This community has been great for me so I figured I would pay it forward for once! Volume eating was really the solution for me in terms of maintaining a calorie deficit that felt very manageable. I’m currently on about a 1,000 calorie deficit daily (6 foot 29 y/o M, 265 lbs). I wanted to make the post as specific as possible since those posts always help me out too.
Other important things I learned from volume eating
Try not to drink your calories. For other reasons, but also diet, I cut out alcohol and really any drink that’s not water. Goes for dressings and oils too. I try to limit that to 100 calories max per day (usually less)
Make sure to drink half your body weight in water (lbs to oz). I drink 128 oz (gallon) per day. Helps you feel full and also just really necessary for good health.
A nutritionist really helps. I had no idea but my insurance covered 6 sessions/yr. They’ll help you game plan and understand macros a lot better and it opens up your world of understanding. After that maybe monthly or bimonthly check-ins and you can always send them a message with random questions.
Invest time. This is not easy. Prepping food takes time. I spend so much more time in the kitchen and grocery shopping but I have learned to enjoy it and it forces me to be mindful and thankful.
Fiber!!!! Women need at least 30g, men at least 38g. I personally feel 40g and 50g respectively are even better. I get about 50g daily. Helps feel full and really, really essential for good gut health and preventing hopefully some other scary stuff.
Eat clean. There are a bunch of products out there that may be low calorie but good for you. Those low carb tortillas come to mind. Seems to be good evidence those mess with your blood sugar pretty badly. Avoid the processed stuff. The more single ingredient things you eat, the better. The more color on plate, the better! I bumped up my budget % for groceries to eat better, even if more expensive. Check out a local CSA – chances are one right by you and it’s a great way to be engaged in a community and try new veggies directly from the farm. The most processed thing I eat everyday (or try to) is the RxBar which I feel good about still since it’s limited ingredients and doesn’t taste “too good” where it feels sus.
Some things I have learned that I wish I knew from day one. My journey is far from over in weight loss but I’m proud of it so far and a lot of the success is from communities like this!
by sinokristi
Dining and Cooking