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[Harmen]

Honest question: what do you mean it doesn't work? That you gain weight even with a calorie deficit or that you just find it too easy to slip up?

Calorie counts are inaccurate. They are done in a laboratory setting and do not really take into account how well the digestive tract handles these calories. And there may be large variations between persons.

Basically, person X may substract a lot more calories from the exact same food than person Y, depending on a lot of different factors.

A good popular science article about it: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/science-reveals-why-calorie-counts-are-all-wrong/

 

[Oxn]

Aobut 2-3 years ago, i dropped 30-35lbs.

Now trying to maintain this weight is hard (watching what i eat, and how much of it, and constantly keeping my heart rate up with push ups, walking, and sit ups). if i had to do it all over again, i don't think i can do it.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Lifestyle changes have been most important to me. I took up riding my bike as transportation a decade ago, and only recently have I realized how dramatically it's changed my life from what it was before. Now I rarely ever use main roads, so I never see fast food or other terrible advertising trying to make me fuck myself up. I couldn't tell you the last time I ever had fast food, I'm guessing it was 3 years ago? Plus I'm constantly active just as a general habit, so it's rare to find me sitting in front of a TV snacking anymore. I'd rather be on the road or in the gym listening to a podcast or audiobook.

 

[smoothj]

I went from 271 to 238 in less than 2 months with interminet fasting. Recently.

Suuuper easy as it fits my lifestyle very well.

Eat between 1pm and 8pm. Stay under 1700 calories for the day. Drink tons of water and get good sleep.

You can adjust the times to better fit your schedule.

Use MFP to make sure you stay under the 1700 calories. I usually do like 1300 or so.

For example. I eat a small salad or sandwhich for lunch around 2pm and then go home and eat pretty much anything I want (sometimes pizza sometimes homecooked meal). Drink lots of water take a daily vitamin.

Easiest diet where you don't have to plan every meal. Plus you can take it easier on the weekends too!

Throw in some exercise and healthier decisions and it kicks it into overdrive. Specially meal prepping. I recommend it to anyone that wants to try something different.

Pm me if you have any questions

 

[Atolm]

I'm fat again too after losing around 30kg (sorry, I don't know how many lbs is that) with diet. Unemployment and loneliness led me to depression and depression led me to not care about what I eat.

I have an addiction problem with sweets and processed pastries. I fully recognise it now. I use them as a way to get rid of my anxiety, to get a "high" like others do with alcohol and other drugs.

When you see yourself in a mirror at a shop after not doing so in your house in a long time is when it comes down into you, hitting like a truck.

I'm so tired of being fat, of fighting against it, or feeling bad because I'm fat. My whole life seems like a story of my ups and downs in body mass.

 

[Wollan]

I'm cross-posting from an older thread as I found the info interesting and the current mindset I'm going for. To remain at the target weight is the hard part as we all know.

The new conventional wisdom I have seen starting to appear (at least in Norwegian journals) is that dropping weight fast, in contrast to very gradual, is actually not a bad thing (just an old myth).
The real struggle (which we all know) is maintaining your goal weight after reaching it. But if you have the right plan you can do it.

Shortly summarized:

Diet:
Person (male or female) goes on a 800-1000kcal diet (3300-4200kj) with a focus on healthy calories. This will result in a weekly drop of 1-2kg (2.2-4.4pounds), the very first week is usually double that (water etc.).
They do this for a maximum of three months.
Training regularly gives a nice additional boost but this becomes much more important after the diet is complete.
PS. The third or fourth day is the hardest.

Having reached your goal:
The bodies of people who have been previously fat and for good portions of their life will always strive to regain that weight. Using the Rule of Thumb (see below) to find your daily energy usage, you should on average expect that after weight-loss your daily energy usage will be ~400kcal lower than even that due to your body using energy more effectively aka "starvation mode" or whatever (so for a 70kg person who has previously been fat: 2100kcal minus 400kcal on average is your new life).
The older conventional wisdom sais that this effect lasts a year after reaching your new goal but the new conventional wisdom (research backed in Norwegian journals) sais that this is for the rest of your life... which sucks majorly. People who have had optimal weight their whole life don't have this problem... And this problem is the same for both those who dropped weight fast or those who did it very gradually (so why draw out the pain w/sleep problems, counting calories and so forth). The research pointed out that those who dropped fast were however much more successful in maintaining their new weight over the years following (w/post-goal plan).

