What works for you...share secrets...
LosinItAll2012
Posts: 238 Member
Hi there... I am new here...15 days posting, and I am loving it!!
I know we all have different situations, and no two people are the same, but I am curious about what things you have learned since joining MFP, what tips you can share that may help us all on our journeys... whether it be with eating or exercise.
I learned to really watch my sodium intake... I never realized how sodium can affect our bodies and hinder weight loss...
I'd love to hear what works...or does not work for you!!!
I know we all have different situations, and no two people are the same, but I am curious about what things you have learned since joining MFP, what tips you can share that may help us all on our journeys... whether it be with eating or exercise.
I learned to really watch my sodium intake... I never realized how sodium can affect our bodies and hinder weight loss...
I'd love to hear what works...or does not work for you!!!
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Replies
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Hmmmm.... I apologize if this is seems incoherent, I was trying to entertain my kids, cook supper and type my "tips" lol.
First let me say, there are no "secrets". The only thing that works is hard work and dedication to yourself. So, remembering that everyone is different, and what works for one may not work for the other, here is what works for me:
- keeping macros at or around 40/30/30 - 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein.
- don't be afraid of carbs! Carbs fuel the body. Just stick with "good" carbs.
- fat is not the enemy. Natural fats (think nuts, lean meats, etc) are good for you.
- Protein helps to maintain lean muscle mass while losing weight. I aim for around 120g of protein a day and have been successful in losing fat and maintaining (even slightly increasing) my lean muscle mass.
- Sodium sucks!! haha. It's in everything and anything that is processed or bought at a fast food place; including Subway and Quizno's
. I have my goal set at 1500mg per day, but I really try hard to stay around 500mg daily. I cut out most processed foods, ie: deli meats and boxed/bagged foods. I still eat some, like cereal and such, but have given up the majority of it.
- Don't give up! One bad choice will not make you or break you. It will not ruin all of your hardwork. We all struggle. Just suck it up and get right back at it!
- EAT! Just eat more natural foods. Lots of fruits, veggies and meat (shop the perimeter of the grocery store)
I now eat more (quantity but better quality) than my husband lol.
- MOVE YOUR BODY! Whether you walk, do DVD's, strength train.... get some form of activity in and try to do so every day
Also, take the time to educate yourself. You'll have lots of people on the boards tell you all kinds of stuff. Some true, some full of BS. Research for yourself and then through trial and error you'll find what works for you. I have had great success in learning about BMR, TDEE and what my body needs.
After saying all of that, I will say that it's overwhelming at first, but then you get into the swing of it and the eatting healthy and the exercising becomes second nature. Simply put.... Move more and eat natural foods.0 -
I agree with my girl HodderAL. It took some time for me to figure out what works for me but I finally did. It hasn't always been perfect but I keet trying. Eating clean as much as possible and constantly moving has been the key to my success.
Good luck!0 -
Hi, welcome and good luck!
There really is no secret. As far as I know, there are no secrets. There are no magic food, no magic pill, no magic plan. It's just hard work and dedication mixed together with patience. It's just calories in < calories out. Watch what you eat and how much you are eating. Exercise when you can (or make time for it if you can't). Get enough sleep. Don't deprive yourself but also don't over indulge. It's little choices and modifications that helps a little at a time. Over time it will result in great changes.
If you are asking for secrets to over come the little, annoying challenges that comes your way. Then, well, you need to be a little more specific.
However, I'm rambling. Welcome and Good luck! Make smart choices.0 -
Set small goals for yourself, with rewards along the way.... I didn't do this all at once! First I thought wouldn't it be nice to loose 10 pounds... 80 later, I'm never going back! Reinforcement is KEY! Don't beat yourself up if you don't always follow through, just try again!
I started with dieting, then when that was successful, added the gym a little, and when that helped added the gym more, but I didn't like it. So... I made going to the gym rewarding. I gave myself these big rewards:
-Haircut & highlights at 20 pounds
-new jeans after every 5 pounds - that got expensive as I started loosing 5 pounds a week, but was needed!
-30 pounds- my husband shaved his beard
-a tablet at 40 pounds in 4 months
-60 pounds in 6 months was going to be a cruise (but then I did it in 5 and realized I couldn't afford it! lol- maybe if I do 100 in 10?
-70 in 6 months, more new clothes, I stopped buying for a while, but man I can't stand not having things that fit! and new gym clothes... much needed, when your Capri pants touch your ankles it is not a pretty sight
Recently I've thought about it, and could have reinforced myself for going to the gym, eating better, or inches lost, because weight isn't the best measure of the fact that I was being successful!
Take your measurements because the scale is not the only indication that you are making progress, you'll be happy you did.
YOU CAN DO THIS!0 -
Work harder today than I did yesterday. No. Matter. What.
Seriously, no secret. If you exercise, push yourself. When you have a great day, hold on to them. When you have a not so great day, let it go. Just work harder the next day.0 -
Getting up at 3:15 to go to the gym.
