Advice for Yo-Yo Dieters

Hey, I understand the situation you’re in. You want nothing more than to lose the weight, have that slim body you’ve always wanted & feel comfortable in your own skin.

But it seems that no matter how hard you try, what you want is out of reach. You’ll go on a diet, workout really hard & even lose weight. Hell, some of you will lose a lot of weight.

No matter how much weight you lose though, it always seems to come back again. Like a really f*cking annoying boomerang or a crazy ex that shows up outside your house at 2am.

For some of you it comes back slow & it’s only after a couple of months or a year that you really notice. For others, you gain the weight back almost as quickly as you lost it.

This cycle repeats itself over & over & over again. Each time you notice the number on the scale seems to get bigger not smaller. Each time you try to lose it gets harder, not easier.

This is the vicious trap of yo-yo dieting that so many people get sucked into.

If you can relate in any way whatsoever to what I’ve said, I have some good news & I have some bad news.

The Bad News

“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’re going to get what you’ve always gotten.” - Tony Robbins

Everytime most people decide they want to lose weight (again), they will:

• Follow [insert name of popular diet] or cut out things like junk food, sugar, carbs, etc.
• Start exercising a lot

Listen, diets like Low Carb or Keto or whatever the diet of the week can get you great results. But the problem with these “fad diets” is that they’re fads. Most people can’t stick to them over the long-term.

Hence where the problem arises. You won’t achieve permanent weight loss by following a fad diet for a couple of weeks / months. It’s almost impossible.

Why?
Well, once most people finish those diets they go back to old habits which quickly brings back all the kilos & pounds. You may think that “No, this diet is better, this time will be different” - it probably isn’t and probably won’t be.

All of this is before we even consider the effects of metabolic adaptation in response to weight loss which slows down metabolism & increases hunger signals, making it more difficult to lose weight & easier to gain it back - that’s a kettle of fish I’ll leave for another post.

The Good News

Yes, there is good news. I’m not just fear-mongering or using some cheap shock tactics. I want to give you a practitioner’s perspective & what I see all the time with clients.

Ok, so where’s that good news?

It is possible to lose weight & keep it off. It’s possible to finally have the body you’ve always wanted. It’s possible to live a healthy, happy & fulfilling lifestyle.

I know this because I’ve seen it happen first hand & I know exactly what it takes to get there. Unfortunately, there is no life-changing wisdom I can distill into a few “quick tips”. We take our clients through 16+ hours worth of educational content to teach them this stuff.

But I’ll do my best...

Top 5 Tips to Overcome Yo-Yo Dieting & Lose Weight Permanently

1. Permanent Weight Loss Through Permanent Changes to your Diet & Lifestyle. You should not just be “losing weight”. You should be making small, positive changes every day to your diet & lifestyle that will stick with you FOREVER. This means learning healthy eating habits, practicing regular exercise, managing stress & emotions, etc. You should be doing this, not just because you want to lose weight - but because you enjoy living an overall healthy lifestyle.

2. Change Your Mindset to Change Your Behaviour to Change Your Life. Most weight loss diets & advice out there focus on the short-term behaviour change needed to lose weight i.e eat less, move more. This is great but it fails to address the underlying root or foundation of all behaviour, that’s your mindset/psychology. This is arguably the most important aspect of weight loss. Adopting a mindset that supports your goals, instead of one that self-sabotages you.

3. Controlling Your Caloric Intake. This is pretty much common sense but for some reason so many people miss this completely. Weight loss is as simple as calories in vs calories out (I said simple, not easy). If you are able to control your caloric intake, you are able to control your weight loss (or weight gain). The science suggests that those individuals who monitor their food intake in some way are most successful long-term with weight loss. It makes sense why.

4. Maintain Regular Exercise. We already mentioned this in point 1 but it’s worth mentioning again. One of the biggest predictors of long-term weight loss success if regular exercise. This isn’t just my opinion, this is what the research says. There are too many reasons why exercise is so amazing to even mention. It also goes far beyond just weight loss - exercise has literally a bajillion (yes that’s a real number) health benefits. Just find exercise you actually like doing, there is something for everyone.

