What is the best advice you can give me...

Campnhike

Hi I'm Elaine. I am new on here and was wondering if people who have been on here for a while could give me some tips... what's the best advice you can give me??? Thanks in advance!!!

Jenn1254

Log everything and get a food scale. It makes a difference.

bklyngirl71

what kind of advice do u want? just take it one day at a time. the weight will come off, u just need to give it time

KyleGA

A healthy lifestyle starts with healthy eating.

hush7hush

Plateaus WILL happen. But don't give up. Just change things around.

Do your research.

Don't believe the myths.

Your body is NOT a website. What works for one person may not work for you. You need to try different things to find out what gives you results.

catcrazy

Don't try and change everything all at once, going at it gung ho is likely to leave you feeling deprived

Solat37_Neil

Don't expect miracles, they don't happen. This thing takes time and it's easy to get discouraged.. don't. But you will have an excellent journey, enjoy it :happy:

destiny_206

Everything is one day at time, log everything and do your best, and realize tomorrows a new day.

Elleinnz

Welcome and good luck....

Make it a lifestyle change - not a diet
Plan your days, and make sure you have food for all eventualities (healthy snacks for times of cravings)
Weigh and measure your portions - most people over estimate what a portion looks like
The more you cook yourself, and the less you eat out the more control you have
Eat LOTS of vegetables and salads - that way you are eating real food, and you are less likely to have cravings
Fast food should be a very occasional "treat" - not part of your daily diet (high empty calories)

change_happens

Do what is best for you. Don't let anyone deter you from what you want!!

SoCalSwimmerDude

Eat the fruit! Because, undoubtedly, you will be on here in a few wks saying that you're over on sugar because of fruit. So.... Eat the fruit! :laugh:

superhippiechik

No matter what happens do not give up.:flowerforyou:

lesliefoste

Losing more slowly can be hard, since we all want fast results. But it's easier to keep it off that way. Also, don't expect perfection. I like to aim for and 80/20 balance. I try to make the right choices 80% of the time. It slows down your weight loss a little, but it keeps me from feeling deprived, so in the long run I seem to have more success that way.

superhippiechik

Eat the fruit! Because, undoubtedly, you will be on here in a few wks saying that you're over on sugar because of fruit. So.... Eat the fruit! :laugh:

Eat your exercise calories too! lol

Sonchie

Get lots of friends(including me) and read the posts often because I find them very inspiring! Also if you dont have the app get it on your phone so you can log eveything right away(I have a hard time recalling everything later)

Think of your calories like money. Budget throughout the day to make sure you dont run out and the more you exercise, the more money ya have!
Blessings, Sondra

chevy88grl

Everyone's body is different. You have to be willing to take the time and energy that is required to figure out what is best for YOU.

You didn't put the weight on overnight and healthy weight loss requires TIME and PATIENCE to lose it.

EAT! For the love of heaven, EAT. Stop listening to all the out of date advice and EAT. Starving yourself isn't losing weight in a healthy way.

Drink water.

kayleeblue

Take pictures and measure yourself..because when the scale becomes evil...you have proof that it's still working in your favor!! Good Luck! add me if you would like.

jennykling

First, measure yourself (whatever you want to see go down for me the thighs!). You will be surprised of not only the pounds you loose but also the inches. I was not one to measure myself but I did about 2 months ago and am so glad I did. It really is encouraging to look back and see results - keeps you motivated to stay on track. Track everything including buttter and all condiments. I eat back my exercise calories and it has been working for me. I figure it is a reward: the more I exercise the more I can eat.

If you know you are going to go out to eat and eat a big meal work backwards. Log the dinner meal in and see what is left for the day. A lot of times I look up the menu for the restaurant we will eat at and log the food before I even go eat. This allows me to see how many calories are in the food choices I make and also helps me make healthier decisions. If I plan ahead I wont go over my calories for the day.

I saw amazing results by following this food guide, doing Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30, and adding cardio on top of that. 8 inches in a month and half.

