How it's done, tips from me to you

SHBoss1673

Hey Tam, that was awesome. Nice work there lady. :flowerforyou:

GettingThin08

great post yall i love it!!!

kerrilucko

Totally agree on the cheat meal Tam, a cheat MEAL once in awhile is totally fine, I have one every month or so, it's usually a meal out. My post was more targeting "cheat days" I have heard quite a few members mention that they take every saturday off or sometimes even whole weekends... and in the long run that just won't work. :flowerforyou:

ps- have to share, really excited, lost another lb this week so I am 149 now... I've never been in the 140s before... well.... not since like grade 5. :laugh: :drinker: :drinker:

arewethereyet

Congratulations Kerri!:flowerforyou:

clk238

hey guys thanks for all the great posts. what do you say about if you over eat (not crazy bingeing, but just like a cheat meal, whatever) and then go do an extra hr at the gym. i'm not talking like meticulous omg-i-ate-one-now-i-have-to-burn-one craziness, but in general, if i know I'm going out for dinner, I'll try to get in 2 workouts so i have more cals to eat. i guess if the cals in/cals burned are still adding up to ~1200, then it's all good?

Does anyone else do this on a regular basis?

kerrilucko

hey guys thanks for all the great posts. what do you say about if you over eat (not crazy bingeing, but just like a cheat meal, whatever) and then go do an extra hr at the gym. i'm not talking like meticulous omg-i-ate-one-now-i-have-to-burn-one craziness, but in general, if i know I'm going out for dinner, I'll try to get in 2 workouts so i have more cals to eat. i guess if the cals in/cals burned are still adding up to ~1200, then it's all good?

Does anyone else do this on a regular basis?

my motto is if you burned it off, it's not cheating. I mean if you overeat, or plan to, and do extra workouts to compensate for that then it's not cheating. When I say a cheat meal, I mean, no counting, just eat what I want and then move on and don't think about it again. you know?

SHBoss1673

hey guys thanks for all the great posts. what do you say about if you over eat (not crazy bingeing, but just like a cheat meal, whatever) and then go do an extra hr at the gym. i'm not talking like meticulous omg-i-ate-one-now-i-have-to-burn-one craziness, but in general, if i know I'm going out for dinner, I'll try to get in 2 workouts so i have more cals to eat. i guess if the cals in/cals burned are still adding up to ~1200, then it's all good?

Does anyone else do this on a regular basis?

my motto is if you burned it off, it's not cheating. I mean if you overeat, or plan to, and do extra workouts to compensate for that then it's not cheating. When I say a cheat meal, I mean, no counting, just eat what I want and then move on and don't think about it again. you know?

Agreed, as long as you are talking about within a few hours of the time you eat. Because otherwise, it's probably not helping with the extra calories. You see, the body will convert your extra calories into fat within (usually) a few hours to a day. If you decide the next day to do it, that doesn't reaaaaally work, I mean, you'll burn some of it off, but not as much as if you got out there 2 hours after you ate when the food is still there to be had and the body can grab the extra energy right from the source. It's a fine line to walk, since every person's metabolism is different, so that may work for you, it may not work for someone else. A couple hundred calories though, once in a while, that won't be a big deal, I would just eat it and not even break stride. Remember, 3500 calories in a pound, if you exceed your calories by a few hundred, 1 day every other week or so, you're really not setting yourself back.

An even better idea is if you know you will be going out, do some weight training a couple hours before, weight training raises the metabolism for days after (as long as you work hard enough to "feel the burn").

arewethereyet

hey guys thanks for all the great posts. what do you say about if you over eat (not crazy bingeing, but just like a cheat meal, whatever) and then go do an extra hr at the gym. i'm not talking like meticulous omg-i-ate-one-now-i-have-to-burn-one craziness, but in general, if i know I'm going out for dinner, I'll try to get in 2 workouts so i have more cals to eat. i guess if the cals in/cals burned are still adding up to ~1200, then it's all good?

Does anyone else do this on a regular basis?

my motto is if you burned it off, it's not cheating. I mean if you overeat, or plan to, and do extra workouts to compensate for that then it's not cheating. When I say a cheat meal, I mean, no counting, just eat what I want and then move on and don't think about it again. you know?