So the hard part is to live your life with your body having this saving-effect turned-on permanently.
You can however greatly reduce or nullify this effect by making sure you regularly exercise. The recommendation is whatever equals 1 hour of walking every day (hence exercise becoming much more important after reaching your goal).
And of course eating consciously.

Rule of thumb:
Your weight in KG x 30 = kcal needed daily to sustain your weight.
I.e. 70kg x 30 = 2100kcal needed per day.

I found one english-language article backing up the Norwegian research articles I have read: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-rapid-vs-gradual-weight-loss-20141016-story.html

Another english-language article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27136388
"The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet" is a relevant book for the diet phase, to go down quickly. 14kg / ~31pounds average on 8 weeks.

 

[TimeEffect]

Right there with u man

Went from 197 to 160 back to 190

I hate myself.

 

[neojubei]

I’m fat too. Probably way bigger than you. 350+Lbs

 

[Malvolio]

Keto saved my life. Dropped 150 lbs. and have kept it off for 5 years. Every time my weight creeps up I restrict carbs for a while and I drop right back down.

 

[Deleted member 325805]

Sitting here hungry as fuck with no calories left for the day, only a few hours till I'll be sleeping though. All I can think about is going downstairs and making some toast but I know I can't. The first 2 weeks of starting/restarting a diet is always the worst for me so I just need to get into a rhythm and I should be OK.

 

[Plissken]

I feel your pain; I lost a ton of weight over the last 3 years, hit my lowest point of 195, and am back up to 240 after a couple of surgeries. It was too easy to fall back into old, bad habits.

I'll echo what others have said here; try and do some physical activity every day, walking while listening to podcasts works for me, as does lifting at the gym.

Let yourself have a cheat meal every now and then, but don't go overboard. Eat high protein foods with each meal, and budget in for a couple of healthy snacks during the day (fruits, veggies, or nuts are my favorites). Drink lots of water, especially when you feel hungry. Many times drinking a glass of water when you think you need to eat will sate that hungry feeling.

Track everything you eat with MyFitnessPal. I mean EVERYTHING. If you eat a handful of M&M's, track that. If you drink a cup of coffee with creamer in the morning, count that. It'll amaze you how fast the little things add up.

Lastly, don't be hard on yourself. You've dropped the weight once, you have the discipline to do it again. It might be harder the second time around, but you've already proven you can do it, so draw on that success to motivate yourself.

 

[BanjoLayleeYookaKazooie]

I'm not fat, but I'm also not very fit, so I feel I have the opposite problem, I want to build myself up but am too lazy to do anything about it, I don't eat enough or enough healthy foods nor do I exercise. It's not getting me down but I feel for you and anyone else who want to lose weight and find it hard to do, I know I overheard lots of fat shaming over my life, it's a shame people are so nasty. I haven't got any advice because I've not had your issue but I just wanted to wish you luck for when you take your firsts steps again!

 

[HariKari]

Sitting here hungry as fuck with no calories left for the day, only a few hours till I'll be sleeping though. All I can think about is going downstairs and making some toast but I know I can't. The first 2 weeks of starting/restarting a diet is always the worst for me so I just need to get into a rhythm and I should be OK.

Do Keto. Your intake ends up being extremely satiating and you eliminate most problem foods.

 

[SmackDaddy]

GAF!!! There is so much good advice in this thread already to turn your life around. Get up and do it today. There is no reason to delay. FUCKING DO IT. I believe in you

 

[Not]

I'm about 190 when I'm healthy. Never weigh myself, but I would guess I'm 200/205 right now

6' 1''

 

[Plum]

Having reached your goal:
The bodies of people who have been previously fat and for good portions of their life will always strive to regain that weight. Using the Rule of Thumb (see below) to find your daily energy usage, you should on average expect that after weight-loss your daily energy usage will be ~400kcal lower than even that due to your body using energy more effectively aka "starvation mode" or whatever (so for a 70kg person who has previously been fat: 2100kcal minus 400kcal on average is your new life).
The older conventional wisdom sais that this effect lasts a year after reaching your new goal but the new conventional wisdom (research backed in Norwegian journals) sais that this is for the rest of your life... which sucks majorly. People who have had optimal weight their whole life don't have this problem... And this problem is the same for both those who dropped weight fast or those who did it very gradually (so why draw out the pain w/sleep problems, counting calories and so forth). The research pointed out that those who dropped fast were however much more successful in maintaining their new weight over the years following (w/post-goal plan).

