80 Awesome Weight Loss Tips

Every Friday is Health Tip Day at Zen Habits.

Last week I asked you all to offer up your best weight-loss tips. And boy, did you deliver.

I’ve compiled some of your best tips into a list of ideas, below, for those looking to lose weight (and that’s probably most of us). It’s not a step-by-step guide, and there are contradictory tips — but there are some great ones here, so pick and choose those that will work best for you and give them a try.

Note: I couldn’t include all of them, or it would have taken me 3 days to do this. I just picked some of the best, and combined many of them. Some tips may be slightly redundant, but I like them, so I included them.

General weight loss tips

Remember to keep your goals in sight to motivate yourself.
5 Word Diet Plan - and the only one that works: Eat Less and Move More!
Doing the Zen Habits 30-day challenge to make something a habit really helps make exercise a no-brainer. The first step is getting yourself to do it, after that, the gains are much easier to make.
To be successful you need to change your life. You need to take control of the bad habits you have turned into an unhealthy life. You need to be excited about it too. And you have to believe that you can do it. Dreams turn into reality very quickly when you work hard.
Don’t try to lose weight. The number one indicator of excessive weight gain in the future is attempting to lose weight in the past. Don’t diet, it won’t last. Instead get up and go get more exercise.
Ultimately weight loss is about the balance between calories taken in and calories burned. Take the weight you want to be and the activity level that you maintain and calculate the number of calories that you should eat to maintain that weight. Now you have to eat fewer calories than this number, on average, over time to lose weight and achieve your target. Keep a food diary with full daily calorie calculations. Write down everything.
Never, never, never eat between the 3 main meals. Then eat what you want when it is time to eat.
Avoid processed food, or at least food where you can’t pronounce the ingredients. Keep it as natural as possible.
Stop watching the scale every day. If you weigh yourself, do it just once a week — as soon as you wake up, after you use the bathroom.
No matter how much you want a change in your life, nothing will happen until you DO something. You can talk about starting an exercise regiment and eating healthier foods all you want, but nothing will change until you START DOING IT.
Change your schedule, if possible. If you exercise in the afternoon but overeat while while watching TV at night, try exercising at night. Go to work earlier, come home later, schedule your walks during times you know you’re vulnerable to snacking. Switch things up to help break bad habits.
For people who want to lose 100+ pounds, dealing with the underlying issues of self medicating depression or anxiety is going to be a lot more effective then anything else. Feeling bad about being fat and trying to lose weight, or putting yourself in exercise situations you dont feel comfortable in are not going to really help until the underlying issues of using food to treat boredom or anxiety or depression. After treating this underlying problem, the good habits will come without nearly so much struggle.
Start small. Changing your lifestyle overnight is very bad for your body and your mind. You’ll get sick of eating oatmeal 3 times a day, or grapefruit. Your life should be enjoyable and healthy!
Tell people around you what you’re doing. This will keep you motivated to continue. Don’t ask for their support, but say “I’m on this new thing where I’m going to kick my butt at the gym/road/bike today and” whatever.
Be aware of self-deception. It can sneak up on you from any angle. Examples of food deceptions: Breaded/fried chicken breast does not constitute an optimally healthy protein source, compared to simple grilled chicken breast. Potatoes do not constitute a viable vegetable source (they are a carbohydrate source).
Derive your self worth from something other than a number on a scale and instead gift yourself a body that will function well to serve your noble life’s goals.
Never give up, even after you have failed a few times. When you fail, start over. Watch those TV programs like “The Biggest Loser” or “Celebrity Fit Club”, because they are great motivators.
Rewards! New clothes make awesome rewards for weight loss. Going out with friends (but not for anything food related) is a great reward.
Weigh yourself but also take your measurements. Sometimes your scale won’t budge but your waistline will.
Get enough sleep - that’s the first and most important step. Without sleep, it’s harder to plan your meals, to exercise, or to consciously eat healthy.
Tell others your goals. Not only will you then have someone else also expecting you to perform but you’ll gain a cheering section!
Focus on one thing at a time. Everything we do is based on habits. If you’ve got to both get into the habit of eating great AND exercising daily, you run a big risk of getting overwhelmed when you’re not seeing results or you slip a little.
Find motivation other than within yourself. Workout FOR somebody else that you care about (your kids, loved ones, friends etc.). When you don’t feel like working out, remember that you’re doing it for them.
Focus on health and NOT weight loss. It is far more important that you live a happy, healthy life than look good naked. You’ll thank yourself when you are 80 and still lead an active life.

