Which weight loss plan best worked for you?

misserika0330

I know different things come into play. We all have different goals and we're all in different stages and situations in our lives.
I'm doing the 2019 NYC marathon and I'd like to lose weight before marathon training. My training starts in July therefore I have about 2 months to lose some sort of weight.
So what has worked for you?
GENDER
CURRENT WEIGHT
GOAL WEIGHT
WORKOUT FREQUENCY
DIET
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL?

and anything else that you think I should know about that affects weight loss.

AnnPT77

misserika0330 wrote: »

I know different things come into play. We all have different goals and we're all in different stages and situations in our lives.
I'm doing the 2019 NYC marathon and I'd like to lose weight before marathon training. My training starts in July therefore I have about 2 months to lose some sort of weight.
So what has worked for you?

This:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm

GENDER: Female
CURRENT WEIGHT: Mid-130s
GOAL WEIGHT: This'll do.
WORKOUT FREQUENCY: Depends on season. Heading into summer, which is usually rowing (on water) M-W-F-Sa, Spin class Tu-Th, rest Su; plus some random other biking, yoga, stretching and stuff irregularly.
DIET: See link above. I've also been vegetarian for almost 45 years, but that's a coincidence. It has zero to do with anything relevant to weight loss or fitness.
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? Yup.

Height: 5'5". Age: 63. Formerly obese (most of adult life until age 59-60). Pretty active (routine metioned above) since about 2003-ish, more or less, including while obese. Hypothyroid, too, if that matters (I think it doesn't ).

and anything else that you think I should know about that affects weight loss.

Read the "Most Helpful Posts" section in "Getting Started" and "General Health, Fitness and Diet" forum topic areas. Do that stuff. You'll succeed.

shadow2soul

GENDER
Female
CURRENT WEIGHT
135 lbs
GOAL WEIGHT

WORKOUT FREQUENCY
4-6 days a week
I change things up frequently, but there is always some form of strength training and some cardio
DIET
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL?
At my heaviest (260lbs) I set a goal to get to 130 lbs. As I got closer I changed it to 120lbs. However I was pretty disappointed with my lack of muscle when I hit that weight (saggy flat butt was my biggest hang up). Poor food choices/logging, surgery, and a birth control pill that made me feel ravenous all the time combined to result in me gaining 23 lbs back. Now I alternate between a deficit and maintenance which has resulted in 8 lbs coming back off. I am looking to slowly cut fat, but not to concerned with the scale. I guess in that respect you could say I am trying to recomp.

Cahgetsfit

GENDER - Female
CURRENT WEIGHT - ~62kg (I've just been on a 3 week holiday with no dieting and haven't weighed myself when I got back... so might be slightly more than that)
GOAL WEIGHT - don't really have one. I feel best at 60kg (as in less fluffy), but i'm happy to weigh more if it means muscle not fat.
WORKOUT FREQUENCY - I aim for 4 weights sessions per week and I also swim 1x per week. I also aim for 10K steps per day regardless. Sometimes work gets in the way and I can't gym 4 times, but other times I can go all 5 working days
DIET - flexible dieting has been the easiest to adhere to for me.
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? - sort of. In terms of did I lose weight, yes I did, but now I want to get more muscular.

At the end of the day though, regardless which diet I have been on (clean vs IIFYM), I have lost weight when I have been consistent with training and eating in a deficit.

Sadly, I often eat more than I should and sometimes can't work out as much as I'd like to. I'm OK though, in terms of how I look/feel. It's more just vanity now rather than being fit or healthy or thin or whatever. I'm actually fine.

eeanneli

GENDER female
CURRENT WEIGHT 68.8kg roughly 152lbs
GOAL WEIGHT it was 70kg/154lbs now going for 65kg/143lbs
WORKOUT FREQUENCY gym 3 times a week roller derby twice a week and 45 min boxercise class once a week
DIET whatever fits my calories
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? Reached first now going for anothercand wanting to build muscle

firef1y72

misserika0330 wrote: »

I know different things come into play. We all have different goals and we're all in different stages and situations in our lives.
I'm doing the 2019 NYC marathon and I'd like to lose weight before marathon training. My training starts in July therefore I have about 2 months to lose some sort of weight.
So what has worked for you?
GENDER - Female
CURRENT WEIGHT 150lb
GOAL WEIGHT 140lb
WORKOUT FREQUENCY Daily 30min PT 5xweek, Run 7xweek (2 of those are only a mile), weight train 3xweek, 10-11 high intensity classes a week
DIET Vegetarian, 80:20, make sure I eat less than I burn during weight loss phases. Although I did follow a meal plan (not a diet, weight loss was incidental) during the 2 weeks leading up to the first of my 2 marathons in two weeks, and in the two weeks between.. Week one was relatively low carb, high protein to help with muscle repair and recovery and then during week 2 the carbs steadily increased for carb loading.
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? Absolutely smashed my marathon goal and my finishing times were within 1 second of each other (even though I ran an extra mile with the second and so technically smashed my time)

and anything else that you think I should know about that affects weight loss.

