I wanted to share something that’s been working surprisingly well for me.
Every morning I walk about 6.5km (4 miles) to work, in like -10°C / 14°F, through snow. I’m dressed warm of course, but it’s still a real battle against the cold, and walking through snow adds a lot of resistance. After that, I spend the whole day doing physical work.
Here’s the thing:
There is no way I could do this on light food like salads.
Lately I’ve been eating more meat, especially things like pork chops, sometimes beef, and it has made a huge difference. For example, 400 grams of pork comes out to roughly 500-600 calories, which honestly isn’t that much, but it keeps me full for hours and gives me steady energy.
What really surprised me:
- I have more energy, not less
- I stay warm more easily
- I’m not hungry all the time
- And despite eating satisfying meals, I’m slowly losing excess weight
Compare that to something like a kebab or a McDonald's-style fast food meal: way more calories, but I’m hungry again not long after. Lots of carbs and fat, blood sugar spikes, then a crash.
With meat-heavy meals (fresh lean cuts, no processed snacky stuff), my energy feels stable all day. No big ups and downs. No constant snacking. And my body seems to handle the cold and physical work much better. At work I'm on fire.
For me, this really drove home an important point: Weight loss isn’t about eating as little as possible, it’s about eating the right fuel for your activity level.
When you walk miles in freezing weather and do physical labor all day, your body needs real fuel. Protein and fat do that job far better than “volume food” with barely any calories.
Just my personal experience, but for an active lifestyle, especially in cold conditions, putting the focus on meat has been surprisingly effective and sustainable.
Btw, to clear up the previous post:
Of course it's an overweight person blaming mostly genetics. I don't buy the genetics excuse, I'm sorry. Weight loss and a healthy active lifestyle and diet are key. Nobody is forcibly shoving Big Macs down your throat. We're all adults here. Take responsibility.