5’3 and staying between 115-125 has got to be the hardest! The maintenance calories are so less it’s so disheartening to look at 🥲. And 10k steps doesn’t up it much either like it barely gets me at 1750. And strength training 3x a week barely gets me to 1850. This is just absolute hell. I feel like I’m gonna get fat real quick again because it’s so hard to eat so less. 1800 is just not good enough for me sorry but my big self is still in me somewhere 😭. I wish I could just enjoy all the tasty food out there without guilt and worries. What helps you ladies keep it off for good?

I've been losing weight for about a year now. I'm barely 152 cm (5'0") and started at 89 kg (196 lbs). I'm currently 75 kg (165 lbs), so I've lost 14 kg (31 lbs). A healthy weight for my height would be around 46-57 kg (102-126 lbs).

What's frustrating is that when I do things the right way, it works... but it's so slow. Being short means I just don't have many calories to work with. My maintenance calories are only around 1,500 a day. If I make a mistake, have a birthday party, a stressful week, or a couple of bad food choices, my entire deficit basically disappears.

I know I could probably do more. I know I could be more active.

But here come the excuses...

I have a demanding job, three children under 7, and spend 10-20 hours a week helping care for my sick in-laws and my grandmother. Those are also the people who would normally help us out, so there really isn't much support. On top of that, my youngest has medical issues and can't just stay with a regular babysitter.

Despite all that, I do exercise a few times a week and try to do squats and push-ups every other day. A year ago I could barely manage a knee push-up. Now I can do three real push-ups followed by a few knee push-ups. It might not sound impressive, but I'm actually pretty proud of that.

I'm also proud of what I've managed this year. I've consistently lost about 0.2 kg (0.4 lbs) per week for almost a year.

Lately, though, I've been feeling frustrated.

On October 30th, I'm receiving my diploma for a postgraduate university program. Honestly, I have no idea how I managed to finish that over the last two years with everything else going on. Part of me really wanted to look noticeably slimmer in the pictures.

So about a month ago I decided to speed things up and aim for 0.5-1 kg (1-2 lbs) per week instead.

Turns out that was a terrible idea.

I was hungry every evening. I thought about food all the time. I had more slip-ups than usual. Instead of losing faster, I actually gained a bit of weight during October. If I had just kept doing what was already working, I'd probably be around 74-75 kg by now. Instead, I'm bouncing between 75 and 76 kg.

With another 15-20 kg still to lose, I'll probably see you all again in about two years when I finally get to a healthy weight.

I've mostly made peace with that after this little experiment.

The upside is that by the time I get there, this definitely won't be a diet anymore. It'll just be how I live.

But I'd be lying if I said I never get jealous of my 187 cm (6'2") husband casually eating a lunch that contains half of my daily calorie budget while still losing weight.

I've been slightly overweight now for a few years. I've experimented with a couple different diets and calorie tracking methods. My go-to a year ago was Keto, and I saw a bit of success with that, but then I fell off the wagon and started drinking again. I blew up to about 180lbs a month ago. I quit drinking and started to prioritize fiber intake for two reasons:

1) I learned quite a bit more about the effects of short chained fatty acids, and other gut bacterial byproducts, that really help optimize your digestion and metabolism, and provide a ton of other benefits.

2) I wanted to really limit my calories to about a 800/day deficit and I didn't want to feel really hungry all the time doing it.

So I've started to track fiber in take in the same way I used to really prioritize tracking protein intake. I aim for about 30g/1000 calories, which is about double the USDA recommendation. So this really entices more consumption of legumes, whole grains, etc - I eat lots of lentils, split peas, vegetables, red river cereal, berries, etc.

It's been exactly 1 month today and I went from 180lbs to ~170lbs. Plus or minus 2-3 lbs for both owing to hydration, time of day, etc - that's pretty decent progress. By my estimation that's averaging around 1.5lbs to 2lbs a week when you exclude all the potential noise represented on the scale. AND it has saved me quite a bit of money because although I still eat meat, the consumption of it has decreased because I just feel really full after I eat my fiber source. I never really feel hungry, I usually feel pretty satiated. The first week I felt pretty hungry, but then I got used to the diet and now I feel good.

