Those of you who have lost 40+ pounds

deniseearheart

I stuck to 1,200 calories a day after exercise (which is 1,000 cal under my TDEE and amounted to a weight loss of about 2 lbs. a week). So, if I burned 400 calories at the gym, I'd eat 1,600 calories (1,200 & 400).

I do cardio every day for a minimum of 30 minutes. Started out walking (two 15-min. sessions) and progressed to joining a gym and hitting the elliptical machine for a higher calorie burn. Some days I'd go to the gym twice just to burn some extra calories!

At first, I just tried eating less of everything I normally ate, but I couldn't stand the small portions and feeling hungry. I quickly learned to make better food choices -- big salads with loads of veggies and just a little balsamic vinegar, TONS of broccoli, lean proteins with every meal, drinking lots of water. I would joke "I've never eaten so much food in my life as when I've been on a diet).

I also got a body fat scale so that on weeks where I might show no weight loss, and I'd otherwise conclude I had stalled, I could see that my body fat was going down.

OK, so I've shared what works for me, but what about you? How many calories do you eat each day? How often do you work out? Is there anything else besides you weight which has changed over the last couple months -- like less body fat, a smaller waistline, etc?

Finally, I'd say -- if you're stuck change something...eat less and workout more!

I recently upped my calories to 1900 as I was eating 1500 a day and sometimes eating them back sometimes not. Went to this web site that said I should up them if at a plateau ... working out usually 30 minutes a day 3-5 days a week but only the treadmill so I am starting yoga this week 2 times either before or after my cardio... I guess I will see from there... I think my downfall is drinks with friends. I have a friend I get together with for drinks 2 times a week although I do stay within my calories so I don't know.....

Jmstill300

How exactly did you do it?? What foods did you cut out of your diet?? How many hours a day did/do you work out?? Did you ever allow yourself drinks with friends or drinks on weekends????? I need to switch some things up because I am a stand still for over 2 months now... Help

I really didn't cut anything out entirely, just ate it in less quantities less often. When I work out, it's for 20-40 minutes a day 5 or 6 times a week. I didn't really drink alcohol before and I definitely don't drink it now (I'll always be the DD). Hope that helps! Good luck!

bluefox9er

How exactly did you do it?? What foods did you cut out of your diet?? How many hours a day did/do you work out?? Did you ever allow yourself drinks with friends or drinks on weekends????? I need to switch some things up because I am a stand still for over 2 months now... Help

without getting into the science of it all, basically..

eat less, move more. lots of aggressive cardio and portion management. make it a lifestyle rather than a weight reduction goal for best results :-)

good luck and really make a massive attempt to take ownership of your health :-)

pants77

I've gone from about 350 to about 235. For most of that time, I did some light lifting with dumbbells 2 or 3 days a week and cardio 3 or 4 times a week. I started at 20 minutes of cardio per session because that's all I could really do at the time, and I worked up to 45-60 minutes per session.

Nutritionally, I try to work out my whole day's worth of food in the morning and plan ahead as much as possible. If you plan ahead, you're more likely to avoid making mistakes and setting yourself back. Portion control is huge for me. Pizza was always a big problem for me, as I'd often eat a whole large and then some in one sitting. So now when I have pizza, I make sure I only have a couple slices available. Same theory applies to other foods I know will tempt me. Doritos? I don't keep them in the house, because I'll eat the whole bag. Oreos? Same deal. Etc.

In my experience, you want to go under your maintenance level but not so far under that you're hungry all the time. Small meals with a protein and a fiber component are also very helpful. It's unwise to cut calories too drastically or try to do too much cardio. You'll end up going into starvation mode.

If I know I'm going out for dinner or going to a party or something, I try to plan my day so that I'll have some calories in the bank. And when I'm out, I try to make good choices even if all the food available is less than healthy. Steak and a baked potato > burger and fries. Grilled chicken sandwich > fried chicken sandwich. Rum and diet coke or a MGD 64 > rum and coke or full wheaty beer. Little wins like that add up over time. You don't want to deny yourself all the things you love, because you'll be way more likely to fall off the wagon if you do.

In general, just try to eat a lot of protein and fiber, exercise frequently but don't overdo it, and make sure you're booking your food accurately. Others have mentioned food measuring - that's a big deal. If you don't have a food scale, get one. I got a cheapo digital countertop one on Amazon for about 12 bucks, and it's great for those foods that have nutrition info in grams or ounces. Much more accurate.

Stick with it and you'll see results. If you're doing a lot of weight training then don't pay attention to the scale, judge your progress by how your clothes fit.

beckyinma

I didn't have to cut out anything, just cut back on a lot, had a salad instead of the second or third slice of pizza. Light, instead of fat free, LOTS OF WATER. Its about moderation and forgiving yourself if you go over.

I'm guessing you aren't eating enough if you've reached a standstill.
My exercise varies and includes:
30day shred,
Butt bible,
3 days a week regularly of karate for an hour, (three years in)
Running, walking
Biking,
Rollerblading

Recently started New Rules Of Lifting For Women workout schedule.

