What are your best HABITS for losing weight?

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  • DesDawn24
    DesDawn24 Posts: 147 Member
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    Weighing everything with a food scale, and packing lunches the night before! If I don't pack a lunch, I easily double the calories that I would have eaten. It makes a huge difference!
  • cavia
    cavia Posts: 457 Member
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    Ditto the food scale. Can't say enough good things about it. That's been my #1.

    Yup, this.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    Working out on my lunch break, rather than going out to eat with coworkers has made a big difference.
  • Alassonde
    Alassonde Posts: 228 Member
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    Eating out rarely, and planning for it by making my other meals/snacks low-cal that day.

    Not eating unless I'm actually hungry.

    Don't eat until I'm FULL, eat until I'm not hungry anymore.

    Exercise.

    And, of course, logging. I think that really is the most important since I really think we just don't realize how much we're eating until we really start paying attention.
  • ruffnstuff
    ruffnstuff Posts: 400 Member
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    It's now a total habit for me to pre-log for the next day at night. This has helped not only with weight loss, but also with getting prepped and out the door in the morning, saving money on groceries, and not needing to "run out for lunch" at work. I get a bit angry if I can't pre-log the night before now!
  • rsoice
    rsoice Posts: 212 Member
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    Honestly don't weight my food but I do log accurately and force myself to keep up with my water intake. Also plan (look forward to) 1 splurge day per week. A lot of times it turns into just a splurge meal but I'm still paying myself for eating better during the week. Oh, and work out regularly.
  • roxxie25
    roxxie25 Posts: 32 Member
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    Wearing my fitbit everyday and setting a low activity level on MyFitnessPal so that it is easy to earn extra calories by walking more or working out
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Keep in mind, your habits for losing weight are going to basically be the same as they will be to maintain weight...I've been maintaining for 12 months as of last Friday and the only thing that is different now from when I was losing is a few hundred calories. My habits for losing and maintaining...

    - making solid nutritional decisions

    - portion control/moderation

    - regular exercise

    I would also add that I don't eat out all that much...I used to eat out at least 5-6 times per week...now I eat out maybe 1-2 times per month...really, most of my dining out is done while on vacations and the like. I personally find weight control and regularly eating out at restaurants to be difficult so I minimize my exposure. I've also substantially reduce my intake of sodas...I used to drink 3-5 12 oz sodas per day...I have a soda maybe once per month of something, if that. Additionally, I've substantially reduced my dairy intake...nothing inherently wrong with dairy, but I used to eat about 1/4 Lb of cheese for a snack pretty much every day and generally went through a gallon of whole milk every 2-3 days which was a **** ton of calories.
  • knitapeace
    knitapeace Posts: 1,013 Member
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    It's now a total habit for me to pre-log for the next day at night. This has helped not only with weight loss, but also with getting prepped and out the door in the morning, saving money on groceries, and not needing to "run out for lunch" at work. I get a bit angry if I can't pre-log the night before now!

    This is me. Prelogging the night before (except dinner, never know what Chef Husband will be cooking up for dinner) has prompted me also to set up the coffeemaker, lay out my exercise and work clothes, and pack my daughter's lunch ahead of time. My mornings start way earlier now that I have the habit of waking early for exercise, but they go more smoothly due to diligent planning.

    So my 2 best new habits are prelogging and exercise.
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
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    There is some great advice on this thread!! Here are a few of my best habits.

    I find that if I get a workout in first thing in the morning, I tend to make better food choices that day and sometimes the day before. If I know I'm suppose to run 4 miles in the morning, I'm less likely to over indulge the night before. I also end up eating more calories the first part of my day instead of a heavy meal at dinnertime.

    Planning meals and snacks and eating out much much less are super helpful. I try to have 3 prepared meals in my refrigerator at all times - there's always something to bring for lunch or a snack. And I often cook up a pot of soup with lots of vegetables and beans. Money, time and calorie savers!

