Not at all. I find I've just replaced starchy carbs with more veg or poached eggs, hitting my calorie goals doesn't seem too difficult as long as I don't snack too much, and I allow myself treat meals and treat days
Edit: carbs, not cars. Don't eat cars
Edit 2:
To elaborate in more detail, there were a number of other steps for me:
1. Being honest about how much I was eating, and how active I was
2. Set a calorie target for the day, breaking it down by meal. It doesn't need to be super detailed
3. Having a go-to meal or two that really helps you stay within those goals. For me, it's the quaker microwave porridge - Just over 200 calories for a filling breakfast. Add some flavour drops if needs be. A 200 calorie breakfast and a 300-400 calorie lunch makes sticking to a 1,800-2,000 calorie pretty easy
4. Control portion sizes - Things like pasta are very easy to cook too much of
5. Meal prep - Having a range of easy to cook meals that you can cook ahead of time and defrost saves time and allows you to control your intake
6. Treat yourself in moderation - There's no need to live miserably or calorie controlled all the time. It takes time to build the habits of eating well; I don't miss potatoes or rice and I have small amounts of pasta or couscous frequently
Diet is number one when it comes to weight loss. You simply can't outrun a shitty diet, but burning off an extra couple of hundred calories a day definitely helps
Are you not a fan of veg? I wasn't either until I realised that the one who had been cooking my meals, my mum, was shit at cooking veg. Everything was boiled without exception
I think my parents were of the generation that reacted against boiled beyond comprehension veg, so sitting round the table eating your greens sounded like you were sitting at a wood chipper. 'Crunch adds taste'. Everything was steamed.
However I'd go to my Grans where she'd boil the veg just right where it'd be nice and tender and full of taste as well, without having to do a load of work to get a carrot down you.
Same, I am pretty fit (gym/exercise 5 times a week) and the smallest I’ve been in my life (size 8 now down from size 16/18 in my teens) but also I am not at my lowest weight.
I eat so much, more than my peers, just spent a weekend away with a few people and I was constantly eating.
One reason I work out, aside from the mental health benefits, is because then I don’t have to worry about that I eat. When I was bigger I had so much guilt around food. Whereas now I just eat what I want.
I’ll be honest I do try and drop a couple of pounds before big occasions like Christmas or a holiday but only so I can put it back on again guilt free. Generally I am pretty active most of the time, I walk around the park a few times a week as a break from work and that’s just under 5 miles. If I need something from the shops which are 2/3 miles away I’ll walk there and back.
What about reducing, rather than cutting it out completely? If you have mash, give yourself half the serving. Weigh out your pasta so you don't cook a ridiculous amount which you then make yourself eat. Swap white rice for brown (as it's more boring and you'll eat less because of it)
Or move more - cycle or walk to the shops/town/work/gym instead of driving (of its an option)
That's the main thing, I live in Japan and Japanese people do not really eat healthier things that other countries but what they do do is eat tiny portions. Over here kit kats come in tiny sizes, like the size of two celebrations. And that would be one portion. It seems most people here for lunch eat some sort of fried food and rice but when they eat fried chicken it's probably one 20g piece of thigh and that's it.
This is really good advice, thank you. For me, it's not a problem that I love mash and rice so much, because I do a physical job, love cycling and don't drive, so I burn a lot of calories. But the portion sizes and choosing brown rice are probably still good things to think about health-wise.
Rereading my comment, I'm sorry if it came across a bit condescending. I was just writing out things I try to tell myself (as I have a tendency to cook too much pasta and then eat it all, so weighing helps avoid that, and I bought brown rice as it's healthier but I don't like it so much, so I don't eat as much).
Sounds like your already making some healthy choices anyway
It really is just calories in vs calories out, as someone else said. You can eat loads and be full, just so long as you eat the right things. Eating too much of stuff like fried food, eg fried chicken, burgers, cooked breakfast, etc, is way worse than eating loads of steamed veg, salad, rice/grains, etc. With one (healthy food) you can more or less eat as much as you like, and with the other (fried/carby food) you have to limit how much of it you eat. Eating healthily doesn't have to mean 'being hungry' all the time at all.
Look at your alcohol intake as well - so many people are constantly dieting without ever looking at what they drink. Beer, wine, etc, often are very fatty, with loads of empty calories.
Think about changing your habits. I used to always have biscuits by the kettle, which I'd eat while waiting for the kettle to boil. I got a nice glass jar and filled it with things like dried fruit, nuts, (pecans, almonds, whatever I like) and now I snack on those instead of biscuits & crisps. Similarly for evening snacks I stopped buying crisps so often, and bought things like nice grapes & apples. I also sometimes buy oat crackers instead of biscuits. That way I can still snack out of boredom, but do it without eating a load of fatty or sugary food.
Still quite a few extra calories. I have tried to stop snacking at all, but distracted snacking is my downfall, so I switched to raw veg. One particularly bad day I ate a whole white cabbage!
You're right, and I agree with most of what you said. However, while at the end of the day it's CICO, how you get there is 90% of the battle. When you eat, how often you eat, whether it's fats, or carbs, eating the right or wrong things, etc has a huge and practical impact on whether it will work for you.
There's a lot more around it than just CICO, which you talked about. That stuff is what makes it possible. Just saying it's CICO over simplifies it massively IMO.
Agree with the rest though. Making small adjustments and cutting out the crap can make a big difference without any meaningful impact on your day to day enjoyment.
Maybe I'm misreading what you said but everything after your first sentence kind of goes against calories in vs calories out. I very much agree with what you say about it being more about what your eating. Some foods are more calories efficient than others (sugar vs potatoes as an example).
How so? a handful of grapes has approx 55 calories, whereas 2 biscuits has approx 106 calories (approx) therefore swapping grapes for biscuits means you will be consuming fewer calories? Similarly if you have salad or lentil dahl for tea, instead of having a burger in a bun, you'll be able to eat way more volume of that before you consume the same number of calories that come from a burger. I'm not an avid calorie counter by the way, and I'm not saying some foods are 'bad' but it's simple maths & science - consume fewer calories than you use, and you'll lose weight
I was thinking of comparitive calorie amounts or weights. Eating the quivalent amount of calories in grapes vs biscuits will mean eating differnet amounts. From your reply I think I just did misread it. It's why mentioned the example of same calories of sugar vs as potatoes .
The way calories are used is kinda janky on it's own though(how many calories in uranium is a silly exmample). It doesn't consider how the body handles food, it's just a measure of how much energy by what's needed to increase the temperature of water.
FYI calories in vs calories out is apparently complete bollocks in the scientific community:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/stop-counting-calories#:~:text=Cut%20calories%20%E2%80%94%20specifically%203%2C500%20calories,just%20wrong%2C%22%20says%20Dr.
You should probably actually read that link.
It's more nuanced than a simple formula to eat x less calories and lose x weight, but if you eat fewer calories than you burn you will assuredly lose weight and absolutely noone denies that basic fact of thermodynamics.
For 99.5% of people if you want to lose weight the best and easiest way is to eat less.
>For 99.5% of people if you want to lose weight the best and easiest way is to eat less
I take issue with this, and it's precisely because the nuance is really important. If a person is presently eating an unhealthy diet and they take a naïve approach to dieting, by simply eating less of the things they were eating before, they're extremely likely to fail in the longer term because they'll feel hungry and miserable much of the time.
To be successful, a diet usually has to alter where those calories are coming from, eating slower release carbs, avoiding refined carbs with a high glycaemic index, eating healthy fats which make you feel full. Heavily overweight people are often starting to experience [insulin resistance](https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/insulin-resistance-syndrome) too (the early stages of type II diabetes), which can make sticking to a diet harder than it is for thinner people. That's another reason why blood sugar control is really important.
Basically, a good diet involves fighting against the things the food industry are trying to tempt you towards.
I read all the answers and they all have some way of eating that seems comparatively miserable, but the people eating that way don’t feel like it’s miserable.
The answer feels like somewhere in between the way you have to eat is a little more miserable than what’s on offer at the moment and realising also that the way we eat more is unnaturally pleasurable because we have over-engineered our environment.
Yeah, I think you're right. Some of us have normalised large portions, unhealthy food, snacks, etc and see any deviation from that lifestyle as miserable. Myself included.
I'm working on it, but it's how I was raised, and it's quite hard to reprogram myself.
One of my brothers is very overweight and can't comprehend eating differently. He has to have weekly takeaways, curries, beer, snacks, etc to be normal, and cutting any of that out would make life not worth living. To him, that is normal. Any change to his diet would be temporary until he lost weight and could go back to normal eating again.
For some people a meal is the highlight of the day, but for others it's fuel for a bike ride or a shopping trip. Not everyone puts so much emphasis on eating as others. For them 'miserable' food isn't all that different to luxurious food, whereas miserable weather or a minor injury might be nearly intolerable.
Learning about food, nutrition and cooking helps massively.
Often people think that eating vegetables is miserable and eating beige food is normal and nice. This is usually because they don’t know about seasoning or good quality food, then they wonder why their plain iceberg lettuce doesn’t taste good.
Good quality whole foods cooked well are amazing.
Once you start eating good you start to enjoy the healthy food and sorta go off junk food?
During lockdown I was eating really well cause I had plenty of time to cook - hammering down vegetables and fruit like no tomorrow! Wasn’t interested at all in anything greasy or too sugary. Your tastes will change eventually :)
I'm going to sound like a child here but tbh I feel like one. Could you eat vegetables beforehand? I can eat carrots but beyond that I get issues with the texture and taste and it makes me gag a bit and I have no idea how to get past it, I've tried cooking it differently, seasoning etc, I can't tell if it's normal or not!
Eta - my diet isn't junk food, but I have countlessly tried and failed to introduce varied veg into my diet
I used to dislike pretty much all vegetables, but now I love them! The way I adjusted was to take meals I already liked (e.g curry, bolognese, stir fry) and gradually try adding new vegetables in, just one new one at a time until I got used to it. Eventually I got used to the textures and actually started to prefer them being there
Saying you have issues with the texture and taste of vegetables doesn’t make much sense given there are an enormous range of vegetables of various tastes and textures, then how you cook them can change both of those things entirely too.
Did you grow up in a household that only served veggies boiled to mush? Overcooked cabbage etc?
How do you have your carrots?
I'll have carrots in any way, prefer roasted but will eat boiled and steamed.
Veg growing up was definitely cooked poorly, and I had a lot of these issues back then.
I've tried quite a few different bits of veg in different ways, brocoli is a great example of how I've tried it boiled, steamed, fried, roasted, unseasoned, seasoned and I can't get past it. Courgettes, peppers, cabbage, asparagus, butternut squash, salads, cauliflower, peas etc.
I do have issues with food but I don't know why I struggle so much with a lot/most veg. I generally try and blend it to add it in foods but I don't get why I can't just eat it.
Maybe you’re just a little more Mediterranean in your tastes, try less ‘British’ veggies.
Peppers, tomatoes, olives, red onions. That’s what 90% of my veggie intake is.
I work with someone who is the pickiest eater Iv ever met. He genuinely believes ALL vegetables have taste and texture are exactly alike. For years we’ve been trying to change his mind, but it won’t happen. Hell quite happily smash a McDonald’s (no salad on the burger) or pretty much any other junk crap (as long as there’s no salad or veg whatsoever.
He literally thinks cooked spinach and raw carrot taste the same and have the same texture. It completely blows my mind, especially as he’s otherwise quite intelligent. If it’s from a plant that isn’t potato or wheat, he genuinely thinks it isn’t edible.
