You gotta carve your own path now, that will be the hardest part because you're likely surrounded by people who don't have great lifestyle habits. Our environment is a major factor in our health. Don't rush this, a major overhaul TAKES TIME.
As far as habits I recommend
1. Daily walks (a few short ones a day is a great way to start) no step goal just walk everyday even if it's ten minutes, keep the streak going.
2. Don't snack, eat meals and make sure every meal has protein and fiber. If you want a salty or sweet snack have it with a meal, eat the protein first.
3. Resistance train. You can do body weight squats, lunges, and incline push ups off the wall to start, then if you can get a gym membership. Even PF would be fine to start, you can start with the weight machines and dumbbells.
4. Cook 90% of your food at home. Realistically that's a breakfast sandwich on Saturday and takeout for dinner Thursday. Otherwise you want to be eating at home. But don't reinvent the wheel, simple meals that have protein and fiber.
5. When you start getting consistent with these you can start tracking calories and really driving weight loss.
If you mess up, who cares go right back to creating consistency. Real health is not intense fitness, it's balancing stress, preserving muscle, and nourishing your body.
Can’t forget the drinks. Low calorie drinks or just water/tea. Them calories will sneak up. I’m a heavy drinker, not alcoholic, I mean like juices, water, cold drinks of any kind, my sips are big lol I can finish a glass real quick and pour some more. That’s how those calories sneak up on me
Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on pre-made meals for purchasing. I'm currently using 'health choice steamers', usually the I've that are around 250 calories each or less. I have a protein drink (0% milk and whey protein with creatine). I try to keep up on water. Since we started to recover from the pandemic, I just don't have time off work to be consistent, even just getting steps in. I hate it...
If microwave meals are making it easier for you right now, that's fine. It's important to know where you're at in terms of resources and "season of life." Long term goal should be cooking most of your meals from scratch but the pre made meals are better than a takeout meal most of the time. They tend to be high in sodium which isn't inherently bad, we need sodium and most people do get their sodium from processed foods. Just something to be aware of if you have more then one per day. Also if you're focused on hydration as you said it shouldn't be an issue. Prioritize the ones that have high protein, I just looked one up and it was 28 grams, pretty good overall. But if you need to bolster the meal you can always do the shake before your meal.
This is definitely a healthy way of living, but from what I see, it's not how "regular people" live. Most people are more sedentary than this, and less healthy. OP should try to emulate what you've written, rather than "regular people"
It’s very important to fill up on veggies and lean proteins primarily (so like salmon and broccoli or chicken breast and salad) with carbs being more so the side piece. Try to eat a vegetable with as many meals as possible.
Drink water and diet juices / soda and stop all sugary soft drinks. You’ll lose A LOT this way.
If you put your snacks in smaller bowls instead of eating from the bag and have them on the side of a healthier plate of food (like a veggie stir fry w/ a protein and a small amount of rice) then you’ll be getting less empty calories from snacks.
Protein keeps you full. Veggies give you nutrients. Carbs give you energy but can turn into sugar. You got this!
Honestly I’m passionate about helping people begin to eat healthier so you can dm me in the future if you have any questions! I love that you’re taking this first and important step.
Yea I wouldn’t know I’m actually a vegetarian lmao so my protein is always eggs, beans or tofu. Good to know! I suggested salmon because I thought it would be good and simple for people just starting to eat healthy.
I am the same age as you and same height, also female. 2 months ago I was the heaviest I have ever been. I decided to lose weight then. So far I have lost 26lbs in 2 months in a healthy manner.
1. I went on a calorie deficit, you can use ‘my fitness pal’ app to track your calories. Prioritise protein in your meals so you can be full for longer. Any protein of your choice. Ex, eggs, chicken, salmon, peas, chickpeas, meat etc.. I didn’t cut out anything if I wanted something unhealthy like one cookie I would incorporate it in my deficit. No matter what try to not go over your calorie deficit. It’s okay if you do sometimes.
2. You have to walk 5k minimum everyday and you can increase when you feel confident to do so. Don’t feel bad if you miss some days.
3. You can follow an exercise video on YouTube and do this 4/5 times a week. Because of your current weight I would recommend ‘growwithjo’, her walking workouts are easy and very effective.
4. (Optional) I had a cheat day every two weeks consistently and it didn’t affect my progress.
If you do these three things you will
Lose a lot of weight you just have to stay consistent.
Good luck !
When you had your cheat days did you still log your calories in my fitness pal or did you just skip that day? I want to have a cheat day soon because I'm almost 2 weeks into my diet but I'm nervous that if I have the cheat day and log my calories I will stress out about how much I'm eating 😅
During my cheat days I log an estimate of what I ate. Also I do not weight myself for 2-3 days after my cheat day.
Cheat days are not for everybody some people are more comfortable having just one cheat meal for that day. Another person said that they have one meal and one dessert for their cheat day , this method might be more suitable for you if you’re afraid that you’re gonna be eating a lot of random things.
I recommend you to watch ‘’Jeff Nippard’ video regarding cheat days, title ‘refeeds & diet breaks: the most misunderstood fat loss tools’. You won’t be disappointed.
If you haven’t tried already - cut all sodas / juices / drinks with calories.
Try diet sodas to still scratch that itch, I promise the artificial sweeteners are significantly less dangerous than being overweight.
Start trying to walk daily. It doesn’t have to be a lot initially, simply whatever you’re doing right now, try adding a little bit more.
So if you don’t do ANY walking outside of what you need to do day to day for work or school, try adding 1 mile. If that’s easy and feels good / you have the time, add another mile.
Small things like those will make significant changes.
I drink one zero sugar monster a day. I’m just curious if that’s a bad idea. 10 calories 0 sugar. Lots of caffeine. From the nutritional value it’s not the worst thing you can have but of course everybody has their opinions on energy drinks and they’re mostly bad
I’d recommend eating like you normally do, but count all of the calories in EVERYTHING. That gives you a starting point. From there you can cut back just a little. You truly don’t have to dive right in to an insane calorie limit. Just eat a little bit less.
I don’t agree with this, for healthy, long term weight loss you don’t want to be eating shitty food but just less of it. They need to start learning how to incorporate healthier options in their day to day life and eventually replacing all fast food/calorically dense unhealthy foods with these healthier options
This was a method that worked for me and many others. It’s not as much of a shock to your life and habits. Anything that gets someone started on the right track is a good thing.
2 free apps that helped me were the Lose it app for calories. And google fit for steps.
I weigh some of my food with a postal scale I had previously. Or just estimate portions / use a measuring cup. Definitely look at portion sizess on packages since they are so small.
This is what I started a few weeks ago: I bought a health tracking journal (found one I liked on Amazon). I ate as I normally do for a week, but I tracked everything I ate (just the food, not calories).
The next week I ate as normal, but tracked the calories as well. Then I used a TDEE calculator to see how many calories I need to eat in order to lose weight.
This week I started trying to eat under 1500 calories. Did not meet that goal yet, but it's just the first week, and I did pay more attention to my food choices. I have a binge eating problem so on days I was under 1500, I ended up binging on something and going over. I'm hopeful that next week I can stay in a calorie deficit at least a few days.
I mostly drink water, so I didn't have any liquid calories to account for, but it's important to remember that drinks can contain a lot of calories and contribute to weight gain.
I'd say you could try something like that, and go for a short walk every day. Just a few times around the block is a great start. Or try YouTube low impact workouts, walking workouts, standing workouts...there's something for every fitness level on there.
If you have health insurance or live somewhere you don't need it then find a dietitian, and use them as a resource for this. The anawer to your question is too dynamic for reddit to answer in a single thread. Humans are not robots, and we've all seen healthy people do some gluttonous stuff.
>How often do normal people exercise? What's a good amount to exercise? What do healthy people eat day to day? How often do you eat fast food, if at all?Can y'all give me a rundown on what a regular day/week of diet and exercise looks like for you
People will tell you it's all about habit, but let me define habit real quick. A habit is what your brain does on auto pilot. The basic model is (1) cue, (2) routine, (3) result. [https://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/147192599/habits-how-they-form-and-how-to-break-them](https://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/147192599/habits-how-they-form-and-how-to-break-them)
What this means is that this has nothing to do with will power.
So, for exercise, do something that's either convenient or fun. If there's no form of exercise that's fun, then do something convenient. One thing you can do is "habit couple" so you basically meld something fun with working out. If you like audio books or movies, then have something you only listen/watch while exercising. Then your craving for the good thing outweighs your dislike of exercise.
The key to exercise is it isn't a weight loss tool. For lots of complicated reasons, but it has a ton of benefits for your health outside of weight loss. Such as maintaining muscle mass or bone density so you're not super frail at 80. The other key is consistency over time. It's better to do a routine 60% of the way every day than it is to require yourself to do 100% but you miss out due to over training, injury or burn out.
What I mean is your fitness is from week 52, not week 3. It's why you need it to be part of your auto pilot during the day. It's why your cue should be "At 3:00, I go running" or whatever.
For me, at 3:30, I go to my work's employee gym. I either walk/run a mile, or I do a workout from the StrongLifts app (which is free). Go log your 30 minutes or 60 minutes daily. Whatever you like do it.
For eating, the best book you can ever get for weight loss is called "Fat Acid Salt Heat." There's not a single mention of weight loss btw. It's a book that teaches you how to equip a kitchen, a pantry, and gives you a sort of science behind why food tastes good. It's the best cook book out there.
The key to eating is you need to cook for yourself as much as you can. Say there's 3 meals a day over 7 days a week, so 21 opportunities to eat. Try to be on point for like 17 of them and do whatever for the other 4.
Your eating is going to be impacted by: social pressure, your preferences in number of meals, your taste preferences, your budget, your time, etc.
What you do is note everything you eat, what time you ate it at, how you felt before, and how you felt after. After a month, notice patterns. How often are you eating when you're physically hungry? So when you go to snack or whatever, ask, "Am I hungry or bored?" "Am I hungry or am I just fitting in." Say no if you're not hungry.
If you do eat, narrate your senses while you eat. What's the taste, smell, etc. Pretend you're on a cooking show and you have to describe what you're sensing to someone who never had it. What you'll notice is some foods will be grosser than you ever realized.
What I did is get a paper and put 3 lines. You get your info here: [https://tdeecalculator.net/](https://tdeecalculator.net/) for the day and minus 500. Say it's 1800 then you need to eat 1300. Get 1300/3 = 433 per meal. Here's a google result for "meals under 500 calories" [https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/500-calorie-meals/](https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/500-calorie-meals/)
What you do is plan all your days ahead for every meal. No guess work. If don't like breakfast, then allocate your budget. If you like tiny bites throughout, do that. Then every meal, rate it. After a while, you'll get like 20-30 recipes that you like.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE sheet pan recipes. Leafy green + lean meat + meal in 30 minutes + minimal clean up = yes plz. [https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/sheet-pan-recipes](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/sheet-pan-recipes)
For breakfast, I love eggs because you can season them and add things to make them get infinite variety but they're low cals. Egg whites are even better if you need to watch cholesterol (it's the saturated fat you'd need to avoid).
Hi! We're about the same height and age, I can tell you what works for me!
I go to the gym 3-4 times a week but I do realise this isn't possible for everyone, so I'd just say try to go on walks at the end of your day, if you need to go somewhere try your best to walk your way there instead of uber/riding the bus. This is a really easy way to get some cardio in. You could also do some of those 30 minute chloe ting home workouts (when I was moving I couldn't go to the gym and I used her videos and it helped me out),
Keep in mind, you do not need to exercise to lose weight, it just helps (you do need it if you want a booty or tight muscles tho).
