What are some of your ‘rules’

What are some of the rules (for want of a better word) that help keep you on track
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Replies

  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Mine are all just for me, and usually things I do naturally at this point.

    Log honestly (or find some other way to be mindful of what I eat and honest with myself -- I don't always log but am now, and found it helpful when losing). Eat (usually) 3 meals per day, no snacking (I will often have a little dessert after dinner if I have calories). Be somewhat active every day, and walk as many places as possible rather than driving. Pay attention to what I eat and try to have a good amount of protein and lots of veg with all meals. If I don't follow these rules at times (harder around Christmas), don't beat myself up, just be aware that I'm eating more than usual.

    I do other things too, like follow a training plan for different exercise/running goals, but that's not about weight loss and isn't something I always do.
  • kew1952
    kew1952 Posts: 52 Member
    I only have 1 real rule and that is to not stop logging. Everytime I stop logging, I end up in a weight gain cycle. If I want to lose this weight and keep it off, then I cannot stop logging.

    This!
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
    Calories are precious. Make sure they are all delicious.
    I could not agree with this more! lol

  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    Calories are precious. Make sure they are all delicious.

    In practice, for me, this means having full fat milk or none at all rather than horrible skim milk. Using sugar in my tea rather than detested artificial sweeteners.

    Same here. I refuse to drink blue milk. ;)
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Log every bite.
    Weigh every morning. But I only record weight once a month.
    At least 10 minutes of bodyweight stretching and calisthenics every day no matter what. If I'm not ill, at least 15 minutes of vigorous activity which leaves me sweaty. Usually I get a lot more but this is the bare minimum.
    Never eat above my maintenance calories. If I have to, I bank calories from other days.
    I'm a diabetic, so most of my other rules have to do with managing my blood sugar. As a side effect, limiting carbs in order to control my glucose levels also helps me stay within my calorie limit. I try never to go over 130 after meals. If I do, I exercise in order to bring my numbers back down.

    One of my major rules is no being willfully ignorant. If I think, "I bet this food has a lot of calories, I just won't look it up," then I make myself look it up. If I think, "I feel like maybe my glucose is high right now, if I don't take my blood I can pretend it's fine," then I make myself check it.
  • Salixiana
    Salixiana Posts: 37 Member
    Don't drink my calories.
    Don't talk about what I'm eating or why.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    Cookies, cakes and desserts are fine but have to be home made from scratch. It slows my roll and they're usually more satisfying anyway.
  • CharlieICURN
    CharlieICURN Posts: 89 Member
    My rules:
    1. Log everything I eat honestly. I’m only hurting myself if I don’t.
    2. Walk at least 250 steps every hour for 12 hours a day. I read somewhere that even if you exercise regularly, being sedentary is super bad for you so I track this with my Fitbit and make sure I hit this goal every. damn. day.
    3. Always hit my step goal (15000 steps right now but I increase it like every two weeks).
    4. Weigh myself every day (log it weekly).
    5. Portion my food/snacks. I used to have a big binge eating problem so now I need to portion things out and leave the box/bag in the cupboard.
    6. Don’t let Foods I Love be off limits. I need something sustainable and not being allowed to have cookies or cupcakes wouldn’t work for me. I just make it a treat now instead of a staple.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I only have 1 real rule and that is to not stop logging. Everytime I stop logging, I end up in a weight gain cycle. If I want to lose this weight and keep it off, then I cannot stop logging.

    Same for me. I don't log on trips and usually come out ok, but when I've stopped logging for a month or more I find that I ultimately gain because I have poor hunger cues and tend to undereat and then find myself craving weird high calorie foods...stuff like that. I need to log.

    The main "rule" I can think of is when I go to any type of buffet or potluck situation, I do one plate only. That might mean I have a plate that is 1/3 meat, 1/2 vegetables, and a piece of cake with tons of frosting...I'm not saying it's a well balanced healthy plate. But I think situations like that, for me, are a recipe for disaster because I used to think "well I need a plate of salad, and a bowl of soup, and a plate of entree type food, and a plate of dessert" and by the end it was probably an insane amount of calories. Works well for me.