Tired of being fat

[tvguy]

Well, I have been overweight for about 50 of my 15 years. Lost 50 pounds last year. Unfortunately it was because I had a health issue. And the health issue seems to be behind me, it is tough keeping that weight off.

 

[GreatLakes]

What do you mean by diet food?

What you eat will impact your health and weight more than exercise so I'd start there. Don't concentrate on the calorie count, calories in calories out is a flawed model, but concentrate on the quality of the calories. Eat real food you have to cook, not prepared food you have to reheat, and cut out simple carbs and added sugars. If there is one single step anyone can take to improve health and their body composition that is it.

This sentence:

I’m also intimidated about getting back into peloton because I have lost so much vs where I was.

is the wrong frame of mind to pick up any abandoned habit. Don't compare yourself to where you were at your peak, compare where you can be tomorrow to where you are today. If you do pick up a Peloton class you might perform worse than you have in the past but that isn't the direction you should look. Instead concentrate on knowing if you don't do anything you will never give yourself the chance to improve.

 

[earfulofmagic]

First:

Now: at least for Peloton, I think if you have a Bike or Bike+ at home and haven't already done this or it's been a while, start with Power Zone. I think Power Zone classes are one of the best ways to get back on the wagon (so to speak), especially if you do the PZ programs available (start with Discover Your Power Zones) as they are very structured for progression from a baseline point. Take classes with Matt Wilpers, who regards you as an athlete in training and will remind you in his endurance classes that fitness is a cycle (no pun intended!) and you will go through seasons of higher power zones and lower power zones. And that is completely normal.
The other reason I think PZ is right for this kind of situation is because you are only following your own zones, not suffering through a music class while thinking "I used to be able to do 50 resistance when they gave a 40-50 resistance 65-80 cadence callout, and now I'm only able to do 40 resistance at 65 rpm".
But even if you don't follow the PZ program exactly due to schedule and parenting demands etc., just try to get in a 10 or 15 minute ride as much as you can. Consistency is key for cardiovascular fitness!

I understand how hard it can be to rebuild, I've had to take time off due to injuries and it's the absolute worst to get back on and feel like you're a beginner all over. But take heart that you can regain your previous fitness fairly easily through consistent retraining. You're just in the offseason right now, you've done the uphill climb before, and you can absolutely do it again.

 

[DLgal]

For me it was years ago when my doc told me my high blood pressure level was due to my weight & lack of exercise.
And that it could like to heart failure, that I needed to lose weight asap. - That was the wake up call for me.
I started analyzing what was I doing wrong. And it was 4000+ calories a day, lots of soda, lots of sugar.
I lost almost 1/3 of my weight in a year by doing something simple: I cut my calorie intake to 1000 calories a day, reduced soda and sugars by 90% & started walking. Started walking 1/2 a mile a day, and now I'm up to 10 miles/day.
Once I got to my desired weight, I upped my calorie intake to 2000-2500 a day, which keeps the weight steady.

If you're gaining weight it means you're taking more calories than you're burning.
Depending on your height, go to 1000-1500 a day and you'll start seeing your weight come down slowly.
Also walk a bit, increase your distance every 15 days or so. Once you do 2-3 miles a day, with the reduced calorie intake you'll lose 2-3 lbs a month, guaranteed.
If you do 800-1200 calories, you might lose 5 lbs or more a month. You don't have to stop eating carbs or meats, just cut down on your overall intake.

Do this and see what happens. If you don't see you lost weight after a month, try something else.
But do this for a month, you have nothing to lose other than eating less, and a few pounds...you'll be motivated and willing to continue with the strategy. Once you get to your desired weight after a few months, go back to 2000 cals/day.

Best of luck, rooting for ya. And keep us updated on here.

I'm sorry, but this is dangerous advice. No one should be on a diet less than 1200 calories per day. Even 1200 is too low. You should never eat below your BMR calorie requirement or you are simply setting up your metabolism to be absolutely destroyed, making weight gain a certainty in the future.

OP, don't starve yourself.

 

[RogueX]

I'm sorry you are going through this.

Some people find working with a nutritionist is beneficial. Perhaps that would be helpful for you?

I was actually evaluated by an endocrinologist for hormone levels, checked for various issues that could cause my weight issues. My neurologist got involved too because he wanted to wean me off of one medication to see if that was the culprit. The verdict? I wasn't eating too much or not getting enough calories. But I also couldn't stop the medication because within 2 weeks I couldn't stop vomiting.

