What has helped you lose weight?

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amberrenee813
amberrenee813 Posts: 395 Member
in Getting Started
Hi! My name is Amber and I am brand new to MFP. I have about 70 lbs to lose and was wondering what is your number one tip that has helped you lose weight? What is some great advice for a beginner?
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  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Weigh and log everything accurately that is the number one thing. if your logging is not accurate you may as well not do it
  • butlersoft
    butlersoft Posts: 219 Member
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    Eat at a defecit.

    Move more.

    It really is that simple .....
  • pjb58
    pjb58 Posts: 100 Member
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    Never, never, never quit! Everyday, regardless of what happened the day before, give it your all!
    You can do it!
    God bless
  • weightliftingdiva
    weightliftingdiva Posts: 522 Member
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    I have a hard time consistently logging, but I find when I exercise consistently, I sleep better, improve my mood, am more likely to log, and am less likely to binge. I lost weight when I was in Spain (about 6 pounds over three weeks), eating whatever I wanted, and lost simply because I was walking so much. I imagined if I had been there long enough the weight loss would have plateaued and I would have had to start cutting calories. Exercise + logging is your friend. Exercise alone isn't enough for most people, but I think for many it helps with success.
  • tairaven
    tairaven Posts: 72 Member
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    Yes, I have to agree - log everything you eat, regardless of how "good" or "bad" you think it was. Also log in your exercise - you'll be surprised later on when you look back and see how far you've come and how much you've improved over time.
  • helen195
    helen195 Posts: 90 Member
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    Eat a Variety of food so you do not get bored.

    "eat a rainbow every day"
  • Bellanique
    Bellanique Posts: 8 Member
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    Since I am a big sweet eater, cutting back on added sugar helped me to lose 18 lbs. Making small dietary changes rather than drastic ones has worked well. After about 5 months of being more conscious of what I was eating, I learned about My Fitness Pal, which keeps me honest.
  • mamabanana
    mamabanana Posts: 62 Member
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    I have been here for about 2 months. It is a learning process, everyday something new. I realized it is a good investment to have a food scale. You can be more accurate with what you are eating. and have a support network. I seem to get more positive support for my journey here on MPV than anywhere else and so it is motivating to continue. I also find helpful to set smaller goals (i.e. 25lbs by june 1st, started jan 1st) then re-evaluate afterwards. Don't get discouraged if the scale doesn't move for a couple weeks, it happens. And do not do weigh-ins everyday.
    Okay that was more than one tip, but I found those to be very helpful for me. Good Luck.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    buy a food scale, weigh solids, measure liquids, log everything accurately (watch entries)

    Choose a reasonable amount of weight to lose a week (about 1.5lbs now and when you are at 50lbs to lose change it to 1lb) that way you get enough to eat.

    Other advice...be patient, be persistent, don't give up the foods you love just eat in moderation, don't eliminate food groups from your diet.

    If you want to exercise do...but make sure you eat back 50-75% of those calories burned to fuel your next workout...

    and last but not least....

    Good luck.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Exercise regularly.
  • InForBacon
    InForBacon Posts: 1,508 Member
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    Bacon and ice cream. Sometimes together.
  • D_squareG
    D_squareG Posts: 361 Member
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    buy a food scale, weigh solids, measure liquids, log everything accurately (watch entries)

    Choose a reasonable amount of weight to lose a week (about 1.5lbs now and when you are at 50lbs to lose change it to 1lb) that way you get enough to eat.

    Other advice...be patient, be persistent, don't give up the foods you love just eat in moderation, don't eliminate food groups from your diet.

    If you want to exercise do...but make sure you eat back 50-75% of those calories burned to fuel your next workout...

    and last but not least....

    Good luck.

