Those that have lost a significant amount of weight, please

j4nash · January 2012

With all the arguing over starvation mode, calorie intake, scientific articles, blah blah blah that are abudant on these forums I'm curious to hear the regimine for two types of goals for people that have ACTUALLY WORKED:

1) The workout/eating regimine that people have followed that have lost a significant amount of weight (50+lbs)
2) The workout/eating regimine that those with not much weight to lose that have toned up significantly..

broken down into two parts because well, there are those that have a significant amount of weight to lose (like myself) and those that hit that "point" where only 10-20lbs remain but toning is the ultimate goal.

Please no speculative posts (i.e. I'm going to do this and these are going to be my results). More interested in proven results.

Thanks!

MonaRN81 · January 2012

Years ago when I lost 70 lbs I was doing a low carb diet focused on lots of veggies and protein. I didnt count calories per say, but I'm sure I was eating somewhere along the line that was lower than mfp would recommend for losing 2 lbs per week. I also never ate back my calories. I worked out at the gym 5ish days per week. And had one "cheat" meal or night per week where I would eat/drink whatever I liked.

Even after I stopped watching what I was eating so closely but continued to exercise, I managed to maintain that weight for about a year....then I stopped the gym. Why oh why?!?!?

Givemewings · January 2012

Hi. I've lost almost 50lbs since joining in July 2011. I started with walking, zumba and 1200 cal a day , eating back my exercise cals. After a month I started doing C25K and going to the gym on days off running. I've continued to lose weight steadily and am now running 8K with small walk breaks of a minute every 10 mins. Running has been the thing that has helped me most I think, along with eating less unhealthy foods. I still treat myself once in a while and if I want to eat more I try to exercise more to compensate.

Allie_71 · January 2012

Mine was simple. I started moving and watched what I ate. I thought about food as fuel and not comfort. I tried to be hyper cognizant about what was going into my body and if it was going to do me any good nutritionally or not. Now I try to think of keeping my intake (primarily) to fairly nutrient dense foods. I've not been great at it as of late, but it's something that I keep in mind.

I went from little activity to adding cardio 3x a week, then 6x, now 9x. Intermittently I use weights but not enough.

Oops, 60 lb weight loss thus far, with 15 lbs to go.

melsinct · January 2012

I don't know if my weight loss is "significant" compared to others on MFP but I'll give you my story. I have lost almost 30 pounds and am just about at my goal weight. I have always eaten fairly healthy (minimal fast food, lots of home cooked foods with whole grains, lean proteins, lots of veg, etc.) I just ate too much of it. I started by strictly counting calories and walking 1 mile a day. That was it. That got me down 20 pounds and I had 10 left to go. At that point I started doing strength training 2x/week (pilates) as well as walking in order to tighten up a bit. That's when things really started moving. I quickly lost 8 pounds, then as I toned up I lost another pants size without losing any weight. I have been holding steady at my current weight since September and have stuck with my exercise routine. I am finally happy with the way I look though my stomach is still a bit softer than I'd like but hey, I am not looking for perfection!

I have had 2 big plateaus along the way. The first plateau was due to my aggressive weight loss goal of 2 lbs/week. As soon as I upped my calories from 1200/day to 1400/day, the weight started moving again. I am technically still in my second plateau, as I have been this weight since September, but I am 2 pounds from the random goal number I set last February and am OK with that. I am building lots of muscle, especially in my legs and arms and am taking that into account so I don't get hung up on a specific number.

My diary is public if you are interested. Weekends I tend to slack more and I haven't given up my red wine. It isn't always pretty but it is there for public viewing!

j4nash · January 2012

I don't know if my weight loss is "significant" compared to others on MFP but I'll give you my story.

You're the second type that I mentioned, and yes, very interested to hear what worked. Congrats.

Thanks all for sharing, looking forward to more.

theoneandonlybrookie · January 2012

I lost all of my weight from both pregnancies - 85 lbs with my twins and then 65 lbs with my daughter. (Yes, I really gained that much. Ridiculous, I know.)

Anyway, I used the CalorieKing website for both of those and recently came to MFP for maintenance because it's free.

Both times, my net was 1400 at first and then went down to 1300 as I lost.

With the twins, I didn't have a heart rate monitor, and I believe this slowed my progress. I ran and did a toning arms video. It took me two full years to lose my weight.

With the single baby, I used a heart rate monitor and only ate back, on average, half of my exercise calories. I did a combination of running, spinning, and strength training with free weights. I lost all of my weight in 6 months. Keep in mind, though, that some of that weight dropped off right after birth and part of it was lost because of nursing.

