You can start by calculating your daily caloric needs: https://www.freedieting.com/calorie-calculator

I lost 89lbs and have kept it off 3 year's this month. I'll start off by telling you that it's definitely a mind thing. Once I decided that I didn't want to fat anymore, it motivated me to stick with my diet and I continue to eat now the way I did to lose all that weight. The first 2 weeks are the hardest because you are training your body and it wants the junk, but don't give in. Once your belly adjusts to your heathy eating habits, it becomes easier. I drink lots of water everyday. I make sure that I eat a salad everyday. The trick is portion control. I do treat myself once in awhile though. If you do that, it helps to not go back to eating junk all the time. I eat fresh fruit. Never eat fruit that is canned because there is way too much sugar in them. You also have to be careful with fresh fruit because they tend to have sugar too, but it's healthier sugar versus the canned fruit, just don't go crazy on the fresh fruit either. I usually just eat watermelon and grapes. I love yogurt and the low fat isn't bad at all. My favorite brand is Activia. The hardest part for me was cutting out bread and pasta. I only eat that twice a month. It's hard, but it makes a huge difference. Too much starch is very fattening. Please don't cut out your carb intake. I tried that year's ago and almost fainted. Your body needs carbs for energy. I eat lots of protein too. I never did cut out my meat intake. Like I said, it's a mind thing and once you start seeing the results and people coming up to you and saying how good you look, that keeps you going too. I never thought I would fit into single digit clothes again, but I did it. I was over 200lbs when I started my diet and I weigh 135lbs. I still weigh myself every 2 weeks. DO NOT weigh yourself everyday. It will discourage you if you do, especially in the beginning of just starting your diet. The best time to weigh yourself is in the morning after you wake up and pee. That's when it will be the most accurate because you've been in bed all night on an empty stomach and plus, your weight goes up and down throughout the day, so you never want to step on that scale in the evening. I never took any pills either. I did it all natural. I hated when people asked me that question. It's like don't you see me in the break room everyday eating a salad? Those diet pills are super dangerous! Don't touch them. You can do it natural. If I can do it, best believe you can to. It's gonna be tough, but it's so rewarding when you do it. You'll feel so much better too. I also take vitamins too. My doctor told me the best vitamin to take is the pre-natal vitamin because it has everything you need in it. I buy the before, during and after one. I also take D3 50mcg (2000 IU) vitamins. I take each vitamin every morning. Try not to lose too weight weight too fast. It's not good for your heart. I was told that I took my weight off too fast, but once I started, I just kept on going. I wish you luck! I would recommend telling people to back off the first few weeks, because the demon may come out of you. It did me haha. It still does, but hang in there ☺

Alright here we go. I gotchu

NOTE: This is legit a copy and paste from a newsletter from my email. Sign up to this newsletter.

https://cortes.site/newsletter/

All credit goes to Alexander Juan Antonio Cortes who is a professional

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To note, Im not going to cover why fat loss is a "good thing". Lets assume you already understand that being fat is unhealthy for you.

That established where to begin?

The Approach, you have TWO options

Choice #1 Start improving food choice, and do not focus on calories

If you start with this, read the book Deep Nutrition. This will educate you with everything you need to know about "what to eat"

How to Keep Progress Going

-Eat more protein

-Decrease sugars and carb consumption

-Avoid processed food

-Control portion sizes

-Try to go to bed somewhat hungry each day. This is an indicator you're losing bodyfat

Pros-Cleaning up your eating by itself, can yield fat loss and body composition changes.

Cons-if you're not tracking anything, you probably wont have much fat loss past the first few months

Choice #2 Start counting macros and calories, and worry about food choice later.

Reality is that most people have NO understanding of how food, nutrition, thermodynamics work at all. If thats you, read the book, The Poor Misunderstood calories.

Start by calculating your maintenance calories, and eating that every day for 2 weeks to establish a baseline. Then reduce that by about 500 calories. You WILL lose weight.

As weight loss stalls, reduce by 100 calories as long as necessary

How to Keep Progress Going

-Eat more protein. 1-1.25 grams per lb bodyweight. This will increase satiety immensely

-Start with eating at maintenance, then reduce calories through cutting either carbs or fats

-Learn how to space out your calories to minimize hunger

Pros-You start losing weight very consistently

Cons-This still doesn't what "healthy" nutrition is, and food choice and nutrient timing DO matter in regards to sustainability

Once you've selected your approach

-->Track Bodyweight Daily in the Morning

Real talk, you need an objective measurement to know your changes are having an effect. Weigh yourself daily.

Once a week, take a front, side, and back photo. Photos don't lie.

These are your Lead Indicators that you are doing something right.

Having Selected Your Approach, Lets Talk Lagging Outcomes

You want to achieve 1lb of weight loss, that means each week, your weight goes down a lb. Some weeks it might be less or more, but 1lb is sustainable and reasonable

Caveat-The more obese you are, the more you lose each week. At least in the beginning. The closer you get to normal BMI, the slower your weight loss will become

How to Adjust

Whatever approach you use, you will eventually need to

A) start counting calories, even if you have cleaned up your eating

B) start changing your food choices, otherwise its not sustainable to continue cutting calories

C) Be consistent with WHEN you eat. Meal timing matters because your body habituates its hunger.

How Long to Diet For?

Depends entirely on how much fat you have to lose. Use THIS Calculator to determine What a reasonable amount of time is for your desired level of Fat loss.

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/body-weight-planner

FYI-1lb weekly loss is BETTER than 2lbs or more. Faster is not better,

What happens when Fat Loss Plateaus?

1) Take a week off from dieting and eat normally

2) Take a weekend off from dieting and eat normally

3) Cut calories/food intake MORE. You probably need a bigger deficit, real talk

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On a personal note I’ve been there before. Doctor said I had to lose a bunch of kilos or I was going to go in a casket.

It was the reality check I needed and now fitness is a part of my lifestyle, someone I love.

All the best writer

Intermittent fasting works for me. Very well, just make sure when you do eat, make it very nutritional.

I cut down on my portion sizes and didn't eat dinner as late as I was. I started walking for 30-60 minutes every evening with my headphones-honestly cannot get over how much music is a god sent-and you do genuinely feel so much happier just doing those simple steps. By the way when I first started doing the walking I could only do 15 minutes tops, but then the more I got used it, the easier it became.

eat healthy! ditch your car if you can and take public transport and get off a little early or bike or walk to work/school etc. eat dinner by 6 pm if you can. and intermittent fast.

I dropped a few pants sizes when I cut out soda and junky snack foods and started eating until I wasn't hungry instead of until I was full.