Healthy eating tips

Water water water. It kick-starts your metabolism. Stop drinking soda.
Make one change at a time. Don’t cut everything out at once. For example, cut out fried foods. When you’re used to that, cut out soda, etc.
Lay off the rubbish food, apart from one day a week where you can eat what you like - it’ll help you stick to it and you won’t have the temptation to eat rubbish all the time.
Eat according to the Glycemic Index, sticking with low and medium index foods.
Be mindful of what you are eating. Keep a food journal or diary. Seeing it in writing always gives it weight and helps reveal patterns or triggers.
Stop the evening eating. You don’t want to eat and then go to sleep. All those calories just sit there unused while you sleep.
Eat mostly raw fruits, veggies and nuts.
Brush your teeth early in the evening rather than just before bed. It keeps you from snacking if you’re not really hungry.
Cut wheat-flour based products out of your diet. Wheat is surprisingly easy to replace when you start thinking about it - rice, oats (still some gluten there, but a lot less), more vegetables.
Portion control used with a 20 minute wait time — wait 20 minutes after eating the sensible portions, and then see if you still feel hungry. Nine times out of ten, you won’t. If you do, get a little more.
Cut out sugar.
No fast food. Period.
Commit to one diet — and stick to it for life. Start by making a list of low-calorie foods that you love, that you find satisfying; and when you’re hungry make sure you eat lots of those foods.
If you’re a parent, don’t absorb “invisible” calories by eating your kids’ food.
Snack between meals - starving yourself for 6 or 7 hours at a time between lunch and dinner means you will overeat at dinner.
Eat slow and you will only eat as much as you need to be full.
Whenever you eat, think about how much food you would waste by overeating. Your body doesn’t *need* all the food that’s on your plate, why waste it? You could eat the leftovers for lunch the next day and save yourself some money, or you could split it with your loved one and have company while you eat. You could give it to the homeless guy down the block who REALLY needs it. Any reason you find not to waste that food is a good one.
Lentils.
Everything in moderation. If you really want French fries and a hamburger, or ice cream, or a cookie it’s OK to indulge a little occasionally. Key word is occasionally. Better to indulge a little, than to binge later.
Learn to cook, from scratch. That way, you control what you are eating.
Don’t buy into the idea of “diet” foods. It’s better to eat the original food that has been less processed and only eat less.
Observe your hunger patterns. Choose a bedtime that’s early enough to keep you from after-dinner snacking. Stick to that bed-time. If you must snack before bed, have a something small and healthful. Maybe a tiny portion of whole grain cereal with milk.
Eat lots of fiber, it’s surprisingly filling compared to that cupcake.
Eat as soon after you get up as possible. This gets your metabolism working at a higher rate sooner in the day.
Cut out alcohol or reduce your intake to one or two glasses a week.
If you are hungry between meals, try eating a small portion of food that is high in protein. It can be more effective to eat one piece of cheese or some yoghurt or nuts than to eat bread or crackers or other snack foods.
Go to bed early and get up early. If you stay up late, you will overeat, guaranteed. It doesn’t matter if you are a night person; change into a morning person. When you go to bed early, you don’t think about food all night.
Instead of counting calories, concentrate on reducing your fat intake. Fat that you eat converts more readily into body fat than does protein or carbohydrate.
Try to enjoy your food, eat it slowly and consciously.
Only diet on weekdays. Don’t binge on weekends, but save two days a week to eat the yummy things. Also, because many people really can’t break that chocolate addiction, calculate one treat every day into your calories.
Positive change is easier than negative change. Instead of thinking of foods that are “bad” and that you feel like you need to cut out, think about all the new recipes and foods you will get to try if you start experimenting with more vegetables, more beans, more spices, etc.
Don’t count calories after you each them, count before.
Create a routine for what you eat - for a month, do not think of food as something to be enjoyed, think of it as fuel.
Take one of the three meals a day, and make it healthier (veggies, fruits, whole grains, etc.). Combine this with drinking ONLY water when at work, and it’s quite the effective method to lose a few pounds.
Eat a varied diet. Only, half your usual portions.
Eat nothing that you have not bought yourself, cooked yourself, and cleaned up after. This way laziness works in your favor. If you don’t feel like going to the store, or if you have stuff but don’t feel like cooking it or cleaning up afterwards, you are less likely to eat.
If you’re a stress eater, try sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Lots of chewing, not many calories. Just don’t spit the seeds on the floor.
Reduce the intake of three white things - white flour (all purpose flour), salt and sugar. Get rid of white flour completely if possible.

