Do you have any diet secrets that work?

Vomiting around 8 p.m. has kept me slim.

The Go to Bed early trick is what they don't tell you about intermittent fasting. It's easier to deal with the hunger pangs if you're asleep.

The other bit of advice is to low-carb it. Carbs make you hungry.

Nope.

Phentermine. Find someone in Mx that will get it for you.

Cut out meat and most dairy. Down about 10 pounds since Labor Day!

I don't eat anything until 3-4pm. I drink tea and bulletproof coffee and that keeps me full in the morning/afternoon. I really only eat one main meal and light snack (apple and walnuts) around 7p. No hunger pangs at night.

I skip carbs, dairy, and added sugars during weekdays. If it's the weekend or I'm out for dinner with friends and coworkers, I'll order whatever I want and eat only part of it. I did whole30 a while ago to make a dent in my covid weight gain. I lost 20 pounds in a month, but whole30 isn't sustainable long term. You will go a little nuts by the fourth week.

I was told seaweed had some great properties but couldn’t force myself to eat it so I had to throw out the little bag of it I bought.

That’s my limit of tolerance.

Keep grapes in the freezer instead of ice cream.

Also, avoid fats: butter, oil, milk and cheese.

No eating after 18:00 (6PM).

Very minimal to no sugar or sugar-laden foods. When I became a lactoveg, sugar-laden foods were far too sweet and off-putting.

[bold]Exercise. Walk, jog, bike, swim, hike. Every day.[/bold]

Portion control. Don't shovel your food onto a plate, measure it with a measuring cup. Cup of carb, couple of cups of veg, all the lettuce, tomato, cucumber and other rabbit food you want.

A bit of carbs, lots of fruit/vegs/salads. ONE teaspoon of butter on vegs, not half the fucking stick. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of cheese, not a cup.

Water, tea (no sugar). All day. Keeps you hydrated and full.

If you eat out, leave 30% on your plate and take home a doggie bag. Have the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Dump the condiments. Ketchup, mustard, mayo, sauces are full of sugar. Substitute olive oil, sesame oil, balsamic/apple cider/white wine vinegars and lemon/lime juice. Make your own infused oils. Dump fresh herbs of choice into a glass jar, fill with olive oil, leave it in a cupboard for about 3 weeks, strain out, enjoy.

If you're going to indulge, ONE piece of cake or ONE cupcake or ONE donut or ONE Pop Tart. Not the whole fucking box.

And finally: while you're cramming an entire tube of Pringles into your mouth or a dozen donuts because you feel SOOOOO deprived, it's not the end of the world. You can return to healthy eating habits on the morrow.

I condole you, R10

I was a professional endurance athlete for a few years after college. I had to keep my body fat less that 8 percent. It was hell. No secrets. This stuff is basic but works. - Water. Lots and lots and lots of water - Fiber. Straight Psyllium Seed. Not the orange stuff with sugar. Drink 10 grams of fiber in the evening to prevent hunger pain/feel full. - Like somebody said - Don't eat after 5pm. STARVE WHEN YOU ARE SLEEPING. - Stimulants. It hurts your adrenal functioning, and is unhealthy, but I used ephedrine. Lots and lots of it. - Wake up early, drink 4 cups black coffee. Work out, empty stomach. I did this twice a week. Access stored body fat. - Intermittent fasting works. 16-8. - Apple juice. Low glycemic index. - Black coffee. Lots. - Yogurt. Lots of yogurt. Plain, no sugar. - Nothing calorically dense. No butter, no peanut butter, no ice cream, no cookies. If you want chocolate, eat a small block of expensive black chocolate. Don't eat a bag of cookies just to get your chocolate fix. - Bananas. If you do any of this, you will have low potassium, - No booze of any kind. Empty calories, slows down your metabolism, hurts hormone levels. - Keep metabolism high. Thermogenesis. Don't starve yourself, you will slow your BMR. - Increase BASAL METABOLIC RATE. Two a day workouts. For about an hour after working out, your metabolism is higher than normal. - Learn to be hungry. Learn to ignore hunger. - Don't eat out. Ever. I didn't even like eating with other people. - Don't follow fad diets. They don't work. Burn more calories then you consume.

Ask any model, ballet dancer, endurance athlete, actor, etc. They all have tricks and they all hate dieting.

Oops, I wanted to make a list. I forgot testosterone, clenbuterol, modafinil.

[quote]Drink 10 grams of fiber in the evening to prevent hunger pain/feel full.

Won't that give you toilet issues at night?

That's helpful, R12.

-Meal planning. The main thing here is portion control, and a bit of balance to what you eat. I did EatRight, which keeps you to about 800-1000 calories a day but is super simple. The meals themselves are lots of chicken/rice, steak/potatoes, basic stuff I like anyways but it was all about the portion control. I legitimately didn't realize how much I was overeating even when I would make things for myself previously.

- Intermittent fasting. It actually does work. I tried to not have my first meal of the day until 2 or 3 PM, sometimes later, and have my 2nd between 8-10 since I'm a night owl and can't stop eating by 6 or 7 like other people are suggesting, and that would let me go out and do things then come home and eat.

-Daily exercise. Makes a ton of difference, even if it's just cardio. I also found it helpful to weigh myself before I went on a run and then after, because it helps you "see" the effect of the exercise each day which helped me stick to it.

-Cheat meals. You have to let yourself have them, otherwise you'll go crazy and give up. But you don't have to do The Rock level cheat meals or build it up in your head, just get something off your diet plan you wouldn't normally get and enjoy. And then the next day go back to being diligent.

-Not much beer. Liquor or zero-carb seltzers work if you're going out.

I lost 110 pounds in 10 months doing this and have kept over 100 off a year later. It was easier to do during early Covid times because there wasn't as much temptation to go out or late-nights that lead to bad eating, but now that I've created the habits they're easier to stick with.

eat less

If it tastes good spit it out!

