Give me a quick 1 -2 -3 (with pics)

mferguson0531

:flowerforyou:
Ok, I need motivation.... and I thought a quick message board with people giving me a quick 1-2-3 of how they got into shape would help. And with pictures if possible. I am a female, 5'3" and currently 230lbs. I am 40 and have health issues such as Fibromyalgia and Lower back issues/pain. Can you tell me just quick little steps what worked for you? I might be able to gain some ideas I may not have thought about. Like 1-walked every day, 2-no carbs or cut meals in 1/2 etc..... :-)

RainbootsToBikinis

1. I got a puppy. He made it a requirement to get up and go out for walks several times a day lol.

2. www.BodyRock.tv - I love their exercise challenges, you can modify them for beginners too which I found helpful. Time yourself each time you do it, it's a great feeling to see improvement.

3. IdealShape meal replacement shakes. Whenever I diet I wouldn't know what to eat or wouldn't feel like cooking so I'd blow my diet on snacks or just not eat. This gets in a least 2 nutritionally sound meals a day and gives me a little more wiggle room for my 3rd meal.

mgmlap

1. Changed my relationship with food. Figured out what to eat and what not
2. Figured I had to move
3. stuck with it...with a couple of days off here and there..

Huffdogg

1. Wii Fit
2. Counting Calories
3. Yoga

rosebarnalice

1. Ate less,
2. exercised more.

3. Logged every *^$_@#NF&)_$&^% thing that went into my mouth on MFP to keep myself honest about how much I really eat.

raige123

1. Take your bodyweight, divide it by 2 and drink that many ounces of water a day.

2. Cut out refined sugar and enriched flour products / eliminate starch products like potatoes and pasta.

3. Don't eat carbs after 5 pm ... have protein in the evening as this works to fill you for the rest of the night.

These are just 3 things that work for me.

hailzp

1. started to understand that I have no choice but to change my habits

2. joined MFP and used it

3. Forgave myself when I slipped up and got back on track immediatly.

truelypinkthing

1. Walk or garden almost everyday
2. Make sure I eat breakfast everyday, oats and fruit
3. Refuse all cakes/ biscuits unless they are homemade, most people buy them so it's easy to refuse. ( or convince myself they have nuts in, I hate nuts!)

And try to drink lots of water

BobbyDaniel

1. Portion control
2. Got moving and when it wasn't enough started moving more
3. Got my wife on board with me

CapsFan17

1) LOTS of water
2) No Soad
3) Log on MFP every thing that goes in my mouth

Hope this helps! :flowerforyou:

april_beth

spin class
a gym with a rockin' daycare
i am not a success story YET but im sure as hell a lot closer than before....you got this girl!

KacieHetrick

1. Started tracking carbs, made sure I was eating <100 g of carbs per day.
2. Started doing Zumba 4 x's a week, never missing one class, if I do I just jump around and do Zumba moves to upbeat music for 50 minutes at home.
3. Track EVERYTHING on MFP...You would be amazed to find ridiculous amounts of calories or carbs in foods you would never imagine would have that many!

DannyMussels

1. cut out all drinks but water (most ppl drink 500 calories a day)
2. stopped eating out a lot (in college we'd go out 3-4x a week, and eat double what a person should
3. started moderate exercise (treadmill or elliptical)

I'm more hardcore now, eating stricter and exercising more consistantly/seriously.

Over the years I've learned tons online. That'd be my #4.

Fairysoul

1. Walk more, like parking further from the doors and using stairs.
2. Eat a salad before a big meal, like the holiday ones.
3. Smaller portions, and if you don't want to use a smaller plate than at least pile it with veggies!

therealangd

1. Logging food
2. Taking measurements
3. Got moving.

CoryIda

1) I dumped the junk and replaced it with nutritious, well-balanced meals and snacks that I consumed in sensible portions.

2) I moved my body.

3) I drank lots of water.

rexy915

1. Got a gym membership. Because I'm paying for it, I don't want to waste it. I also plan all my workouts a week in advance so they are on my schedule. This way, I can't say I don't have time to do it.

2. Switched my eating habits to Paleo (for the most part). I plan my meals out every week for the whole week so I have planned healthy meals and snacks. This also helps cut my grocery bill down because I'm not buying unnecessary things.

3. Drink TONS of water (I do about 80oz/day). This also helps my skin, since I have terrible skin problems.

Runnermadre

1. Used MFP to log calories, and never cut anything completely out of my diet. (Everything in moderation)
2. Found exercise I really liked (running), and set reachable goals to keep me accountable.
3. Stayed consistent without making excuses!

caveats

I'm thinking I may have to sign up for a Photobucket account or something so I can post pics ... blech.

But anyway, my 1-2-3:

1. Weigh/measure food when possible, and log everything I eat. This helps me see where my calories were going (especially to stay on track for a healthy balance of macros, as I tend to go carb- and fat-crazy if left to my own devices).