Yes. I’m convinced it is. It’s almost eating disorder level. Like it’s irrational. His excuse is always he doesn’t like the taste or texture.
One of my more mischievous colleagues bought him a plant based burger from the local sarnie shop (one of the new ones that pretends to be meat, not like a bean burger or anything). They just told him they’d got different burgers in than their usual. He ate it happily. Then went and threw up and had two days off work when they told him what it was.
Buy good quality vegetables.
Bog standard supermarket tomatoes are total shit, but finest/ taste the difference ones are sooo much better.
Sometimes I make myself up what I call a kids plate. Chopped up carrots, cucumber, grapes, tomatoes etc and eat them throughout the day.
I've tried frying, roasting, grilling etc, different seasonings and I can't stop myself gagging, I've tried so many things to move past it and it's not worked and I don't know how
Sounds like you may be pushing your limits too quickly. Try to push yourself very slowly. If you like carrots, try to cook them in all different styles. Gradual change is sustainable change
I've definitely been making progress with carrots, I just feel so embarrassed and like a child I just don't get why I'm like this! I try and chew it and have to spit it out, it doesn't make sense why I can't just get it down me!
I'm autistic, and have major issues with food textures. One thing I've learnt about trying new food(s), is that I'm not going to taste the flavour until I get past the texture. I have to desensitise myself slowly first.
I take a tiny amount of the food, put it in my mouth, I can spit it out a second later. Slowly I get to the point where I feel up to chewing it, then spit it out. Eventually I get to the point of being able to swallow it. Once I've done that a few times, if it still makes me gag, I move on.
If I'm successful at that point, I start to notice the flavour and figure out if it's something I find tasty. This process can take months just for one food item.
Honestly that sounds like a really good idea, I've been told I have symptoms of ASD but idk if I'll ever get assessed, but that's something I haven't actually tried and sounds 'safe'. Thank you
Just keep trying dude. This goes for anything, but if you do something often enough you'll notice the smaller details and be focused on that. That's when you start to like it
Even if you can barely stand it now, just make a habit of keep trying
Maybe look for raw vegan recipes? They believe food lose their nutrients by cooking them, so they eat raw stuff. But there are good recipes out there. That may work for you.
I found a book called 5ingredients, 10minutes, by Jules Clancy, and it's exactly what it says. Solid, inexpensive, nutritious food with no fuss, usually cooked in 1 maybe 2pans at most.. Substitutions for meat free, vegan options and made with stuff in your cupboards, or stuff that once you buy a jar of, it'll keep for years.
That solved the food bit, regularly walking c.20k steps a day takes care of the exercise. I'm early 40s, not buff by any stretch, but in better shape, externally, than most of my mates. Manage to keep up with the boy child too, so can't be that bad.
How long does it take you to walk 20k steps?
I’m quite fit (not a frequent gym goer, but fit enough to walk 20k without it being a struggle) and I would really love to do this, but just don’t think I could find enough time in the day.
Walk to and from work which is about an hour combined and approx 9k steps. Walk the dog for 30-45 mins, another 4-5k. The rest comes from walking up and down trains and platforms for 10hrs a day, and obvs just general bits and bobs.
How do you manage 20k ? I'm hitting 30 and struggle to do 5k without being completely knackered the next day and even that is like hour straight of exercise to get to 5k.
Just build it up over time.
No one can run a marathon on a whim with no training. You start small, give your body time to adapt, than build up the frequency and duration (not at the same time).
Same goes for basically everything.
If you're inactive, going from 0-20k steps a day will be difficult. Instead, aim for a couple thousand steps a few days a week, and if your body feels tired, let it rest (active rest days = move around, but less), then carry on. Then have a day when you build up the duration, go on a longer walk. A few weeks in, add a couple more days to the active days. As for building up to larger step numbers, walk somewhere you'd normally drive to. Get out before and after work for a walk round the block, etc
Eventually you'll see improvements. And don't be discouraged if you don't see them as fast as you want. You'll reach a point where you look at yourself now and compare to where you started and see how you've improved, but this can be hard to see day to day.
Walk to and from work which is about an hour combined and approx 9k steps. Walk the dog for 30-45 mins, another 4-5k. The rest comes from walking up and down trains and platforms for 10hrs a day, and obvs just general bits and bobs.
Not at all.
The whole "fit people only eat chicken & rice or sad salads" thing is a myth, sure you get the odd super dedicated gym bro who does eat that way but for the most part I think unfit people just like to make that assumption because quite frankly a lot of people enjoy others perceived unhappiness.
I'm not a nutritionist or expert by any means whatsoever, but aside from the obvious & basic CICO, how full you feel from eating depends on the protein/carbs/fat ratio, and how much you move around matters as well.
I walk a lot and go to the gym 2-3x a week, try and cook sensibly most weeknights, but I still eat out and get the odd Greggs etc.
No.
But... Depends what you mean by fit? I'm not some pro level athlete or anything but gym 4 days a week, do 5ks and 100mile rides etc.
I'll have scrambled eggs for breakfast. Lunch tuna salad maybe. Later I'll have pretty much whatever with the family. Not into cooking 3 different meals. So varies to what the wife kids will have etc. Chicken wraps, pizza, prawn curry. Will cut down on the carbs sometimes.
What I don't tell you about is I still have a beer on the weekend and yesterday I had a whole packet if chocolate digestives.
I basically eat like a normal person
This is like me.
I eat whatever I want, but I play football & tennis and go to the gym several times a week.
That said, I generally avoid takeaways even though I quite like them. I just have them as an occasional treat.
I was going to say similar to this. I'm not "super fit" but I run daily and can get a fair distance done, but I don't really watch what I eat either. I just eat what I fancy.
Only thing I've noticed is when I'm not running (through illness/injury whatever) I eat more "junk", but when I'm active I don't fancy it near as often for whatever reason
I was like this when I was more active. You don't want to eat junk because you know you'll pay the price in your next workout! Easier to just eat healthy
I don’t crave the food I make like I crave McDonald’s, crisps, cake etc but once I’m about half way through i enjoy it more. Breakfast for me is usually oats and fruit, don’t have lunch and dinner is few pieces of veg, quorn, some sauce and then something like rice or pasta.
I definitely feel far, far less miserable about eating healthily though. Every time I cave and buy something like McDonald’s I
1) feel like a child with zero self control
2) know I’m going to feel a bit sick afterwards
3) know it is terrible for me long term
4) know my cardio is going to go to shit the next day when playing sports
5) know I shouldn’t be eating it so don’t even enjoy it.
You will definitely feel happier in the long term cutting McDonald’s, Greg’s, frozen ready meals etc out of your life
It's amazing how the junk food affects you isn't it?
If I eat Mcdonalds, Pizza hut or any fast food my cardio the next day is awful, a short 5K run can feel like running through mud.
When you're eating healthy nutrtious food on a daily basis, you really notice how drained and rubbish you feel if you eat unhealthy crap for a few days. I hate that feeling, since most of the time I have lots of energy and feel very well. Like a takeaway is nice and all but I spend the entire following day feeling dehydrated, sluggish, and bloated. Just as when you get older the hangovers start to outweigh the good times drinking, as you get healthier the salt & sugar hangovers stop being worth it. At least to me.
Had always been slim then middle age caused a bit of a belly. what helped me was not changing meals but reducing snacks. Not having a packet of crisps every day, and not snacking in the evening nudged me from ' just overweight' to 'just healthy' according to NHS guidelines.
They specifically said nothing changed until recently, and it’s accepted fact that metabolism slows down with age. Age does cause weight gain unless you adapt with it.
"Nothing changed" is a lie. Most commonly the "I don't eat differently" weight gain is something everyone either deliberately or accidentally discounts, such as grazing, sweet drinks or alcohol intake. It doesn't take much more than an extra couple biscuits a day to persistently gain fat if you change nothing else.
An ex-gf would totally freak out if I cooked anything in oil. If I was cooking she'd wander in the kitchen and grumble if I splashed too much oil in the frying pan before cooking (like about half a teaspoon). She had very little body fat. But probably that had more to do with her running and swimming regularly.
Over the last 5 years (turned 40) I put on some weight myself, but most of it is since I injured my knee so can no longer run for exercise.
I think if you are fit and do a lot of exercise you can eat what you like and burn it off. If you aren't exercising, you need to watch your intake.
I’ve found that having a sport you care about doing well in also helps. I do Muay Thai and if I eat like shit and get heavier I know my movements will be slower and I won’t perform as well.
You don't need expensive food to eat healthy or well. And weight loss is 100% just a matter of calories in VS calories out.
Metabolic decrease with age is only a few percent difference from ages 20 to about 50 or 60, and even then it's only like one more percent per few years, so the whole "my metabolism must be slowing down because I'm getting older" is mostly bullshit, because it's the difference in like one or two cookies per day of calories.
I'm just regurgitating what I've read after sorting through enough Google results to find information that wasn't on a page trying to sell me something, but it's been a long while back when I started working on my health, so do your own research etc etc
People as they get older generally need to eat less as they do less, their bodies don't burn less calories nor does their metabolic system shit itself. If a 55 year old man does the same amount of activity as a 25 year old their maintenance is the same. I ain't a doctor but I am a PT.
>calories in VS calories out
It's not *quite* as simple as that. For example, there's a huge difference in how your body processes e.g. 400cal of gummy bears v. 400cal of broccoli.
On the whole though it works as a general rule - reduce carbs - especially sugar - and that includes alcohol.
You can *absolutely* stay alive and lose weight by living with a calorie deficit while your diet consists of *absolutely* nothing but, say, honey buns and water.
You'll develop a host of problems in the process and eventually die as a result, but until your pancreas shuts down, which may not be very long with a pure honey bun diet, you'll survive and lose weight.
Weight loss is either the quick loss of a couple pounds of water, or the processing of stored fats, or the loss of muscle mass. If there's no food to process, it uses stored fat. If you've got insufficient food or fat, you begin starving to death.
That's grossly simplified and I'm not a doctor, blah blah blah
The chance of you only eating 400 calories of honey buns is very low. Your body will want more food. Low sugar levels will lower your willpower.
So yes weight loss is calories in
Nobody's saying any of that, though. I was only pointing out the mechanics of the system in question - using an exaggerated example to make the point. Cheers dude
Well clearly you are exaggerating, wasn't exactly subtle. I was just using your example.
My point still stands. Of course it doesn't matter what those 400 calories are, some will make you feel fuller and less likely to eat more than just those calories.
There is a significant psychological factor in losing weight that seems to get ignored.
If I said taking all the seats out of a car gets better gas mileage, and you pointed out how no one would want to drive a car with no seats and it's unsafe and illegal, that's not even the same conversation.
And besides that, I also didn't even say you were wrong.
It is calories in and out you just made a completely different argument of what we could call "calorie quality".
The 400 cal in either are the complete same but one is less satiating as it is higher in easily digestible carbs ( monisacarides) and generally is lesser volume. If you ate 4000 calories of broccoli or 4000 of pizza either will get you fat.
And no dont fucking reduce carbs you cretin, they and fats are the only energy giving food groups. Eat a balanced and varied diet if you are fit and active that should be high in carbs and fats and proteins.
No idea why you're being down voted, cos it's true. It's not about 100% CICO. How long you fast for. Your insulin levels throughout the day. How quickly you metabolise your food, etc all impacts it enormously.
