Uncommon tips

StacyMMo

I am sure this has been discussed a ton but I can't find one thread that has a bunch of tips. I just started on Jan 5 and am looking for tips for staying on track in losing weight. But I want tips that are beyond drinking more water and telling yourself that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. So what is the one thing that has helped you the most? For me, it is cutting my food up before I eat into really small pieces. It makes you feel like you are eating more. Thanks!

janiceclark08

When I start getting too full, I push my plate away and stop eating, instead of finishing even if its alittle bit. Also I put my dirty napkin in it, to make sure I wont take another bite, because I use to always clean my plate.

quiksylver296

Probably wearing my fitbit. That motivates me to move more.

elleykat

Cutting out sugar and processed foods/carbs completely. Takes about 3 days to detox off the sugar, but then after that the cravings go ALMOST completely away. Way easier to resist that donut then.

lpendleton58

Meal prep for the week and pre-logging to hold myself accountable.

SuggaD

TopazMermaid wrote: »

Cutting out sugar and processed foods/carbs completely. Takes about 3 days to detox off the sugar, but then after that the cravings go ALMOST completely away. Way easier to resist that donut then.

umm no. I eat very little processed foods and added sweetener, but I can polish off fruit and snacks made with only fruit nonetheless. Self control is what is needed.

kruch1006

My biggest piece of advice is to find out what your body actually needs calorie-wise. MFP said I only needed 1750 cals to maintain, but through experimentation and really paying attention to my body, I found that that number was 150 calories under my actual maintenance count! Once you know that number, you can really pay attention to how you feel when cutting out certain amounts.
Find what works best for YOU and you alone. If skipping breakfast makes your day better, than skip breakfast. If going Gluten-free makes it really easy for you, than go Gluten-free. (Random things that popped into my brain at this particular moment.) But don't do anything just because someone says it's the best thing for you, especially cutting out ridiculous amounts of calories everyday. You definitely should not be starving. For me, the first two weeks I was really hungry, then I learned that the "hunger" I was feeling was actually different emotions, stress, and thirst cleverly disguised. And don't get disappointed if your weight loss is going slower than you want it to, you didn't put on the weight overnight, so you're not going to lose it that fast either.
And lastly, no, you don't have to exercise...

RoxieDawn

Pre-logging. I cook for the week and log it. If I have left over calories for the day, I then eat up to my allotted calories for the day.

In the beginning it was a bit hard and it took me about a month of trial and error.. But now it is just normal for me to do this daily. If I don't log then I am not accountable for what goes into my mouth...

lemur_lady

I know this probably isn't an uncommon tip but just thought I'd throw it out there as I notice a lot of my friends getting told otherwise on their walls:

If you go out to eat, enjoy it. Don't pour over a menu miserably trying to pick the lowest calorie option while thinking you'd reeeaally much prefer that steak. Enjoy every bite, log it and start afresh the next day.

Loads of people seem to say 'choose the lean meats...fill up on veggies...don't add sauces...say no to dessert' which is all very well if you can happily do that. But don't let your diet run your life. Allowing yourself the odd treat can help pick up your motivation a bit and stop you feeling deprived.

At least that's my experience

Oh and pre logging your day can really be helpful. I pre log my treat into my day so I know I can enjoy it guiltlessly!

salembambi

pre logging is number one best advice imo

kommodevaran

I don't have just one thing...
First of all, eat the right amount of calories every day to lose/maintain weight. Or get as close as possible without obsessing.
Prelog, but adjust for real life. Don't deprive yourself.
Get moving every day.
I'll eat everything I want, but not everything at once, and not all the time.
Try to eat only at meals.
Aim to eat some fatty protein and vegetable at every meal.
I eat only foods I like.
I accept that I will be feeling hungry before meals and trust that it's normal.

SuggaD

kommodevaran wrote: »

I don't have just one thing...
First of all, eat the right amount of calories every day to lose/maintain weight. Or get as close as possible without obsessing.
Prelog, but adjust for real life. Don't deprive yourself.
Get moving every day.
I'll eat everything I want, but not everything at once, and not all the time.
Try to eat only at meals.
Aim to eat some fatty protein and vegetable at every meal.
I eat only foods I like.
I accept that I will be feeling hungry before meals and trust that it's normal.

