Weight Lossing Tips

submitted by /u/JockBbcBoy to r/SuddenlyGay [link] [comments]

Here are some of the no BS fatloss tips that helped me throughout my transformation most interesting of all be in a consistent calorie deficit there is NO other way around it walking> running yes running burns calories but guess what it makes you hungry and you end up eating what you burned carbs are not the villain they are absolutely needed for the human body and influence your performance in the gym eat enough protein about twice your body weight and yes whey protein is not bad if you consume from a reputable brand cheating on your diet is not the end of the world yes you can cheat sometimes it won't kill your progress just make sure its not a habit 6) energy loss is fine. During the initial stages of being in a calorie deficit (1-2 weeks) you will feel very week don't worry you won't die the body adapts and once the body starts burning the fat you will feel good again 7) the gym is not NECESSARY yes i said it the gym helps but it is definitely not necessary if the sole purpose is loosing fat.the gym is for the muscles not for burning fat If you have any doubts regarding any of these pointers feel free to comment and clear your doubts submitted by /u/shccuhc to r/AskFitnessIndia [link] [comments]

I don't have the guts for plastic surgery, so I’ve spent years mastering the art of makeup and skincare instead. I’ve gotten to the point where my skills are transformative my friends always ask me for tips and tutorials. But deep down, I know the truth: this "beauty" only exists at specific angles through a phone camera. In reality (IRL), I’m constantly battling with my weight. Over the last year or two, it’s gotten out of control. I can contour my face, but I can't hide the reality of my body spilling out of my clothes. It’s made me want to leave the house less and less, turning into a vicious cycle. Recently, people around me have been hinting (or straight up saying) that makeup is just a mask, and that losing weight is the ultimate glow-up. I’m struggling. I know they are probably right, but the process of losing weight feels so painful and daunting. Can someone give me a push? I need evidence or personal stories. Please convince me that the struggle is worth it ,is weight loss really the biggest game-changer for appearance? submitted by /u/DifferentIssue1 to r/loseit [link] [comments]

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BEFORE YOU SAY “there are no shortcuts” yes… I know. I KNOW THERE ARE NO HACKS. Just drop some helpful advice that you wish someone would’ve told you, or you wish you knew earlier!! Help a fellow weight loss warrior out!! Something to keep you going. Maybe something that kept you from reverting. A good food you found that helped you stay in your deficit. A workout that got the job done. A mentality that kept you motivated. A quote someone said that stuck with you. A song that made running fun. A habit you created. What to remember when times get rough. Something that felt like a hack. ANYTHING HELPS!! I’m a 23F and i’m 165 lbs and I’m READY. be ready to hear back from me on this sub talking about how I FINALLY did it!! Happy New Year everyone!!! EDIT: HOLY COW!!! Thank you all so much for sharing all kinds of tips and tricks and even some tough love!! I have read all of your comments, and I am so excited to start this journey!! Now I have an amazing reference for when I feel old habits creeping back in:). It’s our year!! 🎉 submitted by /u/downward-dog- to r/loseit [link] [comments]

We just got back from the vet and he suggested that our pups go on a diet. Both are 2 years old! Oliver, our black and tan, is smaller at 22lbs. Otto, his brother from the same litter, is the chocolate and tan. He’s 25lbs. We currently feed them from the same bowl and we use a measuring cup. One cup of Royal Canin in the morning and one at night. We give treats through the day but nothing too excessive. Potty reward gets a SmartBone twist. ZestyPaws Training Bites in the Furbo for barking when we’re not home. No human food. I honestly think Oliver is at a good weight and Otto is muscles. He’s a tank. They are both very healthy. I’m looking for any tips from pet owners that have gone through the same. It would be so helpful! Thanks! 😊 submitted by /u/jt6229674 to r/Dachshund [link] [comments]

I keep seeing some pretty unhinged information from new folks posting here looking for tips/tricks to get through the holiday season and figured I would make a post about the things we believed or did that were the exact opposite of helpful in the beginning. I'll start! No gym, no care! - When I was almost 400lbs I believed that I would never be able to lose weight because I knew that I would never be able to work out due to some medical issues I have. Everyone knows the first step to successful weight loss is hitting the gym super hard every day, and if you can't do that, you can't do anything! Turns out, this is complete bullshit, and I ended up losing about 100lbs before ever setting foot in a gym just with a calorie deficit and working up to 10k steps per day over the course of a few months. The gym is ABSOLUTELY NOT NECESSARY for weight loss, and in the case of people like me who were super morbidly obese, it is actually dangerous if you go in blind and try to do things yourself. That's a recipe for disaster IMO. All or nothing wins the race - This is another one that I see folks constantly struggle with. People will throw out an entire week worth of success