Asklemmy

I started living alone and grocery shopping for myself so I just stopped buying high calories food and sugary snacks. And count calories.

Calorie counting through MyFitnessPal. I am unable to accurately gauge how many calories I'm consuming just by eyeballing it, and this is especially difficult given my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is about 1350 calories. (I'm short.) The only way I've been able to manage my weight is by turning it into concrete understandable numbers.

I have a 3,312 day streak of calorie counting now. It's the one habit I've managed to keep up, and while my weight has gone up and down I've kept track of it all. At my starting point, I weighed 150lb (obese by BMI), and I'm currently down to 118 (high end of normal by BMI).

I stopped drinking alcohol and soda and drastically cut down my milkshake consumption. I've lost 50 pounds in the past year and still going down.

Counting calories was the biggest thing, I like Cronometer. I did a crash diet to reset what my body expected out of portion sizes but quickly scaled back up to healthier amounts (no point getting an eating disorder over this). Don't obsess over tracking things exactly it's all flawed anyway. Instead just be consistent so trends over time can be identified and adjusted. I didn't do this for weightloss but I also quit drinking around that time which helped too. Started going bouldering regularly, recently bought a bike, and I don't own a car so I tend to do a lot of walking.

Recently something shifted where I'm no longer counting calories to make sure I'm eating small enough portions, I'm counting calories to make sure I'm eating enough. I never changed what foods I eat I just changed the portions.

Oh and if I'm feeling really hungry but don't have a lot of calories for the day I'll microwave a potato for a bit then pop it in an air fryer to finish. Baked potato quality in under 10 minutes, if you don't load it with dairy then they are less than a calorie a gram making them pretty diet friendly.

I replaced sugar with date sirop
I'm eating less transformed food and fast food
Lot of sport between 5 and 30 km of running + walk a day
No change in portions

Moved to a walkable city in a country with better food quality, and sold my car. It's a cheat code.

Also slowly regaining it, and need to cut down on snacking and drinking.

Not a method I'd ever recommend to anybody but depression did it. Just stopped eating, like, almost entirely, had no appetite whatsoever, would force myself to eat at least something around dinner time, around 50g of carbs (when dry) like pasta, rice or noodles. Drank tea during the day for some caffeine. Combined with some exercise - started walking then running about 5k every few days.

Things got a bit more normal after a while and just kind of went with watching calories. Mostly just kept an eye on carbs - no more than 100g per day, used less fat or oil in cooking, picked slightly (but not excessively) leaner cuts of meat, more veggie dishes, skimmed milk, no sugary drinks. Never was one for eating breakfast, my day would normally be some kind of lunch time thing like a couple of crumpets with some jam, an afternoon snack - usually rice cakes, japanese-style crackers, pickled stuff (gherkins, onions, sauerkraut) then dinner as I mentioned above. There was a few brands of ice cream that did low calorie versions I would buy for dessert, or I would have fat-free yoghurt and a couple of squares of chocolate.

I found this pretty easy to do during covid (started this all maybe mid 2020). It was easy to hide the fact you were eating strangely if people aren't aware. The bit that I found (and still find) hardest is the intention to start or cut portion sizes. I never intended to do it but I found that when I stopped eating because I had no appetite, it was like a kind of reset that allowed me to build up to a more appropriate diet. I can't say I think this is a good idea for a whole host of reasons but that is what happened to me.

I moved to a city in the US where I can get around without a car. 95% of my trips I take via bike or public transit. I haven't actually lost much weight but I have gotten much leaner

From 2013 to 2017 I lost 60 pounds and I've kept it off since.

I tried everything to lose that fat.

I've tried at different times: keto, calorie counting, intermittent fasting, low fat, low carb, Soylent, cutting alcohol, high fiber, if it fits your macros, power lifting, CrossFit, running, vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, and Renaissance periodization.

What's actually worked consistently for losing and keeping it off? Simple. Intermittent fasting 20/4 with low carb during the week, free cheat weekends, and no alcohol ever. With that protocol I can control my weight to the pound, consistently, and I've held it there for over 5 years.

It's such a great feeling to be totally in control of it.

Stopped drinking my calories (alcohol, juice, soda, etc.) and fell in love with running.

I went from 110 to 75kg a few years ago by no longer snacking in the evening.

I eat something at 5-6, and then that's the last thing for the day.

That alone did it already.

Cico, exercise, good sleep, and a solid reason to lose

I ate less.

Shocking, I know.

