Some Advice from a Maintainer
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sklebar
Posts: 117 Member
I have been on myfitnesspal for a year. I retired as a professional athlete about 8 months ago and needed to watch what I eat and figure my diet out as due to injuries, I can't train as heavy as I used to. I was also way more muscly and bulky than I am now. I'm at my best weight, though thinking of putting a kilo or two back on, but I wanted to share this to help others. Okay, here is what I learned from myfitnesspal. I’m not an expert, nor do I think I know everything, but this is what worked for me.
1. If you’re trying to lose weight, replace a lot of starchy carbs (i.e. cereal, bread, rice, potatoes, etc.) with tons of vegetables, even for breakfast. You’ll be fuller for longer and I noticed how amazing my hair and skin are through eating broccoli or spinach every day.
2. Eat whole foods and learn how to cook. Pretty much everything out there, even high-end dining in London (where I live), is full of crap and calories. I became a bit more daring with my cooking and found how much less calories I ate, how much less sugar is in my food and that I could eat more through cooking. Practice makes perfect, so even if you feel you don’t have time, once you perfect something, it takes half the time to make it than the first time.
3. Don’t be too strict or too hard on yourself. I need some form of sweets each week. I found myself liking Belvita breakfast biscuits with little chocolate bits in them. They are 235 per pack, so I have it on my days at the gym as a treat that is within my calorie limits.
4. Replace things in your diet slowly. I went from having cereal in the morning, to having oatso simple sachets with milk and now I am at having two scrambled eggs with three vegetables and two slices of wholewheat toast with one triangle of Laughing Cow light blue cheese. I went from having olive oil spread on my toast at 44 calories to the cheese triangle at 25 calories, which also has calcium and is tasty. I went from having diet coke to having lemon and ginger tea. I went from having juice to having a little bit of sugar/calorie free squash in water.
5. Drink loads of water before a workout and afterwards and then first thing in the morning (if it was an evening workout). If I do spin, etc. in the evening, I have a protein loaded meal after my workout (i.e. lots of beef stew), then extra veg in the morning with my eggs and this has stopped the massive hunger pangs I get the next day.
6. If you don’t want to exercise too much or don’t have time, walk and run up stairs everywhere. Don’t ride an escalator, run up it. Don’t just walk leisurely, stride.
7. Weigh yourself every day at the same time, so you don’t have freak outs. Your weight will always fluctuate, so it will just become natural. I just see it as a way of keeping an eye on yourself and taking care of yourself.
8. Once you start nearing maintenance, start ramping up your calories by 100 calories a week.
9. Don’t overplan your exercise or make drastic changes because ultimately, you’ll just end up not wanting to do everything. If I do one thing of each (one yoga class, one spin class, etc. etc.), then I’m not as bored and I’ll go to everything. Whereas if I am trying to force myself, I am stubborn and won’t go.
10. Learn from other people’s diaries. I found out about Laughing Cow triangles from one girl’s diary, I found out about maintenance through a lot of others going through the same thing and I found others maintaining that were still treating themselves, so I didn’t feel so guilty having biscuits every now and then too.
Anyway, these are my tips and they have helped me a heck of a lot. I’m not perfect. I drink red wine every day and calorie count it, but I just thought I’d throw this out there.
1. If you’re trying to lose weight, replace a lot of starchy carbs (i.e. cereal, bread, rice, potatoes, etc.) with tons of vegetables, even for breakfast. You’ll be fuller for longer and I noticed how amazing my hair and skin are through eating broccoli or spinach every day.
2. Eat whole foods and learn how to cook. Pretty much everything out there, even high-end dining in London (where I live), is full of crap and calories. I became a bit more daring with my cooking and found how much less calories I ate, how much less sugar is in my food and that I could eat more through cooking. Practice makes perfect, so even if you feel you don’t have time, once you perfect something, it takes half the time to make it than the first time.
3. Don’t be too strict or too hard on yourself. I need some form of sweets each week. I found myself liking Belvita breakfast biscuits with little chocolate bits in them. They are 235 per pack, so I have it on my days at the gym as a treat that is within my calorie limits.
4. Replace things in your diet slowly. I went from having cereal in the morning, to having oatso simple sachets with milk and now I am at having two scrambled eggs with three vegetables and two slices of wholewheat toast with one triangle of Laughing Cow light blue cheese. I went from having olive oil spread on my toast at 44 calories to the cheese triangle at 25 calories, which also has calcium and is tasty. I went from having diet coke to having lemon and ginger tea. I went from having juice to having a little bit of sugar/calorie free squash in water.
5. Drink loads of water before a workout and afterwards and then first thing in the morning (if it was an evening workout). If I do spin, etc. in the evening, I have a protein loaded meal after my workout (i.e. lots of beef stew), then extra veg in the morning with my eggs and this has stopped the massive hunger pangs I get the next day.
6. If you don’t want to exercise too much or don’t have time, walk and run up stairs everywhere. Don’t ride an escalator, run up it. Don’t just walk leisurely, stride.
7. Weigh yourself every day at the same time, so you don’t have freak outs. Your weight will always fluctuate, so it will just become natural. I just see it as a way of keeping an eye on yourself and taking care of yourself.
8. Once you start nearing maintenance, start ramping up your calories by 100 calories a week.
9. Don’t overplan your exercise or make drastic changes because ultimately, you’ll just end up not wanting to do everything. If I do one thing of each (one yoga class, one spin class, etc. etc.), then I’m not as bored and I’ll go to everything. Whereas if I am trying to force myself, I am stubborn and won’t go.
10. Learn from other people’s diaries. I found out about Laughing Cow triangles from one girl’s diary, I found out about maintenance through a lot of others going through the same thing and I found others maintaining that were still treating themselves, so I didn’t feel so guilty having biscuits every now and then too.
Anyway, these are my tips and they have helped me a heck of a lot. I’m not perfect. I drink red wine every day and calorie count it, but I just thought I’d throw this out there.
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Replies
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helpful and interesting, thanks for posting it0
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That's really helpful. I agree with all you are saying. I have lost a stone and half since last August, by exercising and watching what I eat. I have cut down on carbs, but not totally cut them out and still have treats on gym days. It proves that everything in moderation brings results!0
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Hi
Many thanks for sharing.
quite sensible suggestions.
I wish you best of success on your maintenance.0 -
Anyway, these are my tips and they have helped me a heck of a lot. I’m not perfect. I drink red wine every day and calorie count it, but I just thought I’d throw this out there.
I don't know how red wine makes you not perfect. I think it demonstrates that somebody can drink red wine and still achieve a healthy weight.0 -
I think you make some excellent points! Thanks for sharing.0
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