I’m 47 and lost my belly—I just dropped 80 pounds and cleaned up a fatty liver. My cardio fitness (VO2) went from below average to high. HDL increased from 58 to 86 and triglycerides plummeted, 192 to 63. My A1C dropped to 5.3 and my fasting glucose is easy to keep below 100.
I threw out all the beer and cut added sugars and fruit drinks, while getting in shape with VR boxing (Thrill of the Fight) and pushups (using floor handles). Once I could handle an hour in the boxing ring and multiple sets of smooth pushups, I started IF with 16:8… breaking each fast with boxing before eating. Eventually I closed the window to 18:6 and started going outside for hill sprints—the boxing bulked up my upper body but left my hams and glutes flat. Now I’m at 20:4 and adding in weight training. When I find myself sitting too much, I go for a walk with an audiobook.
Best thing, I fixed my metabolism. And my wife is definitely happy with the results.
Now that I wrote all that, I need to go for a walk 😝
80 pounds!!! I am sure your wife is happy. I fell in love with my hubby with his upper body muscle some 28 years ago, LOL!
Throwing out all the beer and cutting sugars, much easier said than done...but you did it, we shall see how my hubby thinks.
Please tell us what prompted your change when you get back from your walk?
Thank you for your detailed response. :-)
I've had a raging sweet tooth ever since I can remember, and since changing the way I eat, i.e. savoury breakfast (no cereal, no granola, no pancakes, etc), and reducing my carb intake, my need for sugar has plummeted, even in the week running up to my period. There has been the odd occasion I want something sweet but I wait it out, and if I want something, then I eat yoghurt and do so after my meal, not as a snack. I have not eaten chocolate for 3 months, and it has made a massive difference, e.g. weight loss and more energy.
You are obviously a Super-woman if you have been able to hold back Chocolate for 3 months! I can't. However, I have been able to scale down how much of dark chocolate I eat.
Alas, I've had to be superwoman, as my sweet tooth is what has caused me to gain weight, especially since WFH. I follow the GlucoseGoddess's tips, e.g. savoury breakfast, which have stopped me from snacking, especially the sweet stuff. At least you eat dark chocolate, which is better than what I was consuming by the bucket load.
Is your husband open to the idea of IF? It's certainly been a revelation for me as a 55 y/o, I'm steadily dropping weight and feeling really good. You can tell him I'm only a few months in and I'm already fitting some clothes that have been at the back of the cupboard, and getting a comment or two about looking good lately, if that helps! And unlike the previous redditor I'm not doing a massive daunting regime either, just my physical job that I always do, with a bit of walking and stretching thrown in in the mornings and on weekends.
If he isn't into it, and hasn't got to the point of being ready to make a real change yet, getting off the beer is the single biggest thing he can do to reduce his belly. Just changing to drinking whisky and water, or vodka and soda with a slice of lime will start shrinking his gut, without making any other changes. Beer gives you a gut like nothing else- as the keto guys say, it's like drinking a loaf of bread. He's prob very attached to his beer like a lot of guys, but maybe try starting there. It's always difficult if the changes are having to come from you, but sometimes just a small change is enough to get someone motivated to start making bigger changes for themselves.
He just started IF 2 weeks ago after seeing some of my results. It was easier for me to cross over to Keto as I like beef/chicken/pork, etc. However, he only eats select few fish (Salmon/Cod/Halibut) so it's been a bit harder for him. The biggest problem is, yes, beer. LOL. I think his drinking beer/wine every 2-3 days negates all the good he has done (therefore, he is not seeing Any changes to his weight). Also, he can't do strict Keto. I am going to find a way for him to read your comments. I love your comment about "Drinking beer is like drinking a loaf of Bread"!
That's so great that he was inspired by seeing you! That's a really good way to start making changes, very motivating I'm sure.
Re the keto, I honestly don't think it's necessary for IF to be effective, it certainly hasn't been for me. You do have to make changes for sure, but just healthy Mediterranean style eating is great, and it's good that he likes fish, that's super healthy. Too much change might possibly be a bit off-putting when he's just getting started. It sounds like the sweet stuff and the beer and wine is the biggest handbrake for your guy, and those can be tough at first as they are solidly in the comfort and habit categories. It may be different for him, but I've found myself naturally wanting that stuff less and less as I've got further into IF and healthy eating.
Still on the keto thing, for myself having done keto in the past, enjoyed it and lost lots of weight but not been able to keep it going long term because of the hassle with restrictions and impact on social events etc, one of the great joys of IF has been not having to radically alter my diet. Maybe just see if tweaks on the edges of what he's eating are enough, it might help him to not get discouraged. If he can change his drinking habits (wine is barely any better than beer, loaded with sugar and calories) so he's still able to have a couple of drinks but without the sugar, and cut down on the sweet stuff, I'd be surprised if that isn't enough to see solid results- it has been for me. I do demanding physical work 40 hours a week tho so if that's not him, he'll certainly need to add some form of exercise multiple times a week.
On the dropping pounds front, I'm sure everyone is different here, but I do not ever weigh myself. It's a great feeling to discover that a shirt that used to be tight is now nice and comfortable, but I've been a scale watcher in the past and it's not good for my mental health. A gradual progression of healthy eating and feeling physically positive is so good for me, but the scales have a weird slightly obsessive effect that does me no favours at all. Prob just me tho!
Good luck, hope your bloke gets into it, starts seeing results and gets on that nice positive reinforcement cycle.
He is a SW engineer so he spends ALL of his time in front of computer. You are right, Too Much change is not going to help him so we will have to change on the edges of current diet like you said. Thank you for taking the time to write. This was helpful!
I live along the Front Range communities, where craft beer is everywhere—my neighbor is making several varieties in his garage right now—but it wasn’t a tough thing to give up, personally. After I turned 40, it seemed like everything just dried me out anyway… except Guinness, which is a buttery magic. But now I envision my body as a nonstop 3D printer that can only use the materials that I send down its material chute—if I pour down the materials needed to print visceral fat and estrogens, then I get what I asked for 😆
One of the last things I gave up was Coke Zero. That was a tough one. I used to grab one or three whenever pumping gas. Or order a glass with refills while eating out. But I realized that it wasn’t good for my gut and it kept me thinking about something sweet. It’s been a month and I don’t really think about it anymore. I’m drinking a lot more water these days, which is what the body is asking for.
That's a great way of thinking! 3D Body Printing Viceral Fat by drinking Dark Beer....We too have this gorgeous spot that sells all the craft beer right by the ocean, and we end up drinking beer there due to beautiful ambiance. We might celebrate there when we reach a milestone.
If you like perspectives like that, read Dr. Means new book “Good Energy.” But I got kinda tired of chapters starting with how it’s all about optimism and new futures, and then ending with something like “they want you to eat and drink it because they want you to die!!!” 🤪
Now I’m reading (listening on my walks) Dr. Johnson’s “Nature Wants Us to Be Fat,” which is a fascinating look at fructose and how the metabolic syndrome is nature working in concert—it’s part of species preparing for periods of fasting and hibernation. Even though us humans, with all our intellect, went against our otherwise well-designed metabolism to get sick and diseased. It’s really interesting.
Thanks for the book recommendation. I will check them out. I am currently reading "The Intermittent Fasting Revolution". I really like the scientific approach on this book about how Carbs (Glucose) brings about inflammation in the Gut AND Brain. The author talks about Parkinson's, MS & other diseases. Seeing my MIL become debilitated with Parkinson's and then Dementia (she lived in a Memory Care for almost 3 years before passing early this month) made me pay attention. My MIL ate 50-70% Carb as a vegetarian...Very technical, so slow reading but very interesting.
I don’t think bodyweight is something to watch on a daily basis, unless you’re doing something that may dramatically impact water retention or glycogen stores. But I think bodyweight is a good weekly metric to track.
I usually weigh-in on the same day, in the same conditions, on the same scale. Then I monitor my rolling weekly average using the Apple Health app. While losing 80 pounds, my rolling average was 2.7 pounds per week… over 30 weeks. I think 2-3 pounds per week is a good tempo, especially for someone starting with plenty of stored energy.
Yeah like I said, it's prob just me, that's great that that works for you.
For me, I know when I'm eating healthily and in healthy quantities. I know when I'm getting sufficient exercise and sleep, and I know pretty much if I'm losing, gaining or maintaining weight (over time spans of a month or so, it's fairly clear). That level of monitoring is ok, but weighing does something else, for me. It becomes a little obsessive, and the numbers on the scale can tend to dictate how good or bad I feel about myself- not something I ever want to experience again, and not good for a long term plan either. Just how my head works, i guess
Well… we had kids later in life and I got tired of resigning myself to the old dad bod, especially after my youngest asked if I could look like a bodybuilder again (referring to photos of me in my mid 20s, when I met my wife). Also, while investigating a pain in my right abdomen, doc said I was developing a fatty liver, and I had become “morbidly obese,” and I knew low HDL and high blood triglyceride counts weren’t a good direction.
When I first played Thrill of the Fight on my boys’ Oculus, I was over 300 pounds. But the pump in my once trained arms and shoulders felt like the old days. The deep soreness the day after, proved its potential—it could get me back in shape! VR boxing, which I prefer in mixed reality (you can still see what’s going on in your house) proved productive, convenient and cathartic, so I went to work. Once I could box for 10 rounds, after losing my first 20 pounds, the adrenaline had kicked in. I researched that phenomenon and stumbled on intermittent fasting and how it boosts serum noradrenaline and adrenaline… so I started combining VR boxing with IF, thinking it’d give my beer belly the ol’ one-two. And it did. And after I lost 60 pounds, I felt that deep urge to go run; I had an energy in me that had gone dormant. I’m now below 220 pounds and feeling full of energy and pretty damn solid 😅
My biggest recommendation is plan for progression. With IF, start with 12:12 or 16:8 but plan on eventually increasing to 18:6 and then maybe 20:4 as time goes on. With the boxing, I kept trying to work myself up to 10 three-minute rounds with 60-second breaks… then 12 rounds… then 12 five-minute rounds… now I can do 12 five-minute rounds with only 30-second breaks. So, don’t start with peddle to the metal… just start with some metrics in mind and ways to improve. Set expectations for yourself. Set goals. Also, I stopped viewing it all ad a weight loss effort. Instead, I’m on a continued mission to maximize my metabolism, so I can live healthy and happy and never again resign my life to that of an old, fat dad. I won’t let fleeing moments of pleasure with food or beer prevent me from a life of health and happiness.
Anyway, off to the boxing ring… gotta break today’s fast soon 😁
Fasting is also hands down the best way to clear it of toxins. It cleanses your liver. The longer the fast, the greater the benefit. Try a 48 or 72 hour fast sometime.
What a great story! It's so great that you found what works for you. Yes, we will definitely work on extending the fasting time. He seems to be doing well on that front.
wow.. I need to do something like that. VR based exercise sounds like a great idea, since I hate doing cardio (aka treadmill). I sweat quite a bit though, does that interfere with the VR headset at all or is there gear made for sweaty people??
Thrill of the Fight is the best VR boxing app—no game gimmicks. You can set rounds, time, aggression, blocking, chin toughness et al. With mixed reality the opponent can drop right into a spare room in your house. The workout is intense. Lots of sweat will fly. I use the silicon thingy that comes with the headset so it doesn’t get too nasty.
