Some advice for everyone new!

Hey all, just wanted to share some things that might be helpful for someone who’s just starting their weight loss journey (or anyone really). I was a classic yo-yo dieter, & struggled a lot with binge eating, then restricting, then doing it all over again. Here’s what helped me stop.

1. When it comes down to it, calories in vs calories out is the single most important key to success. If you eat more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight; if you burn more than you eat, you’ll lose weight.

2. The second you start overly restricting yourself, you lose, & I’m not talking about losing weight. What I mean is that once you start putting foods (typically, your favorites) on a “don’t eat” list, they instantly become more appetizing. For me, I had cookies, cake, processed foods, etc on the “don’t eat” list, & ultimately this led to binges. Every single time. I’d go every single day having to say no to so many things, & this drives cravings like none other. The key is moderation! Fit your favorite foods into your calorie budget.

In addition, it’s a misconception that you have to be hungry between meals & eat tiny portions & “feel” like you’re losing weight (maybe that was just me, but surely I’m not alone). It is possible to find satisfying meals & healthy snacks & not feel deprived! I’m not saying you’ll never go hungry in the beginning, but remember the goal is to make eating healthy a lifestyle- you can lose weight & feel satiated at the same time!

1. Make a conscious effort to seek out lower calorie foods you can eat more of, to help with feeling satiated. You’ll likely need to be eating less, in the beginning, & probably will feel hungry or unsatisfied - as such, find a low-cal, high volume food that you like that you can utilize.

Chips & salsa (whole wheat & as unprocessed as possible) are pretty great - just make sure you measure out portions & stick to them. Lettuce with Olive Garden dressing is easy for me personally to eat a ton of, as long as I watch the dressing amount. Deli turkey or chicken on 100 calorie sandwich thins work well. Even dark chocolate can give you a little more bang for your calorie buck than regular chocolate. The same concept can be applied to meals too, not just snacks like I just mentioned.

1. Not seeing results can be extremely discouraging, as can looking at your body daily & being disappointed. I did this a lot - you know, checking if you have abs after doing a crunch, or wondering why you still don’t fit in those jeans after being under your calorie budget for two days. Real weight loss takes time, & you won’t be able to see day to day changes. Recall that when you’re feeling unmotivated or discouraged- you’re in this for the long haul. Results will come if you stay consistent!

Edit #5: If possible, find healthy alternatives to your favorite foods, that you really like. This might come a bit later in the journey, but eventually, I had to work on not binging on pecans & turkey sandwiches. Like, those were better than cookies at one point. I was unfortunately cursed with genetics prone to binge eating, so you likely won’t have to worry, but the point is that eventually healthy food WILL taste good enough for it to not feel like a chore to eat.

Sorry for the essay, but I hope someone can find this useful! These are all things I’ve struggled with that hopefully can hopefully steer others clear.

submitted by /u/kourtroom
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