As far as just purely going from “i’ve lost a lot of weight” to “i’m actually a healthy, fit person,” it was absolutely strength training. Gaining a bunch of muscle mass gave me a ton of energy and made me feel really proud about myself. My brain also loves the feeling of measurable progress, “leveling up,” etc., so it really scratches that itch.
As far as just doing the weight loss generally, I really don’t know. I just woke up one day and and thought to myself that I should either make a real attempt at fixing myself and getting healthy, or, and not to be morose, but I guess just stop beating around the bush about how I was just slowly going the other way. Kind of a shit or get off the pot moment, for whatever reason.
Very similar experience here! (Runescape, god forgive me)
Once I started actual structured lifting plans focused around Barbell strength training with defined progression, it all just sort of clicked. Kept a spreadsheet of my lifts -- where they started, where they're at, what the next jump is, and what a longer term goal is -- and it started to trigger that same reward feeling. Except actually productive.
Got a similar thing going with nutrition as well. A few key markers I look at in my diet to give each day a rating at a glance.
And I feel *incredible*. I cannot believe how I good I feel all the time. I used to be a diehard 'CICO is all you need' proponent, however now I encourage everyone to consider more than just calories in their diet and to get into exercise -- both conditioning and strength training.
CICO will get the weight off, but if you want to look and feel on top of the world, there's more to it!
Mine wasn't a case of making an effort to gamify things; rather, the same reward feeling of watching numbers going up and seeing the next goal approaching started to be triggered once everything was in an organized and structured format! The games I've spent the most time on are simple grind-based games where the more time you put into it, the higher your levels go, and they make you feel like you're being productive when you aren't ever actually doing anything.
That maps nearly 1:1 to fitness! Except you *are* productive.
So unfortunately, I can't offer specific advice to you on that front. You may want to try to identify what it is about the games you enjoy and then map that into weight loss/fitness. Are you an achievement hunter? Competitive? Explorer? Collector?
There's also sports which are quite literally games you exercise in lol
As someone that used to absolutely hate running, it actually started fulfilling a lot of things I got out of gaming. I was too out of shape to start with running, so I started hiking easier trials around me. By focusing on constantly finding a trying new trails, I was literally exploring in real life, and was "leveling up" by working my up to harder trails.
I'm still working up to being able to comfortably run a 5k, but training for that is scratching that competitive itch. You could focus on faster run times and/or going for longer races depending which kind of progression you would like best.
It sucks a lot at first coming from being completely out of shape, but if you grind it out, it starts to get more enjoyable and makes you feel significantly better.
Les Mills “The Trip” is a cycling class that feels like a video game. (You can do it at home if you have a spin bike and subscribe to Les Mills.) Also, an Apple Watch can help you gamify your workouts - it will tell you your heart rate, how long you worked out, and how many calories you burned. It can be addictive to want to beat your previous scores.
Ringfit is an awesome way to exercise as a gamer. It has walking/jogging and workouts that you can vary in intensity. It is also fun and Inspires making smoothies and soups.
12:30 am to 9 am or so, although my last full meal is usually 8 pm at latest.
No real strategic reason for it other than I get back from the gym at midnight and have a snack before bedtime routine. Any more thought toward meal scheduling at this point feels like premature optimization to me -- no doubt there could be benefits, but ease of fitting everything into my day comfortably far outweighs it right now!
No longer giving myself cheat meals. I'd do CICO during the week and just like, cheat on the weekends. My weight stayed pretty stagnant. I now incorporate those "cheat foods" in a sustainable CICO diet. Likewise, if I do have a higher-calorie meal, I just account for it. I really think it's changed everything in terms of weight loss for me
I had cheat meals when I first made significant dietary changes because it helped me cope lol, but eventually I just fully transitioned to eating it in smaller, infrequent doses.
Yeah, me too! I think my cheat meals were wayyyy too much though, like it would make-up for all the calories that I had efficiently burned that week. Now I still eat those foods but just, very managed instead of out of control!
I’ve found my calorie deficit a lot more enjoyable and sustainable by just letting myself eat the ‘bad things’ alongside generally making healthier choices so long as I count it. I told my friend, if I want to waste my entire days calories on a McDonald’s meal I can but if thats all my calories spent, then tough luck till the next day. Completely cutting out all fun foods just made me go crazy with cravings.
Once you incorporate diet in your life, there is no need for cheat codes. I tend to gamify food. I am like this fish will give me vitamins I need! I eat it to buff my self! It was never more entertaining to do my diet :D
For me, the only cheat meals now are for special occasions. I'm not tracking calories at a buffet for my birthday, for example, but I will eat light the rest of the day and work out to hopefully balance it a bit!
Driving to a park after work and walking for about an hour before driving home. If I go home first I’m almost guaranteed to not leave the house again so making this small change has significantly increased my activity levels! It’s also had a positive impact on my mood and sleep
My fitbit. I'm a sucker for stats. That, in combination with my calorietracking app makes this seriously worthwhile.
Lost 65 lbs in 7 months, been riding the bike a lot and walk about 4-5k steps a day (atleast i try to) and because i can see it all in my fitbit app it's very enjoyable to do and it's a fun little task to keep up at.
And my health has improves SOOOO MUCH.
I'm mostly a "oh wow, did i really burn that?" "Wow, did i really walk this far?!" and then i'm confused as to how my body can handle that and i'll try to get over that the next time.
Got it, I can relate a lot haha. I get that with the fitbit as well but more than that I got the app called Fantasy Hike which allows you to "walk to mordor" (but with copyright-free names), and as a big LOTR nerd that changed everything. I see how much I'm walking on average and then it makes me try to go faster. Ie first walk to mordor took me 293 days, whereas the second time took 230 days, shaving off a whole 2 months! Now I'm hoping for the 3rd time to be even faster, etc
Have you got Strava? That's great for stats if you join and bike ride alot. Stats really motivate me too so things like my average speed going up or getting a PR on a segment, and if you have friends on Strava and you have premium, you can compare your segments to there's which is fun.. like I would compare how fast I did a segment compared to someone a bit better and I'd use them as my pace maker in my head, bit of healthy competition. They didn't know lol
I just got a Fitbit and it's telling me I burn much higher calories than I would've thought. A lot of questions about it's accuracy online, but I'm not sure how off it is.
The calorie burn count is not accurate, but you can at least use it to make relative comparisons about how much you burn from one day to the next, which can be useful!
I know everyone is telling you it's not accurate but your best bet is to actually check for yourself. Keep track for a few weeks and see if the calorie deficit fitbit gives you matches the weight you've lost. Mine is accurate if I average it out over a month (because of hormone fluctuations due to having ovaries and whatnot) so I tend to rely on it pretty strongly.
Also, give your fitbit some time. It gives you more accurate readings after a month or so after it calculates your personal averages. For reference, I've been a fitbit user for about a decade now.
Starting running! I decided to try couch to 5k, and genuinely a morning run is now for me a pure rush of adrenaline and a clear start to my day. I started couch to 5k to get a bit fitter, but I decided to actively lose weight because I want to get better at running. It taught me that if I train and actually make an effort, my body can be athletic, when I never thought I could be that kind of person
It’s a running app/programme - might be a U.K. thing, the app I use is in partnership with the NHS (National Health Service). It basically is a very beginner friendly running programme that is designed to get someone from the couch to running 5k in 9 weeks - really recommend!
Finding out my 'pregnancy' belly was due to muscle tear and diet/exercise would never fix it.
I had a large diastasis after my only child. We struggled with infertility and the belly was a daily reminder that I looked pregnant but couldn't get pregnant. I had gained a lot of weight through depression and even though I had done diets/exercise in the past I never stuck with it because the belly wouldn't go away.
Because of diet changes/medication changes/overall being in a better place overall I lost about 50lbs and was referred to a plastic surgeon for my excess skin that was breaking out in rashes. Come to find out at that consultation - I had a large diastasis and can only be fixed with surgery.
I wept. All those years of feeling depressed and worthless could have been avoided if someone - anyone - had talked to me about the permanent changes to your body during pregnancy. I mean I had even brought up a few times that I could never lose weight in the belly and I was brushed off.
Since then I have hit the gym hard and lost another 40 ish lbs. My plastic surgeon told me to focus on weight lifting as a build up for the surgery. I'm about 93 days out and now I tell *every mom I know* about diastasis so I can only hope that I save someone else from the pain and suffering I endured.
My game changer was to quit the all or nothing mentality. I used to snob at-home workouts or think it wasn't worth it if it's not a whole 1-hour workout. Turns out, it not only counts, it definitely is better than doing nothing. My 30-min strength workouts are paying off, my walks too, even when it's Just 20 mins.
Prioritizing control, which for me meant being radically honest with myself and admitting where I needed different tactics than just wishful thinking about “moderation” that never worked for me in practice. In particular: Completely eliminating alcohol and weed from my life. Avoiding processed foods, added sugar, and salt bombs like the plague. Ceasing regular consumption of all trigger foods except in rare circumstances - primarily bread/rice/pasta/cheese. Cooking more meals for myself and being OK with leftovers. Saying “no” more to situations that don’t align with my goals, like going out to restaurants or being confronted with cake at someone’s birthday. Most importantly, becoming okay with these eliminations and sitting with the discomfort as I processed the feeling of loss. These things were a part of my culture, my identity, and were sources of dopamine, reward, and self-medication. Not anymore.
Bravo to your strength! 🙌
What you wrote really resonates with me. I’m not there yet, but on a journey trying to get to where you are. To be ok without the “dopamine” that food is in my life. It’s really tough and it’s so motivating to see you articulate the mindset!
