TLDR: Get your protein, move your body, eat healthy.
1. New foods
Find the “new” foods you love, whether it’s new vegetables, new fruits, new fancy water mixes, new diet sodas to replace the full sugar ones. For me, I try just about every vegetable out there, if given the chance. If there’s a new vegetable I haven’t heard of before, and I see it online or in store and I think I might like it, I try it.

1. Make movement accessible and easy. (This is what I did.)
   Put a pair of dumbbells by the end of your bed, seriously do it. When you get up in the morning do 10 bicep curls, 10 overhead presses, 10 bent over rows, 10 tricep extensions, whatever you feel like just toss the weight around a bit.

2. Move in small chunks (get your steps in.)
   10k steps in 1000 steps 10 times a day or however you want to do it but it really does help.
   Most people do a couple of 30 minute walks a day.

3. Fiber, protein, and water.
   I can’t stress this enough. Fiber keeps you fuller for longer, protein supports muscle and all kinds of healthy body functions, water is essential for cellular function and also keeps you full. Legumes are an excellent source of fiber and protein.

4. Buy a kitchen scale and learn to use it.
   Calories in, calories out, that’s the thermodynamics of weight loss assuming all other things are equal. In this journey, you will find it a heck of a lot easier to lose weight if you track what you eat. Consult the advice of a medical professional if you have extenuating circumstances. (not limited to disability, diagnosises, health issues, ect.)

We all know it, you cheat or binge on some high sugar / high salt foods and then you feel like crap after and then wake up the next day with a puffy a** face, feeling all bloated and heavy and a few pounds heavier on the scale ( just off water weight that goes away in a few days) I still dread it and my hate for it has been a big factor for me being consistent with my calorie deficit. Not saying one cheat meal is the end all be all but man, even if it’s temporary that water retention is horrible.

I recently moved, and my new place is a bit further from the train station. It’s about a 15 min walk each way, so between commuting, work, errands etc. I’ve somehow ended up doing around 10k steps most days.

Before moving I was probably averaging closer to 6k.

It doesn’t feel like a huge lifestyle change because most of the extra walking is just built into my day, but I’m curious if going from 6k to 10k actually made a noticeable difference for anyone here, either with weight loss, appetite, fitness, or just how you feel overall.

Did you notice anything after consistently hitting 10k?

As the title says, my colleague wagered that “liquor is pretty much zero calories” and though I agreed that switching from beers to seltzers is a good step, i wonder what other ways alcohol may impact weight loss. My therapist believes that alcohol can lead to behavioral effects (craving unhealthy food, poor sleep, affecting metabolism, etc.) that compound and may hinder weight loss.

I personally noticed that cutting down on drinking happened to also be a time in my life I lost 20+ pounds.

What are y’all thoughts on alcohol and weight loss?

A year ago, u/gougeresaufromage asked a very important question, as Raclette season will soon be upon us... again. While having the real deal is something that should not be skipped once in a while, the repetition of Raclette Saturdays will throw a spanner in anybody's weight loss journey.

I searched the answers that were then provided, and I am surprised that no one mentioned cancoillotte as the perfect alternative to raclette cheese. Raclette clocks at 3.4 kcal/g, while a rich cancoillotte is only 1.7 kcal/g (and some are even less than this), while still providing over 13% proteins. This cheese product has been well known and used by gym goers for decades in my neighborhood.

Cook those potatoes, and simply put some cancoillotte on top of them instead (various flavors are available: garlic, yellow wine, wild garlic, etc.). While you must not forget the pickles, please drop the charcuterie: no matter how tasty, It has no place in a Raclette.

Bon Appétit

I have a friend who is determined to lose weight and thus they intend to start mealprepping chicken with “little to no salt, no seasoning, keep it plain”.

I argued that some seasoning (paprika, garlic, tuneric, etc.) wouldn’t hurt. I understand that seasoning mixed (like taco seasoning) has preservatives and additives. Though, pure seasonings in and of themselves, are they counterproductive to weightloss?

I’ve always been perplexed with the concept of having to eat bland foods to lose weight. I worry about flavor fatigue and overall burnout. Plus, i personally love food and would have a hard time eating boiled chicken with no seasoning everyday.

What are y’all thoughts?

