What Other Factors (Besides Nutrition) Help You Succeed?

drgmac

Self discipline, feeling more energetic, a love of clothes and not worrying about if they look right

BananaBite

- Replacing one or two meals with vegetables and fruits
- Not eating past 9 pm so I am actually hungry in the morning
- Limiting sweets and soda to weekends
- Eating everything in moderation! Instead of 3 cookies, I take one cookie. Instead of extra soda, I get one soda and no refills.

120poundstogo

reversing dinner with lunch and not eating after 5pm

dolliesadler

usmcmp wrote: »

Simplifying the process was the biggest one to me. As soon as I stopped worrying about eating the right foods or doing the right exercises I was able to make it work. I ate things I enjoyed that kept me full and did exercises I enjoyed.

Second biggest was to stop trying to lose weight so fast. Two pounds per week didn't give me nearly enough calories and once I decided on slower weight loss I was able to stick to it.

shadowfax_c11 wrote: »

Just plain old fashioned stubbornness. I made up my mind to do it after doing research and becoming convinced that this was the only really good way to get this accomplished. And I started.

360 days, -31 pounds, and counting.

I had to set my mind and a few prayers throughout the day that God would help me to maintain the discipline.
And by the way that is an awesome achievement. Congratulations

Brianneplus3

Will power and patience.

aashuman

I had an epiphany.
I used to smoke, It was worse at night.
I used to pick, it was worse at night.
When I stopped smoking and picking I would binge eat, it was worse at night.
Everything I was doing was aimed at one biologic goal= release of dopamine, which natural levels fall at night.
I started exercising. I made it number 1 priority. Exercise is a natural stimulant of dopamine.
It was my 'aha' moment. The dopamine released by exercise gave me the strength to not overeat and to treat myself better.
Get moving! I challenged myself with classes. And if you want and you are in the neighborhood we can go to a class together.

elizadfree

1. becoming self aware. i realize i need challenging and diverse workouts- i crave the feeling of being super sore, and that feeling keeps me accountable when it comes to what i eat. i worked so hard at boot camp, why would i ruin it with the free chick fil a?
2. 5:30 am workouts, even if i have nothing going on that day. it's so early that i lose all common sense, and there's nothing else i could be doing. so i go to a workout class, or hit the elliptical on the highest incline & resistance.
3. being college poor. i never ate out growing up, and i can't afford to eat out now, so i never have the temptation of stopping to get fast food on the way home, or going to chipotle with friends. and when i'm grocery shopping, i realize i could spend $5 on a gallon of my favorite ice cream (which i will eat in one sitting, i promise you) or i could save that $5 and put it towards buying better coffee for when i study (far more worthwhile, imo).
4. eating low carb and high protein. i never had that much weight to lose (have always been relatively fit, maybe 10 lbs max 15 over my "should be" weight), so i do have the privilege of seeing results super fast. that being said, low carb and high protein helps me see them faster- i'm building more muscle and keeping my stomach flatter. i know it's a CICO game as well, and i play to that, but what i put in my calories keeps me on track.
5. not weighing myself after a certain point. i can see results in the mirror/through photos. the scale was great for the beginning, but at this point im more dedicated to building muscle than i am losing numbers so as long as i'm happy with what i'm seeing in the mirror/how im fitting in my clothes, i'm okay.

this is what works for me. it may not work for you. we're all different, and that's cool as hell.

(also friendly reminder to stay body positive and not police people's journeys! we're all here for each other for support.)

mnbcxtghh

Finding an exercise that I truly enjoyed. For me running and kick boxing. Decided to take up running when I learned I sucked at kickboxing.

ItsyBitsy246

Fear.

angelxsss

I haven't lost for a while, because I haven't been logging, but I have lost 10 lbs so far and I'm back for that last 10. I think the not logging threw me off just because there wasn't any accountability. I lost most of those 10 lbs by...
-logging
-trying to drink a gallon of water each day
-exercising (I did 6 days/week, which I realize seems like overkill for many) with a simple exercise plan where all planning was done for me (blogilates.com-free!), I just had to get my butt up and do it
-focusing on eating whole, real foods. If I went over my calorie goal, at least I was going to feel better about it if it was with whole foods (or healthy "cheats" like homemade pizza as opposed to takeout).
-trying to get as much protein as I could without relying on supplements

shanahyisrael

Not eating 4 hours before bed. Moving after meals, fresh air. 62lbs gone in 32 days, no fads, diet, no supplements.

shanahyisrael

62lbs lighter, got pregnant during the weight loss, keep off after baby. Would like to loss another 20 tho.
Not eating 4 hours before bed helped the most. Moving after meals and snacks. Fresh air and proper breathing. Better selection of water.

Return2Fit

Goals!
If I could sum up success in a single word, that'd be "goals".
In every area of life, we need to know what we want, tap our passion and set some general direction for our lives.
Once you know what you desire, make a plan, then take action and stay inspired and motivated along that journey.

This is the key to success in any and every area of life.

clicketykeys

1. Starting with veggies. 2. Being fortunate enough to have a husband who will chop veggies for snacks or salad while I exercise or get dressed when I don't have time for both.

anlymc13

Weighing my food and logging EVERYTHING! Moving everyday. Whether that means a walk or hitting the gym, being active in some way makes all the difference. Having the right mind set is the absolute most important key. You have to be ready to do this for yourself.

libbywinkler

I know that this is not the answer for everyone, but my tip is no / low carb diet. I am about 90 days in and have lost over 30 pounds. Also, no processed foods. The weight is coming off!

bratschesoup

Logging my foods everyday. The accountability of knowing " you're about to eat a 98 grams of sugar" or " this food has 892 calories" is enough to make me pause and plan ahead. So I would say the accountability to choose the right thing, whether it is food, exercise, or simply planning a goal.
Also, simply taking the focus off of weight and putting the focus on health assisted this process. Walking ten minutes longer. Doing one more push up. Trying a new fitness class. It all helped me in the journey.

MsDreaB

For me there are 5 main things that have helped me succeed.

In no particular order:

1. Logging everything I eat even if it exceeds my daily calories.
2. Creating healthy meals that incorporate food that I act enjoy eating instead of eliminating or restricting my diet.
3. Having a positive attitude about my new lifestyle change.
4. Interacting with other MFP members and reading the success stories here on MFP.
5. Focusing more on nutrition than exercise.

LVNF04

A traumatic break-up. It made me try that much harder.

marissafit06

Exercise, days that I workout I eat a lot better.