Weight Loss tips and techniques

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

5 minutes ago, ramssuperbowl99 said:

I get what you mean, there does come a point where we all have to suck it up and go, but disagree that there aren't tips and it's purely effort.

It's easier for people who go to the gym regularly and have an understanding of how profoundly working out changes how they feel, sleep, etc., it's easier because they know a dopamine hit is coming if they can just plop in the car and get going. For people who don't have that ingrained, "finding the willpower" is a lot harder.

But the sense of accomplishment can absolutely be developed. Take one exercise and do it every day, then see over a month how you can make it harder. If it's planking, first try holding for a minute, then after a while when that gets easy, try alternating one leg off the ground, then try doing it on a slight incline, then alternate legs off the ground on a slight incline, etc.

You’re not wrong, I guess I just assume most people aren’t unaware of this stuff in 2023.

The best advice I can give is people who exercise regularly do so because they prioritize it and make it a habit. That said, there’s always gonna be a million reasons why you should stay home.  “My X hurts… I didn’t sleep well… I don’t have a lot of time…. I want to do X instead..” etc.  

Until someone learns to essentially say “that **** doesn’t matter” and do it anyway, it’s always going to be a struggle, even if they know they should and why they should. 

[JohnChimpo]

2 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

To add to the previous post, I think it’s important to call out the broscience and assumptions with stuff like this because soda is a real problem for an astronomical amount of people.

Personally I don’t drink a lot of soda of any kind, maybe a diet/zero sugar once every week or two, so I don’t really have any skin in this game, but they’re not the same.

The absolutely absurd amount of sugars in regular soda is an actual killer.  As in, contributes heavily to diabetes and obesity.

like, look at that **** lol

If a person who drinks a couple sodas or whatever a days does nothing else but switch from regular to diet they’ll be saving themselves hundreds of empty calories and likely hundreds of grams of refined sugar and could possibly see benefits from that alone when it comes to body weight.

Fair enough. Strike that from the record. I read some articles about the negative effects of artificial sweeteners years ago, but I didn’t really research it. It was hyperbolic for me to say that it’s worse (imo). It’s just that I’d much rather drink water than diet soda because it’s actually healthy instead of just having the appearance of being healthy, and it tastes better to me. It’s obvious that people would be better off without the empty calories when it comes to weight loss. I was being careless with my wording.

[MWil23]

16 hours ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Here’s a good start just for something to reference.

https://optimisingnutrition.com/satiety-index/

Finding pork chops and other lean meat like sirloin was a game changer for me, as were healthier grains like oatmeal and quinoa. I also started measuring things when I’m cutting and wow, I was way overeating some of those “fringe snacks/additives”.

A serving of oatmeal with some cut up apples, cinnamon, and honey ended up being the perfect post workout snack before dinner.

Breaking my fast with almonds and an apple or if I’m home a nice 2-3 egg omelet with some guacamole really helped with consuming minimal calories but a lot of protein and healthy fats, which helped fuel me and keep me full longer.

On the weekends I workout on a fast, so usually I have a larger brunch whereas on work mornings like this one it will be an apple and almonds with probably a rotisserie chicken salad and yogurt for lunch, and a sparkling water to take the edge off (2-3 black cups of coffee every morning). Probably going to do some sort of lean meat with veggies for dinner tonight, and I might let myself have a snack since I’m doing leg day today.

1800-2100 calorie goal…I enjoyed Mother’s Day weekend a bit too much probably.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

15 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

Finding pork chops and other lean meat like sirloin was a game changer for me,

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/herb-marinated-pork-tenderloins-recipe-1948375

I’ve been eating this like weekly for months lol.  Soooooo good.

15 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

as were healthier grains like oatmeal and quinoa. I also started measuring things when I’m cutting and wow, I was way overeating some of those “fringe snacks/additives”.

Weighing is something that’s really important imo that a lot of people skip. People try to guesstimate or just use less than before and assume that’s about a portion, but they’re usually wrong.  Some stuff you see just how little a serving is and it quickly becomes something you avoid just because it’s not worth it.    
 