Exercise tips

Go backpacking. Carrying a heavy pack and walking around a lot will help you shed a lot of pounds.
Exercise 3 times per week.
Exercise: any kind any time. Sure there are better times and better exercises for fat burning, but they all beat sitting on the couch.
Cardiovascular training in the morning before you eat breakfast. This forces your body to utilize stored body fat for energy rather than carbohydrates, since you are in a carb-depleted state after having not eaten for 8-10 hours.
Regular aerobic exercise helps, for a period of at least 40 minutes.
If you can’t run, start slow by walking for 9 minutes and jog for 1 minute. Do that a couple of times and then slowly exchange the minutes walking for minutes running.
Buy a pedometer and try to get 10,000 steps per day in. That’s about 5 miles +/- depending on your stride length.
Walk everywhere (carrying a baby while you walk also helps a lot).
Swim, swim, swim.
Find fun exercise. Join a softball team, commute to work on a bike, whatever. Your strategy should be time-sensitive - only make choices you can see yourself committing to for years, be it gym, dieting, whatever - temporary won’t work.
If you are resistant to exercising, consider volunteer labor. Walk dogs at the animal shelter. (Find a shelter at Petfiinder.com. Do beach or riverside clean-ups with a local environmental group. Volunteer on building and repair projects.)
Replace your least favorite TV show with mild calisthenics for 30 or so minutes.
Get an active dog! They will force you to get outside every day, and they make the best exercise companions.
Make friends (if you haven’t already) with very physically active people. If you have very active friends, you will be exercising without even noticing it because you will be having fun with friends.
Do squats while brushing the back sides of your teeth and calf rises while brushing the fronts. Then you get in at lease some exercise and also brush long enough.)
Take the stairs. Walk or bike ride that short distance instead of driving.
Use those multi-colored stars on the calendar for each day you’ve achieved your goal — exercise, diet, whatever it is. Gives you something, small as it may be, to look forward to.
Start walking outside to get fresh air, which translates into better mood. If rains, use treadmill. But walk fast, no sissy stuff.

Also see:

If you liked this article, please bookmark it in del.icio.us. Thanks!

80 Awesome Weight Loss Tips

Every Friday is Health Tip Day at Zen Habits.

Last week I asked you all to offer up your best weight-loss tips. And boy, did you deliver.

