*** Big Fat Weight Loss Thread ***

Yeah, definitely feel better for it. Just walking up a flight of stairs could be quite hard at my previous size, now slimmed down and much fitter, it's a better way to be for sure. I have a bad back and bad knees, both of which give me less problems at the lighter weight.
 
Freefaller said:
Yeah seems you're managing that transition well though but it is a hit isn't it? Do you feel bette for it?

I think I'd rather be a little padded than look like Ryan Reynolds in blade 3 for example.

I guess I want my cake and eat it! Literally!
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I think you being a little padded is better for us females because otherwise you're just uncomfortable to lie on!! :p
 
@subbytna

Very well done, that is impressive. :)

Out of interest, how did you arrive at ~2300 calories per day? Was it just experimentation or something more tried and tested, e.g. a nutrition/diet website?

I'm finding that over the last year or so, the weight is gradually going up, and even though a vast majority of my intake is whole foods, I just don't seem to be able to maintain the number of calories that I've read I'm supposed to work with (~1700/1800 ish).

I'm fine some/most of the time with that but every now and then (sometimes weekly), I just get so hungry - particularly late at night. I guess something is telling me that the target I set myself isn't realistic over the longer term.
 
If you're getting hungry sometimes it's your brain misinterpreting triggers. Drinking water can be helpful.

Protein rich foods also take longer to digest, so think about fibre and protein rich dinner rather than carb bases.

I can't speak for Sub but most strategies involve lowering daily calories by a small amount c.100-200, and running with that for a week, measure, reassess and tweak. Taking too large calorie deficit will trigger cravings and hunger pangs. Also near in mind that we are cyclical beings so if we always eat at 1200 you'll start to naturally feel hungry at 1200. Another strategy is to break up your rhythm for food by having 1-2 extra meals a day but much smaller meals to "trick" your metabolism.

Just my opinion, hope you don't mind me airing my thoughts!
 
Freefaller said:
If you're getting hungry sometimes it's your brain misinterpreting triggers. Drinking water can be helpful.

Protein rich foods also take longer to digest, so think about fibre and protein rich dinner rather than carb bases.

I can't speak for Sub but most strategies involve lowering daily calories by a small amount c.100-200, and running with that for a week, measure, reassess and tweak. Taking too large calorie deficit will trigger cravings and hunger pangs. Also near in mind that we are cyclical beings so if we always eat at 1200 you'll start to naturally feel hungry at 1200. Another strategy is to break up your rhythm for food by having 1-2 extra meals a day but much smaller meals to "trick" your metabolism.

Just my opinion, hope you don't mind me airing my thoughts!
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Thanks for the input, the more the merrier, much appreciated. :)
 
arc@css said:
I just don't seem to be able to maintain the number of calories that I've read I'm supposed to work with (~1700/1800 ish).
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When you say you can't maintain it, you mean you keep eating over? To me that seems really low? Especially if you're still gaining weight?! Are you sure it's accurate? Are you weighing portions? Counting everything (you know, milk in tea etc). When I was down at that amount I was losing a stone a month.... (I cycled most days too, but only about 40 minutes)
 
arc@css said:
@subbytna

Very well done, that is impressive. :)

Out of interest, how did you arrive at ~2300 calories per day? Was it just experimentation or something more tried and tested, e.g. a nutrition/diet website?

I'm finding that over the last year or so, the weight is gradually going up, and even though a vast majority of my intake is whole foods, I just don't seem to be able to maintain the number of calories that I've read I'm supposed to work with (~1700/1800 ish).

I'm fine some/most of the time with that but every now and then (sometimes weekly), I just get so hungry - particularly late at night. I guess something is telling me that the target I set myself isn't realistic over the longer term.
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I can fill my face with food for 1800 calories a day.

You just have swap highly refined foods for lean protein, vegetables, whole grains, berries and nuts and other whole foods.

I also batch cooked stews, casseroles and chillis which can easily be prepared for less than 500 calories a portion.

Typical double breakfast for me, generally 2-3 hours apart. Depending on when I get up.

