Question, How did you lose your weight?

agrube1968
agrube1968 Posts: 132 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I have seen so many success stories and before and after pics of people who have lost 40, 50, 100 or more lbs. and I am just curious how did you do it?

Did you follow low carb or Keto diet? Did you count calories? Weight Watchers? Some other plan? I'm still struggling with finding out what's going to work the best for me. I am successful with low carb but my only problem with it is finding side dishes; I am not a veggie person; about the only veggies I like are the ones you can't have on low carb (and you can only eat so much cottage cheese before you get burned out on it).

So I'm wondering if just counting calories would be the best thing for me. I could have anything I wanted (in moderation) so I wouldn't feel so deprived but then again I don't want it to be something that will set me up for failure. Does that make any sense? Maybe something more stricter would be better for me; I just don't know.

Anyway would love to have your input on how you lost weight; struggles you had along the way; how you over came those. How much you exercised (if any) and what types of exercise you did and how often. Thanks so much and sorry for so many questions!

Also please feel free to add me as a friend; I love making new friends on here!
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Replies

  • stewarm01
    stewarm01 Posts: 331 Member
    I'm seeing progress right now, only 9 weeks into my restart after 5 years. For context, 46 year old male, 5'9, started at 262 now at 225.

    I switch up weekly after weigh ins on Saturdays. Low carb week, calorie counting one week, vegetarian one week, etc. But counting calories is best for me.

    I also brisk walk 4 to 6 miles every day except Saturdays. I use this day as a free day (cheat day). I've done this the entire 9 weeks so I don't feel deprived and it gives me something to look forward to. Although I must admit, those 4 thousand calorie days are high, but worth it to me. Tomorrow is free day, yay. I think we're having Mexican food for lunch. Lol

    Bottom line, you have to find what works best for YOU and be consistent.

  • allisonlane161
    allisonlane161 Posts: 269 Member
    edited August 2018
    You will lose weight by burning more calories than you eat. That being said, Weight Watchers was my tool to do this because for me, it was/is a sustainable way of eating less/exercising more. I couldn't stick to a meal plan that restricted any type of food, except maybe blood pudding and liver. I could refrain from them. What works is the plan you can stick to.
  • Kathryn247
    Kathryn247 Posts: 570 Member
    Diets (keto, WW, low carb, ALL of them) only work for weight loss to the extent they create a calorie deficit and you can stick with it.
    Eat what you want (what keeps you full, makes you happy, nourishes your body) within your calorie range and you'll lose weight.
    Some people feel better doing keto or low carb, so that helps them stay within their calorie goal.
  • makkimakki2018
    makkimakki2018 Posts: 414 Member
    Army prt 5 days a week (mobility, 4 for the core, and prep drill) i put a lot of effort into core exercises and pushups. On top of that i did a lot of HIIT on the spin bike (dripping ridiculous amounts of sweat). And last but not least portioning my food. Eventually became somewhat vegetarian....
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    I lost the majority of my weight just by counting calories and eating things that I like. That doesn't mean I could eat everything I wanted. If I wasn't going to starve I had to eat low calorie high volume foods. Culturaly I eat a Mediterranean diet with a lot of vegetables, but we cook vegetables much more than they do in the UK or US. I would NOT eat the raw vegetables they eat there so I understand people who don't like them. (We boil grean beans for example for at least 30-40mins and not 3mins.)

    I've lost 30lbs so far. I started at 165lbs which was barely overweight for my 5'7. For the most of the time I didn't do any exercise and spent most of the time sitting with almost no walking even at home (several health issues). So I had very few calories to eat because I maintained at 1600cals.

    I have about 10lbs left to lose and I can't lose them because I've been counting for 2.5 years (using a kitchen scale and everything) and I'm so tired of eating little that I just can't sustain even the smallest deficit. I've been losing and gaining the same 4lbs for more than 1 year and I just can't eat at a deficit or even at maintanance for long enough. So I don't know what solution to offer for this problem. I've started working out now and have more calories to ear but I don't know for how long I'll be able to do this before I'm back sitting...

    Hope you find what works for you.

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I lost my weight eating the same foods but in an overall calorie deficit for the week. My pattern was 2 very low calorie days and 5 days at maintenance calories which resulted in roughly 1lb/week weight loss.
    I calorie counted but not in a particularly accurate way, consistency was more my goal than absolute accuracy.

    Exercised a lot (cycling and strength training mostly) and ate back my exercise calories the way this site is designed to be used. Exercise was and is about fitness, health and enjoyment for me with the nice bonus that I could lose (and subsequently maintain at goal weight) while eating a more generous amount of food than would be possible otherwise.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I counted calories and ate a bit less and started exercising on the regular...lost 40 Lbs over about 7-8 months. Maintenance for over 5 years with the exception of a little winter weight I put on every year.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited August 2018
    Every time I've consistently lost weight, I just counted calories and cut portion sizes. I have never followed a "diet" like keto, atkins etc. They have never appealed to me.

    My exception would be probably 6-7 years ago I was drinking a 32 oz dr pepper every single day and when I stopped doing that i lost like 15 lbs with no other conscious changes lol. I was also very active though.
  • sunfastrose
    sunfastrose Posts: 543 Member
    I lost 50 pounds on Weight Watchers, but as stated by someone else above it was just calorie counting under the covers. I've maintained that weight for 18 years now and am currently just sticking with "eat what I like in amounts that satisfy me and keep me within my weight range". I am definitely out of the current fashion, as my carbs % can get as high as 60%, but it works for me. :)
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    edited August 2018
    65 pounds the mfp way; log it all and make it fit within your goal. Make very few exceptions to getting under goal that you don't correct by averaging across days. I made 2 - Thanksgiving and Christmas - and I still logged them.