I won't give a specific solution.

What works for you ultimately depends on you; be it intermittent fasting, OMAD, cutting sugar and/or salt, simply eating less, working out, a combination of the previously mentioned, etc. but what I feel allowed me to actually lose weight (~50 pounds so far) was accepting that -- whatever you end up doing -- it's not temporary. It's a lifestyle change. You're just going to regain that weight if you return to the habits that brought you there in the first place.

Mentally, I also approached it as "one step at a time". Weight fluctuates for all sorts of reasons be it water intake, you just ate, etc. I didn't get discouraged as I saw the number go up and down a few pounds here and there, but continued to view every few pounds as a milestone worth celebrating (not with a cheat day, mind you). The general trend kept going down, I was getting and remaining healthy, and that's all I really cared about.

Started eating a shit tonne of rice.

Losing weight really isn't that hard. It's calories in verses calories out. If that doesn't work, congratulations you are breaking the laws of thermodynamics and physics is changed forever.

I just took out some higher calorie food and ate a lot more chicken and rice and the weight dropped off kinda scary fast seeing as I was eating 4 meals a day. Ended up adding extra calories with eggs and was more comfortable with sauces.

Another time I took up surfing. Fucking hell surfing is hard, running 10 miles is easier. Increased my food load and ate a crap load more protein and just changed shape in a few months, lost the fat around my tummy and my shoulders grew huge.

Long COVID.

Lost my appetite, smell, & taste. Appetite came back in about a month, smell & taste were off for 6-8 months. Lost over 50lbs from just not wanting to eat.

Still working on it. Goddamn antipsychotics make it really difficult, but I’m gonna do it.

Can't afford to eat much, cuz SSI, rent increase. Kept having conversations in head, like "I can buy laundry detergent OR have food to last the month." I've lost 20 lbs past few months , after discovering how tasty white rice can be, with just a tiny bit of sesame oil, salt and pepper.

Naltrexone and then became vegan. It's AMAZING.

Edit; should clarify I am not taking naltrexone for weight loss, it's for an anxiety disorder, and it's a side effect. It made me loathe the taste of animal products and I have almost no appetite, but bitch is SKINNAY.

Exercise and diet. That allowed me to lose 15 kg.

For exercise: I bought Ring Fit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch at the start of 2020. That's the only thing that has motivated me to exercise. Now I even do some additional weight lifting and cardio exercises. This has helped me the most to lose weight.

For diet: I have gastrointestinal issues. Since 2022 I started a diet to alleviate those problems. This helped only a little for losing weight.

Went vegan.

Lost 10kg, was pretty worried, got 8 back

I appreciate this doesn't work for everyone and might not be a long term solution, but I dropped 20kg by fasting on a 20:4 schedule.

Eating less sugar, fat and carbs. More protein. Exercising frequently, if you don’t like the gym find something else. Swimming for example is great fun and very gentle on an overweight body.

Keto and Intermittent Fasting during Covid while WFH and not going out to eat for 2 years.

I had always been thin, but from 2017-2020 I gained a lot of weight, and I was scheduled to start a new job the day that lockdowns went into place. So I WFH for a couple of years before I met any of my new coworkers face to face.

Once I realized I had some time, I ordered a 64 oz water bottle with times and volume on the side. I tried to drink 3 of those filled with water a day, only eating a small lunch at 12.

I never weighed myself - I only went by how my clothes fit. I still had jeans from when I was thin and that was my goal - to fit in them again. Once that was done, I would figure out how to proceed.

A year or so into it, I’d lost a couple of pants sizes. I was getting compliments - positive reinforcement. That’s when I became obsessed and doubled down and it got really unhealthy.

I just didn’t eat. Do not do this. It wasn’t intentional but it happened. My hair was falling out. I’ve since gained some of the weight back but I probably lost around 50 lbs and have kept 90% of it off. And I still try to drink a ton of water during the day and eat better.

TLDR I’m not proud of it and never intended to go that far, but I didn’t realize I was doing it so just be aware.

I had a lot of anxiety that made me overeat.

I worked with my doctor to find the right medication that worked for me. I then had control over my impulses.

I also had more motivation, so I started tracking my food and workout 2-3 times a week.

I've lost 30lbs since the end of October.

Figure out how many calories you need to maintain your weight and eat less then that.

A calorie calculator can estimate how many calories you burn a day and can estimate plans based on how much weight you want to lose per week.

Exercise so that you don't lose muscle mass and your body burns the stored calories.

