Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

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MoonOrb
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by MoonOrb »

I've been eating 100% plant-based diet for 6 years now and attribute it to making it somewhat easier for me to stay healthy and leaner. Whatever approach people takes needs to suit their own needs and likes and circumstances, but this has been a great approach for me. The common denominator in most approaches that I think work for the long-term is: (increase intake of whole foods, decrease intake of processed foods + regular exercise that includes at least some strength training).

Among the things I like about a plant-based diet is that it limits choices and this is maybe counterintuitively helpful. I feel like I have plenty of choice and there are obviously lots of processed and unhealthy foods that don't have meat or dairy, but on the whole, eliminating entire swaths of unhealthy options along with a consistent effort to include whole foods in my diet has been really effective. It's also been mostly easy and enjoyable for me, although I appreciate that YMMV.
nguy44
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by nguy44 »

UpperNwGuy wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:48 pm My tips are as follows:
— eat all types of food, but less of it
— avoid fad diets like keto or vegetarian
— write down what you eat or, better yet, log them into an app
— exercise regularly, preferably a mix of cardio and strength
— limit alcohol and sweet drinks
The above are good tips that I follow.

- I have a snack tooth, but rather than try to suppress it, I slowly moderated it down to where i treat myself infrequently instead of indulging every day. For example, I can will a couple of donuts once a month, as opposed to my former 4-5 times a week habit.

- I do not diet, but I do try to consume minimal added processed sugar and monitor that intake.

- Writing down what one eats really helps. I found that I did it long enough to where I memorized most of the things that I eat, and I can track my consumption on the spot.

- Exercise is a big deal for me, particularly being over 60. Consistency is a key. I try to have at least 2 hours of day of very active movement, being a sport, a workout, tasks around the home, etc. I try minimize sitting time in front of the TV and computing devices. I have my bike mounted on trainers so that I can choose to peddle while watching. A side benefit is that I do not eat or snack while I am active.

- When I cut out sweetened drinks, that along probably dropped 10 pounds. I drink water at meals, and zero sugar soft drinks as snacks. I do use non-HFCS lemonade from the store in my iced-tea/lemonade mix, but I add more than twice as much brewed tea than lemonade and sweeten with a natural sweetener like erythritol (to me tastes very much like sugar and leaves no after taste) which makes a 16 ounce glass very low in calories and sugar.

Another thing I find that also helps is periodic fasting. It can be as simple as not eating anything after 8pm at night until 8am the next morning, other than water and non-calorie drinks like tea. Do it regularly and you will not feel the need to "overeat" when you break the fast.

My biggest challenge to eating more vegetables for protein is that I have a bad allergy to peas and beans than results in nasty things that put me into the hospital. Even foods made with pea protein I cannot consume. I tried a meatless burger once. At first it tasted fine, but within minutes I was itching all over, tongue was burning, and I broke out in hives.

I really focused on this before retiring. My weight is down about 30 pounds and has fluctuated within 5 pounds of that (on either side) for the last 3 years, which is fine with me.
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F150HD
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by F150HD »

mtn biker wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 11:38 am No ice cream in the fridge...
:confused
grok87
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by grok87 »

Nowizard wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 7:48 am Grok: I don't disagree that perceived hunger is a major issue but would state it with some elaboration. There are always reasons not to be successful with desired changes, hunger, basically withdrawal of sorts, being factors with many of them such as weight gain, substance abuse, smoking, etc. A focus on reducing those factors is another tool for many. However, I would conclude that the ultimate factor is whether there is an emotional, meaning important personal, reason that endures and is not temporary that spurs us to accept the immediate unpleasantness that occurs with less eating until our stomach or whatever adapts. Our behaviors have reasons for continuing, even those that are dysfunctional, so they serve a need even if illogical or harmful. Take away the behavior and the underlying discomfort it is designed to control appears. Masking it is great if Keto works but is only a diet unless it becomes the permanent eating pattern or is a step toward a broader lifestyle change. Just an opinion that really says nothing more than we have to find our own way with many things having no absolute answers.

Tim
thanks Tim. I agree there is a large behavioral aspect to this. many people including myself doing keto/low-carb suddenly find themselves not as hungry, not needing to eat, but struggle with that because food has been such a big part of how they spend their time. so the behavioral aspects are real.

but that aside, the biological/physioogical aspects are real as well. trying to diet, i.e. control portion size etc. while eating a carb heavy diet is a losing battle physiologically. carb heavy diets make you hungry. you have stacked the deck against yourself.

cheers,
grok
RIP Mr. Bogle.
Nowizard
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by Nowizard »

Grok: Do I ever understand what you are saying! I live to eat, not ..........!

