My plan to lose weight at 400 lbs.
*note— I know it says 399, when I put 400 the font made it look like 900.
1. Eat in a caloric deficit. I used a TDEE calculator to find out how many calories I would need to eat in a day to maintain my weight. Once I found that number, I subtracted 500 from it to my daily calorie goal. Eating in a caloric deficit of 500 calories will allow me to lose 1 lb per week without exercise.
2. Drink 64 oz of water (or more) per day.
3. Stretch daily.
4. Exercise for 20+ minutes per day. I’m currently going back-and-forth between playing Beat Saber and using a fitness app on my VR headset. I do boxing on the fitness app, and it kicks my ass. And currently doing seated workouts to start, but after a few weeks, I’ll transition to standing up and doing them.
5. Limit my fast food to twice a week instead of eating it daily. I will be planning my meals to fit within my calorie budget. What that means is I will go online and find out how many calories are in the meal that I’m getting that way I don’t go overboard on the amount of calories I eat.
6. Plan meals in advance. Each Friday will plan out my order. Starting out, I’m getting mostly frozen meals because they’re easier to keep track of calorie wise, plus they’re easy to make when I’m working.
7. DeleteDoorDash and UberEats. If I want fast food that badly, I have to go out and get it instead of having it delivered to me.
8. Track everything. I track my water, calories, and my exercise.
9. Post on here to keep myself accountable. 💜
In addition to the core steps of eating at a caloric deficit and staying hydrated, I’ve found that incorporating daily stretching helped improve my mobility and reduced discomfort, which made it easier to stay consistent with my exercise routine. Starting with seated workouts was key for me since it allowed gradual progression without overwhelming my body. Transitioning to standing workouts felt empowering and boosted my confidence. Limiting fast food to twice a week was challenging but breaking the habit of ordering delivery by deleting UberEats and DoorDash was a game changer. Having to physically get up and go out for fast food made me think twice about whether I really wanted it, which lowered my impulse eating. Tracking everything—even water intake—kept me accountable and showed progress over time. Using apps tailored for calorie tracking with frozen meals also simplified meal prep during my busy workdays. Posting about my journey helped me stay motivated and connected me with people who share similar struggles. For anyone starting at 400 lbs, it’s important to be patient, celebrate small wins, and adjust goals as you learn what works best for your body and lifestyle.
I was 400 pounds as well last year, I’m down to 290 now you got this!