    ^^^this
  • gmthisfeller
    gmthisfeller Posts: 779 Member
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    Run. Every Day. Run.
  • nh5nh5
    nh5nh5 Posts: 21 Member
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    Welcome,
    I had about the same amount to lose.
    quite a lot of things helped me so I have listed them below.
    Log everything even the "naughty stuff" then you have a complete log of food.
    set yourself small goals, I work in 7lb chunks
    Only weighing myself once a month helps me, then I don't get so worked up on the weekly loss/lack of
    Measure chest, hips and waist - even if the scales don't move the cm usually do, I say cm because they are easier to see movement on, you can always convert them to inches later
    and half an hour of walking each day. Now I'm up to and hour but its taken me since 4 months to get to that stage.
    If you have 1 "bad day" don't dwell on it just draw a line and continue on your correct path the next day.
  • Yooper56
    Yooper56 Posts: 2 Member
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    This is just a tip for you to make MFP much easier to use. Get the phone app and use it to scan bar codes when available. Nice. Simple.
  • gieshagirl
    gieshagirl Posts: 102 Member
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    log and measure everything!! dont weigh but 1 time a week at the same time of day. eat your calories, drink tons of water and MOVE!! i didnt believe it either but i listened to the people who know and post here and bam.......it is slow and steady but measurable. also, if you can go in and read all of the new person posts under new........Lots of great information. im a nurse and i still learned a lot! add me if you want! you are the best investment that you will ever get the chance to invest in!! and yes,....you are worth it!!:drinker:
  • 1911JR
    1911JR Posts: 276
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    Drinking water...... And lots or it, water is the number 1 thing on my list.... No fast foods, EVER is number 2... Next, It sucks at first, but then it becomes habit. But controlling my portions and counting calories is the only way.

    Most people goes out and buys a gym membership first, and I say that`s a HUGE mistake. First and most importantly is your diet, what you eat and what you should "NOT" eat. Once your diet is in order, then ad in exercise. Like taking a walk every morning and in the evening. Overloading exercise and trying to eat better is why people fail. Huge changes in anything will most always lead to failure.
  • Deb_622
    Deb_622 Posts: 694
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    buy a food scale, weigh solids, measure liquids, log everything accurately (watch entries)

    Choose a reasonable amount of weight to lose a week (about 1.5lbs now and when you are at 50lbs to lose change it to 1lb) that way you get enough to eat.

    Other advice...be patient, be persistent, don't give up the foods you love just eat in moderation, don't eliminate food groups from your diet.

    If you want to exercise do...but make sure you eat back 50-75% of those calories burned to fuel your next workout...

    and last but not least....

    Good luck.

    This^^

    I had about the same amount of weight to lose and the biggest thing I had to learn was portion control! Definitely buy a food scale and you will learn quickly how much you are really eating
    Don't let your "diet" rule your life...have a cheat day, but make sure you plan for it and if you go up a little on the scale, don't stress over it...enjoy your life, but work to make your life a healthier one
    Exercise, but don't try to over-do it in the beginning or you won't want to continue...build on your success each week and go from there...I made a calendar for myself at the beginning and posted it right by my treadmill so I could cross off each day that I worked out and exactly what I did - it was great to look back month to month to see my progress both in speed and length of time...also, keep in mind that if you do any weight training that the scale won't show that progress - take pictures and/or measurements so you can truly track your progress on something besides your scale - my scale frequently "lies" to me and shows no progess :wink:
    Don't get discouraged if you don't lose weight every week...some weeks I would lose anywhere from 1-3 pounds and some weeks I would only lose half a pound...sometimes I even went up a little...don't let small setbacks get you off track - it will work! I started last July and am down 65 pounds...went through some tough weeks where I gained a little, and some great weeks where I lost a bunch...
    Last but, not least - NEVER quit...you CAN do this!!!

    Good Luck!!!!! :flowerforyou:
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    What has helped ME? As a 50 yr old sedentary female, who started out 80 lbs overweight, I lost 50 lbs doing the following:

    1. Weigh and log everything accurately.

    2. Know roughly how many calories you ate to maintain your weight before you started, and take away 500 calories a day per 1 lb of weight loss per week you wish to achieve.

    3. Stay at or slightly below calorie goal.

    4. Be consistent and patient. You will start off the first couple of weeks losing quickly, but it will slow down after then to a reasonable 1-2 lbs per week. Don't get frustrated if the scale doesn't move one week, or if you gain a little bit. Many factors affect the scale, so look at overall weight every 2-4 weeks.

    5. Eat sufficient protein and healthy fats. MFP has set Macros for Protein too low. A great starting point for most people is 40%Carbs/30%Pro/30%Fat.

    6. Stay active.

    7. LISTEN to your own body. The same plan does not work for everyone. Some people do better on higher carbs and lower fat, and some people do better on lower carbs and higher fat and protein. You find what works best FOR YOU.

    For myself- I carry my weight around my midsection, and have a high family history of Diabetes. I am insulin resistant, so a diet lower in carbs works best for me. I also found that limiting my processed sugars and grains, particularly wheat, reduces inflammation in my joints, resulting in lower arthritis pain.

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