5. PATIENCE GOD DAMN IT. Rome wasn’t built in a day (but it burned in one). Real positive change at the physical, psychological & neurochemical level takes time. You have to be able to delay gratification & “keep your eyes on the prize” for long enough to let the change happen. Remember, waves at the beach don’t carve out the rock because of their force but because of their persistence *cough* CONSISTENCY.

Hope this helped someone!

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Starting out and overcoming social anxiety about exercising in public?

Starting out and overcoming social anxiety surrounding exercise?

Hey everyone, I’m Tom. I’m 22 years old, 6’1” and started out just shy of 240lbs (although I didn’t weigh myself properly at the time, so I was probably closer to 235). It’s my first time posting here after a little while of watching weight loss YouTube vids/reading Reddit comments etc. I’ve always had a super sweet tooth, and have had a pretty crappy diet most of my life. I also pretty much just eat whatever feelings I have, which ends up being a downward spiral of self-loathing. There’s a number of mental health-y factors that contribute towards this (ADHD, anxiety, depression etc), but I also feel like it feeds back into itself making me feel worse. I came to the realisation that I often binge ate, and am currently trying to improve my relationship towards food. I’d head out to the shops with no real need to buy anything, but I’d buy whatever nice food I wanted, telling myself I’d save it for the whole week, but end up eating it all in one sitting. Repeat that daily/every other day for the last 2/3 years. I’ve got fairly bad social anxiety, and so missed a lot of classes over the past few years, but seeing as it’s my last semester and I can’t really afford to miss that much I’m trying to improve a bit.

I lost about 45/50lbs at the beginning of 2017 by just counting/limiting calories, however didn’t incorporate any exercise at all, and after starting University and not really caring about what I was eating I’ve put it all back on again (plus a few lbs!) I have had a few different gym memberships over the last couple of years, but always get quite intimidated and end up having a bit of a panic, so then give up after a couple of days. I’ve started tracking calories again and have completely given up eating ‘crap’ sweet things for the time being (sweets, chocolate etc), and it’s seeming to go okay. I’m a bit weird in that I can go cold turkey when I want to (gave up smoking cold turkey earlier this year too). It’s my birthday in a couple of days and I’ve asked my flatmate to get me some kitchen scales which should help remove any guesswork (I’m crap at guessing how much stuff weighs - I’ll usually either cook 4x too much spaghetti or enough for half a portion!!!) So far through the exercise/calorie tracking I’m down around 10/11lbs so I’m pretty proud, however obviously I didn’t properly weigh myself right at the beginning, so it’s probably closer to 6/7lbs.

I started a couch to 5k thing a couple weeks ago and progress is going alright. I’m on week 3 so the running periods are getting longer, but I’m finding myself able to do more than I had expected. To begin with I started running just after the sun set so it was still light enough to see, but not bright enough for people to see my chubby red face huffing and puffing along. I also got a pair of wireless sound cancelling headphones which I feel kinda gives me my own little bubble to focus on, so I sort of ignore the outside world (don’t worry I’m not running where there are any cars or there’s any risk to myself or others). I’ve run during the day a few times, which is really good for building my confidence. Coincidentally, I went for a run this morning on my ‘regular’ running route there was a 5k/10k planned (which I hadn’t realised) so I found myself with a load of other people running (although I managed to time it so I was running the opposite direction to them). I was pretty proud of myself for not just turning around and going home, because 3 weeks ago I would have done exactly that. This afternoon I booked myself on to do that 5k, but in May, so now I have a deadline to work towards, as well as a 5 mile mud run I had already booked to do with my brother and dad in October. I’ve also signed up for a gym that is opening up at the end of my road, however I’m still a little bit anxious, as I’m not a huge fan of gyms as mentioned before.

Sorry for the long post, ended up being way longer than I had anticipated lol. I’m wondering if anybody has any tips for not being so anxious about exercising in front of other people (in the gym or running), and also how to sustain the progress that I’m seeing so far? Im not so fussed about the actual number on the scale, as I’m aiming to also put on some muscle after I’ve lost some of the weight, but I guess I’m just asking for any tips on keeping the progress going?