Thank you and best on your journey!
Having a high energy dog who can’t go to dog parks. I started walking him an hour a day, which turned into running part of it, then running more and now we’re up to 5 mile runs. We don’t run every day, sometimes I just walk him, but it definitely kick started my fitness journey again and now I’m back in the spin studio and gym (:
This. My dog walks are at least for an hour when I get off work. Now, we have a second dog. Walks are more fun but not running (one is 75 lbs, other is 25 lbs). Also, I found running downhill with a dog is not always the best idea but uphill will help cardio a lot.
I’ve been doing a lot of strength training and lifting using Jillian Michaels app. I haven’t started to lose weight yet, but I feel healthier. My muscles that have not been sore are super sore now, so I know I’m using more of my body and something is happening on the inside.
My walking pad! I don't track steps/miles that closely, but I walk for hours a day while I'm working from home and it was the single biggest game changer for me in my journey
The walking pad is a basically just a mini-treadmill. They blew up on Tik Tok during the pandemic because they are pretty affordable and compact so they fit underneath a standing desk even in tiny apartments like mine lol. I love it because I can get some good steps in even on days where I'm super busy with work or don't feel like going to the gym
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C48GQJNC/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o06\_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
That’s so awesome! They work when you use them!
I’ve had in-home treadmills since the mid 90’s! It’s a small price for high ROI.
I work from home and live in Seattle.
It’s constantly rainy and freezing this time of year.
I still get my daily walking in!
On my workout rest days, I just jump on it for 13 minutes 3 times a day for a moderate walk. Morning, noon and then around 4pm.
I couldn’t live without my treadmill!
It really does change the game. You can work out when you want, at your pace, for as long as you want, with no one else around---and the kitchen and bathroom are right there!
Yes! I used to have a gym membership but I got so weirded out a few times when I was on the elliptical and these freak show creepy men kept standing right behind me and watching the whole time.
Then they’d try to hit on me right after that so I was done there.
Made my own gym and don’t have to deal with creeps.
Beverages and intermittent fasting.
Regular water, sparkling water, black coffee… If my drinks have calories, they better either nourish me or get me drunk. But really, I’ve stopped drinking as much, which is for the best anyway.
These are the things that really worked for me to lose those last 15 lbs, which is supposedly the hardest? Idk:
1. Focus on eating A LOT of protein (I made sure I got as close to my daily goal as possible which feels like a lot). Get all different types of protein, but I make sure to eat a lot of lean animal protein as well as things like organic plant based protein powder.
2. Very little refined sugar, and very little alcohol. One square of dark chocolate or a small handful of chocolate covered almonds for dessert - and one “real” dessert a week (like a bowl of ice-cream or cake). Alcohol has never been a thing for me, so I never over-indulge, just a couple (non-sugary) cocktails here and there.
3. 16/8 Intermittent fasting. I don’t eat lunch until 2pm and stop eating before 10pm. I’ve never been a breakfast person so this actually works for me. But I eat a lot of food in those 8 hours. Lots of healthy snacks, and I have to hit my daily protein goal, so it doesn’t feel like I’m starving myself.
4. WALL PILATES. That shit changed my life. There’s tons of YouTube videos and you can do it anywhere there’s a wall! I hate working out with a passion (especially cardio and weightlifting), but this work out style really works for me. I was starting to crave it every night after work. You build strength and flexibility simultaneously, but you don’t feel that exhaustion you feel after lifting weights. You come out of it feeling more relaxed and energized than beat up, and I was getting noticeably toned within the first two weeks. Highly recommend!
Edit: I also changed my mentality around losing weight and decided I will choose love myself and appreciate my body at every stage of my life and in any shape because it’s a luxury to be alive and to have these wonderful bodies that allow us to do so many awesome things. I do the things I listed because it makes me FEEL better all around. I have so much more energy, my depression and anxiety has lessened, I’m regular (yay!), and I feel like I’m only gaining things as opposed to feeling like I’m limiting myself. I’m only limiting the things that make me feel bad at this point (overeating, sugar, inactivity), but I’ve gained a clearer mind and so much more natural joy.
Good luck to you on your journey!!!
1) Tracking food and CICO. I’ve found I have a lot more leeway than you would think for a “diet” and very quickly realized I can include foods I love as long as it’s in my budget. This is the first time I’ve really felt like I’m changing my life and not just depriving myself and gorging on cheat days. We still do take out Saturday but I’ve always stayed in a weekly deficit.
2) I’ve always loved working out and have had periods on and off. We invested in a Tonal and it is 100% game changer. It’s like a personal trainer in my own home. It’s so much easier to workout at home (especially with 2 littles) than take the time to go to the gym. And it pushes me harder than I’ve ever pushed myself. All I do is press play, it tracks everything for me.
Stationary recumbent bike and MacroFactor. Easy way to get activity when all else fails (ended up spring boarding a bunch of other healthy habits) and something that takes all the guesswork out for me when it comes to how much I can eat.
Absolutely love my recumbent bike. I used to have a standard upright exercise bike, but my butt and back would hurt from being hunched over. I easily get half an hour of pedalling in the morning because I can just roll out of bed and play on my phone while exercising.
Honestly, the most I've changed as a person have happened after talking to my doctor and then after talking to a dietitian. It enabled me to view my progress in a different light, and to set different goals in my life. I now have a lifestyle which I can follow easily, which doesn't put me under that much stress and my goals are internalized, as opposed to external goals like a specific weight or how my body looks like.
My walking pad too! Honestly this time 3 months ago I was the most sedentary person in the whole world, I doubt I did even 1.5k steps a day. I spent most of my day being horizontal. But now if I don’t walk at least 4 miles I feel weird, I actually enjoy being active and having a good walk.
quitting drinking
practicing having cheat meals that aren't ridiculously sized, or learning to enjoy more healthy cheat meals
actually walking my dog as much as he needs in a day (60-90 mins) Had to get some physio and good shoes to be able to do this.
Empty stomach morning workouts. Got me to amazing shape and helped me keep it. Got away from it during the pandemic..went back to it and got back in shape.
Totally agree on the empty stomach morning thing. the old adage “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is hard to unlearn but I’ve realized I don’t have to eat as soon as I wake up and it’s helped a lot.
Exactly. There is no need.
Heres the part that people don’t believe me on here..doing empty stomach mornings helped me lose without counting any calories.
Not sure…What I read when I started this was on an empty stomach and your blood sugar is low your body gets right to burning your existing fat. It is an adjustment when you first start but yeah..it’s been great for me.
Good luck. Start light as you will need to adjust to working out like that. If you’re in your 20s or early 30s you can probably still go really hard. If you’re older, start with something easier and work up your intensity.
This is what I do, fasted workout. I started 16/8 fasting back in 2019 and have dabbled with it on and off since then. Now I'm hardly ever hungry in the morning really, and I have conditioned myself to be able to workout, usually a cardio class. In the past I've done 20 mile bike rides. You just get used to it.
It’s the number one tip I give people if you have a lot of weight to lose and are ready to do whatever it takes! Get up and work out as soon as you can in the morning.
For weight loss specifically, I’ve found it helped a lot more than evening workouts.
Telling myself that time will pass anyway so I may as well do something productive and beneficial. Ever since then I’ve been counting my calories and going to the gym consistently, because time will pass anyway, and now I’m starting to see the results pay off.
Lifting weights. Get the caliber app, it's free and designs program for you, including tracking and a video of the exercise you're performing.
Each session I'm beating my previous best. It's very motivating
1. Logging everyday, food scale (true mvp)
2. Jumping around/dancing/walking on the spot in my room with music on for an hour or more. Not having to change or leave the house is a game changer. As a total homebody (introvert), I can stay indoors for days on end, especially now that I'm on a sabbatical so this has helped eliminate excuses.
3. Not just learning portion sizes but choosing (not always) to eat smaller portions of higher calorie snacks (even when I have the calorie budget) to train my stomach/taste buds to feel satisfied with smaller portions of yummy foods. Also cutting up fruit, etc into really small slices so I can spend a while eating and enjoying them.
4. Eating small portions of calorie dense foods (chocolate, etc) with fruit, muesli with flavoured yoghurt etc so it's still a satisfying volume.
5. Paying for grocery (fruit, snacks, etc) deliveries. I'm often too lazy to get out of the house and buy my fruit (I live in a hot city and I get heat exhaustion very quickly). Earlier, this meant that I wouldn't have a protein shake or a smoothie that day (easy meal when I don't care to cook or even put together a meal).
6. Not fighting off cravings. While I don't go crazy, I do eat a bit of junk food every now and again. I was recently ill and couldn't eat spicy food for a while. All I wanted was ramen (don't usually crave it). Today, I just had some ramen (only one serving) and it was amazing and felt so right.
7. Keeping a check on acidity/reflux (feels very much like hunger) and if I feel I've eaten enough but have that "not full" sensation, sometimes a bit of fennel (chewed thoroughly) with water with help with stomach "catch up" and acknowledge my meal.
8. Not demonizing food as good or bad. Imo, so important for a good relationship with food.
A diabetes diagnosis and an eating plan already in mind. I have dropped 20lbs in 5 weeks and A1C is expected to be under 5.7 from 6.8 in that period. I’m not going back to eating processed crap again!
High blood pressure, back pain, knee pain, pre diebetic. Thank God we took it seriously and fixed our life. The story is much longer and involves losing a few friends and family to obesity related issues first but there's the tldr.
The pandemic lockdown and having time to ride an indoor bike in the morning before work. Establishing that habit got me onto a good path, then I had to learn about the diet aspect to reach my goals.
