Small But Super Helpful Habits

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  • healthy_hermione
    healthy_hermione Posts: 64 Member
    I take a sip of water frequently and take the stairs instead of the elevators. I try and have a fruit/veggie with every meal and have meals that have good amounts of protein.

    I like the idea of a food scale. I think I'm going to put that on my wishlist lol.
  • ashleynye8914
    ashleynye8914 Posts: 10 Member
    Wha helps me is doing my best to scratch the condiments
    Black coffee is best but u add milk in the morning
    I'm not a fan of ketchup to begin with but I leave that off of everything and stick to mustard
    Cut the mayo when ever possible a little vinegar and olive oil or lemon juice can be so yummy
    Ask for no cheese
    All salad dressings on the side and with enough toppings a dressing sone times isn't needed
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    Park in that furthest possible corner of every parking lot. Always take the stairs. Get on & off public transit a stop or two away from your destination. If you can walk there in less than a half hour skip the car. This little stuff totally adds up!
  • I made lots of small changes and they have made a big difference. I cut out the soda everyday, i only have it once in awhile, started drinking more water, cut back on portions, cut back on the carbs, cut back on the sweets, move more. Clean the house dancing, move, move, move,get up and find things to do at night instead of sitting all night in front of the tv. Fold clothes, go for a walk, go up and down the stairs. The best change that i made was, making sure that whatever changes i do make, are sustainable in the long term. I wont cut out all the things that i love, i will just set myself up for failure. I eat everything in moderation. Good luck with your journey.
  • Karen_can_do_this
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
    AngiiPug wrote: »
    What helps me a lot is drinking cinnamon water in the morning. Before eating anything in the morning I drink my water. In the beggining it was nasty but now I'm used to it ! I just infuse cinnamon sticks in a teapot with water. Cinnamon makes you lose weight :)

    Another thing is walking. Walk as much as you can! It makes a big difference in the end. I live a 10 min bus ride from the subway, but I walk instead of taking the bus and it takes me just 10-15min more. Even if the distance seems HUGE, often it's not so you might just try and walk (:
    Good luck!

    How??
  • ekruska802
    ekruska802 Posts: 79 Member
    I've never been a big breakfast eater, but when I started logging I found it caused me to stick to meals instead of grazing. That was always huge for me because since I didn't eat breakfast, I'd get hungry mid-morning and graze til noon. That's helped me.
  • PhoenyxRose
    PhoenyxRose Posts: 70 Member
    For me the biggest things are making my own meals and prepping my dinners for two weeks at a time (my breakfasts are usually the same so no planning there really), that way I know exactly what goes in there and can use the recipe builder on MFP to measure calories.

    Also putting my foods into MFP for a few days before hand really helps to me know what I'll be eating when, or if I'm really busy I make sure to log everything that morning for the rest of the day.

    Drinking lots of water is a recent change I made since I'm prone to dehydration (due to my forgetfulness and busy schedule), so I've upped my intake to 14 cups a day and feel far better than I normally do.

    Not eating out very often is another change I've done. This is really helpful for me because some of the places I go to don't have nutritional menus and so I have no idea how much I'm eating (and some places like Olive Garden are ridiculous, 1500 calories for steak Gorgonzola?!) and if I do go out I usually plan for 700-800 calories to be left in my diary for that day for said meal with possible unknown calories.

  • Maddelaineb
    Maddelaineb Posts: 6 Member
    A big thing for me was learning not to eat at the slightest hint of hunger. I had to learn to get used to feeling slightly hungry/neutral (not full) for maybe an hour or two before my next meal. I noticed I was wasting a lot of Calories on snacks between meals when I wasn't even that hungry. I know I can wait it out for a bit instead of wasting a couple hundred Calories. I do still have one snack a day, either before a workout when I haven't had a meal in a while or right after a workout when I know I'm not having another full meal for the rest of the day. Usually fruit and a plain coffee.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    A big thing for me was learning not to eat at the slightest hint of hunger. I had to learn to get used to feeling slightly hungry/neutral (not full) for maybe an hour or two before my next meal. I noticed I was wasting a lot of Calories on snacks between meals when I wasn't even that hungry. I know I can wait it out for a bit instead of wasting a couple hundred Calories. I do still have one snack a day, either before a workout when I haven't had a meal in a while or right after a workout when I know I'm not having another full meal for the rest of the day. Usually fruit and a plain coffee.
    I love this one! :)