because they slipped up and had a cookie (or 10) and then go on a binge because "I already failed, might as well throw caution to the wind and send it with this entire sheet cake from safeway!" No! You haven't failed! You have done so well getting to the point that you are now, and you're doing the best you can. Just accept that you had a temporary slip, think about why you ate an entire pizza, and think of ways that you could set yourself up for success to NOT eat the whole thing the next time you find yourself in this situation. Maybe you are restricting calories too much and are absolutely ravenous at the end of the day, and would eat 9 cans of ravioli if they were there. You can try adding a couple hundred more calories throughout the day to see if that leaves you less hungry at the end of the day. Perhaps you could split up your meals into smaller calorie chunks spread throughout the day so you are constantly satiated? Maybe you could just not hang out with the friend who constantly pressures you to eat pizza and burgers and drink beer every time you're around them? You didn't get yourself as big as you were through one binge episode, and you aren't going to undo your success through one binge either. "I can't because " - I see sooo many new posters here asking for help because "I can't stop eating oreos because my house mates always buy them" or "I can't work out because I can't afford to get a gym membership" or "I can't meal prep because I work in the field and don't have a microwave available". I can't with all these "I can't"s! Folks need to shift their mindset from this extremely limiting "I can't do this because..." thinking to "I could do this if..." Maybe you could stop eating oreos if you talked to your house mates about it and told them they were a trigger food for you, and maybe they could keep them in their room instead of in the shared pantry? Maybe you could work out if you bought a cheap yoga mat from Amazon and watched bodyweight exercise videos on youtube instead of getting a gym membership? Maybe you could meal prep your breakfast or dinner so you at least have one or two planned meals a day, and continue doing whatever you do for lunch until you find a better solution for that? Incremental progress is still progress. Don't think about what you can't do, think about what you maybe could do and then try to do that instead! I'm definitely interested in hearing what kind of stuff was holding yall back from success in your previous journeys, and what info you had to throw out to be successful this time. submitted by /u/Schadenfreude_Taco to r/loseit [link] [comments]

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As the title says. I tried to post yesterday but the post was removed for insufficient word count. What is a tip you can share to help people on their weight loss journey that is a little different or atypical? My weight loss tip for people who struggle with eating in the evening is to go to bed earlier. It seem self evident, but it wasn't to me. I have a bad habit of eating a lot of calories in the evening, typically in front of the tv but sometimes in front of the computer. I never eat in bed though. I have discovered that if I eat dinner a little later, then turn in a little earlier, I skip all the snacking I used to do. It seems to be working for me in terms of CICO. Ok, what is an odd tip you can share? submitted by /u/Jolly-Masterpiece883 to r/loseit [link] [comments]

I want to hear your most un-hindged tips or hacks for weight loss or hormonal balance for PCOS! Not your usual "take a walk" or "get on metformin", but the crazy, unusual things you did to help you!! submitted by /u/cribbageandcoffee to r/PCOS [link] [comments]

There’s so much advice out there that sounds smart until you actually try it. For me, it was “drink water when you’re hungry, you’re probably just thirsty.” Yeah… turns out I was just hungry and thirsty. Also tried the whole “eat small meals throughout the day” thing and felt constantly unsatisfied and way more obsessed with food. Meanwhile, my friend thrives on that plan. I’m starting to believe half of these tips just depend on your personality, biology, and maybe even your mood that day. Curious to hear what "game-changing" weight loss tip absolutely did not work for you, and what you do instead that actually helps. Let’s trade horror stories and hacks that didn’t make us want to scream. submitted by /u/Visible-Price7689 to r/loseit [link] [comments]

I’ve been gaining weight every time I go to the doctor’s office for about 3 years now. I’m 50lbs overweight, and I’m not too proud to ask for help, so I was wondering what you guys have done to lose weight? My biggest issues are self-control with foods, and not being able to force myself to cook regularly. So I typically either eat out or just graze on random food in my house until I‘m full. And I feel like “getting full” takes a lot longer than it did when I was my “normal weight” submitted by /u/improbsable to r/ADHD [link] [comments]

