What Other Factors (Besides Nutrition) Help You Succeed?

girlgroves

Logging everything: I log all of my food for the day first thing in the morning, then try to stick to it.
Not denying myself all of the things I love to eat: just eating smaller quantities of them, when I fancy them, and planning for them within my calorie target.
Joining the local Curves gym: getting into the habit of going 3-4 times a week, having monthly weigh and measures, and seeing how much fitter I've gradually become.
Walking: I spend every work lunchtime walking fast for a solid half an hour, and I aim for at least 6000 steps/day.
Support: my daughter joined Curves with me and my husband started using MFP after he saw my initial success - they've been so encouraging and supportive.
Tracking my progress: I keep a weekly spreadsheet detailing my exercise, how much I've lost, when I've reached milestones/mini-goals, etc - seeing how far I've come keeps me motivated and on track.
Being patient, always aiming for the next target, not allowing small setbacks set me off track. Realising that this is for life!

beachbodylinda16

Personal support

Etsar73

smurphy90 wrote: »

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.

Exactly the same here. As soon as I got out of the mindset that eating healthily meant having to eat a bunch of foods that I don't normally eat and give up ones I do, I was so much better off. I eat whatever I want to, just within my calorie limit. And the thing is... knowing that I can have whatever I want to actually makes eating healthier foods easier. It doesn't feel like a chore, punishment, sacrifice, or rule, because it's a choice. If I go over by a bit, I don't tear myself apart for it either.

Yes and yes I've tried losing weight in the past through keto and other diets but I failed after a while because it was so restrictive. Counting calories, weighing my food, being honest (good, bad, and very bad) but eating what I want without omitting my favourite foods has helped me lose so much more weight and in a way that makes me content rather than sad.

I know that when I am honest and consistent with log in recordings, I can trust 'the count' and therefore if I have a plateau I can push through it because I know I am doing everything right and the 'woosh' will come (it always does). I don't give up like I used to! I know that 7700 calories is approximately 1kg so eating at maintenance or over maintenance every now and then is a drop in the ocean and I easily move on. Counting calories and understanding numbers (associated with calorie counting) has been my weight loss saviour.

amusedmonkey

I had to "trim the fat" so to speak and simplify my dieting approach. Being bogged down by details is stressful and not very sustainable for me... "perfect" meal timing, exact macronutrient distribution, rigid food choices, the "perfect" kind of workout, the "perfect" amount of weight loss per week...etc.

Making my diet flexible on all fronts was the key. Some weeks I will lose 2 pounds, others 1 pound, and some I just maintain. I do have a calorie goal, but in my mind it's more of a range than an exact number and depends on my appetite, preferences and plans for that day. I have a protein goal, but I don't fret if I don't hit it sometimes. Macros are more of a guideline than rules etched in stone. I pay zero attention to meal timing and have no problem skipping meals if I'm not hungry.

A very useful skill I found was learning how to manipulate my meals and activity to accommodate meals that aren't very diet-friendly and social gathering. I no longer feel like an outcast bringing my own salad containers while everyone else enjoys the food. Like someone on MFP said "it's like playing Tetris".

I also weigh myself daily. This desensitizes me to natural weight fluctuations and allows me to see a trend rather than fret about numbers.

I no longer look at my progress and habits as a means to an end. I only keep the things that I can truly carry sustainably into maintenance. Lifting is great, but I found it boring and it made me very hungry, so I stopped doing it and continued doing what I enjoy and/or can do. Tried hitting 20k steps every day, not sustainable, so I cut back to a manageable level and let my steps increase organically...etc. The goal is to do some work but not overdo it to the point where it's more overwhelming than beneficial.

To sum it up, I basically looked at the things that caused me to fail in the past and looked for a strategy to change them.

jrwms714

Bottom line: I had to do what works for me. BMI isn't accurate for me, never has been due to being short with very muscular legs, and most other calculators are not accurate, either, for me because of that. I do take into account weight circumference, but basically I go for what works for me and don't worry about those things. I do all the reading and research that I can and sift through what is helpful for me. I have always been an exerciser, but upped my game and am at the gym 5x/week. I simplified everything: I don't count nutrients, I don't worry about all the things that Fitbit has to offer. I just do what is effective for me. I have been in maintenance for a year and a half. I have figured out where my calories should be along with some of what MFP tells me. I wear a Fitbit, but basically use it as a pedometer as it seemed to conflict with MFP sometimes.

