Anyone feel like their weight loss is effortless?

for me, ensuring i eat protein has helped no end.. ive rarely felt hungry depsite cutting my calories from c. 3000 to around 1400 a day.. proteins been key for me, plus more exercise :-)

I have a ton to lose and have yo yo dieted for years. While this time is not effortless it does feel distinctly easier than diets I've done in the past. I've lost 33lbs in 3 months (again I have much to lose, so I'm sure the weight loss rate will slow down.) Here are the habits I've started that I believe I can maintain for the long term and that have helped me:

- look at my calorie goal as a weekly, not daily goal. That way if I go 500 over one day I have no guilt, I just cut 500 the next day or over the course of the week.
- Frozen bagged spinach. I basically put this in everything. Yummy and very filling.
- Wearing and activity bracelet (I have the Jawbone Up, but it doesn't matter which one you get) and making an effort to get 10,000 steps a day
- Freeze dried fruit. Very low in calorie and it takes care of my craving for sweet and/or crunchy
- Not eating at set times of day. I don't eat breakfast until I'm hungry. I don't eat lunch just because I'm on a lunch break. I eat when I'm hungry.
- Not being afraid of hunger. All my other diets had hints for how to avoid hunger. I think this was very damaging to me in regards to being able to recognize hunger cues. These days I love it when my stomach growls. I drink some water and if I still feel hungry 15 minutes later I eat.
- Protein shakes. Aspartame free. These are one of the only ways I effectively get my protein needs met.
- Chia seed pudding. So easy to make and very filling.
- MFP logging. Keeps me honest with myself.
- Prepackaged salads from the grocery store. This is the first diet that has actually saved me money. I still cook a lot and eat out once a week, but I often eat the $3 (280 calories) salads from my local store.

Thanks for the opportunity to share my hints. I love reading other people's tips and tricks. Good luck everyone!!

zenner22 wrote: »

I have a ton to lose and have yo yo dieted for years. While this time is not effortless it does feel distinctly easier than diets I've done in the past. I've lost 33lbs in 3 months (again I have much to lose, so I'm sure the weight loss rate will slow down.) Here are the habits I've started that I believe I can maintain for the long term and that have helped me:

- look at my calorie goal as a weekly, not daily goal. That way if I go 500 over one day I have no guilt, I just cut 500 the next day or over the course of the week.
- Frozen bagged spinach. I basically put this in everything. Yummy and very filling.
- Wearing and activity bracelet (I have the Jawbone Up, but it doesn't matter which one you get) and making an effort to get 10,000 steps a day
- Freeze dried fruit. Very low in calorie and it takes care of my craving for sweet and/or crunchy
- Not eating at set times of day. I don't eat breakfast until I'm hungry. I don't eat lunch just because I'm on a lunch break. I eat when I'm hungry.
- Not being afraid of hunger. All my other diets had hints for how to avoid hunger. I think this was very damaging to me in regards to being able to recognize hunger cues. These days I love it when my stomach growls. I drink some water and if I still feel hungry 15 minutes later I eat.
- Protein shakes. Aspartame free. These are one of the only ways I effectively get my protein needs met.
- Chia seed pudding. So easy to make and very filling.
- MFP logging. Keeps me honest with myself.
- Prepackaged salads from the grocery store. This is the first diet that has actually saved me money. I still cook a lot and eat out once a week, but I often eat the $3 (280 calories) salads from my local store.

Thanks for the opportunity to share my hints. I love reading other people's tips and tricks. Good luck everyone!!

That sounds very sustainable for a lifetime. Good for you.

definitely not (especially since I want to lose weight as well as be healthy). I had to completely overhaul my diet, add exercise, and learn a lot. It has taken an incredible amount of willpower to not slip up, more willpower than I thought I ever had. Every day I am still tempted by foods that I no longer eat.

What would be effortless is would be grabbing that empty calorie donut the boss brought in, instead of letting it sit in the middle of the table taunting me with its beautiful chocolate glazed surface.

I don't see how it can be effortless. Any way though switch up the title. Doesn't match the actual point of what you want this thread to be.

It's only effortless for periods of time. Long term, things must adapt, either physically or just with life in general, making it harder. Now that I am down to the last 30-40 pounds, it is a lot harder, and I don't expect it to be as easy as before ever again. It's not stopping me though, but it does slow me down.

No it is not, not for me.

Not effortless. It took time to develop a routine and new habits, but once you get some momentum and good feedback going it gets easier.

Considering the benefits, the effort/cost is ridiculously easy, especially for the average guy who still can eat a fair bit while getting down to a healthier weight. It seems like it's more of a battle for women who have to cut back to daily calories which seems quite low compared to what everyone around you takes in. It kind of galls my SO what I still eat for dinner while losing weight far far more easily than her.

Over the past 80 days it has been.
I 'accidentally' lost 6lb by adding an extra couple of hours to my weekly exercise routine without upping my maintenance calorie intake.

This means I will have a very happy Christmas, and up my calories by 200 a day in the new year.

My initial weight loss of 30lb was not as easy.
Cheers, h.

I remember thinking how easy it was when I figured out the calorie deficit thing. It seemed effortless at the time. I lost 45 lbs with no trouble and didn't even have any issues with the dreaded last 10 lbs.

Since then I've tried to go back to a deficit a couple of times (I'm at a healthy weight I just thought I wanted more muscle definition) and I found it much more difficult. I'm much more prone to fatigue now even which a tiny deficit. At this point I've decided I'm not willing to do what it would take to lose more.