Husband and I are on Keto. Slowly but surely, losing more than 2 pounds a week isn’t sustainable or safe. It helps to prep everything beforehand, and YES, I have a snack purse full of cheese sticks, hard boiled egg, and cashews. Boiled purple cabbage with oil, I make sautéed kale and vegetables in chicken stock.

I have an appetite and what works for me are several small meals throughout the day and stop eating by 6. Also, ask yourself if you’re hungry before you eat and pay attention to when. If you’re working out, your body is going to need more calories so the trick is to eat a small meal about half an hour before you’re hungry so your blood sugar doesn’t crash and you wind up eating too much.

Eat fiber full food like McCann’s steel cut oatmeal in the morning onlyl. It’s a pain in the ass to make so I make enough for the week- it’s four parts water to oatmeal but will keep you full for 4 hours. Stay away from instant oatmeal as it’s ground finer, your body syntheses it like sugar when it hits your intestine and it actually works against you. Pretty much all modern flours, grain bread and pasta is a no no.

Brush and floss( I also use one of those small interdental brushes) your teeth about 4:00 P.M. You won't be tempted to eat after that because you'll have to do it all once again before you go to sleep, which is a pain and too abrasive(in too short a time) for your teeth's enamel.

Low carb truly does keep the hunger pangs away.

[quote] I was told seaweed had some great properties but couldn’t force myself to eat it so I had to throw out the little bag of it I bought.

What kind of idiot can’t eat seaweed? Baby tastes. Even babies eat it like candy.

For those who go to bed early, what time is “early”?

My tip: weigh yourself every single morning.

I’ve lost 40% of my body weight (over 100 lbs) and kept it stable and at 10% body fat with increased strength and endurance. After years of failed attempts, this is my ‘secret’’. Data, data, data. I have a macro/calorie plan, cardio plan, resistance plan, timing/sleeping plan. I know the energy going in and going out, and how it relates to my metabolism. Otherwise, I am flying blind. I now have the knowledge and experience to know how to tweak variables to achieve the results I want. No gimmicks, just mathematics. It’s not about personal or social deprivation,, it’s about having a plan and being accountable to yourself to balance any breaks.

Prioritise protein. Make it the largest part of your meal.

Add a moderate amount of fat. Cook in Butter, lard or olive oil. Even a small amount of these will make you feel full.

Remove refined carbs from your diet. Get your carbs from green leafy vegetables.

Avoid ultra-processed foods in boxes. Buy real food, and cook it yourself. Look at the ingredients list of food. If it is a list of chemicals, don’t buy it. In fact, if a food has a list of ingredients, be suspicious of it.

Eat these foods until you are full, then stop. Eat whenever you are hungry. Don’t eat out of habit. Don’t eat just because it is a mealtime.

FFS all this sounds so fuckin complicated and tiresome. Just don't fuckin eat, then just before you pass out eat a cube of cheese.

Drink soup, lots of it, in whatever variety, as long its not auper heavy cream based ones. They fill your belly up quite nicely while being low in calories. My go to lunch os a big bowl of soup and a toasted cheese sandwich (light mozza).

Eggs.....they fill you up and are pure protein with low calories and are yummy and cheap. And they are versatile. The fears if cholesterol have been proven wrong anyway.

Also, a bit pricier but if you are into seafood and fish ( though dont overdo it with the salmon) invest in that. It is DELICIOUS and super low calorie. Its one of the few really yummy foods you can indulge in alot even when trying to lose weight.

Finally just focus on calorie intake. Dont cut out any major part of a diet because you will not last long what I've been doing for the past 5 months and I lost over 35 pounds. Though excercise helped too.

[quote]STARVE WHEN YOU ARE SLEEPING.

[quote] Don't starve yourself, you will slow your BMR.

[quote]Learn to be hungry. Learn to ignore hunger.

All from the same person, mind you. "Starve but don't starve" isn't a diet plan.

These more extreme suggestions are just not sustainable for many people who like having a social life or for whom other aspects of their life are high-stress or time-consuming. I’m not judging - I’ve struggled with trying some of these in the past. But after Covid I don’t want to avoid meeting up with friends based on what restaurant they’ve chosen or that they’re eating dinner at 8 pm instead of 6, etc.

Coffee for breakfast, tea and a light snack for lunch, and a nice dinner.

I weigh less than I did in college.

I always get snacky between 3-5pm, craving salty foods. I've started having a cup of miso soup in the afternoon and it's working wonders. I just boil the water and add a tsp of miso and sip it from a mug.

I recently took Phentermine for a few weeks and lost a couple lbs a week. Which sounds like not much, but for me, it was glorious, as most diets were a fail previously. I stopped taking it because I hated having a resting heart rate around 85 bpm, hated the constipation, and really hated the insomnia, no matter how early in the day I took it. So I stopped, but continued to drink at least 64 oz water daily, ate between 11am an 7pm, exercised, and made sure I slept through the night. I continued to lose weight, although more like 1lb a week. It helped create better habits that weren't onerous.

You don't need to get phen in Mexico. Many aesthetic Drs (Botox and filler, etc) dispense it as part of their practice. Phentermine is actually expensive in Mexico, and I'm not 100% certain it's the same as you get here in the US.

Some of you are describing eating disorders.

Unless I am very hungry I do not eat until 4pm, a snack after the gym, then dinner at around 9 and I am done for the day. Black coffee in the a.m.

My weight fluctuates very little and I eat bread, rice, pasta and still have a flat stomach.

All of this works for me...

Grilled, baked or steamed fish and salad as your core diet, low GI fruit like apples, low-fat dairy, some healthy oil for your skin and hair.