I won't lie, it can potentially take the enjoyment out of food because 30g/1000 calories kind of necessitates quite a bit of really high fiber foods like beans, lentils, split peas, quinoa, etc. But I've also picked up some crafty ways to make those things more flavorful.

So to conclude, I feel like aiming for fiber has been an excellent weight loss tactic for me. It may be worth a shot if you're feeling stubbornly hungry, or want to mix strategies up.

This may seem like a silly post but for me, one of the major changes in my eating habits have come from my breakfast. Before trying to lose weight my breakfast was an English muffin with cheese. Now my go to breakfast as of lately is 1 egg plus half cup of egg whites (mixed with spinach) plus some cottage cheese, a thin slice of deli turkey and some pico de galo all wrapped up in a 70 cal high fibre low carb tortilla. Side of a small container of Oikos Greek yogurt and 6 strawberries.

In my community at least, people don’t eat big breakfasts unless it’s a special occasion. The norm for most people is to just have a slice of toast with peanut butter or jam or a bowl of cereal. If I were to tell people I eat a whole ass breakfast wrap plus a side, they would probably look at me and think “yeah that’s probably why you’re fat” 😂

But no I like my current breakfast and I’ve lost 30 pounds so I know it’s working for me. The biggest difference I feel is I’m not having an energy crash two hours later and it keeps me from snacking between meals.

I know that the whole “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” thing originally came from cereal companies to get you to buy their products but I do believe there is some truth to it. When I have a nice breakfast with a good amount of protein and not overloaded with carbs, I feel good. Enough energy to start my day with and keep me full for at least a couple hours.

Anyone else with a similar finding?

​

Hello, To give you some context, here’s a quick summary: I’m a 32-year-old male. Over the last two and a half years, I’ve gone from 120 kg to 88 kg, while also building muscle through three strength training sessions and one HIIT session per week.

I’ve been tracking my calories for over a year, so I know my data is reliable. My maintenance level is around 2,750 kcal, with a macro breakdown of 1.8g of protein and 0.8g of fat per kg of body weight, a low-glycemic-index diet, etc.

For the past three weeks, my weight has been steadily climbing, even though I’ve been lowering my caloric intake—I’m up about 1.5 kg.

I started by dropping to 2,600 kcal, then 2,500, and now I’m at 2,400 kcal—yet every morning, the scale shows a higher number. Meanwhile, my performance in the gym has remained stable or even improved slightly.

Honestly, I’m discouraged; I feel like throwing in the towel and ending up regaining all the weight I’ve lost. My goal is to reach 86 kg, but right now, the whole process just feels exhausting.

Edit : Thanks you everyone, I'm still motivated and I will continue 2 more week at 2400 and I will see if I need to cut to 2200

To clarify, I was at 2750 few weeks ago, at 89kg, and my weight was stable during 6 weeks

The only change i made is taking PPI for GERD, I know that this can change bacteria floria

I’ve lost and regained weight several times over the years but this is the first time it’s like “oh shit I get it” and… it’s actually clicking this time

Things like “it’s a lifestyle change not a diet” and “you can’t outrun a bad diet” or “follow your hunger cues” kinda felt like bland platitudes before?

Like not offensive; I’ve always understood CICO just fine, but also ultimately kind of pointless.

I’d more or less grimly diet my way down to a goal weight and then it’d creep back up when something didn’t go my way.

One thing I realized is that all my previous weight loss attempts have been largely about what other people wanted/expected. Some dumb fucking man, a lot of the time, tbh lol

But this time it’s about what I want and idk, it’s surprisingly easy this time. I’ve lost 30 lbs since May and this is the first time I’ve even talked about it to anyone at all.

anyway, idk if that helps anyone. If I had to suggest anything to my past self, it’d be to really imagine what it would feel like to be at my ideal weight. Not whether someone would be impressed or if I’d look good in those pants or if I’d be less embarrassed to be seen at the pool in July. (And certainly don’t try to be motivated by some sense of duty to extend my lifespan bc sometimes, that sounds like a curse lmao)

But imagine purely the physical experience of it. How would it feel to be in that body? Lighter, freer, more comfortable in motion?

