Learn me losing weight...

I am now 40 years old.  

I am 6 feet tall and weigh 220 lbs.

There are all these diets everywhere and people telling me that fruits and veggies are the way to go.  Some say the exact opposite.

I have always believed in simply eating less to lose weight.

That isn't working anymore. 

I do not eat sweets.  I do not eat fast food much (maybe 1 x per month).  I don't drink soda.

I do drink 2 x cups of coffee a day with cream and sugar.  I also have probably 3 alcoholic drinks per day (Guinness, or bourbon and ginger).

What have people done that works for them?

Is there some actual science that says fruits and veggies may NOT be the best? (Seems like the current fads and trends are trying to state this).

Thanks!

Rob R 

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

Your body wants to be in a steady state. If you lose weight, your body will want to store fat for the next time you go on a diet. The more diets you go on the more you will wind up weighing. 
The only way to lose weight for good and keep it off is a pound or two a month.   If you try to lose more, you will, and then your  body will try to store up fat for the next diet. 
Cut out one alcoholic drink a night and there is your pound or two.  

Unpopular opinion: diets are fads, eating less really is the only answer. 

Good that you're already avoiding the empty calories of soda and sweets/fast food. The cream/sugar in your coffee could be cut out as well, and the alcohol has a lot of calories too.

My wife and I have both used MyFitnessPal with great success in order to track daily intake and lose weight. It's easier to make sure you're eating less if you have a detailed log to hold yourself accountable. And you don't have to withhold things like a fad diet, you can eat that cheeseburger or drink that beer, but you need to log the calories and accept the fact that it means you get less dinner or less snacks later.

calories.  burn more than you take in.

Weight watchers mobile app. Seriously, it is easy and helps a ton.

Plus, the ROI is good. My wife and I paid $60 each for 3 months or so, and then maybe reupped once or twice. Let's call it a $360 investment. 

Then we got different life insurance, and because our blood work was so much better, we saved $600 a year for 30 years on more coverage (cut our payment more than in half). 10-20 lbs made a huge difference on our cholesterol numbers...

A steady and manageable calorie deficit is really the most reliable way to lose weight. Fewer calories in than out. Cutting out specific "bad" foods may improve certain aspects of overall health, but they won't lead to weight loss if the number of calories eaten is still more than the calories burned. Personally, I think it's best to eat whatever you want and focus on the amount and getting accustomed to moderation. Easier to stay on track that way. You'll probably end up gravitating towards "healthier" foods while counting calories anyway, since vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins tend to be lower in calories than sugary and fatty foods.

The app MyFitnessPal is great for this as long as you stay diligent about logging your food (I've been using the free version for years). Fitbit models that track heart rate are also nice for helping account for calories burned during exercise, and they have other nice features like guided breathing for relaxation. 

For exercise, light cardio (like trying to get a certain number of steps in a day) isn't necessarily going to get you losing weight. It's better than nothing, but for sustained weight loss and general health, a combination of strength training and cardio is best. You can start easy and work your way up to higher intensity and still see great results. 

The most important thing is really to set goals for calorie deficits and activity that are realistic for your lifestyle and easy to maintain. It may seem awesome to change your whole life and appearance in a matter of a few months, but a change like that isn't healthy or sustainable in the long run. Gradual changes lead to gradual results, but ones that you can enjoy for the long haul. 

I started cycling again and it has kept me in shape. I lost 15 lbs in two months

Also it was a great excuse to get into another hobby were you can geek out over parts and stuff.

Currently have a road, gravel, and mountain bike. 

Sounds like your eating right. If you do such diets like keto or south beach you will shed lbs like crazy however I find these diets so hard to maintain. 

Good luck!

Lof8 - Andy said:

calories.  burn more than you take in.

This.  Eat less, move more.  If you aren't doing regular cardio, now would be a great time to start.  

Calorie tracking apps are good helper.  There are much cheaper (or free) versions that Weight Watchers.  MyFitnessPal is popular, and GarminConnect has a calories in/out feature too.

One thing I noticed on my diet last year, which was successful for my goals) was that I would stop losing weight with certain artificial or other natural sweeteners. I had completely cut sugar, and I don't drink, but I would flatline if I had "sugar free, zero calorie" drinks. 
Running a caloric deficit is the only real way, but you need to look at more than just calories, and find what works for you and your body. It'll take some experimentation, but don't be discouraged if you don't lose weight right away, or if your weight loss levels off. 

Drink tons of water, kick your own ass. It's the only successful approach I've found. 

Except when in my 20s, the all beer no food diet worked surprisingly well. I don't recommend that.