Recently ended a plateau by increasing my intake by 300+ calories a day.

bllowry

I've lost 66 pounds the past 11 months, but I had a health diagnosis that demanded my full attention. That said, I made an appointment with a Registered Dietician, found I wasn't eating enough (!) and the foods I really love are okay to eat. I did make the decision to cut out all processed foods due to fructose and sodium content. One of the things the RD emphasized was not eating anything with more than 5 ingredients on the label if I had to buy things with labels.

The other thing I do is log daily; just seeing what I'm putting in my body helps keep me on track, though as I type I'm having a third glass of wine! :blushing: And I'm okay with that as I buy low percentage wines (11-13%), I enjoy having it and I've allowed for the calories. I walk, bike and lift light weights. I have arthritis and it does limit my working out on anything that pounds my joints, but I'm getting stronger and healthier every day

the_great_unknown

How exactly did you do it?? The main change I made was to portion sizes and I cut down on sweets. I didn't eliminate them. The first step for me was to realize how many calories I needed to be eating. I was off by quite a bit, because my efforts to lose weight in the past were unsuccessful, despite some hard work.

What foods did you cut out of your diet?? I don't think I have cut anything out. I have cut down on higher calorie and less healthy foods, like pizza, my beloved Mission-style burritos, Americanized Chinese food, and giant portions of pasta.

How many hours a day did/do you work out??
In general, 1 hour per day 4-5 times per week. Some weeks more, some weeks only 3x. I used to aim for 6, but I find that as I have gotten older (yay!?) I need a little more time to recover. When I work out, I work out HARD. Sometimes I get sweat in my eyes. I used to think I didn't sweat. I just wasn't trying hard enough.

Did you ever allow yourself drinks with friends or drinks on weekends? Yes, absolutely. Just plan for it. I have never been a huge drinker, so for a normal occasion, 1-2 drinks is the most I will have. I am a lightweight and that is plenty for me. Look for lower calorie cocktails or beers. Wine is nice too, just know that the pours at a lot of bars are way more than a 3 oz serving. Watch your appetizers and avoid going overboard on them. They can be killers in the calorie department. That is where I get a little nervous. When I go out with friends, I try to know a little about what my food options will be before I go so I can plan. Sometimes a burger is a better bet than some appetizers, unless it is huge, or look for chicken skewers or if you're a vegetarian, something with a small amount of cheese and some vegetables. If you are going to someone's house, of course you can bring healthy snacks to share. Don't tell people they are healthy! If they are like my coworkers, they will avoid them like the plague.

Edited to add: I cook at home a lot more, so I know exactly what I am eating and eat out maybe once or twice a week at the most.

Over the past few years, I stopped drinking diet soda to help with my heartburn. I don't miss it at all, which I never thought I would say

Meadows18

I have cut out eating sweets. I have a real bad sweet tooth. I also have been watching my calories and working out at least 3 times a week, which I recently began. One more thing, I try to eat more protein and less carbs, with alot of fresh vegetables added. It also helps to have a good buddy to help you along.

NBabi91

I cut out soda completely. I watch my macros, especially sugar and sodium. I work out at least 3 times a week and do cardio and strength training

poodlepaws

I allow Sundays to be my day off from the gym and to eat ''normally''...... diet soda and out to lunch with my daughter.
I am relearning portion control so the only thing that I have pretty much eliminated from my diet is fried foods and fast food. I bought a food scale and measure it all.
I also alternate gym workouts

ReinasWrath

I never cut anything out. Just did a calorie limit and tried to incorporate more veggies and fruits in the diet. I worked out (and still do and even more) a decent amount. Like an hourish a day for maybe 4-5 days a week.

shadowkitty22

I've lost 47.5 pounds so far this year and the only thing I've cut out of my diet has been soda. I now drink pretty much exclusively water (I've never been an alcohol drinker so that was never a problem for me). I still eat pretty much whatever I want, I just make smarter decisions overall. For instance, if my family goes to Burger King for lunch, I'll get the grilled tendercrisp chicken sandwich with no mayo because it's the most filling for the least amount of calories. That way I can still say that I ate at BK. I drink a crap ton of water 9-12 glasses a day. I work out (well when I did because now I'm stressed and busy with making an international move) 3-5 days a week for about an hour total; 30 minutes cardio and the rest in the weight room. But basically I lost it by religiously checking the nutrition labels, counting my calories, measuring my food at home with the food scale I purchased and exercising. I set my weigh loss goal to 2 pounds a week with a sedentary lifestyle (because honestly it really is) and it's pretty much just fallen off at a steady rate. Although now that I've almost lost my first 50 pounds, I'm going to change my weight loss goal to 1.5 pounds a week just so I can get some calories back because MFP has me at 1360 a day now and that's just getting really low for me.