    The whole "wait until you're actually hungry" thing is something I had to remember, too. I forgot about that.
  • oolou
    oolou Posts: 765 Member
    Choose the stairs over the escalator!

    http://www.thefuntheory.com/piano-staircase
  • spinx212
    spinx212 Posts: 3 Member
    drabbits3 wrote: »
    Eat as many fresh raw veggies as you can get down your throat! Every day I pack a baggie or tupperware with 3 cups of veggies--baby cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, carrot slices, celery bites, raw green beans, raw broccoli or cauliflower. Not all of that in the same day, but a few things in the bag/container. That sits on my desk and I nibble on that throughout the day instead of the cookies/pastry/snacks that seem to appear in our teacher's lounge all day every day! Also water and unsweetened tea only--NEVER drink your calories. Also deciding what's worth spending your calories on--a poster above talked about not really liking donuts but eating them if they were "there"--stop doing that. Pick a few things you really love and would really miss and give up the rest of the crap. I LOVE cookies--love them--any and all cookies, so I give myself enough calories to have one at night with my tea. ONE, not five, ONE and really enjoy it!

  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    mrsfitzyv8 wrote: »
    AngiiPug wrote: »
    What helps me a lot is drinking cinnamon water in the morning. Before eating anything in the morning I drink my water. In the beggining it was nasty but now I'm used to it ! I just infuse cinnamon sticks in a teapot with water. Cinnamon makes you lose weight :)

    Another thing is walking. Walk as much as you can! It makes a big difference in the end. I live a 10 min bus ride from the subway, but I walk instead of taking the bus and it takes me just 10-15min more. Even if the distance seems HUGE, often it's not so you might just try and walk (:
    Good luck!

    How??

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ6bzrqjo4M
  • vrojapu
    vrojapu Posts: 268 Member
    BUMP
  • starwhisperer6
    starwhisperer6 Posts: 402 Member
    Did any of you super angry people note that everyone on here is just talking about things that helped them? Not a one of them has said, scientifically that everyone needs to do them to lose weight. it is just tips, hints, things that have made it possible for individuals to stay within their calorie goals. No one is saying that magically milk makes you skinny, or that cutting sugar makes you burn more calories. What they are saying is, "hey, this makes my life easier and works for me" For instance I keep a gallon of water on my desk and drink straight from the jug. Do I think this form of water consumption is for everyone? Or that it will make you suddenly drop a pant size? Hell no, but it makes it a very visual reminder to me that occasionally I should sit down my coffee and gulp some water so my body stays hydrated. You all take yourselves so extremely seriously that I think a group session of alanon might very well be in order.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    Did any of you super angry people note that everyone on here is just talking about things that helped them? Not a one of them has said, scientifically that everyone needs to do them to lose weight. it is just tips, hints, things that have made it possible for individuals to stay within their calorie goals. No one is saying that magically milk makes you skinny, or that cutting sugar makes you burn more calories. What they are saying is, "hey, this makes my life easier and works for me" For instance I keep a gallon of water on my desk and drink straight from the jug. Do I think this form of water consumption is for everyone? Or that it will make you suddenly drop a pant size? Hell no, but it makes it a very visual reminder to me that occasionally I should sit down my coffee and gulp some water so my body stays hydrated. You all take yourselves so extremely seriously that I think a group session of alanon might very well be in order.

    I literally have no clue who you are talking about, "super angry people"... maybe projecting?...

