I haven't been getting much responds, Would like some help

psuLemon

I've lost about 40 lbs in about 9 months by cutting out things that my body doesn't really process well (dairy, wheat), eating lots more fruit and green things, drinking 3 quarts of water a day, buying a pair of running shoes and running for 45 min 4-5 times a week, and doing strength workouts 1-2 times a week. All of these things were built piece by piece, though - it's a lifestyle change.

Start by doing something small, and build on the momentum you get from that. Make it your hobby to invest in your health.

There isn't anything wrong with wheat or dairy.. both provide a source of energy just like other foods. But what you did was create a deficit between your lifestyle and exercise.

TheyCallMeMISTERChace

I lost 50 pounds in four months (exactly) by caloric deficit and aerobic work.
But I was 7 days a week, 700-1100 calories of exercise a day (mostly on a stationary bike).
I set my calories to the 2 pounds/week setting on here and "sedentary", even though I wasn't.
I figured I would bank calories that way.

It's not for everyone, but it did work.
Good luck.

AproMunro

I am sure you know that you need to eat less calories, but the real question is, how do you do that and feel satisfied, and get all the nutrition you need?

Everyone has a different approach and it is up to you do develop a strategy that works for you, but I will tell you what works for me.

I make the bulk of my diet, meat (or other protein like fish and eggs) and vegetables. I eat a little starch, like occasional rice or pasta, but I try to keep that rare. I do not fear fat. It keeps you satiated and help to regulate your hormones. Carbs have a nasty habit of cause hormonal imbalances (for many but not all people) that leads to fat storage and artificial hunger cravings. I am not advocating eating no carbs, like an Atkins like thing, but I like to keep them as the lowest type of macro nutrient I eat. My main macro nutrients are protein and fats (good healthy real fats, including saturated animal fats than naturally come in fresh meat.)

An example of a perfect day of food for me would be:

Breakfast: 2 or 3 scrambled eggs cooked with a little butter or coconut oil or rendered beef or chicken fat (from making stock) With a large amount of spinach or sauteed peppers or sweet potato home fries.

Lunch: Large raw salad, maybe with a hard boiled egg or a little chicken or tuna in there. A small amount of any kind of dressing I want.

Or

2 cups of pureed vegetable soup, like carrot or pea or broccoli soup, made with homemade stock, perhaps a little cream mixed in, or some goat or cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.

Dinner: about 4 to 6 ounces of a simple protein, like steak (any cut you like though I usually got for tenderloin), Or a skin-on chicken breast that was pan seared and finished in the oven, or a salmon fillet, etc, seasoned and/or herbed however I want. Accompanied by a large salad, or a large pile of steamed, or lightly boiled and or sauteed vegetables (preferably seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper and sauteed lightly with some garlic or onions yum yum!) Some of my favourites are green beans, spinach, broccoli, or peas, but you can have pretty much whatever veggie you want.

Snacks: If you want or need them can be a piece of fruit, with or without a few chunks of cheese or some full fat Greek yogurt. or anything else that is simple and not crazy high in carbs, especially simple carbs.

Now this is just how I do it. You may not like meat, or this may not work for you for some other reason, but for me, I am always satisfied when I eat like this and the weight falls off nicely.

If you look at my food diary I have not been doing this perfectly for the last few days so don't use that as an example. But I do this most of the time and I love it.

michellekicks

The only meal plan that is going to help is to set a calorie target that allows for an energy deficit and eat to that target every day. It has to be foods you like and you want to eat and you can prepare and you can find in your stores. No one else's food plan will work for you.

With that said, there are some tricks to help you feel fuller while you are living with an energy deficit:

Drink plenty of water
Eat more protein
Eat 20-30% of your calories from fat
Eat high fiber foods
Combine protein and high fiber with fat for the most satiety
Treat yourself to whatever you like in moderation

Adherence is more important than anything else.

peleroja

I'll add this: weigh and measure your food! If you are not doing this, there is no way you are tracking your calories accurately. That can easily turn a 20% deficit into a 10% surplus and completely stop your weight loss. People who do not regularly weigh and measure cannot eyeball amounts correctly.

Sreneesa

I lose weight quickly off running on my treadmill. Lots of cardio I would say. If wanting to build muscle or "tone up" then strength training exercises and weights.

Find out what your daily calories are and log them.

I would look around and see what others log as far as food. Can you give an ideal what healthy and nutritional foods have been effective for some. Based on your personal taste you can pick and choose.

Basically you got to do a little foot work.

The problem with lots of cardio.. it tends to lead to lots of muscle loss too. Realistically, you want to lower your body fat %, which you accomplish most by doing a combination of weight training and cardio, as well as, a calorie deficit. But if your goal is lean and fit look (aka defined), then weight training is where you will see the greatest progress. Lets face it, I can show you may women who have gained weight and look better. For example, one of the best examples is staci in the below link. In the end, body composition plays a much greater role in your look that your weight does.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

That is why I said after if you want to build muscle or "tone up" strength training and weights. Some just want to lose weight at first the start strength training after.