SONIA820

How exactly did you do it?? What foods did you cut out of your diet?? How many hours a day did/do you work out?? Did you ever allow yourself drinks with friends or drinks on weekends????? I need to switch some things up because I am a stand still for over 2 months now... Help

For me, it was just eating healthier PERIOD. I cut out milk because for me, it's like crack. I walk and use 30 day shred, and dance and hike usually 20 minutes to an hour depending on what else I have going for the day. I also have three boys to chase around! I have a lot of responsibility on my shoulders so I don't drink....so not much help there! My diary is open to peeks but no advice or unwanted suggestions...I got this!

poodlepaws

Let me add I drink Crystal Light flavored water every day, the gym is 1 to 2 hours a day with lots of cardio and a bit of strength. I count calories, read labels, stay away from processed foods.

akgrown4

When I started I cut out soda (had been drinking 8+ diet mountain dews every day) and stopped going out to eat. Along the way, I have exercised off and on, more off than on though, and still managed to lose weight. About the only consistent thing I have done is eating as close to 1200 calories as I can, though not under, or on exercise days, eating as many of my exercise calories back to make myself feel good and not hungry. I switched the soda to bottles of water that I add crystal light lemonade to, though i may be changing that to a protein additive, instead, soon. Count calories, watch the labels (they do change, sometimes even in the same shopping trip, I've had it happen).

tabulator32

I sum it up like this.

1. I stopped eating junk food.

2. I walked at least twenty minutes a day.

3. I tried various approaches at different times (veganism, etc.) BUT...

4. I always counted calories via MFP.

I think the trick is to eat healthy, get a little exercise each day. track your calories, and be consistent and constant in these three things.

j1wright

I have not lost 40 pounds all together on MFP but I have lost 60 pounds since December but I had a baby so not sure how much that counts. Hehehe.

Just want to put out a word of advice. This isn't my first rodeo. I have been a yo yo dieter all my life. I used to a drinker and I couldn't keep the weight off when drinking on the weekends even when I alotted calories or points when I was doing weight watchers and I think one of the main reasons is like what one poster said is the bar puts more in a drink then you think and you are estimating less than you think you are drinking.

Just to experiment.....I would cut out alcohol completely or limit it to one to two glasses a week for two months just to see if you lose more weight than usual. I really think alcohol is a big culprit of weight gain, just my honest opinion.

All other questions, I excerise when I want.....1 to 4 times a week 20 minutes to an hour each time (yeah real random) all cardio. Either Zumba or running. I keep my calories at 1200 and only eat back a bit of my excerise cals. I log everything I eat and don't cheat. Good luck!

basschick

I think consistency was what worked for me. I logged nearly every day and just ate whatever I wanted as long as I stayed at or just under (within 20 calories) my calorie goal. I ate back nearly all of my exercise calories for my entire weight loss journey. As I got closer to my goal weight, I started paying more attention to protein grams. I would always try to get *at least* within 10 grams. This seemed to keep my "junk food"/"good nutritious food" ratio about right. Once a week I would have a big "cheat meal" that would put me 400-600 calories over for the day. As far as exercise, I started slowly -- mainly walking and doing pilates. After I had lost about 35 lbs., I joined a gym and ramped up the intensity quite a bit. I went to every class offered -- kickboxing, Zumba, circuit training, hip hop dance, water fitness, yoga, spinning, you name it. When I hit my goal weight, I looked like a skinny person with no muscle tone and a flabby lower belly.

Fast forward 10 months: I'm on maintenance and I've lost an additional 8 lbs. I'm mainly focusing on heavy weight lifting to burn up that last bit of belly fat and to look more toned. I still log nearly every day.

TheFitHooker

How exactly did you do it?? What foods did you cut out of your diet?? How many hours a day did/do you work out?? Did you ever allow yourself drinks with friends or drinks on weekends????? I need to switch some things up because I am a stand still for over 2 months now... Help

How did you do it? - Counting calories, tracking EVERYTHING even a bite of something. Not lying, doing it for myself, but before I could even start, I had to find something I loved about myself and go from there. I Had to find my self worth, I had to believe I was truly worth being better before I could be better.

What foods did you cut out of your diet? - The only food I've truly cut out is fried foods. I do not allow myself to eat fried and honest I don't miss it...

How many hours a day did/do you workout? - I work out 4-5 times a week and I work out probably about an hour every day. Not all the time but that's my average.

Did you ever allow yourself drinks with friends or drinks on weekends? - I drink a glass of wine every now and then, once in awhile my husband and I will go out and I'll have a drink. I don't deprive myself, this is after all a life style. If I deprive myself I won't do it after my weight is off.

Sounds like a Plateau you are at, I suggest zigzagging your calories, tricking your metabolism.

Forgot to mention I cut soda's completely out of my diet, I drink nothing but water unless I'm having an alcoholic drink or my coffee in the morning lol.

ines25

well i want to lose 40lb too down 20lb but i did not cut anything out i measure my carbs weight my meat eat my fruits i only cut out sweets i do not drink sodas,juices or alcohol once in a blue moon and i workout 5-6 times a week for 45-60min thats it