At some point I realized I don’t care as much about how I look as I do about how I feel, and I simply feel physically better as I lose. How did I not really internalize this before lol

Hi everyone! I’m just beating myself up right now, and I really need to get back into a healthy routine. In July 2025, I decided I was tired of not loving my body and started exercising regularly and making more conscious choices about what I ate. I went from 178 pounds to 149 and started feeling really good about my progress and my newfound body that I hadn’t seen in years.

I took a trip to Colorado with my partner in late April and decided I wasn’t going to worry about what I ate because I was on vacation, and we were getting 20k+ steps a day with all the hiking we were doing. I figured I’d enjoy myself and get back into my routine when I got home.

Unfortunately, that’s where things started going downhill. When I got back to Kansas, my job became increasingly toxic, and the thought of packing everything up and moving to Colorado was on my mind more and more. Unfortunately, I don’t make enough to afford a similar-sized home there compared to where I live now, so for the time being, I’ve had to accept that I’m probably stuck in Kansas unless we can find somewhere with a similar cost of living.

I’m someone who comfort eats when I don’t know how to process my feelings, and fast-forward six months later, I’m now sitting at 180 pounds. All that hard work, the exercise, learning to manage my hunger, and finally feeling good about myself… I just can’t believe I let myself fall back into these habits. I know life happens, and I know I was dealing with a lot emotionally, but I’m still so frustrated with myself for not maintaining the progress I worked so hard for. It’s especially hard knowing I was so close to 140 and now I’m right back where I started.

Luckily, I recently started a new job that I absolutely love, and pretty much every other aspect of my life is going well! I’m really grateful for that, but I still feel so disappointed in myself when it comes to my weight. I’m ready to make a change and get back into a healthy routine, but it’s discouraging knowing I have to start over. I also feel like the older I get, the harder it is to lose weight, and that thought makes the whole process feel even more overwhelming.

For those of you who have lost a significant amount of weight and gained it back, how did you find the motivation to start again? How did you stop beating yourself up over it? I KNOW I can do it because I’ve done it before, but right now, I’m having a hard time getting past the disappointment I feel in myself. I could really use some words of encouragement or hear from anyone who has been in a similar situation. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this. ❤️

after the what seemed like the world’s longest and most annoying plateau, i’m finally under 200lbs! i haven’t seen the number on the scale start with a 1 since early 2025.

i started my glp-1 this winter after essentially a lifetime of struggling with my weight and eating habits. in college my weight bounced around so much due to disordered eating. at my worst i went from 200 to 160 to 220 in a span of about 9 months, i think that was in 2023.

i lost a decent amount of weight around a year later, but it was due to going through the worst period of my life where my other mental health issues trumped my binge eating. i couldn’t eat/keep food down which of course lead to a pretty fast weight loss (220 to 170 in around 3-4 months).

once i got better i gained back the weight super fast. my hunger cues were so messed up and i had ridiculous food noise issues. i felt like i could eat and eat and still be hungry even when i was sooo physically full. i then reached my highest weight of 242lbs in december 2025.

enter glp-1. anyways fast forward to now, 199lbs! still have a long way to go but hey progress at least right? just wanted to share with people that might get it :)

Hi all. Hope you don't mind me sharing a separate update to that my original loose skin advice post. Quick recap: I [45m] was preparing to tell the woman I'm dating [37F] about my loose skin and was seeking advice from the sub on the best way to do it and just generally how to handle it. I've lost 80kg in a year and my lower abdomen and pubic area has a lot of loose skin.