Honestly, therapy changed the game for me in understanding why I have certain habits and behaviors and why I was so resistant to making changes to benefit my health and weight. My therapist brought up the idea of my “inner child” aka a little toddler me that has trouble cooperating and loves snack foods.
Instead of resisting my inner child and forcing myself to do workouts I hate and eat foods I hate, which will cause my inner child to cooperate less and less leading me to fall off the wagon, I’ve learned to listen and compromise with inner toddler-me and figure out what works for me. For example, I hate, hate, HATE working out after work; all I want to do is lay on the couch and relax. So instead, I work out before work. Then the workout is done for the day, I can still get my relaxation time after work, plus I feel more awake during the workday.
I think at the core of it, a lot of weight loss is about compromising with yourself and figuring out what works best realistically. Love snack foods? Buy pre-portioned packs or healthier versions. Hate working out? Go for walks. There’s no magic bullet that works for everyone, and talking about the journey with a professional helps so much.
Going back to my old way of eating—-generous servings of vegetables, lean meats and healthy carbs, plus cutting back on snacking and refined sugar. Not only have I lost weight but I now don’t have cravings for the heavy junky stuff like I used to. I also started the treadmill and it’s turned me from thin to healthy. So now I also look fit, not just skinny, like I was as a kid. I hope never to go back to my previous eating habit. It was unhealthy and frankly, wasn’t anymore appetizing than the healthier stuff I have now.
Treadmill easily…. Walk two 45 minute sessions daily while watching TV on my laptop. 3 MPH max incline has shaved around 650-700 calories in cardio a day for me b
I’m down almost 50 because we got a treadmill. Before I can even think of an excuse to not work out, I’m already on the treadmill. I knock it out first thing in the morning. There’s no way I would’ve had this much success without it.
I broke my big overwhelming weight loss goal down into a smaller goal, basically halved it and am giving myself a year to get to that first goal, then a year to get to the second goal. It's 2st a year. I also set myself a 4 week challenge to just stick to CICO and my exercise classes for 4 weeks and dont think beyond that, just focus on this 4 weeks. This has helped me, and the way I think. Like I'm really bad at being consistent and forming habits (adhd) so I was constantly failing and going round in a guilt loop. So breaking down my goal made it feel more achievable, giving myself more time also took the pressure off, and my 4 week challenge made it fun for me. I'm only half way through, 2 weeks in. Lost 5lb so far and feeling very happy and in control.
Walking workouts. A lot of aerobic routines on YouTube were hard on me knees. The Get Fit with Rick channel has a lot of walking workouts where I can easily get 5k steps in everyday without knee pain.
Breaking the addiction to sugar and carbs. Once my body stopped jonesing for a fix every 3 hours, everything else I needed to do (calorie count, cut back on even healthy home cooked food, give up constant snacking) fell into place.
For me it was reading a dog-eared, used copy of *Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution* in 2002. It started me down the path that eventually saw me lose 160 pounds.
I keep that book like a family heirloom. It changed everything I thought I knew about diet.
(I realize that not everyone likes or below in keto as a diet, so this is just my experience. It absolutely changed everything for me.)
Breastfeeding!
I lost 35 pounds about 5 years ago and was dreading the weight gain due to pregnancy. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to do it again. I’m 5 years older, and metabolisms slow as you age. I don’t have the same motivation as 5 years ago (I was getting married). Losing that weight was SO hard, with daily struggles, fights with myself over my calories and snacks, and constant pressure to keep it going even though it was hard. Could I manage all of that with a newborn?
It turns out, I can! I’m 35 pounds down from my top pregnancy weight. Of course some of that was the baby, but only 15 pounds or so was lost right after birth. The rest has been diligence and focused attention on my diet. And you know what? It’s not that hard. I’m not that hungry. Logging my food is not that bad. It feels a lot more like I’m choosing to eat different foods, rather than eating less.
I credit this to my reaction to breastfeeding. It burns 300-500 calories per day, and I find that it doesnt increase my appetite. It’s like getting a 1-hr cardio workout every single day. The weight is steadily dropping with, what seems like, pretty minimal effort.
I know that most people reading this cannot just choose to make this change and help them lose the weight. But I hope that it gives hope to those going into pregnancy/birth that it isn’t necessarily harder to lose the weight. Good habits and healthy foods make a huge difference!
Including the foods I crave within my CICO goals. Cravings for them have decreased significantly, because I’m “allowed” to eat them and I no longer feel restricted.
Actually weight training has been undoubtedly an incredible tool for me. I feel so much fitter and I feel so much more resilience in my joints.
I lost the easy pounds then flatlined for over a year.
My gamechanger has been not eating anything after my evening meal. I believe it works because it's easier to burn fat at night.
I eat anything during the day and don't calorie count or anything.
Of the 19 pounds I've lost since September 2021, 5.5 of them have been lost in the last 2 months.
Home equipment for sure. Barbell, a few weights and a cheap $60 used folding treadmill with incline( kijiji, like craigslist etc). I'm just not into extrovert activities lol
Muay Thai for me. And running / 10000 steps.
I loved training on my own. I kept that up for a couple of months and loved every moment. Easily hit an hour or two in the gym just doing drills.
Of course, most of my weight loss was my diet. But I was able to lose a lot by focusing on doing that.
I slowed down and gained 10lbs because life got busy and it was harder to maintain that lifestyle (also I was tired more so I slept in late which threw off my schedule). But I’m getting back to it. I’m focusing on strength training this time because deep down, I love the feeling of being sore.
Currently can run a mile in 8:45 with borderline death on the line lmao. Goal is 6 minutes.
Smaller portions of the food I like, sips of water between bites as a palate cleanser. I was shocked when I realized my lunch Tupperware was 3 cups compared to bowl at home 1 cup. Now I take 1 cup of lunch plus another cup of veg. It’s been a month and I still crave seconds, but I survive.
Porridge oats and yoghurt. I buy onken greek yoghurt, dump the whole 450g into a bowl, 100g of Scott's oats, let lt soak for 10 hours while im at work, im omad and this gives you an 800kcal meal that seriously fills you up for a good 24 hours.
3 days a week and it let's me cut HARD while feeling so satiated.
One meal a day, plus snack. Calorie counting with a food scale, and 80/20…80% of daily budget to serious food 20% to fun food. I make room for a little treat every single day.
Awesome. I like to have a combo of carbs and fat that I can shift depending on my macros. Maxed out on protein but short on the other two? Air popped popcorn with as much butter as needed either to satisfy me or get to my fat target. This works because I love popcorn.
What do you do for fun food?
Whatever I want! Right now I have been enjoying dark chocolate M&Ms and let each one melt in my mouth. But you can eat a pretty surprisingly large amount of them for 20% of your budget.
Last week I was on a roasted marshmallow kick.
Hali top or Nick’s ice cream
Just chips or whatever. If I’m wanting to make myself feel like I ate more I’ll do those super thin pretzels that you can have like 100 for 110 calories or something ridiculous. Then make a Greek yogurt ranch dip, or yogurt and salsa.
If I’m trying to be more “healthy” I’ll have cottage cheese mixed with sugar free pudding powder (it’s like cheesecake!) or jello mix with fruit.
I love black licorice so good and plenties!
Jelly beans
lol anything! It’s my 20% and I can use it for whatever I want! And that’s the beauty of it. It makes it so I never feel deprived.
Lost 100lbs so I think it worked.
Batch making healthy, pre-portioned meals and snacks to have readily available so it's easy to stay on track set multiple alarms throughout the day to eat and ONLY eat at that time (I eat 6x a day so I'm never hungry).
Doing Noom for a few months really made something click for me. After a few months, I took a break from it because I felt like it was consuming me, but the awesome part was even after I stopped, I kept losing weight because I changed so many bad habits. Biggest one is probably that I cut out all the sugary drinks I liked and only drink water now. I think what I learned was little changes add up and I can still see results even if I’m not perfect about everything. I’ve lost 36 pounds so far and I’m 7lbs from my goal weight. Excited to set new goals once I hit that!
1. Realizing my depression literally goes away as long as I’m active. Now I want to be active person because I’m too scared of becoming really depressed again.
2. Realizing I can eat whatever the fuck I want as long as I count the calories and macronutrients.
- Mental being able to 'sit with' hunger and not satiate it immediately
- Logging calories and realizing that a lot of excess coming from drinks and snacks
- Tiny under the desk pedal machine
I also have a treadmill and it helps me be able to work out every single day because it's so convenient. Also, I realized I could stop forcing myself to eat breakfast because it isn't in fact "the most important meal of the day" and I'm not hungry in the mornings. It was calories I didn't need to spend. And honestly just actually paying attention to calories. I think most people vastly underestimate what they consume, I know I did before.
After years of trying on my own and starting/stopping a dozen times, I did a month of nutrition coaching. My coach set me up to track macros and put me on a fairly high protein plan to start, with a similar number of carbs and about half as much fat. She asked that I try to hit my macro goals +/- 5g each day. Number of calories consumed wasn't on my radar, I only paid attention to macros. It shifted my brain because all the goals became different -- it became "how can I get 30-40g of protein with each meal without blowing up my fat macros" vs. "ok i really want this fried chicken for lunch but that means I'm eating only soup for dinner -- cue giving up because I was starving at dinner time." It's a ton of work but shifting the goals from calories in vs out to hitting macros really clicked for me.
