Maintaining, but not losing/gaining weight (24/M)

Hello, and thank you for readying! As my title says, I have been maintaining weight and staying within the same 10 lb range for months now.

I started my weight loss journey in August of 2019 when I weighed 337 lb. Today, I weigh 286 lb. I’ve hovered in the 280 lb to 290 lb range since mid/late November. I am beyond proud of myself for how far I’ve gotten, but this plateau is starting to get to me.

From that time until now, every day I weigh myself, it’s been in that range (I find I get a more accurate weight if I weigh myself daily and take the average at the end of the week). I’ve switched up my diet, from a low fat, high carb/protein diet to one where it’s mostly protein. I use MyFitnessPal to track daily macros. I’ve switched up my workouts from cardio centered to strength centered (4x a week) with some cardio mixed in (1-2x a week). Neither switch helped.

I’ve also tried changing my caloric intake. My thought all along was that I’ve been miscalculating my TDEE. For someone my height (5’7”) and who works a desk job, getting an accurate reading was hard since every website calculated it differently. I’m currently taking in ~2300 calories a day, assuming my TDEE is 2800 calories. But still,no changes.

I know you’re probably thinking that this is a plateau and I’ll get over the hump soon enough. But a plateau that lasts 6 months and doesn’t react to changes in diet/exercise is different. Has anyone experienced this/know someone what has, and know any tips to help me get over it? Any diet/exercise recommendations as well?

Thank you!

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10 Simple Hacks to Help You Drink More Water

Water is required by each cell of your body in order to function normally and help you become the “healthiest you.” While your body will also obtain water from other fluids you drink, water is far-and-away the best choice. Water has so many benefits from increasing energy and relieving fatigue to boosting your immune system and of course, also promoting weight loss. One way that water helps with your weight loss journey is by fueling your workouts. If you’re dehydrated, your workouts will not be as effective. But water also helps you feel full and potentially eat less. Sometimes a glass of water is enough to curb what you thought was hunger.

While you probably already knew the importance of water, you still might struggle with fitting in all that extra hydration. Sometimes it’s even just a matter of getting so busy that you forget to keep up with drinking. We know you’ve heard a lot of tips before, but we did some research and have come up with 10 more water-drinking-hacks that you can add to your arsenal. Try these easy ways to drink more water:

1. Set an Alarm

If you’re like most people you probably always have your phone on you. Well now you can use that alarm for more than your early morning wake-up call. Set an alarm to go off every hour to remind you to drink up. It’s so easy to get caught up with what you’re doing and fail to drink as much as you should but this will help provide an easy reminder.

2. Band It

If you’re more of a visual person, this hack is for you. Start your day with at least eight rubber bands around your wrist. Each time you drink about a cup of water, remove one rubber band. Make sure you’ve removed them all by the end of the day and you’ll know you fit in your eight (or more) cups that day.

How Much Water Do You Really Need? How to Know

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3. Hashmark your Bottle

Another visual reminder, by using a permanent marker to add hashmarks to your water bottle, you can know exactly where you stand with water consumption for the day. Next to each hashmark write a time which corresponds with the time you plan to drink up. When the clock strikes that time, drink until you’ve hit the next hashmark.

4. Buy a Water Bottle You Love

It sounds silly but investing in a bottle that you really love just may help you drink more. There are a lot of bottles on the market. In fact, if you’re not much of a DIY type of person, they even sell water bottles that are already hashmarked (per the suggestion above). There are water bottles that allow you to easily infuse fruit and others that advertise keeping your drink cold all day long. Or you could even just buy a cup with a straw that has a favorite saying or character on it. Something as simple as a cup you love just may be the motivation you need.

How to Buy the Best Water Bottle

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5. Set a Rule

Another way to remind yourself is to set a rule based around a regular occurrence. For instance, you could decide that every time you go to the bathroom you have to drink one more cup of water. If you have another ongoing occurrence throughout the day, you can set your cup drinking to that. It just serves as an easy reminder to tie it to something you’re already regularly doing.

6. Eat Your Water

There’s no rule that says you must drink all your water. If you really struggle with water consumption try adding more water-packed foods to your day such as watermelon, cantaloupe or cucumber. This will help boost your intake even if you’re struggling with drinking it all down.