So the hard part is to live your life with your body having this saving-effect turned-on permanently.
You can however greatly reduce or nullify this effect by making sure you regularly exercise. The recommendation is whatever equals 1 hour of walking every day (hence exercise becoming much more important after reaching your goal).
And of course eating consciously.

"You worked hard to make me healthy and want a break? Fuck you!"

Our bodies both have assholes and are assholes.

Spoiler

What is the evidence for this btw?

 

[theofficefan99]

Was 210 lbs around 2 years ago. I think I'm 145 ish now? Still want to drop about 15 lbs but I've made some progress!

My advice:
-walk if you can. Get a gym membership. You can do ab exercises at home.
-constantly tell yourself when you're about to eat out of boredom/depression/stress/etc: "do I want long term happiness (being healthy, looking and feeling better, being more confident, etc.), or extremely short-term happiness by stuffing down this oily carb-filled thing?
-no fast food
-no chips
-no ice cream
-no bread no rice no pasta
-lay off the alcohol

 

[Voidance]

I’m in the same boat and I’ll be doing something about it starting November 1.

I was 280 lbs. in 2011, and I dropped down to 205 lbs. over the course of two years through a highly restricted diet and nearly daily exercise. The weight loss isn’t as impressive as the muscle I added during that time. I met a girl, got engaged, and burned out on the whole thing.

Fast forward to 2017, and I’m bigger than ever at 310 lbs. and it’s gotta stop. I can’t even get on most roller coasters any more, and that’s something my wife and I enjoy doing.

 

[bill0527]

I've been suffering with depression (as well as social anxiety and agoraphobia) for awhile and like so many others I comfort eat and as a result I've gained about 40lbs. I used to be really huge but managed to lose 100lbs and the thought of going back to that size terrifies me. Recently I've just not given a single fuck, I eat what I want, however much I want so it's no surprise I've gained, but I think I've finally had enough. None of the clothes I bought when I lost the weight fit anymore and it's a real eye opener, I knew I'd put on weight but I didn't dare jump on the scale until today.

I've always been fat, from kid to adult but there was a brief spell of about 1.5 years where I felt great and I so want that again. I started at 308lbs and got down to 204lbs, and I've now bounced back up to 243lbs. I felt really good at 210lbs at 6ft 3 so that's my goal. I've got no junk in the house and I've planned all my meals and shopping for the week on MyFitnessPal. I really want to try getting outside for walks, to both help with the weight loss and my social anxiety/agoraphobia but I'm not sure if I'm ready yet, I've been on medication for depression for over a month now and it's helping for sure with my mood but it hasn't helped my other issues (I'm on the waiting list to see a therapist but it's a long wait on the NHS).

It really feels like a constant, daily struggle to just not overeat, it really is an addiction. If I have something "bad" in the house I will sit upstairs thinking about it, thinking about eating it until I finally cave and go get it, then I feel terrible afterwards.

My heart goes out to you.

6 years ago at age 37 I changed my lifestyle. I went from 270 lbs down to 200 lbs in about 14 months through diet and primarily walking. I held it off for 3 years.

Then I developed a herniated disc at the C6-C7 level of my neck and slowly over time my activity became less and less as the pain got worse. As a result my weight started going up and up.

Finally about a year ago I had it surgically repaired and the surgery was a complete 100% success. I have no pain or no other issues.

