Does anyone have any tips or tricks for relatively fast but maintainable weight loss ?

siennacavemfp

I want loose weight quickly but also so that i can maintain the weight loss and not gain it all back - can anyone help me out ?

tomcustombuilder

Losing will depend on the size of the calorie deficit over time. Maintaining will be a matter of not going back to old eating habits.

have a sustainable eating plan that you can stick with that allows you to hit your goals.

Lietchi

Generally speaking, I would say that fast and sustainable/maintainable are contradictory. Depending on what you consider fast, of course.

Fast tends to imply temporary changes - for durable weight-loss you need to make long-term sustainable changes to your way of eating and lifestyle.

PAV8888

Quests for holy grails boil down more to the quest itself than actually finding the item.

I don't know that there is a "trick" or "speed minimum or maximum".

Sure. There are some "common" findings such as that speeds of around 0.5% of body weight per week are easier to sustain and tolerate than 1% of body weight per week, as an example.

But as @Lietchi says… the basic question is what kind of quest are you embarking on.

Is this a quest for weight loss? People find varying degrees of success (relatively dismal statistics) when it comes to achieving and maintaining weight loss.

Is this a quest for self discovery and change? Are you trying to look at all the parameters that are driving you to currently be at a higher body weight than where you would like to be? Are you willing to figure out and work on how to permanently change enough of these parameters so that you can move to a lower weight level and stay there?

The end result of the quest for self discovery and change may be long term weight loss. But the quest itself and the changes it brings about are the focus. Not the speed of loss.

tt_2172005

slow and steady is the way to go

AnnPT77

Fast weight loss is a trap . . . with the possible exception of someone who's so severely obese that their obesity is an acute major health threat, and who is under close medical supervision for nutritional deficiencies or health complications.

For other than that narrow segment, the better way to go is focusing on finding and grooving in new, permanent, more health-promoting routine habits . . . which is a very different mindset from "lose weight fast".

Just my opinions, though, from the perspective of 9+ years maintaining a healthy weight, following about a year of loss from class 1 obese, and around 30 years before that of overweight/obesity.

The quality of life improvement is worth the effort (and patience) required, too, IME.

DiscusTank5

Consistency --with tracking calories, with showing up at the gym day in and out -- is the best trick I know for weight loss.

Habits trump motivation every time. I recommend James Clear's book Atomic Habits: it applies to many situations, including sustainable weight loss.

Here's a freebie: I don't snack in the evening, but sometimes I want something. A ginger candy or two, maybe a cup of herbal mint tea, have worked well these past 5 months.

BuddysMom2024

Losing weight quickly will never be maintainable. Safe healthy weight loss is .5 to 2 lbs a week. You do not want to be yo-uondieting your life. The key is making sound choices with food.

rms62003

I recommend people don't think about it as weight loss, but life style change - that is what you can maintain (and is the best for your health). Losing weight quickly does a few, very bad, things - 1. it changes your metabolism (studies on the Biggest Loser show contestants showed that their metabolism permanently slowed due to their rapid weight loss.) 2. You will have to adapt unrealistic diet/exercise goals - ones that are not sustainable, and are likely to cause you to crave/break your diet 3. You risk nutritional deficiencies by cutting calories too drastically

Instead, focus on the goal of getting healthy - at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise, more whole foods, increased nutrient dense foods such as veggies/healthy meats and less processed foods. This not only will lead to weight loss, but more importantly, a healthier body!

Lietchi

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48646667#Comment_48646667

I would emphasize though that it's possible to exercise and eat whole foods and not lose weight. An appropriate calorie intake (with or without calorie counting) is still necessary.

neanderthin

Maintainable would ideally be a diet where satiety is achieved after each meal and doesn't lead to overeating. For me that was low carb and more specifically keto where, when I originally lost 65lbs and now maintain my weight is the same except when I want to lose weight, I deliberately eat a little less fat and I also don't calorie count which if I had to would mean my diet didn't achieve that satiety and would have needed to make changes where that would happen. It's not a diet for everyone, that's for sure because it basically gets rid of sugars, most starchy carbs and the really tasty ones, the refined type and if your not aware it's also a diet based on mostly animal protein and fat which is not what the authoritative enlightened want people to eat or ever wanted anyone to consume.

ddsb1111

Fast is 2 lbs a week and a deficit of 1000 calories a day- it’s brutal, and not sustainable.

Reasonable speed is .5-1 lb a week and a deficit of 250-500 calories a day, and the loss is easier to maintain.

Which one can you do realistically?

age_is_just_a_number

what @tomcustombuilder said.

Plus…fast weight loss and sustainable weight loss… Seem to be an oxymoron

Weight loss is either slow and sustainable or fast and temporary. I haven't ‘met’ anyone in this MFP community who has list weight quickly and kept it off.

briscogun

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10940550/does-anyone-have-any-tips-or-tricks-for-relatively-fast-but-maintainable-weight-loss

This is literally everyone who tries to lose weight. Everyone wants it off as fast as possible and wants to keep it off.

The problem is that fast weight loss usually ends up in the whole yo-yo dieting thing: lose a bunch, get comfy, start slipping back into old habits, weigh more than you did before you even started.

Slow but steady works better because you are making permanent sustainable changes to your lifestyle that you can successfully continue after you reach your goal.

Do what you feel best. You can starve yourself on a very restrictive caloric intake and drop a bunch fast but that’s not healthy or sustainable. Or you can make healthy changes and learn skills that will stay with you a lifetime.

Gunnavia

Hey! ☺️

I’ve been on a similar journey and found that staying consistent with small daily habits — like meal planning, light movement, and honest check-ins — made a huge difference.

I’m currently doing a free, personal 10-week accountability group with others who are working toward the same goal (around 10 kg). If you’re curious or want to hear how we’re doing it, feel free to send me a message — happy to share! 💬

Either way, you got this — progress adds up! 💪🌿