What’s the best way to lose a lot of weight

@dojoloach There's no magic solution. Just need to eat in a sustainable calorie defecit. Preferably with high protein.

There's different ways to structure your eating to stay in a defecit, but whatever you do you just need to be consistent with it. Without knowing anything about your lifestyle it's impossible to recommend.
 
@dojoloach Awesome to know that you're starting on the weight loss journey!

This is what worked out for me -
1. Check my BMI Free BMI calculator
2. Eat Healthy
3. Exercise daily for at least an hour
4. Sleep for 8+ hours
5. Join a fitness group (even if virtual) - this helped me to stay motivated
6. Add some weight training, currently at 2 days a week

If this worked for me, I believe it should work for anyone!

We also push each other and share ideas on our blog

Feel free to ask me any questions.

Also, some motivational writeup from a gym workout today

Reach out if needed.

Wishing you the very best !!
 
@dojoloach Calorie counting app. Don't get to crazy strict. Weight lifting to gain muscle (progress in weight, lower in reps, 9 week cycle). Walk, avoid anything over zone 2 cardio.

Weigh in monthly till you get closer to your goal, then switch to 2 weeks and add measurements.

Calorie deficit at 20-35% below maintenance. Prioritize high protien diet, try for 130 grams protien a day.

3 day splits are good for weight lifting or 5x5, but careful in 5x5 in terms of overdoing it and risking injury.

Oh and fiber pill to help with high protien diet, unless your getting it in the diet.

I lost over 100lbs doing this.
 
@dojoloach I started at 252 and am down to 212 and this is what I did:

Started a calorie deficit and used the myfitnesspal app to keep track. I also linked my watch and phone with the app so it will automatically keep track of my steps and exercise.

I started running with the runkeeper app. Just 3 days a week and used a Couch to 5k routine I found online. Took a couple months to work up to being able to actually run 3+ miles. But it was pretty easy.

And that's basically it. I can give more details if you want though. But I felt and still feel like all the fad diets aren't really sustainable. You need to change your relationship with food. I found out that I had NO clue what a health portion looked like. Now I eat way less and rarely feel hungry.i also still eat junk food. Cookies, ice cream, honey roasted peanuts, chips, etc. I just don't eat a ton all at one time. For example , I will get a small bowl (which holds basically a handful) and will put chips or cream in that. It helps so I don't get carried away.

Also remember that you didn't gain all that weight overnight. It's going to take a minute to lose it. 1-2 lbs/week is considered a good rate.
 
@dojoloach Eat less food than you need and do more exercise.

I would say try to keep how much you lose a week manageable and not too aggressive so it stays off. I would worry more about building a good relationship with food and exercise as losing say 100 lbs is great but how good is it if you put the weight back on?

I would say aim to lose 2-3 lbs a week, start exercise routine and slowly build it up as you get in better shape. 1% seems fine and not too aggressive at 280 lbs. eat more fruits and veg, eat much less junk food but do have junk food once in a while as a reward for hitting diet goals. Try to build meals around lean protein with veg and a solid carb source.

It’s really not hard- it’s all math. If you maintain at say 3k cals, If you eat 2500 cals everyday, you will lose 1 lb a week. It’s simple math. Your body will defend weight loss over time and make it harder but at 280, if you just start eating clean and exercising- losing weight should be fairly easy to start for months.
 
@dojoloach I started out at 315 about 2 months ago and am now at 285.

I cut out basically all pasta, rice, and bread from my diet and have been eating lean meat, fish, tofu, veggies (asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage are my favorites), berries, nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, all unsalted) and greek yogurt. I do intermittent fasting so I only eat between 11am and 6pm and drink only water and tea the rest of the time.

I walk every day for about an hour at a moderate pace and can't run right now because I have an old ankle injury from playing soccer and I'm too heavy to run I think. I also do lift weights but only about 2 times a week.

Intermittent fasting has worked really well for me so far. I think in terms of weight loss, it really is 90% diet and 10% exercise. My blood pressure and blood glucose both went down from unhealthy levels.
 
@dojoloach It took me 2 years of sticking around 1800 calories of food and burning at least 200 3x a week, to lose 45 pounds.

It's stayed off for almost 3 years now.