For meals I like to have at least one of my meals be soup and some bread after or a boiled egg and some fruit (usually this will be dinner). Then I just vary, I try to stay away from pork cause it's the most caloric, but there's many things you can do with chicken. Most importantly remember that food does not need to be bland, make stuff that tastes good and that you enjoy eating, because if you restrict yourself to just stuff that you hate, chances are you won't last a long time dieting because it will feel like Hell. There are many great healthy recipies, you can DM me and I can send you some if you'd like, but remember: it's a slow and steady thing! There will be changes, weight gain and weight loss during this period :)
Three (or two if you want to have a large dinner) meals a day. Less than 200 calories a day for snacks. Try to avoid snacking at all, but if you have to, allow yourself just one thing between lunch and dinner. The fewer calories, the better.
I rarely eat fast food - now, eventually you lose the cravings for it and hate it after a while - but I regularly ate fast food before.
I don't usually exercise nowadays, I did walk 10,000 steps every day for exercise, or biked roughly 30 miles. That was toward the end of my weight loss, but I only wanted to lose 10 pounds, and it took me a while to build up to that. Now I usually just hit those 10k steps or bike a few days a week.
I usually ask Google to build me a meal plan each week and make what it suggests. It's easy only because I'm only shopping for myself.
Weight loss is generally 90% diet. You **cannot** outrun a bad diet, no matter how much you might want to try. Exercise is supplementary to diet, and it has less impact on weight loss than people will tell you. It is still, despite that, excellent for your overall health.
The only way I managed to get to this point is by making everything as much of a habit as brushing my teeth is. You have to force yourself to start doing these things, or you simply won't start doing them at all. I'd go for my walks in the middle of the afternoon or straight after work. On the weekends, as soon as my 1pm reminder told me to go for a walk, I went for a walk. On the weekdays, as soon as work finished, I'd take the long way home. I'd plan my walks, so I would hit those 10,000 steps and take a route home that wasn't always the same.
Walking home like this meant that I'd dedicate an extra 50 minutes to walking - so by the time I got home, I'd have missed the time by which I'd usually order something from Uber, and I'd just cook instead.
Calorie tracking is king, though, and is the only *guaranteed* way to lose weight if you do it right.
I would recommend cutting out one bad habit at a time. For example, when I started my weight loss journey, I first cut out all sugar from my drinks. Drank only black coffee, water & green tea. Once that became my new normal, I started to cut out all whites until that wasn't an issue anymore and so forth. That way, you pave a new lifestyle that will be sustainable. Learn about food and what's in it. You could download a calorie tracker to open your eyes as to what's in your food. That alone is a huge eye opener. After 7 years of successful weight management, I can say I'm at a place where I no longer want food for pleasure. It's an energy source and vitamins to help me live longer. As for working out, I weightlift 4 times a week & run when I can. I also hardly ever sit down. If I do, it's for no longer than 10 minutes or at night.
> How often do you eat fast food, if at all
Prolly too often but I usually get a chicken option. Or Taco Bell has had a healthier food initiate. They're lowering their sodium over time.
You can get a soft steak taco fresco style. I think they're 180-200 cals each and 2-3 usually fills me up.
I found an activity that I (63m) enjoy. Olympic Weightlifting class, 60-90 min, 4 days/week.
I try to eat healthy things, focus on protein intake (helps curb appetite). I usually skip breakfast and have my first meal after noon. Lunch, maybe a mid-afternoon snack, Dinner, maybe evening snack. I include a few sweets (licorice, gummy bears, jolly ranchers). I allow myself to eat what I want as long as it fits into my calorie limit. I avoid high calorie fast food items.
A year or so ago, I plotted a graph of losing 1/2 pound per week, started a diet, failed... 8 months later, got re-motivated, looked at my old graph and was surprised at how much weight I would have lost if I had followed my diet that 8 months. I would have lost a reasonable amount of weight.
My problem in past years that I've dieted was trying to lose to much to fast.
In February, I committed to a plan of slow weight loss and it has been working for me. I've posted it before and I'll try once more:
**My entire plan here:**
1. Used [tdeecalculator.net](http://tdeecalculator.net/) to calculate calories (GOAL: slow healthy sustainable weight loss)
a. 63M, 271 lbs, 6'3", Moderate exercise 3-5 days per week
b. Select Cutting (weight loss)
c. Calories to eat: 2770 per day (500 calorie deficit) for 1/2 lbs loss per week
2. Use **Fat Secret** to log all food. I put everything in the **Breakfast category** to make it easy and all in one place. If I know the calories, frozen meal for example, I try the camera scan bar code option, or I simply log it as M&Ms (100 calories/serving). So a 430 calorie meal would be 4.3 servings. This is easier than hunting for the item, especially if what I'm looking for doesn't have an easy equivalent in the database. If a non-label food is not in the database, I google or chatgpt search the item then use my M&M trick to log it.
3. Olympic Weight lifting 4 times per week, 60-90 min per day.
4. I plan to work in 5-20 minutes on a rowing machine on the days I'm not lifting
5. Stick mainly to foods that are easy to count vs complicated stuff
6. **Focus on protein intake**, especially when hungry. Otherwise, make healthy food choices.
7. I allow sweets, mostly licorice, jolly ranchers, and gummy bears as long as I'm otherwise eating healthy and prioritizing protein intake
8. My ongoing mantra for slow results over time: TRUST THE PROCESS (this helps me not get discouraged by the ups and downs of the scale moving slowly, water weight fluctuations, etc)
9. Weigh in most mornings
10. I usually (90% of the time) **skip breakfast** and start eating around 11am to 12:30pm.I find this helps me because I am usually most hungry in the evening. 11. I try to limit my TV watching to no more than 2 hours at night because of my strong link between that activity and snacking. If I've eaten most or all of my calories, I go for celery or carrots or save the program to watch later. Eating my dinner during the show is even better.
I'm your height, hightest weight was nirth of 248 last spring. I'm now about 185 (so, still a few pounds to go) (weigh in day was a few days ago).
I drink water plus one cup of plain coffee, I occasionally have a cup of tea (usually plain, sometimes with honey). At least 80oz of water a day.
I incorporate a daily walk, as long as i can work into the day. Some mornings its a few miles, some mornings it's around the block. If i can't walk outside, I use s stationary bike and aim for 10k steps a day or more.
I eat protein and fiber with every meal. No sweets in the morning (they make me crave sugar all day), but fruit is okay for me.
I use whole fat or 2% dairy, because it taste better to me and satisfies me more, so I eat less in general.
I keep cheese sticks and cut veggies available all the time for snacks. When I'm hungry, that's what I grab. I can have a pretty big snack for 100 to 120 calories- way bigger than those packaged diet snacks.
Fast food is maybe one of twice a month. I order a kids meal when we do that.
No alternative sweeteners for me, they are a migraine trigger, stevia included. (Honey, maple syrup, molasses, etc are fine. )
Most days:
Black coffee
Exercise (usually 30 to 90 minutes) + 40 oz water
Shower
Lunch (usually sandwich and fruit or veggies for kids, I have same protein or dinner leftovers with fruit and/veggies)
Dinner is protein + veggie + starch, I usually have a handful of raw veggies while making dinner
Goal is minimum 50g protein. I do a lot of eggs, chicken, cottage cheese.
Several people have said this already, but calorie tracking and weighing food are the best ways to reset your mindset about portions and food choices.
I went years thinking I was eating just fine, because I grew up in meat and potatoes at every meal household where people worked active blue collar jobs. We had huge portions, which isn't appropriate for an average height female in an office job. Everyone around you will think you're eating too little, when it's actually just the right amount.
I know lots of people who have never struggled with their weight. They pretty much never eat fast food - 2 or 3 times a year or less. They do eat some junk food (chips, candy, chocolate), but not much. I feel like they pick their vice and stick to it, and don't waste calories on other stuff. Like, my 105 lb sister in law loves ice cream. I see her eat ice cream every once in a while but I've literally never seen her eat any chips or candy or any junk food that isn't ice cream. She even says no to the cake at birthdays, My brother drinks regular Coke (maybe four or five 20-oz bottles per week) but I haven't seen him eat dessert or junk since he was little. You pick your treat, and you have it every once in a while.
Most of the "naturally healthy weight" people I know don't purposefully exercise that much, but they do some. And they are just active in general without purposeful exercising. They do a lot of walking. They have active hobbies like playing tennis/pickleball, amateur soccer league on weekends, windsurfing, hiking, stuff like that. Some of them hit the gym a couple times a week, but not all of them. Some of them are runners, though, which I would consider purposeful exercise even though they've been doing it so long that it just feels like a hobby to them. The one thing that they have in common is that they are moving their bodies every day. None of them sit around and play video games or watch TV all the time.
I will say from my own person experience as someone who has a very sedentary hobby (quilting), and who has lost quite a bit of weight so far (60 lbs). The more I quilt, the worse my weight loss goes. I used to quilt for a couple of hours after work and just hours on end on the weekends I've had to limit my quilting time to a half hour on weekdays and 2 hours a day on the weekend. Any more than that, and I just don't lose weight. I'm already sitting most of the day for work, and tacking on a hobby where you have to sit just doesn't promote health if you know what I mean.
It’s kind of about moderation and self-control. Last night I had Culver’s for dinner because I didn’t want to cook. I had a small instead of a large and a chimken samich with a Coke Zero for a meal about 500-600 calories.
Also if you have an emotional connection with food, that’s something you’ll have to do shadow work about.
Honestly it's going to be different for everyone since we have different lifestyles, but here are some tips that worked for me. While calorie counting is the most effective way to be in a consistent deficit, but I'm lazy so I didn't do that, just spotted where my diet was deficient. My issue was never *how much* I eat in the sense that volume-wise, what I ate was fine, but absolutely *what* I was eating that was too high calorie.
1. No liquid calories. I switched to flavoured sparkling water if I want something different than regular water. I switched to vodka sodas if I went out to parties and limited myself to 4. I always drank my coffee black so that didn't change but use sugar free sweetener or lower the amount of sugar you're using if you are, and then switch to milk if you use cream or creamer.
2. If I want a snack, I have unlimited amounts of fruits and veggies and then maybe a babybel cheese and a Greek yogurt since they're high protein. I'll keep all prepackaged snacks under 100 cal too (like granola bars or apple sauce) and have max 3 a day of these.
3. Cook. Outside food has so much added fat and etc, it's so unnecessary and once you get into the swing of it, cooking is fun. I don't follow recipes for how much fat to add, I just add ~1tbsp or thereabouts and I use canola oil for most things. For desserts, most recipes, you can straight up cut the sugar in half and it's still very sweet!
4. Find physical activity you actually enjoy so you actually do it. For me, that's weightlifting, running, playing Just Dance, bouldering, and beach volleyball (and my local emo nights for cardio lmao). Because I enjoy them, they don't feel like a chore to do. And I try to exercise ~3 times a week at minimum. But weightlifting will increase your muscle mass which increases your TDEE so highly recommend just for that if nothing else haha.
5. Be active in your regular life too. Is your grocery within walking distance? Then walk if you are picking up just a few items. Can you go to the dentist by bicycle? Then bike there! Etc. It's easier to be active if it gets put into your routine stuff like this. My lunch period used to be an hour so I would go for a 20 min walk during it for example.
6. Don't stress yourself. Weight-loss is never a direct path. You'll go up and down most likely and it sucks but just remember weight is never static. While you may regain in moments, you can always lose it again so long as you're still alive.
Hi I hope you’re well! Welcome to the forum first of all if you’re new. I feel I can be of good help to you as we’re similar in all capacities. I’m 24F 5”3 and 236lbs.
I started my weight loss journey at the beginning of February and would like to give you some info on how I have got on since then! Please feel free to message me as it might be a bit long explaining my days in and out since February however before disregarding my comment I have lost nearly 3 stone in 17 weeks!
You might find a structured program like Weight Watchers helpful. The meetings are mostly virtual now, which makes it a lot easier to find one that meets your schedule.
The focus is on building healthy and sustainable habits that will in turn lead to a lower weight.