Tim
shell921
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by shell921 »

bloom2708 wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 3:22 pm
shell921 wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 2:20 pm
bloom- thanks and stick with it! Yes it is exactly that- a whole foods plant based lifestyle ! Diets do not work.
You have to change your life.
We have found it quite refreshing to not buy meat when the prices have been crazy. We always find beans for super cheap.

Also not worrying about meat cleanup and cooking thoroughly enough. Getting freezer burn, eggs going bad. It is just easier.

We probably spend about the same on groceries because we buy more fresh fruits and veggies.

Good luck on your journey!
Thanks and you too!

I think people can get caught up in the idea that they have to have interesting, time consuming recipes all the time. My motto:

What's wrong with plain food once in a while? Just have the "easy to prepare" food most of the time, and then when you're in the mood,
then pull out the recipe book and chop chop chop.

Keep it simple!

Eat potatoes, vegetables, beans, lentils, rice, fruits, grains, nuts and seeds. It's cheap and easy to make steel cuts oats type
of oatmeal and add blueberries and a few walnuts.
what about steamed vegetables over rice with a drizzle of Bragg's amino acids, salads with raw veggies-?

A simple meal is a baked potato with beans and salsa or bbq sauce.

You can also now almost always find pre-cut/chopped FRESH veggies in bags - all you do is
open the bag & rinse and then eat the veggies raw or steam. Or add to veg broth and make soup.

Quick meal? Fix a pot of rice or soba noodles and steam some frozen veggies. ....mix together & eat with Braggs amino acids and a few
sesame seeds sprinkled on. At local market the other day I bought a bag of fresh organic pre-cut cubes of sweet potatoes, butternut squash & beets.
I had made brown rice with other mixed grains the day before so I just reheated the rice & grains, steamed the cubed potatoes,
squash & beets and mixed it all together - squeezed on some fresh lemon juice and had a yummy meal. I had some raw broccoli
[ organic cut up flowerlets from Trader Joe's ] and some organic baby carrots along with some no oil hummus to go with my
rice/grain/potato/veg dish.

I often make a simple curry "sauce" that keeps in the fridge for 5-6 days. I make it by simmering
[ in veg broth ] some peeled and
cut up red potatoes with chopped onions and garlic and curry powder. Then I use my hand blender to blend this up and use it as a "sauce" over
mixed veggies.
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jabberwockOG
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by jabberwockOG »

Vigorous exercise approx 12 hours a week. It's my highest priority daily activity, with Saturdays off (except for casual 2 mile walk). Exercise and play comes first in my retired life before anything else. In terms of diet I use a eating window of 8 hours a day - usually 11AM to 7PM with the rest of the time consuming only coffee, tea, water. Been doing this 8/16 eating routine for last couple of years. Works well for me, zero hunger pangs, as I am a creature of habit.
boglegirl
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by boglegirl »

I lost 20% of my body weight over the course of a year - that was 2 years ago and I've kept most of it off. What worked for me was:

1. Daily exercise. Cardio & weight training. Go for a walk in the evening instead of sitting on the couch.
2. Tracking everything. The numbers don't lie. For example - measure the cashews you're eating for a snack - it's so easy to eat 250 calories worth instead of 150.
3. Following Dr Greger loosely - by that I mean I ate a TON of fruit & veg - all day every day - like he recommends. But I couldn't eat the amount of whole grains and legumes he suggested to meet my caloric intake needs, partly for digestive reasons and partly because I just wanted a little more variety. So I also added some low-fat dairy (yogurt and things like a sprinkle of feta on a salad) and chicken.
4. Limiting eating out. It's just so hard to find healthy choices at restaurants.

When I start to make poor lifestyle choices (a trip to the biergarten to consume a pint, plus chips with beer-cheese dip :shock: ) then I tend to put on a few pounds. As soon as I notice it, I just reel it back in again. It feels more like making healthy choices rather than dieting. Michael Pollan puts it: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.
grok87
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by grok87 »

Nowizard wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:28 am Grok: Do I ever understand what you are saying! I live to eat, not ..........!

Tim
:sharebeer
RIP Mr. Bogle.
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Iowa David
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by Iowa David »

Water - shoot for a gallon a day.

I carry a 32oz water bottle with me at all times. Start with that as your first daily goal and then add a goal for some type of movement and then focus on food.
"Just a 1 percent difference in expenses makes an 18 percent difference in returns when compounded over 20 years." The Boglehead's Guide to Investing
Hoosier CPA
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by Hoosier CPA »

Just read through this thread and I think I'm more confused than when I started.

I could stand to lose about 30 lbs. Been tracking calories for about a month and will see how it goes. It's helped to cut down snacking and some clearly unhealthy foods - basically creating awareness which is helping for me as I lack good eating habits. I plan to stack weight training on this starting soon. That was a big part of my routine when I was lighter.
RoadagentMN
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by RoadagentMN »

you loose weigh in the kitchen and get fit by exercising
MoonOrb
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by MoonOrb »

Hoosier CPA wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:38 am Just read through this thread and I think I'm more confused than when I started.

