What do you do to lose weight?

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maharrod7
maharrod7 Posts: 32
in Health and Weight Loss
HI, I am just starting my weight loss journey and I was wondering if any one had some tips for me?
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Replies

  • Scott
    Scott Posts: 204 MFP Staff
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    Topic moved to General Diet and Weight Loss Help.
  • AndiJoy812
    AndiJoy812 Posts: 236
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    Eat clean, eat balanced, stay in your calorie range, and get moving! :o)
  • Hickyvikki69
    Hickyvikki69 Posts: 371 Member
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    stay in ur calorie goal, i started walking good speed and then i tried jillian michaels 30 day shred.
  • bradphil87
    bradphil87 Posts: 617 Member
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    I just started with small steps, cutting out sodas (even "diet" ones) fast food, things like that. And then I started doing cardio, after that came weight lifting. But it all started with one step. And then another. So just remember, when you take one step (even if it's small) your one step closer to where you want to be :)
    As for advice, I'd say to try and stay within your calorie goal set up for you by MFP. And you'll be set! Good luck! And add me if you'd like, I like to say something encouraging to my friends everyday :)
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    - Stop eating fast food. If you have to eat outside or are having a craving for something greasy and salty, make it worth it and goto a decent sit down place, take your time to eat and enjoy. It might be equal calories as a fast food but you'll enjoy it more and get to savor it a bit

    - Avoid soda/pop/commercial juices. For typical person, you lose a few lbs a year just by eliminating those alone.

    - If you're a coffee/tea drinker, be careful of the additives. The cream and sugar and other crap we put in coffee can be very expensive in terms of calories.

    - If you go over your calories "budget" on MFP, dont sweat and go outside and actually sweat those calories out. It doesnt take a long run to burn 200 calories (for me its about 30 minutes of walking, faster if I jog)

    - If you had a bad day, you went over your calories by 2000, dont worry, goto sleep, enjoy the deliciousness you had because you will be trying to not have that for a bit and start over tomorrow. You didnt gained all that weight in one day, you aint gonna drop it in one day!

    - move whenever you get a chance. Every little calorie counts

    - Dont go on a fad diet, just be old school. Eat right, small portions and workout. Millions of people have lost weight doing this, you can too!

    Good luck :)
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
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    Eat purposefully.

    I don't know your situation but for me it was a process of learning to stop thinking about eating as primarily a means to satisfying myself and more as a means of delivering the nutrients my body needs to be healthy.

    Beyond that, great advice so far in this thread... log your calories and stay in range, focus on clean and balanced eating, work on small steps.
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
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    - Stop eating fast food. If you have to eat outside or are having a craving for something greasy and salty, make it worth it and goto a decent sit down place, take your time to eat and enjoy. It might be equal calories as a fast food but you'll enjoy it more and get to savor it a bit

    - Avoid soda/pop/commercial juices. For typical person, you lose a few lbs a year just by eliminating those alone.

    - If you're a coffee/tea drinker, be careful of the additives. The cream and sugar and other crap we put in coffee can be very expensive in terms of calories.

    - If you go over your calories "budget" on MFP, don't sweat and go outside and actually sweat those calories out. It doesn't take a long run to burn 200 calories (for me its about 30 minutes of walking, faster if I jog)

    - If you had a bad day, you went over your calories by 2000, don't worry, goto sleep, enjoy the deliciousness you had because you will be trying to not have that for a bit and start over tomorrow. You didn't gained all that weight in one day, you aint gonna drop it in one day!

    - move whenever you get a chance. Every little calorie counts

    - Dont go on a fad diet, just be old school. Eat right, small portions and workout. Millions of people have lost weight doing this, you can too!

    Good luck :)

    I can personally vouch for every single tip on this list. I like the cut of your jib, riz9007!
  • OutiR
    OutiR Posts: 93 Member
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    What helps me to manage my weight:
    1. Sleeping enough.
    2. Engaging friends to exercise activities, doing it together.
    3. Home cooking, especially with huge slow cooker (=> no need cook too often)
    4. Logging in here ALL what goes to mouth and what I exercise.
    5. Staying positive about life.
    6. Loving fruits.
    7. Not buying candies, cookies, etc at home.
    8. After "fall" starting over again with no regrets.
    9. Wanting to be and look healthy.
    10. Reading, testing and sharing good tips from MFP forum.
    11. Eating all my exercise calories.
    Good luck and enjoy the journey! :-)
  • ronnio_ron
    ronnio_ron Posts: 61
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    all well said and worthy points.
    Soda's and cofy/tea shud also be done in minimum.

    dont overdo any particular thing because u read or got told by someone about it. be ready to test a lot of different ideas and over a month or 2 month period, settle down on a daily regime which you have made and u feel comfortable with.

    Take into consideration the cost impact, lifestyle change, time investment, patience and above all need for self confidence.

    best of lucks....
  • Mrstlovely
    Mrstlovely Posts: 28
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    I just started with small steps, cutting out sodas (even "diet" ones) fast food, things like that. And then I started doing cardio, after that came weight lifting. But it all started with one step. And then another. So just remember, when you take one step (even if it's small) your one step closer to where you want to be :)
    As for advice, I'd say to try and stay within your calorie goal set up for you by MFP. And you'll be set! Good luck! And add me if you'd like, I like to say something encouraging to my friends everyday :)

    i concur 100% percent! :)
  • DPernet
    DPernet Posts: 481 Member
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    I started by cutting out all alcohol, sodas, fruit juices, squashes and teas/coffees. Water only until I reach my goal weight.