General weight loss tips

Remember to keep your goals in sight to motivate yourself.
5 Word Diet Plan - and the only one that works: Eat Less and Move More!
Doing the Zen Habits 30-day challenge to make something a habit really helps make exercise a no-brainer. The first step is getting yourself to do it, after that, the gains are much easier to make.
To be successful you need to change your life. You need to take control of the bad habits you have turned into an unhealthy life. You need to be excited about it too. And you have to believe that you can do it. Dreams turn into reality very quickly when you work hard.
Don’t try to lose weight. The number one indicator of excessive weight gain in the future is attempting to lose weight in the past. Don’t diet, it won’t last. Instead get up and go get more exercise.
Ultimately weight loss is about the balance between calories taken in and calories burned. Take the weight you want to be and the activity level that you maintain and calculate the number of calories that you should eat to maintain that weight. Now you have to eat fewer calories than this number, on average, over time to lose weight and achieve your target. Keep a food diary with full daily calorie calculations. Write down everything.
Never, never, never eat between the 3 main meals. Then eat what you want when it is time to eat.
Avoid processed food, or at least food where you can’t pronounce the ingredients. Keep it as natural as possible.
Stop watching the scale every day. If you weigh yourself, do it just once a week — as soon as you wake up, after you use the bathroom.
No matter how much you want a change in your life, nothing will happen until you DO something. You can talk about starting an exercise regiment and eating healthier foods all you want, but nothing will change until you START DOING IT.
Change your schedule, if possible. If you exercise in the afternoon but overeat while while watching TV at night, try exercising at night. Go to work earlier, come home later, schedule your walks during times you know you’re vulnerable to snacking. Switch things up to help break bad habits.
For people who want to lose 100+ pounds, dealing with the underlying issues of self medicating depression or anxiety is going to be a lot more effective then anything else. Feeling bad about being fat and trying to lose weight, or putting yourself in exercise situations you dont feel comfortable in are not going to really help until the underlying issues of using food to treat boredom or anxiety or depression. After treating this underlying problem, the good habits will come without nearly so much struggle.
Start small. Changing your lifestyle overnight is very bad for your body and your mind. You’ll get sick of eating oatmeal 3 times a day, or grapefruit. Your life should be enjoyable and healthy!
Tell people around you what you’re doing. This will keep you motivated to continue. Don’t ask for their support, but say “I’m on this new thing where I’m going to kick my butt at the gym/road/bike today and” whatever.
Be aware of self-deception. It can sneak up on you from any angle. Examples of food deceptions: Breaded/fried chicken breast does not constitute an optimally healthy protein source, compared to simple grilled chicken breast. Potatoes do not constitute a viable vegetable source (they are a carbohydrate source).
Derive your self worth from something other than a number on a scale and instead gift yourself a body that will function well to serve your noble life’s goals.
Never give up, even after you have failed a few times. When you fail, start over. Watch those TV programs like “The Biggest Loser” or “Celebrity Fit Club”, because they are great motivators.
Rewards! New clothes make awesome rewards for weight loss. Going out with friends (but not for anything food related) is a great reward.
Weigh yourself but also take your measurements. Sometimes your scale won’t budge but your waistline will.
Get enough sleep - that’s the first and most important step. Without sleep, it’s harder to plan your meals, to exercise, or to consciously eat healthy.
Tell others your goals. Not only will you then have someone else also expecting you to perform but you’ll gain a cheering section!
Focus on one thing at a time. Everything we do is based on habits. If you’ve got to both get into the habit of eating great AND exercising daily, you run a big risk of getting overwhelmed when you’re not seeing results or you slip a little.
Find motivation other than within yourself. Workout FOR somebody else that you care about (your kids, loved ones, friends etc.). When you don’t feel like working out, remember that you’re doing it for them.
Focus on health and NOT weight loss. It is far more important that you live a happy, healthy life than look good naked. You’ll thank yourself when you are 80 and still lead an active life.

