Hello everyone, i am sick and tired of my ever growing weight. Need to find some tips that can help me loose some weight.
P.S: I have tried going to a gym, but have not been successful. Buy a subscription and stop going after a week.
Please help.
How to Lose Weight? Can Someone Provide Some Tips?
sarahgad on 09/02/2017 - 00:50
Last edited 09/02/2017 - 17:07 by 1 other user
Last edited 09/02/2017 - 17:07 by 1 other user
Comments
try the 5:2 diet by dr. michael mosley. it is a bbc horizon documentary. search for it online. i've tried a few diets, & exercised but find this one worked for me. i lost 21.2 kg in just over 4 months. dr. michael mosley has another doco called the truth about exercise. if you have netflix check out fat, sick & nearly dead as it is an inspiring doco. track down the doco that sugar film. another inspiring & interesting doco. i agree with every sentiment above stating that you've got to want it. good luck with your efforts.
My tips:
- Only ever drink water, and plenty of it (sometimes drinking water is all you need when you feel hungry). No soft drinks whatsoever, especially during meals.
- 3 meals per day, at usual times. Set time frames for each meal and educate yourself to wait for the next meal if you miss the deadline. No snacks at all, ever. If you feel like a snack, have cold water.
- Eat varied, with as little red meat as possible. Chicken and fish is fine. Have plenty of greens. Salads are good because veggies are uncooked.Start by only eating salads every single night of the week.
You can eat as much as you want, and any veggies you want.
Tomatoes corn mushrooms lettuce is a good start with a bit of olive oil salt and pepper.Do not eat between breakfast lunch and dinner.
Do not eat snacks. Once again.Say goodbye to tomato sauce, barbecue sauce and like.
Do not eat fast food, if you really have to, well no. there is always a solution like find food somewhere else. Or eat just a fruit.
Hi Sarah, or if that's not your name, hi.
It's very simple to lose weight if you look at numbers. You expand more energy than you intake.
The daily average intake is about 8000-8700 kilo joules of energy.
But the challenge is in discipline like some dude above me said. You have to control yourself so that you don't eat a lot. I've lost about 10kgs recently and this was my diet:
Morning: 1-2 eggs + milk (~1600 kjs)
Lunch: Subway, wheat bread, no cheese, sometimes no sauce, and most of all the vegetables, no salt, no pepper. Try go for chicken / turkey for meat. (~1500-2000kjs)
Dinner: I'm asian so rice + meat + vegetables (guestimating about 2000kjs)
Altogether that's about 5600kjs which is less than the average intake. I kept this going for about 2 months with little exercise and i've lost 10kgs
It's the mentality that you want to lose weight that kept me from eating too much and snacking. If you want it enough you'll get it.
In terms of exercise, and some people might think this isnt the best idea, but try insanity or insanity max 30, T25. They are workout videos that you can do in the comfort of your own home and around 30 mins long. Once again diet is key but if you haven't honed the artful skill of dieting (which is hard) this will at least (to an extent) burn some calories to counteract what you are eating. As long as you're not stuffing your face with fastfood, especially with all these domino codes :P.
Stop eating. Works 50% of the time, every time.
It's all about food. I train a lot. Then I cracked my rib and couldn't do anything for several weeks. On the 4th week I had put on almost 10 kg. Then I went on a strict diet, green smoothie and boiled eggs for 4 days and the other 6 days of very conscious eating. I lost 6 kg in 8 days without any exercises. You don't need to eat too much less, you just have to eat healthy. I was eating heaps of carrots, cucumber, nuts, even strawberries when I felt hungry in between meals. It worked for me it can work for you.
I'm with the calorie counting people. Lost just on 30kgs over the course of a year doing it and have kept it off for nearly a decade now.
But I specifically didn't change what I ate, just the amount I ate. I wanted it to be sustainable, and I think that's what has made me stick to it. So I still ate junk food and chocolate and whatever I normally ate, but was just more concious about how much and when.
Eventually you get into a good mindset like "Do I really need chips with that? Am I going to enjoy them enough not to have a high dinner later?". You also start reviewing some of the things you did eat and deciding whether you actually like them enough to bother with the calories. E.g. I used to load up burgers with extra cheese and bacon and stuff, but realised I liked the burger just as much without them.
I was very disciplined for the first year, and have relaxed a lot since. If you're struggling with discipline then set a goal and work toward that. For me, I wanted to go skydiving - which meant I had to lose enough weight to meet the weight limit. That helped a lot.
I exercise now for health, but I didn't use it to lose weight. As people above said, it's not going to help much with weight loss but it is important for physical and mental health.
Hope that helps. PM me if you have any questions.
FREE PERSONAL TELEPHONE HEALTH COACHING
Give them a try, you've got nothing to lose, except some weight
Protein with every meal works for me and means I don't get hunger cravings.
Loosing weight is never about diet or exercise, it's about changing your life. If you want to loose weight permanently, prepare for a slow process. Of course you will need to eat less and differently, and move more, see all the great posts above re: sugar and other nutrients. What I want to add is that you can't loose weight in two weeks and then continue old life. You need to change your life permanently, eat healthy and exercise regularly from now on to the end of your days.
Sorry to hear this.
Some people eat every thing and never put on weight while others gain quickly and have tremendous difficulty in losing it.I can give you some practical tips.
If you follow them you will lose weight.Wake up and drink water and walk for 4000 steps briskly.
Eat in breakfast two boiled egg whites only but twice a week you can have one full egg instead and lightly grilled tomatoes.
Lunch time one slice of toast with Tuna or salmon or chicken or any other protein and glass of water.
Dinner you can get packed meals from Woolworth or Cole's light easy or weight watchers packets .
You can also have two oranges or water melon or rock melon small amount in between.
6.If you feel hungry you have a hand full of mixed nuts once a day only with cup of tea.you can also eat cucumber carrots lettuce capsicum radish beetroot any time.Use Almond milk instead of normal milk in tea and coffee.
Walk extra 1000 to 1500 steps before and after each meal.
I. Do not sit for more than 30 minutes straight must walk for 5 minutes.
10.you can go to Gym four times a week for 45 to 90 minutes as you wish.
- Do not forget to drink at least 2 liter of liquids in total per 24 hours.
Do this for 2-4 weeks and report back to me at [email protected]
If I did not hear of you then it means you are not serious and never contact me.
Cheers
Do this for 2-4 weeks and report back to me at [email protected]
If I did not hear of you then it means you are not serious and never contact me.
BAHAHA
don't get panic
exercise & eating can help you lose weight. Apart from exercising, if you include these fruits in your diet, the process of shedding the extra kilos will simplify!
Some fruits contain high water levels and fibre which provides energy to the body and helps in weight loss. A lot of studies have found that eating at least three portions of fruits every day is a great way to lose weight and to live a disease free life.
here the list-
Appel
Blueberries
Pears
Bananas
Watermelonsmake the diet chart follow strictly
Just go to the moon. Your weight is instantly divided by 7. You're welcome.
*6
alternatives are:
change your density,
change your volume.Or try one of those zero G flights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWGJA9i18Co
I'm currently on a weight loss journey and am about to hit a 10kg weight loss milestone since I have started mid January 2017 … here are a few things + tips that could help you out.
Adjust your diet. They say its ~80% diet and 20% exercise.Without going into too much detail, burn more energy than you consume. Your body will use stored energy to compensate for the difference, ideally stored fat.
