Average Joe's (or John's) Advice for Weight Loss...
JohnnyLowCarb
Posts: 418 Member
I am not a doctor, dietitian, or a trainer. I am middle age man who looked in the mirror - said "OMG I am pregnant" Women are beautiful when pregnant 49 yr old man not so much.
I have read a TON! Tried many things, and here is what I learned that has shed 27 lbs since Jan 2nd of this year.
Cal In vs Cal Out - It is and cannot be avoided. Calorie In vs Calorie Out matters. You have to be in a deficit. It does not matter the WOE to get to your deficit (Paleo, Low Carb, Low Fat, Vegan etc...) Pick a WOE and make sure your in a deficit. Not too restrictive, pick a safe number 250 up to 500 deficit. I have lost weight on a Low Fat & Low Carb.
Quality of Food - Eat as good food as you can. We all cannot afford organic foods, but make better choices. Prepare food at home or prepare before hand, to avoid the drive thru. Whatever you do make higher quality choices than you have in the past.
Time and Timing - Give it time, your body will be in a bit of a state of shock as change your WOE. Measure success over weeks or a month, as opposed to an obsession over the daily scale number (I know its easier said than done). Timing - the timing of when you eat can be important to losing weight. It was for me. Instead of spreading your meals and snacks over an entire day. Try eating within a 8 hour window and not eating for 16 (you sleep around 7-8 hours so that counts!). I eat breakfast at 7am and stop eating at 1pm. Therefore I am fasting for 18 hours. Many people prefer to skip breakfast, that works too! Just dont eat during your fasting period. There is a reason why you have to allow for some fasting and I dont have enough space to list it all. You still eat your daily caloric intake but in a shorter period of time.
Exercise - believe it or not I am going to say it can be optional for weight loss! I never would have said that before I learned all the things I am sharing. There are a ton of reasons (other than weight loss) that exercise will benefit. Exercise will speed up weight loss, but the Cal In vs Cal Out still takes precedence. I do cardio and strength training, but I am not a gym rat by any means.
Maybe all the above sounds like common sense. But sometimes common sense is not so common or should I say "obvious". I am so glad I learned these principles, otherwise I would have kept going down a bad path.
If the above does not work for you then I would change one variable "Way of Eating". If you really use all the above under one way of eating (do not mix them up, for example do not do Low Carb one day and the next day do Low Fat) for at least 3-4 weeks and its not working, your not happy with the results, dont feel better, dont look better, then change your way of eating, try that for 3-4 weeks.
Good Luck to You! You can absolutely do it - I did and I am just your average Joe (really John)!
I have read a TON! Tried many things, and here is what I learned that has shed 27 lbs since Jan 2nd of this year.
Cal In vs Cal Out - It is and cannot be avoided. Calorie In vs Calorie Out matters. You have to be in a deficit. It does not matter the WOE to get to your deficit (Paleo, Low Carb, Low Fat, Vegan etc...) Pick a WOE and make sure your in a deficit. Not too restrictive, pick a safe number 250 up to 500 deficit. I have lost weight on a Low Fat & Low Carb.
Quality of Food - Eat as good food as you can. We all cannot afford organic foods, but make better choices. Prepare food at home or prepare before hand, to avoid the drive thru. Whatever you do make higher quality choices than you have in the past.
Time and Timing - Give it time, your body will be in a bit of a state of shock as change your WOE. Measure success over weeks or a month, as opposed to an obsession over the daily scale number (I know its easier said than done). Timing - the timing of when you eat can be important to losing weight. It was for me. Instead of spreading your meals and snacks over an entire day. Try eating within a 8 hour window and not eating for 16 (you sleep around 7-8 hours so that counts!). I eat breakfast at 7am and stop eating at 1pm. Therefore I am fasting for 18 hours. Many people prefer to skip breakfast, that works too! Just dont eat during your fasting period. There is a reason why you have to allow for some fasting and I dont have enough space to list it all. You still eat your daily caloric intake but in a shorter period of time.
Exercise - believe it or not I am going to say it can be optional for weight loss! I never would have said that before I learned all the things I am sharing. There are a ton of reasons (other than weight loss) that exercise will benefit. Exercise will speed up weight loss, but the Cal In vs Cal Out still takes precedence. I do cardio and strength training, but I am not a gym rat by any means.