    I don't personally find this post helpful because it is literally overwhelming. It's like standing in line, and reading the headlines from every health magazine put out this past year, all at once. Small steps, grasshopper... learn the basics, and when you get them down, move on to fine tuning. Use a food scale. Weigh and log accurately. Meet your mfp macros goals. Lose weight. It is that simple.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NPBIwQyPWE
  • starwhisperer6
    starwhisperer6 Posts: 402 Member
    edited December 2015
    Ah but you see, I am actually doing just fine with all of that. I log, I lose weight, I am right on target. But it is lots of fun to hear about ideas like squats in the bathroom my little brain says, why yes I can add that into my day and probably my *kitten* will look better! And no I am not projecting. it is hella frustrating though to come onto the forums and see every single thread overtaken by the same thing. I get that if you have been doing this for years and years you are also frustrated by all the "can I stop eating meat and turn into a waif?" and "if I drink cinnamon water I will instantly be a super model" But the fact is there are lots of us who are doing it all right and like the idea of incorporating new things into our already working system.

    And if you don't find it helpful, well don't keep reading it? I don't find magazines about lamas helpful cause I don't have one, so I don't read the magazine :)
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    Ah but you see, I am actually doing just fine with all of that. I log, I lose weight, I am right on target. But it is lots of fun to hear about ideas like squats in the bathroom my little brain says, why yes I can add that into my day and probably my *kitten* will look better! And no I am not projecting. it is hella frustrating though to come onto the forums and see every single thread overtaken by the same thing. I get that if you have been doing this for years and years you are also frustrated by all the "can I stop eating meat and turn into a waif?" and "if I drink cinnamon water I will instantly be a super model" But the fact is there are lots of us who are doing it all right and like the idea of incorporating new things into our already working system.

    Yes, but I'm not the one who came in yelling at the "super angry people", whom I don't recall seeing post in this thread of late? Just because some people don't agree with it being stickied... IMHO only the truly best posts should be stickied, the rest will rise to the top when people post on them. No negativity or anger from me, just honesty. I post because I want to help people.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member

    And if you don't find it helpful, well don't keep reading it? I don't find magazines about lamas helpful cause I don't have one, so I don't read the magazine :)

    Oh, and don't worry, I can decide for myself which posts to read, and which to reply to. Just like you can decide for yourself what you read and say.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member

    And if you don't find it helpful, well don't keep reading it? I don't find magazines about lamas helpful cause I don't have one, so I don't read the magazine :)

    Maybe it's just me but it seems that same advice could be beneficial for someone who finds certain posts or posters unhelpful, unsupportive, mean, and/or angry
  • starwhisperer6
    starwhisperer6 Posts: 402 Member
    lol the last time I yelled was when my 12 year old let the dog in muddy and encouraged him to jump on my bed. an online forum has never been capable of raising my blood pressure in such a manner. the super angry line was said more in a jesty manner which I realize gets lost in the text translation. I am glad you are not angry! That makes two of us. I will be more careful with my level of levity in my text. And I am not sure what you contributed so I can't say if I was "yelling" at you or not, but three pages worth of posts pointing out "this is not helpful at all!" didn't seem, well, very helpful.
  • starwhisperer6
    starwhisperer6 Posts: 402 Member

    And if you don't find it helpful, well don't keep reading it? I don't find magazines about lamas helpful cause I don't have one, so I don't read the magazine :)

    Maybe it's just me but it seems that same advice could be beneficial for someone who finds certain posts or posters unhelpful, unsupportive, mean, and/or angry

    I have stood silent too long! or something equally banal :) You are right though. But I found this post pretty helpful in a lot of little ways so alas this is not one of the posts I should not read or respond to.
  • ZeroDelta
    ZeroDelta Posts: 242 Member
    mgcarrillo wrote: »
    I'm pretty new here, and I'm trying to start making small changes to my eating and activities that will add up in the long run to a healthier lifestyle. I wanted to ask people here with more experience than me, what small changes have you made in your life that made a huge difference to your weight/fitness/general happiness? For example, I've always hated coffee, so in college and grad school I usually drank soda for caffeine :( Now I've begun substituting black tea for my daily soda, and it's definitely making a difference, both to my weight and to how my body feels. What are some other small but crucial steps I could take to ease myself into this whole awesome-but-slightly-scary health thing?

