This was originally posted an individual thread, but I've seen a lot of similar stories in this sub, so decided to share the love. This is gonna be a long one, so brace yourself!
First up, well done to you for joining this community. Weight loss can be a daunting task, especially with the amount of information floating around, and made even more confusing with the hardcore advocates for different eating habits.
A couple of key things I’ve used with clients for weight loss:
- It’s completely ok to eyeball portions. Not to discredit the people who swear by the scales or macro counting, both are great ways of allowing weight, but realistically, life gets in the way, you’re not going to take a scales everywhere with you, and even the macros on the food labels can be untrustworthy. Plus, who wants to do maths every time you want to sit down to eat? Instead, there’s a tool you can use to measure food, thats scaled to your size and that you have been carrying everywhere you go. Introducing The Hand Rule.
- For Females: 1 palm of lean protein, 1 cupped handful of minimally processed carbohydrates, 1 fist sized portion of vegetables or fruit, 1 thumb sized portion of fat source
- For Males: 2 palms of lean protein, 2 cupped handfuls of minimally processed carbohydrates, 2 fist sized portions of fruit or veg, 2 thumb sized portions of a fat source
- Use this at mealtimes (3-4 times a day) to eyeball portions, it’s something you can use even when you’re out and about or have to order out!
- Nobody has ever jumped from the bottom of Everest to the top, they took it step by step. If this is going to be a lifetime commitment for you, don’t be afraid to take it slow. You’re building habits that will keep you healthy and happy for the long term, not a crash diet to get that swimsuit pic. Choose one, goal focussed thing to change about your daily routine, stick to it for one to two weeks, then add to it with a new thing. If you can’t stick to it, scale it back.
Example: Week 1 - use the hand rule at breakfast, Week 2: use the hand rule at breakfast and lunch
Should you fail week one, take on a smaller goal instead like adding a fruit or veg portion to one meal each day and build from there.
As for timelines, this is a much slower but more permanent method, you’ll see results within 6 months, not 6 weeks, but it will stand to you.
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Exercise is essential. I know it can be hard, and again daunting to get started with all the info available. Should I do HIIT, slow cardio, AMRAP, AMSAP, Tabata... the list goes on and on, so here’s the kicker. Pick something that suits you, and stick to it. The grass will always look greener once you’ve started a programme, because everyone thinks theirs is best. The best programme in the world is the one YOU can stick to. Usual recommendations are to get a good mix of cardio and resistance exercise (weights) in a week. Resistance exercise is recommended 3 times per week, and cardio every day you're not lifting, at least. If you’re short on time, pick HIIT, there’s loads of great programmes online, again, pick one, stick to it. If you’ve got a dog, there’s your personal trainer for some long walks. If you’re not close to a gym, there’s plenty of home workouts available around the internet, and the road is always there for a run or a walk. I reiterate, pick one, stick to it. Take the same logic from number 2 above, and make it part of your routine gradually.
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You is kind, you is smart, you is important. Self compassion is key in all of this. It’s something I’ve personally struggled with as a person and as a professional. After everything you do that takes you closer to your goal, take a second to let yourself feel good about what you just did. If something makes you feel good, you’re more likely to do it again right? Resisted the urge to have that second bowl of ice cream? Fantastic! Went for a walk today? You’re breathtaking! Feeling good about what you’re doing instead of talking to yourself like a drill sergeant will make you more likely to do it again, and again and again.
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If you make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world, and it doesn't have to be the end of your journey. We’re human, we’re wired to make mistakes BUT! We also have the fantastic ability to analyse and learn from them. Did you binge eat because you’re a bad person, or was it because you had a shitty, stressful day, and food makes you feel good? Did you miss your workout this morning because you’re lazy and you slept in, or did you stay up a bit too late last night so didn’t get your 8 hours? These aren’t excuses for the next time around, but they should give you information as to where you can make some changes!
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The Golden Rule: If there is junk food in your house, you or someone close to you will eat it. Preparation beats motivation. Every. Single. Time. This doesn’t mean take the dumpster into your kitchen and ruthlessly waste all the food, but next time you’re shopping, think of what you’re surrounding yourself with at home when picking food.
