Best Advice/Tips for Weight Loss

MeeshAshley

hey everyone!
I just started a while ago, and I have only lost 2 pounds. I'm a little proud of it, a little sad about it.
I have been running a lot more, push-ups, tons of ab work. But I'm curious on your tips or any advice you can give that has helped you lose weight.
I think I'm at my worst when it's night time, I want to eat Everything. Literally everything. And I have been stopping the midnight binging, but how can I prevent it?
Thanks!

kbanzhaf

Hi,
Don't deprive yourself of an evening snack, just keep it healthy and within your total calorie count for the day. When I saw a dietician several years ago, she actually encouraged me to eat a snack before bed. I used fruit, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, etc. as my snacks. I try NOT to keep sweets, etc. in my house, because believe me, if they are there, I eat them.
Also, drink plenty of water. It helps you feel full, and is good for you. It may mean up a time or two during the night, but in the long run, it is worth it!
Good luck!
Kaye
PS....the other things the dietician told me.....and believe me, I thought she was a quack were:
1. Write down EVERYTHING you eat.
2. Eat breakfast
3. Keep your total "carbs" to 15 or fewer a day. In her world, a "carb" was 15 grams of carbohydrates. I got to be really good at reading labels. Bananas are basically 2 carbs, a slice of bread is 1, a hamburger or hotdog bun is 2, etc.
4. Go ahead and eat a snack before bed time. :-)

nomeejerome

Best advice for weight loss?
A calorie deficit.

margaretturk

It is hard for me too not to over eat at dinner and evening snack. I find the more tired I am and worked up over the day the more likely I am to overeat. Going to bed earlier helps as does finding something relaxing other than TV helps too. Watching TV seems to aggravate my overeating in the evening.

diannethegeek

Have you read the sexypants thread yet? It's a lot of reading (and all of the linked posts are worth a read too) but it's packed with useful information: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

kk_140

To keep myself from eating to much at night I have started keeping rice cakes, dark chocolate squares, turkey jerky, sugar free popsicles only 10 calories!) and fruit in the house so at night I have something to snack on and I can eat a LOT of it for under 100 calories.I just leave room for those night time cravings during my day.

amyx593

I also like to eat at night, so I normally have a smallish lunch, a snack, then keep a lot of calories available for a larger (but still healthy!) dinner and room for an evening snack. My favorite is the 100-cal bags of popcorn. I also love having an apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter, sipping on green tea, or a Shakeology shake. Good luck!

bwogilvie

Logging everything as accurately as possible, and consistently running a deficit, is the way to lose weight. There's no royal road to health and fitness.

Exercise is useful for preserving lean body mass, and for feeling better; it only aids weight loss, though, if you still run a deficit. Since exercise generally makes you hungrier (not immediately, but some hours later), it doesn't really help deal with the fact that you are slowly starving yourself (very slowly) when you lose weight.

I found that after a few weeks, the nuclear pit of hunger had subsided a bit. But when it returns, and I'm at my calorie limit for the meal or the day, I ask myself which I would prefer: eating something now, or getting back to the way I felt when I was at a healthy weight and body fat? Usually, the answer is B, and I deal with the hunger by drinking a glass of water or, if it's insistent, eating a couple gherkins.

More generally, to successfully resist short-term impulses in favor of long-term goals, you have to convince yourself that the goal is both desirable and possible for you. Some people give up because they conclude that it's impossible; some who fail even convince themselves that it's not desirable after all (sour grapes). One good thing about a community like MFP is that it can help motivate you by showing you examples of people who have succeeded; another is that success is due to hard work, not some fad diet (ignoring the Shakeology posts...). If you're feeling like you can't do it, try visiting the Success Stories forum for a little inspiration.

SharonNehring

Plan ahead for the evening, knowing that you are going to want to snack. Keep 100-200 cals available from the day so you can have something but still stay within your goals. Then stock your kitchen with handy, healthier snacks for that purpose.

Protein, fiber, complex carbs help keep you feeling full longer. Some things I like are cheese, hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt (check the label, some are loaded with sugar), frozen Greek yogurt (yep, just put one in the freezer), salsa with a few wheat tortilla chips, pickles, fruit, Skinny Cow caramel truffle bars and Skinny Cow chocolate crisp bars. Believe me when I say the Skinny Cow products taste fabulous.

kw1452

Alot of good advice before me ^^

To add to that;

For me, its not about "dieting" and "losing weight" as much as it is a total life change. I've read tons of success stories that say the same thing. When you are in the mindset of restriction, hunger, denial of food groups, and thinking of it as a "diet", you tend to fail because you get so obsessed with food that it just drives you nuts. Maybe some people can do it like that but most people just yo-yo until they find a better path.

I am on a path of changing the way I live. Nutrition is first and foremost. I want to retrain my tastebuds to crave healthy things. I want to get in as many micronutrients as I can every day. I just bought a juicer, so I can add one juice a day to my healthier eating. I am starting to be more aware of what I put into my body, because I am researching and learning what "good" and "bad" foods do to your body.

I am only at the start of my journey, but I've been slowly learning for about a year now and have trained myself to eat and enjoy salads, to cook things ive never thought of cooking before, etc. I actually avoid fast food. Today I got alittle nauseas after eating a cookie. All good progress.

The other parts of my life to change include cleaning my house more, taking my dog to the park more often, turning off the TV, dancing to music while i clean the house...... etc