I'm not calling this my Day 1. I'm just trying to make a small change today.

Hello everyone! I have been on this sub for a few years now, and at one point I was down 30lbs. And then grad school started and I quickly found myself falling into old habits and brain patterns. And now I've gained 20lbs back. And now that grad school has been a thing for a year now, I feel ready to make some changes in my physical and mental health. Back in February, I knew I needed to make a change and I joined a CrossFit gym. I know it isn't for everyone, but that was a small change that I was willing to make and commit to, and I LOVE IT. But the old saying is true... weight loss happens almost exclusively in the kitchen. The workouts have gotten a tad easier as I've gotten stronger, but I haven't lost any weight and I imagine the workouts will become even more easier if I can drop some poundage (5'7" 26F 235lbs). So, I'm ready to make another change now that it's been 6 months!

Today, I am going to the store and I'm buying my normal things. And the small change I am committing to today is tracking my intake. Developing a system of tracking that works for me, noticing when and why I overeat, and gathering data over the next few weeks will hopefully give me a good starting point. And then, once I become comfortable with tracking and feel ready to make another small change, I'll do it!

I'm trying to get small wins under my belt so that when my brain wants to convince me that I'm failing yet again, I have some data points that say otherwise! Much love and empathy to this community. I feel grateful to have found you all and look forward to the times ahead!

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I really need to lose weight but it is all so confusing to me

I'm very overweight. I'm 190 pounds and my height is 5'8, I will turn 20 next month, I am a guy. My understanding of weight loss is: burn more calories than you consume. However there are a few things that I am confused with. Firstly, how am I supposed to know how many calories my body burns on a daily basis? For example, suppose I eat 500 calories less than my usual current intake. After about a week, I should lose 1 pound. There are about 102 weeks in 2 years, so if I continue to eat 500 calories less, then I'll supposedly lose 102 pounds. I don't think the amount of daily burned calories is constant like that.

For those who have succeeded in going from fat to normal looking, which resources did you use to help you? How did you do it? What were some mistakes made and how would you recommend me to start my weight loss process off?

Thanks

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Thursday, 15 July 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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A chart showing my 4 years of failed "progress": How I'm going to try and fix it moving forward

My chart, starting Sept 5 2017

Currently 25M 5' 7''

In 2015 I went to the gym and weighed in at 149lbs. I remember when I first got the loseit app and put my weight in as 198, I felt like a massive failure but was hopeful for the future. I knew the science of CICO and was confident I just needed a few months to get back to my trim self.

As you can see, that's not what happened. During my senior year in college I was going through all kinds of stress- I had transferred in January 2016 (middle of the year) and had literally 0 friends or contacts at school. I was about to graduate but had no internships/extracurriculars/experience in my field and no prospects. Uncertainty, a stupid course load where I was basically taking a second major in an unrelated subject but without the possibility of getting any degree in it, and having nobody to speak with for weeks on end lead me to keep overeating and gaining weight. Then, I graduated and moved to a completely new city. No friends, no contacts, no job and no reason to eat healthy. I finally got a great job in 2019 and started showing progress, but 2020 and the pandemic reverse all the progress I had made. As of today I'm at 254, a few pounds shy of the heaviest I've ever been.

HOW DID I MAKE PROGRESS IN THE PAST?

Did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is? Insanity is doing the exact same fucking thing over and over again, expecting shit to change. That. Is. Crazy

-some video game character

I did, in fact, make progress throughout all of 2019, until I was at 205, sooo close to the weight I decided to lose weight at. How? I was doing something different. I got an office job. I was seeing people every day. I wasn't just sitting at home alone trying not to think about food.

Also, I had solid motivation. I was going to a friends wedding that December, and it was going to be like a mini high school reunion. I was determined to look good and not show up as a fat blob. I kinda succeeded, and in the pictures I look remarkably like "my old self".

