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If you want to lose weight, keep yourself in a calorie deficit every single day.
While losing that weight, if you want to lose mostly fat and limit muscle loss, lift weights and get enough protein.
If you want to feel good while losing that fat, aim to lose only about .5-1% of your bodyweight every week and eat a balanced diet of whole foods.
Want to keep that weight off once you hit your goal, eat the same foods, just a little more of them.
Set up a nutrition plan of foods that you can eat long term, make sure you are in a calorie deficit, weigh in every single day, calculate your average weight for the week, and after 4 weeks look at those averages and adjust your nutrition/calorie intake if needed. We adjust after several weeks of information, not several days.
Weight fluctuates constantly. It takes MONTHS, if not a year or more, to lose it all. It doesn't work instantly. Just because you eat good for two days and hit the gym, doesn't mean the scale will go down the next day.
This is where most people get in trouble. They are not patient enough.
Stick to your plan, be patient, have faith and over time it will come off. There is no instant gratification in weight loss.
People aren't patient enough. By the time they reach the point where they're that overweight, they just want the pounds gone as quickly as possible. Can't really blame that mentality, but it's also a set up for failure. I tell my husband this all the time. And to tell you the truth, the best things happen when you have to work for the outcome. It changes your mentality, because you don't want to have to start from the beginning again. Losing weight is more than simply the number on the scale, it's a total overhaul of your life. Your mentality changes. I know mine sure has. .
People aren't patient enough. By the time they reach the point where they're that overweight, they just want the pounds gone as quickly as possible. Can't really blame that mentality, but it's also a set up for failure. I tell my husband this all the time. And to tell you the truth, the best things happen when you have to work for the outcome. It changes your mentality, because you don't want to have to start from the beginning again. Losing weight is more than simply the number on the scale, it's a total overhaul of your life. Your mentality changes. I know mine sure has. .
Agreed.
If you're 30 lb overweight, it's not going to come off in a month. You need at least 4 months and that is still pretty quick and if you are 100% diligent.
It's a long haul, and people need to understand that.
1. Find a diet with foods you like. Low carb, high carb, low fat, high fat, anything in between. Hell, you could have a diet of 100% McDonald's cheeseburgers if you want, it doesn't matter in terms of sheer weight loss, though they may differ in other health concerns.
2. Eat fewer calories than you burn (plenty of calculators online to determine you caloric needs).
3. Stick to it. Calorie counting apps like My Fitness Pal may help.
4. ??? (Stick to it, count your calories as accurately as possible, aim for a calorie budget that will drop you an average of 4-8 pounds/month, be honest with yourself)
You guys are getting it all wrong. Of course, if you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight.
That's the problem, no matter what these people eat, they can't do this. What happens when you eat less? You get hungry, you lower your metabolism, you stay fat.
The problem is the set point. Not necessarily the consumption. The coupling of eating calories, burning calories, and satiety has been uncoupled in people that can't lose weight.
You guys are getting it all wrong. Of course, if you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight.
That's the problem, no matter what these people eat, they can't do this. What happens when you eat less? You get hungry, you lower your metabolism, you stay fat.
The problem is the set point. Not necessarily the consumption. The coupling of eating calories, burning calories, and satiety has been uncoupled in people that can't lose weight.
This is why you stick with whole foods. For me at least, that was the key to satiety while eating fewer calories. Along with eating in a way that will help you get all the nutrients you possibly can out of your food so that your body isn't giving you cravings in order to get the micronutrients as I explained in my original post.
You guys are getting it all wrong. Of course, if you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight.
That's the problem, no matter what these people eat, they can't do this. What happens when you eat less? You get hungry, you lower your metabolism, you stay fat.
The problem is the set point. Not necessarily the consumption. The coupling of eating calories, burning calories, and satiety has been uncoupled in people that can't lose weight.
Who are 'these people'?
