#loseit FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions are often asked in #loseit. Only frequently asked things belong here. If you’re not sure, it doesn’t belong here.

Q: How do I lose weight?
A: Eat fewer calories than you burn. That’s it!
Q: How do I know how much to eat?
A: Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which estimates how much energy you burn on a typical day. For every 500 cal/day you eat below this value, you lose about 1 lb/week (because there are 3500 calories in a pound of bodyfat).
Q: How do I know how much I am eating?
A: Track your intake using a tracking system like MyFitnessPal and a food scale to accurately measure what you’re eating. Many restaurants post nutritional information online, and for recipes, add up the calories in the ingredients and divide by number of servings. When in doubt about the calorie content, overestimate!
Q: What about exercise?
A: If you exercise, but eat based on your sedentary TDEE, at worst you will lose weight too fast! (The horror!) Try it without accounting for exercise at all, and if you lose faster than you want, you can adjust your intake until you hit the rate you want. You can’t outrun a bad diet
Q: What is the minimum amount I should eat?
A: There isn’t much medical reason for a minimum. [1] [2] However, if you start out trying to make a massive change in your intake, you are very likely to burn out and abandon your plan. Make changes you can maintain for a long time, and adjust as you go. If you plan a very large deficit, you are encouraged to seek input from your physician.
Q: What should I eat?
A: Whatever fits your calorie budget. Specific foods aren’t the problem, your eating habits are. You’ll have to do some experimenting to find what you like best. Suggestions for filling foods are veggies, lean proteins, and fats in moderation. Ask in #loseit if you need ideas!
Q: Will I have / How do I prevent loose skin?
A: It’s hard to predict, depending largely on how much you have to lose, and there isn’t a whole lot you can do about it during the weight loss process itself. You should focus on losing the weight first, and if you do have loose skin, deal with it (i.e. removal surgery) if/when it becomes a problem. No sense in worrying about a problem you’re not sure you have. Further reading: [1] [2]

For even more information, check out the other pages on this wiki, and these links: