What do you all think is the best way to lose weight?

amartinkat
amartinkat Posts: 4 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
The most effective ways? What do you all do
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Replies

  • jenniferdee1974
    jenniferdee1974 Posts: 6 Member
    Increase my walking steps. It doesn't make me hungrier (:
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited May 2017
    The best way to approach it? The way that's most sustainable for you.

    Personally, I lost eating a plant heavy, nutrient dense, delicious diet that limited heavily refined carbohydrates.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    amartinkat wrote: »
    The most effective ways? What do you all do

    You lose weight by taking in less energy (calories) than your body requires to maintain the status quot. When you consume less energy than is required, you burn body fat (stored energy) to make up the difference.

    How one arrives at their energy deficit is individual. There is not one size fits all best. Low carb works for some people...I personally can't adhere to it so it isn't something that would work for me. Any and all diet plans work on the same principle...less energy coming in. For example...there's nothing particularly magical about a low carb plan...it's simple a matter of substantially restricting a macro-nutrient which in turn would generally result in restricting calories.

    I'm cutting my winter fluff at the moment...I eat a pretty solid diet in general...all I do to cut weight is cut out grains/starches most nights at dinner and don't drink beer during the week. I also do some kind of deliberate exercise every day...but I do that whether I'm losing the fluff or maintaining.

    Again, nothing magical about me not having grains/starches with dinner...it's just an easy "rule" for me to follow and by cutting that out along with my usual 2-3 beers per night, I easily go into a calorie deficit.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    eat less

    move more
  • Btheodore138
    Btheodore138 Posts: 182 Member
    If you're here, you know it's all about meticulously tracking what you eat and logging it. How you manage to stay within the set calorie limit varies for everyone. Some people eat 3 large meals daily, other 5 small meals (like me!). Some do intermittent fasting, some do low carb, low GI, vegan, etc. None of these diets is what is making people lose weight in itself. It's what's helping them achieve the goal of eating less calories in a comfortable way.
  • crazyycatladyy1
    crazyycatladyy1 Posts: 156 Member
    Weight loss comes down to creating the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals. How you go about creating that deficit is really up to you though and different approaches work for different people. I went the IF (intermittent fasting) route and it worked well for me and my personality/eating preferences. It may or may not be a good fit for you.
  • blackcars7411
    blackcars7411 Posts: 41 Member
    Patience & reduce calories
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    Have more calories going out than coming in. Do this by eating less and moving more. Don't eliminate foods that you really enjoy. Moderate so that they fit within your alloted calories. Increase your consumption of whole fresh foods while decreasing your consumptuon of processed, refined foods.
    Remember that this change of lifestyle is for life, not just for the period of weight loss. If you can't stick with it long term don't do it. Otherwise you will be a yoyo dieter.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    I ate whatever satisfied me within my calorie limit. Lost 80 lbs, and have kept it off 13 months so far.

    I read this loads of times:

    http://www.bodyforwife.com/the-caloric-deficit-cheat-sheet/

    I read these loads of times:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    amartinkat wrote: »
    The most effective ways? What do you all do

    I found a sustainable way to eat the foods I enjoy in the correct amount to result in a small calorie deficit. I didn't need to "fix" my diet (noun) - I just had to eat less for a period of time. The sustainable part is very individual - don't be afraid to experiment but don't get suckered into believing marketing spin or magical pills, potions or foods - successful diets all come back to calorie deficit.

    Exercise for me is for primarily about health, enjoyment and providing a challenge. I didn't use it to lose weight but had the benefit of being able to eat more and still lose weight.

    Apart from the food and exercise parts don't neglect just generally being more active in your daily life. Watch less TV, drive less, take stairs not lifts (elevators) - generally try to spend less time sitting down and more time moving about. Not just for weight loss, it's a great habit for health and long term weight management too.

  • armchairherpetologist
    armchairherpetologist Posts: 69 Member
    I use a food scale to measure all of my food because I am not good at estimating portions. When I do that, I always make them too big, and then I gain weight. My general diet is pretty good, I just have to avoid eating too much food.
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
    Eat balanced, eat within calories, water water water, sleep enough, exercise 4-6 days a week (hard work). It's been that easy for me. No pills, no potions, no carb cutting...just the old fashion way. 2-3 lbs a week lost. 80lbs gone.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    The best way is whatever you can stick with.

