I have tried keto, intermittent fasting (18/6), and Omad. Both were fine for short-term losses.
The thing that stuck was:
- finding my maintenance calories by journaling and meal prep (weighing food in advance). I found my maintenance calories to be about 2800 per day.
- reducing my caloric intake by about 250 calories net.
- replacing some of the fats and carbs in my diet with more protein (actually above the 1gr/lb lean body mass suggested but I find proteins more filling and delicious).
- walking for about 3-4 hours a week (super important). If I can't walk due to weather I use a stationary bike. I do relatively low intensity cardio this way that isn't hard on joints but I do it for an hour at a time.
- resistance training with the periodization strategy seriously 3-5 times a week (4-5 hours a week total), focusing on progressive overload and training everything.
- making it a permanent lifestyle decision. Not "I'm doing this for 3 months to lose weight" but finding an exercise routine, permanent diet, and foods that aren't calorie dense so that I can feel full and get the right amount of calories.
-adjusting my food intake by tracking a weekly rolling weight average and dropping calories if required (something that hasn't really happened since I picked up so much exercise)
I don't know what the studies say but I can tell you this is the only way that has been successful for me. Ive lost about 50 lbs, 6 pants sizes in a year and gained a lot of muscle as well.
I don't think you can permanently lose weight without committing to a new lifestyle. My old lifestyle made me fat. Temporarily dropping weight and returning to it will just yoyo my health.
Instead you have to find a new permanent lifestyle that is on the trajectory you need. That why weight watchers will almost never be a real weight loss program - everyone is there to look for zero point foods and eat cake. Perhaps by accident they will arrive there but not by following weight watchers
Anyone could implement my strategy on weight watchers or intermittent fasting but I found I could not sustain the exercise if I was fasted and I felt terrible. My way seems to be a good solution for me. I still eat bread, I occasionally have ice cream (although within my caloric deficit), i eat delicious foods that I enjoy eating but that aren't dense with calories and I don't see any reason to stop - this is just how I am from now on. Eventually it all becomes habit and the discipline required drops. I still hate cardio but doing sustained steady state makes it bearable and weight training is now something I look forward to.
I don't disagree with anything you said, of course, it's an anecdote. However, I think it's important to follow the studies, science and data and to look in aggregate.
I don't disagree with knowing what the science says, although often that seems to change from year to year. It's also important to know that I am not an aggregate, and like you said my anecdote is about what works for me, but what works for someone else is different, and what trends good in aggregate might not work for someone else for a variety of reasons (Compliance, etc).
Thats why the best diet and workout plan is the one you do consistently and commit to making your permanent diet/workout plan. Knowing the optimal science way is good, having a lifestyle you can live that achieves your goals is best.
The thing that stuck was:
- finding my maintenance calories by journaling and meal prep (weighing food in advance). I found my maintenance calories to be about 2800 per day.
- reducing my caloric intake by about 250 calories net.
- replacing some of the fats and carbs in my diet with more protein (actually above the 1gr/lb lean body mass suggested but I find proteins more filling and delicious).
- walking for about 3-4 hours a week (super important). If I can't walk due to weather I use a stationary bike. I do relatively low intensity cardio this way that isn't hard on joints but I do it for an hour at a time.
- resistance training with the periodization strategy seriously 3-5 times a week (4-5 hours a week total), focusing on progressive overload and training everything.
- making it a permanent lifestyle decision. Not "I'm doing this for 3 months to lose weight" but finding an exercise routine, permanent diet, and foods that aren't calorie dense so that I can feel full and get the right amount of calories.
-adjusting my food intake by tracking a weekly rolling weight average and dropping calories if required (something that hasn't really happened since I picked up so much exercise)
I don't know what the studies say but I can tell you this is the only way that has been successful for me. Ive lost about 50 lbs, 6 pants sizes in a year and gained a lot of muscle as well.
I don't think you can permanently lose weight without committing to a new lifestyle. My old lifestyle made me fat. Temporarily dropping weight and returning to it will just yoyo my health.
Instead you have to find a new permanent lifestyle that is on the trajectory you need. That why weight watchers will almost never be a real weight loss program - everyone is there to look for zero point foods and eat cake. Perhaps by accident they will arrive there but not by following weight watchers
Anyone could implement my strategy on weight watchers or intermittent fasting but I found I could not sustain the exercise if I was fasted and I felt terrible. My way seems to be a good solution for me. I still eat bread, I occasionally have ice cream (although within my caloric deficit), i eat delicious foods that I enjoy eating but that aren't dense with calories and I don't see any reason to stop - this is just how I am from now on. Eventually it all becomes habit and the discipline required drops. I still hate cardio but doing sustained steady state makes it bearable and weight training is now something I look forward to.