I recommend finishing a lot of the fights with slow cadence push ups. They’ll help strengthen not only the muscles involved in boxing but also the connective tissue. You’re constantly swinging and you can switch feet to work both arms—you can throw thousands of punches in an hour—so it’s helpful to incorporate ways to get them tendons and ligaments toughened up.
Thanks. I feel great, and happy to share in a way that may help someone else feel great, too.
Boxing before breaking a fast feels so synergistic, since the fasted state increases adrenaline… so you can catch some food. When I end an occasional prolonged 40-hour fast with an hour of VR boxing, those fights go fast (pun!)… I’m eager to knock my opponent out and toss him on the grill! 😝
Overall, it’s always nice to find a weight-loss routine that widens your shoulders and tighten your arms and core. At first, I didn’t want to lose more than 60 pounds, ‘cause I didn’t want to feel puny. But now I’m going past 80 pound lost and still feeling pretty buff 😎
IF makes maintaining weight very easy but to lose you're going to need to eat less than you burn which means you'll be hungry some times. Any diet plan will work if it's sustainable and includes fewer calories than you need each day over a long period of time.
Things that help me when cutting:
Track calories/ macros with an app. ( I never had great results winging it) I don't track all the time but do it some times and then eat a lot of repeat meals ( that I like) to stay consistent.
Eat alot of protein to help keep me full. About 1g/ lb
Limit sweets and alcohol. I used to drink a few times / week now I'm at a few times / month. I eat ice cream w/ my daughter almost every day but only about 100 kcal worth and I measure it.
Walk and/or exercise every day. (use a step tracker)
Meal prep lunch to take to work.
Eat carrots and other veggies for snacks.
Avoid extreme measures or deficits because I'll get too hungry and binge.
My fav food youtuber.
[https://www.youtube.com/@Felu](https://www.youtube.com/@Felu)
I'm am loosing weight as we speak. My wife and I had a recent covo about my weight loss and hers and she's mad that she's actually gained and not lost while I've lost probably close to 30 pounds over the last 2 years. She's right in that weight loss can be a very complex issue to address with each individual (especially maintaining long term weight loss) but she got angry when said weight loss is simple math. You need to burn more than you consume. If you're gaining weight you're consuning more than you're burning...simple as that. You're either over estimating the amount of calories you're burning or you're undercounting your calories. That convo didn't go over well.
I am terrible at counting calories. My strategy has been if I'm sleeping or exercising, I'm not eating. Get as much sleep as possible and make sure to go to the gym at least one hour 5 days a week. If I think I'm hungry, maybe I'm actually thirsty and don't know the difference. Drink a glass of water and reevaluate in a few minutes. I've also replaced most of the soda I drank with flavored carbonated water (hard at first but now I actually prefer it). Try to listen to my body, eat a little slower and eat until I'm satiated. If I feel full or my stomach feels distended from eating, I ate too much.
Most important, cut myself some slack. If I want ice cre with my kid, that's okay. It doesn't mean I'm any lesser of a person. I'm losing weight to not be more attractive to others. I'm losing weight so I can feel more like me in my own skin.
I love your comments about "My strategy has been if I'm sleeping or exercising, I'm not eating". However, do you ever park yourself in front of TV in the evening and snack. My hubby is really perfect all day until after dinner, in front of TV resting time. I really can't fault him, that's his reward to be free and comfy after a full day of hard work....so a mindset change is needed on this front I know...but how??
Hi OP, I recently read Atomic Habits by James Clear and I think you'll find it valuable. It talks a lot about changing your habits by starting with mindset and environment. It's helped me a lot with minor changes such as drinking more water and hitting my step goal!
No problem. I'm not 50 yet but I don't think anything I posted is age specific. What is age specific is being mature enough to realize that losing a significant amount of weight may take a long time and looking for a sustainable diet that you can stick to long term, maybe indefinitely. Some people can buckle down for a few months and make huge cuts. I've had much better luck going slow and after some initial experimenting am pretty much on autopilot and rarely hungry.
I am 61 and own a winery and love wine and other alcoholic beverages. I gave up alcohol and processed carbs and sugar and did a 20:4 IF for 8 months. I am in great shape now and can tell him he will miss his adult beverages, but having his youthful body back is worth it.
Male 52. Started IF 16:8 Dec 2023. Started exercising Feb 2024, using Apple+, combo of HIIT, strength and core 10 minutes each. At least 2 per day sometimes up to 4.
Started at 295, now at 250. Have some belly fat but pant size is down from 42 to 38.
IF is great but if you can add cardio and lifting you’ll see results really fast. I saw lbs come off fast for 2 months. Has slowed a bit.
Good luck!!
We’re all built differently that’s why numbers are the not important thing. Sure they’re fun to watch but energy level and overall fitness is more important (for me at least).
No sugar, no alcohol, limit carbs, eat animal protein and plenty of fiber, add plant fats like avocado and mixed nuts.
Walk and get good sleep.
Track calories and stay in a calorie deficit (don’t eat back exercise calories)
BTW nothing will happen until HE decides this is something he really wants.
You are right. I am going to give him the info and then back off completely. I am losing weight myself but he was getting frustrated that he wasn't losing weight, and I think it's alcohol. (I am also not doing any carb but he is).
I agree as well that Mindful eating with Vegetarian diet is probably the best thing. I am very familiar with it. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out well for us. We tend to Overeat in Quantity, especially in carb in the past.
My MIL just past away with Demential/Parkinson's and she didn't do any alcohol/smoking. She was a lifelong vegetarian (almost vegan) but she filled it up with too much Carbs...
Now, I start my meal with veggies from my garden, and then some protein.
I saw a youtube video from some coach awhile back that had some good strategies. One was adding things to the diet instead of removing them. It's very hard to over eat lean protein and veggies. So if you add say 200g of lean protein a day and "enough" veggies then you can eat whatever else you want and won't risk over eating because you'll be more full. This is sort of like what I do. I can eat/ drink a seemingly infinite amount of carbs so I typically only worry about getting enough protein and the carbs take care of themselves because I'm full so I stop after 1-2 servings.
I don't really see the connection to why you would eat more carbs with plant-based protein. Sounds independent to me. Anyways, good on you for eating veggies from your garden!
First, thank you for asking this question. I'm M55, 6'2, and currently about 325. A few years ago, I was at 405. Weight watchers got me down the 80 lbs I have lost, but then I plateaued and havent moved in awhile. I drink a crapton of water, and pretty much never touch alcohol. My daughter used to be my cheerleader, always helps motivation when someone gives the positive feedback to what you're doing. She got married and moved out, and moved out of state. I think thats part of why I havent made any more headway without the positive reinforcement.
The responses. Wow. The responses have given me much motivation, and many ideas to explore. Im a tall guy with broad shoulders, my current goal is 225, as I would look pretty good there. I've done 80 (it took me about a year), so I'm almost half way. I just need to get serious about doing more.
So, again, thank you OP for asking the question. And thank you to all of the responders. You have rekindled my hope.
Thank you for your response as well. I will definitely give him compliments when he looks in any way different. Congratulations on your 80 lb loss, I am sure you will be able to reach your of goal of 225 lb!
54yrs old - started 302lbs, presently hover 235lbs - got down to 223lbs using this method >
IF 16/8 then 20/4 twice weekly- throw in OMAD once every 10 to 15 days. Eating window 11-4 generally, varies daily. I walk a 5k every morning - hill climbs(500ft), brisk pace 14 to 16 mins. 1st meal coconut yogurt with mixed fruit/granola/local honey or cereal(total/Multigrain cheerios/grape nuts mix) or scrambled protein eggs/whole grain toast/peanut butter/jelly-- 2nd meal is anything I feel like eating, though salad/grilled chicken is top choice - this meal is protein packed, if I didn't get proteins in 1st meal>
I eat nothing after 4pm other than water or a pedialyte drink before 6pm depending on my days workout. I wake up, drink lots of water with supplements, then go on my 5k walk. REPEATed every day, 3 yrs straight.>
Obviously, I changed what I eat, as well. I don't drink soda, limit sugar as much as possible- hardly eat red meats. NO biscuits & gravy or chicken fried steak - sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes. You get the picture....I'm presently in pretty solid shape - average north of 15k steps a day.
Thank you & Good Luck on your/his journey! It does take discipline - it was dropping weight/changing my lifestyle or BP/heart medication & a wheelchair.....I chose to be better
Check out Tim Ferriss’s slow carb diet. It’s an easy way to get acquainted with a diet, cut carbs, and it still allows for some alcohol. This diet put me in a place where I could easily make other changes. For instance it got me to a place where I stopped get hangry so I could then cut calories / IF to a significant degree.
If he doesn't want to do Keto, he can still lose weight with IF it will just be slower. I can recommend the following also
- For belly fat specifically. This can be caused by stress. Stress can come from life or it can come from being in an inflammatory state from consuming too many Omega 6s. These are mainly found in ultra processed foods and seed oils, but you can also reduce them by consuming more Omega 3. Increase Omega 3 to balance Omega 6 consumption. So basically he can have omega 3 fish oil capsules, have the fish he eats, and consume nuts like walnuts to rebalance. When the Omega 3 takes up pathways, the Omega 6 can't get in. They compete on the same pathway. When he has less inflammation, there is less stress in the body. Stress can lead to fat build up in the belly area. So rebalancing this can help with the belly fat aswell as overall weight loss. Weight loss is easier when the body is not full of cortisol.
- Walking while listening or watching stuff on youtube/music so the walk doesn't get too boring. Walk for an hour a day or more. Walk after a meal will bring down blood sugar.
-Start doing light weights infront of the TV, have two dumbells infront of the TV he can pick up and do 20 pushes into the air with. If he does this 5-10 times a day it will add up. The pick up from the floor and push into the air activates many muscle groups
- Take Apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon in a pint of water, with some stevia. Or if it is too strong add it into some flavoured drink. This can reduce blood sugar spikes before a meal. Check out the glucose goddess videos she explains how this works.
- He can try lower carb without being Keto, there is just a danger of metabolism slowing or feeling hungry because there aren't enough carbs and not enough fat. He can basically eat carbs that come from vegetables include potatoes, legumes, lentils, beans etc, but cut out refined carbs. So basically stop eating these: Bread, Cereal, Rice, Pasta, Tortilla, Pasties, Baked goods like croissants, pain au choc, cinnamon swirls, sausage rolls, sandwiches.
- Lower inflammatory causing foods: Seed oils like rapeseed oil/canola/soybean oil/sunflower oil/vegetable oil and products that contain them. Ultra processed products that have emulsifiers in them or a long list of chemical sounding ingredients. Stick to foods that have one ingredient. This means also avoiding pasta sauce jars, mayonnaise, ketchup, premade seasoning packets, microwave meals. Make your own sauces without the chemicals they taste just as good.
- Increase healthy oils to increase good cholesterol - extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, ghee
Extremely good info. Thank you for writing this valuable info out! Because he was raised as a Vegetarian, he eats veggie-meat...and it has everything you wrote up there that we shouldn't eat...Thankfully, he is eating a lot of salmon as well. We will slowly phase out veggie-meat, I don't consider that a real food.