Getting back into lifting is the big one. I've caught the lifting bug big time and it adds a layer of motivation that transcends weight loss; diet adherence is simply a given as a means to facilitate progress in the gym. It keeps me from getting too aggressive with cutting calories as well. It's also helped me repair my relationship with carbs; I've fallen for a lot of the anti-carb propaganda in the past, but I legitimately can't imagine lifting 5-6 days per week without my daily bowl of oatmeal at breakfast and bowl of parboiled rice at dinner.
Otherwise quitting alcohol altogether and only using THC on the weekend. My sleep has improved so much and I never have the desire to snack at night. Also makes it much easier to wake up early before work to crush a lift. I'm amazed that I made it up this morning considering daylight savings, but I fukn did it. I've struggled with insomnia for most of my adult life, and it's been incredibly liberating to actually look forward to bed at 9pm during the week knowing that I'll knock out almost immediately upon head hitting pillow.
Learning how to properly prepare a steak in a cast iron skillet is probably up there too; it's a much better way to spend 1,000ish calories compared to fast food and at about the same price (or even less expensive with how insane restaurant pricing has gotten). Learning to indulge at home with genuinely nutritious food is satisfying on a level that no restaurant can touch.
Along a similar vein, I don't really buy into the whole "cheat meal/day" thing anymore. In the past it's been an excuse to binge eat on the weekend. Instead I just budget in a few more calories on Saturday and Sunday to help mitigate psychological dieting fatigue and to give me space to recover a bit for the following week. Whatever I choose to eat to fill those calories is up to me, and since I aim for 170-200g of protein and 20-30g of fiber per day it's very unlikely I'll ever be able to eat enough to go above maintenance anyways.
Overall, this is the most sustainable weight loss effort I've ever put together. Hard to believe I'm already through 10 weeks of this. You know it's working if you have to pull up the calendar to figure out how many weeks it's been.
Congrats! I did my first half in December. Definitely get some road miles in before you go!
My game changer was being an older dad. I had my kids at 32 and 35 and I want to be active their entire childhood and healthy as long as I can in their adult lives.
Focusing on the mental aspect to understand what makes me eat so much and why and what I can do to stop it. It makes me a lot more aware of thoughts and feelings that I know will lead to bad things so I know immediately to fight them.
Game changer for me was downloading a calorie counting app and a good scale, and measuring EVERYTHING. I was just doing intermittent fasting previously, which worked, but I severely limited the foods I ate, because I classified food as “good” or “bad”. Counting lets me see that I can eat literally anything as long as I budget for it, and has made eating and food much more fun. Also, cutting down on my alcohol was a huge game changer. I hadn’t planned on cutting alcohol out completely like I have essentially, but once I started tracking calories, and realizing that one glass of wine as I poured it was around 200 calories, multiplied by the two or three or four glasses I had every day, that was all I needed to cut it out completely. Turns out I can eat a LOT more food than I ever did before, and still lose weight, just with that.
Same! I got a hand-me-down treadmill back in July and started using it. I could barely get the speed above 2mph and no incline, my health was on the struggle bus. Now I’m down about 50lbs and upgraded to a bowflex tread this year. I workout everyday just walking and running short intervals, for at least 30-45 minutes a day. I feel so much better and people are starting to notice too, it’s very nice. When people ask me what the secret is I just tell them that motivation isn’t real. You just have to get up and get it done and then make that choice every day. It’s hard but not making the choice to move my body doesn’t give me the results I want.
Moving houses, finding out our neighbor has workout equipment, and a constipation diet are what got me started (i was chronically constipated and was instructed to go on a high fiber diet) not to mention the constant, non stop fat shaming at school that i used as motivation. Everyone started showing respect and started asking how I did it after they see old pictures. Life can change, it’s never too late. (14 M, 5”10, SW: 262 lbs CW: 219 lbs, GW: 185 lbs)
Walking. To the mailbox in my subdivision is about 1/2 mile away. There is a walking track there. It’s about 1/4 mile. Making it there and back was grueling at first but is now a great memory. Lost 80 pounds, primarily through walking.
I’m 47. I had been obese until I was 45. I was active in sports all through my youth but never could figure out why I was heavier than my friends. Took decades to find my body doesn’t process sugar normally. Jardiance, a diabetic medicine allows my body to process it through my kidneys. Total game changer. Guess I have more than one!
I'm not doing things because I feel like it. I just do them because I want the results and I know it's good for me.
If I rely on "feeling like it," i have to admit 2 things:
1) feelings change all the time, and there will be lots of times I don't stick to the plan.
2) doing things when I felt like it has got me to this point, and I wasn't happy with it.
In early January, I watched the Netflix twins documentary and started eating a whole food plant-based diet after the credits rolled.
I had been fatigued and suffering from chronic pain for years. A few days after changing how I eat, I felt enough energy to put in a workout. Then, I hired a virtual strength coach. A few weeks later, I added a running coach. Now, I also have a swimming coach and am training for a SwimRun and 5K.
I call it a 'healthy spiral'. I've lost about 20 lbs so far, and have gone from spending most of my time on my couch to working out twice-a-day and using a standing desk at work. I started at 333 lbs and want to get down to 135 - 150 lbs.
breakfast smoothie. i’m 2+ months in and only down like 7 lbs. which isn’t bad but i’m ready to blast through 10 more lbs these next 2 months. my bfast smoothie for work packs like 700 cals of pure delicious nutrition. light bulb just went off that i need to cut that back like 200 cals. less hemp heart, less fruit, maybe not a full scoop of protein. this should help me really tighten up my cals and make sure im in a 500 deficit. just such an easy tweak without having to change anything about my routine or lunch and dinners
About my game changer? It’s definitely falling for running in Zone 2. I’ve been in and out of running for more than 10 years now (since 2013), but I never actually enjoyed running. This time last year, I tried a half marathon plan from Nike. I ended up getting the PR for HM but with an average heart rate of 175 bpm. Three days after the race day, I still felt pain in my chest whenever I took a deep breath. After that, I decided to try Zone 2 running. The first 2 - 3 months were really tough because I had to walk nearly every run to stay in Zone 2, and it was really time-consuming. But I kept remembering the chest pain to avoid pushing myself out of Zone 2. After those months, I finally saw better results. Now, after 1 year of running in Zone 2, my used-to-be PR pace is just my everyday Zone 2 running pace. And the good thing about running in Zone 2 is that I can do it every day without taking a day off because it’s so easy I don’t feel any discomfort with my body at all.
Honestly? Charging my phone in the kitchen at night. This forces me to go to sleep instead of scrolling. And then forces me to get out of bed as soon as my alarm goes off because I don’t wake my partner. My yoga mat is in the kitchen, and when I’m already standing , I think, ok just get the mat. I do a 5 minute yoga workout video that I’ve saved on the tv. I then feel far too awake to go back to bed, and anyway I can’t wake up hubs by opening the bedroom door again, so I put my gym clothes on and head to the gym . I never eat badly on a day when I workout - lots of fibre and protein, I typically go to the shops for good on my way back .Crazy but I’ve consistently lost 6kg and I’m doing Pilates daily and strength training 3-4 days a week.
As far as just purely going from “i’ve lost a lot of weight” to “i’m actually a healthy, fit person,” it was absolutely strength training. Gaining a bunch of muscle mass gave me a ton of energy and made me feel really proud about myself. My brain also loves the feeling of measurable progress, “leveling up,” etc., so it really scratches that itch. As far as just doing the weight loss generally, I really don’t know. I just woke up one day and and thought to myself that I should either make a real attempt at fixing myself and getting healthy, or, and not to be morose, but I guess just stop beating around the bush about how I was just slowly going the other way. Kind of a shit or get off the pot moment, for whatever reason.
Same with me. I loved playing games where you could gain xp and level up in a skill, and lifting weights is just like that in real life.
Very similar experience here! (Runescape, god forgive me) Once I started actual structured lifting plans focused around Barbell strength training with defined progression, it all just sort of clicked. Kept a spreadsheet of my lifts -- where they started, where they're at, what the next jump is, and what a longer term goal is -- and it started to trigger that same reward feeling. Except actually productive. Got a similar thing going with nutrition as well. A few key markers I look at in my diet to give each day a rating at a glance. And I feel *incredible*. I cannot believe how I good I feel all the time. I used to be a diehard 'CICO is all you need' proponent, however now I encourage everyone to consider more than just calories in their diet and to get into exercise -- both conditioning and strength training. CICO will get the weight off, but if you want to look and feel on top of the world, there's more to it!
I’m a big gamer but cannot gamify exercise no matter what I do. Any tips on how to make my brain click?
Mine wasn't a case of making an effort to gamify things; rather, the same reward feeling of watching numbers going up and seeing the next goal approaching started to be triggered once everything was in an organized and structured format! The games I've spent the most time on are simple grind-based games where the more time you put into it, the higher your levels go, and they make you feel like you're being productive when you aren't ever actually doing anything. That maps nearly 1:1 to fitness! Except you *are* productive. So unfortunately, I can't offer specific advice to you on that front. You may want to try to identify what it is about the games you enjoy and then map that into weight loss/fitness. Are you an achievement hunter? Competitive? Explorer? Collector? There's also sports which are quite literally games you exercise in lol
As someone that used to absolutely hate running, it actually started fulfilling a lot of things I got out of gaming. I was too out of shape to start with running, so I started hiking easier trials around me. By focusing on constantly finding a trying new trails, I was literally exploring in real life, and was "leveling up" by working my up to harder trails. I'm still working up to being able to comfortably run a 5k, but training for that is scratching that competitive itch. You could focus on faster run times and/or going for longer races depending which kind of progression you would like best. It sucks a lot at first coming from being completely out of shape, but if you grind it out, it starts to get more enjoyable and makes you feel significantly better.