Avoid sugary and fatty foods. Sounds obvious but junk/fat food is so easy to give into. Throw or give away the junk foods in the house. Stop buying them at the shops. If you don't have them at home, you won't have the temptation of eating them.
Meal prep. It only takes 1-2 hours a week + it will save you money. Meal prepping will avoid you 'snacking' on bad stuff because you have 'nothing at home to eat'. My meal preps include a source protein or two, plus two sides of vegetables. Swap the meats and vegetables around every week so you don't bore yourself of the taste.
Go for foods that fill you up and for longer. Eating a Big Mac for lunch that will provide you 1/4 of your daily requirement that will barely fill you up, won't keep you full for long, and has shit all in terms of good nutrition, when you can eat a prepped meal that is much more nutritious that won't have all the bad fats, sodium, etc.
DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF. THIS METHOD WON'T LAST. You will eventually binge eat and f*** it all up. Eat every 2-3 hours, 5 meals daily. Keep your body well fed with good and nutritious food.
I try not to have cheat meals when I'm at home. Instead, I have my 'cheat meals' on special occasions, such as outings, dinners, etc …
Build muscle mass. Muscle requires energy to function, and the more you have, the more energy your body will consume.
Set realistic goals. I've done this diet thing so many times but previously I have set unrealistic goals. What happens when I don't reach those goals? You just relapse and you're back to your old self.
Drink heaps of water.
Avoid supplements like fat burners and alike. You and I don't know what's in them, so it's better to stay away from them and not let it have harmful effects on the body.
Losing weight is very difficult, mentally mostly. Just keep going at it. If it fails the first time, give it a short time and try again. Eventually it will click. If anyone reading this has any questions or objections, feel free to comment below.
Best of luck to OP and any else who is trying to change them selves for better health!
Great
You are about to loose 10 kilo in one month that is too fast.
Aim to loose 2 kilo per month so you do not loose muscles.Otherwise you will put it back on and will be difficult to loose.
Even for health reasons It is not the best way.
CheersYep I know it is rapid weight loss and the chances are against me to gain it all but. But as I said, I'm not starving myself or doing anything overly dramatic so hopefully it holds. Plus I'm quite hefty so expect a good chuck of that weight to be water weight. The initial few weeks is always where the fastest weight will drop.
Fasting would be the ozbargain way - fast for 16 hours at a time sleep inculded and eat only in an 8 hour window .
And dying earlier due to poor diet can save you more money
Except science has proven fasting (done right) has incredible health benefits AND those who fast can live longer.
If you have money and time, a 21 day mount everest hike will drop you a few pant sizes without even realising it (take elastic pants). Makes you feel like superman when you get back as well (high altitudes)
When we went, there were 80-90 year olds with walking sticks and some organised weight loss groups heading up so anyone can do it. (to base camp, not the summit of course).
My gym is so expensive I HAVE to go min 3 times a week to make it worth it. Now I go about 5 times each and every week coz I love it :) Get back pains if I don't. Good luck with the weight loss though because it's all food intake if you want to lose weight….
I join some group fitness classes at different studios for their introduction offer and it works cheap. $50 unlimited classes for 2 weeks usually! And no commitments like a contract as such! Maybe it's another alternative to expensive gym…
Consider buying a bicycle instead of going to the gym. A few years ago I started going on 50km bike rides on weekends. I lost so much weight (while still eating normally) that coworkers asked if I was feeling okay. They thought I was on chemotherapy or something.
Less energy in, more energy out. You can tweak things a bit by eating better food, more fiber, etc, but ultimately you adjust your weight by changing your energy intake and expenditure.
Diet is just another way to die.
You don't need a fancy diet with a bunch of rules about what to put in your mouth and what not to!
Most of this stuff is trendy hipster talk like: "paleo", "vegan", "no carb", "no meat", "lettuce only" , "cabbage soup only" - thats just dumb.
I've just lost around 25kg. I can tell you about what I learned.
a) Diet > gym/exercise. I used to do gym for 12 months straight, then I got more muscle= win, however my weight didn't budge as I kept eating the same food as before
b) as soon as I changed my diet, my weight went down drastically (whilst still at gym).
DIET CHANGE (aka : Lifestyle change) is the key - not talking about doing a diet change for 8 weeks or some bs, you will have to change the way you eat for ever - but on your own terms, not what some hipster diet tells you to do! :)
Since I've been losing weight over last 6 mths, trick has been
A) TRACK YOUR FOOD: get a food calorie app : MyFitnessPal to track your eating. Track everything in the app, every meal, snack, sugary drink. If you buy / eat out, you will be happy to know you don't type every little detail into it, but can use a bar-code scanner OR search things like "Nandos Classic Wrap", Big Mac" etc and it comes up already for you to select.
B) KNOW YOUR CALORIE INTAKE PER DAY : After 1 week, check how many calories you're eating daily. Set a target @ 75%-85% of what you normally eat. eg: if you're eating 3500 cals per day, set target @ 2600 etc.
C) KEEP TO YOUR NEW TARGET: track again everything you are eating, if you eat a donut for breakfast and bottle of coke - put it in. If you HIT your target for the day, DONT EAT ANYTHING ELSE, just have water. Soon you will learn to pick foods to stretch your eating across the day (or you will go hungry at end of the day).
D) TRACK PROGRESS - WEIGH WEEKLY: Keep tracking your progress. Only weigh yourself weekly on decent/reliable scales. Try to weight yourself first thing in the morning without having anything eg: when you wake up Saturday morning etc. If you're curious and weigh each day (eg: mornings) you will notice weight going up/down, thats normal, can vary a kilo or two each day (up/down) no matter if your on a diet or not. So weekly is recommended to track on as it varies so much each day.
E) IF YOU FAIL, START AGAIN, TRY HARDER NEXT WEEK - ITS OK, ITS HARD TO CHANGE, LIKE GIVING UP SMOKING - TRY AGAIN AND KEEP GOINGeg: Donut might be great for breakfast, say its 600 calories and your daily target is 2000 cals. you will have only 1400 calories left to "spend" on food for the rest of the day. If you had 3x donuts for breakfast, you'd be left with 200 calories left. Probably equal to a small yogurt or couple of bananas. That may not be enough to keep your hunger at bay for the day, but it will have to be the last things you eat for the day to stay under your MAX CALORIES. Hope that gives you an idea how it works.
You should see your weight drop each week consistently.
TIPS : If you want faster results you can lower the calories but don't go below say 1800 (under 1000/day is pretty bad) Dont drop too low suddenly, you may not be able to stay in control of your calories so easily each day if you make a big drop/change to start with. For faster results, you can also try going back to gym when you feel motivated. get a trainer if that helps or someone else who goes regularly.
TIP: If you have trouble tracking the meals your eating, take a picture and add the meal into your tracker by the end of the day; if you repeat the same meals, you can save them as favourites and just at them at a single click next time instead of putting in all the ingredients :)
TIP : Drink at least 1-2 litres of water per day if you can. Stay hydrated! ;)
Hope this helps.
IMO this is the best post on here
P.S: I have tried going to a gym, but have not been successful. Buy a subscription and stop going after a week.
Herein lies the problem. The reason you are fat is because you are lazy and weak-willed with no discipline.
The way this is typed, its almost like you're insinuating that the gym failed you. When in actual fact its you that failed you.
Sorry to be so harsh, but i often find people who are stuck in fat-ruts like this is because they are simply too comfortable/lazy to make a real effort to change.
Please watch this short video which i think speaks to make my point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aDXM5H-Fuw
You need to find real deep intrinsic motivation if you want to make real progress.
Health problems, being unattractive, being looked down upon, generally having a harder time in life compared to attractive people, dying prematurely.
Not necessarily, but hopefully one or some of these resonates with you and is a catalyst to generating some real deep motivation for change and improvement.
You've need to get serious.
Seems like a lot of the same tips really.
Eating right and excercise.If you want the easiest but costly option you could try gastroscopy or what's it called where they cut ur stomach in half.
Here are three simple tips that help me lost 10kg in the past three months.
- Eat less: the key is to consume less than you expense everyday. A simple rule rather than doing all the calorie math: after all day eat and move, you should feel hungry when you go to bed at night.
- Eat healthy: reduce high GI food such as rice and sugar, reduce low quality fat. That means no coke, no deep fried food, and no dessert. Eat more fresh veg and high-quality protein: chicken breast, fish etc.
- Train at least 4 times a week, one hour a time. Training whatever and wherever you like. I do not go to the gym. I do running, cycling, and calisthenics.
Chew every bite 32 times.
I stopped drinking beer and started monitoring intake a bit more. You would be surprised the amount of sugar packed into things - yesterday I threw out chilli sauce which had 94 grams/100ml!
For fitness, I started kickboxing once a week. I find it much easier than going to the gym. I have also started yoga and stretching for flexibility so I can kick better.
Eat less sugar, drink less sugar and really cut back on alcohol - Educate yourself on labeling and high sugar foods (pretty much half the supermarket). Keep it simple at first. Once the weight starts coming off you can tweak it as you go and will be motivated to exercise. And don't try any gimmicks/fads (i.e FITBIT). Just a marketing ploy that never works in the long run. Did I say eat less sugar. And whatever you do it needs to be FOR LIFE… not some short term weight loss goal.
Eat less, do more exercise. Simples.
Get used to feeling hungry. I mean this in a helpful way - with a fair amount of mental effort, you can train yourself into not feeling bad when you're hungry. Instead, you just feel hungry, but not down. It is normal to feel very hungry just before you eat, and normal to feel as if you could could have another serving or two after you've finished eating. Get used to these feelings and learn that they are normal part of the human condition. I have one snack a day and I make it something that tastes good. For me, snacking on lettuce is depressing and I'd rather have nothing.
A lot of very good advice above. Try keep it realistic and something that you won't do for a week and then get demotivated.
My 2c
- Food obviously important, reduce sugars(I didn't say avoid) where possible.
- Make exercise a passive part of your daily routine. It needs to be passive. Example - do things like cycling to work if possible. You don't want to work a full day and then think about exercise after that. Just make it a natural process in your day that automatically occurs. That will help you in sticking to it.
- if you are actively exercising - focus on 'compound exercises'. Work on exercises that do multiple muscle groups at once.
Final thoughts - Ask yourself why you are doing this. Is it for yourself, is it for people to like you more - what is it? Is it just to look good? or is it, I want to be more healthy so when I walk up stairs I don't feel tired? - really ask yourself why. You'll find you'll be very self motivated as well, if you really think hard about why you want to do this.
At the end of the day, if you're a good person, you treat others well, are friendly, and you smile - no one cares what you look like.
All the best.
If you want to lose weight fast, go a couple of months without eating carbs. It's very tough though, but there's no complicated rules. This is not a long term solution though.
For the long term, you need to remember that it's all about diet. Consider exercise something you do to keep motivated etc (it actually helps) for now, but not something you do to lose weight. It's a bonus. Once you are in a better weight category, the exercise is more important.
And as far as diet goes, it's all about calories. You need to learn how much calories are in food. In short, treats (choc, crisps, lollies, cookies) are 500 calories per 100g. An average not too active person should eat about 2000calories per day. Calories = energy. If you put in more than you use, you will gain weight. Counting calories is a bit sad, but if you spend a couple of weeks doing it, you will get a much better understanding that your will then keep with you.
Kickstarting a healthier diet is great, but consider that you need to implement changes that you can literally live with for the rest of your life. Salads every day for example is not a long term plan. Doing too much on one go does not always work well either, pending on your personality.
Making small changes often works best. No treats in the house, and if you want some chocolate then that's fine, but you have to walk to the store to get something (small). Instead of deep fried chicken, make lightly crumbed chicken. Replace part of your rice wish some vegetables. Some days, maybe even skip the rice completely and just have chicken with vegetables. I find I work better with some rules like this that I can follow without having to keep thinking about it all the time.
Now here's another tip. You will probably lose weight by keeping your current diet except cutting out sugar. This is easier said than done as you'll realise how many products have a crazy amount of processed sugar, but it's another way you can kickstart things and then you can introduce some sugary items down the track. That way you'll find out which sugary items you can live without.
Losing weight is actually not that hard. If you are single. With partners and/or kids, it gets increasingly difficult though. So if you are not in that situation yet, definitely steer up your diet now while you have the opportunity.
Also, whichever approach you take, cut down on sugary drinks. The amount of sugar in soft drinks and juice etc is phenomenal.
Good luck.
I forgot to mention that a healthy weight loss is 0.5kg per week. Slower is fine too, it's not a race. Don't expect biggest loser results though, losing weight takes time and too rapid weight loss is not good as you want to lose fat and not muscles.
Your weight will fluctuate though, so it might take a few weeks at least before you see a trend. I like weighing myself as motivation, but if you prefer not to, that's fine as well. If so, just check once per month or so and don't build up expectations too much.
Edit: when I said to not worry about exercising, everyday exercise is an exception and something that would be incorporated when possible. For short distances, try and walk. Take stairs instead of escalator. If you have the ability to cycle to work (difficult with the lack of bike paths), then that is fantastic. Things you can do as part of your routine and everyday life does not even really feel like exercise.
Soup diet
you will feel hungry but its only natural way to shrink your stomach over about 2-3 weeks.
advantages
is you don't need to exercise
you can have as much soup as you likedisadvantages you are meant to only have soup
I bought a soup maker you put in all ingredients including chicken it boils the water and also puries the food. you can have as much as you like.
The problem is whether your weight will go back up once you stop having soup every day?
I'm probably repeating what has been said above, but this is what has worked for me:
Dieting for one meal a day. My first "diet" was more of a workplace cult thing - no carbs for lunch. I swapped from a chicken snitzchel roll every day to meat and salad instead. Dropped 10kg.
Going to small group exercise classes in early morning. A specific time is set for you to exercise, and someone telling you what to do. Endure the pain with others, heaps of fun. I do this in early morning so I don't have time during the day to make excuses not to go.
If you don't really enjoy exercise like me, think of it more like "body maintenance". Do you enjoy servicing your car? No. But you do it anyway so it lasts longer.
i lost 20kg with Jenny Craig. i know it isnt the cheapest, but it was easy and convenient, and each week you are kept accountable.
you need to have the disciple to stick to the diet, but even without doing too much exercise you will loose weight.
1, Pick the most calorically dense thing you eat (eg, sugary soft drink, juice, chocolate etc).
2, Stop eating that thing (or if you think you can, drastically reduce your intake). Make only that change for one month.
3, Once that change is imprinted as a permanent habit/change in your behaviour, pick the next most calorically dense thing you eat.