And those toppers/sauces/additives can add up quick.  The difference between some mustard vs mayonnaise is huge.  Make that substitute and you’re looking at 100-200 calories difference if you do nothing else.

15 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

A serving of oatmeal with some cut up apples, cinnamon, and honey ended up being the perfect post workout snack before dinner.

Oatmeal is a good example of this too.  One serving of oats is not a lot. Nothing wrong with eating more obv, but you need to be accounting for that.  Oats are a 2-3 servings per serving kinda thing for me.

My go to is 2 servings of oats, 1.5 scoops (54 grams) of protein powder and 8 oz of milk.  Mix that ish up and toss it in the fridge overnight.  I have chocolate flavored protein, typically casein or a blend, and it’s like a chocolate pudding.  Absolutely rips and is nothing but slow digesting carbs and protein.

15 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

Breaking my fast with almonds and an apple or if I’m home a nice 2-3 egg omelet with some guacamole really helped with consuming minimal calories but a lot of protein and healthy fats, which helped fuel me and keep me full longer.

eggs are super helpful imo, one of the most satiating foods for me.

15 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

On the weekends I workout on a fast, so usually I have a larger brunch whereas on work mornings like this one it will be an apple and almonds with probably a rotisserie chicken salad and yogurt for lunch, and a sparkling water to take the edge off (2-3 black cups of coffee every morning). Probably going to do some sort of lean meat with veggies for dinner tonight, and I might let myself have a snack since I’m doing leg day today.

I’ve been messing around with zero fat Greek yogurt and it’s been amazing tbh.  Get the unflavored stuff and the world is your oyster.  Macros are incredible.  
 

So, it tastes like *** kinda on its own, so it’s just a starting point.  I have 2 servings and add in a cup of blueberries and a tablespoon of local honey and it’s a legit treat for like 320 calories.  And it’s a big arse bowl of yogurt.  
 

Additionally, instead of adding berries and such I can just use it as a base for a sour cream replacement.  Take some yogurt and add in some herbs, garlic, pepper, etc and I can slather a baked potato in it.  The difference is sour cream is 60 calories for like a tablespoon or two and is mostly fat whereas the yogurt mix is 90 calories for 2/3 of a cup and has like 18 grams of protein.

15 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

1800-2100 calorie goal…I enjoyed Mother’s Day weekend a bit too much probably.

I try to stay under 2300 a day, measured by the week. Some days I may clock in at 2000-2100, other days I may end up at 2600-2700.   As long as the daily average is 2300 or under I see good results.

Those larger calorie days are truly what keeps you going imo.  They allow you to recover a bit if you’re lifting, allow you to “cheat” or just go out to eat and not be the arse that gets chicken and broccoli, etc.  I’m able to wake up, get a good workout in, eat light throughout the day focusing on lean protein and then by dinner I’ve “saved” about 2000 calories and I can go out and eat whatever the hell I like guilt free.  I’ve “earned” that cheat meal.

[MWil23]

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/herb-marinated-pork-tenderloins-recipe-1948375

I’ve been eating this like weekly for months lol.  Soooooo good.

Okay, so I did this and it was a game changer for tenderloins...granted, up your calories a bit, but not as much as you think"

https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/bacon-stuffed-pork-loin/

So, I don't use all of it (I cut the cranberries, spinach optional depending upon who you're serving it to), but stuffed with the garlic/apple/onions that are sauteed in a pan ahead of time, and then I wrap it in pepper bacon and then smoke it (you can bake it too).

Leftovers: Zero

But, the loin is so lean, the onion and apple is negligible, and the bacon isn't nearly as bad as you'd think...yes, higher in saturated fat (or you can do turkey bacon I suppose), but it's a great "low carb day" treat.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Weighing is something that’s really important imo that a lot of people skip. People try to guesstimate or just use less than before and assume that’s about a portion, but they’re usually wrong.  Some stuff you see just how little a serving is and it quickly becomes something you avoid just because it’s not worth it.    
 

