Today makes day 33 of my weight loss journey. Down 10 lbs!

Hello r/loseit,

Posting a quick update/milestone that I wanted to share, hoping that it might help to inspire folks who are going through the same things, or thinking about starting their own weight loss journey.

I was at 305 lbs, (5-11" male, 30 years old) the heaviest that I've ever been. My back, sides, chest, legs, etc. hurt all the time from carrying the weight. I would wake up in the mornings with back pain despite having done nothing strenuous. I got winded going upstairs in my house. I also was starting to have issues with my blood sugar, and testing my glucose put me in the pre-diabetic range. My diet was absolute garbage. You name it, I was eating it. Candy, soda, junk food, cake, cookies, snacks, more soda, pizza, etc. My calorie and sugar intake was off the charts.

33 days ago, I decided to make a change.

My goal was to develop healthy habits and make this a life-long lifestyle change. My wife was all about the idea, and has been doing it with me. Knowing that this was going to be a long term process, I decided to break it down into phases, the first of which I just completed. This was helpful, since it allowed me to make several manageable changes at once, and then maintain them for a while.

Phase 1:

No more junk food. Candy, soda, junk food, cake, cookies, etc. GONE.

Only drinking water, and black coffee. (I started with a little bit of sugar in the coffee, but cut that out around day 15 or so.)

Walk every day. I have a route from my front door to our main road that is exactly 1 mile out, and 1 mile back. So I was walking 2 miles/day.

Begin an exercise regimen of some kind. I started working a 5x5 lifting program with a friend from work. We lift M/W/F and have been doing this for the past 2 weeks. (This is by far the best part)

Weigh myself every morning naked first thing in the morning.

As you can see, there was nothing too radical about any of this, but I started to notice change pretty quickly. The first few days were really tough. I was craving sugar and carbs really really badly. There were many times where I wanted to quit and give up. Then I got to one week. And I realized that I was on a roll, and that I couldn't quit. The numbers on the scale started to go down. My pants and shirts started to fit better. I needed to use the next belt notch up, etc. After a while, the momentum became almost self-sustaining, and not only did I not want to quit, I actually started to enjoy my new habits and my new life. I was sleeping better, my back didn't hurt, I felt strong, and I started to regain some confidence.

All in all, I've lost 10 lbs as of this morning, and gained a fair bit of muscle and strength to go with it.

I don't know if anyone will take the time to read this, but if you're out there and you're on the fence about doing something similar, I am telling you to go for it. You can absolutely do this. Do this for yourself, make a change, and take control of your life. Never quit.

Make choices, not excuses.

-Alex

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A really cool (to me) new not-scale change!

I (41F, 5ft) began my weight loss journey 14 months ago. Due to a health issue, CICO and exercise were not enough to make true change, so my doctor has me on medication to help. Last year, I did CICO+walking 5ish miles a day+medication for four months, and CICO+walking for three months. When the pandemic depression hit, I had lost 40 pounds and went down to just CICO. I managed to maintain until November-January, during which CICO went out the window due to many factors and I gained back 10+ pounds.

I've now been on CICO+ meds for 10 weeks and recently added walking back. I've lost 20 pounds. But so much of the success of weight loss is in little things that are difficult to describe and I want to share what I noticed last night...

CW: 159. I'm down from XL top and bottom to M top and L bottom and those are getting loose faster than the scale is changing. That's okay, albeit sometimes frustrating. But last night, in bed, I noticed my legs fit together differently all of sudden. My knees feel bony against each other all of a sudden. There's less padding. I got up and looked at my legs in the mirror. I went back to bed and tried different positions. My legs are smaller, seemingly all of a sudden.

As I share this, I'm sitting with my legs crossed. They cross higher and more comfortably. My legs feel different.

Cheers to the off-scale wins!

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Day 1000: Journey's End

I have been logging my calories for 1000 days, and I have generally written an update here in r/loseit after each 100 days. I have lost about 50kilograms (about 110 pounds) in about 2 years. I have maintained that loss for a little over six months.

Today, on Day 1000, I'm ready to say that my weight loss journey is over. Of course, the whole journey isn't over - there is a little more weight to lose, and there are more fitness goals to hit - but, I feel confident that after nearly three years (2.75ish) that I know how to make healthy choices for my body. And, at this point, that's all that is important to me.

After my first 100 days, I had a realization: all I needed to do to manage my weight was to "keep trying to stay within my calorie budget (however that may change), and doing whatever else I want to do on top of it. And you know what? That's really not so bad." 900 days later, that is still true. And, it really isn't bad at all.

