How'd you pick which weight loss program was best for you?
Replies
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It’s advantageous to focus on both calories and macros (and micros).WinoGelato wrote: »Trial and error. I did the strict caloric deficit... I was hungry and lost a lot of muscle mass because I wasn't paying attention to the type of foods I was eating. I tried keto... gained weight. I tried a lot of different things and I wanted something that I understood from a scientific standpoint, and something that my body responded to well. I wanted it to be long-term! Macros is what worked for me, a meat-only diet is what worked for my partner, and a caloric deficit is what worked for a friend of mine. Everyone is different and there are no wrong answers, as long as you are getting the nutrients your body needs.
I like Macros because while I can eat what I want, I have to eat certain whole foods to ensure my numbers work by the end of the day. I feel powered when I go to a workout from my carbs, and my protein ensures I am not losing muscle mass. I can see fat going away and muscle underneath, instead of just losing weight and muscle and looking skinny but meh. I also love that it makes sense to me scientifically and I can see how my body responds to different macro set-ups. I also like the math of it, because I had OCD growing up and some of that still lingers. I love netting zero at the end of the day because I calculated everything just right. It doesn't happen a lot, but it is so satisfying when it works out!
You do realize that if you are managing your macro intake then you are also managing your calorie intake by default, and if you’re losing weight while tracking macros it means you’re in a calorie deficit?
If you read my whole note, my body responds to different macronutrient profiles, no matter my caloric intake, and my experience shows that losing weight without focusing on macros made me look unhealthy and now I have a better body composition. I did the caloric deficit and completely ignored macros, and I had negative and not long-lasting results. I focused on my macros instead of my calories, and I had better results. It took trial and error to get there.
Macros matter for body composition, overall health, workout performance, energy levels, etc. Various aspects of both macro- and micronutrients are important for many physiological functions. And calories are what matter for weight loss. An integrated approach will yield the best results overall.
I agree! I definitely keep an eye on my calories if I see them go into the red, but am honestly not even sure what my exact caloric goals on my MFP diary are. I usually hit around 1350-1400 calories each day, though, so I know I am in a deficit. I have, however, witnessed my partner eat a HUGE surplus of calories and not gain weight, and he is on an all-meat diet. It's been a year now, and it's quite mind-boggling because he eats around 3,000-4,000 calories each day, all protein and fat. His workout routine hasn't changed. He's an enigma.4 -
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It’s advantageous to focus on both calories and macros (and micros).WinoGelato wrote: »Trial and error. I did the strict caloric deficit... I was hungry and lost a lot of muscle mass because I wasn't paying attention to the type of foods I was eating. I tried keto... gained weight. I tried a lot of different things and I wanted something that I understood from a scientific standpoint, and something that my body responded to well. I wanted it to be long-term! Macros is what worked for me, a meat-only diet is what worked for my partner, and a caloric deficit is what worked for a friend of mine. Everyone is different and there are no wrong answers, as long as you are getting the nutrients your body needs.
I like Macros because while I can eat what I want, I have to eat certain whole foods to ensure my numbers work by the end of the day. I feel powered when I go to a workout from my carbs, and my protein ensures I am not losing muscle mass. I can see fat going away and muscle underneath, instead of just losing weight and muscle and looking skinny but meh. I also love that it makes sense to me scientifically and I can see how my body responds to different macro set-ups. I also like the math of it, because I had OCD growing up and some of that still lingers. I love netting zero at the end of the day because I calculated everything just right. It doesn't happen a lot, but it is so satisfying when it works out!
You do realize that if you are managing your macro intake then you are also managing your calorie intake by default, and if you’re losing weight while tracking macros it means you’re in a calorie deficit?
If you read my whole note, my body responds to different macronutrient profiles, no matter my caloric intake, and my experience shows that losing weight without focusing on macros made me look unhealthy and now I have a better body composition. I did the caloric deficit and completely ignored macros, and I had negative and not long-lasting results. I focused on my macros instead of my calories, and I had better results. It took trial and error to get there.
Macros matter for body composition, overall health, workout performance, energy levels, etc. Various aspects of both macro- and micronutrients are important for many physiological functions. And calories are what matter for weight loss. An integrated approach will yield the best results overall.
I agree! I definitely keep an eye on my calories if I see them go into the red, but am honestly not even sure what my exact caloric goals on my MFP diary are. I usually hit around 1350-1400 calories each day, though, so I know I am in a deficit. I have, however, witnessed my partner eat a HUGE surplus of calories and not gain weight, and he is on an all-meat diet. It's been a year now, and it's quite mind-boggling because he eats around 3,000-4,000 calories each day, all protein and fat. His workout routine hasn't changed. He's an enigma.
