How to lose weight - it's simple

Pollycat

benten69 wrote: »

For those who say "it's not that simple", it really is. Let me try and break this down for you.

Well, maybe you should talk to the OP - the one who's telling us it's simple.
Because even he seems to be having problems:

bigfreddiel wrote: »

BTW My target is 70kg, need to lose 5kg, but it's not happening, so I'm in the same boat as all of you who are too heavy

:rotfl:

gemmajenkins0208

benten69 wrote: »

For those who say "it's not that simple", it really is. Let me try and break this down for you.

Imagine your body as a car with a fuel tank, and the food you eat is the fuel you put into it. More calories = more fuel.

If you're car (body) has a 50L fuel tank, and it's filled to the top, then you burn 25L (from living & breathing daily + exercise, etc), then you need to replenish it with 25L of fuel to maintain weight.

If you only fill it up with 10L of fuel, then burn another 25L the next day, the fuel tank will go down to just 10L. This is the same as a calorie deficit. You are burning more energy than you are putting in. However your body needs the same energy REGARDLESS. So what does it do? It breaks down fat and muscle mass for energy, which means you lose weight.

On the other hand, if you start with 50L, then use 25L of fuel and fill your car (body) up with 50L of fuel, you have an excess.

Unlike a car, the fuel (energy) from the food does not just overflow and come out. What does your body do with this extra 25L you have put in? It stores it as fat!

It really is that simple. However, some people have high metabolism (think big thirsty petrol engine that uses lots of fuel) and other people have slow metabolism (think small diesel engine with huge MPG). Hence some people can eat lots and not gain weight, others can't do that.

You don't HAVE to exercise, but you DO have to create a CALORIE DEFICIT. Exercising is just moving and burning more fuel (energy), which helps balance out the over-eating. However you CAN be a couch potato and eat 1000 calories a day and you WILL lose weight, as most people need approx 1600 calories just to live each day and support main functions like the brain, lungs, heart, etc.

So if you sit in bed all day, consume 1000 calories and your body burns 1600 calories you have created a 600 calorie a day deficit which will result in weight loss, but not a healthy one!

You also have to remember that 1lb of fat is approx 3500 calories! So having a 500 calorie a day deficit will only lead to a loss of 1lb of fat a week! Not to mention your body can also break down muscle for energy as it's quicker and easier to break down muscle for energy than fat.

Then there is the fact that starving yourself can cause your body to go into "survival mode" where it tries to conserve calories and energy as it thinks it is about do go into a long term fast (think bears hibernating over winter).

So there are a few things to think about, but end of the day....if you burn more energy than what you consume daily, you will lose weight.

Very well put and explained.

I think I like your post so much as I'm very mechanically minded and I potter about with cars with my dad as a hobby, so explaining it like this, it really spoke out to me

Pollycat

guavokane wrote: »

I also think losing weight isn't a big deal now a days. Because there are lots of legit way to do this like- pills. But I think the best and effective way is to do hard work, get up early morning and walk about 1-2 hours per day.

Taking diet pills may be a legitimate way to lose weight but I think it can be dangerous.
I'd rather put the hard work in than put some foreign substance into my body.

FBaby

I used Myfitnesspal religiously for about 6 weeks back in the summer. It said I was just under my calorie goal 9 times out of 10, so I don't know what's going on...

If you are just under your recommended calorie intake 9 times out of 10, then it will indeed take quite some time to see a reduction in weight. Weight loss is a two stage process, the first to take action to stop putting on weight, the second to start losing it. It sounds like you mastered the first part, but expect to see the outcome of the second too quickly. If you wanted to see a difference after 6 weeks, you probably should have either gone something like much under 5 or 6 times out of 10, or just under 1 or 2 times out of 10.

FBaby

PS: I am starting to be bad at the moment, so need to quickly start practicing what I preach! It's been two bad weeks eating more than I know is right for me. This is triggered by being under the weather with that chesty virus for over a month now, so having no energy and trying to get some in other way, ie. eating, this added with the cold weather.

Time to have a light bulb moment and I know what it is that I need to do, I just need to get some energy back to draw my best willpower skills. The way it works best for me is to get my stubborn hat one, ie. oh yeah, you want me to eat that piece of cake my colleague has brought to the office, well see that, I won't and you can look me each time I pass the desk and beg me to eat you, I'll convince myself that you don't taste that good anyway!

adom_thomas

Here are some great tips for loosing weight:-


Cut Back on Sugars and Starches

The most important part is to cut back on sugars and starches (carbs).

