Which weight loss plan best worked for you?

misserika0330 wrote: »

I know different things come into play. We all have different goals and we're all in different stages and situations in our lives.
I'm doing the 2019 NYC marathon and I'd like to lose weight before marathon training. My training starts in July therefore I have about 2 months to lose some sort of weight.
So what has worked for you?

This:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm

GENDER: Female
CURRENT WEIGHT: Mid-130s
GOAL WEIGHT: This'll do.
WORKOUT FREQUENCY: Depends on season. Heading into summer, which is usually rowing (on water) M-W-F-Sa, Spin class Tu-Th, rest Su; plus some random other biking, yoga, stretching and stuff irregularly.
DIET: See link above. I've also been vegetarian for almost 45 years, but that's a coincidence. It has zero to do with anything relevant to weight loss or fitness.
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? Yup.

Height: 5'5". Age: 63. Formerly obese (most of adult life until age 59-60). Pretty active (routine metioned above) since about 2003-ish, more or less, including while obese. Hypothyroid, too, if that matters (I think it doesn't ).

and anything else that you think I should know about that affects weight loss.

Read the "Most Helpful Posts" section in "Getting Started" and "General Health, Fitness and Diet" forum topic areas. Do that stuff. You'll succeed.

GENDER - Female
CURRENT WEIGHT - ~62kg (I've just been on a 3 week holiday with no dieting and haven't weighed myself when I got back... so might be slightly more than that)
GOAL WEIGHT - don't really have one. I feel best at 60kg (as in less fluffy), but i'm happy to weigh more if it means muscle not fat.
WORKOUT FREQUENCY - I aim for 4 weights sessions per week and I also swim 1x per week. I also aim for 10K steps per day regardless. Sometimes work gets in the way and I can't gym 4 times, but other times I can go all 5 working days
DIET - flexible dieting has been the easiest to adhere to for me.
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? - sort of. In terms of did I lose weight, yes I did, but now I want to get more muscular.

At the end of the day though, regardless which diet I have been on (clean vs IIFYM), I have lost weight when I have been consistent with training and eating in a deficit.

Sadly, I often eat more than I should and sometimes can't work out as much as I'd like to. I'm OK though, in terms of how I look/feel. It's more just vanity now rather than being fit or healthy or thin or whatever. I'm actually fine.

misserika0330 wrote: »

I know different things come into play. We all have different goals and we're all in different stages and situations in our lives.
I'm doing the 2019 NYC marathon and I'd like to lose weight before marathon training. My training starts in July therefore I have about 2 months to lose some sort of weight.
So what has worked for you?
GENDER - Female
CURRENT WEIGHT 150lb
GOAL WEIGHT 140lb
WORKOUT FREQUENCY Daily 30min PT 5xweek, Run 7xweek (2 of those are only a mile), weight train 3xweek, 10-11 high intensity classes a week
DIET Vegetarian, 80:20, make sure I eat less than I burn during weight loss phases. Although I did follow a meal plan (not a diet, weight loss was incidental) during the 2 weeks leading up to the first of my 2 marathons in two weeks, and in the two weeks between.. Week one was relatively low carb, high protein to help with muscle repair and recovery and then during week 2 the carbs steadily increased for carb loading.
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? Absolutely smashed my marathon goal and my finishing times were within 1 second of each other (even though I ran an extra mile with the second and so technically smashed my time)

and anything else that you think I should know about that affects weight loss.

Weight loss is simply a case of eating less than you burn, but it's really not that easy while marathon training, the runger is most definitely real. I treat marathon training season as a bulk, I need to make sure I have enough for both for running the long runs and recovery after. I put on around 15lb, but a lot of that was water and when I started tapering and the meal plan I dropped 10 of those 15lb in around 2 weeks, got another 5 to get where I was and then want to lose another 5lb on top of that

Hi everyone, 16:8 intermittent fasting works best for me for cutting calories. Just make sure you eat healthy during your 8 hour eating window.

