First day trying to get more active and lose 20 (ish) pounds. Should I start strong or start slow?

ellatseggai14210

I just found this app and I think it’s really helpful and organized. Only problem is, I have never really had a weight loss diet and goal this organized and serious, so i need some advice on how to start off my journey. If you have some specific tips, feel free to leave a reply. Thanks!

AnnPT77

Maybe neither?

I'd vote "start slow", but I'm not sure I'd agree with "work your way up".

My underlying philosophy: The easier the path to the goal is, the more likely I will eventually arrive there.

Sometimes a gradual loss rate will get a person to goal weight in less calendar time than an aggressive approach that causes bouts of deprivation-triggered over-eating, breaks in the action, or maybe even giving up altogether.

On top of that, when the goal is bodyweight or fitness, I wanted to stay there forever once I got there, and for me that depended on finding and practicing new, routine, relatively pleasant, practical eating and activity habits that can operate almost on autopilot when other parts of life get complicated (which they do, sooner or later).

As context, I was overweight/obese for around 30 years, lost from there to a healthy weight in just under a year, and have been at a healthy weight for 8+ years since. I decided I wasn't going to do anything to lose weight I wasn't willing to continue long term to stay there, except for a sensibly moderate calorie deficit until I reached goal weight. No one method works best for everyone, but that's worked out well for me so far. It's a different mindset than thinking of "going on a diet" and thinking that has an end date. Weight management is forever, IMO.

Best wishes: The rewards from success are very much worth the effort!

neanderthin

Just do something and be consistent.

OnTheMoveWithSteph

Setting realistic goals and creating a plan that aligns with your lifestyle is so important. Consistency really is the game-changer for long-term success. It's not about how fast you go—it's about staying steady and making it sustainable.

Corina1143

I can't answer for you. I don't know you. What works best for you?

MsCzar

When I first started exercising, I was horribly unfit. I had a rebounder (mini-trampoline) and could barely slow jog-in-place for 3 minutes or one song on my play list, I was so darned proud of myself when after a couple of weeks, I could make it through three! For me, the start slow worked since I told myself "just one song"... then "just two songs"... Eventually, it was nothing to do a fast paced workout for 30+ minutes. So in terms of building the daily habit and body strength, I vote start slow,

PAV8888

Start.
Flexibly.
To build longer term habits.
While building impediments to returning back to where you were before you started.
Learn and adapt.
Differentiate what's important from what's secondary and just a method that gets you to achieve the important stuff.

Because the last may sound too obscure, for myself what type of food I eat, as well as where, how, and even the times I eat have changed over the years and I'm sure will change again.

But within the parameters of what's in play I still try to maximize "food utility" which to me is (satiation + enjoyment + some sort of I'm willing to engage is slightly healthier eating bonus points) within my caloric budget which is usually set to either slow down or inhibit regain, or to promote slow loss, or to some other combination that reflects current reality vs desired goals.

Similarly for exercise and/or activity

Alatariel75

Start doing what you're going to do long term. For me I think about changing my lifestyle to lose weight, gain fitness and maintain both as learning a new language. Why make it harder for myself learning one language to lose, and then another to maintain?

So make large changes straight up if that's what you need to do to overhaul your lifestyle for the long term, but I wouldn't recommend making large changes with the mindset that you're just going to do that until X (goal weight, etc) happens. And if your lifestyle just needs tweaking and not overhauling - do that!

For me, I already ate a lot of whole foods, lots of veg, and cooked 95% of our meals. The big changes I made were cutting out the sugary carbs which are my downfall (I cannot have one piece of candy, or one cookie, the pack is gone, so I just don't have them anymore), adjusting my daily menu to minimise calories where I don't miss them, so that I have calories for where I want them (so generally one of my meals is mostly, if not all, veggies, because that still satisfies me and leaves me the bulk of my calories for the rest of the day), and the rest of my changes were tweaks. All of these changes are sustainable. I never plan to going back to eating a whole bag of candy in a setting, or needing a pack of Chips Ahoy in the pantry just in case.

So make the changes you need to make, but keep your eyes on the horizon and the long term changes you need to make to maintain the weight and health you are aiming for, long term.