I put on a bit of weight that holiday season, but was starting to get back in the saddle. Then the pandemic hit and I was forced to be home, again, with nothing to do but work on my computer and think of food. I tried and tried, but couldn't seem to keep a streak of 'good behavior' going for more than a few days. Those streaks, incidentally, seemed to coincide with the weeks leading up to taking trips, where I was afraid of being uncomfortable on a plane and noticeably heavier than when the people with whom I was meeting saw me last.

So, for me, the ingredients for weight loss seem to be:

• CICO

• Personal Connections

• Strong motivation based on some sort of 'event'

• Doing things out of the house

I'm very comfortable with CICO. Recently, our work is opening back up and I'm seeing more people in person and working from the office more and more. I'm going to the gym at least once per day, and trying to spend as much time out of the house as humanly possible. I'm contemplating taking Martial Arts classes, less out of interest in MA but more for the workout and experience of being in a club. I'm also utilizing a strategy I posted here before that helped a bit- keeping the daily deficit front and center in my mind, instead of overeating one day and playing catch-up the rest of the week.

Also, I'm throwing in something totally new- skipping breakfast. I'm a few weeks into trying this out and I'm finding eating 2 big meals later in the day vs 3 smaller meals really helps me stay on track, especially because I start feeling 'snacky' later in the day. Unfortunately though I do get a little lightheaded and shaky right before lunch, so we'll see if it can continue.

So far, I'm making slow progress, having gone down about 4lbs in a month. I'm at a plateau now, only losing 1 lb this past week, but I'm being super diligent with my calorie counting so hopefully it passes as my body continues to adjust.

MY 'SECRET WEAPON'

A spreadsheet! For some reason, having a weekly weigh in really helps with my motivation. It gives me a solid goal/deadline, or an artificial "event" for me to prepare for. Also, having a scheduled ammount of weight I want to lose per week lets me extrapolate and see my goal. I only thought of this last week so don't have a lot of data, but here is a screenshot of the spreadsheet with hypothetical numbers for the next 2 weeks. The sheet is telling me I'll hit my goal on June 10 of next year, and being able to see that date visuall shows me it isn't too far away!

Sorry for the super long, meandering post. Hopefully it helps out others in a similar situation.

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A stressful situation has finally pushed me towards health TW: Illness and death of a loved one

Hi everyone, I'm Bauerist and I'm 27 years old. I'm going through a lot right now, as my grandmother experienced a stroke due to a burst aneurysm in her brain earlier tonight. It's her second stroke in 16 months, and it's not looking great (she's 73). My other grandmother died from a stroke last year, and my grandfather has had a TIA in the last year as well. Strokes aren't that uncommon as you get older, but tonight has really made me think about my own health and mortality and I've realised I've got to make a change or it might be me being rolled out on a stretcher in the future.

Tonight I weighed myself for the first time in a very long time and the scales clocked in at 113.4kg. With my 169cm that puts me dangerously close to a BMI of 40. I'm writing this to give myself a starting point, and something to go back to when things get rough along the way.

I'm not new to weight loss, and I've been on and off the wagon countless times, I've used all the excuses in the book to justify falling, and I've given up over and over again. But I'd like to think my motivation is a bit different this time. This time I'm not doing it because I might want children some day, or because I want to look good in a certain type of clothes, or because people of my future profession are expected to look a certain way. This time I'm doing it to give myself the best chance to live a long and healthy life. I'm doing it for myself. I don't want to keep slowly killing myself.

I may be rambling by now, so to get back to the point. Tomorrow is my first day, and I'm going to make small, sustainable changes. I'm downloading a calorie tracker tonight, and tomorrow I'm taking my starting measurements and photos for future reference.

Maybe this horrible series of events will actually save my life.

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So, day one:

• 27F
• Location: SWE
• Height: 5'7" / 169 cm
• SW: 250lbs / 113.4kg
• GW: 140lbs / 63kg
• Weaknesses: Chocolate, and sugar in general
• Strengths: I don't trust motivation or inspiration to get me anywhere, discipline is where it's at.