GENDER - Female
CURRENT WEIGHT - 134lbs
GOAL WEIGHT - 125lbs
WORKOUT FREQUENCY - I do 4 runs a week (not for weight loss, I just enjoy it) plus 1-2 days a week strenght training plus biking, swimming and hiking when I feel like it
DIET - Calories in vs. calories out. I'm a vegan, but that's not really related to my attempts to lose weight. When I was still losing, I was just eating whatever I wanted, didn't force myself to eat anything I didn't want to and I'd say it was around 75% healthy, nourishing food.
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? - Not really, I've been maintaining at around 5 to 10 pounds higher than my goal weight for the past three years.

Good luck with your marathon training! I think it's a great idea to lose some weight beforehand, because you'll need the energy, you'll perform better and you'll recover faster. Trying to lose weight while running long distances is not easy. The runger, as @firef1y72 said, is real.

GENDER - Male
CURRENT WEIGHT - 185 (started at 265)
GOAL WEIGHT - 185
WORKOUT FREQUENCY - 4-5 days per week
DIET - Eat what I want within calorie allowance
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? - yeppers

Every time I think about a strategy for weight loss/maintenance or fitness I ask myself if I'm willing to do this for the next 20 years. If the answer is yes I do it - if it's no I don't try it. I made a choice to make lifestyle changes I could sustain over time.

GENDER - Male
CURRENT WEIGHT - 153 (started at 221)
GOAL WEIGHT - 161 (yes, currently below goal)
WORKOUT FREQUENCY - 10,000 steps per day, no other exercise
DIET - Calorie Counting *only*
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? - Yes. Lost 60 pounds in 60 weeks.

GENDER: Female
CURRENT WEIGHT: 109 pounds
GOAL WEIGHT: I don't really have one but I try to keep my weight at 110 to 115 pounds.
WORKOUT FREQUENCY: I do my formal workouts for 45 minutes to an hour six mornings per week and I teach a 45 minute fitness and dance class at my job twice per week. I also walk around a lot daily.
DIET: Nothing special. I eat a high protein diet with moderate fat and carbs. My macro split is usually 40-45C/30F/25-30P. The only thing I did when losing weight was making sure I ate less calories than my TDEE. I do have higher and lower calorie/carb days though, but nothing drastic.
DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? Yes. I started out at 139 pounds in June 2015. I've pretty much been maintaining for four years.

MFP works for me: the are doing all the calculations and members are very supportive. I only had to decide on my daily macros which give me a daily varied meal plan and satiate me - I don't need a "cheat day". Started 400 days ago on 170 kg (375 pounds), so far lost 32 kg (70 pounds). Still a long way to go - but with MFP it is working well so far. I prepare my meal plan for the next day and take it meal by meal, day by day.

GENDER- Male

CURRENT WEIGHT - 169lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - Initially 175lbs but has been as low as 164lbs, it's not going to be the same for the rest of my life.

WORKOUT FREQUENCY - Typically cycle 4 days and strength train 3 days.

DIET - Very varied, mostly home cooked, high calories due to exercise and activity levels so in absolute terms instead of proportions high carbs, high'ish protein, moderate fat.

DID YOU REACH YOUR GOAL? - Weight loss was only part of overall goals to be healthier and fitter. Successful on all counts but fitness goals constantly evolve as I like a challenge.

and anything else that you think I should know about that affects weight loss.
- Far too many people think short term and their weight loss become the sole focus. Once they hit goal weight there's a tendency to think "I'm done" and feel a bit lost which then contributes to regaining.
- Know your strengths and work to them, know your weaknesses and make a plan how to mitigate them. Calorie deficit is universal for weight loss, adherence is personal. (e.g. an every day calorie deficit bores and frustrates me and also spoils my exercise performance). 5:2 eating pattern worked for my main weight loss, a sporadic deficit works for me to make small adjustments during my years at maintenance.
- Build activity into your daily life, it's an overlooked contributor to calorie balance and a great habit for life. I find it ironic that the car park is always full at the gym.