Lost 24lbs in 65 days - Top 10 Tips

justified111

I know I haven't lost as much as most people who post here but for me it's a success. I hit my 1st goal and finally feel like I have a permanent way to get in shape and stay there.

#1. Track EVERYTHING you put in your mouth. This was by far my biggest change and it has paid off amazingly. I finally have a grasp of my calorie intake thanks to MFP.

#2. Find low calorie/healthy foods you enjoy. After educating myself better on how many calories certain foods were, I've built up a great selection of food I actually enjoy eating that fit in my plan. For me it's fresh organic heirloom tomatoes with a high quality balsamic vinegar, or fat-free cottage cheese with chia seeds, or grilled shrimp on top of a salad, or a slab of salmon BBQ'd on a cedar plank. I can go on and on, that's just the beginning. I keep adding more and more foods I like so I never get sick of things.

#3. Avoid the word "diet". For me this was a big one for a few reasons. First off a "diet" seems like temporary state with an end date. I consider what I'm doing "eating healthier". Secondly, the perception of others for me is important. I don't want my friends, family, or coworkers to treat me differently. In fact, most people haven't even noticed I've been eating healthier. When we go out to eat, I normally just order something grilled over fried and rarely finish my plate. Nobody makes one comment, and trust me, if you knew my friends they would.

#4. Eat often. This one also works well for me because I'm never starving. I eat something VERY small the second I wake up. I once read eating something the very moment you wake up kick starts your metabolism. So each day I start with a small 30 calorie bite. A slice of turkey, 10 blueberries, etc. The I have breakfast, Lunch, After Snack Lunch (I added meal names on MFP), Dinner, and After Dinner Snack (another added meal name), FYI - You can add custom meal names here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

#5. "Cheat", "Fail", and "Steal"... sometimes. Don't neglect yourself of everything or you'll drive yourself crazy. I've found that "cheating" by having a high-calorie desert here and there or a cheese plate with wine is fine. It's fine as long as it's rare and you get right back on plan. One meal will never throw off your long-term plan. "Fail" by going over your daily MFP limit by "Cheating". In the past 65 days I've went on vacation, a bachelor party, a wine tasting, and a birthday party with a 7-course dinner. Each of those days I "failed" my daily limit but I got right back on plan afterwards. If I can still enjoy myself like I used to and keep healthy 90%-95% of the time, I can live with this forever. "Steal" calories from one day to average out the next. I'm not suggesting that you fluctuate between 500 and 3500 net calories on a daily basis, I'm only saying that your goal daily calorie intake is a suggested target. If you go a little over/under a few days it's fine. I try to look at my week as a whole and allow myself to "Steal" from some days.

Sorry all, this post took longer than I expected. I'll post 5 more tips tomorrow morning. I'd love to hear some of yours in the meantime.

PheonixRizing

I've lost 23 pounds in about 45 days. I follow all the same things that you do, at least what you posted so far. I also try to limit my carbs to around a 100 a day. Carbs are the devil. Congrats to you on your success ^_^