Maybe all the above sounds like common sense. But sometimes common sense is not so common or should I say "obvious". I am so glad I learned these principles, otherwise I would have kept going down a bad path.
If the above does not work for you then I would change one variable "Way of Eating". If you really use all the above under one way of eating (do not mix them up, for example do not do Low Carb one day and the next day do Low Fat) for at least 3-4 weeks and its not working, your not happy with the results, dont feel better, dont look better, then change your way of eating, try that for 3-4 weeks.
Good Luck to You! You can absolutely do it - I did and I am just your average Joe (really John)!
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Replies
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I think I like you Joe (John)!! I think you are pretty much bang on in your assessments, with one little caveat - timing of meals really doesnt matter in general. Maybe for you it does in a psychological way, and thats fine - but that is not the case for everyone. For me, I skip breakfast, start eating at lunch and then have a big meal at dinner time, a snack before bed and then fast from that time on till noon the next day - about 13 hours, including the time I am asleep.
Its just how I budget my calories. This WOE has seen me drop over 110lbs since October 2015. And I am an average Jane!
Congratulations on your success too!!3 -
Good solid general advice. The quality of food advice would of course only apply for someone that gained weight making poor food choices (rather than poor portion control). Some of us did eat a lot of nutritious food while gaining weight. And meal timing doesn't matter much except for personal preference.
But still good solid general advice.2 -
@cross2bear @Need2Exerc1se Thanks for feedback, Nice results Cross2bear! Appreciate it, I learn a lot from everyone on this journey.0
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In terms of nutrition, it has been demonstrated that the nutritional difference between organic and conventional produce is marginal at best, probably affected more by specific local growing conditions than farming methodology. https://fitnessreloaded.com/organic-vs-non-organic-food/ There may be valid personal reasons to eat organic, but that it might be better for you is should not carry a lot of weight.
Your other suggestions in that bit are well-taken. While it's not really necessary to "eat clean", when you cut back your intake you're almost compelled to make better food choices to get enough nutrition and to feel sated.
But really, it's not necessary to select a "way of eating" at all. Folks can just eat less of what they eat right now, and lose successfully.1 -
@ccsernica Well said - just prompting people eat real chicken, not chicken mcnuggets and dont listen to the pundits who preach it has to be organic grass fed chickens! Take care..1
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Hahah sorry I just had to post this based on your first paragraph which made me LOL. I'm 29 weeks pregnant and after a big meal one day, my husband exclaimed "I think I'm bigger than you!". You reminded me of that haha. Too funny.
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@ccsernica Well said - just prompting people eat real chicken, not chicken mcnuggets and dont listen to the pundits who preach it has to be organic grass fed chickens! Take care..
Well... No one sane would disagree with that, on taste alone.
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I agreed with you until you said I had to do IF. I don't do well while fasting and I would never put myself through that unless prescribed for medical testing.3
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@zyxst great thing is you already fast! That's why you eat breakfast. Don't have to do it as long as I do but try not eat anything after dinner0
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@zyxst great thing is you already fast! That's why you eat breakfast. Don't have to do it as long as I do but try not eat anything after dinner
Nighttime snacking is easy to do mindlessly and can reduce or eliminate a deficit... but if one is still weighing and logging said snacks, this advice is an arbitrary rule. I kind of live for my evening snacks and NCIS Los Angeles.
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one thing that I might add would be "don't beat yourself up". Everyone is going to have a rough day. My recommendation would be to accept that it happened, log as best as you can, and start fresh with the next bite that you eat.
One meal/day is a small hiccup in the grand scheme of things. 2 -
buffinlovin wrote: »one thing that I might add would be "don't beat yourself up". Everyone is going to have a rough day. My recommendation would be to accept that it happened, log as best as you can, and start fresh with the next bite that you eat. One meal/day is a small hiccup in the grand scheme of things.
That is awesome! And I 100% agree. I have been there and another lesson I have learned0 -
@zyxst great thing is you already fast! That's why you eat breakfast. Don't have to do it as long as I do but try not eat anything after dinner
Let me put it this way: restricting my food for reasons other than medical does not work for me. I get frustrated and hangry. The main way I get through fasting is to sleep and going to bed at 6 pm just screws up my sleep schedule. Since IF works for you, great. Realize that it doesn't work for everyone. I don't like being restricted on when and what I can eat unless it's for a medical reason.2 -
Let me put it this way: restricting my food for reasons other than medical does not work for me. I get frustrated and hangry. The main way I get through fasting is to sleep and going to bed at 6 pm just screws up my sleep schedule. Since IF works for you, great. Realize that it doesn't work for everyone. I don't like being restricted on when and what I can eat unless it's for a medical reason.