    ETA - I ate what I like and figured out the things I had to limit and/or not mix to stay under goal without too much effort. The way that happens is a lot of trial and error; I had some days where dinner had to be disappointingly small with nothing after.
  • peggym4640
    peggym4640 Posts: 156 Member
    I have started, and started over many times. But this time I made it stick. I'm 5'3 (F) and went from 155 to 135 since January. Things that worked for me:


    - I started SLOW. I started my just being aware of how much I was eating, and just trying to eat a little less. A few weeks later, I incorporated calorie counting but ate what it my MFP stats told me was maintenance. A few weeks after that, I cut it back. I tried setting it to lose 2 lbs. a week, but never could reach that goal without being overly hungry. So I reassessed and set it to 1lbs a week. Once I got in the habit of eating less, then I added exercise. My previous failures were because I started too much too soon.
    - I had specific goals in mind. I wanted to be able to hike this year without wanting to keel over. So I based my fitness goals around that. Also I had a goal to try and work out once a week (or more) every week. I picked once a week, because no matter how insane my life is, I can fit in 1 30 minute work out most weeks. Not ideal according to most statistics. But it was more then I was doing, and it was something I could sustain. Think about what is important to you. And make a goal to get there. Set a deadline. Have mini check in goals along the way.
    - Expect set backs and embrace them. So you polished off an entire bag of chips when you were only planning on eating a handful? (We've all been there. ) Instead of thinking "Welp, diet's shot! It's over" Plan to eat better the next day. You may even ask why it happened to better plan to avoid it next time. I have a weekly calorie goal for this reason. I can either bank calories to save up for a special treat. Or decide I want treat now, and cut it back a bit for a few days.
    - Embrace refeeds and diet breaks. If you find that it's getting tougher and tougher to stick to plan, it may be time to eat at maintenance for a week or two. There's nothing wrong with needing to eat at maintenance for a while. For me, it seemed to reset the hunger hormones, and probably reduce stress. After a week or 2 week long refeed, I was able to get back to my weight loss goal without feeling as hungry and deprived.


    I'm sure there's more, but I already have a wall of text here. lol. Best of luck to you!

    ^^^ Truth for me, too. Started by exercising and trying to fit in more healthy foods. I've never cut anything out but soon found myself eating less of the foods that didn't feel as good and eating more foods that did feel good. I started tracking my calories and eating smaller portions. I started walking more and gradually increased my other exercise as well. I've lost 30+ pounds and have had good success and it is maintainable.

    Good luck!!!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,785 Member
    I set up my MFP profile, got a calorie goal, ate back all my exercise calories (didn't change my exercise routine), monitored for a few weeks, then adjusted to a healthy loss rate (I was losing way too fast on MFP's estimate). In a bit less than a year, I lost 50+ pounds at age 59-60 (while hypothyroid). 2+ years later, I'm still at a healthy weight.

    This was (and is) my eating plan, with the mistakes and false starts left out:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    I've done different things at different times, but every diet works on the basis of a calorie deficit, so then it really just becomes a matter of personal preference.
  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
    edited September 2018
    I've lost 50 lbs. so far and it took me about a year to do it. My starting weight was 237, and I've been fluctuating between 184-90 for the last 2 months. My goal weight is 137. I'm halfway there.

    I lost about 25 lbs. in the first 3-4 months, losing 2lbs. per week. . I have basically been maintaining for the last 3-4 months even though I was logging on MFP. I wasn't weighing my food for the last few months and also was only trying to lose 1 lb. a week, so I think the inaccuracies caught up with me. Anyway, I continue to count calories and log on MFP and exercise. I also weigh once a week, unless I am out of town and can't, but I go no more than 2 weeks without weighing myself. I reset my goals last week to lose 1.5 lbs. per week, because I had been going back to old habits eating junk food because March-July were pretty stressful--I basically wasted about 300-500 calories per day on junk, and that is not how I want to eat eventually. I know that at my goal weight I will need to eat 1600 calories net to maintain it so I need to learn to eat better--less junk food and lots of fruits, vegetables.

    It's bizarre but when I have less calories to eat (rather than 1550, I'm at 1290 now and overall this week I've stuck to my calorie goal) I will pay more attention to my meals and make sure that I am eating well since the food needs to keep me satisfied and with high energy.

    Even though my loss is slow, I want to develop good habits and have it be sustainable. I am really happy with the loss so far. The 50 lbs. loss has completely changed my look as well as my physical fitness and health. 18 months ago I thought I was just going to be fat and sick from then on. I was having digestive issues, knee problems, my blood sugar was borderline pre-diabetic, I was shuffling out of bed. I'm 52 btw.
  • anl90
    anl90 Posts: 928 Member
    Since really trying to lose weight a few months ago, I have lost about 20 lbs. Honestly? I just make sure I am eating less than I was (typically I eat healthy as well, but I don't completely deprive myself of some guilty pleasures), and I walk every day. I am trying to get back on this path, but when I am regularly doing these things I steadily lose weight. Best of your luck on your journey, and if you would like a new friend feel free to add me! :)
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