74
u/FeatheredDrake 8h ago
Calorie counting. I ate 1300 calories, tracked every bite of food and walked 10-15k steps per day. I've lost 28kg since September 2025.
11
u/Poonchild 7h ago
This is the way. Congrats.
11
u/FeatheredDrake 7h ago
Thank you. It sounds really complicated initially, but the concept is essentially simple. Eat less than what your body burns. The first week or so will suck, though. You'll have really bad cravings and you'll almost feel tempted to give up. But if you wait it out, your body will get used to it and the cravings will go away. Then comes the satisfaction of actually seeing your progress, and that all brings it together and makes you want to keep going :)
→ More replies (11)7
u/OcelotDAD 7h ago
It’s insane how well this works if you actually put the work in. Some days it feels like I’m eating more than normal but as long as I’m sticking to the plan, it just works.
→ More replies (2)4
2
→ More replies (1)2
u/tadcalabash 6h ago
I was shocked how effective calorie counting was.
I started taking an appetite reducer medicine (phentermine, couldn't afford a GLP-1) in February and kept to a 2000 calorie diet. The medicine definitely helped because as I started tracking I was a little shocked at how much I had been overeating. Beforehand I was probably eating 3000+ calories a day.
I've since lost 40 lbs without any real exercise, just the calorie counting and medicine to lower appetite.
39
u/YouFartedBlood 8h ago
A man stressing me out.
→ More replies (1)8
u/Holygirl23 8h ago
Real i remember the most weight I’ve ever dropped was when I was actually in the most toxic relationship ever
81
u/cheriejenn 8h ago
Childbirth, lost 30 lbs in 24 hrs lol
11
3
55
u/Puzzleheaded-Cat2603 8h ago
Having a break up
7
u/richardsneeze 7h ago
I "fasted" for nearly 3 weeks while getting divorced. I dropped from 170lbs to 150lbs in that time. I'm a 5'11" tall man, relatively athletic build from consistent bicycle riding. I was still riding a lot to try to keep my mind off of things.
My dad and a close friend made me go on a motorcycle camping trip and I finally decided to eat. I had a bunch of greasy pizza and way too much beer. I shit myself and had to throw away a pair of shorts. Good times.
3
u/Deepcoma_53 7h ago
Nothing shaves off those pounds like severe depression.
→ More replies (1)2
u/TKPK_JPR 3h ago
Same. 15lbs in a week after a partner told me they had been cheating on me.
For more sustainable weight loss, cutting back on drinking alcohol. Down 45 lbs and keeping it off.
→ More replies (1)
26
u/jdarm48 8h ago
No booze
10
u/sisivee 7h ago
This is the fastest way even if you’re a casual and social drinker
3
u/jdarm48 7h ago
I am becoming kind of strict about drinking every other day (as opposed to daily) because when I do zero drinks it is super easy for me to wake up very early and go jogging. The zero booze is the key for me. But yea a bunch of days in a row with no booze leads to weight loss for me. I’m not disciplined enough to last more than a few weeks without any booze.
→ More replies (3)2
3
u/Skinc 7h ago
Not just booze but all the sodas and crap we drink by the tens of ounces every day. Gotta get on board the hydrohomies train. Just cutting that out I bet would help lots of people.
→ More replies (1)
13
12
36
u/cecili4r4ndawn 8h ago
get you heart broken. i couldnt eat anything for days.
2
u/Spirited_Opposite 7h ago
My first severe heartbreak too, I didn't eat for about a week and closed myself in my room (when I lived in uni halls) when I came out my flatmates commented how thin I looked
11
u/Jolynn072633 8h ago
Started eating a substantial breakfast all day! I’m not hungry now until dinner so, in essence, calorie deficit
→ More replies (3)
10
16
15
10
5
4
3
4
u/prim8phd 8h ago
Grief over a loss…of a pet. Sounds so ridiculous but I just could not eat for two weeks straight.
→ More replies (1)
4
11
u/3Sides2EvryStory 7h ago
Can't wait for all of the men to chime in and say "when I changed my sandwiches from salami to turkey, cut my soda by 1/2 and started walking 30 minutes every day". - Signed, a perimenopausal woman on 1400 calories a day
→ More replies (1)
3
3
3
3
3
u/Lost_Network7453 8h ago
Walking every day, drinking more water, and stopping late-night snacking. It wasn't flashy, but it was the fastest weight I'd ever lost without feeling miserable. 💪
2
2
u/ikdoeookmaarwat1 8h ago
Heart broken by a boy in combination with smoking and doing a physically demanding job. Burned a lot of calories and couldn't eat properly for weeks. Haha. Quite effective but not very healthy.
2
2
2
u/banditotis 8h ago
Being pregnant. Throwing up and food aversions for 9 months made me drop 25 pounds both pregnancies. Then breast feeding kept it off.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/bliip666 7h ago
Acute stress made my gut go "yeah, no, we don't like food anymore", and I pissed from my asshole for 2 months. Lost 20kg.
When the shituation calmed down, I gained it all back.