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I have been noticing with quarantine/lock-down situations that we have been seeing a higher number of teens (14-18) looking for weight loss help. As most of us are adults here, we know that teens require more calories as they're still growing than what an adult with similar stats would. I'd like to use this post as a starting point for us as a community to promote and encourage HEALTHY and SUSTAINABLE habits for these teens, without shutting them down, downvoting them or suggesting deficits that are only appropriate for adults. 15F 18M 15FtM 16F 19M 17F 19M I honestly have like 10 more of these posts, 16F, 15F, 17F, 17F, 18F, 14M, 15M, 16M, 14F, 14M, 17M. These posts are all from just the last few days. Whether we think these kids should be asking us for help or not, they are and for some of them, we're their only option. While medical advice is actively discouraged and against the rules of many health-related subs, there is no reason we can't provide these teens with some info and some support as we do for each other. Statistics on Teens and EDs For many of us, our weight problems also started in our early years and as teens, we are the most vulnerable. According to these statistics (sources on the page) binge-eating disorder will occur in "0.2% and 3.5% of females and 0.9% and 2.0% of males" (Stice E & Bohon C. (2012)) in adolescence at a 40/60% split (Westerberg, D. P., & Waitz, M. (2013)). Furthermore, "Three out of ten individuals looking for weight loss treatments show signs of BED" (Westerberg, D. P., & Waitz, M. (2013). In a different study, it was found that "Males represent 25% of individuals with anorexia nervosa, and they are at a higher risk of dying, in part because they are often diagnosed later since many people assume males don’t have eating disorders" (Mond, J.M., Mitchison, D., & Hay, P. (2014)). I am not saying all these posters have eating disorders. But in an additional study, it was found that "in a large study of 14– and 15-year-olds, dieting was the most important predictor of a developing eating disorder" (Golden, N. H., Schneider, M., & Wood, C. (2016)). There are some more horrible statistics there under the Dieting subheading, but what I am saying here is that these teens are coming to us for help and they are vulnerable, so our advice should be considerate of this. Yes, They Should See A Doctor/GP We are not medical professionals, and offering dietary advice to impressionable or at-risk teens is not what this sub is for, nor are almost any of us qualified to do. So yes, our first question or comment should ask "Do you have access to a doctor/GP, and will your parents take you?". Follow-up questions can include suggesting gym teachers, coaches, school counsellors or trusted teachers or other adults. However, as an Australian I often need to remind myself that a majority of people on Reddit are American, and therefore the answer isn't always as simple as "go to the doctor". Many of these teens may be embarrassed and haven't spoken to their families about their concerns; many of them can't afford to go at all; many of them have parents who won't take them or will give them their own advice instead. Instead, they've reached out to us. Meanwhile, a massive amount of the posts I've referenced often speak about other issues such as bullying at home or school and depression or other mental illnesses. In all cases where this is mentioned, seeing a doctor or trusted adult should be priority no. 1. In the meantime, there are other pieces of information we can provide to support these posters. "We Need Your Stats" & Teen BMI Calculator "Even among clearly non-overweight girls, over 1/3 report dieting." - Source - Wertheim, E., Paxton, S., &Blaney, S. (2009) Even for adults, the advice we give each other here is heavily dependent on height and weight. We often direct each other to the TDEE calculator, and say "eat 500 calories less than your maintenance". What's important (for everyone, not just teens) is to actually check whether they are obese, overweight or a normal weight. I have absolutely run a teenager's stats through a calculator and found they were a healthy weight or even underweight before on their posts asking for weight loss help. For these teens, the below caloric minimums could be helpful as well, to make sure they are eating enough. Additionally, we can recommend any number of the wonderful fitness subs out there to encourage them to move more, but they need no further help from us if they are at a healthy weight. The Baylor College of Medicine - Children's Nutrition Research Center provides this BMI calculator for children and teens. We should all have this link in our back pockets to provide to teens, as it is designed especially for them. With this info, our next question can be "Can you put your info into this calculator and tell us whether it says you are obese, overweight or a healthy weight?". [EDIT] - A dietician in the comments has explained that BMI categories are mostly suitable for adults 20+, and that they should be used in combination with a growth chart. They also recommended that a dietician with pediatric experience is more suitable than a doctor in many cases. I found these growth charts for 2-18yo, male and female, with BMI/height and weight for age options. [EDIT] - I have seen more criticism of the BMI concept in general, I've never heard of any of this and it just goes to show how much we don't know when we're teaching health and nutrition! A user has shared some info about how the BMI scale was not invented by a doctor, and is mostly build around white males. I'd love to see a deep dive post about this! Teens Need More Calories Than Adults With The Same Stats "Because the teenage years are a time of rapid growth and development, teenagers require more calories to sustain and fuel this growth." - Motley Health I know that CICO is king. It's basic science and it works. But for teens, a focus on calorie-counting and "dieting" is linked to dangerous