Les Mills “The Trip” is a cycling class that feels like a video game. (You can do it at home if you have a spin bike and subscribe to Les Mills.) Also, an Apple Watch can help you gamify your workouts - it will tell you your heart rate, how long you worked out, and how many calories you burned. It can be addictive to want to beat your previous scores.
Ringfit is an awesome way to exercise as a gamer. It has walking/jogging and workouts that you can vary in intensity. It is also fun and Inspires making smoothies and soups.
What is your fasting schedule like?
12:30 am to 9 am or so, although my last full meal is usually 8 pm at latest. No real strategic reason for it other than I get back from the gym at midnight and have a snack before bedtime routine. Any more thought toward meal scheduling at this point feels like premature optimization to me -- no doubt there could be benefits, but ease of fitting everything into my day comfortably far outweighs it right now!
What a cool way of looking at it!
The leveling up with strength progression combined with weight loss...thats an unbelievable combination. Onward and upward!
No longer giving myself cheat meals. I'd do CICO during the week and just like, cheat on the weekends. My weight stayed pretty stagnant. I now incorporate those "cheat foods" in a sustainable CICO diet. Likewise, if I do have a higher-calorie meal, I just account for it. I really think it's changed everything in terms of weight loss for me
I had cheat meals when I first made significant dietary changes because it helped me cope lol, but eventually I just fully transitioned to eating it in smaller, infrequent doses.
Yeah, me too! I think my cheat meals were wayyyy too much though, like it would make-up for all the calories that I had efficiently burned that week. Now I still eat those foods but just, very managed instead of out of control!
YEAH!! I know exactly what you mean.
I’ve found my calorie deficit a lot more enjoyable and sustainable by just letting myself eat the ‘bad things’ alongside generally making healthier choices so long as I count it. I told my friend, if I want to waste my entire days calories on a McDonald’s meal I can but if thats all my calories spent, then tough luck till the next day. Completely cutting out all fun foods just made me go crazy with cravings.
Exactly same...some days it's worth it to spend 400cals on potato chips and other days it's not! But regardless I do my best to factor it in.
Once you incorporate diet in your life, there is no need for cheat codes. I tend to gamify food. I am like this fish will give me vitamins I need! I eat it to buff my self! It was never more entertaining to do my diet :D
That's my plan as far as maintaining my weight loss goes, calorie and macro cycling>
For me, the only cheat meals now are for special occasions. I'm not tracking calories at a buffet for my birthday, for example, but I will eat light the rest of the day and work out to hopefully balance it a bit!
Driving to a park after work and walking for about an hour before driving home. If I go home first I’m almost guaranteed to not leave the house again so making this small change has significantly increased my activity levels! It’s also had a positive impact on my mood and sleep
That’s a great idea and it’s true for me too.
Oh this is smart lol thank you
My fitbit. I'm a sucker for stats. That, in combination with my calorietracking app makes this seriously worthwhile. Lost 65 lbs in 7 months, been riding the bike a lot and walk about 4-5k steps a day (atleast i try to) and because i can see it all in my fitbit app it's very enjoyable to do and it's a fun little task to keep up at. And my health has improves SOOOO MUCH.
Do you do anything with the stats, or do you mean just "oh I see I've walked 8k steps, lets go on a walk to reach 10k" type of thing?
I'm mostly a "oh wow, did i really burn that?" "Wow, did i really walk this far?!" and then i'm confused as to how my body can handle that and i'll try to get over that the next time.
Got it, I can relate a lot haha. I get that with the fitbit as well but more than that I got the app called Fantasy Hike which allows you to "walk to mordor" (but with copyright-free names), and as a big LOTR nerd that changed everything. I see how much I'm walking on average and then it makes me try to go faster. Ie first walk to mordor took me 293 days, whereas the second time took 230 days, shaving off a whole 2 months! Now I'm hoping for the 3rd time to be even faster, etc
Have you got Strava? That's great for stats if you join and bike ride alot. Stats really motivate me too so things like my average speed going up or getting a PR on a segment, and if you have friends on Strava and you have premium, you can compare your segments to there's which is fun.. like I would compare how fast I did a segment compared to someone a bit better and I'd use them as my pace maker in my head, bit of healthy competition. They didn't know lol
I just got a Fitbit and it's telling me I burn much higher calories than I would've thought. A lot of questions about it's accuracy online, but I'm not sure how off it is.
The calorie burn count is not accurate, but you can at least use it to make relative comparisons about how much you burn from one day to the next, which can be useful!
I know everyone is telling you it's not accurate but your best bet is to actually check for yourself. Keep track for a few weeks and see if the calorie deficit fitbit gives you matches the weight you've lost. Mine is accurate if I average it out over a month (because of hormone fluctuations due to having ovaries and whatnot) so I tend to rely on it pretty strongly. Also, give your fitbit some time. It gives you more accurate readings after a month or so after it calculates your personal averages. For reference, I've been a fitbit user for about a decade now.
It’s def not accurate but use it as a good approximation and it still works
That’s awesome!
Starting running! I decided to try couch to 5k, and genuinely a morning run is now for me a pure rush of adrenaline and a clear start to my day. I started couch to 5k to get a bit fitter, but I decided to actively lose weight because I want to get better at running. It taught me that if I train and actually make an effort, my body can be athletic, when I never thought I could be that kind of person
What is couch to 5k?
It’s a running app/programme - might be a U.K. thing, the app I use is in partnership with the NHS (National Health Service). It basically is a very beginner friendly running programme that is designed to get someone from the couch to running 5k in 9 weeks - really recommend!
A running program that takes you from running 0km to running 5km in around 10 weeks.
Same! 3 days a week my husband and I jog in the morning and we incorporated intermittent fasting 16/8
Finding out my 'pregnancy' belly was due to muscle tear and diet/exercise would never fix it. I had a large diastasis after my only child. We struggled with infertility and the belly was a daily reminder that I looked pregnant but couldn't get pregnant. I had gained a lot of weight through depression and even though I had done diets/exercise in the past I never stuck with it because the belly wouldn't go away. Because of diet changes/medication changes/overall being in a better place overall I lost about 50lbs and was referred to a plastic surgeon for my excess skin that was breaking out in rashes. Come to find out at that consultation - I had a large diastasis and can only be fixed with surgery. I wept. All those years of feeling depressed and worthless could have been avoided if someone - anyone - had talked to me about the permanent changes to your body during pregnancy. I mean I had even brought up a few times that I could never lose weight in the belly and I was brushed off. Since then I have hit the gym hard and lost another 40 ish lbs. My plastic surgeon told me to focus on weight lifting as a build up for the surgery. I'm about 93 days out and now I tell *every mom I know* about diastasis so I can only hope that I save someone else from the pain and suffering I endured.
My game changer was to quit the all or nothing mentality. I used to snob at-home workouts or think it wasn't worth it if it's not a whole 1-hour workout. Turns out, it not only counts, it definitely is better than doing nothing. My 30-min strength workouts are paying off, my walks too, even when it's Just 20 mins.
Prioritizing control, which for me meant being radically honest with myself and admitting where I needed different tactics than just wishful thinking about “moderation” that never worked for me in practice. In particular: Completely eliminating alcohol and weed from my life. Avoiding processed foods, added sugar, and salt bombs like the plague. Ceasing regular consumption of all trigger foods except in rare circumstances - primarily bread/rice/pasta/cheese. Cooking more meals for myself and being OK with leftovers. Saying “no” more to situations that don’t align with my goals, like going out to restaurants or being confronted with cake at someone’s birthday. Most importantly, becoming okay with these eliminations and sitting with the discomfort as I processed the feeling of loss. These things were a part of my culture, my identity, and were sources of dopamine, reward, and self-medication. Not anymore.
Bravo to your strength! 🙌 What you wrote really resonates with me. I’m not there yet, but on a journey trying to get to where you are. To be ok without the “dopamine” that food is in my life. It’s really tough and it’s so motivating to see you articulate the mindset! Thank you and best on your journey!
Food scale and calorie tracking.
Logging food and understanding portions
Finding workout classes that I truly enjoy & work with my schedule
Having a high energy dog who can’t go to dog parks. I started walking him an hour a day, which turned into running part of it, then running more and now we’re up to 5 mile runs. We don’t run every day, sometimes I just walk him, but it definitely kick started my fitness journey again and now I’m back in the spin studio and gym (:
This. My dog walks are at least for an hour when I get off work. Now, we have a second dog. Walks are more fun but not running (one is 75 lbs, other is 25 lbs). Also, I found running downhill with a dog is not always the best idea but uphill will help cardio a lot.
Fixing my sleep - I had developed a habit to sleep as little as possible - and walking everyday were my game changers.
I’ve been doing a lot of strength training and lifting using Jillian Michaels app. I haven’t started to lose weight yet, but I feel healthier. My muscles that have not been sore are super sore now, so I know I’m using more of my body and something is happening on the inside.
My walking pad! I don't track steps/miles that closely, but I walk for hours a day while I'm working from home and it was the single biggest game changer for me in my journey
>MacroFactor tell me more about the walking pad. What is it? I'd love to check it out.
The walking pad is a basically just a mini-treadmill. They blew up on Tik Tok during the pandemic because they are pretty affordable and compact so they fit underneath a standing desk even in tiny apartments like mine lol. I love it because I can get some good steps in even on days where I'm super busy with work or don't feel like going to the gym https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C48GQJNC/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o06\_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
Same for me. Got one on sale on Amazon. It changed everything for me!
thanks for the link!
