What tip/rule has helped you the most in your weight loss journey?

jessicarose22492

OK so obviously everyone is different and there isn't one "magic trick" to losing weight but I'm curious to know if there is something (or a couple of things) besides the standard "limit calories, cut sugar, work out, etc" guidelines that you've found has helped you lose weight that you'd like to share? I've heard so many things like "eat your carbs in the morning" and "exercise on an empty stomach" that I'd like to hear from you all what works great for YOU. Please feel free to share your tips below!

quiksylver296

Buy a food scale. Use it. Log religiously.

taco_inspector

quiksylver296 wrote: »

Buy a food scale. Use it. Log religiously.

^^^ This ^^^ in a fully honest and accurate way.

feliciaboots

Get enough sleep & stay away from copious amounts of alcohol. Too little sleep and/or too much alcohol cause the body to go looking for quick energy and you raid the fridge like crazy!

Unknown

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cathipa

Besides the food scale - water, water and more water.

BattyKnitter

Having a food scale and using it.

saragd012

Being mindful of alcohol consumption helped me a great deal. I certainly wasn't drinking in excess in that I would get intoxicated, but realizing that some of my favorite beers were up to 300 calories a pint was eye opening for me.

karinschoultz

I always lose weight when I log consistently, reallllly watch portions(use a scale until you know what they are), limit alcohol, dairy and bread.

wannabesmaller2017

For me personally, I don't eat past 7 at night. This has helped me tremendously.

QuinntessentiallyMe

Admitting I was a food addict, and changing my mindset to reflect that. Behaviorally and mentally, there has been a major change in me since I owned the addiction. Made all the difference! 84 lbs down, and my A1C went from diabetic-level to normal in less than 10 months.

bennettinfinity

• Track accurately
  • Food scales are very helpful
  • Everything is an estimate so don't be afraid to adjust calories/burns as needed
• Be consistent
• Be patient
• Trust the process

seltzermint555

wannabesmaller2017 wrote: »

For me personally, I don't eat past 7 at night. This has helped me tremendously.

I think this tip gets a bad reputation because of people who actually believe there's some magical terrible thing about eating snacks before bed, like you don't digest them properly or whatever "woo" like that. But I like it (and follow it mostly) just because I find that if I "close the kitchen" after dinner, floss & brush my teeth, I don't even think about food and I don't consume more calories. Then I am hungry for breakfast in the morning. It's great.

Also, drinking plenty of water as others have said.

michellebirtleeds

I need to eat all of my allotted calories. And most of those I earn by exercise. If I don't do that, it's hard to prevent snack binges.

This isn't true for everyone, but it works for me.

sandy_taylor13

When I think I'm hungry I drink a cup of coffee and I'm not hungry any more. (i put in one splenda and a splash of almond milk--and I log those cals)

senorajoselina

Don't try to numb emotions using food. It doesn't work.

tinkerbellang83

Log honestly
Log accurately
Don't use food as punishment or reward, think of it as fuel and to that end, the quality of the fuel will make the engine more efficient.

RadishEater

Having a more indulgent breakfast reduces my cravings throughout the day

Wendyanneroberts

Apart from using a food scale, I've found logging my food journal everyday, no matter what has really made a huge difference.

bepperson30

Get a really good, substantial lunch in which helps me eat a small dinner. Don't eat after 6:00pm, because once I start I usually can't stop and I go to bed relatively early (like 8:30-9) so 6:00 is a good time for me. And don't keep candy in the house. If it's there I'll eat it. I have no willpower

flippy1234

I quit drinking, became vegetarian and do not eat junk food, except occasional chocolate and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. LOL. I haven't even had to try to lose weight after that, it just happened.

WilmaValley

Weigh and measure my food

jessicarose22492

@seltzermint555 good idea about brushing after dinner. No one likes the taste of toothpaste with food!

cwolfman13

jessicarose22492 wrote: »

OK so obviously everyone is different and there isn't one "magic trick" to losing weight but I'm curious to know if there is something (or a couple of things) besides the standard "limit calories, cut sugar, work out, etc" guidelines that you've found has helped you lose weight that you'd like to share? I've heard so many things like "eat your carbs in the morning" and "exercise on an empty stomach" that I'd like to hear from you all what works great for YOU. Please feel free to share your tips below!

Consistently being in a calorie deficit over time. You don't want to here the "standard"...but really, that's all I did...all I did was consistently hit my calorie targets.