Agreed, as long as you are talking about within a few hours of the time you eat. Because otherwise, it's probably not helping with the extra calories. You see, the body will convert your extra calories into fat within (usually) a few hours to a day. If you decide the next day to do it, that doesn't reaaaaally work, I mean, you'll burn some of it off, but not as much as if you got out there 2 hours after you ate when the food is still there to be had and the body can grab the extra energy right from the source. It's a fine line to walk, since every person's metabolism is different, so that may work for you, it may not work for someone else. A couple hundred calories though, once in a while, that won't be a big deal, I would just eat it and not even break stride. Remember, 3500 calories in a pound, if you exceed your calories by a few hundred, 1 day every other week or so, you're really not setting yourself back.

An even better idea is if you know you will be going out, do some weight training a couple hours before, weight training raises the metabolism for days after (as long as you work hard enough to "feel the burn").

very interesting.

arewethereyet

Ok here is a good one.

I used my HRM at the beach last weekend (dont be hatin') I walked and did intervals by walking up the beach to the yards and then back down to the water. I did this for 45 minutes and my average HR was 150. spiked to 170 for 1-2 minutes, then back down to 140 or so for 3 minutes then up again.
(170 is supposed to be my max HR but is NOT).

I restarted the HRM for the next 2 hours and in this time I swam and exercised in the water. But then, I just lay there, in the warm sun doing absolutely nothing.

My HR would not go back under 90 and stayed pretty much at 100 or so. No matter how I tried...........even with yoga breathing lying on my back my HR was 85 bpm.

*Could the intervals I did 2 hours ago keep my HR up for hours after the exercise?

I am so curious. Anyone know??:ohwell:

WantToBeMoreActive

Thanks for the information :glasses:

clk238

thanks for the answer banks. that type of info is exactly what i needed to hear. I knew i was fooling myself thinking "all calories burned are equal" (ie workout crazy and eat well one day will balance a massive binge and nogym the next). I'm glad you were able to explain to me the facts behind that flawed reasoning.

I appreciate the advice (lifting- yes i feel the burn! My father bodybuilds and always tells me "go to failure!!!") on how to gear my workouts if i want to splurge a little- and knowing that a small splurge is ok, but not a huge one!

i'll keep chugging along!

lotusfromthemud

First thing you need to focus on when you are attempting to lose weight and become more healthy is your attitude. Asking yourself WHY you are overweight is far more important than people think. Many many people bury their emotions and use food as a crutch. Until you solve your emotional issues, you will NEVER EVER be able to consistantly stay at a healthy weight. Losing weight without finding out why is like treating the infection from an open wound, without ever closing up the wound itself. You don't need to solve all these underlying issues (although that would obviously help), but you do need to recognize them and see them for what they are. A key way to help do this is to carry a diary. Every time you eat, write down what you are thinking about. It doesn't matter if it's food related or not, you can figure that stuff out later.


-Banks

Seconded a hundred million times! This is IT, people. This is why, IMHO, people lose weight and gain it right back. This is why maintenance is so hard. Even if your emotional eating is as simple as associating eating with going out and having a good time, you're still eating emotionally. We do not become overweight just by eating in response to hunger, at least not hunger for food.

Just making the step of RECOGNIZING that you eat emotionally is huge. Although we'd all like to be perfect, emotionally stable super-people, we're most likely not.

As usual, brilliant, Banks.:flowerforyou:

and now, my additional two cents. . .

1. Working out will help with emotional eating, because it gives you another place to channel that nervous energy, and gives you another coping skill for stress. Working out was, for me, the number one lifestyle change. I can slack at all other aspects of my lifestyle from time to time, but if those workouts slide, I'm right back to square one. In fact, I lost my first 60 pounds without counting a single calorie. I "just" worked out like a crazy woman, and made more "quality calorie" choices.

2. Patience is an absolute virtue. If the scale discourages you, step away from it. Your progress will come slowly. . .so I think that monthly or bi-weekly weighing is plenty. If you're a lady person, do not put your weigh-in day during your special lady time or close to ovulating. Just trust me on this one. Slow and steady really does win the race.

3. That being said, do not be afraid to shake things up. If you're really at a plateau (about a month with no movement downwards inches or weight-wise) than start a new class at the gym, or do more or harder cardio. Start jogging if you've been walking. Pick up a heavier weight. Your body is a marvelous "stay the same" machine. You've got to shock it to change it. Staying in my comfort zone is what got me fat. I didn't like discomfort. Losing weight is not for sissies. Suck it up, and work at it.