If you don't buy it, you can't eat it, so don't keep high calorie foods in the house. If you want ice cream, get a small ice cream cone; if you want wine, order a glass at a cafe; if you crave chocolate, buy a 50 gm bar.

Don't see people who sabotage your weight loss or weight maintenance.

Do not drink at events where high calorie foods are being served, because alcohol lowers your ability to resist food.

Count calories; it is your weekly calorie consumption that matters.

Weigh yourself every day and keep a log.

Go to bed hungry and exercise at least 5 days a week.

If you’re hungry after 6pm, just drink a little bone broth- it’s low calorie, has protein, flavor, will hydrate, and will satisfy any hunger pangs that you may have.

Eating low carb (or other fairly restrictive dieting) inhibits my ability to sleep. For some reason I sleep less without becoming more tired. But I feel like a ghost roaming the house at odd hours and drinking tea because I can’t make toast for a snack.

Low fat dairy is a crime against nature.

When you I was young I could start cutting down on my food intake and the results would show within a week or two and the weight loss would become progressively more rapid. In mu latest post COVID weight loss plan, it took 8WEEKS before that cycle started - I didn't lose a gram until that time, despite careful dieting and exercise.

Moral of the story - as you get older you have to stick at it longer in order to see results.

Keto. You don't need to give up meats and butter as some have mentioned upthread. I eat them everyday and have lost 25 pounds since New Years.

Eat fewer calories, burn a lot more than you eat. Fill up on high fiber, low calorie vegetables whenever you’re hungry.

Butter. No plant or seed oils and NEVER margarine.

I occasionally track my calories and macronutrients using the my fitness pal app. It helps me refocus on healthy eating habits and it is always surprising how many grams of fat and carbs are in most foods.

Mine is controversial but has been working for me for years so I ignore the criticism. It keeps my weight in check and I am able to enjoy and look forward to foods I like every day within reason. It worked best for continuous weight loss when I was much younger, now it's my maintenance plan. It also very doable on vacation and I don't return from vacation having gained weight.

Carbohydrate Addicts Diet - the original 1993 version. It's available on Amazon.

In a nutshell:

3 meals a day, NO SNACKING.

Two of the those meals are protein and fat only, the third meal is the Reward Meal (dinner for most people) and you eat whatever you like including carbs and sugar. This reward meal MUST be consumed within one hour. This is not a license to gorge but I'm able to have carbs for the entree and dessert.

If followed correctly it really does curb cravings and appetite.

There was backlash when the diet first came out that it was encouraging people to binge during the reward meal so the authors followed up with amended versions that required eating more salad during reward meal before you could have more dessert. This was to appease the critics and not necessary in my opinion, I followed the original and lost weight and my labs were good.

If anyone decides to give it a try, keep in mind if you are cooking and taste the food and it contains carbs/sugar -- your "hour" has begun with the tasting. Same with eating at a restaurant , if you are drinking sweetened ice tea or soda or wine while waiting for your meal, your hour has begun. Also, if you are tempted by that morning doughnut or bagel or other sweets throughout the day, wrap it up and save it for your reward meal.

I post a lot of recipes here and DLers must picture me to be obese, but I'm not, I just eat my carbs and sweets within my one hour timeframe each day. This is also a very doable plan during holidays as you don't have to deprive yourself, just have your holiday meal within that hour.

Elders may appreciate this diet suggestion more than others....

R44 I think that sounds interesting and a lot more reasonable than other low/no carb diets.

What do you eat for lunch that’s all protein/fat? Breakfast seems easy (eggs?).

I lost 230 pounds in 2 years and I've kept it off. I do some of the practices described already (low-to-no carb, no booze, no snacking, etc.). Here are a few tips that I haven't seen mentioned yet.

Set meal times. I eat breakfast at 11 AM regardless of when I wake up or what I have planned for the day. If I wake up at 6 and get hungry at 9, I look at the clock and think, "not time to eat yet" and my hunger pangs dissipate. I eat lunch at 3 and dinner at 7, every day.

Find out what you like to eat and keep it in your house at all times. I like the Fage non-fat plain greek yogurt with half a cup of blueberries for breakfast. So I always have that brand of yogurt and berries in the house, I never run out. That means that I never have an excuse to buy a donut for breakfast. I don't always eat that for breakfast (sometimes I'll have a protein shake and an apple or cottage cheese and a banana) but I ALWAYS have Fage and berries in my fridge.

STOP eating carbs and exercise every day even if it's just a brisk walk around the block.

r45

Lately this turkey burger is easy and convenient with a slice of melted swiss and mustard. The Butterball brand actually taste quite good. Sometimes spinach or salad but I generally satisfied with just the turkey burger.

Why diet when there’s surgery? Poors will downvote!

Kratom.

My friend, who reminds me he is the same weight since high school, finds that Marlboro lights keeps the weight off.

Even though I do a great job of maintaining my weight, it really comes down to two basic, science-proven methods: I rarely, if ever, exceed 2,000 calories a day and I engage in rigorous physical activities (running, hiking) 90-120 minutes a week.

People always want a magic answer, but they refuse to acknowledge how much control they have over their weight. That said, I struggle with an addiction to sweets...and I have an alcoholic beverage almost every night...so I know it can be difficult to change one's diet.

Eat only during an eight-hour window. I eat only between noon and 8 pm. It requires some real discipline but it works.

I eat dinner at 5 o’clock mainly because I’m starving, but it does give you a better sleep and a longer fast. When I eat late at night it really messes me up.

Oh and sadly, so does alcohol in any amount. When I drink, it’s with full knowledge of sleep disruption and weight gain. Then again I’m old and have to watch every single bit of intake. If you young’uns think weight loss/maintenance is hard now, just wait.

R38 Avoid deprivation, it’s not sustainable. Find ways to enjoy things in moderation. A little bit of something rich and delicious is better than binging on wheat thins out of the box, one right after the other.