After much discussion with my endocrinologist and getting a neurologist clearance, I was approved for bariatric surgery. It's been 5 months now and I'm about 70 pounds down. It's not something that is one and done though, I realize no matter what, I have to be mindful of what I eat and how much. I work with a nutritionist to help me with food choices and answer questions that I have. If I'm not careful then I'll regain the weight and it will have been all for nothing.

 

[wenrob]

What do you mean by diet food?

What you eat will impact your health and weight more than exercise so I'd start there. Don't concentrate on the calorie count, calories in calories out is a flawed model, but concentrate on the quality of the calories. Eat real food you have to cook, not prepared food you have to reheat, and cut out simple carbs and added sugars. If there is one single step anyone can take to improve health and their body composition that is it.

This sentence:



is the wrong frame of mind to pick up any abandoned habit. Don't compare yourself to where you were at your peak, compare where you can be tomorrow to where you are today. If you do pick up a Peloton class you might perform worse than you have in the past but that isn't the direction you should look. Instead concentrate on knowing if you don't do anything you will never give yourself the chance to improve.

Calories in/Calories Out is not flawed, it’s science. There are no magical properties in any specific food. This kind of thinking adds to the whole “perfect” mentality. Should we all eat wholesome, healthy, home cooked meals more? Absolutely. But that in itself will not make weight loss happen. Overeating causes weight gain. Eating less causes weight loss.

 

[GreatLakes]

Calories in/Calories Out is not flawed, it’s science. There are no magical properties in any specific food. This kind of thinking adds to the whole “perfect” mentality. Should we all eat wholesome, healthy, home cooked meals more? Absolutely. But that in itself will not make weight loss happen. Overeating causes weight gain. Eating less causes weight loss.

I'm sorry, you are wrong. You could eat 2,000 calories of vegetables or 2,000 calories of dessert and it will not be treated the same way in your body. The calories in/calories out myth has been disproven many times over. It is overly simplistic and a terrible tool for health.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/stay...cifically 3,500 calories,just wrong," says Dr.

 

[Christine]

I'm sorry, you are wrong. You could eat 2,000 calories of vegetables or 2,000 calories of dessert and it will not be treated the same way in your body. The calories in/calories out myth has been disproven many times over. It is overly simplistic and a terrible tool for health.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/stop-counting-calories#:~:text=Cut calories — specifically 3,500 calories,just wrong," says Dr.

Actually, the article didn't do a whole lot to debunk CI/CO. Sure, it made that statement but then in reading the article, really did nothing to convince me that the amounts you eat don't matter. Sure, 3500 calories might not equal a pound for every body, but it's an average. While there are factors involved that cause people to burn calories at a different rate, it looks like what was linked just stated that all sorts of things effect how much you burn. What I got from that is that Person A may burn a bit more efficiently than another. But the kicker from the link was that:

"People who ate the ultra-processed food gained weight," says Dr. Stanford. Each group was given meals with the same number of calories and instructed to eat as much as they wanted, but when participants ate the processed foods, they ate 500 calories more each day on average. The same people's calorie intake decreased when they ate the unprocessed foods. The statements were actually rather confusing because they start to lead you down a path where they say that each group was given the same amount of calories but they weren't. One group was spurred to eat more calories, did eat more calories, and those extra calories were measured.

It seems to say that given XX amount of calories of processed foods seems to spur people on to eat 500 more calories a day throughout the day versus if they were given the same amount of calories of whole/healthful foods. So processed food triggers a person to eat more because it messes up all the natural signals in your body. I still see these people as eating more calories, not eating the same but one group gains and one doesn't.

Every person is different and I've tried many, many different ways of eating "mindful, Whole30, intuitive, healthy with no limits, etc. and I can gain weight on any kind of regimin because I can be quite unbridled in my quantities. I'm ashamed to even tell you how much watermelon I ate over the summer. And yes, you can gain weight eating watermelon.

I've read tons of the CI/CO studies because I'm a skeptic and there were times I found it hard to lose weight so I really wanted to believe there was some other reason and I've not found one yet that has convinced me that the CI/CO method is crap. Sure, I absolutely believe that people burn at different rates and I can go on 1500 calories a day a be successful while my best friend down the street needs hers to be at 1350 before she sees anything. The two of us have been friends for years, roughly the same age, height, and we've noticed the burn rate difference but generally the CI/CO works really well for us.

