How did you kick start your weight loss? How did you begin?

emma83841

Doing a diet helps a ton more if you plan what exactly you are going to eat for the day. What time you are going to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner helps if you plan exactly what you are going to eat, when you are going to eat it. It's helped me so far! Good luck!

albinogorilla

I didnt' eat for a day, just water, sun up to sun down. Is that a popular thing around here? No, but that day reminded me of all the days before when i ate anything and everything all day long.

And still now, if things start heading in that direction again, i do it again. Then ease back into to doing it the right way........

Is it for everyone? No, but it works for me. This is primarily a mental thing also, its not a weight loss tool for me as much as its a get your ducks in a row tool.............

DianneB75

I read the book "Wheat Belly." I lost 5 pounds the first 2 weeks of giving up wheat and I haven't looked back. It was mostly water weight at first, but it was the kick-start I needed. I discovered that I'm wheat intolerant and sensitive to carbs, so I've been working on finding the right carb balance for me. So far I've lost 14 pounds, but I've hit a plateau. That's when I joined MFP and started tracking everything. I love to cook and bake, so giving up baking sweets was tough, but it has made the biggest difference. I've replaced much of the carbs I used to eat with protein and veggies.

Brandicaloriecountess

I went in blind, I just knew I was done being a cow. I cut my calories and practiced portion control.

MrsHutcho9988

I did a lot of research and finally made up my mind. I've tried dieting before but this time something clicked in my brain and I just comitted to myself and my health. Im not on a diet, Im changing my lifestyle. After that, I started reading labels religiously, planned out my meals and stuck to my plan. I also started to exercise just 10 minutes a day, I did that for a couple weeks and then found Hip Hop Abs. Ive been doing that, and now started on Insanity as well. Ive lost more inches than pounds but I am starting to feel a lot better, and the better I feel the easier it is to stick with it!!!! Also Ive learned the most important thing to watch is sodium, and your water intake.

FrancesOReilly

Wasn't easy. It was like starting an old lawn mower. I would finally get it started, it would idle, and then die......I figured it was time for a new lawn mower (needed to set smaller goals, get serious, and build my self confidence up again without worrying what other people think). That lawn mower has been running beautifully. It occasionally gets clogged from time to time, but a good cleaning gets it back on track.

Love how you've put it.. Spot on...

camboramb0

I started my weight loss after seeing how much weight I have gotten. 170llbs is not a lot for most people but it is for a 5'4 - 5'5' Asian male. I was committed to a healthier life style and I had to admit to myself that I was overweight.

I first started off by sticking to water, tea, and coffee. I cut out all the soda and anything with corn fructose in it. This went on for a good 1-3 months.

3 months later - I then started buying fresh cut deli slices and whole grain bread for my lunches. I avoided going out to eat for lunch during work and it saved me a WHOLE lot of money. I slowly adjusted my life style to include healthier food while excising daily. Stuck with a low calorie 6 meal schedule.

4 months later - I started p90x and is now about 149lbs. I just finished my second week and the results have been impressive so far.

I am hoping to get a 6 pack in the near future and try MMA for a bit. It took time to change what I was used to for over 10 years. But I have never felt so energetic and stronger since I was 18 (9 years ago).

NewLIFEstyle4ME

I have a question I noticed a lot of people cut out soda. Does it really help that much? I'm starting MFP and staying under my calories
about -800 almost a day.(I walk alot being a security guard) and I also walk for 50 minutes at the local park.

So does it really matter? I just can't give up both(portion control) and (soda) so I just limit my soda intake.

I'm not sure how much it matters, but I haven't had any soda/pop or even store purchased juices since I started (January 20th 2012) I used to be a soda, store bought juice and life long coffee fiend. Again, I'm not sure how much giving soda and juices and coffee the BOOT has contributed to my weight loss thus far, but I know I LOVE the absolute POWER and CONTROL:glasses: I feel NOT having to have a bottle or cup of one...I love when friends or family are guzzling down pops and juice and coffee, how I now (totally non-judgmentally BTW) sip my water and feel like a super hero/heroine for some reason. I used to HAVE to have that stuff and a lot of it...now I know I can drink some soda/pop/juice/coffee if I want to...but now I really don't want it anymore. I love the POWER of saying No, Thanks...I'll have some water instead. :drinker: I just that!

