Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Friday, 10 April 2020? 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!

submitted by /u/AutoModerator
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/3ebkWiP

Losing pregnancy weight - but hate dieting. Can I lose with just exercise?!

Hi! So I just had my first baby 6 months ago. Woohoo!

I gained a normal amount during the pregnancy - about 25 lbs. I also exclusively breastfed for 6 months and just finished weaning. In those 6 months I didn’t really exercise much - focused on walking a lot and just all around getting used to being a mom.

I am now so freaking ready to lose my pregnancy weight. I am still about 12 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight - I was probably in the best shape of my life right before I got pregnant too.

I love exercising. I love running outside (used to do 20 miles in a week), I love body weight training, and I had finally learned to enjoy weights. At about 4 months post partum, I started incorporating exercise and now I workout about 6 days a week with body weight training 4x a week, running 1x a week, and yoga 1x a week.

My only issue is that I really freaking hate dieting and limiting my calories. I don’t think I eat badly at all. I rarely eat processed food except for an occasional bowl of cereal. I also rarely snack in between meals. I only drink coffee with milk and water during the day. I always eat breakfast. In the morning I have 3 eggs with toast and a cup of coffee. For lunch I may have rice with chicken (I’m Indian) and for dinner I have something similar - some sort of carb (rice or bread) with lentils or chicken. I never overload my plate. I don’t eat many veggies or fruits though.

Is it possible to see weight loss of 10-12 lbs through my current exercise routine or do I need to start limiting my calories. I know it’s 80% diet and 20% exercise but bleh..... does it have to be?!? I love food and I don’t even think I eat badly or too much. How long would it take!?

submitted by /u/bibikhn
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/3edmQiQ

I would like to speak to those of you that have trouble starting or get overwhelmed easily

Up front I want to say that not every method works for everyone. Sometimes someone needs to go to an extreme and sometimes someone needs to take it very slow or thousands of steps in between. So if your method works but this is a possibility for those that have had trouble getting started or maintaining their weight loss. I also know I am not saying anything that hasnt been said before.

When I started I was at 420lbs and probably would have kept rising. I had done tons of plans and specific diets and this that and the other thing. Sometimes I went down, sometimes I went up and some just didnt work. So I decided to not change anything. Then I made one simple change.

I didnt change the food I was eating, I simply made a very small concious effort to eat less. An example was that at Taco Bell I would get 4 bean burritos, large dr pepper and cinnamon twists. So I decided to just eat 1 burrito less. Still tons of crappy food but it was slightly less than I normally would.

So I didnt change my foods, I just made VERY SMALL portion changes. To me this was more about being able to get through my day with less food. Maybe it was 5% less volume a day. A small adjustment. I still ate candy, still ate all the crappy foods.

What I had found was that my problem was that I was trying to eat healthy, exercise AND eat less all at once. I just couldnt do it. So I chose to eat less and do the other stuff later. I noticed I slowly was losing weight, not much but some. So then I decided to reduce a small bit more AND fill in that reduction with healthier choices. So going back to the taco bell example I stayed at 3 burritos but I cut out the cinnamon twists and kept the soda. Then if I was still hungry i would eat a healthy snack. Baby carrots or celery were my choices. Usually with a small bit of peanut butter. Was the calorie adjustment equal to what I lost? maybe up sometimes and maybe down. Anyway I kept going on this path. Slow adjustments, things I could easily get into eating. To me this worked great because I was not having any of the mental struggles I had before on healthy diets that made me sad.

I then decided that it was time for exercise. I of course made the same mistake I always do, i tried too much. I went hard core for about a week. Lifting, cardio, the works. Of course after that week I dumped it as was my usual process. After another week of nothing I decided to do just 1 thing at the gym at a time. Maybe 10 minutes on the bike or 2-3 lifts. No program, no tracking, just getting used to the idea of gym as a regular thing.

SO you can see how the pattern goes. Well about 1.5 years ago I lost my job. Went through a natural depression as I couldnt find work. But without even trying, I maintained the weight loss I had AND still found a way to do something exercise related every day. All without really thinking about it.

For 2 years I have maintained a 100lb weight loss without really thinking about it. I still eat like crap but I have trained myself for the proper volume of food. So now at 320 lbs I am starting to get back to making a strong conscious effort to lose again. But using the same method. Reduction but not elimination of the bad and replacing with good and working to be active again.