Healthy eating tips

Water water water. It kick-starts your metabolism. Stop drinking soda.
Make one change at a time. Don’t cut everything out at once. For example, cut out fried foods. When you’re used to that, cut out soda, etc.
Lay off the rubbish food, apart from one day a week where you can eat what you like - it’ll help you stick to it and you won’t have the temptation to eat rubbish all the time.
Eat according to the Glycemic Index, sticking with low and medium index foods.
Be mindful of what you are eating. Keep a food journal or diary. Seeing it in writing always gives it weight and helps reveal patterns or triggers.
Stop the evening eating. You don’t want to eat and then go to sleep. All those calories just sit there unused while you sleep.
Eat mostly raw fruits, veggies and nuts.
Brush your teeth early in the evening rather than just before bed. It keeps you from snacking if you’re not really hungry.
Cut wheat-flour based products out of your diet. Wheat is surprisingly easy to replace when you start thinking about it - rice, oats (still some gluten there, but a lot less), more vegetables.
Portion control used with a 20 minute wait time — wait 20 minutes after eating the sensible portions, and then see if you still feel hungry. Nine times out of ten, you won’t. If you do, get a little more.
Cut out sugar.
No fast food. Period.
Commit to one diet — and stick to it for life. Start by making a list of low-calorie foods that you love, that you find satisfying; and when you’re hungry make sure you eat lots of those foods.
If you’re a parent, don’t absorb “invisible” calories by eating your kids’ food.
Snack between meals - starving yourself for 6 or 7 hours at a time between lunch and dinner means you will overeat at dinner.
Eat slow and you will only eat as much as you need to be full.
Whenever you eat, think about how much food you would waste by overeating. Your body doesn’t *need* all the food that’s on your plate, why waste it? You could eat the leftovers for lunch the next day and save yourself some money, or you could split it with your loved one and have company while you eat. You could give it to the homeless guy down the block who REALLY needs it. Any reason you find not to waste that food is a good one.
Lentils.
Everything in moderation. If you really want French fries and a hamburger, or ice cream, or a cookie it’s OK to indulge a little occasionally. Key word is occasionally. Better to indulge a little, than to binge later.
Learn to cook, from scratch. That way, you control what you are eating.
Don’t buy into the idea of “diet” foods. It’s better to eat the original food that has been less processed and only eat less.
Observe your hunger patterns. Choose a bedtime that’s early enough to keep you from after-dinner snacking. Stick to that bed-time. If you must snack before bed, have a something small and healthful. Maybe a tiny portion of whole grain cereal with milk.
Eat lots of fiber, it’s surprisingly filling compared to that cupcake.
Eat as soon after you get up as possible. This gets your metabolism working at a higher rate sooner in the day.
Cut out alcohol or reduce your intake to one or two glasses a week.
If you are hungry between meals, try eating a small portion of food that is high in protein. It can be more effective to eat one piece of cheese or some yoghurt or nuts than to eat bread or crackers or other snack foods.
Go to bed early and get up early. If you stay up late, you will overeat, guaranteed. It doesn’t matter if you are a night person; change into a morning person. When you go to bed early, you don’t think about food all night.
Instead of counting calories, concentrate on reducing your fat intake. Fat that you eat converts more readily into body fat than does protein or carbohydrate.
Try to enjoy your food, eat it slowly and consciously.
Only diet on weekdays. Don’t binge on weekends, but save two days a week to eat the yummy things. Also, because many people really can’t break that chocolate addiction, calculate one treat every day into your calories.
Positive change is easier than negative change. Instead of thinking of foods that are “bad” and that you feel like you need to cut out, think about all the new recipes and foods you will get to try if you start experimenting with more vegetables, more beans, more spices, etc.
Don’t count calories after you each them, count before.
Create a routine for what you eat - for a month, do not think of food as something to be enjoyed, think of it as fuel.
Take one of the three meals a day, and make it healthier (veggies, fruits, whole grains, etc.). Combine this with drinking ONLY water when at work, and it’s quite the effective method to lose a few pounds.
Eat a varied diet. Only, half your usual portions.
Eat nothing that you have not bought yourself, cooked yourself, and cleaned up after. This way laziness works in your favor. If you don’t feel like going to the store, or if you have stuff but don’t feel like cooking it or cleaning up afterwards, you are less likely to eat.
If you’re a stress eater, try sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Lots of chewing, not many calories. Just don’t spit the seeds on the floor.
Reduce the intake of three white things - white flour (all purpose flour), salt and sugar. Get rid of white flour completely if possible.