Oh, I should add that while I was nursing, I actually gave myself 200 calories a day as "exercise" for that. Nursing women need extra calories.

In summary, I would say what worked best for me was eating back around half of my exercise calories. Like everyone, there were weeks that I didn't lose weight. But the overall trend was always down.

tosh1969 · January 2012

Hi J.

Ok so this is my story........

After the birth of my kids I weighed 229lbs. I lost 100lbs from walking. Pure and simple. My diet consisted of - (and I'm ashamed to say) smoking and coffee for breakfast, junk food for lunch and whatever we were having for dinner as a family. Usually reasonable but in hindsight really not that good either. I walked up to 20km a day. I started by taking 30mins to do 1.7kms to doing it in 12 min (those were the days).

Over time, and some severe stress, I gained weight again. At the time I was also diagnosed with depression. So I enlisted the help of a personal trainer. Went to her three times a week - starting weight was 171lbs, left her to go on my own at 150lbs. Whilst the weight loss wasn't alot, the inches that had come off was amazing (Iwasn't a skinny fat like the time before)...... Still my diet wasn't really the best.

This time my weight has gone up to 216lbs. Bad eating, lots of alcohol and GIVING UP SMOKING........
So I've started the 17 day diet as a means to get in the mindset..... I have to say well on my way now. Have sourced everything I need to accomplish my goals. ie full home gym, dvd's, MFP, google etc etc..... In two weeks I have not faltered, not once till tonight. Even then my choices were brilliant even if I do say so myself. Can't say how this will pan out but we will soon see.

:happy:

stephenson6 · January 2012

Hi,

I found out that 50% the population have an alternative metabolism (basically insulin resistance) and don't lose weight following traditonal calories in/calories out diets. For them, its an imbalance of the hormone, insulin. Since May 2011, I've lost 50 pounds of FAT. Went from a size 16 to size 8. I changed the way I ate (the first 8 weeks is considered low carb, but many carbs like from most veggies and nuts, you don't count. You then eat plenty of lean protein and heart healthy fats. After the 8 weeks, you systematically add gentle carbs back in and continue to lose weight. You do need to add just 30 minutes of any type of exercise above your normal activity. I started out by walking for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. I now do the same thing but have added 16 pounds of weights (8 each hand). You don't count calories, rather I track carbs, the amount depending on what step you are on. I use MFP to track only. I've been able to totally eliminate cholesterol and BP meds and cut my metformin by 50%. You eat real food, not pre-packaged meals. I'm been on MFP since July, so that's why is shows only 23 pounds lost. I cook a lot more than I use to. I have never felt deprived and love the way I feel. I have also learned how to make allowable treats such as using almond flour or flaxseed meal for baked treats. I'm past the goal I set on MFP originally but before I go to the maintenance step, I want to be able to eliminate the last 50% of metformin. I'd like to be medication free. I've been able to do this while eating an average of 1400-1500 calories a day, though like I said, I don't really keep track. There are many days I stay on plan but I go over the 1200 limit set my MFP. After the first 8 weeks, you can have 1 off meal per week and it won't set you back.

tam120 · January 2012

I started by completely cutting alcohol and fast food. The prohibition lasted 3 weeks and I lost 9 lbs. I also went to the gym for classes an average of 5 days a week, signed up for a 5k and started the C25K program.
I work from home a half day on Fridays so, during the spring/summer/fall last year I rode my bike to the gym (the gym is at work), about 3 miles, took a class then rode home, that averaged about 800 - 900 calories which was awesome because I almost always eat back my exercise calories. I've been at about 1200 - 1250 calories a day plus exercise so I eat between 1500 and 1800 a day, Every Sunday is family dinner and exercise rest day so I almost always go over calories that day.

In September I watched a couple of documentaries that convinced me to switch my diet to plant-based. I lost about 8 lbs the first 2 weeks.

I hit a plateau Oct/Nov/Dec, I went on vacation and my alcohol intake started creeping up. I didn't log my food as much during this time so my weight pretty much stayed the same until I got tired of that. I started Insanity and signed up for a half Marathon (May 20) so now I'm working out 5 - 6 days a week, twice a day, Insanity in the morning and a class or running at lunch time. Since I started that 3 weeks ago I've lost about 5 lbs.

