Your best tips for weight loss

GoRun2

Let's share your best tips for weight loss. After tracking weighing and measuring, what's a great tip for others that are working on losing weight?

My tip for eating out: Look at the menu ahead of time and decide what you will order. You may make a better choice if you select something when you aren't hungry. Many smaller restaurants have their menus on Facebook.

quiksylver296

Food scale. Food log.

The end.

kpendleton19

I agree! Looking up the menu ahead of time really does work. I like to start logging in calories of what i'm going to eat before we get to the restaurant.

I also think that me doing Intermittent Fasting 16:8 helped me lose weight. Im more mindful of what I put in my mouth and knowing I only have 8 hrs eating time makes me eat food that are satiating.

hrod215

Weight lifting helps! I've never looked so trim compact in my life. I wish folks would stop believing the myth that you will bulk up. If you are eating a ton of food then yes you will gain muscle but still look bad *kitten*. But you can still lose weight and get those muscles in top shape. It helps burn more fat too!

wannabesmaller2017

Obviously besides tracking what I eat, I find success when I don't eat after dinner. So kind of a form of IF because I end up not eating for about 14-16 hours. I personally cannot stop after I start eating at night, so for me it's best to completely avoid it.

hroderick

chromium pocolinate and platejoy.com and mfp of course

Momepro

Log not only what you eat, but why and how you feel before, during and after, at least for a while.
Think of calories as dollars to purchase what you eat. The base amount is your allowance, and excercise helps you earn more calorie cash.
Break everything down into little habits, instead of thinking of it as one giant diet. Weighing food is one habit. Logging it is another. Ordering one less thing at takeout is another. Adding a vegatable to dinner , while subtracting some pasta is another.
Don't try to do it all at once. Pick one or two small habits to work on. When you are comfortable doing those routinely, add one or two more.

Oma827

I made up recipes that support my goals, logged them, and use them. Some are old favorites that I reworked. Pasta and meat sauce: now Muir Glen garden style pasta sauce, lean ground beef with plenty of Mrs. Dash, and Birds Eye Zucchini Lentil Pasta which, because it’s all vegetables, counts lower carbs than pasta.

amyk85260

Mini goals! I like 10 lb increments

GoRun2

I order salad dressing on the side at restaurants. I dip my fork in the dressing and then stab the salad. This way I get just a taste of dressing with my salad for not that many calories.

PowerliftingMom

GoRun2 wrote: »

I order salad dressing on the side at restaurants. I dip my fork in the dressing and then stab the salad. This way I get just a taste of dressing with my salad for not that many calories.

I do the same thing!

PowerliftingMom

As others have mentioned, plan ahead what you would be ordering before eating out and lift weights! Since I started eating clean, I don't crave junk food like I used to.

gymprincess1234

One day at a time.

GOT_Obsessed

I have come to think of food as fuel that the body needs. Your car needs fuel in the form of gasoline. Our body needs fuel in the form of food. Food should be used as fuel, not as enjoyment/entertainment. (For the most part)

whosshe

Be realistic. Sure, you may want to lose 10lbs this month but life happens. Cut your goal in half and anything after that is a very happy surprise!

To go with that, don't give yourself a time limit. This is a lifelong journey and weightloss is not linear.

Also, change your goals as you see fit. There's nothing wrong with changing your calories to maintenance for the day, or even the week, sometimes not gaining weight is just as good as losing.

IremiaRe

Weigh food. Log food. Exercise (cardio and strength training). Repeat.

jog1111

Fit “treats” into your calorie count every day. A lot of your favorite foods can fit into your calorie budget if you make small substitutions or have smaller portions.

newheavensearth

Don't quit.

ceiswyn

Don’t be hungry.

Figure out what psychological tricks you can use to fool your appetite. For me they’re largely mindful eating, keeping busy, and going for a walk if I feel peckish. But if you’re not hungry, it’s a lot easier not to eat

GoRun2

Drink water, it takes the edge off your appetite.

TWRUNNER32

Meal prep, meal prep, meal prep.

I only do a week at a time, but i have several gallon ziplocks full of different kinds of soup in the freezer in case i get bogged down with other things.

Also, egg bake. I make one of these on the weekend, and i have 8-12 breakfasts ready to go (bag them in portions of 3-4 and freeze, thaw a bag overnight when you need to and nuke for a minute before you head out the door in the morning.

AmNestor

lots and lots and lots and lots of water!

beachwoman2006

amyk85260 wrote: »

Mini goals! I like 10 lb increments

I did mine in 5-pound increments! I knew I could lose 5 pounds because I had done it at least 100 times before! LOL

GoRun2

Has anyone tried using smaller plates? Do you find that you eat less?

GOT_Obsessed

GoRun2 wrote: »

Has anyone tried using smaller plates? Do you find that you eat less?

I have but actually weighing and measuring to see what a portion size really is has made me eat less. And less but quite an amount.

missysippy930

Being consistent, and allowing all foods in moderation.

Joyfulandactive

If you come under stress or anything unexpected, focus on maintaining rather than losing until you are back to equilibrium and can refocus on your weightloss goals.

sexymamadraeger

Don't eat out much at all. It's very hard to not earn more calories. It's never prepared the same way you would at home. I pretty much eat the same foods every day and prepare them at home and eat at home. If I do go out I don't eat much at all. It's just not worth it.

So true about the water! So many times when I think I am hungry I'm really just thirsty.

GoRun2

I have the same breakfast pretty much every day. Lunch generally varies between 4 to 5 things. I go for variety for dinner. It makes tracking and meal prep easier.

GoRun2

I split up my calories as 200 breakfast, 300 lunch, 500 dinner, the remaining 200 are snacks are to cover when I go over for lunch or dinner.

evivahealth

Average your calories across a week or 10 days - aka calorie cycling.

I tend to want more on weekends and find it harder to be hungry or to turn down food in social situations. I budget 1100 calories Monday to Friday and anywhere from 1700-2200 on Saturday and Sunday, bringing my average intake across 10 days to around about my target of 1330 (I'm 5'2" and petite fyi).

This is the most effective way I have found to keep within my calorie goal on average (in addition to intermittent fasting). I think of calories like money - save up and spend wisely.