Have you lost over 50 pounds? I need tips.
jessikuhhpants
Posts: 5
Hi all, I'm Jessica. I am currently, and sadly, at around 222 pounds. I'm only 20 years old and 5'3 so you can imagine the toll this is already taking on my body. Anyway, I'm looking to lose as much weight as possible, I would very much like to be in the 130-135lb area by the time my journey is through and that's a lot of weight! Has anyone here lost a significant amount of pounds and would be interested in giving me some tips? I could very much use it as I am not a pro to exercise or proper dieting. Happy losing! 
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Replies
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You don't need to be a pro, you just need to keep going. For me, the tedium is the hardest part.
I'll narrow it down to a few things:
1. Keep your diary every day even if it is a bad day and you are overeating. It is important to be able to identify patterns.
2. Eat enough. If your daily calorie limit is 1200, eat them. Don't come up short and think you are doing yourself favors. If you are hungry all of the time, you will overeat.
3. I eat every 3 hours while I'm awake whether I'm hungry or not. I try to avoid actually getting hungry. My between meal snacks are usually about 100 calories each.
4. Drink lots of water. It makes you feel better and help keeps you satisfied. Aim for 8 or more glasses a day.
5. I don't buy into the "cheat day" thing. No foods are off limits, but if you pig out at a meal and eat your daily calories, chill out for the rest of the day. We all have foods we want to eat, but if I'm going to eat 800 calories in a burger you best believe the rest of my meals that day will be tiny. One splurge doesn't mean eat like crazy until the next day.
6. Don't beat yourself up when you screw up (and you will). Start again immediately.
7. Get some exercise, even if it is just walking. Extra calories burned means extra food you can eat.0 -
My biggest piece of advice is take it easy. Take it day by day, even hour by hour. Eat enough. Don't under eat your daily goal thinking you're doing yourself a favor. Drink enough. Move around. Go for a walk. Try dancing of some sort. Don't start off too strong because that's what seems to throw people off the tracks. Me included. Take up a hobby if you tend to boredom eat. Chewing gum after every meal helps me not want to binge or go back for unnecessary seconds. I wish you the best of luck on your journey. :flowerforyou:0
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I'm down 68 lbs in the past year, 38 since joining MFP. Above all else, above the tricks, tips, techniques, and conflicting advice... adherence is the most important thing. Pick a plan that feels like it will work for you, try it out for a month or two, and decide if it is delivering the results you want. Then just stick to that plan, adjusting your intake for weight lost as you go. Stick to the plan.0
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Everything you need to know right here
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
And stick with it.0 -
Hi, I am 5'4" and I too almost tipped the 200 pound mark. The greatest contributors to my 87 pound weight loss was:
1. Finding the right high protein, low calorie food for me
2. Sticking to the same foods (little deviation)
3. Logging my food every day
4. Cutting out sugar (I *WAS* a diabetic)
5. Walking (I walk 1-3 miles a day)
6. Eating under my allotted calories
7. Don't ever give up!
I reached my goal over a year ago and have been able to maintain, with NO weight gain.
My coworkers say "I am not living" because I do not as they say "enjoy" my food... I no longer eat out much and NEVER eat fast foods (McDonalds, Burger King etc...) but I totally disagree! I so enjoy wearing a size 0 (instead of 18) and would rather spend my time trying on new things v.s. stuffing my face with pizza.
P.S. There are many restaurants that serve healthy alternatives to that burger. Consider Rubio's, Del Taco, Chilis (nearly any Mexican food place will offer high protein low to moderate calorie alternatives) and of course Subway. Subway is my "go to choice" when traveling... you can find one anywhere and the right 6" sub can be less than 300 calories.
Great success on your journey!0 -
I also started out at over 200 lb., 219 to be exact. I was a tight 18, looking at having to buy size 20 pants. I told myself enough was enough, and I set my mind to losing weight. For about the first month, I didn't use MFP. I just cut out the junk, and ate more fruits and veggies. I was also doing Zumba. When I started mfp, I think that it helped even more because I could see exactly the calories I took in. There are all sorts of "diets" people on here are on, but I think we could all agree that too many carbs or sugars (unless it's fruit), is a bad thing. You need balance. It will take some trial and error, and you will stumble along the way. But, don't let a bad meal become a bad day, and then become a bad week. If it does, then get back on the horse, so to speak. YOU CAN DO THIS!!0
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Well I started off at about 200lbs and so far I've lost about 22 kilos which is about...
OH SO CLOSE I'LL COME BACK TO THIS THREAD IN A FEW WEEKS.