Over the course of this journey, I learned a lot. I began in the last third of 2018, after I had moved from America to the Netherlands, and spent the following 15 months (including all of 2019) losing quite a lot of weight. 2020 was more about the emotional side: I dealt with adjusting to life in a new body (I had been overweight or obese since childhood), and some body dysmorphia. By the last third of 2020, my life had changed yet again, and my Dutch had improved to the point that I was able to get a toe-hold in a career related to my (former) American profession. Over the last six months, it's become clear to me that I need to be focusing my energy on developing my career: but, all of the work I put in over the last few years to create healthy habits are still there, running noiselessly in the background. They don't need to be front-and-center anymore. Yes, this weight loss thing does get easier.

I still don't quite have a healthy BMI (27ish), but, I am happy with where I am. I know that I have a healthy lifestyle, and I know that the changes I've made to get here have been sustainable, and, for the most part, truly enjoyable: I bike ~30minutes to work instead of taking the bus. I plan weekends and vacations that are centered around hiking (something I have actually always loved, but which has become better and better as I get fitter). I watch what I eat, but I don't torture myself. I don't weigh out mustard on my sandwich anymore (because I'm pretty sure an out-of-control mustard habit didn't take me to 275+), but I do log that I ate a sandwich. After this long, I don't always weigh out the amount of cream cheese I'm putting on a cracker, but I keep the food scale on the table, and check about once a week that it's about 15g (sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more). I accept that sometimes, I'm just going to want to eat cake (and, I just eat the cake). There are no "cheat days," or "falling off the wagon." I just do my best, every day, to eat the right amount of calories for my body. For the most part, I am successful, and I am really happy with that. I don't think I could have asked for a better outcome.

I have maintained my weight (fluctuating between 165-170) since about last September, after intentionally deciding to pause weight loss. I have focused on sustaining what I am doing, and continuing to make regular exercise a priority in my life. I took progress pictures for myself 100 days ago, and, despite not seeing any real progress on the scale, I noticed that I looked a little smaller overall - the bicycle commute has been slowly helping me "recomp," and I think that's great. I have found what works for me, and I know I will eventually reach a healthy BMI -- even if it isn't any time soon.

Slow and steady work pays off. I have seen it first hand. I never had dramatic months where I dropped 10+ pounds (or 5+ kilos). I chipped away slowly and steadily over time. I used this subreddit for support and education (especially the daily Q&A threads, the weekly Century Club threads, and the daily accountability challenges). I realized there's never really a reason to have more than one of something in your mouth (like, handfuls of chips). I made a deal with myself that I would have one portion, and then, after I was finished, if I still wanted more, that I could go and make another portion. In nearly three years, I only actually ever wanted a second portion once (which I had, and thoroughly enjoyed!). I took the time to get to know myself and my body. In short, I changed my habits.

It was all worth it.

I am including links to my previous 100-day posts, so you can see an entire weight loss journey. This is, of course, just my experience. If I say something that sounds useful to you, great. If I say something that doesn't apply to you, ignore it. I don't have all the answers. This is, at its core, a personal undertaking, and it is different for every person.

I want to share my journey as a thank you to the subreddit, for all of the help and support I have received. Odds are, if you recognize my username from posting here in r/loseit, I also recognize yours, and want to thank you all for making this community so special.

If you have any questions, please just ask. We got this!

Day 99 and all of the days in between

What I learned from losing ~22kgs and how I'm going to use it to lose the next 22kg

One year later

400 days of logging

500 Days of logging: Diet Fatigue, a Maintenance Break, and a Gym Membership

Day 600 of logging: Appreciating the new normal

Day 700: I am not an optimization problem (and other reflections)

Day 800: Spending time at Everest Base camp, to combat body dysmorphia

Day 900: Driving the lambo-ME-ni of weight loss (while avoiding the calorie police)

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3 months of CICO and exercise with almost no progress - sanity check?

Hi everyone

I love this sub. So supportive and you answer all my dumb questions. Here comes a long one but I'm going a little nuts atm:

31F/ 5'11 SW: 230.6 CW: 225 GW: happy

TL;DR I fear my metabolism is completely screwed due to thyroid medication I took for two years as a significant change in diet and lifestyle has made no difference to weight.

I started my journey in earnest back in February, but I reached my HW of 236 last Oct.

Back in 2019, I was diagnosed with Graves and Hyperthyroidism after being hospitalised with Thyrotoxicosis during a really stressful time in my life. I gained lost and regained the same 50lbs in less than 18 months (it was closer to a year, but I'm being generous about the initial gain)- and apart from one month of lazy keto, I did not change my diet or exercise. It was really crazy, I was like elastigirl. People thought I was abusing something.

It finally stabilised at the top end but my metabolism has not been the same since. I just came off the medication in January which was what prompted me to give weightloss another go. Please - if you're one of those people here to say "meds can't cause weight gain/loss they only make you hungry" or anything similar, I'm just going to ask you to stop and leave. I can only speak anecdotally, but because of the thyroids I pay close attention to things like weight and diet even when I'm not dieting because those are the first signs.

