If you could give only one tip.....

melusinagr

Be patient. Weight loss doesn't happen overnight. It needs time, effort, and a LOT of patience.

Jill_newimprovedversion

It's on my profile....
The only way to counter bad habits is to do the opposite.

I got into trouble because I didn't care and didn't do anything about it.
I got my life back when I started caring again, and doing something about it.

PlumeriaToo

Learn to appreciate that unfamiliar feeling of your stomach stirring. Remember how it felt when you'd overeaten? This feeling is more like a tickle that reminds you that you are actually eating for fuel rather than fulfillment. I like to think it is the feeling of the fat burning off.

davegruper

I have learned a few tips:

Get a good support group to encourage and motivate you and hold you accountable.

Log your food and workouts consistently so you can see what works and what doesn't

Track sodium - too much makes you retain water weight

Eat minimal carbs after lunch unless they are high fiber or fresh fruits and veggies

Settle in for the long run. Healthy weight loss is slow weight loss. The scale does not always reward the weekly effort but it will eventually. Instead, focus on setting and maintaining healthy eating and exercise habits because consistency will win in the long run. Be the tortoise!
Good luck on your journey!

taunto

1) Break down your goals into multiple smaller goals. Instead of telling MFP you wanna lose 100 lbs, say 20 so your ticker doesn't show this huuuge number you still need to achieve. It helped me tremendously and after I almost gave up, this simple thing brought me back

2) water, water, water. Drink more. I drink anywhere from 9-20 (depending on how much sodium I consumed). Try buying a water filter thing if you don't like the taste of tap water. I know I increased my water intake easily once I got a water filter

3) Weight lifting. Even if its body weight lifting (like pushups, situps etc). You will notice a difference very fast

4) Cardio isn't something you do INSTEAD of weight-lifting. You do it WITH weight-lifting. Don't cut out either and keep changing routines and have fun basically (go outside and play a ball game or ride your bike or goot the park with kids and play)

5) Keep good friends with you on MFP. I have a very small but highly supportive group of friends. It doesn't matter what age/sex/race/how far from goal they are. My friends range from a 60 years old Grandma from Alabama to a 20 years old Asian girl to a 30 years old single father. Find supportive and honest friends who don't just agree with you but rather tell you to move it or slow it down when you need to hear it

6) Be honest with yourself. Did you really worked out for 10 minutes or did you worked out for 5 minutes and walked around for the other 5? Was that really a single serving of cheetos? Why are you not logging the binge days? You only plan to log the good days? logging is there to keep track of the good and bad, not just the good

7) Embrace spike/bad/binge days. Just plan it ahead. You're tyring to turn off years and years of bad habits. You're not going to accomplish it right away. If you need that icecream, plan ahead a few days, workout extra and save those calories and then use it on that treat. I go over my calories by 1,000 to 2,000 on my spike days. I workout extra the day before or after and normalize the calories

coolbluecris

Educate yourself about your food, your BMR, TDEE, etc. Can't make accurate, reliable, sustainable changes unless you know the numbers.

How do I do that? Find my BMR and what is TDEE?

amnski

Be patient. Weight loss doesn't happen overnight. It needs time, effort, and a LOT of patience.

Well said

Roseher1948

Stick with it. It didn't come on overnight and it's not going to come off overnight.

Water, Water, Water.

Identify your weaknesses, figure out if you can cut back and if you can't go cold turkey. Some foods trigger some people. If you can do without them, you'll be better off.

I'm just starting out too I will need to keep this in mind.

sizesixorbust

drink water!
it's the first thing i told my mom when she started out after she saw how much weight i'd lost. it's the best advice i've heard ever!

twinmom430

Buy a food scale, I never realized how much I was over estimating a servicing size!

pg3ibew

My tip.

Do NOT lie.

misty0413

Consistency. Don't think you can be good mon- friday and then drink and cheat all weekend.

jforferris01

When exercising use a back supported belt if you have alot to lose. I have lost approx 60lbs and have started to use one... First it makes you sweat more so there goes all your water weight and it supports your back while you exercising like a mad person...and it puts all the fat together so you end up losing more inches faster.... Good luck.

jillica

PLAN your meals! Prepare healthy food and snacks beforehand to have them ready when needed. If you don't, bad choices are plenty and are alot more convenient.

Byrdsong1920

Love the advice so far....'If you bite it , write it"...'water water water'....'watch hidden sodium and cals'....all great ones!

I'd say: Visit this site and dont be afraid to eat...making this a lifestyle is key! Its not a race, but steady wins it all!

http://www.youtube.com/user/EatMore2WeighLess?feature=mhee EAT MORE TO WEIGH LESS

Happy Journey!!

BostonMatt

I'm sure it's been said a ton but journal your food.

TheFitHooker

Tell your mind to shut up and push forward. It's a commitment not an interest, take no excuses, only expect results.

edabrowski

To view your daliy calorie allotment as a type of currency. Each calorie your under is you added to your life savings. (pun intended). But you have to be diligent in recording what you spend (eat) and what your earn (exercise). This has helped me lose 12lbs in 7 weeks it may not seem like a lot but any lose of weight is a good thing for me.

Cliffslosinit

Most important....take all advice on here with a grain of salt.
Do RESEARCH for yourself...read, Google, etc....
What works for others may not work for you!!!

DieVixen

i like more than a tip