Sorry if these posts come around a lot, but I've realized something that may help me finally keep off my weight.

Hello loseit! I want to start with a little background before moving to the main point of this post. I just have a lot I want to say because I feel like enlightened or something lol. Its not some profound observation by any means, but maybe it might help another lurker.

So, off and on I've lurked on this sub to try to get motivation to hit the bricks and lose some weight. At least since I was 17. Im 21 now. Back then I was probably 285 pounds, 5'11 and kinda bright eyed about the whole thing. The Summer I found this sub I lost 50 pounds, but didn't keep it off because it was strongly (tbh solely) motivation induced loss. I was eating 1600-1800 calories daily (small quantities of what I've always eaten, I'll get back to this later), 7 days a week at the gym for an hour on the max eliptical settings, basketball every other day. I was possessed that Summer. But when school started up there was no way I could keep up that possession and naturally motivation wanes, so I gained it all back pretty quick.

As I said, I'm 21 now going on to 22 in February. I've more or less hovered EXACTLY where I was at the start (285) plus or minus 10 pounds here or there. I've never been able to match the motivation I had that Summer so I've never been able to get near 235 since. And I've been frustrated off and on ever since that I can't seem to get back there - but now, I realize why, and I feel kinda free because of it.

Motivation is hard to come by, and is not the most effective tool in weight loss. And while it can lead to weight loss, its harder to maintain motivation induced loss. There are only 2 truly solid ways to lose weight: CICO, and changing ones lifestyle. Neither on is necessarily hard, but also not overly easy, which is why I and many others want motivation to kickstart weight loss. Just looking at what you need to do feels so overwhelming. But the best way is to just commit to it.

With all that being said, I feel like I finally came to an important realization when it comes to CICO and changing eating habits/lifestyle: it doesn't have to be a grand and spectacular flip. It can just be adapting your current lifestyle and habits with a healthier twist.

Like, for me. What keeps me at a high weight is simply the quantity that I eat and the caloric density of what I eat. I do workout, I still play basketball, and I have an active job. I just eat way too high density foods at a too high quantity. And trust me, I've tried to eat the same food just in lower quantities but its so hard for me to keep it up because I'm too enticed to just eat the food the way I always do. But none of it is neccessarily junky food either - a lot of rice, pasta, and breads though. And thats the problem.

If I were to replace all of those high calorie carbs with super low cal alternatives but still ate at the same quantity, I would begin to lose weight. Just deleting the majority of these carbs but still eating approximately the same amount would/could remove 300 calories from each meal I eat. Plus, I don't know how much efficacy I should put into this, but my 23andme data said I would lose more weight with a low carb diet. I know its not some grand revolutionizing idea, this idea has been around for a while and many have had it before I know, but the fact that I finally had this realization that it could and would work for me just means a lot to me. I feel like I can maybe actually confidently start losing weight again.

But yeah, thats pretty much it. If you guys can suggest low call alternatives to breads, pastas, rices, etc I would appreciate it. I'm also gonna start looking at the low carb subs

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I lost 25lbs! And a long-winded backstory.

F23 5’6 SW 285 CW 258 GW 165

I’ve lost 25lbs! 27lbs, technically. 2.5 inches from my waist.

I’ve been lurking on this sub for months now so I’ve finally created a new account to document my weight loss.

I gained 30lbs in one year, bringing me from super obese to super, super obese. And two months ago I got sick of it.

I’ve been dieting on/off for years, always losing and gaining back the same 10lbs. No one irl knows my starting weight and I am unsure if I’ll ever tell anyone exactly how big I was.

I carry my weight pretty well, mostly in my butt and thighs. At 285lbs, most of my size 18 pants were too tight and I was just starting to slide into a size 20. I told myself I would never let it get to that point and I would never, ever let myself reach 300lbs.

So I made a change, and I’ve had the most success I’ve had with weight loss in 10 years. I am not going to stop anytime soon.

I started by doing a super strict elimination diet and eating clean for a few weeks, then slowly reintroduced foods to see what made me a craving monster and what made me feel full and energized (spoiler alert: salty foods and added sugar are NOT my friends).