I presume you are talking about people who are obese/overweight? many of us were one of those people. I do agree with the setpoint theory, but from personal experience, after getting my body used to eating less, coupled with exercise, I lost weight. Over a period of nine - ten months or so, I reached my goal of losing over sixty pounds. I had lost an additional ten for a total of 70. Exercise really did a great job of helping my metabolism. I'm over 40 and my metabolism was already starting to slow down before I even thought about weight loss. Once I started working out (cardio and weights) and maintaining an active lifestyle, my metabolism was really kicked into gear. For me, once my body learned how to make do with smaller portions, I paid attention to hunger cues, and I didn't follow any sort of super low calorie deprivation diet, I didn't have those problems you mentioned and I didn't stay fat. The set point is adjustable. your body can handle caloric deficits. you have to be sensible about it. that's why those 1200 calorie diets (or worse yet, lower) don't really work. you don't have to stay fat. with patience and time, you can overcome hurdles. but many people don't have patience and time. they want to no longer be fat, asap. I eat about 1500-1600 calories six days of the week and I'm not hungry. If I ever am, I eat something to kill that urge. One day per week - for an entire day - I eat whatever I like, regardless of calories. Keeps me sane and the weight off. I started my weight loss journey in March 2016, after failed attempts in the past. I have not been 221 lbs (or anywhere close to it) since then.
OP, I doubt if this thread has helped you much, because the advice is all over the place. There are lots of ways to lose weight, and all of them involve eating fewer calories. You can do this a lot of ways, but you have to find one you can live with. One thing you can do, that I don't believe anyone will argue with, is reduce your intake of processed sugar. Stop drinking sugary beverages and fake sugar beverages as well. The sugar is empty calories and some studies show that the fake sugar drinks negatively affect your metabolism. Drink water and unsweet tea. If you have a sugary coffee habit, cut back on the sugar til you're using less than a teaspoon in a cup. Stop eating cookies, candy, dessert, etc. Those all have empty calories and make you hungrier when the sugar high wears off. Some people will tell you not to eat fruit, but there's a world of difference between a piece of fruit and a Snickers bar.
Read labels to avoid sugar in processed foods like granola bars and ketchup. Sugar has lots of names in the ingredient list (evaporated cane juice is my personal favorite), so look at the grams of sugar to see how much is present.
You can also stop eating processed white flour. Again, read ingredient lists and only consume items with 100% whole wheat flour. White flour is quickly digested and will leave you hanging like sugar does. Eliminating it is an easy rule to follow and will help you cut back on calories.
OP, I doubt if this thread has helped you much, because the advice is all over the place. There are lots of ways to lose weight, and all of them involve eating fewer calories. You can do this a lot of ways, but you have to find one you can live with. One thing you can do, that I don't believe anyone will argue with, is reduce your intake of processed sugar. Stop drinking sugary beverages and fake sugar beverages as well. The sugar is empty calories and some studies show that the fake sugar drinks negatively affect your metabolism. Drink water and unsweet tea. If you have a sugary coffee habit, cut back on the sugar til you're using less than a teaspoon in a cup. Stop eating cookies, candy, dessert, etc. Those all have empty calories and make you hungrier when the sugar high wears off. Some people will tell you not to eat fruit, but there's a world of difference between a piece of fruit and a Snickers bar.
Read labels to avoid sugar in processed foods like granola bars and ketchup. Sugar has lots of names in the ingredient list (evaporated cane juice is my personal favorite), so look at the grams of sugar to see how much is present.
You can also stop eating processed white flour. Again, read ingredient lists and only consume items with 100% whole wheat flour. White flour is quickly digested and will leave you hanging like sugar does. Eliminating it is an easy rule to follow and will help you cut back on calories.
actually, the thread can help her. it just shows that there are many different ways to a similar outcome. the one that's the "best" is the one that you can stick with. For life. Not until you reach your goal weight.
For me (I can only speak for myself), I can't eliminate sugar. I eat less of it. But I love desserts and sugary things and still continue to eat such. If eating a Skinny Cow chocolate bar during the day and eating an ice cream cone at night helps keep me from going crazy (eliminating sugar triggers bingeing on high calorie sugary crap, exactly what I don't want), then I allow myself room in my diet for those empty calories. That's why I advocate soul searching. Find out what things you can't do without, what you can do without, and what you can adjust. I refuse to drink skim milk, for example. As a compromise, I drink 2%. I can live without potato chips and stuff like that, so I don't eat them. I adjust, by not eating the lower fat frozen novelty items - i.e. the greek yogurt bars, skinny cow/weight watchers bars, etc. At the end of the day, for all of us, if we've kept the weight off and are happy with the results, then it's a win
actually, the thread can help her. it just shows that there are many different ways to a similar outcome. the one that's the "best" is the one that you can stick with. For life. Not until you reach your goal weight.