But really, the main thing that I think has helped me is to avoid drinking sugar, it's just sweetness that lasts for a few seconds, skyrockets me over my sugar for the day and doesn't actually do much more than that????????
BUT YEAH eat whatever you want as long as it's under your macros????
(Though MFP judges protein rly low so you can have more protein I guess???)0 -
I've lost 120 in about 15 months, 90 since joining MFP a year ago. Tips:
1. I eat at a calorie deficit (obviously), meet my macro/micro and fiber goals and I enjoy (in moderation) all the foods I used to love.
2. I do not do have cheat days, every day have a treat, so I don't need them. if I do go over in a day, no big deal. I look at weekly averages more than daily totals.
3. I do not track sodium or sugar, do not demonize any food as "junk", "processed" "unhealthy" etc or otherwise over complicate things if I can at all help it.
4. I stay active in exercises I enjoy (kickboxing, brisk walking and cycling mostly) and eat all my exercise calories back.
5. I weight train to maintain my lean muscle mass.
6. I have a Bodymedia Fit so that I have a good estimate of my calorie burns/TDEE
7. I weigh everything in grams on a digital scale and log everything everyday.
8. I stay motivated by interacting with the MFP community, reading success stories, playing in challenges etc.
9. I am enjoying the journey. Because I do not deprive myself or stress out about my diet, I am confident that I will be able to continue this lifestyle forever.
A great read when you are first starting out is this one:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants0 -
You have taken the first positive step!
I’m 5’4 and I started at 245 lbs. As of today, I’m 53 lbs down. Each person’s body is different and will react different to different changes. For me, personally, I cut back on carbs, bad carbs like like bread, pasta and rice. I still have fruits.
I then started exercising. For my body and my slow metabolism, I exercise 4-5 times a week for 30 minutes at a time. I just power walk on the treadmill. Every once in a while, I’ll throw a little jog in to get the heart pumping but for the most part, it’s all about power walking. I also lift a little but not to much.
It’s a lifestyle change. I still have another 50 lbs to lose and my motivation is that I can NOW keep up with my crazy 9 year old boy. Find your own personal motivation and you will succeed.0 -
What has worked for me:
1. Drink lots and lots of water
2. Cardio 3 times per week, lift weights 3 times per week
3. Change up your workouts so aren't doing the same thing every day
4. Eat lots of fresh fruits, veggies, lean meats and whole grains
5. I eat 5-6 times per day (smaller meals) so I'm not starving
6. Calorie deficit
7. Treat yourself once in a while, I still have McDonald's and chips and chocolate, I just fit it into my day.0 -
I started exactly where you are.
My experience - I hated HAAAAATED exercise. So I didn't exercise. I lost my first 20lbs just by following MFP's guidelines for calories.
That's it.
Then, after I hit that 20, I started walking, adding those calories and eating at LEAST half.
Then, in January, I was down 35lbs, and decided to add in a crazy-*kitten* fitness/taekwondo class to the mix (and I still go). Again, adding and eating at LEAST half of those calories.
At one point, before Christmas, I was at around 1200 calories, and I didn't like it. So I changed my goal at that point to 1 pound per week. Then I started reading into TDEE and all that fun stuff. Now I'm eating 2000 calories. I haven't lost much SCALE weight in the last while, but the fat that I've lost (inches) is amazing!
Stick to this, take it one day at time, log everything, every day, and only weigh once a week!!
You can and WILL do this!!!
(you can also send a friend request, if you'd like!)0 -
I started back in February and have lost 55 pounds. When I started, I did not exercise at all for the first 2-3 months. I didn't want to be completely miserable! I lost weight without it. Once I was used to 1200ish calories a day and the weather was nice I started walking at night, maybe 1 to 2 miles. When summer hit, I started walking 2.6 miles in the am and 3 miles at night, Monday to Thursday and just the am walk on Fridays. Weekends I'm off as far as exercise unless I walk just because I feel like it. Now my kids are back in school so I do 45 mins of walking videos (Kendra Kemerly) in the am and still 3 miles at night.