Exercise tips

Go backpacking. Carrying a heavy pack and walking around a lot will help you shed a lot of pounds.
Exercise 3 times per week.
Exercise: any kind any time. Sure there are better times and better exercises for fat burning, but they all beat sitting on the couch.
Cardiovascular training in the morning before you eat breakfast. This forces your body to utilize stored body fat for energy rather than carbohydrates, since you are in a carb-depleted state after having not eaten for 8-10 hours.
Regular aerobic exercise helps, for a period of at least 40 minutes.
If you can’t run, start slow by walking for 9 minutes and jog for 1 minute. Do that a couple of times and then slowly exchange the minutes walking for minutes running.
Buy a pedometer and try to get 10,000 steps per day in. That’s about 5 miles +/- depending on your stride length.
Walk everywhere (carrying a baby while you walk also helps a lot).
Swim, swim, swim.
Find fun exercise. Join a softball team, commute to work on a bike, whatever. Your strategy should be time-sensitive - only make choices you can see yourself committing to for years, be it gym, dieting, whatever - temporary won’t work.
If you are resistant to exercising, consider volunteer labor. Walk dogs at the animal shelter. (Find a shelter at Petfiinder.com. Do beach or riverside clean-ups with a local environmental group. Volunteer on building and repair projects.)
Replace your least favorite TV show with mild calisthenics for 30 or so minutes.
Get an active dog! They will force you to get outside every day, and they make the best exercise companions.
Make friends (if you haven’t already) with very physically active people. If you have very active friends, you will be exercising without even noticing it because you will be having fun with friends.
Do squats while brushing the back sides of your teeth and calf rises while brushing the fronts. Then you get in at lease some exercise and also brush long enough.)
Take the stairs. Walk or bike ride that short distance instead of driving.
Use those multi-colored stars on the calendar for each day you’ve achieved your goal — exercise, diet, whatever it is. Gives you something, small as it may be, to look forward to.
Start walking outside to get fresh air, which translates into better mood. If rains, use treadmill. But walk fast, no sissy stuff.

Also see:

If you liked this article, please bookmark it in del.icio.us. Thanks!

Posted on 6 July 2007 in Health Tip Day |
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Comments (31)

Dustin McLaughlin Says:

July 6th, 2007, 7:21 am

Very good advice from all who commented on the recent thread. I am glad to see that you interact with your readers on such a level. Not many blogs do this. I applaud you.

P.S. Thanks for picking one of my tips :]

Arjun Muralidharan Says:

July 6th, 2007, 7:22 am

Awesome list. I’ve spent a lot of time with weight loss, but this list helps filling in gaps. My favourite tip is that you shouldn’t cut out everything at once. That prevents frustration.

an Says:

July 6th, 2007, 8:07 am

Snack between meals - starving yourself for 6 or 7 hours at a time between lunch and dinner means you will overeat at dinner.

Never, never, never eat between the 3 main meals. Then eat what you want when it is time to eat.

???

Leo Says:

July 6th, 2007, 8:15 am

@an: See the introduction. As I said, some are contradictory. They’re coming from more than 100 different people. Pick what works for you.

Blake Rooney Says:

July 6th, 2007, 8:55 am

Eating between meals is appropriate. Actually 5 or 6 meals is best. It prevents the peaks and valleys in blood sugar that are a big part of why people gorge themselves.

Fi Says:

July 6th, 2007, 9:03 am

“Never, never, never eat between the 3 main meals. Then eat what you want when it is time to eat”

An, I quite agree. Eating big meals is bad for you - it is much harder for your bodies to digest, and as you say not snacking encourages overeating at mealtimes. It is better to eat 5 smaller “meals” throughout the day, thus keeping body energy levels regulated.

“Replace your least favorite TV show with mild calisthenics for 30 or so minutes.”

Hah! What are you doing watching your *least* favourite show in the first place?!!

Yan Says:

July 6th, 2007, 9:08 am

The only tip I recommend the readers is to consult a nutritionist if you have the budget. If not, cut out the protein and fat, take a light meal and do plenty of exercises. There is no miracle.

Brad Says:

July 6th, 2007, 9:21 am

“Never, never, never eat between the 3 main meals. Then eat what you want when it is time to eat”

This is terrible advice. You should be eating 5 equally sized meals per day. Failing that, 3 equally sized meals and 2 snacks. This keeps your metabolism running all day long. You’ll feel more energized and burn more calories.

Weight loss is ALL about Calories in Vs. Calories out. It’s that simple. You can lose weight simply by maintaining a 300-600 calorie per day deficit. Any more, and your body will go into “starvation mode” and will start burning muscle and storing more fat. You lose weight overall, but get flabbier.