The muscle or any definition that I have has been straight cardio. I just now, like the last few days starting strength training. It also depends on your intensity of cardio. I also ran at high speeds and inclines.

rhoucheille

I do zumba 5-6 times a week, long walks 2-3 times a week and a few reps of pushups/situps/squats. Eat within my calories, with more protein, high in fiber and low in GI. I stopped drinking pop, juice and coffee, drink at least a gallon of water everyday. I cheat once in a while but not like I feed myself with too much food, still in portions and just enough to satisfy my cravings (if there's any).

jennegan1

Since you are still fairly new to MFP. I suggest like some one else said alot of trial and error with food and with working out. Eat healthy food thats you enjoy, eat in moderation with what you like to eat aka snacks or liquor ect. Look on you tube to find videos that you like. Sit there and watch them first and if you dont like it then find another. As for a meal plan only thing that I did different was start to eat a small breakfast most days and eat more fruit and less unhealthy snacks and watched my portion sizes with snacks and my meals for the day. Also like some one else said move more. It doesnt happen over night but in time it will and expect weight loss stalls

jennegan1

I do zumba 5-6 times a week, long walks 2-3 times a week and a few reps of pushups/situps/squats. Eat within my calories, with more protein, high in fiber and low in GI. I stopped drinking pop, juice and coffee, drink at least a gallon of water everyday. I cheat once in a while but not like I feed myself with too much food, still in portions and just enough to satisfy my cravings (if there's any).

I still drink coffee but instead of a 16 oz cup its a mug now with only 3 tablespoons of creamer instead of a at least a quater cup of creamer...Its possible but yea I agree more protein and fiber also.....Plus give up those sugary drinks will help

bbg_daryl

I've lost 30 pounds this year and this is how.

August-September: Caloric deficit of 1200-1400 calories (using MFP recommendations). I didn't eliminate any foods or change what I ate, I only ate less of it. Minimal increase in activity cuz I was completely sedentary. Basically just a little house cleaning and going out shopping with my husband more often.

October: Same caloric deficit. I cut down my soda intake to only one 12 oz can a day. I began doing beginner yoga with a video I found online.

November: Caloric deficit changed to 1000-1200 on days I didn't exercise, 1200-1400 on days I did. I changed my morning cereal out with either oatmeal or Greek yogurt. Instead of putting Ranch dressing on salads, I used cottage cheese. In addition to yoga, I began to ease in aerobics. At first, I could only do 5-10 minutes every other day. By the end of the month I was doing 15 minutes everyday.

December: Same caloric deficit as above. Food intake is basically the same, except I limit my bread intake to only one slice of white bread a day. Instead of bread, I eat oatmeal or pasta for carbs/grains. I now do yoga three times a week and aerobics for 30 minutes everyday, broken up into a 15 minute session in the morning and a 15 minute session at night.

Things that have helped me emotionally/mentally: This is going to take a long time! Ya know the saying "Rome wasn't built in a day." Well, it's true! In fact, from October to right now, the scale still says 180-185 pounds, BUT I have trimmed down in inches significantly. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so the number on the scale doesn't reflect fat loss. I really wish I had taken measurements of my waist, hips, bust, thighs, etc.

Another thing that helps me a lot, which I'm shocked actually helped, was taking progress pics. The changes in your body are so gradual that you don't realize them until you look at a past photo. I have progress pics on my profile that you can look at if you wanna add my as a friend.

Also! MFP and a lot of other sources suggest weighing in once a week. For me, that is really disappointing. I keep expecting a certain number and when I don't get it, I feel discouraged. So instead I only weigh in when I feel like it, usually only once or twice a month.

psuLemon

I lose weight quickly off running on my treadmill. Lots of cardio I would say. If wanting to build muscle or "tone up" then strength training exercises and weights.

Find out what your daily calories are and log them.

I would look around and see what others log as far as food. Can you give an ideal what healthy and nutritional foods have been effective for some. Based on your personal taste you can pick and choose.

Basically you got to do a little foot work.

The problem with lots of cardio.. it tends to lead to lots of muscle loss too. Realistically, you want to lower your body fat %, which you accomplish most by doing a combination of weight training and cardio, as well as, a calorie deficit. But if your goal is lean and fit look (aka defined), then weight training is where you will see the greatest progress. Lets face it, I can show you may women who have gained weight and look better. For example, one of the best examples is staci in the below link. In the end, body composition plays a much greater role in your look that your weight does.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

That is why I said after if you want to build muscle or "tone up" strength training and weights. Some just want to lose weight at first the start strength training after.

The muscle or any definition that I have has been straight cardio. I just now, like the last few days starting strength training. It also depends on your intensity of cardio. I also ran at high speeds and inclines.