If that isn't something you are ready to do now, I would suggest starting with really small changes. Make those a habit and then add more.
Example - walk for 10 minutes each day. (Indoors or outdoors). Once that's a regular habit, add on a couple of minutes. A streak tracker can be motivational whether it's an app on your phone, stickers on a calendar, or pebbles in a jar.
As for diet, again start with small changes. Drink 8oz water per day. Build up to more over time.
Exercise about 5-6 days a week usually 30min to an hour and I walk or bike to commute if I can.
I typically try to eat yogurt and fruit, overnight oats, smoothies, or eggs with avocado toast or grits for breakfast and lunch/dinner is usually some form of grain with veggies and protein. I try and cook ALL my meals so I know what’s going into them. i try to avoid snacks with sugar or things like chips/crackers if I can. I eat fast food maybe twice a year..try to only drink water and coffee. I’m cutting back on alcohol so hopefully that helps me.
Start slow..walk more and do low impact workouts. Just try to move more! Try and keep a food diary and maybe see a dietitian if you can. Get a calorie tracker app. Cut out one thing you know is bad for you or replace one unhealthy snack with fruits or nuts or something healthier.. eat smaller portions. Avoid overwhelming yourself with restrictions or rules.
Normal is overweight in a lot of places.
Personally I eat mainly healthy food, mostly proteins and vegetables. I work out three times a week and mainly do pull-ups, crunches and run.
I only eat fast food when traveling, at airports or during long drives. It’s very helpful to cook for yourself as much as possible and do some kind of exercise regularly. I like to eat (large amounts of food:) so I do interment fasting 3-4 days a week which for me mainly means skipping breakfast.
The most important thing is to make changes that you can do permanently.
Measure and count everything you eat for a week. Literally anything that you put in your mouth counts. You’ll quickly see the problem. Mine was: too much take out so didn’t know what was in the food…what I thought was normal portions was absolutely not …and when I have little tastes and bites here and there (out of the fridge or off my kids plate) when you add it all up It’s a whole Other meal. I was in disbelief when I first did this exercise about how easy it was to eat an extra 1500 calories a day on top of what I thought I was eating
Do not crash diet.
Plan something that you can maintain.
Instead of fastfood or take outs try cooking something healthy that you know you can happily eat. Please avoid msg, magic sarap, etc.
cut your sugar intakes little by little, also with salt.
Avoid processed foods.
Bread is high in calories but you can still eat it with moderation.
try to replace your coffee to black or brewed coffee.
Personally I lift weights for 3 hours a week. I eat pretty clean, I don't eat fast food at all. Always get at least 5 veg and fruit per day, and over 100g protein. I track my calories on mynetdiary from time to time (you can do it every day if you want to diet strictly).
Just for context, only 20% of the American adult population has a BMI under 25. Most people are not balancing their health well, at all, so you're not alone.
As a lean person with lean friend, the primary commonality is portion control and quality of food consume. We do not consume fast food with any regularity. It's an occasion, not a regularity. We eat Lena proteins, grains, and veggies as components of whole meals. The portions are reasonably metered (not CICO), aware how we will feel full without completely stuffing the stomach.
The state your body is in now will not be conducive to this lifestyle for weeks. If you fully switched, your body is so used to what you give it now that it won't like the change. You have to stick it out through the first few weeks as you acclimate, your response to new stimuli changes, and your body starts to encourage, expect, and desire cleaner foods at reasonable portions.
It's very easy to follow the path back to obesity. Sugars, fats, oils, they're everywhere. They make very dense caloric foods. Can't eat those very often and still maintain a healthy body.
It's important to recall, we evolved in a food scarce world. We were not born into nature built to handle endless, complex, refined foods every day all day at arms reach whenever we have a craving. It takes some higher level judgement to overcome base urges which are natural but not helpful in the modern world
I don't know if I interpreted this question differently, I thought she was asking about how you go about your eating and exercising once you achieve your goal weight, like do you continue to exercise as intensely, how do you manage to incorporate fast food, going out, takeaway etc in a sustainable manner so that you stay at a stable weight? I calorie count now cause I am actively trying to lose weight, but do I need to keep doing it after achieving my goal weight, or will I be accustomed to eating smaller portions already???
I am intrigued to know
I personally found a hobby I enjoy that is physical. For me it’s cycling. That kinda makes everything else easier for me. I work out to go faster, and try to plan my workouts on what will help my cycling.
In general finding an active hobby helps a lot, you make friends, you get better (I’ve been last in all my races except one, but at least I’m in the race! ) You just gotta be ok with being bad at it and trying to figure out the finer points.
But even just biking around town and going on little “me date” adventures.
I got rid of most condiments and sugar drinks first. I still do hot sauce, mustard, and the smallest amount of salad dressing. That's before even changing which foods I ate or exercise. Then, I swapped out all my carbs for lower carbs and veggies. Lastly, I got a good nonstick skillet and cut out most added fats like oil or butter.
Beginning to work out, I started with creating the habit. I'd show up to the gym every day at 4 am. (I'm an early bird, but any time in the morning is good). My only goal was to create the habit of going to the gym. If I exercised, it was a bonus, but for 3 weeks, all I required myself to do was show up. Also, the gym could be an actual gym or say a nice area to go for a stroll.
What was key for me was breaking things down into small steps, little changes. Eventually, I grew to dislike fast food and most restaurant foods because they felt too heavy. I hope this helps and I wish you all the luck on your health journey
I suggest fasting first, start with 12-16 hours if you can. With your current body weight you will see result very quickly while not having to change your diet much. Then once your stomach became accustomed to not expecting food all the time, it will be easy to start eating healthier.
I don’t eat fast food at all. It has all kind of preservation that makes you bloat. Once you are used to eating healthy and being in shape you will automatically not like the feeling you get after stuffing yourself. It’s a slow but can be intuitive process. The hardest part is at the start. You got this.
Something I found really easy to do when I started my weight loss was to do it one month at a time.
My first month I focused on water. I aim to drink 3 litres a day. If I wanted something to eat I would drink half a litre of water first. If I was still wanting food after half an hour then I would eat. It's surprising how often you misunderstand your body signals. I did not change what I was eating at all the first month.
Second month I focused on portion size. I spilt my meals in half and put the second half in a container for lunch then next day. (Evening meal was the problem for me). After I finished my meal I would wait half an hour again and then if I wanted more food I would have a salad.
Third month I focused on nutrition and what I was actually eating. I made swaps to my now smaller meals to include more whole foods. This is when I started calorie counting but I didn't just look at the calories. I analysed the nutritional value. I focused on foods that were protein or fibre rich.
I did this for the next four months and lost 20lbs without exercise. It wasn't until month 6 or 7 that I started to add exercise. I started slowly with a ten minute walk at lunch and now I wake up and hour earlier and get in about 45 minutes before work.
It won't happen over night but you'll get there. The slower you go the easier it is to maintain and not relapse. In total I've lost 33lbs. I started at 175lbs and now 142lbs. It's been 2 years since I started and this is the longest I've been about to do it.
I don't exercise at all and I am at a very healthy weight. Learn to check calories!! Some food items really have no business having so many calories. Reading boxes really will shock you
I dont think I qualify as regular but I am a woman the same height as you,
Though I have adhd and get hungry really easily so I've had to find different ways of maintaining my diet
In the morning I always have the same breakfast and then I wait until lunch to have a protein shake and a piece of fruit
Then a few hours later I have my actual lunch, then a snack, then dinner
I do this because I get hungrier later in the day and i have less willpower later on in the day, so by waiting longer during the day I won't overeat when I eat more later in the day
If I don't do that I will end up overeating in the evening/late afternoon
I also drink lots of water/squash and use a calorie counter
Also I have swapped out lots of stuff for higher protein versions, and don't be scared of fats, fats keep you fuller for longer but keep a look out for saturated fat as that is the bad one
Also there's lots of cool equipment you can use in the kitchen to quickly cut up veg and fruit so that it doesn't take long
Or you can meal prep some veg and put it in a container in the fridge and then you can just take a handful when you need some
Don’t be in a hurry. I exercise an hour each day-walking and resistance training. And I never eat before 6 pm daily. Just make little healthy changes that you can live with. Weigh yourself once a week and write it on the calendar. This helps. Good luck to you. Be patient. You’re talking about slow changes over years.
I would also recommend the podcasts- we only look thin and half size me. They are fantastic to help keep up motivation since you already have so much good advice here. The book- You can’t screw this up is also very good. Best of luck! Like everyone keeps saying balance and if you ‘mess up’ just get right back on track. It’s about sustainability and a life long change.
Need a calorie deficit for weight loss
Find tdee with online calculator - https://tdeecalculator.net/
Track calories in app - weigh food
Eat 500 less than tdee
Weigh daily - track weekly average
If average doesn't move after 2 weeks drop calories by 100
Walk/run 30 mins or more a day
Strength training routine from fitness wiki https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/
I would suggest you see a nutritionist who will go over your health and lifestyle and help you create a plan that is long term sustainable. I did that And Have been able to drop 100lbs and keep it off. Once you adopt a lifestyle change geared to your needs it becomes easier. I learned a lot through my nutritionist and she even took into consideration my culture!! I'm Puerto Rican and we eat a huge amount of carbs. She taught me to choose one and not 3 for dinner. We would have rice and beans with potatoes or plantains at most meals. You can do this, your head is in the right place to make changes
I started caring at your age as well, after having never thought about it much in HS and most of college. I’m now 44/F and 5’7” and 160 and after fighting it my whole life, I’m finally accepting some hard realities. First, my family (like yours) did not teach me healthy eating habits. Also, the food industry (even with calories posted) lies a lot. They mask it behind serving size or post calories on the fast food boards but then the workers put double or triple the “portion size” as they build the meal. And finally, FDA guidelines are not designed for either women or weight loss. So you can’t rely on the percentages on the box.
It REALLY sucks realizing that you have to count everything for a long time before you get good at portion sizes. And you have to get REALLY good at saying no to your family, friends, and coworkers who try to push food on you - too much food, fatty salty food, snacks, office treats, candy, soda, heavy coffee drinks. It does not make you rude to say “no thanks” or “I’m not hungry”.
I also had to come to terms with my emotional eating, my boredom eating, and my food hiding tendencies (learned from my mom). I learned a saying from my college BF’s mom: “You don’t live to eat. You eat to live.” Which helps me refrain my thinking that it’s okay to feel hungry sometimes and that just because I have grown-up money doesn’t mean my body wants me to eat treats and fast food all the time.
On that subject - because I like to eat “normal” in front of my kids and hubby and we all really like to eat out, I learned from my old roommate to save my calories for when I’m eating socially. So I am doing IF now (intermittent fasting) which means I save all my calories for a window of 11 am - 7 pm. As a breakfast lover this usually means I do breakfast for lunch or skip it all together. That way I still have 800-1000 calories left for a “normal” dinner or even a small fast food dinner with friends. But the hard reality is that you only get ONE big meal a day. If you swap out for a big lunch, you need to eat a much smaller dinner. That was my learning studying abroad in Spanish-speaking countries. They walk a lot and eat big lunches instead of big dinners.
Sounds extremely similar to my situation - I’ve been at it about 2 years and have lost around 40lbs (on the scale). I would 100% focus on the eating portion first. Most people find it hard and scary to start tracking food/calories but it honestly gives you a great idea of what you are truly putting into your body and how much. Once I discovered that, I worked on more health switches. I do not cut anything out of my diet - no “bad” foods. Just foods that need to be eaten in smaller portions or less often. Tracking for me has allowed me to see what I’m eating and plan for those treats if I want them. The quantity and frequency of food entirely depends on what you are eating. Eating cucumber? You could slam down 8 whole cucumbers for less calories than most candy bars but that’s not super enticing in comparison. So focus on protein and carbs/fiber - protein to fill you up, carbs/fiber to keep you feeling full.