I know it sounds horrible...and some mornings it feels it...but it's the only time of the day where my only possible excuse is "I just don't want to go."
Nobody needs me that early. Not work, not the wife, not the kids. Nothing ever "comes up" that early to keep me from going.0 -
Getting up at 3:15 to go to the gym.
I know it sounds horrible...and some mornings it feels it...but it's the only time of the day where my only possible excuse is "I just don't want to go."
Nobody needs me that early. Not work, not the wife, not the kids. Nothing ever "comes up" that early to keep me from going.
Wow!! that's dedication!!! 3:15 am?!?!0 -
Thank you all so much for sharing!!! Lots of great advice and info!!!0
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Getting up at 3:15 to go to the gym.
I know it sounds horrible...and some mornings it feels it...but it's the only time of the day where my only possible excuse is "I just don't want to go."
Nobody needs me that early. Not work, not the wife, not the kids. Nothing ever "comes up" that early to keep me from going.
3.15?!! OMG. Is that not a little extreme?! What time do you go to bed - 7pm?!
As we know, everyone is different and if this works for you then good on you. Its a little too hardcore for me though as I always wake up tired no matter what time I get up!
What works for me? Location & climate. Hot & sunny and living by the coast I am working out, cycling, kayaking, walking, gardening etc all the time. However, at the moment I am living in a village 3 hours from a coast & it seems to rain constantly. So for me, a move back to the coast should provide motivation. If only someone would buy my house - stupid recession!0 -
Getting up at 3:15 to go to the gym.
I know it sounds horrible...and some mornings it feels it...but it's the only time of the day where my only possible excuse is "I just don't want to go."
Nobody needs me that early. Not work, not the wife, not the kids. Nothing ever "comes up" that early to keep me from going.
3.15?!! OMG. Is that not a little extreme?! What time do you go to bed - 7pm?!
As we know, everyone is different and if this works for you then good on you. Its a little too hardcore for me though as I always wake up tired no matter what time I get up!
What works for me? Location & climate. Hot & sunny and living by the coast I am working out, cycling, kayaking, walking, gardening etc all the time. However, at the moment I am living in a village 3 hours from a coast & it seems to rain constantly. So for me, a move back to the coast should provide motivation. If only someone would buy my house - stupid recession!
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
I've got a busy family and a very demanding special needs child. I decided I need to carve time out to take care of myself because I have people who seriously need me to take care of them.
I go a little short on sleep...but I've gotten used to it, kind of. :-)0 -
The tips I learned were:
*NO MAYO-one tablespoon has 90 calories, most restaurants glop on 2-3 tablespoons, that's almost an extra 300 calories for a veggie sandwich! mustard (@ 12 calories per tablespoon) is much more calorie friendly.
*reduce sugar-I pretty much cut out most of the processed sugars from my diet. I still indulge in the occasional cookie/candy bar
*VEGGIES-and LOTS of them, they fill you up, and help clean out your system.
*no more dressing-I only put pepper and lemon on my salad.
*water-lots of it, drinkdrinkdrink
*Protein-is your friend. Keeps you full
*Don't Deny-yourself the occasional small indulgence, I still go out to eat 'junk' once a week. Now I realize I can't eat as much of it now, but I still get my 'fix'.
I made all these changes slowly, it takes time. Again, different things work for different people.0 -
Carb cycling and fasted HIIT cardio are my secret weapons when wanting to lean out0
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Getting up at 3:15 to go to the gym.
I know it sounds horrible...and some mornings it feels it...but it's the only time of the day where my only possible excuse is "I just don't want to go."
Nobody needs me that early. Not work, not the wife, not the kids. Nothing ever "comes up" that early to keep me from going.
3.15?!! OMG. Is that not a little extreme?! What time do you go to bed - 7pm?!
As we know, everyone is different and if this works for you then good on you. Its a little too hardcore for me though as I always wake up tired no matter what time I get up!
What works for me? Location & climate. Hot & sunny and living by the coast I am working out, cycling, kayaking, walking, gardening etc all the time. However, at the moment I am living in a village 3 hours from a coast & it seems to rain constantly. So for me, a move back to the coast should provide motivation. If only someone would buy my house - stupid recession!
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
I've got a busy family and a very demanding special needs child. I decided I need to carve time out to take care of myself because I have people who seriously need me to take care of them.
I go a little short on sleep...but I've gotten used to it, kind of. :-)
This is awesome!! Great for you!!! How lucky your family is to have someone like you take care of them!!! 0 -
I take MFP with me everywhere. If I have to dine out I pull up the restaurant and pick my lunch/dinner from the MFP lists, not by browsing the restaurant menu. It has saved me a ton of calories (as well as sodium like you mentioned).0
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Hi there... I am new here...15 days posting, and I am loving it!!
I know we all have different situations, and no two people are the same, but I am curious about what things you have learned since joining MFP, what tips you can share that may help us all on our journeys... whether it be with eating or exercise.
I learned to really watch my sodium intake... I never realized how sodium can affect our bodies and hinder weight loss...
