If you could give everyone your best advice?

BrendaLee

What have you learned through this journey that you would most like to share with everyone- even if you don't always follow your own advice, but know you should? We're all trying to better our lives, and I would really like to know what you've done that has made an impact in your overall health and happiness.

oEmmao

never EVER give up

i am now healthy since 2007 and not at my goal, but i am almost 60 pounds lighter! this is the longest that i have had a healthy lifestyle and this time its for good!

:flowerforyou:

arewethereyet

Do-overs begin NOW!:glasses:

I had a lifetime of Monday morning wishes.

iRun4wine

Don't over-think ANYTHING. It will only make you crazy, and make you stress out over "starting over" or that tough workout in the morning, or how you're going to get through dinner at your favorite restaurant with family, etc. Don't think, just *do*

mommared53

Read labels. Read labels. Read labels. I don't buy anything (that has a label) without reading the label.

Lisa0711

Don't dwell on mistakes you make. Just start over as soon as possible and let a slip up just be that - a slip up. If you correct the mistake after you make it (by working it off or making adjustments the next day to recover ) instead of waiting until the next day or the beginning of the next week you can save a lot of precious time. Realizing this is what has helped me to lose almost 40 pounds.

Georg

Just shut up & get started.
No whining.
No wishing.
No excuses.
Just do it.
:bigsmile:

MacMadame

Track your food and move your body.

Ripgirl

Stop justifying.

I'm angry at hubby and I'm eating this ice cream. So there.
I'm feeling like living dangerously so I'm eating this pizza.
I'm feeling blue so I'm going to skip the gym.

I can justify it to myself all I want, but at the end of the day it's ME that pays the price. My body doesn't understand those justifications, nor do my fat cells or muscles. The calories don't take pity on the fact that I was feeling blue and burn themselves. Unfortunately. :huh:

Find patience.
I remind myself every day that the scale doesn't move that I thought the same thing 2 months ago. Except two months ago I was 7lbs heavier. If I'd given in to the frustration of a slow change then, I'd still be 7lbs heavier now.

And make it count.
I can spend 30 minutes on the treadmill barely breaking a sweat and burn a few calories, or I can work hard for that same 30 minutes and burn a few hundred calories. Those are 30 minutes out of my life I'm never getting back, so I try to get as much out of that spend as I can. Sometimes that doesn't feel good, but I tell myself 'just get this done!' - I'll be glad in the long run that I did, and it always feels good after

butterfly25

just dont give up...everyday is a challenge ..if you fall down just pick yourself back up and keep moving a head and never say you cant do it cause you can...i think everyone needs to hear miley cyrus song...THE CLIMB"...its a great song and everytime i hear it...it makes me want to keep going and never want to give up ..everyday we face a challenge with our weight and its up to each and every one of us to keep on moving ahead and most of all it up to YOU and what you want out of it in the END!!!!

July

Count Calories. Every calorie. Even that little tootsie roll.

lisam829

drink water.
track your calories, even if you go over.
don't give up. I didn't gain this weight over a couple weeks, I'm not going to lose it in a couple weeks.
This is a lifestyle change, not a diet.

smelmel

Don't binge on weekends.
I spent the first month on this website counting during the week but going over on the weekends because I thought it didn't matter because I exercised so hard during the week.
I lost a couple of kilos.
Then had a month off and put it back on.
Now for this last month I have been accountable everyday of the week, I quit gym and just use the exercise bike moderately for 30 min each day and I have lost more weght this time and I still eat chocolate everyday.

CasperO

I have mine cut&pasted, I toss it out there whenever I see a "Help me/I'm just so happy to be here/i need your help/please let this time be different" post from newb.

""""""
Hello from Ohio! You've come to the right place. Day 2, day 200,,, this is a great tool that will work wonders. Just take a look at the before and after thread - and remember that the folks with huge successes are just like you, they just started a little earlier. You can do it too, and you will, I just know it.

This is easy - here's all ya' gotta do:

Cook smart, lotsa good filling stuff. Some fruits, lotsa veggies, some grains-cereals, some starchy stuff, some lean meat. Almost nothing fried (and certainly nothing batter dipped & deep fried), and very very little pastry/cakey stuff.

Count your calories accurately with the food guide here, and stay as close to your calorie allowance as you reasonably can. If you cook properly you shouldn't be too uncomfortable on the calorie allowance MFP will give you.

Get some exercise - work that gym, walk a little every day, something - that's a huge help. Remember to log your exercise and eat at least some (I eat most) of your exercise calories.

And drink your water!

That's it, piece o' cake. Wife and I have been doing it for about 10 months now and we've done well.

You can do it too""""""""

tiffanygil

Your only cheating yourself, when you skip the gym or eat that cookie. The only person who cares or matters is you. and NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS SKINNY FEELS. Someone posted that here a couple months ago and it has been my motto ever since! Andy Pray, pray, pray, God can do anything!

mommyskis

Preplan your meals and log things in the night before you eat them. This also helps if you are an early morning exerciser - if you skip it, what are you not going to eat that day?!

curvykatie

never be afraid to be yourself

iplayoutside19

Use the food diary....and never miss an opportunity to be active.



.....and don't eat your kids left overs no matter how much it appalls your sence of frugallness.

SGFlyinHi

Water, water and more water. No sodas and very minimal alcohol if any at all.

Keep accountable: Log your food, even on your bad days. Even if you do have a bad day, don't let it get to you. Just get right back into eating right as soon as you can.

Exercise at least 30min a day with 1 day of rest, or at least no gym.

Yes, I am at my goal. Does my weight still fluxuate, yes it does. Do I stress over it- No I don't. If I slip and gain a few pounds, I just get right back into my new healthy lifestyle and the weight will come back off, slowly. Remember that the less weight you have to lose, the longer it takes.

Also, don't stress so much over what the scale says, focus more on how your chlothes fit and your bodyfat percentage. My trainer still yells at me every time I get on the scale. She says I look at those numbers too much, that the only numbers that really matter are the bodyfat, at least for me.

Good luck!!! :drinker:

BiloxiBelle

Many of these have been said already, but for me:
Plan/schedule workouts weeks (preferably a month at a time) put them on a calendar on your fridge & mark them off each day. If I miss one, I have to make it up before the week is over. This is not negotiable.
Track food, every single little calorie & educate yourself on "good carbs" "good fats" etc. so making choices every day is an easier process. And to make that even easier, put a copy of Michi's Ladder on your fride, in your car & in your purse.
Plan meals a day ahead of time-especially plan what to eat before I go to a restaurant
Which brings me to...restaurant food is way more calories than I ever imagined-cook as many meals at home as possible
Workout 6 days per week for at least 30-45 minutes
Weight workouts give me more dramatic results than cardio alone
Surround yourself w/supportive people
It takes ALOT of work and time to lose a pound. When I realized exactly HOW MUCH WORK...it made it easier to say no to unhealthy foods (most of the time!)

BamaRose0107

Don't get discouraged! Weightloss is not easy some days will be better that others but dwell on the bad days keep you eyes on the prize.



Since I started my weightloss journey I have lost over 100 pounds. It was hard and it is still an everyday fight but I am and will a stronger me in the end.

XFitMojoMom

forgive yourself.

ilike2moveit

Keep in mind that it's a lifestyle change and not a diet.
Make small changes and keep adding to them. I slowly changed high fat, high calorie foods for healthier choices. For example: change whole milk to skim milk, starated eating less red meat and more lean meat, eating more vegies and fruits, etc.
Exercise and stay active
Portion control and counting calories
I don't let myself weigh over a certain number-my accountability to myself
drink water
don't eat out very often

the small battles win the war