Now I’ve adopted a flexible diet, where I try to eat 80% whole foods and then 20% foods that fit within my goals. I don’t let myself have candy or a family size bag of chips anymore, because my cravings monster can’t be trusted. Sometimes I go off track, but I don’t punish myself and I just continue with my diet the next day. I’m actually sorta grateful for my gluten and dairy intolerance because it makes declining baked goods and pizza at work/school very easy.

I eat about 1500 calories per day, sometimes a bit more and sometimes a bit less. I try to reach 35% protein, 35% fat, and 30% carbs using MFP.

I have a back injury that makes exercise a bit hard but I try to walk 2x a week and am planning on adding an at home weights/stretching routine 3x a week as well.

My goal weight right now is 165, but really, my appearance goal is to be able to shop at any store I want and fit into a size 10/12. I have so many goals, but most of them revolve around movement. I love exercising and doing active things like hiking, swimming, and kayaking. Right now, it’s too hard to do these things. I hope to start running once I hit 200lbs or so, it’s always been a dream of mine. I want to start biking too, but at 258lbs I think I’m just too heavy.

I know I have a long way to go, but it took a long time to get to this point. I just keep reminding myself I’m worth it. I don’t hate myself or my body, I just wish I could do more physically and am ready for a healthy change and to reach my full potential. I’ve accomplished a lot of really great things in my fat body and have strong and loving relationships with my friends, family, and partner.

So here’s to the first 25lbs lost. My goals are in 25lb increments, so I really only have to reach this milestone 5 more times. I don’t expect it to be easy, but I’m giving myself 18 months. Grad school is demanding and stressful, but I am going to take it all one week at a time. Wish me luck!

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Friday, 26 July 2019? Start here!

Today is your Day 1?

Welcome to r/Loseit!

So you aren’t sure of how to start? Don’t worry! “How do I get started?” is our most asked question. r/Loseit has helped our users lose over 1,000,000 recorded pounds and these are the steps that we’ve found most useful for getting started.

Why you’re overweight

Our bodies are amazing (yes, yours too!). In order to survive before supermarkets, we had to be able to store energy to get us through lean times, we store this energy as adipose fat tissue. If you put more energy into your body than it needs, it stores it, for (potential) later use. When you put in less than it needs, it uses the stored energy. The more energy you have stored, the more overweight you are. The trick is to get your body to use the stored energy, which can only be done if you give it less energy than it needs, consistently.

Before You Start

The very first step is calculating your calorie needs. You can do that HERE. This will give you an approximation of your calorie needs for the day. The next step is to figure how quickly you want to lose the fat. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. So to lose 1 pound of fat per week you will need to consume 500 calories less than your TDEE (daily calorie needs from the link above). 750 calories less will result in 1.5 pounds and 1000 calories is an aggressive 2 pounds per week.

Tracking

Here is where it begins to resemble work. The most efficient way to lose the weight you desire is to track your calorie intake. This has gotten much simpler over the years and today it can be done right from your smartphone or computer. r/loseit recommends an app like MyFitnessPal, Loseit! (unaffiliated), or Cronometer. Create an account and be honest with it about your current stats, activities, and goals. This is your tracker and no one else needs to see it so don’t cheat the numbers. You’ll find large user created databases that make logging and tracking your food and drinks easy with just the tap of the screen or the push of a button. We also highly recommend the use of a digital kitchen scale for accuracy. Knowing how much of what you're eating is more important than what you're eating. Why? This may explain it.

Creating Your Deficit

How do you create a deficit? This is up to you. r/loseit has a few recommendations but ultimately that decision is yours. There is no perfect diet for everyone. There is a perfect diet for you and you can create it. You can eat less of exactly what you eat now. If you like pizza you can have pizza. Have 2 slices instead of 4. You can try lower calorie replacements for calorie dense foods. Some of the communities favorites are cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash in place of their more calorie rich cousins. If it appeals to you an entire dietary change like Keto, Paleo, Vegetarian.

The most important thing to remember is that this selection of foods works for you. Sustainability is the key to long term weight management success. If you hate what you’re eating you won’t stick to it.

Exercise

Is NOT mandatory. You can lose fat and create a deficit through diet alone. There is no requirement of exercise to lose weight.