 

[wenrob]

I'm sorry, you are wrong. You could eat 2,000 calories of vegetables or 2,000 calories of dessert and it will not be treated the same way in your body. The calories in/calories out myth has been disproven many times over. It is overly simplistic and a terrible tool for health.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/stop-counting-calories#:~:text=Cut calories — specifically 3,500 calories,just wrong," says Dr.

No I’m not and this article does not “debunk” that or even come close to implying that 2,000 calories does not equal 2,000 calories. I may have to cut 3,500 calories and you may only need to cut 2,500 but at the end of the day to lose weight you need to eat less. (unless you have an underlying condition) She’s basically saying all people will not lose at the same rate because we’re all different and that eating healthier foods might lead you to eat less while eating more processed food might lead you to eat more. I tend to agree but what she’s describing is literally calories in/calories out.

Edited because she does say CI/CO is wrong but then goes on to basically contradict herself with the healthy food/processed food study.

Counting calories and CI/CO are not exclusive to each other. You don’t have to count calories to lose weight.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I have a friend who went to a weight loss place a few months ago. She had gastric bypass in the past and it was successful and she kept all the weight off for 10 years or so, but with the pandemic she started putting on weight and wasn't able to lose it. the weight loss place gives her injections of hormones, can't remember all the injections she gets but it's worked wonders, she lost 40 pounds relatively quickly. Honestly with my current mindset I'm thinking about doing the same because I can't seem to work up the motivation to do anything to lose my pandemic weight. I've just been in such a slump for the last couple years with my son getting sick and my daughter's school issues and having to change jobs. My weight really got out of control with switching jobs because in my old job I walked miles every day, and then I switched to a desk job where I sit for 8-10 hours per day.

 

[Christine]

@wenrob @GreatLakes and everyone else (I know this thread took a side track to the calories debate) but I think this link here provides a great summary of the calories in/calories out debate. It does a good job of describing how it's faulty to think of it in static terms (I will lose exactly 1 pound if I cut 3,500 calories) and look at it dynamically.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-healthy-journey/201910/calories-in-calories-out

 

[slo]

Ugghhh…..weight
Always an ongoing battle with me my whole life
Hugs to you because it is frustrating

For Me….this is what I do…..
*I made the app My Fitness Pal my best friend
*Never ever ever say I’m on a diet - you’re on a life change (diets are temporary)
*Measure my food and read labels
*Never bring junk food in the house - you can’t eat it if it’s not there
*Chew lots of gum - when I’m hungry I stick gum in my mouth
*Drink lots of water - I drink 100oz a day
*Never starve myself - bad bad bad
*I do give myself a treat sometimes - I deserve it.
*I found my happy place with weight and do my best to stay there. I‘m 178lbs, it’d be nice to be less, but this is where I can maintain without to much stress
*Found a workout that makes me happy - I workout 3 times a week - I have an elliptical and watch MY shoes and MY movies when I’m on it so I have something to look forward to. I also have some light weight dumb bells for strength training. Before COVID I went to a gym and did the same thing - I propped up my phone on the machine and watched my shows.

Good luck OP…..you CAN drop the weight.
Just be realistic with yourself and remember…the slower you lose it, the better. When you drop weight fast is when many put it right back on along with more pounds.

 

[mrodgers]

It's so easy it's stupid, yet so difficult to achieve.

I know what I have to do. I have to do 2 things. Eat food and exercise to get my heart rate up for an extended period of time every day.

That's as simple as it gets. I counted calories. It's amazing when you understand what you're eating. That little snack bag of Doritos at lunch, 360 calories. 5 days a week at lunch at work, that's 1800 calories. 3600 calories in 2 weeks and 3600 calories is a lb. on you. So that's a lb. every 2 weeks you're adding.

Eat real food. When I counted calories, I realized breakfast, lunch, and dinner was about 1700 calories. That's around what I as an active male should eat to lose weight. Add in a snack bag of chips, take the kids out for ice cream, a couple of Oreos, make brownies in the evening, snack watching a movie... You don't realize how many calories you eat a day of garbage. When I count (I'm failing now at it) and stop eating the junk, the weight melts off.

