Any tips when you have 80+ pounds to lose??

Sammfp

Hey all I was just wondering if anyone would have any weightloss tips or advice for someone with quite a lot to lose myself I have 98 pounds to lose and would be very interested to hear others stories on what worked for them?? Thanks :-)

lucan07

I had about 120lbs to lose and I am now 90lbs down since 31 Jan 2013.

The advice is create a calorie deficit to lose weight thats the only way, I also exercise daily creating an even bigger deficit the result being that I am currently eating more than I did and still losing 2-3lbs a week, I even enjoy the exercise!

Simple eat less and move more it works.

cajuntank

I had about 120lbs to lose and I am now 90lbs down since 31 Jan 2013.

The advice is create a calorie deficit to lose weight thats the only way, I also exercise daily creating an even bigger deficit the result being that I am currently eating more than I did and still losing 2-3lbs a week, I even enjoy the exercise!

Simple eat less and move more it works.

Seconds this, but the best tip I can offer is be patient. 80 lbs does not come off overnight as it was not put on overnight. Eat at a deficit, strength train to preserve muscle, cardio if you want...but be patient as this will take time.

egh1974

The best advice I've been given on the subject is DON'T EVER QUIT. This is a new lifestyle, stick with it! xoxoxo

wheezeybouncer

Slow and steady and be prepared for fluctuations! I'm 70lbs down snce January. I've eaten under and over my allowance. I've done exercise, been lazy, injured myself and am still plodding.

DRINK YOUR WATER!!!
EAT YOUR EXERCISE (or a portion of them at least) CALORIES BACK!!
FIND SOMETHING YOU ENJOY!! (I've discovered body pump and zumba this time. I also swim, walk, shoot bows & arrows, aerobics, step circuit, legs, bums & tums)

nicoleisback

Don't try to go too fast. If you lose weight steadily and healthily (is that a word?) your skin will have more time to adjust. If you go nuts and lose all the weight in say less than 6 months unless your skin is really resilient you will end up with lots of loose skin

mapnerd2005

Just learn moderation and real portion size, and most importantly, DON'T QUIT!!!! I have a rule that no food is banned, if I want it I have to plan it into my diary for the day and try to stay under my calorie goal. Sometimes that either makes me decide I don't want the food, encourages me to make a healthier version (buffalo wings!!!), or I eat the food and make healthier choices the rest of the day. Plan ahead, it helps keep you from "sticker shock" when you log something after you ate it. A person example from yesterday - I was really busy and forgot to eat all day, and I stopped by Sonic to get a (unsweetened) iced tea, and was like, hmmm, I could probably eat something from here. But then I logged what I wanted to eat, just got the tea, and came home to have chicken fajitas at home. I think that was a great choice. If it's truly going to be a lifestyle change, don't try to change everything at once. Start slow, pick one thing, change it and keep doing it until it becomes habit, and then do another thing. I can't believe how EXTREMELY different my lifestyle is from 3 years ago when I was 118 pounds heavier than now (I reset my ticker at one point), but I made those changes slowly. If you're someone who eats out a lot, I highly recommend buying at least one of the Eat This/Not That books.

kj26boys

These are all great tips. To the OP, I too have about 100lbs to go. You can do it! Friend me if you'd like.

tjsoccermom

This is NOT a diet, this is a lifestyle change. You absolutely have to look at it this way, or you'll lose the weight then end up gaining it all back (and then some) when you have reached your goal.

Forgive yourself if you have a bad day, don't quit and say you can't do it. I quit so many times before over a bad day or two...and added pounds. I've been overweight for a good portion of my life and have missed out on many things because of this mistake.

Be patient, this isn't a race. You could have plateaus but if you're working out, you're still doing your body good. It will come off eventually, you just might need to make changes (like eat more, eat less, change your workouts, etc.)

Find foods you enjoy, don't make anything off limits, just realize that you'll need to make it fit. If I know I'm going to have pizza, I plan for it, either by burning more calories or eating lighter other times of the day (or the day before or after).

Don't concentrate too much on the scale. Measure yourself. There will be times that you'll lose inches but not pounds and inches are more important than the number on the scale.

Believe in yourself. You can do this. Write down all the reasons you want to do this and when you want to binge or don't feel like working out, read it over and over.

I'm not quite half way there but I have lost more weight than I ever have before. Unfortunately I have a lot more to go but I know that I can get there and can see myself sustaining this. I feel better than I have in a long time, both physically and mentally.

Good luck, you can do it!!

HartJames

It's tempting to eat very low cal because you will initially drop a lot of weight fairly quickly/easily. PLEASE don't. You will likely stall & regain then have a horrible time getting your metabolism to cooperate. It happened to me! Eat back your calories (minus BMR for that time), eat high protein and lift weights (as heavy as you can) so that the body you have eventually is the body you want, not a smaller version of the one you have.

Good luck

tjsoccermom

One other tip...before I eat something that I know I shouldn't, I look it up on MFP to see the calories. A lot of times that helps me change my mind. And when I'm working out, I also look to see how many calories I would burn if I did 10 more minutes and often times that will get me to go longer and burn more. Visual cues help me a lot.

sfboggsz

Some really good advice from successful members. I'd like to add some additional tips. I'm down 110lbs from a year ago August. Slow is the operative word. The absolute best advice I can give you is NOT TO DIET! It has to be a lifestyle change in your eating and exercising habits. You already have found a great site to log your foods and exercise and this site is my daily crutch. I bought a scale to measure portions, and wow what an eye opener. Set a daily calorie goal, mine was/is 1200-1400 calories per day. I don't eat my exercise calories and my average weight loss is about 5-7lbs. per month. I weigh myself once a week. Not daily. I hike. 6 days a week between 5-8 miles per hike. I'm retired so I can spend the time in the morning doing the hike. I get more bang with hiking as opposed to walking. Plus it's more challenging (hills etc.).

Lastly, as a lifestyle change it's ok eat what you want. Problem? The foods that got you there won't fill you up if you are counting calories or portion sizes. It's fish, white meat (turkey, chicken), salads, veggies. You'll add portion size with low calorie foods which can be filling. I have to have desert every night after dinner. So, I have a half a cup of gelato, mint chocolate chip is my favorite.

Where I end up on this journey I have no idea, but I look better, feel better and regaining some self esteem. It's one day at a time, logging every meal and going out for the hike. It's my job...someone has to do it.

Cindyinpg

This is what has helped me lose 122lbs in 15 months:

1. Accuracy: Logging my food everyday on MFP and using a food scale to calculate my intake and using a Bodymedia Fit to calculate my TDEE.
2. Flexibilty: Incorporating foods I love everyday, after meeting my macro/micro/fiber goals. NEVER depriving myself and NEVER demonizing ANY foods.
3. Cardio: Staying active, finding a cardio exercise that I love. In my case, that's kickboxing.
4. Weight training.
This is excellent reading to get you started:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants