A simple 20lbs lost has made a world of difference in my looks and confidence

I'm a 6'4 male, 21, and at my heaviest I was 268lbs, and currently I am 248lbs and dropping. 20lbs at that weight did not seem like much of a change whatsoever, until I've been recently looking in the mirror, and I can actually see my shoulders, my collarbone shows again, I don't have a fat roll between my moobs and my stomach anymore, and my back actually looks like it has some shape again. My confidence has also went up a ton, not so much with my looks, but just the sheer fact that I know I am changing the one thing I hated myself for for so long.

For weight loss, I've been simply counting calories, I don't worry too much about it when I eat healthy foods (which has been a huge diet change, I try to eat only fresh meat, veggies and fruits as much as possible), but just watch portions when I each unhealthy foods, and lastly, not drinking my calories. Simply eating fresh and stopping fast food 4 to 5x a week has made me feel so light, not sluggish anymore, and believe in myself that I can change anything with time and effort. Here's to progress, everyone!

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I crossed my legs today

Went to the movies to see Halloween Kills today. I enjoyed the movie. Michael Myers is super brutal lol. Anyway, because I've been overweight all my life, I never could cross my legs knee over knee. Today when I sat down at the theater, I did it automatically and I stayed in that position for about 90% of the movie. It felt good. And since it was dark and there were only 6 people in the theater, no one really knew how I was sitting and I did not feel insecure.

Crossing my legs knee over knee has always been something I wanted to do. Now I can. Pretty cool. It's the little things.

And It only took 30 pounds of weight loss lol.

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Day 1 take 47.

Hi all, life long big fella here.

I have decided to start the journey again, as I am rounding 40 and know I need to do something about my size.

If I lose half my body weight, I would still be considered a fit and healthy person, but my goals are just 10kg at a time.

Its Ironic that having tried numerous times in the past, I know a lot about weight loss. Motivation and making it actually work is the problem though.

I definitely don't feel like I have my shit together, but I cant wait until I am 'ready' and until I feel that I am in the right space to start. That feeling hasn't come by in the last few years but even when it had taken me, it was always fleeting, leaving and I have always just returned to my normal.

Just wanted to say hi and actually put my thoughts out there.

M39, 152kg down from max of 160kg.

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My journey has been a rollercoaster but I’m now at a healthy 145ish lbs and wanted to share some tips and takeaways with you all💕

Hi! F38 here! At my heaviest I weighed 178lbs and was battling a pretty intense alcohol addiction. My diet consisted of booze, cigarettes and greasy food. I just posted a couple pics of my progress in my profile if you’re interested to see my transformation. Once a gave up alcohol, I dropped a ton of weight just based on that factor alone. But I then become obsessed with counting calories, restricting certain foods and calories, and excessive cardio. Dropped down to 120lbs. My goal then was to be skinny, not healthy. So therefore, that’s I was - unhealthy. I’ve been up and down since then (up to 160lbs during Covid) and it’s taken a lot of physical AND mental work but I am finally now at a place where I’m happy and most importantly, healthy. I weigh roughly 145lbs but don’t know the exact number because I don’t use the scale to measure my progress anymore. And that alone is liberating as hell. Anyways here are some things did and tips from my own personal experience. If they don’t resonate with you that’s cool. I’m only an expert on my own journey so this is just what worked for me.

My personal takeaways:

FOOD:

• Weight loss is a science. It’s straight up calories in, calories out. Technically you can eat a diet of only cheetos and lose weight, so long as you’re not consuming more than you burn. But don’t do that lol. Your body needs nutrients to thrive

• Don’t look at foods as “good” or “bad”. There’s nutritious food, and less or non-nutritious food. The goal is to have a healthy relationship with food in general. When you label it “junk” or “bad”, you will beat yourself up or feel guilty when you eat it, when it’s ok to include some into your diet. I eat mostly nutritious foods but definitely still eat pizza and ice cream and cookies sometimes too. It’s about moderation.