For me (I can only speak for myself), I can't eliminate sugar. I eat less of it. But I love desserts and sugary things and still continue to eat such. If eating a Skinny Cow chocolate bar during the day and eating an ice cream cone at night helps keep me from going crazy (eliminating sugar triggers bingeing on high calorie sugary crap, exactly what I don't want), then I allow myself room in my diet for those empty calories. That's why I advocate soul searching. Find out what things you can't do without, what you can do without, and what you can adjust. I refuse to drink skim milk, for example. As a compromise, I drink 2%. I can live without potato chips and stuff like that, so I don't eat them. I adjust, by not eating the lower fat frozen novelty items - i.e. the greek yogurt bars, skinny cow/weight watchers bars, etc. At the end of the day, for all of us, if we've kept the weight off and are happy with the results, then it's a win
Eat less but calorie count.
And understanding calorie counts and tradeoffs.
Portion control.
REDUCE sugar. There is no way around that one. And bread is sugar. Potatoes are sugar. Pasta is sugar.
Anything fat free is loaded with sugar. Avoid fat free
Fats will also make you feel fuller longer. Add in full fats not unlimited, but calorie count into your diet.
I presume you are talking about people who are obese/overweight? many of us were one of those people. I do agree with the setpoint theory, but from personal experience, after getting my body used to eating less, coupled with exercise, I lost weight. Over a period of nine - ten months or so, I reached my goal of losing over sixty pounds. I had lost an additional ten for a total of 70. Exercise really did a great job of helping my metabolism. I'm over 40 and my metabolism was already starting to slow down before I even thought about weight loss. Once I started working out (cardio and weights) and maintaining an active lifestyle, my metabolism was really kicked into gear. For me, once my body learned how to make do with smaller portions, I paid attention to hunger cues, and I didn't follow any sort of super low calorie deprivation diet, I didn't have those problems you mentioned and I didn't stay fat. The set point is adjustable. your body can handle caloric deficits. you have to be sensible about it. that's why those 1200 calorie diets (or worse yet, lower) don't really work. you don't have to stay fat. with patience and time, you can overcome hurdles. but many people don't have patience and time. they want to no longer be fat, asap. I eat about 1500-1600 calories six days of the week and I'm not hungry. If I ever am, I eat something to kill that urge. One day per week - for an entire day - I eat whatever I like, regardless of calories. Keeps me sane and the weight off. I started my weight loss journey in March 2016, after failed attempts in the past. I have not been 221 lbs (or anywhere close to it) since then.
Yes, I mean overweight people.
And yes, you are absolutely right. Changing your diet and eating less can change your setpoint. What I'm trying to do is get people to see it in a different light, rather than torturing themselves with a non-nutritious starvation diet and feeling pathetic when they fail.
When you eat a different diet or restrict calories, you lose weight predominately due to changes in the composition of your gut bacteria. That's right folks, it's all about your gut microbiome! This piece sums it up fairly well: https://sites.tufts.edu/absorption/r...f-fat-storage/
It's all very confusing, actually. The by-products of the bacteria (short-chain fatty acids, SCFAs) are the ones that are supposed to (and often do, in studies) make you fat. But they can also turn on fat-burning! Sounds paradoxical, but it makes sense because the body ultimately wants to burn the fat it stores for energy. If you read the article above, it'll tell you that if you have the right gut bacteria, you will produce FIAF (fasting-induced adipose factor) when you fast. This allows you to burn fat when you're not eating!. Eating suppresses FIAF, and that's how it's supposed to work to make you fat. There's a ton more information out there, but it's too much to write here. Don't even get me started on the gut-brain connection.
You are designed to store and burn fat seamlessly at the right times, IF ALL OF THE SIGNALS ARE WORKING PROPERLY AS DESIGNED BY MILLIONS OF YEARS OF EVOLUTION. That is the key point. Get all of your signals working properly.
We've only recently began studying the gut microbiome, but all of the research seems to show that if you keep your gut bacteria diverse and competitive, you will not only be able to reach a healthier setpoint, but have a greater ability to both burn AND gain fat for a wide variety of metabolic conditions. The ability to get fat sounds bad, but it's healthy. That means the fat is in your belly and NOT your liver, and is useful for energy production in athletes or heat production/insulation in extremely cold climates. Also, healthy fat is sexy fat, you heard that right.
So what do we know makes the gut microbiome diverse and competitive?
For the average person reading this: Eat a wide variety of naturally-raised meat and veg, eat lightly-cooked seafood + herbs, avoid sugar and processed foods, don't eat a couple hours before bedtime, get good sleep, and get sunlight all day everyday. Sound simple and natural? It should.
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