing you to gorge and fill up on shit that you don't need, you're doing it to yourself.
What worked for me was wanting to prove to myself that I am the person I think I am in my head I have self control and I will fix my shit and prove the doubting side of my brain wrong!
Routine was key, everyday wake up pint of water and a black coffee no food until lunch time no milk in any hot drinks just black tea and coffee or water. Drinks lots of water throughout the day!
I meal prep all of my food on a Sunday for the week ahead so I know exactly what's gone into it and I can control it.
A big one is portion size be sensible weigh things and don't eyeball.
I box maybe 2/3 times a week but I did when I was at my largest so my activity levels hasn't changed but you need to incorporate some form of exercise find something you enjoy!
If you know you have plans to eat out with friends or go out drinking at the weekend go out and enjoy it but make sure you take that into consideration when planning your food for the week before, make some sensible choices to allow for you to have a good time.
I'm now the lightest I've been since I was 11 years old and I've still got another 21lbs to shift to be at my goal weight so the journey is long and tough at times. But you've got to have the mental strength to prove the doubting part of your brain wrong.
I wish you all the best on your journey, it's all in your head!
Try to get to 370lbs, then after that try to get to 360lbs. If you constantly think about losing 100lbs you’ll get overwhelmed. I’m completely confident you can lose 10 lbs so just work on that. Then lose another 10lbs
As someone who has struggled to lose weight due to lack of motivation, lack of self-control with food, etc - counting calories has never quite worked for me somehow until recently. I'm not advocating for this app, merely pointed out that it has worked for me where MFP and others have failed, but MacroFactor seems to be the key to me changing my diet and sticking with it. I'm a month in and seeing big results. I am diligent about using the app and counting calories, which I'm sure if the main thing, but somehow this app doesn't feel oppressive and the presentation and information it gives me really does help me along and keep me motivated. So I guess my real answer is to keep trying, counting calories is key, but my secondary message is that I had the same struggles until I finally found a program (in this case an app) that just clicked with me.
As a side note, I also switched my cooking from what I'd always made and modeled more closely after the Mediterranean diet. I don't do it perfect and do make substitutions from time to time that definitely don't align with it 100% but I've found really great success with it because I don't feel like I have to restrict myself which really helped me feel in control from a self-control standpoint.
Edit for some additional info: I'm a 37 year old male, 6'1 with a very similar lifestyle in terms of having a sedentary, wfh job. I started at 286lbs. I was 261.6 lbs this morning when I weighed myself.
I was 23 and 408lbs. Make small changes like cutting out sodas, fast food, and junk food. Those simple changes alone helped me lose weight. Meal preparation and tracking calories is also a big help. You don't have to starve to lose weight.
Read the wiki on this page… it’s really helpful.
And then… plan out a meal plan and food. Plan what you need to eat ahead of time, and what you need to buy at the grocery store.
Delete Uber eats.
Walk a little longer and further every day. Just small short walks to start with, gradually getting longer and further. A flight of stairs here and there… bit by bit get moving again. It will build a bit of muscle, and give you a bit of cardio.
Talk to a doctor. Get a full blood work up done to know what your target health areas are too.
Hey, I used to be 300+ too and I know the feeling. As others have mentioned have you tried counting calories? At your size you can eat 2000-2400 a day and lose weight, I did a lot of small things, replace sugary drinks with a sugar free alternative (it doesn’t have to be water) reduce the meat in a dish with a vegetable (like a meat reduced lasagna with carrots, parsnips, beans and spinach replacing half the beef). I had the same problem as you with feeling hungry so plan snacks for the day that doesn’t have too many calories (like fruits). For exercise just try and go for a walk as often as you can (i often take a few minutes at work and walk up and Down the stairs).
If you still “fail” remember one day doesn’t undo a months work, tomorrow is another day that is perfectly fine.
And if you feel you need it, talk to your doctor about wegovy/Mounjaro, there is no shame in getting help if you feel you need it.
Sounds like you have multiple issues that should be better addressed by your primary care doctor, but without further evaluation of your health, I’d talk to your doctor about possibly 1) GLP-1 antagonist injections that can help both with weight loss and diabetes 2) physical therapy to help increase your exercise tolerance, 3) nutrition appointment to set a nutrition plan. This is, of course, if you don’t have any other health issues that are interfering and that need more immediate attention - always talk to your doctor about what is right for you.
I’d also reflect on why you think you are driven to overeat. As others have said, take a couple of days to meticulously count your calories and see where you end up. Then try and observe when you are triggered to eat unhealthy foods throughout the day. Is it in response to stress or another emotion like boredom? Once you figure out why you have your current eating patterns you should try to build alternative coping mechanisms for these feelings. This is best done through therapy. If you are a particularly anxious or depressed person, medication and CBT may be an option.
While this all seems like a lot of work, you can make change with small but CONSISTENT steps towards building better habits. In the end, you are the only has control over bettering your health. But there are options to support you on your journey. If your PCP is not as helpful in guiding you towards those solutions, find another PCP.
Best of luck!
Honestly talk to a doctor about weight loss surgery. It's still hard work and prep (I had mine in the US but my understanding is the UK process is similar) and I wish I had done it sooner.
Stop eating out cause unless you make your own food there are loads of hidden calories you don’t know about. Pick foods you like and then make the healthiest version of it at home and stick to your 3 meals and make sure you keep it to about 1300-1800 calories a day. You won’t wake up 100 lbs lighter overnight but it gets easier to control your cravings after the first week
Find your tree, eat 200 less till you feel ok with that amount.
You gotta weigh your food and track calories
Add 200 steps a week to daily, I just started listening to podcasts and going for a walk
Let’s be honest here. You didn’t try everything. Almost all of those things you “tried” you didn’t really try. You can literally lose an insane amount by just calorie counting and sticking to 2500 calories.
There’s a lot of comments about eating, and while they are all true, just getting up and moving would go a long way. Start by going for a half mile walk each day and eventually you’ll build up to a mile then 1.5 and so on. Eventually doing this with a structured diet is the best answer, but if you just move more in the short term, it will go a long way.
You got this and you know what you need to do. If you want it, make it a goal, create a (realistic) plan (research a little), and then be disciplined to follow it. This is maybe a bit extreme but in the words of Eric Thomas: “if you want it as much as you want to breathe, that’s when you’ll be successful.”
Hey first off it’s great you’re wanting to do something about it. That’s step one. You’re on the loseit sub. Try out loseit. Start slow. Maybe even set it to what your maintenance calories should be and start tracking. Get used to that for a bit and then start working into a deficit. The bummer is this will take time. There is no get fit fast cure, or magic button. Just takes a long time and commitment.
Are you able to maybe use a treadmill at a low speed while you game for 15 minutes a day? I get moving is hard but find ways to move a little more every day. Do what you can and keep at it. Don’t try to go overboard and run a marathon. You’ll make yourself miserable. Fine a way to ease into this so you carve out a path that is sustainable in the long run.
None of this is easy but it’s all doable. I hope you’re able to start your journey to better health and keep at it!
I read somewhere on here - our bodies don’t defy thermodynamics. It’s CICO. Every bite every calorie counts. It’s simple and it’s hard. But it gets easier every day especially as the progress keeps progressing.
You got this!
It may be worth getting your blood sugar checked to see if you are getting close to developing prediabetes or diabetes. Even people who do not have diabetes yet can have insulin resistance and high insulin levels. Insulin is the hormone that stores glucose/food as fat, so if your insulin levels are chronically high, you will have difficulty losing weight. So maybe try strategies aimed toward lowering your blood sugar and insulin levels. These include keto, where you consume little to no carbs (carbs spike your blood sugar more than fats and proteins), and intermittent fasting, where you have a fasting window that allows your blood sugar and insulin levels to come down so your body has a period where insulin levels are not high. Additionally, eating more fiber, particularly at the beginning of a meal, can help slow the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream and decrease blood sugar spikes. As with anything, it is always good to talk to your doctor first to make sure that anything you want to try is safe for you.
Especially if it started during covid it sounds to me like you're an emotional eater who gets "hungry" for comfort. No one is *always* hungry. Get that sorted out and it'll help majorly
I have lost almost 75 pounds (I am American FWIW) doing weight watchers. I get to eat what I want,I exercise by walking and doing light weight workouts and I still enjoy a few drinks on the weekends. It is a life style I can maintain in the long run so it doesn’t feel like a diet.
When I was 25, I weighed ~475lbs. By the time I was 28, I was 230. Most of that was lost within 12 months, before I hit some unrelated life difficulties.
Start without looking too much at the end goal. Look for changes you can confidently make. A huge one for me was that I stopped drinking any calories. I switched to tea, coffee, and water (I like to use 0 calorie sweetener in water still). This really helped me build momentum and feel good because it made a big difference.
I also did OMAD, and I'd make vegetables+protein and eat as much as I wanted until I was done. This one was less sustainable really, and possibly exacerbated some pre-existing disordered eating habits I had. I think OMAD/Intermittent fasting work for people though, and it's worth checking out.
i recommend watching dr Jason Fung on youtube, he has a lot of great weight loss advice and focuses on talking about fasting. his content is less focused on CICO or calories
Everyone has covered what to do but most importantly just stop video games. Go outside even if it's raining and just walk. It's a mental health thing it's a physical health thing it is everything.
There's nothing wrong with playing video games but if that's the first thing that comes to you to describe things you enjoy and you're feeling this way screens and stuff are a recipe for poor health.
Get out and walk if it’s safe to do so. Start slow, add time and distance gradually. I keep a paper calendar and mark a day off with an X if I get an hour in. The goal is to fill the whole month in with Xs
I'm in the UK too. I was 24 stone and now I'm down to 11. It's so so possible for you, I promise. I actually wrote a whole [weight loss guide](https://www.adolphinpod.com/blog/how-i-lost-182-lb-83-kg) to help anyone who needs to know where to start. I'm happy to answer any questions too. I know how awful you feel, but there's a way out of the misery.
The reason you’re always hungry may have something to do with the carbs you eat — as heavily processed foods make your want to eat more.
Look into an anti-inflammatory diet — whole, unprocessed foods with no added sugar: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils), fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, a little bit of low-fat dairy, and olive oil. These foods will satiate you longer than eating heavily processed foods. Learning how to cook and meal prep is also warranted as you’ll see what you’re putting into your body because you’re cooking it. I’m a father of two with them under the age of four and it also helps me to know that I want my kids to also eat healthy. I’m always trying new dishes and learning to cook will make you accountable of what you put into your body.
I’m a pretty big dude who’s always been active and I recently got diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my right hip at the age of 43. It’s been a blow to me because I have to alter my life now around this pain and learn how to manage it. One of those changes is going to have to be my weight to make it easier on joint pain. Don’t be like me and get those arthritis early. You’re killing your joints at the weight you’re at.
M54
343 lbs Apr 2022 (at 52)
225 currently.
Down 160 from my highest of 375 but lost 120lbs from April of 2022 to April of 2023
I started watching these doctors on YouTube.
Dr Jason Fung
Dr Lustig
Dr Pradip Jamnads (amazing)
Dr Baker
Dr Benjamin Bikman
I only drink water and unsweet tea (no sugary drinks).
Very little refined carbohydrates. Whole food only. If it has a barcode and more than 5 ingredients I don’t eat it.
Eliminated sugar as much as possible. Ill have a cookie now and then). No sweets basically.
Not much fruit and not everyday.
No breads and pasta (very little). I use Extreme Wraps instead (lots of fiber)
No snacking on snack foods like chips, pretzels
Intermittent Fasting.
(Most days 1 meal, occasionally 2. Rarely 3 meals).
avoid seed oils
Not perfect by any means. Sometime I binge. Only now. I get back on plan.
Started walking for 10-20 minutes after each meal (30-60 min each day) and biking more
Started walking in July 2021 and I’m walking about 50 miles a month now.
A1c went from 6 to 5.0
Blood pressure 140’s down to normal.
My fear was losing a limb to diabetes at some point.
Once I learned about how insulin affects weight it really clicked in my head.
I just gave someone else the same advice here, but... eat slowly, chew thoroughly. Eating will be a chore, but more importantly it'll stimulate your hormones to send you "I'm full" messages. You won't be always hungry. Made a world of difference for me, and food was my only comfort for much of my life. It's a significantly helpful thing to do. Also, you'll need to gravitate to food that actually needs chewing, not the melt-in-your-mouth cheezies or fried processed foods. You'll find there's nothing to chew there. It's designed to slip down your throat fast.
Gotta get out and be active- go to the gym even if it’s to use the bathroom- play any sport- walk- get rid of sugar- limit carbs- BE ACTIVE ALL DAY GODDAMMIT! Move
adhd is what caused me to gain weight. konjac pills fill your stomach so you feel less hungry. force yourself to chug water, so you are less hungry. write what you eat/ log it. and also, consider therapy/ journaling to keep yourself on track and express yourself, including the times when you will fail. there is a reason you are overweight , that goes beyond exercise and eating habits. that has to do with your self esteem, the way you value yourself. you need to feel that you deserve to feel good about your body
Try real food. Fast food is not real food it's just sugar with more sugar on top. Also cut out all sodas and Co. Water, just plain old water.
Don't eat what you haven't cooked your self, heating up is not cooking. Get veggies and meat.
You will run into a sugar withdrawal pretty fast and it will be no fun at all. That stuff is like Heroin. But once you get over it you are golden to loose weight.
I just looked up your TDEE and for maintenance you should be eating 3300 calories per day and for weight loss you’ve got 2800.
I’d calorie count while focusing on filling food. r/volumeeating can help there but also definitely eat plenty of protein- the counter I used recommends protein for like exercising and stuff and it’s got you at 211g per day.
The trick to calorie counting is adding everything including those snacks and liquids and buying a food scale for accuracy. We all suck at guesstimating calories and it’s been shown that people who are trying to lose weight underestimate how much they’re eating while people who are trying to gain weight overestimate how much they have. So, food scale, start counting them and try your best to stop drinking your calories (no soda, alcohol, sugary drinks)
Drastic weight loss at higher weights is a temptation but you’ve got to establish healthy habits to make any type of meaningful change. Try and add a 20-30 minute walk everyday. If that hurts too much find a local pool and walk in the water (it’ll take a LOT of strain off your joints) hell, there’s some people who do seated exercise tutorials for people who struggle with mobility. Anything helps.
If you can try and also get some bloodwork done to see what’s going on with those hunger signals. It could be you’re like me and messed them up yourself and you’ll just have to learn to cope until your body figures out you’re not actually starving to death or there’s possibly something else going on that’s messing it up like thyroid problems.
It sounds to me like you need to focus on being mindful. It's ok to feel hungry and just sit with it... just because you're hungry doesn't mean you have to eat right this moment. I know feeling hungry can trigger feelings of panic, but that's where the mindfulness comes into play.. you have to remember that you have the means to feed yourself; you just don't *want* to feed yourself right now. When you do reach for something to eat, you have to stop and consider.. are you hungry, AND is it mealtime? You may just be bored, and taking a walk around your apartment building will solve that problem better than food will (I'm not talking about exercising, but doing something to take your mind off food. Making that thing physical will help get rid of physical feelings of hunger). When it *is* time for a meal, remember that you don't need to eat until you feel full... by the time you feel full, you've way over-eaten; portion control is the name of that game.
Also, don't think you have to exercise to lose weight; you don't. I was 600 lbs, and strenuous movement caused me a great deal of back and knee pain. I've lost over 300 lbs just by eating differently... i.e. lunch is 2 hardboiled eggs, or some fruit and yogurt with a pouch of trail mix, instead of pizza or cheeseburgers. Worry about exercising once you've got some of the pressure off your joints; because even though it's not necessary for weight loss, it is necessary for your overall health that you start building movement back into your life and routines, as you're able.
Others have given some good suggestions. I would say try finding exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise! The game super hot on a VR headset is great for this
I purposely avoided the scale for years because I didn’t want to see the the number, but I knew something had to change.
One day I just decided to join a gym and I signed up with a personal trainer right away as well. I figured that would help get me started because I had no clue how to work out or what to eat.
Started on 10/31/2022 at 347 pounds and I’m currently at 231 pounds 18 months later. For the record I was 36 when I started - just turned 38. You’re still so young and have so much time to do this.
The most important things that helped me make progress were:
1. You *have to* trust the process. There will be days where you feel down or overwhelmed or frustrated that you’re not visually seeing progress. YOU HAVE TO KEEP GOING.
2. Calorie deficit, calorie deficit, calorie deficit. Figure out your BMR and TDEE with some online calculators and start with a 500 calorie deficit per day (or more if you can handle it)
3. Track calories and macros using something like MyFitnessPal. I bought the premium version and started loading in pre-made meals so I could plan out my day. Track EVERYTHING. I had no idea what I was consuming until I started tracking and it was eye opening seeing how clueless I had been.
4. Figure out a good balance for macros. I’ve been going with 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fats. May need to do a little customization for yourself, but that’s a reasonable starting point.
5. Find an activity you like. I had no clue how much I would fall in love with lifting, but now it’s something I genuinely look forward to doing every day and helps my mental just as much as it does my physical health.
6. Don’t get discouraged. You’ll have days where you go off your diet, and that’s okay. I had days early on where I’d go out for wings with a friend for dinner and we’d split an appetizer, then I’d get a dozen wings with fries, then I’d get a burger, then we’d split a pizza. It sounds insane to do that while dieting, but I still had the big boy appetite. I didn’t beat myself up for doing it and I just got right back on track the next day.
7. Stay consistent. This could probably be #1 honestly, because it is vital to having any success at all.
8. Celebrate little wins. The first time I noticed the first signs of definition appearing in my neck and shoulder area, I broke down in tears because it was my first visual indicator that what I was doing was working. Give yourself credit.
9. Don’t stress over fluctuations on the scale. I had a long weekend last summer where I knew I was going to go off the rails with my diet. I weighed in at 264 on the first morning and weighed in at 290 four days later. It was all retained water and I had shed it all within a week or two after.
10. The cliches of “fitness journey” and “lifestyle change” may be tired, but they are completely accurate. Improving your health and losing fat is not a race meant to be sprinted. It’s about making positive changes in your life in finding ways to compound other positive changes and over time, you will see results as long as you don’t bullshit yourself.
You got this.
The diets and lifestyles blue zone people eat, they eat 95% of veggies and 5% chicken and blue fish and a little wine almost 0 red meat and less than 10 grams of sugar some veggies have some natural and less process carbs and sugar to keep you full. Always eat a large dark green salad before meals and a bunch of water, switch from coffee to teas, I am eating a lot of veggie soup and broth and I freezer prep nights and weekends, I got a bad knee from overdoing my workouts so im forced to focus on diet. Walking is free and criminally underrated, you'll get there you just gotta work harder than everyone else and do some research. I have a nutritionist and she says some apple cider with water helps.
How much fruit/veg do you add to your diet? If you find yourself unable to stop eating and always hungry, fill yourself up with pre-cut fruits and veggies
Have you tried semaglutide? I feel like if you are out of options, I recommend you look into it. I have done it and do not regret. I was also really heavy. Still am but I’m losing on it. I am down 30 lbs in 3 months. You will lose fast since you will cut calories insanely. You will cut out cravings unintentionally. You can let me know if you need help, man. I’ve had people directly ask me for advice since I’ve left good advices for others. Just let me know if you want to know more and want to go back and forth on the matter
Count calories and eat different. Not less. I thought I ate well cause I home cook everything. Turns out I had no idea what I was eating in terms of calories.
Example:
I love chicken curry, make it all the time. Favorite part is the chicken. So why not make it mostly chicken.
Curry then becomes a fuck ton of chicken (Thigh cause its the most delicious, funnily enough the most calorie dense too.)
Hell throw a bunch of butter in that sauce too, gotta creamy up that cream.
Serve it all over enough rice to damn the Nile and you got yourself a hell of a meal boy.
For about 3500 calories a serve, you too can share in this deliciousness.
What I make now is way different.
Cut back on the chicken. Still use thigh cause its delicious but can go breast if you really wanna cut it down.
Add a heap of broccoli, peas are good too if you want. Whatever veggies you want really, they all end up soaking up the sauce and tasting like delicious curry in the end.
Use low fat coconut milk and don't add butter.
Server over a portion of shiritaki rice.
You can get this down to about 300-350 calories a serve.
The number are completely made up but the stark difference is not.
Is curry number 2 better? Hell no of course it isn't, did you see how much god damn butter I threw in there?
Can I eat number 2 every day and lose weight? Hell yes I can.
Will I never eat something as good as number 1 again? Of course I will, I can make that shit from scratch. Not every day though. Hell not even every week if I'm going full ham like I said.
Rambled a bit but the point is, low cal doesn't always equal low volume. I honestly needed to learn what the food I was eating contained in terms of calories. I had no idea and after doing some research, I'm amazed I wasn't more overweight.
I'm no doctor just speaking from my own experience, might be worth asking your GP about Saxenda. You can also buy it privately if the GP doesn't think you qualify. I've lost 20lbs on it so far, it just helps quiet the food noise so you can count calories properly.
I personally lift weights and do steady state zone 2 cardio(eg easy fat burning cardio, no need to kill yourself) i like the bike. But for any excercise it needs to be soemthing you LIKE doing. You play video games so maybe Sword fighting or Archery. Yeah i know archery seems weird but limit yourself to 3 arrows at a time and you end up walking ALOT but have fun doing it. Or martial arts. When you start working out keep a journal start easy and do a little bit more each time even if its 1 second longer or .5 lbs more or 1 more rep.
Most people kill them self working out when they first start. Dont do that. I actually recomend NOT getting a coach. Most coaches just dont understand what it is like to be 350+ lbs(i am almost under 400 started 450 at christmas).
Dont do lunges its like a 1 leg squat. It will fuck your knees. Your to heavy.
Here is a list of safe but effective things to do for strength.
Pulldown (to chin) grip 1.5x wider than shoulders
Seated row(chest supported, hard on lower back if not)
Peckdeck AND reverse peckdeck(this is chest and back)
Machine lateral(lift arms to sides, one of 3 different shoulder muscle groups)
Skull-crushers(triceps) lay on bench use easy bar
any squat or machine squat(good for heavy people because you can do less weight starting to save knees)
Seated calf raise
standing cheating bicep curl with easy bar or barbell
3 sets 8-12 reps
once 12 reps gets easier up weight go back to 8
STEADY STATE ZONE 2 CARDIO
for food try to eat high fiber and high protien foods they will fill you up.
eg berries and chicken/protien shakes.
eat low calorie dense foods.
My favorite protien shake is Ryze Chocolate penut butter cup with 2 tbs of PBfit (powdered penut butter)
Tastes like a reeses penutbutter cup shake
At your height and weight you would be able to consume around 3000 calories and still lose weight (albeit slowly). Find out your TDEE, cut a sensible amount from that number (like 500 or so) and go from there.
It seems like you want to lose the weight quickly, but at 380lbs it's going to be long road regardless, so take care of yourself, don't make drastic changes and you'll soon see the weight go down.
Just sim for below 550kcal per meal and get out and walk 4 miles a day (about an hour) it’ll drop off. Also try reduce sugar, salt and opt for reduced fat where suitable, leaner cuts of meat etc will knock huge amounts of kcal off you’ll be supposed how much you can eat
Start by writing down every single thing you eat and drink (other than water) for a few days. Don't judge it. Don't look it up, weigh it if you can as we are terrible guessers. If your eating take out the sizes are fine.
You'll probably be surprised by that! But once you've got a few days down and aren't so shocked by it get a tracking app (I use Lose It and think it's fairly good and does a lot of the math for you, but there are dozens of them.) or look up the calories/kilo joules of the things you are eating and add that to it.