• I eat a lot more protein now. Lean proteins are low in calories yet also satiating so you’re not hungry again an hour or two after you eat. That’s the problem with the more processed, non-nutritious foods. You can keep eating and eating but won’t really be satisfied, and will be ready to eat again shortly after. Sources of protein I eat include chicken, fish, eggs, cottage cheese (I like to put it on scrambled eggs, or solo with added black pepper or chilli flakes), yogurt, beans, broccoli, deli turkey (not the packaged overly processed slices, but from the actual deli section), turkey jerky (I don’t eat beef but beef jerky is a good snack too), chicken or turkey bacon, and protein powder in my morning smoothies. You want to eat protein to build muscle too

• I eat veggies at every meal. I happen to love vegetables. I add a couple handfuls of baby spinach to my smoothies and I’m telling you, you can’t even taste it. I’ll also cook it into my scrambled eggs. I like squeezing lemon or lime on cooked broccoli or green beans for a nice citrus pop of flavour instead of salt, and then shake on some chilli flakes or a bit of hot sauce for some bite. I love me a big ass salad or stir fry’s as meals - just be mindful of dressings and/or sauces

• Learn to read labels. A serving size is very very rarely the full package. I bought a food scale to help me too. I had no idea how to eyeball 100g of something and the scale helped with that. Especially with foods you eat a lot of. I don’t really use it anymore, but I now have a pretty good sense of how much a portion size is. And if not and I’m curious, I bust it out again

• Buy individually portioned stuff. Buy one chocolate bar instead of those bite sized ones that you end up consuming half a bag of or more in a sitting because they’re small (personal experience lol). Maybe buy ice cream bars instead of a tub. And if you’re gonna eat chips or popcorn, always poor them into a bowl.

• Fruit. Mmm nature’s candy. I love fruit. Berries are my favourite. I also love melon - honeydew, watermelon and cantaloupe. They’re low cal and sweet and delicious. Try freezing some grapes (I like the red ones) and have some as a snack in their frozen state. It’s a nice sweet treat.

• Slow down when you eat. Chew your food. Enjoy it. Put your fork down between bites. Start to pay attention to your hunger cues. Try to gauge when you feel about 80% full, and practice stopping around that point. You don’t need to finish your plate. You can always put it in the fridge for later, it’s not the last time you’re ever gonna eat lol. It’s important to start listening to your body.

• Before you reach for something, ask yourself if you’re really hungry rather than bored, tired, stressed etc. And sometimes you’re just dehydrated. Drink a glass of water first. I love soda water with lime juice. I have a Soda Stream. The bubbles satisfy me and it contributes massively to water intake throughout the day. Water is your friend. I also like herbal, fruit-infused teas for that too. I add a bit of unsweetened almond or cashew milk to my teas, but no added sugar.

• Have a game plan for your meals. Make your own lunch for work. I would make and bring a nice turkey sandwich with hummus as the condiment or chicken salad for lunch when I could easily have just ordered off the menu of the restaurant I worked at like most of my coworkers. It makes a difference.

• Don’t make too many dietary changes right off the bat. You may be pumped up for the first few days or so, but then it can become overwhelming and too hard to maintain. Do not cut out all sugar if you’re used to eating tons of sugar - been there🙋🏻‍♀️ and it doesn’t work. Restriction is not the answer. You will more than likely just binge out at some point. Cut back instead. If you’re used to drinking 4 sodas a day, cut down to two until you can wean off even more. Poor half in a glass and put the other half in the fridge so you still have some for later and are kinda tricking your mind a bit. If you crave a cookie, eat a cookie, enjoy it, move on. Not used to eating veggies? Pick just one meal to add them to at the start instead of all 3. We tend to get inspired or motivated to take on the world at the start of our journeys, but then it just doesn’t last. You can’t rush this process. You have to be realistic. I know we’re all antsy to get to the finish line, but what’s the point if you get there using a diet you can’t sustain in the long run and just end up gaining it back, or possibly more?

EXERCISE:

• For me, pretty simple. Walking is my number one. I go for a walk of some sort every single day. Not just the leisurely walks, but also I walk to the train station for work instead of bus which takes me half an hour to walk each way. If I can walk it, I walk it. When I was floor ridden during Covid, I realized how blessed I truly am to normally have two working legs. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to walk. Count your blessings and take advantage of your functioning body, there’s people out there who would give anything to be able to just walk. I average 10,000-15,000 steps a day. In my excessive cardio days, I was averaging 25,000-30,000 (or even more sometimes) steps a day. Unnecessary.