As far as eating, I constantly read mfp boards and also weight watcher boards looking for low calorie items. Here are some things that I rely on and they make my life easier:
breakfast: egg whites with onion, mushrooms and canadian bacon (some are 20 cals a slice), Bagel Thins, light english muffins, Barry's pastry twists, eggo low fat waffles
lunch: lots of salads with either chicken, tuna or nuts (100 cal pack). BoltHouse dressings (ranch and honey mustard), or thinning out other dressings with flavored vinegar
Or, string beans with bacon and red pepper (my store brand microwave bacon is 20 cals per slice)
Low fat waffles with peter pan whipped peanut butter
dinner: any protein with roasted veggies, or stir fry, crockpot pulled chicken - I use a packet of bourbon brown sugar seasoning but don't add oil, fish pan fried with veggies and then cook in canned plain tomato sauce and seasonings, meat sauce served over steamed cauliflower
snacks: hummus, salsa, oikos dips, kavli crackers, almond thins, rice crackers, oyster crackers, popchips, popcorners, popcorn, cracker jacks, granola bars, skinny cow candy, sugar free hard candy, turkey hill sugar free ice cream in a cone, cool whip on fruit, smoothies made with sugar free pudding powder, almond milk and bananas, greek yogurt, brownie brittle, kim's magic pop (onion or cinnamon), half sour pickles
Drinks - seltzer water instead of soda, coffee with sugar free creamer
lots of different fruits and vegetables, don't be afraid to try new things
You can do it! I have had pizza, chinese take out, real ice cream, beers, cocktails over the course of this. I enjoy every party or vacation. It has been slower for me than some people, but I have never felt unhappy or hungry.
Good luck to you!0 -
In addition to what others have said that worked for me. I had two different things going on in my head 1) lose weight as quickly as I could (which means eating little) and 2) I'm hungry and want to eat (which means not losing weight as quickly). So at each weight level, basically every five pounds lost, I calculated both of those with my fitness pal. So for an example, lets say to lose 2 lbs a week I need to eat 1500 calories and to lose 1 lb a week I need to eat 1700 calories. I set MFP to 1 lb a week, so if I eat that much I'm still losing. Then I try really hard to stay under 1500 calories, even doing some brisk walking or riding on the exercise bike to stay under that 1500, however if I go up to 1700 on a given day or certainly on my birthday or at a friend's wedding, then I'm still losing. Some people do it with what they need to eat to lose versus what they need to maintain. That works too, especially if you're near the end goal, but it's really good to know an upper limit that you just can't go over, but you can go to, on important days. At least it was for me.
Another thing I use a lot is distraction. Find things that you can do that stop you thinking about how hungry you are when you're hungry, especially when you shouldn't be. After I eat lunch every day and sometimes in the evening I seem to want to reach for the next serving of food. I just ate, yet I'm hungry. If I can take a walk then, or do something else, that takes me physically or mentally away from where the food is for even 15 minutes, I can get through that period successfully.
Don't put yourself in a position of making food choices when you're hungry. My work cafeteria has a lot of bad choices and foods that I like, but don't really want to eat when I'm thinking clearly. I know what they are serving each day and in the beginning of the week decide what I want to eat from there during the week. I set that it my mind, "Today I'm having beef and vegetable soup" and I go and get it and leave. I ignore the Fritos, ignore the meatloaf, etc and focus on what I had decided that I was going to eat that day because I both like it and it fits within my calories. Ditto, if I'm starving at the end of the day and stop at the supermarket either I set in my mind what I'm stopping for and only get that and nothing else, or I eat something before I leave work, then browse the supermarket. I keep a stash of food that I'm okay with and are healthy but I don't love and is shelf stable at my desk at work.0 -
you have to be committed 100%.
I lost 65 in a year which is great, but I was slacking along the way. My only regret was giving myself so many cheat days and going over my calorie goal too much. You have to know that you can eat what you want, you just have to eat less than you normally do.
It's going to be hard and frustrating. you're going to have bad days but you can't have too many off days.
I think if I was 100% committed I would've lost 100 lbs in a year.
eat better, eat less, move more!
add me if you want
I'm 24 and right now I'm 225. we weigh about the same. I have a long way to go. I'm 5'7 though.0 -
Hey Jessica!
Here is what helped me lose the first 100 pounds...
Exercise - Aim for a reasonable amount of exercise every day. If you don't think you have the time now... how much of that will come off the end of your life. Seriously... pay now or pay later. To ensure I kept it up and to eliminate excuses, I put my treadmill in front of the TV as a reminder.
Drinks - A leading source of empty calories. I switched to drinking water instead of coffee or pop. No one ever got fat drinking water, but when your extra large double double coffee has 300 calories... what do you suppose happens? Imagine if you drink 3-4 cups a day? Water also helps satisfy thirst which the body sometimes mistakes for hunger. Try drinking a small 5 oz. juice cup full every hour or so. It does wonders for the complexion, keeps you regular and helps with mental alertness.
Food - Portion control. No one ever told me how much to eat. I thought the portion they gave you in a restaraunt was to be consumed right there. A typical plate should be 50% vegetables, 25 % starches, and your serving of meat should be about the size of a deck of cards. You might even consider using a smaller plate. Know too that restaraunt meals often contain 2-3 times your recommended calories for a meal. Ask for a takeout container when you sit down and divide your meal before you eat it.
