Becoming an uncle was the kick in the pants I needed.

Hi everyone! I've been on this subreddit for a while, and the posts on here are always very encouraging, so I thought I'd share my story. My journey is just beginning, but I'm confident that I can see this through to my goal.

I've been overweight/obese for a long time. For the past few years, I've hovered around 300 lbs. I've done different diets on and off with promising results, but was never able to stick to them. I would lose motivation quickly and return to my old habits.

Shortly after my 34th birthday last year, I received some great news. My sister was pregnant! I was going to be an uncle! I couldn't wait to start playing with the kid, teaching them all the games I knew and doing magic tricks, all the stereotypical uncle stuff...but I knew I needed to drop these extra pounds or I wouldn't have the energy or stamina to keep up. I needed to come up with a plan that I could stick with. I decided to go in steps to establish one habit at a time so I wouldn't feel overwhelmed with a bunch of changes all at once.

I started by finding cooking apps to help teach me to cook better and healthier foods instead of frequently going out for fast food. I found recipes that use fresh veggies and I've fallen in love with some of them. Steamed broccoli is one of my favorite side dishes, and it's so easy to cook.

Next, I started tracking my intake. I have a Fitbit activity tracker, so I started tracking my food on the app. It also helped me set up a daily caloric budget. I knew that I could go over the budget, but it might mean slightly less loss for the week.

I also knew that with my mindset, I needed a reward system. I needed to gamify my weight loss. I came up with the idea of randomized rewards. My overall goal is to get to around 180 lbs. In the past, I always looked at the big picture, and would quickly become demotivated. This time around, I'm looking smaller. Because I'm looking at an overall goal of 120 lbs lost, I divided it into 12 mini-goals of 10 lbs each. With each goal comes a reward that I have written down. I shuffled the rewards, placed them in envelopes, then shuffled the envelopes before writing each sub-goal on them. As I reach each of these sub-goal, I now have a reward for myself. I can still look at the big picture, but now I have smaller, much more manageable things to look at as well.

My nephew was born late June. I started taking daily walks through some local parks the same day he was born (Pokémon Go helps make it more fun, though being out in nature is nice enough on its own). In the first 5 weeks of enacting my plan, I'm down almost 10 lbs, and am about to open my first envelope. I'm still highly motivated, and I've seen a huge improvement in my overall mood. I'm excited to get out every day, and I'm looking forward to when my nephew is old enough to run around and play (or even if/when I have kids of my own).

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Still getting made fun of after weight loss

I’m a 16 y/o 5’4 female, my weight currently fluctuates from 170-180 pounds (which is kinda the weight that I find myself going back to) because there will be days where I either won’t eat a lot or I’ll eat wayyy too much. I was 180 pounds in 8th grade which was the year I decided to get homeschooled (I’ve always been in public school until then). Since I got homeschooled I was home all the time and played video games, relying on food for everything I literally ate anything I wanted all the time. Basically fast food everyday because I was too lazy to cook. I ended up reaching 220 pounds and was overall unhappy. My mom decided to send me back to public school in 10th grade and my social anxiety was really bad (keep in mind I had no social interaction from 8th-9th grade) plus this was a whole new school with people I don’t know. I dropped down to 175 pounds before the school year but developed an eating disorder in the process. I lasted a month at the school, getting called ugly and fat by people who don’t even know me or my story. Everyone despised me for no reason. I got homeschooled again and got down to 163 by OMAD but gained it back so now I’m just maintaining my wait. I’m gonna be going into 11th grade next month and my mom wants to send me back, I still look the same as when I left and I’m just scared. I could’ve lost 50 pounds by now and shocked everyone but it’s just hard for me to go any lower than 170 and keep it off. I want to be 150 pounds eventually hitting 120 but I don’t think it’s gonna happen, I’m the only one who tries to eat healthy in my house with a family of 9. Should I go back to omad? I wanna be in the 160’s before I go back.

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Trying to lose weight with a different kind of motivation

I guess I'm posting this more for myself, as I am also trying to figure things out, but I hope it can also help people / spark a different kind of conversation. Also I apologize for any inconsistencies as english is not my first language.