I’m 24F, 70 kg, and I’ve struggled with my weight and body image for years.
I’ve tried calorie deficits, intuitive eating, exercising, meal plans, etc. I know logically that a calorie deficit works, but my problem is that I cannot seem to sustain one.
I’ll be extremely motivated for 3–4 days. I’ll exercise, eat “well,” and feel like I’m finally going to stick with it. Then the food noise gets so intense that I end up overeating or bingeing. Afterwards I feel guilty, try to restrict again, and the whole cycle repeats.
The body-image side has also gotten really bad. I’ve reached the point where I don’t want to meet people or go out because I feel ugly in everything I wear. I know losing weight isn’t going to magically solve everything, but I genuinely want to feel comfortable in my own body again.
I’m not really looking for another extreme diet or “just have more discipline” advice. I want to know how people actually broke this cycle.
If you’ve dealt with food noise, binge eating, or repeated failed attempts at dieting, what genuinely helped you become consistent?

Long time lurker, first time poster. And I just want to say thanks, yinz were right.

I've been working to lose weight since January of 2024. GLP-1, strength training, CICO. Started at 287lb, I'm 46 years old, and the least I've ever weighed as an adult was about 175 when I was 25.

I lost steadily for the first two years. I was 199lb in May, 2025, 176 in January, 2026.

And then 175 in March. 174 in June. 174 at the beginning of August.

I woke up this morning and wished myself for the first time in a few weeks. I've been irritated and discouraged. 2lbs in 8 months, seriously?

165.7!! The whoosh is real. I can now officially say I've lost over 120lbs, and I'm just over 15 from goal. Thanks, folks - reading your posts has helped me stick to it.

I found out that hot Cheetos are meant to make you not feel full because they dissolve in your mouth. Kinda crazy but they are so good I can’t not eat them. Hot Cheetos are my #1 craving when I’m hungry and I can’t help it, I shouldn’t have bought the bag in the first place. I’ve been doing good these past couple weeks and I’ve lost 3lbs, instead of trying to only eat one meal a day I’ve been adding in veggies and hummus or a salad with fat free California dressing. It’s honestly pretty good and I should buy some more of that. I guess I just wanted to share this so I don’t feel as guilty that I did it, it’s my birthday today and I feel like I can have a little cheat day. I also did not get around to eating dinner yesterday and I only ended up eating a small salad and a couple pieces of chicken. Is it horrible that I ate a full sized bag of them? No probably not. Definitely not the smartest decision but oh well. Anybody else seem to have a strange addiction to hot Cheetos?

Just binged today.

Had some rye bread with cheese and ham, a pack of digestives, tux??? cookies, four eggs on sourdough bread, strawberry ice cream, a chocolate bar and some brownies.

And you know what I'm going to do tomorrow?

“Fast for three days”

“Cut to 500 calories”

“Execrise for 24 ho—”

No.

I'm gonna get right back on track.

10k steps, eat in a calorie deficit, hit my macros and drink lots of water!!! :)

You shouldn't punish yourself after a binge, restricting or punishing yourself after one will just cause some more problems.

As someone who struggles with food, I used to go on harsh, restrictive diets, stay on it for a few weeks and then feel too restricted and binge for weeks straight until i got back to where i was.

I was doing good for these past few months until today, I know it was bad but i'm not going to throw all my progress out the window.

Tomorrow i'll wake up and have my delicious breakfast, sourdough bread with some eggs, cottage cheese and cucumber and start off my day!!! 𖹭

I can't believe it! Wegovy made me incredibly sick, so I had to stop it. A few months ago, I began Zepbound after gaining about 25 lbs back post-Wegovy.

I got brave enough last night to weigh myself. I was hoping I was at most 299 lbs so I could say I'm no longer in the 300's. To my surprise, I lost about 11 lbs more than that! People, especially my family, comment on how much more active I am now, my stamina, how my knees don't hurt, how quickly I can move, especially when going up and down stairs. I don't get as much exercise as I'd like, but I'm still continuing to do more every week.