These are the foods that stimulate secretion of insulin the most. If you didn’t know already, insulin is the main fat storage hormone in the body.

When insulin goes down, fat has an easier time getting out of the fat stores and the body starts burning fats instead of carbs.

Another benefit of lowering insulin is that your kidneys shed excess sodium and water out of your body, which reduces bloat and unnecessary water weight (1, 2).

It is not uncommon to lose up to 10 pounds (sometimes more) in the first week of eating this way, both body fat and water weight.

This is a graph from a study comparing low-carb and low-fat diets in overweight/obese women.




The low-carb group is eating until fullness, while the low-fat group is calorie restricted and hungry.

Cut the carbs, lower your insulin and you will start to eat less calories automatically and without hunger (4).

Put simply, lowering your insulin puts fat loss on “autopilot.”

Bottom Line: Removing sugars and starches (carbs) from your diet will lower your insulin levels, kill your appetite and make you lose weight without hunger.


Eat Protein, Fat and Vegetables


Each one of your meals should include a protein source, a fat source and low-carb vegetables. Constructing your meals in this way will automatically bring your carb intake into the recommended range of 20-50 grams per day.





Protein Sources:

• Meat – Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, bacon, etc.
• Fish and Seafood – Salmon, trout, shrimps, lobsters, etc.
• Eggs – Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs are best.
• The importance of eating plenty of protein can not be overstated.

This has been shown to boost metabolism by 80 to 100 calories per day (5, 6, 7).

High protein diets can also reduce obsessive thoughts about food by 60%, reduce desire for late-night snacking by half, and make you so full that you automatically eat 441 fewer calories per day… just by adding protein to your diet (8, 9).

When it comes to losing weight, protein is the king of nutrients. Period.


Low-Carb Vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Spinach
• Kale
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Swiss Chard
• Lettuce
• Cucumber
• Celery

Don’t be afraid to load your plate with these low-carb vegetables. You can eat massive amounts of them without going over 20-50 net carbs per day.

A diet based on meat and vegetables contains all the fiber, vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy. There is no physiological need for grains in the diet.


Fat Sources:

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Avocado oil
• Butter
• Tallow

Eat 2-3 meals per day. If you find yourself hungry in the afternoon, add a 4th meal.

Don’t be afraid of eating fat, trying to do both low-carb AND low-fat at the same time is a recipe for failure. It will make you feel miserable and abandon the plan.

The best cooking fat to use is coconut oil. It is rich in fats called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs). These fats are more fulfilling than others and can boost metabolism slightly (10, 11).

There is no reason to fear these natural fats, new studies show that saturated fat doesn’t raise your heart disease risk at all (12, 13).

To see how you can assemble your meals, check out this low carb meal plan and this list of low carb recipes.

Bottom Line: Assemble each meal out of a protein source, a fat source and a low-carb vegetable. This will put you into the 20-50 gram carb range and drastically lower your insulin levels.


Lift Weights 3 Times Per Week



You don’t need to exercise to lose weight on this plan, but it is recommended.

The best option is to go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Do a warm up, lift weights, then stretch.

If you’re new to the gym, ask a trainer for some advice.

By lifting weights, you will burn a few calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight (14, 15).

Studies on low-carb diets show that you can even gain a bit of muscle while losing significant amounts of body fat (16).

If lifting weights is not an option for you, then doing some easier cardio workouts like running, jogging, swimming or walking will suffice.

Bottom Line: It is best to do some sort of resistance training like weight lifting. If that is not an option, cardio workouts work too.


Optional – Do a “Carb Re-feed” Once Per Week



You can take one day “off” per week where you eat more carbs. Many people prefer Saturday.

It is important to try to stick to healthier carb sources like oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruits, etc.

But only this one higher carb day, if you start doing it more often than once per week then you’re not going to see much success on this plan.

If you must have a cheat meal and eat something unhealthy, then do it on this day.

Be aware that cheat meals or carb refeeds are NOT necessary, but they can up-regulate some fat burning hormones like leptin and thyroid hormones (17, 18).

