Uncommon tips

TheVirgoddess

Hmm.

Pre-log your days.
Continue eating foods you enjoy, just be mindful of your portion sizes and keep to daily calorie/macro goals.

Those two things above are what I credit most of my success to (69 pounds so far).

Driagnor

Set yourself goals. Specific, measurable goals with a deadline, and read them every day. They'll help to keep you on track when you have something specific to aim at.

Miffylou

It will sound wasteful to some, but I will throw food away.

I was given a whole bag of honeycomb chocolate the other day. I opened it, ate two pieces and threw the rest away. I know if it's in the house and no one else is going to eat it, I will. So if it's not there then there's no temptation.

And food prep.

61otter

For me it's mixing up the exercise. Some days I kayak, some I go for walks, long or short with the dog, and some days it's tai chi. Those are all things I love, and knowing I can do a video indoors if the weather's not great keeps me doing something.

The other thing that helps me is thinking small. Small changes, one at a time. Small bites. Walking for 10 min if that's all I have rather than doing nothing. Small changes all help over time.

And the last one is accepting that it's hard, it sucks, and it's not fair that some of us have to struggle while others can eat anything they want and stay thin. Well... it's not fair, but if I didn't luck out and get the model figure, all I have to work with is the body I got. So I can jump in, do my best, and persist, or give up and mope. Not every day will be perfect or easy, but all I have is the choice to do my best with it every day, and get back on track when I muff up.

AllTheNoms

There's a thread around here somewhere about Mindfulness - there are some good ideas in there that have really helped me. Like so many people on here, I have yo-yo'ed for years and am really making an effort to get it off and keep it off this time. So much of what we go through is mental, so it is helpful to take time and reflect on what has caused relapses, binges, past failures, etc. It's also helpful to try and hone in on identifying those moments of potential weakness so help minimize the damage of a binge rather than totally abandoning the overall effort.

samthepanda

Miffylou wrote: »

It will sound wasteful to some, but I will throw food away.

I was given a whole bag of honeycomb chocolate the other day. I opened it, ate two pieces and threw the rest away. I know if it's in the house and no one else is going to eat it, I will. So if it's not there then there's no temptation.

And food prep.

I've done this too! I have to make sure I throw the kids leftovers away if it's chip night! I stick stuff in the freezer too - especially bread.

sunshyncatra

Just becoming more aware is a good thing. I try not to let myself become overly hungry, because then my body just wants junk. I also don't deprive myself of a treat if I want it. I find a way to fit it in.

priyaFitnessFreak

salembambi wrote: »

pre logging is number one best advice imo

+1

sijomial

Kevalicious99 wrote: »

Do not use the MFP method ... it is not that great. Although it may be fine for beginners. TDEE -x % is a better idea once you know your true numbers.

Don't use the TDEE method because it's hopeless for long distance cyclists (or those who have varied exercise routines).

My main tips would be:
To take more notice of your results and less notice of calculators.
Think long term not short term.
Make your diet fit your lifestyle and not the other way round.

girlwithcurls2

Capt_Apollo wrote: »

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

This. QFT.

OP, make one good decision. Then make another. Nothing feels better than super strong. I love to eat and by logging everything, I found out that snacking is where I pack on the calories. Find out what doesn't work for you and fix that.

And really, keep the big picture in mind. You can't lose the weight eating a salad for dinner, so you won't gain it all back by enjoying a treat.

DirrtyH

Go read that sexypants thread. It's sticky on the main page of the "Getting Started" forum. Up at the top.

StacyMMo

AmandaHugginkiss wrote: »

Why do you need uncommon when common works better? The reason uncommon tips are "uncommon" is because they don't usually work. Stick with the basics like eat less, move more.

I asked for uncommon tips because I have heard those hundreds of times before. I am already doing them. On days where it gets tough sometimes the uncommon tips help get me through. I have learned a lot of great ideas on here already. It doesn't matter where you are in your journey, you can and should learn from others. That is the whole point of the Community section.

segacs

When I reached 90 days, I wrote a tips post full of some of the stuff that's been working for me so far: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10051544/my-first-90-days-right-on-track

Everyone's different and YMMV. But maybe there's something in there that's helpful.

47Jacqueline

When you're losing, make sure you have room for the stuff you love. If it's pizza, schedule that into your week, if it's a sundae do the same.

Change the thinking about good vs bad food, legal vs illegal food, "cheating" vs being "good", being on/off the wagon, etc.

Use smaller plates than dinner plates. I have a set of handmade porcelain plates - a 6" one that's for dessert and an 8" one that's for my meal, as opposed to a full 10" or 12" dinner plate.

In maintenance, learn that the scale is not the boss of me. If my size 4 clothes are loose and I can still see the muscles in my back and shoulders, the fact that I cannot lose the last 2 lb from when I was laid up from a broken leg is irrelevant.

joshnewton1976

Make yourself do the things you don't want to do and/or are afraid of. Some days I don't feel like going to the gym, and it is quite amusing at the excuses I can come up with not to go (or to eat fast food rather than going home and cooking). But I MAKE myself go. Just go do it. You may not want to, and you may not like it at first, but you'll be proud of yourself, and you'll be better off for it in the long run

renaore

I have a few things;

- When you eat, rest your fork/spoon/whatever eating utensil you're using at least 5 times during the meal. Chew your food more slowly while your eating utensil is taking a break. I noticed a lot of my co-workers do this at lunch and eat more slowly (I live in Korea).
- Take 1/2 of what you think you can eat if you are eating at a buffet.
- Prepackage servings of snacks (so you can easily grab them and go).

Good luck

janiceclark08

This is helpful for some new people on mfp, I had it bookmarked and I am reposting for new ideas for losing.

CSARdiver

1. Find a higher motivator than "I want to lose weight" - replace with "I want to lead by example" or "I want to run a 10k"
2. There are no bad foods. Don't eliminate foods you love.
3. Savor your food.
4. Pre-plan, pre-log, and budget.
5. Think long term.
6. Build up a support network.
7. Remove negative people from your life.

ManiacalLaugh

I'm going to echo pre-logging.

• It keeps me accountable.
• It helps me know exactly where I stand during the day so I don't go overboard with something that results in me having to cut something out.
• If I decide to go over my goal, it gives me a sense of control so that I don't go crazy. (This also means that I have to make the conscience decision to go over.)
• Planning a day helps me keep to my macros.

Really, I can't say it enough. There's lots of other tips I could provide, but this is the one that's helped me the most.