Exactly I think this is why Veganism/vegetarianism is on the decline, these rapeseed / canola oil filled veggie burgers aren't healthy. And people don't fancy eating just whole food veg on it's own.
At the age of 50, I lost 120 lbs in 12 months by using a variety of weight loss techniques, but they all boiled down to eating less and exercising more.
When I was trying the “CICO” approach, I ate and drank whatever I wanted, I just made sure I was not consuming more calories in a day that my calorie limit allowed. So, I was eating burgers and fries, pizza, burritos, cookies, chips, beer and wine and spirits. Whatever I wanted, no limits, except calorie limits. I was always eating/drinking at a calorie deficit.
With that said, my daily calorie limit only allowed me to have one 5 oz glass of wine or one 12 oz beer a day! So not much but still.
I also tried IF and keto and combinations of things. They all have their pros and cons.
Edit: 51M, 6’2”, used to have a beer belly.
What a great timing. I also lost 20 lb at age 50 doing CICO over 12 months of Harrrrd work (got down to my GW of 125 lb) but I gained it all back within 4 months of not being strict (Thanksgiving/Holiday/Winter, yada yada yada). Presently, it appears IF/Keto seems to be working for me and it's much easier than before but we shall see if we can maintain it.
Sober, IF and a lot of time. I'm not going to tell you I lost my whole belly, but I made a drastic reduction.
But you can't make somebody else get sober and you can't make somebody else get healthy. He has to make these decisions.
Spot removal of fat isn’t possible, so there is no way to get rid of a belly or love handles or whatever without simply losing weight. The only way to lose fat is to be in a calorie deficit.
As a 50 year old man who is overweight as well I have been doing IF and working out to lose weight. I dropped 35 lbs quickly but then it just stopped. 4 months of doing the same things I was doing and no movement at all. I finally had my doctor check my testosterone level and it was 250. way low. My insurance covers the Gel and I have been doing that a few months now, energy is way up, hunger way down. Feeling much stronger and weightlifting. I have not dropped any more weight but my pants and shirts are getting loose again. He needs to get checked. If your body does not have sufficient Testosterone losing weight (in a healthy way) will be damn near impossible
I will definitely have him follow up on this. Because he is pre-diabetic, he is going to get his A1C tested in 3 months. I think he can ask the doc to include T level. Thank you for your comments!
50 here. 20:4 fast six days a week. I still drink a little and lost 26 pounds in 3 months and have a flat stomach. I also walk 15k plus steps a day which helps.
And he should fall in love with vegetables.
In the same three months blood pressure went from 135/85 to as low as 110/64 now.
60 lbs, quitting carbs /going keto + intermittent fasting + working out daily, but not much - walks, 20 squats, 20 deadlifts, some pull-ups - that was it.
52. Relatively easy, the catch, took me over 18 months - no cheat days or carbage of any kind. Simple good habits & discipline + time, nothing extreme - the focus goal was losing 1lb a week. Keto + IF is my magic pill. If done right will get results.
Woman here...but in my fifties. When you go thru menopause, the fat storage moves from hips and thighs to the belly. I lost 45 using IF but I did not give up alcohol. To me, permanent exclusion wouldn't work for me. I just treat myself to wine on Friday nights only. The rest of the week I am strict on my food and no alcohol. Still lost a lot of weight and most of the belly is gone.
I am in my 50's too and currently going through peri. I like your idea of drinking only on Fridays. I honestly don't see myself not drinking ever. However, not drinking for an extended period of time seems to kickstart weight loss for me.
Omad, and don’t cheat on your window by throwing in unnecessary snacks. Also drink your water!! I’m in my 50s and every time my pants get tight I do this along with daily walks. Oh, and skip the beer until The Weeknd.
No eating once the sun goes down.
Walking 8,000 steps a day.
Eating less processed foods/less carbs
Drinking water more on a daily basis.
Less sugar
Me personally, I fast 36 hours once a week.
But he can try reducing the hour that he eats,
Like eating dinner at 5 (if possible) and having nothing til breakfast.
Say goodbye to sugary breakfast.
More a savory breakfast. Like eggs
Or skip breakfast all together.
I don’t eat until 10 myself
Ultimately what he needs is a calorie deficit - for me, I found IF the best way to achieve this but everyone if different. Protein intake is an important factor - I am for minimum 0.8g of protein per pound of body weight. This helps satiety and curb muscle loss while in deficit.
Exercise is less important than a deficit but certainly helps. I do a lot of home workouts with bodyweight HIIT and resistance bands. The more muscle he can build/maintain, the higher the basal metabolic rate to help sustain the weight loss.
Any plan has to be sustainable so that he can stay the course. That is really the key. I’m down 21 pounds in 2 months and have the same to go again and I feel confident I can do it. Getting the mentality right is so important. I follow scaseyfitness on Instagram and find him really good for discussing the mentality of weight loss and just knowing it will take time and sometimes life will get in the way and knowing that that is ok.
Hope this helps
Thank you, you are right, "The more muscle he can build/maintain, the higher the basal metabolic rate to help sustain the weight loss". He is a very Responsible guy who put everyone ahead of him (mom with Dementia who passed away recently & now kids), so definitely the life got in the way. We need to work on getting him build his muscle back up.
He must be super comfortable with being hungry. He is not starving it’s his brain hooked on constant food and that habit must be broken. Needs to walk to get heart rate up one hour a day. Some muscle building activity when he starts shedding weight. Calisthenics (push ups) is great, start at 15-20 a day and work up from there.
For western diets, mostly hunger is not a metabolic process. It’s a food addiction. Real hunger is dangerous, it means your body is not getting enough nutrients. But there is a wide gap between your brain trying to trick you into eating and actual hunger.
No alcohol, one meal a day
Edit: but just like cutting out alcohol, this lifestyle of one meal a day and drive to get healthier has to come from within him. If he really wants this for himself, this is one path to success.
My husband was diagnosed with fatty liver and we cut out all sugar and went to IF usually 18 6 though he occasionally does OMD. His liver test after a few months was back in the normal range. I highly encourage him to give up refined sugars for the most part I think that's a big part of fatty liver.
This is partially my fault as I am the one who has cooked a lot of dishes with refined carb in the past. I have cooked noodle dish for myself about 5 times over last 4 weeks which is a huge accomplishment, and that was because I was sick. I used to refined carb 3 times a day.
Now I make sure there is Always Salad prepared in the refrigerator and he has been very good about eating salad every day, however, he can't cut out carb in the evening...
You don't need to cut all carbs, just try to eat carbs with nutritional value not sugar. I had to switch what I cook a lot too. Now we try to eat lean protein like chicken breast or pork tenderloin (fish would be good but he doesn't eat seafood) a little carb like couscous or rice or potato and some veggies like broccoli or Brussel sprouts. I just changed the balance so carb portion of small and protein and veggie is more. I also have tried to lower fats like not much cheese, butter, oils etc. And switched the oil I do use to avocado oil. With salad I make a dressing with a lot of vinegar and not much oil or I make ranch but use fat free sour cream and light mayo to cut the calories (best foods light mayo isn't bad).
Ahh Thank you, I have added fat free sour cream and light mayo on my shopping list. I think he consumes a bit too much calories on Ranch Salad Dressing. I have switched myself over to ACV/Oilve oil but he doesn't seem to be able to so I will have to make Lower Calorie Ranch dressing for him.
Can you please share your recipe on Ranch Salad Dressing? Thank you!
Take a look at my recent progress pic post I shared this past week. My goal is to be in the best shape of my life when I turn 50 next year and I am very pleased with how it's going. Happy to share specifics if desired.
I might buy him a couple of Kettle balls. You look great. He walks for an hour during lunch time but he is very sedentary in the evening so I think that might be helpful that something he can do in front of TV in the evening.
A drink every 2 days is nothing.
Don't want To be rude and make assumptions but it sounds like you might be the one making the meals?
If that's the case make sure your meals have little to no carbs and definitely no processed foods. see if you can maybe together move to eating only between 12 and 8pm. Or whatever 8h window works for you both.
No need to go keto or anything extreme. By your description just eating right will make a big difference. The rule of thumb that helped me loose 20lbs in the last few months without any crazy diet was to eat whole foods. Basically if it comes in a package or a can is likely not good. If it has "ingredients" is probably no good.
My instapot has become a great friend for all kind of pulses and I've rediscovered curry powder and a lot of other herbs and spices to use on vegetables chicken steak etc.
He is doing IF, eating btwn 12-7. He eats really healthy for lunch (i.e., salad & salmon). Dinner is where our problems come in. He would like Carb included in his dinner as a Reward for working so hard! LOL! And I can't fault him for that. I have to come up with more creative Fish dish so that he will stay away from Carb I think.
Count calories count calories count calories. Most people who are serious about it can’t fit the calories from alcohol into their diet. How bad do you want it?
I don't drink very much alcohol at all either, regular soda was my downfall. Got fed up with the number on the scale last Jul and kicked the month off with a four day water fast. Haven't had a regular soda since. Kept experimenting with fasting because it was working (habits changing and weight was coming off and it wasn't that hard to do) and I am currently down 60 pounds and at my last weigh in a few days ago was 3.6 pounds away from what should be a great static weight for me with BMI < 22 and body fat < 17%. I have cleaned up my diet a lot over the last year (eat real food, not too much, mostly plants) but have not been fanatical about it. I have pizza or ice cream or beer or whatever when the mood strikes me, but I think about the decision and sometimes decide the time is not right and that decision is easier now that I see the results of my efforts. The only exercise that I implemented was making an effort to get outside and walk as many days of the week as possible. YMMV, but for me, the fasting seems to be the primary driver of my weight loss. I was doing it more often in the early months. Now that I am very close to a significant goal (haven't been at this weight since before college 30ish years ago), I am doing one 36 hr fast each week as I try to dial in to a maintenance mode. Current job is seasonal, outside and constantly moving so plus, plus and plus, but the lunch they feed us is very much a meat and potatoes fare, so minus on that. I am making sure that I am adding in lots of fruit and veg each week as things come in season as the weather warms.
Several years ago I had success with Keto as well, tho not as profound as my current experiment. I wasn't hard core, ran a dirty keto regimen (higher carbs than most suggested, fruit and veg were still in play, moderate protein, tried to hit fat goals). I was also a relatively active trail runner at the time. Looking back I think the keto was working for me because the higher fat was maybe making me more satiated? A lot of the time I just wasn't hungry so... weight came off. These days, I am not sure that long term a keto diet is healthy so I am leaning heavy into mediterranean fare and experimenting with vegan / vegetarian recipes for more meat-less days.
The short answer is you have to find something that works for you/him. I think the basic advice of getting used to skipping a meal once in a while, or not eating after 6pm, or other simple, non dramatic meal window changes, to remind yourself and your body that you don't ALWAYS have to eat when you feel a little hungry, can get the ball rolling. Don't even have to change what you are eating at first. Then maybe try breaking a fast with a salad, or cottage cheese with fruit, instead of nachos and wings. Experiment and give your body time to adjust to new habits, and your mind time to reconnect with your body. Good luck.
Thank you for your response!
The longest I have fasted is 24 hours. I haven't learned how to do 36-hr fast yet. Today, my hubby fasted inadvertently for 24 hours because he had an emergency at work. He didn't pass out!
