How to lose weight and keep it off?

12 comments

1. Eat less.

   I cut my daily calories to below 1300 and I’ve lost 25lbs since the start of the year.

2. Energy levels can be a few things at our age. Your weight seems fine.

   Could be the food you eat. Could be low T. Could be mild dehydration. Could be depression.

   Silly suggestion, but coffee is a god send for artificial energy if you don’t already have it.

3. Calories in, calories out. Weight loss is like 85% diet followed up with something as simple as going for a 30 min walk after dinner.

   Just gotta stay consistent.

4. Sugar and refined carbs spike your blood sugar level and give you the crash. Eating less of those two things helps a lot with energy levels.

5. Intermittent fasting.

   Been doing it everyday (excluding weekends) since covid started. Crazy how much I’ve lost and have kept off.

6. Burn more calories than you consume. That can be done by eating less and exercising more. And, yeah, a treadmill can absolutely help with that. You just need the discipline to use it consistently. Cutting out or drastically cutting back on caloric drinks – sweetened drinks and alcohol, as well as processes foods will also help a lot

7. Doing some strength training will help. More muscle translates to more resting calories burned. It’ll also energize you after you get into a rhythm.

8. Weight loss is 90% diet. Eat cleanly and eat less.

9. I’m doing Whole30 for the second time in 2 years. Last time I went from 180 down to 168 or so. Athletically felt 5 years younger.

10. It’s been said multiple times, but a someone who 1) was larger and then 2) was a semi-weight loss guide for people, you can’t outrun your fork. Most people eat way more calories than they think, and also dramatically over estimate how much they think exercise burns.

    Start just by writing down what you’re eating when you’re eating it. It’ll make you a bit more aware of what you’re doing, and that alone might be enough (assuming you also get semi regular movement).

    There ARE other factors that can impact weight loss (hormones, medicine, yadda yadda), but complete halting of weight loss is rare and an exception, not the rule.

    Also be aware that you can’t spot reduce fat. It leaves where it leaves, and genetics plays a part in that. You CAN alter body composition by lifting some, as it builds muscles, and how fat lays over muscle will change how things look.

    But otherwise, eat less, move more, and yea unfortunately as we get older it’s a matter of eating less than expected. (I lost a lot of weight in my 20s. It’s crept back up, and I’m trying to lose again, but it’s so much harder in my 30s between trying to remain social and just slowing energy in general.)

11. The treadmill helps but there’s a big caveat. I found doing hard cardio makes me more hungry and prone to over eating. So use the adage, workout to gain muscle, diet/eat to lose weight.

    Download MyFitnessPal, it’s free. Use it to track what you eat, so you know the calories. You only need to do it for a few weeks to understand how many calories is in what, then can eyeball it once you know. And slowly decrease a hundred calories here, maybe 50 there.

    If you want extra energy, start working out a little. Something simple like pushups and squats will take you a long way in the right direction. You’ll see yourself looking better and you’ll have more energy.

    Exercise is often called a foundation habit or something. It means people more often build habits around it. Ex. People who exercise start eating better. But people who start eating better don’t often start exercising.

12. I gained a lot during the pandemic lockdowns and was already a bit overweight. I lost 50 lbs in about six months by doing two things:
    1. Only ate during an 8-hour window (usually more like noon to 6). Amazing how much snacking I did.
    2. I like cigars, so I decided the only way I would let myself have a cigar is if I did it while walking the dog. I walked 45 minutes to an hour five days a week.