What Other Factors (Besides Nutrition) Help You Succeed?

domeofstars

Using my exercise bike for one hour every day, no matter what and also doing 10000 steps each day (tracked on my fitbit).
Calorie counting- weighing all my foods and measuring all fluids so that I am taking in about 500 calories less than what I need per day.
Logging everything i consume on myfitnesspal
For the most part I am following the healthy food pyramid- which means five serves of vegetables and 2 fruits per day, low fat dairy, lean proteins like chicken, fish and eggs and low-glycemic index carbs.
HOWEVER if there is a food i am really wanting i will have it and incorporate it into my calories, or go a bit below my usual calories for the next couple of days.
Focusing on health is a big one. I don't want diabetes, heart disease or a heart attack, high blood pressure, high cholesterol etc
Also fat photos of me at my heaviest has been a big motivator.

drabbits2

going to bed earlier--that way I am not up inhaling crummy food AND I make better choices when I am well rested!!

ValkyrieFury79

Taking the time to form good habits. 2 weeks makes a habit and I always say, "if I can at least stick with it for two weeks, it becomes so easy!" - that goes for anything - food, diet, or exercise.
I also need accountability. An online tool such as MFP and or WW - whatever- just something where I have to write down and see my food intake every day helps.

brookielaw

-Tools: My fitbit reminding me to move every hour has been a definite helper. My competitive nature that makes me want to smoke my husband in weekly steps. A food scale (well, two--one that I carry in my purse and one that sits on the counter at home) definitely helps with portion control.
-Goals: Setting realistic smaller goals and writing them down so I can check them off as I achieve them has helped me get to 193+ lbs down to be half the size I once was. Saying "you've got to lose over 200 lbs" seems like an insurmountable challenge, but smaller amounts were easier to deal with and check off as I went.
-Qualities: My determination and refusal to give up when faced with challenges certainly help. Introspection to figure out why I am making a certain choice.
-Acknowledging that small choices add up
-Rewards: Sometimes for little milestones, sometimes for big events. I finally got my ring finger sized since I had to change my wedding band to my index finger. I have a sneaking suspicion my Valentines Day/Anniversary (day before) gift is also acknowledging the fact that I'm half the woman I once was.
-MFP. My MFPeeps are a huge help, as are these boards.

runawaysockppt

I actually implement a bunch of very minor life hacks when I need to lose weight that consistently work for me. None of these make the weight go away super fast but they work over time and I'm a big believer in small, sustainable changes.

Diet
-Use many small plates for meals rather than one big plate. I actually found this incredibly helpful for portion control, way more so than measuring and weighing my food which always left me feeling kind of depressed and hungry. I learned this trick after living in Japan for a number of years. Of course, the downside is that then you have a lot of dishes to wash, but you can think of the after dinner clean up as a chance to burn a few more calories.
-Always have a small cup of broth based soup with meals (at least dinner if nothing else).
-Include one cooked veggie side and one raw veggie side in most/every meal. This can count for fruit too and is a great way to up fruit and veggie intake without thinking about it too hard.
-incorporate a variety of probiotic food, I usually go with yogurt, brined olives, sauerkraut, kimchi, salt-fermented pickles, and miso soup
-invest a day in making healthy breakfasts, lunches and snacks for a week of eating. It's a pain, but it makes the rest of the week so much easier.

Exercise
-When I first start working out after a long time off the wagon (say, more than a month) I give myself a week to two week grace period where my only goal is to work out somehow everyday. The idea is just to remind my body what it's like to workout and get back in the groove, no crazy workouts that leave me feeling worse than when I started. Every time I do this my workout routine later on is much more successful.
-Strength training is key for me, it makes a huge difference in how much fat I burn over all.
-Find a fun/addictive TV show and only watch it when you are on the exercise machine of your choice.
-get up and move a little every hour, using a timer if needed.

saigrundy

besides going to orange theory fitness every day it was meal prepping, honestly. once i got paleo meal prepping into my week the weight started coming off in new "stair step" decreases. meal prep was my portion control, but also kept me from starving through lunch and then eating a big dinner. I now eat a bigger lunch and smaller dinner. I wasn't losing that quickly when I was eating late, even if it was clean eating. meal prep containers gave me portion control.

follow some fitness and paleo meal prep folks on IG. it's so so easy and economical. i LOVE my prepped lunches!

i've lost 25 lbs net in a year.

Hello_its_Dan

Over the past few years I've learned that unless you address the underlying habits that caused the current state, you cannot make long term change. So using Hebbs law, you find that when an impulsive thought pops into your mind triggering a negative habit, you recognize the thought then interrupt it with something that creates a positive habit. One that would replace the negative habit.

Hebbs law "Neurons that fire together, wire together."

