Totally agree.
*** Big Fat Weight Loss Thread ***
- Thread starter AndyCr15
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Totally agree.
Get to your goal first!! Allow yourself to celebrate your success and then move forwards.
Incremental progression is the way to do it, don't look too far ahead or it will seem too big a hill to climb.
Soldato
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Huberman doesn't like this commentThe more time goes one, the more stupidity seems to be creeping into his podcasts.
I read/watch/listen to a fair bit of the research from all sources and as you said later in your post, it always comes down to the same foundation, eat less than you burn, lose weight.
Now, intermittent fasting can help with this as you say by having a hard cut off if you have willpower issues. I've inadvertently done IF for most of my life as i've generally skipped breakfast and don't eaten until about midday.
Personally, I maintain a 10% deficit a day based on sedentary calories and mildly adjust for activity, if I have a day I overeat, compensate the day after or for a few days with slight reductions each day. If i want a snack, I eat it, if I want alcohol, I drink, I don't reduce any enjoyment from food and drink - it all evens out over the weeks/months.
I've been IF this week. 2 days completed successfully hah.
For me, breakfast is normally around 400 cals but then I also snack quite a bit when I get home and/or (let's be honest, and) after dinner, which is what tipped me over my calories normally. Now I'm not having the 400 cals at breakfast, and at 8 PM I stop eating, so I can't really gorge myself after 8.
I think that's probably all it'll be for me - maybe 900 cals I'd normally eat just off the radar. OK I'll probably eat a bigger dinner so maybe 4-500 cals gone. I think that's great though!
Another two weeks later, down to 78.7kg across last few days - slower loss than before but had a few weekends of drinking to it's progress i'll happily take.
I'm down to 85.4kg this morning. Likely due to swimming yesterday and dehydration! I'm still trying to push more exercise and am eating at the top of my calorie allowance on Noom currently (with some occasional overspend) which is allowing a slow weight drop. Ideally I don't want to push much lower than this, but without being able to commit to very regular exercise I think switching to "maintenance" calorie intake might cause a bit too much of a rebound.
Always the way, get harder the more you lose. I probably need to lose a couple of Kg of fat but at 50+ and with a sit down job it's not easy to get rid of unless you go hardcore on the diet. Tbh most people would say I was fine now but I'd like to get back to 10% or so body fat.
Wow, I hadn't realised that it's been a year!
So I guess today is a good day to reflect on the journey as I have reached my lowest ever weight of 85.4kg. That's a loss of 14kg in a year, or 2 stone 3 lb. I have been within the normal BMI range for 5 months according to Apple Health and I'm now comfortably wearing 34" waist trousers which I'm really proud of. The weight loss is really pleasing, but I need to be careful to not restrict my intake too harshly and I want to try to focus more on exercise and maintaining weight. I will still need to be quite careful of what I'm eating and I want to aim for the top of the "weight loss zone" in Noom which is usually about 2200-2400 kcal depending on activity levels. This will allow a degree of flexibility with eating out and actually enjoying life, as even if I have an overspend, I should comfortably be in the right zone. I don't think I want to push up my intake too much until I can either commit to more regular exercise or get some signs in the mirror that I'm really lean - visible abs by the age of 40?! Manageable goals and small increments, but it seems crazy that I'd even be considering such a target considering where I was a year ago.
Some reflections - Being brutally honest with my calorie intake and logging everything was a game changer and I started seeing results. Weighing out portions has completely reset what I consider to be normal now - I don't have to do it every time, but I think this was probably the most useful step. I couldn't out train a bad diet, no matter how many times I tried! I have been able to enjoy myself, eat what I enjoy and drink alcohol (beer is a nightmare, wine is much more efficient!), but being careful to log everything (especially at first). I have had good weeks and bad weeks, it's the overall progress and trends that matter. There's no point in quitting after going on holiday or having a big weekend, this is a long game. Decent snacks and looking at nutritional information is super important. I have been able to find winning combinations for meals that are filling and don't break the budget - preparing roast chicken breast with rice and broccoli for lunch for the week is boring until you add home made habanero hot sauce! Being able to cook has really helped, I do a lot of batch cooking as we're quite time poor in the week, and to be able to ping a home made curry out the freezer is a life saver on a weekday.
The journey continues, it's required commitment and some real thought and effort to change things, but it's never been miserable. Good luck to all with their ongoing progress!
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I was expecting less loss this fortnight as I mentioned i'd had a few drinks, I didn't mention 2 kebabs, a chippy and an indian meal out with the missus. That's more takeout than I generally have across three months.
That really is the only way, log it and be honest with yourself. I'd also add, don't fill your cupboards with high calorie, low nutrient snack foods. If it's not there it's much harder to be tempted. I look at my dog, very fit and healthy, but that's because we only feed him the good stuff and don't give him more than he needs. It's a good lesson to apply to yourselfWow, I hadn't realised that it's been a year!
So I guess today is a good day to reflect on the journey as I have reached my lowest ever weight of 85.4kg. That's a loss of 14kg in a year, or 2 stone 3 lb. I have been within the normal BMI range for 5 months according to Apple Health and I'm now comfortably wearing 34" waist trousers which I'm really proud of. The weight loss is really pleasing, but I need to be careful to not restrict my intake too harshly and I want to try to focus more on exercise and maintaining weight. I will still need to be quite careful of what I'm eating and I want to aim for the top of the "weight loss zone" in Noom which is usually about 2200-2400 kcal depending on activity levels. This will allow a degree of flexibility with eating out and actually enjoying life, as even if I have an overspend, I should comfortably be in the right zone. I don't think I want to push up my intake too much until I can either commit to more regular exercise or get some signs in the mirror that I'm really lean - visible abs by the age of 40?! Manageable goals and small increments, but it seems crazy that I'd even be considering such a target considering where I was a year ago.