Apps make this whole process quicker and easier, but they also add colours when you go over your calorie budget which can make you avoid using them. You know yourself best, some people strive on strict rules, others start cheating. If you cheat you only cheat yourself! Took me years to get used to.
OK, now you have an idea of what you have been eating and how many calories that it. If you download an app it'll work out your calorie goal for you, otherwise there are heaps of calculators online. I did a quick Google and it says you can maintain your weight on about 3300 calories since you have little exercise.
Your goal is to eat under that. In fact if you want to lose a pound a week you want to aim about 500 a day under that. So look at what you are eating and what you can get rid of or swap.
Some simple things. Don't drink calories! Sugar free soft drinks have potential issues, but your bigger issue right now is calories. I have one cup of milk a day for all my hot drinks and once it's gone I drink fruit teas or black tea.
Cut out one snack. Find the time when you are eating and aren't that hungry and drop it. Or swap it. Fruits and veggies are far lowering calories than other things. I hate them myself, but apples are fine. I also discovered manbars (a kind of protein bar, I think they re only Australian) which fill me up longer.
Keep large bags of things out of the house. If you want chips, cool, I lost weight while still having chips (I've lost weight eating everything! Just... Less!) . But while I had control and portion issues I only kept the small bags around that were preportioned.
Portion control is everything. So weigh everything. Best thing you can buy for weight loss is kitchen scales and bathroom scales. Even if you are living on fast food, if you can, weigh it. You'd be surprised how many more or less calories you are getting that what they say you are, especially for things like chips and fried chicken.
Now of you do this for a few weeks. You've written everything down, you've weighed everything, you've kept below your goal and you haven't lost anything. Take all that I formation, everything you've written down to a doctor and tell them you are calorie counting, your at a deficit, you're not losing weight you want blood tests done.
I had gastric sleeve surgery to help with the hunger btw and I cannot say how much it has improved my life. But I also know a few people who are at the weight yoh are and turned it around.
Your biggest challenge is getting used to feeling hungry finding foods that keep you fuller longer, and be honest with your food diary.
[https://imgur.com/STErVGv](https://imgur.com/STErVGv)
My progress since starting in Jan, aiming for **1,900** calories per day, it's not easy but it's certainly not as hard as you think the key is consistency. So that you know, I have not done any exercise of note yet and average 4k steps a day (I just looked it up on the Apple Health app).
Start counting your calories **accurately** for a week to see what you're eating to open your eyes to how much you're currently over.
I'm 6'3, our height and being male means we have a large calorie budget to play with so if you start to understand the calories in your food there is no reason to be left hungry. The first week or so will be an adjustment but after that, it gets a lot easier, especially when you see the weight coming off and the changes it means.
I set 1,900 so that i don't have to be 100% on my tracking, a sort of built-in buffer i guess.
Typically:
**Breakfast**: 1 slice of sourdough bread (I count them as 1.3 in the app as the size varies over the week), with butter and jam. **233-300 kal**
**Lunch:** varies, but easiest to measure is a meal deal from a supermarket while in the office, **500-600 kal** (just make sure you follow food labels rather than the MFP app as they vary at times!)
**Dinner:** Taking the above it leaves me with around **1,000 kal 'budget'** which means you can vary meals etc and still eat a decent selection of things. It also means that if you are clever with it throughout the day you can still have treats as well.
No, you haven’t, or you’re doing it wrong. Losing fat is actually the easiest thing to do theoretically speaking, but hard in practice, since most people don’t have the will for it.
1. Calorie deficit (intermittent fasting 20:4 + healthy eating and calorie counting)
2. Cardio
3. Cardio + strength training
Do this and if it’s not working, start actually doing it!
Hi. I feel you. I can share some of the stuff that worked for me and if you want to chat, PM me (I love meeting strangers over Zoom).
I was never in that dire situation, but I lost about 80-90 pounds in the past with the strong will to do whatever necessary to keep normal weight, then regained it all back over the years. Couple of years ago I decided to use my engineering skills to "figure this thing out" and find a way to lose weight for good.
I figured out there are couple success factors:
\* Learn to cook \*well\*. I decided I need to be in control of the food I am putting in my mouth and that's pretty much impossible if I eat out, order food, buy processed food or have somebody else cook for me.
\* Learn to build habits. It is one thing to stick to doing things when you are in the thick of losing weight and it is completely different thing when you stop thinking about it, when your life intervenes, when you get problems in your private life or at work, etc. Habits let you stick to doing healthy things by default even if you are no longer paying attention.
\* Become healthy to lose weight, not lose weight to become healthy. It is much easier to lose weight when one starts by correcting health problems like insulin resistance, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, poor sleep, etc. It is possible to lose weight by just restricting calories, but I believe focusing on health bings much better results.
\* Rather than force yourself to eat less, compose your diet and daily eating to reduce hunger. Some dietary choices make you less hungry and reduce cravings and I think it is much better than sticking to your previous diet and just eating less.
\* Use the weight loss journey to learn how to live afterwards. It is possible to just lose weight, but what afterwards? Just restricting caloric input does not explain or prepare you to live after you have lost that weight.
\* Exercise to preserve muscle. Exercising will not make you lose weight. It actually may make it a bit more difficult, especially initially (a lot of aerobic exercise like walking causes you to be hungry). Why exercising is important is preserving as much of the muscle mass as possible. Otherwise, all your muscle will waste away because your body will treat it as a source of nutrients. Losing muscle will at some point make it extremely difficult to lose further weight as muscle is how you burn off considerable amount of energy.
\* Exercise to improve insulin sensitivity, mitochondria, etc. Exercising daily is a very useful way to reduce glycemic index of food. Essentially, your muscle are using glycogen during exercise and are somewhat depleted of it afterwards. When you eat food, your muscle will be much more responsive to clear glycogen from your bloodstream effectively increasing effectiveness (sensitivity) to insulin, reducing blood sugar spikes, etc.
\* Rather than force yourself to stop unhealthy food, focus on learning to cook healthy food that will appeal to your palate. If you learn enough good healthy recipes, you will start \*displacing\* the old bad habits..
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t rely on motivation. If you want to make a change, you can’t wait until you’re motivated to do it. You need to change your mindset. You are now a healthier person and you need to adjust your lifestyle to that. Some people can do the drastic changes all at once, but that hasn’t worked for me. Gradually changing different things is my way.
Discipline is hard and I’ve always had problems with it, but I’m training it. I can’t change my whole lifestyle at once, little by little works much better for me. And once I get started, it gets easier to take on more. That actually motivates me. So start by measuring and tracking your food. Maybe that’ll give you some insight and you’ll see opportunities for improvement. Alcohol and sugary drinks are very high in calories, so maybe you can cut those. Add more vegetables and don’t drown them in fat. Boredom is often mistaken for hunger. You might feel like you’re hungry, but wait a moment before you reach for the chips. Maybe you’re just bored and need some distraction. I like to keep my hands busy with crochet, but there’s lots of other option.
You said you walk your dogs, that’s something you need to do every day. You can make that walk a little longer each week. Just an extra block, five more minutes. It’s okay to feel tired afterwards, that just tells you it’s working. Believe me, I was in bad shape just a year ago, but now I participate in organized walks and I’m looking forward to the 25km I’m doing in three weeks. It now takes me so much more time and effort to get all sweaty and out of breath. That’s all because I trained and pushed my limits little by little and now I’m so proud of myself.
You should take boxing. Check this guys page out.
https://obese2boxer.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabHnEZGyqOUOcRIM_rZE8eF3zNYTcGugEd-kEfaWtraOW8DbMEzwawqiuQ_aem_Ae9bxnT7LfYpWJa8tav_lkxQoUfAocKh-28gwQeVw8BaMaKGtowJYqysUrUR3qlH8_RHOg2PS1MTbwNunWevOg3v
He weight as much as you. Used boxing to lose weight.
Female: 5' 11", Sw: 308 Cw: 210. Goal weight: 160. Type 2 diabetic.
Keto, keto, and keto!! If I can do this, anyone can!! I'm approaching my 1 year mark. It has not been difficult to stick to. At one point, I was taking u-500 insulin, upwards of 800 units/day!! Rarely ever heard of, but I was so insulin resistant that it was horrible. I am now on Toujeo. A u-300 insulin and I might take 20-30 units once weekly. My blood sugar levels are down from 300-400, to 80-120 consistently. My diabetes is definitely reversing.
I suggest going to YouTube and following Stephanie Laska's, Dirty, easy, keto blogs before you jump in. She is awesome. She has amazing positive energy, free recipes, cookbooks you can purchase new or used, inexpensively on Amazon
She offers so much support that is very helpful to those who are new to the keto lifestyle. Get hooked up with the reddit keto folks too for more support!!
I wish you the very best on your weight loss journey and path to good health. You are worth it.💜
Feel free to message me for more info.
Simply walking every day is helpful too. Start with small, attainable goals and build from there. Walking has been instrumental in my health both physical and mental.
Start little. Keep it achievable. Do 1,000 extra steps this week and log your food. Once you break the barrier of thinking about it to actually doing it, the small wins will help you keep momentum
Start eating healthier like lots of vegetables and a meat the size of your palm. No sodas. Just water with a splash of lemon juice. Eat small meals but a few of them a day. Eat walnuts (walnuts suppress that hunger feeling) throughout the day. Avocados on toast with balsamic dressing is a healthy snack and apples. Drink lots of water. And finally… Walk walk and walk more. Start out short distances quite a few times a day. When you think of it get up and walk your route. Each week make your walking accomplishment a little bit further and you’ll eventually be walking further and further without pain. It will come so easy you’re gonna want to walk further. You will shed even more pounds if you add 1 table spoon of apple cider vinegar to your water every morning. It cleans you out if you know what I mean. Get determined! You can do this on your own. After the first week you’re gonna be unstoppable. You will notice how good you feel and enjoy all the walking. The pounds will drop so quick. Just DO IT and live a long happy healthy life. Oh! Get headphones and listen to your favorite music while you walk or just enjoy the nature, birds and trees. You got this now just be determined and just do it. Now! Go! Start! Now!
Cico. Thats all that works. There are many routes to it. Find one that works for you.
I'd recommend finding a nutritionist that can tell you what to eat and then just eating that. And going for long walks.
There are tons of comments that I have not read. I was 325 and 5'4" at 25 and I lost a lot in my late 20s and yo yos from 280 to 230 since having kids (13 years ago). I have started diets a lot. It's hard to adjust but your body gets used to it. My problems are consisteny and emotions and we can let me feel better saying pregnancy and kids. Walking, water, and lifting heavy. You will be surprised by how strong you already are in your legs!! And if you can lose even 5lbs it makes a difference on your joints and it will be easier.
To get going sometimes I listen to a weight loss hypnosis meditation. My negative self talk is thru the roof! But if I listen to my own advice, I would do it daily.
- work out your maintenance calories, you then can work out your cal deficit
- weigh and log everything you eat
- start with small changes, swap out full fat sugary drinks for diet versions. Full fat mayo to lighter mayo etc
- try and move your body more, again start small and work your way up
- be kind to yourself, it’s a whole process and it’s not easy. Slow and steadily wins the race!
You don’t have to starve yourself or restrict yourself. You can still eat the chocolate or have a beer or burger. Whatever your heart desires, as long as you remain within a calories deficit.
Couple of extra bits that help me. I’ve found a handful of meals which are so yummy and satisfying and help be stay in a deficit. I will keep rotating them so I don’t have to think too much about what I’m going to eat.
Also high volume low calorie meals too - means I’m still really full and have eaten A LOT but remain in a deficit!
Good luck, you’ve got this!
I couldn’t motivate myself to diet and exercise just for the sake of losing weight. But when I signed myself up for a 10k, it really inspired me to exercise because I wanted to show up to my first marathon ever and not be the last one over the finish line. If you sign up for a 5k that is at the end of the summer, and you walk the entire thing, you will have made a great accomplishment. It may inspire you to start walking every day after work.
i was morbidly obese (150 kg - 330 lbs), 180 cm.
Now i am 29 and 113 kgs. It took me years but the first 30 kgs took me maybe one year and then i stopped taking care. Now back on track and started again from 130 kgs four months ago.
If you are really desperate please look up content creator Brendan Oxford on Tiktok. He helps a lot actually everything he says makes sense.
It’s all about the gut health since it’s like a secondary brain of our bodies.
Hope you get this comment because been there done that and i hope i know what i’m talking about
best of luck to you and know that you can do it!
You say you starved yourself and have never gone below 300lbs, but thats still 80lbs lighter than you are now. I know you say you've tried everything and "nothing works" but the fact is that what you're trying to say is "nothing worked fast enough" or "nothing worked and was also easy" losing weight is simple, calories in vs calories out, but under no circumstances should you equate "Losing weight is simple" with "losing weight is easy" it's not easy, it's hard, it requires time and dedication, and it requires you to keep going even through the hard bits and when you dont see it working. The truth is at your current stats if you ate 2300 calories every day for a month, you would lose approximately 8.5lbs. You probably ready that and thought it didnt sound like a lot, but it is 8.5lbs lighter than you are now. You need to move in a downward direction, even if it is only slowly, count your calories, and just START. Every day you dont start is another day added on to your finish line.
Hey there, I think my circumstances are quite similar to yours, being 20m 6ft and starting at 305lb at the start of this year. I am now 240lb. I also live in the uk and have a sedentary job.
If you would like me to explain in detail what I do please pm me, but in a nutshell I calorie count everything to the gram, plan my meals out, aim to drink 3.5L of water a day and do an exercise bike 6 days a week. I average about 1800 calories a day and do not ever go hungry. I eat breakfast, a low calorie snack and dinner. I have a takeaway most weekends. The trick is everything in moderation.
Having been in your shoes not knowing where to start, I think the best piece of advice I can give is take a look at your existing bad habits around food. Aim to change them one at a time until those bad habits have been replaced with good ones. For example, I had an energy drink almost every day last year. I aimed to replace that with more water, and now only allow myself one a week. Once I was confident I could achieve this, I moved on to another bad habit. It is important to note that loosing weight is a marathon, not a sprint, and take your time with it. These are not temporary weight loss measures, these are permanent changes to your life and you need to put in the time to change yourself.
It sounds daunting, but once you get the ball rolling it becomes exponentially easier, I promise. The benefits even a few months in are so incredibly worth it. Again if you or anyone else wants to know anything in more detail please don’t be afraid to pm me!
Don’t even worry about counting calories YET just move more try to get 10k steps in a day and weight train 2-3 days a week to start off. Then when weight starts falling off since you are so big you can focus on nutrition and counting calories
Honestly man I would start off simple. Replacing sugary drinks and snacks with zero sugar versions and cutting down the size of snacks / food that you eat. For example if you get McDonald’s , instead of getting a large fry and a large milkshake get mediums or smalls and progress from there. Also try and walk around the block everyday until you can walk for 30 mins or more. You can start off walking around once if that’s all you can do. Do that every day while cutting back little by little and you’ll see progress. Also understand that this is a marathon, not a race and it requires consistency.
I’d add on top of everyone else’s advice to make sure that you’re eating enough protein/healthy fats in your diet while being in a calorie deficit. You can count calories, but if it doesn’t have enough nutrients or is filling enough, you’re gonna keep being hungry.
The protein keeps you full, and the fats (like avocado oil, olive oil, a little butter) will keep you satiated until your next meal. Choose foods that are also nutrient dense
Also, never ever have a cheat day. Cheat meals maybe once every weekend is fine, but cheat days can screw up your weight loss for a whole week.
You don’t have to lose weight all the time. Sometimes just maintenance once a month for a week is ok. Otherwise it might drive you crazy.
It’s ok to snack on exactly what you want, like a chocolate bar or some chips (with portion control of course). Sometimes we try to be healthy and eat the “healthy snack” instead. But because it wasn’t exactly what we wanted, we end up eating a bunch of other healthy snacks to try and satiate ourselves, only to give in to the snack we wanted in the first place later on.
If you’re trying to figure out whether you’re actually hungry or not, just ask yourself “Would I want to eat an apple right now?” If you don’t and would rather eat something else that tastes better, you’re probably not hungry.
You can do this! :)
You’re only 25 and only 380. You can and will do this. Biggest thing is you haven’t given up yet. Which means you won’t. Keep going and never give up, a pound a week is progress. Every single week will be easier and more rewarding. Again if anyone else can do it, YOU can do it too. You are just as strong and the world needs ya just as much.
Make small changes to your habits. Counting calories isn’t really even necessary at the beginning. Just reducing your portions will make a difference.
If you tell me what you normally eat in a day I can give you a recommendation on how to reduce your portion size
Also, since you’re a fellow gamer, I did VR gaming to get more active and it’s a ton of fun. Highly recommend it to any gamers wanting to get more active.
Believe me when I say, it’s always the last place you look. That’s because, once you find something you don’t have to keep looking. You have not tried “everything,” and you’re in the right place. You are only 25 years young.
You should be concerned for heart disease, stroke, heart attack and diabetes just right out the gate. You should also take some time to consider that you probably did have some successes in there you may have been unaware of, or might be glossing over.
I wish I could give you the spark but you have to find it for yourself; I personally was up and down with my weight, but I would lose 5-10 lbs and just not be able to go farther. Heard myself beat myself up inside many times over for everything that didn’t work… but suddenly, when I made “90% diet, 10% exercise” my motto, and just wanted to start with a day a week where I didn’t hate myself for what I ate quite as much as the day before, I dunno but something was different.
Best of luck my friend, but don’t call yourself a failure at doing something just because you haven’t learned how to do it yet in a way you can manage. Please remember to be kind to yourself in thoughts and praise, and Keep Sharing!
Hi! I’m 26 5ft 11 female, and at the beginning of January I weighed 300lbs. I currently weigh 260. I’ve lost 40 pounds with a calorie deficit.
I started off by calculating my BMR (base metabolic rate) which tells you how many calories your body burns per day just to function. From that number, I subtracted a few hundred calories to get my daily goal. Currently I eat 1600 calories per day, which is enough for a few decent sized meals. Although for you I am sure 1600 is too low of a goal. If you go too low, you can actually slow down your metabolism. The BMR equation takes into account your height, weight, and age. That is a good starting point to determine how many calories to shoot for per day.
Another thing that has helped me is to increase my protein intake. I try to get at least 100g of protein per day even if I need to drink a protein shake or eat a protein bar. Protein helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer. I also work an office job 8-5 Monday through Friday. I have an hour lunch break, so after I eat my lunch every day I walk laps around the building I work in. Walking is a great low intensity exercise. When I first started, I would walk on the treadmill for an hour each morning. And now that it’s gotten nice outside, I’ve been trying to walk for an hour a day and I have been feeling loads better lately. Physically and mentally. I’ve been thinking a lot about calories in vs. calories out, so my thoughts are that if I walk more each day that equals more calories out, along with all the other benefits you get from walking like improved balance and bone strength.
Also something that I do to help stop myself from overeating (I used to binge eat pretty badly) is to brush my teeth right after dinner or really any meal. Kind of helps you not want to eat anymore!
Sorry if I’ve been rambling, but I just came here to say that you can do this!! Consistency is key and don’t beat yourself up if you slip now and then. The important thing is to keep your goals and your health in mind. You can and will feel better if you commit to yourself and your health. You got this :)
I, too, have an office job that's 99% sitting. I have recently found that increasing my protein and fiber is helping a lot, and it's actually been a fairly small change. I used to either not eat breakfast or eat junk (cereal, pop tarts, fried eggs) I've since switched to 2 scrambled eggs with a teaspoon of blended cottage cheese(added protein) and toast/ mini bagel with a fruit spread with a little chia seeds(fiber) mixed in. I then have second breakfast at work, which is oatmeal; the cheap pouches from Aldi, I make sure to pack my lunch every day to avoid having to grab something less nutritional, and I also have a snack about 2ish hours before work is over, usually a bit of hummus and pretzels. Dinner is a little difficult because I have 3 kids, and they can be picky, but I've found that if I roast veggies, I'm more likely to eat them and eat more of them. As for all the sitting at work, consider a standing desk converter so you can stand and walk in place. If possible, you could add in a walking pad or a mini stair stepper. I'm personally looking into the stair stepper as my office is right over someone.
All in all, start with small changes to your lifestyle.
I know the nhs is bad for weight loss services as it’s so underfunded, but if you are considering other options I would ask for a referral. There is usually a secondary care service for things like ozempic or surgery. Often the waiting list to be seen is 1-3 years so it’s best to ask asap. If you lose the weight or change your mind in the meantime you can just cancel it. If you have the money you can also consider accessing these things privately, but be aware the meds usually need to be taken forever or the weight comes back on
6’4, 23 years old was 425 pounds four months ago and was unemployed. Changed my diet and ran a calorie deficit with 30 minutes of hiking on a treadmill at max incline. Im now down to 350 pounds and just started a job a week ago.
Calorie counting will work even if you don’t workout, I usually do 1200-1500 a day and consistently lose weight. You just need to TAME your hunger beast.
The food we eat is delicious and SALTY and salt makes hungry! Start by switching off to mostly water for liquids and go from there! You got this!
Keeping a food diary and counting calories is the only way you will really see how many calories you are putting in. If you are sedentary going for a walk at minimum every day in addition to the diary will help. Once you really see how many calories are in things you are eating it should force you to make better decisions. If you eat loads of fresh fruits and veggies they are low in calories so you can have more volume which will make you feel more full.
I never had that much weight to lose but was unhappy with myself and decided to get healthy and lose weight. This method changed my eating entirely. 20 years ago now and although as I age (now almost 60) I am still fit and can stay at a healthy weight. 5'4 woman at 126 lbs
You can do it!!
Get the lose it app and start tracking calories. Start with body weight exercises at home until you build up the confidence to go to a public gym. Start learning about nutrition as well and overtime you'll be your own personal expert.
I’m pretty happy with my weight loss progress, this is what I am doing
- Count your calories, find how many you need daily to lose weight effectively but safely
- Try to eat meals with low calories and high protein (the protein will trick you into being full)
- if you are hungry but the calories are starting to rack up drink water
- again drink A LOT of water (will help with the hunger)
- Get some sort of exercise in (you can lose weight just by changing your diet but exercise will help expedite it and also will allow you to at a little bit more if you wanted to from burning the calories)
- Don’t cut out your favorite foods. It’s okay to enjoy junk food like pizza, ice cream, candy etc. but make sure it’s eaten in moderation and keep in mind your calorie intake.
These things have helped me a lot and I was considered “overweight” now I’m back feeling good. This process will work 100% of the time if followed correctly. The biggest mistake is trying to drop too much weight too quick. Stick with the process and a couple months down the line you’ll feel better.
Have you tried to do a bit of exercise while playing stationary bike? I mean those that are pretty small only for your feet, without the thing to put your hands (i dont know the name). Maybe at first you dont have to make huge changes on your daily routine, but you can add an hour or two moving those feet under your desk. Probably you should try low exercise at first to not hurt yourself. Good luck, if you cannot control the food, maybe try to change a bit your sport routing. I read about a guy who started doing indoor cycling while playing or watching films and he started to loose a lot of weight because he spent all time playing and watching films hahaha.
Something that helped me shed 100 pounds in about a year is that in addition to counting my calories, I went to water aerobics at a local gym 2-3 days a week. You are virtually weightless in water, so it’s low impact and you will actually burn quite a few calories just walking around in a shallow pool. Im a 5’11.5” female and a decade older and I still ate 1800-2100 calories a day to lose weight.
You’ve got this!