I have about 55 to go and my short term goal is about 20 lbs by half marathon day.

edited to add: I try to eat plant-based most of the time but I have added a morning egg/sausage sandwich back to my diet because I found that cereals (oatmeal or cold) just didn't do it for me, I'd be hungry an hour later and end up eating my snack at like 9:30 which was too early because my lunch workout starts at noon and I'd be hungry again. I was tired and hungry all the time and figured since I was doing 2 workouts a day I might need to up my protein.

kd80538 · January 2012

I have lost 60 pounds over the past year. My formula was simple. Eat less, move more.

As for nutritional changes...I focused on more nutritious calories. If I only had so many calories to eat in a day, then I wanted them to fill me up! Higher in fiber, more lean proteins...I didn't "give up" anything, per se. I knew that if this was going to be a lifelong comittment to wellness, then I needed to allow myself the ability to not feel deprived in any way. But have found many substitutes for my cravings along the way that are healthy replacements, and that has been key for me.

As for exercise, I have been pretty dilligent about doing at least 3 tae bo workouts a week. In the summer, I try to walk 3-5 miles a day at least 4 days a week. Once in a while (once a month), I'll sneak away to our local rec center and work the elliptical for an hour and the weight room for an hour.

Now that I'm on my last 5 pounds, I'm looking to just firm things up. When I first started - and for the first 4 months, i did eat my exercise calories back. And I lost weight rapidly. For the last 8 months, I have tried to not eat my exercise calories back...using them as a buffer on those days when I was just plain hungry...and the weight has still come off. I wish I would have paid more attention to the rate at which the weight came off using each method...as it would be really beneficial to me now as I try to move these last 5 pounds!

That being said, my plan for the last 5: 2 tae bo sessions a week; 3 kung fu classes, and 1 day of cardio/weights at the gym; and back to eating my exercise calories back.

Lozze · January 2012

I'm using Jenny Craig as a tool with my eating. I walk 40 min five days a week and play/train softball twice a week.

HMonsterX · January 2012

I didnt change anything i eat, when i eat, etc.

I just watch my cals, created the deficit, hit my macros, exercised 800-1000 cals 6 days a week, and its been easy, fun, and ive never felt like im "dieting" at all. I could carry on like this forever if needed!

grobbygru · January 2012

I've lost 62lb since July 2011. The main changes that have helped me do this are back to exercising and I pretty much don't drink alcohol anymore. I had got into a rut in a job I was hating more and more each day. I had a lot of personal stress too. I used to just survive - come home from work exhausted and sit and drink wine.
So I began exercising and didn't see any results for a good while - but I had it in my head it was going to change and I wasn't going to do it for weightloss but rather just to get healthy. My food has always been mainly good choices but a lack of it was a bit of a worry. With the stress I had it was not uncommon for me to eat nothing for days on end. The exercise took over the coming home and drinking - by the time I got home from the gym I wouldn't feel like drinking anyways - so that was a slow change. When I exercise well, I am also more in touch with my hunger.
Then I had the good fortune to tell work to shove their job where it fit and I haven't looked back. I exercise most days and eat most meals most days also, generally within the calorie allowance (sometimes over). I now have no reason to even want to drink alcohol.
You can see my diary as we are friends. I also rarely eat processed foods or takeaways and never drink soft drink etc. This is nothing new for me though - I have never consumed these things really. I have also always drank a lot of water.
So, I guess to sum it up - exercise most days, no empty calories of alcohol and more regular eating.

Rilke · January 2012

I didn't read any of the other posts, so I don't know if I'm repeating (or contradicting) what others have said. Regardless, here are my five super short and sweet tips.

I can give more information on any / all of these if you want. Send me a message.

1. Educate yourself about ingredient lists, and start reading them. I pay more attention to these than to nutrition facts labels.

2. Vegetables and/or raw fruit should make up half your plate (or bowl) for at least 2/3 of your daily meals.

3. When your workout is no longer difficult, change it up.

4. At restaurants that serve large portions (most of them), ask for a to-go box *with* your entree. Immediately get at least half of that food off your plate.

5. In the words of Michael Pollan, "treat treats as treats". Dessert should be small, and it should not happen after every meal.

Good luck

jazzalea · January 2012

Ok,

I just got really honest about what was going on......

I started at about 320 and lost it in two stages over the last two years..... When I started I really had no expectations that this was going to be any different than any other time, I would lose a little, reward myself with a "treat" that would turn back into three months and all the weight gained back before I stopped "rewarding" myself.