Is the whole micros method for those who are already thin?5 -
I didn't pick my program, it picked me. I just ate within my calories, noted what foods fill me up, noted what foods helped me be happy and content with my diet, noted when and for what I'm usually hungry...etc, and it just all balanced itself out. I found I'm more full when I have starches every meal, so I naturally started wanting to have starches every meal. I noticed that sometimes I get hungry early, other times I don't, so I started eating breakfast some days but not others. I noticed that I'm less stressed if I skip a meal leading up to a high calorie meal (like when going out) than ordering salads instead of what I really want or having tiny portions, so I started doing that and not having to stress about my choices is worth every little bit of that mild manageable hunger from skipping a meal. I noticed some days I'm a lot hungrier than usual, so I eat to maintenance instead of suffering through it. I found I like diet drinks just as much as full sugar drinks, so that was an easy replacement to make... and so on.
Basically, I just ate food and kept collecting strategies that made dieting easier along the way. I did try some named diets and took some strategies that felt easy and helped me stay within calories (like having lower calorie days when convenient, volume dishes, macro-focused dishes, eating to hunger when convenient...etc).10 -
meagan8376 wrote: »
It’s advantageous to focus on both calories and macros (and micros).WinoGelato wrote: »Trial and error. I did the strict caloric deficit... I was hungry and lost a lot of muscle mass because I wasn't paying attention to the type of foods I was eating. I tried keto... gained weight. I tried a lot of different things and I wanted something that I understood from a scientific standpoint, and something that my body responded to well. I wanted it to be long-term! Macros is what worked for me, a meat-only diet is what worked for my partner, and a caloric deficit is what worked for a friend of mine. Everyone is different and there are no wrong answers, as long as you are getting the nutrients your body needs.
I like Macros because while I can eat what I want, I have to eat certain whole foods to ensure my numbers work by the end of the day. I feel powered when I go to a workout from my carbs, and my protein ensures I am not losing muscle mass. I can see fat going away and muscle underneath, instead of just losing weight and muscle and looking skinny but meh. I also love that it makes sense to me scientifically and I can see how my body responds to different macro set-ups. I also like the math of it, because I had OCD growing up and some of that still lingers. I love netting zero at the end of the day because I calculated everything just right. It doesn't happen a lot, but it is so satisfying when it works out!
You do realize that if you are managing your macro intake then you are also managing your calorie intake by default, and if you’re losing weight while tracking macros it means you’re in a calorie deficit?
If you read my whole note, my body responds to different macronutrient profiles, no matter my caloric intake, and my experience shows that losing weight without focusing on macros made me look unhealthy and now I have a better body composition. I did the caloric deficit and completely ignored macros, and I had negative and not long-lasting results. I focused on my macros instead of my calories, and I had better results. It took trial and error to get there.
Macros matter for body composition, overall health, workout performance, energy levels, etc. Various aspects of both macro- and micronutrients are important for many physiological functions. And calories are what matter for weight loss. An integrated approach will yield the best results overall.
I agree! I definitely keep an eye on my calories if I see them go into the red, but am honestly not even sure what my exact caloric goals on my MFP diary are. I usually hit around 1350-1400 calories each day, though, so I know I am in a deficit. I have, however, witnessed my partner eat a HUGE surplus of calories and not gain weight, and he is on an all-meat diet. It's been a year now, and it's quite mind-boggling because he eats around 3,000-4,000 calories each day, all protein and fat. His workout routine hasn't changed. He's an enigma.
Is the whole micros method for those who are already thin?
I guess everybody's experience is different, but macros are what made me lose my weight and keep it off for a sustained period. Without them, I kept going up and down -- not in a huge exaggerated way, but I wasn't getting closer to a body I wanted. I had plateaued and sort of given up, and I felt weak at the gym. Macros helped me lose my weight, then power my body so I could be strong and show muscle and lose fat. It was a great discovery for me! I went with an online program, www.22-fit.com, and she uses MyFitnessPal as the food logging system. It works great, and MFP has amazing options for macro tracking. I love it! I first starting thinking I'd just do six weeks and see if it helped me lose weight and break the cycle, and when it did, I just kept going and never looked back. The best thing is getting to get more macros (and therefore more calories) as I get closer to the body I want :P3 -
meagan8376 wrote: »
It’s advantageous to focus on both calories and macros (and micros).WinoGelato wrote: »Trial and error. I did the strict caloric deficit... I was hungry and lost a lot of muscle mass because I wasn't paying attention to the type of foods I was eating. I tried keto... gained weight. I tried a lot of different things and I wanted something that I understood from a scientific standpoint, and something that my body responded to well. I wanted it to be long-term! Macros is what worked for me, a meat-only diet is what worked for my partner, and a caloric deficit is what worked for a friend of mine. Everyone is different and there are no wrong answers, as long as you are getting the nutrients your body needs.