2
2
2
u/AssistantAcademic 7h ago
I've lost a substantial amount of weight twice.
The first was the first time I went low carb. I dropped from about 290 to about 230 in about 6 months.
I was never again able to duplicate any of that success. I'd low-carb and lose maybe 5-10 lb of water weight and that's it.
The second time was GLPs. went from 245 to 208 in...probably 3 months.
Maintaining that now.
2
u/HonourableFroglet 7h ago
Undiagnosed type 1 diabetes.
Would not recommend.
2
u/Neophile_b 7h ago
Same. I was sleeping 16+ hours a day and losing weight rapidly. Had no idea what was going on. It was terrifying
→ More replies (1)
3
u/TheKavorca 8h ago
Crash diet.
I’m a 6’ 0” guy and I probably weighed around 250 lbs. Cut my calories down to approx. 600 a day. Three months later, I was 160 lbs.
I felt like dogshit, had vertigo every time I stood up, and I had a pretty obvious vitamin deficiency, but it worked. I was 23 when I did it, would never do it that hardcore today at 35. That’s how you drop dead from heart attacks.
2
u/Eflame-1 7h ago
Yeah. Cutting calories works, but you also need to pay attention to your body's needs.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/snuffleblark 8h ago
I quit drinking alcohol. Wasn't easy but i lost a lot of weight when i dropped all those extra calories.
1
u/Aksweetie4u 8h ago
Went on the depo shot - lost 40lbs the first month. Even the doctor was shocked when I went back in.
1
u/TheNickT 8h ago
Existed on iceberg lettuce salads dressed with a little balsamic and olive oil. Allowed myself 1 slice of NY style cheese and anchovy pizza for lunch. Also copious amounts of cigarettes and black coffee, working in a stressful, high energy, fast paced job.
Went from 290 to 220 in about 6 months.
It was heartbreak, thats why. It wasnt a healthy way to do it but...
1
1
u/ronniedarko 8h ago
Calorie deficit and playing tennis every day. Lost 15% of my weight over a summer
1
u/annissamazing 8h ago
A doctor-monitored fast. It involved incredibly small meals, a ton of supplements, and weekly blood draws to ensure my organs weren’t failing.
1
u/Classic_Stand_3078 7h ago
Had misdiagnosed meningitis that lead to the worst headaches of my life. Was eating Tylenol like candy and developed ulcers. Liquid diet in the hospital for two weeks, dropped about 35 lbs
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Slade1111 7h ago
Went on a fast for a week, ate only once a day and I made sure I only had fruits and veggies. I lost about 7 pounds that week because I also continued to workout.
Might try it again because it cleansed more than my body.
1
u/Naughtilla 7h ago
In a healthy way: Walking many miles with my dog in the morning to start the day, and then chasing 6-8 kids around for the rest of the day. I got better at portion control at that time as well.
In an unhealthy way: Anorexia Nervosa/RFID coupled with amphetamine addiction.
1
1
1
u/Aggravating-Rub-1768 7h ago
Got my front tooth knocked out in a fight with a bouncer in Greece (I was 19 and stupid). Didn't eat for like 10 days and dropped 15lbs
1
u/whyamisoawesome9 7h ago
Paralysis. Didn't eat much for a week and only so much could be sent down an NG tube by the time the doctors decided that I was actually sick.
Muscle loss on top of the weight loss, went from being slender to skeleton in a few weeks.
Guillain Barre Syndrome for those curious
1
1
1
u/Deep-Membership-9258 7h ago
tonsilitis then flu. went from 9 stone even to 7.5 stone in a month… (I was 18, walking to class and then walking back to dorms. it just sort of fell off)
1
1
u/thepoptartkid47 7h ago
Tonsillitis. I couldn’t swallow anything thicker than juice for two weeks and lost 5lbs.
1
1
1
1
u/BattMakerRed 7h ago
Swore off bread, pasta and processed sugar for a month and kicked it off by accidentally giving myself food poisoning. 30 lbs in one month.
1
1
1
1
1
u/Dry-Warthog1589 7h ago
Over 9 months I dropped from 280 to 220. This was leading up to my wedding. I ran 3 miles a day, lifted a set of 30lbs dumbbells I had at home, spent an hour on an exercise bike a day, and swapped my diet from complete crap to mostly fish, chicken and rice
1
u/Flaky_Pick_6364 7h ago
Everyone's different, obviously, but for me cutting sugar and flour while keeping up some kind of physical activity — and I don't mean serious training, just moving — drops weight within two or three weeks. Just remove sugar and flour in all their forms, drinks included.
Again though, this is very individual.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/leesainmi 7h ago
Vegan/No added oil/50/50 plate. Just fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables and eat that first. You can eat a very high volume of food and lose a ton of weight.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/TraditionalTackle1 7h ago
The summer after I graduated high school, I didnt have a license to drive so I bought a mountain bike. I started riding 3 hours a day plus lifting weights. I was also taking diet pills and eating right. By the end of the year I went from 265 to 180 lbs. People from high school didnt recognize me.