4, Stop eating that thing…Also - Walk more. Try to find physical activities you enjoy.
Its different for many people you have to find what works for you but I gave up smoking 4 years ago got chunky (10kg extra)Then tried to loose the weight to no success I did all forms of exercise every day(swimming, cardio etc) watched what I ate and lost nothing. I also tried carb free that sucked and was very hard, again lost nothing. Now I am sooo fed up I am trying something different I cut down my food portions by 1/3 every meal. If I am hungry I drink an entire glass of water first then wait ten mins to see if I am still hungry. Some times I am not so I wait a little longer . I went to bed hungry every night for a week . Now I can eat less and I only allow myself 2 coffees a day ( I have 1 sugar) and if I have a cappuccino while out because of the extra milk I have no sugar. Apart from the 2 coffees I only drink water to quench my thirst. But when I am really craving something I eat it , if I want ice cream I eat it and move on if I don't eat what I am craving it consumes me until I do then I binge. So allow yourself the little spoils. I have since lost 2kg in 3 weeks and its not that hard I am rewarding myself when I want and am content. I am not calorie counting just enjoying what I want in smaller portions. Good Luck
High Fibre, Low Fat Diet with daily exercise (walk at least 5 km).
I did this years ago and lost over 20 kgs in 20 weeks.
Watch what you eat (i.e stop snacking between meals), 20 minute walk per day and fast twice a week (two small meals breakfast and dinner total 600calories for the day).
Hi OP,
I was 102kg in January 7. It has been a month and now i'm down 93kgs
Mrs got me watching "Fork over Knives" Documentary on netflix, changed my point of view in eating. We also watched Fat Sick & Nearly Dead by Joe Cross yesterday, his boosted juice diet got me intrigued and going to start this tomorrow. Worth the watch.
Went plant based foods for most days in the month, that's where I shred the weight. I do occasionally eat something that I shouldn't be eating to remove my cravings. I train 5 days a week in the morning before work.
Also, My sleep apnea also disappeared thanks to this!
PS i am a smoker, and haven't gotten drunk in a month :)
Hope this helps you on your journey
I lost about 30kg at a rate of about 1-3kg a week, I walked to and from work (10km total a day) and stuck to less than 1500 calories a day. I was running a 500-1000 calorie deficit most days. I found foods that were low calorie but filling, low fat yogurt, high fibre vegies, various fruits. To be honest though, I ate a lot of lean cuisines frozen meals, they are about 350 calories per meal and if you drink water with them and wait 10 minutes, you'll be pretty full. They helped me hit the 1200-1500 calorie target with ease.
I'm losing a bit of weight now and it's not rocket science:
Cut out sugar and junk food. Never drink coke or fruit juice. Be wary of processed foods and adding sauces or cheese to anything.
Eat tons of veggies. Fit as many as you can into your meals while reducing bread/rice/chips. If you're hungry between meals then eat leftover veggies or a raw carrot.
Stop drinking beer. Beer everyday makes you fat. Probably wine too.
Learn that being hungry is okay, it won't kill ya. Just be hungry for a few hours. Maybe go on an actual fast to recalibrate your stomach.
Jog 2-3 times a week. Helps with weight a little bit but the main benefits are mental and general health, and doing it makes you not hungry for like 2 hours.
I still let loose and drink beer and eat shit on the weekends so the progress isn't that fast, maybe 1kg/2weeks.
I am sure you already are overwhelmed by the awesome positive responses from fellow OZB's
A bit about myself, I struggled to put on any decent weight for a very long time. In my mid 30s, I find myself with lot of body fat and beer belly. This is simply because of my poor food choices and lack of physical exercise. Still within a healthy BMI.
I tried and failed many time (first to put on weight and now to loose that extra fat) but recently joined a fitness/weight loss program that is quite promising.
Here are the nuts and bolts of the program I am in. I hope this might help you in some way.
- You need to start eating healthy (that means no sugar of all kinds and less carbs, more lean protein and heaps of veggies)
- You need to find motivation (a network or another person who shares similar goals)
- You need to increase your metabolism (burn more energy then you consume)
- Stay hydrated (3-4 litres of water a day)
- Be committed and go to your workouts until you reach your goal.
- Have short (1-3 months) medium (3-6 months) and long term (6 months and beyond) goals and stick to them.
So far I am on the right track, From Jan 9th 2017, I have lost 5 inches of belly, 2 inches around waist, and a little over 6 kgs. I see you are based in Sydney so let me know if you want more info about the program I am in via PM.
I train 5 days a week/at gym and 6 days/week at home.
PS: Like someone said earlier, success is about 90% food and 10% workout.
Good luk
This ^^
Long story short. I lost over 50kgs, I feel fantastic and my energy levels are amazing
I probably should be dead but not I play sports, I want to climb mountains and be more active and enjoy my summers :)Similar to the person above!
1. Start with the end in mind. Think about how awesome it is to get there. (motivation)
2. Cut Sugar
3. Cut Processed foods
4. Find someone to go gym, exercise, have similar goals with… (more motivation)
5. Don't lie to yourself, that piece of white bread, that ice cream will do damage, even if its just a "bite". That grows. Reward yourself after a few weeks of true, non lying to yourself results. It'll taste better.As you can see, its more 100% mentality then maybe 90% food and 10% workout :p
Don't get overwhelmed, start off with small victories and itll grow and motivate you but in the end you need to find it, I do find accountability with someone else is amazing.
You will then domino your way to all the rest of the things people read here.
Go back to this forum in 6 months and see what you SHOULD have expected yourself to be and then go like.. wow time swings so fast.. I could've been this and this by now or you can be … wow… I achieved so much in 6 months!
All the best.
I exercise almost every day for at least an hour or two now but weight isn't dropping :( For diet I'm not really eating unhealthily or too much either..
Do you sweat when you excercise?
Yes - a lot indeed. When I attend my barre class, heaps of sweat drop on the mat and my towel is really wet afterwards. Sometimes I do zumba class and reformer pilates. I also walk at least 40 mins a day when I have uni and sometimes walk to have a meal.
I can't say I have no sugar at all. But a chocolate bar can last me for few months to half a year sometimes. I don't drink soft drink. Alcohol and coffee sometimes but not an every day habit. Tea with honey per day though. No breakfast usually but most of the time I have veggies in my diet. I have variety food in my diet (eg. fish, chicken, beef, lamb, seafood, veggies…)
You probably need to see a specialist (as in dietician, PT, exercise physiologist etc..)
Some things I noted tho (without knowing a thing about the way you eat etc..):
- Building muscle can help a lot, it burns fat when ur just doing not much. Cardio only does so much.
- Eat Breakfast, some greens and eggs are good, you might be binging on food during lunch and dinner and not notice.
- Try MyfitnessPal or an app and log your food and see how many calories you are ACTUALLY consuming.I have a huge belief that people are lying to themselves when they say they have a healthy diet or they eat this and that.
A small cake (like less then 100gms), cheeseburger and an "iced lipton tea" can easily add up to half the calories a day.all the best!
I agree with the other guy. Count your calories for a week so you know for sure what you're eating. It's way too easy to just slip in little snacks that throw you off.
