What has helped you lose weight?

2

Replies

  • arenad
    arenad Posts: 142 Member
    MFP has really helped me. Before when I thought I was eating healthy and dieting, overall I really wasn't. Log everything you eat, even the little things. They add up too
  • centexhusker
    centexhusker Posts: 115 Member
    To the OP

    Fill your profile out completely (goals, inspiration etc)
    Log all of your food (it's best before you eat it)
    Like someone else said get the phone app with scan feature
    Make sure your diary is open at least to your friends
    Log in everyday
    Walk, jog, run whatever you are capable of 30-50 minutes a day 5 days a week
    Eat a bunch of veggies each day
    Drink lots of water
    Make friends with other's on MFP
    Add me as friend if you like :)
  • lili61
    lili61 Posts: 231 Member
    I've never really had any trouble logging consistently, but when I started exercising regularly 4x a week is when I noticed my weight loss really escalated. I also feel better and it encourages me to eat better. I eat back about 50% of my exercise calories and eat at maintenance 1 or 2 times a week, depending. Usually on weekends.
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
    Don't give up.

    If you make a major change to your workout plan or have recently upped or lowered your calorie goal, give it at least a month to let your body adjust to it before you decide it's a failure.

    Weight loss is not linear. That's probably the most important thing. There will be fluctuations upward due to water retention for a whole bunch of different reasons - if you're on target with eating/working out, you have to learn to ignore those or else only weigh-in weekly or even monthly.

    Best of luck to you!
  • Siannah
    Siannah Posts: 456 Member
    Stick with it. No matter how many times you fall off the wagon, get back on and trust yourself that you will get back on.
  • robmac13h
    robmac13h Posts: 44 Member
    the main thing that helped me lose 70 pounds was my bike ,that and not giving up any of the foods i liked only eating them in moderation ,since joining mfp and logging my foods i found it easy to stick to my calorie goals
    good luck and dont give up
  • gshields89
    gshields89 Posts: 30 Member
    Weighing and logging my food. It has helped me to realize that I can control myself. Best of luck!!!
  • KaysKidz
    KaysKidz Posts: 208 Member
    I'm a newb here, but so far have lost 9.4lbs which is actually more then what I was shooting for! Part of it was getting sick and water loss. But I've been keeping it off, so I'll take it. :)

    For ME, it's a lifestyle change. Not a diet. I have to live with my choices because my life depends on it. So I am cutting in areas some of the regulars will tell you not to. I have almost completely cut fast food (I have high cholesterol). I've had it 2x in the last 3 weeks and was very responsible with my choices, as responsible as you can be anyways! I've cut pop...I've had it since I started this journey and found it to be too sweet for my liking anymore. It's amazing how your tastes adjust. I no longer need the sweets. IF I get a craving for sweet, I'll typically have fruit or a homemade frozen yogurt. I need to watch my sugar intake, but at this point, until my doc says I can't have fruit, then I'm eating it!! My sugar isn't that bad. I've cut out fried foods almost completely. I think I've had something that was fried 1x and that was a kiddy fry from McD's. I eat fresh food as much as possible and try to avoid packaged foods. I cut way back on dairy. I'm drinking at least 60oz of water a day. I weigh ALL my food now! I log all my meals now. And, I'm getting my butt of the couch and walking 2.2mi a day, minimum. Right now, the weight is falling off. I know that it will slow down and I'm OK with that. I've got a long way to go.

    Bottom line, find out how many calories your body needs and stay under your limit. And get your butt moving! LOL
  • LINIA
    LINIA Posts: 1,159 Member
    Dear OP,

    this is a great question and of course you will get many great suggestions--what works for me is remembering my HEIGHT---i am about five-one and i know that at my height i should be wearing small sizes.
    like most older ladies, it gets harder every year for me, and i know that i won't truly lift and also i can't do any high intensity workouts (health issues) so i always think to myself "how much food does a shortie like you really need?".
    so my advice is "keep it real" "stay honest".

    GL, Linia
  • groovy_gals2000
    groovy_gals2000 Posts: 13 Member
    My advice would be dont think about anything in a negative way.

    You CAN have anything you want, in moderation. Ive only been at this for about 2 months, but have lost ~8lb in that time (im only aiming for about 16lb so im halfway there). And in that time, i've had mcdonalds, eaten out at pubs, gone for fancy meals with family for celebrations, eaten birthday cake etc etc.

    Counting the calories, before you head out, is the best thing ever for me. If I fancy pizza, i input it, then I know how many calories I have left to play with.

    I was never very active or sporty, but I made exercise an important part of my day too. I've made some changes in my schedule that made going to the gym more accessible and less of a chore/out of the way, i.e I take my work out clothes with me to uni, and go on the way home.

    Everyone is different, what works for us may not work for you.

    But being positive about things helps. Don't give yourself restrictions too much, this will cause cravings. And make exercise a part of your daily routine so it doesn't seem like a chore or extra hassle. Eventually, it will become second nature to walk to town instead of driving, or getting off the bus 2 stops earlier, or going for a pre-dinner bike ride around the town. What ever does it for you.

    You CAN do it.

