LOL, sorry about the click-bait title, couldn't help it. There's nothing special about number 2.

But here goes:

My quick story:

About 8 years ago, I was overweight. I'm 6'5" and I weighed 295 lbs. 

For a year I dieted and lost a lot of weight, but I had to be completely self-taught. I had a lot of false starts and made a ton of mistakes. But I learned along the way.

I ended up at 235 lbs and felt great. I kept it off for 5-6 years (stayed around 240, +/- 5 ish pounds).

About 2 years ago, I was working two jobs to make ends meet and I mostly ate whatever was in front of me. I was literally working 16-18 hour days, so I decided my weight and physical health could take a back seat to my financial problems. As I came out of my financial mess just under a year ago, I realized I had become too large. 

I swallowed my pride and stepped on a scale. I was a whopping 315 lbs (at 6'5" it's not like I was obese, but I was fat).

I realized I needed to diet again. I made a plan and launched.

Today, I weigh around 265 lbs (about 50 lbs lighter). I have 20 lbs to go to reach my goal. 

Again, along the way, I've learned a ton, and I do much, much better at losing weight now. I just wanted to share with you in case any of you wanted to get started and needed some tips. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.

BYUCougarsFan's 23 Weight Loss Tips

1. Everyone is going to tell you you're doing it wrong - Everyone, and I mean everyone, thinks they know more than you about weight loss and health.
   
   I initally tried a few different diet plans. Everyone scolded me and told me the way I was doing it was unhealthy. So I'd switch, until I realized no matter which plan I chose people would chastise. I realized people just like to look like the expert at weight loss. People who have never had problems with staying in shape think they have "the answer," as if the answer wasn't being born with a faster metabolism (and slower brain function. Okay kidding, but it was really annoying).
   
   Tip: Don't let people talk you out of your weight loss plan. Find a diet option that works for you and stick with it. Guess what, they all work. Just use the one that works best for you.
   
   
2. All that matters when it comes to losing weight is a calorie deficit - Losing weight isn't easy, but the formula is simple. Consume fewer calories than you burn.
   
   I could end this tip there, but I'll add a few points:
   
   - Most diets give you a way to do this. Intermittent fasting, calorie counting, cutting out carbs, etc. all work because they show you a way to consume fewer calories than you burn.
   
   - People get angry at me for saying this, but it's true. Try to be nutritious because you'll (a) feel better, (b) not be as hungry, and (c) be healthier overall. But eating 1400 calories of candy bars every day will lose you more weight than eating 2700 calories of carrots. Calories aren't the only thing that matter in overall health, so pay attention to everything. But calories are the only thing that matter in weight loss. (Article of a man who ate only candy and lost weight by counting calories).
   
   Tip: If you do what I did and calorie count, know that calories is the only number that matters in losing weight. But pay attention to nutrition, because you'll feel terrible if you only eat 1200 of gravy a day.
   
   
3. Most diets work, so I'll never criticize another person's efforts - Most diets work. I have friends who have lost with calorie counting, cutting carbs, intermittent fasting, etc. Just choose the one that works for you. All that matters is that you stick with it.
   
   
4. Eat Healthy - All that being said, eat healthy. 1500 calories of eggs, veggies, yogurt, rice, sandwiches, etc. feel much better than 1500 calories of pizza and burgers. You'll eat more food, feel healthier, and feel less hungry.
   
   Pay attention to 1. Protein, 2. Fiber (those two make you feel full), and 3. Vitamins. I eat wheat bread instead of white even though it's more calories on average. It makes you feel fuller longer because of the extra fiber (fiber takes longer for your body to digest, making you feel fuller for longer).
   
   Some of my favorite things to eat:
   
   • Subway. A footlong ham sandwich at Subway with no cheese, good veggies, and light mayo is about 560 calories. That's a lot of food for not many calories.
   • Eggs. About 70 calories each and you can make them in a variety of ways. I like getting an english muffin, frying 2 eggs, and putting one egg on each side of the english muffin sunny-side up. It's 70 calories for each egg and 80 calories for the muffin, 220 for the entire thing, but it's filling.
   • Arby's roast beef. Not bad caloric intake for what you get. Just count it.
   • Sandwiches. More calories than you think, but very filling.
   • Fruit. Delicious, usually low in calorie count. Bananas are pretty high in calorie count (like 105 per banana), but they're filling.
   • Baked Potato. These are super filling and 22 calories per ounce (I always weigh them). Most potatoes are 5-6 ounces, so about 121 calories before toppings. Then you add butter, salt, etc. and count the ingredients' calories. I usually can get a full, delicious baked potato under 400 calories and I feel full for hours.
     
     
5. Have a go-to snack/calorie filler if you're hungry or as a meal supplement to make you feel full. I have 4 things I like to eat if I'm hungry. 1 - Protein Shake. 2. Hard-broiled eggs. 3. An apple. 4. Grapes.
   