And finally, test things and find what works for you. Staying consistent is key.

For myself, I like a Zig Zag plan for losing weight cause I can still enjoy some junk food on the weekend. I track my calories using MyNetDiary because it syncs with other apps I use.

I've lost 15lbs in 4 weeks but I know it's going to take about 5 more months to meet my goal weight.

Good luck on your journey!

Warning: expensive

Answer: grapes, pineapple, raspberries

Filling, low kcal, keeps you busy, especially grapes.

Edit: just in case someone sees this, making an update in bold.

Stopped eating breakfast. No eating after 8 pm. Ate 4 ounces of meat, a cup of veggies and a 1/4 cup of some kind of nuts for lunch at noon and dinner at 7 pm every day except Saturdays. For energy/appetite control, I keep a 1/4 of nuts and a cup of baby carrots that I sometimes eat around 5 pm, but not always.

On Saturdays, ate whatever I wanted from 4:30-8 pm which motivated me to get back on diet the next day.

Walk or ran an hour a day. At first during the evenings, then woke up an hour early and did it in peace. Started causing me to go to bed earlier, a good thing.

Lost 70 pounds from March to October of last year. Stopped dieting and gained 40 back to date. Started back on diet this week. We just had our cheat meal and I could already tell the difference in where it felt more special than eating badly all the time. Going to shoot for 80 pounds total.

I’ve been back on diet for almost a week and lost 6 pounds. Likely water weight, not normal rate, but nice to see nonetheless. I’m already feeling better too.

2 hours of moderate exercise a day, ate less and replaced things like potato chips etc. with healthier things eg. nuts

Lost 100 lbs by having a slimfast shake for breakfast and a Greek yogurt or banana for lunch. Anything I want for dinner.

Dance Dance Revolution. More specifically, an open source clone of it called StepMania. Very fun way to lose weight. You'll want to invest in some high quality metal dance pads if you really enjoy it though.

"Lose It" app, which is a food log. Awareness does the trick. I set it to about 2/3 of my average daily calorie burn, and stick to it, with a day off every two weeks or so.

Works for me.

I'll focus on decision making with a threefold approach. If that sounds fancy, well that's because it is.

Firstly, large change comes from seemingly insignificant decisions. Actually, they just seem so small because they are made in the current moment. But decisions made in the moment are all anybody has and ever had, and so they are actually most meaningful.

Secondly, grow your capacity for decision making. Don't start with the oak, but with the seed. Start small, slow, and with low expectations. Keep in mind that these take place in the moment.

Examples:

• Pay attention to the moments in your day when you could have made a decision. Don't interfere, just observe.
• While going for a walk, decide to change your path. Take an unplanned turn. Try a U turn.
• See how long you can just sit somewhere. More challenging than it sounds.
• Swim one extra lane.
• Stop watching after one episode.
• And so on.

Thirdly, the same as point two, but focused on cultivating healthy eating patterns.

Examples:

• Observe your eating behavior without interfering and judgment. You're simply learning about how things are and have been.
• Throw away a handful of chips. It's alright to toss food given your circumstances.
• Switch out a chocolate bar with stracciatella quark. Chocolatey protein!
• Read up on nutrition while waiting for the train. What is glycogen? How does one properly store prepared food?
• Cook something nutritious and tasty by adding spices, cheese, cream, butter, salt, sugar. Can't be worse than a factory meal, right?
• Standing in the store in front of what you're craving, and pay attention to what you're feeling. Buy it.
• Standing in the store in front of what you're craving, and pay attention to what you're feeling. Say no.
• And so on and so forth.

Lastly, I'd like to say that weight loss is a personal journey, filled with unique challenges and discoveries. Beyond these practical steps, it's crucial to remain open to deeper insights about yourself. Whether it's addressing emotional eating, seeking social support, or trying out sport, the essence lies in making a series of informed decisions in the present moment. Each choice, no matter how small, propels you forward, shaping the future you envision for yourself.

60lbs. Calorie deficit. Aimed for 1500 calories, bled over with a reasonable margin to 1800 calories. Per day.

I stopped eating ice cream. Still not sure why that did it, I didn't think I was eating that much. 70lbs down.

Keto!

By figuring out how I would eat to keep a healthy weight. Then I just started eating like this. Its slow, but you don't run into the problem of being "done" with losing weight and picking up weight again. You just have a better eating habit and can stick with it basically forever - and as a bonus you can even have things like Pizza while losing weight.