have you lost over 50 pounds?

erikkmcvay

Patience.
Caloric Deficit.
Determination.
Eat enough.

That's all you need. No secrets.

Guy I now there is not secret; the thing I believe in learning a much of as you can to succeed in anything; so I would really appreciate any stories oh how you guys controlled your intakes at the beginning how did you feel what you started changing!

How I controlled my intake? It's simple. Count everything you eat. Everything. Weigh it. Get a food scale. If you can't count it, don't eat it.

Excellent post!!!

Also 'measure' it. If it says 120 calories for 1/4 cup then darn sure use the measure and make sure you don't get 3x that.

trogalicious

Excellent post!!!

Also 'measure' it. If it says 120 calories for 1/4 cup then darn sure use the measure and make sure you don't get 3x that.

Even if it says 1/4 cup and offers a gram/ounce option, I'll weigh it instead of using the 1/4 cup equivalent. Example, I eat raw almonds. Normally a serving per day. It says 1/4 : 30g per serving. It's more accurate to weigh out the 30g than the 1/4 cup.

allthingsarlene

I have recovered enough of my loss to be at 50 lb down. I have another 130 to go. Feel free to add me as you friend. I would love to have some folks to encourage me and that I can encourage as well

Armyantzzz

I am currently at 53 lbs (13 more to go...:bigsmile: :bigsmile: ArmyAntzzz at your service... Add Me..:bigsmile:

erikkmcvay

I've spent a LOT of my life in the gym. I started when I was 17 (I'd messed around before then but got serious at 17) and gained a lot of muscle in a short period of time. Then over the years I was an on again / off again gym rat of sorts. I even had 700lbs of free weights in my living-room at one time. When I was 34 I benched 350lbs and my kids wanted to paint me green on Halloween because they said I looked like the Hulk.

So I know working out.

So, did I go to the gym to lose weight? Nope. I walked and cut my calories.

Truth is that weight training WILL help if you get in and increase your lean body mass and I won't argue with anyone who believes in doing that as a weight loss plan HOWEVER I am a FIRM believer in cutting calories to lose weight and here is why:

Most people aren't overweight who have a regular fitness routine and for the most part most who try to start a regular fitness routine in order to lose weight eventually quit and/or return to their previous lives before working out and gain the weight back. Perhaps because you can eat more when you work out when you quit it's just too easy to continue to eat more and gain the weight back.

Whereas, if you weren't going to the gym to begin with then you're asking yourself to change TWO things: your eating habits AND your activity level.

We get fat because we are not active and eat too much (I've never met a very active person who was also fat).

So, by cutting calories, which is something EVERYONE can do and it takes NO training, you/we can lose fat and chances are you'll learn to eat less in the process and likely be successful in keeping it off in the future, after all, you don't have to go anywhere or do anything you wouldn't normally do anyway. You just have to eat less.

I walk because I want to improve my cardiovascular system and it helps with the weight loss. However I had high blood pressure and I needed more then just weight loss.

Personally, I think walking is something almost everyone can do and should do. After all, it's good for you and it doesn't require anything but a road/path and a good pair of shoes.

Stay hungry!

eazy_

yes

KristaWeiss

I'm down 126 since being on here. Feel free to add me!

benno1978

I have lost 88lbs since June 2011 when I weighed 269lbs!

Below advice based on what what worked for me:

diet is key - mine was awful e.g takeaway 2 or 3 nights a week snacking on crisps every day too much sugar too much fat skipping breakfast 'grazing' at work due to being 'too busy' then pigging out in the evening etc

- eat fresh whole foods reduce carbs except before/after training and swap 'bad' carbs for 'good carbs - wholemeal bread instead of white brown rice instead of white rice veg and fruit good increase protein - meat/fish/beans/pulses and increase fibre to help feel full and avoid faling off the wagon

work out how many calories you need to lose weight (tools on this site) and stick to that calories limit eating healthy foods as others have said - measure weigh and record everything in food diary

most of it's common sense it's not complicated - that's not to say it's easy it isn't! (I always knew what healthy eating was just didn't do it!)

Exercise - as others have said walking is excellent exercise good for fat burning I joined a gym but found it boring working away on the treadmill and machines on my own so signed up for group classes and I love them! they're fun and cos it's fun i don't skip them even when i get in from work tired plus you push yourself further when exercising with others so find something you enjoy as you'll stick with it if it's a chore you won't

You need to break your weight loss goal down into manageable 'chunks'. You say you want to loste 135lbs that's likely gonna take over a year if that's your one goal it's going to be hard to stay focused as it seems so far off so start off smaller goals lose 5lbs lose 10lbs lose 10% of your starting weight etc

It won't be easy they'll be plenty of times you feel like giving up and times when you do give up and have to get back on track concentrate on why you want to do this and use that to motivate you.

