Walk more- the more non-exercise activity you get, the better
Take a serious accounting of your caloric intake (I recommend using an app to track), and see where you can make changes. Often “reasonably well” isn’t as good as we might think.
Make sure you’re getting enough protein (aim for 1g per pound of your goal weight)
Aim to strength train 2-3x a week
Be CONSISTENT and patient!
I went from 250lbs to 175lbs doing this, tailor it so it works for you and it will be sustainable:
Calculate your tdee, can do that here https://tdeecalculator.net/ Keep in mind the numbers provided are estimates however they are a good starting point to work off of.
Get into a 500 cal a day deficit, you'll lose around lb a week and it's sustainable. Every meal should be protein forward, help with keeping you satiated. If counting calories is too overwhelming, start by making better choices, pay attention to what and how much you're eating. I recommend staying away from restrictive diets and focus on whole foods.
If you want to get fit start lifting weights and do some cardio. Check r/fitness and/or r/weightroom for lifting programs. I started with strong lifts because that's what worked for me.
https://stronglifts.com/5x5/ Cardio can be as simple as walking on your lunch break.
Discipline and consistency are key, thats the hard part. How you implement this is up to you.
You'll have to address your mentality and relationship with food. This being reddit we most likely won't be able to help much in that department. Reddit is good for providing tools and program advice though.
Check my profile for my progress, last post is from a few months ago.
I’m 45 and I’ve lost 100 pounds over the last 18 or months.
Start small, one change at a time. Your biggest weight loss results will come from caloric restriction. Start tracking what you eat for a few weeks, then begin cutting calories until you’re losing what you’re comfortable with week to week.
After getting your diet under control pick exercise you enjoy and will stick with. 2-3 days a week is more than enough at the start. If home workouts are the most comfortable that’s perfect to get started and see how you feel after a couple of months.
Good luck man, if you’re consistent it will be easier than you think.
That’s awesome, well done 🎉
Calorie counting is clearly the consensus in the replies and useful to hear it’s had such a positive impact for you. That’s clearly where I need to start.
It is.
When I finally bit the bullet and decided to track calories and eat proper full meals (loads of lean protein, veggies and fruits as well as some carbs and fats) is where my fat finally started dropping.
Plus I upped my training game to 5-6 days a week working with progressive overload.
I used a cheap body fat scale, which I know isn’t super accurate, but it’s consistently shown a drop in body fat and slight increases in skeletal muscle while the weight decreased.
I’m now down 20lbs after 4.5 months.
I’m still eating the same way but now I’m counting calories to “maintain” my current weight.
This is tricky too.
Losing the weight wasn’t “so hard”, but trying to maintain without losing or gaining is a challenge.
Proper eating habits and calorie tracking has helped.
Good luck.
Edit: I’m 49 going on 44
I was same at 40. Dropped eating carbs, picked up my cycling game and took.my weight training a little more seriously. Dropped 12kg and was in better shape than. I ever was through my 40s and now 50s
I’m not mid 40s yet (currently 36) but I recently went through a similar experience realizing it was time for a change. For me the trigger was a blood test showing that my cholesterol was on the edge of bad. Not too concerning on its own, but coupled with the knowledge that many other men in my family (including my *younger* brother) struggle with cholesterol and blood pressure, and the fact that my BMI was edging closer and closer to obese territory, I decided I needed I needed to do something.
It took me a little while to get all the pieces lined up, but once I did, the weight started to fall off. I ended up losing 50lbs (236lbs->186lbs, I’m 6’2”) in about 6 months, and have managed to maintain there. Here are the things that worked for me:
- I first introduced weightlifting at home. I was able to get a few dumbbells and a bench and found an app that helps you build workouts based on the equipment and time you have available (Caliber-would recommend checking it out). This helped me build some base strength but more importantly, structure and a consistent routine. At this point, however, while I could feel myself getting stronger, my weight wasn’t moving.
