so most ignorant morons (as i was one not too long ago) will tell you to "just count calories and work out" while that is surely one thing you should most definitely also do, it's "probably" not the most important thing.
the most important thing by far though is to change your diet. not only calories matter but also what calories.
for example: if you're fat, what comes to mind first is: well eat less fat right? wrong. being scared of fat is the first fatal flaw of any diet. your body loves fat and the last thing it wants is to let the valuable reserve go to waste. so your body will litterally rather burn your muscles and even burn superflous parts of your own organs before it will burn your fat. if you don't eat fat anymore, your body is like "oh shit we're not getting any fat, so i should probably try even harder to store what fat i already have". so in conclusion: you want to eat fat. fat is good. however try and go for poly-unsaturated fats as much as possible.
the second fatal flaw is undereating. yes you can undereat. sure not eating at all will make things go a LOT faster but well that's much harder and shouldn't be done without the help of a doctor as it is dangerous and unhealthy. i'm speaking unscientifically now but your body has something you could call a "emergency starvation mode". it can considerably cut down on calory consumption so if you eat too little calories, your body will switch to burning way less calories than usual. so unless you're doing the "not eating at all" thing with the help of a doctor, never eat below 1800 calories so your body doesn't switch to emergency mode.
so now you know your body does everything not to burn fat. however the second thing (which is probably even more important than the first) is sugar and carbs. some diet tell you carbs are good, cause it is harder to break down but well carbs are metabolized into sugar either way and sugar raises insulin levels. high insulin levels in your blood litterally block the biomechanics that are at work to break down your stored fat into energy so you litterally are unable to burn your fat. if you eat few calories with sugar and carbs, you're starving your body, cause it doesn't get enough energy and can not burn the reserve it has.
so tl;dr: Work out, eat less calories (not less than 1800) and most importantly: cut carbs and sugar. don't cut fat. fat is good. realize that you have to do all that for probably 2-3 years. you can speed it up by working out harder but never cut your calories to less than 1800 per day.
firstly NEVER go by the BMI... you could be the healthiest person around who lifts weights each day and got a very muscular body and your BMI can point to you being unfit and overweight for your height, age etc...
exercise, eat less than you burn or burn more than you eat...
basically eat within moderation, but be active... dont take part in rapid weight loss diets cos they can in fact be harmful to your heart and other organs leading to serious complications further down the line...
when my ex girlfriend was trying to lose weight she ate pasta, macaroni cheese a lot of the time, fruit and plenty of water... also green tea can help with your metabolism from what I have read... but she hated the stuff yet with pasta diet, add some veg, fruit for dessert and stick with it... it won't happen over night and it will be difficult but if you are active and stick with it this is quite effective...
she went down from a size 20/24 (uk) to size 18 then size 14 before she quit and piled it back on again
and ignore people who shout negatively at you... be stubborn and lose the weight for you, no one else, set yourself realistic goals to achieve and when you reach them set another and another until you are at the desired weight level
These are some small steps to start with and to work into your routine:
Change all drinks to only plain water. No sugary drinks at all. If you feel you need a sweet drink sometimes, buy fruit flavored water with zero calories to have as a treat. Nestle makes some of those.
Find some meals you like that are healthy and lower calorie, and eat them more often.
Eat your favorite fruits as snacks instead of cookies or chips.
Buy a step counter and wear it daily. Have a goal each day for how far you want to walk. Even just walking through your house or doing chores adds to it. Just try to move around more than normal. Simple walking is the easiest and most convenient way to get more exercise.
Try to sleep more to avoid overeating. While you're at home, if you get very hungry, go to sleep instead. You can't eat while you're sleeping and by the time you wake up, the urge should be less. Maybe keep some Benadryl on hand to get to sleep faster.
To stay motivated, think about the figure that you want to have and how attractive you'll feel when you look that way. Think about the prettier clothes that you'll be able to wear and how much better they'll look on you.
I think you really need a good support system. If you don't have that with friends and family reach out to someone in the community like contact your local health department. Don't start anything until you and a good doctor come with a plan to monitor your health as you lose weight.
Just pick one thing to start with even if it is something small. I can't find the video I wanted to show you on you tube about the man who started slowly by just walking across his kitchen so many times a day. He, also, started cutting foods down slowly. So if he used to eat 7 burritos he ate 4 until he got down to a normal amount. He was vloging his process and people began to cheer him on. He started by sitting in a chair and left some 1 pound hand weights. Don't get bogged down with a big plan just do one right thing today. It could be today you eat a salad or clean out your refrigerator and cabinets of junk.