"This clever phrase was first used in 1949 by Donald Hebb, a Canadian neuropsychologist known for his work in the field of associative learning. Hebb's axiom reminds us that every experience, thought, feeling, and physical sensation triggers thousands of neurons, which form a neural network."

AFGP11

I've learned that in my case this is all mind over matter. I just make myself stick to what I have planned even if I really don't want to in the moment. I spent so much of my life thinking that instant gratification is somehow a right and that it was soooo unfair that I couldn't live for it and also look and feel the way I want to. I had to break a lifetime of bad habits and bad nutritional education (provided by the US government in health class and college classes). Most of all, I had to stop thinking I was a special snowflake and start listening to the people who have actually been successful and maintained their goals. I used to be the one reading comments and rolling my eyes saying "Maybe for you, but I NEED to do it (insert diet myth here) this way because I am special and not like everyone."

Nope. I am. You are. Human bodies are not as varied as the ad industry wants you to believe. How you look is a reflection of what you put into that body and what you physically put out. Being overweight is a symptom of a larger lifestyle problem though. It's not a moral issue like some make it out to be and it is so liberating when you finally realize that weight, health and looks actually are in your control. Once you put in the work, you realize that it is also an accomplishment no one can take away from you. You can't beg, borrow or steal a healthy body. You must work for it so it will always be 100% your accomplishment. That drives me forward as well. I like being proud of myself.

Christylee76

My Fitness Pal and My Fitbit. Life Changers. Also getting down to the emotional reason behind the food binges...

rgrossma2016

Determination, daily excercize, and premium plan

daworley

Staying the course - you will have bad days, good days and days in between forever! After a bad day, just move on! Also, my son who is an MD, said to me that what I eat is MY CHOICE! No one is forcing me to eat anything or not eat anything, It is just food and it is my choice. This has been one of the biggest factors for me; for some reason it just clicked and made sense. He said this during a health conversation we were having...he is not a primary care Dr, he is a specialist in an entirely different field, so don't worry he would say that to a patient!

ImCeltic

Remembering this is an ongoing journey, and it will not be perfectly linear.
Planning, buying and preparing good food on the weekends so I can have a healthy week.
Occasional treats.
Weighing myself a couple times a week.
Faithfully tracking.
Watching success for other people.
Getting enough sleep.
Journaling to deal with frustrations, joys and gratitude.
Tracking movement every day.
Mindfulness.

teasie77

Eating breakfast
Drinking more water
Getting better sleep
Eating regularly

2wise4u

By being mindful of everything I eat and understanding that there are consequences if I overeat.

Trying to balance what goes in to vs. calories burned and not limiting certain foods completely because I don't want to feel deprived.

Working out and making a schedule so that I can stick to working out at least a few times a week without overdoing it.

Interacting with MFP friends so that they keep me on track.

xizziz

I was transformed by a health scare. A year ago I suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage - bleed in the middle of my brain, I almost died - but didn't. It wasn't until then that I realized one cannot take life for granted and I wanted to live longer, I woke up to my whole family surrounding me and realized they weren't ready to let me go. I totally changed my eating habits, my triglycerides were off the charts, bad blood, etc etc etc. After about six months I believe I had lost 47 pounds and all of the bad blood, all counts completely normal without medication. However I have lost so much and I am within a normal weight range, that my blood pressure medicine is really lowering my blood pressure, I may be taken off of that as well. I feel like I have accomplished something which I could only wish I could help everyone do. I never eat unhealthy foods, always only healthy stuff, no grease, cholesterol, etc.
Good luck to everyone in your journey - your health is worth the change

xbecmax1099

I am looking at it as a "lifestyle" change instead of a diet and trying to lose weight. Seems like since I took the pressure of just losing weight off of my shoulders that it's becoming easier every day. I'm eating better and squeezing workouts when I can. I just take it day by day. And I'll have set backs and cheat days but that's okay bc I'm human.

Also once I figured out YouTube actually has good and FREE workout videos, that really helps bc I can workout whenever I want.

mehlerscasada

I don't actually know! One day I just decided to meal plan, eat healthy (or do my best to!) and TRY to get my activity levels sorted! I joined a cheerleading squad and never looked back. Go Platinum team!! Hahaha, MFP has also been a huge motivator. It's so convenient!

virgoconga

I really appreciate many of the responses that you have received especially "removing toxic people "
For me it is a combination of things. Mind, body, soul, and spirit. Just having an overall balance of good, positive and healthy things and learning from all things and situations.
Finding your balance and keeping it is a journey within itself. Everything that you face can be an enjoyable learning experience.
Stay the course.

amtyrell

The nsv ( non scale victory) thread. I find it inspiring and reading that thread when I want a snack mindlessly helps me make better choices.

amtyrell

Also I pulled out my vintage dishes the bowls and plates are much smaller (and more pretty) by using smaller pretty dishes the same amount of food feels like more

mrschwarten

Having a supportive accountability buddy who is just as enthusiastic as me makes all the difference! Someone who's there to cheer me on and to help me through hard times, who I can tell my secrets to and have fun with.