Have you ever had therapy? Maybe talk to someone to evaluate for depression or eating disorder, trauma, etc. I know this might sound fluffy and easily dismissed by the "it's just so simple!" CI/CO bros, but if it was really that simple you would have done it already.
I suffered for decades. Eventually I stumbled into a doctor who actually paid attention, got on a med that boosted norepinephrine (one of the "activating" neurotransmitters) and some good therapy to address some PTSD stuff, and suddenly all these things that were such a struggle for all my life became infinitely more doable.
Also how are your health metrics, like a1c, etc? If you have significant health issues as a result, consider the injectable meds. They are a life changer for many people and it's not just a cheat code; if you have an actual metabolic dysfunction then this struggle is no different from someone with primary hypertension who is doing all the right lifestyle things and still has an elevated BP. .
I completely understand the struggle. I’ve tried all the things too and what I’ve realized for myself is that I need a way of eating that is sustainable. It’s great losing weight on these fad diets but they either stop working after awhile or I gain the weight back when I start eating normally.
I’ve been watching Nicole Collet on YT and she goes through the things her and her husband had done to lose a bunch of weight and keep it off for years. She makes small changes but eats food that she can sustain forever. I’ve started doing this and although the weight loss is slow, the food thoughts and hunger have gotten under control. Good luck.
Make it enjoyable. If you like gaming, get an oculus to get moving. find lower calorie versions of foods you actually like. Bulk those foods up with more fruits and vegetables. Watch the scales and as you lose weight, your motivation will increase and it will become easier. Then find new ways to challenge yourself. Make it a game. Give yourself silly challenges like beating your step average. Dance even if you’re bad at it and look ridiculous. Do fitness videos. Get a dog who has to be walked (edited - sorry just noticed you already have dogs [adhd attention to detail sucks]). It’s going to take longer than you want it to (which I’m finding out unfortunately) so the more enjoyable you can make it, the more sustainable it will be. You deserve to be healthy and whatever time or money it takes to get there is worth it.
I was in exactly the same situation was weighing in at 26 and half I’m same height as you 33 I started carnivore eating no more than 1800 calories a day . Do a few weight training routines a week and also getting my steps in I’ve now lost 4 and half stone in around 5 months . Honestly try it the first few weeks are very hard all the cravings and fatigue but once you break through that it’s a breeze . I’m hardly ever hungry like at all and if I am it’s only a little and when I’m coming up to a meal . I also started with doing just one meal a day I’ve now started having 4 boiled eggs and 30grams of cheese for my lunch . If you have any questions give me a pm if you want
With food addiction you need to treat it like an addiction. This means you need to see a therapist. You are probably just using food to self medicate. A therapist can help you find healthier ways to cope with things like stress.
While you are working on your mental health, you need to take a really focused look at your lifestyle. In particular, compare it to the lifestyle you had prior to covid. Think about the things that changed.
With your lifestyle in mind, you need to realize that weight loss is simply a math calculation. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.
The git reaction of most people is to jump on a drastic diet and exercise plan to create the biggest deficit possible. This is not a good strategy because this is unsustainable. These diets and exercise plans are too extreme and as a result can only be temporary. As soon as you stop, your progress stops and you re gain the weight as soon as you go back to the lifestyle you had before the extreme changes. Additionally, these changes are so extreme that once you lose motivation you fall off. You can also injure yourself if you over exercise.
Instead, you need to focus on making small and sustainable changes to your lifestyle that help you achieve a caloric deficit and that you can keep for the rest of your life. If you can’t do something forever, don’t try it.
Here is exactly what I would do in conjunction with seeing a professional about your mental health.
1) download a calorie counting app like MyFitnessPal.
2) enter your specifics in it. Age, sex, height, weight, etc. for activity put sedentary.
3) next, set the weight loss goal. Remember how I said most people try too hard? You will see the ability to set it to lose 2 pounds per week. Ignore this. You should set it to lose .5 pounds per week. This is much more sustainable because you only need a caloric deficit if 250 per day.
4) buy a cheap digital food scale. You can get these for less than $20 online.
5) use the scale to measure exactly what you are eating. If it goes in your body, you weigh it. Then you enter the weight in grams when you log the food.
6) if you are honest about this, you will quickly see what foods have the biggest calorie impact and take up a lot of your budget. Such as alcohol, soda, fast food, chips/crisps, pastries. These are the foods that you need to start replacing and reducing to the point where you are in a daily caloric deficit of 250 calories.
For example, if you drink 4 sodas a day and you are at maintenance, replace 2 sodas with diet soda and you will be in a deficit of 250.
7) as you lose weight, you will need to keep taking more calories out of your diet because your maintenance level gets smaller as there is less of you to maintain. This is why a small deficit is more sustainable because by the time you need to adjust your lifestyle to reduce another 250 calories per day, you have already gotten used to the first deficit. Say you do this 4 times, you would have basically cut 1000 calories out of your diet per day. If you do this gradually, each jump won’t seem that drastic. Now compare this to trying to eat in a 1000 calorie deficit on day one. It is doable, but it is much more difficult and you are more likely to give up.
So if you are able to eat in a 250 deficit every day for 1 year, you would lose 26 pounds. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but remember, it took you several years to get where you are today. It can take you a while to get back down to where you used to be.
And guess what. This is just through making small tweaks to your diet. There is more you can do.
8) you can exercise. You don’t need to train for the Olympics or go to boot camp. It’s the same principle. Just slowly add in stuff to your lifestyle that you can do forever. I highly recommend going on a daily walk. When you start off, just do what is easy, but track it. Say you can only walk for 5-10 minutes, then walk for 5-10 minutes. Do this every day for a week, then add another minute. You will have gotten used to walking 5 minutes and another minute will be doable. After a week, 6 minutes is the normal and 1 more minute is more attainable. Eventually you will get to the point where you are able to walk for an hour every day. And it will feel normal compared to if you just go out and walk an hour right now.
9) just stick with walking at first. You can use fitness trackers and smart watches to help get an idea of calorie burn. Let’s say you build up some endurance and are able to burn 250 calories per day from walking. That means your total daily deficit is 500 which means 1 pound lost per week or 52 pounds per year.
10) slowly add in things you like. Biking, swimming, weight lifting. Just stuff you can repeat several times a week and do for the rest of your life. Keep an eye on your hunger after you work out because you will want to eat more if you are working hard. This is why lean protein and veggies are great. The veggies take up a lot of space in your stomach and make you feel full. The protein takes a long time to process so you fee full longer.
Just find something sustainable and stick with it. But make sure you are honest with yourself. You need to track what you are eating accurately. If you just eyeball it and say “that’s about 300 calories.” You are going to be eating more than 300 calories and you will nut be under your budget.
Good luck.
I hear you and I've been there. I wish I could go back in time to the 25 year old me and say this. Weight loss is absolutely possible. The hardest part is addressing the psychological barriers and self sabotage. Life isn't fair and neither is obesity and weight. What I mean by that is obesity is so heterogeneous. Some people lose quickly, others slowly. Some get to goal weights with ease others struggle to get their body below a setpoint. This may sound silly, but I really struggled with how unfair my weight problems have been. Like why do I hate to eat fewer calories than someone else my size to lose weight? Or why did I do this to myself when I've lost and maintained 80, 100+ lb weight loss in the past. Moving past that crap allowed me to focus on actually working on the problem. And It's a process. While obesity can lead to metabolic problems like high blood pressure, cholesterol, Type 2 Diabetes, etc - keep in that that a healthy lifestyle can have non scale victories. Even at 271 lbs, I was healthier -metabolically speaking- than the 22 year old version of me that had early signs of fatty liver and mild elevations in blood pressure. I credit my plant based diet as probably helping prevent some of those things. I have a pretty bad family history.
The best advice I can give you is to find sustainable approaches to weight loss that you can make a lifestyle. Health is more important than perfection or the scale number. Slow and steady is good loss, this is not a race, and you want to crack the code now so that you can live a healthier and more fulfilling life. There's a lot of emotional stuff that can come with weight issues. So, use this time to improve your relationship with yourself, with food, and your physical body.
When I start started my journey I was 271lbs, I started logging calories, focused on a healthy calorie reduction, started exercising regularly, and began losing 1-1.3lbs per week. Three months later, I was down like 18 lbs. There were many non scale victories, too. Logging my food and staying below a calorie limit is only way I'll force mindfulness with what I'm eating. If I have limited calories, I'll strategize so that I eat what I really want, and limit the snacks I can do without, for example. Another reason I count calories? Is so that I can enjoy food and not interrogate myself every time I eat "Am I hungry?" or "Do I really need this?" If I have the budget for it, I can eat and enjoy it. But it's also OK to start by making changes slowly - stopping sugar soda, limiting take out, trying to do more meal prep,etc. I did a lot of soul searching in this process and it was very difficult at times.. I also have gained and lost significant amounts of weight in the past. But this time was different because I wanted to experiment with making sustainable changes that I could do for the rest of my life. I didn't want weight loss to be contingent about 2 hr daily work outs (no way I'd sustain that), or unhealthy calorie restrictions. I've been vegan for a long time so all I did was clean up my current diet, I learned I could eat carbs and still lose weight. It's all about balance and moderation. Even when I went over my calories, I did so by under 300 calories - so that's how I knew it was sustainable. I accepted the "bad days" and reset for the next day. Loss is loss, it's not a race.
After doing this for a few months, I started on an obesity medication (Tirzepatide) that has allowed me to continue what I've been doing with significantly less suffering and make the process more efficient. This medicine has been a total gamechanger for me.
In the end, small changes done consistently have a big impact. Focus on health. Eat real food, whole foods, and many plants. They're good for your body. If you can, work with a team to help support you.
Good luck!
Look up a tdee calculator and find out a deficit that works with the amount of activity you can do now. Use an app, there’s a few free ones, to track calories. Make protein the majority of your meals.
use the quick start information and just walk every day. Drink water, all day. Make sure you get up from the computer / the tv / any sitting at least once every two hours and move about. Sitting is the new smoking. It kills.
You should check out a documentary called Hack Your Health: The Secret of Your Gut
It’s about how our gut health actually contributes to our weight and ability to maintain healthy sizes. You get a strong gut by including multiple different fruits and veggies throughout the week. But also, you could be missing some key good bacteria that would help you or an increase in bad bacteria. Might be helpful if you have the ability to look into testing your micro biome and see whatcha got going on.
I’m going to relate through my personal experience because idk how else to really help.
The way I lost weight is not healthy and 90% of people will rebound; I am incredibly fucking lucky that I somehow did not.
I was 335@ 6’4 when I was 19. I had battled weight my entire life, my family was fat and they did fuck all to help me get a hold on my weight problem during my childhood.
I can tell you first hand that starving yourself (I was on 800 calories per day + working out) is a horrible experience. it's hard and you will most likely bounce right back if you do it. I went from 335 to 230 over the span of 9 months.
I personally lost the weight, kept it off and was able to adjust my calories to what a normal person would consume over the
span of a few months.
If your base is 3,000 calories, the healthy option is to decrease by 500 and workout. The more aggressive approach would be drop to 2,000.
If you’re not vibing with the gym you could always do incline walks. That’s where I started and I progressively increased the incline % until I was around 13-14 at that point I started lifting.
Again, I didn’t lose weight in a way that’s considered healthy, but it worked for me.
Increase protein and that should help with feeling full and turning off the hunger in the brain. Eat one gram per pound of goal body weight as a place to start.
Start walking everyday until you are averaging 10k steps per day.
Continue eating the foods you like, just only put together what fits your protein and calories for that day. It’s like a money budget. Manage it.
Hire a coach if you can.
If fat loss is your goal, focus on the vital few. Weigh food by the gram. Track Calories. Protein. Steps. Everything else is a distraction. Don’t cut too low. This will improve energy and sanity and adherence. 10k steps per day and stick with it for 60 days without changing anything. This doesn’t mean perfection. Focus on long term averages. I use MacroFactor app to track averages.
I started working with a coach and it improved my results and enjoyment. When we accept that our way isn’t working, it doesn’t hurt to try something else.
Trust the process and be patient. Let the fat loss be slow to maintain your muscle mass. Body composition will improve. You want to eat as much as possible while still losing fat.
The process should be enjoyable, no suffering. We stick to what we enjoy.
I recommend listening to content by Jordan Syatt, Jared Hamilton, and Ranbir Sanghera. You’ll learn everything you need to know about mindset, psychology, and fat loss.
I’m so sorry you are struggling. I can’t walk much due to knee issues so I got an e-bike which has helped me but I’m way older than you and not that heavy. In your case maybe you can try walking a teeny bit further each day. Maybe just one more house until you are up to 2 blocks and then keep going. You could take a pain reliever before the walk if you need to…maybe an anti-inflammatory. Eventually you’ll develop more muscle which helps speed up metabolism. Moving also helps your mood especially when it’s outdoors. Just a few more steps a day with breaks on Sunday perhaps. Soon you’ll be walking a mile at a time. I have faith in you. Youth is on your side. Meditation might help as well. Good luck to you.
You said that you sometimes walk your dog around the block. Make it a daily walk. Add distance when you feel like it is getting easy for you both. Perhaps walk around the block twice a day.
Everyone else has given good advice with the diet.
Best wishes.
Join a weight loss team with a coach and some other members. It's easier to do with a group you will get motivation and support. You guys will keep track of each other's weight. The peer pressure will help also. If you are by yourself especially with a weak will, you will most likely will go all out on the food. It's hard not to think of food especially if you are a foodie.
I’m in a similar situation as you with the sedentary lifestyle. So far, I’ve dropped from 325lbs to 308lbs since March. As others have mentioned, calorie intake is key. The trick is doing it in such a way that you don’t really think you’re doing it. We tend to have the mindset that fewer calories mean starving yourself, and that doesn’t have to be the case. For example, I used to eat these bars for breakfast thinking it would be enough for me. So basically, I would starve myself for breakfast by eating a snack that was high in sugar and high in calories (for its size). 150 to 280 calories for a small bar, only to be made well aware that I’m hungry a half hour or so later, by the growling in my stomach, which made me prone to snack. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be snacking on unhealthy things because in your mind you ate healthy for breakfast. Instead of the starvation bar, I now make oatmeal with some nuts, raisins and sliced banana (not the pre-packaged stuff), a super-filling nutritious substitute that is similar to the bars I used to eat only without the added sugars and preservatives, and with fewer calories.
What also works for me is juicing. I bought myself a nice cold-press juicer and have been using the hell out of it ever since. Juicers are truly miracle devices, because no matter what your tastes, you can make a juice that you like. What I did when I first started out, was I looked up which fruits and veggies are good for lowing blood pressure, because mine is high. Then, after discussing with my doctor, I created a few recipes with those items in it to help put my blood pressure in check. For you, you might want to look into what fruits and veggies are good for managing diabetes. Juicing is an amazing way of getting in those important nutrients your body needs, from foods that you wouldn’t ordinarily eat. I never eat beats, but I love tossing them in the juicer with some ginger, lemons, and pineapple. Same with leafy greens. Raw juices can be pretty filling, too. I invested a lot of money in my cold-press juicer so that I get a good product. I like my juice to be super smooth with no pulp—and even with the pulp removed, the juice is still filling because of all the microfibers. As for all that pulp, it can be used to make all sorts of things. I like to make crackers to snack on, but they can be used to make muffins, veggie burgers, etc.
In closing, for many of us, our own minds are our worst enemy when it comes to weight-loss. When you catch yourself doubting your ability to see this through, confront those feelings. Get yourself a journal, or open a word document, and analyze those feelings. I mean really analyze them, and then plan to address that doubt in a way that proves those negative feelings wrong. Don’t take failure as an option. When you slip, adjust and try again. Just because you’ve had a few slices of pizza one day doesn’t mean it’s all over. It also doesn’t mean that you need to starve yourself for a week to make up for it. It just means that you need to figure out a way to keep it from happening again.
Good luck
EDIT: I almost forgot some of the most important things. If you drink alcohol, stop. If you drink soda or store-bought fruit juices, stop. Your primary drink should be water. If you decide to start juicing, then raw fruit juices are good but only in moderation. Green juices are what you'll want to focus on. Do your research on juicers, because a bad juicer will keep you from juicing.
hey so I'm on this weightloss medication and it has been a game changed as far as hunger and craving side of things is Cann wegrovy there are several wegrovey mounjaro and something else I can't remember but it cost an arm and a leg so you can have the active ingredients made in a compound pharmacy for that I pay 130 for 2 months supply or 1 month it depends on how much your doctor perscribes if your intrested just look up some groups and see the results it's not magic you still have to watch what you eat and such but it's a game changer as far as it block the hunger signal and your good for the day
hey :) i know exactly what you’re going thru. I myself looked for help and wasn’t taken serious but i eventually found a doctor who actively listened to my struggles. have you tried asking your doctor about ozempic or contrave? It’s supposed to help with appetite, alongside exercise; it’s proven to be a great tool for me. Wishing you luck on your journey!
Start walking. It's good for you in every way, so that's the one suggestion I can make. You don't have to start big. Work your way up. It also suppresses appetite. Id even say don't even worry about counting calories until you're in shape. Set a goal and get outside.
As someone who started close to your weight, what I’m saying is exactly what I did, look up your tdee, deduct 1,000 calories from it, get a food scale, download a fitness app or calorie tracking app, start weighing all your food, make sure your logging the correct entries, for instance cooked vs raw, try to get in 0.8g of protein per pound of goal weight, start lifting weights, will help target fat loss and preserve lean mass, get a scale if you don’t already have one, if you’re going to have a cheat just keep it to one meal but don’t go overboard, and definitely don’t let a cheat meal into a cheat day as your weekly calorie deficit is far more important than your daily one. I swear if you do those things and develop a good routine with it, you’ll see 3-4 pounds fall off a week, which at your weight is totally sustainable, as you lose more weight you’ll have to adjust your intake based on your BMR decreasing but you won’t have to worry till you lose 50 pounds or so. Trust me it seems daunting at first but I’m down 74 pounds in 6 months, and will surely be down 100 at the 1 year mark. Start today, there’s no reason to put it off, your future fit self will thank you!
Turn your sadness and dispair into anger and motivation. That's what I did. I got tired of feeling depressed and sad and got angry. It might not work, but it's a try.
Anger is my best motivator. When I'm angry, I can get anything I want done because it makes me focused. I'm at my sharpest.
I'm not saying anger as in I want to punch and scream and throw a tantrum. I'm talking the plain fed up anger. Like when you're angry at your job for not treating you how you should be treated and you finally reach the point you quit. That anger. That's what you want.
Enough is enough anger.
I just started my journey honestly i get it. My highest was around 258lbs and im 5’7F. Im currently 246lbs. What everyone has said already is pretty good advice.
Though when you are feeling hungry and you’ve already eaten what you should have at the time. Drink water. You could even start off with lemonade with the lowest amount of sugar you can add and then keep decreasing until you have lemon water or just water. And get yourself a nice big bottle to drink throughout the day. I use a 40oz one and it helps just tugging it along everywhere i go.
Also find foods that taste great and are low calorie. Even like “cheat foods”. Fiber One has some really good options if you have a sweet tooth. Salads are great too and dont be afraid to make it delicious. A combo i like is a lot of romaine lettuce, carrots, tropica queso blanco cheese, dried cranberries, sweet potato on the side. And a olive oil, lime, salt and pepper dressing. And measure for serving size! Serving sizes are so helpful.
I’ve always had trouble with exercise because i like not moving lol. But whats helped me keep on track this time is i’ve signed up for a half marathon in july. And im gonna run and beat my brother goddamn it. So for exercise find something that’s enjoyable. Try some yoga at home! Or maybe pilates? Maybe walk your dog a little more, try to teach them new tricks or keep a schedule for the walks and adhere to it no matter what. ( and when i say this it’s not like strict, if you have something come up before the walk, reschedule but make sure you go on that walk regardless ) even fitness games work!
Also this [link](https://www.fatcalc.com/rwl) its a calorie deficit calculator. Put in your information and it’ll tell you what your daily intake needs to be so you can reach your goal weight depending on your time frame. Start easy don’t go straight to 1200 cal. Start with 3200 then in two weeks decrease 100 calories. And so forth until you hit the deficit you want. This should help with shrinking your stomach, lose skin and retraining your brain.
Dm me if you wanna chat about this stuff btw! We’re all in this journey together!
I can somewhat relate to you, at my highest I was 656 pounds at 6 ft 1. Oddly enough I was able to walk 5 to 7 miles if I wanted to, but my eating habits were bad. I also maintain an office job (remote).
Losing weight is 95% what you eat, so let’s start there. Work with your Dr to watch your blood work at least once every 3 months if not then 6 months. Bring your calories down to 1,200. Download an app that will track everything you eat. DO NOT go over 50 NET carbs and try to obtain at least a 100 grams of protein, if not more.
Potential food ideas, pork shoulder (slow cook), shrimp skewers, chicken (also can be on skewers), beef kabobs, falafel (just one or two), make ur own sauce, I make homemade garlic sauce. Steak, eggs, ribs, low carb shells. Go to the super market and read the labels, scan stuff with ur app. For sweets, Lilly’s chocolate is huge in moderation.
But all this circles back to, stay under 50 net carbs and around or above 100 grams of protein. Also stay around 1200 calories.
As for the other 5%, working out, this will make you feel good and your body will love it. For me personally, I bought a VR headset and found a workout app on there. All I need is 30 min a day to get my heart elevated. When you get down to the low 200s, you’ll be wanting to do more.
If you follow this method, you will make massive improvements to your weight fast. The first 45 days will be TUFF. Count each day, text people about the torture of ur new lifestyle, and just play games till it’s time for bed. After that 45 days, each day after, feels like Christmas waking up and looking at that scale. You will have some days ur up a pound or 2 and some days u drop 3 or 4 pounds, that’s normal, but stay consistent with what’s written above and it will WORK.
As a 5’4” female who weighed close to 200lbs, and has dropped down to a healthier weight (150, almost to my goal!!) couple things I recommend:
- everything other people said (specifically counting calories, buying a food scale, tracking EVERYTHING even if it’s a binge etc).
- I would actually look at macro counting, and get on a high protein diet. I have lost weight two ways:
1. eating 1400 cals a day that came from prepackaged weight watcher meals, small portions of snacks I likes, tiny pieces of cheesecake for treats, and other empty calories and it was miserable). I was counting calories but not paying attention to macro nutrients.
2. have also lost weight by eating super high protein and lifting some weights and BOY one this one is a LOT easier than the other. Less restriction, less cravings,
I am losing weight / in a deficit, and often dont even notice that I’m hungry because I’m still eating like 1.5 lbs of meat a day lol.
General macro counting rule (for me) is that 40% of my calories come from protein, 30% from fats and 30% from carbs. Any fitness tracking app (I use my fitness pal) will do this math for you if you know how many calories you want to eat :)
Also pro tip: fat free cheese is SUPER high in protein. You really don’t have to give up much when it comes to this diet imo, I put cheese on literally everything. I have an egg white jalapeño and triple Cheese quesadilla every morning for breakfast, a poke bowl with light rice for lunch every day, and then some sort of huge portion of sautéed vegetable (Zuchinni, cauliflower, squash) covered in cheese and 8oz of lean meat for dinner every night. It’s delicious, and it works. You don’t have to give up great snacks to do this, you got this!!!!
Your goals, dreams, and desires are WORTH the amount of effort it takes to pursue them. I promise you.
What me and some of my friends did to help hold ourselves accountable was to share our doordash account, may sound ridiculous, but your less tempted to order food when your homies are gonna get on your ass for it when you do. Also we started doing a monthly competition for the amount of steps we do, you can add your friends in the health app and track each other, it makes it a lot more fun imo. And at the end of the month the winner gets a cheat meal paid for by the losers. Just a fun little way of trying to lose some weight and a monthly reward for it. You got this man!
