@jem I hope that IF will be as helpful to you as it has been for many others. Don't expect too much in terms of weight loss in the first week (or two), as you will be going through an adaptation phase. Only after that will you start to see your weight drop. Measure regularly to track your results.
@jem the key is optimal nutrition (80% of it) and some exercise (20% of it) Intermittent fasting is very helpful, as long as it’s done right. My girlfriend (now my wife) got me into a program and I dropped 15 pounds I didn’t know I needed to lose in about 10 weeks. But what surprised me was how great I felt and still feel (this started in January), and how much energy I have. She says my body is getting a nutritional Hug! (Damm rights I married her!) A lot of people think they are eating healthy, but the food doesn’t have the same nutrients and minerals in it that our grandparents had back in their day. So you can think you are eating healthy, but just like sim trades, it can feel good but not have the substance you need. Not sure if this is the forum to explain it all, but if you need some ideas just message me. Good Trades, Yukoner
Get rid of excess salt by avoiding salty foods and processed foods, it leads to water retention as do white carbs like bread and rice. A couple of times through being sloppy about diet I have got a belly- it was mostly water and removed as above.
Here is what I've been doing. Mostly unsuccessful but that's because I'm weak as a motherfucker. Meal Prep!! Most important thing you can do. For the Last 2 weeks I made 10 huge chicken breasts on a Sunday night with a baking tray of roasted veg. Every morning I would have a sliced chicken breast on my way to work and for lunch I would have 1 and a half chicken breasts with a plate full of roast veg (after the gym). For dinner I would have only a protein And veg. For 'dessert' I would have a few slices of cheese or a few squares of dark chocolate. Holeeee fuck did the weight come off. I dropped 12 lbs in 17 days. Unsustainable I know. But coming from 285 to 273 was a relief. My problem is that it's a bit boring and I'm a terrible cheater. And when I cheat I really fucking cheat. If you can hold steady and strong - just eating lean meats and veg as 90% of your intake will guarantee lose you weight.
Eat a whole food plant based diet. This is the only way to lose weight and keep it off while remaining healthy.
1. You want to lose fat not weight 2. Permanent lifestyle changes have to be made. No point losing 'weight' and then going back to eating crap again and putting on even more weight on than lost 3. The key is to decrease your energy intake but done in a way so that you don't become hungry. 4. Planning is key. You don't need to think about what you are going to eat this evening because you already planned it the day before. 5. Develop a routine for meals and gym such that they are integrated into your life. Sort of like brushing your teeth, you don't have to think about it, you just do it. I lost 44 pounds of FAT in a year and now have defined abs (6 pack). Atm on a bulk, gaining on average about a pound of muscle a WEEK.
this week was not successful. did not lose weight / fat. did not fully eliminate sodas too often I ate after 8 pm. I will do better this week. I am going back to something I did when I was younger and played sports more seriously. I am going to visualize my success. So when I see the crappy food I will reject it because it stands in the way of my vision.
Good job there ! As of OP 20lbs issue, I have quite a bit of experience over the years taking my weight back 10 to 15lbs ( I usually aim for 182/183lbs body weight, where i feel pretty good and used to perform well, but when careless I tend to fatten up and usually react somewhere before 200. Have been going on like this for 14 years, except lately, where I've started blowing up but largely willingly. Sports help a lot controlling body weight, yet: While not doing sports I've been succesful with low carbs diet to lose weight, than maintain weight like below. While doing cardio intensive sports, it's even easier to shed 10/15lbs, usually following a balanced diet and just switching to mixed salads for evening meals is enough ime. I've never been keen on running outside or on a threadmill, but just playing with a tennis coach a bunch of hours per week can do wonders (like make one lose more weight than they wished). Drills from the coach seem to help there, just playing tennis games with friends appear less energy intensive. If one is game for it, 8 to 10 hours per week fighting sports training should do wonders fatwise. No doubt plenty of sports will keep one's waistline within decent limits, I see many rather fit and slim middle age individuals and they seem to enjoy different sports. Not so difficult to maintain the weight even without long work out hours as long as evening calorie intake is moderate ime, hence every time I go on vacation, while stopping doing sports and without Missus' huge salads on the evening I tend to put on weight. Booze seems to wreak havoc, but it's also linked to higher and unhealthy calory intake in the evening. I suspect when it comes to 20lbs, the same process could work fine although it needs to be held on longer. Fwiw it's more fun to cut weight through a sport one enjoy (and can still perform, that part doesn't get any better with age) than only through diet (again i mostly know the carb cutting ones), better react before there is too much weight to lose.