I feel exercise has very little to do with weight loss. Without eating right, and that's just simply eating real foods at the calorie count you need for the day, just exercising doesn't help you lose weight at all. Exercise does help a bit when eating right, but you eat to lose and exercise for fitness. I can continue eating garbage, and when I am riding my bicycle daily for 45 minutes to an hour, my blood metrics all drop to normal levels. I have high all of it, BP, cholesterol, triglycerides, sugar borderline. Jump on the bike and it all goes down. Continue eating garbage and the weight still can rise. Have to eat right to lose the weight and exercise for your respiratory, heart, and blood fitness.

One big mistake people make is eating calories they exercise away, or think they exercise away. They go to the gym and run on the treadmill. Treadmill says they burned 800 calories in 20 minutes. Then they ride the stationary bike, another 800 calories according to the machine. Do something else for 20 minutes, another 800 calories. Then they stop at Starbucks and get their massive caramel macciato whatever it is that's 1400 calories. No big deal, you just burned 2400 calories at the gym!

And the machines are massively inaccurate to actual calorie burn. You can estimate from 200-400 calories burned an hour from exercise depending on how hard you're doing it. That is what the general consensus is based on people using watt meters and such when exercising.

As I said, the most simple concept you can come up with, eat correctly real foods to loose weight and you shouldn't even need to watch. Exercise for the fitness and ignore thinking it's to lose weight. An hour of exercise does wonders for your fitness, hardly anything for burning calories.

Every snack you want to eat, look at the calorie count and realize that it's an hour to burn that off. A little bag of chips at lunch, that's an hour you need to exercise to burn it away. The brownie you baked last night that you have one after dinner, another hour of exercise. Then at 8 when you're getting ready to watch that movie, another garbage snack and it's another hour of exercise. Now without thinking about it, you've eaten so that you need to exercise 3 hours that day just to take care of the snacking. That's why people don't lose weight.

As I said, I am failing at it. I do well and start losing, then fail and it comes right back. Sugar is an actual physical addiction much like smoking is. Your body uses sugar for energy and stops using the good foods you eat for energy. I am addicted to sugar, I know it. I will hunt the empty kitchen for something to eat because I think I'm hungry. It's my body crashing and wanting the energy boost of sugar again. Takes about a month of not eating it to get over it, then I'm no longer hunting the kitchen for something to snack on. Then I end up eating brownies or cookies my kids made or my mother always has something for after dinner when I go over, which I tell her all the time to stop. I eat it and next thing I know my cart grocery shopping is full of garbage foods again.

 

[kdonnel]

I find it is so much easier being fat. Food just tastes so good and many of us were conditioned starting at an early age that we had to clean our plate despite our well meaning parents putting way too much food on the plate.

Portion control is HUGE in weight loss. The average person really has no idea how much of something they should be eating.

I have had the most success losing weight when I have a partner willing to help. We split meals when eating out, saves money and calories, and drink nothing but water. All those empty calories in other beverages really add up.

Ultimately I have come to the conclusion I will always be fat but I avoid being obese.

I run 3-4 miles 6 days a week and hover around 25 lbs overweight. I have decided that as long as I can do what I want physically, I am happy with being fat.

Remember that losing weight is almost all about calorie intake, very little about exercise. You can lose weight without exercise. Sometimes exercise tricks people into eating more completely negating the activity. I exercise not to lose weight but to be healthy.

Good luck in your weight loss goals.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

*Found a workout that makes me happy

That seems to be at the heart of my continued motivation. Some days I'm not always looking forward to working out but by in large I have found routines that allow me to keep moving. I switch it up when I'm feeling to monotonous. I use a squat machine called DB Method that really worked for me with a bad knee I had (that has gotten so much better with a combo of losing some weight and the machine). I can do a lot with the machine with arms, abs, etc too and I just keep finding more workout routines from them to keep it fresh. And that is just one part of my whole workout routine. I have it where I'm shorter on time I can still get some stuff in.

My number 1 need though is music. Even the times I've worked out while on vacation (a more limited workout but still) I'll have some music going.

I think people get stuck with thinking they'll start with this or that but just because someone else has a treadmill doesn't mean you'll do well with it. With the OP and their Peloton they have to make sure they can find usage with it, that it still gets them wanting to use it. It doesn't do any good to have it if it's not being used because you're no longer into it.

*Never bring junk food in the house - you can’t eat it if it’s not there

This is me and pop. I drink pop if we go out although not always but at home my drinks are 99% water and 1% coffee lol. We do have crystal light also which helps for those times when I want some flavoring. If pop is in the household though I do drink it. Canned pop is the worst because it's so easy to just decide to have a can of pop.

