So as the title says, I've just started to take my weight loss more seriously. Previously I've tried intermittently eating less or better but have not seen any results. I'm 28, 178cm tall, 80Kg, Male. I have a small amount of belly fat I've been wanting to loose for the better part of a decade. I work a physical job ten hours, 5 days a week. I average 15,000 steps a day for those 5 days, and maybe 3,000-5,000 on weekend days. Also started going to the gym roughly 3 times a week for 20-30 minute sessions about a month back.
I started tracking my calories and found out that on what I thought were my worst days I'm only taking in about 2000 calories per day.
I used a calorie tracker with the following foods to get a baseline for what I'm eating on a bad day.
Beverages
2 Medium cappuccinos with full cream milk
Lunch
1 Steak and cheese pie
1 Ham and cheese sandwhich
Dinner
Half a 425g frozen meatlovers pizza
1 serving of baked frozen french fries
Snacks
1 100g block of dairy milk chocolate
Allegedly this comes to 2074 calories. I had assumed a day like this would have way over my RDI of calories and the the only thing preventing me from putting on weight quickly was my high amount of physical activity. Most days I don't have snacks and eat healthier dinners and lunches. In fact I don't eat like this on any days. This is like an amalgamation of all my worst eating habbits. So now I'm at a complete loss as to how I should drop this stubborn belly fat. I really would like some advice on what to do now
Hi! I'm new to working out and have been going to the gym every second day for around 3 weeks now. I'm seeing major progress with my fitness level but not weight loss or toning, (when I started I could only last 2:10 on the elliptical without my legs feeling like the are going to explode and now I can do 25mins+ continuously & I'm upping weights comfortably about once a week/when it feels right - but I've not lost weight even with improving my diet tenfold).
Would it be okay to go 2 days on/1 day off?
For example, day 1: 25mins of cardio, leg/butt weight machines, 25 mins of cardio. Day two: 25mins cardio, arm/chest/back machines, 25mins of cardio. Day 3: walk home from work and rest.
I can't afford any more time with a personal trainer (had 3 sessions that were really helpful), which is why I'm posting here for advice :)
My life has kind of been hectic those past few months. I’ve known for a while that things weren’t going well for me, but I would’ve never thought everything would come crashing down on me. Perhaps am I only seeing the dark side of things, but lately it’s been hard to do otherwise. A few events have happened, and I think they still haven’t hit me. Deep down I know they’ve happened, but reality hasn’t sunk in yet, and I’m probably in plain denial. I’m scared to sit down and process the thoughts I’ve just been pushing away, resulting in me binge eating every single day for the past few weeks. I’m pushing myself to study and work, but it’s been getting too much. I’m exhausted and I know I have to deal with my emotions and what’s been going on, but after taking (voluntarily or involuntarily, I couldn’t say) two years off of my weight loss journey, gaining and losing the same five (and soon more than ten) pounds over and over again, I now know it’s time for me to change. I need to find myself again before it’s too late and for that, I first need to take care of my body, but I must learn how to do it again and start a new journey.
I can’t remember when I first started counting calories, but it has now become a habit. Even when I wasn’t losing any weight, I would weight and track everything I was eating, so I’m a bit scared of wandering off too far from calories counting. I’m hoping I can find help here as I’ve gotten amazing advices in the past, but none that I’ve been able to follow, perhaps because of a lack of willpower or discipline, or both.
Thank you for reading and I hope you are doing okay in those difficult times, good luck <3
I'm looking for someone to chat with that struggles with weight loss because of trying to approach everything perfectly. Usually, this shows up as constantly gaining and regaining the same 10-15lbs from stress eating/emotional eating and then going "all-in" to the latest diet or "plan" only to give up as soon as you've gone off plan or progress is slow.
Perfectionist dieters usually:
Try to “speed up” the process by eating less than what the program recommends or exercising more to reach your goals?
Expect to suffer with your new program and feel deprived?
Enjoy the thrill of eliminating certain foods or entire food groups?
Battle strong urges to eat unhealthy foods or skip exercise?
Use the words “good” or “bad” to describe certain foods and your eating behavior?
Fall off the wagon when you have a bad night, sometimes even after just making one unhealthy food choice?
Struggle with feelings of guilt, thinking that you could be doing better?
Believe the motto “no pain, no gain” is true?
Convince yourself that past failed attempts were from lack of effort and/or not staying focused?
