What are your tricks of the trade

PamDW

I am curious how people stay within their goals and what tricks or processes they use to help them get there.

I like to plan my meals ahead of time. I know what I have available to me, so I put it in every morning and really try to stick to that meal plan. I try to leave some extra out there for unexpected or dessert. \It sometimes puts me under my calorie goal.

Anyone else?

sexygenius

cocain...it reall works..oh and diet coke

*just kidding, do not, in any case, use cocain

AnaNotBanana

Water, water, water!! I try to drink at least 100 ounces a day. It helps me full between meals. Also www.hungry-girl.com has some crazy good recipes that are low in calories.

molasaurus

I portion all my food once I buy it (i.e. I will separate serving sizes of pretzels, etc. into snack bags) so I don't get carried away when it comes to snacking. Also, running is my main form of exercise so I have set goals to run at a few different events this year (i.e. 25K in May and a marathon in October!) so I created an exercise calender and stick to it (sometimes by force, but most of the time exercise is a great stress reliever and I feel great afterwords!). Hope that helps.

PamDW

exercise calendar is a good idea... kind of the same idea as planning out my meals... I am not much of a snacker... but that is a good idea too.

FearAnLoathing

cocain...it reall works..oh and diet coke

*just kidding, do not, in any case, use cocain

well damn I already snorted that line before i read the just kidding part....its your fault!!!:laugh:

PamDW

oh cool, just checked out hungry-girl.com what a great site for recipe ideas!

Panda86

Plan meals, drink water, exercise regularly. Keep fruits and veggies on hand for days when I feel particularly "snacky". Don't think too much about food. I try not to make a big deal about it. It is what it is. I try to think of it as fuel for my body (and now my baby). Don't hyper-restrict. I don't throw in the towel or make a big deal if I am going out to eat and I don't know the nutrition info. I keep in mind that one day is not going to ruin all my hard work. Tomorrow is a new day, and feeling guilty isn't going to make me magically shed the 1/2 lb that I might have gained from eating something that is "less than ideal". Those are my "tricks" so to speak. I just try to take a laid back, not-a-big-deal approach, because I think we tend to blow things out of proportion, and thus make it harder on ourselves.

tammyquinnlmt

I plan my meals ahead, and even log them before I eat them. If I make my breakfast and lunch for a morning I have to work, I just log it after I pack it. It obligates me to stick to it. My problem is getting enough protien. I just went vegetarian with fish, but fish only occasionally. Still having a hard time reaching my totals. But I feel awesome. Should I be worried? hmmm

sexygenius

cocain...it reall works..oh and diet coke

*just kidding, do not, in any case, use cocain

well damn I already snorted that line before i read the just kidding part....its your fault!!!:laugh:

BAHAHA!!!

BigBoneSista

I have core foods that I love and thats what I stick to. Occasionally I will try out something new, but normally I stick with what I know.
Meals are planned, 128 oz of water is consumed daily, exercise is done daily with 1 day off. I was thinking about getting a calender so I can have a paper trail tracking my exercise goals. I may just get one tonight.

AnaNotBanana

oh cool, just checked out hungry-girl.com what a great site for recipe ideas!

My faves are the lasagna cupcakes, banana split pie, te quiero tequila shrimp. I could go on and on!

honeyrabbit

Based on what I have in the fridge and store cupboard I plan my meals out and log them the day before.
I can then see if what i'll be eating is under my calorie goal AND also fairly balanced i.e not over on fat, sodium etc and that i'm getting enough protein and fiber.

I leave enough calories so that I can have a few 'unplanned' snacks.

I commit to doing at the very least 400 calories worth of exercise.

I seperate and weigh out portions of things like cereal, rice, pasta and have it ready bagged so it's quicker and esier to log.

I mark on my wall calendar days that it's possible to do extra exercise and make sure I have some of the foods I really enjoy in on those days. The extra calories i've earned allow me to have LOTS of nice things to eat...it gives me something to look forward to and keeps me motivated.

JennaBunny143

There is also another app for the Iphone that is like this website it is called runkeeper and it syncs with its website runkeepr.com. You don't have to be a runner, any activity will work. You can take it with you when you are excersing and it measures everything for you so you can track it. I love it. I use the combo between this 2 websites Good Luck

JennaBunny143

I have core foods that I love and thats what I stick to. Occasionally I will try out something new, but normally I stick with what I know.
Meals are planned, 128 oz of water is consumed daily, exercise is done daily with 1 day off. I was thinking about getting a calender so I can have a paper trail tracking my exercise goals. I may just get one tonight.

You should really look at runkeeper.com.. it also has an app too.. You might like it.. Your weight loss is an inspiration