@snippy:
Thanks for your advice! It's very helpful. The thing is that I'm not overweight or obese in the professionals' eyes. They usually consider me as "small" in appearance (I'm short - not even 5 feet). Indeed, most people in Australia don't consider me as fat. However, when I compare my height and weight, I think I need to lose weight. Many people don't think 54kg is heavy but I'm short so makes 54kg pretty heavy. I'm within the BMI range but a bit marginal.I'll consider using the app to calculate my energy intake. I had been successful in the past to lose 5kg in 2 months by playing badminton and eating pasta / udon only (no rice or fries). But I gained back weight when I resumed my normal diet.
@citygal:
No problems :)Yeap, its the "normal" diet that needs to change.
You easily have the ability to lose weight but normal diet will hurt, so replace some foods for the long term gain.
I also think pasta and udon only is not the way to go. The other comments are pretty good here, eat as many greens as possible and replace those carb meals at times with them. I would use the app and see how much your "normal" diet intake actually is and find simple small ways to substitute and lower it.Being asian and knowing asians I am surrounded by girls (assuming your a girl because of your username and height) that are around your height and weigh about 44kgs or less haha. So I actually think 54kgs at your height is on the slightly heavy side from what I am used to. (no offense!)
Start with diet. I've lost 25 kgs in 4 months being on a strict ketogenic diet counting calories as well, haven't been to the gym once but try to go on a walk a few times a week and lift weights at home while watching YouTube or Netflix. Diet to look good, lift to look good naked
I heard weights training is better to loose fat compared to cardiac exercise. I saw this on the abc news website and it was based on the results of some research work.
My advice is to try something like rock climbing. Hopefully you can find an indoor climbing place close to where you live. It is more enjoyable than going to the gym, and there is a social component to it.
Have a good read through the 'fathead' website. His politics are a bit libertarian for my liking and perhaps he is a bit too paleo, but he has some really good articles about why having 'will' is just not enough. You need to get an understanding of your body, how your body works. Thats very specific to you - what works for me wont work for you.
For example, while its 'true' that Energy In needs to be less than Energy out, its not a simply matter of calories. Because between in and out is an entire body doing its thing. The type of calories (fat, protein, carbs) is a significant influence on what happens in the body. Every body treats calories differently. Exercise impacts people differently
For example, while its 'true' that Energy In needs to be less than Energy out, its not a simply matter of calories
As far as weight loss, it IS simply a matter of calories, also known as the law of thermodynamics. Eat less kilojoules than you are burning and you will lose weight, no ifs or buts.
Now, if you eat exclusively white bread and coke you will become horribly malnourished and be ravenously hungry a large amount of the time, but you will lose weight as long as the kilojoules consumed are less than what you are burning. The OP's question wasn't about how to incorporate a wide variety of nutrients into their diet or how to do a body recomposition to have more lean muscle mass and lower body fat %. They asked how to lose weight, for which CICO > all. Don't tell them it's not simply a matter of calories.
Start going CARB free
It will get you 10kg.
then go sugar free
It will get you another 10kg.
Then resume eating normally.Sugars are carbohydrates.
Agreed but for the purpose of dieting, making things simple for a person, cut out carb component of your meal , like RICE, PASTA, NOODLES, CHIPS is pretty straightforward.
Eat carb free for 6-9 mths and you will certainly see your weight shed.
Then progressively wean off sweets like: CAKE, ICE CREAM and SOFT DRINKS before moving on to the less obvious ones like FRUIT JUICE.
In addition drink lots of water to flush it all out.It doesn't matter if you cut out all the "carbs" and increase the sugar (because you will get more hungry). LIMIT both. Don't cut out anything.
- I noticed that sugary drinks contribute a lot to weight gain. try to cut back on sugary drinks and then later on, on sugar itself.
- start walking more. even for just a few minutes. when you get the hang of walking, it becomes easier to walk the extra mile, if you may, the next time around.
- alternate cold and hot water during shower. i know its hard at first. it is known to increase metabolism as your body tries to regulate your temperature.
- drink lots of water
im still on the journey to a better body and i hope i have provided useful tips for you
Calories in must be less than calories out, its that simple. If you eat a lot of rubbish, no amount of exercise will compensate for that. Try and eat well at least most of the time and exercise regularly. Its not only weight you lose, but you will just feel better, get sick less often and when you do recover more quickly.
Running is a great way to go. Cheap as you just need a decent pair of running shoes. Don't scrimp on this as its vital. A bad pair of shoes will lead to discomfort and possibly injury. I swear by New Balance shoes, last for ages and never give blisters or pain. Start slow, try and get to 1km, then 2, then 5. If you can do 5, you can do 10. Beyond that is up to you. Don't worry about time, just do it. You will find it gets easier pretty quickly and it is a great way to clear your head and relieve yourself of stress.
Once you've built up some stamina, stair running is a brilliant way to burn calories in a short space of time. If you have a decent sized set of stairs somewhere near where you are, its a great way to get fit.
An app like MyFitnessPal to track calories in and out and effect on your weight is so helpful. This is my best tip. You may not realise how many calories you are consuming and how.
Try buying less snacks and other food - I find if the food is in the house, I will eat it.
Step counter encourages incidental movement.
eat less, eat healthy and more exercise.
I found it's almost 70% diet and 30% exercise, some argue 80% diet and 20% exercise.
You won't succeed with a 'crash diet'. You will succeed with making small progressive changes to your diet. Here are a few that have worked for me, and keeps me thinking about my food choices. See if they work for you:
Cut down on sugar, no added sugar with tea, coffee etc. No soda. Water is what the human body has evolved drinking. This includes fruit, you can still eat them, but don't go crazy. Fruit juice and Jam is also very very high in sugar.
Try to eat less carbs, effectively this means eat half the rice, but all the meat and vege in your meals, find meals that have less bread (e.g. There's a place called PitaPit that's similar to subway but uses pita bread. I have all the salads with meat and some sauce and it's fantastic low carb high fibre and protein meal) With pasta, have a little pasta but a lot of pasta sauce and meat.
Eat as much green stuff as you want, really there's no limit. The idea is to eat high in fibre
When you go to the supermarket, don't buy that packet of chips, think twice about buying that frozen pizza or fizzy drink. Spend more time in the fruit/veg, meat and deli section. Try flat bread or mountain bread instead of that huge loaf. Eliminate those cheese and ham rolls and similar things entirely.
A good meal after a workout is 1 chicken schnitzel (get 4 for $9 from the meat fridge in Coles/Safeway) and a bucket load of salad coated with balsamic vinegar and tabasco sauce. You will be full for a long time.
Snacks try almonds, cashews and other non-salted nuts.
As for exercise…. would recommend HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) type training. There's a lot out there such as Freeletics (free apps and communities), paid for programs online or your local workout gym. Opt for bootcamp type sessions (outdoor bootcamp style sessions or indoor HIIT type session)
If you want to try a workout at home I found The Body Coach to be excellent. Lots of Beginner, low impact type videos. I Chromecast it to my TV and do the workout with him. https://www.youtube.com/user/thebodycoach1 There's also a paid SSS program which I haven't tried but I think it's a planned workout schedule with advice on diet added on (maybe I'm wrong here so check it out). Else stick to the free videos.
Overall I found that I could start of doing these sessions at home, but to really push myself after a few weeks I went to one of my local training gyms that only does 45minute HIIT and Strength (weight training) sessions. Usually there's a 4 week trial period which gets you started with no obligation to stay on after. (mine was $99 for 4 weeks with unlimited training).