ETA: over time my diet evolved because I knew I would need to make some adjustments if I ever hoped to maintain my weight without logging. I eat way more veggies than I used to...probably the biggest dietary change.

Sabine_Stroehm

For me it was figuring out what worked best FOR ME as a lifestyle change. The only way I was going to be able to keep the weight off for life was to change how I approached food and nutrition.
I got lots of advice, and then figured out what worked for me. What works for me is not battling with myself. Doing what is easiest to sustain is best for me. So for me that has meant eliminating many previously (over)consumed foods. Put simply, I stopped battling myself to moderate certain foods. I don't buy them. I don't eat them. They aren't worth the empty calories and they are hyper palatable. Other foods I only have on very special occasions. It's worked for 18 years.

They key: figuring out what worked best for me.

MrsPinterest34

Food scale and counting calories.
You have to be honest with yourself when you track your intake.
Don't rely just on your scale, take body measurements and lots of photos.
No more excuses why you can't lose weight, just do it. If you want it bad enough you'll make time for it.
Set realistic weight loss expectations. It took 2 decades to gain all this weight, you are not losing it overnight. It's a marathon and not a sprint.

Tacklewasher

jessicarose22492 wrote: »

OK so obviously everyone is different and there isn't one "magic trick" to losing weight but I'm curious to know if there is something (or a couple of things) besides the standard "limit calories, cut sugar, work out, etc" guidelines that you've found has helped you lose weight that you'd like to share? I've heard so many things like "eat your carbs in the morning" and "exercise on an empty stomach" that I'd like to hear from you all what works great for YOU. Please feel free to share your tips below!

Gonna address a couple things in your post.

Cut sugar - only in so much as I've cut calories.
Work out - good for health but limited effect on weight loss (not none, but not as much as people think)
Eat carbs in the morning - irrelevant
Exercise on an empty stomach - personal preference, but I like a bit of food first. Not a lot, but something

Biggest thing is to be honest about my tracking. That means a food scale and a decent way to estimate calorie burn. And being prepared to eat more if the weight comes off too fast.

whosshe

Along my journey what works for me has changed over time. At first it was- get as much protein as I can, try to keep the carbs and the fat low. Protein used to satiate me the most and now I find it is the fat that does it. So now I'm trying to keep fat higher, protein (still high) and limit the carbs. Not for any reason than this is going to keep me from snacking at night. Earlier on in my journey, night snacking wasn't a big deal because I had so many calories to work with but now with only 10-15lbs left I've had to tighten up the logging.

Buy a food scale, weigh everything, play around and find what works for you. Listen to your body, pay attention to what makes you full, hungrier, tired, energized.

Lately I've been having to practice my willpower. It is definitely a skill that you can develop. Just like you can make something a habit you can make not doing it a habit.

angmarie28

Intermittent fasting has helped me a lot. I dont do it religiously, but If I eat breakfast I tend to feel hungrier through out the day, so I usually dont eat until noon, but sometimes Ill eat something at 10am if Im hungry. then i dont eat past 8, for one, I bloat at night and am miserable if I eat late, and also I tend to snack a lot more if I eat that late, so its easier to just not start. I usually stop at dinner, but occasionally ill have a small treat after dinner, but nothing past 8.

Also, Im a volume eater, I like to eat enough that I physically feel full (not stuffed but full) so I eat a lot of vegetables with my meals since I can eat a lot but still be low in calories.

whathapnd

Get a good baseline for your TDEE so you know the calorie deficit you need/can comfortably/safely handle and stick with.

Get a food scale and weigh everything you consume. Even if you get good at estimating, pull it out from time to time to check yourself.

Figure out what style/frequency of eating satisfies YOU. Three meals only? Six meals? Two large meals? Eat all day? All of your calories within eight hours? Low carb? High protein? Balanced macros? You probably have a preference, so allow yourself to experiment for a week or two at a time. Eat this way most often, but don't freak out when it's not possible.

Learn to make simple and satisfying meals at home. It's really not hard!

Don't give up any food while dieting that you're not willing to give up for the rest of your life. Figure out how to incorporate occasional "treats" into your week.

Don't over rely on exercise for weight loss. Find an accurate way to estimate calories burned.

Don't buy into/get distracted by any "magic." It's calories in and calories out for weight loss.

aliblain

Don’t eat breakfast until you are hungry- even if that’s 1pm. Don’t eat after dinner. Log everything as you eat it or you’ll forget things and go over allowance. Eat plenty of protein to keep you full. Drink lots of water.