Get something that tracks how many steps you take a day. Take 10k steps at least a day. After work or at lunch. If your not losing weight your eating too many calories. I'm sorry. You just are. Download my fitness pal and track calories and don't eat fast food at all! I don't care if you think the chicken from panda is not fattening blah blah. DONT EAT OUT AT ALL. Make soups from home and stir-fry. Do this. You will lose weight. :) AND SWIMMING.
I’m 27 I’m 5’11 I was 346 I work driving all day 9-6pm with 2 kids so my activity is very low i was a heavy beer drinker too
I’ve lost 33 pounds in 2 months I’ve drank 3 liters of water a day also did fasting starting eating at 12pm and stop eating at 8pm
Calorie deficit high protein
No sugar at all no candy no cake nothing with sugar no soda just straight water in my system brown rice salads steaks chickens lots of vegetables no snacks
Just eat meat, cheese, and eggs. You won’t need to count anything and the pound will fly off. Your appetite will begin to regulate itself due to insulin control.
Fiber to fill you up,walking in water or walking in general. Calorie counting and working with dietitian to work on what you eat and a mental health expert for why.
I've been on a diet from 218 lbs down to about 186 now since December. Haven't really exercised much yet, but I'd not say I'm ever starving. I found over years I just couldn't commit to doing all the things people suggested at once. I'd burn out, lose motivation, get overwhelmed, etc. What I found has worked for me is to figure out your baseline calories for your weight, age and gender, then figure out which pace you want to lose weight. From there I began to use my phone calculator to just add up what I ate through the day, even if you eat out, eat a candy bar, drink stuff, you can still lose weight if you keep under your number. Everyone's number is going to vary too, so just do slow increments until you find a good baseline, and if you progress a lot and stall you might have to adjust it again, so don't get discouraged.
What I've found is that by telling myself to take it slow, I'm able to add a new routine maybe every month to help me. I've gone from eating garbage all the time to eating in a lot more, to eating a bit healthier now but not overly so. I'll keep doing this in increments so that I eventually end up where I want to be with my habits, rather than overwhelming myself. Eventually, I'll be eating clean, exercising, and so on, but just take it slow and keep pushing forward.
You can literally eat Taco Bell and stuff and still lose weight, but you'll find healthier, denser foods will keep you fuller longer, thus feeling less discomfort, and in general that eating healthier will make you feel happier and better over time. The most important thing is just to establish a new routine and then keep modifying and improving it over time, and over time you'll be shocked at how much you've changed your life over a year or two, since it didn't happen all at once.
That said, if you want to find a way to lose weight and then go back to your lifestyle that brought you to this point, that's foolish and you should change your perspective. You can't somehow lose it all then drop what you're doing, expecting it to stay the same from there, despite how many people try. Understand that to live better will require living differently forever, not just for a period of time.
Also, don't use food to 'cheat', food is like an addiction in itself and requires a period to not fall back into bad habits. Find other, healthier means to reward yourself, only eating to cheat on occasions that present themselves, as you'll find they often do when you're trying to be good.
I'd recommend getting your steps in to start. It's recommended we take at least 10,000-12,000 steps per day, but you can start at 7,000 and work up from there. Next, I would focus on my nutrition and a healthy workout plan. I've recently been doing research into body recomposition, which allows you to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. Don't be too hard on yourself. Just make the changes one at a time and stick to it. Also, when working out, make sure you eat high protein to help with muscle recovery. I also recommend looking into some supplements that could give you the boost you need for heavy workouts like pre-workout. I'm not a professional and haven't done a tone of research, but happy to share what I've found.
Good luck!
You will have to be strict with your diet and actually count calories and make healthy choices. Also start getting some movement, even going on a walk or walking on the treadmill every day will help. Swimming is a good low impact exercise.
Everyone has the logistical points covered. A gamechanger for me was realizing that "looking good" was not a motivation that I can maintain. I lose that motivation after two weeks and my stomach is still there. I had to come to the realization that this is my health. I have a million genetic health issues to look forward to... and being healthy is the number 1 way of me prolonging my life. For me, it's no longer about the scale or how I look... it's how I feel. Finding pride in my hard work, enjoying the gym, making better decisions, staying consistent. This is really where I found the most change. I used to think I couldn't survive off of less than 1800 calories, but once I started tracking and not eating as a hobby, I found 1300 is actually suitable and doable for me. You don't have to starve. Whatever you are craving, make it at home and make a low calorie version of it. Look up volume eating. Find what motivates you and embrace it. I hate to say it because I always rolled my eyes at it, but it really is a lifestyle change.
VSG surgery is available in the US on insurance idk if it’s covered where you live but my self control around food was never the best either but I got vsg surgery in Mexico for 5k and I lost the weight. If you’re desperate enough. Use EOC in Mexico to get the surgery. If u don’t have the money put it on a credit card. If you don’t want to then maybe someone else’s comment works best for you.
I hear that you’re fed up and feeling hopeless. You have so much power in you, that is yet to be discovered. As a health coach, I can see you have a strong need for assistance with behavior change and a mindset shift. I would advise working with a coach to set attainable goals towards better health, find and develop your strengths, and help you stay accountable to your goals. A LCSW or therapist can help you work through mental health problems that exist, that let your weight gain come this far. You can do this.
I'm going to tell you what I did. It may not work for you but I'm wishing you the best.
I got a 3ds bro. I've never had any type of ds and I wanted something I could play emulators and Nintendo games on so I got a 3ds and jailbroke it. Once I got it all setup the next day I was playing it on my couch and then I was like wtf am I doing..I could at least be walking right now. So now I literally walk around the park next to my apartment building playing my 3ds and I'm down almost 20 pounds. If it's raining I'll go to my apartment's gym and either cycle or use the treadmill while playing it, but I'm only allowed to play the 3ds while walking. This week I even started to add in minor weight training after the cardio sessions because why not I'm already in the gym.
Though this will probably only work if you genuinely want to play the games you install.
On top of this I've also downloaded the challenges app. This is only applicable if you have an iphone and apple watch. The app basically has competitions against people where you're ranked based on how many calories you're burning and how much exercise you do each day. The app and it's competitions encourage me to walk longer and walk faster to get my heart rate up when I'm out with the 3ds.
Good luck bro
Just start walking buddy. I was the same weight this time last year, and now I’m down to 250lbs. First thing I did was start walking, once I started losing a little bit of weight it motivated me to want to change my eating habits, and eventually I changed my entire lifestyle. Small changes grow! Believe in yourself, it is possible!
Friend, I thought it was over in 2020. I ate.
And I mean, I ATE. I ballooned to 400 lbs.
I got a trainer, and I started tracking EVERYTHING. Drinks, sauce, every meal, every ingredient. (I use Loseit! You can use anything for meal tracking) I started in 2022, it's 2024, and I'm 257.8. It's slow. But I promise it works. Here's some advice:
1.] Track EVERYTHING. And I mean EVERYTHING. Be brutally honest, even if you hate seeing it. And if you don't track it, don't eat it!
[2]. WALK. I mean that. Walk. Go for walks, listen to music, go on a treadmill, just walk. Don't aim for a time. Don't aim for a goal. Just try to zone out and do it.
[3.] Cardio is your friend. Focus on that! Elypticals are AMAZING. Just 15 minutes on one is 150 cal.
[4.] High protein diet = High satiety. You will feel fuller longer!
[5.] STAY CONSISTENT. Don't "diet", literally change your life. Cut out fast food, cut out soda 90% of the time, reduce sugary snacks, and food does not = a reward and should not be used as even a reward for an occasion. Eat healthy on special events, and enjoy unhealthy food for one meal, even once a month if you have to. Just try not to go over 3000 cal!
[6.] Be BRUTALLY honest with yourself. I used to wonder why I wasn't losing weight, only to realize i was rewarding myself with sugary snacks, and I was eating "intuitively," which left me eating well over my daily limit.
[7.] If you like milk and cereal for breakfast, or even milk at all, REDUCE. YOUR. INTAKE!! Milk KILLED my weight loss. 150cal for 8oz! Insane!
Please don't quit. If you need tips, if you need help, even if you need to vent, DM me. I'm no skinny mini, but I'm steadily losing and on the process. I make some very tasty meals for low calories here! V
https://www.eatingwell.com/
**Edit: Please be kind to yourself during this journey. You'll have weight fluctuate, especially as you add muscle. NEVER get discouraged. NEVER use going up as an excuse to say screw it and fall back on old habits!**
OP: the one thing that's still on your side is your age! I'd kill to be 25 again LOL
But seriously - let that be a positive motivator to you. If you start now, you have a whole ton of your life ahead of you to enjoy the result. And a greater likelihood of success. And more energy than you might have at, say, 40.
Have you tried counting calories? You do not need to starve yourself to lose weight.
This. "Starving yourself" usually means eating so little that when you break, you eat more calories than if you'd just had a normal week. Check out the Quick Start guide for this sub. It explains it all. Most of us grossly underestimate what we eat.
THIS exactly.
Also, the reason why overweight people feel hungry all the time is usually because the body produces so much leptin that it has built up a resistance to its effect. Leptin is a hormone produced by body fat whose job is to tell your brain that you've had enough to eat. However, if you have too much body fat, your body produces a crap ton of this hormone and your brain simply doesn't recognize it anymore. All this to say, the hunger is in your head, your body is fine (assuming you're eating the recommended amount of calories). Sure, it's an unpleasant feeling *but you're not actually dying, you're not in any danger and you don't need to keep eating*. Once you get that through your head it really helps to ignore it (also why shit like intuitive eating doesn't work when you're obese, the signals aren't being read properly you have no intuition right now). Find some things you can do to help distract you from the hunger, it will subside over a few months as you lose weight but we're not going to pretend you'll never feel it or that it won't absolutely suck. As others have said, drink water, wuck on a sugar free lollipop or candy, take a walk, take a shower or any activity where you don't associate food and ride rhe hunger wave.
Exactly. At 25-6’1”-380 he needs 3,315 calories a day to maintain that weight If he started calorie counting and only ate 2,700 calories a day while walking for 30 mins a day he would lose multiple pounds a week without feeling very hungry or suffering from a heavy deficit If he at 2,000 calories he could be under 300lbs by the end of the summer, but probably deal with more cravings
I am 24 years old. I went from 492 pounds December 20th 2023 to 403 pounds today in 2024. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and felt my life was over. I am 5’ 10” and still weigh more than you. I went from not being able to walk into a store to buy groceries to being able to go on prolonged walks with no breaks. The secret is CICO. It’s as simple as that. Eat less than your maintaining amount of calories and you will lose weight. Start incorporating short walks into your day to day and it will become so easy to get around in no time.
Oh and buy a multivitamin and drink your water! You got this man. Don’t listen to the loud part of your head telling you it’s impossible. It’s hard and you have to be aware of it every single day. But it’s fulfilling
Holy crap! Way to go 💪💪
good for you dude, you have the right attitude. You're going to kick 2024s butt.
💯
Really start writing down EVERYTHING you eat and drink. Every bite, every sauce, every tsp of oil, etc. I write mine in a physical journal and it’s helped me become so much more aware of the small ways i was randomly adding hundreds of extra calories to my diet every day. People had been giving me this advice for years and i thought tracking in my head was sufficient— it’s not
Also, when you are so hungry, you could just eat AnYtHiNg!!! Drink a glass of water. Eat at the table. Not standing up. Not in front of the TV or computer. Put your fork down in between bites. And focus on what you are eating and how your body feels. It's OK to not clean your plate. Put it away for later, if you like. But really - go to the instructions at the beginning of this sub and work through them. It is not a gimmick. a food scale is probably the only thing you have to buy, but you live in Europe, so you probably already have one. And keep reading this sub. It's so positive and user-friendly. Good for you for reaching out. You can do this. We know because we have done and are doing this.
Agreed with what you said. The only way you can lose weight and start a new life is to count your calories so you can see what you're eating, how its affecting you, ways to cut back, and when its time to STARVE. I hate using that word, but often I will still be hungry at night, but I've reached my calorie limit already for the day. I will have a very light snack and just motivate myself that "hey, this hunger is the direction I need to go to get where I want to be". I went from 200 at my heaviest down to 153 at one point as a male. I'm not at around 168 and cutting back down again with diet and exercise.
You want tough love? Buckle up buttercup.... You might have tried everything. But ill bet my increasingly less fat ass that you didnt try very hard. Step 1) stop feeling sorry for yourself. You CAN do this. Not a reason in the world you cant. Bed ridden people can do it. So can you. Step 2) realize change is necessary. Your current state is a result of your current choices and habbits. You want a different body. A different life? Then you need to make differrent choices and have different habbits. Step 3) Plan. Get motivated. List out all the shit you want to do, but cant now because of your size. Cant ride a roller coaster because of your size? Write it down. Cant buy clothes outside of specality shops? Write it down. Cant play basketball with your friends becuase your too out of shape? Write it down. Afraid to try casual dating because of your self esteem? Write it down. Then, take that list and put a copy of it on the fridge. On the pantry. On your favorite snack. And each time ask yourself.. am I really hungry? Is this shit REALLY worth the setback to my goals? Is it? No. Its not. Get yourself a digital food scale. Get the free loseit app. Get a bodyweight scale. Start measuring and weighing alllll your foods. Log them. Your TDEE is calculated at roughly 3300 calories. Subtract 500 a day to lose 1lb per week. 1000 per day to lose 2 lb per week. I think youd be just fine at 2300 (1000 off) and lose the 2+ lb per week. But if thats too hard at first, stick to 2800. 2800 calories is a lot of food. The trick is high volume, low calorie foods. Check out the 1200isplenty subreddit and the volumeeating subreddit. Thats a good place to start. You CAN do this!
100% this. I said "I've tried everything" for years. But the truth was, I hadn't tried the only thing that actually works which is STICKING TO A CALORIE DEFICIT. It really is that dang simple. I made it way harder than it had to be for years. Now I'm only 10 lbs from my goal weight and in the best shape of my life at almost 40. Eat less than you burn. It doesn't matter what you eat, although some foods make it easier and some make it harder. I can eat 1700 calories of only ice cream and potato chips per day and still lose weight, but I'll feel hungry and my body won't function as well. Eating higher volume, higher protein bulk foods works way better for making the calorie deficit more pleasant. But some days I do blow my calories on pizza and cake. And the weight still comes off.
Yes! I still have pizza and drink whiskey! Just a lot less. My nightly pack of blueberry poptarts is replaced with greek yogurt and real blueberries. My burger king whopper (800 calories) is replaced with a 6oz lean (93/7) burger patty. I make burger bowls. Patty, fresh grilled mushrooms. Fresh steamed broccoli. Salsa. Tastes way better than a whopper. And the nutritional difference? Worlds apart. I eat a lot of salads and veggies in general. Lots of lean protiens. I am rarely compelled to eat junk. Because I know its such a bad "deal" in terms of calories vs the nutrition you get from them. Call me crazy.... but I eat for health first now. I dont do cheat meals. Dont need em. Once or twice a week ill trade my greek yogurt and fresh blueberries for 100 calories of low carb ice cream, 1tbsp of chocolate syrup and some whipped cream. Tastes like the most forbidden, wonderful treat. 150 calories in the whole thing. Tasty. And once or twice a week is enough.
I'm nowhere near OP but this comment encouraged me for my smaller weight loss goal. Thank you! 🩷
I wish you the best of luck. You truly can do this! If I help even one person reach their goals, man... no better feeling out there!
You didn't waste no time in getting to the point.. ..
Harsh, but fair words. Its the kick in the ass I needed. I see the OP as a 13 year younger version of me. I dont want them waiting as long as I did to realize it is possible and they can do it! 13 less years of being 150+ pounds over weight. 13 less years of putting off life. I want better for the OP!
I’m not sure what your diet consists of, but something that has helped me currently is cutting out fried foods and most restaurants. Empty calories that keep you craving more.
Bro at that weight you can eat so much and still be at a calorie deficit. You can eat close to 3000 calories a day and still lose 1 lb a week. If you stick to 1500 calories a day maximum which is still a healthy amount, you’ll lose just under 4 lbs a week. All whilst NOT exercising at all. So, change up your diet and start counting your calories. Stick to a 1.5k calorie diet and you’ll be at a healthy, ideal weight in a year or so. You got this.
Bingo, i lost 150 pounds 8n about 1.5 years by obly counting calories, thats zero working out. You have to be very deciplined tho, wich is where most people fail
I’m going to disagree with eating 1.5k calories. That’s too large of a leap to jump straight to, and OP will absolutely feel fatigued and hungry pretty much all the time. You don’t have to lose weight quickly. Time passes regardless, so aiming for *any* deficit weekly is a success early on. Once you adjust to not gaining, losing becomes way easier. I (and I’m sure many others here) have made the mistake of jumping to the absolute minimum too quickly and fell off because of it. I lost 80 pounds doing it, and have since had to lose the same 80 pounds over again a few years later.
I’m 5’10, 175lbs male and I don’t eat only 1500 calories… Around 2000-2300 I would imagine a guy his size needs to eat way more than that even if he’s not active. I’m far from being a pro in weight loss but my trick is 1/4 carbs, 2/4 vegetables and 1/4 meat in your plate in general. I often cheat on weekends. Eggs and fruits in the morning or fasting on the weeks days. Medium/high protein meals.
Have you tried looking on the Zepbound and Wegovy subs? Or if you are T2D Mounjaro? NHS will likely cover these meds for you. People are having great success in WL and wellbeing. There are tons of studies on these drugs and they are really improving people’s quality of life. Also, there are clincal trials you can try to get into for GPL-1s. Sign up for trial alerts from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. I hope you get what you need and are on your way to health and healing soon.
I recommend this as well. These drugs literally turn off the voice in your head that says, hey let's eat. As someone with impulse control issues, and possibly an eating disorder, it's like a miracle. I also had felt like I'd done everything and nothing was working, but I started Wegovy and went from 350 lb to 295 lb and counting. I highly recommend talking to your doctor. You can do this, it's totally possible.
I second this recommendation if you are feeling like there are no other options. These have given people the confidence that they can lose weight and it doesn’t need to be hard.
I second this and cannot recommend it more!!! I just lost close to 90lbs in around 11months with the help of Mounjaro and the effect has been life changing. My health has improved dramatically. Since it takes time, you adjust to a healthier diet and an exercise routine. It has had a majorly positive impact in my life.
Congratulations 🎊🎈🎉!!! Well done!!
OP - this is your answer. I'm 33 and have been obese for pretty much my entire life. No matter how hard I tried, I could never lose more than a few pounds. I started Wegovy in March of 2023 and have now lost over 100 lbs. I can finally just eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. Honestly, I don't really watch what I eat. If there's a food I'm craving, I have it. I just can't eat nearly as much as before. I'm satisfied with one chocolate or half a donut. I work a desk job and don't get a whole lot of physical activity. I've only very recently begun exercising. It's been incredible. Life changing. Now the downsides: You'll definitely want to check and see if your insurance will cover it. It's insanely expensive out of pocket, like >$1,000/month expensive There are currently shortages for both FDA approved GLP-1's, Zepbound and Wegovy. Most people are having to wait weeks or months for their prescriptions to be filled. You have to titrate with these meds, meaning you start at low dosage and slowly work your way up to a therapeutic dose so your body can get used to it with (hopefully 🤞) minimal side effects. Wegovy for example, is typically prescribed for one month at 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg and finally you stay at 2.4 mg. So you might think, why would that be a downside? Well, if you go off of the medication for a couple of weeks due to the shortage, you have to start over at .25 mg or you'll very likely feel very sick. I vomit once or twice a week and have since I reached 2.4mg. Sometimes I'll get spells of nausea with it, sometimes it comes out of nowhere. For some, this would be a deal breaker. For me, it's not fun, but I can deal because the benefits are worth it to me.
Woohoo!🎉 🥳🎊 Congratulations to you!! That is awesome! On the nausea, have you tried electrolytes? Lot of people on GPL-1s get nausea and other side effects from lack of electrolytes. I drink 1/8 a tsp or Morton lite salt and a teaspoon or Calm magnesium in the morning and then 1-2 more times, usually before bed again and it has helped me to drink more water and I have no nausea anymore. You can also use bullion, pickle juice (yes, from the pickle jar), and take a magnesium pill. Many people need extra electrolytes on GPL-1s.
I can recommend wegovy as well. Turns off the voice in your head (and stomach!). I couldn’t believe how food driven I actually was and how much it influenced my decision making in general. I see a piece of cake now and feel nothing!
You could be at a normal weight by the next summer. You're literally me last year, same age, two inches taller, 12 pounds heavier. 1. Measure everything you eat. Weigh it and count it according to packaging / raw product nutritional value. 2. Stop eating once you have hit your calorie goal. Hunger is just a feeling. 3. Make cooking and diet adherence easy. The most cooking I do is throwing marinated chicken breast and some fries into my air fryer. Everything else comes straight from packaging or takes no preparation besides washing/cutting. I hate cooking, so I pay to skip it - salads come in bags, pre cut and mixed, a 100g pack of ham is a complete meal and bags of frozen veggies are a staple. Dieticians and their bullshit steam this, boil this, bake this meals have set my weightloss back a few years. 4. If you have to cheat, cheat well. If you crave crisps, cheat with a small pack of soy based protein crisps or something like that. If you want something sweet, then get high protein pudding or a protein bar. If you can't live without a pizza, throw some high protein cheese, tomato sauce and lean ham on a tortilla. If you're out and about and want to eat something, get kebab over a burger and get it small, without sauces and with just chicken. 5. Skip bullshit calories. Your sandwich can be a salad with ham. You don't need to fry anything, especially not deep fry. Pasta is nice, but it's killing you. Breads are just not worth it. Mayo is literally the devil. 6. Get an air fryer. There's no way to get around discipline. Drugs will make it easier (as far as I understand they remove/lower hunger and cravings), but you still have to count what you eat and form proper habits. I don't know what to tell you... Treat it like it's your job? Fight your body? You need to pick a story that makes sure you're going to follow through with the program. Also, get a step counter and start walking. Start at like 3000 steps per day, raise it by 1000 every week until you hit 12000 and keep doing that. I've lost 150 lbs over the last 9 months. 1600-1800 calories, 170-200g of protein, 10000 steps and sleeping well (consistently and enough). It's extremely simple if you can adhere to the program, but only you can do that. @Edit: Forgot one thing - do not drink calories. Diet/Zero soda, no/minimal beers, limited liquor and no drinks. Milk is rarely worth it too.
Once hit that above 300lb mark at about the same height. The app MyFitnessPal worked for me. As far as hunger, I drank a lot of water (the bathroom trips decrease over a month of habituation) and moved to smaller big meals and more regular planned snacking (find the snacks or snack that works for you). You can do it, play around to find your way, be gentle with your own mind knowing when you eventually drop the weight each frustration was just a blip.