If you have any questions let me know. I've just finished 4 weeks of training at my gym above and have seen a difference. Weight remained the same (I was 74kg to begin with), however have put on 3kg in muscle hence taken off that amount or a little more in fat. Strength, fitness, stamina also up a lot.
Hardest thing is to keep going back (especially in the morning) so after work sessions have been great.
I lost 35kg and have kept it off for about 10 years now. Was around 105kg when I was 17. I'm 70kg and 27 now. 185cm.
My advice as others have mentioned is high protein, and low carb diet. Breakfast is super important, and I always made an exception for carbs in the morning, eating oats and other low GI carbs (within reason). Healthy fats are also ok, nuts etc in between meals. Do some weight training (doesn't have to be super serious) - build up some muscle as it'll boost your metabolism and you'll burn calories even at a resting state. Avoid sugars, processed food etc.
You're the exception, not the rule.
I can tell you what has worked for me:
I eat boiled eggs in the morning - nothing else. Pure protein kills the hunger.
At work I eat sandwiches and a banana for lunch.
I come home usually very hungry, this is the time I stuff up the most. I have bags of vegetables in the fridge ready that I chopped up on the weekend. I steam these with dim sims for dinner.
For snacks I eat bananas and yopliat for me yoghurt (very low calories).
On the weekends I don't stick to this routine and just try to eat reasonably smart.
Pure protein kills the hunger FOR YOU. Not everyone's body works the same way.
Stop eating junk food and drinking sugar water.
Get on the treadmill and RUN.
Rinse and repeat. If it doesn't hurt, then you are doing something wrong.And if it hurts chances are you'll do damage that will affect you in a different way later on. Note that increasing your excercise gradually is vital. If you go from nothing to "it hurts" there's every chance you could pop a joint or have a heart attack.
No pain no gain. Enjoy.
No pain. No pain. No huge medical bill. Hard to enjoy when it hurts or when you've pushed too hard.
Oh boy I can't wait to see the backlash from this post but it's true and it needs to be said.
There are several whole industries devoted to convincing people that it's as simple as a bit of diet and exercise and if you or someone you know can't lose weight it's because they're fat and lazy. "Health" food, diet plans, pills and potions, exercise machines, surgery. All waiting to grab a dollar. And billions of people too scared or too stupid to know that if they're thin it's their good fortune, not a reason to put others down. Fat shaming is more socially accepted than any other form of discrimination on the planet. Well below I've added a bunch of links - based on actual science not alternative woo - that show why this is bad and why people who just blast or shrivel their nose up in disgust at overweight and obese people are horrid.
The truth is you can lose weight short term and keep some of it off for perhaps a couple of years. Long term weight loss is extremely!!! difficult. The short term loss can still buy you time and be good for your health. If you can stave off diabetes and heart disease for 5 years that's a good thing. But the reason most lifestyle changes don't take is that the same pressures that pushed you back into your current lifestyle are still there. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try at all but you should be realistic and be kind to yourself.
There are things you should do anyway to stop the weight continuing to gain. Salads are your friend.
BBC Documentary: Why are thin people not fat. A must watch. Better versions have been taken down by the BBC unfortunately. This one is incredibly important. It explains to anyone willing to listen why something that works for one person won't work for another and that if you don't have a weight problem it isn't just because you're wonderful and have lots of will power.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Or40cURQwIs the "obesity crisis" just a disguise for a deeper problem?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3oI104STzsWhy dieting doesn't usually work | Sandra Aamodt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn0Ygp7pMbA95% of diets fail.
https://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/do-95-of-diet…Genes found linked to hunger drive.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-04/faulty-gene-may-explai…
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/scientis…
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/07/obesity-gene-linked-h…http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867415…
Low chance of obese people recovering normal body weight
"Date: July 16, 2015
Source: King's College London
Summary:
The chance of an obese person attaining normal body weight is 1 in 210 for men and 1 in 124 for women, increasing to 1 in 1,290 for men and 1 in 677 for women with severe obesity, according to a new study. The findings suggest that current weight management programs focused on dieting and exercise are not effective in tackling obesity at population level."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150716180913.h…http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/opinion/sunday/why-you-can…
Neuroscience Explains Why Dieters Rarely Lose Weight
https://science.slashdot.org/story/16/05/09/031249/neuroscie…The Genetics of Obesity
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11892-010-0153-z/f…You're not seeing the forest for the trees. Everything you're saying is completely meaningless.
The chance of an obese person attaining normal body weight is 1 in 210 for men and 1 in 124 for women
For somebody to abuse their body to the point of becoming clinically obese there is some seriously disordered thinking and behaviours occurring. So these people aren't going to magically flip a switch and solve all their disordered thinking and behaviours, the majority of them will remain obese. THIS DOES NOT CHANGE THE INDISPUTABLE FACT THAT IF THEY CONSUME LESS CALORIES THAN THEIR TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE THEY WILL LOSE WEIGHT.
95% of diets fail.
If you eat less for a period of time to lose weight, then revert to your previous shitty eating habits that made you obese, of course will you regain weight eating the same terrible diet that made you obese. Did the diet fail? No, you expected lifelong change from a 6 week commitment, that is insane. It's just like saying you don't want to smell bad, so you shower daily for 6 weeks and then stop showering and get surprised/upset when you smell bad again. Showering didn't fail you, you simply stopped doing it. Don't expect lifelong change from a few weeks of a behaviour.
And billions of people too scared or too stupid to know that if they're thin it's their good fortune
Nope. It's because they choose to shovel less food into their mouth than obese people.
Fat shaming is more socially accepted than any other form of discrimination on the planet.
"Fat shaming" isn't a real thing. If people are abusive towards you it's because they are shitty people who feel those who make bad choices deserve to be ridiculed. Nobody terms the coins "Unemployment shaming" or "Poor hygiene shaming". The ridiculous term "fat shaming" is trying to draw non-existent parallels between it and things such as racism and sexism, when it is merely the consequence of poor lifestyle choices and not an inherent biological trait.
There are several whole industries devoted to convincing people that it's as simple as a bit of diet and exercise and if you or someone you know can't lose weight it's because they're fat and lazy. "Health" food, diet plans, pills and potions, exercise machines, surgery.
There's no industry that profits off the method to actually lose weight. When you shovel less food into your mouth, there's no company making money from that.
If you have any evidence that Calories in/Calories out is incorrect, you have disproved the Law of Thermodynamics and should be composing your acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize you are about to receive instead of posting on OzBargain.
"Everything you're saying is completely meaningless." Nope the problem is you're not bothering to read or understand.
Your body isn't even a closed system. "CONSUME LESS CALORIES THAN THEIR TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE THEY WILL LOSE WEIGHT." If this was true a single potato chip a day would be the difference between starving and being obese. See the BBC doco I linked. It's been well and truely shown that the same calorie intake affects different people differently.
Don't dismiss every point I made, address them. Unless you can't?
It's been well and truely shown that the same calorie intake affects different people differently
No shit Sherlock….. If a 5'2" sedentary female eats a 2000 calorie diet they will become obese. If a 6'5" marathon running male eats a 2000 calorie diet they will be dangerously underweight. DIFFERING CALORIC REQUIREMENTS DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT IF YOU EAT UNDER YOUR TDEE YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT.