And those toppers/sauces/additives can add up quick.  The difference between some mustard vs mayonnaise is huge.  Make that substitute and you’re looking at 100-200 calories difference if you do nothing else.

My "mistakes" were that I wasn't measuring a lot of my grains. I was all in on granola for a while, and it turns out that I was easily eating 500 calories of granola/milk...as opposed to now when I have it, it's as a yogurt topper and 60-80 calories instead. Eye opening.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Oatmeal is a good example of this too.  One serving of oats is not a lot. Nothing wrong with eating more obv, but you need to be accounting for that.  Oats are a 2-3 servings per serving kinda thing for me.

My go to is 2 servings of oats, 1.5 scoops (54 grams) of protein powder and 8 oz of milk.  Mix that ish up and toss it in the fridge overnight.  I have chocolate flavored protein, typically casein or a blend, and it’s like a chocolate pudding.  Absolutely rips and is nothing but slow digesting carbs and protein.

I'll have to try this.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

eggs are super helpful imo, one of the most satiating foods for me.

Eggs I typically only do on the weekends now, but when I start WFH, I'll probably do them almost every single day.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

I’ve been messing around with zero fat Greek yogurt and it’s been amazing tbh.  Get the unflavored stuff and the world is your oyster.  Macros are incredible.  
 

So, it tastes like *** kinda on its own, so it’s just a starting point.  I have 2 servings and add in a cup of blueberries and a tablespoon of local honey and it’s a legit treat for like 320 calories.  And it’s a big arse bowl of yogurt.  Additionally, instead of adding berries and such I can just use it as a base for a sour cream replacement.  Take some yogurt and add in some herbs, garlic, pepper, etc and I can slather a baked potato in it.  The difference is sour cream is 60 calories for like a tablespoon or two and is mostly fat whereas the yogurt mix is 90 calories for 2/3 of a cup and has like 18 grams of protein.

My wife uses it as a sour cream replacement and is all in on it. I usually add a tablespoon of honey (like 60 calories) and then some fresh berries with some granola if I have it. Just all around a great post workout treat for me.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

I try to stay under 2300 a day, measured by the week. Some days I may clock in at 2000-2100, other days I may end up at 2600-2700.   As long as the daily average is 2300 or under I see good results.

Those larger calorie days are truly what keeps you going imo.  They allow you to recover a bit if you’re lifting, allow you to “cheat” or just go out to eat and not be the arse that gets chicken and broccoli, etc.  I’m able to wake up, get a good workout in, eat light throughout the day focusing on lean protein and then by dinner I’ve “saved” about 2000 calories and I can go out and eat whatever the hell I like guilt free.  I’ve “earned” that cheat meal.

I've more or less stuck to my 1800-2100 range, while understanding that I'm going to mash a meal or two on the weekends, probably upper 2000s or low 3000s. No to dessert 5-6 days a week, yes to one or two servings on the weekends. I've tried to really hit Saturday mornings hard on the workout end, making that cheat meal a meal that doesn't hurt me at all considering I hit it hard for 40-45 minutes that morning if that makes sense.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

15 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

Okay, so I did this and it was a game changer for tenderloins...granted, up your calories a bit, but not as much as you think"

https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/bacon-stuffed-pork-loin/

So, I don't use all of it (I cut the cranberries, spinach optional depending upon who you're serving it to), but stuffed with the garlic/apple/onions that are sauteed in a pan ahead of time, and then I wrap it in pepper bacon and then smoke it (you can bake it too).

Leftovers: Zero

But, the loin is so lean, the onion and apple is negligible, and the bacon isn't nearly as bad as you'd think...yes, higher in saturated fat (or you can do turkey bacon I suppose), but it's a great "low carb day" treat.

that sounds really damned good lol

15 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

My "mistakes" were that I wasn't measuring a lot of my grains. I was all in on granola for a while, and it turns out that I was easily eating 500 calories of granola/milk...as opposed to now when I have it, it's as a yogurt topper and 60-80 calories instead. Eye opening.

I'll have to try this.

Eggs I typically only do on the weekends now, but when I start WFH, I'll probably do them almost every single day.