eating habits and self-esteem issues. Instead, it is recommended that adults "promote a balanced diet and exercise for fitness (not weight loss)" when speaking to teens about healthy eating. However, it would be impossible for a teenager to look at this sub and not see a lot of conversation about calorie-counting and deficits. Therefore, Motley Health recommend the following caloric guides for teens. I would only recommend directing them to these calorie graphs if they are already calorie-counting. [EDIT] I have had a lot of comments discussing the higher ranges of ages here, and I am inclined to agree that anyone 17+ would possibly benefit from a more standard approach of TDEE -500. Your mileage may vary, but I would recommend erring on the side of higher calories and slower weight loss. Caloric needs of Girls and Young Women Age/years Sedentary Low activity High activity 12-13 1700 2000 2250 14-16 1750 2100 2350 17-18 1750 2100 2400 Caloric needs of Boys and Young Men Age/years Sedentary Low activity High activity 12-13 1900 2250 2600 14-16 2300 2700 3100 17-18 2450 2900 3300 These caloric guides are further supported by similar numbers here at VeryWellFit, which cites Lifshitz F. 2008 and a health.gov Dietary Guidelines appendix. [EDIT] I have had a lot of comments that the calorie guides for boys/young men seem really high - I have posted the sources above but in this case, I would highly encourage seeking professional advice and not eating less than 1500 calories (as a minimum for a sedentary adult man). Considering the above research and the calorie guides here, our next question should be "How active are you?". Motley Health suggests the following definitions to go along with the above charts. Sedentary means that you do nothing, just sit on a sofa watching television, and often eating. Low activity is for people that walk a little every day, such as to and from school, as well as some occasional sports, such as compulsory physical education lessons. High activity is for anyone that does regular exercise, such as daily running, working out with a sports team or training in the gym 2-3 times a week. With this information, we can combine our recommended 1lb/0.4kg a week loss with a deficit of 500 calories from these guides. Motley Health even states that a 1000 calorie deficit could be possible, but I am combining their recommendations with this sub's general philosophy. The Baylor College of Medicine - Children's Nutrition Research Center also provides this Healthy Eating Calculator for teens and children, which instead of outputting raw numbers takes the user through a guide of what their diet should look like based on their activity level. We can redirect teens to this calculator as we would an adult poster to the TDEE Calculator. Be Supportive Ultimately, these teens are often posting here as a result of feeling low or helpless. We are so much more than a 500 calorie deficit. We can talk to them about their habits outside of their weight, what foods they like, commiserate with difficult home or school situations because we've all been there. We don't need to be afraid that we will accidentally encourage something harmful if we use the tools and information at our disposal as a result of our own research and hard work. [EDIT] Some great additions in the comments - encourage patience! Weight loss is a long journey, and shortcuts are just not sustainable or healthy. Explain that it won't happen overnight, but that they are developing habits that will take them through the entire rest of their lives. TL;DR Questions to Ask Teen Posters Do you have access to a doctor/GP, and will your parents take you? Follow-up questions can include suggesting gym teachers, coaches, school counsellors or trusted teachers or other adults. Can you put your info into this calculator and tell us whether it says you are obese, overweight or a healthy weight? How active are you? Examples of sedentary, low and high activity in the post under Teens Need More Calories subheading Tools To Give Them BMI Calculator Healthy Eating Calculator Motley Health Weight Loss Advice for Teenagers article (amazing, well-sourced article that really aligns with this sub's CICO-focused values) Further Reading National Eating Disorders - STATISTICS & RESEARCH ON EATING DISORDERS Motley Health - What’s A Healthy Diet? Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne - Growth Charts (use in conjunction with BMI calc) This post by u/ilikebluesocks - From one teen to all the others Parents I have seen a ton of parents in the comments discussing navigating weight loss with their teens - PLEASE check this one out, as it has tons of other resources for parents! National Eating Disorders - How to Open a Conversation with Teens About Healthy Eating If any of you out there have any more resources or suggestions, put them here so our community can use it! ​ submitted by /u/magneticsouth to r/loseit [link] [comments]

