What do you eat to lose 100 pounds?

catwrangler

A few years ago I lost 110 pounds and I didn't think once about percentages of carbs or protein or fat. I could've gone a healthier route, but I tended to eat mostly whole foods anyway because they give you the most bang for your buck in terms of calorie allowance and how they make you feel in general. I set a calorie limit (as high as I could make it and still lose weight -- I never dropped below 1500 calories) and I just stuck to it. Sometimes I ate junk and sometimes I ate healthy stuff. Sometimes I had cheat days or cheat meals, and I still lost weight. I gained 80 pounds back when I was pregnant, though! Now I'm trying to do it again.

The point is -- you can eat what you want, in moderation, as long as you're eating fewer calories than you burn. Just don't listen to this 1200 calorie nonsense and think you HAVE to drop to that amount because it's the lowest allowed. I don't know why people think that's some kind of magic number for everyone.

this. Except don't get pregnant.

adtrevors

I think macro-nutrient ratios are the wrong way to look at this honestly. There are plenty of examples of societies, in modern day and in the past, the subsist on a wide variety of ratios from very low carb/high fat to very high carb/low fat. Don't know that I'd recommend that high of protein as most literature I've read suggests that rabbit starvation presents as your ratio gets about 40%. I've witnessed this myself at around 35% and my wife at a lower level. Everybody is different though but I would be cautious.

Given that, I'd agree with most here saying that the diet that works is one you stick with. One caveat for that is I think you need to stick with it for life. Sure you can indulge from time to time but for the most part you should eat pretty clean and the weight will come off naturally regardless of what ratios you are using. Lower-carb tends to work slightly better in the beginning if you have any metabolic issues (restoring insulin and leptin sensitivity is important is you want to lose fat). When you reach an ideal body composition you can be more liberal.

Personally I try to stick to real, whole foods. Lots of lean meats, preferably pastured and grass fed, wild caught fish, lots of veggies, moderate amount of fruit, and seeds and nuts sparingly (like a quick snack or garnish). You'll notice the lack of 'health whole grains' b/c the only redeeming quality in them are the fortified vitamins and I get plenty in the foods above. I get plenty of carbohydrate from the veggies and fruit, and if I need more I stick to sweet potato, yam, taro or something along that line.

The above is my personal choice and what works for me (down 7% BF and 30lbs in 4 months). I eat plenty of great tasting food without counting calories (although i do from time to time just to see where I am at; usually around 2000) and exercise intensely for 60-90 minutes a week. I don't do long hours of cardio (can be counter productive) and most of my 'additional' exercise just comes from getting outside and having fun. You need to find what works for you so I would just clean up your eating a bit at a time and see what works best. For exercise I would recommend something like Mark Sisson's "Five Essential Movements". They are all bodyweight exercises so they are safe to perform but he offers progressive levels for each to provide a challenge.

Just something to consider and good luck.

Laces_0ut

only down 37 so far but i eat a lot of fish, some chicken, beans, eggs, spinach and other green veges and cheese. with those i eat a lot of spicy peppers like habaneros and soranos.

i really missed eating a lot of carbs at first(bread, pizza etc) but now i dont crave it every meal.

LisaMDJ

A few years ago I lost 110 pounds and I didn't think once about percentages of carbs or protein or fat. I could've gone a healthier route, but I tended to eat mostly whole foods anyway because they give you the most bang for your buck in terms of calorie allowance and how they make you feel in general. I set a calorie limit (as high as I could make it and still lose weight -- I never dropped below 1500 calories) and I just stuck to it. Sometimes I ate junk and sometimes I ate healthy stuff. Sometimes I had cheat days or cheat meals, and I still lost weight. I gained 80 pounds back when I was pregnant, though! Now I'm trying to do it again.

The point is -- you can eat what you want, in moderation, as long as you're eating fewer calories than you burn. Just don't listen to this 1200 calorie nonsense and think you HAVE to drop to that amount because it's the lowest allowed. I don't know why people think that's some kind of magic number for everyone.

this. Except don't get pregnant.

Haha! Indeed. I'd been trying to conceive for like eight years, though, so I was happy even with the weight gain! It's funny -- I couldn't get pregnant for so long, and as soon as I hit my goal weight I got knocked up without trying! I was in a size 8 for about five minutes.

txcraftr

Thank you for your input. This is very helpful to me. I know besides eating good food I need to change up my sleep a bit. I need to go to bed earlier and get up earlier just to get myself ready for the day. Sometimes I don't even take the time to get breakfast. I work at home doing medical transcription so I sit a good part of the day at my computer. I will be letting you all know how it is going. I'm psyched again. I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!!!

LiveEnjoyEndure

eat in moderation, treat yourself sometimes, and DONT under eat and OVER exercise..good luck

^^^ this ^^^
Caloric Defecit ....
Lost 72 lb this year (goal = 100).... what worked for me...
- when ill, carefully watch what you eat and rest heaps. your body is healing. I joined MFP when I couldn't exercise due to flu.
- when well and able, try to consume (ie eat) AND use (ie exercise, or day-today work if 'on your toes') ABOVE your resting calorie rate (eg 1500 a day for me if I do nothing except eat and sleep, etc.) --- MFP is perfect for tracking this.
- I stopped drinking sugar rich Cola's and stopped adding sugar to sweeten breakfasts and coffee / tea
- 8 cups / glasses water per day, more if sweating or diarrhea.
- dont obsess, it is slow going

As I said, this worked for me. 8 months on and 2/3rds the way through I am refining things such as specific exercises and nutritional requirements. If, like me, you go cold turkey on something, your body will react - keep this in check (eg headaches from withdrawals, etc.).

Cheering you on as you go. Feel free to send a friend request.

^^^^ this is great ^^^^

you have to find an enjoyable and sustainable solution. Loosing 100 lbs is an endurance race and you will have to have fun doing it. You need to have NSVs (non-scale victories). At times you will stop loosing weight, due to your metabolism, muscle gain and other factors. So set yourself goals that are not just weight related.

Food treats can best be accommodated by doing a cardio-vascular burn. If I have a party or event coming up I do a big burn that morning. Cycling will burn the most calories fastest and you will have less injuries than walking or running. Rowing is really good too as it builds up your core strength and is good for body tone. I would recommend www.dailymile.com (my user name is David F.) as a way to track your progress for most sports.

Keep your focus on the daily goal of staying under the calorie goal that MFP sets... If you do this you WILL loose fat from your body. Make one change at a time, master that one and then move on to the next.

This is an exciting time for you, your first step ... enjoy the journey :-)

GemmaRowlands

I have lost 70lbs so far, and I know that I will reach the 100lb mark before too long.

I'm not sure why there are so many "fad diets" around, or secret methods that people think are magic. It's all about calorie counting! If you burn more than you consume, you'll lose weight. It's as simple as that, and there's no other secret.

Of course some foods are healthier for your body, but the simple fact is that eating 300 calories of lard will allow you to lose the same amount of weight as 300 calories of salad.

txcraftr

Congrats on the 70 pound loss. How long did it take you?