So, this topic seems to have taken off a little.   Thank you all!

My specific goals are to have more energy and look a little better.

I am not looking to make quick gains.  

What is a good calorie target?

Does eating breakfast really matter?  

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

The MyFitnessPal app or any other app should help you calculate roughly how many calories a person your age and size burns in a day and then calculate a deficit based on your goals.

Breakfast is a matter of personal preference. Some people like to extend their fast, but I find that I need a small, protein-rich breakfast to wake me up and stave off hunger until lunchtime. I usually go with a protein shake, a bowl of instant oatmeal, or a protein bar. If I have time to cook, a couple of eggs does the trick.

I stick to an intermittent fasting and reduced calorie intake. 
Cut out most sugar and carbs. 
I eat a balanced meal at night around 6pm and don't consume anything else for 16ish hours after that. 
Home brew protein shake next day around 10ish, usually a bread less sandwhich  mid after noon and then dinner again. 
Ive gotten my sugar intake to around 50g a day. With that and no breads/noodles my back pain disappeared!

Cant help with exercise though. I'm a delivery driver by trade so I get my heavy lifting and cardio in from work. 
Good luck!!

Its not so much eating "less" but eat BETTER and workout. Don't forget to sleep and take care of your mental health. 

Oh and drink lots of water. A lot of people think they're hydrated whereas most people aren't. I easily drink around gallon a day.

I started riding my bike and going to the gym three years ago. I got more fit but didn't lose any weight.

I stopped eating breakfast and quit eating anything after 8pm about 6 months ago and I've lost 23 lbs so far. Other than that, I eat anything I want.

This is great for me because I love good food.

The idea is that the sugar crash and achy stomach you get when you are hungry happens while you're asleep. When you wake up, you're well past the "empty stomach" feeling and your body is using it's fat reserves so you're getting energy again.

I start getting hungry around 11:30 and lunch is noon so it's no big deal to wait until noon.

Different things work for different folks and this is what works for me. It took almost no effort and no sacrifice in the food I eat to change my behaviour so I'm calling it a win.

eat less, work out more.  A trainer once told me "You can't out run the fork".  Totally true.  I ride my Peloton at least three times a week during the winter and ski.  During the summer I ride it 1-2 times a week and mtn bike 2-3 times a week.

I've been the same weight for almost 14 years now.  Annual Air Force weigh in has me at 203 every since year...

Lof8 - Andy said:

calories.  burn more than you take in.

This is only partly true.  Mass.  expel more mass than you take in.  If you eat one pound of celery, your body will take the water and a little nutrients and you'll poop and pee nearly one pound of celery.  If you eat a pound of sugar, your body will absorb almost all of it and you'll expel an ounce or so.  That candy bar might have 1200 calories, but it only weighs 3oz.  You can't gain a pound from eating 3 oz.  You CAN gain a pound by eating a certain TYPE of 3oz.  If you eat 3oz of soluble fiber, then drink 1 lb of water, you'll temporarily gain 1lb as the fiber will absorb it.  If you take in 1500 calories of sugar and then burn 1500 calories in exercise, you don't always maintain the same weight.  1500 calories of sugar will be retained differently than 1500 calories of protein.  Calories are a unit of energy, so the calories in/out scenario would only work if your body metabolized all foods the same way.

Calories are not the only factor like they used to think.  It's what TYPE of calories.  

I personally lost 50 lbs at 44 by not eating.  Seriously.  I would eat sometimes, but it's amazing what happens if you only eat when you need to.  I am on a fiber supplement (cholesterol, family history of colon cancer, etc).  Breakfast was usually some Metamucil and coffee.  Not mixed together.  Do not recommend.  I would get a little hungry around 2pm so I would have something that was dense in things my body needs; tuna salad and some carrots, or a chicken breast and broccoli.  I would sometimes go to bed not feeling hungry, although a handful of peanuts is common for me to grab in the evening.

I also did some very light jogging (bad knees) and some very light weight training (bad  back) but mostly for heart health, not as a weight loss plan.

Fill your house with healthy stuff that has what your body needs.  Only eat it when your body says you need it.  I don't mean, "it's 1pm, I should eat before I go to work so I don't get hungry," I mean, "I'll carry this Clif bar IF I get hungry."  

I thought the first month would be hell, but it really wasn't.  People in first world countries eat on a schedule whether we're hungry or not.  Once I tossed that idea in the trash I lost 50 lbs in about 8 months.  Yes, you'll plateau and get discouraged, but it always kicks back in.  Make your body eat itself.