I'd strongly suggest professional help from PT, nutritionist, doctor. If you can't for whatever reason though, I'd err towards a baby-step approach that minimizes the risk of yo-yoing.
Analyze your worst eating habits (as honestly as you can). Try to make compromises to them, however small of a compromise that you can sustain. If you can sustain one set of compromises and grow comfortable, apply another set, and another, and another. Keep going until you reach your goals. An example of a small compromise is like substituting a burger for a lettuce-wrapped burger when it comes to fast food.
It's not ideal but the idea is to not try to turn your life upside down in one go since that can be devastating psychologically and physically if you fail, and the risk of failure is much higher the more you try to achieve this in one go without professional aid. It's the same kind of mindset as training: you don't want to train like an Olympian in your state. We have to start small and make incremental progress, and only when you're able to sustain the previous step, but baby-steps can cover a long distance faster than you might think even though it's not as fast as bold leaps (but, unlike bold leaps, it's far less at risk of having you fall backwards all the way back to the beginning).
2
9 Reply
Asker
+1 y
Thank you so much :) what can I eat as snacks during the day?
What sort of things do you eat now if I may ask, and your worst habits and worst things you eat? Another thing I recommend is to keep a scribbly log (or maybe just type something in a notepad app in your phone). All you have to do is before you eat or drink anything with calories (don't have to bother for water, e. g., since that's zero calories), scribble it down. It just takes two seconds and you don't have to be neat. The point of this is to turn subconscious snacking habits into conscious ones; you're not allowed to eat anything until you jot it down.
I’m ashamed of my eating habits and I’m trying to change but here it goes :(. I have a sweet tooth and I’m a big meat lover and because I’m a waitress at a restaurant I eat lunch and dinner there.. I usually have a burger fries and a soda and chicken nuggets for lunch and a ice cream or banana split. For dinner I usually eat eggs with pancakes and a side of sausage and bacon. For snacks it’s usually something sweet like an ice cream cone or brownies.. I’m certainly a mess and I’m trying to change it but it seems really hard for me to not eat what I really want..
The meat actually isn't so bad for weight loss if it's reasonably lean and not covered in fat/oil/grease/butter/etc (long-term health is another issue, but for weight loss not so bad). If it's mostly protein you actually burn about 20-30% of the calories you consume in protein just digesting it.
The sweet tooth is a bit more of a challenge. The first challenge I'd set forth for you is to cut out the liquid calories like sodas and fruit juice and replace with zero-calorie drinks (water, sparkling water, black coffee, unsweetened tea). If you can't do it in one go, then a compromise is like you're allowed one drink with calories but the next one has to be a full glass of water. If you can at least manage that, then you might say two glasses of water for each of such drinks, and so on until you're drinking just zero-calorie drinks.
For chocolate craving like brownies, see if you can acquire a taste for dark chocolate, like maybe 70% Cacao in the beginning. It's going to be bitter but it can hit the craving spot for chocolate. If you can get used to that, go darker like 80%, then eventually 90%. The darker it gets the more bitter, and not only is it healthier and lower in calories, but the bitterness usually stops you from eating so much of it.
Just make the tiniest compromises, like look for a lower calorie version of something you like that you like almost as much -- like air-fried chicken to chicken fried in oil, then grilled/boiled. And work your way in small steps. Get in the habit of glancing at nutrition labels of things you eat (can look them up quickly on the internet at restaurants).
Then you are no longer a "blind shopper". You can compromise nutritional value for taste, in the same way when you shop for groceries, you might favor something at half the price of something else that you like almost as much.
You can probably stand to lose some weight fairly quickly just eliminating the liquid calories like sodas. Those tend to be the worse since they can skyrocket your calorie intake without making you feel full at all (almost no satiety).
Thank you so much for all of the information :)!! I’m thinking of leaving my job because it’s really a lot of temptation to eat junk food but I can’t currently so I will have to learn to resist for now
And celebrate your progress here. If you can just make a tiny compromise like cutting down on sodas and sustaining that, you have made real, long-term progress no matter what the scale says. You have managed a real lifestyle change. Keep going and your body will start reflecting the changes over time. If you start learning about the nutritional values of foods you like and eat most often, that is also progress. That knowledge will stay with you for the rest of your life. Celebrate it.