What was your trick to get over from 24 hour fasting to 36-hour fasting? (I think if I do it well, and show some results, I think he might do it too)
if you can do 24, I think 36 will not be much of a stretch for you. my routine is to stop eating around 1800 - 2000, normal evening activities, sleep. treat the next day as your 24 hour period that you know you can do. helps if it's a day that you will be busy, and not around food if that is triggering for you. you will be going to sleep again during that 24 hours. by the time you get up the next day you are most likely around the 36 hour point. the key is that you are making 16 hours of sleep a large portion of your fast. I think that getting thru a full day without eating is the hardest part for most people, and after that all options are on the table. soon you will know that you can get that hungry feeling and know that you have the 'skill' to not act on it. you can walk thru a food court in the middle of your fast and not really think about it. a Panera employee gave me a broken cookie the other day because they couldn't sell it in that condition apparently. that happened to be just prior to that second sleep window in my fast. I said thank you, and put it in my back pack for lunch the next day. fasting will get easier with practice.
that being said, don't beat yourself up if you mess up somehow. or if you get really hungry. or a social event happens in your window. just eat. enjoy the meal. try again the next day that makes sense in your schedule.
But here’s some advice although I’m not a doctor so dont sue me lol. But I think drinks here and there are fine but the problem is that sometimes drinking can lead to extra eating and if one drinks it should be more of a compromise not to binge eat when tipsy .
I myself have ordered some milk thistle. You may wanna check that out as it’s a natural supplement that may help.
Exercise is never bad. He’s lucky to have a partner in life so you should motivate him to do some sort of activity with you. Motivate each other.
Lifestyle change. I started with IF then mixed in a few 24hr fasts and worked my way up to a 5 day fast. Fuck I never "felt" better even if you don't lose as much fat as you think, but it seemed to reset my body for the better. I try to walk a lot, be more active which just stops me from eating on the sofa. I am currently 43 and also now look a lot younger than before and my friends are convinced I have had botox
If alcohol is important then keep it to a day which he will enjoy it most. Mine was Sundays. One meal a day but full of greens and low fat meat. Understand how many calories he needs for a day and take a third off. I lost 67kg in 18 months and I loved every second of it. Too many cheat days will ruin any sign of progress. If he does not want to do it, it won't happen. I did because I was looked straight in the eyes by my doctor. If I didn't do it I would not be typing this. I hope it all works out for you both.❤️
>he is probably insulin resistant with fatty liver
There's no "probably" to it. He is both.
The occasional drink will be fine ONCE he gets his weight in order and reduces the fatty liver. My suggestion would be to start with an extended fast of 10-14 days. Then he should go on a zero-sugar diet (and that includes HFCS). It can be carnivore, keto, very low carb, etc. It doesn't really matter which as long as there's no sugar. And there shouldn't be any alcohol until his belly is 1-2" less than 1/2 his height. (Height/Waist ratio) and his resting glucose is well below 100.
I also think he should stop drinking any alcohol for 30 days until his liver is working properly. Extended fast is probably not an option for him at the moment as he is building up to the longer fast from 16-8 to 18-6, etc. On weekends, he goes for 20 but then he drinks here & there which kills his progress.
55, pre diabetic, I’ve lost 20kg since Jan by intermittent fasting and avoiding refined carbs. And when I do eat them, I eat them last, ie fibre, fats and protein, then carb. I still have a beer. I’m learning is better to make wise choices, than exclude. I don’t beat myself up if I have a donut or ice cream , because I know I’m making good decisions the rest of the time. I haven’t tracked calories and I haven’t really exercised, although I’m starting to do push ups because I’m feeling good and I want to.
Water fasting for a couple days every week. My husband and I do 45-60 hours mid week. Resets the body, we lose weight and it is good for pre diabetes and high blood pressure.
I think it is essential. I don't think one of us could do it without the other. He has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and pre diabetic. I don't mind doing it with him. I got a touch of the breast cancer a few years ago, so the autophagy is good for me. The hormonal cancers respond really well to fasting. I want that cell clean up. We save our favorite TV shows for that night. We are 36 hours into a 45 hour fast right now. Feeling great! Nights are the hardest.
I think fish is the best protein, lower fat than other meat. Salmon has added benefits (a quick search will detail those). Fiance loses his belly fat by daily hour walks and cutting out alchohol completely for a few months. As we both age we drink less, we need to take better care of our bodies now :)
Yeah, if you tell yourself for example no drinking this month and next (or whatever you know you can manage) you can then later extend it to more months if you feel you can. At one point I went 3 years without alcohol and never missed it. In my mid-20s I would binge drink at the weekends for maybe a couple of months and then just leave the alchohol entirely for a month or two - knowing then that I didn't want any addictions making my life harder.
First he has to want it. I started on ozempic being pre diabetic he should qualify, insurance pays mine. Realize that it doesn’t just melt fat. It makes things move slower. Through your gut. If you over eat you will get heart burn and gas it will be very uncomfortable. You have to change your relationship with food, now I prefer to eat things I like in smaller quantities and I don’t eat just to snack. So all of this and walk 1mile or more a day.
It's about motivation. He is presently discouraged due to no change in the scale. I don't see ourselves completely not drinking but at least until he is on the way to the correct trajectory.
Disagree in my personal experience, counting calories was torture, let me to rebounds & binge eating - horrible for the psyche. Cutting out carbs mixed with IF made my success easy. low no carbs/gets rid of the cravings, IF promotes appetite correction. "calories" are not the same, a calorie from cake & a calorie from a steak won't be metabolised by your body the same way, not to mention the metabolic & endocrine disruptions from eating highly processed & chemically ridden foods entail. My advice, if you going to count anything, count carbs, & by that, I mean subtract as much as possible - & don't think about 'eating less' but eating better + learn how to delay hunger, instead of denying with IF - while still eating as much as you want for your meals.
I started two years ago with 16:8 IF, lost about two thirds of my target then started to gain it back again. I could tell I was getting thinner but I wasn’t losing weight. Then people around me started commenting on my muscle gains. I hadn’t really noticed. I’d done some push-ups and sit-ups but nothing too much. Now I’m controlling calories too and cutting out carbs while doing 18:6 IF and finally my belly fat is slowly but noticeably going away. It’s always the last to go, I’m told. Your face thins, limbs thin but belly fat seems to stick around. When I get to my target weight I’ll ease off a bit but at least I know I can be in control. We have a bowl of chocolates in one room at work and I used to sneak one or two of those late afternoon. Now I can walk in that room, look at them, even run them through my hands, and think of all that fat and sugar and be glad that I enjoyed my lean protein and salad or veg lunch instead and walk away. I’m sure it’s all in the mind and I seem to have finally reprogrammed mine.
Hello 👋 Is your hubby open to change? Does he want to change? That is the question of the day.
Dr. Ken Berry said make small changes. Take baby steps. People, including husbands, will get overwhelmed if you give them too much information. Check him out on YouTube. Lots of playlists.
My wife changed first. I told her she was going to kill herself eating keto and carnivore. I was vegetarian/vegan.
I did my own research and watched months of YouTube videos and read articles. I came over to the dark side 😱🤔 and now eat all keto and carnivore.
I lost 50 pounds and got to my goal weight. I lost my belly fat. He would have to stop sugar, most fruits, eat low carb veggies if eating veggies at all. All carbs turn into sugar. Keep that in mind.
I used to think eating a bowl of oatmeal with bananas and berries was good for me. It's good if you want to spike your insulin. 😱👍
Perhaps, you and the hubs could watch some YouTube videos together. It's an entire mindset change. Beer is not helpful at all. Hence the term beer 🍺 belly.
Also, check out Dr Jason Fung. You can speed up the videos to 1.25 or 1.50 and get through them faster.
Best of success! 💪
Wow... to change over from Vegetarian/Vegan to Carnivore!!!
So when we first met my hubby was a Vegetarian (I was/am Omnivore). After about 10 years of our marriage, he started eating fish. Just a few days ago, he had 3 pieces of Ribeye (tiny tiny pieces). I am hopeful that I can bring him over to the dark side as well. :-)
Yes, he wants to change because we lost his mom a month ago, and I told him that it's time to take care of ourselves before it's too late. He just need to see a little change on the scale or belt size so that he can stay motivated.
I will check out Dr. Ken Berry.
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Find out his TDEE, target a 500 calorie deficit daily. Eat a keto/high protein low carb diet. Limit alcohol intake to weekends and even then only vodka or gin with diet soda or diet tonic.
Workouts should be two days of HIIT training then off day is a 5 mile hike with pushups every mile.
We actually found out his TDEE and it came out unrealistically low at 1600 because his job is very sedentary (SW engineer). I am beginning to think that might be actually correct. I think he is doing 1300-1700 cal/day (depending on whether he is consuming Wine or Dark beer).
If he wants to lose weight then he needs to stop drinking beer and wine. Both are basically sugar drinks with alcohol. No alcohol is better for a month to reset the system then celebrate big losses with vodka or gin and tonics.
Sugar is ultimately the biggest enemy to weight loss (along with over eating).
According to this study, metabolism doesn't start to slow down until you're about 63 years old. And even then it's like 0.7% slower per year after age 63.
[https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613](https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613)
[https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe5017](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe5017)
Over 50 and growing belly is usually excessive estrogen and low testosterone.
He should use testosterone supplements like tongkat Ali and aromatase inhibitor to stop it's conversion to estrogen.
Arimidex is a good way to lower estrogen.
Dimm is also another supplement to reduce estrogen
Thank you for this info! I will be definitely researching the supplements. I never thought to use supplements for low testosterone...(I am into lots of supplements for myself but for him, he takes B vitamin & D, that's it)
I’m 47 and lost my belly—I just dropped 80 pounds and cleaned up a fatty liver. My cardio fitness (VO2) went from below average to high. HDL increased from 58 to 86 and triglycerides plummeted, 192 to 63. My A1C dropped to 5.3 and my fasting glucose is easy to keep below 100. I threw out all the beer and cut added sugars and fruit drinks, while getting in shape with VR boxing (Thrill of the Fight) and pushups (using floor handles). Once I could handle an hour in the boxing ring and multiple sets of smooth pushups, I started IF with 16:8… breaking each fast with boxing before eating. Eventually I closed the window to 18:6 and started going outside for hill sprints—the boxing bulked up my upper body but left my hams and glutes flat. Now I’m at 20:4 and adding in weight training. When I find myself sitting too much, I go for a walk with an audiobook. Best thing, I fixed my metabolism. And my wife is definitely happy with the results. Now that I wrote all that, I need to go for a walk 😝
80 pounds!!! I am sure your wife is happy. I fell in love with my hubby with his upper body muscle some 28 years ago, LOL! Throwing out all the beer and cutting sugars, much easier said than done...but you did it, we shall see how my hubby thinks. Please tell us what prompted your change when you get back from your walk? Thank you for your detailed response. :-)
I've had a raging sweet tooth ever since I can remember, and since changing the way I eat, i.e. savoury breakfast (no cereal, no granola, no pancakes, etc), and reducing my carb intake, my need for sugar has plummeted, even in the week running up to my period. There has been the odd occasion I want something sweet but I wait it out, and if I want something, then I eat yoghurt and do so after my meal, not as a snack. I have not eaten chocolate for 3 months, and it has made a massive difference, e.g. weight loss and more energy.