I had no excuses to get back on the horse. I had ballooned back up to 245lbs. Just one problem, I was smack in the middle of a major depression that was just paralyzingly me at times. I went through 9 months of CBT and tried to get help. I think gaining that weight back was contributing to my depression. I started a new career at age 40 and I hated it. I made terrible career choices and this shit will hit you like a ton of bricks when you hit 40. Especially when your peers and friends all seem to be doing so well. I've fought depression several times in my life lasting for as little as a few months to a couple of years. This was the worst depression I had ever been in though.

Finally just a couple of months ago I think I started to come out of it. I downloaded the Pacer app and started basic walking again about 30 minutes a day and increasing over time. I've since lost about 7lbs and starting to feel better and feel confident that I can do this again. It's hard though. Damn fucking hard to climb this mountain twice.

 

[Flying Toaster]

It is hard OP especially with depression. The bright side is you did it once so you know you can do it.

 

[pje122]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqBXQVxS-qk&feature=youtu.be&t=12 !

 

[Setzer]

I can empathize with you, op. About 5 years ago I was at 270lbs and wasn't eating right at all and hadn't seen a doctor in probably 7 years. So started having some health issues and went in for a doctor visit and come to find out my BP was like 169/110 and then they did blood work and both my cholesterol and triglycerides were high. That was pretty much a wake up call for me that I needed to change things up because I had just turned 40. I went on a relatively low carb diet and started exercising daily. In January of 2015 I was down to my lowest weight since I was 20....215lbs. I felt great, bp was down, and so was my cholesterol and triglycerides. Things were looking up.

About 2 months after that I started experiencing chest pains that would only come on when I was running and it was mostly on my left side and would radiate into my arm. This concerned me and my doctor referred me to see a cardiologists. For the next several months I stopped working out because I was scared my heart was gonna explode. That's how long it took to finally see the cardiologist. He ran some tests on me....x-ray, echocardiogram and a stress test(treadmill). Results came back normal. So nothing heart related that he could see but yet I still had the pain when running. He said it could possibly be nerve related. Well, I was relieved it was nothing with my heart but I pretty much gave up on working out.

So fast forward to today, I haven't worked out in about a year and a half, I was eating fairly healthy up until about May of this year but was still gaining weight back. Then depression kicked in thanks to job and stuff happening at home and I pretty much stopped caring about what I was eating so now I'm back up over 250lbs. I guess I need to rediscover that motivation to get healthy again. It sucks because with all the negative stuff I deal with in my life being able to eat pizza, burgers, sweets, etc. is actually one of the few things that makes me happy so I don't wanna give it up.

 

[TaterTots]

Can I suggest a workout called P90? I was well into the 400's and I started that routine. I couldn't really do it, but I did what I could. Eventually, I was able to start using more weight and able to finish the routine without taking extra breaks. I got all the way down to 237(6'3), which still sounds heavy to a lot of people, but by lifting weights I was toning my body as I progressed. By far the best shape I ever been in and I've been slowly gaining the weight back for a year.

I understand the struggle.

 

[RedZaraki]

Sitting here hungry as fuck with no calories left for the day, only a few hours till I'll be sleeping though. All I can think about is going downstairs and making some toast but I know I can't. The first 2 weeks of starting/restarting a diet is always the worst for me so I just need to get into a rhythm and I should be OK.

The key is to distract yourself and put food out of your mind. Eat to live, don't live to eat. I eat when I'm bored.

 

[Turbo Killer]

I went from 345 to 270 and now I’m back there again, I’m 6’6. My goal is 250, maybe one day.

 

[forrest]

Sorry about your current state OP. As someone who has struggled with weight, depression and anxiety I can definitely relate. I beat many addictions in my life including cigarettes at 30 years old and at 40 years old now food is still proving to be the hardest thing to get control over.

I will echo the sentiments of those in the thread recommending a ketogenic approach. I've tried so many approaches over the last 10 years before I decided to drop sugar/carbs on the last day of January this year. I went from 265 lbs. to 225 lbs. within the span of about 3-4 months and then decided I would slowly start adding strength training to tone and build muscle. I also added light walking around the city for errands, but only every now and then and I still have yet to do one intentional minute of actual cardio. (I loathe running)

Today I am currently 190 lbs. leaning out quite nicely and making a push for abs and 180 lbs. before the holidays. I still have a carb heavy meal or treat from time to time and just don't beat myself up over it. Just get back to my grind.