Then I had a reality shock moment, and was forced to be honest.... if I didn't stop this cycle now... I was either going to be as big as I was now for life or bigger... probably bigger.... I was having a hard time walking, had to think about standing up off a chair and my right knee was in pain every step I took.... and I was only 40

I started with the atkins diet hard core .... and I tracked everything I ate.... I didn't exercise because I couldn't.... but I did start moving more.... I would stand instead of sit whenever I could... and I really did park "further" away from the store if not at the far end of the lot.... The Atkins diet works for me because I don't have to count calories so I just had to focus on what foods were ok and I didn't have to worry "too" much about the amounts I ate.... At first I ate a TON of meats and cheese and eggs every day and the weight just fell off me.... because I could eat until I was full I didn't feel like I was deprived and I was able to stick with it. Eventually I was full on a lot less and I started feeling in control of my portions. I started adding foods back into my diet, always sticking to the low carb base though... it's what works for me and I trust it... But I do have carb days and I know that for the next day or two I will have to watch my cravings and portions. Eventually I got to the point where I am now, where I am proud of myself for taking a smaller portion, knowing that it will be enough. Trusting my body to tell me what it needs instead of what it wants. And mostly being free to have a chocolate bar ( or two somedays) and be honestly able to enjoy it because I HAVE control of it!

That was the food part of it... .

The exercise part was like I said slow at first....But I did get up and move.... eventually after about six weeks and the first 15 pounds from dieting I had my "awakening" moment and realized that I had to change my usual pattern of rewarding myself by food or I was going to be like this forever......

I said ok.... it's a little easier than it was 15 pounds ago.... it's not going to get any easier to go back up before I start this..... I got out the kids wii and dug out the copy of wii fit that my son ( I LOVE HIM) had bought me two years ago and thought I will play on this for an hour a day and that's gonna help!..... 12 minutes later I was on the couch sweating, out of breath and embarassed... the damn thing told me I was obese! just said it right out..... "oh you're obese!" ... if I couldn't do a kids game for an hour where the hell was I going to be in ten years? I might as well pick out my scooter and flag cuz I wasn't going to be walking.....and I thought I was already in better shape after losing 15 pounds?? sometimes it really has to kick you in the face for you to understand how serious and how real the situation is.

So the next day I got back up and stuck to my diet and got back ON the Mii Fat and EVERY SINGLE DAY IT TOLD ME I WAS OBESE... It didn't take me as long as I thought to get into good enough shape to hit that hour a day target and what I wasn't expecting was the way I was feeling.... I was sticking to my diet.... I monitored everything that went in.... and I started paying attention to WHEN it went in.... I stopped eating after 5 at night with the exception of a cup of jello light with a spoon of whipped cream at night if I "really" wanted a treat.... If I wanted it I let myself have it guilt free and I enjoyed it! and I started looking for ways to burn those calories off....I noticed that I wasn't "eating" 800 calories at a time anymore... I was eating 240 in a complete lunch so why not think of calories burned the same way.... never mind choosing between taking the stairs or the elevators.... I was taking the stairs and putting extra effort into it.... I put a little EXTRA into everything, whether it's taking the stairs or cleaning the counters....even standing....try standing in a slouched position.... your body automatically goes to the economy mode to conserve it's energy.... I DON"T WANT THAT.... lol...... When I stand I stand UP, I pull my shoulders back and pull my fat tummy in.... ( all the weight hanging off the front of your muscles is a great work out tool for them! I didn't know what I was doing at the time, but it just FELT right, and the results were showing so I went with it.

Eventually I went to the Y and I worked out for 30 minutes a day on the recumbent bike, 30 minutes on the weight machines and 30 minutes of swimming and i did that 5 days a week. My weight loss was steadyish, andtI did tone a lot of muscle which caused my skin to start to sag and I ended up stopping my diet and went into maintenance for about 8 months to give my body chance to recover..... so the gym was a mixed blessing....... it taught me that I could do it.... and I could LOVE doing it... but I needed to be more aware of what I was doing. Clearly something had caught up with me.

during that time I had a lot of stress in my life ( to say the least) and I gained back about 25 of the 110 that I had lost..... I saw it happening and even though I was devestated to be going backwards I "knew" on some level that it was just my destiny and I had been lucky to have gotten as far as I could....