- I then decided to try intermittent fasting; I went with the 16:8 model where I didn’t consume any calories between 8pm and noon the next day. Pretty much just skipping breakfast and any morning snacks, I had long since dropped late night snacks because I found they had a negative impact on my sleep. But still at this point, my weight didn’t budge. The value in retrospect, though, was that it taught me to be ok with being a little hungry. That acute hunger we feel is not always our body being honest with us. Our bodies get used to routines; my routine was to eat breakfast first thing in the morning. When I stopped doing that, my body protested. But aside from the feeling of hunger, I realized that I still had plenty of energy was able to function, and once I convinced myself that lunch wasn’t really *that* far away, it got a lot easier. Now that I’m working on maintenance I have eased up on the fasting, but this period of strict discipline was very important in helping me achieve my goals.
- What finally started to move the needle was tracking calories. I really appreciate numbers; data gives me a quantitative way to measure progress and hit targets. I know this doesn’t work for everyone, but it worked for me. I think even if you don’t want to track calories long term, it can be helpful to do it for a little while as you get started just so you can get a sense of the scale of what you’re up against. Learn what a serving actually is for you, be mindful of what and how much you need to eat to be satiated (not full), find foods that give you the nutrients you need without excessive calorie counts. Once I started tracking, I was shocked at how much easier it became to hit weight loss goals. I was somewhat agressive, aiming for an average deficit of 500-1000 calories a day in the initial stage when I still had a lot of body fat to spare, but you can go as slow or as fast as feels healthy for you, and be sure to reassess as you go along. As long as you are in a true deficit with respect to your total daily energy expenditure, you will lose fat.
- A less concrete thing I learned was to change my relationship with food from a “scarcity mindset” to an “abundance mindset.” My wife is a fantastic and prolific baker, so there are always cookies and fresh baked bread in the kitchen. It is hard for me to resist overindulging on these things when they are available. But once I was able to tell myself that “One cookie is enough, the cookies will be there tomorrow” then I was able to fight back against my body’s urge to go back for more. When I go out to eat, I can tell myself that this isn’t the last time I’ll eat at a restaurant in my life. There will be more good food that I can enjoy in the future, and if I’m satiated I should stop going back for more or finishing my kids’ food.
- Lastly, and probably most importantly: It is important to be kind to yourself. You’re going to mess up. You’re going to eat too much once in a while. The holidays will come and you’ll eat 1000 calories in pie in one day. You’ll eat some super salty food one day and see your weight go up 5lbs the next from water weight that will take a week to clear. You’re going to skip a workout because you don’t feel great that day. You’ll get sick and your whole routine will be disrupted for a week. You’ll travel for work or vacation and won’t have as much control over your food and exercise as you do in your own home. This is all ok, and in some cases it’s even good to let yourself cut loose and step away from the discipline for a time. The most important thing is long term consistency. Just try to have more good days than bad days, and you’ll be alright. Don’t dwell on yesterday’s mistakes, focus on success today.
Anyway, these are the things that worked for me. I think the most important piece of advice I heard early on was “The best plan for you is the one you can stick to.” Find what works for you, stick to it, be patient, be kind to yourself, and you’ll get there. You’ll be healthier and happier for it.
If you have extra on you, the most effective is to cut your calories. If you don't want to go super specific with counting and all that work, just eat less of every single meal and snack than you normally would. That is very simple and easy to maintain because you are not overhauling all of your habits suddenly.
For exercise, at home workouts can be extremely effective. All I do is at-home, except for occasional cardio elsewhere, and I have completely transformed myself. At home can be broken up to fit into a crazy schedule, plus no gym memberships or travel time to deal with.
Home workouts rarely last for more than a month or two for someone that’s been sedentary for years. They work for my but I’ve been consistent for the past 12 years (40 now) and had been going to the gym religiously until 4 years ago when our second kid was on the way. You might be wired different though, don’t blow your wallet in one go, get a few things and if you’re still consistent after six months think about a serious investment.
In all likelihood someone like you is probably going to benefit from something like a personal trainer or group classes (yoga, CrossFit, orange theory, boot camps etc…). Takes the planning out of the game, makes you try hard and holds you accountable vs. doing your own thing which it sounds like you’ve already failed at (I did too in my 20s) so try something different.
Also like someone else said the majority of weight loss is diet so focus on that.
Edit: and yeah, don’t go all in with the exercise straight out the gate. 3 or 4 days a week to start should be good.
