Over complicating weight loss...what worked for you?

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  • xX_PhoenixRising_Xx
    xX_PhoenixRising_Xx Posts: 623 Member
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    I lost weight doing Weight Watchers and I'm now losing weight using the TDEE - 20% method. My basic approach is moderation rather than elimination - I weigh everything and I keep an eye on my macros, but I found through trial and error what works for me. In general I don't restrict any food - if I want to eat something badly enough, I'll work it into my day. The key for me is weighing to make sure my portion size is right, and tracking everything religiously. I also exercise, both cardio and lifting. It works - 92lbs lost so far, still losing.
  • SJVZEE
    SJVZEE Posts: 451 Member
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    I did alternate day intermittent fasting (JUDDD) to get to my goal weight. Then I lost around 14lbs more as I transitioned to maintenance this summer and changed my diet to a whole foods, plant based format.
  • tootoop224
    tootoop224 Posts: 281 Member
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    For losing weight the only thing that matters is calories in v. calories out. Focus on that, and measuring both honestly and accurately and you will lose. Once you've got that down, you can fine tune your macros and exercise for your health.
  • MommaSherryB
    MommaSherryB Posts: 79 Member
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    I think that it varies from person to person. For instance, my dad can eat anything and never gain a pound, my mother would eat the same and gain a lot of weight. It seems that some people are more sensitive to sugar than others (same for fat).

    I tried low fat diet and it didn't work very well. I tried cutting calories. Then I tried a low glycemic (good for diabetics) and it was like magic. The weight came off and I have been able to maintain my ideal weight with no problem.

    I don't eat white sugar, potatoes, rice, etc but choose whole grains. Replaced sugar with Stevia.
    My current calorie count is 1800-2000 but there are days I go over, I haven't gained any weight back at all. The key for me is cutting out table sugar, lower carb.

    I also drink plenty of water and try to exercise a couple of times a week.

    I have noticed that this type of food plan works really well with people who have diabetes in their immediate family.

    Hope this helps.
  • br0hammer
    br0hammer Posts: 81 Member
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    Eating healthier.
  • lynalinda
    lynalinda Posts: 37 Member
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    I eat a plant based diet full of good carbs (whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal etc), vegetables of all kind, fruits, legumes (lentil, chickpeas, tofu, beans,etc), a little nuts, nut butters and seeds and some treat food that i have once in a while that i fit into my calories for the day, it could be chocolate, ice cream (the vegan kind), waffles etc, no meat, no dairy, no eggs.
    I feel good eating this way because i feel that my portion sizes are way bigger than before and i feel full for a long time. I try to stay at 1500 cal/day even if i try not to focus too much on calories but more on eating nutritious healthy food that my body needs.
  • kusterer
    kusterer Posts: 90 Member
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    Log. Log. Log. I used to eat more-or-less healthy and eat too much. I gained a lot. Now I eat more-or-less healthy, and know exactly how much I can and do eat. I have lost a lot.
  • harleygroomer
    harleygroomer Posts: 373 Member
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    I have treated all of this as a "lifestyle" change and NOT necessarily a diet. I first took all the bad food away and replaced them with healthy foods and then I added "some" exercise, then more and then more. Now I have a trainer and a set amount of calories and a set amount of exercise I do. Some times I lose a lot sometimes I lose nothing. I no longer let it bother me. This is my life style now and this is what I live. Remember--this is the rest of your life--treat it like that. Diets don't work, changing your life DOES.....
  • ktliu
    ktliu Posts: 334 Member
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    Eat clean, (low oil, low sodium, low sugar) lotsa veggies. Eat regular meal
    Workout like a fiend (because I love , Love love Zumba) add lotsa varieties of other exercise. Biking, Yoga Pilates.
    Gain new friends at the Gym, so you look forward to go. make friends with people who has higher energy level than you. So they moltivate you to go and give yourself a goal to surpass them.

    Reward yourself by getting new workout clothes because the old ones are too large.

    Shampoo, Rinse, repeat.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    This is what worked (and is still working) for me:

    1) Eat mostly to get the nutrition your body needs, and less for enjoyment. Establish a healthful diet and learn to enjoy healthful foods.

    2) Three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's it. No snacks, and no "in between" meals.

    3) Give up sugar. No sugar in coffee, soda, or on cereal. Give up fruit juice -- it's mainly just another form of sugar. Water is the only liquid you need.

    4) In the beginning, establish a very regulated moderate calorie diet. Don't follow any sort of fad. Just pick a selection of foods that add up to a normal balanced diet -- whole grains, veggies, fruit, dairy, a little meat, etc. But start out by having exactly the same three meals each day -- the same foods and the same amounts. Weigh the portions on a scale. Consider frozen dinners. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Kashi, Smart Ones, and probably other brands have several that are low in calories and saturated fat, 25% daily value or less of sodium, and high in fiber.

    5) Weigh yourself every day on a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale. Your weight will fluctuate, but with a constant diet it should trend down over every two or three days. If it doesn't, eliminate items from your diet or reduce the size of portions until your weight does go down. (If you don't have a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale, I'd recommend the EatSmart Precision Plus Digital Scale, which is sold on Amazon.) Don't obsess over the scale — let it be your friend and point the way to a weight losing diet.

    6) When you have achieved a weight losing diet, then you can start making adjustments to add variety, but make sure that you keep losing weight.

    7) Maintain a program of regular exercise.

    With this diet I lost 50 pounds and have kept it off for more than 10 years now.

    yTn7FnEl.jpg
    :laugh: :laugh: Weigh yourself everyday on a precision scale but don't obsess??? :huh: Give up sugar? Eat frozen dinners? :sick:
    Is that because we are trying to eat for nutrition but not enjoyment??? Thanks but no thanks, I can eat at a deficit without torturing myself.
  • justwanderful
    justwanderful Posts: 142 Member
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    I think the most simple way to look at it is:

    A calorie deficit is needed to lose weight.

    What those calories are comprised of determines how you are going to feel everyday.

    For me at least, I feel much better when I eat healthy and keep my alcohol to a minimum. I have a hard time feeling like working out when I feel like crap.

    Some people stay fuller longer when they increase their protein and eat a little less carbs, this isn't a fad or low carb diet, it's just a way to make maintaining a calorie deficit easier.

    When you consume a lot of refined sugar, it's not only high in calories and generally low in nutrition but it can cause a blood sugar spike and crash causing you to feel hungry quickly as well as crave even more sugar. So this is why most people tend to stay away from it.

    Eating Healthy is relative also, I've been called "one of those healthy eaters" because I was eating instant oatmeal, which wasn't all that healthy in my opinion. Do what works for you, the most important thing is that you are meeting your calorie goal.




    This is a start.

    The key is you have to find what type of program sounds appealing to you, food wise. Because, to successfully keep the weight off, you want a program where you can enjoy eating foods you like.

    For me, I tried weight watchers years ago. At the time it was low fat and high carbs. I lost weight but could not keep it off because I like protein and fat. Then, a few years later I went on Atkins and lost weight, but again, it was too restrictive for me and did not allow much of the foods I like, so I stopped and gained weight Now, I designed my own program; a bit lower in carbs but still allowing a sufficient mix of macros to keep me satisfied while losing weight. The macros I shoot for are 30c/35p/35f. Sticking to eating these macros at a calorie deficit, I've lost almost 70 pounds and feel great.

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