If you follow this plan consistently you will see results. Good luck you can do it:)

helenbeee

log your food......... honestly.
Dont kid yourself if you have a bad day you have a bad day get over it and get on with the job.
Dont beat yourself up if you dont achieve perfection all the time. It is not an easy road but altimately worth it. So be realistic with your expectations if you achieve even 70% of the time you will see results and you are doing well try to keep the big picture in mind not get caught up in the moment.
Read the forums there is some excellent advice on this site.
Get involved get some mfp friends to give you support send a request a quick hi! message.
Enjoy yourself this is not about the fact that you cant eat a cupcake, bar of chocolate, pizza, fries everyday....its about being nice to yourself respecting and nurturing your body by giving it healthy fuel.
Be realistic about exercising try to make it fun and functional if its a chore you are more likely to stumble and give in.

Lastly empower yourself with knowledge.....do the research use the internet to find out about the foods you can eat and ones you should avoid. Look for alternatives that achieve flavours without packing on calories.

Skeebee

Best advice? Ignore the "If every day were like today... You'd weigh ### lbs in 5 weeks" at the bottom of your diary. It may disappoint you! Don't rely on the scale, but your feelings. Right now, I haven't lost any weight according to my scale, but I've gone down one dress size. Have patience, motivation, and most of all...FUN!!! :-)

goron59

Welcome!

Log everything, be honest.

Set smaller achievable goals instead of larger ambitious ones.

Realise it's not about weight, but about achieving a healthy lifestyle. You don't hit a target weight and then go back to your old ways.

It will take time (I'm a bit slow at 45 pounds over a year, but I know it's sustainable).

Add friends (add me if you like!) cheering each other on, and inspiration/motivation etc.

Have fun and good luck

vim_n_vigor

Commit yourself to what you are doing

FearAnLoathing

Dont let a bad day derail you

Pebble321

Log your food and your exercise.
Eat the calories from exercising
Don't set a weight loss goal that is too high (ie. if you don't have a lot to lose, don't pick 2 pounds a week)
Make small changes and get used them, then change something else
Don't let one day of overeating stop you in your tracks, just go back to healty eating the next day.
Don't stop going out or eating birthday cake, this isn't a short term fix, it's a long term change. Enjoy those treats in moderation, log them and work around them.
Good luck!

TS65

Plan ahead. If you're cooking, make up a few portions (then save those in portion sized containers - for those times you are starving and/or don't have time to cook). It will keep you from grabbing just anything.

jantim1990

Just stick to it!! Even when you don't feel like it, log in your food. I leave MFP website open on my computer all day, so if I need to log something in I can just do it without having to open the browser, pull up the website, log-in, and yada yada......(I have dial-up so this can be a test of my patience.....) I know sometimes it seems tedious, but we make ourselves do alot of things we don't like everyday. Get some good MFP buddies who encourage you, and in turn, you encourage them back. Somedays all it takes to keep you on track is someone just giving you a quick "you're doing great!". It is a good system that works. Do like the "nike" ad says....JUST DO IT. I'll send a friend request, add me if you wish. Good Luck!!

otr12

Eat the fruit! Because, undoubtedly, you will be on here in a few wks saying that you're over on sugar because of fruit. So.... Eat the fruit! :laugh:

So true!! And if you haven't manually adjusted your protien it's set really low. Go ahead and go over on protien and don't worry one second about it.

Oh, and get a good digital food scale. I bought a couple cheap ones before I decided to invest in a good one. Wish I had just got a good one the first time.

espinozAgal

Don't let anyone bring you down. There will be people who think they are "harmlessly" sabatoging you. Don't let them. stand your ground and do your thing girl!!!

ilookthetype

Pick a non-weight related goal for yourself (a 5k or a long hike with your family/friends)

Also, if you have a dog, make sure it will actually run with you if you run, my dog thought the idea was fun at first...after 10 minutes she was ready to call the SPCA, PETA, anyone who would answer a dog's call.

sunkisses

Don't carry a flask. Nothing good can come of that. Nothing.

TromaRon

If you're craving something, eat it. Also log your calories before you eat. It might help you change a bad decision before you eat it.

...and there's nothing wrong with carrying a flask. It'll make you look cool.