    Best of Luck on your journey!
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Cycling
    Running

    Most important:
    Changed my diet!
  • SuzMar17
    SuzMar17 Posts: 30 Member
    I have to say tracking and the forums I find very helpful, but once I start to lose that is motivating! But, I find if I dont track it throws me off. I wish you the best of luck, you will do great#
  • KingofWisdom
    KingofWisdom Posts: 229 Member
    Exercise helps so much. I could never eat few enough calories when I sat on my butt all day.
  • scuttlez
    scuttlez Posts: 51
    Definitely exercising. Keeps me focused and encourages me to make wiser food choices. Also not looking at life as a diet, but just eating for the feel good of my soul!
  • amberrenee813
    amberrenee813 Posts: 395 Member
    Thank you everyone for responding! I bought a food scale today since many of you mentioned it and plan on using other tips mentioned.
  • AwesomeGuy37
    AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
    My best advice would be that "diets do not work".
  • 12pillows
    12pillows Posts: 81 Member
    This might sound cheesy but my friends!
    There's about 7 of my pals that I hang out with on a regular basis, and we've all decided to get healthy at the same time.
    Makes it SO much easier when we hang out and go to restaurants and stuff, cause there's no awkwardness when trying to choose lower calorie foods and logging it all.
    We have a facebook group so we can all chat in there about how we're doing and complain about how much we want to eat all the pies etc.
    Definitely helps having them doing it with me. They can also bully me into going to the gym and stuff too!
  • HipsterGuy33
    HipsterGuy33 Posts: 36
    Vegan gluten free diet works awesome. Amazing how much crappy food that rules out. I 'm down 15 pounds in 3 months. I used to be 195 a year and a half ago, but now I'm at 165. I feel way way better.
  • albionjen
    albionjen Posts: 86 Member
    You've already got some great advice in the replies here. My number one tip is to realise there is no end point. That is not meant in a negative way, just that your new lifestyle has to be something you will be comfortable with for many months and years to come!

    I view it like this: my body will change to match the lifestyle I lead. So I should live my life like the healthy slimmer person I want to become, then slowly over time my body will change to match that way of life. There is room for occasionally over eating, like at Christmas, eating all of the foods I enjoy, having a drink with friends etc. I just need to keep consciously making healthier choices whenever I can and make sure that on average my calories over a week are on target.

    Losing weight does not have to be miserable and stressful. Find exercise that you enjoy, so you are happy to do it on a regular basis. Plan meals in advance and weigh and measure to keep portion size under control.
  • amberrenee813
    amberrenee813 Posts: 395 Member
    Thanks everyone for the great tips! I followed many of these tips. I think the most important thing for me was logging every single meal honestly and accurately. It kept me accountable to me! And, I'm happy to say, I lost 10 pounds in my first week :)

    Of course, I know my weight loss will not always be that big, but it's a great start!
  • amberrenee813
    amberrenee813 Posts: 395 Member
    Luckily, I don't drink anything other than water. My vice is sweets, but I will allow myself treats. Just make sure it's in my calorie allotment.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Calorie deficit and lifting HEAVY weights.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Oh, and start viewing cheese as a condiment. :wink:
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    Break the 70 pounds down into smaller goals. 10 or 15 pounds at a time. A smaller number seems more attainable at the beginning and once you hit that, you want to keep going to the next goal

    Don't cut out any of the foods that you love, just eat less of them less often. The minute I say I can't have something, I wanted it more and would binge on it.

    Don't beat yourself up for a bad meal, bad day or bad week, just get back on track and keep going.
  • missjones513
    missjones513 Posts: 345 Member
    Planning and cooking meals ahead of time.
  • toddabrown
    toddabrown Posts: 14
    I started this in January, not a very active social participant on this site. Today is a big milestone for me so I will share. I just reached my final goal, started at 205, and my ideal target weight is 175 so had 30 lbs to lose. There are 2 things that helped me most with mfp, being completely honest with logging accurately (I bought a food scale) and I started running. Originally I was only able to run about a half mile without stopping, now I am running 20-30 miles/week. Map my Run is another great tool for calorie tracking with running, it also works for walks. You can track your miles and pace, and it will tell you calories burned. Just don't eat back all of your exercise calories every day. This was the magic bullet for me. Now onto maintenance mode beginning today. There are so many great stories here, just keep with it, look for inspiration, and don't let anyone get you down.
  • IIIIISerenityNowIIIII
    IIIIISerenityNowIIIII Posts: 425 Member
    I log everything, even a 2 calorie mint. I frequently throughout the day look over my macros to determine what I will eat for the next meal. I always go under my calories unless I've specifically decided not to that day.

    If you eat less calories than you burn, you WILL lose weight.
  • amberrenee813
    amberrenee813 Posts: 395 Member
    I started this in January, not a very active social participant on this site. Today is a big milestone for me so I will share. I just reached my final goal, started at 205, and my ideal target weight is 175 so had 30 lbs to lose. There are 2 things that helped me most with mfp, being completely honest with logging accurately (I bought a food scale) and I started running. Originally I was only able to run about a half mile without stopping, now I am running 20-30 miles/week. Map my Run is another great tool for calorie tracking with running, it also works for walks. You can track your miles and pace, and it will tell you calories burned. Just don't eat back all of your exercise calories every day. This was the magic bullet for me. Now onto maintenance mode beginning today. There are so many great stories here, just keep with it, look for inspiration, and don't let anyone get you down.

    That's awesome!
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    For me I started with just walking when I was at my heaviest.

    I gradually increased to a power walk and then running.

    Eventually I started adding heaving lifting into my routine.

    Now I do some cardio but my main forcus is on the weights. I really really recommend adding weights or even body weight exercises to your routine. You will see a big big change.

    I don't eat "clean" like a lot of people chirp about. I eat healthier, watch my portions, drink lots of water but I still enjoy my desserts and salty snacks in moderation. I also try to eat lots of protein during my day.
  • boothekm
    boothekm Posts: 60 Member
    I would try to stay away from a lot of carbs after lunch. This has helped me tremendously. Get your carbs early in the day to give you energy for work, working out, etc.

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