    Use a food scale to weigh my food in grams.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,285 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Ridiculous thread keeps on going


    Why is it ridiculous?

    Some of the points are - like saying cinnamon makes you lose weight - but most are just small helpful hints people thought might be helpful..
    Some of them won't be relevant to everyone but that's ok - people can read through to get helpful hints and use those that are relevant to them.
  • dhimaan
    dhimaan Posts: 774 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Ridiculous thread keeps on going

    I don't see it coming to an end anytime soon
  • kpwilliams07
    kpwilliams07 Posts: 1 Member
    These are a few tips that my husband and I found helpful in our journey:
    -Get rid of easy access junk food
    -Set a goal for weight loss and log it (Using App)
    -Pick 3 healthy meals and 2 healthy snacks you wouldn't mind eating for 2-3days and pre-log them to see where you stand(figure out portion sizes then)
    -Go to grocery store and buy only what you need for these meals (Make sure you have a lunch box and enough storage containers for these meals.)
    -Weigh, Cook, and Separate your meals (Tips: Pre-heat oven while prepping, Cook meats first because they typically take the longest, For starters focus on one meal at a time)
    -Let meals cool. Leave 1 lunch and dinner meal in refrigerator, freeze the rest. (Place meals you'll need for the next day in refrigerator the night before)

    My husband and I normally cook breakfast at home in the morning and pack our midmorning snack, lunch, and evening snack for work (Sometimes dinner for myself as well). We contain our dinner in the refrigerator simply because I exercise in the mornings before breakfast and he exercises in the even. It's easier for me to deal with our kids while my husband worksout when our dinner is already done. This also guarantees that the kids aren't stuck eating what my husband and I are eating for the next 2-3 days and it keeps us less tempted to eat the less than favorable foods that they may choose.

    *We don't believe in putting our children on strict diets but we do encourage health food choices and excercise. As for myself I am Active Duty in the military and I've seen firsthand that you can exercise and stay active all day but if your nutrition isn't right it will be harder to see positive results. The difficult part about losing weight is food choices! I've struggled with my weight while being in the military after having children and it wasn't from the lack of exercise...it was convenience! By doing what I've mentioned earlier I've made it convenient for myself to eat right. I was able to get back into standards without costing myself my career but I plan on losing another 15-20Ibs. It's NOT EASY but it CAN BE DONE and we CAN DO IT!

    *If you have a favorite meal find healthier substitutes. If you can't, try to eat that meal earlier in the day and adjust your other meals so that it fits within your lifestyle change. (Just try not to make high calorie meals an everyday thing but yes treat yourself sometimes and have fun!) Finding a partner to workout with can also be great. My husband and I are doing P90X3 it's a mildly intense program but it's 30mins and it get's straight to the point.)

    I hope this helped!
  • ToriGabrielle
    ToriGabrielle Posts: 25 Member
    rainbowblu wrote: »
    Kids meals. I'm the QUEEN of the kid's meal lol...even before I got serious about my weight loss, they are cheaper and the portions that we should be eating anyways.

    This.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Keeping food in my refrigerator instead of letting myself run out goes a long way to keeping me healthy.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Ridiculous thread keeps on going


    Why is it ridiculous?

    Some of the points are - like saying cinnamon makes you lose weight - but most are just small helpful hints people thought might be helpful..
    Some of them won't be relevant to everyone but that's ok - people can read through to get helpful hints and use those that are relevant to them.

    Why is it ridiculous? Because some of the tips in here are close to dangerous, and since they are all lumped together, how is someone new to this (who is most likely to be looking for tips and habits) supposed to know what is safe, and true, and what is idiotic at best, and harmful at worst?
  • megbugs
    megbugs Posts: 102 Member
    What has helped me is to be on a consistent workout routine. I go every morning and the class schedule helps with that routine. When I work out, I make better choices. I also think reading success stories and reading about nutrition/food/etc. helps me "get in the zone".... I lost 30 pounds at a great rate and then have since slowed down and haven't been tracking the last 2 months. I know what it's like to be in the zone and I miss it and am working to get back. Good luck to you!
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