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

ems1583

I stopped drinking soda, started doing turbofire 2-3x/week, bought healthy foods and watch the calories whenever I do my groceries. Basically, small things at first and then I decided to get serious with it. Now doing MFP calorie counting and Insanity workout forgot, less fastfood, like once/month now...:)

CrumCake81

When I started my "healthy eating", I started by cutting out junk food, exchange chips for popcorn, major difference, give up soda, coffee, etc, and drink nothing but water. Very hard to do, trust me I know. If you are addicted to caffeine like I am, get you some Crystal Light packets to go in your bottles of water, I use Wild Strawberry Energy. But only drink one or two per day, they are high in caffeine. I have also started the Couch to 5K program. My profile is going to say I haven't lost any weight because a friend told me about this website and I just logged on yesterday. But after I had my baby (he is now 7 months old) I was about 190lbs, I would say. Now I'm down to 174lbs. So I'm slowly getting there. But I know everyone has heard this before but it's very true. If I can do it, anyone can do it.

UpEarly

I just decided one random day (April 10, 2011) that I didn't want to be fat anymore... especially with my 40th birthday approaching. I joined MFP, set it to keep me on track to lose a half pound per week, exercised, stayed within my calories and let nature take it's course.

The one thing different this time from other times I've lost weight in the past is that I decided NO DIETING this time around. I didn't follow any special plan. I didn't have any forbidden foods. I didn't do anything radical or special - I just ate less and moved more.

Now, a little over a year later, I'm 57 pounds lighter, wearing sizes 6/8 and feeling/looking better than I have in years.

Suzieq5

In reality I have lost 47lbs. before I come on here. I started the diet due to Freddy Kruger Gallstones. You eat fat and you are in pain. (Mine were so bad I likened it to the last stages of giving birth). So that was my incentive to lose weight.. No fat = no pain. When I had the gallbladder out, it became harder because I could eat anything and be ok. Unfortunately Freddy Kruger's gallstone twin, arrived and Laugh a minute kidney stones developed with a nice does of blood poisoning as the side dish It just made me realise that if I did not listen and take notice of what my body was telling me I would not be around long enough to enjoy old age. I don't like ww, but I knew I needed to record what I ate. I sometimes don't eat and then binge. To stop that I eat regularly and record everything. I record everything for a reason, cos if I do, and I count it, at least it won't make me feel guilty for eating it and half the time when you think something has a zillion calories in it, it has not. I also gave up chocolate for 3 months and now it does not bother me. It is a hard struggle, and I have had blips but I must keep going. I am a realist, I know I won't get back to my younger self, where I could get a size 10 (English size), jeans on (if I laid on the floor and pulled the zip up with a coat hanger!), or have a body like Claudia Schiffer, I just want to be able to walk in a shop and be able to try clothes on that I don't even look at, and the most important thing, be a much healthier person, and lose the weight. So that is my story

CrumCake81

Yes major difference. I cut out soda completely and by doing that, I have lost about 20 lbs, with no exercise. Yeah it works. And it will make you feel like a new person, you won't feel so run down, you will have tons of energy. It's amazing what your body will feel like without soda.

TheDoctorDana

I have health issues (Fibromyalgia) and my aunt got me on these shakes to help with it because it helped a friend of hers. I figured after dealing with the pain for as long as I had what the heck, I'll try it. Well, the side effect was, I lost weight! That got me started here. I started logging everything I ate. I drink only water and I FEEL AMAZING. Quite a change for someone who didn't get out of bed most days until 2 in the afternoon. If I feel this good now, I can only imagine how good I'll feel after I get to goal weight

myjourney2

Joined a gym, hired a personal trainer and the healthy eating just seemed to follow naturally.

Forgot to add - I havent cut out any specific type of food. I just stay away from processed, packaged junk and I am very careful about my portions now.

I have never been a pop (soda) drinker but I do love club soda which has no calories!