Please take my opinion in the best way possible... I want to help you! A big thing that the body does in a very DECEITFUL way is the craving of Fat... REAL FAT! Butter, Mayonnaise! But your body doesn't tell you "Hey, I need fat" it actually says "Hey, I need SUGAR"! So it's not FAT that's to blame, it's SUGAR! BUT: Not that Sugar is bad, just in LARGE quantities... See, when you eat sugar, thinking it's what your body needs, the craving doesn't go away... because you require fat, but that's not what your body ACTUALLY needs! Here's another one: UNREAL FOOD. Fast food, food loaded with the -Phirenes, -Utines, and -phoroses... (Those weird unidentifiable words at the end of ingredient lists: Your body doesn't know what to do with those things... So instead of putting it in your waste, your body STORES it! So: Keep away from Coke Zero, Splenda, and excessive fast food, and eat things with plenty of the food groups: Grain, Fruit, Protein, and Veg! Burning fat is an excellent way to rid excess body storage: Walk often, get sunshine, FRESH air, not exactly hard exercise, but actually doing things! I hope this helps! Let me know how you're doing!
I would suggest that you first just try to health up a decent diet that you can actually enjoy; add more healthy greens and such to your normal routine. Once you can happily enjoy those things it will be a category that expands to your benefit.
Stretch, stretch and light exercises at home to start up the motors and I'd suggest mild weight lifting, crunches and squats. You can do push ups against your staircase to begin and try to focus on form and not get yourself down. Dedication is what does it. Wedge in 2 minutes of crunches between your programs. Make yourself do some light work when you wake up. If you need to do something and can't get going, force yourself to do some light work to warm up.
you also might want to get a fresh stack of hand or kitchen towels, proper spray bottles and mix up your own alcohol spray. I add a little essential oil (your choice) and maybe a tad febreeze; you can even water down 70%-90% concentrations. This will help with sweat, stank gym bags, and working on isolation machines when it comes to it. I'd guess leg presses and chest press at a woman's gym (no chick likes that vulnerable shit but it's some of the better muscle groups to work on to start burning that internal furnace.
And I'd recommend maybe a rowing machine for cardio but whatever you prefer. Boxing is fun, dancing by yourself, whatever
I did get off point from the dietary angle which can be more important than all the exercise. Once you can find ways to crave healthier foods because you enjoy them that's when you'll actually feel yourself on the right path. Wheatgrass tastes good to me. I neeed a lush salad with my medium rare rib eye. You can't have ramen without it being mostly vegetable soup and at least 1 egg dropped in. And I highly recommend smoked fish as a meal replacement type snack. Zero soda, drink tea or lemon water. Zero alcohol. Zero super junk, just eat real meals that you can honestly enjoy which have real nutritional value. Give your body what it actually craves and it will start rejecting your choices for ultra-junk on whim. And the exercises and motivation will actually help each other too. We're putting points into every category and watching it grow through our efforts.
Fortunately being at the weight you are, losing weight will make a bigger difference in your appearance then say someone who is already at a healthy weight.
First things first, you need to get your diet cleaned up. If you’re as heavy as you say you are, then you must have had eating habits that led you up to that point. I don’t exercise, I’m about average BMI, but I still eat a lot of junk food, as in a bag of popcorn a day (aside from my normal 2-3 meals). I however have a very fast metabolism thanks to my previous years. The best thing you can do to start seeing results is eliminate all junk food from your diet, only eat nutritious food. That means no more candy bars, not even protein bars or granola bars. Stick to basic food. I’m not a dietitian, but I can tell you that the more organic food you eat and less of processed stuff you eat, the healthier you’ll be.
Next, you’re going to want to get more active, this will help your body increase it’s metabolism and hopefully cut some fat over time. You’re likely going to get tired very quickly, so Id recommend start by going out walking for about half an hour to an hour everyday (or swimming, that’s also a good way to help your cardiovascular system out given the heat). Do this for a week or two then begin trying to jog. We want you to get your heart rate up to burn fat but we also don’t want you to get heat exhaustion.
I’m borderline morbidly obese myself, I’m a teen so it’s harder for me to control my eating schedules whilst school is in, but your 18-24 so I think school wise you might be fine! But, when it comes to weight loss it’s not just about getting the weight off. It’s important you know why you wanna lose the weight, it’s also important that you do it, whilst being in good health, for example don’t starve and workout vigorously! It’s unhealthy, and don’t bore yourself with salads all day and week, find foods you actually enjoy and are healthy, even I got sick of all the fast food, all though it’s timeingly convenient, it’s very unhealthy! I have lots to say so bare with me lol!