4. Find a support network. (great job there, everybody. . .you already have here at MFP) When I've had cases of the "unfairs" (thanks Mary for that term) or gone through the "don't wannas". . .I know that I have people all over the country who are expecting me to exercise. Find a challenge group, or an exercise partner who will miss you if you don't check-in. I am on a first-name basis with everyone who works at my gym. My least favorite thing to hear is "you haven't been in this week." So, sometimes I drag my *kitten* to the gym just so they don't ask that the next time I see them.

5. Have a plan B. Can't make it to the gym before it closes? Get a workout DVD. Go online and find a new workout plan. Just. keep. moving.

6. For heaven's sake. . .treat yourself every once in a while. If you really, really want a piece of chocolate cake, have it. I know for me I obsess over certain foods, and if I don't have them, and deprive myself, then I overindulge when I do. Better a small bag of potato chips now than a giant bag later, seriously.

7. Be. your. body. Don't pick a ridiculous goal weight because "everyone in Hollywood is skinny" or some other such B.S. Your body is different from everybody else's. Have the best body you can have, but don't make yourself crazy or sick trying to fit into a fictional ideal. Google "photoshop", and prepare to be amazed. You can't look like someone in a magazine, because that someone in a magazine doesn't really look like that someone in a magazine. That goes double for any young woman reading this. Prepare to be amazed at the power of food as fuel. Eat. Eat. For the love of all that is holy, eat.

8. Eat real food, not processed 100 calorie junk. Food that is rich in nutrients and calories is your friend. Make the radical act of eating food that has one ingredient! Eat an apple. Eat a carrot. Eat a steak. (mmmm. . .steak.) Diet food tastes like crap. Eat. real. food. (I think I just said the word "eat" about twenty times.)

9. If you fall down, stumble, have a bad day, skip the gym on one day, "cheat" on your food plan,
whatever. . .tape it up and get back in the game, baby. Start over immediately, and leave whatever "mistake" you made in the dust. Don't wait to "start again on Monday because the weekend's blown" or eat the whole bag of oreos because you ate two. Throw it away, start over. Every second of your life is brand new. Use it.:flowerforyou:

lotusfromthemud

Jeesh Banks, I think I wrote more than you.

SHBoss1673

Excellent words there viv. I miss your comments! It's been far too long. Nothing wrong with lots o words if they mean something! BTW I saw your blog adding to expectations. Good stuff there lady!

lotusfromthemud

I'm a bumpin' this.:flowerforyou:

songbyrdsweet

I am going to consider myself successful even though I haven't lost the last 5 yet...I can see a big difference in my muscular development and athletic performance.

1. I'm reiterating the importance of nutrition--it's IMPORTANT. What we eat affects our hormone levels, which affects our bodily functions. In order to perform, we need to eat in a way that supports our performance. If your exercise is long-duration, lower-intensity, you don't need as many carbohydrates as someone who trains for shorter durations and a higher intensity. If you're a small, lightly active female, you don't need as much protein as a large, active male. If you are in the gym 2 hours a day most days, you need more than 1200 calories per day. Calories are not little particles of potential fat--they are units of heat production (energy). Don't fear them; use them to your advantage. Start off eating as many calories as you can while still losing weight. Then when you plateau, you'll have a place to go. Where will you go if you start at 1200 calories a day and 60 minutes of exercise every day?

2. Exercise needs to be challenging and intense. If a mile walk is challenging and intense for you, do it. If you have to climb Mt. Everest, do that. The body needs to be forced to adapt, and it will not change without high enough demands. If your breathing isn't labored or you are on rep #30 and still going strong, it's too easy. Imagine exercise like a cliff--if you go too far, you fall off the edge. But if you toe right up to the edge, you get a great view. You need to push yourself past your comfort zone. Sweat, sweat, sweat (and rehydrate!). Feel a burn when you lift, feel your muscles waver under the pressure and push through it. You need to feel fatigue to promote change.