I agree with most of these. But what's wrong with snacking? The "try to eat only at meals" is bad advice.

Capt_Apollo

pre-logging

meal prepping

eating the healthy stuff before you have the unhealthy stuff

add more fruits and vegetables to your diet

reesrachel00

chewing food slowly and savoring each mouthful, was given that piece of advice off here and it works

Capt_Apollo

and i hate hate hate "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." seriously, it makes me rage.

jimmmer

coffee enema.

Don't knock it till you've tried it...

kommodevaran

SuggaD wrote: »

I agree with most of these. But what's wrong with snacking? The "try to eat only at meals" is bad advice.

Maybe it's just a language issue. A small meal is still a meal in my opinion. Maybe you'd call it a snack. I eat five meals a day. Snacking for me tends to lead to grazing. Grazing isn't good?

Azexas

Plan meals in advance and prelog them. As I am making my dinner I am packing and logging my meals for the next day. Also as I am making dinner I make sure to take out meat for the next days dinner.

ew_david

StacyMMo wrote: »

I am sure this has been discussed a ton but I can't find one thread that has a bunch of tips. I just started on Jan 5 and am looking for tips for staying on track in losing weight. But I want tips that are beyond drinking more water and telling yourself that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. So what is the one thing that has helped you the most? For me, it is cutting my food up before I eat into really small pieces. It makes you feel like you are eating more. Thanks!

Don't tell yourself that, because it's a bunch of crap.

What helped me: I'm not usually hungry in the morning, so I skip breakfast for a bigger lunch and dinner. It helps me manage my daily calories better. Also, I stopped doing just cardio and started lifting weights. That made a HUGE difference. Planning is key. If I don't know what I'm eating, I will start grabbing anything and everything. I also never go into the gym without knowing what my workout is going to be.

VeryKatie

I've heard of some things. One woman said she always "plates" her food really nicely - so she'll use bone china and chargers, fancy cutlery and garnish for every single meal. This way every meal feels special and satisfying. She even did it at work.

Some people stack all their calories into one small snack and one massive meal.

Some people swear by using smaller plates.

You could eat everything with chopsticks to help slow down your eating so your "full" cues kick in while still eating. That wouldn't work if you're good at chopsticks though. Drinking a sip of water or putting your fork down every single bite also helps I've heard.

Some people like to give themselves a small treat per day if they did well haha.

There are lots

SandyBVTN

For me here's what works best - lots of these are repeats of tips already shared above.
- digital scale to weigh and accurately log everything
- pre-logging most of my meals
- being super on track 80/90% of the time and flexible 10/20% - living my life!
- don't rely on estimating calories based on other people's database recipes
- restaurants are tricky and I tend to save them for my 10/20% flexible eats
- I like being in the green. Sometimes five minutes of jumping jacks or walking on the spot does the trick to balance out my day
- a few days a month in the red are totally worth it for life celebrations, occasions (things like Superbowl, parties, dinners out) - on those days I go way over and I don't care
- once a week weigh in, otherwise I can get too wrapped up in the small increases

sw0312

lpendleton58 wrote: »

Meal prep for the week and pre-logging to hold myself accountable.

+1

If I dont I cheat for sure!

Unknown

This content has been removed.

davis978

SuggaD wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

I don't have just one thing...
First of all, eat the right amount of calories every day to lose/maintain weight. Or get as close as possible without obsessing.
Prelog, but adjust for real life. Don't deprive yourself.
Get moving every day.
I'll eat everything I want, but not everything at once, and not all the time.
Try to eat only at meals.
Aim to eat some fatty protein and vegetable at every meal.
I eat only foods I like.
I accept that I will be feeling hungry before meals and trust that it's normal.

I agree with most of these. But what's wrong with snacking? The "try to eat only at meals" is bad advice.

It's not bad advice if it helped the poster, and it probably did since she included it .....