I know I’m repeating myself, buuut, it’s important! Always make sure your healthy, Check in with your doctor, don’t bore yourself with foods, don’t starve because you may just binge and gain all that weight back (and it isn’t unhealthy) have some support! Like a support group, a friend, or even a therapist! And most of all, if you cannot get the weight of, it’s important to converse about strategic methods to help you! Like Pills, or surgery!
And always have a cheat day! I don’t mean go and buy the menu at McDonald’s, I mean if you want that slice of cheesecake go ahead! You deserve it for completing a week y’know?
See a nutritionist and get a blood test done to determine what is making you gain so much weight. Because diet and exercise can only do but so much if you don't know the source of the problem. Never try to do things yourself. But the most part:
Eat fewer calories of 2000. Lay off most sugar and added sugars. Eat more fiber!!! All of that is mostly backed up fecal matter because you probably not dumping your stool 2 -3 times a day. Plenty of water. Do moderate exercise and get a trainer. Have foods in portions. Not large meals. Get 8 hours of sleep. Manage stress. It also causes weight gain. Have your thyroid tested. Get the whole panel done. T3 and T4 measuring.
Yes it is possible. When I was younger my dad was about 300 pounds over weight. His blood pressure was high and the doctor said he might Develop heart disease. He decided to lose weight. Stopped eating fast food, stopped drinking soda, started doing 2hrs of Cardio based exercises per day and ate only 2000 calories worth of food even if it meant only 2 meals that day. I admit it wasn’t instant but he eventually got down to 170lb. He’s fit enough to ride a bicycle at 18m/hr and most important, his blood pressure when down to normal.
Watch this documentary ‘everybody matters’ it’s about the scientific side on weight loss for obese people. It will definitely help you in the long run, trust me. It provides information you won’t get from regular diets.
Your body and brain will fight you and it might seem like you are starving on a diet but that’s just a normal reaction, your brain doesn’t want to lose weight as your body as it is now is the new normal.
Keep a food diary and be honest about what you eat and the amounts (secret eating is an issue for everyone). Try to aim for a 1200-1500 calorie diet, high protein low carb (read labels there are a lot of hidden sugars and fats). Try to exercise as much as possible, start small and built up. The faster you shed weight the more chance you have of developing excess skin so perhaps it’s a good idea to take it slow and steady.
Also figure out why you got to that size. What triggers you to eat? Are you an emotional eater, overeat, eat secretly etc? Perhaps go talk to a psychiatrist.
That's the number one thing. Exercise is great and all, but you can't really out train a bad diet. Try to cut down on the saturated fats, as they're the bad ones. Long story short, find a plan that works for you and that you can do long term, in term of your nutrition and make sure you like and change up what you eat, so you don't get bored of it and benefit from it long term. There's nothing wrong with having takeout or something once a week or so. Whether you want to go to a gym or anything is your own choice, but it all starts from here.
Work out:
Weight training is good, as you can burn fat and put muscle on at the same time, just make sure that if you do decide to weight train, that you're getting enough protein in and are balanced, in terms of the muscles you work.
find a balance and a plan that works for you in the long run.
Just remember though, BMI isn't everything, like anyone can fall in the overweight (probably not obesity though ) character, but that doesn't necessarily make them unhealthy, because BMI doesn't take into consideration what your weight consists of, which is key. Best of luck with your journey and I hope it works out for you.
Write dow what you eat daily, analyse it and then improve. On that weight it usually is enough to improve your eating habits to lose weight.
Also make set times on WHEN you eat. 3 meals a day and nothing inbetween. And before you start your meal, drink a lot of water (it fills your stomach so you get stuffed earlier).
Get rid of ALL junkfood and snacks for some time. The occasional guilty pleasure is fine in the future, but only after you lost some weight.
Drive bike. At that weight I wouldn't suggest running and such. Gonna destroy your knees.
If you really are morbibly obese cirgury is a good option.
You can also eat healthy as I am sure you know and exercice. There are some exercices you can do even sitting down to help you lose fat. Get a pair of light dumbells and do exercices with them. As long as you do them as fast as you can even sitting down you will sweat a bit. Youtube will give you some ideas. That way you spear your knees. This is just an example there are many others. Nothing a google research doesn't tell you.
Also walk. As you lose weight walk more and faster. Move your body is important to lose weight.
