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I've been rigidly counting calories and dropped 10 lbs doing that. Then things got stuck. Some days it even creeped up a little. My daily calorie goal is 1200 calories, and it occasionally hits 1300. Other times 1150. But this calorie counting scheme has me hungry mostly all the time. If I'm busy, no problem. Being active either mentally or physically works well, sitting around is when I'm always hungry.
A week ago I got sick of how this weight loss had stopped working and how I was always hungry, and went to skipping breakfast and delayed eating my first meal until 1-2 PM. Now a little weight comes off every day and I'm not even hungry until that 1-2 PM. It also feels like I'm getting plenty of food this way. Even though I may still be hungry after I finished that first meal, I get to splurge and snack a little because I'm only eating for the rest of my waking time, which is now only 8-10 hours instead of all day long.
During the pandemic I decided that things weren’t going well for older, fat people with health conditions. So I decided to do something about the only thing I could which was my weight. I ate 1600 calories a day and continued to walk a few miles daily which I started to do 31 years ago. I ate most of my calories between 8-1 and then just a small snack at night. One day a week I didn’t count calories and usually ate out. I didn’t want my body to get used to the same amount of calories daily.
It took 4 months to lose 50lbs. I have kept it off for 3.5 years. The only calories I’ve drank are in my coffee. The rest of the day I drink water. I think it’s easy to underestimate how much you are eating. I literally weighed and measured everything I ate and drank. I am 5’7” so how large you are and how much you exercise will make a difference. A man’s body burns more calories because men typically have more muscle mass.
Drink 8 glasses of water throughout the day to make your stomach feel full. Add some fresh squeezed lemon juice, & stevia in the raw to break up the monotony of plain water.
You'll pee a lot at first, but then not as much as time goes by..not sure why that is.
Keep low cal snacks in the fridge, prepared and at your fingertips...I do celery...cut, cleaned, and standing up in a jar w/ some water in the bottom. I might eat a stick plain, or might dip 1 in hummus, or peanut butter. 1 or 2 sticks & it kills the hunger pangs.
Bean salads are good to keep in the fridge too. I use Black or Cannellini beans, & cut up onion, tomatos, celery, and cucumber. Add some light vinagrette dressing for flavor.
Don't eat after 7pm, and the earlier you eat your biggest meal of the day the better.
Keep moving too...gotta keep your exercise up to keep it coming off, & plow through the stalls.
I prefer playing sports rather than just jogging or lifting weights. If I must exersize, I ride my bike on a trail nearby.
None of this is new, it is just what works for me.
It might be time to ask yourself why you're wanting to lose weight, that ignoring your body's hunger cues and being hungry all the time is worth it? Is it about health? Because what you're doing might not be the healthiest mindset and most sustainable thing for you. Your body requires food to function, and 1200 calories is a number that gets thrown around on the internet, but it might not be what your body needs. Often people need more food, and can lose weight by eating more and not starving and obsessing over every single calorie.
The subject of rapid weight loss, begs the subject of rapid weight gain - especially so after the holidays.
I did alright during the holidays. Gained maybe a pound or two. But Sunday night (last night) everyone wanted to go out for pizza. Seven of us. Pizza and beer.
I almost never drink. Haven't had pizza in many months and had lost some 40 pounds over the last 3 years. I am feeling good! 78 year old man/180 pounds.
So I cut loose! I'm telling you that pizza was great. We ordered the deluxe thin crust and they had Shiner Bock in the cooler.
Two hours, Three beers, a whole bunch of pizza later, we headed home.
It kept me awake for hours, the beer gave me A-Fib (it does that to me) and I generally felt pretty bad. But I got up this morning ready for my workout (M-W-F) and determined to regain my sanity. Somewhere around 3AM I decided to try this fasting stuff I've been hearing about.
It's actually not bad at all. I worked out on my empty stomach, being careful to drink plenty of water and go easy on the coffee. I did my standard 70 minute workout and made it back home at 1PM (I'm retired).
Breakfast! My standard breakfast is egg and pork chop, so that's what I fixed. It was great! I followed up with a handful of sunflower kernels.
Sat on the toilet and damn near had to hang on to keep from blowing myself into the ceiling. I'm guessing the pizza and beer is gone, 'cuz it sure ain't showing up on the scale
That intermittent fasting stuff seems to work pretty well, in an emergency. I might try it again sometime.
Okay; but I don't find even thinking about such helpful.
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...has me hungry mostly all the time.
Good. That means it's working. Feel the burn. Learn to welcome it.
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A week ago I got sick of how this weight loss had stopped working...
You haven't committed yet.
Most plans (eg Keto) need 3-4 weeks at the outset just getting their head straight.
THEN the first real losses (mostly water) will begin to show up.
I'm reading "The Obesity Code". He cites good quality studies that show that cutting calories and/or Increasing activity result in your body slowing down your metabolism, to reduce weight loss.
This slower metabolism persists long after you resume previous eating and activity habits, resulting in faster weight gain.
Low carb was the diet of choice for about a century, up until the 1970s, when low fat, low calorie diets took over, and the obesity epidemic got rolling.
The author recommends low carb diet and intermittent fasting.
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My standard breakfast is egg and pork chop, so that's what I fixed. It was great! I followed up with a handful of sunflower kernels.
