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I started eating a plant based diet in November 2017 (no meat, no dairy) and lost 25lbs without even really trying. This was also in tandem with running almost daily (had a milage target for 2017).
This is what the gym recommended when I signed up. I don’t know if I could do it as I like certain meats.
This is what the gym recommended when I signed up. I don’t know if I could do it as I like certain meats.
Food writer Michael Pollan has guidelines that are generally, "eat real food, mostly plants, not too much." There are all kinds of fad diets out there, but I think the ones that are the most difficult to stick with are the ones that demand that you eliminate entire groups of foods. There's nothing wrong with whole grains, lean proteins, yogurts and cheeses, etc.
I've been where you are. You have to find what works for you. I tried Weight Watchers and a few other things. None worked long term for me. I was either hungry all the time or just holding weight, no losing and no gaining.
When I was in my college days I did low carb with great success. I lose 40 lbs in 4 months. I'm back to low carb after trying other diets with little success. I've lost 10lbs in a week. I understand half of that is water weight. But if you stick with it the weight will melt. It will be a lifestyle for me because after a few weeks your body will get use to it. It's far better healthwise than the yo yo diet and being overweight.
After I get within 10 pounds of my weight goal, I slowly increase my carbs to a manageable amount (Maybe 50-60 per day). So I'm not eliminating them, just cutting down.
This is what the gym recommended when I signed up. I don’t know if I could do it as I like certain meats.
One option would be to try a plant-based diet for about 30 days or less, and if, at the end of the period, you don't see the results you want/still crave meat, drop it.
The Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine has a free online kick start program. It has reportedly been used by more than 500,000 people, and might be helpful: Kickstart Your Health | The Physicians Committee
I'm going to give you a different approach than the rest. Less complicated, because it doesn't need to be complicated.
On top of eating whole foods, eat raw/lightly cooked seafood, and lots of it. High omega-3 fish only. Frozen wild sockeye salmon is the obvious first choice, as well as halibut, whole sardines, fresh oysters, whole herring etc. Most of those are hard to find in a lot of places, so I'd personally stick with the wild sockeye. Also the most palatable, in my opinion.
Don't bother with fish oil. And canned sardines/oysters/herring are sub-par. If you absolutely cannot eat seafood, krill oil is the other option. You must consume the krill oil with iodine and selenium, and preferably also zinc and copper. The easiest way to get this combo all-in-one is SEAFOOD, which is why I recommend you don't try and substitute it with pills.
I'm trying to keep this simple, but it's hard to. The science behind it is that the omega-3s in their correct form restore your sensitivity to leptin in the brain and muscles. Leptin is the hormone that tells your body "Hey, we're fat! We have fat to burn, so let's burn it for energy, warmth, and make good stuff like sex hormones in the process". Without this signal, you get fat, hungry, less sexy, and less warm. You need to restore this signal with omega-3s in their correct form.
BTW, there is usually no need to count calories on a completely plant-based low-fat diet as long as the "plants" are whole foods and not of the junk variety.
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.
Last edited by High Altitude; 01-07-2018 at 04:51 PM..
I'm going to give you a different approach than the rest. Less complicated, because it doesn't need to be complicated.
On top of eating whole foods, eat raw/lightly cooked seafood, and lots of it. High omega-3 fish only. Frozen wild sockeye salmon is the obvious first choice, as well as halibut, whole sardines, fresh oysters, whole herring etc. Most of those are hard to find in a lot of places, so I'd personally stick with the wild sockeye. Also the most palatable, in my opinion.
Don't bother with fish oil. And canned sardines/oysters/herring are sub-par. If you absolutely cannot eat seafood, krill oil is the other option. You must consume the krill oil with iodine and selenium, and preferably also zinc and copper. The easiest way to get this combo all-in-one is SEAFOOD, which is why I recommend you don't try and substitute it with pills.
I'm trying to keep this simple, but it's hard to. The science behind it is that the omega-3s in their correct form restore your sensitivity to leptin in the brain and muscles. Leptin is the hormone that tells your body "Hey, we're fat! We have fat to burn, so let's burn it for energy, warmth, and make good stuff like sex hormones in the process". Without this signal, you get fat, hungry, less sexy, and less warm. You need to restore this signal with omega-3s in their correct form.
I agree with this and can't rep you again yet.
Also, match the seafood with good practices to ensure your circadian rhythm is matching nature so the leptin and other hormones release at the correct time. Make sure you get morning sunlight, eat breakfast and don't eat after dark. Your sleep should improve as well.
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