Good luck to everyone on each of your weight loss journeys and thanks for taking the time to read this :)

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Theoretical vs. Actual Weight Loss

Hello guys,

with February coming to an end, I wanted to share something that struck my eye.

So I'm a huge fan of data. Tracking steps, calories and exercise. Weighing myself every day and keeping an eye on the trend. But there's something I noticed when I looked back on the calories I consumed every day in the last month. In this calender you can see the calories I've consumed and when I did some exercise (mainly playing soccer because boi, do I love playing soccer).

Every day gets a sticker: Green means less than 1500 calories consumed (= larger deficit) Blue means between 1501 and 1800 calories consumed (= smaller deficit to maintenance) Red means above 1800 calories (= above maintenance calories)

After doing some math for fun, and knowing my TDEE is about 1800 calories, I came up with the following numbers:

Theoretical weight change in February: +0,389 kg or +0,850 lbs

Actual weight change in February: -1,4 kg or -3 lbs

So what I'm trying to say with this post is: Do not be discouraged by a few days or a bad week of overeating. Keep trying because you haven't undone the progress you've made. Keeping yourself accountable and trying to find a sustainable and healthy way of eating and creating a caloric deficit are the most important factors in weight loss. Just keep going. You'll get there. And I will also continue on my journey. :)

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At the start, what mentally convinced you to start taking your weight loss seriously?

For those of you who experimented on-and-off with exercise and nutrition for years before deciding to make the goal a priority, what made you decide to double-down and take it seriously?

In my case, I keep telling myself that I want to lose weight and have considered reasons why I would like to, but I feel like I lack a true "reason" that would drive me to commit long-term. I know it would improve my life in so many ways. I know I've wanted it for a while. But I frequently end up making choices that seem to reflect that I don't want it enough. Have you ever been in the same boat? What made you finally decide that losing weight was worth restructuring your choices and lifestyle?

((I don't know if this makes a difference to add, but I'm 5'6" and 165 pounds, which is about 10 pounds overweight based on BMI. I've lost about 20 pounds by making the tiniest of changes here and there, but I don't think I'll lose any more without making actual structured changes)).

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Only a few pounds to go! / The positive changes I've experienced on my journey

Long description incoming!

After about 4 - 5 months, I'm finally super close to my ultimate weight goal. When I started, I didn't know what to expect. Like a lot of people, I would have loved to just lose all the weight in a month, but I quickly understood that this is just not how it works if you want to lose fat in a healthy and sustainable way. My major goal was to finally feel comfortable in my body and change my habits and health for the better. I can't remember a time when I have ever felt that way... I had always been chubby and in the past 5 years, it only got worse as I stopped being active and my diet consisted of junk food and sugar.

So, I am very surprised by how this journey hasn't just changed my body, but my mind as well. Here are some of those changes, I hope they will motivate some of you out there.

• I'm much more positive about everything. I even had moments where I simply texted my family or friends about how much they mean to me. I made compliments, I received compliments.
• Self-confidence boost! Especially related to my appearance. There are pieces of clothing I never allowed myself to wear, thinking that they are for super thin people only. While I would consider myself a bit thinner now, I also realize that this is such bullsh**. Wear whatever you want. Even when you are still not at your goal weight. It gives you so much confidence.
• I've been able to minimize my bad habits (aka not drinking much water, eating only junk food, not keeping anything tidy, being lazy in general) and build some better habits (I drink minimum 1,5 l every day, eating much more veggies and fruits, only homecooked meals). Habits are the key, as I've realized.
• Thanks to regular exercise, I feel much stronger and more energetic.
• I've started to really like cooking and I finally understand what people enjoy about it.
• I'm become mentally strong enough to get over my previous job that drove me into burn out.

Of course, my life hasn't completely turned around or anything. Weight loss is (sadly) not a magical solution to all problems. But it's a start and it usually has a big impact on mental health as well. One year ago, I would have never expected me to be in the place I'm in now. I never thought I could lose these pounds and get out of my unhealthy lifestyle. But here I am, being mindful of what I eat, actually active again and looking forward to maintaining this new lifestyle.

