What I've learned after a 10 month cut and losing 50 lbs

[royalewitcheese]

Hello all!

I've been lurking on BB.com for quite a while and rarely post, but I wanted to give some tips based on my experience over the past 10 months. Since 1/3/2017 I have gone from 230lbs to 180lbs today (and counting). I've seen a lot of people ask a bunch of complex questions and wanted to give you insight into my own experience. Hopefully this will help some of you. Please keep in mind that these are my own opinions and what has worked for me.

1.) The most important thing you can do is to develop your own plan that you can maintain.

This isn't temporary and it's something you should be able to maintain for the rest of your life. When most people first start out, it's kind of like first starting a new job that you really like. At first you are super gung ho and want to work out every day and make these drastic life changes, and then well, life happens and you burn out after two months and go back to your old unhealthy habits. If you do not know how to cook, learn how. Cooking your own food is one of the most important tools to your success here.

So, make a plan that you can maintain. For example, I probably have averaged four days a week going to the gym and after the first few weeks I stopped being so anal about counting calories. I didn't notice any difference in my results if I ate 1950 calories one day vs. 1850 the next day.

2.) Keep your diet simple.

Don't overthink things. Make sure that you calculate your TDEE and eat 500-1000 calories per day less than that number. If you do this and property count your calories and are hold yourself accountable every day, you will lose the weight. Don't be concerned about the differences between complex and simple carbs, sodium amounts, etc. All of those minute details will mean very little if you do not have the motivation and drive to maintain your plan. Hence, keeping it simple. Plus, I have studied all of these things, like the affect of eating carbs within 2 hours of going to sleep or complex carbs vs. simple carbs and at the end of the day these things had absolutely zero effect on my results. I eat carbs before bed almost every day and I love white rice. The key is that it all has to fit within your calorie limit for that day.

3.) Keep your fitness plan simple.

I don't do cardio but to each their own. In the gym, I focus on hitting my compound lifts (bench press, squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, military press, incline bench, etc.) as hard as I can with as much weight as I can. After I've done 4 or so compound exercises for that workout then I focus on a few isolation exercises. I try to vary things up so it doesn't get too stale. Basically, if a muscle group has had a few days to recover and isn't sore, feel free to work it.

4.) Water weight is something you will have to live with.

Right now I am hovering around 180 lbs in the morning and will be about 186-187 or so before I go to bed. This happens like clockwork every day. I look more bloated in the afternoon than I do in the morning. So, if you are taking progress pictures or weighing yourself, do it in the morning! I remember one time I went to sleep at 189 lbs and woke up at 180 lbs... no lie. And, if you have a cheat meal during the weekend and eat a lot of carbs, you will retain more water the next few days so keep that in mind. As long as you are sticking to your plan, you will lose the weight.

That's all I wanted to say for now. If I think of anything else I will post in this thread!

[Nobodyfit]

Thank you for your feedback from your weight loss. this helps me keep my head high through this.

[bcradio]

Excellent post and thank you for the insight.

The only gripe I have is with being strict on counting calories. You must count everything you eat or you could easily add 300 - 400 extra calories a day that you don't account for.

Keep up the good work!

[royalewitcheese]

Excellent post and thank you for the insight.

The only gripe I have is with being strict on counting calories. You must count everything you eat or you could easily add 300 - 400 extra calories a day that you don't account for.

Keep up the good work!

Thank you! And I agree with how I phrased that. I didn't want to imply to not count calories but rather after the first few weeks you do not need to be as strict with weighing everything you eat, as you should already know that 1 egg = 70 calories or one cup of rice is 200 calories, etc. and can add your calories as a running total in your head to make sure you stay under your limit. So, if at the end of the day I end up at 1950 vs my goal of 1900 I'm not too worried about it.

However, I do agree that if you are not counting properly, an extra 300 calories can outright kill your plan. Thanks for the input!

[WolfRose7]

Great post OP, and congrats on achieving your goals so far.

Excellent post and thank you for the insight.

The only gripe I have is with being strict on counting calories. You must count everything you eat or you could easily add 300 - 400 extra calories a day that you don't account for.

Keep up the good work!

I disagree, I just cut 6kg in 8 weeks while gaining strength without counting a single calorie.

It's useful for many a person certainly, but the idea that you have to be OCD about weighing/counting everything is false

[Kalagaraz]

Great post OP, and congrats on achieving your goals so far.



I disagree, I just cut 6kg in 8 weeks while gaining strength without counting a single calorie.

