Jump Start Your Weight Loss

bookstitch

I seem to be struggling...what is something you did to help jump start your weight loss?

I already don't drink soda, eat fast food or a lot of candy.

My breakfast is typically coffee and fruit/protein smoothie, lunch varies from salad to dinner left overs and dinner is typically chicken and vegetables.

Any advice is appreciated!

missysippy930

Weigh & measure all food and drink accurately and record everything you eat and drink.
Amounts really matter!

motivatedmartha

No jump starting needed. 😁 Enter your stats, reasonable rate of weight loss (if you have a lot to lose 1-2 lbs a week; less than 20lb around 0.5 to 1 lb per week). Mfp will give you a calorie goal to include the appropriate deficit - that's what you aim to eat! Type of food doesn't matter although, if you don't want to feel hungry keep an eye on the mfp macro targets- you will lose weight eating only Oreos within your calorie target but you won't feel great.I find it only works If I accurately measure the food I am eating - weighing solids and measuring fluids. If you can build in some activity you will feel better and you can eat a bit more (lots of people aim to eat around 50% of exercise calories if they are using mfp exercise database. The stickies at the top of the message boards are worth reading. Be patient and learn to enjoy the process, successful weight loss and maintenance depends on you finding a way of doing this that you can sustain.

Kim_S_G

As long as you are in a caloric deficit you will lose weight. Put your stats (weight, height, etc) into MFP, along with the rate at which you want to lose (example: 1 pound per week); and MFP will tell you how many calories to eat every day. Use a food scale to weigh the food you eat. As long as you stay within your calorie limit, will lose weight, no matter if it fast food or not.

CarvedTones

It is absolutely true that a jump start is not necessary, but...

I have to admit to being a jump starter. I was a serial starter when I did it slowly. I had better results when I started with some ridiculous unsustainable crash diet for a couple of weeks to give me a "lead to protect" if that makes sense. I do not recommend this as a best practice; it is purely because I had a mental barrier about getting started and seeing progress. But I have never been able to really commit without a jump start. I did switch to the sustainable mfp way and that is what I am doing to maintain after a loss of ~65 pounds.

estherdragonbat

I joined MFP, acknowledged that I wasn't going to be happy if I had to cut out all treats, promised myself I'd work them in within reasonable amounts, and started logging.

Joymc41

Eating properly and sticking to good portion size. When I plateau I add in more exercise to kick start it again. You do tend to lose the most in the beginning and then as the lbs shed it does slow down, this is normal. Losing 1-2lbs every 1-2 weeks is best, its more likely to stay off if you lose it slow. Exercise really helps and it is better to exercise, as you lose weight the fat is replaced with muscle, if the fat is not replaced with muscle then you end up with a lot of sagging skin, which is not flattering either. You don't necessary need to bulk up, just tone up. And remember don't ever give up, as long as you're not gaining, you're doing something right!!

kommodevaran

Educate yourself about weightloss and nutrition, and you will lose the idea of jumpstart, and the struggling will cease.

Weightloss happens when you're in a calorie deficit. It's also quite slow, max 1% of your bodyweight per week, but if you stick to it, over time, you will lose all your excess weight.

A healthy diet is balanced and varied, enough of all the nutrients you need every day, and not too many calories over time.
But eating less is what makes weightloss happen. Food choices do not create weightloss. You can eat what you want

Certain food choices, habits and mindsets can make it easier for an individual to eat less for long enough to lose all excess weight. Certain food choices, habits and mindsets can make it harder. Successful weight management is about making weightloss easier, not harder.

bikecheryl

Everyone is right..... however FOR ME..... I restricted my complex carb intake to nothing after lunch.

In other words, supper for me was meat + veggies.

I did that because complex carbs tend to be my trigger food and I wasn't very active in the beginning.

I stuck to this for the first 3 months then slowly introduced them back into my supper menu. I still watch them closely but no longer restrict myself.

This worked for me - kept me focused and mindful.

try2again

*

ncfitbit

missysippy930 wrote: »

Weigh & measure all food and drink accurately and record everything you eat and drink.
Amounts really matter!

+1 to this. I fooled around with MFP for several months before I started to lose weight and the difference was a comittment to logging every single thing that went into my mouth. I stopped "forgetting" to log dinners, those little bedtime bites of leftovers I thought I wouldn't matter, the food I ate while I prepped family dinner, a dinner out if I didn't think I could find an entry, etc. That was the real jumpstart for me. When my logging became honest and complete I found that MFP really works.