It has it’s own benefits though. You will burn extra calories. Exercise is shown to be beneficial to mental health and creates an endorphin rush as well. It makes people feel awesome and has been linked to higher rates of long term success when physical activity is included in lifestyle changes.

Crawl, Walk, Run

It can seem like one needs to make a 180 degree course correction to find success. That isn’t necessarily true. Many of our users find that creating small initial changes that build a foundation allows them to progress forward in even, sustained, increments.

Acceptance

You will struggle. We have all struggled. This is natural. There is no tip or trick to get through this though. We encourage you to recognize why you are struggling and forgive yourself for whatever reason that may be. If you overindulged at your last meal that is ok. You can resolve to make the next meal better.

Do not let the pursuit of perfect get in the way of progress. We don’t need perfect. We just want better.

Additional resources

Now you’re ready to do this. Here are more details, that may help you refine your plan.

• Quick Start Guide - Build your foundation!
• Loseit Compendium - Frame it out!
• FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!

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How Much Do People around You Affect Your Weight Loss?

So, I’m wondering how to be unaffected by the opinions of people around me. I remember growing up my mother would constantly say I was “a stick”, and it made me incredibly self-conscious. She always pushed me to eat more, and I eventually did...and ended up overweight. Fast-forward to me deciding to lose weight in college. I counted calories, exercised, and got down to 127 (my goal).

Suddenly I had all sorts of people commenting on how skinny I was, many of them acquaintances at best. People would say I should eat more, and it was hard to ignore. It was awkward having people so focused on my body. I felt incredibly conflicted about myself despite my hard work.

A wedding, a couple of babies, and several large weight fluctuations later, I’m undertaking the weight loss journey again. The biggest problem is that my husband loves food and has himself gained 40 or so pounds since we got married, and he often pressures me into eating when I don’t feel like it. He’ll go on and on about how delicious something would be and how we definitely need to get whatever it is, and even when I say I’m not interested and he can just eat some on his own, somehow that’s never good enough. He then refuses to eat anything since I don’t want to have some, and I almost always feel bad and agree to have some with him.

How do I deal with this in a better way? How do you deal with people trying to influence what you eat? I truly feel like I eat a lot better when I have no friends or family around. Have you noticed this as well (sort of a weird social pressure to indulge more)? Answers to any of these questions would be great, just to have more perspectives.

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The unfortunate side effect of losing weight...

I can no longer share t-shirts with my husband 😩

For those who will ask, I was roughly 230 on my wedding day in October of 2017. I never weighed myself so my husband suspects I might have been close to 240. I started subconsciously watching what I eat and cutting out soda January of this year after a resolution to not just better my emotional health, but physical as well. This is the year of "me". I went through an extremely traumatic experience in April and decided to double down on my physical health despite already losing a pant size. I bought a scale and weighed in at 215. I was devastated, but the journey of a thousand steps starts with one, so I decided to keep going.

I'm down to 188lbs and my co-workers are just now taking note. I have avoided social media because this is actually a huge surprise for my MIL who we'll be visiting in March, right when I'm scheduled to hit my "goal weight" or at least be within a close estimate.

It's not for everyone, but I achieve weight loss through OMAD (one meal a day) and allow myself roughly 1,200 - 1,300 calories a day. I don't have time for meal prep due to my work schedule and I also lack discipline around food, so I strictly tell myself no until meal time. I pretty much eat whatever I want since it's pretty difficult to consume 1,300 in one sitting and I try to consume all my calories in a three hour window. Surprisingly, this works well for me because I really don't want to give up the "bad foods" but try to make sure I'm getting a decent amount of protein to keep myself feeling full. Chilly Cow ice cream and Gatorade Zero have been my life blood (they say diet drinks make you gain weight because sucralose and other sweeteners makes you crave sugar, and that's true to a degree, but if I get a craving, I just drink more Gatorade lmao).

Here's a before and after 42 lbs!
http://imgur.com/P6V3BcN
http://imgur.com/4IOYC4V

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I began the first steps to losing weight

I lost about 7kg (~16 pounds) in a month.

I made a video documenting the weight loss.

I began at 120kg (175cm tall) and dropped to 112.9 at the end of the month. I accomplished this by restricting my calorie intake to 2000. On the last 10 days of the month long calorie restriction I exercised 20 minutes a day on a bike machine.