You just told me everything I said "is completely meaningless", called fat people "shitty people", denied fat shaming and now you're upset that I won't waste my time arguing with your abusive self? Really? What's more you haven't addressed anything in a mountain of evidence I provided. Blaming 95% of your target audience for reverting to prior behaviour means 95% of people aren't suited to taking your advice or sticking with it in the first place. Now you know what you can do with your all caps shouting don't you? Go do an anger management course or something. You seem hell bent on abusing the obese. I will address one point because it's so ridiculous though:
"There's no industry that profits off the method to actually lose weight. When you shovel less food into your mouth, there's no company making money from that."
That has to be one of the most patently stupid things I have ever heard.
1. There are lots of people who profit from the weight loss industry - pills, potions, excercise gear, gym membership, personal trainers, selling overpriced weight loss food and/or meal plans, surgery, placebos. The list goes on.
2. There is a whole other junk food industry that profits from selling low quality food that satisfies hunger and overfeeding you.Denying the existence of an entire industry means you are delusional and need to seek help. Denying two means you should claim a refund on your education. I would rather take advice from an inanimate object than listen to or argue with any of your absurd prattle.
You're actually living in an alternate reality, and have zero reading comprehension skills.
You sound quite open minded and capable of having a sensible discussion.
All due respect the links you posted do not show on a scientific basis that dieting and exercise cannot work as a long term weight loss solution. I personally know at least 4 people who have gone from obese to pretty lean and kept the weight off for 10+ years. Yes this is anecdotal but even in the articles you linked the stats show it is possible. 1/210 men and 1/124 women were able to lose weight and keep it off. Those articles don't show that a person who consistently sticks to a lower calorie diet and exercise program for 10+ years don't keep the weight off. They merely show:
Most people gained the weight back after losing it (could it be because they reverted to old ways? Not explored)
Metabolic rate decreases with weight loss
Weight loss may make you hungrier and more likely to emotionally eat.
Lets go through these points individually
Have you ever seen a person stick to a great diet and exercise program for years on end but still gain back the weight they lost? Think about this honestly. I sure haven't and I would be very surprised if you have. Just because on a population level, the vast majority of people regain their lost weight doesn't mean exercise and diet fails to keep weight off. It most likely means the majority of people fail to stick to their diets and exercise programs in the long term.
This is not a new concept. Unfortunate fact of life. When you lose weight, your metabolism reduces and it is related but not directly proportional to the amount of weight loss. The more weight you lose the more your metabolism slows. Your body is adjusting and becoming more efficient. So what is the answer? Just stay obese? No you have to make peace with the fact that your metabolism is slower and you have to eat less. What do you suggest?
Even if true, say you have a larger appetite and propensity to crave than usual because you lost a lot of weight. This is a cop out. You may have the a greater urge to eat badly but that doesn't excuse it. However, ultimately you are in control of whether you put that doughnut in your mouth. Not your hormones, not your urges, you make the final decision to physically eat that food. If a person rapes someone do you say OK you had a real strong urge to do that so it's fine? No you say that person should have controlled himself.
Yes it is easier for some people than others. That just means you have to be stronger. Blaming your urges and hormones might make you feel better but at the end of the day the you will still be the one that is obese, unhealthy and unhappy.
You seem to like linking articles. Let me give you some unsolicited advice that someone once gave me that I really took to heart and changed the way I look at scientific evidence.
"If someone says read my book on this subject, it's because they can't say please read my peer reviewed journal on this subject".
An article or book is only someone's opinion unless supported by robust studies as references. Just because someone is a neuroscientist doesn't mean they know as a scientific certainty, what they are claiming is true. This neuroscientist from the nytimes article you linked probably doesn't have a lot of practical experience with weight loss. Ask her to stick to a diet and exercise program for 10 years and then tell you if she regained the weight she initially lost. Academics often do not have sufficient practical experience in the field. Try something before you give up and say it doesn't work.
Have a read of this link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990627/
It is a good example of a well referenced and thought out article (and also is about the topic we are discussing). Not something out of sciencedaily.com.
Q: Have you ever seen a person stick to a great diet and exercise program for years on end but still gain back the weight they lost?
Yes. And there's evidence of it in the links above. Specifically see the BBC documentary. And in other places. There is also plenty of evidence presented that some people lose the weight without trying in the first place whereas others struggle and still can't lose it.
Q: So what is the answer? Just stay obese?
I did say in my original post that you can gain a few years without becoming obese or losing some of the weight temporarily did I not?
The answer is to stop fat shaming people and abusing them. The answer is to understand that the odds of losing weight and keeping it off are very low and to stop making people who don't achieve this feel like abject failures.
Even if true, say you have a larger appetite and propensity to crave than usual because you lost a lot of weight. This is a cop out. You may have the a greater urge to eat badly but that doesn't excuse it
That is very easy to say. Imagine the hungriest you've been. Now imagine eating the largest meal you've ever eaten, then being as hungry as you've ever been 20 minutes later. That is what people face. Hunger is an incredibly strong urge. It has to be for humans to survive.
Have a read of this link:
You first. It's quite clear that you haven't read ANY of the links I posted.
Btw the answer is more research into manipulating "set point and settling point referenced in your article. Don't blame people for how their body works. The suggestion that external factors contribute not withstanding it doesn't show that the person is in control. The misconception that fat people are just lazy, weak and glutenous has done a lot of harm.
Also be careful of the quality of the article YOU reference. On the one hand I like the idea of open access journals. But on the other, this is not Nature that you've referenced.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faculty_of_1000And btw some of those articles link to peer reviewed journal articles, and some are peer reviewed journal articles. I didn't ask you to read my book. That is a straw man.
There is also a doctor who cries on stage at a TED conference because after suffering changes to his metabolism he realizes how he treated the obese, recounting the story of his anger at one diabetic woman about to lose a foot. And another TED talk by a pyschologist that describes her own weight struggle and how it affected her, along with showing stats regarding health and obesity that link other factors to disease. You might want to view them before preaching at me!
Sheesh. If you link to journal articles people tell you that you're out of touch and that they can't read them. If you link to something more accessible they complain that it's not a peer reviewed journal article (even if it links to one) and either way they don't bother to actually look before spouting their own pre-conceptions.
If you bothered to actually look at the articles and references you'd see that the suggestion is that 95%+ of people DO NOT lose weight long term because it's bloody hard to do. Much much harder than just eating healthy and getting on an excercise program. Don't tell me about what the articles you didn't bother to read and videos you didn't bother to view tell me about the science of it.
First of all I agree with you that we shouldn't fatshame. I never used any demeaning language in my post that I see so often like fatty/weak/lazy etc.
Yes. And there's evidence of it in the links above. Specifically see the BBC documentary. And in other places. There is also plenty of evidence presented that some people lose the weight without trying in the first place whereas others struggle and still can't lose it.
I did read your links although I admit I haven't yet watched the documentary or Ted Talks as I responded at lunchtime during work. I asked has there been hard evidence where people lost weight by sticking to an exercise and calorie restriction program and then gained back the weight while still sticking to that program. The links I have read just say that they found that most people who become obese do not manage to lose that weight in the long term. It doesn't say they could not lose the weight and keep it off WHILE staying on the exercise and calorie restriction program they used to lose the weight.
I will definitely watch the BBC doco and the TED talks you posted later.
The articles you posted about set points (first of all conducted on animals) all do not refute the point I made that the weight can be kept off so long as the diet/fitness regime used to lose the weight is kept up in the long term. They just says that you get hungrier and your metabolism gets slower.
I didn't ask you to read my book.