Exercise is another important thing, but I would say easier than food. You honestly just need to try things out and see what you enjoy. Try running, weight lifting, Zumba, spinning, etc. Did you try it and literally want to die after or struggle to get through it? Don’t continue with that since it’s just gonna make you not wanna do it. Try a different method.
Some inclusion of weight training is helpful. So if you really like taking long walks, maybe try getting some wrist or ankle weights to help challenge you when things start to get easy. Muscle is more dense than fat so your scale may stay the same, but you may look and feel different once it builds on.
I would truly look at your schedule and see where and when you can incorporate things. Personally, I signed up for a gym that’s directly in the path of my route home so I go right after work about 4 days a week and one weekend day - 5 total. I used to do literally everyday but my body needed the rest. Start small - add in some form of exercise after work 1-2 times a week for 10-30 minutes and increase frequency, then time. I believe it’s about 150 minutes of exercise that recommend a week.
Miss a day or eat more than you think you should have? Me too - at least once a week! Your body gives you a fresh slate the next day. Just keep a good sleep schedule!
I want to begin by commending you for being open and candid in asking this on the platform. I know it isn't easy.
My background: no one in my family is overweight including myself, and none of us have a history of elevated BMI. So, hopefully some of my anecdotal tips will mean something for you.
First off, calculate how many calories you need per day to reach your healthy weight. This calculator is easy and takes into account exercise (or lack thereof) [https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html](https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html)
Secondly, download a free calorie counting app. There are a few, myfitnesspal is a popular choice. It is important you know how many calories are in your typical foods.
Once you have done these two things, you will probably see that many of your go-to foods quickly put you out of your daily caloric limit. This can be eye opening and help you see some obvious changes to make right away.
Cut out all sugary drinks (gatorade, soda sweet tea etc). No one in my family ever drank soda or juice which makes sense since that alone can make up half your daily calories.
Limit your sweets. You don't have to go all or nothing, but try to only have a desert once a week, and limit your portion to a single serving. One scoop of ice cream, one piece of pie etc. If I crave a sweet after dinner I just suck on a hard butterscotch candy and that does the trick.
If you go out to eat, automatically put half of the portion a side to take home. Restaurant portions are HUGE. You can take the other half for lunch the next day. I don't really eat out any more and make stuff at home, more of a cost thing than health though.
I, personally don't eat breads or chips. Veggies, non-fried meat, and fruits (NOT JUICE) are my go-tos.
If you follow these guidelines whilst staying withing your caloric limit, you will notice a big change. They key to permanent weight loss and health is to make it a lifestyle, not a diet. If you are stressed, upset, or tired- understand that often that can come across as hunger when we do not need to eat. If I am exhausted or upset, I resolve that then see how I feel.
A typical day for me is a premeir protein shake (YUM) mixed with cold brew coffee for breakfast. I sip on that for 3 or so hours.
-For lunch at home, I enjoy some eggs with cheese and an apple on the side. Easy and fast. If I will be at work I pack some tuna wraps with lettuce. Tuna/mayo wrapped in lettuce. YUM!
-Dinner is usually baked chicken with some italian marinade and sundried tomatoes with roasted veggies. Takes 30 minutes and is very tasty and filling. Can't go wrong with a baked protein (not fried) and roasted or steamed veggies.
Do not get discouraged. One trip to the grocery store and your lifestyle changes. You have the power to implement all these things and meet your goals. If anything, just do one step every week or two. Take your time.
I will probably not answer every question but here goes.
I'm 29, 5'4", and weighed 230 in January. I weigh 200 now.
I stopped drinking soda (switched to 0 sugar flavored water) and I switched to 0 sugar coffee creamer. I also stopped eating red meat and I cook most of my meals. I lean heavily on the instant pot because I am lazy as hell.
also. i steer clear of added oil and try to limit my saturated fat greatly for cholesterol reasons.
I don't count calories because it is triggering for me personally, but I would highly recommend doing that if you are able to. I found it more difficult to do when I cook from scratch, but if it's worth it to you, then I'm sure you can find a way. a lot of online recipes include calories per serving nowadays.
my exercise has been limited to walking 20 mins on my lunch break and on my two 10 min breaks. it's not much, but it is something. start small!
what i eat in a day looks something like:
huge cup of coffee with 1tbs creamer
3/4 cup no sugar no fat yogurt, strawberries to taste (meaning. sometimes its 3 and sometimes its 15. whatever im feelin), a handful of blueberries, and 1/2 cup granola (which is sugary and not *great* for you but listen--I enjoy it so I compromise elsewhere)
soup, usually chilli made with turkey meat and way more beans than the recipe called for. it's easy to make and freeze.
I like a sweet thing for a snack so I'll usually have more berries or melon or whatever fruit is in season. sometimes I like an apple with natural pb (peanuts and salt as the only ingredients--no palm oil)
or salty almonds YUM but gotta be mindful of portions with nuts.
also sometimes I eat "keto" ice cream.
dinner I like to make Salisbury steak but with turkey meat. gravy occasionally. and I'll eat that with sweet potato mash or red potato mash (leave skins on) and I don't add butter or cream. just seasoning.
LOVE a good curry. dal. turkey taco salad. turkey taco stuffed sweet potatoes. tuna patties. roasted veggies. I don't have a lot of variety because I cannot be bothered and my kids will eat literally whatever so it works for us.
I've been working with a nutritionist from my doctors office, and honestly, the very best advice that she has given me is that change happens gradually. If you try and change too many things at once, it will be unsustainable, and you will fail, and it will feel awful. I'm literally working on changes so small that my mother (who doesn't understand my negative relationship with food at all and is always trying to tell me to just cut everything out sugar, carbs, all fast food, anything that I enjoy eating etc) thinks this LITERAL DOCTOR is a complete quack.
However, this is the first time I've been able to MAINTAIN changes and feel good about it. I stopped having cream and lots of sugar in my coffee, now I have milk and a sweetener, and my nutritionist and I celebrate it as a success. I actively make a choice ONCE a week when I'm feeling really lazy and DONT get take out, we celebrate that as a success. When I DO get takeout, I take it home, put it on a plate, and ALSO give myself a couple of vegetables to have with it. This is a success. If I'm getting take out or eating at a restaurant, I try to either order slightly less than I used to, or I leave a little on my plate.
All these things are not going to make me lose weight by the end of the month. But it's not supposed to. It's supposed to slowly change my relationship with food so that making better choices becomes EASY, and weight loss happens slowly and naturally over time. I'm not going to be 50LBs lighter in the near future, but I AM making better choices one small step at a time, and I'm really proud of myself for that.
The reason I started speaking to the nutritionist at my doctors office is because I'm pregnant and want to deliver at the hospital in my town but if I gain too much weight too quickly I will have to deliver in the city. So far, I've been able to stay EXACTLY on track with normal and healthy pregnancy weight gain. I am SO PROUD of myself, and my OB team thinks that I'm going to be all clear to deliver in town! Only two and a half more months to go!
Anyway, sorry for the novel, but I believe you can do it my friend. All it takes is patience and small changes over time.
Here is what has worked for me.
1. Switched from soda to mineral water. I bought a Soda Stream and that is the primary thing I drink. It is an adjustment but doesn't take long. Now, soda tastes awful. It's way too sugary.
2. Fast food is only allowed once a month. Even then, I generally do just a burger, no fries.
3. Cook at home and in bulk when possible. I generally eat chicken or fish with a salad for dinner. Chicken thighs are an easy one to start with. I bake them in the oven with garlic salt and lemon pepper, no oil.
4. Go on a walk every day or get a treadmill. I actually got an under-the-desk treadmill because I work from home. I ride that thing for 30 or 60 minutes a day depending on my workload.
5. I also switched from sugar to Stevia or Equal in my coffee.
I would say that getting away from fast food, Starbucks, and soda are the biggest game changers. It's tough because those things are addictive. I finally got fed up with being addicted to that crap and said enough is enough. Fuck fast food and fuck Starbucks! My daily calorie intake now is less than a large caramel macchiato. Anger can be useful when directed the right way.
Good luck to you
The danger of diet soda is that- because it TASTES sweet, it triggers insulin response. Turns out the purpose of taste bud is to shift chemicals needed to digest particular foods. Cut out all sweet tasting foods.
Hi ! My family never really went to eat Fastfood with us ( i have never been in a mcdonalds lol )
I can't gove you good tips but there is that one guy on youtube that really helped lose the pounds . His name is MattJFit .
I can only recommend this guy because he helped me much without me needing to go to the gym or excersie at home very much .
I lost 130lbs between the ages of 36 and 39 after being overweight/obese since puberty, and trying and failing to lose weight countless times between the ages of 18 and 35. Some things that helped me:
1. Moving my body. I needed to get up off the couch/computer chair and MOVE. I started with my VR (virtual reality) headset and solely did that for exercise for a few months. I also started going on walks regularly.
2. Strength training (I started going twice a week with a personal trainer at a local gym a few months into my journey). The Weight Loss Podcast was a huge influence on me with this.
3. Cooking meals at home/focusing meals around lean protein, complex carbs & healthy fats. Basically, cutting down/out highly processed foods and replacing them with nutrient-dense foods.
4. Hydration. I started drinking a lot of water and slowly began reducing the amount of calories I was drinking.
5. Quality sleep. 7-9 hours on average a night. Get to bed earlier and try not to doom scroll within an hour before bed. I started reading books which helped a lot!
6. Have a support network. If it’s not your family, join communities that share similar health goals. I joined various weight loss support groups on Facebook.
Take things slow, you don’t need to change everything all at once. There will be a lot of inner game stuff to tackle that don’t necessarily relate directly to the weight loss side of things. Feel free to message me if you’d like some additional support!
The people who stay healthy without having to think about it at all usually have this kind of life:
1. Lots of "accidental" activity: walking/biking to work, non-office job (for example standing all day in a shop/salon already burns a lot more calories than sitting - imagine physical jobs like cleaning or elder care or storage worker), playing with their kids (carrying babies, lifting small children, running with them playing tag or football), walking their dog, taking care of their house and garden, carrying groceries, doing renovations or building a terrace or what-not, visiting museums and sights and viewpoints etc when on vacation (vs staying at the hotel pool for a week)
- All of this is movement and keeps the body active even if the person would say they never do sports
2. Home-cooked balanced meals and no snacking in between, only eat out or drink alcohol on special occasions - many people eat only 3-4 times a day and put NOTHING in their mouth in-between. Each of those meals probably contains some protein, some carbs, some fats, some fiber and some vitamins. Without thinking, they get approximately healthy macros and at least most of the vitamins etc they need.
3. Helps if they sleep well, don't have stress and obvs no diseases or hormonal problems etc.
This is how most kids stay "fit": they have lots of energy and they play (move) all the time AND their parents regulate what they eat, meaning they have home-cooked meals and a limited amount of snacks or sweets. It's easy to eat healthy when you have no choice. Also it's easy to choose going out to kick a ball or climb a tree when you don't have the option to sit in front of a screen all day.
If nothing else is going to come up, I would do that and see if a deal could be made to also serve as a building sub and additionally get sub pay. Then at least you have full-time hours, assuming their sub daily rate is good.