I received overwhelmingly positive feedback from everyone which made me feel a lot better and more confident heading into our date. She was coming over to my house and we planned a long afternoon and evening together. It really was fantastic in every sense. I wanted to introduce her to my dog (my dog is an anxious little guy and a proper introduction will make the world of difference long term on anyone I bring into the house) and then have a nice dinner and relax into the night. Not to sidetrack too much but she arrived carrying a giant bag of top of the line dog treats, which showed how serious she was about winning over my dog immediately, and she succeeded so much that he was all over her all night.

After the dinner we were relaxing on the couch when I just brought it up the loose skin as something that's been on my mind. I tried not to treat it like a confessional or some dirty secret because it really isn't. But I just told her I wanted her to know because it's something I'm self conscious about. Her response was about as perfect as anyone's could be. Firstly she was pretty much saying she figured already. She might not know the full extent of it but she said she knows people who have lost a lot of weight and knows the loose skin can be an issue for them and something they might be self conscious about. When I told her before I lost a lot of weight she assumed I would have loose skin.

She said whatever my loose skin situation is wouldn't be something she would have a problem with as long as I was healthy and happy she will work with me on whatever happens. She told me all of my positive qualities she likes, that I make her feel safe, and I know how to love, and I treat her well, I'm handsome and she sees all of me, not just my stomach. She loves every second of being with me and misses me when I'm not around. That I'm worrying about one body part when she sees the full package of who I am and she wants to be with that whole person.

She had her hand under my shirt while she was saying it and was stroking my stomach in a very gentle way.

It was, I'm pretty sure, the best possible outcome of all the outcomes in my head. Even writing it now I'm amazed it even happened at all and I'm not imagining it in some delusional post-shame breakdown where I've rewritten history to save my ego.

The one caveat is that we didn't actually get fully intimate. We cuddled on the couch and just enjoyed being with each other. But that was totally ok. She might not have seen the full extent of my loose skin but I'm more confident now that when that moment happens she will be as gentle and loving about it as she was tonight.

I think I've hit the jackpot. The added bonus is we played video games most of the night so she is literally my dream woman.

I want to post this because when I was looking for success stories I mostly only found them in comments not as actual posts and they were harder to find. Hoping other people can get the confidence from my experience that they need to not let loose skin stand in the way of finding happiness and love. (It's early days yet for me so I'm trying not to get too carried away but I'll float on this cloud for a long time!)

I have an issue. I love food but I really need to desperately lose weight. But when I eat food for some reason my reaction is never "that is so good im full" or "yummy food now im happy" its without fail always "that was so good, i want it again". This often leads to second or third portions, eating something else later even though I am technucally "full" or eating the same thing the day after. Im always looking for the next meal, never satisfied with the current. Ultimately this leads to binges or overeating. On the other hand it has made me a good cook due to perfecting each dish. Does anyone else struggle with this and how do you overcome it?