Protein and greens in the morning. Greens, legumes, protein at lunch. Carbs, fats, protein and fruits at dinner.
 
@dojoloach Go to an online calorie intake chart and put in your age exercise level and weight. It will tell you how many calories you must eat to maintain your present weight. Now reduce that daily calorie total by 20%. You will lose about 2 pounds per week with moderate exercise.
Cardio is very important for stamina levels. Cardio is stamina, weights are strength, do both. Cardio will give you some room in your diet. About 2-300 calories per day if you really huff it. You must educate yourself on every calorie you put in your mouth so you can keep track.
Weigh yourself every morning after you pee. Naked or in your underwear and before you eat or drink anything. Write it on a calendar and watch for trends not daily weight.
Recalculate your maximum calorie intake as you lose weight. It does not matter what you eat as long as you keep to your daily totals.
The trade off is high calorie foods are less bulk and you will get unmanageable cravings if you eat them. One Quarter Pounder with cheese and bacon is almost 1200 calories alone. But, do splurge every now and then. Get a burger meal, eat some pizza, but realize you are setting yourself back about a week every time you do. Don’t feel bad if you screw up, you are human and shit happens. Just move on and don’t stop.
As you get to your target weight and I don’t know your height but 220 is to heavy I’m sure unless you are bulked like Schwarzenegger and I don’t advise that as it is murder on your heart, joints and tendons.
There is no such thing as spot reduction. Do not believe that sit-ups reduce belly fat, they don’t. Diet produces abs.
Calories in calories out. That’s pretty much it. It’s actually very simple. The hard part is maintaining your will.
 
@dojoloach If you are 30 years old (just for giggles) your ideal BMI range would be 152-205. The lower number is always ridiculous unless you want to look anorexic.
I would suggest 200 pounds.
You will find that the last 10 to 15 pounds will make the most difference in how you perceive yourself and they are the hardest to lose.
Once you reach your goal it is vital that you keep tabs on your weight. You still must eat responsibly and know what you are eating and when you are eating it or you will gain the weight back.
Recognize what your faults are. Mine are eating too late in the evening and craving certain high calorie foods as well as emotional comfort eating. Learn your triggers and control them.
This is the part people don’t like and don’t realize. You are now a food alcoholic. Once you lose the weight you must treat food like an alcoholic treats booze. Not avoid it altogether of course but always realize you cannot trust yourself to just let go and eat what you want when you want. In no time you would gain that weight back and more. Keep exercising and eating clean and occasionally pig out if you want.
Once you learn these things about food and yourself you will find you have control and that is the real reward.
Good luck and congratulations on what you’ve done so far!
BTW, I weighed 360 pounds when I had a heart attack. I learned everything I could about proper nutrition and exercise and what I told you is the only real way to effectively and permanently lose weight. Everything else is a fad a gimmick or complete BS. It’s ten years later and I weigh 180 and feel amazing.
 
@dojoloach Walking! No joke. I would walk at least 4.4 miles every day. Rain or shine. Hot or freezing cold. I put on a podcast (I have now found some fantastic ones) or a show on my phone and walked those 4 miles. If you get confident, walk long or try walking that mile at a faster pace. Or Run! That is how I started and I LOVE to run now.

In conjunction with walking, I fasted. I stopped eating by 8/8:30pm and would pick back up at 11:30am/12pm (that’s 16hr fast). I drank water and hot tea (no sugar or anything) while fasting.
* it’s hard at first.

I was NOT calorie counting. I didn’t do food restriction (diet). I did “add more”. I slowly added more health eating into my diet, but if I wanted a damn soda..I’m drinking it. Restriction is what will keep you at said weight for a short period of time…(cool!..) but you’ll gain it all back and then some
 
@dojoloach Try eating no more than 1000 calories a day. Pinto beans and eggs in the morning. And I walk 1 miles on the treadmill 3 days out of the week. Look up a recipe for oat meal energy balls an easy healthy snack that's filling. One of the things that I really struggled with is being hella hungry and not wanting to cook so I eat some unhealthy snacks instead. The oat meal energy balls got rid of that problem. Download a free intermittent fasting app. I'm down 60 pounds in less than 1 year
 
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