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Numbers are a good guide, but an awful master. Your scale weight is a fantastic way to measure weight loss, but let’s take a second here to think about what that means. When most people say weight loss, they mean fat. If weight was the only thing people wanted to lose, the fastest way to do that would be to cut off your least favourite body part. Fat loss is a gradual process which comes from consistent work, but quick weight changes can be fickle and fluid, because a lot of it is down to water! Water in the body fluctuates wildly depending on a wide range of factors like how much salt or sugar you ate, how much exercise you did, hormone levels in your body etc. So yes, weigh yourself regularly and chart it. It’ll never be a perfect downward line, there’ll be speed bumps along the way, but stick at it and you’ll see it begin to come down!
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“Is this working for me?” The pragmatic, honest question that you should have in the back of your mind. Keep a calm, calculated curiosity about what you’re doing and how it affects you. This is a journey of discovery, and self-exploration, so try to find out as much as you can. If the scale is lower on Friday than it was on Monday then go you! It’s working! If the scale is slightly higher, ask yourself that question, and see where the pitfalls are!
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Know your triggers. Food is an intensely emotional concept. It’s what brings families together, it’s what people use to convey emotions of love and happiness at times of celebration, so isn’t it only natural that it makes us feel good? Not to mention we’re genetically hardwired to seek out sugar, salt and fat to keep us alive! The lesson here is that you will have bad days, life happens, you’ll be tired, and stressed, and sad, and mad, and confused, and bruised, sometimes all at the same time! Emotions take over and we need something to make us feel good, so we reach for the closest thing, be it a candy bar, or a can of Coke or a whole tub of ice cream. Pay attention to your emotions around food, ask yourself “am I eating because I’m hungry, or am I eating this because I want to feel better?” If it’s the latter, set a timer on your phone for 2 minutes. If you still want the junk food, go ahead and eat the junk food, guilt free. But often within those 2 minutes the logical brain kicks in and you’ll find yourself making the better decision.
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Stress. It’s something all to real and all too common among people, and in most cases we don’t know how to handle it. Work is stress. Working OUT is stress. Relationships are stress. All of these can combine to be our worst enemy when it comes to helping ourselves. Before I dive in here; if you feel you need help, or feel helpless, I highly recommend seeing a professional. We all need to talk, we all need to feel validated in our emotions, we all carry baggage, because life is life, and you deserve the luxury of being able to healthily process your emotions. I promise you it makes a difference. On the other hand, if that's not the what you need there are some things you can do to help mitigate stress. Sleep is the first port of call, 7 hours minimum, non-negotiable. Go to sleep at the same time each night and wake up at the same time every morning. Cut caffeine after 1 pm, it lasts in your system for 8 hours after and beyond. We’ve discussed exercise, exercise 3x per week has been proven to be more effective than any antidepressant known to man. Food, as we’ve discussed can be an emotional crutch, without all the highs and lows of sugar and additives. Those 3 things can make an amazing difference in your stress levels. It’ll make you feel like you’re more tuned in and have more control!
As for recipes, I recommend Joe Wicks (not sponsored, I promise), I find his voice incredibly annoying but his books (the lean in 15 series) are a fantastic start point for the beginner fit food creator! Adjust his portion sizes to the Hand Rule and you’ll have some fantastic dishes!
TL;DR
- Use the hand rule
- Baby steps, one at a time
- Pick an exercise routine that works for you, and stick to it. Cardio and Weights. Yes, both.
- Be kind to yourself, because you need to be on your side of the battle
- Mistakes do not mean the end of the journey, find the lesson and implement change
- If there’s junk in your house, you’re going to eat it
- The scale is a good guide, but should not rule or ruin your life
- Be perpetually curious and open to change to suit your goal
- Food is intrinsically tied to emotion, know your triggers.
- Take care of yourself, take steps to manage stress (sleep, diet, exercise) and seek help if you need it
Hopefully you found at least one thing here useful. If there's anything here I can elaborate on, feel free to ask, or add anything I missed.
The very best of luck on your journey.
Source: 3 years practicing as anEQF Level 4 personal trainer with REPS accreditation, nutrition coach (precision nutrition, Pn1) and current med student pursuing a career in sports and exercise medicine.
EDIT: Made a few edits for spelling, grammar and layout
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