Who has Been Successful Losing Weight and Keeping It Off?

[Green Hill Hermit]

I have lost thirty pounds in a month by eliminating carbs and processed food. Also by intermittent fasting i.e. waiting 16 hours after last meal to eat again. I drink a glass of kefir or have a small bowl of Greek yogurt and fruit for breakfast, a tin of fish some kind of pickled veg and a piece of fruit for lunch and a reasonable sized dinner. No bread, no fried food, no refined sugar. And I try to get 10000 steps a day. It takes a bit of mental fortitude but once the crap is washed out of your system you will never crave junk again. Oh, and water. At least a gallon a day. The weight will fly off.

 

[warren]

No bread, no fried food, no refined sugar

That's just the what I avoided, extreme dietary changes. I refuse to disengage from foods, sweets in particular, I enjoy. I'm way too old to give up smoking, sweets, sugar entirely, and the like. No sweeping changes for a healthier diet. I simply wanted to take of fifty or so pounds and keep them off. I'm unwilling to entirely give up what brings me joy, just control my intake and make sure I burn usually burn more calories than I take in. Simple, no stress or undue monitoring and reading the tiny print on labels.

We older smokers no doubt remember our mother's admonition, "All things in moderation." I simply had to relearn the old saw and exert a bit of will/won't power.

But, I certainly do admire those of you who want to live a healthier life through dietary choices .

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I went from 16½ stone to 12 stone in about a year. I didn't really exercise, just stopped eating as much junk food.

To be clear, of the 12 stone I currently weigh, about 9 of it is cock.

 

[Sam Gamgee]

I went from 16½ stone to 12 stone in about a year. I didn't really exercise, just stopped eating as much junk food.

To be clear, of the 12 stone I currently weigh, about 9 of it is cock.

Dang, man, you made me spit out my coffee!

 

[PaulRVA]

Even a "healthy" lifestyle leads there. I know health nuts that have abstained from "the bad stuff" and have lost battles to cancer.

Agreed,
I almost died last year, I made it and
And not rusking it again.
Heavy drinking, cigarettes and stress.

 

[Chasing Embers]

stress

That's the killer right there.

 

[tracerbullet]

Simple math. You have to burn more than you take in. There is no secret diet.
a pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories. If you simply cut your calories by 500 per day you will lose A pound a week. Add in exercise you can lose a little more. If you want to keep the weight off your diet needs to change.
one of my gigs is a long time personal trainer. I always tell my clients, “ I am good but I cannot out train a bad diet”

 

[PaulRVA]

That's the killer right there.

Absolutely!

 

[WerewolfOfLondon]

Lots of exercise, and a vegan diet. Fresh fruit, veg, and legumes for every meal, the weight will fall off and stay off.

 

[Hillcrest]

once upon a time, overweight or otherwise out-of-shape people felt a societal pressure not to denude themselves at the beach.

This comment reminded me of a funny incident that happened to me about ten or more years ago ... before I lost over 90 pounds due to diabetes. I was on vacation and the family wanted to go to the beach. I usually wear a shirt to avoid sunburn. I went to a local Marshalls and found one of those name brand designer athletic shirts that drys quickly (I forget what they're called). It had a compass on it (n.s.e.w.) It was cheap and my size. The whole time there I got very self conscious because people were periodically staring and pointing in my direction. A few hours later as we were leaving we drove a mile down the beachfront and quay and then I found out why ... that State's local surfing club were all out surfing the waves and they all had on the same shirt !
Then I knew what people were thinking : .. Wow ! that's the fattest surfer I have ever seen !!! ... How the heck does he stay on a board ??!!! I still have that shirt but its loose now. !

 

[Hillcrest]

Sam, here's my two cents worth adjusted for current inflation: As we get older our metabolism changes and we start to lose energy so we compensate by eating quick fix foods to boost energy but they usually consist of fat, sugar and salt. The best way to lose weight is to change what you eat and when. My advice is find a good nutritionist in your area (your insurance may cover the cost under preventative medicine) and meet with them a few times to learn healthy eating and substitutions. I went on a diabetic diet and was eating so much healthy stuff I actually got sick of food for awhile but I lost weight.
Gimlet was correct about getting sufficient sleep too.
Eat your main meals at breakfast and lunch and snack on protein, nuts, fruit and vegetables. Avoid carbs and sugars. You don't have to deprive yourself of desserts ... just limit them and avoid the cheap stuff ... when your going to have them ... get the best and limit your quantity to once or twice a week..
I had to go on Ozempic for awhile for diabetes and lost 45 pounds but quit when I read the side effects ... its good to jumpstart the weight loss but not a long term solution.
Hope that helps in some way. All the best !

 

[Gimlet]

Our nutritional needs do indeed change as we get older. Everyone over 50, and especially men, should eat more protein to compensate for natural muscle loss and to keep their metabolism up to speed. But if you're over fifty and trying to lose weight by restricting calories it's all too easy to lose muscle along with fat - or even instead of, which is very unhealthy.
Upping protein doesn't mean you have to live solely on raw steak. There's lots of vegetables that are high in protein.
Peas, butter beans, lentils, chickpeas (most pulses and legumes, in fact), spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, kale, sweet corn, sprouts, and most nuts, are all really good. And you can eat as much of them as you like.

 

[TheWhale13]

Tracking calories worked very well for me. Lost enough to not be chubby and get a four pack. Getting a six pack seemed like it would take too much time and energy. But I've managed to keep almost all of the weight off a year later.