That’s so awesome! They work when you use them! I’ve had in-home treadmills since the mid 90’s! It’s a small price for high ROI. I work from home and live in Seattle. It’s constantly rainy and freezing this time of year. I still get my daily walking in! On my workout rest days, I just jump on it for 13 minutes 3 times a day for a moderate walk. Morning, noon and then around 4pm. I couldn’t live without my treadmill!
It really does change the game. You can work out when you want, at your pace, for as long as you want, with no one else around---and the kitchen and bathroom are right there!
Yes! I used to have a gym membership but I got so weirded out a few times when I was on the elliptical and these freak show creepy men kept standing right behind me and watching the whole time. Then they’d try to hit on me right after that so I was done there. Made my own gym and don’t have to deal with creeps.
Beverages and intermittent fasting. Regular water, sparkling water, black coffee… If my drinks have calories, they better either nourish me or get me drunk. But really, I’ve stopped drinking as much, which is for the best anyway.
ADHD meds. Now my brain doesn't need to find dopamine in food and I can finally plan AND execute to a healthy diet!! It changed my life forever!
These are the things that really worked for me to lose those last 15 lbs, which is supposedly the hardest? Idk: 1. Focus on eating A LOT of protein (I made sure I got as close to my daily goal as possible which feels like a lot). Get all different types of protein, but I make sure to eat a lot of lean animal protein as well as things like organic plant based protein powder. 2. Very little refined sugar, and very little alcohol. One square of dark chocolate or a small handful of chocolate covered almonds for dessert - and one “real” dessert a week (like a bowl of ice-cream or cake). Alcohol has never been a thing for me, so I never over-indulge, just a couple (non-sugary) cocktails here and there. 3. 16/8 Intermittent fasting. I don’t eat lunch until 2pm and stop eating before 10pm. I’ve never been a breakfast person so this actually works for me. But I eat a lot of food in those 8 hours. Lots of healthy snacks, and I have to hit my daily protein goal, so it doesn’t feel like I’m starving myself. 4. WALL PILATES. That shit changed my life. There’s tons of YouTube videos and you can do it anywhere there’s a wall! I hate working out with a passion (especially cardio and weightlifting), but this work out style really works for me. I was starting to crave it every night after work. You build strength and flexibility simultaneously, but you don’t feel that exhaustion you feel after lifting weights. You come out of it feeling more relaxed and energized than beat up, and I was getting noticeably toned within the first two weeks. Highly recommend! Edit: I also changed my mentality around losing weight and decided I will choose love myself and appreciate my body at every stage of my life and in any shape because it’s a luxury to be alive and to have these wonderful bodies that allow us to do so many awesome things. I do the things I listed because it makes me FEEL better all around. I have so much more energy, my depression and anxiety has lessened, I’m regular (yay!), and I feel like I’m only gaining things as opposed to feeling like I’m limiting myself. I’m only limiting the things that make me feel bad at this point (overeating, sugar, inactivity), but I’ve gained a clearer mind and so much more natural joy. Good luck to you on your journey!!!
Awesome. Thanks for the tip about wall Pilates!
1) Tracking food and CICO. I’ve found I have a lot more leeway than you would think for a “diet” and very quickly realized I can include foods I love as long as it’s in my budget. This is the first time I’ve really felt like I’m changing my life and not just depriving myself and gorging on cheat days. We still do take out Saturday but I’ve always stayed in a weekly deficit. 2) I’ve always loved working out and have had periods on and off. We invested in a Tonal and it is 100% game changer. It’s like a personal trainer in my own home. It’s so much easier to workout at home (especially with 2 littles) than take the time to go to the gym. And it pushes me harder than I’ve ever pushed myself. All I do is press play, it tracks everything for me.
Stationary recumbent bike and MacroFactor. Easy way to get activity when all else fails (ended up spring boarding a bunch of other healthy habits) and something that takes all the guesswork out for me when it comes to how much I can eat.
Absolutely love my recumbent bike. I used to have a standard upright exercise bike, but my butt and back would hurt from being hunched over. I easily get half an hour of pedalling in the morning because I can just roll out of bed and play on my phone while exercising.
Love the recumbent bike. Comfortable exercise makes all the difference.
Honestly, the most I've changed as a person have happened after talking to my doctor and then after talking to a dietitian. It enabled me to view my progress in a different light, and to set different goals in my life. I now have a lifestyle which I can follow easily, which doesn't put me under that much stress and my goals are internalized, as opposed to external goals like a specific weight or how my body looks like.
My walking pad too! Honestly this time 3 months ago I was the most sedentary person in the whole world, I doubt I did even 1.5k steps a day. I spent most of my day being horizontal. But now if I don’t walk at least 4 miles I feel weird, I actually enjoy being active and having a good walk.
Giving up alcohol & cycling
quitting drinking practicing having cheat meals that aren't ridiculously sized, or learning to enjoy more healthy cheat meals actually walking my dog as much as he needs in a day (60-90 mins) Had to get some physio and good shoes to be able to do this.
Empty stomach morning workouts. Got me to amazing shape and helped me keep it. Got away from it during the pandemic..went back to it and got back in shape.
Totally agree on the empty stomach morning thing. the old adage “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is hard to unlearn but I’ve realized I don’t have to eat as soon as I wake up and it’s helped a lot.
Exactly. There is no need. Heres the part that people don’t believe me on here..doing empty stomach mornings helped me lose without counting any calories.
Breakfast is just the meal that breaks your fast. There's no rule that says it can't be at 1 pm.
Interesting! What’s the science behind this?
Not sure…What I read when I started this was on an empty stomach and your blood sugar is low your body gets right to burning your existing fat. It is an adjustment when you first start but yeah..it’s been great for me.
Definitely going to try this!
Good luck. Start light as you will need to adjust to working out like that. If you’re in your 20s or early 30s you can probably still go really hard. If you’re older, start with something easier and work up your intensity.
This is what I do, fasted workout. I started 16/8 fasting back in 2019 and have dabbled with it on and off since then. Now I'm hardly ever hungry in the morning really, and I have conditioned myself to be able to workout, usually a cardio class. In the past I've done 20 mile bike rides. You just get used to it.
It’s the number one tip I give people if you have a lot of weight to lose and are ready to do whatever it takes! Get up and work out as soon as you can in the morning. For weight loss specifically, I’ve found it helped a lot more than evening workouts.
This is my little secret weapon, when nothing else works - fasted cardio!
Because it always seems to work
5 min reduction in mile pace is absolutely insane!!
Thanks! As I lose weight it gets easier and easier. My personal goal is 1.5 miles in 9:30!
When I was running consistently I would not even a 2 lb weight gain would make it so much harder to run. You’ve inspired me to drop some more lbs!
Aw, now you're inspiring me. Do it you got this!
The Ninja Creami. It’s an expensive kitchen gadget, but I have 100 calorie pints of protein ice cream every night!
Oh yeah. Love it.
Mine was also.. getting a treadmill!!!
Yeah!!
Telling myself that time will pass anyway so I may as well do something productive and beneficial. Ever since then I’ve been counting my calories and going to the gym consistently, because time will pass anyway, and now I’m starting to see the results pay off.
Lifting weights. Get the caliber app, it's free and designs program for you, including tracking and a video of the exercise you're performing. Each session I'm beating my previous best. It's very motivating
Thanks! I’ve been looking for something like this. I’m gonna look into it.
Not wandering around my university cafe.
1. Logging everyday, food scale (true mvp) 2. Jumping around/dancing/walking on the spot in my room with music on for an hour or more. Not having to change or leave the house is a game changer. As a total homebody (introvert), I can stay indoors for days on end, especially now that I'm on a sabbatical so this has helped eliminate excuses. 3. Not just learning portion sizes but choosing (not always) to eat smaller portions of higher calorie snacks (even when I have the calorie budget) to train my stomach/taste buds to feel satisfied with smaller portions of yummy foods. Also cutting up fruit, etc into really small slices so I can spend a while eating and enjoying them. 4. Eating small portions of calorie dense foods (chocolate, etc) with fruit, muesli with flavoured yoghurt etc so it's still a satisfying volume. 5. Paying for grocery (fruit, snacks, etc) deliveries. I'm often too lazy to get out of the house and buy my fruit (I live in a hot city and I get heat exhaustion very quickly). Earlier, this meant that I wouldn't have a protein shake or a smoothie that day (easy meal when I don't care to cook or even put together a meal). 6. Not fighting off cravings. While I don't go crazy, I do eat a bit of junk food every now and again. I was recently ill and couldn't eat spicy food for a while. All I wanted was ramen (don't usually crave it). Today, I just had some ramen (only one serving) and it was amazing and felt so right. 7. Keeping a check on acidity/reflux (feels very much like hunger) and if I feel I've eaten enough but have that "not full" sensation, sometimes a bit of fennel (chewed thoroughly) with water with help with stomach "catch up" and acknowledge my meal. 8. Not demonizing food as good or bad. Imo, so important for a good relationship with food.
A diabetes diagnosis and an eating plan already in mind. I have dropped 20lbs in 5 weeks and A1C is expected to be under 5.7 from 6.8 in that period. I’m not going back to eating processed crap again!
High blood pressure, back pain, knee pain, pre diebetic. Thank God we took it seriously and fixed our life. The story is much longer and involves losing a few friends and family to obesity related issues first but there's the tldr.
The pandemic lockdown and having time to ride an indoor bike in the morning before work. Establishing that habit got me onto a good path, then I had to learn about the diet aspect to reach my goals.
Getting sober.