I got covid when it first got here and the weird thing is , i lost 15 to 20 lbs with it, ( you dont want to eat) then afterward i just lost and i mean lost my appitite.

Those who think Intermittent Fasting isn't sustainable or isn't compatible with a social life (as if!), you can make an exception once or twice a week if you must, as long as you're fairly thoughtful about it.

My "eating window" is 12-6 every day. But if I'm meeting someone for dinner during the week, I don't beat myself up for having dinner at 8 that day--just get back on track the next day. Also, just because I eat outside my window on that day, doesn't mean I say to hell with it and continue eating and drinking into the night. I have my meal and possibly a drink or two and then that's it. I like the suggestion upthread that you should finish whatever you're eating/drinking within an hour so you don't do the slippery slope. Most DLers are probably too old for a cheat DAY if weight loss or maintenance is the goal, but the occasional, reasonable cheat MEAL can be accommodated.

IF is the easiest diet I've ever done. I have autoimmune thyroid disease and some other autoimmune stuff. I gain weight easily and I can't seem to lose weight unless I eat 1000 or fewer calories a day. I'm soon to be 44, so fuck that, anyway.

I don't have any amazing weight loss to report, but I am sure others with relatively normal metabolisms would have more success. I did go down a size in pants since late July. I am just happy with the increase in energy, reduction in inflammation, and all that. Apparently the bloodwork and vitals of those doing IF for 10 weeks or more is much improved as well. So I'll be satisfied with that.

Pictures of Lizzo & Jonah Hill posted on the fridge.

Here's a tip: if you're hungry and craving a snack, first TRY something healthy, like a banana or some nonfat yogurt with fruit. It may not be what you want in that moment, but in a few minutes you might realize it did the trick.

R26, wrong character

[quote]For those who go to bed early, what time is “early”?

Considering the avg age on DL, I'm thinking right after the early bird special. So like 6pm.

Being 25.

Quitting drinking was instrumental.

It takes a little while for your stomach to signal your brain that it's full. So don't eat too fast. Have a small portion, then wait a week.

I’ve lost 40odd pounds over the last year. This is how I eat:

Cook everything from scratch. Lots of vegetables. Absolutely no processed food of any kind, including condiments and low fat foods No wheat or sugar No veg oil, except extra virgin olive oil Have plenty of protein and don’t overly worry about saturated fat. Drink,plenty of water but No alcohol( sorry folks) Increase consumption of foods rich in omega 3 Moderate exercise ( I go hiking, do a mix of resistance and cardio at the gym three to five days a week, and do Pilates weekly) Pay attention to sleep quality and stress levels

I can recommend the book Why We Eat Too Much by Dr Andrew Jenkinson. He explains about weight set points, and why diets never work along with the science behind his claims.

I also try to eat at least thirty different plant based foods a week to boost my gut bacteria. That sounds insane ( I am not a vegetarian) but is reasonably easy to achieve if eating healthily anyway. Herbs and spices count.

It’s working for me. :)

The only real diet secret is to change your habits and break the link with whatever activity or mood you habitually associate with eating too much or eating the wrong foods.

[quote]These more extreme suggestions are just not sustainable for many people who like having a social life or for whom other aspects of their life are high-stress or time-consuming.

"I want to lose weight but I refuse to make any sacrifices for it. What have you got for me?"

So sorry about the lack of sentences there. My spacing messed up when I posted.

[quote] Find out what you like to eat and keep it in your house at all times. I like the Fage non-fat plain greek yogurt with half a cup of blueberries for breakfast. So I always have that brand of yogurt and berries in the house, I never run out.

Agree with this (be stocked-up, always, on "good" foods) except I really can't eat Fage non-fat (0%) yogurt. My God, it's horrible, IMO.

I've had an Rx of Phentermine in the U.S. and have also purchased it OTC in Mexico. My script was a slightly higher mg but the Mexico stuff was good. You can get 6 boxes/37.5mg/30 pills per box for $99 USD there. As someone said upthread, you can forget about sleeping if you take it.

Know who had great diet advice? None other than Bethenny Frankel. She has said that basically your diet is a bank account that you have to manage. Sometimes you withdraw a lot so you skimp elsewhere. Or you skimp in order to make a nice deposit. Just make it balance. Of course I think skinny Bethenny is going a little harder than that but still it makes sense.

Intermittent fasting! Eat in a window of 7-8 hours (for its about 11am-6pm). The weight drops off and it has countless health benefits, including helping fight cancer which I’m doing alas.

A BACON SLICER!

I don’t have any secrets other than you have to make peace with being hungry. It sucks, but it does get easier.

I just watch the added sugars. For example soda, pop, coke is just carbonated water and sugar. There are a couple brands like Aha and St. Croix that are sugar free variants.

The other thing is start reading ingredients when you shop. I know reading is hard but its fundamental. If it shows added sugars avoid it. Doing just that I dropped nearly 100lbs of weight.

This is a calorie: [] . Try not to eat too many of them.

There is no secret. Learn the basics of good nutrition and follow them.

What's a diet?

Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels!

I started using Lakanto Monkfruit sweetener in place of sugar this summer and it has made a difference. Try not to each too much for dinner and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables every day. Resist the temptation to buy sweets and snacks for home. If they aren’t there, you can’t eat them. No takeout or delivery. Prepare all your own meals. No sodas, minimal alcohol. And exercise at least a few times a week

I always have to have a little snack in the middle of the night. Any tricks to curb that?

I can't believe we still have people stuck in the past who think fat is a bad thing. Sugar is the bad thing, not fat. Non-fat yogurt is pure sugar.

No more than 20 grams of carb a day. It can be done.

"I always have to have a little snack in the middle of the night. Any tricks to curb that?"

A respectable wedge of cheese, or two heaping tablespoons of hummus, plain.

Don't smoke weed (munchies). Smoke cock instead.

