What's the secret behind weight loss??

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  • RedArizona5
    RedArizona5 Posts: 465 Member
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    Accuracy is the 2nd part of that secret. Are you weighing all solids? Measuring all liquids? Accurately calculating exercise calories if you eat them back? Actually logging EVERYTHING you put in your mouth? Preparing your own food so you know exactly what you're eating?

    i agree with the above. log mints. log sugar-free gum. long diet soda. if it touches your lips, it goes into your log.
    Second that as well as the 3rd -consistecy even with me at my "acceptable" current weight since i was injured stopped for a month of working out i had a slight increase. I also stopped weighing so i could work on my strength- i like it so far..
  • RedArizona5
    RedArizona5 Posts: 465 Member
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    Hi everyone! Hope you all are doing well. I lost just 0.9 lbs in a month which is kinda disappointing. According to the theory of weight loss, If you create a calorie deficit of 3500 calories/week, you would lose 1 pound. That amounts to around 4lbs in a month. Even though I could create this calorie deficit I lost only little the entire month. Is there something I'm doing wrong?
    On an average, how much have you lost in a month?

    You haven't really told us all that you are doing or where you are at. I always like to know how big someone is to give specific advice.

    But for general advice, i'd suggest the secret to weightloss is:
    1. choosing the right sorts of foods (to maximise nutrition and minimise hunger),
    2. not reducing calories too significantly on a daily basis (5:2 fasting when your eat 500 calories per day two days a week is fun and interesting but otherwise, don't rush it),
    3.tons of daily commitment (psychology is a huge part of successful long term weightloss and maintenance and a much overlooked factor),
    4. not relying on exercise for your losses but to focus on diet (i've only just started doing exercise after most of the year being terribly sedentary and being almost at goal, and i'm musing a pedometer to get up to about 10000 steps and just started minimum HIIT skipping see Michael Mosley's exercise video on you tube even you think you know what HIIT is. check out his other video eat fast and live longer).
    5. Daily or weekly weighing and Food logging which you are basically doing here but calorie counting isn't actually necessary if you keep a good food log and weigh daily.

    Specifically for you i'd take a guess that the calories you are aiming for daily are too probably too high. You must be very large to be able to lose weight at 1900+ or so or doing a ton of exercise. Quit all the exercise and cut back on your calories accordingly.
    and secondly, your food choices are not great. You are not getting enough protein and you are eating too many dodgy carbs. Its good you are eating vegies though.

    I'm pescetarian and try to rely more on vegetarian foods so i know its not easy at first to get your protein up. But you need to find the formula from the net for the right amount of protein for you. look for it now!!! It took me a while to figure it all out.

    protein foods to eat more of for vegetarians: chickpeas and lentils and beans, cheese, eggs, milk yoghurt, tofu, Try to get plenty of protein in at each meal. Aim for at least 20grams if you can. Those are the lower fat ones, then add a few nuts and seeds in as well. Don't snack on nuts and seeds. Include them in your meal, ditto cheese. Chuck it in a salad rather than eat it as a chunk on crackers. Anyway you need to prioritise eating more protein. this will naturally help you reduce your bad carbs.

    Give up eating biscuits with sugar. Give up sugar. Do not give up fruit. It makes life much easier. Do you have it in your tea. Learn to go without it in your tea and coffee and the rest is easy. You can do it. I've recently persuaded someone else to do this and she confirmed its easy. Just have it with milk.

    No. You do not need to give up sugar.
    I do agree with…but She looks like she competes as a fitness competitor which I'm sure she doesn't eat a lot of sugar -which would be ok but yeah no the OP wouldn't have too…technically sugar is americas killer right now with most americans having type 1 diabetes so yeah these days we should watch our sugar intake- i would love it to be my goal to quit sugar out completely…big pharm companies are loving the new amounts of diabetics going for meds -sugar can be evil. My mom and gramma are nearly if not pre diabetic -maybe its why I'm fairly biased.
  • effondrement
    effondrement Posts: 37 Member
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    Just don't lift anything too heavy.. or this could happen:


    8ab5ed543151.jpg

    Disregard this post because its complete bs...

    No secret to losing weight, just eat at a deficit, a true deficit..

    BS? These gals didn't lift weights???????? OK.... You got me ??

    seksi-tetja_18_s__4.jpg

    There's this thing called steroid/hormone abuse -- that's what these "gals" were doing. Theoretically, higher reps of a low weight will build "bulky muscles" or whatever women are so scared of. Low reps of HIGH weights will tone. If you are curious about the science behind this, check this article out: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/09/11/7-strength-training-myths-every-woman-should-know/

    // I have other sources so just shoot me a message if you really care. I will gladly prove you wrong.

    Also to echo what has been said by previous members: the secret to weight loss is a calorie deficit. that's all. Oh, and accuracy. Don't lie to yourself, or else you won't see any progress. Ignore the crap about starvation mode, it isn't real (I can also send literature on this, again, proving people wrong is one of my favorite hobbies). If you want to see results faster I recommend heavy strength training, as the calories burned during rest AFTER such a workout are superdupergreat, for lack of a better term.