I like Macros because while I can eat what I want, I have to eat certain whole foods to ensure my numbers work by the end of the day. I feel powered when I go to a workout from my carbs, and my protein ensures I am not losing muscle mass. I can see fat going away and muscle underneath, instead of just losing weight and muscle and looking skinny but meh. I also love that it makes sense to me scientifically and I can see how my body responds to different macro set-ups. I also like the math of it, because I had OCD growing up and some of that still lingers. I love netting zero at the end of the day because I calculated everything just right. It doesn't happen a lot, but it is so satisfying when it works out!
You do realize that if you are managing your macro intake then you are also managing your calorie intake by default, and if you’re losing weight while tracking macros it means you’re in a calorie deficit?
If you read my whole note, my body responds to different macronutrient profiles, no matter my caloric intake, and my experience shows that losing weight without focusing on macros made me look unhealthy and now I have a better body composition. I did the caloric deficit and completely ignored macros, and I had negative and not long-lasting results. I focused on my macros instead of my calories, and I had better results. It took trial and error to get there.
Macros matter for body composition, overall health, workout performance, energy levels, etc. Various aspects of both macro- and micronutrients are important for many physiological functions. And calories are what matter for weight loss. An integrated approach will yield the best results overall.
I agree! I definitely keep an eye on my calories if I see them go into the red, but am honestly not even sure what my exact caloric goals on my MFP diary are. I usually hit around 1350-1400 calories each day, though, so I know I am in a deficit. I have, however, witnessed my partner eat a HUGE surplus of calories and not gain weight, and he is on an all-meat diet. It's been a year now, and it's quite mind-boggling because he eats around 3,000-4,000 calories each day, all protein and fat. His workout routine hasn't changed. He's an enigma.
Is the whole micros method for those who are already thin?
Macros are carbs, protein and fat. Micros are things like iron, potassium, and all your other vitamins and minerals. Macro combinations are quite individual for your best ratios depending on goals, lifestyle and satiety, but adequate micros are what everyone should be aiming for if overall health is your goal.3 -
meagan8376 wrote: »
It’s advantageous to focus on both calories and macros (and micros).WinoGelato wrote: »Trial and error. I did the strict caloric deficit... I was hungry and lost a lot of muscle mass because I wasn't paying attention to the type of foods I was eating. I tried keto... gained weight. I tried a lot of different things and I wanted something that I understood from a scientific standpoint, and something that my body responded to well. I wanted it to be long-term! Macros is what worked for me, a meat-only diet is what worked for my partner, and a caloric deficit is what worked for a friend of mine. Everyone is different and there are no wrong answers, as long as you are getting the nutrients your body needs.
I like Macros because while I can eat what I want, I have to eat certain whole foods to ensure my numbers work by the end of the day. I feel powered when I go to a workout from my carbs, and my protein ensures I am not losing muscle mass. I can see fat going away and muscle underneath, instead of just losing weight and muscle and looking skinny but meh. I also love that it makes sense to me scientifically and I can see how my body responds to different macro set-ups. I also like the math of it, because I had OCD growing up and some of that still lingers. I love netting zero at the end of the day because I calculated everything just right. It doesn't happen a lot, but it is so satisfying when it works out!
You do realize that if you are managing your macro intake then you are also managing your calorie intake by default, and if you’re losing weight while tracking macros it means you’re in a calorie deficit?
If you read my whole note, my body responds to different macronutrient profiles, no matter my caloric intake, and my experience shows that losing weight without focusing on macros made me look unhealthy and now I have a better body composition. I did the caloric deficit and completely ignored macros, and I had negative and not long-lasting results. I focused on my macros instead of my calories, and I had better results. It took trial and error to get there.
Macros matter for body composition, overall health, workout performance, energy levels, etc. Various aspects of both macro- and micronutrients are important for many physiological functions. And calories are what matter for weight loss. An integrated approach will yield the best results overall.