Ok lads so here is a bit of a harsh truth. Keto works as a weight loss aid largely because it helps deal with hunger and energy while removing the quick dopamine hit that drug-like edible things cause. Of course there are other benefits regarding inflammation, auto-immune diseases and so forth but I'm going to stick with weight loss here. There are many foods that are low in carbs that trigger binge eating in people who are prone to binge eating. Keto cheesecake is great but not if you cannot stop eating it once you start. While it may not cause the same blood sugar roller coaster that a sugar-laden dessert would, eating 2000 calories of cream cheese on top of the rest of your food that day is one reason many people stall. Ask yourself this: When I eat a thing, am I more hungry or less hungry after eating it? If you are more hungry or the same level of hungry, consider removing it from your diet. For me, the triggers are sweet things and roasted salted nuts. I can easily eat a pound of macadamia nuts in one go. Remember that junk food is still junk food even if it has better macros, and that keto treatos should be something that is an "In case of emergency break glass" sort of thing, or at the very least a special occasion treat! If you are finding your weight loss efforts are stalling or you do not feel as in control of your eating as you would like, take inventory with this in mind and make changes. submitted by /u/stupidrobots to r/keto [link] [comments]

Mindset (~11k points) Don’t reserve happiness for a later date or weight. (~5k points) Weight loss happens in the kitchen: it's much more effective to consume less than it is to work the calories off through exercise. BUT don't discount the mental benefits of exercise, like improved mood and motivation, to make you more able to implement diet changes. Even eating healthy (or at least not badly), you can eat too much. And you can't "out exercise" a bad diet. (e.g. run a mile (~100 calories) to work off one cookie(~80 calories). (~2k points) Losing weight is not easy but it is simple: Consume fewer calories than you burn. (~1.2k points) The best diet or workout is one you'll keep doing. Your success isn't measured by an individual day's success or failure. It's about a lifestyle change. So even if you don't see results as quickly as you'd hope, don't give up. Choose to do cardio you like over that which you don’t (e.g. running). Make small, easy changes vs big changes (e.g. small calorie reduction vs working out every day). (~1k points) Keep patience. Losing weight (especially a significant amount of weight) takes a considerable amount of time. The following three tips had negligible support, but I found them too important to omit: You will eventually start losing weight at a slower rate and that is normal. Remember that it will take time and to not give up. It's a marathon and not a sprint. Don’t start an intense exercise routine until you know you can maintain a healthy diet because it is easy to pig out when tired. Be honest with yourself about how much you exercise and what you eat (how many calories, sugars, etc.) because the first step to changing your habits is to acknowledge what they are. ​ Diet (~4.6k points) Calories In, Calories Out: You must burn more calories than you eat. Any diet can work if there is a calorie deficient. Try MyFitnessPal to find the appropriate calorie restriction for your size and activity level. If calorie counting sounds too unwieldy, consider only counting for a few weeks until you get the idea of the calories of your typical foods. (~2.3k points) Meal prepping. Know exactly what you’re putting into your body every day. (~2.1k points) Use a calorie counter app / nutrition calculator (e.g. MyFitnessPal). (~1.5k points) Stop drinking your calories: Cut out sugary drinks (e.g. soda, juice, Gatorade). (~1.3k points) 70% rule: eat 70% of your meal. Take a break and drink water before coming back to it. Slower eating can be an effective strategy for reducing food intake. (~1.1k points) Cut-out alcohol or switch to low-cal alcoholic drinks like liquor with minimal mixers. (~1.1k points) Drink more water. Keep yourself hydrated while avoiding hunger disguised as thirst. (~1k points) Use a smaller plate (e.g. saucers for dinner plates). (~750 points) Intermittent fasting It can help you remember what real hunger feels like, compared to stress and comfort hunger. (~600 points) Keto (~400 points) Stop buying junk food. You wouldn't leave drugs in the home of a drug addict. Bring to-go containers to avoid wasting food. ​ Exercise (~1.2k points) Walking (e.g. make it a part of your routine or commute) (~850 points) Cycling or some form of cardio in place of harder to maintain habits like running. (~400 points) Go to gym BEFORE work. Doing so helps you wake up and feel ready for day and more motivation than going at end of day. ALTHOUGH, what works best for your schedule and when you naturally feel most motivation might be different. (~400 points) Dancing (for white guys preferably. The uncoordinated, flailing burns maximal calories) (~300 points) Join a sport. It would help you make exercise more naturally a part of your routine (~300 points) Weight training, for building muscle most quickly and to help maintain muscle mass while under a calorie deficit. ​ Other (~200 points) Practice good sleep hygiene. It plays a huge role in your ability to follow through with your goals. ​ Honorable mentions Have heart broken/shattered, sleep all day (depression diet) ​ Most controversial Keto Vegan Intermittent fasting No sugar ​ Controversial Weigh yourself daily Paleolithic diet Only eat when you’re hungry / you only lose weight when you're hungry No bread Eat before 6PM Cocaine No meat Calories burned > calories in Low carb diet Meth ​ I rounded the points by 50s or 100s (depending on the popularity of the comment) from about 30 threads related to weight-loss. I did not tally the number of times a suggestion came up as controversial. I only noticed that when sorted by controversial, Keto, Vegan, Intermittent fasting, and no sugar comments reigned supreme. I hope you found this list useful. ​ Edit: grammar, corrected false equivalence of calories in a cookie, added muscle mass note to weight training tip. submitted by /u/Vegetable-Trader to r/loseit [link] [comments]

