How to Start Losing Weight When You Have 100 Pounds or More to Lose

Starting with 100 pounds or more to lose is a different problem than starting with 15. I know because I started at 420.

The advice written for people with 15 pounds to lose doesn't fit you. Here's where I'd start, in order, and I'll be honest about the parts that are annoying.

1. Stop staring at the 100 pounds

A big number is a terrible target. It's too far away to steer by, and every week it looks like you're getting nowhere, which is a great way to quit.

Pick a 30 day goal you actually control instead. How many days you track your food. How many walks you take. How many nights you hit your protein. Do those and the weight takes care of itself. I'm not being cute, it really does.

2. Fix food first, not the gym

Most people with a lot to lose go buy a gym membership. I get it. It also tends to fail, because the gym is the most intimidating place to start, and you're paying for a building you're scared of.

Start with food. You don't need a perfect diet, you need one you can repeat. Three things matter most:

• A modest calorie deficit. A crash diet is how people end up right back where they started, plus a little extra.
• Protein at most meals. It keeps you full and helps you hold on to muscle while the fat comes off. We set your exact number in a consult, because it depends on you.
• Tracking. For a few months, write down or log what you eat. Not forever. Just long enough to see where the calories have been hiding. They're usually in the snacks you swear don't count.

3. Walk before you run, literally

You don't need to run, jump, or do anything that makes your joints file a complaint. Walk. Add a little each week. It's free, it's low risk, and it builds the habit that makes everything else possible. I started with five minutes around the block after work. Five minutes. Nobody got hurt.

4. Add strength training early

Once you're walking and eating with a plan, add two or three strength sessions a week. This is the part people skip, and it matters. When you lose weight without lifting, some of what you lose is muscle, and you'd like to keep the muscle.

Machines, bands or bodyweight at home are all fine. The right start is the one you'll actually repeat.

5. Expect a slow first month

The scale will not move in a straight line. Water, salt, sleep and stress all push it around, and it will lie to you on a regular basis. Judge the first month by whether you did the behaviors, not by one weigh-in. Look at the trend over weeks.

6. Talk to your doctor if you have conditions

If you've got blood pressure, blood sugar, joint or heart concerns, get your doctor involved before you change your food and training. A good coach works with your physician, not around them.

What about GLP-1 medications?

A lot of people with a lot to lose are on a GLP-1 now. If that's you, the same rules apply, and protein and strength training matter even more. Whether to take medication is between you and your prescriber. How you eat and train while you're on it is something we can help with.

What this looks like with a coach

Every plan we build is online, around your schedule, with a weekly check-in call and chat access to your coach. We start with habits and food, then add training when you're ready.

If you'd like help, book a free 30 minute consultation. Plans start at $50 a week. And if the 100 pounds feels like too much right now, remember it felt that way to me too.