    I've been focusing on a calorie deficit for the last 60 days and have lost 19lbs as a result (so roughly 10lbs per month). If you take a look at my diary you'll see that I eat like absolute crap, but I eat it in smaller amounts. I eat this way mostly because I'm a broke college student who doesn't have the time, money, or patience to cook. Anyways I know this is a lot of information but I hope this helped someone out at the very least. Best of luck to you
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    OP, you've gotten some really great advice - the scale is the best way to get a real feel for what you're putting in your body - portion sizes and understanding that "about 11 chips" isn't actually 28g helps a lot.

    As an aside, I'm really glad my body hasn't heard that it's supposed to hold onto fat when I eat processed foods, or fast food, or whatever. Otherwise, my 2lb a week weight loss might stop. :wink:
  • 7aneena
    7aneena Posts: 146 Member
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    "Starvation mode" is a complete myth. There is no such thing as eating too little = gaining weight. Eating 1000 calories a day (I do not recommend it because you will feel exhausted and blah) is going to make you lose a ton of weight. Period.

    Does that mean I didn't "have" to force myself to eat dinner to reach the minimum 1000 on MFP diary?
    I know i know first world problem, lately Ive been having a problem eating more than 800, I'm just not hungry
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    it would have less calories,less fat,less cholesteral which would help with her weightloss goal and once her goal is met its over all a healthier way to eat both for the body and the planet, as sited by the UN and WHO
    Less calories is the key to weight loss. Type of food matters zero unless it matters to you only.

    Who is UN and WHO?

    United Nations and World Health Org.
    I don't think her suggestion that a plant-based diet is advisable for everyone and for the planet is that controversial. It seems pretty obvious to plenty of nutritionists, certainly. And there's a huge rush on research on the food type question right now, especially around leptin and glycemic responses, ketosis, phytochemicals... I don't think we can say "food type matters zero" yet.
    As to bold statement: food does not matter as to weight loss, eat less than your burn and you will lose weight. Period.

    As to health, food type does matter to the extent of reaching your macros.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    I think that first gif with "don't lift anything heavy or you'll look like this" is a joke. Really, I'm pretty sure of it, considering everybody knows women don't bulk like that unless they have some steroid help.
  • ThePhoenixIsRising
    ThePhoenixIsRising Posts: 781 Member
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    "Starvation mode" is a complete myth. There is no such thing as eating too little = gaining weight. Eating 1000 calories a day (I do not recommend it because you will feel exhausted and blah) is going to make you lose a ton of weight. Period.

    Does that mean I didn't "have" to force myself to eat dinner to reach the minimum 1000 on MFP diary?
    I know i know first world problem, lately Ive been having a problem eating more than 800, I'm just not hungry
    Why? The fact that it is an ongoing problem is not good.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    "Starvation mode" is a complete myth. There is no such thing as eating too little = gaining weight. Eating 1000 calories a day (I do not recommend it because you will feel exhausted and blah) is going to make you lose a ton of weight. Period.

    Does that mean I didn't "have" to force myself to eat dinner to reach the minimum 1000 on MFP diary?
    I know i know first world problem, lately Ive been having a problem eating more than 800, I'm just not hungry

    You can always drink your calories (a beer, a glass of OJ) or choose calorie dense foods to bump it up (nuts, avocado, peanut butter, etc).

    I go through phases where my appetite seriously sucks. So I throw in some lemon oreos or a beer or some nuts at the end of my day. I'm not hungry, but I know eating too little isn't a healthy way to lose weight long term, so I try to get creative.
  • 7aneena
    7aneena Posts: 146 Member
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    "Starvation mode" is a complete myth. There is no such thing as eating too little = gaining weight. Eating 1000 calories a day (I do not recommend it because you will feel exhausted and blah) is going to make you lose a ton of weight. Period.

    Does that mean I didn't "have" to force myself to eat dinner to reach the minimum 1000 on MFP diary?
    I know i know first world problem, lately Ive been having a problem eating more than 800, I'm just not hungry
    Why? The fact that it is an ongoing problem is not good.

    I first noticed when I was doing intermittent fasting, I realized I can't eat that many calories in an 8 hour window especially since the food I eat is not calorie dense (lean meat, chicken, and veggies) so I stopped doing IF
    It also happens whenever I sleep in and I start my day late ( eat around 1 pm) basically same effect as IF since I'm not giving myself enough time to eat
    Usually all of this happens on days I don't work out (2 days out of the week) because when I do I'm usually starving afterwards and eat very close to my goal
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    The 'secret' to weight loss is to find sustainable changes in your everyday life. That is, adjustments you can make AND live with that allow you to move more and/or eat less.

    The secret to why a body loses more or less weight over a period of time, often goes back to accurate logging, weighing solid food, etc. Though there can be temporary affects of water weight for a variety of reasons.
  • Arekha
    Arekha Posts: 45 Member
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    OP, I noticed that you mostly eat Indian food, I am originally from India as well and eat homemade Indian food, esp for dinner. There are quirks with Indian homemade food and getting accurate calorie count is tricky, even with homemade food and serving size etc.

    My stats and age are different from yours, but you can add me as a friend if you want. I have set my wt loss to 0.5 lbs/wk and the long term average has been around that number (Doing MFP since end of July).