I agree! I definitely keep an eye on my calories if I see them go into the red, but am honestly not even sure what my exact caloric goals on my MFP diary are. I usually hit around 1350-1400 calories each day, though, so I know I am in a deficit. I have, however, witnessed my partner eat a HUGE surplus of calories and not gain weight, and he is on an all-meat diet. It's been a year now, and it's quite mind-boggling because he eats around 3,000-4,000 calories each day, all protein and fat. His workout routine hasn't changed. He's an enigma.
Is the whole micros method for those who are already thin?
I guess everybody's experience is different, but macros are what made me lose my weight and keep it off for a sustained period. Without them, I kept going up and down -- not in a huge exaggerated way, but I wasn't getting closer to a body I wanted. I had plateaued and sort of given up, and I felt weak at the gym. Macros helped me lose my weight, then power my body so I could be strong and show muscle and lose fat. It was a great discovery for me! I went with an online program, www.22-fit.com, and she uses MyFitnessPal as the food logging system. It works great, and MFP has amazing options for macro tracking. I love it! I first starting thinking I'd just do six weeks and see if it helped me lose weight and break the cycle, and when it did, I just kept going and never looked back. The best thing is getting to get more macros (and therefore more calories) as I get closer to the body I want :P
So basically eat the right amount of macros so it gives you energy and feeds your muscles and gives you power to hit the gym harder? ( or something like that? Lol sorry unfamiliar with this method) whatever you’re saying is sounding good and it’s obviously working your pic is proof.
I’ll look into this macros stuff tomorrow when I wake up. Thank you0 -
meagan8376 wrote: »
It’s advantageous to focus on both calories and macros (and micros).WinoGelato wrote: »Trial and error. I did the strict caloric deficit... I was hungry and lost a lot of muscle mass because I wasn't paying attention to the type of foods I was eating. I tried keto... gained weight. I tried a lot of different things and I wanted something that I understood from a scientific standpoint, and something that my body responded to well. I wanted it to be long-term! Macros is what worked for me, a meat-only diet is what worked for my partner, and a caloric deficit is what worked for a friend of mine. Everyone is different and there are no wrong answers, as long as you are getting the nutrients your body needs.
I like Macros because while I can eat what I want, I have to eat certain whole foods to ensure my numbers work by the end of the day. I feel powered when I go to a workout from my carbs, and my protein ensures I am not losing muscle mass. I can see fat going away and muscle underneath, instead of just losing weight and muscle and looking skinny but meh. I also love that it makes sense to me scientifically and I can see how my body responds to different macro set-ups. I also like the math of it, because I had OCD growing up and some of that still lingers. I love netting zero at the end of the day because I calculated everything just right. It doesn't happen a lot, but it is so satisfying when it works out!
You do realize that if you are managing your macro intake then you are also managing your calorie intake by default, and if you’re losing weight while tracking macros it means you’re in a calorie deficit?
If you read my whole note, my body responds to different macronutrient profiles, no matter my caloric intake, and my experience shows that losing weight without focusing on macros made me look unhealthy and now I have a better body composition. I did the caloric deficit and completely ignored macros, and I had negative and not long-lasting results. I focused on my macros instead of my calories, and I had better results. It took trial and error to get there.
Macros matter for body composition, overall health, workout performance, energy levels, etc. Various aspects of both macro- and micronutrients are important for many physiological functions. And calories are what matter for weight loss. An integrated approach will yield the best results overall.
I agree! I definitely keep an eye on my calories if I see them go into the red, but am honestly not even sure what my exact caloric goals on my MFP diary are. I usually hit around 1350-1400 calories each day, though, so I know I am in a deficit. I have, however, witnessed my partner eat a HUGE surplus of calories and not gain weight, and he is on an all-meat diet. It's been a year now, and it's quite mind-boggling because he eats around 3,000-4,000 calories each day, all protein and fat. His workout routine hasn't changed. He's an enigma.
Is the whole micros method for those who are already thin?
Micronutrients are important for everyone, regardless of whether they are overweight, a healthy weight, or underweight.6 -
meagan8376 wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »meagan8376 wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
I have a feeling you're a little confused?meagan8376 wrote: »For those doing keto, weight watchers, IF ect...
Why'd you pick the one that you're on, why is it best suited for you?
Everybody loses weight through the same process - a calorie deficit over time. CICO. Eat less, move more.
Why someone would pick any particular diet - many reasons, somehow it just appeals - it's the first you hear about, or the one you hear the most about, the one that sounds most exciting, or most effective.
What is best suited to any given individual, is something else. The method should fit their lifestyle, personality, ethics and cognition.
