34lbs lost eating anything i wanted

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bigballin2013
bigballin2013 Posts: 14
in Success Stories
Im soooo stoked! I reached my first mini goal of 34 pounds! I haven't been very good at updating my ticker. I will do better this time around! I'm starting my 2nd mini goal of 21 pounds. When I reach it, this will be a huge personal milestone for me.

I'd like to explain how I did it in hopes it will inspire/help others. First, I'm a "professional google researcher" which means I'm one of those people always looking/googling for the weight loss magic bullet. Here is a list of things I've learned that have kept me FAT for the last 6yrs. Stop paying attention to these things and get back to calories in/out and start enjoying your meals again! It's working for me and I thought i was immune to weight loss!

Things to stop paying so much attention to:

1. Eat only "good" complex carbs - Bull****! Eat what you enjoy!
2. Eat low or no carbs -Bull****! Eat what you enjoy!
3. Eat only lean protein / whole grains / fruits / vegges - Bull****! Eat what you enjoy!

If we were all professional endurance athletes, these things would matter when it comes to our performances....but for the 99.9% of us who want to lose weight and be thinner, this whole "macro-nutrient" thing is, uh, Bull****!

Instead...make your life easier and make your way of eating more sustainable!

How?? Pay attention to only one thing. Calories, calories, calories!

What did I eat to lose these 34 lbs so far? Anything and everything.

Fast food
Cookies
Chips
Sandwiches
Burritos
Pizza

along with healthier foods I actually enjoy! I just paid attention to my portion sizes and overall calories.

Now I'm FINALLY losing weight after 6 yes of being stuck!

Hope this helps.

Oh, and to all you "diet and fitness experts" out there,,,please don't write me and tell me how wrong I am. For me, the proof is in the pudding...so to speak:)
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Replies

  • Rage_Phish
    Rage_Phish Posts: 1,508 Member
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    cool
  • vet272
    vet272 Posts: 183
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    That's great that its working out for you. Just make sure you're getting all your nutrients - weight loss isn't the be all and end all.

    But sincerely, well done you!:smile:
  • bigballin2013
    bigballin2013 Posts: 14
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    good point vet...thanks!
  • guessrs
    guessrs Posts: 358 Member
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    Thats amazing. Did you eat within your calorie range?
  • jonilynn70
    jonilynn70 Posts: 145 Member
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    Not true. I have made "bad" decisions with my diet these last 4 weeks - a calorie is a calorie mentality - and gained 5 lbs. in 4 weeks. Calories in calories out is not all that is about. Sorry.
  • CycleFlow
    CycleFlow Posts: 55
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    One question - is your photo from 6 years ago or now??
    Because if that is a NOW photo Im not sure where you are going to find 21 more pounds to loose!?!
    Not much bodyfat in that pic ;)
  • bigballin2013
    bigballin2013 Posts: 14
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    guessrs.....Yes! Keep everything in the low 2000's. That actually took a lot of practice for me (and still does at times).

    jonilynn......looks like you've had some success doing things a different way. I can't argue with that. Nice work! It is true that some foods take more energy to digest than others, and some foods raise insulin more than others. Even so, I bet if you take a close look, you'll find that your "bad choices" caused you to take in too many calories. I really think if you eliminate "bad choices" from your diet vocabulary, and just make sure you don't overeat (once in a great while is to be expected) you'll have a diet you can stick with easier and that will bring you more weight loss. My thoughts anyway.

    cycleflow.....this is not me today. i keep this pic close as a reminder of what i need to get back to.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    Congratulations!
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
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    I am the same way. Of course I have improved my diet a lot, I eat smaller portions, and generally healthier...but there's nothing that I cut out completely (unless I don't like it) and I can almost guarantee that I haven't gone even a week without fast food during my entire weight loss (61 pounds so far)! It really does come down to calories.
  • lifethatgrows
    lifethatgrows Posts: 16
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    I wish that were effective for me - I have insulin resistance. I think people should find what their body works best on.
  • asmithson19
    asmithson19 Posts: 59
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    I agree too! And well done! - a strict 1200 calorie a day diet has done the job several times for me... (Sometimes 1000 but I know all your haters will have something to say about that!) - I do not believe 'starvation mode' exists.

    The problem? It's hard to sustain long term, hence why I have had to use this technique more than once. (Yes, I have let small amounts of the weight creep back on).

    I say, - Yes, it works. It is healthy? Probably not. Is it for long term? No.

    The key - Use this until you reach your goal and then find a healthier way of maintaining your weight. :-) .... which unfortunately I have been unsuccessful at because of my 'all or nothing' attitude to everything I do in life... But that's another story!