I could stand to lose about 30 lbs. Been tracking calories for about a month and will see how it goes. It's helped to cut down snacking and some clearly unhealthy foods - basically creating awareness which is helping for me as I lack good eating habits. I plan to stack weight training on this starting soon. That was a big part of my routine when I was lighter.
My takeaway is that there is not one universal strategy that works for everyone so it makes sense to get a wide range of responses. Principles that have helped me stay in a range from lean to mostly lean for years:

consistent and challenging strength training
weighing/measuring food so I can get the most accurate information about how many calories I'm ingesting
systematically reducing my intake of foods with added sugars
planning meals and preparing food in advance so I always know when and what I'll be eating
regular measurements using a soft tape measure so I can assess performance/progress
finding a community of people who are supportive


There are lots of other habits and tricks that have helped me too, but this list above is the core of it for me.
yeahman
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by yeahman »

Every diet I learn something new. My accumulated, slightly depressing, knowledge so far:

Losing weight is fairly easy through calorie restriction. All diets are forms of calorie restriction.

Calorie counting is work so the more popular diets take the cruder but simpler approach of intermittent fasting or abstaining from certain foods (carbs, meat, refined) but the mechanism of action is all the same: calorie restriction.

Fad diets rely on pseudoscience, or at best physiology-based conjecture, to sell "easy" calorie restriction through the backdoor. But they work and work very well! Not because do something different from age old calorie restriction but because they're more convincing with their veneer of science. You're more likely to stick to a strict diet you believe in (no white foods because the lack of pigments prevents proper functioning of your gut bacteria which release pheromones that cause corporations to produce more fattening food) than a permissive one (just eat less). These fad diets no longer work once you realize that it's just plain calorie restriction with a placebo explanation.

Fat is 4x as calorie dense as carbs or protein but also much more satiating. This is why both low fat and high fat diets work.

The ease with which we can mindlessly gorge on carbs between meals (sugary drinks, chips, candy, even fruit) makes carb restriction a particularly effective diet.

Water, including vegetables, is filling but only temporarily. It can be helpful to control overeating (i.e., eating past full) but can't replace eating.

Fiber helps you eat slower which helps control overeating. Compare peeling and eating an orange with drinking an equal number of calories in the form of orange juice.

Other form of "eat slow" help control overeating. Don't precut food. Eat out of a bowl, not the bag or carton. Increase the effort required to take another bite.

Sometimes, the baby isn't hungry. He just needs a pacifier. Likewise, if you're not particularly hungry but find you want to eat, chew/suck/drink/smoke something no/low calorie.

Exercise isn't an effective way to lose weight. Not only are the calories expended much lower than the reduction that can be achieved through diet, but exercise will make you hungrier.

Maintaining weight loss is extremely difficult. There's no magic diet that will allow you to maintain calorie restriction long term without the extreme discipline that most people don't have which is what caused them to become overweight in the first place.

Exercise, and strength training in particular, increases your resting metabolism. I don't know if this is entirely counteracted by increased appetite. On the one hand, athletes aren't fat no matter what or how much they eat which would suggest that exercise is effective at maintaining weight. OTOH, they're athletes and I'm not sure moderate exercise would be enough. However, because of its other health benefits, you should exercise anyway. If it turns out it also helps maintain weight loss, great!

As you age, you lose muscle mass and bone density and your metabolism slows. On top of that, you're less physically active in retirement. All that means that you need to eat a lot less as you age. Maintaining your weight long term requires ever decreasing caloric intake. That's very hard which is why most people gain weight with age.
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vanbogle59
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by vanbogle59 »

I think it a well-accepted corollary to the first law of thermodynamics that people who burn more calories than they consume lose weight.

Interestingly, the opposite is apparently not true.
IOW, some people consume more calories than they burn yet do not gain weight.
Let's just agree that they are horrible, and we hate them.
Back to the first issue.

What does it take for YOU to get into that category?
Some people set a wedding date.
Others get divorced.
Others eat only X (it's amazing how many different X's there are)
Others exercise (I sincerely believe the best exercise is the one you will actually do)
...
The Freakonomics author (economist Steve Levitt) famously recommended keeping a jar of vomit around your neck and smelling it every time you felt like eating.
...
Meditate, go on TV, bet your brother...

Who knows? But, if you keep trying to figure it out, you have a better chance than if you give up.
Good luck! :sharebeer
Oh, wait, you should probably avoid beer. Sorry
ROIGuy
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Re: Tips to stick to a weight loss diet?

Post by ROIGuy »

Would love an update from the OP on how they are doing with their weight loss program.
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