Share what you did to lose weight successfully

WannaBeThin87

What plan did you follow?
Did you exercise? If so, what kind of exercise?
What do you think was the main reason for your success?
How long did it take you? You can also list your start weight & current weight.

cmriverside

Consistent calorie counting and moderate exercise over a period of eight months. I lost 52 lbs. That was five years ago, and other than a ten pound up-and-down fluctuation in the winter months, I've kept it off.

robot_potato

I eat good food, and some junk as long as it is within my calories. I exercise. I do random cardio, like walk, run, bike, climb stairs, whatever i feel like really. I do that a few times a week. I do squats, crunches, and all sorts of other stuff with my medicine ball daily. Now that i am closer to goal i am focusing on muscle building. My weight loss has slowed, last week it was only 1/2 pound but the inches are coming off so i am happy. I started at 231, got down to 185 before i found MFP, just by eating well and doing wii fit mostly. That took about 8 months. I started MFP january 31, and i am currently at 164.5. I don't have any secrets or tricks.

JoolieW68

Not to sugarcoat it, but I got off my *kitten* and started working out and quit eating crap. For the first 7-8 months I only walked (3 miles almost every day). I wasn't counting calories, but was eating healthier most of the time.

It took me 17 months to lose 100 pounds.

Abrasue

Low carb, high protein diet. Lots of strength training and HIIT works for me! I dropped 20lbs last year in about 2 1/2 months! Now just maintaining and building performance and muscle!

bjc101

Consistent calorie counting now for three months, combined with walking for 3 miles everyday at 3.5 mph. I'm down 25 lbs, halfway to my goal. Today I realized a long time goal of riding my bike to work, 7 miles each way. It was great, I'm looking forward Monday to ride again.

hbm616

My journey has been looooong and slow. Started in 2006 with Jenny Craig and lost 30 lbs that has (thankfully) never piled back on. Went up and down for a while then in in 2010 I got serious again and lost 60lbs from mostly counting calories and just trying to be more active and walking everywhere and kept that off. December 14th 2011 I realized I had gained 5lbs and I knew I was headed right back where I had come from so I started counting calories and exercising (this is the first time I've seriously combined the two) and I've lost 16 lbs, a few inches and I feel great.
I mostly do the elliptical and weights at the gym. Occasionally I throw in a stationary bike workout. Last week I tried running for the first time so I think I'll try and keep that up once its warm and dry enough. I also do a lot of weights and calisthenics at home just trying to get my heart rate up for an extended period and I've attempted yoga a few time but my slipped disc seems to hate that :grumble:

Edit: I also started cooking in 2010 which is really what I credit my weight loss to. I learned to make healthy meals based on whole foods. I try to avoid anything labeled "diet" or containing simple carbs (for the most part). I do my best to avoid processed and prepared meals and foods but that's not always possible..due to laziness/business so if I eat something crappy I jsut make up for it next meal.

AmyEm3

When I was actually losing weight I was running (started by walking and then progressed to running) and doing several different Jillian Michaels dvds. I ate on average 1400-1700 calories per day and occasionally even more. I've never been able to do the 1200 calorie per day diet. I ate more on days when I did a longer run or two videos or a run and video in the same day. I lost 40lbs between May and mid-December.

I drink a lot of water. I didn't really keep track of carbs vs protein until around last December. I cannot do low carb (or I might hurt someone ) but I try to hit approx 100 grams of protein per day.

WannaBeThin87

For those that count calories, any advice? It drives me nuts, I think I have ocd. If I don't know the exact calorie amount, I go nuts!