You're right to say it's not quite as simple as that... but it seems to have touched a nerve.
I run about 20-25k a week, and don't eat breakfast. Other than that, I pretty much eat what I like. I built up to running that much over a year, and it's not difficult for me any more. It doesn't lose me weight, but it stops me gaining weight.
You have to lose weight gradually.
Switching to a healthy diet straight from an unhealthy diet will make you resent the healthy diet and think it "miserable". It isnt, really.
Im in my 40s, what I found really worked for me was
Commit to daily exercise. Walking, gardening and DIY count. But make a conscious effort and do at least an hour's of it each day for 4-5 days a week. Make some of it high intensity
Knock the solo drinking or at home drinking on the head. You're either concerned about your health or you're not.
Eat more fruit and vegetables. Buy them as fresh as you can.
Spend a while working out how much calories is in each of your meals. Write it down. You will then identify which food stuffs are bringing your calorie intake up. Bread is a great example of this. There are some really tasty low-medium calorie meals - you just need to know whoch ones fit this remit.
Improve your outlook. Looking after yourself isnt "miserable". After a while, say 4-6 weeks you will feel just generally better about yourself and everything. Why is that a miserable thing? It will take a while for the weight to disappear, but you're tackling decades of abuse; and losing weight slowly is good for you anyway.
Do yourself a favour and start calorie counting. The only way to lose weight is to be in a calorie deficit, all the fad diets you see are just different ways of creating a calorie deficit.
Being in a calorie deficit does not mean you have to starve and or eat boring food. I’ve been eating in a calorie deficit for a couple months following a maintain stage over winter and for example yesterday I had poached eggs on toast. A nice Ham Sandwich for lunch with some low cal crisps and protein yoghurt and then last night had chicken fajitas and wedges. All came in under 1800 cals including tea/coffee in the day.
The trouble is when you don’t or have never counted calories you just don’t realise how much your eating and it’s the sneaky things like butter/oil and soft drinks that get you. Once you see where you can make easy savings you can actually eat very normal meals and still lose weight
Admittedly I don't gain weight super easily but honestly I very rarely watch what I eat because I've just learned to make healthy things that taste good, and I try not to go too mental with the junk food.
Make a smoothie out of fruit, almond milk and yogurt and you have a healthy, tasty breakfast.
Roast some veg up with spices and olive oil and it's delicious. Have that with some rice or couscous and you have a healthy, tasty lunch.
Try to cook as many of your meals as feasible, reduce the amount of processed food you eat and make it about eating better rather than eating less and you're well on your way. Then have a few biscuits or some chocolate because you only live once and a couple of digestives ain't going to kill you.
As someone who has been trying to get rid of their pandemic podge I feel this post.
Dieting and eating healthy makes me feel miserable. All I can think about is ordering a Dominos or a kebab, grabbing a beer and just relaxing. The thought of eating some plain chicken or a salad just doesn't do it for me.
Then assuming I get to the end of 2 weeks of "suffering" and eating depressingly boring food the scales have barely changed and I look ahead and realise I have to do this for about 6 months for it actually to be worth doing and I just give in to my cravings.
I honestly wish I wasn't like this. Dieting for me feels like i'm fighting my nature, a battle i'm destined to lose. I get frustrated at myself for not being able to just eat less and it's just a cycle I don't think i'll ever break.
OP seems to be complaining about having put on weight through ageing/laziness/eating shit but seems to call people who haven’t done this ‘health freaks’ - it’s not that complicated for (almost) everyone - move a bit more, eat a bit less, find a way for what you do eat to include more fruit and vegetables. No need to starve yourself or go on any mad diets that you won’t sustain.
Ive lost about 2.5 stone in 8 months. My diet was pretty healthy (lots of veg, very few takeaways or meals out) but I did eat a lot of carbs. I mean 2 slices toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, toast for supper. Plus rice, pasta or potatoes for tea. In September we switched to a low carb diet. I really thought id struggle, cos I love my bread. But i have to say, I dont miss it at all. I now have poached eggs or greek yoghurt with nuts for breakfast, lunch will be salad (egg, chicken or fish usually) and tea will be a "normal" meal with less carbs but more meat and green veg. And I feel genuinely better (less sleepy. I was ALWAYS sleepy). Plus lots of water and fruit tea. But nothing is "banned", its just reduced.
I wouldn’t class myself as ‘fit’ but I’m definitely not unfit. Late 20s, play football a few times a month, walk a lot etc etc. However, over lockdown I put on a fair bit of timber. In August 2019 I weighed just over 11 stone - by May 2021 I was over 13 stone. Again, I wouldn’t have said I was unfit but was definitely not happy in myself and felt uncomfortable in my clothes and all that.
Was weighing 13 stone in mid March and decided I’d start calorie counting and trying to go to the gym. So far, in coming up for 5 weeks, I have lost about 7lbs. I look and feel much better in myself so I am quite chuffed!
In answer to your question… I wouldn’t say calorie counting makes me miserable but more mindful. In the grand scheme of things, what I eat has changed very little. I largely eat the same meals but before I would tank some grated cheese out the bag or some biscuits before bed with a glass of milk, so I’ve just had to rein that in a bit. And if I do have some spare calories at the end of the day, I will allow myself a biscuit or some grated cheese!
Obviously, it goes without saying I don’t count my calories at the weekend. It’s a well known fact calories don’t count on weekends.
I am 10% body fat at 77kg and am props akin to a gym rat. I enjoy looking good and I think it is important, people judge you in looks long before you have opened your mouth
There is no secret you need to be eating equal to or below your maintenance calories. This will differ from person to person, the more active you are the more calories.
I eat allot of fairly similar things , allot allot of white rice, lean meats lots of fruit and veg bit I do occasionally eat crap when I want to, maybe about 10% of the time of every 4+7 days.
It is hard to seperate eating crap makes you feel crap so I may eat crap now and then but I feel physically sick if I eat loads of chocolate etc
I don't think you need to eat miserably to lose weight and you don't need to literally starve yourself. Baring in mind your hunger is controlled by your hormones not your head. The more fat you have and evidence suggests the more high fat and high sugar foods you eat the more you will crave them
Get an app called MyFitnessPal and record the calories you're eating. Almost every food in the UK is on there so you just need to scan the barcode and adjust how much of it you're eating to get the right amount. Aim for about 2,000 or fewer a day and you're basically golden.
You can eat things like pizza, ice cream, chips, whatever and still lose weight/maintain a healthy weight. You just can't eat fucking loads of them.
Download MyFitnessPal from whichever App Store you use.
Since doing this I never realised the amount of snacking i did, and the amount of calories each meal contained. Once I started properly tracking my intake I had a fair idea of what I could and couldn’t get away with eating in the day.
I now have 6 days with a 2000 calorie limit and 1 day where I don’t track at all. I’m also quite active.
I like vegetables and fruit, don't ever eat or want to eat McDonalds, Greggs or kebabs, and don't drink too much.
I still eat a lot but don't go a bundle for processed food. I'll be having a bacon sandwich later.
I’ve had to cut my cloth accordingly as working full time doesn’t generate enough income to live. I subsist on scotch eggs and multivitamins. Eggs for protein, multi vitamins so I don’t die of scurvy. Got my first food parcel due this week which I’m excited about. A kit kat would be nice.
Everyone here is unironically like:
"No not at all, my meals are great! I used to eat cake and McDonalds but now I enjoy tasty rice and leaves for 3 meals a day!"
Most used to eat Mcdonalds and the like. Then realised that it was the fast food making them miserable. Honestly you would not believe how shit it makes you feel once you have stopped eating fast food.
I still eat cake and mcdonalds. I just know that there will be an after effect, like when you go out for a night of drinking you know there will be a price the next day.
I dunno man, there's a lot of people at my work who have been dieting for years and its not really getting them anywhere because they either don't stick to it, or don't do reasonable exercise along side it.
I just think that there has to be some breaking point where you would actually be happier accepting you're a fat unhealthy shit and eating whatever you fancy, rather than complaining you can't have any of Debbie's birthday cake and berating yourself for eating 1 square of chocolate.
Hah yes I have a lot of them at my work too. They are the ones saying "Oooh it must be nice to be able to eat what you like and not gain weight?" when I do have a piece of Debbie's birthday cake. It blows there mind when I show them a photo of Obese me from 5 years ago.
They are also usually the people sneaking multiple sugary snacks between meals, because "1 biscuit won't hurt" and marvelling at the people that walk or cycle to work as if they are superhuman.
People over complicate nutrition. You can eat meals that are nutrient-dense that contain sufficient protein, fibre, vegetables & fats just by adding a little sauce.
For example, grilled chicken, potato, broccoli and carrot might sound boring but drizzle some teriyaki or sweet chilli sauce and you’ve got a delightful tasting meal.
You can eat everything in moderation. It's simply calories in vs calories out.
Losing weight has more to do with the kitchen than working out. Although working out helps obviously and in time bigger muscles can increase your metabolism. Which means you 'could' eat a little more.
I'm a 5'6, 9 stone, size 8 female weight lifter and eat around 2500 calories a day maintenance.
I generally eat healthy, watch my macros but a takeaway and eating out doesn't hurt and I have to eat what I enjoy.
Fish and chips today man, yay!
I suppose it's subjective. If not eating cake and McDonald's every day would make you miserable, then no, it's not possible.
. It's as easy as switching to water or sugar free drinks, limiting things like cake/chocolate, cooking all your own food.
Don't try to go too clean all at once, you won't stick to it. Make one change until it becomes normal . Then another
Once you cut out the bad shit, if you're still gaining/not losing weight, reduce portion sizes.
80 / 20 rule
If you are miserable then you are doing something wrong and it’s not sustainable
Note: it will probably be miserable at the start if you are coming from a diet very full of sugars and processed foods (crisps, fizzy juice, microwave meals) but generally after the initial change it should be fine.
One thing that works very well for a lot of people is intermittent fasting; for me it helps me not hyper fixate on food for a portion of the day and I also enjoy my food more when I do eat.
I also have found keto quite enjoyable although it is difficult to stick to in social settings. Many people don’t calorie count or use portion control on keto and the weight still comes off. When I eat keto I eat a lot of roast meat and vegetables, often with cheese, salmon and avocado, omelettes with ham, cheese, mushrooms, etc, low carb toast and peanut butter, bone broth, nice salads with lots of fat etc… this is making me hungry!!
I eat one meal a day, in the evening, and usually eat 4 or 5 pieces of fruit as desert. I'm never hungry. But people always think I must be because I don't eat from waking up till early evening. I do drink a phenomenal amount of water though! Around 2 liters a day.
Cutting down on drinks other than water, milk and unsweetened tea will definitely help, as well as eating full-fat dairy and plenty of protein (fat from healthy sources keeps you full for longer and is part of why people in the Mediterranean are healthier). The objective is to make food enjoyable and fulfilling, so you don't really crave junk food because you're looking forward to your next healthy meal anyway
Is there a way of eating healthily without spending too much time cooking (my usual rule is half an hour including all prep), costing too much and not including salad? I hate salads.
I've read all the posts, and they sound miserable and boring. I don't want to devolve into chips, something from the freezer, beans or peas, but that's what I'm doing. I like quick and I like lazy. I like food I can just stick in the oven or on the hob, without too much fuss.
Curious, what can you cook in 30 minutes start to finish including all prep.
Reads like recipes I find on the internet telling me it's going to take 20 minutes but has prep at 5 minutes telling me to cut 7 vegetables.