Tl;dr - go for 1%, then go for 2%. Dont look at 100% as too far away, 1% is right there. Go get it.

submitted by /u/1st_thing_on_my_mind
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2Xr9ARU

Doing well with weight loss plan, but feeling lightheaded at certain times.. thoughts and experiences?

Hi everyone! I’ve been working with a personal trainer and nutrition coach to lose weight. In the past six weeks I’ve lost about 15 pounds total. Based on my biometrics I actually lost about 20 pounds of fat and have gained 4-5 pounds of muscle. I have noticed a huge difference! However, lately, especially in the mornings, I feel lightheaded when I get out of bed or up from a chair. It passes quickly but it’s pretty scary. I’m definitely eating enough throughout the day. I know I need to just change positions more slowly, but has this happened to anyone else? Is it maybe blood pressure related? Thanks for any advice or tips!

submitted by /u/glitter_kiwi
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2XACXBx

Eating under 1200 calories (short inactive female)

Hi all, this is my first post not really sure what to expect but I’m 5ft0 120lbs female and I’m trying to lose around 5-10lbs that I’ve gained during my time at uni. I’ve calculated my TDEE to be around the 1450 mark using online calculators (selecting the sedentary option) and my BMR is around 1250 calories. At the moment I’m quite literally in bed for the most part of the day or say at my desk at my bedroom working (currently got a broken ankle from sports so most intense exercise is out the window oops) so I’m really not expending that many calories.

Now the online calculator I used (tdeecalculator dot net) says that for weight loss I should be eating 900 and something calories which I won’t be doing as I think I would go insane and that just sound way too low but I was wondering if it would be safe for me to eat something more like 1100 - 1200 calories a day to lose weight? I’m always hearing advice to not eat so little because it’s dangerous but I really am very short and at the moment very very inactive! Has anyone got any experience or advice with my situation? Just a bit at loss at what to do to lose these few pounds

Thank you!!!

submitted by /u/orangelily13
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/3b9O7kg

Brief but Useful Concepts of Weight Loss

• Forgive yourself of all the choices that got you to where you are now, and understand that the choices you made in the past were neither good nor bad, merely choices made given your circumstances and prior knowledge.
• Convince yourself that you are capable of achieving any realistic goal you set. You must remain convinced that you are capable throughout your weight loss journey.
• Acknowledge that setbacks will happen. Forgive yourself as quickly as possible, and move on.
• Understand the fundamental truth of weight loss: CICO. Realize that this is great news because you can eat whatever and whenever you want. This gives you the opportunity to re-learn how to eat in a way that works for you.
• Celebrate your successes. Treat yourself kindly. Allow only positive mental space for your weight loss journey. If you wouldn’t let a child do or say to themselves what you are to yourself, do not do it.

submitted by /u/blackcoffeesips
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2UWphPl

Advice for losing that last 10 pounds?

So I started at around 168lbs in early January, and I am currently at 154lbs 3 months later. I am a 21M and am 5'7". I have always been pretty healthy and active but all of my life I have loved to eat. I played high level soccer all through my teens and was in good shape and the lowest I reached was around 146lbs. I think I naturally have a bit of a bigger/thicker frame and can put on muscle pretty easily. My legs have always been pretty bulky so I carry quite a bit of muscle mass in my legs. Despite playing soccer at a high level at least 4 or 5 times a week, I was never able to get really lean and have always carried a little bit of fat around the waist, which I know is due to poor dieting.

When I went to college I pretty much stopped exercising completely and I didn't really change my dieting habits. I didn't step on a scale for around a year and a half (this past christmas) because I knew I had gained weight and was scared to see how much. I was almost up to 170lbs and I made it my main new years resolution to lose weight and get back into shape. Started with eating better at the beginning of January and then my girlfriend at the time broke up with me, which REALLY kick started this whole journey. She never had a problem with my weight or anything but it was kind of just made for the perfect opportunity. I had a strong desire to improve myself (look better/feel better/improve confidence...), had a lot more free time, had a lot of stress/emotional energy to burn and most of all had a real decrease in my appetite for a little while. I went to the gym for the first time the next day and I was definitely not eating enough at the time (I realize/d it was unhealthy but just didn't have an appetite), but it was the first time that I was seeing real results which got me really motivated. I was down almost 10lbs in the first month. I regained my appetite after a few weeks but I saw just how important my diet was for weight loss.

