I am beginning a caloric deficit today

eli4johnstone

Any tips and tricks on how to fix my diet/ what to eat and best ways to burn the calories to truly be in a caloric deficit?

rileysowner

Tips or tricks . . .

1) Used a kitchen scale to weigh all solids. That includes things that used to be solid but are now ground up like peanut butter. I find it easier to weigh things like mayo as well.

2) Log everything you eat or drink including that one candy you might have. Without accurate numbers on how much you are eating, you are just guessing.

3) Give it time. Some people get immediate results, some don't. A good starting window is 4 weeks. Then evaluate to see if you should be eating less calories

4) Pay attention to how you feel. If you feel hungry one day, look at what you have eaten in terms of carbs/protein/fat and compare it to other days where you felt full. This will help you figure out what fills you up and keeps you full.

frhaberl

All of the above is great. I would add:
- Find a calorie burning activity you enjoy and pace yourself so you still enjoy it in 6 months. For me that's walking (progressing to wogging then full jogging) outside with my dogs. May have to move indoors some days, but I enjoy it enough that I don't mind braving the cold/heat.
- Try calorie burning activities you THINK you might like, but give yourself permission to stop after a trial period (I give things 2 weeks).
- Don't forget about activities that don't burn as many calories, but support strength/flexibility/mobility. For me that's yoga or resistance band work. I still struggle with carving out time for those, but always feel better when I do.
- Employ both portion control and lower calorie substitutions to reduce calories. Sometimes you just need the "real thing", but not as much as you used to eat in a sitting. Other times you find that a healthier/lower calorie version of that food is just as satisfying and can be eaten in a larger volume.
- Focus on adding foods/nutrients vs subtracting "bad" foods. I have found that setting goals for fiber and protein intake while still eating in a calorie deficit has helped me with the point above, but with less feelings of deprivation. I still get the foods I want, but will naturally reduce the portion size of the ones that have less fiber/protein so I can hit those targets. Since fiber and protein are filling, that portion size reduction doesn't leave me hungry the way just reducing portion size of my "normal" foods without adding fiber and/or protein in would.
- Try new foods, or bring back foods you've liked in the past, but probably not all at once. I rediscovered jicama as an awesome way to add some slightly sweet crunch and volume with lots of fiber and not many calories. I've learned what low carb wraps I love and which ones I hate. Greek yogurt and protein powder are now staples. I typically give things 1-2 weeks (or however long it takes to get through the smallest package of that item I could find) and only try one new thing at a time.
- Meal plan. I use an app to plan out my dinners for the week and I have input them as recipes in MFP so I know the calories and nutrients for them. I can then see what breakfast and lunch options work to meet my nutrient and calorie target for the day and whether I want to adjust my portion sizes of anything to fit in snacks.
- Meal prep. I just made 13 servings of protein pancakes this morning. I weighed everything out and divided them into 200 calorie portions and froze 12 of them. Now for the next several weeks I just have to grab a packet out of the freezer, pop it in the toaster and use the recipe entry from MFP. Well worth the extra 20 minutes this morning. I do the same for salads and soups for lunches. These items work as a base, with variety added in the form of sauces, toppings, and add-ins.

But my biggest piece of advice is this - FOCUS ON BUILDING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND LET WEIGHT LOSS BE A HAPPY SIDE EFFECT. I'm still working on this mindset shift and catch myself making weight loss the priority. When I focus on weight loss I am more likely to be dissatisfied with my progress (even when it's objectively right on track or even better than I expected) and more frustrated with those around me. I am more likely to see my exercise activities as a chore or punishment. I am more stressed about social occasions, or even avoid them because the "don't fit my diet". I become a control freak.
What I'm learning as I lean into the healthy lifestyle mindset is that I have more grace with myself and others, since gratitude is a big part of the mentally healthy lifestyle I want to build. I was sick last week and chose to focus on "this is what it looks like to take care of myself right now" (sitting on the couch and eating whatever hubby prepared/procured for me) instead of thinking about how this would set back my weight loss. I am convinced that made me a better person to be around and that I recovered faster than if I had pushed myself to prioritize weight loss.

Best wishes on your journey.

Corina1143

It's not all or nothing. There will be good days and bad days. Aim for more good days.
If you have a bad day, prelog what you might eat tomorrow. When you wake up next morning, forget yesterday. You can't change the past. Make today a good day.
When you're really hungry and your goal calories are eaten, you have 2 good choices. 1. Power through and don't eat. 2. Purposefully choose something filling, healthy, and low calorie and eat it. Yes you'll go over your calories, but not by much. You'll probably still lose weight that day, just maybe not as much. There are lots of bad choices.
Treat your body well.

Reread rileysowner's post. Good advice.