Right before bed R83? I love hummus but the carbs....

[quote]I don't eat anything until 3-4pm. I drink tea and bulletproof coffee and that keeps me full in the morning/afternoon. I really only eat one main meal and light snack (apple and walnuts) around 7p. No hunger pangs at night.

Why do you want to live like this? Don't you ever eat anything that tastes good? Apple and walnuts? Is this elementary school recess?

S. P. E. E. D.

R42, butter? what is your Cholesterol?

My mom never gained any weight and this is what she ate:

Breakfast: a couple of eggs, and piece of toast with butter, coffee with half and half and sugar. Or - oatmeal, with fuit and milk. Or cereal with milk and fruit.

Lunch: Sandwiches - chicken salad, BLT, grilled cheese, etc - or soup, with bread, toast, ot crackers. Or leftovers.

Afternoon snack: glass of soda, potato chips, crackers, etc.

Dinner: Chicken, Beef, Pork, Fish, Lobster, etc. Cooked fresh veggies of all kinds. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy. Spaghetti and meatballs, Lasagna, etc. Sometimes soup and sandwich. She loved carbs and ate a lot of them.

Around 7 or 8 at night: Piece of pie, or a danish, or brownies, donut, or ice cream. Cup of decaf tea with half and half and sugar and sugar.

Never gained weight and lived to be 90. Drank a lot of water. Drank alcohol in moderation - socially. Got a reasonable amount of outdoor exercise. Didn't really walk long distances. A lot of housework, a lot of cleaning, repairs, polishing, and yard work - mowing the lawn, cutting branches, whatever - and a lot gardening.

"I love hummus but the carbs..."

Two tbls have 4 grams of carbs.

That's what French and Italian women do, R70. They budget their calories. It does work. But what it ends up being is having coffee and cigarettes all day so they can eat and drink at night. But it's not a good plan. They stay slim but look aged, with dull skin and hair.

Big breakfast, big lunch, SMALL dinner.

Is it true that there are some foods that burn more calories during digestion than the food itself contains?

R93 that is utter BS

Do you think genetics is a reason your mother lived to 90, R89? Her diet/physical activity seems pretty standard for a certain generation of North Americans.

No sugar. Only drink water / tea. You'll lose weight and fat without exercise.

Agree regarding low fat Greek yoghurt. Not only is it bad for you, it tastes horrible. I make my own- it’s dead easy and delicious. Eat that as a treat with berries. Nice.

[quote]Why do you want to live like this? Don't you ever eat anything that tastes good? Apple and walnuts? Is this elementary school recess?

HA! It is a miserable way to live, you're right. If it were still elementary school, I'd also have my baggie of cheez-its. Can't even have those anymore.

I know this may seem counterintuitive, but exercise in moderation. Any hardcore exercise for me, makes me bulk up and get MUCH hungrier. Just some light cardio about 3-4 times a week. My heart and cholesterol are fine.

This one also may hurt: stop focusing on food. Just stop. Don't make eating or food such a huge thing. It won't kill you. Doesn't mean you have to eat unhealthy, but buy simple things and you don't have to meal prep or all that crap they say. Lots of vegetables, proteins, good fats. Not a lot of carbs, avoid sugars, junk foods. Watch portions. They're bigger than you think. Eat half of what you're served and wait 5 minutes. Are you still hungry? A lot of times, you'll find you're not if you drink a beverage or glass of water after. If you're a foodie, maybe find another hobby.

DRINK TONS OF WATER

GET A LOT OF SLEEP

AVOID SUGARY ALCOHOLS, HEAVY BEERS, CREAMY MIXERS etc. "CLEAR" drinks and in moderation. Drinking a lot makes you bloat.

all diets work. Its keeping the weight off for long periods that people have trouble with.

If you can walk 6 miles per day, it helps. 6 miles is included in normal activities too....if you have an iphone get the stepz app. the phone has been tracking your steps even before you download the app. it just doesn't show you the data until you have an app for it.

[Quote] I rarely, if ever, exceed 2,000 calories a day and I engage in rigorous physical activities (running, hiking) 90-120 minutes a week.

At the tender age of 79, this same regimen works for me and keeps me at my college weight and waist. At one time I weighed 304 lbs.

I'm on the Intermittent Fasting cheerleading squad. As has already been said, it works wonders not just for weight loss, but has great health benefits, upgrades vitality, and, for me, eliminates cravings. It was a rough go the first couple weeks to do an 11-6 or noon to 6 time frame, but one day you'll breeze past that 11am/noon mark without even thinking about it, and before you even have a hint of hunger. It's quite a mood uplift, and that then gives you increased motivation to continue. I also agree that the occasional "cheat" of a late dinner or eating outside that schedule out of necessity or for social reasons isn't a dealbreaker. Just enjoy the novelty and hop back on the schedule the next day. Voila!

"Cutting the orange juice out of my screwdrivers saves me 200 calories at breakfast."

Food scale helps to do portion control. Once you start using a food scale, you'll never go back. It's easy.

R97, how is Greek yogurt bad for you. I mix a little stevia and cocoa powder for a milkshake.

If you’re hypoglycemic, some of these suggestions won’t work. You need to eat 6 little meals a day, with only one refined carb (like a small portion of pasta or a piece of bread) a day. Eat mostly protein, fruit and low-fat dairy. Keep your engine fueled and you wont run out of energy and it keeps on burning/running. If you get crabby and light-headed, you need to eat as your blood sugar is low.

I have smoothie before bed full of kefir, chia seeds, frozen berries, protein powder and 1/2 a banana. I feel so much better when I wake up in the morning. My legs don’t feel like lead and I’m more alert.

I have found a probiotic that has helped me lose weight. The same ingredients are found in Nancy’s kefir. I’m convinced that gut health is important for health.