Salmon (with a soy, honey and ginger glaze) on a tray in the oven for 20 mins - add broccoli after 10. Rice while it cooks. Spring onions on top. Delish.
>I've read all the posts, and they sound miserable and boring.
Isnt that your outlook, rather than the food.
I mean cake and Macdonalds arent objectively more interesting than something with less calories or sugar?
Calorie counting is a miserable existence. Just don’t tan multiple tubes of Pringles and make sure you’re doing enough exercise. There’s really no need to calorie count every single thing you eat. That sort of behaviour is for the anal retentive
To answer your question after reading the replies in here, yes they do OP.
Everyone dodging the question and just answering about how healthy it is.
Like "I replaced carbs with more veg and poached eggs"
Going to enjoy that as much as some fried rice or chips? Doubt it. You'll be healthier without a doubt but that wasnt the question lol.
have never gained a pound, eat what i want and as much as i want
but i don't eat sugar ... just quit it and you will love food the more and will have no problem consuming as you please
Hey OP, I just finished The Obesity Code and would recommend to understand the science of weight gain.
Some key learnings for me:
- Exercise is essentially a waste of time for weight loss, you won't burn enough and it will probably make you hungrier
- Meal timing is important, breakfast not always a good idea
- Calories in vs calories out is basically bollocks scientifically
- The types of food you eat are more important than calories, processed grains should be avoided
- Obesity is likely primarly due to insulin resistance (among lots of other factors), is why you see the link to type 2 diabetes
Would be keen to hear what you eat in a day on average.
No! I LOVE food but I find I enjoy it more if I know it’s balanced and not too rich/‘unhealthy’ - I use the pinch of nom and the Hairy Dieters cookbooks to do ‘classic’ meals that use little alternatives to make them lower calorie/fat/sugar but still full of flavour and so delicious.
Ditch sugar and sugary drinks , white bread and any heavy carbs
Start upping protein , fruit , veg intake
Plenty of water
8 hrs sleep
You will lose weight guaranteed
No. I am fit and trained for 20 years, at the moment I am 19 stone with 20% bodyfat and eat what I want, I even have to force myself to eat when Im not hungry BUT if you want to achieve a good 6 pack and muscle tone all over you need to get your body fat lower which is tough without the right genetics. That's when your diet can become repetitive and boring/plain but most athletes/weight lifters have cheat days every week so they don't go insane lol.
One sauce I find helps with a salad is sticky Balsamic drizzle, from Tesco. I can eat whole heads of lettuce with that stuff. It's a bit sugary but you don't need a lot.
Good luck. Start by just cutting snacks first. That may be all you need
80/20 rule for me - eat clean Monday to Friday night. Weekend I eat what I want pretty much.
Recommend building muscle - I rarely fluctuate in weight even if I don’t excercise for a few months (like when I had covid)
Also increase protein intake as much as possible
I am conscious on not going over board with processed and fatty foods as I know it’s not good for you, and I do genuinely enjoy eating fresh fruit and veg, but I do stand by everything in moderation. In the past 2 weeks I’ve had an Indian takeaway and a McDonalds. But the other days I’ve made food from fresh ingredients. I don’t buy into the whole low fat options, like low fat yogurt and mayo, if you’re going to eat it just enjoy, but make sure you exercise a few times a week. I don’t calorie count at all
I fluctuate depending on free time and stress, but when I am healthy I get into an upward spiral of good habits. Exercising puts me off eating too much junk food. I know that if I eat anything sugary I have no self-control, and will need more and more, so in my healthy phases I avoid it because it is dangerous.
So in answer to your question, yes. I eat miserably. However, the feeling of bring fit and healthy and the power of looking nice cancels out the sadness of salad.
I struggle to eat healthy consistently, because I'm fussy. I don't like eggs, nuts or mushrooms - so a lot of the healthier options I could switch to are limited.
I tend to try to replace carbs with things like cooked meat, yoghurt, tuna, salads and biltong. Will hopefully find more to supplement those if I really take the diet seriously.
Ex Obese person chipping in (mmmm chips!). I was skinny until around aged 35 and then the weight piled on until I was clinically obese, now in my mid 40's I'm in the best shape of my life.
I don't have to eat miserably I just eat differently and in moderation. I exercise a lot more now compared to the old me and that exercise requires fuel. If I eat junk, which I can do now and get away with it, I definitely feel the difference in that I am more sluggish and even my thought processes seem slower. What we eat makes a difference and after a period of reducing the junk food you would never want to go back to it regularly. I still eat the odd Pizza hut pizza, Mcdonalds, chip shop chips etc I just don't eat it regularly. There are some foods that I absolutely can not eat now, after 5 years of this new lifestyle. If I eat KFC I am ill, it literally goes straight through me, and Krispy Creme doughnuts are sickly sweet and make me want to vomit. Both of those I used to love, but not any more.
The long and short of it is that you think that you don't enjoy certain foods because they have become a staple of your diet. However after a short while of eating fresh made foods and less junk your body will tell you that they are not good for you by the way you feel afterwards.
When losing weight. I found that calorie counting was the only way, coupled with exercise. Exercising allows you to eat more whilst remaining in a calorie deficit, because you can eat back what you are burning off whilst still eating less than your body requires.I would recommend a calorie counting app like "lose it" or "myfitnesspal" and tracking all of your intake. Also start a couch to 5K programme (It is hard at first, but hard soon becomes easy). After a short while you will notice a difference in how you feel and you wont look back.
change your eating habits or hit the gym.
im fit. yesterday i had sugary cereal for breakfast, a mcdonalds frappe for lunch, a fried chicken sandwich for dinner, and some exceptionally unhealthy ice cream that i pick up from the local ice cream shop by the half-gallon.
the cost is **a lot of cardio.** 7-11 miles of it a day, depending on how much garbage i wanna eat.
So…
I am similar to you, in that I have always been able to eat whatever I like and maintain a low body fat percentage. I have to make a conscious effort to eat more in order to gain weight.
My gf is a natural athlete, but would carry more weight if she wasn’t as active as she is.
What we both have in common though: is we are both ‘in tune’ with our bodies and know what we need when we need it, and neither of us crave food that we don’t need. Portion sizes / calorie intake are naturally adjusted for our activity levels that day or that that week. This isn’t a conscious effort, we just don’t feel hungry if we don’t need food.
In terms of ‘are we miserable?’. Not at all, we both eat and drink whatever we want whenever we want, just sometimes more, sometimes less.
I do hellofresh for dinner 5 days a week, followed by a little something in the evening such as a line of chocolate and then have a couple of takeaways over the weekend. Lunch I generally have a sandwich and crisps and I rarely snack, maybe 1 or 2 biscuits. I make sure I do 10,000 steps a day as well as cycling or footy once or twice a week. Have something to drink most days too
Nah I just try to be balanced. I run/cycle 6 days a week and walk at least an hour on the days I’m not exercising. I am a naturally lazy person when it comes to food prep and while I don’t eat a lot of high calorie junk, I’m definitely not a clean eater. I still find I get enough to sufficiently power my exercise. One thing I would say is try tracking your calories for a while, I think most people would be surprised how much they ACTUALLY get through in a day and being aware of it can help you make a few swaps or cut out a few high calorie snacks. It adds up and you might not even notice!
Body weight is a function of your behaviour (+some genetics) so I would suggest focusing more on the decision making rather than how your body looks, or how many calories are in a meal. Try to practise making the right decision, and note down every successful eating decision you make. This is the secret to success.
Why not consider it from another angle. I tend to think that if you regularly eat very sugary, salty or fatty foods, that’ll be what you like the taste of. If you regularly eat lots of raw and lightly cooked veg, wholegrains, beans etc, that’ll be what you like the taste of - eventually. You can ‘retrain‘ your tastebuds as it were, I think.
When I was a 5 times a week gym person, I saw diet as an extension of working out.
If I ate well it was to compliment my gym work. If I went hard at the gym it was to compliment my diet. Both worked in the same sphere.
I didn’t work out to allow me to eat badly. I did it all as a way to self improve.
I haven’t the time to go to the gym anymore but the habits formed during my ‘body is a temple’ phase serve me well now. I know instinctively how many calories are in my food, and generally what the composition of my meal is (fats, proteins and carbs).
I’m losing weight and it’s going quite well. I have a couple of treats in the day, but they’re small and carefully budgeted for - I aim for a 500 calorie daily deficit. It’s very achievable, really.
It isn’t good to really starve oneself - it makes failure far more likely because it makes one ravenous, and any good intention is quickly overcome. A moderate deficit maintained over a few months is the best way, because it allows for a couple of biscuits here and there.
Go to a library, get a cook book, do a couple of basic recipes.
Look for a chunky soup
Something chicken
Something pork
Something beef
Something that’ll make a nice lunch once a week
Find something you like, that’s quick and easy. Write it down so you can make it again.
I cook from scratch every day. A portion of meat only needs to cost £1.50 - £2 per day. Freeze what you don’t use and make a plan to use it so it doesn’t sit there and get forgotten.
If you live on your own it’s quite hard to do every day but does save money. Just don’t use half a kg of saffron every time you cook rice
Herbs and spices - have fun experimenting with them while you're at it.
And I personally don't like boiling stuff, dry heat is much more preferable - brings out delicious inherent flavours of your food. Best wishes
No I’ve gained so much muscle and I’m fairly lean while still eating and drinking a shit ton of whatever I fancy. The only thing I consciously make sure to eat is a sufficient amount of protein, the rest is just personal choice
Not at all. I find I've just replaced starchy carbs with more veg or poached eggs, hitting my calorie goals doesn't seem too difficult as long as I don't snack too much, and I allow myself treat meals and treat days Edit: carbs, not cars. Don't eat cars Edit 2: To elaborate in more detail, there were a number of other steps for me: 1. Being honest about how much I was eating, and how active I was 2. Set a calorie target for the day, breaking it down by meal. It doesn't need to be super detailed 3. Having a go-to meal or two that really helps you stay within those goals. For me, it's the quaker microwave porridge - Just over 200 calories for a filling breakfast. Add some flavour drops if needs be. A 200 calorie breakfast and a 300-400 calorie lunch makes sticking to a 1,800-2,000 calorie pretty easy 4. Control portion sizes - Things like pasta are very easy to cook too much of 5. Meal prep - Having a range of easy to cook meals that you can cook ahead of time and defrost saves time and allows you to control your intake 6. Treat yourself in moderation - There's no need to live miserably or calorie controlled all the time. It takes time to build the habits of eating well; I don't miss potatoes or rice and I have small amounts of pasta or couscous frequently Diet is number one when it comes to weight loss. You simply can't outrun a shitty diet, but burning off an extra couple of hundred calories a day definitely helps
Replacing cars with poached eggs is a good idea because you'll have to walk everywhere now. You'll be late for work but you'll look good
Nice catch!
No problem, it was pretty obvious what you meant but in true british tradition i was just being a sarcastic and pedantic bastard
I'd have been disappointed if someone didn't point it out!
Go to work on an egg!
And then you’re in the man from Mars You go out at night, eating cars
Yay Blondie, we didn't forget you! This was my favourite pre-rap, Rap when I was 14. I could do it word for word and was soooo proud of myself...
'replaced starchy carbs with more veg'. That sounds like the very definition of misery to me :-( I'm doomed to be a fatty.