• Cardio. I actually really enjoy cardio because of how it makes me feel. If my hip isn’t acting up I might do the exercise bike once or twice a week for an hour, but I went for MONTHS with zero cardio because I wasn’t able to. I promise you, you don’t NEED cardio to lose weight. I did it with walking and strength training alone. But if you enjoy cardio, do cardio. At the end of the day, it’s about finding ways YOU enjoy to incorporate movement into your life. Do you.

• Strength training. I have a gym membership, but I also have free weights at home. I’ve been doing most of my strength training from home since Covid started, but slowly getting back to the gym. Again, do whatever you feel most comfy with. I do 1 day upper body, next day lower body, next day abs/core, break day or two, then start the cycle again the following day. My upper body and abs are usually only half an hour sessions, and a bit longer for my lower body. I generally do the same exercises over again each session but after a week or two I’ll add a bit more weight, or a few more reps, or even just slow down the movements for that extra burn, otherwise you won’t see much progress if you just keep it the same. Challenge your body. When you think you’re done at 10 reps, add that eleventh! It feels so good when you push yourself passed a point that you thought you couldn’t. I also want to add that when I started strength training, my body composition changed. When I focused on solely cardio, I was super skinny. Now, I have a shape and curves that I love! I still have some “squish” in my butt and thighs but I don’t even mind! It’s cool and I’m so here for it!

• Really, just do whatever you enjoy that gets you moving. I enjoy my routine, but what I do might not be enjoyable for you. Try Zumba, yoga, a team sport, dancing, walking, swimming, biking outside, whatever. Move your body. It’s meant to move.

MINDSET:

• In my opinion, this is the most important ingredient to success but also the most difficult. From battling alcoholism, to recovery, self-doubt issues, self-esteem issues, self-worth issues, body image issues etc, to where I am today has taken A TON of hard work mentally. And while I still have a lot of inner work to do, I’m in the best place I’ve ever been.

• Meditation. I had never meditated a day in my life until October, 2020. I was a skeptic but heard nothing but endless benefits to it so I decided to give it a try. Best decision. I heard of a lady named Emily Fletcher through one of my coaching mentors and looked her up. Her practice is called The Ziva Technique and it resonated with me because you don’t have to sit on the ground with your legs crossed chanting “ohm”. In fact, there are tons of different methods out there that aren’t “woo-woo”, I just assumed they all were because I knew nothing about meditation. Her book is called “Stress Less, Accomplish More” where she teaches you her technique. I listened to it on Audible but there’s a hard copy too. I enjoyed it so much that after a few weeks I enrolled in her online course to further my practice. It’s crazy how much this shit grounds you and calms you in everyday life. I’m not gonna list all the personal benefits I’ve noticed but there’s been tons. I actually didn’t even realize HOW much it helped me until I fell off of my meditation this summer for a couple months and started to feel anxious and irritable. So I’m back on the train. If you’re not into, that’s cool. To each their own. And again, Ziva resonated with me but there’s TONS of different methods out there so you can find one that suits you.

• I started reading and listening to other books and podcasts to guide my journey. Jay Shetty’s book “Think like a Monk” is a good listen with some nice insights. He also has a podcast and a very soothing and comforting voice. Lewis Howes has a good podcast. Brene Brown has some great books. Atomic Habits is a great read and very helpful for trying to break habits that don’t serve you, and replace them with one’s that do. I read Allen Carr’s “Easy way to Stop Smoking” to quit my 20 year long smoking habit. Annie Grace’s “This Naked Mind” has some good insights if you’re looking to quit drinking or even just cut back. There’s tons of great shit out there. But the key is not just to read it or listen to it, you actually have to apply it too.