Iamjulez

I cut out sweets cold turkey since that was my downfall. I logged everything!! This allowed me to see whether the things I were putting in my mouth were good for me or not. Logging my food helped me become more accountable for my food choices. Now, I will check calories BEFORE I eat something:)

^^^^ This. I cut out all fast food (except salads at first, now I eat the side salads from mcdonalds for a lunch or snack *only 20 cal without dressing*. I cut out needless calories like salad dressings, etc (they hog your calories). I cut out any soda, sweet tea, juice (every once in a while I will mix 8 oz of juice with 8 1/2 oz of water it helps get in my water intake an makes the juice not so sweet so I'm still keeping my taste buds in check! But a nice treat) It took me about a week to recognize that I needed to stop eating late at night, not past 8 pm if I can help it at all...Eat LOTS of protein for breakfast and lunch and eat a SMALL dinner. Help your body by burning off most of your food calories before you sleep Also, try to fit in healthy food wherever you can... One thing I'm going to try recently Plain Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream to dip veggies/etc mixed with ranch packets. Switching your mindset and getting more active is what you really have to challenge yourself to. Sometimes cold turkey on stuff is better...helps clear your mind, taste buds and body of the junk!

ethannosaurus

When I started to shed the first 5 lbs I watched a few videso from a guy named Paul McKenna and I have not looked back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH2Z1fZG50s&feature=related (sorry, I could not find the video without the subtitles)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPmu6oCLLS8&feature=related (It's 240p but bare with it and stick to it)

1) When you are hungry, go and eat (no starvation mode)
2) When you eat, eat what you want but not what you should eat (because you will go crazy wanting cravings)
3) Eat consciously (slowly, so that when you are full, you will stop)
4) When you think you are full, stop eating

larkiedeek

I went cold turkey on alcohol, chocolate and soda on the 2nd of January. I also watched what I was eating.

I found other food to fill me up like fruit, corn-flakes and salad. I also re-discovered the value of water. Water makes me drop weight.

I just thought I would do it for a couple of days to try and clear out all the excess from new-year but stayed on it. I lasted about 97 days off alcohol but I am still off Chocolate and soda.

I think I can either maintain my weight OR drink alcohol and eat chocolate. I think more cardio will help restore balance as well.

sondra216379

I think im going to do this too

Eat at maintenance that is...for a few weeks. I've basically been stalled for a month

ssp1977

I was caught in the classic web...I would go to the gym and "work out" and then because I had "worked out" I figured that I earned ______________ (fill in the blank with any number of high calorie food or beverages with little nutritional value). To kickstart my weight loss I started keeping track of my calories, which I was grossly underestimating, and stopped phoning it in at the gym. Now I really work up a good sweat and make good nutritional choices to fuel my body.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

I was caught in the classic web...I would go to the gym and "work out" and then because I had "worked out" I figured that I earned ______________ (fill in the blank with any number of high calorie food or beverages with little nutritional value). To kickstart my weight loss I started keeping track of my calories, which I was grossly underestimating, and stopped phoning it in at the gym. Now I really work up a good sweat and make good nutritional choices to fuel my body.

Isn't that deep you'd call it "caught in a web" I found/find myself doing that too. Thanks so much for your post.

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THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR POSTS--ALL OF YOU GUYS STORIES ARE SO ENCOURAGING/ENLIGHTENING AND JUST PLAIN COOL!!!!

bigtone34

My biggest thing was portion size and then started jogging and now running a lot.

paulslim4369

always kick start diet with a 24 hour fast / do strict diet and refeeds with all your favourites also keeps you on track good luck feel free too add diary open

redpaisleyrose

Checked out all the success pictures here, with weight loss SO obvious! Then I started...because I know what to do, I just start.

ChristiH4000

I have real trouble with food so I started with exercise and at the very beginning started with yoga to help get my body prepared for everything else. It worked. Harder workouts and strength training followed, and so did fixing my diet. I'm on here now to fine tune all of that and finish up.
Yoga started it and is still part of my workout routine that I couldn't do without. I heart yoga.

