Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Wednesday, 31 March 2021? 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!

* Lose It 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/3dr5jo6

Does anyone know if weight loss can cause kidney issues?

I don’t see my doctor until the end of May so I want to learn about this as much as I can now. I’ve lost 30 pounds within the last 3 months.

When I started losing weight I’ve noticed that I’ve been going to the bathroom a lot more at night, which I never ever EVER used to do. Another factor that plays into this is that my urine is always foamy. I’ve never paid attention to the foamy urine that much until someone told me that was bad. What is weight loss effects on the kidneys? I don’t want it to lead into kidney failure, but I had to lose the weight because something was wrong with my liver. I am 22 years old and I’m really concerned that I’m damaging my body. I also haven’t had my menstrual cycle in 2 months

submitted by /u/Specialist_Tea9671
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/31zOTUS

Everyone is a fitness/nutrition expert.

I have seen this before with my previous attempts at attaining a healthy weight and I am seeing it happen now.

I am big dude. 6'3'' 450 lbs. I am down from 464lbs this past month.
Just like before, people started noticing. Well meaning family members, friends and acquaintances are always ready to fire off some neat little information tidbit to help "tweak" my weight loss.

"Eat more of this, eat less of that."
"Don't do intermittent fasting, your body will go into starvation mode."
"Forget doing weights just do cardio or go for walks with your kids after supper."
and on and on and on...

EVERYONE suddenly whips out their PhD in "Doctor Oz said this..."

In the past I have failed because my head wasn't in the right place. This is why I let people's ( well intentioned ) advice discourage me. I did not know which direction to take because the comments from various people contradicted each other and that just got me confused and frustrated which led me to giving up.

I am sharing this message to everyone else struggling with their obesity and I am also sharing this with myself. To see my own words will make it "more real" and cement my resolve. Funny enough, I was reading a blink about getting rich. It had one piece of advice which I could really adopt and live by. We all should adopt this way of thinking:

Opinions are cheap: everybody has one and most people want to dispense them. In order
to avoid running into the danger of negative influences and straining your own steadfastness,
it makes sense to offer as few opportunities as possible to express their critical opinions.

People who are disheartened in particular should therefore keep their plans and intentions to
themselves and not confide in anybody else - except for the members of their hand-picked
team or trustworthy outsiders.

I wish everyone courage, strength, temperance and a hard-ass type of stubbornness to reach their goals.

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

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

Doing CICO for 3 weeks. No weight loss.

Hey everyone,

I am a 6 foot 1 female who weighs 175 lbs. I am trying to weigh 140-150lbs as that is when I am happiest and healthiest. I know that may sound small for my height but I have always been very tiny when I eat properly. I gained weight during quarantine because of the stress of covid and not being able to see my long distance boyfriend who lives in a different country. At my heaviest I weighed 185. Since November I have dropped to 175. I wasn’t consistent at all with my diet/exercise routine but still lost weight. And now I am stuck.

For the past 3 weeks I have been diligently tracking my calories and working out. In the past 3 weeks I have worked out everyday but 4 days as I have had some time off work. I’ve been burning 500+ calories at the gym everyday doing a combination of weight training and walking on the treadmill/HIIT on treadmill. At first I was eating 2000 calories as my TDEE is around 2500. But I wasn’t really losing weight so for the past week or so I’ve been eating 1800-1900 calories. On March 27 I got down to 175.1 lbs FINALLY after hovering around 176 for 2 weeks. But for the past 3 days I have been 176.5lbs. Basically I have been sitting at ~176lbs for 3 weeks now and I’m really losing motivation. How can I not be losing weight if I’m burning 500 cals at the gym daily, plus eating in a few hundred cal deficit everyday? I’ve even tried eating less sodium in case that’s the reason why, but it hasn’t helped. My boyfriend is with me currently and we’ve been dieting/working out together and he has lost 3lbs in 3 weeks. I was on my period last week so I was hoping this week I would see some change but I haven’t at all... am I doing something wrong? Is this normal? Do I just need to wait it out?