• I feel like we were taught to believe that you need motivation to get things going, but it’s in fact the opposite. You need to take action first. When you start taking action, you become motivated to keep going. You’re never always gonna be motivated to exercise or cook a healthy meal or whatever, you just gotta do it anyways. A game-changer for me was discovering Mel Robbins’ “5 Second Rule”. She wrote a whole book about it with science to back it up. It sounds too simple and crazy but the theory is, every time you think about doing something you should be doing, countdown from 5-4-3-2-1. When you hit 1, get up and do the fucking thing! You have a 5 second window before you talk yourself out something. So if you’re thinking about working out, 5-4-3-2-1 in your head (or out loud) and get the fuck up and just do it! Can’t get outta bed? 5-4-3-2-1 get up! It sounds dumb but look it up and try it. I fucking love Mel Robbins btw. She also has this thing where you High Five yourself in the mirror. It’s about becoming your own biggest cheerleader. You should look that up too. It all sounds very cheesy, I know. And it is lol. But this shit works, and if it doesn’t for you then don’t do it. But I think sometimes we could use all the help we can get and this journey is about trying new things. Because what you’re currently doing really isn’t working for ya, is it?

• DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. From friends, to family, to celebrities and athletes. And whether it be their journey, their progress, their body, whatever….just stop! Comparison is the thief of joy. We are all unique and different. What works for someone might not work for you, or take you longer to achieve. That’s ok. And stop following the social media accounts that leave you feeling envious and crappy about yourself rather than inspired. Our bodies are all different and unique, so it will only drag you if your goal is too look like a Kardashian sister. That’s an impossible standard unless you have access to the world’s top surgeons, trainers, nutritionist etc. Learn to love, respect and accept what you were born with. I know it’s hard. Take a look and the mirror and instead of picking apart everything you hate, try and find something positive to say. Even if it’s as simple as, I love my legs because they bring me from point A to B. Or I have pretty eyes. Start being kind to it.

• Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. This whole process is gonna be uncomfortable. Mentally prepare for that. What I was taught in my studies is to take a pause. When you’re about to reach for that bag of chips or soda or chocolate, pause for a minute. Sit down. You’re probably feeling uncomfortable because you’re craving something right? Close your eyes for a minute and analyze that feeling. Where is your discomfort showing up? Is it a knot in your gut, tightness in your chest, tingling in your skin? Whatever it is, ask yourself what’s so bad about it. It’s just a sensation and it’s gonna pass. Try and ride it out. And if that doesn’t work, that’s ok. Eat what you’re craving without judgement. But you at least created that pause and if you keep doing it, you might realize you’re not actually craving the food but something else. Have a bubble bath, drink an herbal tea, go for a walk around the block. Find something to do to distract you or fill the void you’re searching for besides food, unless you’re really hungry of course.

Look my dears, none of the shit is easy so don’t be too hard on yourself along the way. You will fuck up. You will fall. It’s gonna take a lot of trial and error. But just get back up and keep going. I feel like I probably have even more to say but this post is long enough already lol and I don’t know if anyone even got this far. Attention spans run thin these days so kudos to you if you did read it all the way through. I believe when there’s a will there’s a way. You gotta believe in yourself though. It’s taken your brain years and years of conditioning to develop your current habits, it’s gonna take time to break them. Be patient. And I can’t stress enough, be kind to yourself.

Hopefully something here resonated for you. If not, or if you disagree with anything I’ve said, that’s totally cool. These are just my personal thoughts and experiences and you by know means have to listen. I encourage you to do whatever feels right for. And I’m wishing you all the best of luck on whichever path you take. Much love and thanks for reading.

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Starting my weight loss journey now. I don’t want to fail again.

I (20F) am the heaviest I have ever been. I’ve been struggling with my weight since early childhood though. I have always been “the fat girl” I’m tired of it. I’m in a relationship with a heavier guy (25m) and we live together. I’m not working so I generally do the shopping and cooking, and it is so hard. We’re basically eating totally different things. I make myself food to fit within my 1500 calorie budget, and he gets ribs, pasta, and sweets. He doesn’t eat any veggie except for broccoli, and hates anything generally looked at as healthy: whole grains, yogurt, fruit, etc. seeing him enjoy himself while eating these things causes such a strain on my mental and cravings. It’s been a week so far and I’m down 3lbs. CW: 233 GW: 150. Please give me some motivation. I’ve been dieting and losing and gaining weight back since I was 13 I have to be for real this time. Diabetes and heart disease runs deeply in my family. I really want to break the cycle.

