Frustrated over being very fat.

[mistamaniac3000]

@ms7dc Your body thinks you are bulking to look like (possibly be) a power lifter. It thinks it's helping - taking all that food and making you big despite the amount of exercise you do. Skinny "hard gainers" have the opposite problem - they work out but won't eat enough to cover growth.

Your body can only operate with what it's given. Calories have to go somewhere.

It's good your exercising, because you'd be worse off if you didn't and likely heavier and less lean assuming you eat the same or similar, but it can't make you thinner if you're pouring calories in faster than they are worked off.

If a workout burns 600 calories... that's great, but eating 1200 extra in a day can be really easy.

I'm in a similar position - thank goodness there are exercises I like or I'd be completely boned. Still need a deficit (on a weekly basis - I don't always go by daily) to lose weight.

Exercise for me is about mental health, about a bit of a margin on calories, and about having muscle to kinda hold things up under fat. But it's not a magic bullet where I can eat whatever I want.

 

[ms7dc]

@mistamaniac3000 Yea. I cannot believe that a bag of Doritos has as many calories as say a pound of chicken breast. Seems so counterintuitive since the bag only weighs like 4 ounces and the pound is, well, 16 ounces.

 

[ian_n]

@ms7dc Losing weight really sucks, but it sucks to everyone. Maybe finding a weight loss program that will support you through diet + motivation would be good for you, instead of doing it alone.

 

[joeuwa]

@ms7dc Diet is so much more important for weight loss than exercise, so once you start cutting calories (I prefer sustainable counting with a modest deficit and a focus on enough protein and fiber), I think you’ll be impressed by the progress you make in the next 6 months! You mention cardio and HIIT, but if you don’t already, consider adding 2-3 sessions of weight lifting to gain/maintain muscle. Once you get to your goal weight, you’ll look very fit and in shape instead of just smaller

 

[mydaughter]

@ms7dc Try fasting along side using the stair master. I lost 30lbs since Jan. 2024 using this method. Eat one meal 5 days a week. Then eat 2-3 meals on the weekend. Drinking green tea and electrolytes will stop you from feeling hungry between meals

 

[ms7dc]

@mydaughter Stairmaster is awesome.

 

[jennifer677]

@ms7dc This isn’t meant to be harsh. But you’d be better off cleaning up your diet than working out if you want to put effort into one thing. You cannot out train your diet. If the body fat is what your concerned about then diet is the focus. You don’t need to eat like a body builder - you just need to reduce your portions a little and prioritize protein.

 

[ms7dc]

@jennifer677 Yea. I’m going to pivot now. I had to start with something. I haven’t been good at intense focus on both diet/workout simultaneously.

 

[holypilgrim88]

@ms7dc Well, I will tell you that you need to be doing some serious strength training, because muscle burns fat faster than fat does.y workout program included 25 minutes of cardio, and then about an hour to 1.5 hours of heavy lifting, and I follow a program. I do this three to five days a week. I would suggest that you also lift four or five times a week and include 25-30 minutes of cardio every single day. Katie Sonier with TWK has a great strength building program and there’s a fb support group that will help you. This is the best and fastest way to recomp.
Also, your diet is absolutely crucial. What do you eat? Have you considered the keto diet? There’s a very specific type of keto diet you can do which is basically just fatty cuts of meat (think chicken thighs, fatty steaks) and low carb veggies. Avoid dairy and avoid alcohol, and keep your net carbs under 30 grams a day. Don’t undereat. Go into bodybuilding dot com and use their macro calculator to determine how many grams of protein you should hit a day and target that. You can do this. You just need structure and a good plan. And you need more than just endless cardio, although cardio helps.

 

[living_abundantly]

@ms7dc Nothing to say that hasn't already been said. Wishing you all the best on the journey. You got this.

 

[sistersara]

@ms7dc Why do you say you are in the process of changing your diet ?

Just do it, if you go to the grocery store once a week changing your diet should take 1 week max.

Also counting calories would help you.

 

[thuva]

@ms7dc You’re not frustrated enough to change your diet though.

Diet is 80%. Once you start tracking with an app like MyFitnessPal and weighing your food you’ll see how many calories are actually in the food you consume. You will be quite surprised. Learning nutrition will really open up your path and help you to not yo-yo diet, etc.

You can still have a cheeseburger and still lose weight. The acronym IIFYM is popular for a reason.

 

[rbb221b]

@ms7dc I get it. I've made huge gains in strength and endurance but I still have the exact same potbelly. I track all my calories and eat only healthful food and great macros but I just always end up eating at maintenance because I'm hungry. I can't summon the willpower to cut those 300-500 calories. On the other hand, I feel better than ever. I can do more than ever. So, functionally great and I think that's more important.

 

[ms7dc]

@rbb221b My fellow commiserator, thank you for the feedback. It’s hard for me to do both - work out hard and cut calories hard - at the same time. Lol. I’ll get there, but it’ll be at the expense of a little strength I think.

 

[yoyopup]

@ms7dc I have lost about 70 lbs (30KG /5 stone) in exactly one year, so far. I started at a BMI of 35, so quite obese. I began by starting to set little mini goals for myself. I always knew, and I am still working towards my ultimate goal (to lose 70 lbs), but the small intermediate goals helped a lot. Try something like aiming to lose a couple of pounds a week, or 8 pounds or so every month.

Also, exercise alone won't do a ton for weight loss. You have to do something like a 30-minute jog just to run off a snickers bar (it's unfair, isn't it?). I only really started to see success after I had a close look at my diet and dropped the surplus that I was consuming. Making sure I don't go above the recommended calories per day. And don't forget that drinks often contain a lot of calories too, that a lot of people don't think about.

 

[ms7dc]

@yoyopup 70lbs? That’s amazing. I suppose you’re a bloke/mate/lad from the UK sphere with your reference to Stone measurement. Beer is a favorite indulgence of mine as are pubs. Social outlet.

I’m starting to keep records of my caloric intake with an app. I’ll get this down.

 

[yoyopup]

@ms7dc I am yes, I'm from the north of Scotland. I usually try include all the main weight measurements so all readers know what the measurements mean.

I used to drink every day until I turned 28. I also smoked until about 6 months before that. I put on a lot of weight after I quit those habits. So I became healthier in some aspects, but less so with my diet and exercise.

It's not easy, but persistence does it. And not being too down on yourself when you mess up. I've had bad days but I start again the next day. It's really rewarding when you see the pounds disappear on the weighing scale and your clothes begin to feel baggy. Keep a t shirt or something to wear before and after, when you've reached your target. Some of my old shirts slip down my shoulder now.

A pedometer (my phone or smartwatch) and an app or two that tracks weight loss, were also very helpful for me. Seeing the step count and wanting to add some more to finish off the day at the nearest 100 or 1000 has become a bit of a OCD of mine, lol.

 

[ms7dc]

@yoyopup That’s awesome. Motivating. Thank you for the feedback.
North of Scotland? You’ll be having 23 hour daylight days coming up soon. Lucky.

 

[yoyopup]

@ms7dc You're welcome. I wish you success with your goals.

Yes, it the summer on a clear night, it never really gets completely dark. On the other hand, it gets dark around 4pm in December.

 

[maryam]

@ms7dc I think you've answered your own question. The diet is the downfall.

I was the same. I'm in the process of losing 14lb from eating to much takeaway. My training was going fantastic but I new I was fucking up with the eating. Im trying to limit the takeaway to once per month now which is going to be tough but being here keeps me motivated.