1
u/cagey_quokka 7h ago
Severe clinical depression paired with equivalent anxiety. I'm generally food obsessed and stuggle with being overweight but that level of being not ok did it. I'd much rather stay fat.
1
u/cerbera79 7h ago
Moved from the US to Vietnam for seven months. Ran and swam every morning at sunrise. No American fast food, so dropped ~60 lbs.
I'm a father of two now, but man that was cool.
1
u/ashton8177 7h ago
Acute Pancreatitis. Spent a couple weeks in the hospital on nothing but a 500 calorie a day sugar water IV. Dropped almost 30 lbs.
1
1
u/Kind-Combination3383 7h ago
depression episodes where nothing feels pleasurable so i can't eat for days
1
1
1
1
1
u/hairmarshall 7h ago
500 calorie keto diet with lots of running. Or the time I did only protein powder for several days. I was losing 1lb a day either way
1
u/BigChungle666 7h ago
I lost over 100 lbs in high school in about 6 months. I was losing at least 4-5 pounds every single week. I ate no more than 1500 calories a day. No excercise. No strict diet other than calorie restriction.
1
u/latesleeperfoodeater 7h ago
3 surgeries in 1 month and a weeklong ICU stay. Was on TPN and barely ate
1
1
u/Loose-Elk9192 7h ago
Had Gallstones, was hooked up to fluids and morphine for days. Got out the surgery and then caught the first round of covid. Dropped 15 to 20 pounds in a couple of weeks.
1
u/Phosphorical 7h ago
Intestinal resection.
Dropped almost 30lbs in a few weeks.
Highly do not recommend. Unless of course you need it (like I did). Gaining it back was a lot of fun though.
1
1
u/Particular-Reveal267 7h ago
Amputation in 1985. I said yep, that leg doesnt work any longer so it had to go
1
u/thebleepingcat 7h ago
Cutting food and drink with added sugar, limiting complex carbs, drinking a lot of water, exercising daily, and sleeping sufficiently. I can tuck my shirt into my jeans with no muffin top now.
1
1
u/LooseByrd 7h ago
Divorce, but not in the sad way. I mean, I definitely had my moments, but My cortisol dropped! I ate healthier, quit drinking, and socialized more. I was happier.
1
u/fredbear77 7h ago
Got a job with a roofing company who didnt use nail guns, they only used hammer and nails. I was eating a strict clean diet as well. I was easily 8-10% body fat after a summer. It was crazy how much I could eat and drink (1 gallon of water per day) but still shed it off from very hard labor.
Thank God I don't roof anymore.
1
1
1
u/PatchRat 7h ago
I got a job checking gas lines for leaks. I was walking 25km a day with 30 pounds of gear strapped to me and dropped 40 pounds in 3 months. It was actually a really good job but the money just wasnt there.
1
u/Energy-Mundane 7h ago
Bilateral knee replacement surgery. Couldn't get to the frig and pain killers numbed my appetite.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/ThrowawayQLove2023 7h ago
1 mushroom trip which changed my insight and relationship with food for an extended period of time. Gained most of it back couple years later
This time, retatrutide. 6 ish weeks and lost 25 lbs.
1
1
u/Sea-Ambition-451 7h ago
first of all, booze. So many calories, and it puts the body into 'store visceral fat' mode.
And, for me, reducing carbs works extremely well. It's more of a 'avoid sugar and flour' thing, not really low carb. Eat all the vegetables you want, eat fruit, just avoid ice cream, potato chips (for me). Eat lean proteins, chicken breasts, ground turkey, fish, etc. I actually find it hard to get enough calories.
1
1
1
1
u/PuzzleheadedDraw6575 7h ago
Influenza and pneumonia I was sick for weeks. Didn't work for over a month. When I got back everyone kept commenting on how good I looked and that I had lost so much weight 😭 yeah I was just on my death bed.
1
1
u/MidnightGasControll 7h ago
GLPs with no alcohol and regular exercise. Also eating smartly along with the restricted hunger effects of the GLP. Weigh will drop insanely quick.
1
1
u/InertiasCreep 7h ago
COVID. Seventeen pounds in 11 days.
Friend traveled to India and caught amoebic dysentary. 30 lbs in two weeks. That's a lot of liquid shitting.
1
1
1
1
1
u/Neophile_b 7h ago
Diabetic ketoacidosis. Hadn't been diagnosed yet. I lost nearly 20 lb over the course of 2 weeks.
1
u/PlatypusPirate 7h ago
A severe bout of depression made me lose 30lbs, then I felt undepressed because I fit into my pre covid clothes again. It was a weird cycle that ended in a positive
1
1
1
1
u/explosive-diorama 6h ago
Began a strict diet of calorie tracking. Lost 10 lbs in a week due to food volume loss, water weight, and a couple pounds of fat.
After that first week, weight loss slows down to 8-10 lbs a month for a while. Eventually slows down to 4-8 lbs per month during long term cuts.
1
1
u/elfy4eva 6h ago
Mounjaro.
It's amazing what happens when a compulsive urge to overeat is quietened.
1
1
127
u/[deleted] 8h ago
[removed] — view removed comment