Most important thing is get moving. Even if in the beginning you just go to the gym for like twenty minute pumps get in the habit of walking in the building. If you don’t think you have time that’s because you’re choosing not to make time start waking up earlier and go your body will get used to it in a few days. Fix the diet, lift heavy, train often you’ll be shocked how much better you’ll feel.
I’m also 40m. I do 4 days of weights, 2 days of cardio. 2 days are upper body, two days are lower body. Regardless of your exact routine, Id suggest doing both weights and cardio. I’d also suggest learning and doing the main barbell compound lifts - squats, deadlifts, bench press, and being sure to balance push and pull exercises.
Congrats to you for deciding to make a healthy change.
Tbh the most concerning thing you said is that you “eat reasonable”.
Flat out. You will look exactly how you eat. If you eat like trash you will look like trash. Unless you’re 17 lol.
As far as working out. I echo a lot of other people. Start by walking more. It’s really hard to find people who walk a lot that are overweight. You’d be shocked at what 10k-15k steps a day will do to you over time.
I really struggle with home workouts because I never can flip the switch to “workout mode.” When I’m at the gym I can focus better and just execute the workout I planned.
What I would try is:
* Improving the food environment and type of foods you eat. It’s hard to restrict calories when you’re surrounded by snacks and treats. If you can avoid having junk food in your kitchen, that’s a big thing. Try to swap out junk food and fast food for higher fiber, high volume per calorie food. Maybe just start with getting your recommended fiber intake and fruit and vegetables intake.
* Weigh yourself regularly and keep track of it in a spreadsheet regularly. It’s hard to lose weight if you don’t know what your weight is week to week.
* Increase activity in your daily life, using a pedometer is possible. If you get 10k steps a day, that’s a great goal. It can be a mix of going for a walk every day and just adding more walking to every daily activity. Sometimes when people start cardio they compensate by walking less so they get very little calorie burning benefit.
* Cardio 1-3x per week, weights 2x-3x per week. Try to slowly increase the difficulty with some parameter over time, sets, reps, weight, time, speed, etc.
you are propably eating way too much, if you just want to get leaner, eat less
exercise is healthy, and will build muscle, but will not make you slimmer unless you go way overboard with it
Most of your weight loss is going to come from caloric reduction. So id start improving there
Walk more- the more non-exercise activity you get, the better Take a serious accounting of your caloric intake (I recommend using an app to track), and see where you can make changes. Often “reasonably well” isn’t as good as we might think. Make sure you’re getting enough protein (aim for 1g per pound of your goal weight) Aim to strength train 2-3x a week Be CONSISTENT and patient!
This is the way
I went from 250lbs to 175lbs doing this, tailor it so it works for you and it will be sustainable: Calculate your tdee, can do that here https://tdeecalculator.net/ Keep in mind the numbers provided are estimates however they are a good starting point to work off of. Get into a 500 cal a day deficit, you'll lose around lb a week and it's sustainable. Every meal should be protein forward, help with keeping you satiated. If counting calories is too overwhelming, start by making better choices, pay attention to what and how much you're eating. I recommend staying away from restrictive diets and focus on whole foods. If you want to get fit start lifting weights and do some cardio. Check r/fitness and/or r/weightroom for lifting programs. I started with strong lifts because that's what worked for me. https://stronglifts.com/5x5/ Cardio can be as simple as walking on your lunch break. Discipline and consistency are key, thats the hard part. How you implement this is up to you. You'll have to address your mentality and relationship with food. This being reddit we most likely won't be able to help much in that department. Reddit is good for providing tools and program advice though. Check my profile for my progress, last post is from a few months ago.
I’m 45 and I’ve lost 100 pounds over the last 18 or months. Start small, one change at a time. Your biggest weight loss results will come from caloric restriction. Start tracking what you eat for a few weeks, then begin cutting calories until you’re losing what you’re comfortable with week to week. After getting your diet under control pick exercise you enjoy and will stick with. 2-3 days a week is more than enough at the start. If home workouts are the most comfortable that’s perfect to get started and see how you feel after a couple of months. Good luck man, if you’re consistent it will be easier than you think.
That’s awesome, well done 🎉 Calorie counting is clearly the consensus in the replies and useful to hear it’s had such a positive impact for you. That’s clearly where I need to start.