Since then I have been eating more/better and continued to lose weight but definitely not as fast as at the beginning, which I expected. Then the quarantine happened and I moved back home, where I have been fore the past 2-3 weeks. The first week was pretty bad because there was so much more food in the fridge at home then I was used to when I was at school. After that week I knew I had to do something about keeping on track and fixing my diet. I set some rules/guidelines for myself to follow and I feel like I have a pretty good thing going but since coming home I almost feel like I have plateaued or at least things have really slowed down. I am going to include what I have been trying to do to lose weight below but I would love if anyone has any advice/opinions/tips to keep things going.

1. A Fitness/progress Instagram. I actually had this idea before I even started really getting into things but I think it has been really important for me. Basically, I made a new private Instagram account for myself where I track my progress. Every time I work out I will post a progress picture of my body, and in the description put my weight, the day/workout number since starting and a brief summary of the work out and any little comments I have. The account is private and has 0 followers because it is a personal thing for me to track my progress. I also follow a bunch of other fitness instagram accounts which give me exercise and dieting tips and motivation. It's really awesome to see my progress and would definitely recommend doing this for anyone trying to lose weight.

2. Dieting. I have adapted a few diets/dieting tips into guidelines that I follow everyday. It's not super strict but I feel like it really works for me in that it does not make dieting dreadful. Like I said, I have struggled with my diet in the past but the guidelines I set still allow me to eat what I want, just in moderation. I realize calories are the most important thing about losing weight and try to "estimate" my caloric intake but I am nervous to really use a calorie tracker because I don't want eating to become to much of a chore and feel like it could make watching my diet to much of an annoyance to the fact that I just give up with trying to watch my diet and lose any progress. Here are the basic guidelines I follow:

   • Intermittent fasting/One meal a day. I wake up around 11am now that I am home and I dont have any meal until around 6pm and try not to avoid eating outside of the 6pm-12am window. Sometimes I will eat more than 2 meals but it will be in this window.
   • If I am hungry outside of this window I can snack a little bit, but for the most part I snack on vegetables/fruits or other low calorie foods. I will also drink a cup of water before I snack to try to suppress the hunger until i'm in the window
   • I don't drink my calories. Only water or diet sodas when I am craving one. I drink a black coffee in the morning with just a splash of chocolate milk to try to get my metabolism going
   • Drink a cup of water before every meal. Drink a cup of water throughout the meal.
   • Cut out most carbs. I avoid eating most carbs but If I am craving something in particular I let myself have some but always drink a cup of water before
   • Prioritize vegetable first. Every meal I have I will load up on the veggies first and finish them before I move on to the other stuff.
   • Prioritize proteins second. After finishing the veggies I go for any protein
   • No calories from sauces. I try to avoid any sauces with calories. I'm a big fan of hot sauce which helps a lot.
   • Avoid junk food. I try to keep any junk food out of sight. If I am craving something I will have some but I try not to think about them and load up with a glass of water before I go for it and will only have a little bit.

3. Exercising. I have been exercising a lot, especially since coming home the past few weeks. I always start with a run that's around 4.5km and takes me around 20-21 min. After that I will do some pull ups, chin ups, push ups and I have started doing some core exercise more recently. I will sometimes throw some squats or other simple body weight exercises once in a while too. Other than that I'm not really doing too much weight lifting although I have been thinking for a while that I should start. It's hard being at home now but I do have bench press and some free weights but I'm not really sure where to start with that stuff. My goal is to get down to around 145lbs by getting rid of extra fat, and then putting on some more muscle once the fat is gone, so I know I will need to start taking weight lifting more seriously eventually. On top that I will also play around with a soccer ball for around an hour or so when I'm working out by just dribbling around or juggling the ball which I assume is as good as some cardio? Since I was playing at a high level before college there was a lot of pressure when I was playing/training so I was kind of not enjoying it as much back then and kind of glad to have a break from the sport for the first time in years, but I have been having fun and really enjoying kicking a ball around since working out again with none of that pressure I had before which I am really happy about because I realize I kind of lost touch of that in the past. I do this kind of workout around 6 days a week pretty consistently and all together usually takes 1.5-2hrs a day, which I don't mind since the quarantine has me bored anyways. Other than that I am not really doing to much moving around during the day.

So that's pretty much what I have been doing for trying to lose weight. Like I said I feel like I have kind of stalled/slowed down in my weight loss so what I am asking for is any advice or tips or opinions on what I am doing or could be doing. Should I be stricter with my diet and counting calories? Should I do more weight lifting? Should I be adding more variation? Am I just being impatient?

You guys are really inspiring and amazing people and it's so awesome to see everyone's progress!! Any advice would be appreciated

submitted by /u/GustavoBusdriver
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2UYLWuy