    Smaller bowls (especially if you eat cereal - wow!) and a smaller plate along with using measuring cups and spoons.
  • bciloveme2014
    bciloveme2014 Posts: 213 Member
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    Weighing. loggoing, and planning...... one without the others is not effective!

    This and working out.
  • pinkshiningstar
    pinkshiningstar Posts: 140 Member
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    Meal prep! I prepare all of my breakfasts and lunches on Sunday/Monday so I'm ready to go for the week. I even do a couple extras to have on hand just in case I'm at the gym late and want something fast for dinner - then I'm not tempted to do a drive thru or eat crap :)
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    My best habit has been logging my food. I used to eat until I finished something just because it was almost done (re: wheel of brie). Now that I weigh things out, I know that 3 more bites could be 300+ calories for some foods. Three more bites every day can really do ya in when you love cheese haha.

    Offering to be the DD more. Then I don't feel comfortable drinking and I save myself empty calories.

    Drinking fruity red wine instead of sugar-bomb daquericoloda concoctions.

    Bringing enough food to lunch so that I'm not tempted to get junk from the deli downstairs.

    Eating way more vegetables because they're so low in calories but high in filling.
  • fireytiger
    fireytiger Posts: 236 Member
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    Making exercise a part of my schedule, not something I just do whenever I get around to it.
  • gatorginger
    gatorginger Posts: 947 Member
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    Bringing my lunch to work instead of eating out. Enjoying the foods I love in moderation. Finding substitutes that make my meal delicious but yet lower in calories like the Flatbread pizza I now make often at home.
  • Amestris
    Amestris Posts: 152 Member
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    Focusing on one small nutrition or fitness goal at a time.
  • millej30
    millej30 Posts: 17
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    Eating out rarely, and planning for it by making my other meals/snacks low-cal that day.

    Not eating unless I'm actually hungry.

    Don't eat until I'm FULL, eat until I'm not hungry anymore.

    Exercise.

    And, of course, logging. I think that really is the most important since I really think we just don't realize how much we're eating until we really start paying attention.

    I recently started logging EVERYTHING - including when I "taste test" while cooking. I found one day in particular I felt I hadn't done too badly but I didn't log until I had ordered my hamburger and French fries... That day I literally ended up almost 3,000 calories OVER my limit!! The terrifying thing was that I truly felt I had made good choices an eaten proper portions. While you are re-training your mind and body you can't assume anything. Take it right back to the most basic level.

    I also practice substitution. I started with trading regular soda for diet (don't judge!), then soda for juice or lemonade, but now I drink coffee and water almost exclusively. When I eat I try to drink water every few bites, and eat all of the vegetables first. Then I move on to protein, fruits, and finally any bread. You can also find altered versions of your favorite dishes to save on some calories! I LOVE researching recipes and substitutions.
  • lianajayne3108
    lianajayne3108 Posts: 2 Member
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    Planning my meals the night before :)
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
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    i decide for the week what i plan to eat in general. I learn every week what works best for my weight loss. so then i go to the store and sometimes what leaps out and grabs my taste buds - those are the food items i get - last week it was blackberries and watermelon. YUMMY! eating food that absolutely is delicious will be no problem to eat it - it wont feel like diet food.

    then i see how it affects my weight loss, so then I try to see a pattern, and so then i tweak my food choices a bit and try that.

    I also eat real food, not powdered protein and stuff like that. I just prefer it. Like I'd rather eat a steak than a milkshake made from a protein powder. I just wouldnt eat it if it bought it.
  • Tiamaria1010
    Tiamaria1010 Posts: 40 Member
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    Food prep is ESSENTIAL. If you have good food ready at all times, you will EAT IT. I had to learn that the hard way but it absolutely works. Log everything that you eat and I mean everything! Log all of your exercises too! I even log when I clean my house. It all adds up!! When you can see your numbers it increases your likeliness of making smarter choices. I prep my meals for the week--not each day.

    Cardio! Cardio! Cardio!

    I'm not a health nut or anything--I do have wonderful cheat days!! But I make sure that I don't go crazy with it. I have to have a special treat here and there to keep me normal.

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