Weight loss is simply a case of eating less than you burn, but it's really not that easy while marathon training, the runger is most definitely real. I treat marathon training season as a bulk, I need to make sure I have enough for both for running the long runs and recovery after. I put on around 15lb, but a lot of that was water and when I started tapering and the meal plan I dropped 10 of those 15lb in around 2 weeks, got another 5 to get where I was and then want to lose another 5lb on top of that

arsoria24

misserika0330 wrote: »

I know different things come into play. We all have different goals and we're all in different stages and situations in our lives.
I'm doing the 2019 NYC marathon and I'd like to lose weight before marathon training. My training starts in July therefore I have about 2 months to lose some sort of weight.
So what has worked for you?
GENDER
CURRENT WEIGHT
GOAL WEIGHT
WORKOUT FREQUENCY
DIET
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL?

and anything else that you think I should know about that affects weight loss.

Male
210
200
I workout Daily
I stay at 2000 calories or less a day, no specific diet

I usually walk around 215 during the winter and cut down to below 200 by summer by just exercising daily and eating 2,000 calories or less. My diet is not very strict until I get to 205, then I have to eat clean to lose the last few pounds (chicken/steak/fish and veggies).

The concept of losing weight isn’t hard, it simply comes down to burning more calories than you consume. This is specific to weight loss, not over body health.

sfernando2

Hi everyone, 16:8 intermittent fasting works best for me for cutting calories. Just make sure you eat healthy during your 8 hour eating window.

Machka9

I just ate fewer calories than I burned.

raspberriliana

GENDER - Female
CURRENT WEIGHT - 134lbs
GOAL WEIGHT - 125lbs
WORKOUT FREQUENCY - I do 4 runs a week (not for weight loss, I just enjoy it) plus 1-2 days a week strenght training plus biking, swimming and hiking when I feel like it
DIET - Calories in vs. calories out. I'm a vegan, but that's not really related to my attempts to lose weight. When I was still losing, I was just eating whatever I wanted, didn't force myself to eat anything I didn't want to and I'd say it was around 75% healthy, nourishing food.
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? - Not really, I've been maintaining at around 5 to 10 pounds higher than my goal weight for the past three years.

Good luck with your marathon training! I think it's a great idea to lose some weight beforehand, because you'll need the energy, you'll perform better and you'll recover faster. Trying to lose weight while running long distances is not easy. The runger, as @firef1y72 said, is real.

Panini911

GENDER: female

height: 5'1

CURRENT WEIGHT: 114.5

You didn't ask but...starting weight: 176

GOAL WEIGHT: it keeps moving. initially it was 130. not sure if i go for 110 or not.

WORKOUT FREQUENCY: i don't work out. i did run but was injured and had to stop halfway thru my weight loss. so i walk.

DIET: CICO - I eat whatever i want as long as it fits in my calorie goes. something i will and can keep up when i hit my goal. https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm

DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL?: yes all of them and i keep moving the bar.

garystrickland357

GENDER - Male
CURRENT WEIGHT - 185 (started at 265)
GOAL WEIGHT - 185
WORKOUT FREQUENCY - 4-5 days per week
DIET - Eat what I want within calorie allowance
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? - yeppers

Every time I think about a strategy for weight loss/maintenance or fitness I ask myself if I'm willing to do this for the next 20 years. If the answer is yes I do it - if it's no I don't try it. I made a choice to make lifestyle changes I could sustain over time.

sardelsa

GENDER: Female
CURRENT WEIGHT: 145lbs, but currently "bulking" lol... I hit goal at 132
GOAL WEIGHT: It was 132lbs but changes with the wind
WORKOUT FREQUENCY: 4-5x lifting, 2x cardio, typically in a deficit
DIET: Flexible eating, calorie cycling, high protein
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? I've reached my weight loss goal about 5x now and have gained weight on purpose after each time. Hopefully in the next 5 years I can maintain at some point.

echmain3

GENDER - Male
CURRENT WEIGHT - 153 (started at 221)
GOAL WEIGHT - 161 (yes, currently below goal)
WORKOUT FREQUENCY - 10,000 steps per day, no other exercise
DIET - Calorie Counting *only*
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? - Yes. Lost 60 pounds in 60 weeks.

spiriteagle99

I am a female, currently weighing 124 lbs, about a 53 pound loss. I lost weight initially by following a low carb diet. Lost the last 10 pounds by counting calories and increasing my exercise. I walk 2-3 miles a day, run an average of 35 mpw, and do yoga, which helps me keep the weight off. (I've been maintaining for several years.)