    Good luck everyone!
  • touchafaith
    touchafaith Posts: 112 Member
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    So glad I saw this because this is exactly how I eat. I don't follow all that macro stuff (wouldn't even know where to start) I just eat what I want as long as I stay within my daily calories. I think this is the best way for me to persue my weight loss goal as it's more realistic given my lifestyle and of course love of food:blushing: this way I get to have my cake and eat it too. Congratulations on the weightloss!! Your doing absolutely awesome!
  • Eli_Xx
    Eli_Xx Posts: 42 Member
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    I just started losing weight (started 6 days ago) but this is true for me as well. I have had cookies, pizza, even some mcdonalds, but just stayed under or right at my calorie limit thing and have lost 5 lbs! Happy to see it's not just luck and other ppl lose weight the same way I do (: If I deny myself everything I will probably binge ):
  • AdeYossie
    AdeYossie Posts: 5 Member
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    Same thing for me. Lost 25lbs by eating what I want but in smaller portions and staying within my calorie limit and fat limit. Also, I fond that the whole diet thing doesn't work for me. I cannot do it for a long time.
  • bigballin2013
    bigballin2013 Posts: 14
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    I'm so glad to see so many of you having success with this way of eating. Deprivation really sucks! Besides that, it can't work if you can't stick with it....so why make it so hard?

    I've traveled to many different countries and everyone is thin!! (except those who have taken on an "american" diet) What I do find is people in Japan eat lots of rice. Tons of it! They're thin. Look up rice (white) on the glycemic index. People in Italy and greece and france eat the most delectable carb rich foods! Most are thin! Why? They simply do not overeat. No diets. No "off limit foods". They also walk alot!

    Thank you for the posts...those who do not fully agree with me still have valuable insight to share and I appreciate your words.
  • Eli_Xx
    Eli_Xx Posts: 42 Member
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    ^^^^Thats true! When I went to Mexico to visit family you think I would have got fat with all the food but we walked everywhere in the hot sun and I lost weight lol.

    I tried to go on the Paleo diet but love tortillas, rice, bread, cheese and happy I didn't stick with it because I know I would be miserable!
  • FarAway02
    FarAway02 Posts: 211
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    You can also lose weight successfully by starving yourself for a few weeks or months... that doesn't make it healthy anymore than losing weight whilst regularly eating fast food does.

    Don't get me wrong, I believe in having the things you enjoy sometimes... but I'm talking, like, a pizza takeaway every couple of months, etc.

    Working on a calories in, calories out 'diet' may well work - if your only goal is weight loss. For me I wanted to see some other improvements...higher energy levels, clearer skin etc. All things I wouldn't have achieved (or, at least, not to the same degree) on a calories in, calories out 'diet'.

    Not knocking that the way you're doing it can work....just stating that it's not overly respectful of/kind to your body.
  • mytabouly
    mytabouly Posts: 66 Member
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    So do you target your calories in vs calories out on a day by day basis or do you average over a period of time. Because sometimes I'll eat 500 calories, other times only 800 calories and sometimes I'll eat up to 2000 calories, but my weekly average is always around 1000-1200 calories.

    So far it has worked for me, and it means I can still bake and enjoy my goodies every now and then (usually weekends).
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
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    KUDOS!!

    I won't say you're wrong,cause fact is that it worked for you.

    but don't forget that you are both young and male - so what works for you doesn't always work for, say, 50-something post menopausal women such as myself...

    and the truth is that you are correct - calories calories calories. but look at it this way (the way it looks from where i'm sitting): if my total calories for the day comes to 1800 (just throwing a random number), for ME to "waste" calories on eating "whatever i want" vs. "making the most of every calorie" would be a waste. which to me is the difference between eating *a* slice of pizza or eating 3. so that isn't to say that i sometimes DO indulge and buy ice cream or falafel etc. but honestly? even when i buy ice cream, i'll get a smaller cone, or buy a creamsicle etc - still having what i want and actually NOT feeling deprived. I feel actually great when i make a choice that is both healthy for me and staying within the limits.
  • AllToMe1216
    AllToMe1216 Posts: 1 Member
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    You can also lose weight successfully by starving yourself for a few weeks or months... that doesn't make it healthy anymore than losing weight whilst regularly eating fast food does.

    Don't get me wrong, I believe in having the things you enjoy sometimes... but I'm talking, like, a pizza takeaway every couple of months, etc.

    Working on a calories in, calories out 'diet' may well work - if your only goal is weight loss. For me I wanted to see some other improvements...higher energy levels, clearer skin etc. All things I wouldn't have achieved (or, at least, not to the same degree) on a calories in, calories out 'diet'.

    Not knocking that the way you're doing it can work....just stating that it's not overly respectful of/kind to your body.

    I must agree with this. I also do agree with the OP to some extend cause I'm not super strict on my diet. BUT I will say that I lost about 60lbs pretty much eating what I want in moderation. But when I went to go and maintain, I ended up gaining about 30 of it back. It's a good method for weightloss but keeping it off? I'm not so sure. I've recently starting focusing on just being more healthy in general, but I don't deny myself either. I think this time around I really want to find a way that I can sustain a good weight and health for life. That should really be the main focus =)
    I think if you can just find that good balance you're good to go lol.

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