Simple guide to losing weight: Stick to a balanced diet: Don’t cut out all carbs or fat or whatever. A 40/40/20 division of Carbs, Protein and Fat is a good starting point for weight loss. Then maintain a 300-600 calorie deficit. As long as you meet these criteria, assuming you’re otherwise healthy, you will lose weight. If at all possible, you should be lifting weights while trying to lose weight. This will not only provide another source of burning calories, but it also encourages your body to burn more calories well after you’ve left the gym. It also encourages your body to burn fat instead of muscle.

Dominic Says:

July 6th, 2007, 9:35 am

Just to relate something that’s really worked for me, and doesn’t rely on tricks or self-deprivation:
The Hacker’s Diet (http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/hackdiet.html)
As a reductio ad absurdum, use the factor of 11…multiply your target weight by 11; that’s the number of calories you should eat per day. No more. Doesn’t matter what you eat, or what time of day you eat it, as long as you don’t exceed the number of calories. Everything else is fine tuning.
I’ve followed this, exercise moderately, and otherwise drive a desk all day. I’ve dropped 45 pounds in the last year, and kept it off. Simple logic works.

MacKash Says:

July 6th, 2007, 9:45 am

Leo, another great post. This is a awesome compilation of all your loyal readers’ feedback. There are some fantastic suggestions in here!

Janna Says:

July 6th, 2007, 9:52 am

Awesome tips everyone!! :D Thanks!

Jesse Says:

July 6th, 2007, 10:02 am

I would actually disagree with some of your statements. A few are even unhealthy. Other are OK, but perhaps the list should be consulted against a nutritionist/personal trainer. Most of all don’t cut protein from your diet. Fat and Carbs are should be cut. Your body converts carbs into fat quicker then protein.

Leo Says:

July 6th, 2007, 10:03 am

@Brad: Personally, I eat 5-6 times a day as well … but someone else said this worked for them, so I thought I’d list it. Again, pick what works for you!

JF Says:

July 6th, 2007, 10:32 am

In my opinion this is the best tip:

—-
Ultimately weight loss is about the balance between calories taken in and calories burned. Take the weight you want to be and the activity level that you maintain and calculate the number of calories that you should eat to maintain that weight. Now you have to eat fewer calories than this number, on average, over time to lose weight and achieve your target. Keep a food diary with full daily calorie calculations. Write down everything.
—-

Why? Because since Jan 7th 2007 I have lost 60 pounds and am well on my way of my target of 90 pounds lost.

Believe me, it’s all about calories in and calories out. The biggest problem is having the motivation and willpower to change your habits. For me it was being a Dad for the first time. I had previously lost 90 pounds doing slimfast for a year (yes a year of shakes and bars!! ) I was very happy about the weight loss but my old habits of overeating were still there and all the weight came back.

This time is different, no diet or program or gimmicks, just modifying my habits.

William Profet from OneJobTwoSalaries.com Says:

July 6th, 2007, 10:44 am

This post was very helpful. From time to time I have problems with my weight :)) and I need such big list of inspirational tips.

According to my personal experience and due to my consulting with professional nutrition (and weight loss) professionals/instructors, here are the top principles I use for control my weight:

1) Eat fruits at the morning and nothing else.
2) Before every meal drink at two cups of water.
3) Reduce the food amounts you eat.
4) Don’t leave more than 3 hours between the meals (see 3).)
5) Eat fat burning foods mostly.
6) Don’t drink Coke, Pepsi and other sparkling and sweet beverages.
7) Apply physical activity at least an hour every day.

This is the essence. It works and makes you me feel better, but sometimes is too hard for me :)).

Regards,
William

PK Says:

July 6th, 2007, 11:36 am

“Potatoes do not constitute a viable vegetable source (they are a carbohydrate source).”

Potatoes are vegetables. Also, vegetables have carbohydrates, it’s a fact of life.

Grayson De Ritis Says:

July 6th, 2007, 11:37 am

Cool to see my tip made it on the list :-) This is a fantastic grouping of advice/tips, I’ve definitely added some into my routine.