I'd love to hear what works...or does not work for you!!!
Sodium causes water retention if you have too much of it, but it does not affect fat loss in any way.
That said, wen I first started out, pre-planning my meals every day was essential until I established a habit.0 -
Oh, and get a lot of motivated friends on MFP. Just reading their news feeds will help motivate you.0
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Dont be afraid to experiment. Different things work for different people.
Drink water. Lots of it.
Never give up a food you love completely. Eat less of it. Strict restrictions lead to binges.
Move more.
Find good friends on here. Dont be afraid to delete absent ones.
Prelog or preplan especially when eating out.0 -
A strategy that is working great for me is to type my foot into MyFitnessPal BEFORE I eat it. I don't allow myself to eat unless I've already tracked it. This helps me make sure I log everything and helps me ask myself, "Do I really want to eat this?"0
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Running works for me.....it's worked WONDERS for me. When I first started losing weight, I had to be so careful about what I ate, even spending 2 hours, 6 days a week in the gym, I had to be careful.
I'm still careful now, and I'm particular about what I eat, but since I started running daily I have a LOT more wiggle room for when I feel the need for a cookie or some alfredo.
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Exercise is great for me, in that it keeps me shape, but it really doesn't help me lose weight. I run and do kettlebells, and with or without doing those exercises, I still lose weight, as long as I keep under or at my caloric intake. I eat pretty much whatever I want, except that I have to eat gluten free. Sodium is not a problem for me, possibly because I use good sea salt, which contains other minerals that work to balance out the sodium.
No secrets!0 -
No secrets.
Elbow grease (move your butt, lift heavy things, rinse and repeat)
Eat right. (Balanced, healthy, whole, enough, non-deprivation)
Drink enough water. (Drink until you're not thirsty anymore and your pee is clear)
Get enough sleep. (Probably the most important thing)
Laugh as often as you can (mind over matter).0 -
Good for you! I lift weights and a lot of them. I haven't lost any weight but it's amazing how quickly your body reacts to weightlifting. Muscle weighs more than fat so don't be discouraged if you don't see scale changes It all goes back to exercise and eat right! MFP has tools and amazing people to push you along the way! 0
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Weigh everything on a food scale. I was shocked to see that what I thought was a portion/serving was actually 3x the proper amount! It's not something to do forever, but it was so helpful for me to retrain my brain to see things differently.
Make changes that you can keep up forever. I know I can't eat 1200 calories a day for my entire life. But I *can* eat 1600 calories and burn 300-400 though exercise.0 -
-Whole foods
-Regular and scheduled exercise
-Goals
-Not eating my exercise calories, but eating forth weight I want to be.
-Not having cheat days
-Exercising 6 days a week
-Low sodium, low carb, and low bad fats
-Whole grains, low fat dairy, lean meats, fish, poultry and lots of water!
-Logging everyday no matter what - even vacations and holidays.0 -
Carb cycling and fasted HIIT cardio are my secret weapons when wanting to lean out
do you do Chris Powells Carb Cycling? I am thinking of trying it0 -
If you can, prelog your food for the day so you know if you need to eat more or if you can't have that glass of wine with dinner.
Lean meats, lots of greens and veggies, carbs from whole grains and fruits.
Make your exercise a combination of cardio and strength training - you won't retain your muscle with just cardio.
Use the forums as a resource - you can find just about any topic if you search for it. But take advice on here with a grain of salt, and do your research before you start down any particular diet strategy or exercise program.
Good luck!0 -
I second all the great comments people have already made.
For me it is all about working activity into each day, and getting into a routine that I can stick to.
I also find that tracking Every Single Thing I consume is important. I used to ignore "liquids", because how many calories could a drink have? How wrong I was! It has been much easier to lose weight since I have begun tracking drinks as well as food, since I am able to make informed choices.
I also pre-plan dinners out, so that I can structure my day's eating appropriately. There are veterans of MFP who can automatically do this in their head, but I still use the app.
Good luck!0 -
Log everything, every day, dont cheat-you are only fooling yourself.:smooched:
Get lots of like minded mfp pals, world wide.
Drink lots of water.:drinker:
Dont weigh yourself every day, do it once a week.:sad:
Download endomoro onto your iphone and use it to track walks, runs etc.
Have alook at fitnessblender.com
Enjoy this website.0 -
I take MFP with me everywhere. If I have to dine out I pull up the restaurant and pick my lunch/dinner from the MFP lists, not by browsing the restaurant menu. It has saved me a ton of calories (as well as sodium like you mentioned).
I do this as well.... On crazy lunch breaks, I'm in the drive thru checking out the info on the foods I want to order...makes my decision for me!0 -
Dont be afraid to experiment. Different things work for different people.
Drink water. Lots of it.
Never give up a food you love completely. Eat less of it. Strict restrictions lead to binges.
Move more.
Find good friends on here. Dont be afraid to delete absent ones.
Prelog or preplan especially when eating out.
^THIS0
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