Advice

TheLostMermaid

Whats one piece of advice you would give someone starting their weight loss journey?

VeryKatie

Learn how to cook as soon as you can. It opens a world of possibilities.

AllonsYtotheTardis

Be consistent - it takes time to see results

palwithme

Never quit. Even if you have a bad day, or a bad week. Even if you miss your workout for a week due to illness, etc., just never quit on yourself. You can do it. Don't give up.

Deena_Bean

Patience, young grasshopper, without it you will fail.

Need2Exerc1se

Expect to 'fall off the wagon' or whatever you want to call it. It's a very rare person who never ever has an unexpected high calorie day. Don't waste time feeling guilty about it or beating yourself up. Just continue.

iplayoutside19

VeryKatie wrote: »

Learn how to cook as soon as you can. It opens a world of possibilities.

Indeed. Spend part of your weekend preparing and packaging meals for the entire week. That way you're not eating out and getting snacks at gas stations or vending machines.

....and get a food scale before you do any of that.

r5d5

Be patient and persistent!
Learn to try new foods/ find substitutes.

jgnatca

Take the long view, and follow the trend in your weight loss, not any one day on the scale.

http://www.weightgrapher.com/

jennifershoo

Read the sticky threads in each categories.

999tigger

For young people especially its to get some perspective/patience on how long it will take.

KarenJanine

Read this: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

acmanna

Buy a food scale, don't stress yourself out, weight loss isn't always linear, it is all about calories in vs out, don't give up foods you love

gavrileilaura

I had the following rules in the last year and I lost 15 kg and feel much,much better physically:
1. say no to fried food.
2. alot of water with lemon.
3. don't eat late.
4. eat healthy fats...avocado,etc.
5. make some physical effort...any kind.
6. eat as much as you can raw.
7. less meat, bread.
7. allow yourself a day in the week when you can eat what you want, without exaggerating. allow yourself a Moment when you can Enjoy a chocolate with someone you Love...
So, have your own rules and keep it on, because a healthy life style is a good life.

veanna111

Patience and commitment

halilozkal

gavrileilaura wrote: »

I had the following rules in the last year and I lost 15 kg and feel much,much better physically:
1. say no to fried food.
2. alot of water with lemon.
3. don't eat late.
4. eat healthy fats...avocado,etc.
5. make some physical effort...any kind.
6. eat as much as you can raw.
7. less meat, bread.
7. allow yourself a day in the week when you can eat what you want, without exaggerating. allow yourself a Moment when you can Enjoy a chocolate with someone you Love...
So, have your own rules and keep it on, because a healthy life style is a good life.

This is very very good Thanks for the advice gavrileilaura

Pootler74

gavrileilaura wrote: »

I had the following rules in the last year and I lost 15 kg and feel much,much better physically:
1. say no to fried food.
2. alot of water with lemon.
3. don't eat late.
4. eat healthy fats...avocado,etc.
5. make some physical effort...any kind.
6. eat as much as you can raw.
7. less meat, bread.
7. allow yourself a day in the week when you can eat what you want, without exaggerating. allow yourself a Moment when you can Enjoy a chocolate with someone you Love...
So, have your own rules and keep it on, because a healthy life style is a good life.

1. Gah, no. You can still eat fried food. Just make it fit into your calories for the day.
2. Water with lemon has no magical properties. Just drink plenty of fluids. In fact, eating lots of fruit and veg already takes care of a lot of your fluid needs.
3. Eat when you like. Calories eaten after 8pm do not magically turn to fat. It's your total calories for the day or the week that matter. Your body burns them all the time.
4. Healthy fats are awesome. Eat those. :-)
5. Yes to any kind of physical effort. Do whatever you can do, then push yourself to move more. And faster. And longer. And harder. But first, just move.
6. Why on earth raw? Ok, slightly more vitamins in raw than cooked, and have more volume and are therefore more filling. But lord, salad gets tedious. If you hate raw carrots, but cooking them makes you want to eat more of them, nuke them all to hell and enjoy the vitamins. There will be plenty left.
7. Argh! Bread and meat do not magically stop you gaining weight. Meat has lots of protein which helps you maintain muscle, and muscle burns fat. Bread has carbs which, when eaten before a work out, can give you an energy spike that makes you perform better and therefore, potentially, burn more calories. So if you like meat and bread, do not avoid them.
8. Yes, this. But you can also do it daily. A week is a LONG FREAKIN' TIME to go without chocolate.

Here's the thing: eat fewer calories - of any kind of food - than you expend and you will lose weight. ALL the other stuff is mentioned here is about what makes you able to eat fewer calories than you expend and still feel good. Losing weight is hard, but it doesn't have to feel like deprivation and punishment.

kommodevaran

Apply critical thinking. There's a lot of deliberate confusion and misconceptions gone myth in this field. I can see some of that even in this thread, already.