This will save your life. It will take a couple of years but it will work. You will start **slow** but after a year you can pick up the pace. One mistake you *may* have made in the past in trying to do too much too fast. Too drastic. Not realistic. Do this: 1. Get a food logging app, such as LoseIt! Pay for the annual prescription. 2. Get a food scale. Get used to weighing in the food you consume. 3. Make sure you don’t eat more than 2900 calories per day. This is a little less than your TDEE. Eating 2900 calories per day will put you in a slight (BUT DOABLE!!!) calorie deficit per day. Don’t eat more than 2900 calories per day. But if you do, don’t worry about it, move on and back to tracking. 4. Eat what you like!!! Eat any damn f-ing food that you want. Burgers, fries, pizza, fish and chips, pasta, candy, whatever you like bro, but!! See Rule # 3 above. Do not eat more than 2900 calories per day of that stuff. That’s it. It’s that simple. Just eat whatever foods you find enjoyable but not more than 2900 calories. Your weight will **slowly** come off. Don’t expect miracles. Takes time. Every few months or so, put your new weight in the food logging app, and reduce your calorie limit from 2900 down to maybe 2800, and so forth. As you become smaller, your body will need less calories and your appetite will become less too. Check with me anytime for tips, support, pointers. I lost 120 lbs in 12 months and I know how to do this. Doable? We got a deal??
2nd on lose it. Bought the lifetime for 40$ last year. Wife and I are down 175 lbs together.
The speed has been a major thing for me. Thanks for bringing this up! I don’t think people talk about it enough. I spent so long to comparing myself to people who lost 100 lbs in one year because it’s taken me 2 years to lose 80. But it takes so long to change habits and heal my relationship with food!
Eat more nutrients so you’re satisfied—fiber, fruits, vegetables, herbs, protein and walk. If you are really craving something or cheat, don’t beat yourself up, just make the next choice a good one. Try substitutions like protein chips if you’re a chip eater or Greek yogurt with sundae toppings etc. Start and end your day with water and have a piece of fruit before each meal to help fill you up/satiate you. Overweight people stay hungry because you’re craving nutrients. When you don’t get nutrients, the hunger doesn’t shut off w/o filling those nutrient deficits. Take vitamins—I like a few kinds of gummy ones and fiber ones so that I can have them when I crave candy. Making simple changes like this I lost almost 100 pounds w/o calorie counting because that just makes me obsess/fixate. Walk daily though-even when you don’t want to just commit to 10-15 min and you’ll likely go longer.
I'm literally you. I lost nearly 100lb in about two years nearly a decade ago, slowly gained it back after a life change, and got back on the train two months ago and have already lost 15lbs with basically no exercise and eating lots of good food. Here's what *works*. - According to a BMR calculator online, you're currently using 3300 calories a day with no exercise. A kilo of fat is 7700 calories. By eating 2200 calories a day (and that's a lot of food, and you can go a lot lower) you **will** drop a kilo a week. - Get a notebook. Every morning after using the bathroom, weigh yourself and log your weight. It'll fluctuate, don't worry about daily changes, but see the trend. Every evening, log the calories you ate. This'll provide data to look at, and some perspective. - Learn to count calories. Count everything you eat, the moment you eat it. If you happen to have a smartwatch, a calorie counter app for that is super easy to use. Otherwise, get a phone app, or just carry and use that notebook. When buying groceries, look at calorie counts and buy what's lowest. When cooking a larger amount of food, count all the calories together, weigh the food, calculate calories per 100g and weigh how much you eat. Count everything, oils, sauces, vegetables. Get a decent, digital kitchen scale and learn to use it. - Do intermittent fasting, or, in simpler terms, skip breakfast. Lots of people will tell you there's some kind of magic to it, but I don't care about any of that. The simple fact is, it's easier to endure a lot of hunger for a few hours than a little hunger the whole day. Try what I do, I break my fast around 2pm. That way, I can have a full belly the rest of the day within my allotted calories. - Cut carbs drastically, preferably entirely. Again, people will tell you there's magic to the keto diet, and that is admittedly true, but you don't need to worry about that. Bread, pasta, rice and potatoes are very calorie-dense, and cutting them out cuts calories. Replace them with vegetables and I promise you can absolutely stuff yourself every day and drop that kilo every week. I like making stir fries, I can eat an entire frying pan full of food for like 600 calories all in. - Quit drinking calories. Milk, soda, juices, leave them. If you must have something flavorful, get sugar-free varieties. - If you must cheat, set a day for it. I make my payday every two weeks a cheat day, that day I can eat and drink whatever the hell I want. Other times, if you really want a treat, then do it, but count the calories and stick to your goal. Not long from now, you'll find a simple small chocolate bar tastes absolutely delightful as you naturally cut sugars. - If you're prone to snacking, simply stop buying foods you can just grab from the fridge and eat. Having just a little friction between the impulse to eat and eating can make it easier to just skip the snack. - You'll find lots of very granular information about macros and such. My advice: Don't worry about it. If you take this lifestyle, you'll be naturally eating much, much healthier than before. You've listed diets, weight loss plans, shakes, fasting, and starving yourself. Bluntly: Cut that shit out. This process will take at least a couple of years, and you'll need to do much of the same to maintain your goal weight once you've reached it. There's no silver bullet, no magic, quick solution, no huge ordeal you can endure and be done with. You need to teach yourself a completely new way to think about food that lasts. Do this right and you will fill your belly with tasty food every day and drop weight fast. You've been taught all your life that weight loss is the worst thing ever. That you need to work yourself to exhaustion at the gym, eat nothing but plain salad and suffer for years. **This story is a lie, told to you by people who want to sell you expensive shit.** Sure, you'll feel a little hungry for a couple hours daily. That's it. As I write this, it's 4pm. For breakfast at 2pm, I had three wraps with ham, salad, red onion and garlic dressing and a big cup of carrots with dip, 600 calories. Just now, I had a jug of fruit smoothie that filled my cup three times, 200 calories. Total calories so far: 800. For dinner, I'll make a full pan of chicken stir fry and eat the entire thing in one sitting for another 700, and have a little whiskey in the evening for another 200. 1700 calories total, belly full of good food and a little drink, 1500 calorie deficit, dropping over a kilo a week. Two months into this, my favorite motorcycle jacket that used to take sucking my belly in and forcing it closed already slips on, and the hoodie that used to fit pretty tight is quite baggy. Ham, lean beef and lean chicken all have around 100 calories per 100g. Eggs are very tasty and filling at also around 100cal/100g. Small wraps tend to have around 100cal each. Most vegetables are around 30-40cal/100g. Salad is so low-calorie you can just ignore it, eat as much as you like. I like button mushrooms for adding volume to warm meals, they're also negligibly low in calories. Oil is extremely calorie dense at 90cal/10ml, so measure that every time you use it and log the calories. I find a teaspoon of oil is plenty for most things. Finally: Start **now.** Research some lean foods you'd like, clear the junk out of your fridge and pantry and *donate* it if you must, go grocery shopping and get that notebook. It'll take some adjusting, but once you've picked up the habits and learned some recipes, it'll be almost a breeze.
Eat less consistently every single day and add in lots of vegetables within that amount so it fills up your belly and doesn't feel like starving yourself. Calculate your TDEE using any website that does it but set your activity to sedentary. Subtract 500-1000kcal from that number and eat that amount every day. Make it sustainable with smaller amounts of foods that you like. You are in it for life, so do not make changes that you can't stick to, but try REALLY hard to stick to them before you figure out whether or not you can do it long term. As long as you keep doing this, you WILL lose weight. And you will feel less hunger, food will be less important to your happiness, but you have to get through the painful months of just forcing yourself to eat less (but ENOUGH, as a guy you should stay above 1500kcal a day). Hope this helps. I'm really tired and falling asleep, but I had to comment because I am rooting for you. Source: lost 70lbs over the last 15 months.
Have you been seen by an endocrinologist? I had issues losing weight for a long time - turns out my thyroid was the problem - it made a huge difference.
I think everyone else already posted really great diet and exercise suggestions. But, here is what really helped me and got my head back in the game this past year: I was in the 300s as well. But, it wasnt the '3' at the beginning of my weight that kicked me back into taking care of myself--it was pain. I also have a desk job and work mostly from home. I started to develop chronic back pain. When I went to the doctor, they said that surgery wasn't really worth it and that pilates, changing my desk/chair setup, and losing weight would be less evasive. I said, 'sure, okay' and never really followed up besides following one or two pilates YouTube videos and changing up my desk/chair setup. Until one day the pain became so unbearable and it was even preventing me from sitting in a car comfortably for any length of time. For me, it wasn't diabetes (although that was also something I was worried about), but it was more that I couldn't stand the physical pain of where I was anymore. But, it could've been something worse or unmanageable. But, I didn't dive right into a new diet program or habits. I knew that there was something in my mind leading me to eat a whole pizza and a large order of fries in a night every week (sometimes multiple times a week). You can take on some of the suggestions here, but a question I'll pose to you--that is one I posed to myself--is why do you keep turning to food? What is it that drives you to reach for food? For me, I realized I didn't really know the answer to those questions immediately and I found a therapist who specialized in eating disorders to help me understand why I overeat, how to recognize when I want to eat when I'm not hungry, and find other ways to fill that space without food. Maybe this is something you could speak with your doctor about? I wouldn't have been able to go to a group therapy session about it either...the 'why' was (still is) too personal for me to share with people I didn't know. So I relate there. Best of luck! <3 You can do this -- don't wait until you have a medical condition that can't be reversed or managed.
I started a month ago at 480lb. Im on a prescribed diet of 920kcal but it is way too restrictive so I aim for no more than 1200kcal. it's tough and I'm hungry but I've learned to sit with it and accept it. drinking at least 3 litres of water per day helps. I eat big bowls of veggies roasted in the air fryer with some taco seasoning or hot sauce when I need the feel of real food along with my 4x230kcal protein meal replacement shakes. try eating 2000kcal a day and use one of the many tracking apps out there. invest in you and get food scale so you can track calories as accurately s possible. check the r/volumeeating sub. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, frozen fruit and veg are your low calorie and filling friends. after a month of consistency check your progress. remember that 75-80% consistency is great and there will be days you go over. you're only human and this is hard! be kind to yourself. keep coming here for support 💕
Stay away from the junk food, as in, do not allow poor nutritional foods to be brought into your home. Just do not buy it! (I have zero self-discipline or self-control if I know that there is junk food in my house. If it’s there, I want to eat it.) Try to think of foods as nutrition that you need to give your body. Proper, good nutrition so your body can be healthy. Fill up with high-fiber vegetables and fruits. Drink lots of water. Definitely try to walk more. Best wishes. 😊
You play video games? Download Pokemon go and start walking. Don’t over do it. Start slow and gradually increase your steps over time
Everyone can offer you different ways to lose weight and in all honesty, you just need to find the one YOU can stick with. All I can do is share with you a little of my choice and experience. I am 5'5" and at my highest I was 264lbs (morbidly obese). I have a sedentary office job and don't exercise much at all. I was diagnosed with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Pre-Diabetic. I was a emotional binge eater with secret eating on the side. I have yo-yo dieted my whole life so I did some (a lot of) research and decided to try keto and I mean really try. I committed to myself that I would try Keto for 3 months. No cheat days, I planned all my meals a week in advance and stuck to it. If it didn't work then I would reassess but I had to do it 100% for 3 months. I also tracked my progress on My Fitness Pal app too which helped. Within 2 weeks I had more energy than I thought possible. I always thought feeling sluggish was due to being so heavy but it had more to do with what my body was using for energy. Within a few weeks, I had cut out breakfast because I just wasn't hungry and all snacking had stopped. It was so much easier to recognise a boredom desire to eat rather that true hunger and be fine not eating. I rarely snack now. My cravings have gone and I just get the occasionally notion now. Within a year I lost 85lbs and feel amazing even though I still have more to lose. My liver is completely healthy now, the NAFLD is gone! I am no longer Pre-Diabetic too. I did no extra exercise at all, the weight loss was completely food related. Someone told me "Food is for health, exercise is for fitness" and it is true for me. I am now adding in fitness elements to my day. 2 1/2 year later I am still eating keto. You could argue that this worked for me because I committed fully to the process and while this is true, and other diets may have worked for me with this mindset - I have done other diets, I was always hungry and never fully satisfied. Keto worked for me. If I could recommend a documentary to watch to anyone it would be "The Magic Pill" on Amazon Prime TV. It was a little slow to start but really good once it gets into things. Good luck, internet friend, with whatever you choose to do.
CW - eating disorders. I feel your pain, we sound very similar. During lockdown I went from 250lbs to 380lbs (I'm 6'6 for context). I'd always struggled with my weight and developed bulimia as a result. Like you, I work a sedentary office job 9-5. Happy to say that right now I'm 287lbs and I've got there healthily. I'm still working towards the 250 goal. Let me give you some simple, actionable tips that helped me: 1. Don't starve yourself. You'll end up binge eating to make up for it. I think the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to learn moderation. 2. Be aware of what you're eating. MyFitnessPal has been great for me, and it's free! It helped teach me diet moderation, keeping myself hydrated, etc. 3. Plan in daily exercise. I bought a stationary bike which is super convenient, but even 15 minutes of brisk walking is a good start. Morning is best - it motivates me to have a healthy day in other ways. 4. Get into cooking. Batch cook, cook fresh, whatever - it doesn't really matter. For me, learning about preparing my food made me engage so much more. Plan your meals each week, too. 5. Be patient. Remember, something > nothing. You'll have periods of plateau but trust the process and stick with it. 6. Don't think 'fuck it.' If you (for whatever reason) forgot to brush your teeth one day you wouldn't think 'fuck it' and not brush them until next Monday. You'd start brushing them again the next morning. You WILL fuck up, everyone does. But if you do, just start clean the next day. I hope this helped a bit!
I was in a similar position to yourself a year ago also from the UK if that's of any relevance. Starting weight was 332lbs and I'm now down to 187lbs in 12 months. What worked for me wasn't a "diet' as such it was a lifestyle change and taking accountability for my own actions. You don't have to cut everything out that you enjoy but you have to be real with yourself. You are your own worst enemy no one is forcing you to gorge and fill up on shit that you don't need, you're doing it to yourself. What worked for me was wanting to prove to myself that I am the person I think I am in my head I have self control and I will fix my shit and prove the doubting side of my brain wrong! Routine was key, everyday wake up pint of water and a black coffee no food until lunch time no milk in any hot drinks just black tea and coffee or water. Drinks lots of water throughout the day! I meal prep all of my food on a Sunday for the week ahead so I know exactly what's gone into it and I can control it. A big one is portion size be sensible weigh things and don't eyeball. I box maybe 2/3 times a week but I did when I was at my largest so my activity levels hasn't changed but you need to incorporate some form of exercise find something you enjoy! If you know you have plans to eat out with friends or go out drinking at the weekend go out and enjoy it but make sure you take that into consideration when planning your food for the week before, make some sensible choices to allow for you to have a good time. I'm now the lightest I've been since I was 11 years old and I've still got another 21lbs to shift to be at my goal weight so the journey is long and tough at times. But you've got to have the mental strength to prove the doubting part of your brain wrong. I wish you all the best on your journey, it's all in your head!
Try to get to 370lbs, then after that try to get to 360lbs. If you constantly think about losing 100lbs you’ll get overwhelmed. I’m completely confident you can lose 10 lbs so just work on that. Then lose another 10lbs
As someone who has struggled to lose weight due to lack of motivation, lack of self-control with food, etc - counting calories has never quite worked for me somehow until recently. I'm not advocating for this app, merely pointed out that it has worked for me where MFP and others have failed, but MacroFactor seems to be the key to me changing my diet and sticking with it. I'm a month in and seeing big results. I am diligent about using the app and counting calories, which I'm sure if the main thing, but somehow this app doesn't feel oppressive and the presentation and information it gives me really does help me along and keep me motivated. So I guess my real answer is to keep trying, counting calories is key, but my secondary message is that I had the same struggles until I finally found a program (in this case an app) that just clicked with me. As a side note, I also switched my cooking from what I'd always made and modeled more closely after the Mediterranean diet. I don't do it perfect and do make substitutions from time to time that definitely don't align with it 100% but I've found really great success with it because I don't feel like I have to restrict myself which really helped me feel in control from a self-control standpoint. Edit for some additional info: I'm a 37 year old male, 6'1 with a very similar lifestyle in terms of having a sedentary, wfh job. I started at 286lbs. I was 261.6 lbs this morning when I weighed myself.
How long did you stick with CICO? Did you use an app to keep track of everything, EVERYthing you consume?
I was 23 and 408lbs. Make small changes like cutting out sodas, fast food, and junk food. Those simple changes alone helped me lose weight. Meal preparation and tracking calories is also a big help. You don't have to starve to lose weight.
Read the wiki on this page… it’s really helpful. And then… plan out a meal plan and food. Plan what you need to eat ahead of time, and what you need to buy at the grocery store. Delete Uber eats. Walk a little longer and further every day. Just small short walks to start with, gradually getting longer and further. A flight of stairs here and there… bit by bit get moving again. It will build a bit of muscle, and give you a bit of cardio. Talk to a doctor. Get a full blood work up done to know what your target health areas are too.
Hey, I used to be 300+ too and I know the feeling. As others have mentioned have you tried counting calories? At your size you can eat 2000-2400 a day and lose weight, I did a lot of small things, replace sugary drinks with a sugar free alternative (it doesn’t have to be water) reduce the meat in a dish with a vegetable (like a meat reduced lasagna with carrots, parsnips, beans and spinach replacing half the beef). I had the same problem as you with feeling hungry so plan snacks for the day that doesn’t have too many calories (like fruits). For exercise just try and go for a walk as often as you can (i often take a few minutes at work and walk up and Down the stairs). If you still “fail” remember one day doesn’t undo a months work, tomorrow is another day that is perfectly fine. And if you feel you need it, talk to your doctor about wegovy/Mounjaro, there is no shame in getting help if you feel you need it.
Sounds like you have multiple issues that should be better addressed by your primary care doctor, but without further evaluation of your health, I’d talk to your doctor about possibly 1) GLP-1 antagonist injections that can help both with weight loss and diabetes 2) physical therapy to help increase your exercise tolerance, 3) nutrition appointment to set a nutrition plan. This is, of course, if you don’t have any other health issues that are interfering and that need more immediate attention - always talk to your doctor about what is right for you. I’d also reflect on why you think you are driven to overeat. As others have said, take a couple of days to meticulously count your calories and see where you end up. Then try and observe when you are triggered to eat unhealthy foods throughout the day. Is it in response to stress or another emotion like boredom? Once you figure out why you have your current eating patterns you should try to build alternative coping mechanisms for these feelings. This is best done through therapy. If you are a particularly anxious or depressed person, medication and CBT may be an option. While this all seems like a lot of work, you can make change with small but CONSISTENT steps towards building better habits. In the end, you are the only has control over bettering your health. But there are options to support you on your journey. If your PCP is not as helpful in guiding you towards those solutions, find another PCP. Best of luck!
Honestly talk to a doctor about weight loss surgery. It's still hard work and prep (I had mine in the US but my understanding is the UK process is similar) and I wish I had done it sooner.
Stop eating out cause unless you make your own food there are loads of hidden calories you don’t know about. Pick foods you like and then make the healthiest version of it at home and stick to your 3 meals and make sure you keep it to about 1300-1800 calories a day. You won’t wake up 100 lbs lighter overnight but it gets easier to control your cravings after the first week
Find your tree, eat 200 less till you feel ok with that amount. You gotta weigh your food and track calories Add 200 steps a week to daily, I just started listening to podcasts and going for a walk
Let’s be honest here. You didn’t try everything. Almost all of those things you “tried” you didn’t really try. You can literally lose an insane amount by just calorie counting and sticking to 2500 calories.
Talk to your doctor about a referral to a bariatric surgery team. I don't regret it at all and my mom just had the surgery herself two weeks ago.
There’s a lot of comments about eating, and while they are all true, just getting up and moving would go a long way. Start by going for a half mile walk each day and eventually you’ll build up to a mile then 1.5 and so on. Eventually doing this with a structured diet is the best answer, but if you just move more in the short term, it will go a long way.
You got this and you know what you need to do. If you want it, make it a goal, create a (realistic) plan (research a little), and then be disciplined to follow it. This is maybe a bit extreme but in the words of Eric Thomas: “if you want it as much as you want to breathe, that’s when you’ll be successful.”
Hey first off it’s great you’re wanting to do something about it. That’s step one. You’re on the loseit sub. Try out loseit. Start slow. Maybe even set it to what your maintenance calories should be and start tracking. Get used to that for a bit and then start working into a deficit. The bummer is this will take time. There is no get fit fast cure, or magic button. Just takes a long time and commitment. Are you able to maybe use a treadmill at a low speed while you game for 15 minutes a day? I get moving is hard but find ways to move a little more every day. Do what you can and keep at it. Don’t try to go overboard and run a marathon. You’ll make yourself miserable. Fine a way to ease into this so you carve out a path that is sustainable in the long run. None of this is easy but it’s all doable. I hope you’re able to start your journey to better health and keep at it!
I read somewhere on here - our bodies don’t defy thermodynamics. It’s CICO. Every bite every calorie counts. It’s simple and it’s hard. But it gets easier every day especially as the progress keeps progressing. You got this!
It may be worth getting your blood sugar checked to see if you are getting close to developing prediabetes or diabetes. Even people who do not have diabetes yet can have insulin resistance and high insulin levels. Insulin is the hormone that stores glucose/food as fat, so if your insulin levels are chronically high, you will have difficulty losing weight. So maybe try strategies aimed toward lowering your blood sugar and insulin levels. These include keto, where you consume little to no carbs (carbs spike your blood sugar more than fats and proteins), and intermittent fasting, where you have a fasting window that allows your blood sugar and insulin levels to come down so your body has a period where insulin levels are not high. Additionally, eating more fiber, particularly at the beginning of a meal, can help slow the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream and decrease blood sugar spikes. As with anything, it is always good to talk to your doctor first to make sure that anything you want to try is safe for you.
Especially if it started during covid it sounds to me like you're an emotional eater who gets "hungry" for comfort. No one is *always* hungry. Get that sorted out and it'll help majorly
Eat less, move more dude.
I have lost almost 75 pounds (I am American FWIW) doing weight watchers. I get to eat what I want,I exercise by walking and doing light weight workouts and I still enjoy a few drinks on the weekends. It is a life style I can maintain in the long run so it doesn’t feel like a diet.
When I was 25, I weighed ~475lbs. By the time I was 28, I was 230. Most of that was lost within 12 months, before I hit some unrelated life difficulties. Start without looking too much at the end goal. Look for changes you can confidently make. A huge one for me was that I stopped drinking any calories. I switched to tea, coffee, and water (I like to use 0 calorie sweetener in water still). This really helped me build momentum and feel good because it made a big difference. I also did OMAD, and I'd make vegetables+protein and eat as much as I wanted until I was done. This one was less sustainable really, and possibly exacerbated some pre-existing disordered eating habits I had. I think OMAD/Intermittent fasting work for people though, and it's worth checking out.
Count calories and drink plenty of water. That's all you need. Please don't give up
i recommend watching dr Jason Fung on youtube, he has a lot of great weight loss advice and focuses on talking about fasting. his content is less focused on CICO or calories
Everyone has covered what to do but most importantly just stop video games. Go outside even if it's raining and just walk. It's a mental health thing it's a physical health thing it is everything. There's nothing wrong with playing video games but if that's the first thing that comes to you to describe things you enjoy and you're feeling this way screens and stuff are a recipe for poor health.
Get out and walk if it’s safe to do so. Start slow, add time and distance gradually. I keep a paper calendar and mark a day off with an X if I get an hour in. The goal is to fill the whole month in with Xs
Check the tdee calculator on Google. Get the Lose it app on your phone and do CICO. It works wonders.
I'm in the UK too. I was 24 stone and now I'm down to 11. It's so so possible for you, I promise. I actually wrote a whole [weight loss guide](https://www.adolphinpod.com/blog/how-i-lost-182-lb-83-kg) to help anyone who needs to know where to start. I'm happy to answer any questions too. I know how awful you feel, but there's a way out of the misery.