Actually I get quite *kittened* off and question and argue and would LIKE a much more valid reason than "the intern in charge thought it was a good idea to order you NPO for her convenience" because hey, I likes my foodz when I wantz my foodz!
Of course I don't always GET what I LIKE to get... but I am not going down without a fight and *baby sloth* arbitrary restrictions!!!
However Joe, or John, does seem to have a good handle on what works for him, so more the power to him and for sharing!
In the department of nit-picks, I would alert that ~27lbs in ~90 days is a bit more than double the 250 to 500 Cal deficit rate that he mentions as his target.1 -
I don't want to derail your thread because you have some basic solid advice, but.......IF is not superior to any other WOE, that's all it is. Meal timing makes no difference.2
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Like zyxst, I agreed with you (the OP) up to the fasting part.
What exactly do you do mean by "You still eat your daily caloric intake but in a shorter period of time."
I do (a form of) fasting but I certainly don't have to meet a certain "daily caloric number" and I don't follow some random clock positions.
I coordinate my fasting with low activity days, priority, food availability/quality and such . I suspect some days I eat under 1200. (I don't calorie count to know). Sometimes it feels great to feel low energy and sleepy.0 -
endlessfall16 wrote: »Like zyxst, I agreed with you (the OP) up to the fasting part.
What exactly do you do mean by "You still eat your daily caloric intake but in a shorter period of time."
I do (a form of) fasting but I certainly don't have to meet a certain "daily caloric number" and I don't follow some random clock positions.
I coordinate my fasting with low activity days, priority, food availability/quality and such . I suspect some days I eat under 1200. (I don't calorie count to know). Sometimes it feels great to feel low energy and sleepy.
I am suggesting that whatever healthy daily calorie goal you set you still take that amount but in a shorter period of time for you to digest it and have your body then tap the fat reserve0 -
prattiger65 wrote: »I don't want to derail your thread because you have some basic solid advice, but.......IF is not superior to any other WOE, that's all it is. Meal timing makes no difference.Let me put it this way: restricting my food for reasons other than medical does not work for me. I get frustrated and hangry. The main way I get through fasting is to sleep and going to bed at 6 pm just screws up my sleep schedule. Since IF works for you, great. Realize that it doesn't work for everyone. I don't like being restricted on when and what I can eat unless it's for a medical reason.
Actually I get quite *kittened* off and question and argue and would LIKE a much more valid reason than "the intern in charge thought it was a good idea to order you NPO for her convenience" because hey, I likes my foodz when I wantz my foodz!
Of course I don't always GET what I LIKE to get... but I am not going down without a fight and *baby sloth* arbitrary restrictions!!!
However Joe, or John, does seem to have a good handle on what works for him, so more the power to him and for sharing!
In the department of nit-picks, I would alert that ~27lbs in ~90 days is a bit more than double the 250 to 500 Cal deficit rate that he mentions as his target.Let me put it this way: restricting my food for reasons other than medical does not work for me. I get frustrated and hangry. The main way I get through fasting is to sleep and going to bed at 6 pm just screws up my sleep schedule. Since IF works for you, great. Realize that it doesn't work for everyone. I don't like being restricted on when and what I can eat unless it's for a medical reason.
Actually I get quite *kittened* off and question and argue and would LIKE a much more valid reason than "the intern in charge thought it was a good idea to order you NPO for her convenience" because hey, I likes my foodz when I wantz my foodz!
Of course I don't always GET what I LIKE to get... but I am not going down without a fight and *baby sloth* arbitrary restrictions!!!
However Joe, or John, does seem to have a good handle on what works for him, so more the power to him and for sharing!
In the department of nit-picks, I would alert that ~27lbs in ~90 days is a bit more than double the 250 to 500 Cal deficit rate that he mentions as his target.Let me put it this way: restricting my food for reasons other than medical does not work for me. I get frustrated and hangry. The main way I get through fasting is to sleep and going to bed at 6 pm just screws up my sleep schedule. Since IF works for you, great. Realize that it doesn't work for everyone. I don't like being restricted on when and what I can eat unless it's for a medical reason.