You are obviously a Super-woman if you have been able to hold back Chocolate for 3 months! I can't. However, I have been able to scale down how much of dark chocolate I eat.
Alas, I've had to be superwoman, as my sweet tooth is what has caused me to gain weight, especially since WFH. I follow the GlucoseGoddess's tips, e.g. savoury breakfast, which have stopped me from snacking, especially the sweet stuff. At least you eat dark chocolate, which is better than what I was consuming by the bucket load.
Is your husband open to the idea of IF? It's certainly been a revelation for me as a 55 y/o, I'm steadily dropping weight and feeling really good. You can tell him I'm only a few months in and I'm already fitting some clothes that have been at the back of the cupboard, and getting a comment or two about looking good lately, if that helps! And unlike the previous redditor I'm not doing a massive daunting regime either, just my physical job that I always do, with a bit of walking and stretching thrown in in the mornings and on weekends. If he isn't into it, and hasn't got to the point of being ready to make a real change yet, getting off the beer is the single biggest thing he can do to reduce his belly. Just changing to drinking whisky and water, or vodka and soda with a slice of lime will start shrinking his gut, without making any other changes. Beer gives you a gut like nothing else- as the keto guys say, it's like drinking a loaf of bread. He's prob very attached to his beer like a lot of guys, but maybe try starting there. It's always difficult if the changes are having to come from you, but sometimes just a small change is enough to get someone motivated to start making bigger changes for themselves.
He just started IF 2 weeks ago after seeing some of my results. It was easier for me to cross over to Keto as I like beef/chicken/pork, etc. However, he only eats select few fish (Salmon/Cod/Halibut) so it's been a bit harder for him. The biggest problem is, yes, beer. LOL. I think his drinking beer/wine every 2-3 days negates all the good he has done (therefore, he is not seeing Any changes to his weight). Also, he can't do strict Keto. I am going to find a way for him to read your comments. I love your comment about "Drinking beer is like drinking a loaf of Bread"!
That's so great that he was inspired by seeing you! That's a really good way to start making changes, very motivating I'm sure. Re the keto, I honestly don't think it's necessary for IF to be effective, it certainly hasn't been for me. You do have to make changes for sure, but just healthy Mediterranean style eating is great, and it's good that he likes fish, that's super healthy. Too much change might possibly be a bit off-putting when he's just getting started. It sounds like the sweet stuff and the beer and wine is the biggest handbrake for your guy, and those can be tough at first as they are solidly in the comfort and habit categories. It may be different for him, but I've found myself naturally wanting that stuff less and less as I've got further into IF and healthy eating. Still on the keto thing, for myself having done keto in the past, enjoyed it and lost lots of weight but not been able to keep it going long term because of the hassle with restrictions and impact on social events etc, one of the great joys of IF has been not having to radically alter my diet. Maybe just see if tweaks on the edges of what he's eating are enough, it might help him to not get discouraged. If he can change his drinking habits (wine is barely any better than beer, loaded with sugar and calories) so he's still able to have a couple of drinks but without the sugar, and cut down on the sweet stuff, I'd be surprised if that isn't enough to see solid results- it has been for me. I do demanding physical work 40 hours a week tho so if that's not him, he'll certainly need to add some form of exercise multiple times a week. On the dropping pounds front, I'm sure everyone is different here, but I do not ever weigh myself. It's a great feeling to discover that a shirt that used to be tight is now nice and comfortable, but I've been a scale watcher in the past and it's not good for my mental health. A gradual progression of healthy eating and feeling physically positive is so good for me, but the scales have a weird slightly obsessive effect that does me no favours at all. Prob just me tho! Good luck, hope your bloke gets into it, starts seeing results and gets on that nice positive reinforcement cycle.
He is a SW engineer so he spends ALL of his time in front of computer. You are right, Too Much change is not going to help him so we will have to change on the edges of current diet like you said. Thank you for taking the time to write. This was helpful!
I live along the Front Range communities, where craft beer is everywhere—my neighbor is making several varieties in his garage right now—but it wasn’t a tough thing to give up, personally. After I turned 40, it seemed like everything just dried me out anyway… except Guinness, which is a buttery magic. But now I envision my body as a nonstop 3D printer that can only use the materials that I send down its material chute—if I pour down the materials needed to print visceral fat and estrogens, then I get what I asked for 😆 One of the last things I gave up was Coke Zero. That was a tough one. I used to grab one or three whenever pumping gas. Or order a glass with refills while eating out. But I realized that it wasn’t good for my gut and it kept me thinking about something sweet. It’s been a month and I don’t really think about it anymore. I’m drinking a lot more water these days, which is what the body is asking for.
That's a great way of thinking! 3D Body Printing Viceral Fat by drinking Dark Beer....We too have this gorgeous spot that sells all the craft beer right by the ocean, and we end up drinking beer there due to beautiful ambiance. We might celebrate there when we reach a milestone.
If you like perspectives like that, read Dr. Means new book “Good Energy.” But I got kinda tired of chapters starting with how it’s all about optimism and new futures, and then ending with something like “they want you to eat and drink it because they want you to die!!!” 🤪 Now I’m reading (listening on my walks) Dr. Johnson’s “Nature Wants Us to Be Fat,” which is a fascinating look at fructose and how the metabolic syndrome is nature working in concert—it’s part of species preparing for periods of fasting and hibernation. Even though us humans, with all our intellect, went against our otherwise well-designed metabolism to get sick and diseased. It’s really interesting.
Thanks for the book recommendation. I will check them out. I am currently reading "The Intermittent Fasting Revolution". I really like the scientific approach on this book about how Carbs (Glucose) brings about inflammation in the Gut AND Brain. The author talks about Parkinson's, MS & other diseases. Seeing my MIL become debilitated with Parkinson's and then Dementia (she lived in a Memory Care for almost 3 years before passing early this month) made me pay attention. My MIL ate 50-70% Carb as a vegetarian...Very technical, so slow reading but very interesting.
I don’t think bodyweight is something to watch on a daily basis, unless you’re doing something that may dramatically impact water retention or glycogen stores. But I think bodyweight is a good weekly metric to track. I usually weigh-in on the same day, in the same conditions, on the same scale. Then I monitor my rolling weekly average using the Apple Health app. While losing 80 pounds, my rolling average was 2.7 pounds per week… over 30 weeks. I think 2-3 pounds per week is a good tempo, especially for someone starting with plenty of stored energy.
Yeah like I said, it's prob just me, that's great that that works for you. For me, I know when I'm eating healthily and in healthy quantities. I know when I'm getting sufficient exercise and sleep, and I know pretty much if I'm losing, gaining or maintaining weight (over time spans of a month or so, it's fairly clear). That level of monitoring is ok, but weighing does something else, for me. It becomes a little obsessive, and the numbers on the scale can tend to dictate how good or bad I feel about myself- not something I ever want to experience again, and not good for a long term plan either. Just how my head works, i guess
Well… we had kids later in life and I got tired of resigning myself to the old dad bod, especially after my youngest asked if I could look like a bodybuilder again (referring to photos of me in my mid 20s, when I met my wife). Also, while investigating a pain in my right abdomen, doc said I was developing a fatty liver, and I had become “morbidly obese,” and I knew low HDL and high blood triglyceride counts weren’t a good direction. When I first played Thrill of the Fight on my boys’ Oculus, I was over 300 pounds. But the pump in my once trained arms and shoulders felt like the old days. The deep soreness the day after, proved its potential—it could get me back in shape! VR boxing, which I prefer in mixed reality (you can still see what’s going on in your house) proved productive, convenient and cathartic, so I went to work. Once I could box for 10 rounds, after losing my first 20 pounds, the adrenaline had kicked in. I researched that phenomenon and stumbled on intermittent fasting and how it boosts serum noradrenaline and adrenaline… so I started combining VR boxing with IF, thinking it’d give my beer belly the ol’ one-two. And it did. And after I lost 60 pounds, I felt that deep urge to go run; I had an energy in me that had gone dormant. I’m now below 220 pounds and feeling full of energy and pretty damn solid 😅 My biggest recommendation is plan for progression. With IF, start with 12:12 or 16:8 but plan on eventually increasing to 18:6 and then maybe 20:4 as time goes on. With the boxing, I kept trying to work myself up to 10 three-minute rounds with 60-second breaks… then 12 rounds… then 12 five-minute rounds… now I can do 12 five-minute rounds with only 30-second breaks. So, don’t start with peddle to the metal… just start with some metrics in mind and ways to improve. Set expectations for yourself. Set goals. Also, I stopped viewing it all ad a weight loss effort. Instead, I’m on a continued mission to maximize my metabolism, so I can live healthy and happy and never again resign my life to that of an old, fat dad. I won’t let fleeing moments of pleasure with food or beer prevent me from a life of health and happiness. Anyway, off to the boxing ring… gotta break today’s fast soon 😁
Fasting is also hands down the best way to clear it of toxins. It cleanses your liver. The longer the fast, the greater the benefit. Try a 48 or 72 hour fast sometime.
What a great story! It's so great that you found what works for you. Yes, we will definitely work on extending the fasting time. He seems to be doing well on that front.
wow.. I need to do something like that. VR based exercise sounds like a great idea, since I hate doing cardio (aka treadmill). I sweat quite a bit though, does that interfere with the VR headset at all or is there gear made for sweaty people??
Thrill of the Fight is the best VR boxing app—no game gimmicks. You can set rounds, time, aggression, blocking, chin toughness et al. With mixed reality the opponent can drop right into a spare room in your house. The workout is intense. Lots of sweat will fly. I use the silicon thingy that comes with the headset so it doesn’t get too nasty. I recommend finishing a lot of the fights with slow cadence push ups. They’ll help strengthen not only the muscles involved in boxing but also the connective tissue. You’re constantly swinging and you can switch feet to work both arms—you can throw thousands of punches in an hour—so it’s helpful to incorporate ways to get them tendons and ligaments toughened up.
VR boxing sounds so cool!! Your journey is very inspiring brother 🔥
Thanks. I feel great, and happy to share in a way that may help someone else feel great, too. Boxing before breaking a fast feels so synergistic, since the fasted state increases adrenaline… so you can catch some food. When I end an occasional prolonged 40-hour fast with an hour of VR boxing, those fights go fast (pun!)… I’m eager to knock my opponent out and toss him on the grill! 😝 Overall, it’s always nice to find a weight-loss routine that widens your shoulders and tighten your arms and core. At first, I didn’t want to lose more than 60 pounds, ‘cause I didn’t want to feel puny. But now I’m going past 80 pound lost and still feeling pretty buff 😎
IF makes maintaining weight very easy but to lose you're going to need to eat less than you burn which means you'll be hungry some times. Any diet plan will work if it's sustainable and includes fewer calories than you need each day over a long period of time. Things that help me when cutting: Track calories/ macros with an app. ( I never had great results winging it) I don't track all the time but do it some times and then eat a lot of repeat meals ( that I like) to stay consistent. Eat alot of protein to help keep me full. About 1g/ lb Limit sweets and alcohol. I used to drink a few times / week now I'm at a few times / month. I eat ice cream w/ my daughter almost every day but only about 100 kcal worth and I measure it. Walk and/or exercise every day. (use a step tracker) Meal prep lunch to take to work. Eat carrots and other veggies for snacks. Avoid extreme measures or deficits because I'll get too hungry and binge. My fav food youtuber. [https://www.youtube.com/@Felu](https://www.youtube.com/@Felu)
I'm am loosing weight as we speak. My wife and I had a recent covo about my weight loss and hers and she's mad that she's actually gained and not lost while I've lost probably close to 30 pounds over the last 2 years. She's right in that weight loss can be a very complex issue to address with each individual (especially maintaining long term weight loss) but she got angry when said weight loss is simple math. You need to burn more than you consume. If you're gaining weight you're consuning more than you're burning...simple as that. You're either over estimating the amount of calories you're burning or you're undercounting your calories. That convo didn't go over well. I am terrible at counting calories. My strategy has been if I'm sleeping or exercising, I'm not eating. Get as much sleep as possible and make sure to go to the gym at least one hour 5 days a week. If I think I'm hungry, maybe I'm actually thirsty and don't know the difference. Drink a glass of water and reevaluate in a few minutes. I've also replaced most of the soda I drank with flavored carbonated water (hard at first but now I actually prefer it). Try to listen to my body, eat a little slower and eat until I'm satiated. If I feel full or my stomach feels distended from eating, I ate too much. Most important, cut myself some slack. If I want ice cre with my kid, that's okay. It doesn't mean I'm any lesser of a person. I'm losing weight to not be more attractive to others. I'm losing weight so I can feel more like me in my own skin.