My wife uses it as a sour cream replacement and is all in on it. I usually add a tablespoon of honey (like 60 calories) and then some fresh berries with some granola if I have it. Just all around a great post workout treat for me.

I've more or less stuck to my 1800-2100 range, while understanding that I'm going to mash a meal or two on the weekends, probably upper 2000s or low 3000s. No to dessert 5-6 days a week, yes to one or two servings on the weekends. I've tried to really hit Saturday mornings hard on the workout end, making that cheat meal a meal that doesn't hurt me at all considering I hit it hard for 40-45 minutes that morning if that makes sense.

The ability to enjoy the weekly cheat meal/Saturday night ice cream/etc, is really important imo.  We need to be able to live a little, enjoy meals with friends and family, have some balance otherwise it’s really hard to have sustained success.

The only issue is when people go whole *** and want to eat an entire pizza, ice cream, cake, booze, etc and they end up going like 3k calories over their TDEE and wiping out a lot of the work they did all week.  That’s fine I guess for maintenance but not if you’re still trying to lose.

[MWil23]

38 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

that sounds really damned good lol

And, legitimately, it's very easy to make. Set out the bacon separate strips on a baking pan, having the edges "drape over".

Take the loin with a sharp knife and then cut it down until you get a thinner square/oval loin, season it on both sides with whatever you like (salt, pepper, garlic, or a nice dry rub).

Then add the sauteed mixture and roll it up the way you would a cinnamon roll/back into the loin. Place the rolled loin onto the bacon strips, wrap the bacon around the loin, while adding some skewers every few inches to keep it stuffed/sealed.

After you cook, just remove the skewers. If it spills out/comes undone, don't worry, it will still taste amazing even if it won't win any prizes for appearance. I use my 4 year old as the barometer, and she was all in on it being delicious.

Some may like to have a barbecue dipping sauce as well, albeit IMO the bacon fat will add plenty of nice juices to keep it super moist (as with the inside stuffing) along with a crunch on the outside.

Pro tip:

After it's cooked through to the 145 degrees, BROIL it in the oven for 2-3 minutes to get that bacon nice and crispy.

38 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

The ability to enjoy the weekly cheat meal/Saturday night ice cream/etc, is really important imo.  We need to be able to live a little, enjoy meals with friends and family, have some balance otherwise it’s really hard to have sustained success.

The only issue is when people go whole *** and want to eat an entire pizza, ice cream, cake, booze, etc and they end up going like 3k calories over their TDEE and wiping out a lot of the work they did all week.  That’s fine I guess for maintenance but not if you’re still trying to lose.

I've decided that I basically am fine looking "this way", meaning I'm slim and trim with a line down my stomach, but I'm never going to get those abs to "pop" because I don't want to give up my couple of cheat meals throughout the week. If I did, I'm sure I could get there again, but I'm kinda like "what's the point?".

That said, I said NO to everything for 3 months last year to get to where I am now, because I had to be "all in".

[BobbyPhil1781]

20 hours ago, rob_shadows said:

Last week I weighed 285lbs, I stopped drinking pop and started doing 30 minutes of cardio a day... No other major changes and yesterday I weighed in at 277lbs.

Moral of the story... Don't drink pop.

There are some good natural soda alternatives out there. I don't drink Diet X any longer and avoid additional sugars at all costs but if you like soda, Zevia and Green Cola are two that I enjoy that use a natural sweetener. I'm sure someone can say if they have any ingredients to avoid and I wouldn't be surprised if they do this day and age. 

Anyway, keep up the good work!! Avoiding excess sugar will drop weight very quickly.

I'm trying to get to my lowest weight I've been in since my freshman year of college and I'm well out of college these days. One thing I started doing was using mustard as salad dressing. I only eat power greens, chicken, and a small amount of cheese so it's not fruits are involved where mustard would be awful. Obviously one has to like the taste of mustard but it's probably my favorite condiment so it's easy for me lol. Dressings have so many oils and are high in calories as well. If they can be avoided, it will help tremendously.