You will gain some weight during your re-feed day, but most of it will be water weight and you will lose it again in the next 1-2 days.

Bottom Line: Having one day of the week where you eat more carbs is perfectly acceptable, although not necessary.


What About Calories and Portion Control?


It is NOT necessary to count calories as long as you keep the carbs very low and stick to protein, fat and low-carb vegetables.

However, if you really want to, then use this calculator.

Enter your details, then pick the number from either the “Lose Weight” or the “Lose Weight Fast” section – depending on how fast you want to lose.

There are many great tools you can use to track the amount of calories you are eating. Here is a list of 5 calorie counters that are free and easy to use.

The main goal is to keep carbs under 20-50 grams per day and get the rest of your calories from protein and fat.

Bottom Line: It is not necessary to count calories to lose weight on this plan. It is most important to strictly keep your carbs in the 20-50 gram range.


10 Weight Loss Tips to Make Things Easier (and Faster)

Here are 10 more tips to lose weight even faster:

Eat a high-protein breakfast. Eating a high-protein breakfast has been shown to reduce cravings and calorie intake throughout the day.
Avoid sugary drinks and fruit juice. These are the most fattening things you can put into your body, and avoiding them can help you lose weight.
Drink water a half hour before meals. One study showed that drinking water a half hour before meals increased weight loss by 44% over 3 months.
Choose weight loss-friendly foods (see list). Certain foods are very useful for losing fat. Here is a list of the 20 most weight loss-friendly foods on earth.
Eat soluble fiber. Studies show that soluble fibers may reduce fat, especially in the belly area. Fiber supplements like glucomannan can also help.
Drink coffee or tea. If you’re a coffee or a tea drinker, then drink as much as you want as the caffeine in them can boost your metabolism by 3-11%.
Eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods. Base most of your diet on whole foods. They are healthier, more filling and much less likely to cause overeating.
Eat your food slowly. Fast eaters gain more weight over time. Eating slowly makes you feel more full and boosts weight-reducing hormones.
Use smaller plates. Studies show that people automatically eat less when they use smaller plates. Strange, but it works.
Get a good night’s sleep, every night. Poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain, so taking care of your sleep is important.



:money:

FBaby

This is all very well as general advice but would never work for me because I could never give up, or even significantly reduce carbs. I don't like meat much and other high protein things like pulses don't really do it for me. I just wouldn't be happy give it up, end of.

Instead, I adjust how much of it I have in line with what is the weight I consider acceptable. That means that I don't have bread every day, but will still have every few days. I eat a lot of pasta, but wholemeal and one with added proteins.

What I am prepared to do when I really needs to lose weight is give up sugar as I can be fine without it, although the first stage of restriction feels like torture!

Ilona

adom_thomas wrote: »

Here are some great tips for loosing weight:-

adom, why are you copying and pasting from other sources, you have done it in other threads as well. A link will suffice. You need to give credit to your source of information.

Ilona

Anoneemoose

FBaby wrote: »

PS: I am starting to be bad at the moment, so need to quickly start practicing what I preach! It's been two bad weeks eating more than I know is right for me. This is triggered by being under the weather with that chesty virus for over a month now, so having no energy and trying to get some in other way, ie. eating, this added with the cold weather.

Time to have a light bulb moment and I know what it is that I need to do, I just need to get some energy back to draw my best willpower skills. The way it works best for me is to get my stubborn hat one, ie. oh yeah, you want me to eat that piece of cake my colleague has brought to the office, well see that, I won't and you can look me each time I pass the desk and beg me to eat you, I'll convince myself that you don't taste that good anyway!

Imagine feeling that way every day.

FBaby

I would feel like this every day if I didn't do anything about it, that's the point. Doing so is hard, but not doing it becomes harder as being even a few pounds above my 'good' weight makes me feel rubbish physically and mentally.

I'm going out tonight, and I know the food will be lovely and I would love to have a glass of wine or two. I know most people would say 'just go for it, it's only one evening', but when you make excuses for one evening, you start making them for every day, so instead, I'm preparing myself to only have a small plate of food and only have one vodka if there is any, or I'll have herbal tea.

Tomorrow, I'll force myself to go for a run, although I know I won't feel like it at all, but I'll feel better afterwards and when I am back to my normal weight, I'll feel even better.