Successful Losers (I mean that in the nicest way lol)

Machka9

fascha wrote: »

I thought I would poll the ACTUALLY SUCCESSFUL people to ask what you learned and what you may have changed along the way.

What did your success look like?

I've been slender most of my life, and any time I felt I needed to drop a few kg, I used the calories in < calories out principle. I have never tried a "fad diet".

Fairly recently, I gained weight for a variety of reasons, and hit my highest weight in late 2014.

In early 2015, I joined MFP to track my intake and output ... to help me with calories in < calories out.

16 weeks later, I hit my first goal.
Took a 1-month diet break.
16 weeks later, I hit my second goal.

Then I dropped a little bit more ... and then came up a little. It is kind of challenging to get the balance right when you're exercising a whole lot. Nevertheless, I've maintained my weight in the middle of my BMI range for almost 1.5 years.

ladyreva78

ladyreva78 wrote: »

First my failures:
- slimfast
- xenical (yup, that one)
- something called metabolic balance (~1100 cals day almost VLCD)
- Brigitte 1000cals diet
- Some others I can't remember
- oh yes... the 'insane amounts of cardio a day' diet

My success:

This:

fascha wrote: »

What finally worked for me was learning why I was losing weight (the mechanics of the energy balance), and just tracking. I feel guilty taking credit considering how ridiculously easy it was but it truly was.

Forgot to add:

As of today, I have lost 31.7kg. I started at 115kg. I'm 170cm tall.
Only 18.3kg left to go until I'm at the goal weight my doctor set for me. We'll re-evaluate whether that goal is appropriate once I'm there or within a few kgs.

As of today, I am at a BMI of 28.8. I started at 40. Goal is 22.5

As of today, I have lost 27% of my body weight. In total, I will have lost 43% of my body weight when I'm done.

As per my last complete blood works in December, my liver is no longer on the bad side of failing (I was diagnosed with NAFLD in 2014, lost my gallbladder in 2015 and they took the opportunity to confirm the diagnosis while they had me in surgery). My LDL is within a normal range, my HDL is a smidgen too low for my doctor's liking as it puts me in a bad ratio between LDL/HDL, but she doesn't want to do anything about it until I'm done losing weight, as simply losing more weight might improve that. My blood glucose is out of the pre-diabetic range. The pain from the endometriosis is mostly under control, but this is mostly due to the hormones I've been put on. They have not prevented me from losing weight.

All of this I've done while learning how to adapt my portion sizes, how to include my favorite treats into my days (some I only incorporate on a weekly/monthly basis because they're just too calorie dense). I changed very little else in my diet. I was eating in what could be called a mostly healthy way, just ways too much of it.

Francl27

Tracking (1lb a week deficit) and being active. I lost 80 lbs, but couldn't really maintain that loss without being miserable, so I gained back 5-8 lbs in 3 years, which isn't really a huge deal (clothes still fit fine).

I love food. I'd never be able to maintain if I wasn't active. I need the extra calories.