I realize I sound like I lost like 200 pounds and became a whole new person. I definitely haven't. :D – And I applaud everyone who aims to lose much more than just 25 pounds and manages to stay on track for much longer than a few months or even years. – But to me, this means so much and I feel so much different from the person I was just a year ago. The mind does weird things sometimes.

If you've made it to this point, thanks for reading and the best of luck and strength for your journey. See you in about a month (hopefully) with a final update. Until then, I will continue to follow/comment on your progress and other talks on this Sub. :)

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Assistance with protein powder, weightloss, etc

I have just started keeping track of calories on MyFitnessPal and also drinking about 2 gallons of water a day. I have been either walking a few miles or doing the elliptical for 35 minutes for exercise daily. I'm seeing my nutrients and seeing I don't really ever get enough protein, iron, and a few other vitamins. I'm starting taking a daily vitamin for my iron and saw that protein shakes can be good both for weight loss, appetite suppression, etc. I also plan on starting to use 5 lb dumbbells and doing some workout from YouTube. I know it's light but I'm starting small and over the course of a year or two want to get in good physical condition.

Anyone have any recommendations for a good protein powder? I hope to have it in the mornings when I wake up instead of drinking a high calorie sweetened coffee and hopefully allowing it to replace my breakfast or perhaps later in the day to supplement or replace lunch.

There so many resources out there I'm feeling overwhelmed haha. Thanks!

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My convoluted weight loss journey so far.

I'm a 175cm (5'9'') 22 years old male homo sapiens .

By December 2nd of last year I weighed in and was appalled when I saw 140kg (308lb) on the scale.I hadn't gotten on the scale for at least a year since I was too high to care about my weight. I've been heavy all my life but the scale always ranged from 122kg-127kg (270lb-280lb). I was completely shocked, but now that I look back I shouldn't have been since all I'd been doing the past 6 months was sit on my ass all day, drink unhealthy amounts of alcohol and smoke and nhealthy amounts of weed. Despite being completely out of my mind cause of the number in the scale I said fuck it and enjoyed the holidays without much to care for. I did try to no let the munchies get ahold of me, stopped drinking sugary drinks, but still consumed alcohol and weed, the latter being greatly reduce to just weekends (I smoked daily).

By January 2nd, I decided to start calorie counting. I calculated my TDEE, I took measurements and pictures. I packed my stuff and sailed the boat to healthy land. I've been using Lose It!, a food scale, measuring cups and spoons to keep track of my calories. I also decided to stop drinking and smoking! I started loosing weight immediately and a bit faster that I would've wanted to be honest. I want this to be sustainable and I want to be able to keep this healthy eating throughout my life. I was weighing myself every week and lost anything between 4 and 1 pound weekly.

I weigh in every Thursday and last Thursday I did not loose any weight I got frustrated for a bit but calmed down and decided to go on Lose It! to see what was going wrong. My daily budget is set to 2200cal with the app. I would sometimes not eat 300 or 200 cal and pasesed it off as okay. But I realized that week after week I was upwards to 2000 calories under budget and I started thinking and thinking and my stupid ass had not connected the dots that those 2200 calories already put me in a deficit according to my TDEE. I realized I had not been eating enough and got frustrated again thinking 'What if my body already got used to this low calorie diet and wont be able to loose more weight?'

So my question is should I just make sure I eat the 2200 calories religiously from now on and not worry about my body having adapted to a low calorie diet? I've had very unhealthy weightloss in the past where I did not keep a healthy relationship with food or myself for that matter and I DONT want to go back to that!

I've been going on ~1h, ~3.7mile walks every other day and do some bodyweight training at home on the days I don't walk doing 3 reps of 20 squats, 10 knee push ups, 20 lunges, 10 tricep dips(the easiest ones), 30s planks, 30 jumping jacks. I plan joining the gym to get some more weights in soon but I'm broke so at home training it is for now.

I try my macros to be 45% protein, 35% carbs, 20%fats but this is not alway the case I try no to worry too much about it.

As of today Im 123.9kg (273.2lb) for a total weightloss of 15.8kg (34.8lbs)!!!

I am extremely happy about my accomplishments so far and I plan to keep up my new healthy lifestyle till death do us apart, which is now further away!

The journey isn't actually convuluted I'm just a bad writer hence the title.

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