    I cut out nearly all fast food, cakes, chocolate, sweets, crisps and biscuits. Now I only eat these as a treat if I have enough calories left over at the end of the day, and then only rarely.

    Changed my breakfasts to something healthy. No cereals apart from Oatmeal, Shredded Wheat or Weetabix. No fried food for breakfast except on very very rare treat days and so far there haven't been any of those,

    95% of our meals are now home cooked from scratch. Very few processed foods make it into the meal plan.

    Red meat is pretty much off the menu. I can count on 1 hand the number of times we've had beef in the last 4 months. Fish, chicken and turkey rule the roost in our house nowadays

    Most meals are either grilled, steamed, baked or prepared in the slow cooker. We hardly ever fry anything anymore.

    Lots more vegetables and fruits. I've eaten more lentils during the last 4 months than I have in my whole life before.

    Started swimming lengths at the local pool 5 times a week for 30-45 minutes each time and started going for long walks as often as possible.

    Record everything religiously on MFP and eat up to my calorie limits. Including exercise calories.
  • coconutbuNZ
    coconutbuNZ Posts: 578 Member
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    Small changes and stick within your calorie allowance that MFP will work out for you. I make a change and challenge myself e.g. this week I've decided to have zero sugar - no sugar in my coffee and cereal etc - just to see if it makes any diff when I weigh in next week; also trying to beat those cravings for sweets and replace that craving with fruit and/or yoghurt instead. Good luck and welcome.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
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    This thread has been spot on so far.

    Would just like to say, when trying fruit and veg if you hate one try, and try again.
    I used to absolutely hate all vegetables now I cannot go a day without eating them.
  • sweetpea7441
    sweetpea7441 Posts: 149 Member
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    Why must coffee and tea be cut out? Is this only if you take sugar?
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    Look for and avoid sugar in everything.

    Cut back on wheat-based food, it's not the wheat of 100 or even 50 years ago. Two slices of wholemeal bread will spike your blood sugar more than a Snickers Bar.

    Eat Real Food, avoid anything with 'low fat' or 'diet' on the label.

    Minimise anything with a label ;)

    Don't fear consuming fat, embrace eggs (from chickens that have been pastured, ideally) and seafood (wild, not farmed).

    Disregard the food pyramid, eat good foods that satisfy you.

    Ignore the 'fat will make you fat/harm your heart/kill your children' message.

    Treat the whole 'it's just a calorie', 'calories in/out, you will weigh xxx in 5 weeks' thing with deep suspicion if not contempt.

    Don't try to exercise too much, as a weight loss strategy it's overrated. Exercise is good but not, primarily, for weight loss.

    Learn when you are really hungry and when you have just had some carb-induced blood sugar comedown.

    Eat what we have been eating naturally for most of human existance and wonder why the obesity/disease-ridden society we have has only started snowballing since the introduction of things that can be barely classed as 'food'.

    Read up on nutrition and understand what is going on with your metabolism and don't take any nutritional advice as gospel, including this. :)
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    All great advice. Really commit to this site! You'll be glad you did! X
  • Wisewoman888
    Wisewoman888 Posts: 72 Member
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    Visit a naturopath, see if you're dealing with any hormone issues before you start. Hormones can stuff up your progress from word go making it incredibly frustrating if you can't lose the weight you want. I went today and was told I had a thyroid condition and my pituitary gland needed a huge boost. He's put me on a herbal mix from today and we'll keep you posted on the outcome!
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
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    Why must coffee and tea be cut out? Is this only if you take sugar?

    Pssh I love tea and coffee! have them everyday, never had any problems :)
  • DPernet
    DPernet Posts: 481 Member
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    Visit a naturopath, see if you're dealing with any hormone issues before you start. Hormones can stuff up your progress from word go making it incredibly frustrating if you can't lose the weight you want. I went today and was told I had a thyroid condition and my pituitary gland needed a huge boost. He's put me on a herbal mix from today and we'll keep you posted on the outcome!

    So he did blood tests for the thyroid condition and glandular imbalance and then gave you some mixed herbs to sort the problem out? Sweet!
  • danielle1983cov
    danielle1983cov Posts: 48
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    Why must coffee and tea be cut out? Is this only if you take sugar?

    You don't have to cut these out at all. Even if you do take sugar that's fine, as long as you build it all in to your daily allowance.

    I have lost 36lbs in 3 months using MFP. I maybe do not eat as 'clean' as other people, but I have found a balance which is completely sustainable for me.

    In the past I have tried lots of other weight loss programmes (WW, Rosemary Conley, Slimming World etc) but quickly grew sick of counting syns and points and generally boring everyone around me with what I could and couldn't eat. Now I've found a great balance. Just make sensible choices and make sure you do live a normal life. If you go out for a meal then do some exercise to help fit it into your daily allowance, enjoy it and move on! If you look at my diary you will see that I have been out for a couple of meals recently and had more than my fair share of wine! If I couldn't do this every now and again I know I'd just give this up and fall off the healthy eating wagon. This way, I know I can keep it up quite happily: forever. It's all about finding the right plan for you.

    Good luck with your weight loss journey. Feel free to add me as a friend! :happy:

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