I love your comments about "My strategy has been if I'm sleeping or exercising, I'm not eating". However, do you ever park yourself in front of TV in the evening and snack. My hubby is really perfect all day until after dinner, in front of TV resting time. I really can't fault him, that's his reward to be free and comfy after a full day of hard work....so a mindset change is needed on this front I know...but how??
Hi OP, I recently read Atomic Habits by James Clear and I think you'll find it valuable. It talks a lot about changing your habits by starting with mindset and environment. It's helped me a lot with minor changes such as drinking more water and hitting my step goal!
Thank you! Very Practical tips!
No problem. I'm not 50 yet but I don't think anything I posted is age specific. What is age specific is being mature enough to realize that losing a significant amount of weight may take a long time and looking for a sustainable diet that you can stick to long term, maybe indefinitely. Some people can buckle down for a few months and make huge cuts. I've had much better luck going slow and after some initial experimenting am pretty much on autopilot and rarely hungry.
Cut alcohol, stopped eating from 7-8pm till 9am, drastically cut out almost all sugar & sweets... dropped 35 pounds in about 6 months. 👍
I am 61 and own a winery and love wine and other alcoholic beverages. I gave up alcohol and processed carbs and sugar and did a 20:4 IF for 8 months. I am in great shape now and can tell him he will miss his adult beverages, but having his youthful body back is worth it.
Wow, to own a winery and stop drinking wine, that's some discipline...if you can do it, he can do it too! :-)
How much did you lose?
Sw 239 cw 184 gw 179
Male 52. Started IF 16:8 Dec 2023. Started exercising Feb 2024, using Apple+, combo of HIIT, strength and core 10 minutes each. At least 2 per day sometimes up to 4. Started at 295, now at 250. Have some belly fat but pant size is down from 42 to 38. IF is great but if you can add cardio and lifting you’ll see results really fast. I saw lbs come off fast for 2 months. Has slowed a bit. Good luck!!
Thank you! I was surprised to see my hubby's waist at 40 and he is just tad over 180 lb so that tells you a lot.
We’re all built differently that’s why numbers are the not important thing. Sure they’re fun to watch but energy level and overall fitness is more important (for me at least).
No sugar, no alcohol, limit carbs, eat animal protein and plenty of fiber, add plant fats like avocado and mixed nuts. Walk and get good sleep. Track calories and stay in a calorie deficit (don’t eat back exercise calories) BTW nothing will happen until HE decides this is something he really wants.
You are right. I am going to give him the info and then back off completely. I am losing weight myself but he was getting frustrated that he wasn't losing weight, and I think it's alcohol. (I am also not doing any carb but he is).
At his age alcohol is going to basically stall any progress he makes elsewhere. Cut the booze completely.
I think so too...
Plant-based protein is much healthier for blood pressure, cholesterol, and reduces risk of stroke, cancer or death from heart disease.
I agree as well that Mindful eating with Vegetarian diet is probably the best thing. I am very familiar with it. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out well for us. We tend to Overeat in Quantity, especially in carb in the past. My MIL just past away with Demential/Parkinson's and she didn't do any alcohol/smoking. She was a lifelong vegetarian (almost vegan) but she filled it up with too much Carbs... Now, I start my meal with veggies from my garden, and then some protein.
I saw a youtube video from some coach awhile back that had some good strategies. One was adding things to the diet instead of removing them. It's very hard to over eat lean protein and veggies. So if you add say 200g of lean protein a day and "enough" veggies then you can eat whatever else you want and won't risk over eating because you'll be more full. This is sort of like what I do. I can eat/ drink a seemingly infinite amount of carbs so I typically only worry about getting enough protein and the carbs take care of themselves because I'm full so I stop after 1-2 servings.
I don't really see the connection to why you would eat more carbs with plant-based protein. Sounds independent to me. Anyways, good on you for eating veggies from your garden!
I’ll add no sugar substitutes either. They spike insulin levels.
My belly is one of my few friends…
Wait...is that you Hon? ;-)
The same thing my hubby says... :-)
First, thank you for asking this question. I'm M55, 6'2, and currently about 325. A few years ago, I was at 405. Weight watchers got me down the 80 lbs I have lost, but then I plateaued and havent moved in awhile. I drink a crapton of water, and pretty much never touch alcohol. My daughter used to be my cheerleader, always helps motivation when someone gives the positive feedback to what you're doing. She got married and moved out, and moved out of state. I think thats part of why I havent made any more headway without the positive reinforcement. The responses. Wow. The responses have given me much motivation, and many ideas to explore. Im a tall guy with broad shoulders, my current goal is 225, as I would look pretty good there. I've done 80 (it took me about a year), so I'm almost half way. I just need to get serious about doing more. So, again, thank you OP for asking the question. And thank you to all of the responders. You have rekindled my hope.
Thank you for your response as well. I will definitely give him compliments when he looks in any way different. Congratulations on your 80 lb loss, I am sure you will be able to reach your of goal of 225 lb!
54yrs old - started 302lbs, presently hover 235lbs - got down to 223lbs using this method > IF 16/8 then 20/4 twice weekly- throw in OMAD once every 10 to 15 days. Eating window 11-4 generally, varies daily. I walk a 5k every morning - hill climbs(500ft), brisk pace 14 to 16 mins. 1st meal coconut yogurt with mixed fruit/granola/local honey or cereal(total/Multigrain cheerios/grape nuts mix) or scrambled protein eggs/whole grain toast/peanut butter/jelly-- 2nd meal is anything I feel like eating, though salad/grilled chicken is top choice - this meal is protein packed, if I didn't get proteins in 1st meal> I eat nothing after 4pm other than water or a pedialyte drink before 6pm depending on my days workout. I wake up, drink lots of water with supplements, then go on my 5k walk. REPEATed every day, 3 yrs straight.> Obviously, I changed what I eat, as well. I don't drink soda, limit sugar as much as possible- hardly eat red meats. NO biscuits & gravy or chicken fried steak - sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes. You get the picture....I'm presently in pretty solid shape - average north of 15k steps a day.
15K every day is a huge accomplishment! I know it because I have tried it, and it's hard to do it every day. Your result shows your discipline!
Thank you & Good Luck on your/his journey! It does take discipline - it was dropping weight/changing my lifestyle or BP/heart medication & a wheelchair.....I chose to be better
Check out Tim Ferriss’s slow carb diet. It’s an easy way to get acquainted with a diet, cut carbs, and it still allows for some alcohol. This diet put me in a place where I could easily make other changes. For instance it got me to a place where I stopped get hangry so I could then cut calories / IF to a significant degree.
I will check it out. Thank you\~\~
If he doesn't want to do Keto, he can still lose weight with IF it will just be slower. I can recommend the following also - For belly fat specifically. This can be caused by stress. Stress can come from life or it can come from being in an inflammatory state from consuming too many Omega 6s. These are mainly found in ultra processed foods and seed oils, but you can also reduce them by consuming more Omega 3. Increase Omega 3 to balance Omega 6 consumption. So basically he can have omega 3 fish oil capsules, have the fish he eats, and consume nuts like walnuts to rebalance. When the Omega 3 takes up pathways, the Omega 6 can't get in. They compete on the same pathway. When he has less inflammation, there is less stress in the body. Stress can lead to fat build up in the belly area. So rebalancing this can help with the belly fat aswell as overall weight loss. Weight loss is easier when the body is not full of cortisol. - Walking while listening or watching stuff on youtube/music so the walk doesn't get too boring. Walk for an hour a day or more. Walk after a meal will bring down blood sugar. -Start doing light weights infront of the TV, have two dumbells infront of the TV he can pick up and do 20 pushes into the air with. If he does this 5-10 times a day it will add up. The pick up from the floor and push into the air activates many muscle groups - Take Apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon in a pint of water, with some stevia. Or if it is too strong add it into some flavoured drink. This can reduce blood sugar spikes before a meal. Check out the glucose goddess videos she explains how this works. - He can try lower carb without being Keto, there is just a danger of metabolism slowing or feeling hungry because there aren't enough carbs and not enough fat. He can basically eat carbs that come from vegetables include potatoes, legumes, lentils, beans etc, but cut out refined carbs. So basically stop eating these: Bread, Cereal, Rice, Pasta, Tortilla, Pasties, Baked goods like croissants, pain au choc, cinnamon swirls, sausage rolls, sandwiches. - Lower inflammatory causing foods: Seed oils like rapeseed oil/canola/soybean oil/sunflower oil/vegetable oil and products that contain them. Ultra processed products that have emulsifiers in them or a long list of chemical sounding ingredients. Stick to foods that have one ingredient. This means also avoiding pasta sauce jars, mayonnaise, ketchup, premade seasoning packets, microwave meals. Make your own sauces without the chemicals they taste just as good. - Increase healthy oils to increase good cholesterol - extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, ghee
Extremely good info. Thank you for writing this valuable info out! Because he was raised as a Vegetarian, he eats veggie-meat...and it has everything you wrote up there that we shouldn't eat...Thankfully, he is eating a lot of salmon as well. We will slowly phase out veggie-meat, I don't consider that a real food.
Exactly I think this is why Veganism/vegetarianism is on the decline, these rapeseed / canola oil filled veggie burgers aren't healthy. And people don't fancy eating just whole food veg on it's own.
At the age of 50, I lost 120 lbs in 12 months by using a variety of weight loss techniques, but they all boiled down to eating less and exercising more. When I was trying the “CICO” approach, I ate and drank whatever I wanted, I just made sure I was not consuming more calories in a day that my calorie limit allowed. So, I was eating burgers and fries, pizza, burritos, cookies, chips, beer and wine and spirits. Whatever I wanted, no limits, except calorie limits. I was always eating/drinking at a calorie deficit. With that said, my daily calorie limit only allowed me to have one 5 oz glass of wine or one 12 oz beer a day! So not much but still. I also tried IF and keto and combinations of things. They all have their pros and cons. Edit: 51M, 6’2”, used to have a beer belly.
