If you are having trouble losing weight still - Read

Hello everyone.

I have been noticing alot of new threads where people are still having trouble losing weight, or they are plateau'ing, or their weight is fluctuating back and forth.

Here are a few reminders/tips to ensure that you are doing your weight loss program the correct and most efficient way so it's not frustrating for you.

1. You need to make sure that you know your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expedenture). I cannot stress this enough. This is NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. You HAVE to know this. You HAVE to know how many calories you are burning in a 24 hour period.

2. You need to make sure that you are eating at a proper deficit underneath that TDEE number that you got from #1 above. Since there are alot of people on this forum that don't require alot of calories, simply telling you to eat a 1000 calorie deficit isn't realistic. However, 20-40% underneath your TDEE is optimal.

Ex: Let's say you TDEE is 2000 calories. (This is your BMR + your Activity level in a 24 HOUR PERIOD.) Telling you to eat 1000 calories is NOT realistic in any way shape or form. However telling you to 1200-1400 calories IS in fact realistic. (And yes the little extra calories matters.)

3. Your macros MUST be correct. Ignore anyone that tells you that hitting your macros is only for athletes and bodybuilders. No that is simply not true. I have used this term (macros) ALOT, and if you don't know what this is by now, it is your macronutrients which is your Proteins, Fats, and Carbs. Hitting your protein and fat minimums are REQUIRED. Period. You will end up plateau'ing and are weigh fluctuating if your macros aren't right. Get them correct.

Maintaining a sufficient carb count by the end of your week is neccessary for these reasons:

a. Carbs are the chief source of energy for all bodily functions and muscular exertion.
b. They are neccessary for digestion and assimilation of other foods.
c. They help regular protein and fat metabolism, and fats require carbs to be broken down in your liver.
d. They also provide some of the structural components neccessary for the growth and repair of tissue.

Now this doesn't mean that you have to eat alot of carbs everyday because Keto diets are fantastic as they barely eat any carbs for 6 days out of the week, but everyone that uses Keto PROPERLY has a 7th day REFEED day where they pump carbs back into their body. Then they start the week by little carbs again and enter ketosis again by the 2nd day.

Anyways...moving on.

4. You need to get atleast 6 hours of sleep a night. ATLEAST. Go for 7-8 if at all possible. Bodybuilders know this only too well. Bodybuilders (unless they are on drugs) will not grow at optimal performance without enough rest. Ask any serious bodybuilder about getting enough sleep at night. The same goes with people trying to maintain health and lose weight. Your body needs rest.

5. You need to drink ENOUGH water. I'm not talking about just liquids, I'm talking about straight WATER. Drink alot. Drink enough to pee clear. I'm not saying chug down 3 bottles of water in 5 minutes. Drink 1 bottle of water every 2-3 hours from the morning until you sleep.

6. You need to track every single damn calorie you put into your body. You may think I'm crazy or you may think I have no life, but I can track everything I eat in a matter of minutes, including the weekends if and when I go out. It's not difficult. If you decide you want to just have 1 spoonful of ice cream at a restaurant while your partner stuffs his face, track it. If you decide to have 1 glass of wine with lunch or dinner, track it. If you have juice, track it, Coffe with cream and sugar, track the cream and sugar you put in it. EVERYTHING. It matters. If your intake and macros are off, it WILL in fact affect your weight loss and you will fluctuate.

7. You do not have to OCD about eating SUPER DUPER clean. You just don't. Alot of people want to maintain general good health while they lose weight and that is great. But don't stress over it if you have a small bottle of chocolate milk, or eat 5 strips of bacon, or having ice cream, etc. It's fine as long as you track it and it fits within your macros.

8. You should be taking a GOOD multivitamin and fish oil. Fish oil has more "magical" properties than you think as the benefits of it are amazing. If fish oil just turns your stomach, then make sure you are getting a good amount of Omega 3's. 5-6g per day is optimal. Don't take too much of it.

9. Weigh yourself ONCE a week in the morning, on an empty stomach after you do your business. Refrain from having the urge of weighing yourself 7 times a day, and getting pissed because you gained 0.23428 ounces in the last 10 minutes and can't figure out why. ONCE A WEEK ON THE SAME DAY IN THE MORNING ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

10. I don't have a #10 but I thought it would be cool to make a top ten rule list. So here's #10.

Edit: My #10 is YOU CAN DO THIS! There lol

Good luck.

Edit again: If you are SURE your following the rules above and you STILL cannot lose weight, then you should probably have your thyroid checked. Thyroid is a weight loss killer. There are some people that can still lose weight while having a Thyroid problem but there aren't many. Keto is one way to do it.