R105 I assume he's referring to low- or nonfat Greek yogurt. He's saying go with the full fat kind, which I understand. However, I do go with the nonfat because at my age I have to save every calorie I can. I just add fruit and maybe stevia and it's fine.

R107, if you're trying to save calories, try plain whole milk yogurt (Mountain High is my favorite). So much better than non-fat Greek yogurt. It is pretty low in calories without tasting so. It's pretty rich and custard-y in texture.

R105 - what R107 said :)

I'm on a semen diet. When I see men, I go for it.

I too do the intermittent fasting. I eat at 10, 2, and 6, and nothing in between. Sensible food, no garbage. I lost 40 lbs., and I'm keeping it off (over a year now). I walk 2 miles a day and drink only water, occasional lowfat milk, and 8 ounces of V8 (and that only for breakfast). I feel better physically than I have for years.

It can be done!

Ya gotta watch condiments – ketchup, salad dressing, things you never really think about. It's unbelievable how it mounts up. Mustard is ok.

I love condiments, R112. Especially hot sauces. My refrigerator door is loaded. You're right about bottled salad dressings, though.

R113 Hot sauce is ok. Like I said, ketchup, mayo, salad dressing. It really adds up.

I put 1 tbsp of dressing on my salads. I don’t think that’s too bad.

Most of my tricks have been suggested already but here's an odd one....get a smaller fridge. It forces you to prioritise when shopping and stops food wastage.

Use Wats App (or similar) to set up an exercise social network. It's a great motivator to regularly suggest or be invited to different activities.

If you're meeting up with friends for a meal take a low carb bread roll with you. Most places are happy to put your burger etc in it and you don't have to scour the menu only for the one miserable salad that's keto friendly.

Lots of good suggestions here but it doesn’t really matter what time of day or night you consume your calories.

r117 It does matter. Would you rather be hungry when you are asleep or awake? I was taught to starve when you are sleeping.

It's not like a calorie at 9pm is different than a calorie eaten at 9am, but it also has to do with energy levels. You should eat for what you are going to do.

Big breakfast before a 5 hour hike, not before bed.

r14 You should be getting 30 grams of fiber a day anyway, so 10 is no biggie. But I would take enough to not need toilet paper.

I've seen many whole milk fat yogurts in whole foods and other supermarkets. I wonder what they taste like. I buy the 2% ones.

People are tripping about yogurt. PLAIN YOGURT. That is what I ate.

Ingredients: Yogurt.

That's it. Not the kind with ADDED sugar, or anything added. I made my own or bought it at Whole Foods, the plain yogurt. No added sugar. If making it at home I there was sugar in the milk. You just don't want to be consuming too many simple sugars, or any HFCS.

The same way Fat is your friend, so are natural sugars. The butter in your coffee shit wasn't going to work for me. I did do some MCT's, and taught my body to run on fat sometimes.

Every Feb. I would be about 9 pounds overweight. I would fast like this. No breakfast. A slow 4-5 hour ride. A 2 liter of Diet Coke, watch TV, go to bed. Lost about 1.5 pounds a day (roughly 4,500 calorie deficit). After about 3 days, I would eat Oatmeal for breakfast, and hard boiled egg that evening. Then back to normal. It was awful. Would lost about a pound of day.

Cutting out bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, and sugars helped me lose 35 pounds in 7 months.

Heroin and cocaine

Coffee and cigarettes.

Amphetamines. They’re a wonder drug. They perk up your mood, give you energy, decrease your appetite, and get a sluggish metabolism moving.

Are you male or female r16, and may I ask your age when you lost your weight?

r125 I just read a book - ok I'm lying - I listened to an audiobook called "Blitzed" about the Nazi's and their love of speed, actual meth. Hitler was also on tons of opiates. The author is a novelist, so it's a bit embellished, but the Germans invented a few new types of speed that really allowed them to fight for days at a time.

There's more to your looks and health than being slim. You need proper nourishment, even if it takes longer to lose excess weight. Meth is a terrible idea.

R105: I subscribe to an independent testing site which tests supplements, vitamins, tea, to name a few. It also tests chocolate bars, baking chocolate, chips and cocoa. A lot of chocolate and cocoa contain high amounts of cadmium which is a heavy metal and bad for you. One you might want to try to reduce your exposure is Valrhona Poudre De Cacao Cocoa Powder from France. It was a top pick and can be found online.

r122 That's impressive. it really takes discipline, and vigilance, because those simple carbs are in almost everything. My problem is cheese, alcohol and pasta. I only eat pasta maybe once a week, but if I don't, I crave it. Portion control is also a problem, I like LOTS of pasta.

Instead of pasta, I'll do oatmeal, it's carbs but doesn't seem to be such a problem for me (lower on the glycemic index). It's not as good

I hate to say it, but bread is indeed a problem. I deal with it by only having what I call "bread worth having," like a really good roll or brioche, and then only occasionally and in moderation. I'll put butter on it to make it a special treat. Rice is out for me, just not worth it. Roast potatoes are ok in small amounts, but not French fries or mashed.

Fast for a day and have two enemas before a FF session.

R130 I think pasta once a week is perfect, I do the same. It does no harm, you really enjoy it, and it's probably good for the body in some holistic way.

Amphetamines are not meth! My mother took amphetamines for decades!

Actually, I believe that cannibis, opium, and cocaine should be legalized and heavily regulated. You should be able to get it from the pharmacist behind the counter like in the olden days.

You need a little help to get along in this world.

Use tons of herbs and spices to flavor up low-calorie vegetables etc, it really helps.

OMAD twice a week. Also lowered carbs and sugar. Limited alcohol. Have lost 31 pounds so far since June.

what's OMAD?

R126 I'm a 33 year old male

OMAD = one meal a day

it's easy for the really fat cunts to lose few pounds when they are like over 100 pounds overweight. It's much harder for those who only need to lose 10 to 15 pounds. takes a while to see the results.