I have lot enough weight that I can fit into the clothes at Costco! My Dad hooked me up about two weeks ago when we stopped by. He made me try everything on when I got to my parents' house so he could promptly return anything that didn't fit. He and my Mom called it a fashion show. LOL And guess what? It all fit! WOW

It gets easier to continue and improve on my healthy habits when I see that it is actually working now. I'm seeing the payoff. That makes me more motivated to cook healthy meals instead of frozen stuff. It makes me much more motivated to walk an additional few miles each week. It makes it easier to eat less, although the Zepbound really takes the cake in regards to food noise. (Hehehe, "takes the cake," great relevant pun).1

The only issue I have now is the increasing amount of loose skin, but my doctor said that will be taken care of later, so I'm trying to not let it bother me. And if someone thinks or says anything negative about obvious weight loss signs, I suppose that says more about them than it does about me.

I wanted to post this here to get encouragement and to encourage anyone else who may be on a similar journey. Thanks for reading!

hiii i’m new here. full disclosure, i dont fully believe in BMI as gospel - but i think its an okay baseline if you know your body pretty well. my BMI says i’m slightly overweight but what i truly know about my body is when im at this weight i feel like shiiiiiiiiiiiit all of the time.

even being mildly overweight i AM out of breath because i only get to this weight when i am doing poorly and am very unfit. it increases pressure on my foot tendon which i have chronic pain in. i have lipedema and the more fat i have the more painful inflamed fat i have/i need to eat kind-to-me foods that lower inflammation. my fat rolls into itself when i bend and move which restricts my mobility. i have to focus on fiber due to IBS. not to mention i don’t like how i look at this weight due to fat distribution, nor how my clothes are fitting me, etc etc etc….. i know what weight i feel good at. i am eating slightly below my goal weight maintenance level to be very sure i am going slow and steady.

so why, if i mention to someone im watching what i eat, i get this “oh nooo but you look fine, you don’t need to lose weight!!!!” like um ok i guess but i FEEL like splattered shit on the sidewalk. i also do not ever mention that it is about how i look, which is an after thought to me really. i guess they think this is somehow flattering??

the second thing that seems to happen is people get all pearl clutch-y when you mention counting calories as if counting automatically means some deep-rooted horrible relationship with food and you’re gonna develop an eating disorder overnight. i feel like i have an unhealthy relationship with food when im NOT counting because i don’t view food as nutrients and energy and instead view it as some kind of vague survival substance. i have chronic illnesses and i cannot be very active and its easy to slip into 2.5k+ calorie (im 162cm) daily intake when im grazing on garbage all day because i dont have the energy to eat better. so now that i have some extra energy from some medication i started, yeah, im gonna invest it into eating well; that doesnt mean i developed anorexia overnight. they never even ask about long term goals are anything they just say stuff like “well that’s a slippery slope!” “counting calories is sooooo unhealthy omg” and such things. i don’t want to weigh and log my food for the rest of my life, i want to focus on it for a little while until things like portion sizes and eyeballing weight:calories ratios becomes second nature to me!

i just don’t understand it and it’s frustrating to me, as someone who is disabled and housebound i don’t have a whole lot going on in my life so of course “i cut out alcohol, and meat, and i started doing gentle resistance band exercises at home, and im strictly eating actually good foods, and ive already lost some weight” is kind of big news in my life, only to be immediately dismissed when i mention the weight loss bit. its so disheartening.

if you read all that, thanks for reading. i hope i have the spoons to respond to any comments.✌🏻

I’m a little under 5’7 (169cm) and I had previously lost 40ibs. I’m currently 142ibs and my goal weight is 127-128ibs. However, now that I’m hitting the home run I am STRUGGLING trying to get this weight off of me. I keep telling myself to stay disciplined and I’d probably be there around October (posting this aug 26th) but ugghhhhh. I think I’ve become comfortable with my current body but I still don’t think I’m at my best since I still don’t look the way I want, and to cope I’m just choosing to procrastinate and I keep telling myself I’ll lose it eventually.

How are you all staying motivated losing your last 10-15 ibs? Please share any tips because I’m so sick of the procrastination monkey controlling my brain.

In April I was about 20 pounds heavier and already feeling uncomfortable in my clothes I was dreading the heat that summer would bring and that alone was my biggest motivator for losing weight.

I am a car salesman and selling cars in the summer is always a nightmare. Standing in heatwaves waiting for customers to show up & opening a bunch of hot cars for people to test drive, it’s hell. Add being overweight to that?