Tone up is a fancy name for losing fat. Also, when in a calorie deficit, you won't build muscle. In fact, the point of strength training is to minimize muscle loss. When you minimize muscle loss, you actually do a few things: maintain your metabolic rate, reduce the amount of weight you lose, and increase your strength. It's a far better approach to incorporate weight training from the beginning as you prevent the chances of having to do a bulk/cut phase or two. I can't tell you how many women I am helping to gain muscle because they lost too much with the cardio only approach. Keep in mind that if you have to gain new muscle and follow it with a cut it could add an additional 6-9 months to your journey. So why not prevent that and get the results from the beginning?

Sreneesa

I lose weight quickly off running on my treadmill. Lots of cardio I would say. If wanting to build muscle or "tone up" then strength training exercises and weights.

Find out what your daily calories are and log them.

I would look around and see what others log as far as food. Can you give an ideal what healthy and nutritional foods have been effective for some. Based on your personal taste you can pick and choose.

Basically you got to do a little foot work.

The problem with lots of cardio.. it tends to lead to lots of muscle loss too. Realistically, you want to lower your body fat %, which you accomplish most by doing a combination of weight training and cardio, as well as, a calorie deficit. But if your goal is lean and fit look (aka defined), then weight training is where you will see the greatest progress. Lets face it, I can show you may women who have gained weight and look better. For example, one of the best examples is staci in the below link. In the end, body composition plays a much greater role in your look that your weight does.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

That is why I said after if you want to build muscle or "tone up" strength training and weights. Some just want to lose weight at first the start strength training after.

The muscle or any definition that I have has been straight cardio. I just now, like the last few days starting strength training. It also depends on your intensity of cardio. I also ran at high speeds and inclines.

Tone up is a fancy name for losing fat. Also, when in a calorie deficit, you won't build muscle. In fact, the point of strength training is to minimize muscle loss. When you minimize muscle loss, you actually do a few things: maintain your metabolic rate, reduce the amount of weight you lose, and increase your strength. It's a far better approach to incorporate weight training from the beginning as you prevent the chances of having to do a bulk/cut phase or two. I can't tell you how many women I am helping to gain muscle because they lost too much with the cardio only approach. Keep in mind that if you have to gain new muscle and follow it with a cut it could add an additional 6-9 months to your journey. So why not prevent that and get the results from the beginning?

Point taken. I do agree.

sweetpea03b

Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so the number on the scale doesn't reflect fat loss. I really wish I had taken measurements of my waist, hips, bust, thighs, etc.

Just to clear this up.... muscle does not weigh more than fat. Muscle weighs the same as fat... but takes up less room. But, still the same rule applies... you can weigh 180 before and after and lose a % or 2 of fat. Get a tanita scale that gives you a measurement of body fat %.

sjp_511

For weight loss, diet is really important. I am a runner - I have run 26 half marathons. But I had very little weight loss training and running for those half marathons because I didn't watch my diet. Once I started counting calories, the weight comes off.

To start dieting, log your food and eat normally. Just scale your portions down. Once you read labels, you will be surprised at how high calorie some foods are and learn to really limit them. I tend to do really well during the week and net as close to 1500 calories as possible (but I tend to get closer to 1700, especially on days I don't exercise). Then I give myself a little bit of slack on the weekends and allow myself to net closer to 2000 calories.

For me, meal planning is really important. I try to pack my lunch as much as possible to stay within my calorie goal.

A typical day is as follows:

Breakfast:
- Mocha (I have my espresso machine and so this is my daily indulgence - I skip it if I am not exercising that day) 230 calories
- Oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins (not the healthiest way to have it....): 400 calories

Lunch:
- Salad - usually just greens, grilled chicken and dressing - I switch up the dressing flavors. Low-fat dressing isn't neccesary as long as it is not overdone. 250 calories
- Fruit - I have been having fruit salad a lot lately: Grapes, strawberries, and blueberries in a lime juice and honey dressing. Yummy! A huge 2 cup serving is 165 calories.

Snack:
- 1 serving of cocoa-roasted almonds. 160 calories.

Dinner:
- Tonight is beef chili (with a slice of corn bread it is 560 calories (corn bread is high calorie!)
- Tomorrow night is a tuna patty - the patty is 250 calories, add a bun and some veggies on the side and it will be approx 500
- I do stir-fry with rice quite often - comes out to 400 calories
- chicken enchiladas for 475 calories

That brings me to 1205 calories before dinner. My dinners are anywhere from 400 calories to 700 calories for a daily total of 1600-1900 calories. I exercise 3-4 days per week, each workout with a 400-500 calorie burn. Brings my daily average net to ~1500 calories.

The weekends are more of a wild card. There is less structure for me to plan my meals around and eating out. I still try to make the best decisions for the situation I am in on those days.

Yooperm35

I personally don't worry about my macros. I eat when I am hungry and I eat a MINIMUM amount of calories not a maximum. (unless my day dictated otherwise - example, if it's a work day and I get too busy to eat). I don't think, "I can only eat 1200 calories (actually I have mine set to 1600). My mentality is I have to try to eat AT LEAST 1600 calories
It usually evens out and it's working for me.