I’ve been on my weight loss journey for my entire life. I’ve always struggled with physical activities,such as never completing a pull up or the money bars. As I grieved the loss of my partner, I’ve loss 50lbs since April. Initially unhealthily and then better as I began to eat and started couch to 5k. That was huge in regards to my self worth. I had never run more than half a mile with out stopping before starting that program. I am making this post,because I’m alone in Covid and don’t really share these kinda achievements with my irl friends. About two weeks ago I was nervous about texting a girl, and decided with my anxious energy to do a push. Yo my surprised I could do the more traditional style push up without being shaken and unable to bend my arms. Each day I like to squeeze in 20 push-ups that I do in increments of 5. This morning I was excited because I am going to be hanging out with this friend tonight, and with this happy energy I decided I’d get down and try 10 consecutive pushups. As I got down, I had the crazy idea to do one of those clapping push ups. This my have been the first attempted one of my life, and I did it! Then I just started laughing I’m joy that this couldn’t be real, that things can change. I’m not sure if this makes sense or not, but wanted to share. I’ve lurked this sub via many accounts over the years and find so much inspiration!
I hope to achieve a couple of things with this "brain dump": provide yet another inspiration post for people on their journey, for people who are starting in the same place as me that they are not alone and to hopefully try to break through a couple of thought points that I have discovered through my weight loss. Also, I never say no to another accountability source.
Since Jan 2020 I have lost a total of 20kg (94.2kg to 72.5kg) and my end goal is to lose another 22-23 kg. I am 162 cm tall.
I have a lot of thoughts and experiences that I would like to share, as I believe being stuck in your own mind and your own "echo chamber" is not good for anyone. :) But before that, the actual diet...
The "fattening": A slow and steady gain over the course of 4-5 years of not taking care of myself, nothing much here really - I had no good excuse for it, but it happened. It took so long for me to act because of my blessing/curse that I fit clothes generally really well - so unless I wander about in my undies, even at my heaviest I was a comfortable size 10-12 UK. Still was physically active throughout it all.
The diet and workout: I dieted aggressively with the help of a coach to guide me and lost most of that weight in 5 months (Jan-May), and I have maintained ever since. And that maintenance was mostly to deal with a known problem of mine which is emotional and comfort binge-eating (more on that later).
I kept a clear-cut CICO at around a constant 500-600 kcal daily deficit without any "cheating".I have always been active, even at my heaviest - I was doing sports and lifting weights. The only change during the diet was that I started walking/running more - adding about 30-45 varied cardio per day. I lifted weights 3-4 days a week and did sport the rest. Would slip in a rest day when I felt like I needed it. And that was that.High water intake has been a new addition to my life: aiming towards 2.1-2.2 litres per day of water, not counting teas/0 kcal fizzy drinks/etc.If anyone needs inspiration or meal ideas, I do not mind adding a couple of examples of what I was doing - warning: I am a boring person so there has been a lot of repetition of meals (if it works, why break it?).
The maintenance and how to fix a binging problem: I knew I had to learn to eat normally, without having a steel-set diet to follow, so that is what I have spent the last 5-6 months doing. And boy, it has been so difficult! I am not naturally a foodie, so I had to really work for it to figure out what I like to eat that still won't blow out my calories for the day and week. Then why did I just keep my diet? I truly believe it is important to "become" a healthy person, not just pretend with rules and set diets. My weakness is in general bread - be it in pizza-form, or pasta-form or just bread-form - to which I would overeat on until I was ill to seak comfort. My way so far has been to add a piece of "comfort food" in my day-to-day - I have sandwich thins toasted in one of my meals, a serving of noodles occasionally, etc - as long as I can fit them in my daily. Recently I had pizza, and managed to spread out the pieces for a total of 3 days to keep my kcal intake! Also as a note, I have been working out a lot less due to gym closures/finding it difficult to get back to a routine - but I have kept the cardio (yay, JustDance and walking!) and the sports.
Intermittent Fasting and how do I use it? : I am no doctor nor scientist and there are many arguments for and against it. I am using an 18-hour fasting window mostly to have a timer to deter me from unnecessary snacking out of boredom. This is the newest addition to my system so I am yet unsure if it is effective or not. Will edit if I discover something revolutionary.
And as I mentioned in the start, and the reasons I have been quite timid to post anything here, I wanted to put out there a couple of points of annoyance? thoughts? winges? somethings:
Everyone but my partner has responded in the exact same way when I mention my end goal and that I want to lose more: "Oh, but you look so great already! You have done so much, you don't need to lose anymore!" I appreciate the positivity and the compliments, and I never said I think I do not look good now, but it is just not my goal. And why is that so difficult for people to accept? Your body image goals and taste are not the same as mine - we are different, it's ok.