Pretty happy overall. Was mostly motivated by a post on here by a guy who was in the exact same position as me. I'm gonna keep the diet and exercise up (hopefully) and my goal is to lose 50kg in at most 2 years. I want 24 year old me to look back at 22 year old me and thank himself, as opposed to me right now wishing I had made the changes to my lifesteal 2 years ago. Ah well, everybodys gotta start somewhere.

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A Dork's Ramblings on Breakups, Space Anomalies, and Learning to Love Being Healthy

First off, I’m going to apologize in advance because the following text is most likely going to be pretty long, and it’s going to take a bit of reading before it ties into weight loss, but I promise you that it will! The Ex always told me that I was good at writing, and I’m feeling nice and chatty, so I thought why not give it a shot again? With that said, here we go….

I promised space anomalies in the title, so we’ll launch right into them! In the 1990’s some scientists came up with this idea that there might be these cosmic strings that were created right after the Big Bang. My grasp on the science is pretty loose, but essentially these strings would be so thin that they would be invisible to the naked eye, but they would also have an insanely strong effect on gravity, to the point that a 1km loop of cosmic string would be more massive than the Earth. A science fiction author that I really like came up with the idea that if enough cosmic string could be looped together, it would be enough to tear spacetime and create a void in reality.

You’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with weight loss, and why I just wasted a paragraph explaining it. Well, to me the idea of a Ring (of cosmic strong) large enough to start ripping wholes in existence seems like an apt metaphor for my general wellness. Specifically, things that make me sad, or unhealthy, or just make me feel bad in general were like little pieces of cosmic string that got knotted into my own, personal, Ring. And as my Ring grew, the risk of the everything tearing and a void forming grew. And sometimes something good would happen and my Ring would be a little less massive, and that void would be farther away. And sometimes my Ring hit a critical mass, and a void would form. Losing my grandmother caused a pretty massive void, and it took quite a while to unknot enough string to make that particular void disappear. During my first year of law school the stress, usually coupled with generous amounts of alcohol, also tended to lead to some minor voids. And then there was the incident 6 weeks ago.

6 weeks ago I got dumped. As the Ex went through the motions (and the clichés, good God there were lots of clichés) of the breakup, I could just feel those strings knotting and my Ring growing, and that potential void looming, and I decided that I wasn’t going to let a void form this time. I was going to control myself and act like a grownup for once in my life. And with that in mind, I made the incredibly bright decision to go hang out with a friend and get extremely drunk before passing out on a couch at 3AM. Turns out being an adult is actually pretty hard. But the next day came and I rediscovered this article that I adore where the author discussed how he had used his own heartbreak as a motivation to lose weight. As i reread that article I kept thinking: “Huh, Cattch22, you can do that.

And that was the motivation for me to start exercising and eating better. I cut out soda and the vast majority of the alcohol. I corralled my love of pizza to a treat that I allowed myself to enjoy once every other week. I started counting calories. I replaced naps with walks, and then I replaced walks with runs. And as the pounds started to fall off, and my stomach stopped growling all the time, and the headaches stopped coming, and my legs stopped burning all the time; I came to an epiphany. Just about every physical aspect of my body and my health was tied to a string, and many of those strings had been knotted into my Ring. As I exercised and started to control myself, I could slowly but steadily unknot pieces of string from my Ring. And even more vitally, I could use my newfound control as a weapon to fight back that ever-threatening void. If something reminded me of the Ex I didn’t HAVE to mope; I could run. A bad day at the office? Start doing squats, Cattch22!! Picking knots through smart choices has kind of become this weird little hobby, and it honestly has paid off more than I can adequately (or eloquently) put into words. I look better. I feel better. My doctor tells me that I am better. And through it all, it’s become this driving force that motivates me to consistently make better choices, and to always strive to be a better person.

And even now, as I’m typing this, I’m realizing that maybe having a Ring isn’t burden, but a blessing. It’s not an anchor holding me down, but a counterweight that I can use to maintain a balanced and stable life. So, as my small piece of advice for all of you out there on your own weight loss journeys and with your own Rings: learn to love having your own beautifully unique and complex Ring, learn to love picking those knots, and learn to run.

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