Actually I get quite *kittened* off and question and argue and would LIKE a much more valid reason than "the intern in charge thought it was a good idea to order you NPO for her convenience" because hey, I likes my foodz when I wantz my foodz!
Of course I don't always GET what I LIKE to get... but I am not going down without a fight and *baby sloth* arbitrary restrictions!!!
However Joe, or John, does seem to have a good handle on what works for him, so more the power to him and for sharing!
In the department of nit-picks, I would alert that ~27lbs in ~90 days is a bit more than double the 250 to 500 Cal deficit rate that he mentions as his target.Let me put it this way: restricting my food for reasons other than medical does not work for me. I get frustrated and hangry. The main way I get through fasting is to sleep and going to bed at 6 pm just screws up my sleep schedule. Since IF works for you, great. Realize that it doesn't work for everyone. I don't like being restricted on when and what I can eat unless it's for a medical reason.
Actually I get quite *kittened* off and question and argue and would LIKE a much more valid reason than "the intern in charge thought it was a good idea to order you NPO for her convenience" because hey, I likes my foodz when I wantz my foodz!
Of course I don't always GET what I LIKE to get... but I am not going down without a fight and *baby sloth* arbitrary restrictions!!!
However Joe, or John, does seem to have a good handle on what works for him, so more the power to him and for sharing!
In the department of nit-picks, I would alert that ~27lbs in ~90 days is a bit more than double the 250 to 500 Cal deficit rate that he mentions as his target.Let me put it this way: restricting my food for reasons other than medical does not work for me. I get frustrated and hangry. The main way I get through fasting is to sleep and going to bed at 6 pm just screws up my sleep schedule. Since IF works for you, great. Realize that it doesn't work for everyone. I don't like being restricted on when and what I can eat unless it's for a medical reason.
Actually I get quite *kittened* off and question and argue and would LIKE a much more valid reason than "the intern in charge thought it was a good idea to order you NPO for her convenience" because hey, I likes my foodz when I wantz my foodz!
Of course I don't always GET what I LIKE to get... but I am not going down without a fight and *baby sloth* arbitrary restrictions!!!
However Joe, or John, does seem to have a good handle on what works for him, so more the power to him and for sharing!
In the department of nit-picks, I would alert that ~27lbs in ~90 days is a bit more than double the 250 to 500 Cal deficit rate that he mentions as his target.Let me put it this way: restricting my food for reasons other than medical does not work for me. I get frustrated and hangry. The main way I get through fasting is to sleep and going to bed at 6 pm just screws up my sleep schedule. Since IF works for you, great. Realize that it doesn't work for everyone. I don't like being restricted on when and what I can eat unless it's for a medical reason.
Actually I get quite *kittened* off and question and argue and would LIKE a much more valid reason than "the intern in charge thought it was a good idea to order you NPO for her convenience" because hey, I likes my foodz when I wantz my foodz!
Of course I don't always GET what I LIKE to get... but I am not going down without a fight and *baby sloth* arbitrary restrictions!!!
However Joe, or John, does seem to have a good handle on what works for him, so more the power to him and for sharing!
In the department of nit-picks, I would alert that ~27lbs in ~90 days is a bit more than double the 250 to 500 Cal deficit rate that he mentions as his target.Let me put it this way: restricting my food for reasons other than medical does not work for me. I get frustrated and hangry. The main way I get through fasting is to sleep and going to bed at 6 pm just screws up my sleep schedule. Since IF works for you, great. Realize that it doesn't work for everyone. I don't like being restricted on when and what I can eat unless it's for a medical reason.
Actually I get quite *kittened* off and question and argue and would LIKE a much more valid reason than "the intern in charge thought it was a good idea to order you NPO for her convenience" because hey, I likes my foodz when I wantz my foodz!
Of course I don't always GET what I LIKE to get... but I am not going down without a fight and *baby sloth* arbitrary restrictions!!!
However Joe, or John, does seem to have a good handle on what works for him, so more the power to him and for sharing!
In the department of nit-picks, I would alert that ~27lbs in ~90 days is a bit more than double the 250 to 500 Cal deficit rate that he mentions as his target.
@PAV8888 that's because I also exercise so I am burning more on top of a 500 calorie deficit. I take in 1700 calories per day. And then any exercise on top of that is a bonus!1
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