   Sometimes, I'll just drink a protein shake with a meal. It makes you feel much fuller from the meal than you thought.
   
   My favorite protein shakes (not premeir protein for me). These are based on (protein+fiber)/calories:
   
   
   • Muscle Milk Light. You can get these at Costco for cheap, they're 20 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, a lot of vitimins, and only 100 calories.
   • Pure Protein (rich chocolate). These are tastier than Muscle Milk, have more protein and fiber (it's 30 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber), but they are 140 calories. It's about the same though. You can buy these at Walmart.
     
     I have a mini-fridge full of both of these shakes, and I take 3-5 with me throughout the day. If I'm starving, I drink one. If I have calorie room in my lunch, I drink one. It's very helpful.
     
     
6. You'll only feel like you're starving for 7-14 days - The first week or 2 of a new diet, you'll not be able to focus as well. You'll be starving. 
   
   But after about 14 days, you get used to it. By the end of month one, I'm usually forcing myself to eat more by day's end. It was hard to get enough calories.
   
   Tip: Grit your teeth and make it through the first 2 weeks, then it's easy.
   
   
   
7. Except for Protein Shakes, don't drink your calories (soda kills you) - I don't drink my calories. I try to have water for a meal.
   
   If you love soda (like me), go to diet soda. Now, diet soda makes you hungrier typically. Your body feels a sugar-like thing and expects the calories. When it doesn't get them, it panics and makes you want more calories. So diet sodas add a bit of hunger, I recommend water.
   
   But to be honest, I love flavored drinks. I do Powerade zero or Diet Dr. Pepper. Yes, I feel a bit hungrier, but to me it's worth it. 
   
   If you're not used to diet soda, it tastes gross for about 2 weeks. But you'll end up liking it better (plain soda is too syrupy for me now).
   
   
   
8. Write down your calories somewhere - You can use a lot of ways to track your calories. I actually just use the calculator on my phone (it's simplest for me). But MyFitnessPal or LoseIt apps are very helpful, especially when you're starting out.
   
   
9. Write down your weight loss somewhere - When I started this, I purchased a whiteboard and tracked my weight in my room. I also took before and after pictures (nope, you can't have them). But it's motivating to see the difference. I had a pair of jeans I hadn't worn in a while (too small) that now are too big for me.
   
   Take time to give yourself motivators like that. Even writing down that number can be motivating.
   
   
10. Weight fluctuates even on a diet - If you weigh in daily (like I did), you'll find sometimes you go up a pound or two and sometimes you go down a pound or two no matter what you're doing. Pay attention to trends, not daily weight. Most places do weekly weigh-ins because of this. Your weight at 7 AM is different daily depending on what time you ate dinner the day before. Your weight will be different at 7 AM and 2 PM. 
    
    Also, I weigh in undressed before a shower. Some do it in garments. Doesn't matter, just be consistent. Your clothing has a big impact on weight. I think my garments weigh 1.5-2 lbs, but I'm not sure.
    
    Tip: Don't let little variations mess with you. Pay attention to trends.
    
    
11. Counting Calories - If you're going to count calories like I did, know that 90% of weight loss is intake and not outtake. Today, I eat 1300 calories a day if I don't exercise, 1500 if I do exercise (btw, I'm pretty consistently exercising). I will probably end up at 1200 & 1400 by the end. Which brings me to number 12:
    
    
12. Start with a higher calorie intake so you have room to decrease later - If you calorie count like I did, start high, don't start at 1200 calories a day. For example, when I was 315 lbs, I ate 1700 calories a day if I did exercise and 1900 if I didn't. Every 10-25 lbs ish I'd hit a plateau for a week or 2, and I'd decrease my calorie intake by 100-200. Also, about plateaus:
    
    
13. Beating Plateaus - It's going to happen. You'll be eating right and exercising, but at some point your body will just stop losing weight. Don't panic, there are several ways to break through a plateau. If I didn't lose a pound in 2 weeks, I'd try the following things (in order):
    
    
    • Increase the intensity of my workout. Instead of running 1 mile in 8 minutes, I'd run 2 miles. Instead of 20 pushups, I'd do 2 sets of 20, and so on.
    • Cheat day. You should do this once a month anyway. But if I was plateauing, it almost always worked to cheat 2 days in a row. That doesn't mean go crazy. I raised my caloric intake to 2200 for 2 days, then went right back on the diet. It works about 75% of the time in a plateau. Weigh in after the cheat day, you probably will gain 3-5 lbs. Then track it for another 1.5 weeks. The weight should start coming off again.
    • Lower your calorie count. This is why you start high and give yourself room to decrease. If the cheat days didn't really work after a couple of weeks, I'd cheat one more day, then lower my calorie count by 100. This almost always works.
    • Don't get discouraged, you'll bounce back from it.
      