I am also successful when I write things down! Not only my goals and accomplishments, but also when I make a fitness calendar for my workouts. Putting a big red X on my calendar when I finish that day's workout and seeing a month of X's is so encouraging!

k1mberlyr

I watch YouTube videos made by healthy people who used to be overweight. They are so inspiring. Check out OBESE TO BEAST and FAT MEETS FIRE. It has helped me tremendously!

dfwesq

Learn how to cook vegetables, and try a lot of different kinds of them. A lot of us grew up disliking vegetables because they were badly cooked or not fresh. But they really are delicious if you prepare them properly. Eating plenty of them really helps with weight loss, and with general health too. And your eating plan will be a lot more fun if you really like what you're eating.

enderockz

This is a really cool part of the app that I just found after 9 days with the program. I'm going to come here often!

Afura

Eat at a deficit.
Don't guilt over going over one day.

SashaQ1381

CrabNebula wrote: »

Self-discipline.

Hands down the most difficult, cheapest, and most effective!

Blackdawn_70631

Periodic, short, dog walks. As they are Pomerainians.
Walking around Walmart or another store after having eaten.
I know many people see things as. "You have to burn heavy for progress." But the little things count as well. Mini walks helps with joints and aids in proper digestion.
And thanks to mini dog walks, our very old Pom of 13+ years was given about three months to live. That was roughly three years ago. Our vet is SURPRISED he's still living and healthy. He's had a type of mini stroke a few weeks ago, and his back legs are now stiff because of it, but he still insists on having his daily walk.

Penthesilea514

Journaling. I found that being more mindful of my whole day is helpful. For me, it was so easy to get lost when your day is not purposeful. I track not only my food (on MFP), but in a physical journal I track my planned activities/chores, my mood, my sleep habits, mini-goals I set for myself (for example: in April, I am trying to be mindful of increasing my veggie consumption and decreasing red meat, so I am trying to go vegetarian 3 times a week to try new recipes/foods/etc)- all sorts of things. I also try and log a daily gratitude item, something that I am thankful for on a particular day. Many people have mentioned that this is a lifestyle, not a diet and so I found that best represented when I wasn't mindlessly going through the motions of my day (it can be startling to realize a month has passed in your work/sleep/eat cycle and feeling like nothing has happened in that time). It is not just about eating and exercising intentionally, but doing everything more intentionally. I know this is not for everyone, but it has helped me a great deal recently.

Good luck to everyone! You all are so inspiring

Blackdawn_70631

Penthesilea514 wrote: »

Journaling. I found that being more mindful of my whole day is helpful. For me, it was so easy to get lost when your day is not purposeful. I track not only my food (on MFP), but in a physical journal I track my planned activities/chores, my mood, my sleep habits, mini-goals I set for myself (for example: in April, I am trying to be mindful of increasing my veggie consumption and decreasing red meat, so I am trying to go vegetarian 3 times a week to try new recipes/foods/etc)- all sorts of things. I also try and log a daily gratitude item, something that I am thankful for on a particular day. Many people have mentioned that this is a lifestyle, not a diet and so I found that best represented when I wasn't mindlessly going through the motions of my day (it can be startling to realize a month has passed in your work/sleep/eat cycle and feeling like nothing has happened in that time). It is not just about eating and exercising intentionally, but doing everything more intentionally. I know this is not for everyone, but it has helped me a great deal recently.

Good luck to everyone! You all are so inspiring

Awesome to you! Good job!

Blackdawn_70631

Penthesilea514 wrote: »

Journaling. I found that being more mindful of my whole day is helpful. For me, it was so easy to get lost when your day is not purposeful. I track not only my food (on MFP), but in a physical journal I track my planned activities/chores, my mood, my sleep habits, mini-goals I set for myself (for example: in April, I am trying to be mindful of increasing my veggie consumption and decreasing red meat, so I am trying to go vegetarian 3 times a week to try new recipes/foods/etc)- all sorts of things. I also try and log a daily gratitude item, something that I am thankful for on a particular day. Many people have mentioned that this is a lifestyle, not a diet and so I found that best represented when I wasn't mindlessly going through the motions of my day (it can be startling to realize a month has passed in your work/sleep/eat cycle and feeling like nothing has happened in that time). It is not just about eating and exercising intentionally, but doing everything more intentionally. I know this is not for everyone, but it has helped me a great deal recently.

Good luck to everyone! You all are so inspiring

And we all have our own way in our lifestyle. What works for one person may not work for another.