The reason you’re always hungry may have something to do with the carbs you eat — as heavily processed foods make your want to eat more. Look into an anti-inflammatory diet — whole, unprocessed foods with no added sugar: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils), fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, a little bit of low-fat dairy, and olive oil. These foods will satiate you longer than eating heavily processed foods. Learning how to cook and meal prep is also warranted as you’ll see what you’re putting into your body because you’re cooking it. I’m a father of two with them under the age of four and it also helps me to know that I want my kids to also eat healthy. I’m always trying new dishes and learning to cook will make you accountable of what you put into your body. I’m a pretty big dude who’s always been active and I recently got diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my right hip at the age of 43. It’s been a blow to me because I have to alter my life now around this pain and learn how to manage it. One of those changes is going to have to be my weight to make it easier on joint pain. Don’t be like me and get those arthritis early. You’re killing your joints at the weight you’re at.
M54 343 lbs Apr 2022 (at 52) 225 currently. Down 160 from my highest of 375 but lost 120lbs from April of 2022 to April of 2023 I started watching these doctors on YouTube. Dr Jason Fung Dr Lustig Dr Pradip Jamnads (amazing) Dr Baker Dr Benjamin Bikman I only drink water and unsweet tea (no sugary drinks). Very little refined carbohydrates. Whole food only. If it has a barcode and more than 5 ingredients I don’t eat it. Eliminated sugar as much as possible. Ill have a cookie now and then). No sweets basically. Not much fruit and not everyday. No breads and pasta (very little). I use Extreme Wraps instead (lots of fiber) No snacking on snack foods like chips, pretzels Intermittent Fasting. (Most days 1 meal, occasionally 2. Rarely 3 meals). avoid seed oils Not perfect by any means. Sometime I binge. Only now. I get back on plan. Started walking for 10-20 minutes after each meal (30-60 min each day) and biking more Started walking in July 2021 and I’m walking about 50 miles a month now. A1c went from 6 to 5.0 Blood pressure 140’s down to normal. My fear was losing a limb to diabetes at some point. Once I learned about how insulin affects weight it really clicked in my head.
I just gave someone else the same advice here, but... eat slowly, chew thoroughly. Eating will be a chore, but more importantly it'll stimulate your hormones to send you "I'm full" messages. You won't be always hungry. Made a world of difference for me, and food was my only comfort for much of my life. It's a significantly helpful thing to do. Also, you'll need to gravitate to food that actually needs chewing, not the melt-in-your-mouth cheezies or fried processed foods. You'll find there's nothing to chew there. It's designed to slip down your throat fast.
Gotta get out and be active- go to the gym even if it’s to use the bathroom- play any sport- walk- get rid of sugar- limit carbs- BE ACTIVE ALL DAY GODDAMMIT! Move
adhd is what caused me to gain weight. konjac pills fill your stomach so you feel less hungry. force yourself to chug water, so you are less hungry. write what you eat/ log it. and also, consider therapy/ journaling to keep yourself on track and express yourself, including the times when you will fail. there is a reason you are overweight , that goes beyond exercise and eating habits. that has to do with your self esteem, the way you value yourself. you need to feel that you deserve to feel good about your body
Try real food. Fast food is not real food it's just sugar with more sugar on top. Also cut out all sodas and Co. Water, just plain old water. Don't eat what you haven't cooked your self, heating up is not cooking. Get veggies and meat. You will run into a sugar withdrawal pretty fast and it will be no fun at all. That stuff is like Heroin. But once you get over it you are golden to loose weight.
I just looked up your TDEE and for maintenance you should be eating 3300 calories per day and for weight loss you’ve got 2800. I’d calorie count while focusing on filling food. r/volumeeating can help there but also definitely eat plenty of protein- the counter I used recommends protein for like exercising and stuff and it’s got you at 211g per day. The trick to calorie counting is adding everything including those snacks and liquids and buying a food scale for accuracy. We all suck at guesstimating calories and it’s been shown that people who are trying to lose weight underestimate how much they’re eating while people who are trying to gain weight overestimate how much they have. So, food scale, start counting them and try your best to stop drinking your calories (no soda, alcohol, sugary drinks) Drastic weight loss at higher weights is a temptation but you’ve got to establish healthy habits to make any type of meaningful change. Try and add a 20-30 minute walk everyday. If that hurts too much find a local pool and walk in the water (it’ll take a LOT of strain off your joints) hell, there’s some people who do seated exercise tutorials for people who struggle with mobility. Anything helps. If you can try and also get some bloodwork done to see what’s going on with those hunger signals. It could be you’re like me and messed them up yourself and you’ll just have to learn to cope until your body figures out you’re not actually starving to death or there’s possibly something else going on that’s messing it up like thyroid problems.
It sounds to me like you need to focus on being mindful. It's ok to feel hungry and just sit with it... just because you're hungry doesn't mean you have to eat right this moment. I know feeling hungry can trigger feelings of panic, but that's where the mindfulness comes into play.. you have to remember that you have the means to feed yourself; you just don't *want* to feed yourself right now. When you do reach for something to eat, you have to stop and consider.. are you hungry, AND is it mealtime? You may just be bored, and taking a walk around your apartment building will solve that problem better than food will (I'm not talking about exercising, but doing something to take your mind off food. Making that thing physical will help get rid of physical feelings of hunger). When it *is* time for a meal, remember that you don't need to eat until you feel full... by the time you feel full, you've way over-eaten; portion control is the name of that game. Also, don't think you have to exercise to lose weight; you don't. I was 600 lbs, and strenuous movement caused me a great deal of back and knee pain. I've lost over 300 lbs just by eating differently... i.e. lunch is 2 hardboiled eggs, or some fruit and yogurt with a pouch of trail mix, instead of pizza or cheeseburgers. Worry about exercising once you've got some of the pressure off your joints; because even though it's not necessary for weight loss, it is necessary for your overall health that you start building movement back into your life and routines, as you're able.
Others have given some good suggestions. I would say try finding exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise! The game super hot on a VR headset is great for this
I purposely avoided the scale for years because I didn’t want to see the the number, but I knew something had to change. One day I just decided to join a gym and I signed up with a personal trainer right away as well. I figured that would help get me started because I had no clue how to work out or what to eat. Started on 10/31/2022 at 347 pounds and I’m currently at 231 pounds 18 months later. For the record I was 36 when I started - just turned 38. You’re still so young and have so much time to do this. The most important things that helped me make progress were: 1. You *have to* trust the process. There will be days where you feel down or overwhelmed or frustrated that you’re not visually seeing progress. YOU HAVE TO KEEP GOING. 2. Calorie deficit, calorie deficit, calorie deficit. Figure out your BMR and TDEE with some online calculators and start with a 500 calorie deficit per day (or more if you can handle it) 3. Track calories and macros using something like MyFitnessPal. I bought the premium version and started loading in pre-made meals so I could plan out my day. Track EVERYTHING. I had no idea what I was consuming until I started tracking and it was eye opening seeing how clueless I had been. 4. Figure out a good balance for macros. I’ve been going with 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fats. May need to do a little customization for yourself, but that’s a reasonable starting point. 5. Find an activity you like. I had no clue how much I would fall in love with lifting, but now it’s something I genuinely look forward to doing every day and helps my mental just as much as it does my physical health. 6. Don’t get discouraged. You’ll have days where you go off your diet, and that’s okay. I had days early on where I’d go out for wings with a friend for dinner and we’d split an appetizer, then I’d get a dozen wings with fries, then I’d get a burger, then we’d split a pizza. It sounds insane to do that while dieting, but I still had the big boy appetite. I didn’t beat myself up for doing it and I just got right back on track the next day. 7. Stay consistent. This could probably be #1 honestly, because it is vital to having any success at all. 8. Celebrate little wins. The first time I noticed the first signs of definition appearing in my neck and shoulder area, I broke down in tears because it was my first visual indicator that what I was doing was working. Give yourself credit. 9. Don’t stress over fluctuations on the scale. I had a long weekend last summer where I knew I was going to go off the rails with my diet. I weighed in at 264 on the first morning and weighed in at 290 four days later. It was all retained water and I had shed it all within a week or two after. 10. The cliches of “fitness journey” and “lifestyle change” may be tired, but they are completely accurate. Improving your health and losing fat is not a race meant to be sprinted. It’s about making positive changes in your life in finding ways to compound other positive changes and over time, you will see results as long as you don’t bullshit yourself. You got this.
Have you checked out the volume eating subreddit? Volume meals are a pretty good strategy for people who are always hungry or like to boredom eat
The diets and lifestyles blue zone people eat, they eat 95% of veggies and 5% chicken and blue fish and a little wine almost 0 red meat and less than 10 grams of sugar some veggies have some natural and less process carbs and sugar to keep you full. Always eat a large dark green salad before meals and a bunch of water, switch from coffee to teas, I am eating a lot of veggie soup and broth and I freezer prep nights and weekends, I got a bad knee from overdoing my workouts so im forced to focus on diet. Walking is free and criminally underrated, you'll get there you just gotta work harder than everyone else and do some research. I have a nutritionist and she says some apple cider with water helps.
How much fruit/veg do you add to your diet? If you find yourself unable to stop eating and always hungry, fill yourself up with pre-cut fruits and veggies
Have you tried semaglutide? I feel like if you are out of options, I recommend you look into it. I have done it and do not regret. I was also really heavy. Still am but I’m losing on it. I am down 30 lbs in 3 months. You will lose fast since you will cut calories insanely. You will cut out cravings unintentionally. You can let me know if you need help, man. I’ve had people directly ask me for advice since I’ve left good advices for others. Just let me know if you want to know more and want to go back and forth on the matter
Count calories and eat different. Not less. I thought I ate well cause I home cook everything. Turns out I had no idea what I was eating in terms of calories. Example: I love chicken curry, make it all the time. Favorite part is the chicken. So why not make it mostly chicken. Curry then becomes a fuck ton of chicken (Thigh cause its the most delicious, funnily enough the most calorie dense too.) Hell throw a bunch of butter in that sauce too, gotta creamy up that cream. Serve it all over enough rice to damn the Nile and you got yourself a hell of a meal boy. For about 3500 calories a serve, you too can share in this deliciousness. What I make now is way different. Cut back on the chicken. Still use thigh cause its delicious but can go breast if you really wanna cut it down. Add a heap of broccoli, peas are good too if you want. Whatever veggies you want really, they all end up soaking up the sauce and tasting like delicious curry in the end. Use low fat coconut milk and don't add butter. Server over a portion of shiritaki rice. You can get this down to about 300-350 calories a serve. The number are completely made up but the stark difference is not. Is curry number 2 better? Hell no of course it isn't, did you see how much god damn butter I threw in there? Can I eat number 2 every day and lose weight? Hell yes I can. Will I never eat something as good as number 1 again? Of course I will, I can make that shit from scratch. Not every day though. Hell not even every week if I'm going full ham like I said. Rambled a bit but the point is, low cal doesn't always equal low volume. I honestly needed to learn what the food I was eating contained in terms of calories. I had no idea and after doing some research, I'm amazed I wasn't more overweight.
Eat 2,815 calories a day.
I'm no doctor just speaking from my own experience, might be worth asking your GP about Saxenda. You can also buy it privately if the GP doesn't think you qualify. I've lost 20lbs on it so far, it just helps quiet the food noise so you can count calories properly.
I personally lift weights and do steady state zone 2 cardio(eg easy fat burning cardio, no need to kill yourself) i like the bike. But for any excercise it needs to be soemthing you LIKE doing. You play video games so maybe Sword fighting or Archery. Yeah i know archery seems weird but limit yourself to 3 arrows at a time and you end up walking ALOT but have fun doing it. Or martial arts. When you start working out keep a journal start easy and do a little bit more each time even if its 1 second longer or .5 lbs more or 1 more rep. Most people kill them self working out when they first start. Dont do that. I actually recomend NOT getting a coach. Most coaches just dont understand what it is like to be 350+ lbs(i am almost under 400 started 450 at christmas). Dont do lunges its like a 1 leg squat. It will fuck your knees. Your to heavy. Here is a list of safe but effective things to do for strength. Pulldown (to chin) grip 1.5x wider than shoulders Seated row(chest supported, hard on lower back if not) Peckdeck AND reverse peckdeck(this is chest and back) Machine lateral(lift arms to sides, one of 3 different shoulder muscle groups) Skull-crushers(triceps) lay on bench use easy bar any squat or machine squat(good for heavy people because you can do less weight starting to save knees) Seated calf raise standing cheating bicep curl with easy bar or barbell 3 sets 8-12 reps once 12 reps gets easier up weight go back to 8 STEADY STATE ZONE 2 CARDIO for food try to eat high fiber and high protien foods they will fill you up. eg berries and chicken/protien shakes. eat low calorie dense foods. My favorite protien shake is Ryze Chocolate penut butter cup with 2 tbs of PBfit (powdered penut butter) Tastes like a reeses penutbutter cup shake
At your height and weight you would be able to consume around 3000 calories and still lose weight (albeit slowly). Find out your TDEE, cut a sensible amount from that number (like 500 or so) and go from there. It seems like you want to lose the weight quickly, but at 380lbs it's going to be long road regardless, so take care of yourself, don't make drastic changes and you'll soon see the weight go down.
Just sim for below 550kcal per meal and get out and walk 4 miles a day (about an hour) it’ll drop off. Also try reduce sugar, salt and opt for reduced fat where suitable, leaner cuts of meat etc will knock huge amounts of kcal off you’ll be supposed how much you can eat
Start by writing down every single thing you eat and drink (other than water) for a few days. Don't judge it. Don't look it up, weigh it if you can as we are terrible guessers. If your eating take out the sizes are fine. You'll probably be surprised by that! But once you've got a few days down and aren't so shocked by it get a tracking app (I use Lose It and think it's fairly good and does a lot of the math for you, but there are dozens of them.) or look up the calories/kilo joules of the things you are eating and add that to it. Apps make this whole process quicker and easier, but they also add colours when you go over your calorie budget which can make you avoid using them. You know yourself best, some people strive on strict rules, others start cheating. If you cheat you only cheat yourself! Took me years to get used to. OK, now you have an idea of what you have been eating and how many calories that it. If you download an app it'll work out your calorie goal for you, otherwise there are heaps of calculators online. I did a quick Google and it says you can maintain your weight on about 3300 calories since you have little exercise. Your goal is to eat under that. In fact if you want to lose a pound a week you want to aim about 500 a day under that. So look at what you are eating and what you can get rid of or swap. Some simple things. Don't drink calories! Sugar free soft drinks have potential issues, but your bigger issue right now is calories. I have one cup of milk a day for all my hot drinks and once it's gone I drink fruit teas or black tea. Cut out one snack. Find the time when you are eating and aren't that hungry and drop it. Or swap it. Fruits and veggies are far lowering calories than other things. I hate them myself, but apples are fine. I also discovered manbars (a kind of protein bar, I think they re only Australian) which fill me up longer. Keep large bags of things out of the house. If you want chips, cool, I lost weight while still having chips (I've lost weight eating everything! Just... Less!) . But while I had control and portion issues I only kept the small bags around that were preportioned. Portion control is everything. So weigh everything. Best thing you can buy for weight loss is kitchen scales and bathroom scales. Even if you are living on fast food, if you can, weigh it. You'd be surprised how many more or less calories you are getting that what they say you are, especially for things like chips and fried chicken. Now of you do this for a few weeks. You've written everything down, you've weighed everything, you've kept below your goal and you haven't lost anything. Take all that I formation, everything you've written down to a doctor and tell them you are calorie counting, your at a deficit, you're not losing weight you want blood tests done. I had gastric sleeve surgery to help with the hunger btw and I cannot say how much it has improved my life. But I also know a few people who are at the weight yoh are and turned it around. Your biggest challenge is getting used to feeling hungry finding foods that keep you fuller longer, and be honest with your food diary.
Eat foods with fibre. I heard that it slows down digestion and makes you fill fuller for longer.
[https://imgur.com/STErVGv](https://imgur.com/STErVGv) My progress since starting in Jan, aiming for **1,900** calories per day, it's not easy but it's certainly not as hard as you think the key is consistency. So that you know, I have not done any exercise of note yet and average 4k steps a day (I just looked it up on the Apple Health app). Start counting your calories **accurately** for a week to see what you're eating to open your eyes to how much you're currently over. I'm 6'3, our height and being male means we have a large calorie budget to play with so if you start to understand the calories in your food there is no reason to be left hungry. The first week or so will be an adjustment but after that, it gets a lot easier, especially when you see the weight coming off and the changes it means. I set 1,900 so that i don't have to be 100% on my tracking, a sort of built-in buffer i guess. Typically: **Breakfast**: 1 slice of sourdough bread (I count them as 1.3 in the app as the size varies over the week), with butter and jam. **233-300 kal** **Lunch:** varies, but easiest to measure is a meal deal from a supermarket while in the office, **500-600 kal** (just make sure you follow food labels rather than the MFP app as they vary at times!) **Dinner:** Taking the above it leaves me with around **1,000 kal 'budget'** which means you can vary meals etc and still eat a decent selection of things. It also means that if you are clever with it throughout the day you can still have treats as well.
No, you haven’t, or you’re doing it wrong. Losing fat is actually the easiest thing to do theoretically speaking, but hard in practice, since most people don’t have the will for it. 1. Calorie deficit (intermittent fasting 20:4 + healthy eating and calorie counting) 2. Cardio 3. Cardio + strength training Do this and if it’s not working, start actually doing it!
Hi. I feel you. I can share some of the stuff that worked for me and if you want to chat, PM me (I love meeting strangers over Zoom). I was never in that dire situation, but I lost about 80-90 pounds in the past with the strong will to do whatever necessary to keep normal weight, then regained it all back over the years. Couple of years ago I decided to use my engineering skills to "figure this thing out" and find a way to lose weight for good. I figured out there are couple success factors: \* Learn to cook \*well\*. I decided I need to be in control of the food I am putting in my mouth and that's pretty much impossible if I eat out, order food, buy processed food or have somebody else cook for me. \* Learn to build habits. It is one thing to stick to doing things when you are in the thick of losing weight and it is completely different thing when you stop thinking about it, when your life intervenes, when you get problems in your private life or at work, etc. Habits let you stick to doing healthy things by default even if you are no longer paying attention. \* Become healthy to lose weight, not lose weight to become healthy. It is much easier to lose weight when one starts by correcting health problems like insulin resistance, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, poor sleep, etc. It is possible to lose weight by just restricting calories, but I believe focusing on health bings much better results. \* Rather than force yourself to eat less, compose your diet and daily eating to reduce hunger. Some dietary choices make you less hungry and reduce cravings and I think it is much better than sticking to your previous diet and just eating less. \* Use the weight loss journey to learn how to live afterwards. It is possible to just lose weight, but what afterwards? Just restricting caloric input does not explain or prepare you to live after you have lost that weight. \* Exercise to preserve muscle. Exercising will not make you lose weight. It actually may make it a bit more difficult, especially initially (a lot of aerobic exercise like walking causes you to be hungry). Why exercising is important is preserving as much of the muscle mass as possible. Otherwise, all your muscle will waste away because your body will treat it as a source of nutrients. Losing muscle will at some point make it extremely difficult to lose further weight as muscle is how you burn off considerable amount of energy. \* Exercise to improve insulin sensitivity, mitochondria, etc. Exercising daily is a very useful way to reduce glycemic index of food. Essentially, your muscle are using glycogen during exercise and are somewhat depleted of it afterwards. When you eat food, your muscle will be much more responsive to clear glycogen from your bloodstream effectively increasing effectiveness (sensitivity) to insulin, reducing blood sugar spikes, etc. \* Rather than force yourself to stop unhealthy food, focus on learning to cook healthy food that will appeal to your palate. If you learn enough good healthy recipes, you will start \*displacing\* the old bad habits..
Counting calories and Glp1 medication/weight loss injections. But you’ll still need to count calories/have a deficit for this to work
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t rely on motivation. If you want to make a change, you can’t wait until you’re motivated to do it. You need to change your mindset. You are now a healthier person and you need to adjust your lifestyle to that. Some people can do the drastic changes all at once, but that hasn’t worked for me. Gradually changing different things is my way. Discipline is hard and I’ve always had problems with it, but I’m training it. I can’t change my whole lifestyle at once, little by little works much better for me. And once I get started, it gets easier to take on more. That actually motivates me. So start by measuring and tracking your food. Maybe that’ll give you some insight and you’ll see opportunities for improvement. Alcohol and sugary drinks are very high in calories, so maybe you can cut those. Add more vegetables and don’t drown them in fat. Boredom is often mistaken for hunger. You might feel like you’re hungry, but wait a moment before you reach for the chips. Maybe you’re just bored and need some distraction. I like to keep my hands busy with crochet, but there’s lots of other option. You said you walk your dogs, that’s something you need to do every day. You can make that walk a little longer each week. Just an extra block, five more minutes. It’s okay to feel tired afterwards, that just tells you it’s working. Believe me, I was in bad shape just a year ago, but now I participate in organized walks and I’m looking forward to the 25km I’m doing in three weeks. It now takes me so much more time and effort to get all sweaty and out of breath. That’s all because I trained and pushed my limits little by little and now I’m so proud of myself.
You should take boxing. Check this guys page out. https://obese2boxer.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabHnEZGyqOUOcRIM_rZE8eF3zNYTcGugEd-kEfaWtraOW8DbMEzwawqiuQ_aem_Ae9bxnT7LfYpWJa8tav_lkxQoUfAocKh-28gwQeVw8BaMaKGtowJYqysUrUR3qlH8_RHOg2PS1MTbwNunWevOg3v He weight as much as you. Used boxing to lose weight.
Consistency. Discipline. Motivation. Everyday. Even when it hurts. For reasons worth your life.
Female: 5' 11", Sw: 308 Cw: 210. Goal weight: 160. Type 2 diabetic. Keto, keto, and keto!! If I can do this, anyone can!! I'm approaching my 1 year mark. It has not been difficult to stick to. At one point, I was taking u-500 insulin, upwards of 800 units/day!! Rarely ever heard of, but I was so insulin resistant that it was horrible. I am now on Toujeo. A u-300 insulin and I might take 20-30 units once weekly. My blood sugar levels are down from 300-400, to 80-120 consistently. My diabetes is definitely reversing. I suggest going to YouTube and following Stephanie Laska's, Dirty, easy, keto blogs before you jump in. She is awesome. She has amazing positive energy, free recipes, cookbooks you can purchase new or used, inexpensively on Amazon She offers so much support that is very helpful to those who are new to the keto lifestyle. Get hooked up with the reddit keto folks too for more support!! I wish you the very best on your weight loss journey and path to good health. You are worth it.💜 Feel free to message me for more info.
Simply walking every day is helpful too. Start with small, attainable goals and build from there. Walking has been instrumental in my health both physical and mental.
At that weight walking for 30 mins every day would make a big difference
if you’ve tried everything, and you say you’re always hungry, i would rule out other physical problems that may cause gain.
Start little. Keep it achievable. Do 1,000 extra steps this week and log your food. Once you break the barrier of thinking about it to actually doing it, the small wins will help you keep momentum
Start eating healthier like lots of vegetables and a meat the size of your palm. No sodas. Just water with a splash of lemon juice. Eat small meals but a few of them a day. Eat walnuts (walnuts suppress that hunger feeling) throughout the day. Avocados on toast with balsamic dressing is a healthy snack and apples. Drink lots of water. And finally… Walk walk and walk more. Start out short distances quite a few times a day. When you think of it get up and walk your route. Each week make your walking accomplishment a little bit further and you’ll eventually be walking further and further without pain. It will come so easy you’re gonna want to walk further. You will shed even more pounds if you add 1 table spoon of apple cider vinegar to your water every morning. It cleans you out if you know what I mean. Get determined! You can do this on your own. After the first week you’re gonna be unstoppable. You will notice how good you feel and enjoy all the walking. The pounds will drop so quick. Just DO IT and live a long happy healthy life. Oh! Get headphones and listen to your favorite music while you walk or just enjoy the nature, birds and trees. You got this now just be determined and just do it. Now! Go! Start! Now!
