[Help] What are your diets/diet guidelines for weight loss?

[svinno777]

You have to figure out your caloric maintence level. Meaning the amount of calories you can take in a day for bodily needs to where you dont gain or lose any weight. TO do this you need to count every calorie you put in your mouth. If your weight stays the same for a week (or 2 ) thats your caloric maintence need. THen you subtract 500 calories a day. Can add weight training high intensity and cardio 3-4x a week to see faster results. Basically just a numbers game.

 

[itzmel]

Look into fruitarian diet

 

[Art Thurian]

Eat less.....I am familiar with a model called "plate model" which means that you have a modest palte with food, no so much on it, not so less on it. You will figure out how much you need to eat.

 

[KjEno186]

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[pruner_tipster]

Focus on adding (lean) protein to every meal. And within an hour of waking up (ideally at least 20g). Drink at least 16oz of water upon waking and ideally add electrolytes or lemon juice and salt. Then focus on fruits and veggies. Complex carbs over simple carbs. Try to eat foods that are less processed so think eggs fish chicken turkey etc. dairy if you know how it affects your body. Drink more water.
Add movement. Whatever you find enjoyable/tolerable. Even a 20 minute walk makes a difference. Preferably without a phone and make it a walking meditation. Or listen to something educational while walking. If you want something more intense, try a martial art or something that engages the mind and body.
Oh and the most underrated and perhaps the most critical piece is get more sleep (assuming youre part of the average population who doesnt get enough sleep). Good quality sleep will support your brain and body and make making healthy choices so much easier (being tired increases the likelihood we’ll reach for the coffee/soda and salty snacks).
p.s. if you want to go all in, invest in a wearable device. Whoop or Oura ring ideally (i dont like Oura because it interferes with weight lifting but i know people who love theirs).

 

[Sabbatius]

I pretty much went from Keto to Carnivore.
Eliminated breads. Drink pretty much black coffee and black teas. No sugars and the supposed alternatives. Just meat and dairy. Fat is good.
Long story short, I dealt with Extreme Hypothyroidism. I would eat a healthy salad and gain weight. So, I stopped eating salad and decided to eat Bambi instead. Lost over 400 lbs. and am still losing weight. Have been doing Keto, but more Carnivore. I cheat once a week and have a Diet Dr. Pepper. That's my drug.
I hate preachy vegans. I love Inuits. I could chew whale blubber all day.

 

[Khayon]

In addition to the other tips here really be aware of your food when you're eating, try to avoid distractions and just focus on the meal. Direct your attention to what it's meant to do, like fuel your upcoming workout, really be mindful that what you're consuming is designed for you to reach your goals. Plus if you're eating without distractions it's much easier to notice when you're feeling full to avoid overeating.

 

[highwizard]

This is counterintuitive especially as I am a personal trainer who worked with other personal trainers and had to help clients lose weight, but for anyone wanting to lose weight, don't start out with keto or intermittent fasting if you're not used to fasting or going low carb. You don't want to shock your system and make it think it's starving suddenly. For the love of god, I know this isn't the American Way, but don't punish yourself or your body over this. This whole weight loss thing doesn't have to be miserable, and you don't get extra points in life for suffering.

For people who are starting out sedentary or don't have a gym membership, start with calisthenics or bodyweight exercises first. You can do these at home, they're easier to commit to, and you don't need to buy a bunch of stuff or drive to a gym. Also walk to places whenever you can instead of driving, especially if it's within 40 minutes of walking distance. This isn't doable for every neighborhood but do what you can.

Regarding diet, start small and switch things up little by little:

1. don't drink your carbs, or have them rarely (not every day, not every meal). No sugary drinks, no fruit juices (not even the "healthy" cold pressed organic green juice whatever), no sodas, even milk has sugar that all adds up. No sweetened coffees or energy drinks or even sports drinks, they're all too much sugar. This is half the battle for most people.
2. Check the amount of carbs you're eating. You don't need that whole bowl of rice. Cut it in half. Add more leafy greens. Switch the white rice with oatmeal instead.
3. Most people don't eat enough filling fiber or healthy fats which also keep you satiated. Add more vegetables, especially non-starchy vegetables, and leafy greens to your meals. Healthy fats include nuts, unsweetened yogurt made with whole milk, cold pressed olive oil, etcetera... google "healthy fats".
4. Your breakfast should be high protein, high fiber, and have complex carbs. The typical American sugary breakfast of cereals, coffee (often with sugar), bread on top of more bread with no fiber or healthy fats to buffer the carb absorption, and lack of greens will give you a sugar crash by lunch or afternoon. You should eat breakfast like a farmer. Like eggs, bacon, maybe a toasted slice of bread or corn or potatoes, some broccoli or spinach.
5. Make sure you're getting enough protein, but we all hear that already
6. Don't be afraid to get on anti-diabetic meds to lose weight, it's not some moral failure to use a bit of help. None of our typical modern lifestyle or how/what we eat is natural or that healthy, so our obesity rate isn't natural either. If you're overweight, your metabolism is compromised already and it's not going to be easy for you to lose weight and maintain it like a body that has never been overweight before. Anti-diabetic meds aren't an overnight cure and I don't believe one should use them forever, but they're like the tricycle wheels on a kiddie bike to help your metabolism get back in balance again and eventually you won't need the meds anymore once your metabolism can manage itself after lifestyle changes and maintaining your weight for years. Ask your doctor to test your fasting blood sugar, A1C (related to blood sugar), and insulin sensitivity tests (there are a handful) to see if you qualify for metformin or semaglutide.