 

[TAX GUY]

For me (and my wife), we're in the camp of watch what you eat vs. how much you eat. We've done the "programs", cut calories, etc. While they worked with losing weight, they didn't seem to last. Lets be honest, as far as exercise, unless you enjoy it, it's typically a chore and also fades over time.

What has worked for us (your results may vary) was drastically reducing carbs and sugars (think keto, but not a full blown/strict keto). Balancing fats, proteins and calories are key. After we both had not so favorable annual physicals, that was enough motivation for us to make a change. For us, it's not a temporary diet or fix, but a change in habit and style. We aren't starving ourselves, we're eating the foods we like (real food, not prepared or replacement/supplements) with the exception of some of the high carb and/or high sugar content foods (I do miss my rice and pasta).

You need to get YOUR mind right, and approach it when YOU'RE ready. Your biggest hurdle is yourself. Once your mind is ready, the rest will follow. Don't expect the weight to fall off in one day, you didn't put it on that way. It takes time but can and will happen if you follow through and make the long term changes that are needed to succeed. It's your health and your mindset and only you can make it happen. Best of luck, it's not easy, but it is achievable. You can do it!!

 

[piccolopat]

The calories in/out issue is not rocket science however it is important to understand that what you eat also matters. Your body needs protein, carbohydrates and fat to function but that doesn't been eating nothing but cheeseburgers and fries that are high in fatty simple carbohydrates (bun and fries) and fat/fatty proteins (ground beef, fries and cheese). The goal should be that whenever possible, eat a balanced diet that includes lean protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. Instead of that cheeseburger and fries, try a low fat turkey burger or very low fat beef or bison burger. Skip the bun and have a salad and small baked potato on the side with just a tablespoon of sour cream or even salsa or guacamole. If you really want fries, get the frozen ones that you bake in the oven and limit your portion. Simple substitutions are often the best early steps towards eating healthier.

 

[disneyworldsk]

I find in general that I love podcasts. I am struggling with OP issue and would love it if someone could recommend a motivational podcast on spotify preferrably to begin weight loss. I searched myself, but I find many of them aren't very good at all. They talk a lot about mental stuff but not the actual practical side of: what to make for dinner, what did you eat for breakfast . Too much for me they go on a bit lecturing about; self care, love yourself, be kind. I don't want that, I need more concrete. Like: I know about drinking water. but i hate water. give me tips. or: I'm not into meat or chicken or fish, what can I eat for dinner tonight.
But overall, I think podcasts are also great for commuting and walks outside. They can be good motivators.
I'll take any recommendations....

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

I'm sorry you are feeling the way you do and I understand that struggle and feeling. Someone above posted that if we can't get into the right mindset, we won't move past that and that is exactly where I get stuck every.single.time.

I have zero advice, because I still struggle with it, but I want to let you know that you are not alone.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Like: I know about drinking water. but i hate water.

Flavor additives which can be fruits and such or you could do it (if you don't overindulge) in the flavor drops or crystal light stuff. You could experiment with a water container that has a built in infuser. We have one but TBH we never got into the infusing so we removed that part of it but I could totally see where adding in lemons, or berries could help the water at least bring in something to your tastebuds.

You know how people get those huge water containers and fill them up? The ones that have either the oz on them or they mark the time of day they should be drinking? Yeah those wouldn't work for me. That becomes a chore to me, a chore I do out of obligation a chore that I would end up dropping because it's not making me enjoy even a little of it.

So what I personally do is stick to smaller containers of water (like normal water bottle size or smaller) because as I'm drinking it I know to refill it and it's like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (by that I mean an empty cup/water bottle) gives me the personal motivation. Because I work out nearly everyday I do drink a lot throughout the workout but even if I wasn't working out I would stick with the same thing of water bottle size or less container of water. Most of the drinking cups I use are anywhere between 12-16oz+ so I see it as a doable goal not a daunting task. It's easy for me to rack up the amount of water I drink that way.

Also that "8 drinking glasses a day" is not applicable to everyone out there it's a general guide but some need more, some need less. What you eat, where you live, what your activity level is, the weather, etc all interact. I think for many it's just drinking a consistent amount of water per day in lieu of not really drinking water at all.

But for some people they need that huge water container with reminders because they see that as their motivator.