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TL;DWTR: After many set backs, restarts, injuries, etc. I finally reached a total weight loss of 200lbs this morning. Don't confuse that, Ive LOST 200lbs, I weigh 207. All diet and exercise, no thermo pills, no surgery, etc. It's awesome, but the loose skin sucks. Pics for the Impatient! Each is annotated for clarity. Story: ​When I was a kid I was told I would never be fat. My mom even had trouble finding pants that could fit me properly. But just before puberty I began to gain weight. By the time I graduated from High School I was ~320lbs. Started college and gain an additional 40lbs within the first 2 years. When I was 19, I was rushed to the ER from work with severe chest pains and shortness of breath, the initial thought was heart attack, but luckily it was a massive panic attack. Nevertheless, I was put on blood pressure meds and told to lose weight. Of course, I didn't do that. My Junior* year of college I moved to main campus, weighing about 390, and reached 400+ by end of the 1st year on campus. Second year of on campus I moved with friends from back home. This was when I reached my max of 407.8lbs. It is very possible that I weighed more, but the 407.8 figure is the highest I found logged by a medical office, so it is the one I use. Anyway, one night my friends invited me to the gym and to this day I am quite sure they were only being nice to the fat guy/friend. But, for some reason I went. I picked a recumbent cycle and went about 30 minutes for a distance of about 3.5 miles. I remember distinctly thinking that I must not have been as out of shape as I thought I was. The next morning, I woke up at 7am to get ready for my 8am Psych class ... to this day, it is hte only class I ever missed for something like this. I literally could not walk. My legs felt heavy and radiated pain into my pelvis every time I moved. It was a good half hour before I was finally able to hobble done to the bathroom to pee. I was 24 years old and if someone on the floor had access to a walker, I would have used it without question. What happened next is hard to explain, I don't really even understand it myself. My legs continued to feel better and I felt there was something that had changed in me. The idea that I did this to myself, but knowing that when it was better it would never be this bad again. Two days later, I went back. I was, once again, sore but this time I could walk. 3 times a week that first month netted me a 35lbs loss. It was enough to be my catalyst for change so I kept going. At the end of the first year I had lost 120lbs. That was 120lbs I would never gain back. As I continued to lose I got very sick and no one could tell me what was wrong. I was terrified it was undiagnosed cancer or something worse. Finally, at 30 years old a Nurse Practitioner successfully diagnosed gall stones (which has been previously ruled out by a HIDA scan). A week after the surgeon's consult, I was in surgery. I had 8 primary gallstones, all of them larger than 1/2" with the largest being just over an inch in diameter. These are apparently common in people losing a lot of weight. The ordeal had set me back about ~40lbs. A year after that I was down a total of 165 lbs when I severely screwed my back up laying hardwood. Unfortunately, this is not a double entendre, it was hardwood flooring and I was basically in the bed for weeks, followed by physical therapy for another 3 months. After an MRI it was discovered this was my obesity coming back to haunt me. I had a lateral bulged disc at L4/5 with moderate foraminal stenosis causing a lot of pain down my left side, but no central stenosis, so that was good. With PT this resided and I have been on a strict core workout regimen to keep myself pain free. This time, I had gained almost 50lbs back. For the years after that, I yo-yo'ed pretty regularly as is the custom of most previously obese people. Mostly I stayed between 230lbs and 250lbs. I knew how to drop weight, but hadn't yet learned how to properly change my lifestyle to the point where I could keep it off. But it would come in time. Fast forward to now, I am 38 years old, I have surrounded myself with friends who are active and supportive. They understand the struggle I have been through and refuse to let me fail. I have finally trained my family to not throw out the "But you're skinny, you can have a couple bites." or the grandma favorite "You're getting too skinny, you need to stop losing weight." These things combined has helped finally move my head into the mental space where it needs to be to be successful on a long-term basis. I also think switching to the concept of "getting better" (lifting, looking better, etc) versus "weigh less" helped a lot too. The scale is a good tool, but if you start lifting and you aren't obese, it is a poor indicator of your overall success. Thirteen weeks ago I hurt my shoulder. It is the first upper body injury I have had in my life. Before the aforementioned mental shift I would have rested and recovered. But not now. As such, I merely changed my habits to accommodate this injury. I talked to my doctors and physical therapist to develop a short term program where I can workout, but with minimal shoulder involvement. I work legs 3 times a week and cardio the other 