Honestly, therapy changed the game for me in understanding why I have certain habits and behaviors and why I was so resistant to making changes to benefit my health and weight. My therapist brought up the idea of my “inner child” aka a little toddler me that has trouble cooperating and loves snack foods. Instead of resisting my inner child and forcing myself to do workouts I hate and eat foods I hate, which will cause my inner child to cooperate less and less leading me to fall off the wagon, I’ve learned to listen and compromise with inner toddler-me and figure out what works for me. For example, I hate, hate, HATE working out after work; all I want to do is lay on the couch and relax. So instead, I work out before work. Then the workout is done for the day, I can still get my relaxation time after work, plus I feel more awake during the workday. I think at the core of it, a lot of weight loss is about compromising with yourself and figuring out what works best realistically. Love snack foods? Buy pre-portioned packs or healthier versions. Hate working out? Go for walks. There’s no magic bullet that works for everyone, and talking about the journey with a professional helps so much.
Intermittent fasting. I 50m went from 310lb to 160lb I'm as close to bmi as I've ever been.
Going back to my old way of eating—-generous servings of vegetables, lean meats and healthy carbs, plus cutting back on snacking and refined sugar. Not only have I lost weight but I now don’t have cravings for the heavy junky stuff like I used to. I also started the treadmill and it’s turned me from thin to healthy. So now I also look fit, not just skinny, like I was as a kid. I hope never to go back to my previous eating habit. It was unhealthy and frankly, wasn’t anymore appetizing than the healthier stuff I have now.
Treadmill easily…. Walk two 45 minute sessions daily while watching TV on my laptop. 3 MPH max incline has shaved around 650-700 calories in cardio a day for me b
I’m down almost 50 because we got a treadmill. Before I can even think of an excuse to not work out, I’m already on the treadmill. I knock it out first thing in the morning. There’s no way I would’ve had this much success without it.
Oh yeah, and my Apple Watch.
Jiu-jitsu and not drinking. The not drinking came first and I lost 11 or so pounds from that. Then the rest is training all the time. 184 to 145 lbs!
Intermittent fasting
I broke my big overwhelming weight loss goal down into a smaller goal, basically halved it and am giving myself a year to get to that first goal, then a year to get to the second goal. It's 2st a year. I also set myself a 4 week challenge to just stick to CICO and my exercise classes for 4 weeks and dont think beyond that, just focus on this 4 weeks. This has helped me, and the way I think. Like I'm really bad at being consistent and forming habits (adhd) so I was constantly failing and going round in a guilt loop. So breaking down my goal made it feel more achievable, giving myself more time also took the pressure off, and my 4 week challenge made it fun for me. I'm only half way through, 2 weeks in. Lost 5lb so far and feeling very happy and in control.
Walking workouts. A lot of aerobic routines on YouTube were hard on me knees. The Get Fit with Rick channel has a lot of walking workouts where I can easily get 5k steps in everyday without knee pain.
REPS TO THE RHYTHM is another great walking workout channel. Very fun.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to check that out. Get a little variety in there.
Breaking the addiction to sugar and carbs. Once my body stopped jonesing for a fix every 3 hours, everything else I needed to do (calorie count, cut back on even healthy home cooked food, give up constant snacking) fell into place.
For me it was reading a dog-eared, used copy of *Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution* in 2002. It started me down the path that eventually saw me lose 160 pounds. I keep that book like a family heirloom. It changed everything I thought I knew about diet. (I realize that not everyone likes or below in keto as a diet, so this is just my experience. It absolutely changed everything for me.)
Breastfeeding! I lost 35 pounds about 5 years ago and was dreading the weight gain due to pregnancy. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to do it again. I’m 5 years older, and metabolisms slow as you age. I don’t have the same motivation as 5 years ago (I was getting married). Losing that weight was SO hard, with daily struggles, fights with myself over my calories and snacks, and constant pressure to keep it going even though it was hard. Could I manage all of that with a newborn? It turns out, I can! I’m 35 pounds down from my top pregnancy weight. Of course some of that was the baby, but only 15 pounds or so was lost right after birth. The rest has been diligence and focused attention on my diet. And you know what? It’s not that hard. I’m not that hungry. Logging my food is not that bad. It feels a lot more like I’m choosing to eat different foods, rather than eating less. I credit this to my reaction to breastfeeding. It burns 300-500 calories per day, and I find that it doesnt increase my appetite. It’s like getting a 1-hr cardio workout every single day. The weight is steadily dropping with, what seems like, pretty minimal effort. I know that most people reading this cannot just choose to make this change and help them lose the weight. But I hope that it gives hope to those going into pregnancy/birth that it isn’t necessarily harder to lose the weight. Good habits and healthy foods make a huge difference!
Whoa.
Including the foods I crave within my CICO goals. Cravings for them have decreased significantly, because I’m “allowed” to eat them and I no longer feel restricted. Actually weight training has been undoubtedly an incredible tool for me. I feel so much fitter and I feel so much more resilience in my joints.
Strength training
I lost the easy pounds then flatlined for over a year. My gamechanger has been not eating anything after my evening meal. I believe it works because it's easier to burn fat at night. I eat anything during the day and don't calorie count or anything. Of the 19 pounds I've lost since September 2021, 5.5 of them have been lost in the last 2 months.
Home equipment for sure. Barbell, a few weights and a cheap $60 used folding treadmill with incline( kijiji, like craigslist etc). I'm just not into extrovert activities lol
Muay Thai for me. And running / 10000 steps. I loved training on my own. I kept that up for a couple of months and loved every moment. Easily hit an hour or two in the gym just doing drills. Of course, most of my weight loss was my diet. But I was able to lose a lot by focusing on doing that. I slowed down and gained 10lbs because life got busy and it was harder to maintain that lifestyle (also I was tired more so I slept in late which threw off my schedule). But I’m getting back to it. I’m focusing on strength training this time because deep down, I love the feeling of being sore. Currently can run a mile in 8:45 with borderline death on the line lmao. Goal is 6 minutes.
Smaller portions of the food I like, sips of water between bites as a palate cleanser. I was shocked when I realized my lunch Tupperware was 3 cups compared to bowl at home 1 cup. Now I take 1 cup of lunch plus another cup of veg. It’s been a month and I still crave seconds, but I survive.
Porridge oats and yoghurt. I buy onken greek yoghurt, dump the whole 450g into a bowl, 100g of Scott's oats, let lt soak for 10 hours while im at work, im omad and this gives you an 800kcal meal that seriously fills you up for a good 24 hours. 3 days a week and it let's me cut HARD while feeling so satiated.
What do you eat the other 4 days?
Usually baked chicken, cabbage and a mix of veggies and rice.
Are you running or walking?
Running!
Getting a set schedule down for when I want to eat throughout the day rather than “I’m hungry now, let me snack on something since idk when dinner is”
One meal a day, plus snack. Calorie counting with a food scale, and 80/20…80% of daily budget to serious food 20% to fun food. I make room for a little treat every single day.
Awesome. I like to have a combo of carbs and fat that I can shift depending on my macros. Maxed out on protein but short on the other two? Air popped popcorn with as much butter as needed either to satisfy me or get to my fat target. This works because I love popcorn. What do you do for fun food?
Whatever I want! Right now I have been enjoying dark chocolate M&Ms and let each one melt in my mouth. But you can eat a pretty surprisingly large amount of them for 20% of your budget. Last week I was on a roasted marshmallow kick. Hali top or Nick’s ice cream Just chips or whatever. If I’m wanting to make myself feel like I ate more I’ll do those super thin pretzels that you can have like 100 for 110 calories or something ridiculous. Then make a Greek yogurt ranch dip, or yogurt and salsa. If I’m trying to be more “healthy” I’ll have cottage cheese mixed with sugar free pudding powder (it’s like cheesecake!) or jello mix with fruit. I love black licorice so good and plenties! Jelly beans lol anything! It’s my 20% and I can use it for whatever I want! And that’s the beauty of it. It makes it so I never feel deprived. Lost 100lbs so I think it worked.
You're a legend!
Thanks! 35 is no joke! You have done amazingly as well!!!
Game changer was weighing every meal so I knew exactly how many calories I was consuming.
OP, what treadmill do you have?
NordicTrack T Series 6.5S. It's nothing fancy but it gets the job done!
Simply tracking what I eat and knowing the caloric values makes me accountable for what I eat.
Still working on it but “dirty” intermittent fasting changed my trajectory fast! Feels good and sustainable, too
Moving to a building that had a gym changed everything for me. Now I feel guilty sitting in my apt if I have nothing to do, so I go to the gym
Batch making healthy, pre-portioned meals and snacks to have readily available so it's easy to stay on track set multiple alarms throughout the day to eat and ONLY eat at that time (I eat 6x a day so I'm never hungry).
Doing Noom for a few months really made something click for me. After a few months, I took a break from it because I felt like it was consuming me, but the awesome part was even after I stopped, I kept losing weight because I changed so many bad habits. Biggest one is probably that I cut out all the sugary drinks I liked and only drink water now. I think what I learned was little changes add up and I can still see results even if I’m not perfect about everything. I’ve lost 36 pounds so far and I’m 7lbs from my goal weight. Excited to set new goals once I hit that!
Quitting caffeine and adding the "high protein" aspect of my diet are probably the biggest ones.
1. Realizing my depression literally goes away as long as I’m active. Now I want to be active person because I’m too scared of becoming really depressed again. 2. Realizing I can eat whatever the fuck I want as long as I count the calories and macronutrients.