Porridge oats (40g) 300ml skimmed milk, tbsp maple syrup. Or a protein shake (30g scoop 300ml skimmed milk)

300/ 220 calories

250g 0% fat Greek yogurt. Mixed with 20g oats, 40g berries, 15g pomegranate seeds, 7g walnuts, 7g cacoa nibs, half tbsp maple syrup.

365 calories

Lunch

Two slices super seeded bread, 1 can tuna in spring water or salmon or steamed chicken breast, tbsp low fat mayonnaise, a piece of fruit (typically a kiwi including the skin), 10 almonds,

560 calories

Dinner

Homemade lean (3% fat) turkey mince chilli, baby spinach, 125g cooked brown rice.

550 calories

Total for the day 1775 calories.

125g protein, 187g carbs, 47g fat

Also covers 100% of recommended daily intake of vitamin A, C, fibre and calcium.

Normally I'd take the protein shake over the porridge, but the porridge is more filling. Or I'd have 4 scrambled eggs instead of porridge or the protein shake. I'd probably have another protein shake after a gym session, which would add another 120 calories.

If you're more hungry in the evening then just have breakfast later in the day and drink water when you first get up. Generally the brain doesn't know the difference between hunger and thirst. So water can be a good appetite suppressant.

Also try drinking water, black coffee or tea, thirty minutes before you eat. That helps to stop overeating at meals. And don't drink with your meal as it reduces the feeling of fullness.

If you're on a reasonably strict calorie diet, then have a cheat day once a week. Or take diet breaks, were you diet for 4 weeks then eat maintenance calories for a week or two.

You can work out your maintenance calories via a BMR calculator.

https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html
 
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Yeah... I don't think I could last eating just that :( I would be super hungry later on in the day... I'm sure a lot of the hunger thing is psychological, but it's still not nice and makes it hard for me to sleep too...
 
AndyCr15 said:
Yeah... I don't think I could last eating just that :( I would be super hungry later on in the day... I'm sure a lot of the hunger thing is psychological, but it's still not nice and makes it hard for me to sleep too...
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What's your current weight? If you don't mind me asking. I'm 72kg, so 1800 calories for me is still only around 75% or maintenance calories of 2500. That's what I'm eating now, or trying to at least.

I was just illustrating that you can eat very well and feel full most of the time if you eat the right foods.

You may need more than 1800 and still be in a deficit.

Diet breaks do help a lot.
 
arc@css said:
@subbytna

Very well done, that is impressive. :)

Out of interest, how did you arrive at ~2300 calories per day? Was it just experimentation or something more tried and tested, e.g. a nutrition/diet website?

I'm finding that over the last year or so, the weight is gradually going up, and even though a vast majority of my intake is whole foods, I just don't seem to be able to maintain the number of calories that I've read I'm supposed to work with (~1700/1800 ish).

I'm fine some/most of the time with that but every now and then (sometimes weekly), I just get so hungry - particularly late at night. I guess something is telling me that the target I set myself isn't realistic over the longer term.
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Thank you

I started off at 2100 and tracked my food, weighed myself every day and averaged the 7 weights into one weekly weight. Did this for a couple of weeks and watched what the weight was doing. It was staying similar so upped the calories to 2200 a day (frogot to mention that I'm on 40% protein, 30 carbs and 30 fats as my daily food intake macros) I did the same, tracked what I ate and watched the weight...no real change so upped the calories again to 2300. At this point I saw the weight starting to creep up a bit. I used this as the basis to bulk and gain muscle mass. When I start my cut at the end of March, I'll drop the calories down again to beneath 2300 and let the deficit take the fat. I'll watch and see what calorie amount I@ll need to sustain an easier drop in body fat, than crash cutting and not be able to sustain it.
 
arc@css said:
@subbytna

Very well done, that is impressive. :)

Out of interest, how did you arrive at ~2300 calories per day? Was it just experimentation or something more tried and tested, e.g. a nutrition/diet website?