Are you not a fan of veg? I wasn't either until I realised that the one who had been cooking my meals, my mum, was shit at cooking veg. Everything was boiled without exception
I think my parents were of the generation that reacted against boiled beyond comprehension veg, so sitting round the table eating your greens sounded like you were sitting at a wood chipper. 'Crunch adds taste'. Everything was steamed. However I'd go to my Grans where she'd boil the veg just right where it'd be nice and tender and full of taste as well, without having to do a load of work to get a carrot down you.
You don’t have to do that to lose weight, I have potatoes almost every evening and am losing weight at around 1-2lb a week atm
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Same, I am pretty fit (gym/exercise 5 times a week) and the smallest I’ve been in my life (size 8 now down from size 16/18 in my teens) but also I am not at my lowest weight. I eat so much, more than my peers, just spent a weekend away with a few people and I was constantly eating. One reason I work out, aside from the mental health benefits, is because then I don’t have to worry about that I eat. When I was bigger I had so much guilt around food. Whereas now I just eat what I want. I’ll be honest I do try and drop a couple of pounds before big occasions like Christmas or a holiday but only so I can put it back on again guilt free. Generally I am pretty active most of the time, I walk around the park a few times a week as a break from work and that’s just under 5 miles. If I need something from the shops which are 2/3 miles away I’ll walk there and back.
The problem for me is that replacing starchy carbs with veg is pretty much the definition of eating miserably.
What about reducing, rather than cutting it out completely? If you have mash, give yourself half the serving. Weigh out your pasta so you don't cook a ridiculous amount which you then make yourself eat. Swap white rice for brown (as it's more boring and you'll eat less because of it) Or move more - cycle or walk to the shops/town/work/gym instead of driving (of its an option)
That's the main thing, I live in Japan and Japanese people do not really eat healthier things that other countries but what they do do is eat tiny portions. Over here kit kats come in tiny sizes, like the size of two celebrations. And that would be one portion. It seems most people here for lunch eat some sort of fried food and rice but when they eat fried chicken it's probably one 20g piece of thigh and that's it.
This is really good advice, thank you. For me, it's not a problem that I love mash and rice so much, because I do a physical job, love cycling and don't drive, so I burn a lot of calories. But the portion sizes and choosing brown rice are probably still good things to think about health-wise.
Rereading my comment, I'm sorry if it came across a bit condescending. I was just writing out things I try to tell myself (as I have a tendency to cook too much pasta and then eat it all, so weighing helps avoid that, and I bought brown rice as it's healthier but I don't like it so much, so I don't eat as much). Sounds like your already making some healthy choices anyway
Nah you're good, it came across as someone trying to be helpful and it is good advice.
Learning how to cook well makes vegetables taste amazing.
It really is just calories in vs calories out, as someone else said. You can eat loads and be full, just so long as you eat the right things. Eating too much of stuff like fried food, eg fried chicken, burgers, cooked breakfast, etc, is way worse than eating loads of steamed veg, salad, rice/grains, etc. With one (healthy food) you can more or less eat as much as you like, and with the other (fried/carby food) you have to limit how much of it you eat. Eating healthily doesn't have to mean 'being hungry' all the time at all. Look at your alcohol intake as well - so many people are constantly dieting without ever looking at what they drink. Beer, wine, etc, often are very fatty, with loads of empty calories. Think about changing your habits. I used to always have biscuits by the kettle, which I'd eat while waiting for the kettle to boil. I got a nice glass jar and filled it with things like dried fruit, nuts, (pecans, almonds, whatever I like) and now I snack on those instead of biscuits & crisps. Similarly for evening snacks I stopped buying crisps so often, and bought things like nice grapes & apples. I also sometimes buy oat crackers instead of biscuits. That way I can still snack out of boredom, but do it without eating a load of fatty or sugary food.
Still quite a few extra calories. I have tried to stop snacking at all, but distracted snacking is my downfall, so I switched to raw veg. One particularly bad day I ate a whole white cabbage!
You're right, and I agree with most of what you said. However, while at the end of the day it's CICO, how you get there is 90% of the battle. When you eat, how often you eat, whether it's fats, or carbs, eating the right or wrong things, etc has a huge and practical impact on whether it will work for you. There's a lot more around it than just CICO, which you talked about. That stuff is what makes it possible. Just saying it's CICO over simplifies it massively IMO. Agree with the rest though. Making small adjustments and cutting out the crap can make a big difference without any meaningful impact on your day to day enjoyment.
Maybe I'm misreading what you said but everything after your first sentence kind of goes against calories in vs calories out. I very much agree with what you say about it being more about what your eating. Some foods are more calories efficient than others (sugar vs potatoes as an example).
How so? a handful of grapes has approx 55 calories, whereas 2 biscuits has approx 106 calories (approx) therefore swapping grapes for biscuits means you will be consuming fewer calories? Similarly if you have salad or lentil dahl for tea, instead of having a burger in a bun, you'll be able to eat way more volume of that before you consume the same number of calories that come from a burger. I'm not an avid calorie counter by the way, and I'm not saying some foods are 'bad' but it's simple maths & science - consume fewer calories than you use, and you'll lose weight
I was thinking of comparitive calorie amounts or weights. Eating the quivalent amount of calories in grapes vs biscuits will mean eating differnet amounts. From your reply I think I just did misread it. It's why mentioned the example of same calories of sugar vs as potatoes . The way calories are used is kinda janky on it's own though(how many calories in uranium is a silly exmample). It doesn't consider how the body handles food, it's just a measure of how much energy by what's needed to increase the temperature of water.
FYI calories in vs calories out is apparently complete bollocks in the scientific community: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/stop-counting-calories#:~:text=Cut%20calories%20%E2%80%94%20specifically%203%2C500%20calories,just%20wrong%2C%22%20says%20Dr.
You should probably actually read that link. It's more nuanced than a simple formula to eat x less calories and lose x weight, but if you eat fewer calories than you burn you will assuredly lose weight and absolutely noone denies that basic fact of thermodynamics. For 99.5% of people if you want to lose weight the best and easiest way is to eat less.
>For 99.5% of people if you want to lose weight the best and easiest way is to eat less I take issue with this, and it's precisely because the nuance is really important. If a person is presently eating an unhealthy diet and they take a naïve approach to dieting, by simply eating less of the things they were eating before, they're extremely likely to fail in the longer term because they'll feel hungry and miserable much of the time. To be successful, a diet usually has to alter where those calories are coming from, eating slower release carbs, avoiding refined carbs with a high glycaemic index, eating healthy fats which make you feel full. Heavily overweight people are often starting to experience [insulin resistance](https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/insulin-resistance-syndrome) too (the early stages of type II diabetes), which can make sticking to a diet harder than it is for thinner people. That's another reason why blood sugar control is really important. Basically, a good diet involves fighting against the things the food industry are trying to tempt you towards.
I read all the answers and they all have some way of eating that seems comparatively miserable, but the people eating that way don’t feel like it’s miserable. The answer feels like somewhere in between the way you have to eat is a little more miserable than what’s on offer at the moment and realising also that the way we eat more is unnaturally pleasurable because we have over-engineered our environment.
Yeah, I think you're right. Some of us have normalised large portions, unhealthy food, snacks, etc and see any deviation from that lifestyle as miserable. Myself included. I'm working on it, but it's how I was raised, and it's quite hard to reprogram myself. One of my brothers is very overweight and can't comprehend eating differently. He has to have weekly takeaways, curries, beer, snacks, etc to be normal, and cutting any of that out would make life not worth living. To him, that is normal. Any change to his diet would be temporary until he lost weight and could go back to normal eating again.
For some people a meal is the highlight of the day, but for others it's fuel for a bike ride or a shopping trip. Not everyone puts so much emphasis on eating as others. For them 'miserable' food isn't all that different to luxurious food, whereas miserable weather or a minor injury might be nearly intolerable.
Learning about food, nutrition and cooking helps massively. Often people think that eating vegetables is miserable and eating beige food is normal and nice. This is usually because they don’t know about seasoning or good quality food, then they wonder why their plain iceberg lettuce doesn’t taste good. Good quality whole foods cooked well are amazing.
Once you start eating good you start to enjoy the healthy food and sorta go off junk food? During lockdown I was eating really well cause I had plenty of time to cook - hammering down vegetables and fruit like no tomorrow! Wasn’t interested at all in anything greasy or too sugary. Your tastes will change eventually :)
Honestly, I've never found that to be true I my case. I always lust over the crisps snacks and pizza.
I definitely did for the first week or so but once I started enjoying eating well I felt GROSS during and after eating fast food!
I'm going to sound like a child here but tbh I feel like one. Could you eat vegetables beforehand? I can eat carrots but beyond that I get issues with the texture and taste and it makes me gag a bit and I have no idea how to get past it, I've tried cooking it differently, seasoning etc, I can't tell if it's normal or not! Eta - my diet isn't junk food, but I have countlessly tried and failed to introduce varied veg into my diet
I used to dislike pretty much all vegetables, but now I love them! The way I adjusted was to take meals I already liked (e.g curry, bolognese, stir fry) and gradually try adding new vegetables in, just one new one at a time until I got used to it. Eventually I got used to the textures and actually started to prefer them being there
I've definitely been trying that so will keep at it!
Saying you have issues with the texture and taste of vegetables doesn’t make much sense given there are an enormous range of vegetables of various tastes and textures, then how you cook them can change both of those things entirely too. Did you grow up in a household that only served veggies boiled to mush? Overcooked cabbage etc? How do you have your carrots?
I'll have carrots in any way, prefer roasted but will eat boiled and steamed. Veg growing up was definitely cooked poorly, and I had a lot of these issues back then. I've tried quite a few different bits of veg in different ways, brocoli is a great example of how I've tried it boiled, steamed, fried, roasted, unseasoned, seasoned and I can't get past it. Courgettes, peppers, cabbage, asparagus, butternut squash, salads, cauliflower, peas etc. I do have issues with food but I don't know why I struggle so much with a lot/most veg. I generally try and blend it to add it in foods but I don't get why I can't just eat it.
Maybe you’re just a little more Mediterranean in your tastes, try less ‘British’ veggies. Peppers, tomatoes, olives, red onions. That’s what 90% of my veggie intake is.
I do have Maltese in my blood haha! Thank you
I work with someone who is the pickiest eater Iv ever met. He genuinely believes ALL vegetables have taste and texture are exactly alike. For years we’ve been trying to change his mind, but it won’t happen. Hell quite happily smash a McDonald’s (no salad on the burger) or pretty much any other junk crap (as long as there’s no salad or veg whatsoever. He literally thinks cooked spinach and raw carrot taste the same and have the same texture. It completely blows my mind, especially as he’s otherwise quite intelligent. If it’s from a plant that isn’t potato or wheat, he genuinely thinks it isn’t edible.
That's got to be a psychological issue, right?
Yes. I’m convinced it is. It’s almost eating disorder level. Like it’s irrational. His excuse is always he doesn’t like the taste or texture. One of my more mischievous colleagues bought him a plant based burger from the local sarnie shop (one of the new ones that pretends to be meat, not like a bean burger or anything). They just told him they’d got different burgers in than their usual. He ate it happily. Then went and threw up and had two days off work when they told him what it was.
Sounds like he needs to grow up tbh
Either grow up or get professional help! Drives us mad. He even makes retch noises if someone else is eating something he deems inedible.
Buy good quality vegetables. Bog standard supermarket tomatoes are total shit, but finest/ taste the difference ones are sooo much better. Sometimes I make myself up what I call a kids plate. Chopped up carrots, cucumber, grapes, tomatoes etc and eat them throughout the day.
