By: Aaron Silcoff
As someone who has lost a good amount of weight over the last two years, I have done a lot of research on the most effective ways to lose weight in the easiest way possible. When I left for university in September 2021, I weighed 183 pounds as a 5'8 19-year-old.
Today, I am 22 years old, still standing at 5'8, but, weighing in at 145 pounds.
Throughout my weight loss period, I tried many of methods that the so-called "experts" recommended, but the most effective method for me was eating in a caloric deficit, eating a high protein diet that allowed me to feel full after my meals, working out four-to-five times weekly, and getting at least 10,000 steps in daily.
Looking back to my younger years, I wish I did not listen to people saying that you have to eat less to lose weight. In theory, yes this is true, but it's not so much about the volume of food in my opinion, it is just about being in your caloric deficit. You could probably even eat the same amount of food you are eating now and just make small substitutions that could put you in a caloric deficit. For example, swapping your Coca-Cola for a Diet Coke, or instead of drenching your food in oil, maybe you use cooking spray, it can be small swaps like this that could make a major difference in the long run.
With this in mind, it does not matter when you eat! This leads to my beef with those who strongly recommend intermittent fasting for weight loss.
For those who do not know what intermittent fasting is, it is when you give yourself a time window throughout your day to eat food. The most common window I typically see people give themselves is an 8-hour window where they can eat, which then leads to a 16-hour period where they do not allow themselves to eat.
Does that not sound miserable? Losing weight is already hard enough for the average person. Now we are giving certain times of day they can eat. Does that not sound way too overcomplicated?
When you are in a caloric deficit you are already restricting yourself which is not a fun process and can be daunting, but if you are serious about losing weight, this is probably a sacrifice you are willing to make.
As long as you eat in a deficit, track your macros, get your lean proteins in, and be active, you likely will see results over time. Do not make your journey even more grueling by letting a clock have control over your eating habits and dictating when you can eat.
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