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

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/3cD9myq

Almost 100lb down and at my goal!

Well, I’m 1 pound away from my original goal/milestone.

I’m mid 20’s male 5’11” Currently at 201lb down from 297lb. 97lb lost.

A little over 7 months of progress. Since august 19th of 2020. It was delayed from my original projected end date of mid-February. But I can easily live with missing that mark. Close enough and I have no complaints!

As someone who was never successful with weight loss until now, I still find it hard to believe I lost that much. I’ve never lost more than like 10lb of water weight. I doesn’t really feel like I’ve lost almost 100lb, but I definitely see the difference and am finding the benefits. Normal sized clothes, not scared of chairs, car seats feel much better, etc. lol

I have more energy, my blood pressure is way better, not that I was too concerned at the time (pics attached), i’m finally just overweight on the BMI scale (42 down to 27).

I went from 48+ pants (at least) down to 36 or 38’s. I went down 12 notches of belts, and that’s when I started losing weight and needed a belt. All 7 holes on the first and 5 holes down on the current.

Something that’s specifically important to me... I feel much better socially. Always sitting in corners of restaurants, not wanting to go out, just general anxiety and depression...something I’ve always struggled with is more minimized now. I feel more confident overall. I mean, i’m still fat, but hey, I’ve made progress and I feel great about it.

I think my new goal will be 180lb. I’m going to continue down to that and see how I feel. At which point, I’ll begin eating ~maintenance , more protein, and working out. I, fortunately, know someone who is excellent at proper body building to help me when the time comes. I know it’ll take longer overall, but losing weight then working out/building muscle is best for me.

I’m going to give my opinion on what helped me finally lose weight after thinking it was just impossible. I tried. I tried and failed spectacularly. I’ve been overweight for a long time. Before high school. And steadily increasing. It just seemed out of reach. But CICO really put me in the right mindset. The laws of thermodynamics are not things that just takes a hiatus when you try to lose weight. Looking at things from an analytical and science based way really clicks with me. It literally is as simple as calories in calories out. The scale always tripped me up with the day to day fluctuations. It was hard at first. You really have to push through it and believe you are losing weight. Something that helped me was Happy Scale (iPhone app. Not sure if it’s for android). It took my weight from day to day and told me what it should be. And it’s been pretty accurate in the long run. It helps in that aspect of things.

I did minimal exercise. Mostly just walking. There for a while in January, I walked a ton. Probably an average of 6 miles a day maybe. It definitely sped up the weight loss, but not needed.

I ate mostly normal. I.e. mostly what I use to. I didn’t change what I ate so much as how much. The worst days I’ve had calorie wise were still a 500 calorie deficit. I’ve maintained a deficit every single day. Eating anywhere from 1,400 to 1,500 Cal/day on average and burning anywhere from 3,200 at the start to about 2,600 TDEE now). I’d say it’s been difficult, but that would only be for the start of my journey. The first few weeks were rough. But I got use to it. It just makes sense to me now. I had that click moment this time around.

Thanks for listening to my ramble. Off to the 180’s I go.

Before and after pics (280lb vs now)

Blood pressure difference

submitted by /u/JD32397
[link] [comments]

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

Spring Cleaning! 9 Kitchen Organization Ideas for Weight Loss

If you’re doing your annual spring house clean-up, start with your kitchen organization. You could eat healthier and lose weight as a result.

Reorganizing your kitchen isn’t just going to make it easier for you to find your favorite spatula or locate the curry powder for a recipe. It also could curb the noshing that makes the calories—and pounds—add up. A 2016 study, published in the journal Environment and Behavior found, that messy, cluttered kitchens really can make you eat more. Women in the study who were given snacks in two situations—a cluttered kitchen and one that was neat and tidy—ate 103 more calories in the messy kitchen than in the orderly one.¹

Here are a few great kitchen organization ideas that will help you both feel and eat better:

1. Get rid of old, expired foods.

a woman organizing her pantry

Not only do foods that have been hanging around for a while lose freshness and flavor—and in some cases, spoil—but you’ll need the shelf space for your Nutrisystem foods and other healthy eats. In particular, give your herbs and spices the sniff and taste test. They don’t typically spoil but they do lose their potency and flavor. If they taste or smell “meh,” replace them. Your diet will automatically improve. Herbs and spices added to food can make them more flavorful so you don’t miss the fat, salt and sugar you’re removing to save calories. For example, a dash of cinnamon can help you not miss the sugar you once liberally sprinkled on your oatmeal, while pepper or cumin can “spice up” a savory dish so you don’t need salt and butter, say experts at the University of Florida.²

5 Spring Weight Loss Tips Guaranteed to Work

2. Donate foods that aren’t on your diet or that you won’t eat.

a box of canned goods and pantry items

Your local food bank can use those unopened packages of chips, cake mixes, sugary cereal, cookies, snack bars, and mac and cheese much more than you can. Find a food pantry near to help those in need.

3. Rearrange your counter.

a well-organized kitchen sink with a wicker basket full of fruit

As the old joke goes, you want to put yourself on the “see-food diet.” But change the old punchline, “I see food and I eat it.” You want to have healthy foods you want to eat where you can see them. So store fruit that doesn’t need refrigeration, like apples and bananas, in a bowl on the counter for easy snacking. Break down large containers of healthy snacks like nuts into single serving packets that you store in a clear container. Toss your Nutrisystem snacks into a wire basket where they’ll remind you to eat healthy treats. Several studies found people who kept just fruit on their kitchen counter had a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than those who stored candy, cereal and sugary sodas up front and center.³

4. Get scrubbing.

man spring cleaning the inside of his kitchen refrigerator

Before you can really jump into the rest of these kitchen organization hacks and ideas, you have to do some true spring cleaning. After pulling everything out of your fridge and off your pantry shelves, this is your chance to give everything a thorough wipe-down. Use antibacterial wipes to clean up any spills or crumbs. Conditions inside the fridge are optimal for mold growth, and food and drink spills enable cross-contamination. Wipe down handles and all of the cracks and crevices. This will create a clean space to house all of your organized healthy ingredients. Don’t forget to wipe down your countertops and cabinets, too!

Click the link below for some tips on cleaning out your fridge:

Starting a Healthy Diet? Why You Need to Clean Your Fridge First

5. Invest in clear containers for your pantry and fridge.

mason jars filled with veggies and salads

When it comes to kitchen organization hacks, containers are one of the most popular purchases. They look great and can help you see all of your produce and healthy ingredients at first glance. Use these clear containers to store your pre-cut veggies and fresh fruit for easy meal prep. You can also invest in mason jars and clear containers for the pantry to store baking ingredients, cereal, rice, quinoa and pasta. This will help you whip up a healthy salad or stir fry quickly or grab a handful of berries or grapes for a snack. Conversely, store tempting foods and leftovers in opaque containers or wrap them in aluminum foil so they’ll be less identifiable—and less tempting.

6. Plan ahead.

a man working in the kitchen

Plan your meals for a week and make a shopping list before you head to the food store. (Bonus: Experts say sticking to your list while you’re wheeling your cart around the store can save you 20 percent or more on grocery bills.⁴) When you get home, spend some time doing some meal prep by cutting up veggies and fruit and measuring out ingredients. Place meal ingredients in plastic freezer bags and mark them with the day you plan to eat them, then store in the fridge (for food like dairy products, produce or fruit), freezer (for meats or frozen vegetables) or a pantry cabinet (for dry goods). If you have the room, set up a restaurant-style menu board that reminds you of the “house specials” every day so you’re not tempted by cravings.

7. Tape nutrition information to your clear containers.

a woman looking at the nutritional information on a food package in the kitchen

You can simply cut out the name and nutrition facts from the original packaging and tape them onto your clear containers. This is a great psychological trick to discourage you from overdoing. If you know the calorie, fat, sugar and sodium counts of foods, you’re less likely to eat more than you should. It’s also helpful for keeping track of your meals in the NuMi app.