I share my experience, as I felt just like you currently do and I know if I can do it, you can too!

My number one tip is to keep it simple. Find easy foods that are quick and that work for you. Stick to those. Nothing took the wind out of my sails more than trying to make some healthier version of a food I missed only for it to take forever to prepare and end up just being a disappointing version of the real thing.

 

[Leeness]

I empathize, OP. I’ve yo-yoed a few times.

Was 190ish at my heaviest, got down to 145, back up to 179, down to 130, I’m at around 140 right now, but struggling with laziness and eating badly. I definitely need to be good and not let it climb higher but it’s tough.

You have done it once, you CAN do it again. I believe in you!

 

[Audioboxer]

OP and everyone else weight is one of those things that can always change no matter your age. What goes on can come off. Not very helpful just saying that I know, but the vast majority of the battle with weight and overeating is mental.

Do you drink fizzy drinks? First thing I'd always recommend to anyone is not to instantly obsess over the actual food you're eating. Always look to your liquid intake first. Fizzy drinks or soda if you want to call it that are absolute bastards. Try getting onto diluting juice if you must have something sweet. The water intake from that is still decent. It's the sugar/carbs from soda which is a massive goal to try and aim to tweak, first. Energy drinks are garbage as well. If caffeine is a need, stick to coffee if you can.

Good fluid intake also helps naturally with the brain sending signals of hunger as well. If it's the fizz that is attractive alongside sugar/sweet taste, start buying carbonated water and finding ways to flavour it. Such as diluting juice, again.

 

[DonShula]

I’ve kept off what I dropped by continuing to log my intake. And regular exercise is now a staple of my lifestyle. I’m sure it’s different for everyone.

But what I can pretty much guarantee you is that exercise WILL make you feel better. It will also make it easier to consume while still losing weight. It probably sounds dumb but it works for me. If I want to eat more, I exercise more. If I know I won’t get any activity in for the day, I eat less that day.

Regardless, you got this. Did it once and can do it again. Shake up your routine and find something inspiring. Leave the house, visit a new place, get more active, whatever it takes. Find some joy out there and let the positivity snowball.

 

[dreamgiver032]

I too, have been in these shoes. I was athletic, but chubby as a teen, but then got very close to 300 lbs in my twenties, and by thirty, I had enough. Not sure what really got the ball rolling... maybe it was depression (the opposite problem of some of the other people in here), or I guess it was having no endurance, or always feeling light headed standing up, the list goes on. But after struggling with my weight going up and down in my early thirties, I really gave it a shot. It really is a life change. Exercise, and being neurotic helped me get down to around a steady 200 lbs, but it was when I discovered yoga that I finally achieved my goal at around 180. I feel great, wife thinks I look great, and my mind is focused. I always wanted to do some sort of meditation, and yoga really is the best for mind and body. Kicks your ass!!! I've really come to love it, but it's tough... I work ten hour days, but I know I have to keep going (this is where the neurosis comes in handy), and do what I can to get at least a little something in most days. But rewarding yourself is key. Everything in moderation. I know these are a lot of tropes you hear a million times over, but I guess that's the reason for them. It's all true when I look back. I'm 37 now, and thank god I've made the change. Always wanted to be in my prime for middle age. Just know it's totally a battle, and it will probably be for the rest of your life. Hearing someone earlier describe the addiction aspect is spot on. That's me 100%... but don't feel bad. just try to control yourself, use it as a reward, and keep up the work. Doesn't have to be yoga, just do what works best for you. Experiment... but either way, keep trying. I have the faith!!!

 

[Deleted member 325805]

My main problem was complacency, when I was still really big I was very anal about my calories, I never went over but once I'd lost the weight I got into the "well I'm not big anymore, what will a pizza hurt?" mindset and it just went from there. I stopped logging, stopped weighing my food and here we are. I'd say maintaining was harder than losing honestly, once I lost the weight I lost all my focus.

These days all I drink is water, no added sugar Vimto and Pepsi Max Cherry which are both only 2 calories a glass, I did do water only for awhile but it was so boring. Oh and I also have one cup of hot chocolate a day with my breakfast which is 38 calories (I make it with water instead of milk).