Talking to your doctor is a good place to start. Besides that. Making gradual changes is more sustainable than sudden ones. Reduce the amount you eat, but not drastically, don't go on a crazy restricting diet or anything. Try some moderate exercise, whatever is comfortable for you. Even just walking around the house a bit is a good place to start. Anywhere in your day where you can add a bit more exercise is good. Intense workouts are... intense. I am personally of the opinion that moderation is better, so you don't burn yourself out. Do what works for you, that's the most important part.
Eat less and exercise more. Find something physical that raises your heart rate that you enjoy and do that thing for 5 hours per week minimum. Pair things that are protein rich with things high in carbs eg. Fruit and cootage cheese or popcorn and jerky. Learn what a serving is and dont exceed it for any snack or meal. Give yourself permission to eat a snack or meal if you're still hungry 2 hours later. Drink lots of water. A lot of the time thirst makes hunger much worse.
-someone that lost 40 pounds since last year
1
0 Reply
Anonymous
(18-24)
+1 y
Reduce portion sizes. Don't snack. Drink more water/ keep fluid intake up -make sure it's at least 2 litres (since drinks can also make you feel full -usually people confuse thirst for hunger). Exercise at least 30 minutes a day at a time (since it takes 30 minutes to get your metabolism kickstarted) Have a regular sleep schedule (irregular sleep can cause you to gain weight) Eat more fibre (it can help you feel fuller) ... in the UK the NHS recommends 30g daily. Take note in what food you eat, what your portion sizes are and what things cause you to eat (since you could lack willpower and eat due to that or you could be eating due to stress... if you haven't already then maybe consider going to your doctor about your weight - since there could be other reasons also affecting your weight/eating habits)
1
0 Reply
Anonymous
(45 Plus)
+1 y
Track what you eat. Every thing. Stop eating "low fat" foods or "zero calorie" soft drinks.
Eat the foods you evolved to eat. Protein, and fats. The more fat you eat, in addition to getting calories from them, the more your appetite is suppressed. Fat is good.
Studies have show that a combination of Intermittent fasting and ketogenic diet is the best way to eat and lose weight.
1
7 Reply
Asker
+1 y
Thank you :) why is drinking zero calorie soft drinks bad?
Because they tend to have a higher salt content/ have other variations of sugars and there have been studies which suggest that having low-calorie soft drinks can increase the likelihood of you becoming diabetic (if you aren't already).
@Thatsamazing Squash also counts as water intake -anything that's mainly water can be included. Namely, if you don't like water, drink squash. So yeah, coffee and water may also increase water intake, as can fruit juice... However, it should be noted that caffeine has a half-life of 12 hours so the coffee you drank at 12 noon will still be in your system at 12 Midnight. Milk, tea, coffee, soft drinks, fruit juice and squash will increase water levels. So yeah, they still classify as water even if they aren't pure water.
Just keep in mind that: 1) alcohol gives you sugar and dehydrates you 2) fruit juice should be kept as a maximum of 150ml a day (since the fructose can harm your liver) -though it still counts as one of your five a day, 3) All drinks that aren't just water will increase your calorie intake. 4) Caffeine has a half-life of 12 hours (so if you're affected by it then only consume it in the morning. 5) Drink semi-skimmed or skimmed milk (due to their reduced fat content) if you're going to drink milk (unless you choose the plant based alternatives).
Exercise isn't a big factor. But what is, is your diet. If you can ask your doctor for a medicine which would reduce hunger tendencies to a point of less than 1800 calories while still having optimal vitamin levels you can lose weight really fast. So fast that when this happened to me I lost 23 pounds within a month and we had to take caloric shakes. Your calories will be supplemented Keep in mind that becoming anorexic or inducing malnutrition is bad. If your healthcare is crap or just too expensive like most of America, you can chose to eat a lot of fiber crackers/bars. This makes it so that things are slower to digest so it prevents hunger. Keep in mind that you can't take a shit for days and when the "final day dawns" you will have the weirdest bathroom visit ever. Exercise and a crap diet usually cancel eachother out.
I once weighed 372 lbs and it tool long time but i loss 100 lbs my advice drink more water , stay away from salt , go on a 15 minute walking program or use dumbbell bars and do 20 minutes a day inside your home always watch the portions you eat. It's not what we eat it's how much we eat and best wishes :)
It can feel overwhelming. Don’t go for fad diets. If you lose weight gradually it’s much easier to keep it off and avoid loose skin. Make small changes over time that are easy and you know you can do them. Like slowly eating less junk foods but don’t cut them out. Do some very easy exercise like walking around the house. Slowly decrease portions of high calorie foods and add more fruits and veggies. Drink more water.
Most Helpful Opinions