4, usually a stairclimber for 30-60 minutes. leg exercises avoid loading the shoulders/traps with significant amounts of weight. The doctors assure me that I'll be back to lifting soon. Diet: I have basically been on all of the options at some point. Low-fat is where I started, then moved to high-protein for a stretch. After about a year of yo-yo dieting, I adhered to a strict ketogenic diet for nearly 3 years. I cut about 45lbs off on keto, not much for 3 years, but I lost it and kept it off. For the last ~9 months I have switched to a IIFYM style of eating, which is, in my humble opinion, the best out of the various options. I eat roughly 2500-2600 calories a day when actively lifting and trying to put on muscle. During cuts, I drop to a crazy, but effective, 1600-1700 calorie/day diet that is heavy on protein to help maintain lean mass. Protein always stays at, or above 195g/day. I think due to my history of dieting and focusing so much on weight loss I need the ultra low calories to be effective in dropping fat, 2000/day doesn't seem to help me drop weight. When I move back to a lifting caloric load I have to do it slowly over a few weeks, otherwise I get really sick to my stomach and seem to pack on fat quick. Exercise: My approach to fitness is functional with a heavy slant on looking decent. So I guess I want to just look like the classic "male." Im not in the gym to impress or break records (other than my own). Due to some former fattie issues I can't really deadlift, so I rack pull and dumbell Romanian DL instead. I can squat, but Im still working on form for BB squat, so I do a heavy amount of DB goblet squats. As for bench, I prefer incline over flat, and as I mentioned earlier, before the injury my PR was 2 sets of 5 at 185lbs. When lifting I run a 6 day split. Monday is Chest/Tricep Tuesday is Core/Legs Weds is Back/Bicep Thursday is Aux/Cardio Friday is Shoulders Sat is Legs. As I said previously, I like the stairmaster for cardio, but I also jog and use the spin bikes at the gym. Currently, due to my injury, I do ... Legs on Monday Cardio/Core on Tuesday Legs/Light Chest on Weds Cardio on Thursday Light All Over/Cardio on Friday Legs on Sat. I also hike when I can with a light pack to prevent loading my shoulder too much. Tech: I have religiously worn a Polar M400 for the last 2.5 years, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Only taking it off for the few hours needed to recharge it every 2 weeks or so. I love it and it serves well as a motivator and it reminds me to get up and move. FYI I like to remind people that if you use some sort of tracker tech, remember to update the weight it uses for calorie calculations, as you lose, to make sure you're getting as accurate a count as possible. ​Aftermath: ​I honestly don't know how to feel about it. Part of me wants to shout it from the rooftops. Part wants to cry in a corner in happiness. And the other part of me says, "Ok ... whats next?" The biggest downside to the loss is the massive amount of loose skin I have remaining. I probably need to drop about 5 more pounds, 10 at the most, and the thought of more skin disgusts me. To have come this far and still not be comfortable taking off your shirt at the beach or even in the locker room kind of sucks. Unfortunately, there isn't anything that is going to fix it for me but surgery. Most of mine is covered in scar tissue left over from the many many stretch marks I developed. Much of the scar tissue has faded, but it doesn't magically revert to skin. As an example, under my arms, from the armpit to down on my torso, it literally looks like I've been burned. I've been told by doctors there isn't anything they can do for that other than remove parts of it and tighten it up. But those parts aren't really saggy enough to have removed, I can always put muscle on under it. But around my abdomen, I will never have a V taper (much less visible abs) without having the skin removed. Then, naturally, the docs follow it up with the sticker shock of $8,000.00 - $10,000.00​ (or more)​.​ Also the fact it is a very, very, painful procedure that possibly will result in small numb patches of skin around my lower torso.​ C'est la vie I suppose. ​FAQs, stuff Im just going to go ahead and answer now to save responding later because people always ask the same stuff: Did you use surgery or chemicals? ​No. No gastric bypass or lap bands. No thermogenics, appetite suppressants or stimulants aside from caffeine. In fact, I only tried pre-work for the first time about 1.5 months ago.​ Sheer Strength in Cotton Candy flavor is by far my favorite and gives me the best results of the one's I have tried. ​Is your penis bigger? Ok, get the giggles over with. It's a common question, one you would assume is usually asked in a hushed whisper. But, I can't even count the number of people who so nonchalantly ask this question in public. Is it actually bigger? No. Does it LOOK bigger, absolutely. I probably gained about 3" of visible penis​. I was also told by a urologist that the higher testosterone from having lost weight can create a "plumper" flaccid penis as well as firmer erections. ​Which is the best diet? Highly subjective and depends on you. Keto was very effective in the short-term, but got very boring, very fast for me. However, it kept me very strict knowing that I couldn't eat carbs. For your average person, I would recommend using keto for quick cuts when you need to strip some fat, but if you're not going to stick to the diet for at least 8 weeks, don't bother. Otherwise, just do IIFYM and keep your protein at an adequate level for your lean body mass.