I still use that and have no problems with it...
*** Big Fat Weight Loss Thread ***
- Thread starter AndyCr15
- Start date
I've never really read a lot of books, but this last year with a lot changing in my life, I've read several 'self-improvement' types and tbh, having been hyped so much, I was a little disappointed by it. It was good and I guess I would recommend it still, just not what I had hoped. Maybe I should try it again and concentrate more or something...
Others I took 5, 6 ot 7 bullet point type ideas to think about, this one only really habit stacking and the other similar reward-related version of HS, both of which seem a little obvious tbh? As I say, maybe I just didn't pay enough attention to it.
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Maybe having a listen to the guytalk about the book would be better?
Soldato
Thought i'd pop in and show my progress over the last 8 months.
A lot of blood and sweat, no tears yet.
A lot of blood and sweat, no tears yet.
Caporegime
Wow that’s great work @NightSt@lk3r. My graph looks more like a rollercoaster ride these days.
Soldato
If i recorded my weight every day mine would be the same lol, can have a week where im hard stuck at a weight and other weeks where i can lose 5+ lbs.
Seeing that graph, made me think, for a giggle, lets take a look at my all-time graph...
There's nothing like a slow, gradual loss...
There's nothing like a slow, gradual loss...
I get a newsletter from Max lugavere now and again, he's big on "food science" exercise and similar.. (has a really informative YT channel too)
Thought I'd post what was sent today as its relevant to this thread. Nothing groundbreaking mind but helpful maybe.
1. You must create a consistent calorie deficit. That means, generally, that you have to ingest fewer calories than you expend in a 24 hour period. I know. Boring. But—and this is a big but—how you do it makes all the difference. I used a combination of cutting back on fat/carbohydrate calories (calories ingested), and increasing energy expenditure (calories expended) through walking, to create an easy ~400-500 cal/day deficit.
How many calories should you eat to lose 1lb of fat per week (a great, easy, goal)?
Use this starting point: your bodyweight in pounds * 10-12. Use 10 if you're completely sedentary; use 12 if you're active. Most people should start with 11-12. Using myself as an example, I started out at ~188 lbs. I aimed for between 2068 and 2256 calories per day.
2. My cutting diet was by no means a low fat diet, but cutting dietary fat is helpful versus only cutting carbs, for 3 primary reasons: One, fats and oils are highly calorie dense. 1 tablespoon of oil has as many calories as a whole apple. I'd rather eat the apple if I had to choose. Two, cutting fat doesn’t significantly impact satiety if you keep your fiber and protein up. For example, that apple is going to be way more satiating than a tablespoon of oil. And three, carbs—not fat—help keep your energy up in the gym (hello, glycogen) which is essential for having good workouts to maintain muscle. So I mainly cut added fats and oils (yes, even limiting EVOO), dark chocolate, and fattier meats, and got my fat from the lean red meat (e.g. 93% ground or leaner steaks) and other proteins I eat daily. Knowing that this is meant to be temporary, I also swapped all full fat dairy for reduced fat or fat-free versions to cut calories and optimize for protein. Very easy. Remember: you don’t have to count calories, but all calories count.
3. There's no need to run or kill yourself on cardio; walking is literally fat loss magic. I got on the treadmill and walked 1-2 miles/day (most of the time, incline 6.0, speed 3.5). That's it. No running, unless I wanted to, but I seldom want to. Just walk more (great opportunity to listen to my podcast!).
4. Don't reduce protein; increase it. I am getting roughly 1x my weight in protein every day (~185 grams). This helps maintain muscle and keeps you NOT HUNGRY. I've said this 1000x before. Whey protein shakes are great for this; I do 1-2 servings of whey/day.
5. Assume you *won't* get weaker in the gym, and aim to lift with the exact same intensity you do when you're not cutting. Take creatine? Keep taking it (I do). This will help preserve your hard-won muscle and ensure you're losing mainly fat. Keep. Lifting. Heavy.