Hi everyone,
I’m a 31-year-old woman from India, 5’1” (155 cm) tall, currently weighing 104 kg. My BMI is approximately 43.3, and I urgently need to lose weight for my health.
I’ve been struggling with persistent pain in my lower back, knees, neck and other parts of my body. My recent MRI reports show multiple spinal changes, including mild disc bulges at D10-D11, D11-D12, L4-L5 and L5-S1, as well as early degenerative changes and disc bulges in my cervical spine.
My doctor has strongly advised me to lose at least 40 kg, explaining that weight loss is an important part of managing my pain. However, my biggest challenge is that I’m currently unable to exercise because of the pain.
Here are my current limitations:
No 10,000-step goals or long walks because I struggle to move that much.
No gym workouts or heavy lifting.
No swimming, as advised by my doctor.
No forward bending or exercises that could aggravate my back.
I can still manage my normal daily routine, commute and go to the office, but I am not doing any dedicated physical exercise.
I’m a vegetarian living in India, so I would particularly appreciate advice based on Indian vegetarian food. I want to lose weight primarily through diet, without relying on exercise that I cannot currently do.
I’d really appreciate advice on the following:
Diet: Has anyone successfully lost a significant amount of weight through diet alone, with little or no exercise? What did your daily meals look like?
Indian vegetarian protein: How can I get enough protein from foods such as paneer, tofu, soya chunks, dal, curd, Greek yogurt or other vegetarian options while maintaining a calorie deficit?
Dietitian recommendations: Can anyone recommend a qualified dietitian or clinical nutritionist in India who has experience working with people with obesity and mobility limitations?
Realistic weight-loss timeline: How long might it realistically take to go from 104 kg to around 64 kg through dietary changes alone?
Medical weight management: Has anyone discussed medically supervised weight-loss treatments with their doctor when pain or mobility issues made exercise difficult? I’d appreciate hearing about your experiences, including the pros, cons and costs in India.
Practical tips: What helped you stay consistent with your diet while working a full-time job and dealing with chronic pain?
I’m not looking for crash diets, starvation, detoxes or miracle cures. I want a sustainable plan that helps me lose weight without worsening my existing health problems.
I understand that exercise can be beneficial, but at the moment, my priority is finding a realistic way to lose weight despite my physical limitations.
If you’ve been through something similar, or if you’re a qualified dietitian or nutrition professional who works with such cases, I’d be very grateful for your guidance.
Thank you!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Bbgh26gaWVG5-15fX1999R1uPb_HhTdCoJjLPat8kM/edit?usp=sharing

As I said I originally wrote this paper just for myself as I was obsessed with reading every credible book in the last ~10-15 years on topics of biochemistry, metabolism, exercise, wellness/health, and much more. I started to see a kinda of "flow" which to me explained how we got into this situation of a obesity/metabolic disease pandemic over the course of just a few decades.

I found that reading these topics were very motivational for me during my initial phase of weight loss in which I lost 200lbs in about a year, going from 485 to 275lbs (currently 285 and starting "phase 2" to go to sub 200lbs).

Im not a scientist or doctor, and I definitely think there is room for improvement across this paper. Ill probabyl keep working on it, updating and expanding it until its fully book length. But right now at ~40 pages I think tis about the limit of what I could possibly ask someone to read somewhat casually haha, so Im posting it here now.

Id love to hear thoughts, questions, things you expected it toc over which it didnt, etc.

As of this morning I have come in at 270 pounds! My first long term goal is to get to 200, live at maintenance for a couple months, and then reassess from there.

I used to feel so lost on how to even get started because it felt so overwhelming like everything else in my life. So if anyone needs tips or guidance, here's what's been helping me. Do keep in mind I am single and childfree so I recognize I have more free time than some.

• I started realllllly slow
  • I started with trying to cook every meal from home. This started back in January when I weighed in at 330. Did I cook every meal at home right from the beginning? Of course not. But over the weeks it went from once a week to four time a week to almost every meal.
  • After I got the cooking down, I then started replacing some items with lower calorie alternatives.
  • I did not start tracking my calories until July. I had only lost around 15 pounds from January-July. But it set up a foundation for me to stay committed.
• I finally got medicated for my ADHD back in May
  • So many women get misdiagnosed or untreated for their ADHD until their late 20s and 30s. I feel a lot less crazy knowing that my obsessive food thoughts (obsessive thought in general tbh) were a side effect of a much larger issue in my brain and not just 'who I was'.
  • Most of being able to do any of this was only possible by getting medicated. Having the space in my brain to think about and do something else other than sit with my obsessive thoughts. My progress would be significantly slower without it.
  • If you are starting at a higher weight like I was, I highly suggest sitting with how you got there instead of just focusing in on wanting and trying to lose it. That size comes from more than just liking food. There is nothing wrong with asking for professional help, whether it be therapy or psychiatry or whatever. The point is to be healthy, not small.
• I made an effort to move more. Both in terms of exercise and in terms of my day to day living.
  • I wouldn't have considered myself depressed, but I was only leaving my house max twice a week before. I work from home so it made it extra difficult to find excuses to leave when when work didn't require it and food delivery existed.
  • After I got medicated, social anxiety went down and it was a lot easier to stay committed to friends.
  • I made it a goal to leave the house for one thing every day, even if the the one thing was to go outside and check the mail box. I'd check it even if I knew nothing was in there. I missed some days here too, but I didn't give up trying
  • I started walking first, then I incorporated just going to the gym and doing a couple things, then I started a workout plan.
• I worked on my sleep
  • I had horrible sleep hygiene and its still not the best. but it's better than it was before. I think all the above bullet points are what helps the most. I also started a night routine. I still don't do it every day, but I do it most days.
  • This was a major change for me because it helped in so many areas. If my hands were busy, it couldn't reach for food. If my mind was preoccupied, it wouldn't think about food.
  • It greatly enriched my life outside of weight loss. Walking and the gym are great physical hobbies but I also started creative ones too to balance out my life. I have met really cool people from it. For the first time in my life I am creating more than consuming..
• I started actual hobbies instead of doom scrolling.
  • This was a major change for me because it helped in so many areas. If my hands were busy, it couldn't reach for food. If my mind was preoccupied, it wouldn't think about food.
  • It greatly enriched my life outside of weight loss. Walking and the gym are great physical hobbies but I also started creative ones too to balance out my life. I have met really cool people from it. For the first time in my life I am creating more than consuming.