Some reflections - Being brutally honest with my calorie intake and logging everything was a game changer and I started seeing results. Weighing out portions has completely reset what I consider to be normal now - I don't have to do it every time, but I think this was probably the most useful step. I couldn't out train a bad diet, no matter how many times I tried! I have been able to enjoy myself, eat what I enjoy and drink alcohol (beer is a nightmare, wine is much more efficient!), but being careful to log everything (especially at first). I have had good weeks and bad weeks, it's the overall progress and trends that matter. There's no point in quitting after going on holiday or having a big weekend, this is a long game. Decent snacks and looking at nutritional information is super important. I have been able to find winning combinations for meals that are filling and don't break the budget - preparing roast chicken breast with rice and broccoli for lunch for the week is boring until you add home made habanero hot sauce! Being able to cook has really helped, I do a lot of batch cooking as we're quite time poor in the week, and to be able to ping a home made curry out the freezer is a life saver on a weekday.
The journey continues, it's required commitment and some real thought and effort to change things, but it's never been miserable. Good luck to all with their ongoing progress!
Given the choice he'd eat all sorts but only if it smells or tastes of meat 
Did you enjoy the food though? I have found when i have a day off i wwantt to have something i really enjoy now.I was expecting less loss this fortnight as I mentioned i'd had a few drinks, I didn't mention 2 kebabs, a chippy and an indian meal out with the missus. That's more takeout than I generally have across three months.
My favorite is south indian curry from market stall in Milton keynes. Its always worth it, feels healthier than local curry house that's covered in oil but who knows really.
Well that weekly update from my bemoaning my absolute uselessness and assuring you all that from now i will be better and actually drop weight.
Today i was 100.3kg which is the first time i've tipped 100kg on the scales for ages. Am hoping that actually helps sort my head out. There's definitely a few contributing factors
1 - It's too easy to just go out and have a few drinks in the sun here. The fact they're cheap doesn't help
2 - My wife wants snacks in the house, because she has will power. However i will just demolish it regardless of whether i like it or not!
3 - Foot has flared up so barely any exercise has been done
As such i've got into a real habit of snacking ofter through the days, drinking and eating out consuming large amounts of calories a day. I'm then also not counting calories.
I think i need a real month of being super strict and cutting out anything unhealthy. Not because i think it's a long term tactic, but just to break current habits. Then re-introduce in moderation to get to where i was previously with not drinking midweek etc.
Might also start daily weigh ins. Again, i know they're not always accurate pictures, but just to re-enforce the accountability.
Today i was 100.3kg which is the first time i've tipped 100kg on the scales for ages. Am hoping that actually helps sort my head out. There's definitely a few contributing factors
1 - It's too easy to just go out and have a few drinks in the sun here. The fact they're cheap doesn't help
2 - My wife wants snacks in the house, because she has will power. However i will just demolish it regardless of whether i like it or not!
3 - Foot has flared up so barely any exercise has been done
As such i've got into a real habit of snacking ofter through the days, drinking and eating out consuming large amounts of calories a day. I'm then also not counting calories.
I think i need a real month of being super strict and cutting out anything unhealthy. Not because i think it's a long term tactic, but just to break current habits. Then re-introduce in moderation to get to where i was previously with not drinking midweek etc.
Might also start daily weigh ins. Again, i know they're not always accurate pictures, but just to re-enforce the accountability.
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You've had one heck of a journey with your relocation. Go easy on yourself, take a breath, allow yourself to enjoy your new found location (which sounds amazing!) and then establish a routine. You know what you need to do, you've written it in your post above, I've highlighted it for you.
Snacks aren't all bad, but looking at the calories on them and then logging them will help. Get some kitchen scales out, weigh the snacks out in a small bowl and then put the packet back in the cupboard. Taking the whole bag of nuts (or whatever) is super dangerous and I also would demolish the lot.
What are you tending to drink alcohol wise? Alcohol free beer isn't bad these days and is less than half the calories of that with alcohol in it. It's also quite good at slowing your overall rate of drinking down as I've found that without the "reward" of getting drunk, I'll go much easier on it. It's very refreshing on a sunny terrace. That's also translated to how I drink normal beer which is interesting. Alcohol free wine is terrible and best avoided in my experience!! White wine is quite calorie efficient, but easy to replace a whole meal's worth of calorie allowance with wine without thinking! A glass is fine, just log the calories!
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Yeah, i agree. Think that initial "period" should be over now though before things spiral too much. Especially with my foot issues that i'm sure aren't helped by increasing weight.
I tend to alternate between beer and red wine. Sometimes a Negroni which i realised is super high in calories for some reason! I do sometimes the Alcohol free beers, especially when i'm out driving. As you say they are better than they used to be, and i actually find when you're having them in the sun for refreshment they quench that thirst much better than trying to replace a beer on a Friday night sat on the sofa. Especially the Tostada version.
With snacks, i'm rubbish at nuts. I look at a "portion" and it never really feels worthwhile to even eat them! I have recently discovered butter flavoured crisps which are superb. Not sure on the health side of that though
I'm generally not someone who needs "snacks", providing they're not in the house. If they are then i just need to eat them. Although, it also doesn't help that you get a bowl of corn snack things with a drink over here!
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Current weakness is graze chilli & lime, mix of peanuts, cashews and almonds, could eat a pack in a very short time.