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Sometimes Losing Weight Isn't Enough - But It's Still Worth It

Around March of this year, I was finally starting to feel like the world had taken a positive turn and it was time to stop living like the world was ending. Like a lot of people, I had become pretty lax with diet and exercise during the pandemic and had gained about 15-20 lbs. Prior to the pandemic, I had already been trying to lose 5-10 lbs. I decided to see my doctor to get my weight "officially" on record, and do some blood tests to see how I had screwed up other numbers. Everything looked okay, except my total and LDL cholesterol numbers which were 236 and 152, respectively. Recommendations are that total is below 200 and LDL is below 130. Given my family history of heart disease, this was the wake-up call I needed to get back on the healthy train and the doctor recommended cutting down on carbs, sugar, and process foods and to get more exercise in. I am a 5'6" 32F and my starting weight was 180 lbs. I knew I wanted to end up around 150-155 lbs, which is the upper end of my "healthy" weight range, but I knew setting that goal initially would doom me, so I decided goal #1 was to target 165 lbs. I just had to lose 15 lbs. I have previously gotten down to 140 lbs, but the effort to not only get there but to sustain it is something I just can't and don't want to do anymore, so I decided to aim just a bit higher.

I had a trip planned for July that I was using as a target to just feel more comfortable in my clothes. I started doing Peloton classes and ordering healthy lunches and being more mindful of after-work snacking and weight started coming off quickly. I felt so much more comfortable in my own skin. My July trip came and went and I noticed my weight started to creep up a bit. I buckled down, increased my strength-focused workouts and upped my weights and it started coming down again.

I booked a beach vacation for October. Literally, the day of my trip, I hit 165.8 lbs. Goal #1 basically achieved. I visited my doctor the day before to get my cholesterol numbers checked again: 224 for total and 149 for LDL. Basically, no change and my numbers were still above the recommendations.

I was definitely disappointed, but this showed me how strong genetics can be and how important weight management is in spite of that. If I had this strong genetic tendency coupled with higher weight, I'd be at an even higher risk. My sister, who is very thin and in excellent shape, also has elevated cholesterol numbers.

Even though I didn't make much impact to my cholesterol numbers, I have significantly improved my overall health. I am stronger. My cardiovascular fitness has improved. I legitimately enjoy working out and exercised every day on both my trips. An added bonus is that I am so much happier and confident. Goal #2 of reaching 150-155 lbs is now the focus, and I'm paying so much more attention to my diet and focusing more on plant-based nutrition. I am hopeful that my cholesterol numbers will change in suit.

My point is this: sometimes you do all the right things and it doesn't totally work out, but that doesn't mean your efforts aren't worth it. Weight is just a singular facet of overall health.

Weight Loss Plot

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Shy girl finds confidence, but still nervous, made an Instagram account

Long story short. I was very fat. Then I got very fit and a lot less fat. But I'm still kinda fat.

So I decided to do that work in the kitchen I had been avoiding, to get off the unsustainable bro foods diet I was on, and really address the issue I had with food: I LIKE THE TASTE. I decided to not work against myself, knowing that whatever "diet" / lifestyle change I chose, it would have to be something I enjoyed, something that tasted really good, while being in a calorie deficit and not making me hungry, was easy, and also allowing myself to have the foods I really enjoyed. Then I "invested" in my weight loss journey, putting in time to build in some accountability by writing articles about weight loss. I don't want to feel like a hypocrite, so I have to be eating the foods I post about.

I made an Instagram account putting on the tips and foods that were working for me. I decided recently to make a push to lose the rest of the weight.

Today I actually showed pictures of myself. Before and after pictures. I know that's not a big deal to most of you, but it's a major thing for me. I don't disclose the fact that I lost weight to people I meet, and generally keep the gym-going a secret, because who wants to hear about that? I've gotten so much push back from the people close to me over losing weight that I generally don't talk about it. I've wanted to post some of the fitness tricks I can do, but haven't because I'm nervous people will just make fun of the fact that I'm still chubby, instead of saying, oh, that's cool she can do that.

What do you think of the progress so far?

I'm feeling some level of cringe, happiness, and motivation.

The pictures are on instagram @ theironpan

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