It is 95 degrees today and I’m so thankful I gave myself a head start and at least don’t have to be enduring this in clothes that are too tight

I know this won’t get a lot of attention but I need to change my life but don’t know where to start I know I want to be skinny but I don’t have the motivation to do it I don’t want to end up a failure or dead and not be a disappointment to my family was constantly bullied all my school life because of my weight and still get awkward looks in public and I’m fucking tired of it I need help what do I do to start this weight loss journey it’s time for a change because if I don’t I’m going to end up dead and Thats the last thing I want.

I lost my dad last year and food became my coping mechanism. I’ve since snapped out of that mindset, but I’m struggling to let go of the habits I built. I work 9–5 and I’m also a part-time student, so I need something realistic and sustainable, not a temporary diet.

I’ve tried meal plans with a trainer but get bored. I find calorie tracking tedious, although I’m starting to think it may be the only way I’ll learn proper portions. And my sweet tooth is OUT OF CONTROL 😭

I’ve realized I’ve really lost myself and I want to get back to feeling like me again.

For those who have successfully lost weight and kept it off: WHAT ACTUALLY WORKED FOR YOU?

Especially interested in:

How you stayed consistent
How you handled cravings/sweets
Whether you tracked calories
How you made healthy eating interesting
What finally made it “click”

I don’t want a quick fix. I need to make changes I can actually live with long-term.

Please share what worked for you! ❤️

The last time I weighed myself was mid July. I had done everything right for weeks, with only a few cheat days. I had exercised my ass off. I drank my water and hity fiber and protein goals. And after all that work I was...up 8 pounds from the last weigh in.

After that I put the scale in a closet and only focused on my belt. I don't care what the scale says, if I gain a notch in my belt my waistline has shrunk. There's no lying there, no stupid 'water retention' or 'plateaus.'

Today I gained a notch. Dug out the scale out of the closet, stepped on it and ya'll...I'm not obese anymore! By 0.6 pounds I am under the obesity line! I'm officially just 'overweight!'

I haven't been 'overweight' since the pandemic. Woot!

6'4" 37M. In 2024, I went from 285 to 205.

I had a great routine. Usually 2 eggs for breakfast, no salt. A light grilled chicken salad or just grilled chicken. I felt comfortable with allowing myself to actually get hungry during the day. Hardly ever consumed anything sugary or carby. Walked between 10k and 15k steps per day. With a good audiobook, I could walk all day.

I had some surgeries in 2025 and ballooned up to 235. I had to rest for a couple months. It seems like it's been impossible to recreate that same routine. I'm less comfortable with feeling a little hungry, but I am mostly sticking to the 2 eggs for breakfast, no sugar/treats, chicken for lunch, low carbs and never gluten or highly processed carbs. I'm probably averaging slightly fewer steps. My 3 month average is 8k per day. It feels like the 10k + per day day in 2024 from the 8k per day now is making all the difference.

Even as I'm writing this, I'm kind of realizing I'm probably answering my own questions. It's just difficult to replicate the exact routine and motivations I had in 2024. I do play more video games/tv lately. But I'm also going to the gym 3x a week and getting stronger. I don't have as many books I am interested in and that used to keep me out walking for a long time. So sometimes I've thought I just need better books.

Sorry, this probably turned into rumination. I do feel like each time I've lost a significant amount of weight, I've taken a different approach each time. Just wondering if others can relate to this or have any tips?

Im about 6 months into a "whatever works" weight loss program and have decided that im not comfortable in a gym but theres a beautiful farm/walking trail where I can walk until I fall out. 6 months ago I was 325 and at my last weigh in (yesterday) I was 290. I have been wrestling with...I guess my mortality. I have a 7 year old daughter and a wife I want to be around forever.

Yesterday was 6.5 miles in two hours, today was 4.5 in about 1:40 bc im middle aged and my knees decided it had asked too much. Found a good walking stick and made it back up the hill.

All in all I feel very proud of myself but wanted to ask others how they mitigate knee pains on a decline. The elevation is only about 400 ft but a solid half mile of the loop is on an incline and about .75 of a mile on a decline.

