What's working for everyone else?

LizToner

Hi, I am very new to not only this site., but trying to lose at all! I am a twenty nine year old stay at home mother, who used to be a size five, and is not squeezing in to an eight... Alright, who am I kidding, I'm a ten! I weigh roughly 170 lbs. give or take, and my goal weight is 135. Though I have ALWAYS weighed more than I looked, so I would settle for just feeling better about myself while dressing!
I was wondering if anyone had any tips or stories, or wouldn't mind telling me what is working for them? Thanks in advance!

GreatSetOfBrains

I"m with you. .

JulieBoBoo

3 things work:

water water water -- drink at least 8 glasses a day. Don't be afraid to drink more if it's hot out or you're being active.
plan plan plan -- fill in your food diary for the day in the morning. Know what you're going to eat before you eat it.
move move move -- even if it's just cleaning your house, get some physical activity in every day.

Good luck!

anthony438

For me, just using this site is all I've done so far. I log the good days and the bad. Over time, I seem to be having more good days then bad ones.

MB_Positif

I was extremely new to losing when I signed up for this site. I was always on the teeny side until I started working at a desk, then getting married and having a child took it's toll! My goals are similar to yours, as I am down to 161 now and my goal weight is 130. Add me as a friend if you'd like!

The thing that worked the best for me was taking the first couple of months on here to really focus on food and cutting portions. After I had a handle on that I started adding in more consistent exercise. One thing at a time works better for me. If I try too many things at once, I usually fail at too many things all at once!

TiDinzeo

Well, I started at 300lbs and a UK size 24, I don't know what that is in US sizes. Now, I'm down 39lbs and I can fit comfortably in an 18 or I can get into a 16 although that's a little on the tight side. So I'm down 3-4 sizes.

As for what's working, just cutting down portion sizes and keeping track of calories has helped me. That and getting into exercising for the first time in my life.

atsteele

3 things work:

water water water -- drink at least 8 glasses a day. Don't be afraid to drink more if it's hot out or you're being active.
plan plan plan -- fill in your food diary for the day in the morning. Know what you're going to eat before you eat it.
move move move -- even if it's just cleaning your house, get some physical activity in every day.

Good luck!

Exactly!! MFP helped me lose 5 - 7 lbs I NEVER thought I could lose. I could probably lose more but honestly Im happy with the results so Im not pushing for more!! And working out twice a day and sometimes even three times a day has been helpful so that I can eat more... I had a hard time eating only 1200 calories per day. Good luck!!

stanvoodoo

Tell us more about your diet or open your diary so we can see where you are at!

But just in general, try to limit processed food and fast food, stay away from soda and carbonated and cafeine drinks. Exercise, get lots of lean protein, fiber and water are all very important.

Mommyof3texans

I was just under 150 when I started and wore a 10/12 so you must carry the weight really well!! Here's what has worked for me:

1 - I'm on 1300 calories a day and I eat back any calories I burn exercising
2 - I drink more than 8 glasses of water a day
3 - My calories come from 40% protein, 30-35% carbs and 25-30% fats
4 - Right now my only exercise is running about 3-4x a week but I'm about to add in some strength training which I highly recommend
5 - I maintain my sodium under 1500mg per day
6 - I avoid as much junk and/or processed foods as I can although I'm not perfect (my diary is open if you want to check it out)

ChantalGG

I cut my calories to 1200 a day, that wasnt enough food for me, so i started exercising to give me more calories to eat. Since stating on here i have experimented in the kitchen and can easily make extremely filling meals under 1200 calories a day now. and i keep the family happy at he same time. But the thing that has changed the most is I am happier now.

carolinefaith

ONLY 1200 calories per day
EAT these servings daily to lose weight fast:
2 servings of proteins
4 servings of veggies
3 servings of fruits
2 servings of starches
1 serving of a fat (land olakes light butter)

check out my topics and I have full detailed food list that is amazing. Each day I write this and I just cross it off as I go so I know what I have left to eat. MY mom also did this and lost 22 pounds over the summer.

P P V V V V F F F S S F

baisleac

3 things work:

water water water -- drink at least 8 glasses a day. Don't be afraid to drink more if it's hot out or you're being active.
plan plan plan -- fill in your food diary for the day in the morning. Know what you're going to eat before you eat it.
move move move -- even if it's just cleaning your house, get some physical activity in every day.

Good luck!

What Julie said!