Also, eating healthy with lots of fiber, protein and greens keeps you full for much longer, and keeps you off the sweets (if that is your vice of choice). I don't eat that healthy overall but trying to eat the best that you can and skipping meals if you aren't hungry works very well. Also, for me my appetite went down a lot after losing weight, so I think that if you restrict your calories to a decent level, it is a very sustainable method to lose it.

Half a year of minor suffering to look your best and both feel and be healthier is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Nicotine is a good supplement during the process too, since at least for me, I need something to keep me occupied, and nicotine is in my mind better than binge eating or drinking.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I don’t doubt that fat people stayed off the beach more back in the day. Hell, this was true in the 80s when I was a kid. The only people who went to the pool in our town were “hot” - everyone else stayed away.

I’m talking more about street scene photos in black and white, the types with men in suits, hats, work shirts, smoking pipes on the sidewalk. In most of these pics there are hardly any fat people. These folks all ate hearty breakfasts, were taught and lived by the old food pyramid system and three squares a day, etc. Burger joints were ubiquitous, fully-sugared soda pop, ice cream shops, lunch counters serving white bread sandwiches - all the stuff that we are supposed to stay away from today. It doesn’t make any sense. The only thing I can figure is that “they” have changed our food and it’s not the same as it once was.

 

[Sam Gamgee]

View attachment 270497

As an old buddy used to say: "Two tons of fun!"

 

[Sam Gamgee]

Simple math. You have to burn more than you take in. There is no secret diet.
a pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories. If you simply cut your calories by 500 per day you will lose A pound a week. Add in exercise you can lose a little more. If you want to keep the weight off your diet needs to change.
one of my gigs is a long time personal trainer. I always tell my clients, “ I am good but I cannot out train a bad diet”

Occam's Razor strikes again. In the only surviving letter I have from my grandfather, he made this statement, which rings true and comes to mind a lot: "Most problems can be solved with good common sense."

I was at a party last night (Christmas parties are a killer for overeating, this one in particular where the lady makes a small mountain of sweets and goodies). I saw a young-ish woman there that my family has known for years. She had lost a considerable amount of weight. My wife oohed and ahed over her achievement and asked what she did. She "just" cut a few calories, ate less overall and only when hungry, etc. No crash-dieting but just common sense. I know this is the path I need to take.

It's been encouraging and helpful to read what some of you fellows have done to have success here. My main problem is after a long day of work, I'll come home to my wife's cooking and feel as if I've earned the right to pig out since I've worked so hard. She cooks 1950s style foods in heaps: roast, mashed PO-TAY-TOES!, baked rolls, and everything swimming in gravy. Makes it hard not to overdo it!

 

[Gimlet]

I don’t doubt that fat people stayed off the beach more back in the day. Hell, this was true in the 80s when I was a kid. The only people who went to the pool in our town were “hot” - everyone else stayed away.

I’m talking more about street scene photos in black and white, the types with men in suits, hats, work shirts, smoking pipes on the sidewalk. In most of these pics there are hardly any fat people. These folks all ate hearty breakfasts, were taught and lived by the old food pyramid system and three squares a day, etc. Burger joints were ubiquitous, fully-sugared soda pop, ice cream shops, lunch counters serving white bread sandwiches - all the stuff that we are supposed to stay away from today. It doesn’t make any sense. The only thing I can figure is that “they” have changed our food and it’s not the same as it once was.

Food is definitely more highly processed to than it was in the past. Or at least, there's much more highly processed food about and the percentage of it in the average diet today has increased.
While bad food was available years ago, I bet most people ate more home cooked food than they do today and they were more likely to eat at set times.
I don't know if it's the same on the US, but in the UK I believe the supermarket shopping culture has a lot to do with bad diet. When I was a kid supermarkets were small and few and far between. My mother bought most of her groceries from a small local store where you were served by someone behind a counter who went and got your items as you asked for them. So meals and shopping lists had to be planned. There was no wandering through aisles throwing stuff into a trolley.
Supermarkets are very clever at persuading you to buy more than you need or buy things that you don't really want. They're also masters at "adding value" ie processing and preparing basic products to increase the profit margin. Forty or fifty years ago consumers weren't being seduced into buying junk with anything like the sophistication that big stores use today, and consequently they had a better idea of high to cook and prepare fresh produce.

 

[Peter Turbo]

Running, pushups, sparring and portioning out my food has been a big help.

Stay active as possible basically. Ease up on the sugar.

 

[Hillcrest]

Occam's Razor strikes again. In the only surviving letter I have from my grandfather, he made this statement, which rings true and comes to mind a lot: "Most problems can be solved with good common sense."

I was at a party last night (Christmas parties are a killer for overeating, this one in particular where the lady makes a small mountain of sweets and goodies). I saw a young-ish woman there that my family has known for years. She had lost a considerable amount of weight. My wife oohed and ahed over her achievement and asked what she did. She "just" cut a few calories, ate less overall and only when hungry, etc. No crash-dieting but just common sense. I know this is the path I need to take.

It's been encouraging and helpful to read what some of you fellows have done to have success here. My main problem is after a long day of work, I'll come home to my wife's cooking and feel as if I've earned the right to pig out since I've worked so hard. She cooks 1950s style foods in heaps: roast, mashed PO-TAY-TOES!, baked rolls, and everything swimming in gravy. Makes it hard not to overdo it!

 

[Chasing Embers]

Our nutritional needs do indeed change as we get older. Everyone over 50, and especially men, should eat more protein to compensate for natural muscle loss and to keep their metabolism up to speed.

I wish that applied to everyone. Family members told me I'd start putting on weight in my thirties. Turning 50 in two months and my metabolic blast furnace makes it a struggle to retain the 114 pounds I can only stay at by eating at least 4000 calories per day.