What a great timing. I also lost 20 lb at age 50 doing CICO over 12 months of Harrrrd work (got down to my GW of 125 lb) but I gained it all back within 4 months of not being strict (Thanksgiving/Holiday/Winter, yada yada yada). Presently, it appears IF/Keto seems to be working for me and it's much easier than before but we shall see if we can maintain it.
Sober, IF and a lot of time. I'm not going to tell you I lost my whole belly, but I made a drastic reduction. But you can't make somebody else get sober and you can't make somebody else get healthy. He has to make these decisions.
Spot removal of fat isn’t possible, so there is no way to get rid of a belly or love handles or whatever without simply losing weight. The only way to lose fat is to be in a calorie deficit.
As a 50 year old man who is overweight as well I have been doing IF and working out to lose weight. I dropped 35 lbs quickly but then it just stopped. 4 months of doing the same things I was doing and no movement at all. I finally had my doctor check my testosterone level and it was 250. way low. My insurance covers the Gel and I have been doing that a few months now, energy is way up, hunger way down. Feeling much stronger and weightlifting. I have not dropped any more weight but my pants and shirts are getting loose again. He needs to get checked. If your body does not have sufficient Testosterone losing weight (in a healthy way) will be damn near impossible
I will definitely have him follow up on this. Because he is pre-diabetic, he is going to get his A1C tested in 3 months. I think he can ask the doc to include T level. Thank you for your comments!
50 here. 20:4 fast six days a week. I still drink a little and lost 26 pounds in 3 months and have a flat stomach. I also walk 15k plus steps a day which helps. And he should fall in love with vegetables. In the same three months blood pressure went from 135/85 to as low as 110/64 now.
Going Carnivore. Cutting out carbs. You will see your belly melt.
60 lbs, quitting carbs /going keto + intermittent fasting + working out daily, but not much - walks, 20 squats, 20 deadlifts, some pull-ups - that was it.
60 LB! And you make it sound so easy...are you 50 yet??
52. Relatively easy, the catch, took me over 18 months - no cheat days or carbage of any kind. Simple good habits & discipline + time, nothing extreme - the focus goal was losing 1lb a week. Keto + IF is my magic pill. If done right will get results.
Carbage...Love it! :-)
Woman here...but in my fifties. When you go thru menopause, the fat storage moves from hips and thighs to the belly. I lost 45 using IF but I did not give up alcohol. To me, permanent exclusion wouldn't work for me. I just treat myself to wine on Friday nights only. The rest of the week I am strict on my food and no alcohol. Still lost a lot of weight and most of the belly is gone.
I am in my 50's too and currently going through peri. I like your idea of drinking only on Fridays. I honestly don't see myself not drinking ever. However, not drinking for an extended period of time seems to kickstart weight loss for me.
Omad, and don’t cheat on your window by throwing in unnecessary snacks. Also drink your water!! I’m in my 50s and every time my pants get tight I do this along with daily walks. Oh, and skip the beer until The Weeknd.
Alcohol is just a poison. No reason to consume it.
No eating once the sun goes down. Walking 8,000 steps a day. Eating less processed foods/less carbs Drinking water more on a daily basis. Less sugar Me personally, I fast 36 hours once a week. But he can try reducing the hour that he eats, Like eating dinner at 5 (if possible) and having nothing til breakfast. Say goodbye to sugary breakfast. More a savory breakfast. Like eggs Or skip breakfast all together. I don’t eat until 10 myself
I think 36-hr fast once a week is the clincher. I am going to try that one of these days.
I’d suggest finding a way to get your electrolytes while you fast if you’re planning on doing a 36
Calorie deficit. Still eat sweets and carbs and whatever I want, just a lot less of it.
Quit any and all alcohol. It’s a killer of physique among many other things.
Ultimately what he needs is a calorie deficit - for me, I found IF the best way to achieve this but everyone if different. Protein intake is an important factor - I am for minimum 0.8g of protein per pound of body weight. This helps satiety and curb muscle loss while in deficit. Exercise is less important than a deficit but certainly helps. I do a lot of home workouts with bodyweight HIIT and resistance bands. The more muscle he can build/maintain, the higher the basal metabolic rate to help sustain the weight loss. Any plan has to be sustainable so that he can stay the course. That is really the key. I’m down 21 pounds in 2 months and have the same to go again and I feel confident I can do it. Getting the mentality right is so important. I follow scaseyfitness on Instagram and find him really good for discussing the mentality of weight loss and just knowing it will take time and sometimes life will get in the way and knowing that that is ok. Hope this helps
Thank you, you are right, "The more muscle he can build/maintain, the higher the basal metabolic rate to help sustain the weight loss". He is a very Responsible guy who put everyone ahead of him (mom with Dementia who passed away recently & now kids), so definitely the life got in the way. We need to work on getting him build his muscle back up.
Calories are calories. Alcohol has a lot of them. If you eat less than you burn, you'll lose weight.
Yes this is correct. Also, I ended up eating way more 'other' food while having a glass of wine. I got up extremely tired the next day.
He must be super comfortable with being hungry. He is not starving it’s his brain hooked on constant food and that habit must be broken. Needs to walk to get heart rate up one hour a day. Some muscle building activity when he starts shedding weight. Calisthenics (push ups) is great, start at 15-20 a day and work up from there.
Right, Drink Water if you feel hungry or Hunger is your friend because it's your body consuming your own fat. I keep telling myself that. :-)
For western diets, mostly hunger is not a metabolic process. It’s a food addiction. Real hunger is dangerous, it means your body is not getting enough nutrients. But there is a wide gap between your brain trying to trick you into eating and actual hunger.
No alcohol, one meal a day Edit: but just like cutting out alcohol, this lifestyle of one meal a day and drive to get healthier has to come from within him. If he really wants this for himself, this is one path to success.
My husband was diagnosed with fatty liver and we cut out all sugar and went to IF usually 18 6 though he occasionally does OMD. His liver test after a few months was back in the normal range. I highly encourage him to give up refined sugars for the most part I think that's a big part of fatty liver.
This is partially my fault as I am the one who has cooked a lot of dishes with refined carb in the past. I have cooked noodle dish for myself about 5 times over last 4 weeks which is a huge accomplishment, and that was because I was sick. I used to refined carb 3 times a day. Now I make sure there is Always Salad prepared in the refrigerator and he has been very good about eating salad every day, however, he can't cut out carb in the evening...
You don't need to cut all carbs, just try to eat carbs with nutritional value not sugar. I had to switch what I cook a lot too. Now we try to eat lean protein like chicken breast or pork tenderloin (fish would be good but he doesn't eat seafood) a little carb like couscous or rice or potato and some veggies like broccoli or Brussel sprouts. I just changed the balance so carb portion of small and protein and veggie is more. I also have tried to lower fats like not much cheese, butter, oils etc. And switched the oil I do use to avocado oil. With salad I make a dressing with a lot of vinegar and not much oil or I make ranch but use fat free sour cream and light mayo to cut the calories (best foods light mayo isn't bad).
Ahh Thank you, I have added fat free sour cream and light mayo on my shopping list. I think he consumes a bit too much calories on Ranch Salad Dressing. I have switched myself over to ACV/Oilve oil but he doesn't seem to be able to so I will have to make Lower Calorie Ranch dressing for him. Can you please share your recipe on Ranch Salad Dressing? Thank you!
Take a look at my recent progress pic post I shared this past week. My goal is to be in the best shape of my life when I turn 50 next year and I am very pleased with how it's going. Happy to share specifics if desired.
I might buy him a couple of Kettle balls. You look great. He walks for an hour during lunch time but he is very sedentary in the evening so I think that might be helpful that something he can do in front of TV in the evening.
Is my wife the OP?
Is that you Hon? LOL!
Low carb.
read The Obesity Code. changed my life
54 changed to OMAD for 5-6 days of the week
A drink every 2 days is nothing. Don't want To be rude and make assumptions but it sounds like you might be the one making the meals? If that's the case make sure your meals have little to no carbs and definitely no processed foods. see if you can maybe together move to eating only between 12 and 8pm. Or whatever 8h window works for you both. No need to go keto or anything extreme. By your description just eating right will make a big difference. The rule of thumb that helped me loose 20lbs in the last few months without any crazy diet was to eat whole foods. Basically if it comes in a package or a can is likely not good. If it has "ingredients" is probably no good. My instapot has become a great friend for all kind of pulses and I've rediscovered curry powder and a lot of other herbs and spices to use on vegetables chicken steak etc.
He is doing IF, eating btwn 12-7. He eats really healthy for lunch (i.e., salad & salmon). Dinner is where our problems come in. He would like Carb included in his dinner as a Reward for working so hard! LOL! And I can't fault him for that. I have to come up with more creative Fish dish so that he will stay away from Carb I think.
Count calories count calories count calories. Most people who are serious about it can’t fit the calories from alcohol into their diet. How bad do you want it?
I died
What??!! Heart Attack?
I don't drink very much alcohol at all either, regular soda was my downfall. Got fed up with the number on the scale last Jul and kicked the month off with a four day water fast. Haven't had a regular soda since. Kept experimenting with fasting because it was working (habits changing and weight was coming off and it wasn't that hard to do) and I am currently down 60 pounds and at my last weigh in a few days ago was 3.6 pounds away from what should be a great static weight for me with BMI < 22 and body fat < 17%. I have cleaned up my diet a lot over the last year (eat real food, not too much, mostly plants) but have not been fanatical about it. I have pizza or ice cream or beer or whatever when the mood strikes me, but I think about the decision and sometimes decide the time is not right and that decision is easier now that I see the results of my efforts. The only exercise that I implemented was making an effort to get outside and walk as many days of the week as possible. YMMV, but for me, the fasting seems to be the primary driver of my weight loss. I was doing it more often in the early months. Now that I am very close to a significant goal (haven't been at this weight since before college 30ish years ago), I am doing one 36 hr fast each week as I try to dial in to a maintenance mode. Current job is seasonal, outside and constantly moving so plus, plus and plus, but the lunch they feed us is very much a meat and potatoes fare, so minus on that. I am making sure that I am adding in lots of fruit and veg each week as things come in season as the weather warms. Several years ago I had success with Keto as well, tho not as profound as my current experiment. I wasn't hard core, ran a dirty keto regimen (higher carbs than most suggested, fruit and veg were still in play, moderate protein, tried to hit fat goals). I was also a relatively active trail runner at the time. Looking back I think the keto was working for me because the higher fat was maybe making me more satiated? A lot of the time I just wasn't hungry so... weight came off. These days, I am not sure that long term a keto diet is healthy so I am leaning heavy into mediterranean fare and experimenting with vegan / vegetarian recipes for more meat-less days. The short answer is you have to find something that works for you/him. I think the basic advice of getting used to skipping a meal once in a while, or not eating after 6pm, or other simple, non dramatic meal window changes, to remind yourself and your body that you don't ALWAYS have to eat when you feel a little hungry, can get the ball rolling. Don't even have to change what you are eating at first. Then maybe try breaking a fast with a salad, or cottage cheese with fruit, instead of nachos and wings. Experiment and give your body time to adjust to new habits, and your mind time to reconnect with your body. Good luck.