In my case, I gained back 20 lbs but it was because I failed the plan.  The plan didn't fail me.  I started eating like an American again.  My fault.

Cut all the high fructose corn syrup out of your diet.  This means no soft drinks.  And a lot of processed food. 

Mrs JHarry3 is an MD and expert in diabetes.   She believes that high fructose corn syrup is the reason for the widespread type 2 diabetes Americans seem to have. 

And she isn't the only MD to think that.

Cut out as much bread and pasta as you can stand.  Eat protein and veggies. 

Watch your alcohol intake.  It adds up.

Exercise on a regular basis.  And really do it.   Don't fool  yourself.

I am 62, 5'8", 155 lbs,  the same weight since I was about 35.    My brother is not as careful, is about the same height, but over 200.

Hmmm....  I only really eat lunch and dinner.  

I eat less than my 160# 6 ft tall wife.

I'm starting to think it's simply not enough water and too much magic corn water (bourbon)....

jharry3 said:

Cut all the high fructose corn syrup out of your diet.  This means no soft drinks.  And a lot of processed food. 

Mrs JHarry3 is an MD and expert in diabetes.   She believes that high fructose corn syrup is the reason for the widespread type 2 diabetes Americans seem to have. 

And she isn't the only MD to think that.

Cut out as much bread and pasta as you can stand.  Eat protein and veggies. 

Watch your alcohol intake.  It adds up.

Exercise on a regular basis.  And really do it.   Don't fool  yourself.

I am 62, 5'8", 155 lbs,  the same weight since I was about 35.    My brother is not as careful, is about the same height, but over 200.

I hate high fructose corn syrup.  I don't eat anything that I know has it in it.

A few years ago I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. I was about 57-58 years old, 5'11" and 210 lbs. I am now 61 and weigh 170. All I did was eat healthier in smaller quantities and exercise some, conditioning not body building. Cut extremely back on sugar and carbs. I will say, the first couple months were the hardest. I was constantly hungry but after a while I guess my body adapted and I lost weight. Was a side effect, wasn't really planning on losing weight. Just trying to stave off full diabetic. Still pre-diabetic but doc is happy that my numbers stay in the low range of pre-diabetic so I'm happy and feel great. But can't skip a meal now, really messes with my blood sugar.

I tell others that ask how I did it that the hardest part is the first few months your body is craving the amount of food it was getting so you'll feel hungry. Dietitian told me the trick to losing weight is eat only the amount your body needs to survive and it won't store the excess. Eat a little less than what your body needs and it will consume the stored fat to make up for the shortage. That's where the 1-2 pounds a week to lose goal comes from. That's also why you'll feel hungry all the time until you body catches up and gets used to the amount. It's Ok to splurge sometimes, just stay within the quantity when you have that cheeseburger and fries with the diet/sugar free soda. And fad diets don't work long term, it's a for life decision so just eat healthier in the proper quantity. It's easier to keep up.

I travel for work often and eating out is hard to maintain eating healthy. I've learned to read a menu and choose but the most important thing is quantity. Many restaurants serve more than you need. Don't be afraid to not eat all on the plate and don't mess with taking the left-overs back to the hotel because you won't eat it there. Just let the restaurant throw what you didn't eat away.

I don't mind eating less and feeling hungry.  I kind of like it actually.

I am pretty active, but don't regularly work out.  I walk a few miles a day at work (big facility).  I occasionally mountain bike.  We go for family hikes every week.  

I would like to actually have a body that I wouldn't mind taking my shirt off at the beach.

I'm thinking more water, less food, less bourbon and ginger. 

1) Strength train over cardio.  Muscle burns a ton of calories during recovery and will increase your BMR significantly, unlike cardio.  Its very win-win.  The more muscle you get, the better you look/feel, the more calories your body burns even when you are being a lazy bum.

2) My Fitness Pal suuuuuuuuucks*, but its still one of the best options out there for tracking intake.

Veggies have almost no calories.  You can eat them until your are sick and not put a dent in your caloric intake.  Fruit isn't quite so low, but its close.

*seriously.  It sucks.

There are a lot of good suggestions here, and I am sure they will all work. Follow any one but the important thing is to stick to it. I will tell you what absolutely worked for both Annie and me: low carb. Not Keto. We simply cut out pasta, bread, potato, etc., and I cut beer from my intake (except Miller Lite for the first year or so). I lost 40 pounds. Annie lost around 12. We are both pleased. I'm at 160 now, my high school weight, which was over 50 years ago. And Annie's at a weight she likes. So find something that you think you can live with and stick to it. You can do it! And good luck.