Easy way to portion control using your hands as guideline for a meal:

 

[D Magick Johnson]

Eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise, no fried food nor sugar.

 

[HoldAll]

Eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise, no fried food nor sugar.

Careful with fruit juices and smoothies though. A US pint of apple juice contains about 6 to 8 medium-sized apples - you'd get sick if you had to eat the same amount in raw form in one sitting. And a tablespoon of honey has about 64 calories, while the same amount of white sugar has about 49 calories. Sugar (apart from portion size) is probably the main offender when it comes to weight gain, no matter what shape it comes in.

 

[XEn8]

I can share my personal experience, even though it’s obviously not a one-size-fits-all solution.

I had never been on a diet in my life and had always been fairly slim and fit. Last year, after two surgeries, I had to stay in bed for several months. Between the inactivity and comfort eating, I gained weight like never before. I genuinely felt like I’d never get my body back.

Other factors prompted me to try the ketogenic diet: I was constantly tired, prone to cravings, migraines, and brain fog, and I also have an autoimmune disease. So I wondered if this diet might help me.

Today, after four months on the ketogenic diet, my experience has been very positive: I’ve lost weight, regained more stable energy levels, and learned to better recognize when I’m hungry. I no longer see it as a temporary diet, but as a way of eating that I’ve gradually incorporated into my life. The benefits I’ve gained are such that I can’t imagine going back to my old eating habits.

Before you begin, however, I recommend doing thorough research. It’s not simply a matter of cutting out bread or pasta, but of making profound changes to the composition of your meals. You should also make sure this diet is compatible with your health condition. If you have diabetes, a specific medical condition, are taking medication, or have kidney, liver, or eating disorders, it’s best to work with a doctor or dietitian trained in this approach.

In practical terms, the ketogenic diet involves drastically reducing carbohydrates, maintaining an adequate protein intake, and meeting the remainder of your energy needs with fats. You generally eat protein-rich foods, fats, and low-carb vegetables, particularly leafy greens.

This diet aims to induce nutritional ketosis. The body then relies more on fatty acids and ketone bodies as energy sources, rather than depending primarily on glucose. Ketone bodies are not fat themselves; they are produced mainly by the liver from fatty acids.

The transition was fairly natural for me, but the first few days were difficult. For three or four days, I had severe migraines and very little energy. This corresponds to what is commonly called the “keto flu,” a set of temporary symptoms that can accompany a sudden reduction in carbohydrates and the loss of water and electrolytes. It’s therefore important to make sure you drink enough fluids and properly replenish your electrolyte levels.

Since I had never counted calories or macronutrients before, I used ChatGPT as a learning tool after providing it with PDF resources and a good, concise prompt. I would tell it what was in my cupboards and refrigerator. It would suggest meals with the quantities of each food item, then recalculate the nutrient intake based on any changes I made.

For six to eight weeks, I weighed my food and checked my protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake daily. Today, I no longer need to do that: I’ve internalized the portion sizes and know how to put together my meals. ChatGPT can, however, make mistakes. I consider it a helpful tool and not a substitute for a healthcare professional.

I lost weight fairly quickly at first. Much of that initial weight loss was due to water loss: as glycogen stores decrease, the water associated with them also decreases. Fat loss then proceeded more gradually.

I didn’t need to cut back on my fat intake - it actually increased, since my previous diet was very high in grains and rather low in fat. That doesn’t mean you can eat unlimited amounts of butter, cream, cheese, or oil. Fat intake should still be tailored to your hunger, physical activity, and your specific goal.

Ketosis promotes the use of fat as fuel, but it does not automatically guarantee body fat loss. If calorie intake exceeds energy needs, you can remain in ketosis without losing weight. One of the benefits of this diet is that, for some people, it can reduce hunger and naturally encourage eating in line with their needs.

It is also important to maintain an adequate protein intake and, if possible, to engage in strength training to preserve muscle mass during and after weight loss.

I didn’t set a specific weight loss goal or a deadline for myself. I simply continued eating this way, and my body gradually became slimmer.

One of the main benefits, in my case, was better control over my hunger and energy levels. I no longer experience the same cravings or those intense bouts of fatigue after meals. I naturally started eating twice a day instead of three times, without forcing myself. However, this is neither a requirement nor an essential condition for being in ketosis.

The book (in French) that helped me the most is Le Grand Livre de l’alimentation cétogène by Nelly and Ulrich Génisson. It covers the basics of this diet and includes many recipes.

That’s my experience.
The ketogenic diet isn’t for everyone, and I don’t claim it’s the only right way to eat.
Nevertheless, I find it fascinating that the human body is so metabolically flexible. This ability is part of our physiology and our evolutionary history. Just think for a moment about what we ate before the adoption of agriculture around 10,000–12,000 BC! Sure, people were already eating honey, tubers, and fruits, but these two last were significantly less sweet than they are today - since they, too, have been transformed over the millennia into the products we produce today - and the quantity and variety were also much smaller back then. That really makes you think, doesn’t it!? That’s yet another fascinating topic...