And in the same breath - no, I do not want to be "Instagram babe fit". This is the current body fad. Everyone (and I am grossly generalizing here) wants to be lean, big muscle butt, six-pack, etc. And that is great! I can drool for hours on social media over fantastic looking, dedicated ladies that work so hard to achieve that figure and are happy with it. They look fantastic! I, on the other hand, do not want to look like that. And that is especially difficult to get across when I have been told I am naturally muscular and I have noticed myself that I build both strength and muscle relatively easy (in comparison for example, than my mum who is naturally thinner). I adore and look up to the slimmer, more delicate looking ladies - prominent it seems more in Asian cultures.
And from the other two points you might have gathered, yes, I am losing weight only for aesthetic reasons at this point - and I do believe that is a "wrong" reason to want to lose weight. I am quite lucky and privileged (especially in this day and age) to be a healthy person - I am quite athletic and can get back to it with relative ease, which was tested with the multiple gym closures. I have a lot of "athletic goals" that I am working on regardless of weight - but the dieting and all - that is purely and un-adulterated for looks.
Venting a frustration that is related to the first point here and just being thankful for my partner: to all my friends and family that mean well - No. I am not "skinny" or "almost underweight". You are delusional or just straight out lying to me. I do not appreciate it; to my partner - thank you for keeping me honest whilst still making me feel loved, sexy and being my cheerleader to achieving a difficult goal. Wanting a slimmer, fitter looking lady also does not make you a bad person everybody. :)
My biggest win so far has been the fact that I inspired my mother to lose weight as well, as she has been in a dangerous weight for a very long time now and she too has lost about 10 kg at this point already!
How am I planning to lose the other 22 kg? : Same same, but different! The difference is that I am not setting non-flexible diet day-to-day, but I am tracking food in Calories Counter. My calorie goal for the day is 1200 kcals, with a focus on covering 30g of fibre and proteins to keep me full and satiated. I will be re-evaluating this once a week during my weekly weigh-in and will keep on checking my BMR to see when I need to lower the calories to keep the weight loss rate. I am struggling at the moment to keep a good workout routine, so that is the next step to get back in track as I want my athleticism to be as important as the weight-loss goal.
Apps used:
CICO tracking: MyFitnessPal -> Moved to Calories Counter (iOS)Fasting: Zero (iOS)Notion: Keep notes of feelings/thoughts/reflections.
tl;dr : Lost 20 kg by CICO - regular cardio (30-45 min), weight lifting and sports; Maintaining for 5-6 months and dealing with binge-eating by adding the "trigger food" regularly in my diet; Started another round to go down to 50-49 kg by using a more flexible CICO;
Mandatory apologies for any bad English, not a native speaker.
Also a disclaimer, I am not saying this is a "good" or a "bad" way to do weight loss, just throwing myself and my thought process out there.
This is one big ol' brain dump that I hope will get some conversations happening and I really hope I get to help someone along the way!!!
Edit 1: In response to u/raspberry_rain, here is a day example of what I had when I was with my PT at the start (please keep in mind that this was tailored to my taste and needs - that is what you get when you pay for a PT):
Breakfast: 150g of low fat yogurt + 1 small banana
Lunch: 85g chicken breast + 25g red bell pepper + 2-3 cherry tomatoes + 1 cup of green leaf salad + 1 cup of spinach + 15 g low fat mayo + 30g feta cheese (Note: I would cook the chicken breasts in bulk, put the spinach in hot water and mix it with the cheese; I ate the rest raw as I prefer crunchy veggies)
Snack: 10 almonds + 1 cup of raspberries
Dinner: 115g of salmon or chicken + 150g steamed broccoli + 1 small potato + hot sauce
Desert: 10kcal Jelly + 2 pieces of chocolate
There were a number of changes over time, as we needed to change the kcal, proteins, carbs depending on how I was feeling. I guess from here comes another point - a good PT is worth the money!!! If you are in the UK, I can refer you to mine - she is absolutely fantastic!
For comparison, today I have had the following:
Breakfast: 2x boiled eggs (egg whites only) +50g fat free cottage cheese + hot sauce + 1 toasted thins + 1 pear + 100g of fat free yogurt + 30g dried prunes (Note: Removed the yolks and added the cottage cheese mixed with the hot sauce, thank me later!)