[biggio7]

I've been debating getting an app like Centr because I feel as if I pay for it, I'm more likely to do the stuff.

My meals are an issue;

Monday: Granola bar around 10:45, Lunch at 1:00 - Two sandwiches on small hamburger rolls - lunch meat chicken and a half slice of cheese, around 5:00 two burgers (80/20) per shaped, I cook them in the oven. Might have cereal for a snack around 7:45.
Tuesday: Same for the morning/Lunch/ around 5:00 - bowl of pasta with chopped sausage
Wednesday: Same then Shredded chicken and rice
Thursday; Same then two small pizzas (Naan bread)
Friday/Saturday: Vary based on what I have around the apartment; Might be meatballs and bread, or Tuna Salad
Sunday; Sometimes two small pizzas

I'm trying to eat more veggies. I eat a handful of carrots almost every day.

 

[ramssuperbowl99]

34 minutes ago, biggio7 said:

I've been debating getting an app like Centr because I feel as if I pay for it, I'm more likely to do the stuff.

Check out the link from @LETSGOBROWNIES instead: https://optimisingnutrition.com/satiety-index/

Here's your diet:

34 minutes ago, biggio7 said:

My meals are an issue;

Monday: Granola bar around 10:45, Lunch at 1:00 - Two sandwiches on small hamburger rolls - lunch meat chicken and a half slice of cheese, around 5:00 two burgers (80/20) per shaped, I cook them in the oven. Might have cereal for a snack around 7:45.
Tuesday: Same for the morning/Lunch/ around 5:00 - bowl of pasta with chopped sausage
Wednesday: Same then Shredded chicken and rice
Thursday; Same then two small pizzas (Naan bread)
Friday/Saturday: Vary based on what I have around the apartment; Might be meatballs and bread, or Tuna Salad
Sunday; Sometimes two small pizzas

I'm trying to eat more veggies. I eat a handful of carrots almost every day.

And the bolded symptom is what I'd focus on:

On 5/14/2023 at 6:45 PM, biggio7 said:

On my feet walking all day at work. Not like intense walking. I walk with the puppy about an hour a day, at least. We play chase a bit. I don't really work out or anything but I feel skinny fat. I should work out more, I just don't. Need some tips to keep it going and to eat better. I'm always hungry.

 

Quote

Interestingly, in a 1996 follow-up paper, the same researchers noted that the foods that caused the most significant insulin and glucose responses led to the greatest satiety three hours after eating.  This is because fast-acting carbohydrates rapidly top up the glucose reserves in your blood, liver, and muscles and send a full signal to your brain to stop eating until it can clear the excess energy. 

That said, we also know that significant rises in glucose can lead to rapid glucose crashes before long, leading to greater hunger and overeating at the next meal.  Rapidly falling glucose also makes you hungry, so you’ll likely eat again sooner.  So, while you may be satiated in the short term, you may not achieve the long-term satiety you hoped for.

 

Once you start eating, you're eating (and are already hungry) 3 hours later - very much in line with this window.

So this:

34 minutes ago, biggio7 said:

I'm trying to eat more veggies. I eat a handful of carrots almost every day.

isn't going to help, because (bolded near the bottom, but read the whole thing):

Quote

The chart below shows how this works using a range of popular foods. 

• The horizontal axis is nutrient density (per calorie). 
• The vertical axis is nutrient density (per serving). 
• The colour coding is based on our Satiety Index Score.
  • Foods in green have the highest Satiety Index Score and are harder to overeat. 
  • Foods in red towards the bottom left corner have the lowest Satiety Index Score and are easier to overeat.

The nutrient-dense foods towards the right of this chart contain a lot of nutrients per calorie.  However, getting enough protein and energy from non-starchy veggies like spinach, asparagus, and watercress alone is hard.  If you tried to only eat these foods, you’d find yourself craving energy-dense, nutrient-poor comfort foods — like the doughnut in the bottom left corner — before long.  You also wouldn’t get a lot of nutrients because we don’t tend to eat these foods in large quantities.  