This time last year I weighed 224-230lbs, it was the first lockdown in the UK, I was super depressed, completely sedentary, ordering takeaway every other day, a newfound addiction to Coca-Cola (shortlived thank god) and sleeping maybe 4 hours a day. I wasn't surprised at all by my weight.

Today I weigh 225, I average 8k steps, I alternate pilates and strength training in the evening (beginners) and cardio every morning. I cut out all soda, caffeine, quit smoking, upped my h2O game and I've dramatically reduced my added salt intake as that's a trigger. It was a lot at once but it was worth it. I aim for 1400-1600 cals, which I usually hit. I just had a bad week, but I've been genuinely been consistent and I count everything I possibly can. MFP is useless for Caribbean food but I weigh everything I can and do my best. I hate counting and don't intend to do it forever but I understand it.

I lost 4lbs of water weight in one week back in Feb and I've bounced around 1-2lbs these last 2 months. It's VERY disheartening. In February, I set what I thought was a very realistic goal to lose ~30lbs by Aug. That would take me to onederland and be my sort of halfway point. That was about 5lbs a month. But now it's nearly May, and losing 30lbs by Aug has become unrealistic because what I'm doing clearly isn't working.

Now - I do feel better in some ways. I feel a bit stronger. I was a hermit, almost agoraphobic, at the beginning of the year and now I get out just about everyday. I sleep a bit better (6 hours opposed to 4- working on it). I get less headaches because I'm super hydrated. I redecorated my room so I actually have space to work out. I'm enjoying working out. I think I've lost about an inch around my waist. But the weight is not moving.

I only added strength training two weeks ago so I don't think that accounts for the previous two months of nothing. My strength training is only 20 mins with a 12kg kettlebell lol. I'm use light 3kg dumbbells in my cardio. So I doubt I've put on any muscle. I did a 24 hour fast last week and I saw a little dip, but that went back up to 224 within a couple days. I don't know how all of this could be water retention but I do have a love of salty foods.

This is the most patient and consistent I've been with weight loss. I'm in this for the long haul. But I think it's fair to say that after three months and basically no results something is wrong, right?

Someone is going to say calorie counting and I'm begging you to believe me when I say there is no way I'm am eating at maintenence (224, 31F 5'11 TDEE gives me a default 2392. Even at BF of 40% it would be 2k. I know my muscle mass is very low, but my TDEE would have to be somewhere around 1600 for me to be maintaining the same weight for months, not including any exercise. And that seems very inaccurate for a woman my size, surely.

I hope someone here can see something I can't and help me out where I'm going wrong. For years I gave up on ever getting in shape because of my health problems and now it feels like I was right. Advice appreciated.

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I’m no longer overweight!

17F 5,5 SW: 176lbs CW: 150lbs GW: 140lbs

Hi Everyone.

Just thought I’d share some exciting news! I’ve been on my weight loss journey since around November and am officially down 26 pounds. The past 3 weeks have been a little off, defiantly overate as it was my birthday and had some bad days. So I am a little behind from my time line but that doesn’t bother me anymore as I will still reach my goal even if it’s a week or so later. But I’ve finally reached a healthy weight and bmi, I’m no longer overweight! It’s the final stretch now and I’m so proud of how far I’ve come! I’ve been overweight my whole life so far, and to finally become a healthy weight is such an achievement for me and I’m so proud of myself! I hope this inspires and helps to encourage others to reach those milestones! Thank you to everyone for all the advice on here :)

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Tuesday, 27 April 2021? Start here!

Today is your Day 1?

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Welcome to r/Loseit!

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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.

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Why you’re overweight

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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.

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Before You Start

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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.

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Tracking

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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.

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Creating Your Deficit

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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.

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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.

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Exercise

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Is NOT mandatory. You can lose fat and create a deficit through diet alone. There is no requirement of exercise to lose weight.

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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.

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Crawl, Walk, Run

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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.

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Acceptance

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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.

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Do not let the pursuit of perfect get in the way of progress. We don’t need perfect. We just want better.

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Additional resources

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Now you’re ready to do this. Here are more details, that may help you refine your plan.

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• Quick Start Guide - Build your foundation!

* Lose It Compendium - Frame it out!

* FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!

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Best Food Logging App?

I have found that for me, logging everything I eat is super effective for weight loss (at least so far), and an app is the best way for me to do that because it shows me calories/macronutrients/ other stuff. However, I haven't found an app that lets me put in a recipe and have it figure out the calories/macros/etc. I was using Noom, but it was basically the Fitbit app with a cheering section, so I started using Fitbit, but again, no ability to input recipes. I've had friends who use MyFitnessPal, and I've looked at it, but do you all have any recommendations? Is MyFitnessPal actually good, or has it just been around longer than anything else? Thanks!

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