Losing weight before you start serious training is a good idea, because you will get very hungry when training volume increases. I have lost a little weight while marathon training, but it isn't easy. I always gain back some around the time of the race because even when mileage drops during taper and post-race recovery, your hunger stays the same. Plus your muscles will be recovering, so holding onto water. Don't worry about it.

Maxematics

GENDER: Female
CURRENT WEIGHT: 109 pounds
GOAL WEIGHT: I don't really have one but I try to keep my weight at 110 to 115 pounds.
WORKOUT FREQUENCY: I do my formal workouts for 45 minutes to an hour six mornings per week and I teach a 45 minute fitness and dance class at my job twice per week. I also walk around a lot daily.
DIET: Nothing special. I eat a high protein diet with moderate fat and carbs. My macro split is usually 40-45C/30F/25-30P. The only thing I did when losing weight was making sure I ate less calories than my TDEE. I do have higher and lower calorie/carb days though, but nothing drastic.
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? Yes. I started out at 139 pounds in June 2015. I've pretty much been maintaining for four years.

J72FIT

GENDER - Male

CURRENT WEIGHT - 180lbs (Started at around 200lbs)

GOAL WEIGHT - 180lbs

WORKOUT FREQUENCY - Minimum 5 days per week. Yoga, bodyweight training, gymnastic strength training, various forms of cardio (depending how my knees feel)...

DIET - I have tried them all. Paleo, Atkins, Mediterranean, South Beach, Low Fat, Intermittent Fasting etc. I have lost and gained on all of them. When I'm in an energy deficit, they work. When I am not in an energy deficit, they do not. The takeaway? Eat how you like in step with your personal preferences and goals. Eat a wide variety of food (if not allergic) to ensure adequate nutrition.

DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? - Yes

IMO, weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient, show up and stay committed. Something that I learned along the way that worked for me was choosing performance goals rather than aesthetic ones. I believe form follows function so as long as I am progressing towards my performance goals, I have faith that my form will follow...

neugebauer52

MFP works for me: the are doing all the calculations and members are very supportive. I only had to decide on my daily macros which give me a daily varied meal plan and satiate me - I don't need a "cheat day". Started 400 days ago on 170 kg (375 pounds), so far lost 32 kg (70 pounds). Still a long way to go - but with MFP it is working well so far. I prepare my meal plan for the next day and take it meal by meal, day by day.

Chieflrg

Gender: M

Current weight: 238lb

Goal weight: N/A

W/O frequency: 4 days a week

Reach goal?: My goal is about how much I can squat, bench, & deaflift. Currently ranked #2 in the USA for USAPL. Next year I will break a few world records in the USPA.

sijomial

GENDER- Male

CURRENT WEIGHT - 169lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - Initially 175lbs but has been as low as 164lbs, it's not going to be the same for the rest of my life.

WORKOUT FREQUENCY - Typically cycle 4 days and strength train 3 days.

DIET - Very varied, mostly home cooked, high calories due to exercise and activity levels so in absolute terms instead of proportions high carbs, high'ish protein, moderate fat.

DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? - Weight loss was only part of overall goals to be healthier and fitter. Successful on all counts but fitness goals constantly evolve as I like a challenge.

and anything else that you think I should know about that affects weight loss.
- Far too many people think short term and their weight loss become the sole focus. Once they hit goal weight there's a tendency to think "I'm done" and feel a bit lost which then contributes to regaining.
- Know your strengths and work to them, know your weaknesses and make a plan how to mitigate them. Calorie deficit is universal for weight loss, adherence is personal. (e.g. an every day calorie deficit bores and frustrates me and also spoils my exercise performance). 5:2 eating pattern worked for my main weight loss, a sporadic deficit works for me to make small adjustments during my years at maintenance.
- Build activity into your daily life, it's an overlooked contributor to calorie balance and a great habit for life. I find it ironic that the car park is always full at the gym.