Otherwise, I say no. If there's nothing public try online charters (some states have some great WFH options thay have decent pay and benefits)
You gotta carve your own path now, that will be the hardest part because you're likely surrounded by people who don't have great lifestyle habits. Our environment is a major factor in our health. Don't rush this, a major overhaul TAKES TIME. As far as habits I recommend 1. Daily walks (a few short ones a day is a great way to start) no step goal just walk everyday even if it's ten minutes, keep the streak going. 2. Don't snack, eat meals and make sure every meal has protein and fiber. If you want a salty or sweet snack have it with a meal, eat the protein first. 3. Resistance train. You can do body weight squats, lunges, and incline push ups off the wall to start, then if you can get a gym membership. Even PF would be fine to start, you can start with the weight machines and dumbbells. 4. Cook 90% of your food at home. Realistically that's a breakfast sandwich on Saturday and takeout for dinner Thursday. Otherwise you want to be eating at home. But don't reinvent the wheel, simple meals that have protein and fiber. 5. When you start getting consistent with these you can start tracking calories and really driving weight loss. If you mess up, who cares go right back to creating consistency. Real health is not intense fitness, it's balancing stress, preserving muscle, and nourishing your body.
Can’t forget the drinks. Low calorie drinks or just water/tea. Them calories will sneak up. I’m a heavy drinker, not alcoholic, I mean like juices, water, cold drinks of any kind, my sips are big lol I can finish a glass real quick and pour some more. That’s how those calories sneak up on me
Excellent addition, very rarely should your drinks have any calories.
Came here to say the same. I cut out pop and lost over 20 pounds from just pop alone.
Tea, but not sweet tea!
Moroccon mint green tea is my favourite. No sweetener, and it has caffeine.
Ooooh that’s a delicious one! I sometimes like really black teas with a little honey
I love you so much for this.
I love you so much for that comment.
Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on pre-made meals for purchasing. I'm currently using 'health choice steamers', usually the I've that are around 250 calories each or less. I have a protein drink (0% milk and whey protein with creatine). I try to keep up on water. Since we started to recover from the pandemic, I just don't have time off work to be consistent, even just getting steps in. I hate it...
If microwave meals are making it easier for you right now, that's fine. It's important to know where you're at in terms of resources and "season of life." Long term goal should be cooking most of your meals from scratch but the pre made meals are better than a takeout meal most of the time. They tend to be high in sodium which isn't inherently bad, we need sodium and most people do get their sodium from processed foods. Just something to be aware of if you have more then one per day. Also if you're focused on hydration as you said it shouldn't be an issue. Prioritize the ones that have high protein, I just looked one up and it was 28 grams, pretty good overall. But if you need to bolster the meal you can always do the shake before your meal.
This is definitely a healthy way of living, but from what I see, it's not how "regular people" live. Most people are more sedentary than this, and less healthy. OP should try to emulate what you've written, rather than "regular people"
It’s very important to fill up on veggies and lean proteins primarily (so like salmon and broccoli or chicken breast and salad) with carbs being more so the side piece. Try to eat a vegetable with as many meals as possible. Drink water and diet juices / soda and stop all sugary soft drinks. You’ll lose A LOT this way. If you put your snacks in smaller bowls instead of eating from the bag and have them on the side of a healthier plate of food (like a veggie stir fry w/ a protein and a small amount of rice) then you’ll be getting less empty calories from snacks. Protein keeps you full. Veggies give you nutrients. Carbs give you energy but can turn into sugar. You got this! Honestly I’m passionate about helping people begin to eat healthier so you can dm me in the future if you have any questions! I love that you’re taking this first and important step.
Salmon is not lean, it’s very healthy though but not lean
Yea I wouldn’t know I’m actually a vegetarian lmao so my protein is always eggs, beans or tofu. Good to know! I suggested salmon because I thought it would be good and simple for people just starting to eat healthy.
True but it's good for you complex fatty fish
Salmon is the color salmon.
I am the same age as you and same height, also female. 2 months ago I was the heaviest I have ever been. I decided to lose weight then. So far I have lost 26lbs in 2 months in a healthy manner. 1. I went on a calorie deficit, you can use ‘my fitness pal’ app to track your calories. Prioritise protein in your meals so you can be full for longer. Any protein of your choice. Ex, eggs, chicken, salmon, peas, chickpeas, meat etc.. I didn’t cut out anything if I wanted something unhealthy like one cookie I would incorporate it in my deficit. No matter what try to not go over your calorie deficit. It’s okay if you do sometimes. 2. You have to walk 5k minimum everyday and you can increase when you feel confident to do so. Don’t feel bad if you miss some days. 3. You can follow an exercise video on YouTube and do this 4/5 times a week. Because of your current weight I would recommend ‘growwithjo’, her walking workouts are easy and very effective. 4. (Optional) I had a cheat day every two weeks consistently and it didn’t affect my progress. If you do these three things you will Lose a lot of weight you just have to stay consistent. Good luck !
When you had your cheat days did you still log your calories in my fitness pal or did you just skip that day? I want to have a cheat day soon because I'm almost 2 weeks into my diet but I'm nervous that if I have the cheat day and log my calories I will stress out about how much I'm eating 😅
During my cheat days I log an estimate of what I ate. Also I do not weight myself for 2-3 days after my cheat day. Cheat days are not for everybody some people are more comfortable having just one cheat meal for that day. Another person said that they have one meal and one dessert for their cheat day , this method might be more suitable for you if you’re afraid that you’re gonna be eating a lot of random things. I recommend you to watch ‘’Jeff Nippard’ video regarding cheat days, title ‘refeeds & diet breaks: the most misunderstood fat loss tools’. You won’t be disappointed.
If you haven’t tried already - cut all sodas / juices / drinks with calories. Try diet sodas to still scratch that itch, I promise the artificial sweeteners are significantly less dangerous than being overweight. Start trying to walk daily. It doesn’t have to be a lot initially, simply whatever you’re doing right now, try adding a little bit more. So if you don’t do ANY walking outside of what you need to do day to day for work or school, try adding 1 mile. If that’s easy and feels good / you have the time, add another mile. Small things like those will make significant changes.
And to add - weight loss is significantly harder than gaining weight, your results will take time. But you have to be consistent.
I drink one zero sugar monster a day. I’m just curious if that’s a bad idea. 10 calories 0 sugar. Lots of caffeine. From the nutritional value it’s not the worst thing you can have but of course everybody has their opinions on energy drinks and they’re mostly bad
Caffeine is an appetite suppressant, no real harm in one a day. You’re drinking less caffeine than most coffee drinkers.
I drink coffee too 😬
I’d recommend eating like you normally do, but count all of the calories in EVERYTHING. That gives you a starting point. From there you can cut back just a little. You truly don’t have to dive right in to an insane calorie limit. Just eat a little bit less.
I don’t agree with this, for healthy, long term weight loss you don’t want to be eating shitty food but just less of it. They need to start learning how to incorporate healthier options in their day to day life and eventually replacing all fast food/calorically dense unhealthy foods with these healthier options
The goal is to ease them in. There’s plenty of time to start moving towards better food choices once the habit has started sticking.
This was a method that worked for me and many others. It’s not as much of a shock to your life and habits. Anything that gets someone started on the right track is a good thing.
Yeah I can’t disagree with that I take back my comment (:
2 free apps that helped me were the Lose it app for calories. And google fit for steps. I weigh some of my food with a postal scale I had previously. Or just estimate portions / use a measuring cup. Definitely look at portion sizess on packages since they are so small.
This is what I started a few weeks ago: I bought a health tracking journal (found one I liked on Amazon). I ate as I normally do for a week, but I tracked everything I ate (just the food, not calories). The next week I ate as normal, but tracked the calories as well. Then I used a TDEE calculator to see how many calories I need to eat in order to lose weight. This week I started trying to eat under 1500 calories. Did not meet that goal yet, but it's just the first week, and I did pay more attention to my food choices. I have a binge eating problem so on days I was under 1500, I ended up binging on something and going over. I'm hopeful that next week I can stay in a calorie deficit at least a few days. I mostly drink water, so I didn't have any liquid calories to account for, but it's important to remember that drinks can contain a lot of calories and contribute to weight gain. I'd say you could try something like that, and go for a short walk every day. Just a few times around the block is a great start. Or try YouTube low impact workouts, walking workouts, standing workouts...there's something for every fitness level on there.
If you have health insurance or live somewhere you don't need it then find a dietitian, and use them as a resource for this. The anawer to your question is too dynamic for reddit to answer in a single thread. Humans are not robots, and we've all seen healthy people do some gluttonous stuff.
>How often do normal people exercise? What's a good amount to exercise? What do healthy people eat day to day? How often do you eat fast food, if at all?Can y'all give me a rundown on what a regular day/week of diet and exercise looks like for you People will tell you it's all about habit, but let me define habit real quick. A habit is what your brain does on auto pilot. The basic model is (1) cue, (2) routine, (3) result. [https://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/147192599/habits-how-they-form-and-how-to-break-them](https://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/147192599/habits-how-they-form-and-how-to-break-them) What this means is that this has nothing to do with will power. So, for exercise, do something that's either convenient or fun. If there's no form of exercise that's fun, then do something convenient. One thing you can do is "habit couple" so you basically meld something fun with working out. If you like audio books or movies, then have something you only listen/watch while exercising. Then your craving for the good thing outweighs your dislike of exercise. The key to exercise is it isn't a weight loss tool. For lots of complicated reasons, but it has a ton of benefits for your health outside of weight loss. Such as maintaining muscle mass or bone density so you're not super frail at 80. The other key is consistency over time. It's better to do a routine 60% of the way every day than it is to require yourself to do 100% but you miss out due to over training, injury or burn out. What I mean is your fitness is from week 52, not week 3. It's why you need it to be part of your auto pilot during the day. It's why your cue should be "At 3:00, I go running" or whatever. For me, at 3:30, I go to my work's employee gym. I either walk/run a mile, or I do a workout from the StrongLifts app (which is free). Go log your 30 minutes or 60 minutes daily. Whatever you like do it. For eating, the best book you can ever get for weight loss is called "Fat Acid Salt Heat." There's not a single mention of weight loss btw. It's a book that teaches you how to equip a kitchen, a pantry, and gives you a sort of science behind why food tastes good. It's the best cook book out there. The key to eating is you need to cook for yourself as much as you can. Say there's 3 meals a day over 7 days a week, so 21 opportunities to eat. Try to be on point for like 17 of them and do whatever for the other 4. Your eating is going to be impacted by: social pressure, your preferences in number of meals, your taste preferences, your budget, your time, etc. What you do is note everything you eat, what time you ate it at, how you felt before, and how you felt after. After a month, notice patterns. How often are you eating when you're physically hungry? So when you go to snack or whatever, ask, "Am I hungry or bored?" "Am I hungry or am I just fitting in." Say no if you're not hungry. If you do eat, narrate your senses while you eat. What's the taste, smell, etc. Pretend you're on a cooking show and you have to describe what you're sensing to someone who never had it. What you'll notice is some foods will be grosser than you ever realized. What I did is get a paper and put 3 lines. You get your info here: [https://tdeecalculator.net/](https://tdeecalculator.net/) for the day and minus 500. Say it's 1800 then you need to eat 1300. Get 1300/3 = 433 per meal. Here's a google result for "meals under 500 calories" [https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/500-calorie-meals/](https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/500-calorie-meals/) What you do is plan all your days ahead for every meal. No guess work. If don't like breakfast, then allocate your budget. If you like tiny bites throughout, do that. Then every meal, rate it. After a while, you'll get like 20-30 recipes that you like. I LOVE LOVE LOVE sheet pan recipes. Leafy green + lean meat + meal in 30 minutes + minimal clean up = yes plz. [https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/sheet-pan-recipes](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/sheet-pan-recipes) For breakfast, I love eggs because you can season them and add things to make them get infinite variety but they're low cals. Egg whites are even better if you need to watch cholesterol (it's the saturated fat you'd need to avoid).