My main problem is bread, I fucking love bread, especially ciabatta rolls and toast, I also really love Jacobs cream crackers. The problem with all of these is simply the amount I eat of them, a normal person would have 2 bits of toast, I'll have 4, a normal person would eat a few crackers but I'll eat half a packet, I'm allowing myself one ciabatta roll a week with my weekly shop and 2 bits of toast a day, I've switched from white bread to multiseeded wholemeal, going from 4-6 bits of white toast a day to 2 wholemeal will be a huge difference in calories just on its own.

 

[Astral Dog]

Aww im sorry friend i know how that feels 😢

Don't lose your strenght

 

[PartlyCloudlike]

There's not much advice I can offer OP but I can empathize. Depression does turn a life upside down. It does upend the significant progress a person makes in their life, like weight loss, to devastating effect which then compounds the effects of depression like a self-perpetuating cycle. As recently as three months ago I had lost 15 lbs thanks to a three month, disciplined routine that included going to the gym three times a week and avoiding junk food and sugars. Each morning I'd look in the mirror and tell myself that I would not permit myself to go back to the days of eating an entire bag of Ruffles in a single night followed by an entire pint of Haagen Dazs chocolate ice cream. And like always, history repeated itself. I fell into a deep sinkhole of a funk and am struggling to climb my way back up. To recover, I make small goals for myself that can be accomplished on that day and I give myself a congratulatory "yes" when I go to bed knowing I ate well instead of succumbing to my unhealthy habits.

It's ok to be hard on yourself as long as it's done in a positive way. A persons genetics can be an unremitting asshole who sometimes wins the day. But there will be a new day with new opportunities to tell that asshole to fuck off.

 

[Benzychenz]

Just don't fill the house with junk food.

When you go shopping don't buy anything but fruit, veg, meats, bread etc.

Actually having to prepare meals and not having junk readily available will help you not overeat.

 

[TheOohChild]

My coping with depresision thing is "I'm a pothead again". Just keep on pushin OP

 

[GiantBeagle]

I know this feeling. I've been steadily creeping up in weight for years. I managed to lose a fair amount a few years ago but I've gained so much more back since then. Started at 140 pounds at 5ft 6 and am now at nearly 196. Really upsets me when I have to think about that number.

I too suffer with depression and it's made it really hard to resist bad habits. I've convinced myself a takeout is okay once a week and that the fairly infrequent walks I do for exercise will be fine. It's hard because i know thats wrong but my depressed brain won't hear it. It's hard enough getting up to shower let alone going outside or feeling hungry because I'm trying to cut down carbs and fatty foods that my body has become accustomed to.

I keep trying fad diets like 5:2 but it's not working for me. I'm starting to think the only thing that's really going to work is cut the takeaways and other junk food and getting on the treadmill every day.

 

[Paracelsus]

Just don't fill the house with junk food.

When you go shopping don't buy anything but fruit, veg, meats, bread etc.

Actually having to prepare meals and not having junk readily available will help you not overeat.

No to this, yes to the rest. Even instant noodles are better, if he wants to stuff himself with junk carbs, that's it, not bread. Bread turns everything you associate with into a kcalbomb.

 

[FOOTE]

OP, first and foremost you need to get your mind right. You have to believe that what you are doing for yourself is worth it, and there is no doubt about it that it is!

My advice for you, OP, is this;

Don't worry about following a specific diet or count macros, for now. Eventually that will come but not now. Make healthy food choices when you eat but don't constrict yourself too much either. Make a conscious effort to 'be healthy' every time you eat. Do some real research on nutrition and open your mind about everything you can about eating. Learn and understand WHY a diet soda isn't so bad or why 'organic' food is actually total BS. Seriously, once you do this you might have an easier time with eating and weight loss.

After a little while you can use myfitnesspal and start logging things in. Think of it as you would think of your bank account. You'll start to grasp what's going on daily and you'll be able to make some changes based on your eating habits. This is a little down the road though, when you are ready to take that "next step" that is when you'll start logging.