Craig Says:

July 6th, 2007, 13:52 pm

I find this list hilarious. There are so many thing contradicting each other or things that just makes things confusing for people. Diet on weekdays, don’t diet exercise, stick to only one diet. Eat only 3x a day of whatever, eat 5x sensible, don’t eat late, don’t eat starches, eat lentils, eat varied foods. Count calories, monitor portions, just be healthy, monitor Glycemic Index.

I mean if I was new to dieting and weight loss my head would spin. The thing is everybody loses weight differently. Alot of these things do work, some work a lot better if followed than others.

What really matters is if you can stick with it. As long as your weight is going down it doesn’t matter what works for you. Research what would work best, if it doesn’t work try something else don’t get discourage. Losing weight, short term, is pretty easy. To find something that works for you that you can maintain will take some work to find.

Leo Says:

July 6th, 2007, 15:37 pm

@Craig: See the introduction. As I said, some are contradictory. They’re coming from more than 100 different people. Pick what works for you.

Craig Says:

July 6th, 2007, 18:42 pm

@Leo: I understand that but I still find it hilarious. Don’t you find it funny when asked a seemingly simple question you get hundreds of answers that contradict each other. The thing is you’ll even get a wide spectrum from nutritionists, doctors and physical trainers whom should be educated in the matter.

Georgio Says:

July 7th, 2007, 5:01 am

Great list Leo. Your work is awesome man. Craig - the apparent contradictions show that everyone is different and have different things that work for them. That is what’s great about this list, people can learn/experiment with what works for them. If there were a definite set of guidelines for weight loss then we wouldnt have a billion dollar dieting industry. When there is an effective proven single solution to a problem then the results speak for themselves eg. insulin treatment for diabetics. But given that so many people find that the various programs for weight loss don’t work for them shows that there is no effective single solution for everyone therefore this list of options is entirely valid. To others who didn’t read the introduction to the post, read it. Some things will be contradictory - different things work for different people. Deal with it. Even within the medical literature research articles can be found giving contradictory findings and recommendations.

Leo Says:

July 7th, 2007, 8:29 am

@Craig: You’re right … I’ve noticed those contradictions, and it’s confusing to us, the general public.

But in the end, I think the important thing is that we continue to make the effort. We’ll eventually find what works for us, and be healthier in the long run.

Good point, and sorry if I sounded a little snappy. :)

Craig Says:

July 7th, 2007, 19:03 pm

@Georgio: I think you failed to see my point. Like I said I did read the introduction. I was pointing out the humor in the contradiction. I did acknowledged that everybody does lose weight differently and to do what works for you. I also pointed out in another comment that experts contradict each other. The funny thing is that most of them are right. I’ve lost weight several different ways from low fat, low carbs, portion control, etc.

Angie Hartford Says:

July 11th, 2007, 20:02 pm

If I could figure out why weight gain and motherhood were synonymous for so many women, I’d shelter my income in a living trust and retire next year in great style.

Until then, we have posts like this. Thank you!

Jim from DietandHealthInfo.com Says:

July 27th, 2007, 8:04 am

Great list. About the contradictions - different things work for different people. You just have to try various things and keep track of what works and what doesn’t.

A lot of people have food allergies they’re not aware of. You should keep of diary of what you eat (and how much - you may be surprised) and record each day how you felt. Did you feel sluggish? Depressed? Energetic? After awhile you’ll learn what foods to avoid.

Same with this tips. Try them for a period of time and record the results. Keep the ones that work.

Duncan Says:

July 30th, 2007, 15:02 pm

Good tips, I am going to pass them on to my friends.

Duncan

Fit Club Scott Says:

July 31st, 2007, 18:11 pm

I’ve managed to lose and keep off 60 pounds in the past couple of years using many of these tips.

One of the most important tips, something that worked for me, that I didn’t see mentioned is keeping a food diary. I know it sounds like a pain in the butt, but it really isn’t. Most people don’t eat a huge variety of foods so once you record the information for a few weeks, you can simply copy the information from previous days.

Personally, I only logged calories, with no consideration for fat, protein, or carbs. I made sure that I consumed 500 calories less than my maintenance calories each day. I made that one thing my goal. Forget about losing 10, 20, or 150 pounds…focus on each day and the weight will take care of itself.

http://thefitclub.blogspot.com