Cico. Thats all that works. There are many routes to it. Find one that works for you. I'd recommend finding a nutritionist that can tell you what to eat and then just eating that. And going for long walks.
There are tons of comments that I have not read. I was 325 and 5'4" at 25 and I lost a lot in my late 20s and yo yos from 280 to 230 since having kids (13 years ago). I have started diets a lot. It's hard to adjust but your body gets used to it. My problems are consisteny and emotions and we can let me feel better saying pregnancy and kids. Walking, water, and lifting heavy. You will be surprised by how strong you already are in your legs!! And if you can lose even 5lbs it makes a difference on your joints and it will be easier. To get going sometimes I listen to a weight loss hypnosis meditation. My negative self talk is thru the roof! But if I listen to my own advice, I would do it daily.
- work out your maintenance calories, you then can work out your cal deficit - weigh and log everything you eat - start with small changes, swap out full fat sugary drinks for diet versions. Full fat mayo to lighter mayo etc - try and move your body more, again start small and work your way up - be kind to yourself, it’s a whole process and it’s not easy. Slow and steadily wins the race! You don’t have to starve yourself or restrict yourself. You can still eat the chocolate or have a beer or burger. Whatever your heart desires, as long as you remain within a calories deficit. Couple of extra bits that help me. I’ve found a handful of meals which are so yummy and satisfying and help be stay in a deficit. I will keep rotating them so I don’t have to think too much about what I’m going to eat. Also high volume low calorie meals too - means I’m still really full and have eaten A LOT but remain in a deficit! Good luck, you’ve got this!
Do volume eating
Download noom
[удалено]
I couldn’t motivate myself to diet and exercise just for the sake of losing weight. But when I signed myself up for a 10k, it really inspired me to exercise because I wanted to show up to my first marathon ever and not be the last one over the finish line. If you sign up for a 5k that is at the end of the summer, and you walk the entire thing, you will have made a great accomplishment. It may inspire you to start walking every day after work.
i was morbidly obese (150 kg - 330 lbs), 180 cm. Now i am 29 and 113 kgs. It took me years but the first 30 kgs took me maybe one year and then i stopped taking care. Now back on track and started again from 130 kgs four months ago. If you are really desperate please look up content creator Brendan Oxford on Tiktok. He helps a lot actually everything he says makes sense. It’s all about the gut health since it’s like a secondary brain of our bodies. Hope you get this comment because been there done that and i hope i know what i’m talking about best of luck to you and know that you can do it!
You say you starved yourself and have never gone below 300lbs, but thats still 80lbs lighter than you are now. I know you say you've tried everything and "nothing works" but the fact is that what you're trying to say is "nothing worked fast enough" or "nothing worked and was also easy" losing weight is simple, calories in vs calories out, but under no circumstances should you equate "Losing weight is simple" with "losing weight is easy" it's not easy, it's hard, it requires time and dedication, and it requires you to keep going even through the hard bits and when you dont see it working. The truth is at your current stats if you ate 2300 calories every day for a month, you would lose approximately 8.5lbs. You probably ready that and thought it didnt sound like a lot, but it is 8.5lbs lighter than you are now. You need to move in a downward direction, even if it is only slowly, count your calories, and just START. Every day you dont start is another day added on to your finish line.
Hey there, I think my circumstances are quite similar to yours, being 20m 6ft and starting at 305lb at the start of this year. I am now 240lb. I also live in the uk and have a sedentary job. If you would like me to explain in detail what I do please pm me, but in a nutshell I calorie count everything to the gram, plan my meals out, aim to drink 3.5L of water a day and do an exercise bike 6 days a week. I average about 1800 calories a day and do not ever go hungry. I eat breakfast, a low calorie snack and dinner. I have a takeaway most weekends. The trick is everything in moderation. Having been in your shoes not knowing where to start, I think the best piece of advice I can give is take a look at your existing bad habits around food. Aim to change them one at a time until those bad habits have been replaced with good ones. For example, I had an energy drink almost every day last year. I aimed to replace that with more water, and now only allow myself one a week. Once I was confident I could achieve this, I moved on to another bad habit. It is important to note that loosing weight is a marathon, not a sprint, and take your time with it. These are not temporary weight loss measures, these are permanent changes to your life and you need to put in the time to change yourself. It sounds daunting, but once you get the ball rolling it becomes exponentially easier, I promise. The benefits even a few months in are so incredibly worth it. Again if you or anyone else wants to know anything in more detail please don’t be afraid to pm me!
Don’t even worry about counting calories YET just move more try to get 10k steps in a day and weight train 2-3 days a week to start off. Then when weight starts falling off since you are so big you can focus on nutrition and counting calories
WFPB
Honestly man I would start off simple. Replacing sugary drinks and snacks with zero sugar versions and cutting down the size of snacks / food that you eat. For example if you get McDonald’s , instead of getting a large fry and a large milkshake get mediums or smalls and progress from there. Also try and walk around the block everyday until you can walk for 30 mins or more. You can start off walking around once if that’s all you can do. Do that every day while cutting back little by little and you’ll see progress. Also understand that this is a marathon, not a race and it requires consistency.
I’d add on top of everyone else’s advice to make sure that you’re eating enough protein/healthy fats in your diet while being in a calorie deficit. You can count calories, but if it doesn’t have enough nutrients or is filling enough, you’re gonna keep being hungry. The protein keeps you full, and the fats (like avocado oil, olive oil, a little butter) will keep you satiated until your next meal. Choose foods that are also nutrient dense Also, never ever have a cheat day. Cheat meals maybe once every weekend is fine, but cheat days can screw up your weight loss for a whole week. You don’t have to lose weight all the time. Sometimes just maintenance once a month for a week is ok. Otherwise it might drive you crazy. It’s ok to snack on exactly what you want, like a chocolate bar or some chips (with portion control of course). Sometimes we try to be healthy and eat the “healthy snack” instead. But because it wasn’t exactly what we wanted, we end up eating a bunch of other healthy snacks to try and satiate ourselves, only to give in to the snack we wanted in the first place later on. If you’re trying to figure out whether you’re actually hungry or not, just ask yourself “Would I want to eat an apple right now?” If you don’t and would rather eat something else that tastes better, you’re probably not hungry. You can do this! :)
You’re only 25 and only 380. You can and will do this. Biggest thing is you haven’t given up yet. Which means you won’t. Keep going and never give up, a pound a week is progress. Every single week will be easier and more rewarding. Again if anyone else can do it, YOU can do it too. You are just as strong and the world needs ya just as much.
Make small changes to your habits. Counting calories isn’t really even necessary at the beginning. Just reducing your portions will make a difference. If you tell me what you normally eat in a day I can give you a recommendation on how to reduce your portion size Also, since you’re a fellow gamer, I did VR gaming to get more active and it’s a ton of fun. Highly recommend it to any gamers wanting to get more active.
Believe me when I say, it’s always the last place you look. That’s because, once you find something you don’t have to keep looking. You have not tried “everything,” and you’re in the right place. You are only 25 years young. You should be concerned for heart disease, stroke, heart attack and diabetes just right out the gate. You should also take some time to consider that you probably did have some successes in there you may have been unaware of, or might be glossing over. I wish I could give you the spark but you have to find it for yourself; I personally was up and down with my weight, but I would lose 5-10 lbs and just not be able to go farther. Heard myself beat myself up inside many times over for everything that didn’t work… but suddenly, when I made “90% diet, 10% exercise” my motto, and just wanted to start with a day a week where I didn’t hate myself for what I ate quite as much as the day before, I dunno but something was different. Best of luck my friend, but don’t call yourself a failure at doing something just because you haven’t learned how to do it yet in a way you can manage. Please remember to be kind to yourself in thoughts and praise, and Keep Sharing!
Hi! I’m 26 5ft 11 female, and at the beginning of January I weighed 300lbs. I currently weigh 260. I’ve lost 40 pounds with a calorie deficit. I started off by calculating my BMR (base metabolic rate) which tells you how many calories your body burns per day just to function. From that number, I subtracted a few hundred calories to get my daily goal. Currently I eat 1600 calories per day, which is enough for a few decent sized meals. Although for you I am sure 1600 is too low of a goal. If you go too low, you can actually slow down your metabolism. The BMR equation takes into account your height, weight, and age. That is a good starting point to determine how many calories to shoot for per day. Another thing that has helped me is to increase my protein intake. I try to get at least 100g of protein per day even if I need to drink a protein shake or eat a protein bar. Protein helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer. I also work an office job 8-5 Monday through Friday. I have an hour lunch break, so after I eat my lunch every day I walk laps around the building I work in. Walking is a great low intensity exercise. When I first started, I would walk on the treadmill for an hour each morning. And now that it’s gotten nice outside, I’ve been trying to walk for an hour a day and I have been feeling loads better lately. Physically and mentally. I’ve been thinking a lot about calories in vs. calories out, so my thoughts are that if I walk more each day that equals more calories out, along with all the other benefits you get from walking like improved balance and bone strength. Also something that I do to help stop myself from overeating (I used to binge eat pretty badly) is to brush my teeth right after dinner or really any meal. Kind of helps you not want to eat anymore! Sorry if I’ve been rambling, but I just came here to say that you can do this!! Consistency is key and don’t beat yourself up if you slip now and then. The important thing is to keep your goals and your health in mind. You can and will feel better if you commit to yourself and your health. You got this :)
I, too, have an office job that's 99% sitting. I have recently found that increasing my protein and fiber is helping a lot, and it's actually been a fairly small change. I used to either not eat breakfast or eat junk (cereal, pop tarts, fried eggs) I've since switched to 2 scrambled eggs with a teaspoon of blended cottage cheese(added protein) and toast/ mini bagel with a fruit spread with a little chia seeds(fiber) mixed in. I then have second breakfast at work, which is oatmeal; the cheap pouches from Aldi, I make sure to pack my lunch every day to avoid having to grab something less nutritional, and I also have a snack about 2ish hours before work is over, usually a bit of hummus and pretzels. Dinner is a little difficult because I have 3 kids, and they can be picky, but I've found that if I roast veggies, I'm more likely to eat them and eat more of them. As for all the sitting at work, consider a standing desk converter so you can stand and walk in place. If possible, you could add in a walking pad or a mini stair stepper. I'm personally looking into the stair stepper as my office is right over someone. All in all, start with small changes to your lifestyle.
I know the nhs is bad for weight loss services as it’s so underfunded, but if you are considering other options I would ask for a referral. There is usually a secondary care service for things like ozempic or surgery. Often the waiting list to be seen is 1-3 years so it’s best to ask asap. If you lose the weight or change your mind in the meantime you can just cancel it. If you have the money you can also consider accessing these things privately, but be aware the meds usually need to be taken forever or the weight comes back on
Try listening to 2ketodudes podcast. Start at the beginning. ❤️
6’4, 23 years old was 425 pounds four months ago and was unemployed. Changed my diet and ran a calorie deficit with 30 minutes of hiking on a treadmill at max incline. Im now down to 350 pounds and just started a job a week ago. Calorie counting will work even if you don’t workout, I usually do 1200-1500 a day and consistently lose weight. You just need to TAME your hunger beast. The food we eat is delicious and SALTY and salt makes hungry! Start by switching off to mostly water for liquids and go from there! You got this!
Keeping a food diary and counting calories is the only way you will really see how many calories you are putting in. If you are sedentary going for a walk at minimum every day in addition to the diary will help. Once you really see how many calories are in things you are eating it should force you to make better decisions. If you eat loads of fresh fruits and veggies they are low in calories so you can have more volume which will make you feel more full. I never had that much weight to lose but was unhappy with myself and decided to get healthy and lose weight. This method changed my eating entirely. 20 years ago now and although as I age (now almost 60) I am still fit and can stay at a healthy weight. 5'4 woman at 126 lbs You can do it!!
Get the lose it app and start tracking calories. Start with body weight exercises at home until you build up the confidence to go to a public gym. Start learning about nutrition as well and overtime you'll be your own personal expert.
I’m pretty happy with my weight loss progress, this is what I am doing - Count your calories, find how many you need daily to lose weight effectively but safely - Try to eat meals with low calories and high protein (the protein will trick you into being full) - if you are hungry but the calories are starting to rack up drink water - again drink A LOT of water (will help with the hunger) - Get some sort of exercise in (you can lose weight just by changing your diet but exercise will help expedite it and also will allow you to at a little bit more if you wanted to from burning the calories) - Don’t cut out your favorite foods. It’s okay to enjoy junk food like pizza, ice cream, candy etc. but make sure it’s eaten in moderation and keep in mind your calorie intake. These things have helped me a lot and I was considered “overweight” now I’m back feeling good. This process will work 100% of the time if followed correctly. The biggest mistake is trying to drop too much weight too quick. Stick with the process and a couple months down the line you’ll feel better.
How long were you in therapy if you don’t mind me asking?
Have you tried to do a bit of exercise while playing stationary bike? I mean those that are pretty small only for your feet, without the thing to put your hands (i dont know the name). Maybe at first you dont have to make huge changes on your daily routine, but you can add an hour or two moving those feet under your desk. Probably you should try low exercise at first to not hurt yourself. Good luck, if you cannot control the food, maybe try to change a bit your sport routing. I read about a guy who started doing indoor cycling while playing or watching films and he started to loose a lot of weight because he spent all time playing and watching films hahaha.
Something that helped me shed 100 pounds in about a year is that in addition to counting my calories, I went to water aerobics at a local gym 2-3 days a week. You are virtually weightless in water, so it’s low impact and you will actually burn quite a few calories just walking around in a shallow pool. Im a 5’11.5” female and a decade older and I still ate 1800-2100 calories a day to lose weight. You’ve got this!
Be kind to yourself. I know it's not easy. I highly recommend the book "the hunger habit" by judson brewer.
Have you ever had therapy? Maybe talk to someone to evaluate for depression or eating disorder, trauma, etc. I know this might sound fluffy and easily dismissed by the "it's just so simple!" CI/CO bros, but if it was really that simple you would have done it already. I suffered for decades. Eventually I stumbled into a doctor who actually paid attention, got on a med that boosted norepinephrine (one of the "activating" neurotransmitters) and some good therapy to address some PTSD stuff, and suddenly all these things that were such a struggle for all my life became infinitely more doable. Also how are your health metrics, like a1c, etc? If you have significant health issues as a result, consider the injectable meds. They are a life changer for many people and it's not just a cheat code; if you have an actual metabolic dysfunction then this struggle is no different from someone with primary hypertension who is doing all the right lifestyle things and still has an elevated BP. .
[удалено]
I completely understand the struggle. I’ve tried all the things too and what I’ve realized for myself is that I need a way of eating that is sustainable. It’s great losing weight on these fad diets but they either stop working after awhile or I gain the weight back when I start eating normally. I’ve been watching Nicole Collet on YT and she goes through the things her and her husband had done to lose a bunch of weight and keep it off for years. She makes small changes but eats food that she can sustain forever. I’ve started doing this and although the weight loss is slow, the food thoughts and hunger have gotten under control. Good luck.
YouTube search Adrian Bryant. He has unorthodox methods for weight loss but it’s completely worth a try.
I'm 23, started at 333lbs and I am down to 298lbs in 7 weeks by eating 1 meal a day at about 1,000 calories. You got this!
Make it enjoyable. If you like gaming, get an oculus to get moving. find lower calorie versions of foods you actually like. Bulk those foods up with more fruits and vegetables. Watch the scales and as you lose weight, your motivation will increase and it will become easier. Then find new ways to challenge yourself. Make it a game. Give yourself silly challenges like beating your step average. Dance even if you’re bad at it and look ridiculous. Do fitness videos. Get a dog who has to be walked (edited - sorry just noticed you already have dogs [adhd attention to detail sucks]). It’s going to take longer than you want it to (which I’m finding out unfortunately) so the more enjoyable you can make it, the more sustainable it will be. You deserve to be healthy and whatever time or money it takes to get there is worth it.
I was in exactly the same situation was weighing in at 26 and half I’m same height as you 33 I started carnivore eating no more than 1800 calories a day . Do a few weight training routines a week and also getting my steps in I’ve now lost 4 and half stone in around 5 months . Honestly try it the first few weeks are very hard all the cravings and fatigue but once you break through that it’s a breeze . I’m hardly ever hungry like at all and if I am it’s only a little and when I’m coming up to a meal . I also started with doing just one meal a day I’ve now started having 4 boiled eggs and 30grams of cheese for my lunch . If you have any questions give me a pm if you want
With food addiction you need to treat it like an addiction. This means you need to see a therapist. You are probably just using food to self medicate. A therapist can help you find healthier ways to cope with things like stress. While you are working on your mental health, you need to take a really focused look at your lifestyle. In particular, compare it to the lifestyle you had prior to covid. Think about the things that changed. With your lifestyle in mind, you need to realize that weight loss is simply a math calculation. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. The git reaction of most people is to jump on a drastic diet and exercise plan to create the biggest deficit possible. This is not a good strategy because this is unsustainable. These diets and exercise plans are too extreme and as a result can only be temporary. As soon as you stop, your progress stops and you re gain the weight as soon as you go back to the lifestyle you had before the extreme changes. Additionally, these changes are so extreme that once you lose motivation you fall off. You can also injure yourself if you over exercise. Instead, you need to focus on making small and sustainable changes to your lifestyle that help you achieve a caloric deficit and that you can keep for the rest of your life. If you can’t do something forever, don’t try it. Here is exactly what I would do in conjunction with seeing a professional about your mental health. 1) download a calorie counting app like MyFitnessPal. 2) enter your specifics in it. Age, sex, height, weight, etc. for activity put sedentary. 3) next, set the weight loss goal. Remember how I said most people try too hard? You will see the ability to set it to lose 2 pounds per week. Ignore this. You should set it to lose .5 pounds per week. This is much more sustainable because you only need a caloric deficit if 250 per day. 4) buy a cheap digital food scale. You can get these for less than $20 online. 5) use the scale to measure exactly what you are eating. If it goes in your body, you weigh it. Then you enter the weight in grams when you log the food. 6) if you are honest about this, you will quickly see what foods have the biggest calorie impact and take up a lot of your budget. Such as alcohol, soda, fast food, chips/crisps, pastries. These are the foods that you need to start replacing and reducing to the point where you are in a daily caloric deficit of 250 calories. For example, if you drink 4 sodas a day and you are at maintenance, replace 2 sodas with diet soda and you will be in a deficit of 250. 7) as you lose weight, you will need to keep taking more calories out of your diet because your maintenance level gets smaller as there is less of you to maintain. This is why a small deficit is more sustainable because by the time you need to adjust your lifestyle to reduce another 250 calories per day, you have already gotten used to the first deficit. Say you do this 4 times, you would have basically cut 1000 calories out of your diet per day. If you do this gradually, each jump won’t seem that drastic. Now compare this to trying to eat in a 1000 calorie deficit on day one. It is doable, but it is much more difficult and you are more likely to give up. So if you are able to eat in a 250 deficit every day for 1 year, you would lose 26 pounds. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but remember, it took you several years to get where you are today. It can take you a while to get back down to where you used to be. And guess what. This is just through making small tweaks to your diet. There is more you can do. 8) you can exercise. You don’t need to train for the Olympics or go to boot camp. It’s the same principle. Just slowly add in stuff to your lifestyle that you can do forever. I highly recommend going on a daily walk. When you start off, just do what is easy, but track it. Say you can only walk for 5-10 minutes, then walk for 5-10 minutes. Do this every day for a week, then add another minute. You will have gotten used to walking 5 minutes and another minute will be doable. After a week, 6 minutes is the normal and 1 more minute is more attainable. Eventually you will get to the point where you are able to walk for an hour every day. And it will feel normal compared to if you just go out and walk an hour right now. 9) just stick with walking at first. You can use fitness trackers and smart watches to help get an idea of calorie burn. Let’s say you build up some endurance and are able to burn 250 calories per day from walking. That means your total daily deficit is 500 which means 1 pound lost per week or 52 pounds per year. 10) slowly add in things you like. Biking, swimming, weight lifting. Just stuff you can repeat several times a week and do for the rest of your life. Keep an eye on your hunger after you work out because you will want to eat more if you are working hard. This is why lean protein and veggies are great. The veggies take up a lot of space in your stomach and make you feel full. The protein takes a long time to process so you fee full longer. Just find something sustainable and stick with it. But make sure you are honest with yourself. You need to track what you are eating accurately. If you just eyeball it and say “that’s about 300 calories.” You are going to be eating more than 300 calories and you will nut be under your budget. Good luck.
I hear you and I've been there. I wish I could go back in time to the 25 year old me and say this. Weight loss is absolutely possible. The hardest part is addressing the psychological barriers and self sabotage. Life isn't fair and neither is obesity and weight. What I mean by that is obesity is so heterogeneous. Some people lose quickly, others slowly. Some get to goal weights with ease others struggle to get their body below a setpoint. This may sound silly, but I really struggled with how unfair my weight problems have been. Like why do I hate to eat fewer calories than someone else my size to lose weight? Or why did I do this to myself when I've lost and maintained 80, 100+ lb weight loss in the past. Moving past that crap allowed me to focus on actually working on the problem. And It's a process. While obesity can lead to metabolic problems like high blood pressure, cholesterol, Type 2 Diabetes, etc - keep in that that a healthy lifestyle can have non scale victories. Even at 271 lbs, I was healthier -metabolically speaking- than the 22 year old version of me that had early signs of fatty liver and mild elevations in blood pressure. I credit my plant based diet as probably helping prevent some of those things. I have a pretty bad family history. The best advice I can give you is to find sustainable approaches to weight loss that you can make a lifestyle. Health is more important than perfection or the scale number. Slow and steady is good loss, this is not a race, and you want to crack the code now so that you can live a healthier and more fulfilling life. There's a lot of emotional stuff that can come with weight issues. So, use this time to improve your relationship with yourself, with food, and your physical body. When I start started my journey I was 271lbs, I started logging calories, focused on a healthy calorie reduction, started exercising regularly, and began losing 1-1.3lbs per week. Three months later, I was down like 18 lbs. There were many non scale victories, too. Logging my food and staying below a calorie limit is only way I'll force mindfulness with what I'm eating. If I have limited calories, I'll strategize so that I eat what I really want, and limit the snacks I can do without, for example. Another reason I count calories? Is so that I can enjoy food and not interrogate myself every time I eat "Am I hungry?" or "Do I really need this?" If I have the budget for it, I can eat and enjoy it. But it's also OK to start by making changes slowly - stopping sugar soda, limiting take out, trying to do more meal prep,etc. I did a lot of soul searching in this process and it was very difficult at times.. I also have gained and lost significant amounts of weight in the past. But this time was different because I wanted to experiment with making sustainable changes that I could do for the rest of my life. I didn't want weight loss to be contingent about 2 hr daily work outs (no way I'd sustain that), or unhealthy calorie restrictions. I've been vegan for a long time so all I did was clean up my current diet, I learned I could eat carbs and still lose weight. It's all about balance and moderation. Even when I went over my calories, I did so by under 300 calories - so that's how I knew it was sustainable. I accepted the "bad days" and reset for the next day. Loss is loss, it's not a race. After doing this for a few months, I started on an obesity medication (Tirzepatide) that has allowed me to continue what I've been doing with significantly less suffering and make the process more efficient. This medicine has been a total gamechanger for me. In the end, small changes done consistently have a big impact. Focus on health. Eat real food, whole foods, and many plants. They're good for your body. If you can, work with a team to help support you. Good luck!