6. Have meals you can eat every day, and stack. For example, the same ~500 calorie breakfast every day. And then a similar ~500 calorie lunch every day. This leaves you with ~1000 calories to go wild during dinner. This makes it easy to not track calories. (Please note that some people prefer more variety, or tracking calories, and that’s okay. This is not a list of things you have to do—except for perhaps no. 1—it’s just what I’ve found works well for me.)
7. Eat home more. I’ve said this 1000x as well. Restaurants cover their food (even innocuous “roasted” veggie dishes) in butter, crappy oils, and caloric sauces. It adds up to a **** ton of completely useless phantom calories.
8. Get a digital food scale and audit serving sizes. This thing is a major biohack. It's also fun af. I'm measuring everything (maybe reconsider this one if you tend to be obsessive or have a suboptimal relationship with food). I use this and I love it.
9. Absolutely no boredom snacking. This is a big thing for me. I often work from home and usually out of boredom, will eat a square of dark chocolate here, a handful of nuts there… it adds up to a few hundred calories, essentially keeping me at my maintenance calories by the end of the day. But the point of a cut is to… wait for it… cut.
10. Consistency and patience. The whole point of a slower cut is to preserve muscle. And for it to be something you can sustain. Also keep in mind that weight fluctuates (water weight, food you’re carrying in your gut, etc.), so check the scale every few days if you want but know that weight loss isn’t linear. The mirror is a better guide.
I'll do this for another 2-4 weeks and keep you posted before getting back to my usual lax way of eating but this has been very effective, mostly effortless, and dare I say fun. I haven’t lost any gym strength, nor have I restricted any of my favorite foods.
Thought I'd post what was sent today as its relevant to this thread. Nothing groundbreaking mind but helpful maybe.
1. You must create a consistent calorie deficit. That means, generally, that you have to ingest fewer calories than you expend in a 24 hour period. I know. Boring. But—and this is a big but—how you do it makes all the difference. I used a combination of cutting back on fat/carbohydrate calories (calories ingested), and increasing energy expenditure (calories expended) through walking, to create an easy ~400-500 cal/day deficit.
How many calories should you eat to lose 1lb of fat per week (a great, easy, goal)?
Use this starting point: your bodyweight in pounds * 10-12. Use 10 if you're completely sedentary; use 12 if you're active. Most people should start with 11-12. Using myself as an example, I started out at ~188 lbs. I aimed for between 2068 and 2256 calories per day.
2. My cutting diet was by no means a low fat diet, but cutting dietary fat is helpful versus only cutting carbs, for 3 primary reasons: One, fats and oils are highly calorie dense. 1 tablespoon of oil has as many calories as a whole apple. I'd rather eat the apple if I had to choose. Two, cutting fat doesn’t significantly impact satiety if you keep your fiber and protein up. For example, that apple is going to be way more satiating than a tablespoon of oil. And three, carbs—not fat—help keep your energy up in the gym (hello, glycogen) which is essential for having good workouts to maintain muscle. So I mainly cut added fats and oils (yes, even limiting EVOO), dark chocolate, and fattier meats, and got my fat from the lean red meat (e.g. 93% ground or leaner steaks) and other proteins I eat daily. Knowing that this is meant to be temporary, I also swapped all full fat dairy for reduced fat or fat-free versions to cut calories and optimize for protein. Very easy. Remember: you don’t have to count calories, but all calories count.
3. There's no need to run or kill yourself on cardio; walking is literally fat loss magic. I got on the treadmill and walked 1-2 miles/day (most of the time, incline 6.0, speed 3.5). That's it. No running, unless I wanted to, but I seldom want to. Just walk more (great opportunity to listen to my podcast!).
4. Don't reduce protein; increase it. I am getting roughly 1x my weight in protein every day (~185 grams). This helps maintain muscle and keeps you NOT HUNGRY. I've said this 1000x before. Whey protein shakes are great for this; I do 1-2 servings of whey/day.