Trouble Drinking Enough Water? 10 Hydrating Foods You Need to Be Eating

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7. Switch your Brand

You’ve probably already heard the tip about adding flavor to your water to make it tastier but maybe just switching your brand could make a difference. Or maybe you prefer mineral water. If you’re currently drinking unfiltered water, invest in a filter and see if that makes it more appealing. If you make your water more enjoyable, you’ll likely drink more of it.

8. Add a Straw

Some people find that drinking from a straw is easier. It’s a simple switch but might be worth trying if it will help you drink more water. Whether you drink from a straw or not, sipping water—as opposed to gulping it down—is always much more pleasant so focus on taking it slow and you just may find you can fit more in.

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9. Start Early

If you’re like a lot of people you might kick off your morning with a glass of juice or a cup of coffee. Why not try drinking a glass of water before anything else? One of the biggest issues with fitting in eight cups a day is that most people don’t start their water consumption until late morning as they’re typically drinking something else first. But if you make water your first drink of the day you’re setting yourself up for success. In fact, you might even find you don’t need that glass of juice now that you’re fully hydrated on healthy H20.

10. Add Ice

Again, simple but effective. Adding ice may make your water more appealing—particularly on a hot day or after a work-out. You can even take it a step further and use ice as the way to add flavor to your drink. Freeze ice cube trays full of fruits or herbs and plunk them in your drink for both a boost of flavor and a temperature cool down.

 

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5 Ways a Meal Delivery Service Can Improve Your Life

Are you considering signing up for a meal delivery service? Read on to find out how they can improve your life with five amazing benefits.

Meal delivery services are exactly what they sound like—companies that deliver prepared meals and snacks directly to your door. Not to be confused with meal delivery kits that send ingredients with a recipe and require you to cook your own meals. Meal delivery services remove the prep work by sending prepared entrees and snacks that are ready-to-eat. Some might require a quick reheat but they ultimately make life easier!

The appeal of meal delivery services lies largely in their convenience. They make eating effortless by taking one massive to-do off your ever-growing list. There are many benefits to these services that make them worth considering.

Not Just Diet Food: 4 Perks That Come with Your Nutrisystem Program

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Here are five ways a meal delivery service can make your life (way!) better:

1. It Saves You Time

While it’s a great way to ensure you’re eating well, making meals from scratch can be time-consuming. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that Americans spend an average of 37 minutes a day preparing and cleaning up meals. That alone is over four hours per week. According to Statista.com, the average person also goes to the grocery store 1.6 times each week. This doesn’t even factor in the time it takes to plan your weekly menu, create a shopping list and drive to and from the supermarket.

If you don’t have those extra hours or you’d just prefer to spend them doing something else, a meal delivery service could be your solution. Most of the meals provided are pretty much ready to eat. You just pop them in the oven or microwave for a few minutes and you have a complete meal. Imagine if you had more than four hours back in your week!

2. It Can Save You Money

We’ve all been there: We head to the grocery store with the best of intentions, piling the produce and other healthy foods into our shopping cart wanting to eat better and make more homemade meals. Then life gets in the way and before we know it, days have gone by, leaving our leafy greens wilted and our fresh fruit over ripened.

According to researchers at the USDA, Americans waste about a pound of food per person every day. Research suggests that those with diets rich in fruits and veggies are the most wasteful. Whether we buy too much or we don’t get around to actually cooking them, the truth remains that we are wasting a lot of food and money.

Meal delivery services can end this money-wasting cycle. They send exactly the right amount of food for each meal and snack. This means no spoiled food and no money in the trash. When you also consider the cost of takeout or delivery, meal delivery services can save you some serious coin!

Check out these hacks for saving money on Nutrisystem >

3. Some Help You Lose Weight

If you’re looking to shed a few extra pounds, some meal delivery services can help with that! Nutrisystem, for example, offers all the perks of traditional meal delivery companies, but with the added benefit of helping members achieve their weight loss goals. The Nutrisystem menu is carefully designed by dietitians and all the meals and snacks are perfectly portioned for weight loss. You get the convenience of having delicious, ready-to-eat food delivered to your door while also dropping some pounds.

8 Science-Backed Reasons You Need to Try Nutrisystem

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4. You Get Exactly What You Want

In the mood for Mexican? Pining for some pasta? Most meal delivery services offer extensive menus, allowing you to put together a meal plan full of entrees and snacks you love.