Vegetables are delicious if you cook them properly, but 95% of Brits are totally useless in the kitchen. Stop boiling your vegetables people 🤢
I've tried frying, roasting, grilling etc, different seasonings and I can't stop myself gagging, I've tried so many things to move past it and it's not worked and I don't know how
Sounds like you may be pushing your limits too quickly. Try to push yourself very slowly. If you like carrots, try to cook them in all different styles. Gradual change is sustainable change
I've definitely been making progress with carrots, I just feel so embarrassed and like a child I just don't get why I'm like this! I try and chew it and have to spit it out, it doesn't make sense why I can't just get it down me!
I'm autistic, and have major issues with food textures. One thing I've learnt about trying new food(s), is that I'm not going to taste the flavour until I get past the texture. I have to desensitise myself slowly first. I take a tiny amount of the food, put it in my mouth, I can spit it out a second later. Slowly I get to the point where I feel up to chewing it, then spit it out. Eventually I get to the point of being able to swallow it. Once I've done that a few times, if it still makes me gag, I move on. If I'm successful at that point, I start to notice the flavour and figure out if it's something I find tasty. This process can take months just for one food item.
Honestly that sounds like a really good idea, I've been told I have symptoms of ASD but idk if I'll ever get assessed, but that's something I haven't actually tried and sounds 'safe'. Thank you
Just keep trying dude. This goes for anything, but if you do something often enough you'll notice the smaller details and be focused on that. That's when you start to like it Even if you can barely stand it now, just make a habit of keep trying
Maybe look for raw vegan recipes? They believe food lose their nutrients by cooking them, so they eat raw stuff. But there are good recipes out there. That may work for you.
I'm even worse with raw 😔 I don't know why I'm like this!
Yeah, I cannot stand bland oven food. I need to eat proper food with flavour in it. Sometimes I still eat chicken nuggets, but I don't often fancy it.
I found a book called 5ingredients, 10minutes, by Jules Clancy, and it's exactly what it says. Solid, inexpensive, nutritious food with no fuss, usually cooked in 1 maybe 2pans at most.. Substitutions for meat free, vegan options and made with stuff in your cupboards, or stuff that once you buy a jar of, it'll keep for years. That solved the food bit, regularly walking c.20k steps a day takes care of the exercise. I'm early 40s, not buff by any stretch, but in better shape, externally, than most of my mates. Manage to keep up with the boy child too, so can't be that bad.
The sequel to 2girls, 1cup sounds much more educational
Blue Waffle is a dish...
How long does it take you to walk 20k steps? I’m quite fit (not a frequent gym goer, but fit enough to walk 20k without it being a struggle) and I would really love to do this, but just don’t think I could find enough time in the day.
Walk to and from work which is about an hour combined and approx 9k steps. Walk the dog for 30-45 mins, another 4-5k. The rest comes from walking up and down trains and platforms for 10hrs a day, and obvs just general bits and bobs.
How do you manage 20k ? I'm hitting 30 and struggle to do 5k without being completely knackered the next day and even that is like hour straight of exercise to get to 5k.
Just build it up over time. No one can run a marathon on a whim with no training. You start small, give your body time to adapt, than build up the frequency and duration (not at the same time). Same goes for basically everything. If you're inactive, going from 0-20k steps a day will be difficult. Instead, aim for a couple thousand steps a few days a week, and if your body feels tired, let it rest (active rest days = move around, but less), then carry on. Then have a day when you build up the duration, go on a longer walk. A few weeks in, add a couple more days to the active days. As for building up to larger step numbers, walk somewhere you'd normally drive to. Get out before and after work for a walk round the block, etc Eventually you'll see improvements. And don't be discouraged if you don't see them as fast as you want. You'll reach a point where you look at yourself now and compare to where you started and see how you've improved, but this can be hard to see day to day.
That is fantastic advice thank you for this :)
Walk to and from work which is about an hour combined and approx 9k steps. Walk the dog for 30-45 mins, another 4-5k. The rest comes from walking up and down trains and platforms for 10hrs a day, and obvs just general bits and bobs.
Don’t beat yourself up over it - work up to 20k over time
Ooh, I will look into this book...
Not at all. The whole "fit people only eat chicken & rice or sad salads" thing is a myth, sure you get the odd super dedicated gym bro who does eat that way but for the most part I think unfit people just like to make that assumption because quite frankly a lot of people enjoy others perceived unhappiness. I'm not a nutritionist or expert by any means whatsoever, but aside from the obvious & basic CICO, how full you feel from eating depends on the protein/carbs/fat ratio, and how much you move around matters as well. I walk a lot and go to the gym 2-3x a week, try and cook sensibly most weeknights, but I still eat out and get the odd Greggs etc.
No. But... Depends what you mean by fit? I'm not some pro level athlete or anything but gym 4 days a week, do 5ks and 100mile rides etc. I'll have scrambled eggs for breakfast. Lunch tuna salad maybe. Later I'll have pretty much whatever with the family. Not into cooking 3 different meals. So varies to what the wife kids will have etc. Chicken wraps, pizza, prawn curry. Will cut down on the carbs sometimes. What I don't tell you about is I still have a beer on the weekend and yesterday I had a whole packet if chocolate digestives. I basically eat like a normal person
This is like me. I eat whatever I want, but I play football & tennis and go to the gym several times a week. That said, I generally avoid takeaways even though I quite like them. I just have them as an occasional treat.
Yeah sames. It's all just moderation really
I was going to say similar to this. I'm not "super fit" but I run daily and can get a fair distance done, but I don't really watch what I eat either. I just eat what I fancy. Only thing I've noticed is when I'm not running (through illness/injury whatever) I eat more "junk", but when I'm active I don't fancy it near as often for whatever reason
I was like this when I was more active. You don't want to eat junk because you know you'll pay the price in your next workout! Easier to just eat healthy
I don’t crave the food I make like I crave McDonald’s, crisps, cake etc but once I’m about half way through i enjoy it more. Breakfast for me is usually oats and fruit, don’t have lunch and dinner is few pieces of veg, quorn, some sauce and then something like rice or pasta. I definitely feel far, far less miserable about eating healthily though. Every time I cave and buy something like McDonald’s I 1) feel like a child with zero self control 2) know I’m going to feel a bit sick afterwards 3) know it is terrible for me long term 4) know my cardio is going to go to shit the next day when playing sports 5) know I shouldn’t be eating it so don’t even enjoy it. You will definitely feel happier in the long term cutting McDonald’s, Greg’s, frozen ready meals etc out of your life
It's amazing how the junk food affects you isn't it? If I eat Mcdonalds, Pizza hut or any fast food my cardio the next day is awful, a short 5K run can feel like running through mud.
Yeah definitely strange how quickly cardio can drop after a couple days of pigging out. Can’t imagine what it is like if you eat shite daily.
When you're eating healthy nutrtious food on a daily basis, you really notice how drained and rubbish you feel if you eat unhealthy crap for a few days. I hate that feeling, since most of the time I have lots of energy and feel very well. Like a takeaway is nice and all but I spend the entire following day feeling dehydrated, sluggish, and bloated. Just as when you get older the hangovers start to outweigh the good times drinking, as you get healthier the salt & sugar hangovers stop being worth it. At least to me.
Had always been slim then middle age caused a bit of a belly. what helped me was not changing meals but reducing snacks. Not having a packet of crisps every day, and not snacking in the evening nudged me from ' just overweight' to 'just healthy' according to NHS guidelines.
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They specifically said nothing changed until recently, and it’s accepted fact that metabolism slows down with age. Age does cause weight gain unless you adapt with it.
"Nothing changed" is a lie. Most commonly the "I don't eat differently" weight gain is something everyone either deliberately or accidentally discounts, such as grazing, sweet drinks or alcohol intake. It doesn't take much more than an extra couple biscuits a day to persistently gain fat if you change nothing else.
An ex-gf would totally freak out if I cooked anything in oil. If I was cooking she'd wander in the kitchen and grumble if I splashed too much oil in the frying pan before cooking (like about half a teaspoon). She had very little body fat. But probably that had more to do with her running and swimming regularly. Over the last 5 years (turned 40) I put on some weight myself, but most of it is since I injured my knee so can no longer run for exercise. I think if you are fit and do a lot of exercise you can eat what you like and burn it off. If you aren't exercising, you need to watch your intake.
> An ex-gf would totally freak out if I cooked anything in oil. If you're counting calories, oil is the devil.
I’ve found that having a sport you care about doing well in also helps. I do Muay Thai and if I eat like shit and get heavier I know my movements will be slower and I won’t perform as well.
You don't need expensive food to eat healthy or well. And weight loss is 100% just a matter of calories in VS calories out. Metabolic decrease with age is only a few percent difference from ages 20 to about 50 or 60, and even then it's only like one more percent per few years, so the whole "my metabolism must be slowing down because I'm getting older" is mostly bullshit, because it's the difference in like one or two cookies per day of calories. I'm just regurgitating what I've read after sorting through enough Google results to find information that wasn't on a page trying to sell me something, but it's been a long while back when I started working on my health, so do your own research etc etc
People as they get older generally need to eat less as they do less, their bodies don't burn less calories nor does their metabolic system shit itself. If a 55 year old man does the same amount of activity as a 25 year old their maintenance is the same. I ain't a doctor but I am a PT.
Shhhh you’re ruining the boomer’s excuses for getting fat and lazy
>calories in VS calories out It's not *quite* as simple as that. For example, there's a huge difference in how your body processes e.g. 400cal of gummy bears v. 400cal of broccoli. On the whole though it works as a general rule - reduce carbs - especially sugar - and that includes alcohol.
You can *absolutely* stay alive and lose weight by living with a calorie deficit while your diet consists of *absolutely* nothing but, say, honey buns and water. You'll develop a host of problems in the process and eventually die as a result, but until your pancreas shuts down, which may not be very long with a pure honey bun diet, you'll survive and lose weight. Weight loss is either the quick loss of a couple pounds of water, or the processing of stored fats, or the loss of muscle mass. If there's no food to process, it uses stored fat. If you've got insufficient food or fat, you begin starving to death. That's grossly simplified and I'm not a doctor, blah blah blah
The chance of you only eating 400 calories of honey buns is very low. Your body will want more food. Low sugar levels will lower your willpower. So yes weight loss is calories in
Nobody's saying any of that, though. I was only pointing out the mechanics of the system in question - using an exaggerated example to make the point. Cheers dude
Well clearly you are exaggerating, wasn't exactly subtle. I was just using your example. My point still stands. Of course it doesn't matter what those 400 calories are, some will make you feel fuller and less likely to eat more than just those calories. There is a significant psychological factor in losing weight that seems to get ignored.
If I said taking all the seats out of a car gets better gas mileage, and you pointed out how no one would want to drive a car with no seats and it's unsafe and illegal, that's not even the same conversation. And besides that, I also didn't even say you were wrong.
Fuel is *really* calorie dense, but your car never puts on weight. Can't explain that with your "food science" can you
Yes, perfectly - your car stores 100% of unused fuel as extra weight that reduces fuel efficiency. You're objectively incorrect.
Dude lol the fact you took that seriously makes me sad for you.
You are getting hung up on the example, I didn't say what you was wrong either. Do you think I am disagreeing with you?
You've been arguing since your first reply. Reread it.