Hidden Calories - Just because somethings Low Fat or Low Calorie doesn't mean there aren't hidden calories or healthier alternatives (i.e. instead of salad dressing, I often use low sodium salsa.) Reading the label is always good advise.
Exercise - People are meant to move. No one ever prepares us for the day school ends and we no longer have recess or gym class. We need to keep moving. Only 15% of the Canadian population ever achieves the recommended amount of exercise. I doubt the numbers are much different in the US. Aim for a manageable 30 minutes of exercise per day... even going for a walk will help. In my case I chose to run and walk. By running and walking 30 minutes a day, I engaged the largest muscles in the human body (the quads) and turned them into fat burning engines.
Set reasonable and attainable goals and reward yourself with a non food based reward. Short term might be a new pair of shoes after 30 days of exercise or losing 20 pounds. A medium term goal would be a trip to the salon. Long term... maybe a vacation? IN my case, my long term reward was a trip to Honolulu to run a marathon. I achieved that reward 11 months after I started.
Keep it manageable. You took years to get to where you are. Expect it will take some time to get where you want to be. Make sure you take time to celebrate the little victories along the way!
My last thought is a challenge. I call it 5:30. For the next month try this... Eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily AND try for 30 minutes of exercise daily. See how you feel in 30 days.
I would be more than happy to offer you advice or support. I know how very hard it can be. Please feel free to add me as a friend.
Best Wishes!0 -
Watch your calories and move your butt!!! Don't restrict yourself, just stay within your calories!! And remember, the more you move, the more you burn!!
If you can, get a fitbit one --- I LOVE mine, it keeps me moving!!
You can do this
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Everything you need to know right here
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
THIS^^^^
and DON'T GIVE UP!!! I know that sounds cliché BUT it works!!!
**I started out with just diet and no workouts, but have since progressed to two workouts a day! One at lunch then when I get home! Now I couldn't imagine my day without it!!
**Make sure you're eating enough of the RIGHT things! Fresh Veggies are low in calories and fill you up fast!!! Don't deprive yourself of anything! it will just make you binge more later! Just be aware of portion size and moderation!! And LOG EVERYTHING even on bad days!!
**Drink as much water as you can! Helps with the hunger I find.
You can do this!! once you find out what works for you stick with it!! you'll have bad days, weeks where the scale doesn't move and temptations... just don't give up!!
I’m always here to give support when i can if you want to add me Good luck! you got this!
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DEDICATION, Dedication, dedication. Eat with a Calorie Deficit. Find some Calorie expending activity. Make them lifelong habits much like how you breath.0
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I've lost 70 lbs since January of this year. I haven't cut anything out of my diet except for soda and honestly, that was unintentional at first, I never went into this thinking I'd cut it out but it just wasn't something I wanted to spend calories on so it quickly disappeared from my diet. I exercise at least 3 times a week. I intend to keep my exercise routine once I reach goal.0
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Don't quit.0
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So much great advice. Just wanted to BUMP this to read for myself later.
Dont give up though. Slow and steady is def the way to go.0 -
Yup lots of good advice here.
Some Important strategies for me...
Lots of vegetables, every day, in a variety of colors. Not only do they provide fiber and fill us up, but eating a variety helps us get a wide range of vitamins and minerals. When my nutritional needs are met, I feel less hungry, get fewer cravings.
Remember that fats aren't the devil. Eating healthy fats along with protein helps us feel satisfied and gives us a shiny coat (good for hair and skin) lol. So incorporate nuts, nut butters, avocado, etc.
Allow yourself the things you love, in reasonable quantities. I eat 50-100 calories of chocolate almost every day. Sometimes I have pizza...real pizza...not some silly pretend cauliflower-crust pizza. Sometimes I have ice cream. Sometimes I drink a coke. Log it all.
When it's my time of the month, I allow for an extra 200-300 calories for 2-3 days to accommodate cravings. I'm still under maintenance, and allowing myself that extra snack or 2 each day means I don't feel deprived and end up binging.
Have patience!0 -
Everyone is seriously amazing and I thank you for your advice! I've been away for the past couple of days, boyfriend just lost his job so I've been frantically helping him find a new one. Unfortunately we both had a bad night of eating last night, so I'm pushing myself to get back on track today. I love the support and I've written so much of it down! I feel like I know where to start because of y'all, so thank you! Anyone can feel free to add me. I'm going to try my best to be on daily. If I can get on Facebook, I can get on MFP! 0
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