Nutrisystem offers all the staples, such as Margherita Pizza, Chicken Alfredo and Hamburgers. We also have something for those feeling a little more adventurous, including Spinach and Cheese Pretzel Melts, Sesame Ginger Chicken and even a Black Bean Polenta Enchilada with Chicken. We have many delicious desserts for the sweet lovers and plenty of salty snacks for those who prefer savory treats.

The good news? Many Nutrisystem programs allow customization so that you can switch up your menu and try new foods each month. Check out our full menu here >

5. You Can Choose How Much Food to Get

Most meal delivery companies offer tiered packages that differ in how many meals are provided. Some might cover every meal for an entire week, while others might just provide one meal per day.

Nutrisystem offers many different options including our popular four-week programs. We also have a Dinners My Way plan that lets you enjoy the convenience of prepared meals and snacks during the day, while exercising your culinary muscles at night. For those who are even less scheduled, we have our full menu available to be ordered A La Carte! This will allow you to order meals and snacks from our menu as you need them.

Choosing an option that suits your lifestyle ensures that you will enjoy all the benefits of a meal delivery service without wasting food or money.

Weight Loss for Men: 10 Reasons Nutrisystem is Your Best Bet

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7 Surprising Benefits of Gardening

Gardening might not be high on your list of priorities this season but if your mental, physical and emotional health are important to you, it should be. But, there are many gardening benefits that assist with a healthy lifestyle.

From boosting your immune system to cutting your risk of heart attack and stroke, a growing body of research suggests that there are a multitude of gardening benefits associated with this simple act.

Gardening With Scott: 8 Easy Herbs to Harvest

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Here are seven gardening benefits that help with healthy living:

1. It relieves stress.

Multiple studies suggest that gardening can lower levels of cortisol, the infamous stress hormone. One study published in the Journal of Health Psychology compared the effects of gardening to reading, and found that while each led to decreases in cortisol, decreases were significantly stronger in the gardening group.Other research indicates that gardening also has a positive impact on high blood pressure and glucose levels.

2. It makes you happy.

In the study referenced above, the group that gardened reported being in a better mood than those in the reading group. That’s probably because gardening has been associated with an increase in the levels of serotonin, the “feel good hormone.”

And according to a meta-analysis published in the Preventive Medicine Reports, gardening is associated with reductions in depression and anxiety, as well as increases in life satisfaction, quality of life and a general sense of community.

3. It gets you moving.

Weeding, digging, twisting, bending, squatting, pulling… gardening requires a lot of activity. And according to the Texas A&M University Horticulture program, even less intense gardening tasks can burn up to 300 calories an hour. Add spading, lifting, tilling and raking to the mix, and you’ll also increase muscle tone and strength.

Bonus: Gardening is a great low-impact exercise, perfect for those with joint pain.

Gardening With Scott: 8 Easy Herbs to Harvest

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4. It keeps your weight in check.

All that movement can add up: A study published in the American Journal of Public Health revealed that people who partake in community gardening have a lower body mass index and a lower chance of being overweight or obese than those who do not garden.

5. It may lower dementia risk.

Studies reveal that getting your hands dirty in the garden may actually improve your memory. And a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia found that gardening can decrease the risk of dementia by close to 40 percent. Researchers theorize that it’s the hand-eye coordination and sensory awareness that may be to thank.

6. It gives you a vitamin D boost.

According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, nearly one billion people have inadequate levels of vitamin D in their blood. This is of concern since being deficient in vitamin D may increase the risk of several chronic conditions, including osteoporosis, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and even some cancer.

Since vitamin D is not available in many foods, one of the best ways to increase synthesis of the “sunshine vitamin” is to be exposed to sunlight. And research supports this: In a 2014 study published on the National Institutes of Health website, exposure to sunlight helped older adults achieve adequate serum vitamin D levels.

Gardening outdoors is an easy way to soak up the sun and increase vitamin D.

Gardening with Scott: Wild About Fruit

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 7. It can help your diet.

Multiple studies indicate that gardeners are more likely to consume vegetables when compared with non-gardeners. In fact, a study out of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences found that people who learn to garden are far more likely to eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day–and they also enjoy eating them more than non-gardeners.

That’s probably because growing your own fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices is a great way to ensure you always have delicious, healthy snacks and ingredients on hand.