It's useful for many a person certainly, but the idea that you have to be OCD about weighing/counting everything is false

Sure some people can get away without counting calories, but the vast majority of people are not good at eyeballing how many calories are in something. I've been counting my calories religiously for several months now and I still get tricked by some foods. Was shopping the other day and the SPAM looked pretty tasty so I threw a couple cans in shopping cart. Got home was going to make a SPAM sandwich, I looked at calories on side of can and holy **** biscuits, that's like my entire days worth of calories in a single small can...

http://www.spam.com/varieties/spam-classic

Look at that crap, 1100 calories in a small 12 oz can. It's no wonder I'm fat as hell...

[CommitmentRulz]

I see where your coming from but instead of clogging your arteries with spam why don't you eat turkey? Also a natural test booster cuts cortisol so you aren't bloated Go see for yourself in the link. Instead of trying to count calories wouldn't it be better to moderate your intake?

OP, ignore the link. This guy is spamming these boards with his stupid fake juice.

[FatalTragedy12]

Counting calories takes seconds these days, you'd be silly not to do it. I just have a pair of kitchen scales next to my stove and throw everything I eat on it and log it in MFP. Better to do it than not do it.

[manhunt9]

Hey would you kindly help a brother out you seem to know what your doing to have lost 50lbs.

My problem is that i cant lose any weight, i look different though look less fat. My TDEE is around 3,000 (i know because i have a newest fitbit) and sometimes it can go up to 3,500 occasionally when i hit the gym for 2 hours with my partner (strength training only) and other basic **** around the house or have to walk to a shop. My BMR is 2,000kcals and i only eat 2,000 calories so basically that leaves me in a 1,000kcal deficit, i haven't lost a damn single LBS in 5 months, my strength is basically platued so im going to the gym to only maintain my strength which sucks.

Any help is appreciated!

[spradish]

Hey would you kindly help a brother out you seem to know what your doing to have lost 50lbs.

My problem is that i cant lose any weight, i look different though look less fat. My TDEE is around 3,000 (i know because i have a newest fitbit) and sometimes it can go up to 3,500 occasionally when i hit the gym for 2 hours with my partner (strength training only) and other basic **** around the house or have to walk to a shop. My BMR is 2,000kcals and i only eat 2,000 calories so basically that leaves me in a 1,000kcal deficit, i haven't lost a damn single LBS in 5 months, my strength is basically platued so im going to the gym to only maintain my strength which sucks.

Any help is appreciated!

If you haven't lost any weight in five months, you haven't been eating in a deficit. You are miscounting the number of calories you are eating, which is extremely common and the basis for around 70% of the threads on this board. Get a digital kitchen scale and weigh all solid foods. Get a liquid measuring cup and set of measuring spoons to measure all liquids. Get a good calorie counting book or use the USDA website or CNF website (Canadian Nutrition File) to get the calorie counts for the food you eat. Then log every single thing you ingest in a notebook or app. If I were you, I'd eat as normal for a week and log all of that. It will allow you to calculate your actual food intake at this point while you are eating at maintenance. Then during the second week and going forward drop your calories by 10-20%.

[manhunt9]

If you haven't lost any weight in five months, you haven't been eating in a deficit. You are miscounting the number of calories you are eating, which is extremely common and the basis for around 70% of the threads on this board. Get a digital kitchen scale and weigh all solid foods. Get a liquid measuring cup and set of measuring spoons to measure all liquids. Get a good calorie counting book or use the USDA website or CNF website (Canadian Nutrition File) to get the calorie counts for the food you eat. Then log every single thing you ingest in a notebook or app. If I were you, I'd eat as normal for a week and log all of that. It will allow you to calculate your actual food intake at this point while you are eating at maintenance. Then during the second week and going forward drop your calories by 10-20%.

I track every gram i put in my body with my fitnesspal app i measure everything in my digital food scale, And i'm always feeling hungry so telling me that i haven't been in a deficit in 5months is laughable.

From further research i have gained more knowledge and what i think has happened is that my activity has been so high and i haven't been eating as much that my body has made my metabolism slow down and my body is in survival mode (holding onto fat as much as possible for survival)

Which means i have to increase my calories in order to lose weight, so ill probably come up to 2500 daily and be in a 500 deficit for as long as possible.

[spradish]

I track every gram i put in my body with my fitnesspal app i measure everything in my digital food scale, And i'm always feeling hungry so telling me that i haven't been in a deficit in 5months is laughable.

From further research i have gained more knowledge and what i think has happened is that my activity has been so high and i haven't been eating as much that my body has made my metabolism slow down and my body is in survival mode (holding onto fat as much as possible for survival)

Which means i have to increase my calories in order to lose weight, so ill probably come up to 2500 daily and be in a 500 deficit for as long as possible.

Your research and knowledge are what are laughable.

There is no such thing as a "survival mode" wherein your body holds onto fat because you eat too little and are too active. If this were the case, victims of the Holocaust, who were fed little while being made to work all day digging holes and moving stones and sacks of sand, would not have wasted away to skin and bones.