3. Don't look for a quick fix. This takes time and hard work, and that's it. Colon cleanses, detox, diet pills, etc., are all ways to make money on people that don't know any better. Diet pills are big doses of caffeine. Drink a coffee if you need a pick-me-up, and avoid the jitters and high heart rate that the pills cause due to their incredibly high caffeine content. I have yet to hear anyone explain how a detox is supposed to work. The intestines are actually considered the external environment, because if just anything from the intestines entered the body cavity, we'd die. So when you drink detox tea, it doesn't enter the liver or kidneys in its whole form and somehow 'wash away toxins'. It has to be digested just like everything else, and whatever vitamins/minerals are present will travel through the blood stream and excess will be urinated away. Colon cleanses...I think everyone knows my opinion on that. All you're doing is flushing out healthy bacteria and most of your immune system. You don't build up years of fecal matter. Your intestines are lubricated and constantly pushing it out.

4. Don't focus on the scale. Would you rather be 110 lbs and 30% body fat, or 130 lbs and 19% body fat? Invest a couple bucks in a floppy tape measure from the sewing section. Use that in tandem with--or in place of--your scale. Look in the mirror and pick out the good stuff. Be patient. Your body will only run so fast, and while there are 3500 calories stored in a lb of fat, your body doesn't run on math, and weight loss isn't that exacting. Don't freak out about fluctuations from day to day; look at monthly trends.

SHBoss1673

Another kick *kitten* reply. Thanks SB, you rock.

so lets summarize some of the main points so far.

- Patience and persistence
- Nutrition is JUST as important as calorie count
- Know your body, 1200 calories a day is not necessarily what your body needs.
- Realizing WHAT made you abuse food is a necessary first step.
- Short cuts aren't the answer for long term sucess, that includes pills, nutrient restriction (low carb, no
carb, no fat, all protein...etc), Cleansers and detox really shouldn't be thought of as part of a nutrition
plan
- Exercise is vital to a healthy lifestyle.
- Weighing yourself often can be a detriment if you let it determine your emotions (the scale should be
one of a bunch of tools, and have no more power over you then a tape measure, or how you feel
physically).

I think that about does it so far. Lets see what else some of our more "AHEM" wisened members can dish up. Keep em coming guys! Great work!

ChubbyBunny

Ohhhhh I just love you guys!
:flowerforyou:

arewethereyet

"Calories are not little particles of potential fat--they are units of heat production (energy). "
Song B. Sweet

My new quote to remember!!!!!!!!!!!!

songbyrdsweet

Another kick *kitten* reply. Thanks SB, you rock.

so lets summarize some of the main points so far.

- Patience and persistence
- Nutrition is JUST as important as calorie count
- Know your body, 1200 calories a day is not necessarily what your body needs.
- Realizing WHAT made you abuse food is a necessary first step.
- Short cuts aren't the answer for long term sucess, that includes pills, nutrient restriction (low carb, no
carb, no fat, all protein...etc), Cleansers and detox really shouldn't be thought of as part of a nutrition
plan
- Exercise is vital to a healthy lifestyle.
- Weighing yourself often can be a detriment if you let it determine your emotions (the scale should be
one of a bunch of tools, and have no more power over you then a tape measure, or how you feel
physically).

I think that about does it so far. Lets see what else some of our more "AHEM" wisened members can dish up. Keep em coming guys! Great work!

Thanks! Great summary! That makes it much easier for people to get the important stuff if they don't have time to read it all.

songbyrdsweet

"Calories are not little particles of potential fat--they are units of heat production (energy). "
Song B. Sweet

My new quote to remember!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL glad you like it...but I don't think anything can beat "The garbage is already on the back porch..." LOL :laugh:

arewethereyet

"Calories are not little particles of potential fat--they are units of heat production (energy). "
Song B. Sweet

My new quote to remember!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL glad you like it...but I don't think anything can beat "The garbage is already on the back porch..." LOL :laugh:

Can we save both??? They are both so true!

I have to remember that calories are NOT little particles of potential fat!! they are ENERGY!

