How to start losing weight?

[Lady_marvelous]

Hello, 👋 I'm new and just trying to make some new friends and learn some healthy choices!!! It May sound crazy but trying to figure out where to start to begin losing weight 

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[Odyssey13]

Hi @Lady_marvelous  your post was moved to the Manage Weight forum area for more responses. Take a look at this forum area where people share their tips and you'll find your way to begin the journey.

[betpchem]

Hi @Lady_marvelous  

It's hard, isn't it? So much advice out there, and most of it contradictory. I'd start by thinking about what you are currently eating. Personally, I hate keeping a food diary, but it is a good thing to do for a few days. See if you are eating a balanced diet - are you getting enough vegetables, protein, fiber, etc. Then see where you can add in more of the healthy stuff and reduce the unhealthy stuff. Cook instead of eating out. I like to browse Pinterest for ideas for recipes. I pick something at the store that's new to me - maybe a spice or a vegetable or a meat - and see if I can find a good recipe to go with it. That's the way I motivate myself to cook. Start small and don't try to do it all at once. That's my advice.

Good luck!

Betty

[Heybales]

As mentioned - making some healthier food choices many times by itself causes you to eat less than prior.

Like swapping out many sugar sodas done daily.

Or eating a bunch of bread.

Or piling on the butter onto items.

Or finishing that bag of chips, or eating a big piece of dessert.

Just cutting back on some of those items (none are "bad", just potentially calorie dense and not filling), would be great at cutting out some calories.

And you need to eat less than you did before. Not massively less, that's usually not healthy or sustainable - then where would you be next year?

Then movement is the other aspect of health, and by moving more you burn more - also useful to create a calorie deficit between what you burn and what you eat - required for fat loss.

So the old axiom - move a little more, eat a little less.

Huge changes on both at the same time usually cause adherence problems - so be realistic.

Fat usually not gained fast - don't attempt following the marketing fast loss advertising.

The advice given so far doesn't even require food logging yet.

Other advice, scale weight includes water weight, not just fat weight. You can gain water weight for many reasons. So either except that fact and weigh frequently to clearly see it (use a trend weight app for clarity), or weigh infrequently.

And since scale weight doesn't tell the whole story - measure several spots, where you lose weight first, and last, to keep an eye on changes.

[Glenda]

Reduce flour, sugar, and fat in your diet, increase fiber and you will lose weight and be healthier.  Mayo clinic says it is ok to use artificial sweetener.   We can do that.  Fiber is in fruit and vegetables.  Don't eat "processed" meat.  You will die sooner.  That is sausage, bacon, lunch meat etc.  Personally I don't think salt in bacon is so terrible.   What do you think?

[SunsetRunner]

In my experience the easiest way is to log food religiously and following a low-carb eating plan.  The weighing and logging of food keeps you accountable to yourself.  Lowcarb or keto is very motivating because if you follow it correctly the weight comes off fairly fast.  Weight loss physicians often recommend this diet.  There are plenty of online forums too where people help each other with food ideas, motivation, etc.