 

You don't have to make any crazy changes overnight, but the science is pointing towards a carb heavy high/crash cycle, so we want to counter that by replacing the simple carbs with some protein. One simple way to do that would be instead of eating 2 sandwiches or 2 burgers, eat 1 double meat version (this would also take your absolute calories down if you want to lose weight too).

One other idea would be to replace the granola bar with some fiber (metamucil) and 2 eggs or something like that. That slows that first sugar spike down, which may help with portion control later.

 

Just some ideas.

Edited May 16, 2023 by ramssuperbowl99

[ramssuperbowl99]

8 hours ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

The only issue is when people go whole *** and want to eat an entire pizza, ice cream, cake, booze, etc and they end up going like 3k calories over their TDEE and wiping out a lot of the work they did all week.  That’s fine I guess for maintenance but not if you’re still trying to lose.

Just tag me next time.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

2 hours ago, biggio7 said:

I've been debating getting an app like Centr because I feel as if I pay for it, I'm more likely to do the stuff.

My meals are an issue;

Monday: Granola bar around 10:45, Lunch at 1:00 - Two sandwiches on small hamburger rolls - lunch meat chicken and a half slice of cheese, around 5:00 two burgers (80/20) per shaped, I cook them in the oven. Might have cereal for a snack around 7:45.
Tuesday: Same for the morning/Lunch/ around 5:00 - bowl of pasta with chopped sausage
Wednesday: Same then Shredded chicken and rice
Thursday; Same then two small pizzas (Naan bread)
Friday/Saturday: Vary based on what I have around the apartment; Might be meatballs and bread, or Tuna Salad
Sunday; Sometimes two small pizzas

I'm trying to eat more veggies. I eat a handful of carrots almost every day.

 

Yeah quickly perusing this you’re eating a lot of bull**** calories/carbs.  This stuff isn’t satiating nor does it provide any nutrition.

Im a fan of keto (for short periods anyway, as a tool) and don’t vilify any particular food groups, but much like all fats aren’t the same, neither are all carbs. Processed stuff like bread, pasta, etc., is more or less nutritionally pointless and are going to cause the glucose spikes that drive hunger.

Eat the burgers without buns, same with the meatballs.  Pasta is a filler tbh, it’s a cheap, easy way to get calories.  If you’re trying to lose weight I’d skip it entirely.  Same with most cereal, it’s highly processed sugary nonsense.  I’d treat it like a dessert. 
 

For tacos, pizzas, wraps, etc, I eat these.

https://olemex.com/products/la-banderita-carb-counter-carb-lean/

Just 45 calories a pop and a ton of fiber (which is a key component of a lot of satiating foods).

[BobbyPhil1781]

3 hours ago, biggio7 said:

 - lunch meat chicken .

 

Is this like the packaged stuff from Hillshire Farms or something similar? If so, drop those. Extremely high in sodium along with other bad things. Instead, get a rotisserie or just cook enough chicken breasts to last you the week. I always thought lunch meat was a good thing until I learned it wasn't lol. 

[biggio7]

43 minutes ago, BobbyPhil1781 said:

Is this like the packaged stuff from Hillshire Farms or something similar? If so, drop those. Extremely high in sodium along with other bad things. Instead, get a rotisserie or just cook enough chicken breasts to last you the week. I always thought lunch meat was a good thing until I learned it wasn't lol. 

It's Wegmans brand from the deli so it's fresh. I get the low calorie, 90% fat free. I don't like other stuff.

[jetsfan4life51]

Changing my breakfast ~5 years ago had a huge impact. 
https://medium.com/@StrengthSensei/this-uncommon-breakfast-increases-brain-drive-motivation-and-fat-burn-c01818d4fd05

Then fixing my AM glucose numbers was probably my next biggest impact. Due to scheduling I spent about 8 years eating big dinners anywhere from 930-11 PM. My morning glucose levels were prediabetic despite working out, eating healthy and having a fairly low body fat. Now I don’t eat dinner past 7 PM and my AM levels have normalized. 
 

Now one thing that I think has helped me build the most muscle over the course of a year is strategically taking Essential Amino Acids. A lot of them.