It has been pretty easy, as has the weight loss, once I made up my mind that this is forever and not just a short journey. I lost a younger brother and an older sister within a year of each other for unrelated reasons, and decided that health is a priority for me. I never want to feel that I caused my own illness or demise or gave my family reason to feel that way, although all that I do, I do for me. Since losing, I am off the CPAP machine, no longer have acid reflux, and all my numbers at my physicals are great. NOT going back on that damn CPAP is motivation enough. I constantly log, I blog daily and privately on MFP, and I read the forums to help with motivation. When my weight creeps up to the top of the range I have given myself, I cut back to loss calories rather than maintenance ones.

Bottom line, again: find what works for you and don't compare to others. That includes what exercise you choose and how you figure your calories and your food choices, although mostly healthy ones, of course. Get suggestions and follow them or adjust them if they suit you. Only when you do what works for you is when it becomes easier and easier. At least, that's how it has been working for me.

Mandingo15

Desire, will power, and dedication. If you want it bad enough and are willing to work for it, you will have success. My best way to describe this to someone is it is all about the math. Get the math, get the information, make this a focus in your life if it means that much to you. Math problem, now execute a plan. That is what I did.

bradcfairchild

I've always tried to stay in good physical shape so that I can enjoy doing the active things I like to do. Not super extreme things, but kind of extreme things like skiing, paragliding, kite surfing and windsurfing, hiking, biking, etc. Not that I've always stayed in the kind of shape where I can do these things with ease. I've gone windsurfing out of shape and 20 lbs over weight and it gets super hard to do compared to when your in shape. Doing things that motivate me are the things that motivate me. It boils down to one word, "Motivation" What motivates me, what floats my boat. You asked what other factors, those are them... However, I'm finding mastering diet and nutrition (and wrap my head around it) are like super key to everything physical. It will be so much easier when I master diet and nutrition. I'm making a positive affirmation by saying that. We all have to figure out what floats our boats, but there are a lot of "other" things you have to master first. For me, Nutrition is " the " thing.

DaddieCat

My personal reasons are cosplay-body. I've been working on some costumes that require me to be fit, slightly exposed and I either have to fake it or be it. Found the journey to being it was much more satisfying and fulfilling.

Fahad8484

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.

This worked for me, full stomach can bring happiness to you.

chel325

r/fatlogic

Pulling the wool from my eyes about obesity and seeing thick as cute

Diana_GettingFit

For me a health issue gave me the motivation. I'm a type 2 diabetic and my doctor wanted to put me on a second medication (I was already taking Metformin) which is linked with causing liver problems.
MFP gave me the tools and knowledge to take control of my diet and cut calories.
Running gave me the extra edge.
The friends I have made also keep me motivated and give me tons of encouragement.
I love the way I feel now and I'm beginning to love the way I look. Thanks to MFP I know now if I start to gain weight again I have the ability to turn it around. I love this site!

hamoosh92

Eating only when I'm hungry. Don't think about food often.
Moving as much as I can
Cutting out bread/ rice from my diet has significantly reduced my cravings for so many foods.
Eliminating unhealthy food
Using smaller plates/ bowls and stop eating when I'm full. Never over eat
Exercising at home doing simple workouts (sit-ups, pushups, etc.)

I'm tiny, 5'0 tall and in 2 months I went from 123 pounds to 112 pounds.

brownbabe84

I am down 43 in 4 months. I think the biggest thing that has helped is
1. Cooking more often
2. Juicing
3. Riding my bike instead of driving
4. And staying away from diet freaks
I have never been on a diet or tried to lose weight. I keep in mind now that this is my new life and losing weight is a benefit. I am happier, more mobile, and I only weigh in when I go to my friends house every couple of weeks. I don't want to stress over weight so I don't own a scale purposely.

valasca528

Making changes that I can sustain. For example, saying "I'll workout on the weekend" to make up for either a missed workout is not doable for me. After 2 weeks of saying that with 0 workouts during the weekend, I changed my goal to a total number of workouts and spread it out over Mon - Fri.

In the same way, saying I'll do abs certain days of the week is currently more committment than I can handle. Saying the number of ab workouts a week allows flexibility for my schedule.

Either way, stay committed and results are inevitable.

putt42

just know that you didn't gain the weight quickly so let yourself lose it slowly. Enjoy the process. Its your body and love yourself into a healthier new you.

TheChrissyT

For me, I think the most important thing I did to lose weight, was to stop hating myself. I was in TERRIBLE emotional disarray. I was 315lbs. Depressed, stressed, angry, bitter, negative, and hopeless. I couldn't stand to look at myself! I wanted to cry every time I saw a picture of myself.