Lunch: 260g chicken soup + 100g of leaf greens + 1 thins + 15g light mayo for the salad
Dinner: 145g egg noodles + 160g frozen veggies mix + 100 leag greens
Snacks: 2x clementines + 10g of roasted pecans + 1 Lindt Chocolate piece
Pretty carb-heavy day in comparison to the norm, but I am on my period, and I tend to want more carby foods (also chocolate). I am also not moving too much today (not walking weather and cramps are deterring me from any exercise).
Again, this is what works for me - I do not starve myself nor will I stuff myself to fit a kcal "minimum".
Hope it helps!!!!
Baking and sharing cookies are popular holiday traditions because they come with that genuine homemade feeling. Plus, there are so many tempting cookie varieties that nearly everyone has a few favorites that they love. Now here’s good news for you: you can enjoy making and eating healthy holiday treats and stay on track to your weight loss goal! We’ve given these easy holiday cookie recipes a healthy makeover so you can join in the fun. They’re all so sweet and delicious that you’ll be proud to give them as gifts—and only you will know they are made with better-for-you ingredients. Best of all, they’re quick and easy to make, even if you have no baking experience.
10 Ways to Prepare for a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season
Peanut butter, cocoa powder and coconut are the flavorful stars of these soft bites. You can whip up a batch in just 10 minutes, so you can eat them fresh whenever you have a craving for a treat.
The nutty crunch of pecans and the naturally sweet taste of cinnamon come together in these simple-to-make crispy cookies. You’ll get a little burst of protein from the nuts and the metabolism-boosting power of cinnamon, while everyone else raves about the delightful flavor.
With bananas, the handy vanilla Nutrisystem Protein and Probiotic Shake and a bit of peppermint extract, you can make soft, frosted cookies with that cool holiday taste. Add some festive sprinkles and let the party begin!
Stay Off the Naughty List with 9 Festive Treats Perfect for Holiday Gatherings
If you love the aroma of warm spices in your home and the seasonal tastes of pumpkin and maple syrup, make a batch of these simple but flavorful cookies. They’re very low in calories and high in satisfaction.
The air fryer isn’t just for making delicious, low-calorie meals—it’s a handy tool for baking tasty cookies like these in under 10 minutes! And that’s especially good news, because you won’t want to wait to get a bite of these peanut butter treats.
The richness of chocolate and the cool sensation of mint give these cookies the perfect balance of sensational flavors. Even better, you’ll be amazed that they have less than 50 calories each.
Christmas Workout Challenge: 12 Days of Holiday Workouts
Jelly-filled thumbprints are a staple of many family cookie traditions and you don’t have to pass on them when you’re trying to lose excess weight. These are made with four simple, healthy ingredients but don’t compromise on taste. Holiday cookie recipes don’t have to be complicated!
Oatmeal cookies are a classic treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee, tea or non-fat milk. These come out of the oven warm and moist every time because they’re made with applesauce, yogurt and naturally sweet strawberries.
Avoiding gluten as well as excess fat and sugar doesn’t mean you can’t join in on holiday cookie recipes. Our recipe developers took the classic sugar cookie and made it low in calories and satisfyingly sweet, as well as gluten free.
5 Holiday Hiccups That Can (Seriously!) Hinder Your Weight Loss
Each bite of these moist and chewy treats will light up your taste buds with the flavors of real chocolate and tart cherries. They’re so good, your family is sure to clamor for them all year long.
Ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg spice these cookies with the flavors of the season. Plus, they’re made with molasses, so they’re perfectly sweet but not loaded with excess sugar.
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb and 2 Extras
Mashed sweet potato makes these cookies lightly sweet and nicely tender, while real cranberries provide the tart contrast in every bite. It takes just five simple steps to bake a batch, so you don’t have to spend hours preparing them when you’re craving cookies that taste like the holidays.
If you love holiday cookie recipes that are both a bit salty and lightly sweet, these glazed cookies will hit the spot. They’re made with crunchy nuts, real maple syrup, the tang of apples and a hint of cinnamon, so you get a medley of seasonal flavors in each one.
Yes, you can have cookies for breakfast—or just about any time you need to fuel up—with these hearty treats. They’re made with real oats, so you get a bit of fiber, plus nut butter and pumpkin seeds for a quick shot of protein to power up your day.
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 PowerFuel and 2 Extras
Peanut butter and chocolate chips give you two great tastes in one deliciously healthy cookie. Make them in the air fryer and you keep the mess to a minimum and the goodness to the maximum.
If you thought you’d never be able to enjoy these classic frosted treats and stay on track with your weight loss plan, we’ve got happy news for you. With this version, you can make a batch whenever you want and enjoy three of them in each serving.