Bottom line, if you aren't losing weight at this point, you are eating at maintenance.

[royalewitcheese]

Your research and knowledge are what are laughable.

There is no such thing as a "survival mode" wherein your body holds onto fat because you eat too little and are too active. If this were the case, victims of the Holocaust, who were fed little while being made to work all day digging holes and moving stones and sacks of sand, would not have wasted away to skin and bones.

Bottom line, if you aren't losing weight at this point, you are eating at maintenance.

spradish is right on target with this. The whole survival mode thing gets tossed around too easily when in reality it would take many months of very low calorie intake to make your body change it's metabolism. If you are eating 500-1000 calories less than your maintenance level, this will not happen.

When are you weighing yourself each day? The best time to weigh yourself is right when you wake up and go to the bathroom and before you drink any water. My advice to you is to take your normal daily food intake, and subtract out about 500 calories from that amount per week. The reason I say this, is that apparently you are eating at maintenance or more close to maintenance then you realize. Trust me, you will not go into "starvation mode". And if you are hungry all day, try eating more satiating foods. What is a typical full day of eating for you?

[royalewitcheese]

spradish is right on target with this. The whole survival mode thing gets tossed around too easily when in reality it would take many months of very low calorie intake to make your body change it's metabolism. If you are eating 500-1000 calories less than your maintenance level, this will not happen.

When are you weighing yourself each day? The best time to weigh yourself is right when you wake up and go to the bathroom and before you drink any water. My advice to you is to take your normal daily food intake, and subtract out about 500 calories from that amount per week. The reason I say this, is that apparently you are eating at maintenance or more close to maintenance then you realize. Trust me, you will not go into "starvation mode". And if you are hungry all day, try eating more satiating foods. What is a typical full day of eating for you?

One other thing I want to add. Are you properly tracking what you eat/drink on the weekends? A cheat meal or two plus a night of boozing can easily offset all of that hard work you have done during the week. It's a lot easier than you think.

[manhunt9]

Your research and knowledge are what are laughable.

There is no such thing as a "survival mode" wherein your body holds onto fat because you eat too little and are too active. If this were the case, victims of the Holocaust, who were fed little while being made to work all day digging holes and moving stones and sacks of sand, would not have wasted away to skin and bones.

Bottom line, if you aren't losing weight at this point, you are eating at maintenance.

You know what your right man, if im not losing weight then ill just start starve myself since im already eating too little

[manhunt9]

spradish is right on target with this. The whole survival mode thing gets tossed around too easily when in reality it would take many months of very low calorie intake to make your body change it's metabolism. If you are eating 500-1000 calories less than your maintenance level, this will not happen.

When are you weighing yourself each day? The best time to weigh yourself is right when you wake up and go to the bathroom and before you drink any water. My advice to you is to take your normal daily food intake, and subtract out about 500 calories from that amount per week. The reason I say this, is that apparently you are eating at maintenance or more close to maintenance then you realize. Trust me, you will not go into "starvation mode". And if you are hungry all day, try eating more satiating foods. What is a typical full day of eating for you?

i already know all of that, and my daily food plan goes something like this roughly, its not exact... 100% wholewheat cerals 70g to be exact and 300ml of skinned milk no sugar, no added sugar (no white sugar) 2 cans of tuna and 100g of brown rice, 6 eggs and 100g of brown rice and a few more little things to make it up to go 2000 train for 2 hours at the gym heavy compound lifts and isolation exercises, i walk about 3-5miles a day on average and drink 3-4litres of water

[manhunt9]

One other thing I want to add. Are you properly tracking what you eat/drink on the weekends? A cheat meal or two plus a night of boozing can easily offset all of that hard work you have done during the week. It's a lot easier than you think.

im 21 and i dont like the taste of alcohol believe it or not, i dont have cheat meals as im on a tight bugdet plus my gym membership is kinda pricy so eating clean is actually saving me money

[WolfRose7]

im 21 and i dont like the taste of alcohol believe it or not, i dont have cheat meals as im on a tight bugdet plus my gym membership is kinda pricy so eating clean is actually saving me money

If you are legitimately not losing weight on a deficit you need to see a GP

[manhunt9]

If you are legitimately not losing weight on a deficit you need to see a GP

I know right everything is 100% on point and nothing is happening, i have thought in contacting a personal trainer but money is an issue for me at the moment... is the GP the best solution? the internet is full of trolls i cant take their **** serious

[spradish]

I know right everything is 100% on point and nothing is happening, i have thought in contacting a personal trainer but money is an issue for me at the moment... is the GP the best solution? the internet is full of trolls i cant take their **** serious

Do you actually need to lose weight? What are your height and weight?

[Halbrust]

Huge congrats!!!