One secret to maintaining weight loss is that you weigh yourself at least once a week and never let yourself gain more than 5 pounds. You can lose 5 lb in a month of just cutting back, but if you have gained 20 lb, you are looking at at least 3-4 months of hard restrictions, and that is very hard to maintain.

It's actually better to weigh yourself every day. That way you can budget your calories if you have gone overboard the day before or you have an event coming up that will include excess eating or drinking. It's your total calorie consumption for the week that counts.

Is it really true that spicy foods boost your metabolism?

Keto plus intermittent (16/8) fasting. Actually so effective I was losing too much weight. Really easy though if you are open to changing what and when you eat.

Can you do Keto if you have high cholesterol?

You’d have to look into that as I’m not sure. I think people can respond differently. I’m vegetarian so for me it was a largely plant based keto with some dairy. While some recommend any fats, I started to steer clear of saturated fat and stick with the healthier fats. That might make all the difference. It’s probably a good idea to get your bloods done before starting on it.

Depression. I've lost my appetite and seem to be dropping weight rapidly.

Cut out all sugar as the first step. i have done only that and am still dropping the pounds several months late. i have gone from 237 to 211 in about 4 months.

Eat one meal per day. It's not the most sustainable thing in the world but it works if you're too lazy to count carbs/calories/stop eating out like me.

R145, no you cannot! are you on meds for cholesterol? please take care of your health. high cholesterol will lead to heart attacks and worse. get your numbers down. check your blood pressure too.

I shifted to 18/6 intermittent fasting about a month ago, I eat between 11am and noon, and not after 6pm. My appetite has become less insistent, and my cravings have all but disappeared. I often have to remember to eat by 6pm and a couple days, I ended up with a one meal a day situation, but was fairly dizzy by noon the next day so I don't want to do that one too often. I've already dropped one size. I only need to lose about 10 lbs, but the weight loss is happening quickly too. I'm starting resistance band exercises too 3-4 days a week , 40-45 minute sessions. I'm feeling great. This intermittent fasting regimen has been the only dietary shift that has ever worked for me, and dramatically. It's easy to sustain once you get in the groove.

Another ringing endorsement for intermittent fasting. I’m in my 15th year, so it’s no diet, but a life pattern. I lost a lot of weight over a year or so & have kept it off.

IF is easy, giving up fruit is not. I do IF, but not Keto. I have given up bread, pasta, etc, but I eat a couple of apples every day.

[quote] I've seen many whole milk fat yogurts in whole foods and other supermarkets. I wonder what they taste like. I buy the 2% ones.

Just try the whole milk yogurt. Mountain High brand.

Does eating spicy food really boost your metabolism?

I gained 10 lbs over covid. I can't fit into anything other than sweats. Now that we're about to return to work, I am crash dieting. I'm only eating from Noon to 3 pm--extreme intermittent fasting. It's been 3 weeks and surprisingly easy. I've lost 5 lbs and will keep going until at least Christmas.

I've realized that so much food just isn't that good so why eat yucky calories?

[quote] Cutting out bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, and sugars helped me lose 35 pounds in 7 months.

Stopping "white" carbs is tough but very effective

Simple: move more, eat less. Watch the carbs and the alcohol.

There are no other secrets. They're more like gimmicks that you cannot live with - lose weight and gain it right back gimmicks.

[quote] Can you do Keto if you have high cholesterol?

Yes and Keto can be very effective to reduce high cholesterol. It's the processed carbs that sparks high cholesterol.

To those who do intermittent fasting: is there any benefit to doing 16-8 fasting if you are still drinking alcohol during your fasting hours? Is it better than nothing?

I think it all depends on your baseline / where you're starting from. In my case, a surplus of alcohol and a deficit of exercise was the cause of my weight gain. Or so I came to believe because once I stopped the daily cocktail or two, and started brisk walking every day, I lost an average of 2 pounds a month. No other dieting. No fasting. Never gave up pasta, cookies, ice cream, etc. Ten months after starting, I'm down 23 lbs.

R160, in the end, it's about reducing calories. By skipping a meal, you're by definition reducing calories. If you're drinking, however, it's not reducing calories.

One theory is that, by fasting, you are stopping insulin secretion. Insulin breaks down sugars and causes you to hold on to fat. If you stop insulin secretion, you lose fat more easily. Alcohol is digested like a fat, not a carb--so maybe that theory still holds if you drink alcohol

Is it possible to lose 70lbs by Christmas Day? I would like to look svelte in the pictures …

I don't drink any more, but IMO alcohol is not necessarily the enemy. If you drink 12 pints of beer, then yes, you're probably gonna get fat.

However, if you drink measured-out shots of vodka with a low-calorie mixer (e.g., soda water), you can drink a couple or even a few of those.

You've got to measure your shots of hard liquor though, not eyeball.

Probiotics. Also supplementing for endocrine health improves metabolism.

R164, I was in an Asian country where alcohol consumption is not common. The first time I ordered a cocktail, I saw them make it using a carefully poured shot glass and thought WTF! But it made me realize what I lush I had become. Then I dismissed the thought and ordered a double the next time.

R163, if you know your current weight it’s easy to figure out which combination will to get you 70 lbs.

^^I meant either “will add up to” or “will get you to.”

What it didn’t mean to do was mix them into one incomprehensible mess.

R163, It'll be hard enough taking 7lbs off between now and then.

I've a terrible sweet tooth, but it's not so much about weight for me, but I've found that honey is a great item to have and if you're fortunate enough to be able to get local honey it's a great natural antibiotic in addition to being helpful to satiate a sweet tooth.

Tea with honey is a great replacement for traditional sweets, and any hot beverages consumed after a meal is helpful for flushing fat through the digestive system.