Don’t forget to also take note or cut out the expiration date when transferring your ingredients. Feel free to purchase pretty labels for this task; they make kitchen organization a breeze.

NuMi Helps Users Reach Their Weight Loss Resolutions

8. Be choosy about what appliances take up counter space.

a kitchen display with a blender and a collection of fruits on a wooden bowl

Prioritize the appliances that make whipping up a healthy meal quick and easy, such as air fryers, Instant Pots, spiralizers and blenders for smoothies. If you have enough counter real estate, keep your slow cooker within reach to prepare delicious, low-cal healthy meals while you’re at work so you’re not tempted to eat while you’re making dinner. Try out these six healthy slow cooker recipes! >

9. Rethink your cabinets.

a woman looking at her kitchen cabinet organization

Some studies have found that eating from smaller plates and bowls can help you eat less.⁵ It makes sense if you think about it. If you served the amount of food you can fit on a salad plate on a larger dinner plate, all that empty space would make you feel like you’re missing something. But on the salad plate, your meal looks like plenty. So move your salad plates and small bowls to the most reachable shelf and shift larger plates to a higher shelf so they’re less accessible.

10. Pull measuring utensils out of their drawer.

different colored measuring cups

Individual measuring cups—usually available in 1 cup, ½ cup, ¼ cup and 1/3 cup increments—are easy to store on a hook under a cabinet so they’re within easy reach, as are spoons that come in 1 Tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, ½ teaspoon and ¼ teaspoon measures. That will eliminate the tendency to eyeball measurements of high-calorie ingredients such as butter, oil, sugar and even peanut butter. Because portion sizes have increased significantly in restaurants (and now at home), many of us have lost the ability to judge what’s an appropriate serving size, which may be why Americans are now eating 300 more calories a day compared to the year 1985, says the American Heart Association.⁶ Some dietitians call it “portion distortion.”

Using measuring cups and spoons can help you stay honest about how much you’re actually eating. As a bonus, after a few weeks or months of measuring, you may get better at “eyeballing” sizes and less likely to supersize everything.

6 Reasons Why Spring is the Best Season for Healthy Weight Loss

Sources:

The post Spring Cleaning! 9 Kitchen Organization Ideas for Weight Loss appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://ift.tt/3wfBlM7

First time posting, third time attempting to lose weight

Hi all. Yesterday I read through many of the posts here and I wanted to start by saying thank you for sharing your numbers and stories. They were so motivational and made me feel like maybe this time around I can do it too.

I'm 34/F, current weight 190LBs, 5' tall (starting GW is 175- I'm going for baby steps here). My weight has always kind of yo-yo'd but then when I turned 26 I got pregnant, and though I only gained the recommended 25 pounds, I couldn't lose the baby weight and then kept gaining after that. I tried counting calories, hitting the gym regularly, it seemed like nothing I did helped and I was miserable to boot, so I gave up. Not proud of it.

I'm fed up with my weight at this point and know I have to change if I want to be around for my daughter. I feel like I'm better equipped to do it this time. I cook my own meals most days of the week and I want this more than I think I ever have before.

I guess why I'm posting- I'm a little overhwelmed with all the different practices/theories out there. Does anyone have a good book they can recommend in regards to general weight loss? (I'm really not looking to join a strict diet plan, I feel like it would stress me out too much and I wouldn't remain committed).

I'm counting calories but given my previous failures I'm worried I'm underestimating how many calories I need to cut (I'm aiming for 1,675/1,700, it might be slow but I'm okay with that, I need sustainable). Now I'm reading about macros and wondering if I should worry about those too.

As for exercise- it *seems* like strength training is the way to go- can I do this at home with smaller weights to start? I'm too embarassed to go to a gym right now, and I'm a single mother who can't just get up early and leave my child alone for an hour to do it.

Any advice for sticking to your plan/finding motivation/tips and tricks would be very much appreciated.

submitted by /u/Mickolas3031
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/3dht5CI