Also...

eat eat eat -- eat enough to fuel your body. Not too much, obviously, but your body is a machine that NEEDS fuel. Food is fuel.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/246100-tom-experiment-preliminary-results?hl=TOM+experiment - Our bodies are WEIRD! Took me a while to figure out how weird. :happy:

irishblonde2011

30 day shred seems to be working for me and i have had more people tell me i look great/lost weight since i have started.
No one had noticed at 14 pounds down before and i have only lost another 2 pounds but my whole shape is changing.

mimi7grands

Fresh fruits and veggies. And more fresh fruits and veggies. The people I see who lose and keep it off are the ones whose diets are healthy. Stocking up on "diet" foods and calorie-dense foods doesn't seem to work for the long haul.

I've lost 74 pounds - most of it in the 10 months before last October. This is the first time I've maintained - ever. It's easy to lose the weight (I've done it many times!) and harder to maintain. I'm getting rolling on losing more weight now - another 30 or so pounds. (To me, that's close to goal! :laugh: ) The difference is in the amount of fruits and veggies I'm eating.

BTW, I didn't like veggies much until I learned to cook them right. I use fresh veggies, coat them in a little olive oil (maybe 1/2 t) and roast them at 475-500 for 15 minutes. (Asparagus takes just 8-9 minutes.) I've found that I love lots of veggies. I'd only eaten them "frozen fresh" before. Yech. I love them fresh. Raw in salads is great too.

This is the perfect time of year to tackle your weight. Good luck!

bperez45

Be honest with yourself about how many calories you need. If you exercise a lot, you will need more calories in the right amounts. Drink lots of water... If you are going to cheat, be ready to earn the calories or pay for them. Exercise according to your level of fitness. Endurance and fitness will come with time, but do exercise. Own your diet, I don't mean one of those diets advertised, but your household regular diet... Most of all, do not quit. It probably took a long time to put on weight, you cannot expect to lose it in half the time it took to gain it.

Have fun with it.

dad106

I'm like you.. I started out at 180, but was 170 when I started MFP. I used to be a 6, could fit into a size 8 but even that was cutting it close, and really fit into a size 10.

Since January I have lost 20 pounds and now sit at 160. How I did was eating better and cutting out a lot of the processed crap, working out 4 to 5 days a week, and not stressing. The more that you stress about your weight the harder it will be to lose.. or at least it is for me.

BethanyCee

I think the best thing to do is just keep with it. If you have an off day, don't sweat it. Each day is a new chance. Do your best to log everything. It will keep you motivated and give you a much better sense of what you're eating. And don't be afraid to reach out for support. MFP is a great community and people are always happy to root you on. Best of luck.

TTHdred

As a newbie, your first step is figuring out how the site works, and setting some weight loss goals. Below are the links to answers of common questions new folks tend to have. There are sort of long so reserve for leisure reading …:bigsmile:

Once you are comfortable with how everything works, what people tend to focus on first is understanding their calorie intake and eating habits. That’s at least a month. You will lose while you’re doing it, but if you are honest with your diary you learn some very useful things about yourself. Your eating patterns, where you can make small changes, what tends to put you over etc. Once they are done with the calorie control, they move to exercise. Understanding your strong and weak physical capabilities etc.

There is TONS of advice on here. Be cautious. Weight loss is highly personal and while there are some good “general rules” to follow, as the adverts on TV always say “individual results may vary.” There is no one size fits all. So, it’s important to know what works best for YOU! And the only way to do so, is to give things a try. Set a variety of goals, not just weight loss (e.g. inches in waist, hips, thighs, daily water intake, daily carb/protein intake, running mph, workouts per week etc) they tend to help keep the motivation longer and help you find what works for you faster.

Lastly, don’t forget that it will take time. So make changes you know you can make permanent.
Feel free to add me.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

melaniecheeks

Make gradual changes, but make every one of them for the better.

1. Lots of water.
2. Exercise - focus on strength training. But remember that results are 20% from exercise and 80% from nutrition, so don't stress out if you miss a workout. I try to do 2x20 squats and press-ups every day - not a lot of calories burned, but it's a good daily habit.
3. Reduce carbs and up protein. I don't mean Atkins - your body needs carbs. But make them better quality. Lots of veg, a little whole grain bread and pasta, and plenty of eggs and lean meats.
4. Snack clever. Mini cheese sticks, hard boiled egg, through to unusual ideas such as wasabi peas or roast soy beans. Experiment!
5. Look for small changes you can make - mashed sweet potato instead of regular potato, greek yoghurt instead of soured cream, tomato juice instead of orange juice.
6. Dont' get stressed out by it all - try to have fun, try new exercise routines, try new foods.
7. Most important of all - portion control.

Good luck on your journey, may it be an enjoyable one!

LizToner

Thanks everyone, I don't know how to open my diary, I'm not very computer savvy! lol

LizToner

thanks for the links!