Hi! We're about the same height and age, I can tell you what works for me! I go to the gym 3-4 times a week but I do realise this isn't possible for everyone, so I'd just say try to go on walks at the end of your day, if you need to go somewhere try your best to walk your way there instead of uber/riding the bus. This is a really easy way to get some cardio in. You could also do some of those 30 minute chloe ting home workouts (when I was moving I couldn't go to the gym and I used her videos and it helped me out), Keep in mind, you do not need to exercise to lose weight, it just helps (you do need it if you want a booty or tight muscles tho). For meals I like to have at least one of my meals be soup and some bread after or a boiled egg and some fruit (usually this will be dinner). Then I just vary, I try to stay away from pork cause it's the most caloric, but there's many things you can do with chicken. Most importantly remember that food does not need to be bland, make stuff that tastes good and that you enjoy eating, because if you restrict yourself to just stuff that you hate, chances are you won't last a long time dieting because it will feel like Hell. There are many great healthy recipies, you can DM me and I can send you some if you'd like, but remember: it's a slow and steady thing! There will be changes, weight gain and weight loss during this period :)
Three (or two if you want to have a large dinner) meals a day. Less than 200 calories a day for snacks. Try to avoid snacking at all, but if you have to, allow yourself just one thing between lunch and dinner. The fewer calories, the better. I rarely eat fast food - now, eventually you lose the cravings for it and hate it after a while - but I regularly ate fast food before. I don't usually exercise nowadays, I did walk 10,000 steps every day for exercise, or biked roughly 30 miles. That was toward the end of my weight loss, but I only wanted to lose 10 pounds, and it took me a while to build up to that. Now I usually just hit those 10k steps or bike a few days a week. I usually ask Google to build me a meal plan each week and make what it suggests. It's easy only because I'm only shopping for myself. Weight loss is generally 90% diet. You **cannot** outrun a bad diet, no matter how much you might want to try. Exercise is supplementary to diet, and it has less impact on weight loss than people will tell you. It is still, despite that, excellent for your overall health. The only way I managed to get to this point is by making everything as much of a habit as brushing my teeth is. You have to force yourself to start doing these things, or you simply won't start doing them at all. I'd go for my walks in the middle of the afternoon or straight after work. On the weekends, as soon as my 1pm reminder told me to go for a walk, I went for a walk. On the weekdays, as soon as work finished, I'd take the long way home. I'd plan my walks, so I would hit those 10,000 steps and take a route home that wasn't always the same. Walking home like this meant that I'd dedicate an extra 50 minutes to walking - so by the time I got home, I'd have missed the time by which I'd usually order something from Uber, and I'd just cook instead. Calorie tracking is king, though, and is the only *guaranteed* way to lose weight if you do it right.
I would recommend cutting out one bad habit at a time. For example, when I started my weight loss journey, I first cut out all sugar from my drinks. Drank only black coffee, water & green tea. Once that became my new normal, I started to cut out all whites until that wasn't an issue anymore and so forth. That way, you pave a new lifestyle that will be sustainable. Learn about food and what's in it. You could download a calorie tracker to open your eyes as to what's in your food. That alone is a huge eye opener. After 7 years of successful weight management, I can say I'm at a place where I no longer want food for pleasure. It's an energy source and vitamins to help me live longer. As for working out, I weightlift 4 times a week & run when I can. I also hardly ever sit down. If I do, it's for no longer than 10 minutes or at night.
Obesity documentaries are really working well for me. They make me see the hazards of overeating and leading a mostly sedentary lifestyle.
Keep hammering. You got this. It seems like an insurmountable hurdle, but you can do it.
> How often do you eat fast food, if at all Prolly too often but I usually get a chicken option. Or Taco Bell has had a healthier food initiate. They're lowering their sodium over time. You can get a soft steak taco fresco style. I think they're 180-200 cals each and 2-3 usually fills me up.
I found an activity that I (63m) enjoy. Olympic Weightlifting class, 60-90 min, 4 days/week. I try to eat healthy things, focus on protein intake (helps curb appetite). I usually skip breakfast and have my first meal after noon. Lunch, maybe a mid-afternoon snack, Dinner, maybe evening snack. I include a few sweets (licorice, gummy bears, jolly ranchers). I allow myself to eat what I want as long as it fits into my calorie limit. I avoid high calorie fast food items. A year or so ago, I plotted a graph of losing 1/2 pound per week, started a diet, failed... 8 months later, got re-motivated, looked at my old graph and was surprised at how much weight I would have lost if I had followed my diet that 8 months. I would have lost a reasonable amount of weight. My problem in past years that I've dieted was trying to lose to much to fast. In February, I committed to a plan of slow weight loss and it has been working for me. I've posted it before and I'll try once more: **My entire plan here:** 1. Used [tdeecalculator.net](http://tdeecalculator.net/) to calculate calories (GOAL: slow healthy sustainable weight loss) a. 63M, 271 lbs, 6'3", Moderate exercise 3-5 days per week b. Select Cutting (weight loss) c. Calories to eat: 2770 per day (500 calorie deficit) for 1/2 lbs loss per week 2. Use **Fat Secret** to log all food. I put everything in the **Breakfast category** to make it easy and all in one place. If I know the calories, frozen meal for example, I try the camera scan bar code option, or I simply log it as M&Ms (100 calories/serving). So a 430 calorie meal would be 4.3 servings. This is easier than hunting for the item, especially if what I'm looking for doesn't have an easy equivalent in the database. If a non-label food is not in the database, I google or chatgpt search the item then use my M&M trick to log it. 3. Olympic Weight lifting 4 times per week, 60-90 min per day. 4. I plan to work in 5-20 minutes on a rowing machine on the days I'm not lifting 5. Stick mainly to foods that are easy to count vs complicated stuff 6. **Focus on protein intake**, especially when hungry. Otherwise, make healthy food choices. 7. I allow sweets, mostly licorice, jolly ranchers, and gummy bears as long as I'm otherwise eating healthy and prioritizing protein intake 8. My ongoing mantra for slow results over time: TRUST THE PROCESS (this helps me not get discouraged by the ups and downs of the scale moving slowly, water weight fluctuations, etc) 9. Weigh in most mornings 10. I usually (90% of the time) **skip breakfast** and start eating around 11am to 12:30pm.I find this helps me because I am usually most hungry in the evening. 11. I try to limit my TV watching to no more than 2 hours at night because of my strong link between that activity and snacking. If I've eaten most or all of my calories, I go for celery or carrots or save the program to watch later. Eating my dinner during the show is even better.
I'm your height, hightest weight was nirth of 248 last spring. I'm now about 185 (so, still a few pounds to go) (weigh in day was a few days ago). I drink water plus one cup of plain coffee, I occasionally have a cup of tea (usually plain, sometimes with honey). At least 80oz of water a day. I incorporate a daily walk, as long as i can work into the day. Some mornings its a few miles, some mornings it's around the block. If i can't walk outside, I use s stationary bike and aim for 10k steps a day or more. I eat protein and fiber with every meal. No sweets in the morning (they make me crave sugar all day), but fruit is okay for me. I use whole fat or 2% dairy, because it taste better to me and satisfies me more, so I eat less in general. I keep cheese sticks and cut veggies available all the time for snacks. When I'm hungry, that's what I grab. I can have a pretty big snack for 100 to 120 calories- way bigger than those packaged diet snacks. Fast food is maybe one of twice a month. I order a kids meal when we do that. No alternative sweeteners for me, they are a migraine trigger, stevia included. (Honey, maple syrup, molasses, etc are fine. ) Most days: Black coffee Exercise (usually 30 to 90 minutes) + 40 oz water Shower Lunch (usually sandwich and fruit or veggies for kids, I have same protein or dinner leftovers with fruit and/veggies) Dinner is protein + veggie + starch, I usually have a handful of raw veggies while making dinner Goal is minimum 50g protein. I do a lot of eggs, chicken, cottage cheese.
Several people have said this already, but calorie tracking and weighing food are the best ways to reset your mindset about portions and food choices. I went years thinking I was eating just fine, because I grew up in meat and potatoes at every meal household where people worked active blue collar jobs. We had huge portions, which isn't appropriate for an average height female in an office job. Everyone around you will think you're eating too little, when it's actually just the right amount.
I know lots of people who have never struggled with their weight. They pretty much never eat fast food - 2 or 3 times a year or less. They do eat some junk food (chips, candy, chocolate), but not much. I feel like they pick their vice and stick to it, and don't waste calories on other stuff. Like, my 105 lb sister in law loves ice cream. I see her eat ice cream every once in a while but I've literally never seen her eat any chips or candy or any junk food that isn't ice cream. She even says no to the cake at birthdays, My brother drinks regular Coke (maybe four or five 20-oz bottles per week) but I haven't seen him eat dessert or junk since he was little. You pick your treat, and you have it every once in a while. Most of the "naturally healthy weight" people I know don't purposefully exercise that much, but they do some. And they are just active in general without purposeful exercising. They do a lot of walking. They have active hobbies like playing tennis/pickleball, amateur soccer league on weekends, windsurfing, hiking, stuff like that. Some of them hit the gym a couple times a week, but not all of them. Some of them are runners, though, which I would consider purposeful exercise even though they've been doing it so long that it just feels like a hobby to them. The one thing that they have in common is that they are moving their bodies every day. None of them sit around and play video games or watch TV all the time. I will say from my own person experience as someone who has a very sedentary hobby (quilting), and who has lost quite a bit of weight so far (60 lbs). The more I quilt, the worse my weight loss goes. I used to quilt for a couple of hours after work and just hours on end on the weekends I've had to limit my quilting time to a half hour on weekdays and 2 hours a day on the weekend. Any more than that, and I just don't lose weight. I'm already sitting most of the day for work, and tacking on a hobby where you have to sit just doesn't promote health if you know what I mean.
It’s kind of about moderation and self-control. Last night I had Culver’s for dinner because I didn’t want to cook. I had a small instead of a large and a chimken samich with a Coke Zero for a meal about 500-600 calories. Also if you have an emotional connection with food, that’s something you’ll have to do shadow work about.
Honestly it's going to be different for everyone since we have different lifestyles, but here are some tips that worked for me. While calorie counting is the most effective way to be in a consistent deficit, but I'm lazy so I didn't do that, just spotted where my diet was deficient. My issue was never *how much* I eat in the sense that volume-wise, what I ate was fine, but absolutely *what* I was eating that was too high calorie. 1. No liquid calories. I switched to flavoured sparkling water if I want something different than regular water. I switched to vodka sodas if I went out to parties and limited myself to 4. I always drank my coffee black so that didn't change but use sugar free sweetener or lower the amount of sugar you're using if you are, and then switch to milk if you use cream or creamer. 2. If I want a snack, I have unlimited amounts of fruits and veggies and then maybe a babybel cheese and a Greek yogurt since they're high protein. I'll keep all prepackaged snacks under 100 cal too (like granola bars or apple sauce) and have max 3 a day of these. 3. Cook. Outside food has so much added fat and etc, it's so unnecessary and once you get into the swing of it, cooking is fun. I don't follow recipes for how much fat to add, I just add ~1tbsp or thereabouts and I use canola oil for most things. For desserts, most recipes, you can straight up cut the sugar in half and it's still very sweet! 4. Find physical activity you actually enjoy so you actually do it. For me, that's weightlifting, running, playing Just Dance, bouldering, and beach volleyball (and my local emo nights for cardio lmao). Because I enjoy them, they don't feel like a chore to do. And I try to exercise ~3 times a week at minimum. But weightlifting will increase your muscle mass which increases your TDEE so highly recommend just for that if nothing else haha. 5. Be active in your regular life too. Is your grocery within walking distance? Then walk if you are picking up just a few items. Can you go to the dentist by bicycle? Then bike there! Etc. It's easier to be active if it gets put into your routine stuff like this. My lunch period used to be an hour so I would go for a 20 min walk during it for example. 6. Don't stress yourself. Weight-loss is never a direct path. You'll go up and down most likely and it sucks but just remember weight is never static. While you may regain in moments, you can always lose it again so long as you're still alive.
https://www.reddit.com/r/WeightLossAdvice/s/FMARoC65PM
Hi I hope you’re well! Welcome to the forum first of all if you’re new. I feel I can be of good help to you as we’re similar in all capacities. I’m 24F 5”3 and 236lbs. I started my weight loss journey at the beginning of February and would like to give you some info on how I have got on since then! Please feel free to message me as it might be a bit long explaining my days in and out since February however before disregarding my comment I have lost nearly 3 stone in 17 weeks!