Here's what I did:

Decided that nobody was responsible for my body but me. I had to stop blaming my dudes eating habits, and own that I chose to go out to eat with him and his family. I chose to eat fast food when I was in a hurry and when I was lazy. I chose to drink soda instead of water. I chose to be fat. I can also choose NOT to make unhealthy choices.

I decided that I needed to take care of myself like I took care of everyone else. That I really couldn't keep trying to pour from an empty cup. That by loving myself too, I was providing a good example for my children (which took away the guilt I felt spending money on myself for a gym membership, spending time away from them while I was at the gym, and all of that).

I forced a positive change in perspective. I looked at my workouts as ME time. Time where I was only responsible for myself. I worked for the happy endorphins at the end of the workout, because I loved feeling happy. I thought about the food I was putting in my mouth as feeding my body what it needed/wanted. I told myself that I was beautiful. I thought about how strong I was getting and getting stronger all the time. When I was running, i would imagine I was running behind my future self and imagining how good she looks, how confident she is, how happy she is, how strong, how much endurance she has, and then told myself that I WAS her and I could keep going because I was strong, confident, happy, blah blah blah. Sounds so corny, but it really does work for me. I read tons and tons of cheesy quotes but the ones that stood out to me the most were:

"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." Earl Nightingale.. I had so much to lose that I knew it was going to take forever and that was so discouraging. This changed my mindset. The time is going to pass anyway! Do I want to feel like this in a year? In 5 years? NO! I want to feel BETTER! I'll feel better if I only lose 10lbs, I'll feel a lot better if I lose 50... and here I am 87lbs down and I feel great!

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great" I had no illusions of grandeur, but I did choose some goals, some I've achieved and some I'm still working on.

"Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that's the one that's going to help you grow" O.M.G. This is my favorite thing about the changes I've made!!!! I was so anxious when I walked into the gym I thought I was going faint. I KNEW everyone would be judging the fat girl that didn't belong there. I did it anyway... it wasn't true. I still sometimes feel my heart rate go up when I walk in the door, I just tell myself it's excitement. lol But I've gone 3-5x a week for 7 months. I was afraid to lift free weights because I felt like I would do it wrong and people would see me making a fool of myself.... I did it anyway, and I LOVE to feel stronger. I was super afraid to try yoga because I'm over 200lbs and every yoga girl I've ever seen in a stick figure gorgeous person... and many of them are, but they got there somehow! I did it anyway, and I love it! Same thing with Spin class! Same thing with buying my first casual every day dress.... if you feel afraid, and you do it anyway, it gives you SO MUCH CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF!

This is getting way too long... but it has been a long growing process. Changes don't happen over night. Decide that you're worth it. Dig deep and address the tough stuff that is making you feel like you need food to make you feel good. Challenge yourself to grow as a person. Forgive yourself over and over. Every day is a new day that we are BLESSED to have, and it's a great day to live like the person you know you have always been.

beautifulwarrior18

Sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I eat like *kitten* when I'm tired. Lots and lots and lots of water. Knowing what I should be eating for the best results (I completely cut out grains and stuck to all fruits and all veggies for my carbs).

Mostly, listening to my body. I felt incredibly when I cut out dairy, grains, and other inflammatory foods. I was rarely sore and working out 4 to 5 hours a week was easy. When I don't eat to perform though I can feel it in my workouts and afterward.

paulgads82

For me it's taking care of my mental health. I'd never have been able to lose weight if I didn't start regular counselling before I tried. Food was my counselling before and I was too depressed to take that away. I'm happier now but that came first then the weight loss not the other way round.

jenilla1

I'm intrinsically motivated and have no problem patting myself on the back for a job well done. This means that I achieve small wins for myself, and not to impress or placate others. Negative influences and outside forces have very little impact on my personal success.

If I want something, I make it happen. If I don't want it enough, then I won't bother. (I happen to want to be fit and healthy far more than the alternative.)

I'm generally quite the lazy bum as far as life ambition goes, but I can be very disciplined and focused when I DO set goals. Also, health and fitness have always been major interests of mine, since I was a little kid.

Finally, I'm super patient and always looking at the long-term investment. Quick fixes and fads don't appeal to me at all. I like results that last and I'm willing to put in the time and effort it takes to do it right. (I've been maintaining successfully for several years now.)

TL;DR - It's all about the attitude.

JeromeBarry1

The combination lock to my weight loss success so far in this rather brief period of time seems to have 2 keys.
1. Plenty of protein, 2. Plenty of vegetables.