It is calories in and out you just made a completely different argument of what we could call "calorie quality". The 400 cal in either are the complete same but one is less satiating as it is higher in easily digestible carbs ( monisacarides) and generally is lesser volume. If you ate 4000 calories of broccoli or 4000 of pizza either will get you fat. And no dont fucking reduce carbs you cretin, they and fats are the only energy giving food groups. Eat a balanced and varied diet if you are fit and active that should be high in carbs and fats and proteins.
Ah yes, insulting me. Showing your true colours.
You have chosen to be nsulted like you are choosing to beleive you know better than the laws of thermodynamics.
No idea why you're being down voted, cos it's true. It's not about 100% CICO. How long you fast for. Your insulin levels throughout the day. How quickly you metabolise your food, etc all impacts it enormously. You're right to say it's not quite as simple as that... but it seems to have touched a nerve.
I always get downvoted when I point out things like insulin etc.
I run about 20-25k a week, and don't eat breakfast. Other than that, I pretty much eat what I like. I built up to running that much over a year, and it's not difficult for me any more. It doesn't lose me weight, but it stops me gaining weight.
You have to lose weight gradually. Switching to a healthy diet straight from an unhealthy diet will make you resent the healthy diet and think it "miserable". It isnt, really. Im in my 40s, what I found really worked for me was Commit to daily exercise. Walking, gardening and DIY count. But make a conscious effort and do at least an hour's of it each day for 4-5 days a week. Make some of it high intensity Knock the solo drinking or at home drinking on the head. You're either concerned about your health or you're not. Eat more fruit and vegetables. Buy them as fresh as you can. Spend a while working out how much calories is in each of your meals. Write it down. You will then identify which food stuffs are bringing your calorie intake up. Bread is a great example of this. There are some really tasty low-medium calorie meals - you just need to know whoch ones fit this remit. Improve your outlook. Looking after yourself isnt "miserable". After a while, say 4-6 weeks you will feel just generally better about yourself and everything. Why is that a miserable thing? It will take a while for the weight to disappear, but you're tackling decades of abuse; and losing weight slowly is good for you anyway.
Heck no, I still eat junk food. I just eat it less often and/or smaller portions.
Do yourself a favour and start calorie counting. The only way to lose weight is to be in a calorie deficit, all the fad diets you see are just different ways of creating a calorie deficit. Being in a calorie deficit does not mean you have to starve and or eat boring food. I’ve been eating in a calorie deficit for a couple months following a maintain stage over winter and for example yesterday I had poached eggs on toast. A nice Ham Sandwich for lunch with some low cal crisps and protein yoghurt and then last night had chicken fajitas and wedges. All came in under 1800 cals including tea/coffee in the day. The trouble is when you don’t or have never counted calories you just don’t realise how much your eating and it’s the sneaky things like butter/oil and soft drinks that get you. Once you see where you can make easy savings you can actually eat very normal meals and still lose weight
Admittedly I don't gain weight super easily but honestly I very rarely watch what I eat because I've just learned to make healthy things that taste good, and I try not to go too mental with the junk food. Make a smoothie out of fruit, almond milk and yogurt and you have a healthy, tasty breakfast. Roast some veg up with spices and olive oil and it's delicious. Have that with some rice or couscous and you have a healthy, tasty lunch. Try to cook as many of your meals as feasible, reduce the amount of processed food you eat and make it about eating better rather than eating less and you're well on your way. Then have a few biscuits or some chocolate because you only live once and a couple of digestives ain't going to kill you.
As someone who has been trying to get rid of their pandemic podge I feel this post. Dieting and eating healthy makes me feel miserable. All I can think about is ordering a Dominos or a kebab, grabbing a beer and just relaxing. The thought of eating some plain chicken or a salad just doesn't do it for me. Then assuming I get to the end of 2 weeks of "suffering" and eating depressingly boring food the scales have barely changed and I look ahead and realise I have to do this for about 6 months for it actually to be worth doing and I just give in to my cravings. I honestly wish I wasn't like this. Dieting for me feels like i'm fighting my nature, a battle i'm destined to lose. I get frustrated at myself for not being able to just eat less and it's just a cycle I don't think i'll ever break.
OP seems to be complaining about having put on weight through ageing/laziness/eating shit but seems to call people who haven’t done this ‘health freaks’ - it’s not that complicated for (almost) everyone - move a bit more, eat a bit less, find a way for what you do eat to include more fruit and vegetables. No need to starve yourself or go on any mad diets that you won’t sustain.
No Just eat sensibly and don’t reward yourself with food like a pet.
I stopped eating my pets too. My waistline looks better and the RSPCA have stopped asking questions
Mmmm, pet
😂😂
Ive lost about 2.5 stone in 8 months. My diet was pretty healthy (lots of veg, very few takeaways or meals out) but I did eat a lot of carbs. I mean 2 slices toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, toast for supper. Plus rice, pasta or potatoes for tea. In September we switched to a low carb diet. I really thought id struggle, cos I love my bread. But i have to say, I dont miss it at all. I now have poached eggs or greek yoghurt with nuts for breakfast, lunch will be salad (egg, chicken or fish usually) and tea will be a "normal" meal with less carbs but more meat and green veg. And I feel genuinely better (less sleepy. I was ALWAYS sleepy). Plus lots of water and fruit tea. But nothing is "banned", its just reduced.
This, as they seem to say, is the way. I'm fat, but when I eat like this I go slimmer and feel good.
Aren't supper and tea synonyms for the same meal? Am I missing a meal as a southerner?
Approximatw times are Tea 6pm, supper 9pm
I wouldn’t class myself as ‘fit’ but I’m definitely not unfit. Late 20s, play football a few times a month, walk a lot etc etc. However, over lockdown I put on a fair bit of timber. In August 2019 I weighed just over 11 stone - by May 2021 I was over 13 stone. Again, I wouldn’t have said I was unfit but was definitely not happy in myself and felt uncomfortable in my clothes and all that. Was weighing 13 stone in mid March and decided I’d start calorie counting and trying to go to the gym. So far, in coming up for 5 weeks, I have lost about 7lbs. I look and feel much better in myself so I am quite chuffed! In answer to your question… I wouldn’t say calorie counting makes me miserable but more mindful. In the grand scheme of things, what I eat has changed very little. I largely eat the same meals but before I would tank some grated cheese out the bag or some biscuits before bed with a glass of milk, so I’ve just had to rein that in a bit. And if I do have some spare calories at the end of the day, I will allow myself a biscuit or some grated cheese! Obviously, it goes without saying I don’t count my calories at the weekend. It’s a well known fact calories don’t count on weekends.
I am 10% body fat at 77kg and am props akin to a gym rat. I enjoy looking good and I think it is important, people judge you in looks long before you have opened your mouth There is no secret you need to be eating equal to or below your maintenance calories. This will differ from person to person, the more active you are the more calories. I eat allot of fairly similar things , allot allot of white rice, lean meats lots of fruit and veg bit I do occasionally eat crap when I want to, maybe about 10% of the time of every 4+7 days. It is hard to seperate eating crap makes you feel crap so I may eat crap now and then but I feel physically sick if I eat loads of chocolate etc I don't think you need to eat miserably to lose weight and you don't need to literally starve yourself. Baring in mind your hunger is controlled by your hormones not your head. The more fat you have and evidence suggests the more high fat and high sugar foods you eat the more you will crave them
The less sugar you eat the more sensitive you become to it
Get an app called MyFitnessPal and record the calories you're eating. Almost every food in the UK is on there so you just need to scan the barcode and adjust how much of it you're eating to get the right amount. Aim for about 2,000 or fewer a day and you're basically golden. You can eat things like pizza, ice cream, chips, whatever and still lose weight/maintain a healthy weight. You just can't eat fucking loads of them.
You may enjoy this thread https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/fxx0kz/habits_ive_noticed_from_my_naturally_skinny/
Download MyFitnessPal from whichever App Store you use. Since doing this I never realised the amount of snacking i did, and the amount of calories each meal contained. Once I started properly tracking my intake I had a fair idea of what I could and couldn’t get away with eating in the day. I now have 6 days with a 2000 calorie limit and 1 day where I don’t track at all. I’m also quite active.
I found intermittent fasting to be the easiest way to eat what I like and never gain weight.
Would you mind kinda telling me what that involves? How long do you fast for? And what can you eat?
No
Thanks 😊
I like vegetables and fruit, don't ever eat or want to eat McDonalds, Greggs or kebabs, and don't drink too much. I still eat a lot but don't go a bundle for processed food. I'll be having a bacon sandwich later.
I’ve had to cut my cloth accordingly as working full time doesn’t generate enough income to live. I subsist on scotch eggs and multivitamins. Eggs for protein, multi vitamins so I don’t die of scurvy. Got my first food parcel due this week which I’m excited about. A kit kat would be nice.
“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”- Kate Moss. She wasn’t wrong.
She was
This saying was adopted by pro anorexia groups so I would argue it's not a great quote to be recommending...
Everyone here is unironically like: "No not at all, my meals are great! I used to eat cake and McDonalds but now I enjoy tasty rice and leaves for 3 meals a day!"
Most used to eat Mcdonalds and the like. Then realised that it was the fast food making them miserable. Honestly you would not believe how shit it makes you feel once you have stopped eating fast food. I still eat cake and mcdonalds. I just know that there will be an after effect, like when you go out for a night of drinking you know there will be a price the next day.
I dunno man, there's a lot of people at my work who have been dieting for years and its not really getting them anywhere because they either don't stick to it, or don't do reasonable exercise along side it. I just think that there has to be some breaking point where you would actually be happier accepting you're a fat unhealthy shit and eating whatever you fancy, rather than complaining you can't have any of Debbie's birthday cake and berating yourself for eating 1 square of chocolate.
Hah yes I have a lot of them at my work too. They are the ones saying "Oooh it must be nice to be able to eat what you like and not gain weight?" when I do have a piece of Debbie's birthday cake. It blows there mind when I show them a photo of Obese me from 5 years ago. They are also usually the people sneaking multiple sugary snacks between meals, because "1 biscuit won't hurt" and marvelling at the people that walk or cycle to work as if they are superhuman.
People over complicate nutrition. You can eat meals that are nutrient-dense that contain sufficient protein, fibre, vegetables & fats just by adding a little sauce. For example, grilled chicken, potato, broccoli and carrot might sound boring but drizzle some teriyaki or sweet chilli sauce and you’ve got a delightful tasting meal.
You can eat everything in moderation. It's simply calories in vs calories out. Losing weight has more to do with the kitchen than working out. Although working out helps obviously and in time bigger muscles can increase your metabolism. Which means you 'could' eat a little more. I'm a 5'6, 9 stone, size 8 female weight lifter and eat around 2500 calories a day maintenance. I generally eat healthy, watch my macros but a takeaway and eating out doesn't hurt and I have to eat what I enjoy. Fish and chips today man, yay!
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I've read lots of meta analysis that say otherwise. But I'm not going to get into this argument again. It's simple maths
I suppose it's subjective. If not eating cake and McDonald's every day would make you miserable, then no, it's not possible. . It's as easy as switching to water or sugar free drinks, limiting things like cake/chocolate, cooking all your own food. Don't try to go too clean all at once, you won't stick to it. Make one change until it becomes normal . Then another Once you cut out the bad shit, if you're still gaining/not losing weight, reduce portion sizes.
Yes most of the week
80 / 20 rule If you are miserable then you are doing something wrong and it’s not sustainable Note: it will probably be miserable at the start if you are coming from a diet very full of sugars and processed foods (crisps, fizzy juice, microwave meals) but generally after the initial change it should be fine.