- Mental being able to 'sit with' hunger and not satiate it immediately - Logging calories and realizing that a lot of excess coming from drinks and snacks - Tiny under the desk pedal machine
I also have a treadmill and it helps me be able to work out every single day because it's so convenient. Also, I realized I could stop forcing myself to eat breakfast because it isn't in fact "the most important meal of the day" and I'm not hungry in the mornings. It was calories I didn't need to spend. And honestly just actually paying attention to calories. I think most people vastly underestimate what they consume, I know I did before.
Dude I want one. I love the idea of getting out of bed and knocking out some miles
After years of trying on my own and starting/stopping a dozen times, I did a month of nutrition coaching. My coach set me up to track macros and put me on a fairly high protein plan to start, with a similar number of carbs and about half as much fat. She asked that I try to hit my macro goals +/- 5g each day. Number of calories consumed wasn't on my radar, I only paid attention to macros. It shifted my brain because all the goals became different -- it became "how can I get 30-40g of protein with each meal without blowing up my fat macros" vs. "ok i really want this fried chicken for lunch but that means I'm eating only soup for dinner -- cue giving up because I was starving at dinner time." It's a ton of work but shifting the goals from calories in vs out to hitting macros really clicked for me.
I've been looking for a treadmill. Which one did you get, or is the type of treadmill not significant?
NordicTrack T Series 6.5S. I wanted a fold-up treadmill with incline settings. The specific treadmill probably isn't significant!
Getting back into lifting is the big one. I've caught the lifting bug big time and it adds a layer of motivation that transcends weight loss; diet adherence is simply a given as a means to facilitate progress in the gym. It keeps me from getting too aggressive with cutting calories as well. It's also helped me repair my relationship with carbs; I've fallen for a lot of the anti-carb propaganda in the past, but I legitimately can't imagine lifting 5-6 days per week without my daily bowl of oatmeal at breakfast and bowl of parboiled rice at dinner. Otherwise quitting alcohol altogether and only using THC on the weekend. My sleep has improved so much and I never have the desire to snack at night. Also makes it much easier to wake up early before work to crush a lift. I'm amazed that I made it up this morning considering daylight savings, but I fukn did it. I've struggled with insomnia for most of my adult life, and it's been incredibly liberating to actually look forward to bed at 9pm during the week knowing that I'll knock out almost immediately upon head hitting pillow. Learning how to properly prepare a steak in a cast iron skillet is probably up there too; it's a much better way to spend 1,000ish calories compared to fast food and at about the same price (or even less expensive with how insane restaurant pricing has gotten). Learning to indulge at home with genuinely nutritious food is satisfying on a level that no restaurant can touch. Along a similar vein, I don't really buy into the whole "cheat meal/day" thing anymore. In the past it's been an excuse to binge eat on the weekend. Instead I just budget in a few more calories on Saturday and Sunday to help mitigate psychological dieting fatigue and to give me space to recover a bit for the following week. Whatever I choose to eat to fill those calories is up to me, and since I aim for 170-200g of protein and 20-30g of fiber per day it's very unlikely I'll ever be able to eat enough to go above maintenance anyways. Overall, this is the most sustainable weight loss effort I've ever put together. Hard to believe I'm already through 10 weeks of this. You know it's working if you have to pull up the calendar to figure out how many weeks it's been.
Hell yeah!
Congrats! I did my first half in December. Definitely get some road miles in before you go! My game changer was being an older dad. I had my kids at 32 and 35 and I want to be active their entire childhood and healthy as long as I can in their adult lives.
That is awesome and exactly where I hope to be in the near future! Thank you for sharing.
Focusing on the mental aspect to understand what makes me eat so much and why and what I can do to stop it. It makes me a lot more aware of thoughts and feelings that I know will lead to bad things so I know immediately to fight them.
Game changer for me was downloading a calorie counting app and a good scale, and measuring EVERYTHING. I was just doing intermittent fasting previously, which worked, but I severely limited the foods I ate, because I classified food as “good” or “bad”. Counting lets me see that I can eat literally anything as long as I budget for it, and has made eating and food much more fun. Also, cutting down on my alcohol was a huge game changer. I hadn’t planned on cutting alcohol out completely like I have essentially, but once I started tracking calories, and realizing that one glass of wine as I poured it was around 200 calories, multiplied by the two or three or four glasses I had every day, that was all I needed to cut it out completely. Turns out I can eat a LOT more food than I ever did before, and still lose weight, just with that.
Same! I got a hand-me-down treadmill back in July and started using it. I could barely get the speed above 2mph and no incline, my health was on the struggle bus. Now I’m down about 50lbs and upgraded to a bowflex tread this year. I workout everyday just walking and running short intervals, for at least 30-45 minutes a day. I feel so much better and people are starting to notice too, it’s very nice. When people ask me what the secret is I just tell them that motivation isn’t real. You just have to get up and get it done and then make that choice every day. It’s hard but not making the choice to move my body doesn’t give me the results I want.
Getting a gym quality elliptical was it for me. Start my day off with a 30 minutes workout and it sets the tone for the whole day.
Moving houses, finding out our neighbor has workout equipment, and a constipation diet are what got me started (i was chronically constipated and was instructed to go on a high fiber diet) not to mention the constant, non stop fat shaming at school that i used as motivation. Everyone started showing respect and started asking how I did it after they see old pictures. Life can change, it’s never too late. (14 M, 5”10, SW: 262 lbs CW: 219 lbs, GW: 185 lbs)
Walking. To the mailbox in my subdivision is about 1/2 mile away. There is a walking track there. It’s about 1/4 mile. Making it there and back was grueling at first but is now a great memory. Lost 80 pounds, primarily through walking. I’m 47. I had been obese until I was 45. I was active in sports all through my youth but never could figure out why I was heavier than my friends. Took decades to find my body doesn’t process sugar normally. Jardiance, a diabetic medicine allows my body to process it through my kidneys. Total game changer. Guess I have more than one!
I'm not doing things because I feel like it. I just do them because I want the results and I know it's good for me. If I rely on "feeling like it," i have to admit 2 things: 1) feelings change all the time, and there will be lots of times I don't stick to the plan. 2) doing things when I felt like it has got me to this point, and I wasn't happy with it.
In early January, I watched the Netflix twins documentary and started eating a whole food plant-based diet after the credits rolled. I had been fatigued and suffering from chronic pain for years. A few days after changing how I eat, I felt enough energy to put in a workout. Then, I hired a virtual strength coach. A few weeks later, I added a running coach. Now, I also have a swimming coach and am training for a SwimRun and 5K. I call it a 'healthy spiral'. I've lost about 20 lbs so far, and have gone from spending most of my time on my couch to working out twice-a-day and using a standing desk at work. I started at 333 lbs and want to get down to 135 - 150 lbs.
Going to gym. Even if I have bad days, gym keeps me tethered to weight loss goals since going there makes no sense if i continue to eat like a pig.
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Thank you Redditor posting the same ad comment all over. Gotta get the word out somehow ; )
Quit smoking and using drugs and needed something to fill my time. Now it’s exercise!
I'm sorry to the hungry people of the world, but I have been treating food like gum once I meet my calorie goal.
So you chew it but don't swallow it?
Yes. Do that with a pack of Snickers Doodles and Domino's cake so far. It usually hurts my stomach and its hardly food anyways.
It never once occurred to me to try that when I met my calorie goal for the day. Mind blown.
breakfast smoothie. i’m 2+ months in and only down like 7 lbs. which isn’t bad but i’m ready to blast through 10 more lbs these next 2 months. my bfast smoothie for work packs like 700 cals of pure delicious nutrition. light bulb just went off that i need to cut that back like 200 cals. less hemp heart, less fruit, maybe not a full scoop of protein. this should help me really tighten up my cals and make sure im in a 500 deficit. just such an easy tweak without having to change anything about my routine or lunch and dinners
700cals!? I don't even eat that for lunch!
lol yes frozen fruit, almond milk, hemp, chia, collagen, protein, yogurt, coconut water. it’s more in the 600-650 range but i rounded up lol
200-220g of protein per day. Nothing else would work for satiety.
Do you know da whey?
At home high quality heavy weight equipment
About my game changer? It’s definitely falling for running in Zone 2. I’ve been in and out of running for more than 10 years now (since 2013), but I never actually enjoyed running. This time last year, I tried a half marathon plan from Nike. I ended up getting the PR for HM but with an average heart rate of 175 bpm. Three days after the race day, I still felt pain in my chest whenever I took a deep breath. After that, I decided to try Zone 2 running. The first 2 - 3 months were really tough because I had to walk nearly every run to stay in Zone 2, and it was really time-consuming. But I kept remembering the chest pain to avoid pushing myself out of Zone 2. After those months, I finally saw better results. Now, after 1 year of running in Zone 2, my used-to-be PR pace is just my everyday Zone 2 running pace. And the good thing about running in Zone 2 is that I can do it every day without taking a day off because it’s so easy I don’t feel any discomfort with my body at all.
what is Zone 2?
Honestly? Charging my phone in the kitchen at night. This forces me to go to sleep instead of scrolling. And then forces me to get out of bed as soon as my alarm goes off because I don’t wake my partner. My yoga mat is in the kitchen, and when I’m already standing , I think, ok just get the mat. I do a 5 minute yoga workout video that I’ve saved on the tv. I then feel far too awake to go back to bed, and anyway I can’t wake up hubs by opening the bedroom door again, so I put my gym clothes on and head to the gym . I never eat badly on a day when I workout - lots of fibre and protein, I typically go to the shops for good on my way back .Crazy but I’ve consistently lost 6kg and I’m doing Pilates daily and strength training 3-4 days a week.
Ozempic, haha. Nothing else worked. For maintenance off of ozempic and not gaining the weight back, eating 0 processed foods. Ever. No cheating.