Bonus: By growing your own produce, you can be confident that no chemicals or pesticides have been used.

Ready to reap the gardening benefits? Check out this article >

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Big lifestyle changes, noticeably losing weight for the past 2 months, but scale staying the same?

Hi all,

Back at the end of February I finally had a "come-to-Jesus moment" around my alcohol use and weight. I bought a scale, weighed myself, and was the heaviest I'd ever been—I weighed (I think, more on that below) ~240 lbs (I'm a 29 year old, 5'11'' male)—but also really just saw myself for what must have been the first time in years. I've struggled with body dysmorphia my whole life, but felt like it always only went one way: I always saw myself as bigger than I was (i.e. even when I weighed a healthy 175 pounds I saw myself as much heavier than that). But I realized that it goes both ways: for years I've been gaining weight—I realize now I gained 60-70 pounds—and while I knew I was gaining weight and struggled with it immensely, always "trying" to lose weight, I was still convincing myself my body was just the same.

I decided it was finally time to actually do something. I realized my drinking habits had become problematic over the last 5 years and were the primary, though not only, contributor. I was routinely drinking 800 or more calories in alcohol + whatever food I'd eat while drinking, regularly and repeatedly throughout the week. Add in hangovers and hangover food and the weight started making sense. I first just cut out drinking without making many adjustments to diet and my health started improving rapidly, and I began to lose some weight. And then quarantine happened, and for the first time in years I've been eating all my meals at home, and able to truly count the calories I'm ingesting.

This is just to say that over the last two months my habits have changed dramatically. I don't drink, I cook all my own food, I'm regularly eating 1600 calories, I'm finally getting healthy sleep.

And yet the scale is showing me that I've lost, on average, only 5 pounds since the end of Feburary—my first weigh in was at 238.8 and today it was 233.5, but the average of each day comes out to only 5 lbs over the last two months. My clothes are fitting differently, and my wife is noticing big changes. Is it possible for 5 pounds to change the body that much? And why is the scale change so much less than I anticipate?

I realized that the first time I weighed myself, when I got the 238.8 number, I put the scale on a hardwood floor and in a place I now realize gives me very unpredictable readings. Now it's only on the tile floor in the bathroom (though even that is finnicky). I'm wondering if I was actually much heavier than I realized at the first weigh in—there were several times I weighed myself after that where I came in at ~247, but I figured those were fluctuations/water/scale issues. Maybe I was actually more like 250 lbs? If so that would put me at more like a 2 lb a week weight loss and the numbers would more add up to where I'm at now.

Sorry for the long post—I'm realizing I've had nowhere to think this out loud besides with my wife, and this is such an amazing community that it feels safe to share it all. Thanks.

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Finally no longer morbidly obese but still a long way to go

It's my first post here but i thought i share my latest reached goal.

I was always big, when i graduated high school i was 149kg (330lbs) at 197cm (~6'6") but in college i did a lot of sports and got under 300, but with time i did less sports bc of graduation and university and more and more stress and still ate insane portions. So i gained and gained, 5 years ago i had reached 189kg (420lbs), that was the last time i stepped on scale until this year, in the meantime i am sure i gained much more, my size went up from 6XL-8XL (EU not US), exercise stopped more or less completly.

Somewhat like a year ago i started controlling my portions a little more and did some exercise again, like swimming, walks and biking to work. That had some effect, i slowly went down to 6XL again. Then at the end of january this year i finally bought a bathroom scale and kitchen scales and downloaded a calories/fitness app. I weighed 189.5kg (421lbs) on Jan 28th. I started counting calories and restricted myself to 2000kcal/day and did swimming 2 times a week. Since then i started losing weight. With Corona and the swimming pool being closed i do (almost) daily walks (~5km) or bike rides (~25km). By now i dropped to ~1400kcal/day by myself, without forcing it, and eat mainly vegetables, some fish and tofu and little meat. I hope i can hold the habit of fresh cooked meals after the lockdown ends but i am determined to.

Today i weighed in at 155kg (~344.5lbs) which puts me really slightly under 40BMI, so no longer morbidly obese but almost. I have a long way to go and weight loss has gotten slower, as expected, but i keep on going. It feels great and i'm the happiest i have been in years :)

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Monday, 20 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!

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