I wasn't clear. I was referring to the nytimes article you posted where the neurologist has written a book called "Why diets make us fat" it's because she hasn't done an actual peer reviewed article with strong evidence demonstrating her message. Again outside of the videos I am yet to see a controlled study where candidates were put on a strict calorie restricted diet and exercise program, were monitored and kept the program up for over a decade but still managed to gain back the weight they lost.
If you bothered to actually look at the articles and references you'd see that the suggestion is that 95%+ of people DO NOT lose weight long term because it's bloody hard to do. Much much harder than just eating healthy and getting on an excercise program.
It is true that losing weight is bloody hard. Otherwise there would be hardly any fat people. However unless you have a medical condition like a thyroid problem then the solution is less calories and exercise. It is just that it is bloody hard to stick to less calories and exercise over the long term. Doesn't mean it is unachievable. Although a only a small % of people succeed, there are some.
That is very easy to say. Imagine the hungriest you've been. Now imagine eating the largest meal you've ever eaten, then being as hungry as you've ever been 20 minutes later. That is what people face. Hunger is an incredibly strong urge. It has to be for humans to survive.
LOL. I do know what hunger is like. I have fasted for 36 hours in a row with nothing but water. I fast without fail once a week for 24 hours at a time (for reasons unrelated to weight loss). I know it is a strong urge but I also know it can be overcome. Let me put this to you. If you offered a $30 million dollar prize to all this helplessly hungry people to not eat any food for 24 hours, how many of them do you think would magically be able to do it where they weren't able to do it before? All it takes is the will to do it. It is possible. I maintain that saying you have a strong urge to eat as an excuse is a cop out. They CAN do it (as per my $30M prize example). They just don't have the will to do it.
The fact is you did link some junk articles. One of them suggested the key to weight management is to listen to your body and only eat until you feel full. LOL? That is terrible advice. Hunger is a terrible way of knowing whether or not your body needs more food or there would be no overweight people. Lots of things like mood, tiredness/lack of sleep can affect how hungry you feel and has nothing to do with how many calories your body actually needs to survive or be healthy.
@Xastros
LOL you really think they are "quite open minded and capable of having a sensible discussion"? They are the polar opposite of that.
They reject out of hand all scientifically based evidence that their claims are completely fraudulent. They don't understand correlation/causation. They are completely unwilling to have their viewpoint challenged, and lack the critical thinking skills and analytical abilities to interpret any new information they are presented with. It's like debating with a brick wall.
I was wrong haha. He has formed his view and is not willing to consider other evidence. Also I don't think he understands correlation/causation like you said. Keeps quoting the failure rate of people as evidence that diet and exercise is futile.
I don't really care about proving him wrong or whatever. I just feel that his message is actually bad for overweight people. I understand the need not to have them beat themselves up but telling them that you're born to be fat and there is almost no hope of you losing weight long term is damaging and not helping them. In fact a lot of overweight people want to hear exactly this so that they can stop trying but still be ultimately unhappy with their weight. It's not the right message to send.
Basically what I am trying to get across is that diet and exercise works if you stick to it. Yes there is a high failure rate and that's because it is hard but it can be done for everyone unless they have a medical condition. In fact it is a certainty. It's just a matter of how bad you want it and what lengths you are willing to go to to get it.
I just feel that his message is actually bad for overweight people
Yeah that's my problem with this. If people just said "I like eating a lot of food, so I'm going to stay happily fat and me draining the resources of the healthcare system is no different to smokers/alcoholics etc" I would have a degree of respect for their viewpoint despite disagreeing with it personally.
It's when they start spreading this garbage that endangers the health and lives of innocent people I draw the line. If somebody gets a wakeup call about their physical health deteriorating as a result of their weight, and then they look up how to lose weight and see this trash? It's comforting on a superficial level as it absolves them of responsibility, so some people will accept it as truth and resign themselves to a lifetime of negative health outcomes needlessly. Really grinds my gears.
@airal3rt: Yes I agree. If someone is genuinely happy being overweight and enjoying food then more power to them. We all make choices in life. Not everyone has a burning desire to have abs.
I always tell people to be honest with themselves. Are they willing to to make very difficult and permanent changes to their life. If you know you are a person who enjoys food, is unwilling to change your diet long term and is unwilling to be a gym rat then you will have a body that reflects that. Just embrace it and be happy because that is the body you are going to have. Struggling against the tide with fad diets and years of yoyo weight loss/gain is just going to make you unhappy on top of being overweight. Just do a small amount of exercise to keep fit then enjoy your food and be happy with who you are. Don't let other people or the media tell you that you must look like a cover model to be worth something.
If you do have that burning desire to lose the weight and you seriously think you are willing to put the heavy amount of effort for the rest of your life that's required to be fit and lean then come talk to me and I'll be happy to help.
Drink BeeR!!!
Didn't read any of the comments because all you will need to do to lose weight is follow this simple rule:
Eat less calories than you burn.
It's legit that easy, if you limit your calorie intake and burn more per day than you intake then you will begin to lose weight.
You can also burn extra calories through exorcise if you wish, not needed but I highly suggest it, even going on the treadmill for 30 minutes on incline, then another 30 minutes on the elliptical is a good workout if you have the time for it.
Read many of the comments. I have a different point of view. My sister has been struggling with weight for quite some time and has recently lost 15+ kilos. When I asked what she has been doing. She said eat less walk more (she claims to walk 20+ kms a week), nothing strenuous and not a gym junkie.
How I think is :
Make everything that puts calories in your body (food and/or drinks and sedentary lifestyle) just a bit harder to get and easier to hate.
Make everything that takes calories away from your body just a bit easier to do and love. (like choose a gym that is closer to go to, Get a dog to make walking more of a necessity, don't stock up your fridge so nothing to get to when you crave something, don't stay up late to have those cravings etc..)
This will slowly (maybe even glacially) but surely it will add up and create the big difference in calorie deficit that everyone(and experts) talks about.
Just keep in mind that it is a long term game.
just my 2 centsIf you find it hard to motivate yourself to eat a certain way, to go to the gym, to chart your daily weight loss, and so on, may I suggest using an endurance event as a goal? It could be a marathon/half-marathon, a triathlon, an Audax (long distance) bike ride, anything that captures your imagination.
For some people, it can be far easier to use an event as motivation to exercise, instead of focussing on day-to-day diet and weight loss. Building up strength will increase muscle mass, which increases your metabolic requirements. You may not lose weight as fast because muscle is denser than fat, but IMHO basing results only on weight is unhealthy, unless you compete seriously in a sport that is weight-sensitive (such as being in a particular martial art weight division, bicycle road racing, stuff like that). Increasing aerobic fitness lets you exercise for longer and burns fat. There are zillions of training programs out there to properly prepare unfit/overweight people for all kinds of endurance events. Or you can get a coach to draw one up for you.
This won't be a solution for everyone, but it works and helped me shed off the extra kilos I wanted (12kg in 6 weeks).
Stop eating after 2pm. No dinner, nothing… just water. Make sure you are eating a bigger breakfast and lunch and getting enough daily nutrients from both.
I was already working out/exercising around 4-6 times per week, but the weight/fat stayed on. I initially stopped eating dinner and ate bigger meals earlier (which dropped the weight), then I changed my diet from average to good and that dropped my body fat percentage from 15% down to around 11%. And then on top of that, I reduced my sugar intake to under 10g a day and now my body fat is a single digit percentage.