Then there's a question of purpose. You'd think all dieters were aiming for weightloss, but for many, dieting is a social arena. And when it becomes a hobby, it's important that it doesn't produce lasting results, so any effort must be obvious, but only symbolic. Others have to see what you're doing; you must eat the foods that are approved by the group, and cut out some common foods to prove your devotion to the cause. And it must be a lot of work, so you feel you're doing something. If it's expensive too, that's a bonus.
Sorry, I've been here a long time and seen too much
You're making OP more complicated then it has to be. I didn't ask for all that ^ .
I will say people pick a diet because it helps the process and it's just a tool for them. Don't derail the thread.
But people make it more complicated than it has to be - and that is reality, and I think it's good to know about it.
I picked a "lean, green and mean" diet because that was what I was familiar with, what my mother had done, what I believed I had to do to lose weight. Not because it helped me. It actually hurt me; I gained a lot of weight afterwards, and it messed up my relationship with food.
But when I found MFP, which can't really be called a diet, but rather a concept, it clicked. Logging what I eat, being encouraged to eat what I want, that is something else, it's a practical tool (or set of tools), for weight management and healty eating habits.
Nothing "helps the process", not in the sense I think you're looking for.
Mfp is a program, if you're logging everything you eat and counting calories you're on a diet plan/ program.
That's all you had to say lol. Geez.
MFP is a computer program, not a diet plan/program. A diet you're on, is prescribed. MFP is as far from a prescription you can get. And that was not all I said. I also told you about the diet plan I chose initially, which didn't work as promised.
What I had to say, was that your reasoning is flawed - you seem to take it for granted that everybody is well-informed and make all their decisions rationally, that everybody is on the program they're on because that's the best one for them. At first, I wondered if you were uninformed and/or not expressing your thoughts clearly, but the follow-up conversations reveal that you really believe (or want us to believe that you believe) the hype, that you don't understand the difference between process and method, you don't see what causes an effect and what doesn't, you can't (or won't) google, and you haven't read one page of posts from desperate confused people who struggle with their weight, doing so many unnecessary things and ignoring the simple concepts which, when you apply them, make weight management ridiculously easy.
This makes me draw the conclusion that you're not interested in weight management, but in chatting - and that's okay. I'm just a bit ambivalent; I like to chat too, and I'm here voluntarily, I'm not even paid, but I like the conversation to get somewhere, and putting a lot of effort into helping people who ask for but don't want help, or aren't able to use the only useful help, is a bit frustrating.20 -
OldAssDude wrote: »TrishSeren wrote: »OldAssDude wrote: »The main reason people become over weight is lack of exercise. All these diets and programs are a bunch of BS so people can make money.
Exercise (and I mean real huffing and puffing and sweating exercise)
Eat a wide variety of nutritious foods
Try to limit junk food to the occasional treat.
As your fitness level goes up, your body weight will go down.
It really is that simple.
Disagree, the main reason people are overweight is because they eat too much.
Exercise has great health benefits and can help with creating a calorie deficit but it isn't the main reason people are overweight.
Did you read my post or just the first line that started with exercise?
I said eat a wide variety of healthy foods and limit the junk food.
here are some facts...
Over half the people in this country are over weight.
A third of the people in this country are obese.
All diets fail over 95% of the time.
Diets and programs are billions of dollar a year industries.
Most people are too lazy to exercise.
People should do intense workouts at least 4 to 5 days a week, and recovery workouts the other days. Fitness is just as important (if not more important) because it keeps our bodies healthy. Strong heart. Strong lungs. strong muscles. Strong bones & joints. Strong mind. Able to burn off anything you throw at it.
You can't get any of those things with a diet or a program (unless the program is a fitness program).
So disagree all you want. People have been fighting diets & programs all their lives, and it's a losing battle. A small percentage may be successful for some time, but it is unhealthy "not" to be fit.
Your "facts" about diets include exercise-centric weight loss methods. The billions of dollars spent each year include gym equipment and memberships. If "most" people are too lazy to exercise and that is the primary answer (in your opinion) to weight loss then all is lost, right?
Even in your own post you contradict yourself. You say with enough exercise you can "burn off anything you throw at it" but you started by saying you have to change the way you eat. Which is it?
In your cure to obesity what happens to those that are only medically capable of doing very light exercises at the beginning of their weight loss efforts? What if it is not nearly enough to burn all of the extra calories in their daily diet?
People burn calories all day and all night just by living their lives. To lose weight all that is required is eating less food than you burn.4 -
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