CoryIda

I decided one day that I was going to get healthy.

I came home, dumped all of the junk from my house, replaced it with nutritious stuff, and took a walk.

Seriously. That's it. No looking back.

Emancipated_Tai

Just now coming out of a +2 month plateau. I switched to the south beach diet, upped my caloric intake from 1200 to 1400 & started JM 30DS & Ripped in 30. I've lost 2lbs per week the last two weeks.

sewerchick93

I did a 10 week wellness program. Learned how to set healthy goals and learned about eating healthy. I kept a food journal that was evaluated each week by a nutritionist, who would then make suggestions to make my choices better (healthier), I learned about portion size, calories in-calories out and how to calculate my needed calories and how to exercise properly within a target heart rate. for exercise, I just started with walking a minimum of 30 minutes a day and increased as I could. During the wellness program, an exercise journal was kept and evaluated each week by a trainer who again offered advice to get a more effective workout to reach our goals. We were taught how to properly read labels and how to make the most of our trip to the grocery store. Best of all it was free, given through my work!!!

lisaisso

i got dressed for the gym even when i didn't wanna go.. told myself i'd at least do 20 min on the elliptical. once there, it turned into more time..
i drank water starting from first thing in the morning, if i didn't start it then, i wouldn't drink any thru out the rest of the day (i'm still like this btw)
i meditated and envisioned myself at my goal size, dreamed about it...
i googled each and everything on lifting and being healthy, completely immersed myself in information.

lambeas

I looked at myself in the mirror and stopped making excuses... found an exercise program that i liked ( insanity and p90x) the tried to eat as healthy as possible by eating clean ( limit ANY processed foods)

Started to sleep better, feel better, less bloated and I liked it. Then joined mfp to try to create a sense of accountability.

kspoon5

First of all I joined MFP with a couple of family members- we weighed in, took measurements and set goals together. My first major step besides calorie counting was replacing my sweet tea with water. That was a HUGE thing for me I think I as addicted to it now I have in moderation with a meal and count it in my calories. I am in a plateau right now though :sad:

Mendham07945

I went to a Nutritionist. I thought that I was fine with my breakfast choice: special K, fruit and skim milk. I've switch to oatmeal or Kashi Go Lean with fruit. Needed more protein in the AM so that I wasn't starving by lunch time. Learned when that happened, one craves fats and carbs. I now have a mid-morning snack of cottage cheese or yogurt so that I don't go to lunch hungry. Have an afternoon snack of Laughing Cow cheese and Mary's Gone Crackers. That way, I don't get home and reach for food immediately.

Also log every morsel of food to stay within 1700 calories...I'm not deprived of anything.

hiker282

I cut back my calorie intake and started hiking. I'd spend some time outdoors at least 4 times a week and dropped weight like mad. Okay, it was two pounds a week, but it was a consistent loss for a good two or three months.

janeite1990

I spent 2 weeks working out 1x a day and holding on to 1 Coke a day. With no progress whatsoever, I committed. I dumped all Cokes and started twoadays. I can't always do 2 workouts a day, but when I can, I do. Also, I exercise every single day.

MarincicS

I started working with a personal trainer and keeping a food journal. After one month, i lost one pound. I cried. Then a friend told me about MFP. I never decided to 'diet' or cut anything out, but when i saw how many calories some foods were, and how much sugar or cholesterol was in some things, i just found myself making healthier choices. It has been pretty easy to stick to my calorie goals once i understood them.

Knowledge is power.

The more i log and pay attention and the more i read other people's successes here, the more and more good choices i make.

And for the few things i don't want to let go of, i make sure i control frequency and portions, or if necessary, find low calorie replacements.

shalewaeki

In December, I cut out soda and all other drinks completely, I now only drink water. I used to have at least 2 cans of coke in a day. I started jugging 20 mins -3days a week. By February, 8 weeks after I had lost about 21pounds.
I now attend classes in the gym 3-4 times a week, still struggling with portion sizes and eating out. Trying to eat more veg and protein.
Looking to lose more weight still.

cestoby

Congratulations on your accomplishment!!!!!!
you started power walking, how long, and what distance? what were you doing after that, if not power walking?
thanks for sharing!