Good luck

whitecapwendy

One of the first things you need to do is learn what healthy eating is. One of the biggest keys is lots of fruits and veggies. Whole grains, lean meats. and lots of water are also key. A good picture would be --visualize a plate. Half of that plate should be veggies/fruit, one quarter whole grains and one quarter meat. Portion control is also important. 4 oz of meat is about the size of a deck of cards. starch should be kept at a half cup. Keep in mind that corn is not a veggie, but a starch/grain. Most veggies are low calorie and can be eaten in unlimited quantities, but watch out for some of the higher calorie veggies.

I try to prelog my food at the beginning of the day and keep within my macros. then I stick to that plan. My calorie goal for each day is 1400 calories and I spread it over four meals a day

tonicandgin

im down 53..having friends on here to help inspire and motivate me has helped me alot...add me if you like, i'd love to help support you:)

lucii0uzz7

80 pounds down 30 more to go! feel free to add me

LassoOfTruth

Feel free to add me. I'm not perfect, but I try.

caly_man

Patience.
Caloric Deficit.
Determination.
Eat enough.

That's all you need. No secrets.

nice. i'll add a couple of more steps if you dont mind


Patience.
Caloric Deficit.
Patience.
Determination.
Patience.
Eat enough, this one for sure, don't starve to lose weight
Patience.

valjaffee

As of this morning when I weighed in, I have lost 51.5 lbs! I started at 256.5. I thought "There's no way I can do this." I started eating healthier, reducing my carbs and calories, writing down every single thing I ate, weighing everything, and getting accurate counts on nutrition information. Also, planning your meals out for the week and then going shopping and ONLY buying the foods you need helps immensely. I ate less and I tried to avoid snacking as much as possible. That was probably the hardest part! You will have to develop your self-control and that sucks when you're used to eating whatever you want whenever you want.

As far as exercise goes, for the first three months, all I did was walk around 2 miles two to three times a week. Not super fast but at a brisk pace. I did NOT want to go to the gym ever. I was completely intimidated too! However, after losing around 35 lbs I decided to get a personal trainer which has helped me so much. After 6 weeks of working out with him once a week, I don't feel intimidated any more. I go in, I do my workout, and I leave. Granted, a lot of that has come from the fact that he showed me how to use the different machines and what types of things to do. My point is, think about what you are doing, not what everyone else is doing/ thinking. At first, all I could think about was that everyone there was probably staring at me thinking "look at that fat girl that thinks she can work out" but seriously, nobody cares. The people who are there and are serious about working out are focused on what they are doing. What I noticed that surprised me was that when I was working out the first week and visibly struggling with whatever exercises I was doing, random strangers would come up to me and encourage me. That was really weird... but that was what made me realize that nobody there cares who you are or what fitness level is.

Here are my words of encouragement - dieting sucks, changing your lifestyle sucks, and working out sucks. You know what doesn't suck? Feeling healthy. It's not going to be easy and it's probably not going to be very fun either. Just keep in mind that tons of people have made big changes and lost that kind of weight. If they can do it, why not you?

My last piece of advice - do not weigh yourself every day. I don't even own a scale because i know I will get on it daily and just be upset with the numbers. Friday mornings, I wake up, I take a shower, I put on the same outfit I do every single other week, I take a picture from the front and the side, I go to the doctor, and I weigh in. Seeing the progress on a week by week basis makes me feel so much better about my diet! You can totally do this.

erikkmcvay

Patience.
Caloric Deficit.
Determination.
Eat enough.

That's all you need. No secrets.

YES!
nice. i'll add a couple of more steps if you dont mind


Patience.
Caloric Deficit.
Patience.
Determination.
Patience.
Eat enough, this one for sure, don't starve to lose weight
Patience.

erikkmcvay

Great posts!

paulygi

Thanks you; guys for the amazing responses I been getting. I hope we can develop a circle of motivation in which we encourage each other and others.

Now how about you tell about you first experiences with strength training.
It might be just me, but I feel intimidated of entering that section of the gym
and according to many there is where you cut down the gut

You dont need a gym to strength train. Start youself off with situps pushups squat s. If you can do them pullups, I haven't tried yet. Walking is best for fat loss. I don't eat calories allowed by exercise.

lbecky321951

I have lost 95 lbs. and the best thing I ever did was buy the bodymedia fit arm band. It is easy to use, keeps you honest and has a great impact on my exercise versus the foods I eat. I lost 60 lbs when I started wearing it last October. I saw the Biggest Losers Wearing Arm Bands went to the web site and learned what it was and ordered one. I can't say enough about the data it records, all of the different information you can print, your protein, carbs and fat calorie percentages every day, sends you notices about food intake versus exercises etc... I strongly urge you to purchase one and be honest when you enter the foods you eat. I lost all of my weight at age 62 through diet and exercise no pills, no lipo, etc... just will power and hard work. Good Luck as they say if I can do it you can too. Becky

simonkurth

I've lost over 60 and it truly has been a fantastic experience. Feel free to add me

runnermom419

I lost 171 pounds before getting pregnant with baby #2. Feel free to add me. I have about 30 pounds to get back to that point, but should have no problems. Feel free to add me.