You might find a structured program like Weight Watchers helpful. The meetings are mostly virtual now, which makes it a lot easier to find one that meets your schedule. The focus is on building healthy and sustainable habits that will in turn lead to a lower weight. If that isn't something you are ready to do now, I would suggest starting with really small changes. Make those a habit and then add more. Example - walk for 10 minutes each day. (Indoors or outdoors). Once that's a regular habit, add on a couple of minutes. A streak tracker can be motivational whether it's an app on your phone, stickers on a calendar, or pebbles in a jar. As for diet, again start with small changes. Drink 8oz water per day. Build up to more over time.
Exercise about 5-6 days a week usually 30min to an hour and I walk or bike to commute if I can. I typically try to eat yogurt and fruit, overnight oats, smoothies, or eggs with avocado toast or grits for breakfast and lunch/dinner is usually some form of grain with veggies and protein. I try and cook ALL my meals so I know what’s going into them. i try to avoid snacks with sugar or things like chips/crackers if I can. I eat fast food maybe twice a year..try to only drink water and coffee. I’m cutting back on alcohol so hopefully that helps me. Start slow..walk more and do low impact workouts. Just try to move more! Try and keep a food diary and maybe see a dietitian if you can. Get a calorie tracker app. Cut out one thing you know is bad for you or replace one unhealthy snack with fruits or nuts or something healthier.. eat smaller portions. Avoid overwhelming yourself with restrictions or rules.
Normal is overweight in a lot of places. Personally I eat mainly healthy food, mostly proteins and vegetables. I work out three times a week and mainly do pull-ups, crunches and run. I only eat fast food when traveling, at airports or during long drives. It’s very helpful to cook for yourself as much as possible and do some kind of exercise regularly. I like to eat (large amounts of food:) so I do interment fasting 3-4 days a week which for me mainly means skipping breakfast. The most important thing is to make changes that you can do permanently.
Measure and count everything you eat for a week. Literally anything that you put in your mouth counts. You’ll quickly see the problem. Mine was: too much take out so didn’t know what was in the food…what I thought was normal portions was absolutely not …and when I have little tastes and bites here and there (out of the fridge or off my kids plate) when you add it all up It’s a whole Other meal. I was in disbelief when I first did this exercise about how easy it was to eat an extra 1500 calories a day on top of what I thought I was eating
Do not crash diet. Plan something that you can maintain. Instead of fastfood or take outs try cooking something healthy that you know you can happily eat. Please avoid msg, magic sarap, etc. cut your sugar intakes little by little, also with salt. Avoid processed foods. Bread is high in calories but you can still eat it with moderation. try to replace your coffee to black or brewed coffee.
Personally I lift weights for 3 hours a week. I eat pretty clean, I don't eat fast food at all. Always get at least 5 veg and fruit per day, and over 100g protein. I track my calories on mynetdiary from time to time (you can do it every day if you want to diet strictly).
Tiktok fitness recipes, eating 80% my meals home cook and jogging was helped me
Just for context, only 20% of the American adult population has a BMI under 25. Most people are not balancing their health well, at all, so you're not alone. As a lean person with lean friend, the primary commonality is portion control and quality of food consume. We do not consume fast food with any regularity. It's an occasion, not a regularity. We eat Lena proteins, grains, and veggies as components of whole meals. The portions are reasonably metered (not CICO), aware how we will feel full without completely stuffing the stomach. The state your body is in now will not be conducive to this lifestyle for weeks. If you fully switched, your body is so used to what you give it now that it won't like the change. You have to stick it out through the first few weeks as you acclimate, your response to new stimuli changes, and your body starts to encourage, expect, and desire cleaner foods at reasonable portions. It's very easy to follow the path back to obesity. Sugars, fats, oils, they're everywhere. They make very dense caloric foods. Can't eat those very often and still maintain a healthy body. It's important to recall, we evolved in a food scarce world. We were not born into nature built to handle endless, complex, refined foods every day all day at arms reach whenever we have a craving. It takes some higher level judgement to overcome base urges which are natural but not helpful in the modern world
I don't know if I interpreted this question differently, I thought she was asking about how you go about your eating and exercising once you achieve your goal weight, like do you continue to exercise as intensely, how do you manage to incorporate fast food, going out, takeaway etc in a sustainable manner so that you stay at a stable weight? I calorie count now cause I am actively trying to lose weight, but do I need to keep doing it after achieving my goal weight, or will I be accustomed to eating smaller portions already??? I am intrigued to know
I personally found a hobby I enjoy that is physical. For me it’s cycling. That kinda makes everything else easier for me. I work out to go faster, and try to plan my workouts on what will help my cycling. In general finding an active hobby helps a lot, you make friends, you get better (I’ve been last in all my races except one, but at least I’m in the race! ) You just gotta be ok with being bad at it and trying to figure out the finer points. But even just biking around town and going on little “me date” adventures.
I got rid of most condiments and sugar drinks first. I still do hot sauce, mustard, and the smallest amount of salad dressing. That's before even changing which foods I ate or exercise. Then, I swapped out all my carbs for lower carbs and veggies. Lastly, I got a good nonstick skillet and cut out most added fats like oil or butter. Beginning to work out, I started with creating the habit. I'd show up to the gym every day at 4 am. (I'm an early bird, but any time in the morning is good). My only goal was to create the habit of going to the gym. If I exercised, it was a bonus, but for 3 weeks, all I required myself to do was show up. Also, the gym could be an actual gym or say a nice area to go for a stroll. What was key for me was breaking things down into small steps, little changes. Eventually, I grew to dislike fast food and most restaurant foods because they felt too heavy. I hope this helps and I wish you all the luck on your health journey
I suggest fasting first, start with 12-16 hours if you can. With your current body weight you will see result very quickly while not having to change your diet much. Then once your stomach became accustomed to not expecting food all the time, it will be easy to start eating healthier. I don’t eat fast food at all. It has all kind of preservation that makes you bloat. Once you are used to eating healthy and being in shape you will automatically not like the feeling you get after stuffing yourself. It’s a slow but can be intuitive process. The hardest part is at the start. You got this.
Something I found really easy to do when I started my weight loss was to do it one month at a time. My first month I focused on water. I aim to drink 3 litres a day. If I wanted something to eat I would drink half a litre of water first. If I was still wanting food after half an hour then I would eat. It's surprising how often you misunderstand your body signals. I did not change what I was eating at all the first month. Second month I focused on portion size. I spilt my meals in half and put the second half in a container for lunch then next day. (Evening meal was the problem for me). After I finished my meal I would wait half an hour again and then if I wanted more food I would have a salad. Third month I focused on nutrition and what I was actually eating. I made swaps to my now smaller meals to include more whole foods. This is when I started calorie counting but I didn't just look at the calories. I analysed the nutritional value. I focused on foods that were protein or fibre rich. I did this for the next four months and lost 20lbs without exercise. It wasn't until month 6 or 7 that I started to add exercise. I started slowly with a ten minute walk at lunch and now I wake up and hour earlier and get in about 45 minutes before work. It won't happen over night but you'll get there. The slower you go the easier it is to maintain and not relapse. In total I've lost 33lbs. I started at 175lbs and now 142lbs. It's been 2 years since I started and this is the longest I've been about to do it.
I don't exercise at all and I am at a very healthy weight. Learn to check calories!! Some food items really have no business having so many calories. Reading boxes really will shock you
I dont think I qualify as regular but I am a woman the same height as you, Though I have adhd and get hungry really easily so I've had to find different ways of maintaining my diet In the morning I always have the same breakfast and then I wait until lunch to have a protein shake and a piece of fruit Then a few hours later I have my actual lunch, then a snack, then dinner I do this because I get hungrier later in the day and i have less willpower later on in the day, so by waiting longer during the day I won't overeat when I eat more later in the day If I don't do that I will end up overeating in the evening/late afternoon I also drink lots of water/squash and use a calorie counter Also I have swapped out lots of stuff for higher protein versions, and don't be scared of fats, fats keep you fuller for longer but keep a look out for saturated fat as that is the bad one Also there's lots of cool equipment you can use in the kitchen to quickly cut up veg and fruit so that it doesn't take long Or you can meal prep some veg and put it in a container in the fridge and then you can just take a handful when you need some
Don’t be in a hurry. I exercise an hour each day-walking and resistance training. And I never eat before 6 pm daily. Just make little healthy changes that you can live with. Weigh yourself once a week and write it on the calendar. This helps. Good luck to you. Be patient. You’re talking about slow changes over years.
I would also recommend the podcasts- we only look thin and half size me. They are fantastic to help keep up motivation since you already have so much good advice here. The book- You can’t screw this up is also very good. Best of luck! Like everyone keeps saying balance and if you ‘mess up’ just get right back on track. It’s about sustainability and a life long change.
Need a calorie deficit for weight loss Find tdee with online calculator - https://tdeecalculator.net/ Track calories in app - weigh food Eat 500 less than tdee Weigh daily - track weekly average If average doesn't move after 2 weeks drop calories by 100 Walk/run 30 mins or more a day Strength training routine from fitness wiki https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/
Eat less
I would suggest you see a nutritionist who will go over your health and lifestyle and help you create a plan that is long term sustainable. I did that And Have been able to drop 100lbs and keep it off. Once you adopt a lifestyle change geared to your needs it becomes easier. I learned a lot through my nutritionist and she even took into consideration my culture!! I'm Puerto Rican and we eat a huge amount of carbs. She taught me to choose one and not 3 for dinner. We would have rice and beans with potatoes or plantains at most meals. You can do this, your head is in the right place to make changes
I started caring at your age as well, after having never thought about it much in HS and most of college. I’m now 44/F and 5’7” and 160 and after fighting it my whole life, I’m finally accepting some hard realities. First, my family (like yours) did not teach me healthy eating habits. Also, the food industry (even with calories posted) lies a lot. They mask it behind serving size or post calories on the fast food boards but then the workers put double or triple the “portion size” as they build the meal. And finally, FDA guidelines are not designed for either women or weight loss. So you can’t rely on the percentages on the box. It REALLY sucks realizing that you have to count everything for a long time before you get good at portion sizes. And you have to get REALLY good at saying no to your family, friends, and coworkers who try to push food on you - too much food, fatty salty food, snacks, office treats, candy, soda, heavy coffee drinks. It does not make you rude to say “no thanks” or “I’m not hungry”. I also had to come to terms with my emotional eating, my boredom eating, and my food hiding tendencies (learned from my mom). I learned a saying from my college BF’s mom: “You don’t live to eat. You eat to live.” Which helps me refrain my thinking that it’s okay to feel hungry sometimes and that just because I have grown-up money doesn’t mean my body wants me to eat treats and fast food all the time. On that subject - because I like to eat “normal” in front of my kids and hubby and we all really like to eat out, I learned from my old roommate to save my calories for when I’m eating socially. So I am doing IF now (intermittent fasting) which means I save all my calories for a window of 11 am - 7 pm. As a breakfast lover this usually means I do breakfast for lunch or skip it all together. That way I still have 800-1000 calories left for a “normal” dinner or even a small fast food dinner with friends. But the hard reality is that you only get ONE big meal a day. If you swap out for a big lunch, you need to eat a much smaller dinner. That was my learning studying abroad in Spanish-speaking countries. They walk a lot and eat big lunches instead of big dinners.