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PS: Thanks for being such a wonderful community <3

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The importance of NEAT

If you're anything like me, you had no idea what the hell NEAT was until you began getting serious about losing weight. For those of you who are still unfamiliar, NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. That's basically a fancy way of saying calories you burn through activity and movements that are more or less done subconsciously (fidgeting, pacing, etc.) as opposed to more structured forms of cardio.

As a child and teenager, my diet consisted almost entirely of Doritos, sugary cereal, Pop-tarts, Oreos, Mountain Dew, and fast food. I would go through more about 4 family-sized bags of Doritos per week and around 2 liters of Mountain Dew per day. In addition to that, my family and I would eat fast food at least 2 or 3 times per week. The only vegetable I had eaten by the time I was well into adulthood was potatoes. Even that was only in the form of French fries. Everywhere I went, I was carrying my Mountain Dew and had my emergency supply of Doritos nearby at all times. I was looking through some old pictures the other day and there was a bag of Doritos present somewhere in almost every single one. It got to the point where I was playing where is Waldo trying to spot the Doritos in each picture.

The amazing thing is, despite eating this way for well over a decade, the maximum weight I reached was around 230 pounds at 5'8". I'm actually not actually sure what's more shocking: my max weight, the fact that I don't (currently) have any conditions associated with my horrible diet, or the fact that I still have all my teeth. I came to the realization that the reason I never exceeded 230 was likely due to having very high levels of NEAT. I was, and still am, a very introspective person. I would spend most of my days living in the fantasy world created in my mind. While I was introspecting, I was pacing back and forth. This would go on for hours at a time sometimes, and it was every single day. When I was sitting "still", I was constantly shaking my legs or somehow staying in motion. I'm not sure I ever really stopped moving during my waking hours.

I mentioned on here the other day that I get around 25-30k steps per day now. I get the impression that people see this as excessive exercise, but honestly, most of those steps are just the result of my normal NEAT. Once I was into adulthood, I decided it was time to change my eating habits if I wanted any hope of avoiding almost certain chronic health conditions. Once I started eating healthy, the pounds just fell off. I'm now well within the normal weight range for my height, and I don't plan on ever getting back to the way I was. I feel like a big part of my weight loss can be attributed to my very high NEAT levels.

For those of you who enjoy introspecting or listening to music/podcasts/audiobooks, I would highly recommend that you do such activities while in motion if at all possible. You would be amazed at just how many steps you can unconsciously accrue during that time and all with a minimal amount of effort.

TL;DR: I believe non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) can play a much larger role than people think in weight loss.

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Starting again.

I hit a healthy weight! Yay! I went from 150 to 126 pounds at 5'1. Now, my goal weight is 118.

I am rusty when it comes to taking weight loss seriously, though. Despite eating better than when I first started, the mental "tools" and strategies that helped me make life changes need some sharpening again. I've kind of forgotten them, but I'll get them back.

I may also have to face that once you hit a healthy weight, other people probably won't want to hear about it, except in weight loss communities online. I do feel that I could benefit from getting to 118, as in, more than just vanity. Other people might not see that, though, and I don't want to sound like I'm from Hollywood lol. That was a joke BTW.

Finally, my goal is no longer mainly weight loss. It is weight loss as a side goal, with healthier habits first. Having weight loss as a main goal, even though I'm at a healthy weight, seems a little excessive for me. I would love to learn more about better habits. Just because it's healthy compared to a standard American diet, and most people say it's healthy, doesn't mean it's actually healthy!

I know losing while already at a healthy weight is not a highly important life goal. Weight loss might be a highly important goal for many of us on this sub, as in people who have a lot to lose--but not me. I need something to focus on, though, to keep me going. Setting less-important goals, in addition to the important ones like career goals and being better to your family, can help sometimes when you feel a little stagnant in life.

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