One big thing I take away from what you wrote is "50 pounds in 10 months". So many people get frustrated because they only lost 5 pounds even though they've done everything right for a whole month. five pounds lost every month is 50 pounds in 10 months.

Weight/fat does not come of consistently and linearly. But over the long haul all the numbers are true and real. If you are eating 500 calories per day less than your TDEE you will lose one pound a week, eventually. Maybe you will lose five pounds the first week you do it because you drop a lot of water weight. Maybe on week four you will gain a pound because you ate extra sodium and are retaining water. But you will lose an average of one pound per week over the long term.

Congratulations again. Thanks for the great thread, and I hope to join you at 50 pounds lost in 8-9 months from now.

[manhunt9]

Do you actually need to lose weight? What are your height and weight?

5ft 11, 210lbs, and yes i do, i want to lean bulk soon and get my lifts up.

[royalewitcheese]

Huge congrats!!!

One big thing I take away from what you wrote is "50 pounds in 10 months". So many people get frustrated because they only lost 5 pounds even though they've done everything right for a whole month. five pounds lost every month is 50 pounds in 10 months.

Weight/fat does not come of consistently and linearly. But over the long haul all the numbers are true and real. If you are eating 500 calories per day less than your TDEE you will lose one pound a week, eventually. Maybe you will lose five pounds the first week you do it because you drop a lot of water weight. Maybe on week four you will gain a pound because you ate extra sodium and are retaining water. But you will lose an average of one pound per week over the long term.

Congratulations again. Thanks for the great thread, and I hope to join you at 50 pounds lost in 8-9 months from now.

Thank you Halbrust! You seem to have gotten the main point of what I wanted people to understand and that is, don't overthink the details. Find a plan that you can stick to without being a slave to your diet and gym, and maintain that plan. Doing this will allow you to more easily continue your plan in the future and make this a change for the rest of your life rather than a "diet" where you lose 40 lbs in 3 months and gain it all back after something dramatic happens in your life (i.e. job loss, divorce, etc).

I've gotten to the point where I feel like I'm on cruise control. I am able to lose on average about a pound a week (some weeks I lose ZERO and some weeks I lose 3 lbs but it all averages out). But, right now I'm also about 15% bodyfat so it's getting tougher as I get leaner.

It looks like you are getting back on the wagon with your diet. Congrats for what you've done so far and I don't hope to see you at the 50lb mark, I want to see you at that 100lb mark soon!

[unplugged]

I know right everything is 100% on point and nothing is happening, i have thought in contacting a personal trainer but money is an issue for me at the moment... is the GP the best solution? the internet is full of trolls i cant take their **** serious

Wow.... you sure are dense in the head aren't you? Well let me try to explain it so that even you can understand... YOU AREN'T LOSING WEIGHT BECAUSE YOU AREN'T BURNING MORE THEN YOUR CONSUMING (not in a deficit)!!! And HOW could everything be on point? On point means your current diet set up is supporting and working towards your current goal and it's not. No offense but you've got a lot to learn

[unplugged]

You know what your right man, if im not losing weight then ill just start starve myself since im already eating too little

Possibly the most retarded thing i've read on here... And Spradish isn't a man just so ya know

[jasondjulian]

Sure some people can get away without counting calories, but the vast majority of people are not good at eyeballing how many calories are in something. I've been counting my calories religiously for several months now and I still get tricked by some foods. Was shopping the other day and the SPAM looked pretty tasty so I threw a couple cans in shopping cart. Got home was going to make a SPAM sandwich, I looked at calories on side of can and holy **** biscuits, that's like my entire days worth of calories in a single small can...

Look at that crap, 1100 calories in a small 12 oz can. It's no wonder I'm fat as hell...

Yeah, SPAM is a very calorie dense "food". But were you actually planning on eating an entire can? One serving is 2oz, 180 cals. That seems more sensible for a single SPAM sandwich.

[carbassboy]

did you have any loose skin? how tall are you

[faqeer]

I track every gram i put in my body with my fitnesspal app i measure everything in my digital food scale, And i'm always feeling hungry so telling me that i haven't been in a deficit in 5months is laughable.

From further research i have gained more knowledge and what i think has happened is that my activity has been so high and i haven't been eating as much that my body has made my metabolism slow down and my body is in survival mode (holding onto fat as much as possible for survival)

Which means i have to increase my calories in order to lose weight, so ill probably come up to 2500 daily and be in a 500 deficit for as long as possible.

Can you give us a breakdown of typical foods you eat per day? and how much of them?

[royalewitcheese]

did you have any loose skin? how tall are you

No loose skin at all and I'm 6'0. I'll see if I can post some pics of before and after.

[carbassboy]

No loose skin at all and I'm 6'0. I'll see if I can post some pics of before and after.

thanks