I'm getting close to 1/2 way through the total amount of weight I'm aiming to lose (Started at 220+ lbs, aiming for 160, currently at 197, 49M, 5'9") I've been running a 1000 cal deficit. Empirically derived TDEE of around 2900, aiming for 1900 consumed). TDEE is starting to trend downward (as expected due to less body weight). Plus as I drop below 200lbs, the 1000 deficit exceeds the 1% body weight per week, so I'm keeping the calorie target the same (which reduces the deficit as the TDEE drops) -- but its going to take a few weeks to tell if that is tracking the 1% target close enough, or if I should manually tweak the consumption target. Eating healthy, sleeping well, walking ~90-120 minutes a day, some resistive training. But right now the focus is getting the weight down, so the workouts are more to avoid losing muscle, rather than to actively gain.

I'm trying to get back into jogging/running, the small amounts I'm doing now to help the joints acclimate don't really change the expenditure totals, and I feel I'm getting enough calories/macros. But I expect at some point I'll want to start training a little more aggressively and I think? that probably works better at a smaller deficit/rate of fat loss. (for instance dropping from a 1%/wk target to a 0.5%/wk target). My current thought is when I cross over into normal/average on a BMI/Body Fat estimate -- both are pretty similar for me, so I don't think it matters which I use. Or I could just aim for 1st of the new year, likely about the same time, assuming I stay on track.

Partly I also want a more gradual transition from my current deficit to the longer term new normal, so between letting the deficit gradually lessen as the TDEE drops, and an intentional decrease in the target rate at some point to avoid a 750cal or so jump in consumption when going from 1% to 0% at the end of the process. Does this make sense? Or is it better to just stay single-minded on the goal weight/fat loss until I hit it?

Thanks!

​

I'm a 27-year-old woman, 161 cm tall, and I started my weight-loss journey at around 86 kg. Over time, I've managed to get down to 57.85 kg at my lowest, although my weight has fluctuated since then.

I'm proud of how far I've come, but I honestly feel like the journey has been a lot more complicated than I expected.

My weight-loss journey

I started at around 86 kg and gradually worked my way down through the 60s. Earlier this year, I was around 63 kg, and eventually I started seeing numbers in the 59 kg range. At one point, I reached 57.85 kg. Now I'm back around 63.

For most of my weight loss, I tried to stay in a calorie deficit, tracked my food, prioritised protein, went to the gym around 3–4 times a week, and aimed for roughly 8,000–12,000 steps a day. My calorie intake varied, but I generally aimed for around 1,650–1,750 calories, with some days dropping to 1,350–1,500.

I work a desk-based job, so I tried to compensate for sitting throughout the day by being active outside work.