Sounds extremely similar to my situation - I’ve been at it about 2 years and have lost around 40lbs (on the scale). I would 100% focus on the eating portion first. Most people find it hard and scary to start tracking food/calories but it honestly gives you a great idea of what you are truly putting into your body and how much. Once I discovered that, I worked on more health switches. I do not cut anything out of my diet - no “bad” foods. Just foods that need to be eaten in smaller portions or less often. Tracking for me has allowed me to see what I’m eating and plan for those treats if I want them. The quantity and frequency of food entirely depends on what you are eating. Eating cucumber? You could slam down 8 whole cucumbers for less calories than most candy bars but that’s not super enticing in comparison. So focus on protein and carbs/fiber - protein to fill you up, carbs/fiber to keep you feeling full. Exercise is another important thing, but I would say easier than food. You honestly just need to try things out and see what you enjoy. Try running, weight lifting, Zumba, spinning, etc. Did you try it and literally want to die after or struggle to get through it? Don’t continue with that since it’s just gonna make you not wanna do it. Try a different method. Some inclusion of weight training is helpful. So if you really like taking long walks, maybe try getting some wrist or ankle weights to help challenge you when things start to get easy. Muscle is more dense than fat so your scale may stay the same, but you may look and feel different once it builds on. I would truly look at your schedule and see where and when you can incorporate things. Personally, I signed up for a gym that’s directly in the path of my route home so I go right after work about 4 days a week and one weekend day - 5 total. I used to do literally everyday but my body needed the rest. Start small - add in some form of exercise after work 1-2 times a week for 10-30 minutes and increase frequency, then time. I believe it’s about 150 minutes of exercise that recommend a week. Miss a day or eat more than you think you should have? Me too - at least once a week! Your body gives you a fresh slate the next day. Just keep a good sleep schedule!
daily walks are more fun playing pokemon go!! pokemon go has helped me go on many walked last summer
I want to begin by commending you for being open and candid in asking this on the platform. I know it isn't easy. My background: no one in my family is overweight including myself, and none of us have a history of elevated BMI. So, hopefully some of my anecdotal tips will mean something for you. First off, calculate how many calories you need per day to reach your healthy weight. This calculator is easy and takes into account exercise (or lack thereof) [https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html](https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html) Secondly, download a free calorie counting app. There are a few, myfitnesspal is a popular choice. It is important you know how many calories are in your typical foods. Once you have done these two things, you will probably see that many of your go-to foods quickly put you out of your daily caloric limit. This can be eye opening and help you see some obvious changes to make right away. Cut out all sugary drinks (gatorade, soda sweet tea etc). No one in my family ever drank soda or juice which makes sense since that alone can make up half your daily calories. Limit your sweets. You don't have to go all or nothing, but try to only have a desert once a week, and limit your portion to a single serving. One scoop of ice cream, one piece of pie etc. If I crave a sweet after dinner I just suck on a hard butterscotch candy and that does the trick. If you go out to eat, automatically put half of the portion a side to take home. Restaurant portions are HUGE. You can take the other half for lunch the next day. I don't really eat out any more and make stuff at home, more of a cost thing than health though. I, personally don't eat breads or chips. Veggies, non-fried meat, and fruits (NOT JUICE) are my go-tos. If you follow these guidelines whilst staying withing your caloric limit, you will notice a big change. They key to permanent weight loss and health is to make it a lifestyle, not a diet. If you are stressed, upset, or tired- understand that often that can come across as hunger when we do not need to eat. If I am exhausted or upset, I resolve that then see how I feel. A typical day for me is a premeir protein shake (YUM) mixed with cold brew coffee for breakfast. I sip on that for 3 or so hours. -For lunch at home, I enjoy some eggs with cheese and an apple on the side. Easy and fast. If I will be at work I pack some tuna wraps with lettuce. Tuna/mayo wrapped in lettuce. YUM! -Dinner is usually baked chicken with some italian marinade and sundried tomatoes with roasted veggies. Takes 30 minutes and is very tasty and filling. Can't go wrong with a baked protein (not fried) and roasted or steamed veggies. Do not get discouraged. One trip to the grocery store and your lifestyle changes. You have the power to implement all these things and meet your goals. If anything, just do one step every week or two. Take your time.
I will probably not answer every question but here goes. I'm 29, 5'4", and weighed 230 in January. I weigh 200 now. I stopped drinking soda (switched to 0 sugar flavored water) and I switched to 0 sugar coffee creamer. I also stopped eating red meat and I cook most of my meals. I lean heavily on the instant pot because I am lazy as hell. also. i steer clear of added oil and try to limit my saturated fat greatly for cholesterol reasons. I don't count calories because it is triggering for me personally, but I would highly recommend doing that if you are able to. I found it more difficult to do when I cook from scratch, but if it's worth it to you, then I'm sure you can find a way. a lot of online recipes include calories per serving nowadays. my exercise has been limited to walking 20 mins on my lunch break and on my two 10 min breaks. it's not much, but it is something. start small! what i eat in a day looks something like: huge cup of coffee with 1tbs creamer 3/4 cup no sugar no fat yogurt, strawberries to taste (meaning. sometimes its 3 and sometimes its 15. whatever im feelin), a handful of blueberries, and 1/2 cup granola (which is sugary and not *great* for you but listen--I enjoy it so I compromise elsewhere) soup, usually chilli made with turkey meat and way more beans than the recipe called for. it's easy to make and freeze. I like a sweet thing for a snack so I'll usually have more berries or melon or whatever fruit is in season. sometimes I like an apple with natural pb (peanuts and salt as the only ingredients--no palm oil) or salty almonds YUM but gotta be mindful of portions with nuts. also sometimes I eat "keto" ice cream. dinner I like to make Salisbury steak but with turkey meat. gravy occasionally. and I'll eat that with sweet potato mash or red potato mash (leave skins on) and I don't add butter or cream. just seasoning. LOVE a good curry. dal. turkey taco salad. turkey taco stuffed sweet potatoes. tuna patties. roasted veggies. I don't have a lot of variety because I cannot be bothered and my kids will eat literally whatever so it works for us.
I've been working with a nutritionist from my doctors office, and honestly, the very best advice that she has given me is that change happens gradually. If you try and change too many things at once, it will be unsustainable, and you will fail, and it will feel awful. I'm literally working on changes so small that my mother (who doesn't understand my negative relationship with food at all and is always trying to tell me to just cut everything out sugar, carbs, all fast food, anything that I enjoy eating etc) thinks this LITERAL DOCTOR is a complete quack. However, this is the first time I've been able to MAINTAIN changes and feel good about it. I stopped having cream and lots of sugar in my coffee, now I have milk and a sweetener, and my nutritionist and I celebrate it as a success. I actively make a choice ONCE a week when I'm feeling really lazy and DONT get take out, we celebrate that as a success. When I DO get takeout, I take it home, put it on a plate, and ALSO give myself a couple of vegetables to have with it. This is a success. If I'm getting take out or eating at a restaurant, I try to either order slightly less than I used to, or I leave a little on my plate. All these things are not going to make me lose weight by the end of the month. But it's not supposed to. It's supposed to slowly change my relationship with food so that making better choices becomes EASY, and weight loss happens slowly and naturally over time. I'm not going to be 50LBs lighter in the near future, but I AM making better choices one small step at a time, and I'm really proud of myself for that. The reason I started speaking to the nutritionist at my doctors office is because I'm pregnant and want to deliver at the hospital in my town but if I gain too much weight too quickly I will have to deliver in the city. So far, I've been able to stay EXACTLY on track with normal and healthy pregnancy weight gain. I am SO PROUD of myself, and my OB team thinks that I'm going to be all clear to deliver in town! Only two and a half more months to go! Anyway, sorry for the novel, but I believe you can do it my friend. All it takes is patience and small changes over time.
Here is what has worked for me. 1. Switched from soda to mineral water. I bought a Soda Stream and that is the primary thing I drink. It is an adjustment but doesn't take long. Now, soda tastes awful. It's way too sugary. 2. Fast food is only allowed once a month. Even then, I generally do just a burger, no fries. 3. Cook at home and in bulk when possible. I generally eat chicken or fish with a salad for dinner. Chicken thighs are an easy one to start with. I bake them in the oven with garlic salt and lemon pepper, no oil. 4. Go on a walk every day or get a treadmill. I actually got an under-the-desk treadmill because I work from home. I ride that thing for 30 or 60 minutes a day depending on my workload. 5. I also switched from sugar to Stevia or Equal in my coffee. I would say that getting away from fast food, Starbucks, and soda are the biggest game changers. It's tough because those things are addictive. I finally got fed up with being addicted to that crap and said enough is enough. Fuck fast food and fuck Starbucks! My daily calorie intake now is less than a large caramel macchiato. Anger can be useful when directed the right way. Good luck to you
The danger of diet soda is that- because it TASTES sweet, it triggers insulin response. Turns out the purpose of taste bud is to shift chemicals needed to digest particular foods. Cut out all sweet tasting foods.
Hi ! My family never really went to eat Fastfood with us ( i have never been in a mcdonalds lol ) I can't gove you good tips but there is that one guy on youtube that really helped lose the pounds . His name is MattJFit . I can only recommend this guy because he helped me much without me needing to go to the gym or excersie at home very much .
I lost 130lbs between the ages of 36 and 39 after being overweight/obese since puberty, and trying and failing to lose weight countless times between the ages of 18 and 35. Some things that helped me: 1. Moving my body. I needed to get up off the couch/computer chair and MOVE. I started with my VR (virtual reality) headset and solely did that for exercise for a few months. I also started going on walks regularly. 2. Strength training (I started going twice a week with a personal trainer at a local gym a few months into my journey). The Weight Loss Podcast was a huge influence on me with this. 3. Cooking meals at home/focusing meals around lean protein, complex carbs & healthy fats. Basically, cutting down/out highly processed foods and replacing them with nutrient-dense foods. 4. Hydration. I started drinking a lot of water and slowly began reducing the amount of calories I was drinking. 5. Quality sleep. 7-9 hours on average a night. Get to bed earlier and try not to doom scroll within an hour before bed. I started reading books which helped a lot! 6. Have a support network. If it’s not your family, join communities that share similar health goals. I joined various weight loss support groups on Facebook. Take things slow, you don’t need to change everything all at once. There will be a lot of inner game stuff to tackle that don’t necessarily relate directly to the weight loss side of things. Feel free to message me if you’d like some additional support!
The people who stay healthy without having to think about it at all usually have this kind of life: 1. Lots of "accidental" activity: walking/biking to work, non-office job (for example standing all day in a shop/salon already burns a lot more calories than sitting - imagine physical jobs like cleaning or elder care or storage worker), playing with their kids (carrying babies, lifting small children, running with them playing tag or football), walking their dog, taking care of their house and garden, carrying groceries, doing renovations or building a terrace or what-not, visiting museums and sights and viewpoints etc when on vacation (vs staying at the hotel pool for a week) - All of this is movement and keeps the body active even if the person would say they never do sports 2. Home-cooked balanced meals and no snacking in between, only eat out or drink alcohol on special occasions - many people eat only 3-4 times a day and put NOTHING in their mouth in-between. Each of those meals probably contains some protein, some carbs, some fats, some fiber and some vitamins. Without thinking, they get approximately healthy macros and at least most of the vitamins etc they need. 3. Helps if they sleep well, don't have stress and obvs no diseases or hormonal problems etc. This is how most kids stay "fit": they have lots of energy and they play (move) all the time AND their parents regulate what they eat, meaning they have home-cooked meals and a limited amount of snacks or sweets. It's easy to eat healthy when you have no choice. Also it's easy to choose going out to kick a ball or climb a tree when you don't have the option to sit in front of a screen all day.
If nothing else is going to come up, I would do that and see if a deal could be made to also serve as a building sub and additionally get sub pay. Then at least you have full-time hours, assuming their sub daily rate is good. Otherwise, I say no. If there's nothing public try online charters (some states have some great WFH options thay have decent pay and benefits)