When you are ready to count macros, do a little research on what your number should be based on your body type and lifestyle. I can't tell you how important it is to know what you're consuming daily to make body composition changes once you hit those walls.

Movement is also very important.

You can get a gym membership at a globo gym or something like crossfit. Either one would be fine. Globo gyms require you to be self motivating and you'd need to find a program for yourself (which will work fine if you believe it will work). A good crossfit gym will help you to be motivated (community is a massive factor here) and those bullshit videos you see of people doing dumb shit can be true but it is extremely rare to actually come across it. They will also take care of your programming (they tell you want, when, and HOW to do things and/or how to scale them to your level of fitness). A good CF gym will always have a plan and very good structure.

Or you can just take up hiking/running. If you go this route I highly recommend finding some good trails at your local state parks and run/hike them. The best decision I've ever made to keep my training from getting stale was to take up trail running. It's fun, stress relieving, and a fucking GREAT workout.

I hope you get back on track, OP. Just understand that YOU must be YOUR OWN biggest supporter.

 

[Northeastmonk]

You aren't alone. I went from 245 to 204 lbs a few years ago. Went to school and my weight shot up to 230. I started walking/jogging again, anxious to lose the weight, and then I got married. We went on a cruise and it was all free food and liquor. I had 3 3-course meals every day and alcoholic drinks non-stop after 1 PM. I gained 10 lbs from the week long trip. I've since lost that weight, but that's like the tip of the ice burg. I'm happy with small changes, but nothing sticks for longer than a couple months.

My wife says I'm not fat, but I need to move more. I'm determined to lose the 20 lbs because my doctor said I'm healthy and that I need to manage my weight. I'm back to a large tshirt, but if I lose my cool I'll be right back to wearing XL and XXL. We have to stay strong.

 

[Peltz]

Nothing, and I mean nothing works better than a balanced vegan diet. Going all plant based and working out hard will transform your body in ways you've never imagined.

I'm not saying it's right for OP. Rather, I'm saying, you have to find something healthy and balanced and stick with it. Remember, food can affect your mood as much as your mood affects your food choices.

Make the active choice to eat healthy and exercise it will absolutely improve your outlook on life. I'm not saying it can cure depression, but it can certainly go a long LONG way on the road to recovery.

The most sustainable diet for most people (and the one I stuck to for getting in shape before I discovered the benefits of being vegan) was a very mediterranean diet - tons of veggies, fish, lean proteins, etc. It's a proven formula.

Whatever you do, OP, research it. Write it down or print it out and stick it on your fridge. It's key to follow a guide when you need to get back on the horse.

 

[Sub_Level]

Hey op I am on zoloft. One of the side effects is killin my appetite lol. So if overeatin is a problem along with bein depressed, it might be worth talkin to your doctor about trying it.

But of course WHAT you eat is also really important. It won't fix that.

 

[antonz]

I would echo others who have said try the Keto Diet. Has been very effective for myself. Reddit has an amazing community as well for it that is super supportive and always there to help with any questions etc.

 

[Schattenjäger]

I'm not saying I know what works for other people.

But I've discovered something that's been working for me and I guess I'll share it.

FYI, I suffer from high blood pressure (hereditary) and this has lowered that dramatically for me.


4 things I've been living by. Again, this isn't for everyone:

1) No caffeine. ZERO. I drink caffeine-free diet soft drinks. I really like Kroger's Diet Orange soda and their Diet Lemon Lime.

2) Calorie count. Every day. My target is 1100 calories intake a day. For other people you could go up to 1400 or 1500, but I want to actually lose weight at a good pace.

3) The food you DO eat must have high protein per calorie. This is how you can live with it. This is how you can eat not a lot but still feel full. A lot of these are weight watchers entrees. They have a ham and cheese egg scramble that's 180 calories for 18 grams or so of protein. I buy these for $2 a piece, grab a variety of them. I also like the lasagna, the three cheese ziti with meatballs, and the enchiladas.

4) Buy a treadmill and use it. I do this at home. It beats the hell out of feeling judged at the gym or dealing with the terrible weather. Every 2 days I get on my treadmill and I walk/run 3 miles. That burns around 300 calories in around 50 minutes. While you're doing this you can set up your phone or laptop and watch Youtube videos or listen to music. I've been really enjoying ChessNetwork classic matches.