VeryKatie

Pootler74 wrote: »

gavrileilaura wrote: »

I had the following rules in the last year and I lost 15 kg and feel much,much better physically:
1. say no to fried food.
2. alot of water with lemon.
3. don't eat late.
4. eat healthy fats...avocado,etc.
5. make some physical effort...any kind.
6. eat as much as you can raw.
7. less meat, bread.
7. allow yourself a day in the week when you can eat what you want, without exaggerating. allow yourself a Moment when you can Enjoy a chocolate with someone you Love...
So, have your own rules and keep it on, because a healthy life style is a good life.

1. Gah, no. You can still eat fried food. Just make it fit into your calories for the day.
2. Water with lemon has no magical properties. Just drink plenty of fluids. In fact, eating lots of fruit and veg already takes care of a lot of your fluid needs.
3. Eat when you like. Calories eaten after 8pm do not magically turn to fat. It's your total calories for the day or the week that matter. Your body burns them all the time.
4. Healthy fats are awesome. Eat those. :-)
5. Yes to any kind of physical effort. Do whatever you can do, then push yourself to move more. And faster. And longer. And harder. But first, just move.
6. Why on earth raw? Ok, slightly more vitamins in raw than cooked, and have more volume and are therefore more filling. But lord, salad gets tedious. If you hate raw carrots, but cooking them makes you want to eat more of them, nuke them all to hell and enjoy the vitamins. There will be plenty left.
7. Argh! Bread and meat do not magically stop you gaining weight. Meat has lots of protein which helps you maintain muscle, and muscle burns fat. Bread has carbs which, when eaten before a work out, can give you an energy spike that makes you perform better and therefore, potentially, burn more calories. So if you like meat and bread, do not avoid them.
8. Yes, this. But you can also do it daily. A week is a LONG FREAKIN' TIME to go without chocolate.

Here's the thing: eat fewer calories - of any kind of food - than you expend and you will lose weight. ALL the other stuff is mentioned here is about what makes you able to eat fewer calories than you expend and still feel good. Losing weight is hard, but it doesn't have to feel like deprivation and punishment.

This one! If you like what the first poster said, there's nothing wrong with doing it that way if it's what makes you stick to your plan. But it's a little shy on the science. This post can help you sort out what's actually scientifically true... Meat is the bomb, also! Mmmm, meat.

TavistockToad

veanna111 wrote: »

Patience and commitment

agreed!

Athos282

I was thinking about this yesterday and wrote this blog post.

hanajbanana

- Drink enough water
- Get enough sleep
- Allow yourself the occassion treat, or work out how to fit treats into your calorie goals - total deprivation will only lead to binging and misery!
- Weigh everything, log everything - and don't just choose the listing with the lowest calories, do some work to find the most accurate one (try to find one with exact weight options in grams, rather than cups, and one with a good number of user recommendations if possible)
- Take a lot of what people say with a pinch of salt (but not too much salt, you'll get water retention!) - the boards are great to get ideas, motivation and advice from those that have been there, done that, but there's a lot of misinformation, and at the end of the day you need to find a sensible plan that works for you, not someone else
- As said above, patience is key! There's no magic formula (I wish!) - it's just eating with a sensible deficit and aiming for 1-2lb per week max loss. Exercise is great if you want to, for health not just losing weight, but not necessary... (personally, I love BodyCombat - great for burning calories as well as getting out the day's stresses)

Um, sorry, you did ask for one and I've gone way overboard, but hope it helps and GOOD LUCK :-)

Evenstranger

For me, it's been a matter keeping my short, medium and long term views straight... Long view is my weight loss goal(s). Medium is something tangible, easily identified - Do my pants fit better, or is it easier to walk? Short term goals are like my daily calorie or activity goals. I get in trouble when I start looking at weight loss goals as short or medium, or calorie intake over a longer period than just today. My motivation gets out of whack and I end up tanking whatever progress I've made.

Yolkex

Stop drinking soda and eating sides (french fries, chips, etc.)

Fr33zefram3

Make it a habit. The best thing you can do is get good at making new habits.

Want to log more? -make it a habit
Want to go to the gym more? -make it a habit
Want to drink more water? -make it a habit

Be open to change!

kborton1122

Abs start in the kitchen. Don't think you can eat unhealthy foods everyday just because they fit into your calories. Be active and burn those calories while eating 80% clean.

TavistockToad

kborton1122 wrote: »

Abs start in the kitchen. Don't think you can eat unhealthy foods everyday just because they fit into your calories.

Why not? If you want to lose weight all you need is a calorie deficit.

KatieLK14

Be patient. try to love and appreciate yourself along your journey