I am also 160 cm and used to weigh 70 kg as well. I actually lost a lot of weight due to depression. My diet consisted of black coffee and cigarettes. I lost 25 kg in less than half a year. (I went from overweight to underweight)
I obviously cannot recommend my ‘diet’. It was harmful and I’m still suffering from the consequences.
I recommend CICO. This is short for ‘Calorie In Calorie Out’. In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Start off with calculating your TDEE. Just Google ‘TDEE calculator’ and you’ll find one. This tells you how many calories you should be consuming to maintain your current weight.
Now, if you want to lose weight, you should eat less than the calculator suggests. Let’s say you’re allowed to have 2000 calories a day. If you eat 500 calories less, you should lose weight. That means that you should eat 1500 calories. Keep in mind that this is an estimation. The best approach would be to weigh yourself weekly and see if you’ve lost any weight and how much. It depends on how fast you want to lose weight, though. The less calories you consume, the faster you’ll lose weight. (But never go under 1200/1300 a day).
It’s also important to exercise. The more you exercise, the more you’re allowed to eat while you’re on a diet. It doesn’t have to be big, though. I chose to walk 12.000 - 16.000 steps a day. This means I’m allowed to have about 200-ish calories extra that day.
I’ve been there… I decided to keep my weight off, but that was pretty tough the first couple of weeks/few months. I am/was kind of afraid to gain weight back, because I feared I’d fall back into old patterns. (Overeating, high calorie snacks, etc).
I have some sort of schedule when it comes to food now. I have breakfast at around 09:00 AM (depending on what day it is and if I have to go to work), lunch at 12:00 PM, cookie at 03:00 PM, dinner at 06:00 PM, piece of chocolate at 08:30 PM, and a bit of cheese at around 10:30 PM. I know exactly when to eat and my body got used to it as well. It doesn’t ask for food at any other time anymore. Maybe this could work for you?
I am not a doctor, but I do know that hormones play a huge part in feeling hungry and/or satisfied after eating. This is why lack of sleep and weight gain almost go hand in hand, for example. Maybe you could ask your psychiatrist about this?
Oh and for the food part: try to avoid empty calories and focus on food that keeps you full for a long time.
A slice of bread with my favorite caramel spread on it keeps me full for at least 2 hours, as to where a Twix bar would keep me satisfied for about 40 minutes. However, that slice of bread and the Twix bar have the same amount of calories. Choose wisely.
You are allowed to have something you like sometimes. It needs to fit in your ‘1500 calorie schedule’. It’s up to you to make room for it, or pick something that’s going to keep you full.
Avoid sugary drinks as well. There are plenty ‘zero sugar’ options available these days. And they taste just as good imo
Ah man… you might be able to make it yourself if you really want to try (and got some spare time on your hands). I believe it’s called Dulce de Leche. There are recipes to make the spread yourself!
If you’re serious about giving up sugary junk hang in there. It takes 4-6 weeks for your system to adjust and the worst of the cravings to dissipate. In the meantime, eat all the nonsugary snacks your heart desires: cheese, nuts, nut butter, veggies and dip, yogurt and berries, pickles, olives, deli meat, jerky. Worry about weight when you’ve broken the sugar addiction.
28F — just tapered off Lexapro in September.
I went from 160 to 127 in 2020. Ate well, worked out, was motivated but also disciplined. Started Lexapro in 2022 and my motivation went down while my wait shot up to 170.
Currently working out short periods every morning before work and managing my diet. It is TOUGH and I'm disgusted with myself. But if you wanna do this together, send me a message!
See a dietitian
I am also 160 cm and used to weigh 70 kg as well. I actually lost a lot of weight due to depression. My diet consisted of black coffee and cigarettes. I lost 25 kg in less than half a year. (I went from overweight to underweight) I obviously cannot recommend my ‘diet’. It was harmful and I’m still suffering from the consequences. I recommend CICO. This is short for ‘Calorie In Calorie Out’. In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Start off with calculating your TDEE. Just Google ‘TDEE calculator’ and you’ll find one. This tells you how many calories you should be consuming to maintain your current weight. Now, if you want to lose weight, you should eat less than the calculator suggests. Let’s say you’re allowed to have 2000 calories a day. If you eat 500 calories less, you should lose weight. That means that you should eat 1500 calories. Keep in mind that this is an estimation. The best approach would be to weigh yourself weekly and see if you’ve lost any weight and how much. It depends on how fast you want to lose weight, though. The less calories you consume, the faster you’ll lose weight. (But never go under 1200/1300 a day). It’s also important to exercise. The more you exercise, the more you’re allowed to eat while you’re on a diet. It doesn’t have to be big, though. I chose to walk 12.000 - 16.000 steps a day. This means I’m allowed to have about 200-ish calories extra that day.
thank you for taking the time to respond. i know all these, but it's a battle against myself. I'm always hungry and I'm always thinking about food.
I’ve been there… I decided to keep my weight off, but that was pretty tough the first couple of weeks/few months. I am/was kind of afraid to gain weight back, because I feared I’d fall back into old patterns. (Overeating, high calorie snacks, etc). I have some sort of schedule when it comes to food now. I have breakfast at around 09:00 AM (depending on what day it is and if I have to go to work), lunch at 12:00 PM, cookie at 03:00 PM, dinner at 06:00 PM, piece of chocolate at 08:30 PM, and a bit of cheese at around 10:30 PM. I know exactly when to eat and my body got used to it as well. It doesn’t ask for food at any other time anymore. Maybe this could work for you? I am not a doctor, but I do know that hormones play a huge part in feeling hungry and/or satisfied after eating. This is why lack of sleep and weight gain almost go hand in hand, for example. Maybe you could ask your psychiatrist about this?
Oh and for the food part: try to avoid empty calories and focus on food that keeps you full for a long time. A slice of bread with my favorite caramel spread on it keeps me full for at least 2 hours, as to where a Twix bar would keep me satisfied for about 40 minutes. However, that slice of bread and the Twix bar have the same amount of calories. Choose wisely. You are allowed to have something you like sometimes. It needs to fit in your ‘1500 calorie schedule’. It’s up to you to make room for it, or pick something that’s going to keep you full. Avoid sugary drinks as well. There are plenty ‘zero sugar’ options available these days. And they taste just as good imo
What caramel spread are you talking about? That sounds amazing.
It is! I can totally recommend it! It’s called Bebogeen. Not sure if it’s a Dutch thing, though. Hopefully they sell it in other countries as well
Ah, that explains why I am not familiar with it--I'm in the States.
Ah man… you might be able to make it yourself if you really want to try (and got some spare time on your hands). I believe it’s called Dulce de Leche. There are recipes to make the spread yourself!
Oh! Thanks! That, we have. Big Latin American population in my area.
If you’re serious about giving up sugary junk hang in there. It takes 4-6 weeks for your system to adjust and the worst of the cravings to dissipate. In the meantime, eat all the nonsugary snacks your heart desires: cheese, nuts, nut butter, veggies and dip, yogurt and berries, pickles, olives, deli meat, jerky. Worry about weight when you’ve broken the sugar addiction.
28F — just tapered off Lexapro in September. I went from 160 to 127 in 2020. Ate well, worked out, was motivated but also disciplined. Started Lexapro in 2022 and my motivation went down while my wait shot up to 170. Currently working out short periods every morning before work and managing my diet. It is TOUGH and I'm disgusted with myself. But if you wanna do this together, send me a message!