Losing weight when you don't have time to lose it

[Barnaby'sDad]

Cut out sugar wherever you can. Sodas, sweets, etc. Cut out fried foods and minimize carbs.

I’ve lost 30lbs by essentially doing jack s**t over the past few months. I work from home and unless I have somewhere to go, I stay put. It’s literally not possible that you’re more sedentary than I am.

 

[ElizaDoolittle]

Thanks a lot for your detailed and helpful answers. I need to look a bit into some of the things you've mentioned (Keto, figuring out the calories of what I eat...). One thing I can do easily is reducing my portions, I think. Walking more isn't something I can do, since my commute consists of taking a coach and a bus: the coach has no intermediate stops in the hour-long trip between my home and the place where I take the bus, and walking from the previous stop to my workplace would mean an extra thirty minutes (which I cannot afford to "waste", since there's no coach before the one I take).

Trying the Mediterranean diet isn't going to change anything for me. I live in Spain, you know. All I eat is part of the Mediterranean diet (I haven't moved into fast food or processed food). Only, I eat in restaurants, so I cannot really control what goes to my meals, even though I try to choose the healthies choices available. I have never drank alcohol or coffee. But, as I said, I'll start leaving some food on the plate starting tomorrow.

Thanks for the tips! I'm sure I'm going to get something out of them.

 

[Lorenzoid]

How far is the next closest coach ("bus" in American English) stop from your home or workplace? Consider walking to or from that stop even though there is a closer stop. As you seem to recognize, walking is the easiest exercise to fit into most people's busy lives.

I know you said you have no microwave available at lunchtime, but "cold salads" are not the only low-calorie cold lunch options. See others' suggestions.

[Looks like we posted simultaneously. Oh well, never mind my suggestion about the coach/bus.]

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Thanks a lot for your detailed and helpful answers. I need to look a bit into some of the things you've mentioned (Keto, figuring out the calories of what I eat...). One thing I can do easily is reducing my portions, I think. Walking more isn't something I can do, since my commute consists of taking a coach and a bus: the coach has no intermediate stops in the hour-long trip between my home and the place where I take the bus, and walking from the previous stop to my workplace would mean an extra thirty minutes (which I cannot afford to "waste", since there's no coach before the one I take).

Trying the Mediterranean diet isn't going to change anything for me. I live in Spain, you know. All I eat is part of the Mediterranean diet (I haven't moved into fast food or processed food). Only, I eat in restaurants, so I cannot really control what goes to my meals, even though I try to choose the healthies choices available. I have never drank alcohol or coffee. But, as I said, I'll start leaving some food on the plate starting tomorrow.

Thanks for the tips! I'm sure I'm going to get something out of them.

Take a step back and look at EXACTLY what you’re eating. Ex. I was a carb nut. I LOVE bread. I cut back to a crazy low carb bread “substitute” that gives me the consistency and enjoyment of bread, but has a fraction of the carbs and calories.

Drink coffee? Hold the creamer, go to low-fat milk, no whip cream in mocha’s, etc.

Cheese. If you’re eating out...ask if there’s a low fat option. We routinely get shredded cheese made with 2% milk instead of whole milk.

It’s a HUGE difference if you look into the various ways you can order food and drinks. That and there are a LOT of meals in restaurants that look healthy, but are anything but healthy when you look at the nutritional content.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

intermittent water fasting.

 

[dfcliff]

Take a step back and look at EXACTLY what you’re eating. Ex. I was a carb nut. I LOVE bread. I cut back to a crazy low carb bread “substitute” that gives me the consistency and enjoyment of bread, but has a fraction of the carbs and calories.

Drink coffee? Hold the creamer, go to low-fat milk, no whip cream in mocha’s, etc.

Cheese. If you’re eating out...ask if there’s a low fat option. We routinely get shredded cheese made with 2% milk instead of whole milk.

It’s a HUGE difference if you look into the various ways you can order food and drinks.

Be careful when looking at low-fat or non-fat options. Many times when the fat is removed it reduces flavor so they add sugar in to make it taste good. A lot of low-fat options are actually worse for you than the full-fat version.

 

[BlueTrin]

When eating out, one issue will be the abundance of carbs and fat/oil, sometimes the sauces will be very rich.

Prefer grilled dishes or dishes with less sauces maybe ? And try to have more veggies rather than large portions of pasta/chips ?

When possible ask the waiter to have the sauce on the side ?

 

[lionfish-eater]

Under desk ellipitical

under desk elliptical - Google Search

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Be careful when looking at low-fat or non-fat options. Many times when the fat is removed it reduces flavor so they add sugar in to make it taste good. A lot of low-fat options are actually worse for you than the full-fat version.

Yup. We have found that, as well. There is definitely a trade-off with some “low fat” items.

In my case...most of the substitutes I’ve gone with don’t taste as good as what they are replacing. That seems to be a rule with most things though. If it tastes too good, I know I shouldn’t be eating it.

 

[divinh]

When I'm traveling, the extra activity and reduced portions (SE Asia compared to US), I lose weight.

Back home, I found that when I was going into work, I would enjoy the yummy meals at lunch and gain weight. In lockdown, I only eat when hungry, so I've been maintaining weight or losing just a little, but not gaining. For me, I think having the meals timed based on the hour, instead of when hungry, led to weight gain, with all else equal.