    I personally increase activity and restrict calories to create a calorie deficit.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    Eat less, move more.
    Yep.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    amartinkat wrote: »
    The most effective ways? What do you all do

    eat less - move more. Of course that's hard to stick to some days more than others.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    For me the best way is to count calories. Eat less than I burn. I also really like my fitbit. Walking more and getting more steps really does make a big difference as far as calories burned.
  • cqbkaju
    cqbkaju Posts: 1,011 Member
    edited May 2017
    So, giving you more than the basics. You need to consider several things: Discipline, lower calories, more nutrients, understanding your body, and creating goals that will help improve overall health and not just weight.

    Step one: -Jonas

    So much no.
    I was thinking the same thing. For every bit of reasonable advice there seemed to be 2 things that were woo-woo.
    All the "affirmation" and "pain" stuff is usually based around excuses and rationalization for behaviors.
    If it is more than that due to trauma or something then start sessions with a mental health professional to work on your wellness.

    I agree that *discipline* is key, no way around that.
    "Motivation" is useless in the long-term.

    My advice? If you want to keep the weight off make sure you are weight training so you build some muscle.
    That and of course eat at a calorie deficit.

    Disclosure: My brother and I were both put in Foster Care due to neglect & abuse -including not being fed at all- and I still think this is mostly new-age, touchy-feely woo-woo.

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  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    The best way to lose for me is to avoid refined carbs, and sugars. Those foods tend to play havoc with my energy levels and I tend to eat when I feel low energy and hungry. Without those foods I have a lower appetite and steadier energy - I am healthier-so it is easier to eat less.

    Weight loss does come down to a calorie deficit, but without changing my diet I am unable to maintain a deficit for more than a few days or a couple of weeks.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    Eat less, move more, get into the habit of weighing and measuring your food & beverages, track and log them to make sure you're having the appropriate portion size. It helps to eat nutritious foods... by that I mean foods that are high in nutrition and low in calories. There's no "bad foods" but if you're trying to lose weight you might fill up more on an apple than a candy bar :smile: Oh... and LIFT WEIGHTS! :wink:
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Eat nutrient-dense but make room for treats. Barring a medical reason, there's no need to cut entire foods out of your diet, but most of us have our foods where, if they're around us, we'll eat them, and not in moderation. The thing is, I sort of know where my trouble spots are. One of the biggies is leftovers. As in, I have no problem measuring out my portions for a meal and feeling full. The trouble comes a couple of hours later, when I think about the half-pan of brownies in the fridge. So, at this point, I've got:
    • Foods I eat whenever I feel like having them that day (tasty, filling, but relatively easy for me to stick to a portion).
    • Foods that I eat, but need to take more care with, fresh bread, crackers, or homemade sorbet. It's not that I have a problem sticking to a reasonable portion, but more that I 'know' the bread won't be as filling for me as rice or a baked potato. So, 'on the understanding that I will probably be hungry later, do I have enough calories left over to swing this? Or should I make another choice?' And I don't "need" sorbet, but sometimes I want it. And that's okay. It just means I might choose not to have bread on the same day.
    • Foods I'm not safe around, because of that 'snacking on leftovers' thing. I don't keep them in the house—or if I do, I buy a small portion. Like jelly beans. That being said? If I'm in a social setting, where I suspect these foods will be present, I may check out calories beforehand and indulge. But that's because at this point, after more than 6 months on MFP, I think I'm comfortable enough in my eating to stick to a small portion initially. My 'downfall' comes after supper, at home, when I'm thinking about what to have for a snack... and I remember the leftovers. The ounce of potato chips I have with lunch isn't an issue. The larger bag they came out of—which is now open and sitting on the counter—is. And there are foods I don't buy anymore, because I'm the only one in the house who eats them, I don't like wasting food, and I know I won't moderated them. A local takeout place makes a chipotle vegetable dip. Mayo-based. I could go through a 250-ml container in a day, dunking cherry tomatoes and cucumber spears in it, spreading it on bread or in a wrap... I love the dip, but I can't have it around. But if I'm at someone's house and they serve it? I'll spoon a little on my plate and enjoy.

    I keep low-cal snacks on hand: measured portions of dry cereal, Skinny Pop popcorn, string cheese, and veggie dogs, mostly.

    And I exercise.
  • menotyou56
    menotyou56 Posts: 178 Member
    amartinkat wrote: »
    The most effective ways? What do you all do

    For me personally, the answer is Keto. I'm down 46 pounds this morning since starting keto on Jan. 8 this year.
    Every other diet left me starving 24/7 after a few days and lead to failure shortly after.

    Pounds are just falling off me. My next goal is in sight now. BMI going from obese to over weight and then hitting one-der-land for the first time since 1989 or so.
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