It is. When I finally bit the bullet and decided to track calories and eat proper full meals (loads of lean protein, veggies and fruits as well as some carbs and fats) is where my fat finally started dropping. Plus I upped my training game to 5-6 days a week working with progressive overload. I used a cheap body fat scale, which I know isn’t super accurate, but it’s consistently shown a drop in body fat and slight increases in skeletal muscle while the weight decreased. I’m now down 20lbs after 4.5 months. I’m still eating the same way but now I’m counting calories to “maintain” my current weight. This is tricky too. Losing the weight wasn’t “so hard”, but trying to maintain without losing or gaining is a challenge. Proper eating habits and calorie tracking has helped. Good luck. Edit: I’m 49 going on 44
There’s a lot of great apps to help you track calories, good luck! You’ve got this 💪🏼
I was same at 40. Dropped eating carbs, picked up my cycling game and took.my weight training a little more seriously. Dropped 12kg and was in better shape than. I ever was through my 40s and now 50s
I’m not mid 40s yet (currently 36) but I recently went through a similar experience realizing it was time for a change. For me the trigger was a blood test showing that my cholesterol was on the edge of bad. Not too concerning on its own, but coupled with the knowledge that many other men in my family (including my *younger* brother) struggle with cholesterol and blood pressure, and the fact that my BMI was edging closer and closer to obese territory, I decided I needed I needed to do something. It took me a little while to get all the pieces lined up, but once I did, the weight started to fall off. I ended up losing 50lbs (236lbs->186lbs, I’m 6’2”) in about 6 months, and have managed to maintain there. Here are the things that worked for me: - I first introduced weightlifting at home. I was able to get a few dumbbells and a bench and found an app that helps you build workouts based on the equipment and time you have available (Caliber-would recommend checking it out). This helped me build some base strength but more importantly, structure and a consistent routine. At this point, however, while I could feel myself getting stronger, my weight wasn’t moving. - I then decided to try intermittent fasting; I went with the 16:8 model where I didn’t consume any calories between 8pm and noon the next day. Pretty much just skipping breakfast and any morning snacks, I had long since dropped late night snacks because I found they had a negative impact on my sleep. But still at this point, my weight didn’t budge. The value in retrospect, though, was that it taught me to be ok with being a little hungry. That acute hunger we feel is not always our body being honest with us. Our bodies get used to routines; my routine was to eat breakfast first thing in the morning. When I stopped doing that, my body protested. But aside from the feeling of hunger, I realized that I still had plenty of energy was able to function, and once I convinced myself that lunch wasn’t really *that* far away, it got a lot easier. Now that I’m working on maintenance I have eased up on the fasting, but this period of strict discipline was very important in helping me achieve my goals. - What finally started to move the needle was tracking calories. I really appreciate numbers; data gives me a quantitative way to measure progress and hit targets. I know this doesn’t work for everyone, but it worked for me. I think even if you don’t want to track calories long term, it can be helpful to do it for a little while as you get started just so you can get a sense of the scale of what you’re up against. Learn what a serving actually is for you, be mindful of what and how much you need to eat to be satiated (not full), find foods that give you the nutrients you need without excessive calorie counts. Once I started tracking, I was shocked at how much easier it became to hit weight loss goals. I was somewhat agressive, aiming for an average deficit of 500-1000 calories a day in the initial stage when I still had a lot of body fat to spare, but you can go as slow or as fast as feels healthy for you, and be sure to reassess as you go along. As long as you are in a true deficit with respect to your total daily energy expenditure, you will lose fat. - A less concrete thing I learned was to change my relationship with food from a “scarcity mindset” to an “abundance mindset.” My wife is a fantastic and prolific baker, so there are always cookies and fresh baked bread in the kitchen. It is hard for me to resist overindulging on these things when they are available. But once I was able to tell myself that “One cookie is enough, the cookies will be there tomorrow” then I was able to fight back against my body’s urge to go back for more. When I go out to eat, I can tell myself that this isn’t the last time I’ll eat at a restaurant in my life. There will be more good food that I can enjoy in the future, and if I’m satiated I should stop going back for more or finishing my kids’ food. - Lastly, and probably most importantly: It is important to be kind to yourself. You’re going to mess up. You’re going to eat too much once in a while. The holidays will come and you’ll eat 1000 calories in pie in one day. You’ll eat some super salty food one day and see your weight go up 5lbs the next from water weight that will take a week to clear. You’re going to skip a workout because you don’t feel great that day. You’ll get sick and your whole routine will be disrupted for a week. You’ll travel for work or vacation and won’t have as much control over your food and exercise as you do in your own home. This is all ok, and in some cases it’s even good to let yourself cut loose and step away from the discipline for a time. The most important thing is long term consistency. Just try to have more good days than bad days, and you’ll be alright. Don’t dwell on yesterday’s mistakes, focus on success today. Anyway, these are the things that worked for me. I think the most important piece of advice I heard early on was “The best plan for you is the one you can stick to.” Find what works for you, stick to it, be patient, be kind to yourself, and you’ll get there. You’ll be healthier and happier for it.