So that's my routine and has been for a while. Sometimes I treat myself. Like, I'll skip lunch and then have Taco Bell for supper. Like 3 items and in the area of 1400 calories.

I actually enjoy the food I eat, I don't feel like I'm starving, and I weigh myself daily and seeing the results.

Again, it's not for everyone. I skip breakfast AND lunch a lot of days. I only drink calorie free stuff during the day. In that way I'm actually fasting every single day until I get home from work. Then I have 3 or 4 small meals in a 3 hour period, and I'm done again by 8pm.

Some would say this is too difficult and stuff, but to me it's actually been easy for me to leverage my workplace as a way of not eating food. I have more time during my lunch breaks to do other things, like go out shopping, browse the web, or go on walks.

Hope this info is useful to you or anyone else. I'm a short 5'5" guy. I went from 165 lbs to 155 lbs in 3 weeks of this. Currently at 148. My target weight is 135.

I thought caffeine aids in weights loss, no?

 

[AtomskEater]

If I have something "bad" in the house I will sit upstairs thinking about it, thinking about eating it until I finally cave and go get it, then I feel terrible afterwards.

This is the real struggle, for me. I can't even have junk food in the house, ice cream is a major deathtrap. I've just settled into my new home so I really should concentrate on normalizing my eating habits with more healthy snacks.

 

[m29a]

My wife says I'm not fat, but I need to move more. I'm determined to lose the 20 lbs because my doctor said I'm healthy and that I need to manage my weight. I'm back to a large tshirt, but if I lose my cool I'll be right back to wearing XL and XXL. We have to stay strong.

Ugh I get told "you look skinny to me" all the time from family. I'm 6'2" barefoot and weigh 235, and I'm far from skinny. It's that kind of stuff I hear that reinforces the fat side of myself.

I gotta get off this train, again. Lost 130 lbs 3-4 years ago, 280-150, now I'm heading towards my old weight. Struggle is real.

 

[water_wendi]

Keto saved my life. Dropped 150 lbs. and have kept it off for 5 years. Every time my weight creeps up I restrict carbs for a while and I drop right back down.

Keto is the easiest thing to restart. People will bring up sugar withdrawals but for me it was only an issue the first time. Maybe if i had gone back to eating starches/sugars for years and returned it would be different. Doing whatever for a couple weeks and then coming back? Takes me one day to get right back into deep red ketosis.

 

[BruceCLea]

You're not fat you're just overweight. Don't let it get you down. I have terrible anxiety too and it's really tough. I make myself feel better by working out a lot. I don't know if you like it but that's what I do. I saw that you have back pain, so I'd suggest an elliptical machine or swimming or something. Low impact. You can drop 10 pounds easy just doing that and eating better. Then running when you feel better and don't have that weight that may be causing your back pain.

I'm telling you just working out for 45 minutes a day will make you feel so much better at least for a bit.

It's just how i deal with my terrible anxiety bullshit.

 

[Buckle]

I'm about 5'11 and 242lbs myself with big old man boobs. Long been a source of embarrassment.

Downloaded myfitnesspal after feeling motivated while reading this thread. Its hard though, I live with my family and they buy lots of junk food and sweets.

They deserve to eat whatever they want but it makes temptation hell for me. Would be a lot easier if I was living alone and could just avoid them entirely by not wasting the money but not really an option at the moment sadly.

So its pretty much just going to be a battle of willpower.

 

[.J.]

It’s hard to keep on track. I lost a lot of weight years ago, but I still go through these 10-15 pound fluctuations all the time. Depression and busy schedules certainly don’t help.

Something you may be helpful to you, OP is the book Mindless Eating. It was a real lifesaver for me when I was trying to lose weight the first time, and while I still have my little peaks and troughs on the scales, that book has really kept me from putting back on 50 some pounds.

 

[supergiz]

Hi OP. I'm fat again here too. Haven't weighed myself in a while, but I'm now size 38 waist. I don't care as much about outward appearance as I do feeling like shit every day.

I need to get back in shape asap.