​ Did you ever consider suicide? I don't think a person can be as large as I was and not at least consider it, if only in passing. Luckily for me, I am tall, so I was able to carry the weight without losing significant mobility. I couldn't hike a mile uphill, but I could get across campus without feeling like I needed a ventilator.​ So I never really felt like my life was over, more like it was slightly impeded. But yes, there were times when it crossed my mind, a few even involved loaded weapons being close. If you are morbidly obese, just overweight, even if you are a genetically-gifted aesthetic God/dess and you are considering suicide, PLEASE get help, there are lots of options for help, regardless of where you are in the world. You might think suicide will stop what you currently are feeling, but it also robs you of everything you could be. In the US you can call 1-800-273-8255, 911, or go to the nearest Emergency Room. Also, here is a list of Suicide Prevention orgs in various countries ​Who do you see when you look in the mirror? I don't see the "new" me, but I also have been small enough, long enough, that I don't see the old me either. I guess I see some amalgamation of the two ... maybe "small-ish" is a simplified but adequate term to use.​ What would you do different? Screw cardio, that's what. There was a period where I was doing 1-1.5 HOURS of cardio 6 days a week and after the 1st month I would stall hardcore. At the time, most people were afraid of fat and preached low-fat and cardio for weight loss. As such, if I could do it all over I would have went straight weight lifting and super light cardio. The only upshot to all the cardio I did is that I have excellent cardiac vitals now. 105/65 blood pressure and a resting pulse of ~52 bpm. If I am really rested it can drop into the upper 40's. Plus, I can out cardio the 18 and 19 year olds I currently workout with. What isn't a con of the weight loss, but more of an annoyance? Clothes. I can't imagine how much money I've spent on clothes or the amount of larger clothes I have given away. I desperately need new jeans right now, but I refuse to buy new ones because I know if I drop another 10lbs or some miracle happens and I can get the surgery this year, they will be useless. Also shirts ... Large for the Upper Torso, XL for the lower spare tire of skin, guess which size wins out? XL, every time. So I look like 5lbs of flour in a 10lbs sack on my upper torso and 11lbs of flour in the same 10lbs sack on my lower. Do you do anything weight loss related with your experience? I am a non-practicing psychotherapist/counselor. One of my goals in 2017 is to finally set up shop as a weight loss/sports/eating disorder counselor. Perhaps even look into providing support for new bariatric patients. What's next? First I need to get my shoulder healed up. I went from an Incline Press of 185lbs for reps to basically feeling like the bar is going to crush me within a day. I have a friend who is a personal trainer, we trade skills ... I get workout/form help from him and he gets diet/macro help from me. He and I have been discussing where to go next for me. First of all, I need to get my upper body strength back, 12/31 was 13 weeks since the injury so I've lost a lot of size, especially in my shoulders. Once I get back to where I was, I'd like to continue on the path to wherever it might lead. I doubt I will ever compete or anything, too damn old for that now, but as they say ... age is just a number. I always wanted to do the Mammoth Cave trog tour, but even after dropping 200lbs I've realized my normal chest size is beyond their max diameter, oh well. I guess, if I had to name something I'd like to do off the top of my head, I'd like to climb a mountain. Maybe Mt. Elbert or Rainier?​ Something with proper snow and requires a bit of technical climbing.​ I'v​e ​always been a bit of an armchair mountaineer. Any tips or tricks? Crockpots. Get 2 of them and constantly be using them. You can have pre-measured, hot food, anytime of day with maybe 20 minutes prep each night. Plan you crock pot meal so that you can eat the entire thing, throw it in around 10pm and cook overnight on Low. I do chicken breasts and beans (kidney, black, chili, or green beans for lower calories) alot, or even chicken/beef chilis, or just slow cook a ton of meat to use for other stuff. You can also opt to make extra then freeze/refrigerate leftovers as you go to build up a small selection of take-along meals. ​If anyone has any other questions or comments feel free to ask.​ EDIT: *changed Senior to Junior, Senior year was when I started. EDIT 2: I really want to keep responding to everyone's comments but Im about to pass out. I'll try to respond to everyone tomorrow. EDIT 3: Some people have questioned my height based on the girl standing next to me in one photo. 1. She was a college basketball player, she is abnormally tall. 2. Maths ... Check the wall behind us. Standard building block height in the US is 8" high. There is exactly 9 rows of blocks from feet to the top of my head, that is 72" (6') before even adding in mortar seam height. Giving .25-.33" per mortar seam, which there are 8 of, gives an additional 2+ inches, making 6'2". Clearly there is some play with shoe sole thickness, mortar thickness, and overall camera angle. But clearly enough data to show I am well over 6' tall. submitted by /u/abraxsis to r/Fitness [link] [comments]