The OP asked for tips. Not all tips are going to be good for all people. Some people find that not eating between meals helps train themselves, or helps them think less about food, or whatever. Some people like to eat three meals and three snacks, some people no snacks. There's no one right way.

mochocki

Accurately measuring the foods you eat, entering all the food you eat into MFP, and making sure you are getting the nutrients you need. If you can handle it, cheat meals once a week are great, but I always keep my cheat small as to not go over my daily calorie goal.

The thing that changed my mind completely about what and how I eat is this site: http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/. I knew most of the info before, but the way it was put together really helped me get a new mindset. Now I'm losing weight like crazy, and will know how to actually keep it off this time.

Holly_Roman_Empire

StacyMMo wrote: »

I am sure this has been discussed a ton but I can't find one thread that has a bunch of tips. I just started on Jan 5 and am looking for tips for staying on track in losing weight. But I want tips that are beyond drinking more water and telling yourself that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. So what is the one thing that has helped you the most? For me, it is cutting my food up before I eat into really small pieces. It makes you feel like you are eating more. Thanks!

I can bake some cookies that taste a lot better than how skinny feels.

Really though, that's an awful mantra.

The things that helped me the most were pre-logging and meal prepping. Something else that will help--learn to say no to your friends, family, and coworkers.

autumnblade75

SuggaD wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

I don't have just one thing...
First of all, eat the right amount of calories every day to lose/maintain weight. Or get as close as possible without obsessing.
Prelog, but adjust for real life. Don't deprive yourself.
Get moving every day.
I'll eat everything I want, but not everything at once, and not all the time.
Try to eat only at meals.
Aim to eat some fatty protein and vegetable at every meal.
I eat only foods I like.
I accept that I will be feeling hungry before meals and trust that it's normal.

I agree with most of these. But what's wrong with snacking? The "try to eat only at meals" is bad advice.

"Try to eat 7 small meals" is equally bad advice. There's nothing wrong with snacking, or the lack of snacking, as long as you aren't having trouble meeting your calorie goals.

halsteadg196

Know when you're weakest and plan for it. I can be great all day, but I turn into a human vacuum cleaner at dinner ... I just don't want to stop eating. I've finally started putting white strips on my teeth right after I'm done with my meal.

yayamom3

I always believed that I had to eat breakfast within one hour of waking up to rev my metabolism. After joining MFP, I learned I can eat any time of day that I want because it's all about calories in/calories out. That being said, I wait until 9:00 to eat my breakfast. That way, I don't need a mid-morning snack. Cutting out that snack between breakfast and lunch leaves more calories for the afternoon/evening, which is when I really enjoy them the most.

Also, I love using ice cream spoons. They make eating things (especially yummy things that I really enjoy) take longer, which is more satisfying to me.

I need at least one thing that really tastes good to me to look forward to at each meal. Having that anticipation is very motivating.

rstepka925

halsteadg196 wrote: »

Know when you're weakest and plan for it. I can be great all day, but I turn into a human vacuum cleaner at dinner ... I just don't want to stop eating. I've finally started putting white strips on my teeth right after I'm done with my meal.

This. Knowing and acknowledging your weak spots is key. For me, I know after dinner is the worst time for me, so I'll chew mint gum or brush my teeth as soon as I'm done with dinner. It helps to curb cravings for dessert that inevitably come up for me.

tulips_and_tea

davis978 wrote: »

SuggaD wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

I don't have just one thing...
First of all, eat the right amount of calories every day to lose/maintain weight. Or get as close as possible without obsessing.
Prelog, but adjust for real life. Don't deprive yourself.
Get moving every day.
I'll eat everything I want, but not everything at once, and not all the time.
Try to eat only at meals.
Aim to eat some fatty protein and vegetable at every meal.
I eat only foods I like.
I accept that I will be feeling hungry before meals and trust that it's normal.

I agree with most of these. But what's wrong with snacking? The "try to eat only at meals" is bad advice.

It's not bad advice if it helped the poster, and it probably did since she included it .....

The OP asked for tips. Not all tips are going to be good for all people. Some people find that not eating between meals helps train themselves, or helps them think less about food, or whatever. Some people like to eat three meals and three snacks, some people no snacks. There's no one right way.

Exactly. Thank you for saying what I was going to say. Lots of people here think advice is "bad" if it isn't what they themselves do. Not the case at all.