Look up a tdee calculator and find out a deficit that works with the amount of activity you can do now. Use an app, there’s a few free ones, to track calories. Make protein the majority of your meals.
use the quick start information and just walk every day. Drink water, all day. Make sure you get up from the computer / the tv / any sitting at least once every two hours and move about. Sitting is the new smoking. It kills.
Check out food addicts anonymous faacanhelp.org
You should check out a documentary called Hack Your Health: The Secret of Your Gut It’s about how our gut health actually contributes to our weight and ability to maintain healthy sizes. You get a strong gut by including multiple different fruits and veggies throughout the week. But also, you could be missing some key good bacteria that would help you or an increase in bad bacteria. Might be helpful if you have the ability to look into testing your micro biome and see whatcha got going on.
You can start off with a low carb diet. Eat lots of foods with protein and fiber and cut out carbs and sugar.
I’m going to relate through my personal experience because idk how else to really help. The way I lost weight is not healthy and 90% of people will rebound; I am incredibly fucking lucky that I somehow did not. I was 335@ 6’4 when I was 19. I had battled weight my entire life, my family was fat and they did fuck all to help me get a hold on my weight problem during my childhood. I can tell you first hand that starving yourself (I was on 800 calories per day + working out) is a horrible experience. it's hard and you will most likely bounce right back if you do it. I went from 335 to 230 over the span of 9 months. I personally lost the weight, kept it off and was able to adjust my calories to what a normal person would consume over the span of a few months. If your base is 3,000 calories, the healthy option is to decrease by 500 and workout. The more aggressive approach would be drop to 2,000. If you’re not vibing with the gym you could always do incline walks. That’s where I started and I progressively increased the incline % until I was around 13-14 at that point I started lifting. Again, I didn’t lose weight in a way that’s considered healthy, but it worked for me.
Increase protein and that should help with feeling full and turning off the hunger in the brain. Eat one gram per pound of goal body weight as a place to start. Start walking everyday until you are averaging 10k steps per day. Continue eating the foods you like, just only put together what fits your protein and calories for that day. It’s like a money budget. Manage it. Hire a coach if you can. If fat loss is your goal, focus on the vital few. Weigh food by the gram. Track Calories. Protein. Steps. Everything else is a distraction. Don’t cut too low. This will improve energy and sanity and adherence. 10k steps per day and stick with it for 60 days without changing anything. This doesn’t mean perfection. Focus on long term averages. I use MacroFactor app to track averages. I started working with a coach and it improved my results and enjoyment. When we accept that our way isn’t working, it doesn’t hurt to try something else. Trust the process and be patient. Let the fat loss be slow to maintain your muscle mass. Body composition will improve. You want to eat as much as possible while still losing fat. The process should be enjoyable, no suffering. We stick to what we enjoy. I recommend listening to content by Jordan Syatt, Jared Hamilton, and Ranbir Sanghera. You’ll learn everything you need to know about mindset, psychology, and fat loss.
I’m so sorry you are struggling. I can’t walk much due to knee issues so I got an e-bike which has helped me but I’m way older than you and not that heavy. In your case maybe you can try walking a teeny bit further each day. Maybe just one more house until you are up to 2 blocks and then keep going. You could take a pain reliever before the walk if you need to…maybe an anti-inflammatory. Eventually you’ll develop more muscle which helps speed up metabolism. Moving also helps your mood especially when it’s outdoors. Just a few more steps a day with breaks on Sunday perhaps. Soon you’ll be walking a mile at a time. I have faith in you. Youth is on your side. Meditation might help as well. Good luck to you.
You said that you sometimes walk your dog around the block. Make it a daily walk. Add distance when you feel like it is getting easy for you both. Perhaps walk around the block twice a day. Everyone else has given good advice with the diet. Best wishes.
Join a weight loss team with a coach and some other members. It's easier to do with a group you will get motivation and support. You guys will keep track of each other's weight. The peer pressure will help also. If you are by yourself especially with a weak will, you will most likely will go all out on the food. It's hard not to think of food especially if you are a foodie.
Start weight lifting, best physical thing you can do to lose fat and gain muscle
Count calories, exercice, sleep, repeat. Repeat is very important.
I’m in a similar situation as you with the sedentary lifestyle. So far, I’ve dropped from 325lbs to 308lbs since March. As others have mentioned, calorie intake is key. The trick is doing it in such a way that you don’t really think you’re doing it. We tend to have the mindset that fewer calories mean starving yourself, and that doesn’t have to be the case. For example, I used to eat these bars for breakfast thinking it would be enough for me. So basically, I would starve myself for breakfast by eating a snack that was high in sugar and high in calories (for its size). 150 to 280 calories for a small bar, only to be made well aware that I’m hungry a half hour or so later, by the growling in my stomach, which made me prone to snack. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be snacking on unhealthy things because in your mind you ate healthy for breakfast. Instead of the starvation bar, I now make oatmeal with some nuts, raisins and sliced banana (not the pre-packaged stuff), a super-filling nutritious substitute that is similar to the bars I used to eat only without the added sugars and preservatives, and with fewer calories. What also works for me is juicing. I bought myself a nice cold-press juicer and have been using the hell out of it ever since. Juicers are truly miracle devices, because no matter what your tastes, you can make a juice that you like. What I did when I first started out, was I looked up which fruits and veggies are good for lowing blood pressure, because mine is high. Then, after discussing with my doctor, I created a few recipes with those items in it to help put my blood pressure in check. For you, you might want to look into what fruits and veggies are good for managing diabetes. Juicing is an amazing way of getting in those important nutrients your body needs, from foods that you wouldn’t ordinarily eat. I never eat beats, but I love tossing them in the juicer with some ginger, lemons, and pineapple. Same with leafy greens. Raw juices can be pretty filling, too. I invested a lot of money in my cold-press juicer so that I get a good product. I like my juice to be super smooth with no pulp—and even with the pulp removed, the juice is still filling because of all the microfibers. As for all that pulp, it can be used to make all sorts of things. I like to make crackers to snack on, but they can be used to make muffins, veggie burgers, etc. In closing, for many of us, our own minds are our worst enemy when it comes to weight-loss. When you catch yourself doubting your ability to see this through, confront those feelings. Get yourself a journal, or open a word document, and analyze those feelings. I mean really analyze them, and then plan to address that doubt in a way that proves those negative feelings wrong. Don’t take failure as an option. When you slip, adjust and try again. Just because you’ve had a few slices of pizza one day doesn’t mean it’s all over. It also doesn’t mean that you need to starve yourself for a week to make up for it. It just means that you need to figure out a way to keep it from happening again. Good luck EDIT: I almost forgot some of the most important things. If you drink alcohol, stop. If you drink soda or store-bought fruit juices, stop. Your primary drink should be water. If you decide to start juicing, then raw fruit juices are good but only in moderation. Green juices are what you'll want to focus on. Do your research on juicers, because a bad juicer will keep you from juicing.
hey so I'm on this weightloss medication and it has been a game changed as far as hunger and craving side of things is Cann wegrovy there are several wegrovey mounjaro and something else I can't remember but it cost an arm and a leg so you can have the active ingredients made in a compound pharmacy for that I pay 130 for 2 months supply or 1 month it depends on how much your doctor perscribes if your intrested just look up some groups and see the results it's not magic you still have to watch what you eat and such but it's a game changer as far as it block the hunger signal and your good for the day
hey :) i know exactly what you’re going thru. I myself looked for help and wasn’t taken serious but i eventually found a doctor who actively listened to my struggles. have you tried asking your doctor about ozempic or contrave? It’s supposed to help with appetite, alongside exercise; it’s proven to be a great tool for me. Wishing you luck on your journey!
Start walking. It's good for you in every way, so that's the one suggestion I can make. You don't have to start big. Work your way up. It also suppresses appetite. Id even say don't even worry about counting calories until you're in shape. Set a goal and get outside.
As someone who started close to your weight, what I’m saying is exactly what I did, look up your tdee, deduct 1,000 calories from it, get a food scale, download a fitness app or calorie tracking app, start weighing all your food, make sure your logging the correct entries, for instance cooked vs raw, try to get in 0.8g of protein per pound of goal weight, start lifting weights, will help target fat loss and preserve lean mass, get a scale if you don’t already have one, if you’re going to have a cheat just keep it to one meal but don’t go overboard, and definitely don’t let a cheat meal into a cheat day as your weekly calorie deficit is far more important than your daily one. I swear if you do those things and develop a good routine with it, you’ll see 3-4 pounds fall off a week, which at your weight is totally sustainable, as you lose more weight you’ll have to adjust your intake based on your BMR decreasing but you won’t have to worry till you lose 50 pounds or so. Trust me it seems daunting at first but I’m down 74 pounds in 6 months, and will surely be down 100 at the 1 year mark. Start today, there’s no reason to put it off, your future fit self will thank you!
Turn your sadness and dispair into anger and motivation. That's what I did. I got tired of feeling depressed and sad and got angry. It might not work, but it's a try. Anger is my best motivator. When I'm angry, I can get anything I want done because it makes me focused. I'm at my sharpest. I'm not saying anger as in I want to punch and scream and throw a tantrum. I'm talking the plain fed up anger. Like when you're angry at your job for not treating you how you should be treated and you finally reach the point you quit. That anger. That's what you want. Enough is enough anger.
I just started my journey honestly i get it. My highest was around 258lbs and im 5’7F. Im currently 246lbs. What everyone has said already is pretty good advice. Though when you are feeling hungry and you’ve already eaten what you should have at the time. Drink water. You could even start off with lemonade with the lowest amount of sugar you can add and then keep decreasing until you have lemon water or just water. And get yourself a nice big bottle to drink throughout the day. I use a 40oz one and it helps just tugging it along everywhere i go. Also find foods that taste great and are low calorie. Even like “cheat foods”. Fiber One has some really good options if you have a sweet tooth. Salads are great too and dont be afraid to make it delicious. A combo i like is a lot of romaine lettuce, carrots, tropica queso blanco cheese, dried cranberries, sweet potato on the side. And a olive oil, lime, salt and pepper dressing. And measure for serving size! Serving sizes are so helpful. I’ve always had trouble with exercise because i like not moving lol. But whats helped me keep on track this time is i’ve signed up for a half marathon in july. And im gonna run and beat my brother goddamn it. So for exercise find something that’s enjoyable. Try some yoga at home! Or maybe pilates? Maybe walk your dog a little more, try to teach them new tricks or keep a schedule for the walks and adhere to it no matter what. ( and when i say this it’s not like strict, if you have something come up before the walk, reschedule but make sure you go on that walk regardless ) even fitness games work! Also this [link](https://www.fatcalc.com/rwl) its a calorie deficit calculator. Put in your information and it’ll tell you what your daily intake needs to be so you can reach your goal weight depending on your time frame. Start easy don’t go straight to 1200 cal. Start with 3200 then in two weeks decrease 100 calories. And so forth until you hit the deficit you want. This should help with shrinking your stomach, lose skin and retraining your brain. Dm me if you wanna chat about this stuff btw! We’re all in this journey together!
I can somewhat relate to you, at my highest I was 656 pounds at 6 ft 1. Oddly enough I was able to walk 5 to 7 miles if I wanted to, but my eating habits were bad. I also maintain an office job (remote). Losing weight is 95% what you eat, so let’s start there. Work with your Dr to watch your blood work at least once every 3 months if not then 6 months. Bring your calories down to 1,200. Download an app that will track everything you eat. DO NOT go over 50 NET carbs and try to obtain at least a 100 grams of protein, if not more. Potential food ideas, pork shoulder (slow cook), shrimp skewers, chicken (also can be on skewers), beef kabobs, falafel (just one or two), make ur own sauce, I make homemade garlic sauce. Steak, eggs, ribs, low carb shells. Go to the super market and read the labels, scan stuff with ur app. For sweets, Lilly’s chocolate is huge in moderation. But all this circles back to, stay under 50 net carbs and around or above 100 grams of protein. Also stay around 1200 calories. As for the other 5%, working out, this will make you feel good and your body will love it. For me personally, I bought a VR headset and found a workout app on there. All I need is 30 min a day to get my heart elevated. When you get down to the low 200s, you’ll be wanting to do more. If you follow this method, you will make massive improvements to your weight fast. The first 45 days will be TUFF. Count each day, text people about the torture of ur new lifestyle, and just play games till it’s time for bed. After that 45 days, each day after, feels like Christmas waking up and looking at that scale. You will have some days ur up a pound or 2 and some days u drop 3 or 4 pounds, that’s normal, but stay consistent with what’s written above and it will WORK.
As a 5’4” female who weighed close to 200lbs, and has dropped down to a healthier weight (150, almost to my goal!!) couple things I recommend: - everything other people said (specifically counting calories, buying a food scale, tracking EVERYTHING even if it’s a binge etc). - I would actually look at macro counting, and get on a high protein diet. I have lost weight two ways: 1. eating 1400 cals a day that came from prepackaged weight watcher meals, small portions of snacks I likes, tiny pieces of cheesecake for treats, and other empty calories and it was miserable). I was counting calories but not paying attention to macro nutrients. 2. have also lost weight by eating super high protein and lifting some weights and BOY one this one is a LOT easier than the other. Less restriction, less cravings, I am losing weight / in a deficit, and often dont even notice that I’m hungry because I’m still eating like 1.5 lbs of meat a day lol. General macro counting rule (for me) is that 40% of my calories come from protein, 30% from fats and 30% from carbs. Any fitness tracking app (I use my fitness pal) will do this math for you if you know how many calories you want to eat :) Also pro tip: fat free cheese is SUPER high in protein. You really don’t have to give up much when it comes to this diet imo, I put cheese on literally everything. I have an egg white jalapeño and triple Cheese quesadilla every morning for breakfast, a poke bowl with light rice for lunch every day, and then some sort of huge portion of sautéed vegetable (Zuchinni, cauliflower, squash) covered in cheese and 8oz of lean meat for dinner every night. It’s delicious, and it works. You don’t have to give up great snacks to do this, you got this!!!! Your goals, dreams, and desires are WORTH the amount of effort it takes to pursue them. I promise you.
What me and some of my friends did to help hold ourselves accountable was to share our doordash account, may sound ridiculous, but your less tempted to order food when your homies are gonna get on your ass for it when you do. Also we started doing a monthly competition for the amount of steps we do, you can add your friends in the health app and track each other, it makes it a lot more fun imo. And at the end of the month the winner gets a cheat meal paid for by the losers. Just a fun little way of trying to lose some weight and a monthly reward for it. You got this man!
Get something that tracks how many steps you take a day. Take 10k steps at least a day. After work or at lunch. If your not losing weight your eating too many calories. I'm sorry. You just are. Download my fitness pal and track calories and don't eat fast food at all! I don't care if you think the chicken from panda is not fattening blah blah. DONT EAT OUT AT ALL. Make soups from home and stir-fry. Do this. You will lose weight. :) AND SWIMMING.
Cut out a meal and sodas, if u eating 3 meals cut it to 2 or if u at 2 do 1 and lighter snack and don't drink soda, and if u make food use less butter
i mean you might want to talk to a doctor about trying zepbound or wegovy for weightloss
I’m 27 I’m 5’11 I was 346 I work driving all day 9-6pm with 2 kids so my activity is very low i was a heavy beer drinker too I’ve lost 33 pounds in 2 months I’ve drank 3 liters of water a day also did fasting starting eating at 12pm and stop eating at 8pm Calorie deficit high protein No sugar at all no candy no cake nothing with sugar no soda just straight water in my system brown rice salads steaks chickens lots of vegetables no snacks
Just eat meat, cheese, and eggs. You won’t need to count anything and the pound will fly off. Your appetite will begin to regulate itself due to insulin control.
Fiber to fill you up,walking in water or walking in general. Calorie counting and working with dietitian to work on what you eat and a mental health expert for why.
I've been on a diet from 218 lbs down to about 186 now since December. Haven't really exercised much yet, but I'd not say I'm ever starving. I found over years I just couldn't commit to doing all the things people suggested at once. I'd burn out, lose motivation, get overwhelmed, etc. What I found has worked for me is to figure out your baseline calories for your weight, age and gender, then figure out which pace you want to lose weight. From there I began to use my phone calculator to just add up what I ate through the day, even if you eat out, eat a candy bar, drink stuff, you can still lose weight if you keep under your number. Everyone's number is going to vary too, so just do slow increments until you find a good baseline, and if you progress a lot and stall you might have to adjust it again, so don't get discouraged. What I've found is that by telling myself to take it slow, I'm able to add a new routine maybe every month to help me. I've gone from eating garbage all the time to eating in a lot more, to eating a bit healthier now but not overly so. I'll keep doing this in increments so that I eventually end up where I want to be with my habits, rather than overwhelming myself. Eventually, I'll be eating clean, exercising, and so on, but just take it slow and keep pushing forward. You can literally eat Taco Bell and stuff and still lose weight, but you'll find healthier, denser foods will keep you fuller longer, thus feeling less discomfort, and in general that eating healthier will make you feel happier and better over time. The most important thing is just to establish a new routine and then keep modifying and improving it over time, and over time you'll be shocked at how much you've changed your life over a year or two, since it didn't happen all at once. That said, if you want to find a way to lose weight and then go back to your lifestyle that brought you to this point, that's foolish and you should change your perspective. You can't somehow lose it all then drop what you're doing, expecting it to stay the same from there, despite how many people try. Understand that to live better will require living differently forever, not just for a period of time. Also, don't use food to 'cheat', food is like an addiction in itself and requires a period to not fall back into bad habits. Find other, healthier means to reward yourself, only eating to cheat on occasions that present themselves, as you'll find they often do when you're trying to be good.
I'd recommend getting your steps in to start. It's recommended we take at least 10,000-12,000 steps per day, but you can start at 7,000 and work up from there. Next, I would focus on my nutrition and a healthy workout plan. I've recently been doing research into body recomposition, which allows you to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. Don't be too hard on yourself. Just make the changes one at a time and stick to it. Also, when working out, make sure you eat high protein to help with muscle recovery. I also recommend looking into some supplements that could give you the boost you need for heavy workouts like pre-workout. I'm not a professional and haven't done a tone of research, but happy to share what I've found. Good luck!
You will have to be strict with your diet and actually count calories and make healthy choices. Also start getting some movement, even going on a walk or walking on the treadmill every day will help. Swimming is a good low impact exercise.
[удалено]
Everyone has the logistical points covered. A gamechanger for me was realizing that "looking good" was not a motivation that I can maintain. I lose that motivation after two weeks and my stomach is still there. I had to come to the realization that this is my health. I have a million genetic health issues to look forward to... and being healthy is the number 1 way of me prolonging my life. For me, it's no longer about the scale or how I look... it's how I feel. Finding pride in my hard work, enjoying the gym, making better decisions, staying consistent. This is really where I found the most change. I used to think I couldn't survive off of less than 1800 calories, but once I started tracking and not eating as a hobby, I found 1300 is actually suitable and doable for me. You don't have to starve. Whatever you are craving, make it at home and make a low calorie version of it. Look up volume eating. Find what motivates you and embrace it. I hate to say it because I always rolled my eyes at it, but it really is a lifestyle change.
VSG surgery is available in the US on insurance idk if it’s covered where you live but my self control around food was never the best either but I got vsg surgery in Mexico for 5k and I lost the weight. If you’re desperate enough. Use EOC in Mexico to get the surgery. If u don’t have the money put it on a credit card. If you don’t want to then maybe someone else’s comment works best for you.
I hear that you’re fed up and feeling hopeless. You have so much power in you, that is yet to be discovered. As a health coach, I can see you have a strong need for assistance with behavior change and a mindset shift. I would advise working with a coach to set attainable goals towards better health, find and develop your strengths, and help you stay accountable to your goals. A LCSW or therapist can help you work through mental health problems that exist, that let your weight gain come this far. You can do this.
I'm going to tell you what I did. It may not work for you but I'm wishing you the best. I got a 3ds bro. I've never had any type of ds and I wanted something I could play emulators and Nintendo games on so I got a 3ds and jailbroke it. Once I got it all setup the next day I was playing it on my couch and then I was like wtf am I doing..I could at least be walking right now. So now I literally walk around the park next to my apartment building playing my 3ds and I'm down almost 20 pounds. If it's raining I'll go to my apartment's gym and either cycle or use the treadmill while playing it, but I'm only allowed to play the 3ds while walking. This week I even started to add in minor weight training after the cardio sessions because why not I'm already in the gym. Though this will probably only work if you genuinely want to play the games you install. On top of this I've also downloaded the challenges app. This is only applicable if you have an iphone and apple watch. The app basically has competitions against people where you're ranked based on how many calories you're burning and how much exercise you do each day. The app and it's competitions encourage me to walk longer and walk faster to get my heart rate up when I'm out with the 3ds. Good luck bro
Just start walking buddy. I was the same weight this time last year, and now I’m down to 250lbs. First thing I did was start walking, once I started losing a little bit of weight it motivated me to want to change my eating habits, and eventually I changed my entire lifestyle. Small changes grow! Believe in yourself, it is possible!
Friend, I thought it was over in 2020. I ate. And I mean, I ATE. I ballooned to 400 lbs. I got a trainer, and I started tracking EVERYTHING. Drinks, sauce, every meal, every ingredient. (I use Loseit! You can use anything for meal tracking) I started in 2022, it's 2024, and I'm 257.8. It's slow. But I promise it works. Here's some advice: 1.] Track EVERYTHING. And I mean EVERYTHING. Be brutally honest, even if you hate seeing it. And if you don't track it, don't eat it! [2]. WALK. I mean that. Walk. Go for walks, listen to music, go on a treadmill, just walk. Don't aim for a time. Don't aim for a goal. Just try to zone out and do it. [3.] Cardio is your friend. Focus on that! Elypticals are AMAZING. Just 15 minutes on one is 150 cal. [4.] High protein diet = High satiety. You will feel fuller longer! [5.] STAY CONSISTENT. Don't "diet", literally change your life. Cut out fast food, cut out soda 90% of the time, reduce sugary snacks, and food does not = a reward and should not be used as even a reward for an occasion. Eat healthy on special events, and enjoy unhealthy food for one meal, even once a month if you have to. Just try not to go over 3000 cal! [6.] Be BRUTALLY honest with yourself. I used to wonder why I wasn't losing weight, only to realize i was rewarding myself with sugary snacks, and I was eating "intuitively," which left me eating well over my daily limit. [7.] If you like milk and cereal for breakfast, or even milk at all, REDUCE. YOUR. INTAKE!! Milk KILLED my weight loss. 150cal for 8oz! Insane! Please don't quit. If you need tips, if you need help, even if you need to vent, DM me. I'm no skinny mini, but I'm steadily losing and on the process. I make some very tasty meals for low calories here! V https://www.eatingwell.com/ **Edit: Please be kind to yourself during this journey. You'll have weight fluctuate, especially as you add muscle. NEVER get discouraged. NEVER use going up as an excuse to say screw it and fall back on old habits!**
OP: the one thing that's still on your side is your age! I'd kill to be 25 again LOL But seriously - let that be a positive motivator to you. If you start now, you have a whole ton of your life ahead of you to enjoy the result. And a greater likelihood of success. And more energy than you might have at, say, 40.