      
      
14. Cheat days - You should have a cheat day. It kick-starts your metabolism, gives you a fun thing to look forward to, and helps with everything. Just strictly count your calories that day (I went from 1600 to 2200 on the cheat day usually), and then just enjoy.
    
    I did a cheat day once a month. I don't recommend doing it much more frequently than that, though I've read some literature that suggests once every 2-3 weeks works as well.
    
    
    
15. You can shread calories by getting burgers wrapped in lettuce - Sometimes you're with people and can't avoid eating out. If you're at a burger place, get the burger wrapped in lettuce. It lowers the calories by a lot.
    
    Most places have a calorie count listed, so pay attention.
    
    
16. Have a plan when a lot of food will be around - I knew I lost most of my diets at special events. When I'm by myself, I can avoid eating easily. When my work brings in unlimited pizza, it's difficult for me. When I'm around parents for the holidays, it was almost impossible.
    
    So I came with a plan this last holiday season. I (A) bought a food scale so I could weigh the meat, (B) I brought a ton of protein shakes that I drank 30 minutes BEFORE meals started, (C) I took a small sample of everything (but tracked the calories through my scale), and (D) warned everyone beforehand that I was on a diet and wouldn't be eating as much. 
    
    When I was going to a party I knew would be tempting, I ate a lot beforehand so I wasn't hungry. 
    
    
17. Mentality: Healthy foods push unhealthy foods out of your diet - Don't think of this as avoiding french fries for 8 months (though you better not freaking eat french fries, serious empty calories), think of it as eating more grapes and carrots for 8 months. Those good foods push bad foods out of your diet.
    
    
18. Mentality: Get as full as you can for as few calories as you can - Like I said, you'll lose as much eating 1600 calories of twinkies as you would 1600 calories of carrots. But my goal always was to get as full as I could inside a calorie limit. You have 1600 calories to get full (for example), what will make you feel fullest with that 1600 calories? For me, it was the food I suggested above. But a general rule is get as much protein and fiber as possible, those two make you feel really full. Getting enough vitamins will help your body avoid cravings as well.
    
    
19. Mentality: Listen to your cravings - Sometimes you'll be craving ice cream and realize you just need dairy. Sometimes you'll crave a hamburger and realize you need protein. Find the substitutes that fill the cravings.
    
    
20. Mentality: Consume some literature weekly to stay motivated - I'm lame, I know, but I bought a few seasons of "Extreme Weight Loss" on Amazon Prime Streaming. I'd watch them at work or while working out, and they helped keep me focused and motivated.
    
    
21. Exercise: Do it - Notice I put exercise this low on the list. It's definitely important, but diet is much more important. My personal rule is if I exercise that day, I get 200 more calories. So if I'm currently eating 1400 calories a day, I get 1600 if I exercise. I don't burn that many calories off every time (when I have a basketball game I burn more), but exercising makes you look and feel good, so I thought it was worth it.
    
    Cardio - Cardio loses more calories upfront. Running a mile burns a ton of calories (look up a calculator to see how many). 
    
    Resistance - Weight lifting, even pushups and ab workouts, make your body look better. It's just worth it along with the diet. Also, building muscle increases your metabolic resting weight (meaning your body naturally burns more calories every day). 
    
    Both types of exercise are important.
    
    
22. Let the right people know - I told people around me what I was doing so they'd be respectful. I didn't tell everyone at first, but I told people I eat with a lot.
    
    Telling people keeps you honest. It also gives you people to celebrate with.
    
    But telling the wrong person can be a killer. Like I said, everyone thinks they know more than you and will tell you you're doing it wrong. Ignore them.
    
    I broke my diet early a couple of times because someone said: "Wait, you can't eat that, I thought you were on a diet!" Even though I'd accounted for it in my day. I got mad and just gave up (I know, it's a prideful weakness thing there, but still).
    
    So don't tell everyone or the wrong people. I can't tell you how many times I've had to sit through lectures of how I was doing it wrong just rolling my eyes. But telling strategic people can be effective. I liked it.
    
    
23. Buy a scale to weigh your food - If you like to cook, buy that scale. A lot of times calorie count is listed by gram or ounce, you can't know that without a scale.
    
    Then, when you cook, weigh the ingredients as you go and add up the calorie count. It's MUCH easier than trying to figure out how many calories it was on the back end. Count the calories as you go.
    
    

I'll probably think of more and add to this list later.

But it took me a loooong time to learn all of this, and it's made my weight loss faster, more enjoyable, and better. Feel free to DM me any questions. Feel free to respond with other tips. A lot of this was about calorie counting, but like I said: Any diet will work. Just choose the diet that works for you and stick with it.

I never criticize other's diet ideas or tips. Almost everything works if you'll keep at it.

Good luck everybody!