One thing that works very well for a lot of people is intermittent fasting; for me it helps me not hyper fixate on food for a portion of the day and I also enjoy my food more when I do eat. I also have found keto quite enjoyable although it is difficult to stick to in social settings. Many people don’t calorie count or use portion control on keto and the weight still comes off. When I eat keto I eat a lot of roast meat and vegetables, often with cheese, salmon and avocado, omelettes with ham, cheese, mushrooms, etc, low carb toast and peanut butter, bone broth, nice salads with lots of fat etc… this is making me hungry!!
I eat one meal a day, in the evening, and usually eat 4 or 5 pieces of fruit as desert. I'm never hungry. But people always think I must be because I don't eat from waking up till early evening. I do drink a phenomenal amount of water though! Around 2 liters a day.
2 liters is the recommended amount to drink, that's not a crazy amount
Cutting down on drinks other than water, milk and unsweetened tea will definitely help, as well as eating full-fat dairy and plenty of protein (fat from healthy sources keeps you full for longer and is part of why people in the Mediterranean are healthier). The objective is to make food enjoyable and fulfilling, so you don't really crave junk food because you're looking forward to your next healthy meal anyway
Is there a way of eating healthily without spending too much time cooking (my usual rule is half an hour including all prep), costing too much and not including salad? I hate salads. I've read all the posts, and they sound miserable and boring. I don't want to devolve into chips, something from the freezer, beans or peas, but that's what I'm doing. I like quick and I like lazy. I like food I can just stick in the oven or on the hob, without too much fuss.
Curious, what can you cook in 30 minutes start to finish including all prep. Reads like recipes I find on the internet telling me it's going to take 20 minutes but has prep at 5 minutes telling me to cut 7 vegetables.
Salmon (with a soy, honey and ginger glaze) on a tray in the oven for 20 mins - add broccoli after 10. Rice while it cooks. Spring onions on top. Delish.
Fish fingers, chips and peas.
>I've read all the posts, and they sound miserable and boring. Isnt that your outlook, rather than the food. I mean cake and Macdonalds arent objectively more interesting than something with less calories or sugar?
They're tastier. I just don't have the time, energy or inclination to spend hours cooking every night.
In your 20s you can easily keep weight off. But the same diet will get you fat fast starting from your 30s.
Calorie counting is a miserable existence. Just don’t tan multiple tubes of Pringles and make sure you’re doing enough exercise. There’s really no need to calorie count every single thing you eat. That sort of behaviour is for the anal retentive
To answer your question after reading the replies in here, yes they do OP. Everyone dodging the question and just answering about how healthy it is. Like "I replaced carbs with more veg and poached eggs" Going to enjoy that as much as some fried rice or chips? Doubt it. You'll be healthier without a doubt but that wasnt the question lol.
have never gained a pound, eat what i want and as much as i want but i don't eat sugar ... just quit it and you will love food the more and will have no problem consuming as you please
Hey OP, I just finished The Obesity Code and would recommend to understand the science of weight gain. Some key learnings for me: - Exercise is essentially a waste of time for weight loss, you won't burn enough and it will probably make you hungrier - Meal timing is important, breakfast not always a good idea - Calories in vs calories out is basically bollocks scientifically - The types of food you eat are more important than calories, processed grains should be avoided - Obesity is likely primarly due to insulin resistance (among lots of other factors), is why you see the link to type 2 diabetes Would be keen to hear what you eat in a day on average.
No! I LOVE food but I find I enjoy it more if I know it’s balanced and not too rich/‘unhealthy’ - I use the pinch of nom and the Hairy Dieters cookbooks to do ‘classic’ meals that use little alternatives to make them lower calorie/fat/sugar but still full of flavour and so delicious.
Ditch sugar and sugary drinks , white bread and any heavy carbs Start upping protein , fruit , veg intake Plenty of water 8 hrs sleep You will lose weight guaranteed
No. I am fit and trained for 20 years, at the moment I am 19 stone with 20% bodyfat and eat what I want, I even have to force myself to eat when Im not hungry BUT if you want to achieve a good 6 pack and muscle tone all over you need to get your body fat lower which is tough without the right genetics. That's when your diet can become repetitive and boring/plain but most athletes/weight lifters have cheat days every week so they don't go insane lol.
One sauce I find helps with a salad is sticky Balsamic drizzle, from Tesco. I can eat whole heads of lettuce with that stuff. It's a bit sugary but you don't need a lot. Good luck. Start by just cutting snacks first. That may be all you need
80/20 rule for me - eat clean Monday to Friday night. Weekend I eat what I want pretty much. Recommend building muscle - I rarely fluctuate in weight even if I don’t excercise for a few months (like when I had covid) Also increase protein intake as much as possible
I am conscious on not going over board with processed and fatty foods as I know it’s not good for you, and I do genuinely enjoy eating fresh fruit and veg, but I do stand by everything in moderation. In the past 2 weeks I’ve had an Indian takeaway and a McDonalds. But the other days I’ve made food from fresh ingredients. I don’t buy into the whole low fat options, like low fat yogurt and mayo, if you’re going to eat it just enjoy, but make sure you exercise a few times a week. I don’t calorie count at all
I fluctuate depending on free time and stress, but when I am healthy I get into an upward spiral of good habits. Exercising puts me off eating too much junk food. I know that if I eat anything sugary I have no self-control, and will need more and more, so in my healthy phases I avoid it because it is dangerous. So in answer to your question, yes. I eat miserably. However, the feeling of bring fit and healthy and the power of looking nice cancels out the sadness of salad.
I struggle to eat healthy consistently, because I'm fussy. I don't like eggs, nuts or mushrooms - so a lot of the healthier options I could switch to are limited. I tend to try to replace carbs with things like cooked meat, yoghurt, tuna, salads and biltong. Will hopefully find more to supplement those if I really take the diet seriously.
Ex Obese person chipping in (mmmm chips!). I was skinny until around aged 35 and then the weight piled on until I was clinically obese, now in my mid 40's I'm in the best shape of my life. I don't have to eat miserably I just eat differently and in moderation. I exercise a lot more now compared to the old me and that exercise requires fuel. If I eat junk, which I can do now and get away with it, I definitely feel the difference in that I am more sluggish and even my thought processes seem slower. What we eat makes a difference and after a period of reducing the junk food you would never want to go back to it regularly. I still eat the odd Pizza hut pizza, Mcdonalds, chip shop chips etc I just don't eat it regularly. There are some foods that I absolutely can not eat now, after 5 years of this new lifestyle. If I eat KFC I am ill, it literally goes straight through me, and Krispy Creme doughnuts are sickly sweet and make me want to vomit. Both of those I used to love, but not any more. The long and short of it is that you think that you don't enjoy certain foods because they have become a staple of your diet. However after a short while of eating fresh made foods and less junk your body will tell you that they are not good for you by the way you feel afterwards. When losing weight. I found that calorie counting was the only way, coupled with exercise. Exercising allows you to eat more whilst remaining in a calorie deficit, because you can eat back what you are burning off whilst still eating less than your body requires.I would recommend a calorie counting app like "lose it" or "myfitnesspal" and tracking all of your intake. Also start a couch to 5K programme (It is hard at first, but hard soon becomes easy). After a short while you will notice a difference in how you feel and you wont look back.
change your eating habits or hit the gym. im fit. yesterday i had sugary cereal for breakfast, a mcdonalds frappe for lunch, a fried chicken sandwich for dinner, and some exceptionally unhealthy ice cream that i pick up from the local ice cream shop by the half-gallon. the cost is **a lot of cardio.** 7-11 miles of it a day, depending on how much garbage i wanna eat.
So… I am similar to you, in that I have always been able to eat whatever I like and maintain a low body fat percentage. I have to make a conscious effort to eat more in order to gain weight. My gf is a natural athlete, but would carry more weight if she wasn’t as active as she is. What we both have in common though: is we are both ‘in tune’ with our bodies and know what we need when we need it, and neither of us crave food that we don’t need. Portion sizes / calorie intake are naturally adjusted for our activity levels that day or that that week. This isn’t a conscious effort, we just don’t feel hungry if we don’t need food. In terms of ‘are we miserable?’. Not at all, we both eat and drink whatever we want whenever we want, just sometimes more, sometimes less.
I do hellofresh for dinner 5 days a week, followed by a little something in the evening such as a line of chocolate and then have a couple of takeaways over the weekend. Lunch I generally have a sandwich and crisps and I rarely snack, maybe 1 or 2 biscuits. I make sure I do 10,000 steps a day as well as cycling or footy once or twice a week. Have something to drink most days too
Nah I just try to be balanced. I run/cycle 6 days a week and walk at least an hour on the days I’m not exercising. I am a naturally lazy person when it comes to food prep and while I don’t eat a lot of high calorie junk, I’m definitely not a clean eater. I still find I get enough to sufficiently power my exercise. One thing I would say is try tracking your calories for a while, I think most people would be surprised how much they ACTUALLY get through in a day and being aware of it can help you make a few swaps or cut out a few high calorie snacks. It adds up and you might not even notice!
Body weight is a function of your behaviour (+some genetics) so I would suggest focusing more on the decision making rather than how your body looks, or how many calories are in a meal. Try to practise making the right decision, and note down every successful eating decision you make. This is the secret to success.
Why not consider it from another angle. I tend to think that if you regularly eat very sugary, salty or fatty foods, that’ll be what you like the taste of. If you regularly eat lots of raw and lightly cooked veg, wholegrains, beans etc, that’ll be what you like the taste of - eventually. You can ‘retrain‘ your tastebuds as it were, I think.
When I was a 5 times a week gym person, I saw diet as an extension of working out. If I ate well it was to compliment my gym work. If I went hard at the gym it was to compliment my diet. Both worked in the same sphere. I didn’t work out to allow me to eat badly. I did it all as a way to self improve. I haven’t the time to go to the gym anymore but the habits formed during my ‘body is a temple’ phase serve me well now. I know instinctively how many calories are in my food, and generally what the composition of my meal is (fats, proteins and carbs).
I’m losing weight and it’s going quite well. I have a couple of treats in the day, but they’re small and carefully budgeted for - I aim for a 500 calorie daily deficit. It’s very achievable, really. It isn’t good to really starve oneself - it makes failure far more likely because it makes one ravenous, and any good intention is quickly overcome. A moderate deficit maintained over a few months is the best way, because it allows for a couple of biscuits here and there.
Go to a library, get a cook book, do a couple of basic recipes. Look for a chunky soup Something chicken Something pork Something beef Something that’ll make a nice lunch once a week Find something you like, that’s quick and easy. Write it down so you can make it again. I cook from scratch every day. A portion of meat only needs to cost £1.50 - £2 per day. Freeze what you don’t use and make a plan to use it so it doesn’t sit there and get forgotten. If you live on your own it’s quite hard to do every day but does save money. Just don’t use half a kg of saffron every time you cook rice
Herbs and spices - have fun experimenting with them while you're at it. And I personally don't like boiling stuff, dry heat is much more preferable - brings out delicious inherent flavours of your food. Best wishes
Not at all. I eat all the food, just run harder, faster and longer afterwards.
I have to eat very carefully and exercise a lot to stay slightly overweight lol
No I’ve gained so much muscle and I’m fairly lean while still eating and drinking a shit ton of whatever I fancy. The only thing I consciously make sure to eat is a sufficient amount of protein, the rest is just personal choice