    Another thing to keep in mind is that wt loss is not linear, if you are consistent, things will fall into place over the long run
  • ThePhoenixIsRising
    ThePhoenixIsRising Posts: 781 Member
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    "Starvation mode" is a complete myth. There is no such thing as eating too little = gaining weight. Eating 1000 calories a day (I do not recommend it because you will feel exhausted and blah) is going to make you lose a ton of weight. Period.

    Does that mean I didn't "have" to force myself to eat dinner to reach the minimum 1000 on MFP diary?
    I know i know first world problem, lately Ive been having a problem eating more than 800, I'm just not hungry
    Why? The fact that it is an ongoing problem is not good.

    I first noticed when I was doing intermittent fasting, I realized I can't eat that many calories in an 8 hour window especially since the food I eat is not calorie dense (lean meat, chicken, and veggies) so I stopped doing IF
    It also happens whenever I sleep in and I start my day late ( eat around 1 pm) basically same effect as IF since I'm not giving myself enough time to eat
    Usually all of this happens on days I don't work out (2 days out of the week) because when I do I'm usually starving afterwards and eat very close to my goal
    You're solution is to eat cal dense foods, not leave your days at sub 800 cals.

    Having a low day once in a while isn't harmful but if it is common because of laziness or poor planning there is no excuse for it!
  • meridianova
    meridianova Posts: 438 Member
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    Just pay attention to what you put in your body, especially processed foods that are high in carbohydrates. The traditional food pyramid has grains, breads, rice, as the foods you should be eating more than any other food groups, but that couldn't actually be further from the truth. Here's a better idea of what humans should be consuming for a healthier lifestyle:

    ketofoodpyramid_zps9bd0b8c7.jpg

    Before the industrial revolution, think about how often people ate foods high in carbohydrates. Sure, bread and rice was still consumed but nowhere near at the levels we see today. People used to believe that eating fatty foods would make you fatter, and while foods high in saturated or trans fats that might be somewhat true, it is simple sugars or glucose/fructose that are the real killers if consumed in excess.
    that pyramid is so wrong i dont even know where to start, dont take that as a personal attack by any means there is a lot of misinformation out there and many people get caught in wrong or outdated info please feel free to PM and i can help you out with some nutritional information that is more aqurate or even just point you in the right direction for your own research

    emot-cawg.gif
    oh honey... just stop... really, i'm about to fall out of my chair and i don't know how to log that under my exercise tab...

    you sound like those wonderfully naiive college freshman who just got out of their first nutrition class and think they know everything there is to know about proper dieting and how humans process food. why don't you just sit back and let the adults handle the advice until you've learned the ropes, m'kay pumpkin?
  • meridianova
    meridianova Posts: 438 Member
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    OP... as far as getting a food scale goes, you don't have to be extravagant. i think i paid $15 for mine and it measures ounces, pounds/ounces, and grams. i keep it next to my everyday-use tools (knife block, cutting board, etc), and i got one of those magnetic shopping list pads (about $1.50 at any michael's or joanns... look in the bins near the checkout registers) to put on the fridge. every ingredient gets measured or weighed and written down, then logged as a recipe in MFP. it's gone a long way toward keeping things accurate. eventually you'll get to the point where you can accurately eyeball how much shredded cheese or veggie-of-choice is in an ounce... it doesn't mean you don't measure, but it's still good to know.

    and don't feel bad. my weight loss has been disgustingly slow, to the point where based on all the calculations available, my body should be burning about 700 calories a day MORE than what it's actually doing.
  • meridianova
    meridianova Posts: 438 Member
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    Just don't lift anything too heavy.. or this could happen:


    8ab5ed543151.jpg

    Disregard this post because its complete bs...

    No secret to losing weight, just eat at a deficit, a true deficit..

    BS? These gals didn't lift weights???????? OK.... You got me ??

    seksi-tetja_18_s__4.jpg

    There's this thing called steroid/hormone abuse -- that's what these "gals" were doing.

    are you sure they started out as women?
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    What's the secret?

    Naturally, I'll say it's the wine.

    Mmm it does go well with the chicken...
  • sparacka
    sparacka Posts: 137 Member
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    please dont cut your carbs that low, you will lose weight but its bad for your body long term , if you feel you need to lower carbs try not to go lower then 20%
    camwhile your right about whole foods despite the quick weightloss cutting carbs out is not healthy long term

    Source of this wisdom, please?
  • Autk79
    Autk79 Posts: 283 Member
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    Man some of these comments are out there lol

    Hun get a food scale. A lot of people say you need one to make sure your not going over your calorie def but it blew mine how much I was under because I was over guessing on my calories. I had headaches and weakness.... Good luck! Oh and I would just give it some more time :smile:
  • harshada10
    harshada10 Posts: 43 Member
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    Man some of these comments are out there lol

    Hun get a food scale. A lot of people say you need one to make sure your not going over your calorie def but it blew mine how much I was under because I was over guessing on my calories. I had headaches and weakness.... Good luck! Oh and I would just give it some more time :smile:



    Thanks! Will get one soon :)

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