This time when I started I was mad again, I was back up to 225 from 198 and I just didn't CARE if it was my destiny to be fat all my life.... Why should some nameless "fate" decide that I have to be fat when I know how to change it.... So I started back on my diet..... first with the atkins and just recently I've changed it more towards caloric intake because I am concentrating more on slow weight loss combined with toning muscles....and I want to be able to feed my body the carbs it needs....... At best I only have 35 pounds to lose....and I don't know honestly if I am going to be able to lose that much...... I look like a skinny person inside a suit of skin.... it sloshes around and shifts like a hallowe'en costume... it's a totally different kind of fat than that solid fat I had before..... It almost feels as if the fat has separated from "me" like a parasite that has been feeding on me for years.......and now I just need for that to whither up and disappear.... I had no idea that underneath that body I carried for years there was this other "normal" me inside..... and it's awesome....

hope that helps

monty_williams · January 2012

I lost 70 lbs in about 3.5-4 months following an intermittent fasting protocol and tracking my meals for macronutrients and calories. I fast everyday for 16 hours and eat during an 8 hour window from 1pm to 9pm. I usually go to bed around 9:30-10pm and wake up around 5:30-6:00 am.

During my feeding window I consume my target macro's and calories and exercise. When I was in weight loss mode, I ate around 1200-1500 calories and exercised (mostly elliptical) 800-1000 calories 5 days a week - I didn't eat back my calories. I went from 270, 42 " waist, and 35% BF to my target of 200 and 20% BF in the 3.5-4 months. My meals consisted of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and quality carbohydrates such as quinoa and brown rice - no potato, white rice, pasta, etc. The key was high fiber, high protein, vitamin dense meals to ensure vitamins/minerals and to provide satiety. I cut out alcohol almost entirely during this period, with the exception of a couple of nights out with my wife where I'd have some red wine.

After losing my weight, I decided to recomposition (lower BF from 20% to 10% and increase LBM) my body and cut down on cardio (I only do cardio 1x per week for 30-45 minutes) and have been weight training 5-6 days a week. I still do intermittent fasting everyday with a protocol called Lean Gains, although my target calories now are 2500 with 200+ grams(800 cals) of protein, 180 grams( 720 cals) carbohydrates, 100 grams (900 cals) of fat, and the remaining ~100 calories are discretionary, usually a beer or two (MGD 64) or a glass of red wine if I'm out to dinner. In the 6 months or so I have been recomping, my BF% has dropped from 20% to my current 12% and 32" waist while my weight has remained steady, further indicating body recomposition. My bench press has increased about 50 lbs, and my squat and deadlift about 100 lbs each.

I eat about 20-25% of my calories when I break fast at 1pm, usually vegetables, 50 grams or so of lean protein, plus complex carbs (beans/legumes/quinoa/multi-wholegrain tortilla's) totaling around 500 calories. I usually have a snack around 3pm, around 200 calories - nuts/fruit, usually. Then around 5pm I have a pre-workout meal consisting of "fast acting" proteins (whey/BCAA) and some complex carbs (oats, etc), and make dinner for my family. I workout around 6-7pm, then I eat dinner where I consume my largest meal of the day, maybe as many as 1000-1200 calories. I try to get the bulk of my protein here for post-workout protein synthesis when my insulin is highest. I usually finish up the night with a bowl of FF greek yogurt mixed with fruit, multi-grain cereal, slivered almonds, unsweetened almond milk, slow digesting micellar casein protein powder, and guar gum for fiber and to slow digestion to provide me with amino acids longer during my upcoming 16 hour fast.

During the 16 hour fast, I drink 2 cups of coffee, no cream/milk, sweetened with 1/2 tsp Stevia with 5 grams of creatine, and green tea and water throughout the day. I drink at least a gallon a day of plain water.

I've found this diet to work best for my schedule and personal habits. I've never been a traditional breakfast eater, just not hungry in the morning. I found the traditional bodybuilder diet of 5-6 meals a day unfullfilling and always feeling hungry, and preparing so many meals and carrying a bag full of Rubbermade bowls to work was annoying. With this diet, I get to enjoy substantial satisfying meals and since it leaves 60+% of my daily calories for dinner and after it gives me alot of flexibility. If my wife and kids want to go out for dinner or order pizza, there's plenty of room in my diet for it and the nutrition partitioning built into it has resulting in nice LBM gains, increased energy levels and satisfaction, and reduced BF. Not to mention the increased metabolism, focus and mental clarity I have during the mornings while I'm working/fasting.

ccsick · January 2012

toning arms video? Where would I get such a thing?

FatDadSlim · January 2012

Consistency
Honesty in logging
Maintain a healthy defecit. -2lb for the first few months, -1lb when my BMI was normal.
Nothing off the menu.
I found exercise was necessary to improve results

alphabettie · January 2012

Bump...

ALW65 · January 2012

Bump - hoping for more great posts - j4nash thanks for the great thread!

Those that have lost a significant amount of weight, please

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