The physical and mental struggles

One of my biggest struggles has been the scale. Even after losing so much weight, fluctuations still affect me more than I'd like. Travel, holidays, celebrations, changes in routine and eating more than usual can all cause the number to go up, and it's difficult not to overthink it.

I travelled recently, and my eating routine, sleep, activity and daily schedule all changed. I ate more normally, enjoyed snacks and wasn't following my usual routine. Seeing my weight fluctuate around travel has made me question how much of the change is actual fat gain versus water weight and other normal fluctuations.

I've also experienced strong cravings for sweets, sometimes even when I'm not particularly hungry. There have been times when I've felt tired of dieting and tracking everything.

Another thing I've noticed is that I feel colder than I used to. I also experienced my first delayed period during this journey, which worried me because I'd been dieting and exercising consistently. I was eating less on some days, and it made me wonder whether I'd been pushing myself too hard. I sought medical advice about the delayed period.

Where I am now

The confusing part is that I know I've made significant progress. I've lost a substantial amount of weight, my measurements have changed, and I've become more active.

But somewhere along the way, my goalposts started moving. First, I wanted to reach 59 kg. Then I wanted to see 57 kg, and eventually I started considering 55 kg.

I'm trying to understand whether I genuinely want to lose more weight or whether I've become so accustomed to pursuing a lower number that maintaining my weight feels like I'm no longer making progress.

I don't want to undo all the work I've done, but I also don't want to spend the rest of my life worrying about every calorie, every fluctuation and every time I eat more than planned.

My questions for anyone who has been through something similar:

1. After losing a significant amount of weight, how did you know when to stop losing and start maintaining?

2. Did you struggle with wanting to keep losing weight even after reaching your original goal?

3. How did you deal with weight fluctuations after holidays, travelling or eating more than usual?

4. Has anyone experienced feeling colder or changes to their menstrual cycle while dieting? How did you approach recovery and maintenance?

5. How did you transition out of a calorie deficit without feeling like you were losing control of your progress?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have been through a similar journey, particularly those who have lost a substantial amount of weight and struggled with the mental side of it afterwards.

Also, say if I wanted to lose only fat again, is like say doing an incline treadmill for one hour, eating like around 1300-1400 kcal per day, and getting around 125 grams of protein, is this way sustainable?

(25f, 5’6, 190lbs)

How do you guys deal with the nausea that comes with hunger while in a calorie deficit?

I have always had this problem, even as a kid. I always have saltines and protein bars with me to calm it down, but now that I’m really trying to lose weight, that’s not going to work anymore lol.

if no one relates to this, it may just be due to my anxiety disorder LOL but it drives me nuts. I can deal with hunger, but the queasy, gross, lightheaded feeling I get when I’ve been hungry for too long drives me fucking crazy.

It’s not like I’m under eating or starving myself either. My calorie goal is 1300 and I always get there easily.

47m/5'9/436. Lately i just cant find anything that works. I am currently not able to workout as i have a knee injury that prevents me from going more than 10-15 minutes at a time walking. So i know that is part of it. I doing a high protein lower carb diet for the most part. Most days I eat anywhere between 1.5k-2k calories. I was over 600lbs in 2018, got down to 340 by about 2023 and then broke an ankle and have slowly ballooned back up. Nothing I have done seems to work anymore. Before my knee injury it was just work out more. Diet went from one thing to another and i just kept gaining. Look I know at my size and age im a heart attack waiting to happen but ffs im just tired of CONSTANTLY fighting my weight. Came across this sub randomly for the first time in a long time and juts wanted to post. Not sure if i am looking for help, encouragement, tell me ima fat ass and just fning do it, i know im just tired. Thats all I got. Thanks.

I'm about a month into my diet. Its the first diet I've ever done so i'm trying to learn as I go not really knowing what I'm doing other then eat less calories and eat healthy food that will keep me full longer.

