People who have lost 100+ lbs...

abetterbrandi

Hey guys,

I am very confused. I have read so many conflicting things. I read that you should limit your calories as much as possible, without feeling "starved". I have read to take your TDEE and take 30% off of that, etc.

I'd like to know from people who have lost significant amounts of weight HOW you did it and what did you follow? I want to be doing the right thing!


I am currently 364.4lbs and my TDEE is 2932. At 30% less that is a goal of 2052 calories per day. This seems like a lot. I am averaging about 1000-1500.


Thank you

BoboGritt

Hi. I have lost my weight by eating whole foods as often as possible and paying close attention to staying under sodium and fat consumption levels. I also drink a ridiculous amount of water. I am convinced that is a big part of it for me as my loss rate drops drastically when I am not doing so. I typically eat 1200 -1500 calories depending on how I feel. The truth is I feel more satisfied and full than when in the old days I would consume 5000+ on fast food and garbage. the volume is actually more as well. The truth is I eat a ton of food and stay in that range.

It took a lot of experimenting to get my program correct so I suspect that different things work for different people so it may take some experimenting to figure it out for you. Limiting processed stuff when possible could be a good place to start.

Good luck to you!

kyntar

Here is the best advice I can give from my personal experience....

Keep your meals small (300-350 calories) and space them out no more than 4 hours apart. If you space them too far apart and your stomach is churning, and then add a large amount of calories on an empty stomach can cause an insulin surge that will cause your body to store fat.

Also take in your meal with the largest portion of carbs for the day prior to exercise. Carbs = energy for your workouts.

I dont know about reducing TDEE by 30%. My daily calorie allowance is 2100, however I typically stay around 1700-1800 with the exception of a cheat meal once a week. On the day I have a cheat meal I usually meet 2000 calories for that day.

Careful where you read your info, especially on the internet. Make sure your reading it from a reliable source.

Good luck to you!

Heronimos

Hey guys,

II'd like to know from people who have lost significant amounts of weight HOW you did it and what did you follow? I want to be doing the right thing!

There is no "right thing". Find what works for you! That is the main goal.
If you carefully study al literure (real one's not internet) you will find the only one thing is proven effective. E
Even more evective than have a operation. That is psycho-cognitive therapy (or change your mindset).

As long as you eat less as you burn, you will lose weight. So first of all find a way to eat less as you burn (or burn more)
And stick to that a long time.

But all the advise here is correct. It is allway's wise to eat small meals.

Most important.. find out what works for you, and doesn't feel like a race or burden. You can't keep that up for month's (or better year's... you are in this for the rest of your life!)
and prepare your own food. (no pre-package)
Then you can eat a lot of food and still be below the 1800 calories a day.

JUDDDing

You've already got some advice that is probably more useful than mine - and technically, I've only lost 93 pounds so far this year - but I'll share what has worked for me - alternate day fasting.

One day I eat 500 calories.

The next day I eat between 2000-3000 calories.

Between the 2 days, I end up eating, more or less, the same TDEE - 20% that others do.

On the 500 calorie days - it's pretty boring. Protein bars, slim fast, salads, giant servings of strawberries, etc.

On the other days, I still get to eat "normal" sized portions of all of the foods I love. Basically, I'm only "on a diet" every other day.

I also run. I started about a month and a half after I started eating like this - with just walking a bit. Now I do 45 minute interval runs 3-5 days a week (about 3.25 miles each).

Will this solve your confusion? No. But like Heronimos said:

There is no "right thing". Find what works for you! That is the main goal.

I could never do this the "right" or "clean" way. But this odd way works for me and with the weight loss - I get all of the same benefits (huge health improvements, feeling great, looking WAY better, etc), but at a lower "cost" to me (in terms of being able to eat pizza, carrot cake, etc).

Good luck to you! You'll find a way to do this that works for you too! (Hint: The simple, non-confusing truth of all of this is: "Calories in < calories out".)

P.S. Take lots of "before" pictures and save some "before" clothes while you can - you'll probably wish you had if you don't. MFP is awesome!

towne18

I have not lost no where near that amount, although that is my goal. I started May 5,2013 again to try and loose weight. I have as of today Aug 14,2013 lost 39#. Everyone says that is great but now have stopped losing, I started at 358# and now am at 319. I set myself at a 1400 cal diet a day. And walk at least three times a week but I walk 5 days a week for sure and some twice a day. The reason I am writing you is because we are in the same weight range trying to loose weight. I am looking for a weight loss buddy and supporter. Seems I always have friends that need to loose 20# and when they are done I am alone. So if you would like I would love to do this journey with you. My name is Brenda and my final goal is to be under 200 by the time or close to the time I turn 50 in 2015 March, I live in a place , Wisconsin. that is so cold in the winter it is hard to get any where in weight loss. If you don't want to that is fine , don't mean to get in your space.

Thanks and good luck

Brenda

MinnieInMaine

I haven't "quite" lost 100 but that's my goal and I'm getting closer... For me the main thing was to learn to continue to eat the foods I love but in slightly healthier ways - using things like low fat dairy, leaner meats, whole wheat pasta, and adding extra veggies - and portion control. A big part of this is planning. Every weekend I sit down and make up a list of the foods I'd like to eat that week (ALL meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks) and make my grocery list at the same time to make sure I have everything on hand. The more healthy stuff I have in my house and on hand at work, the less likely I'll be grabbing food on the fly or ordering take-out. That said, I do still get take-out but even with that I make the best choices I can and watch my portion sizes.

I'd also encourage you to make some short and long term goals and think about how you'd like to reward yourself. Don't go to food rewards as those can easily lead you back to old eating habits but think of other things like new clothes, a manicure/pedicure, a DVD or book you've wanted or even health/fitness related things like new exercise shoes, a heart rate monitor to help you figure out calorie burns, pedometer, new workout clothes, etc. Also keep in mind that these goals can change as you progress - don't feel like they're set in stone. As others said, what works best for you is the best way to go.

As far as your calories go, try to eat a bit more. While it's true you can handle a larger calorie deficit at this point, you still need to properly fuel your body. The absolutely minimum is 1200 calories a day for an average woman. As you are bigger, I would think a minimum of somewhere closer to 1500 would be more appropriate though. If you feel like you're full enough, maybe switch to more calorie dense foods like full fat dairy, 100% whole wheat bread instead of lite stuff, snack on nuts and seeds and peanut butter, avocado and don't skimp on the olive oil.

Best of luck to you!

funsmile1234

My secret to losing a huge amount of weight is eating whole and healthy and moving every day. I eat 5x a day, 3 meals 2 snacks following the biggest loser plan. Portion control is really important. And I cook from scratch pretty much everything having variety in all the foods I eat so not to get bored. I walk and do stationary bike 5 days a week and lift weights one day a week.