I'm finding that over the last year or so, the weight is gradually going up, and even though a vast majority of my intake is whole foods, I just don't seem to be able to maintain the number of calories that I've read I'm supposed to work with (~1700/1800 ish).

I'm fine some/most of the time with that but every now and then (sometimes weekly), I just get so hungry - particularly late at night. I guess something is telling me that the target I set myself isn't realistic over the longer term.
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My wife is on more calories than (~1700/1800 ish). :eek:

Without coming across as a dork....you're not female are you?

I'd say you need to workout your calories again. Or better still, get a couple of hours personal training and part of that will be nutrition. Any decent PT will be looking at nutrition first, before any workouts.

If you eat a lot of carbs, try and have them before 6pm. After that, your body will have the carb energy and if you don't use that energy from the food, it'll be stored in the body as fat. I train in the evening so after a workout, I have a protein heavy meal like chicken or steak, with minimal carbs.


Proten keeps you feeling fuller, for longer. I'm at 40% of my daily food intake being protein.

If you're in the gym, do compound weight lifting. It'll use more muscle groups and those will burn more calories, than doing isolation exercises only. Squats, benchpress, deadlifts, etc.

***DO NOT MISS OR SKIP LEG DAY IF YOU'RE TRYING TO LOSE WIEGHT***
Yes it's hard but the glutes and quads are two of the biggest muscles in your body. Work them out and they burn much more calories than just biceps and bicep curls. Again, squats and deadlifts will work them both.
 
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subbytna said:
My wife is on more calories than (~1700/1800 ish). :eek:

Without coming across as a dork....you're not female are you? I'd say you need to workout your calories again. Or better still, get a couple of hours personal training and part of that will be nutrition. Any decent PT will be looking at nutrition first, before any workouts.

If you eat a lot of carbs, try and have them before 6pm. After that, your body will have the carb energy and if you don't use that energy from the food, it'll be stored in the body as fat. I train in the evening so after a workout, I have a protein heavy meal like chicken or steak, with minimal carbs.


Proten keeps you feeling fuller, for longer. I'm at 40% of my daily food intake, is protien.

If yo'ure in the gym, do compound weight lifting. It'll use more muscle groups and those will burn more calories, than doing isolation exercises only. Squats, benchpress, deadlifts, etc.

***DO NOT MISS OR SKIP LEG DAY IF YOU'RE TRYING TO LOSE WIEGHT***
Yes it's hard but the glutes and quads are two of the biggest muscles in your body. Work them out and they burn much more calories than just biceps and bicep curls. Again, squats and deadlifts will work them both.
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All things I'd agree with.

Although I would caveat that if burning calories is your goal and not building muscle, then walking would burn more calories per hour than weigh lifting. Typically I burn around 300-400 calories in the gym per hour, whether it's, legs, push or pull.

My morning walks with my wife (4.5km in 45 minutes, burns 300) a 60 minute walk on my own burns 500.

Did legs yesterday.
 
Fair point.

I'm looking at it from a view if he puts on muscle, that new muscle will require more calories to maintain, than less muscle mass would. Meaning that if he has more muscle mass, they'll use more calories, he'll need to eat more to maintain the mass. If his weight is now going up due to eating a fair bit, then having more muscle mass will use those calories up and his weight will be stable for the amount of calories he's eating just now.

I know what I'm trying to say, just not getting the right words out DOH!! :D
 
subbytna said:
Fair point.

I'm looking at it from a view if he puts on muscle, that new muscle will require more calories to maintain, than less muscle mass would. Meaning that if he has more muscle mass, they'll use more calories, he'll need to eat more to maintain the mass. If his weight is now going up due to eating a fair bit, then having more muscle mass will use those calories up and his weight will be stable for the amount of calories he's eating just now.

I know what I'm trying to say, just not getting the right words out DOH!! :D
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Also true and a fair point.

I'll take weight training over cardio any day of the week especially as I'm in my 50's. Particularly if that cardio is jogging, cycling or HIIT.

There are also many health benefits to having more muscle mass as you age.

https://www.howardluksmd.com/muscle-mass-strength-and-longevity/
 
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