PatSmith96

yes sodas have tons of calories .. I have cut down to diets .. i know they arent the best either because of the acids and such.. but no calories.. I cant cut out my sodas completely either.. lol. but coke zero is good and so is pepsi max.

_Schatzi_

I learned to cook! And how rewarding it can be to take simple, really good ingredients and turn them into something with FLAVOR! I especially love Mediterranean... basil, mozzarella, kalamata olives, sea salt... such glorious flavors in such small things!

PlumeriaToo

Cut out ice cream (so sad), cookies, cake, pancakes, waffles -- you get the picture. I doubled the amount of vegetables, lowered the amount of meat. I allow myself to actually feel hungry before meals. I do allow myself to have dessert on Sunday so I don't go mad. I've been doing this since 3/20 and by last weigh-in have lost 10 pounds. Now, I really have to get moving and add in that part of the program. Add pals here and accept all the support and ideas they offer. This site really works! Good luck to you.

CeeRawr89

Cut out soda, salt, most (bad) fats, junk food, and upped my intake of water, and drastically reduced the amount of coffee I drink in a day.

How did I begin? I finally got SO sick of myself, and it just so happened after my boyfriend, and the father of my child and I broke up.
I was depressed, and sick of myself and sick of feeling like a piece of flubby grossness.
My loss journey started Oct 2010. Within a year, at Oct 2011 I lost 40 lbs and 14 inches. I've gained a bit back because I was slacking, but I'm back on and going good. I've plateaued, but I think that's because of the weird sleep hours I've been keeping.
I play Just Dance 1, 2 and 3 on the Just Sweat things and burn TONS of calories and I try to maintain my healthy choices, and I've been making a lot of fresh food at home, including tasty smoothies. I made oatmeal raisin cookies, and they are amazing, and only 190 calories per cookie, and I can eat one and stop. It's all about portion control and lots and lots of water!
Working out every day for 30-45 minutes a day (sometimes an hour) has definitely made a difference in how I've been feeling and losing weight. I just really need to tone!

CeeRawr89

Oh, I've also cut out red meat almost completely, I don't miss it at all

lovediets

I love that comparison to the lawn mower!!! Thanks!

olmom1016

Great advice! Just starting. Hope these posts keep me motivated. I have steadily gained weight year after year NOW I have to turn that trend around.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

I love that comparison to the lawn mower!!! Thanks!

Me too!!!!!! :happy:

Krissy366

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.

For me it did. I was drinking a LOT of soda. Some diet, some not. I was wasting 260 calories every morning on a Mountain Dew and then any other number of calories depending on what else I had throughout the day. In the end, even though a good majority of what I drank was zero calorie, I decided that the calories were less important to me than the fact that it added absolutely no nutritional value at all. Basically I decided that my body deserved better. No judgement for those that don't make that choice - there are lots of things I decided I didn't want to give up that many others have. It was just my personal choice. It became a challenge that snowballed into other challenges. It also made me less likely to go for the candy bowl at work. So, yes, it has made a big difference for me.

omma_to_3

I began by eating anything I wanted while on a week long trip to Seoul. This involved HUGE amounts of walking and I lost 6 pounds LOL.

sensationallysassyt

I got OFF BIRTH CONTROL!!!!! :laugh: :laugh: ........I do everything I used to only difference is NOW I am losing weight & inches~

blndrenee

I started with Weight watchers. The hardest thing was shrinking the amount that my stomach was used to eating. Then starting swimming laps. Currently i'm doing zumba, running and weight strength classes at the gym and fitness pal. I have been at the same weight for awhile now and am trying to stick with this to lose the rest of my weight!

buffon85

i cut out the soda. i think the calories you receive from the drinks are the most important. are the ones you forget to count. also if you don't drink soda you ll drink more water. the same with the alcohol and the high calories coffes. i didn't cut out the alcohol completely, just reduced it!! also i reduced the junk food. and last i started walking and going out for dancing (that's why i needed tha alcohol! :drinker: )