2. Track all exercise. I don't log everyday/regular stuff like bowling or walking up/down stairs at work, but if I make a point of walking around the block during lunch or actually going to my yoga class, then I log it. This helps me track my exercise and stay accountable for the workout regimen I want to be following. It's too easy to say "I'm tired and I lifted X days ago, I can take another rest day" ... 1 rest day turns into 2 turns into 4 turns into 10 ...

3. K.I.S.S. = keep it simple, stupid (I apply that term liberally and affectionately to myself in a self-deprecating but not self-hating manner. Just for the record.) I'm fairly intelligent and like to analyze things. That's great for my job, not so great for tracking personal goals such as getting fit. I know that if I get caught up in a gazillion rules or broscience, I'll let myself get sidetracked and eventually give up because it's all just SOOOOO complicated.

Yeah, right.

Keeping it simple lets me assess my progress from the 30,000 ft. point of view instead of getting lost in the weeds. Otherwise, it's really easy to use "this is too much for my busy lifestyle" as an excuse to give up.

bcampbell54

1. Consume fewer Calories.
2. Burn more Calories.
3. Use MFP to measure and manage all the above (if it can't be measured, it can't be managed)

crisnis

1. Portion control: I still allow myself the things I love, just in proper portions.
2. Log everything, everyday, no exceptions: I tried just logging for a couple weeks and then thought I had enough of a handle on tracking that I didn't need to log anymore = bad idea.
3. Strength training and cardio: I don't just want to lose weight I want to look good when I get there

Good luck!

vickyg1

Not really in shape.. yet ...but I have lost quite a bit of weight from making little changes like switching to Diet Pop and I quit eating everything white and changed to whole wheat or whole grain (bread, pasta, tortillas).
Hope that helps

pereztech930

1. Ate less,
2. exercised more.

3. Logged every *^$_@#NF&)_$&^% thing that went into my mouth on MFP to keep myself honest about how much I really eat.

LOL Ditto

cbu23

1. Signed up for a 10k with no prior running or exercising (in March), knew I had about 4 months to get ready and not look like an idiot and actually run. Two years later I am still running and have now done a half marathon as well.

2. Portion control.....learn it....live it! I have always been pretty decent and eating healthy and cooking at home, my problem was I didn't realize that even too much of the good stuff is still too much!

3. I don't know where I would be without MFP....in over a month I have learned so much!

mommygirl81

1. Wii Fit
2. Counting Calories
3. Yoga

Wii Fit is my best friend!

1. Wii Fit! I love the yoga and strength exercises.
2. Less Diet Coke, more water.
3. Eating cleaner...lots more veggies and as many fruits as I can stand.

vmclach

1. learned portion sizes and became firmilar with calorie content in all foods. Increasing awareness
2. implmented cardio program and continued to increase the intensity.
3. started stregnth training

annameier8706

1. Drink TONS of water! When you're feeling hungry, drink a glass of water then wait 10 minutes before you decide to eat something. I have a tendency toward boredom eating, and this has really helped with that. I can alwasy tell when I'm not drinking enough water cuz I snack more.

2. Track EVERYTHING!! Even if you KNOW you're going to go over you calories. It's better to know the damage then pretend it didn't happen.

3. Start walking. I have two toddlers, so in the beginning motivating myself to workout was a joke, so I'd just put my girls in my double stroller and take a nice brisk walk. Since then I have started running, and doing workout videos, and taking Zumba classes (which I HIGHLY recommend!). Now if I could afford a gym membership so I could start lifting weights i'd be golden.

annameier8706

1. Drink TONS of water! When you're feeling hungry, drink a glass of water then wait 10 minutes before you decide to eat something. I have a tendency toward boredom eating, and this has really helped with that. I can alwasy tell when I'm not drinking enough water cuz I snack more.

2. Track EVERYTHING!! Even if you KNOW you're going to go over you calories. It's better to know the damage then pretend it didn't happen.

3. Start walking. I have two toddlers, so in the beginning motivating myself to workout was a joke, so I'd just put my girls in my double stroller and take a nice brisk walk. Since then I have started running, and doing workout videos, and taking Zumba classes (which I HIGHLY recommend!). Now if I could afford a gym membership so I could start lifting weights i'd be golden.

ogottwald

1) Use MFP everyday for positive feedback, information, and logging food exercise.
2) Get up early most days at 6:00 AM and hit the gym and MOVE.
3) Do weigh-ins less frequently with body measurements as well.

earthsember

1. Log everything in MFP.

2. Figure out what motivates me, exercise wise. I'm not someone that can just sit there and exercise to music and keep going. Jillian Micheal's workouts get me going, because she changes it up a lot and I like her instruction style. Not everyone will. When I first started, I did a lot of "10 Minute Solutions" workouts, direct streaming through Netflix. It gave me the ability to try a lot of different workouts without purchasing any of them, and sometimes after 10minutes I was ready to be done. Now I have a lot more endurance.

3. Tell people I see, in person, daily, that I'm trying to lose weight. Share my goals, and mention my accomplishments (conversationally, not bragging, lol). This keeps me committed, because once they know, I feel compelled to keep it going.

Touched670

1. Count calories....no more than 1820 day
2. Joined a gym, without exercise, I don't lose weight
3. LOTS and lots of water