5. Assume you *won't* get weaker in the gym, and aim to lift with the exact same intensity you do when you're not cutting. Take creatine? Keep taking it (I do). This will help preserve your hard-won muscle and ensure you're losing mainly fat. Keep. Lifting. Heavy.
6. Have meals you can eat every day, and stack. For example, the same ~500 calorie breakfast every day. And then a similar ~500 calorie lunch every day. This leaves you with ~1000 calories to go wild during dinner. This makes it easy to not track calories. (Please note that some people prefer more variety, or tracking calories, and that’s okay. This is not a list of things you have to do—except for perhaps no. 1—it’s just what I’ve found works well for me.)
7. Eat home more. I’ve said this 1000x as well. Restaurants cover their food (even innocuous “roasted” veggie dishes) in butter, crappy oils, and caloric sauces. It adds up to a **** ton of completely useless phantom calories.
8. Get a digital food scale and audit serving sizes. This thing is a major biohack. It's also fun af. I'm measuring everything (maybe reconsider this one if you tend to be obsessive or have a suboptimal relationship with food). I use this and I love it.
9. Absolutely no boredom snacking. This is a big thing for me. I often work from home and usually out of boredom, will eat a square of dark chocolate here, a handful of nuts there… it adds up to a few hundred calories, essentially keeping me at my maintenance calories by the end of the day. But the point of a cut is to… wait for it… cut.
10. Consistency and patience. The whole point of a slower cut is to preserve muscle. And for it to be something you can sustain. Also keep in mind that weight fluctuates (water weight, food you’re carrying in your gut, etc.), so check the scale every few days if you want but know that weight loss isn’t linear. The mirror is a better guide.
I'll do this for another 2-4 weeks and keep you posted before getting back to my usual lax way of eating but this has been very effective, mostly effortless, and dare I say fun. I haven’t lost any gym strength, nor have I restricted any of my favorite foods.
Soldato
@Fuzz - this is pretty much what I’m doing with Noom. There’s a lot of focus on foods that are less calorie dense and more filling. If I’m in the gym I’ll have a protein shake, otherwise not. Strength hasn’t exactly increased but it’s not gone down either. The electronic scales are very useful - weighing out carbs helps to reset your portion sizes. The app adds calories for exercise (half of what has been expended). It’s amazing how much you can increase the daily total by doing some extra walking. It really positively reinforces the behaviour. This is a benefit that I wouldn’t have really accounted for with a simple pedometer.
Consistency and accountability is key for long term success. Not giving up vast swathes of the things that you like! The mirror is a good guide, but the scales don’t lie!
Consistency and accountability is key for long term success. Not giving up vast swathes of the things that you like! The mirror is a good guide, but the scales don’t lie!
A note to add on this myfitness pal app..
Turn off the adjustment to calories for exercise!!
first thing I do with any tracker
Soldato
Would one of those apps be much use for someone like me who doesn't track calorie intake? i've just been using the app for my watch and google fit.
If you are eating "manufactured" products then it'll show you what your calories or macros look like by simply scanning the barcode of each item.
If you are eating all home cooked whole foods, its much more of a faff.
Edit* get the free version and try it out... possibly get 14 days of full version free if you sign up then cancel.
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This is an interesting idea. I tend to have about 24g in a shake when I go to the gym, it's about 90 calories. I could maybe make another one to go in the fridge through the day and drink to try and stave off hunger.
I think more and more this is the harder part of me. If I can keep myself busy, I don't notice. If I've not got a lot on, I'm thinking about snacking...
Yep. Exactly what this guy said on this evenings stuff to watch list I'm just going through.
Protein is indeed much more satiating than ricecakes, I assumed it was more nibbling through needing to satisfy the habit to eat, not actual hunger..
Ignore the clickbait title and intro. Its good stuff.