An issue I have been having lately is that I don't reallt know how to space out my calories. I have not been eating very much during the day and leaving a lot of it for the last few hours before bed so I know I can eat a larger meal and not go to bed hungry.

The problem with that is that I end up saving way too many calories, so then I end up with like 800 calories under my defecit. I usually feel fine and can probably skip this meal but I'd rather not undereat that much. I'd rather space it out a bit better throughout the day.

This isn't really a happy update. But I went from 46 kg in 2020 to now 72 kg at 1m55. It sucks because I lost it first and came from 83. But slowly it just kept creeping up and i lost some and then gained again and the same thing over and over again.

I have such a hard time combining having a full time job and eating healthy. My job makes me mentally tired, mostly the commute which takes about 2 to 3 hours each day. I don't have anything left to go and work out and instead I only stuff my face with food.

I am really trying, or I feel like I am, but I know I am not doing a good job. The last 2 months I started a new job and I have managed to not gain weight, maybe lose like 500 to 800 grams, but I am scared it's just going to creep back up.

I just crave chocolate and cookies so much. I really don't feel in control sometimes.

Sorry for the rant. I wish I could add some positives, but right now i just feel a little sad. I didn't snack today though, so maybe there is hope. I just have to do it again and again and again... 😔

Without calling anyone out by name, I've been noticing more and more the insidious fetish undertones in WIEIAD and 'healthy eating' videos. I see it all the time now. A conventionally attractive, thin, young woman announces this is the low call, high protein version of a decadent food that helped her lose XXlbs. She then leans right into the camera and takes a huge bite of the food, making sure to crunch and slurp as loudly as possible, all while moaning and rolling her eyes into the back of her head. She does it two or three times, making sure to get food on her face and/or hands. Then, she'll go on to give you a totally normal and helpful recipe, or modification to a fast food item, while taking about her 'weight loss journey'; normal, relatable things. She'll wrap it all up with one more loud, sloppy, way too big bite of food while staring right into the camera.

This has to be fetish content, right? I mean, it's so blatant. When she makes food in her car, she always pours more sauce on her fingers than she does on her food. She makes sure to capture every loud, aggressive crunch. She takes bites so large her cheeks bulge while she chews and smacks. And she's not the only one just the worst of them that I've seen. So many creators do this, but they didn't start off like that. I wonder at what point do they realise they get a boost of creeper views when they covertly play into the feeder fetish content.

I guess my point is just that it's weird how pervasive the trend is. Plus, I have severe misophonia and I'm sick to death of people crunching loudly directly into microphones. When did people stop closing their mouths when they chew?

TDLR: need help with not letting food be a source of dopamine, getting back on the horse, and setting a long term goal.

Hello everyone,

I’ve been touch and go on this thread but I’ve been able to lose 50lbs this year. However I got seriously ill with RSV for a few weeks and my diet was shot. Now I’ve recovered but I’ve lost my habit of keeping my food seperate from my happiness.

It’s like a relapse, before I was able to keep my eating in check and was slowing weaning myself off the dopamine high and rush after eating. But when I got sick all I could manage was ice cream and so I’m having to start from square one again.

I have a highly addictive personality/genetics and everyone in my family has had some vice related to a dopamine rush (gambling, alcohol, drugs, adrenaline) and mine is food.

I was just hoping to get advice for getting back on the horse? Before I had a set goal to fit in an airplane seat in September (which I won!) but now I need another goal. Any advice would be appreciated :)

since october 14th i’ve been binging pretty much everyday. at one point i was going to a buffet like 3 days in a row and apparently i haven’t gained a single lb. obviously this isn’t healthy and im getting right back to calorie counting but i’m genuinely surprised and kind of concerned my scale is broken 😭… my last documented weigh in is 260.4 lbs and i weighed today at 260 even. how is that even possible? do you think it’s going to catch up with me or should it already have since its been like 2 weeks? i do feel like before it was taking a long time to lose a few lbs and then a lot would randomly come off overnight so maybe i just evened it out. either way i feel pretty good and am happy to get back to it.