I have always struggled with my mindset towards weight loss, which I guess also reflects in my appearance. I've gone through phases of being at my optimal weight but starving, I've gained weight, I've lost it again, and so on. I have tried diets, I have struggled with body image, I have gone through many, many frustrations. I have gone through periods of accepting my extra weight and being "happy" with it, then going on to hate it again a few months later.

Through all of this I have tried to find a healthy mindset, a balance of accepting / loving my body but also feeling motivated enough to be my best self. It is hard because, sometimes, as awful as it sounds, most times it's that "hate" and frustration towards ourselves what motivates us enough to cut on calories and go to the gym. I am the first one to admit it has worked. But at what cost? can we actually achieve overall happiness and health if our body is there, but our mindset is not?

What I am trying to say is that maybe we should not just look for our optimal weight but also optimal mindset.

I have been actively losing weight / getting fit since january, through "clean" eating (I eat 100% plant based and I try to keep it full of fruits and veggies and healthy proteins) and actively going to the gym. It has been a slow but healthy and consistent process, with everyday getting closer to my goal (I believe I'll be reaching my GW by december). But probably the hardest part of this journey has been asking myself this question everyday: are you doing this because you love yourself, or because you hate yourself?

I do not have an answer for that yet, but I am actively trying to find the right answer with these small mindset changes:

​

• I am trying to do exercises I enjoy, instead of exercises I can't stand. If one day I want to go cycling, I will go cycling. If one day I only want to walk, I will just go walking. If one day I feel super pumped and want to stay 2 hours at the gym, I will do just that. Believe me when I say that doing something you actually like will leave you feeling amazing for the rest of the day, and that rush will just keep you going back to it.
• I try to give my body a break on days that I feel fatigued. The body knows when it's been overexerted and it will let you know.
• I try to incorporate meditation on days that I feel anxious / frustrated about my progress.
• I thank my body when I look in the mirror instead of hating it, because it is doing a lot by trying to keep up with my workout routine.
• I try to tune in with my hunger cues and think 2, 3 times if I really want to eat, if it is boredom / anxiety, or if my appetite is trying to tell me something about my body (the body is wise! it is hard to learn this, it takes time, but it gets better with time)
• I try to constantly learn and read about nutrition so I can understand better which foods are good for me and which foods aren't. This helps me decide better about what goes on my plate and what should only be an occasional treat. And even then, it shouldn't be a "treat" because that would mean I am not enjoying what I eat on the daily. "Treats" imply that I am restricting myself on most days. I'd rather see it as me nourishing myself everyday with foods that are delicious for me, that are good for my health and a fuel for my workouts, and if one time (or two) a week I decide to eat something that is not really that healthy and won't do much for my overall health, then so be it! it won't harm my lifestyle, because it is that 80% of the rest of my week what really counts.

​

And most importantly: Remind myself to love my body at my current weight, even if I don't accept it. Loving and feeling compassion towards it is not the same as accepting it, and I feel like this is where so much controversy lies nowadays. Regardless of how other people feel though, I have found that actively trying to love my body is what's helping me be consistent in my journey, which never happened before. I always lost the weight, then gained it again. But something as simple as feeling compassion for myself has helped me really stick to it.

I go to the gym because it makes my body healthy, because I enjoy moving, because cardiovascular health is important. It is not a punishment. I eat healthy because it gives my body fuel, because it protects my organs, and I can tell that it's thanking me for it by giving me more energy and allowing me to do more during my workouts. And hey, if you also have aesthetic purposes (like showing more muscle) why not? if it comes from a place of love and excitement and it is a result from an activity you genuinely enjoy, the mind will not suffer.

I am not saying I'm 100% there, but I feel like at least trying to have a healthy mindset is already doing so much for me, which is why I wanted to share. It's important to realize that weight loss journeys should be a lifestyle change for a better overall health, and that includes the mind as well.

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Lost weight now bulking - am I heading backwards or going in the right direction?

48yo, male, 5’5”.

In 2019 I started a weight loss journey - dropped 20kg (85kg to 67kg between April and Dec) with a calorie deficit plus loads of cardio and weight training.