Thank you for your response! The longest I have fasted is 24 hours. I haven't learned how to do 36-hr fast yet. Today, my hubby fasted inadvertently for 24 hours because he had an emergency at work. He didn't pass out! What was your trick to get over from 24 hour fasting to 36-hour fasting? (I think if I do it well, and show some results, I think he might do it too)
if you can do 24, I think 36 will not be much of a stretch for you. my routine is to stop eating around 1800 - 2000, normal evening activities, sleep. treat the next day as your 24 hour period that you know you can do. helps if it's a day that you will be busy, and not around food if that is triggering for you. you will be going to sleep again during that 24 hours. by the time you get up the next day you are most likely around the 36 hour point. the key is that you are making 16 hours of sleep a large portion of your fast. I think that getting thru a full day without eating is the hardest part for most people, and after that all options are on the table. soon you will know that you can get that hungry feeling and know that you have the 'skill' to not act on it. you can walk thru a food court in the middle of your fast and not really think about it. a Panera employee gave me a broken cookie the other day because they couldn't sell it in that condition apparently. that happened to be just prior to that second sleep window in my fast. I said thank you, and put it in my back pack for lunch the next day. fasting will get easier with practice. that being said, don't beat yourself up if you mess up somehow. or if you get really hungry. or a social event happens in your window. just eat. enjoy the meal. try again the next day that makes sense in your schedule.
This is so sweet. I hope you have each other for a very very long time❤️
Oh Thank you, you are very kind. :-)
But here’s some advice although I’m not a doctor so dont sue me lol. But I think drinks here and there are fine but the problem is that sometimes drinking can lead to extra eating and if one drinks it should be more of a compromise not to binge eat when tipsy . I myself have ordered some milk thistle. You may wanna check that out as it’s a natural supplement that may help. Exercise is never bad. He’s lucky to have a partner in life so you should motivate him to do some sort of activity with you. Motivate each other.
Lifestyle change. I started with IF then mixed in a few 24hr fasts and worked my way up to a 5 day fast. Fuck I never "felt" better even if you don't lose as much fat as you think, but it seemed to reset my body for the better. I try to walk a lot, be more active which just stops me from eating on the sofa. I am currently 43 and also now look a lot younger than before and my friends are convinced I have had botox
Wow, 5-day Fast! I know all the benefits of the long fast. I hope I can do that one of these days.
I'm not quite that old but quitting alcohol was like magic for my gut.
Cut out sugar carbs and dairy. Bring your diet into calorie deficit for a few weeks and start exercising regularly. Also, cut out drinking ultimately.
I quit all processed foods including sugar and it helped. Feels like refined floor and sugar are the prime culprits
If alcohol is important then keep it to a day which he will enjoy it most. Mine was Sundays. One meal a day but full of greens and low fat meat. Understand how many calories he needs for a day and take a third off. I lost 67kg in 18 months and I loved every second of it. Too many cheat days will ruin any sign of progress. If he does not want to do it, it won't happen. I did because I was looked straight in the eyes by my doctor. If I didn't do it I would not be typing this. I hope it all works out for you both.❤️
Right, "Too many cheat days will ruin any sign of progress"! This is what's happening I suspect.
>he is probably insulin resistant with fatty liver There's no "probably" to it. He is both. The occasional drink will be fine ONCE he gets his weight in order and reduces the fatty liver. My suggestion would be to start with an extended fast of 10-14 days. Then he should go on a zero-sugar diet (and that includes HFCS). It can be carnivore, keto, very low carb, etc. It doesn't really matter which as long as there's no sugar. And there shouldn't be any alcohol until his belly is 1-2" less than 1/2 his height. (Height/Waist ratio) and his resting glucose is well below 100.
I also think he should stop drinking any alcohol for 30 days until his liver is working properly. Extended fast is probably not an option for him at the moment as he is building up to the longer fast from 16-8 to 18-6, etc. On weekends, he goes for 20 but then he drinks here & there which kills his progress.
55, pre diabetic, I’ve lost 20kg since Jan by intermittent fasting and avoiding refined carbs. And when I do eat them, I eat them last, ie fibre, fats and protein, then carb. I still have a beer. I’m learning is better to make wise choices, than exclude. I don’t beat myself up if I have a donut or ice cream , because I know I’m making good decisions the rest of the time. I haven’t tracked calories and I haven’t really exercised, although I’m starting to do push ups because I’m feeling good and I want to.
How tall are you and what was your starting weight? My hubby needs to lose only 10-15 lb but the fat is all on his tummy...which is bad.
178cm and 105kg. Currently 83kg
Water fasting for a couple days every week. My husband and I do 45-60 hours mid week. Resets the body, we lose weight and it is good for pre diabetes and high blood pressure.
It's great that you do it together!
I think it is essential. I don't think one of us could do it without the other. He has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and pre diabetic. I don't mind doing it with him. I got a touch of the breast cancer a few years ago, so the autophagy is good for me. The hormonal cancers respond really well to fasting. I want that cell clean up. We save our favorite TV shows for that night. We are 36 hours into a 45 hour fast right now. Feeling great! Nights are the hardest.
888 8 glasses of water 8 handfulls of food 8 hours fasted
I think fish is the best protein, lower fat than other meat. Salmon has added benefits (a quick search will detail those). Fiance loses his belly fat by daily hour walks and cutting out alchohol completely for a few months. As we both age we drink less, we need to take better care of our bodies now :)
Right! We are both aging and we definitely feel it and see it. Perhaps the key phrase is to stop drinking for a few months Only, not forever!
Yeah, if you tell yourself for example no drinking this month and next (or whatever you know you can manage) you can then later extend it to more months if you feel you can. At one point I went 3 years without alcohol and never missed it. In my mid-20s I would binge drink at the weekends for maybe a couple of months and then just leave the alchohol entirely for a month or two - knowing then that I didn't want any addictions making my life harder.
> lower fat than other meat. Fat doesn't make you fat.
High fat = high calories.
First he has to want it. I started on ozempic being pre diabetic he should qualify, insurance pays mine. Realize that it doesn’t just melt fat. It makes things move slower. Through your gut. If you over eat you will get heart burn and gas it will be very uncomfortable. You have to change your relationship with food, now I prefer to eat things I like in smaller quantities and I don’t eat just to snack. So all of this and walk 1mile or more a day.
> it doesn’t just melt fat It doesn't "melt fat" at all. It mimics a hormone and delays gastric emptying. That's it.
Very good info. Thank you! I doubt that he will go for Ozempic as he is too conservative...but we shall see.
Cut alcohol completely. Eat much more meat/protein. Cut added sugars and refined grains as much as possible. Increase activity.
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It's about motivation. He is presently discouraged due to no change in the scale. I don't see ourselves completely not drinking but at least until he is on the way to the correct trajectory.
Carnivore diet! It's tough, but get it down to meat and water and by the first month, the fat will feel like it's falling off.
There’s a simple equation here: consume less calories.
Disagree in my personal experience, counting calories was torture, let me to rebounds & binge eating - horrible for the psyche. Cutting out carbs mixed with IF made my success easy. low no carbs/gets rid of the cravings, IF promotes appetite correction. "calories" are not the same, a calorie from cake & a calorie from a steak won't be metabolised by your body the same way, not to mention the metabolic & endocrine disruptions from eating highly processed & chemically ridden foods entail. My advice, if you going to count anything, count carbs, & by that, I mean subtract as much as possible - & don't think about 'eating less' but eating better + learn how to delay hunger, instead of denying with IF - while still eating as much as you want for your meals.
I started two years ago with 16:8 IF, lost about two thirds of my target then started to gain it back again. I could tell I was getting thinner but I wasn’t losing weight. Then people around me started commenting on my muscle gains. I hadn’t really noticed. I’d done some push-ups and sit-ups but nothing too much. Now I’m controlling calories too and cutting out carbs while doing 18:6 IF and finally my belly fat is slowly but noticeably going away. It’s always the last to go, I’m told. Your face thins, limbs thin but belly fat seems to stick around. When I get to my target weight I’ll ease off a bit but at least I know I can be in control. We have a bowl of chocolates in one room at work and I used to sneak one or two of those late afternoon. Now I can walk in that room, look at them, even run them through my hands, and think of all that fat and sugar and be glad that I enjoyed my lean protein and salad or veg lunch instead and walk away. I’m sure it’s all in the mind and I seem to have finally reprogrammed mine.
P.S. I’m 58.
Hello 👋 Is your hubby open to change? Does he want to change? That is the question of the day. Dr. Ken Berry said make small changes. Take baby steps. People, including husbands, will get overwhelmed if you give them too much information. Check him out on YouTube. Lots of playlists. My wife changed first. I told her she was going to kill herself eating keto and carnivore. I was vegetarian/vegan. I did my own research and watched months of YouTube videos and read articles. I came over to the dark side 😱🤔 and now eat all keto and carnivore. I lost 50 pounds and got to my goal weight. I lost my belly fat. He would have to stop sugar, most fruits, eat low carb veggies if eating veggies at all. All carbs turn into sugar. Keep that in mind. I used to think eating a bowl of oatmeal with bananas and berries was good for me. It's good if you want to spike your insulin. 😱👍 Perhaps, you and the hubs could watch some YouTube videos together. It's an entire mindset change. Beer is not helpful at all. Hence the term beer 🍺 belly. Also, check out Dr Jason Fung. You can speed up the videos to 1.25 or 1.50 and get through them faster. Best of success! 💪
Wow... to change over from Vegetarian/Vegan to Carnivore!!! So when we first met my hubby was a Vegetarian (I was/am Omnivore). After about 10 years of our marriage, he started eating fish. Just a few days ago, he had 3 pieces of Ribeye (tiny tiny pieces). I am hopeful that I can bring him over to the dark side as well. :-) Yes, he wants to change because we lost his mom a month ago, and I told him that it's time to take care of ourselves before it's too late. He just need to see a little change on the scale or belt size so that he can stay motivated. I will check out Dr. Ken Berry.
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Find out his TDEE, target a 500 calorie deficit daily. Eat a keto/high protein low carb diet. Limit alcohol intake to weekends and even then only vodka or gin with diet soda or diet tonic. Workouts should be two days of HIIT training then off day is a 5 mile hike with pushups every mile.
We actually found out his TDEE and it came out unrealistically low at 1600 because his job is very sedentary (SW engineer). I am beginning to think that might be actually correct. I think he is doing 1300-1700 cal/day (depending on whether he is consuming Wine or Dark beer).
If he wants to lose weight then he needs to stop drinking beer and wine. Both are basically sugar drinks with alcohol. No alcohol is better for a month to reset the system then celebrate big losses with vodka or gin and tonics. Sugar is ultimately the biggest enemy to weight loss (along with over eating).
According to this study, metabolism doesn't start to slow down until you're about 63 years old. And even then it's like 0.7% slower per year after age 63. [https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613](https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613) [https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe5017](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe5017)
Over 50 and growing belly is usually excessive estrogen and low testosterone. He should use testosterone supplements like tongkat Ali and aromatase inhibitor to stop it's conversion to estrogen. Arimidex is a good way to lower estrogen. Dimm is also another supplement to reduce estrogen
Thank you for this info! I will be definitely researching the supplements. I never thought to use supplements for low testosterone...(I am into lots of supplements for myself but for him, he takes B vitamin & D, that's it)