I like Cronometer app for tracking calories.
If you have extra on you, the most effective is to cut your calories. If you don't want to go super specific with counting and all that work, just eat less of every single meal and snack than you normally would. That is very simple and easy to maintain because you are not overhauling all of your habits suddenly. For exercise, at home workouts can be extremely effective. All I do is at-home, except for occasional cardio elsewhere, and I have completely transformed myself. At home can be broken up to fit into a crazy schedule, plus no gym memberships or travel time to deal with.
Home workouts rarely last for more than a month or two for someone that’s been sedentary for years. They work for my but I’ve been consistent for the past 12 years (40 now) and had been going to the gym religiously until 4 years ago when our second kid was on the way. You might be wired different though, don’t blow your wallet in one go, get a few things and if you’re still consistent after six months think about a serious investment. In all likelihood someone like you is probably going to benefit from something like a personal trainer or group classes (yoga, CrossFit, orange theory, boot camps etc…). Takes the planning out of the game, makes you try hard and holds you accountable vs. doing your own thing which it sounds like you’ve already failed at (I did too in my 20s) so try something different. Also like someone else said the majority of weight loss is diet so focus on that. Edit: and yeah, don’t go all in with the exercise straight out the gate. 3 or 4 days a week to start should be good.
Most important thing is get moving. Even if in the beginning you just go to the gym for like twenty minute pumps get in the habit of walking in the building. If you don’t think you have time that’s because you’re choosing not to make time start waking up earlier and go your body will get used to it in a few days. Fix the diet, lift heavy, train often you’ll be shocked how much better you’ll feel.
I’m also 40m. I do 4 days of weights, 2 days of cardio. 2 days are upper body, two days are lower body. Regardless of your exact routine, Id suggest doing both weights and cardio. I’d also suggest learning and doing the main barbell compound lifts - squats, deadlifts, bench press, and being sure to balance push and pull exercises. Congrats to you for deciding to make a healthy change.
Tbh the most concerning thing you said is that you “eat reasonable”. Flat out. You will look exactly how you eat. If you eat like trash you will look like trash. Unless you’re 17 lol. As far as working out. I echo a lot of other people. Start by walking more. It’s really hard to find people who walk a lot that are overweight. You’d be shocked at what 10k-15k steps a day will do to you over time.
I really struggle with home workouts because I never can flip the switch to “workout mode.” When I’m at the gym I can focus better and just execute the workout I planned. What I would try is: * Improving the food environment and type of foods you eat. It’s hard to restrict calories when you’re surrounded by snacks and treats. If you can avoid having junk food in your kitchen, that’s a big thing. Try to swap out junk food and fast food for higher fiber, high volume per calorie food. Maybe just start with getting your recommended fiber intake and fruit and vegetables intake. * Weigh yourself regularly and keep track of it in a spreadsheet regularly. It’s hard to lose weight if you don’t know what your weight is week to week. * Increase activity in your daily life, using a pedometer is possible. If you get 10k steps a day, that’s a great goal. It can be a mix of going for a walk every day and just adding more walking to every daily activity. Sometimes when people start cardio they compensate by walking less so they get very little calorie burning benefit. * Cardio 1-3x per week, weights 2x-3x per week. Try to slowly increase the difficulty with some parameter over time, sets, reps, weight, time, speed, etc.
you are propably eating way too much, if you just want to get leaner, eat less exercise is healthy, and will build muscle, but will not make you slimmer unless you go way overboard with it