I became WAY too thin - but dropped several pant and shirt sizes.

Since 2020 been bulking with an emphasis on weight training, calorie surplus, and mild cardio.

Up to 76kg now - and worried I’m gaining fat all over again, even though I seem to be gaining muscle mass at a slow pace. I’ve lost objectivity - and am keen to keep bulking at a slow pace if indeed I’m gaining now for the better. But not if I’m heading back to where I started!

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Tuesday, 04 August 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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Just had some photos of myself taken and I've definitely put on weight. I'm crushed.

Like many of us, the quarantine lifestyle changeup has not been good for my waistline. I'm up about 20 lbs of body fat from my lightest (140 to 160 at 5'1") and man, I'm thick in the middle. My weight loss journey started two years ago at a little over 200 lbs. I'd like to say hard work and discipline made the difference, but honestly I went through a few months of extreme stress and lost my appetite for a while. That combined with a newfound love for the gym made me drop 60-ish pounds in 6 months. Over time the weight began creeping back up, but thanks to an intense gym regiment I still stayed relatively small. Along comes quarantine and and I can't access the gym anymore. Now I'm 20 lbs heavier and up four pants sizes. I just got some pictures of myself back from a photoshoot and there's no denying that I'm fatter. To complicate things, I have a metabolic disorder (as diagnosed by an endocrinologist). Weight loss is still possible, it's just very slow compared to other people my age and gender. It was so much damn work to drop those 60lbs, and in just a few months I've regained almost half of it. I can still exercise from home (doing it 5 days a week currently) but it's not as effective as lifting weights. At this point I know well enough how to manage my macros and count calories but... Damn, I can't even look at the photos. This sucks. Time to start over :(

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Weight loss losing momentum

Height 5’10-11” HW: 476 (in 2016) SW: 446 CW: 280 GW: 175

Hi Everyone,

Kind of a long post but I’m going to do the whole timeline. I don’t even know if I have a question and maybe just want to vent.

I started my weight loss around April 2019. I was definitely the highest I’ve ever weighed. I would put money on over 500, but I never weighed myself. I didn’t weigh myself until September 2019 (446).

At first I was eating extremely low budget. Like a box or 2 of rice a Roni a day. Not heathy but not a lot of calories either. I started taking it seriously in September and started eating chicken and stir fried vegetables almost every day. I also got a significant raise at work and paid off a debt at this time, so I could afford more nutritious food.

From September until April I lost 20 pounds a month on average. It didn’t decrease with time at all, and January I lost the most with 30 (not for good reasons, I hit the gym and didn’t eat in response to some stress in my life).

In February, March, and April I put some effort into getting my head on straight. I feel like I made a lot of progress but it’s still definitely something I’m working on.

At the end of April I decided to “treat” myself a little (more as a mental health break, I didn’t want to over stress about food). I kept weighing myself.

On May 1, I weighed 295 pounds. Today I weigh 280. I was 272 a couple days ago but I think I’ve put on some water weight. Meaning I’ve only been losing about 5 pounds a month lately.

I know that’s not even a bad rate to lose weight, but I just feel hollow I guess. Before when I was losing a lot I was kind of suffering but I felt like there was a real tangible payoff to the effort. Now I just can’t bring myself to be so restrictive. I can’t force myself to only eat stir fried vegetables and chicken every day anymore. I’m trying to eat healthy (salads, fruit, nuts, minimal processed food) but I needed variety. Also, when you lose weight rapidly you can feel the difference more significantly. I can’t feel it so much anymore.

It really feels demotivating looking at another 20 months to get to my goal weight. I just want to feel like I have a body I can actually live in already. I used to be so worried about loose skin and I already have it but I don’t even care about it anymore. I just want to see who I can be. I’m starting to feel so depressed.

I feel like I’m stuck in mud lately and I’m barely able to move forward.

Does anyone have any tips on remotivating myself?

Does anyone have any simple recipes I could try? I kind of liked Keto/low carb style because I got less water weight fluctuations and felt full longer, but I’m not married to a diet. Just watching my calories. I’m not very picky, but do kind of have a small kitchen so elaborate food is difficult to make.

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