Did you had a weight loss plan on your journey?

daneejela

Through your weight loss journey, did you have a defined weight loss goals or mini-goals
(for example to loose 4 pounds each month) or did you just focused on diet & workouts without any (defined) expectations?

What I am trying to figure out is - is it better to have a plan and adjust everyday behavior to it, or is it better to set up a good base of healthy habits and just let the time do it's part?

JeromeBarry1

You're thinking too much. Just weigh your food accurately and honestly record it in your food diary. As you complete each day with net calories at or slightly below your calorie budget, you will be in a calorie deficit. As your calorie deficit grows day by day, you will lose more and more weight.

You'll figure out what works for you as you try stuff.

Austex_Egger

I think everyone is a bit different on their overall game plan. Over the past couple of years, I've managed to shed 90 lbs. When I first started on the journey, I set goals, had excel charts with pertinent numbers and monitored them religiously. I found that setting goals (besides the overall target) did not work for me. I would track well to them for a while, but then I'd miss a goal, get frustrated, think this isn't working and basically fall off the "program". After losing 85 lbs and hitting my target of 225, I celebrated success, did not watch what I was doing and ended up gaining 32. Since October, I've lost 35, but that has simply been tracking what I eat and getting some exercise in. No timing goals, just ensuring the trend in in the right direction. I find this is much more effective. Not worrying about hitting that number at the end of a week, not stressing about an increase or 2. Re-hit the 225 and looking to 215. Take a couple/few months is fine with me.

Piqueaboo

Hmm... Yes and no. I weigh myself in kg but remind myself of how many lbs it is because the number changes faster. I track my BMI but I also keep conscious of the % of bodyweight I change. I measure every 3-4 weeks. These all add up to mini-goals. What I'm trying to say, work the program and you'll notice what works for you. It really comes down to eating at a deficit and you'll see the changes happen.

Machka9

When I started with MFP, my plan was to stick with it for 5 weeks.

I figured that if I lost something in those 5 weeks, great. But chances are I wouldn't lose anything, so I'd chalk the weight gain up to "old age" and leave it at that.

I entered my info into MFP.
I selected sedentary as my activity level.
I chose to lose 0.5 kg/week.
MFP gave me 1250 calories and I stuck to that like glue ... weighing and measuring everything.
I also exercised and only ate half my exercise calories back.

10 days in, I hadn't lost a thing ... I was on track to hit the 5 week mark with no change.

And then I started to lose.

By 5 weeks I had lost 5 kg.

So I decided to keep going to the 16 week point because that's when we'd be taking a trip to Canada to see family.

At the 16 week point, I had lost 15 kg.

I didn't plan to lose 15 kg ... it just happened. But I did plan to stick to my calorie limit like glue for the full 16 weeks ... and I did.

daneejela

Thank you guys, those are the answers I was looking for.
@JeromeBarry1 maybe I am overthinking it, but I love to hear what works from people that have actually experienced it rather then from the magazines and blogs that write things that sounds nice. I change some of my opinions after few threads on MFP (for good I think).
So, thank you all for sharing your experiences! It's so helpful!

Pokerqueen85

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

You're thinking too much. Just weigh your food accurately and honestly record it in your food diary. As you complete each day with net calories at or slightly below your calorie budget, you will be in a calorie deficit. As your calorie deficit grows day by day, you will lose more and more weight.

You'll figure out what works for you as you try stuff.

Thinking is never a bad thing

rainbow198

I focused on fitness goals...

- Walking faster and longer. Incorporating jogging intervals.
- Lifting heavier.
- Trying new workouts and sports etc.
- Progressing from doing push ups on the wall, to the counter, to my knees, to my toes etc.

I found focusing on fitness goals kept me focused and it made me want to make better food choices. And with consistency the weight and inches came off.

When I focused on the scale it stressed me out, so this was a good fit for me and it helped me to become successful losing weight and keeping it off.

daneejela

rainbow198 wrote: »

I focused on fitness goals...

- Walking faster and longer. Incorporating jogging intervals.
- Lifting heavier.
- Trying new workouts and sports etc.
- Progressing from doing push ups on the wall, to the counter, to my knees, to my toes etc.

I found focusing on fitness goals kept me focused and it made me want to make better food choices. And with consistency the weight and inches came off.

When I focused on the scale it stressed me out, so this was a good fit for me and it helped me to become successful losing weight and keeping it off.

Thanks! This really inspires me. I find it totally believable.
What you wrote reminded me on my childhood when I was burning tons of calories (without any knowledge of calories) by playing, exploring world, leaning new things..