And girlfriend, I need some this week!:laugh:

lotusfromthemud

"Calories are not little particles of potential fat--they are units of heat production (energy). "
Song B. Sweet

My new quote to remember!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL glad you like it...but I don't think anything can beat "The garbage is already on the back porch..." LOL :laugh:

I remember the first time I picked up a nutrition level and saw the word "energy" instead of "calories". Talk about revelation time.

beagle595

Thanks SHBoss and SB for all the information... You all are awesome! Great Pic from Jamaica!
Salute! :drinker:

Skabilly

Wow u blew me away thank you so much
for the motivation
I appriciate it!!!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

briblue72

I missed this the first time it came out, but thanks to *bumps*, it's new to me! I'm going to make a bold move and consider myself an "MFP success." I've lost nearly 60 lbs - 27% of my original body weight. And here are some tips:

1. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF. Why are you losing the weight? How do you want to feel? Why are you overeating? How many cookies did you *really* eat? Be honest with your food log, your exercise log, and with your emotions.

2. Take your time. It has taken me over a year to lose 60 lbs. And I knew it would. If you want the weight to stay off once you've lost it, take the time to lose it right the FIRST time.

3. Set realistic goals. I'm never going to be 115 lbs, size 2. It's just not for me. But I can be healthy, in a normal weight range, with increased energy, positive attitude, and confidence. I also didn't gain all the weight in 6 months, so why should I expect to lose it in that time?

4. Make your goals known to others. Tell your friends, family, coworkers, whoever you trust of your goals. One of the things that helped me out tremendously was a positive support system when I started. People invited me to go hiking, not to dinner. My husband offered to go grocery shopping with me so I wouldn't stock up on crap (wish he still offered to come...), and my family would expect my weekly weigh-in results. It helps! It takes a village...

5. It's all about portion control. If you want a cookie, for the love of god, eat a cookie! If you don't, all of those cravings will build up and you'll be elbow-deep in the Thin Mints before you know it. Be honest about how much you eat (see #1), LOG IT, and move on with your life.

6. Get off the scale!! I didn't even own a scale when i started. I joined my work's biggest loser challenge and those weekly weigh-ins were the only time I weighed myself. And I consistently lost 2-4 lbs per week. Of course, I don't have as much to lose anymore, so it's coming off slower, but I still don't weigh every day. Pick a time each week to weigh yourself, and stick to it. Or, every two or three weeks! It's just a number, people.

7. If you're not sweating, you're not exercising. In my opinion, too many people count light activity as their "workout." Grocery shopping is not working out. Cleaning the house is not working out (sorry if I'm offending anyone). The way I see it, I was cleaning and shopping when I weighed 215 pounds and it wasn't helping, so why would it help me now? I only count workouts where I break a sweat, and do it for the intentional purpose of exercise. Now, raking leaves or shoveling snow... I get sweaty and my heart rate is elevated - so it's exercise with the added benefit of productivity.

8. Eat breakfast. It's the kindling that is necessary to get the metabolism fire burning each day.

9. Don't reward yourself with food.

10. You have to want it. You have to want it bad enough to sweat, get dirty, and use up some precious time. Of course I'd rather be sitting on the couch instead of fighting traffic to the gym. But it's not going to help me out in my fitness goals. Get your whole family involved. Take some frisbees to the park, get a dog, find a new trail to hike... you don't have to do this alone!

11. Trust MFP. I knew very little about weight loss when I started. I put loads of blind faith into this website and it has paid off. The more I've learned, the more I've come back to the realization that this website is right. You have to be honest with the numbers (refer to #1), but if you are, it will work for you!


Most of these are reiterations of other posts... It's no mystery why all of the "success stories" have the same tips. We know what works.

Good luck to everyone, and if you have any questions, feel free to message me! :flowerforyou:

petunia

BUMPING.. This thread is great... lots of great tips from lots of great folks on this site... :drinker:

Thanks to Banks, Tam, Kerri, Viv, SBS and briblue72 for sharing your knowledge, inspiration, advice and counsel.. we're lucky to have you all here! :flowerforyou:

SHBoss1673

Good stuff bri! I'm so happy everyone is giving such great advice. The best part is that all of this, ALL OF THIS, is real world advice from real people who have lost and become healthy, this isn't some skinny personal trainer who's been skinny for 20 years trying to explain it. All of us have recently been right where everyone else is, overweight, lethargic, depressed, unmotivated, downright unhappy people. We all are living proof that it doesn't take a miracle or some huge, life altering epiphany to change our lives. You just decide, then when you need it, you seek help of people on here. It really works guys.

arewethereyet

:drinker: cheers:drinker:

TamTastic

Woohooo!! I am so proud of everyone on here. You have all done such a wonderful job and I have seen it happen!!

:flowerforyou: