I’m currently a lump of chocolate and cheese, but once the new year hits, I’m determined to make 2026 the year I finally get back to a healthy weight (I’ve lost about 20 pounds, with about 80-100 to go). I’m pretty good about exercising regularly, but, as they say, abs are made in the kitchen. Those who have successfully lost weight, is there anything you particularly recommend for maintaining a calorie deficit to lose the weight, and then avoiding gaining it back later on?
I’m going to answer this as a physiologist: First, eliminate processed foods as they do make you over eat Next, start exercising. Any amount is fine as long as you do something at least 6 days a week. Don’t get obsessive; just do something To maintain the proper deficit, you need to measure and plan your meals. Keeping to a mostly consistent calorie total is important. It doesn’t have to be exact every day, but you need to stick to a weekly total. This should be about 200-400 calories less than your total caloric needs by day. Too much and your body will fight back and your metabolism will drop to match this new level and you’ll stop losing weight. To find the right amount, you’re going to need to see a nutritionist and a weight loss expert with a real degree. They’ll be able to fill in the details. Any specialty diet only works short term. An active lifestyle with healthy foods will make the biggest impact. And you need to be think long term: losing more than 1 pound per week will cause your body to fight back. You need to very slowly nudge it to where you want it to be, but also realize where your genetics put you. There are so many things to consider, so you need to connect with a specialist.
Saying “Don’t get obsessive” while stating you need to do something 6 days a week is an insane starting point… I agree excersie helps with weight loss, but being in a calorie deficit is enough to loose weight. Dont set the goal too high or else no one will be able to stick to it…
I know Lemmy thinks everyone that avoids carbs must be carnivore, but you can use your head and avoid sugar/starches and lose a lot of weight. Fruit is tough to drop but apart from a few blueberries or something, fruit is pure sugar, and juice is as bad as pop. Don’t think because something is “healthy” that it’s not loaded with sugar.
By the time you get full eating things like pasta, you’ve eaten way, way too much. Fats will make you feel full. I used to eat a 16 oz steak with potatoes and vege and still want dessert, and now 6 oz of something fatty like brisket with some broccoli or brussel sprouts will fill me up.
And you can’t outrun a bad diet. Exercise will tone you, but you can’t exercise enough to work off a cup of mashed potatoes without giving up the rest of your free time.
Start by cleaning the house out of that shit, don’t bring it back in, and use something like Carb Manager to figure out the sleepers that are putting weight on you.
Eating fats to stay thin when you are young will lead to cardiovascular challenges when you older.
It does work a treat for a few decades. High Cholesterol helps build testosterone and suppress appetite. It’s just long term bad.
Intermittent fasting worked for me. By setting a limit on the number of hours I can only eat, it effectively put me into a calorie deficit. There’s only so much you can eat within several hours.
The great part is I didn’t have to be selective with what I eat. I just needed to quit eating before my daily eating window closed. No need for overly complicated diets.
I’ve tried intermittent fasting before and didn’t have much luck. I’d reach my eating window and be so hungry that I’d blow through my calorie limit for the day
This kind of behavior tells me you have little to no hope on any plan without a major change in your psychology. You will just find a loophole and fail.
That’s a lot to assume based on two sentences about something I did eight years ago
Everyone thinks they are a unique case, but when you’ve seen enough examples, it’s not a lot to assume. There is a lot of other evidence within your initial post, other responses and how you wrote about it, such as speed eating versus siblings carrying into current day, coupled with depression issues… It’s many factors and I’ve seen it 1000’s of times. Be prepared to suffer, being hungry, and eating a lot less. There are no secrets, but you will fail if you don’t get your mind right, as you will find loopholes and excuses forever.
Eat until you’re not hungry, not when you’re full. That may require eating more slowly. It will be an adjustment for sure.