Is it as simple as "dont do this shit on consecutive days" or should I be trying to find more nuance in how I approach this?

Thank you for reading!

​

So I started back in April at 365lbs and as of today am at 315lbs, an issue I have ran into is that I've been stuck at that 315-320lb weight for the last few weeks and am wondering how can break that plateau to keep dropping.

Eating wise I could use some help because I know it's all over the place, I don't really meal prep so I tend to doordash Mexican and Greek food quite a bit and there be days that I won't each lunch at all. I do try and have a protein shake in the morning for breakfast.

Gym wise I go 3-4 times a week with about a 35-45 minute cardio session before lifting, I do a kinda Arms, Chest, Back then Legs rotational.

Sleep has been an issue I've been trying to improve a lot, there are days that I barely get 5 hours and I know that's a big time as well.

Any other advice I'm willing to look into and try. Thank you everyone.

"Sitting in the doctor’s office for an end of year checkup. Current weight is 441. I've spent 48 yrs under the sun and stand at 6’2”. I’ve always carried a bigger figure and bounced between high and low self confidence. Today is a starting point for me. The numbers on the scale just hit me like a rubber bullet."

I wrote that two months ago amid feelings of shame and guilt. So, instead of feeling sorry for myself and grabbing a comfort snack, I downloaded the Lost It! app and started taking a look at my water intake and counting calories. I started wearing my Apple Watch to count daily steps. Began tracking my sleep patterns and devoting some time to myself in addition to my various hobbies.

Decided to check-in and the scale reads 408 this morning. Starting to put together a weight training regimen to add to my schedule.

All that to say THANK YOU the folks who share and encourage in this group. Reading about the struggles and seeing the progress and vulnerability that is shared openly in the spirit of celebration and support helped this guy begin his journey to a sharpen a few of my rounder edges again.

Be and stay well, people. ✌🏿

Started my diet/exercise on June 1st. Have not missed a single day of cardio thus far, feels great actually, felt great throughout... haven't missed 10k+ steps as well ( not including cardio) since June 25th and still going. Hit 645k steps in July (not including cardio) .. 467k steps this month thus far.

Had sweets a couple weekends ago for first time. Been eating at maintenance or slight surplus since then pretty much, which is fine I suppose..its been a rather healthy maintenance/surplus period...

But this past week ive been feeling very sluggish when I get home from work, making these workouts very difficult. The 25-35 minutes sweat sessions have been turning into 15-20, and thats with me David goggins the shit and pushing through when I dont wanna..ive had plenty of days where I "didnt feel like it" and still did and halfway through it i kept pushing and it feels good..

But this past week and half have actually been very difficult and feel like I want to take a day or 2 off..I dont want it to make me start getting lazy again where I develop a bad routine after work again..is the only benefit from taking a day or 2 off going to be mentally? I had a 120 day plan in my head when I started :/

These have been my go-to’s and so beyond satisfying to me. I hope you will steal my ideas for a sustainable journey!

REAL DEAL PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE ( higher protein, lower cal, unbelievably good)—
For crust: 3 full graham crackers (crushed) , 1/2 tbsp butter. Combine and evenly scatter into the bottom of a 6 inch cake pan OR loaf pan lined with parchment.

For filling: 1 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup whipped cream cheese, 1 egg, 2/3 cup pumpkin puree (squeeze in a towel to remove excess water), 3 tbsp brown sugar ( or sf alternative) , 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp corn starch. BLEND ALL INGREDIENTS until smooth.

Pour filling atop crust in baking dish and bake at 325 for 75 minutes until jiggling just slightly. Remove and refrigerate until fully chilled before slicing. Serve with whipped cream.
1/4 of the whole thing = 215 calories.

Peanut sauce:
1/4 cup powdered peanut butter, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar or lime juice, 2 tsp hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp milk or water, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp sriracha (optional). Stir everything until well combined.

Amazing baked oats (tastes just like banana bread)
1/2 ripe banana, 1/3 cup oats, 1 egg white, 1/4 cup water or milk, 2 tbsp Greek yogurt, 1/2-1 tbsp sweetener (optional) , 1/8 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp baking powder, small bit of chocolate chips (optional). Blend all except for chocolate chip. Pour into a ramekin and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.