Go to bed at 4:45 pm for 5 days in a row then go to bed at 6:09 pm for one night and 7 :00 pm for one night.

I wouldn't exactly call them "secrets" at this point.

just eat and puke.

eat but don't swallow, spit it out.

That's what models and actresses do.

This thread is really 'food' for thought for me (Ive had a 30+ yr eating disorder). One of my problems is shutting off hunger cues (OCD to the extreme), and the other is the complete lack of interest in food, the stomach shrinks, at this point i know I need to make sure something is in my stomach to help with the pills.

I've read that it's better on the joints and heart to be 10lbs underweight longterm than 10lbs over. (Full of rationalizations vs nutrition)

I remember reading on one of the pro-ana sites that models would soak tampons in vodka to get drunk without the calories. I would think it would burn.

No sugar.

R175, that is an awesome idea! (Off to buy my first box of tampons, hope the shop assistant doesn't laugh.)

I switched from alcohol to edibles. No calories! Just watch out for the strains that give you the munchies. No chocolate chip cookie within 2 miles is safe when that happens to me.

This thread has become a thinspiration thread.

[quote] The Go to Bed early trick is what they don't tell you about intermittent fasting. It's easier to deal with the hunger pangs if you're asleep.

It's rare that I can sleep before 2/3 am, so 1 AM snacks are my downfall with IF. I don't like eating before noon/1 PM so I do ok in terms of the morning.

Nothing like an avo toast or a yoghurt or a ripe banana in the middle of the night. Feel like shit after having it, but in the moment it feels good and right.

I lost 10lbs when I got COVID. I lost my sense of taste, and lost another 4lbs.

I have had no appetite since COVID. I have a coffee a couple hours after waking, and eat something a few hours after that. I eat dinner and then don’t eat again.

R175 as a woman... :/

that is asking for a yeast infection

This cabbage soup helped me. Not sure if this is the exact video I watched, but all the recipes are pretty much the same. I didn't eat only cabbage soup. I used it more like a meal replacement.

No, I don’t have any diet secrets that work. No, spicy food does not speed up your metabolism, but it is fun to eat. I eat very moderate amounts of home cooked food and a ton of vegetables organic home grown and don’t sit on my ass all day like some people around here, but I’m still a fat ass. Would I be any happier if I was 15 pounds lighter? Would I be any sadder if I was 15 pounds heavier? Yes and Yes.

I completely cut out milk and butter/margarine from my diet (once in a blue moon I may have cheese or eggs). I eat breakfast and dinner, but no lunch. I don't eat after 6pm or before 9am. I eat under 1500 calories a day and walk, briskly, for at least 30-60 mins a day and I've lost five stone (70 lbs) in weight in five months.

[quote] Most of my tricks have been suggested already but here's an odd one....get a smaller fridge. It forces you to prioritise when shopping and stops food wastage.

“Get a smaller fridge!”

This is not a good tip, more a 'what not to do' observation and cautionary tale.

My last former manager at work, a grifting insane harpy who was being abused by her husband and passed that abuse onto her hapless employees (mostly me), clearly had an out of control decades-long eating disorder to cope with whatever tragic weirdness was going on in her life. As long as I knew her--and apparently this had been her habit for many years--she would chainsmoke all day instead of eating daytime meals, and stick to a strict lemon-water/herbal tea and birdseed diet where people could see her. She was very petite and fragile-looking, had been an aspiring but failed dancer and 1980s London set aspirant in her youth, so maybe it was habit held over from those days.

The noticeable exception to this rule was whenever she'd had a bad day (like her husband had backhanded her or chewed her out, or one of her daughters had called), and then she'd come into work and go straight in back of our store without speaking to anybody, right out to where the dirty storeroom and bathroom were, and 'binge'. Though it wouldn't really count as bingeing to anyone who actually ate food. The weird thing was that she would specifically only ever binge on namebrand KitKat bars (the small classic/kids' size) and warm mini Diet Coke cans. You'd go in back to get stock for the shelves or change to refill the till, and you'd see her hunched in the dingy dark and zoned out to everything, flipping through glossy magazines, nibbling at one or two KitKats--guess she'd looked it up and they were the lowest calorie easily-available chocolate, or something?--and taking a few tiny sips of thesame tepid rancid Coke through her wrinkled lips, not even using a glass or adding ice and getting lipstick all over the can. At the time it just pissed me off, because I felt she was being way too weak and passive, plus she wasn't doing any work to help her staff let alone act an example of professional retail conduct.

She was also a snob who sucked up to local councillors and celebrities, bougie af for no merit, and had a compulsive buying/shopping habit. She frequently bought too much stock for the failing store, putting pressure on all of us employees to somehow move this overpriced and useless unsellable product after she was the one who fucked up buying too much. Guess she was so scared and traumatised by her home life and her past that she couldn't see her behaviours for what they were, and her limited diet had starved her brain to the point that she couldn't rationalise or make better choices to help herself or her daughters or her workers.

That said, I could see that underneath all that, she was actually a vulnerable and even sweet lady who deserved compassion and better treatment. A few times I met her daughters, only a few years older than me, and they struck me as being similar in nature. Suppose their patriarch just did a number on all of them. I still felt sorry for my manager, even after she tried to steal from me and use me as a human shield. She was an extremely sad, messed up shell of a woman, and being a bit of a soft-touch myself, one of the best and hardest things I ever did for myself was to leave her to her fate. Sometimes I think of her and hope she's left or killed her husband and sold their business, but I know that will never happen.

So yeah, eat your daily proteins and fats, don't be afraid of brunch, and stay away from brain-rotting sodas.

[quote] supplementing for endocrine health improves metabolism.

What exactly should we supplement?

Workout for an hour at the gym 6 days a week!

This past week I’ve gone to 2 meals a day from three, no booze M-F. Down 5lbs this week!