What is the secret to your success?

debnu1

I have been wavering in my motivation as late :blushing: and so I have started checking out how everyone has lost there weight, reading the biggest loser success stories and any others I can find. So I want to ask all of you success stories on this site what is your secret. I will take all the information that you want to give me. You can rank them if you like, or what you think made the biggest difference. Was it the exercise, measuring portions, logging all of your food? Let me know your success and failure. I am looking forward to reading about the secrets to your success!! :bigsmile:

Thanks in advance.:flowerforyou:

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: desperation :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

I finally wanted to lose weight more than anything
*more than wanting to entertain myself with food
*more than I cared about anyone's opinion of me
*more than momentary comfort

I heard a successful weight loser say, "if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail"

---

for months I didn't go to bed at night until I had logged my food for the next day. I made a rule for myself that I would not eat anything that was not on the plan I made the night before. I did not accept any food offered to me not matter how benign (raw veggies) or how emotionally charged ("honey, I made these just for you") When there was a choice between doing something sedentary or something active, I always chose active (I don't knit, crochet, bead, etc as much anymore, now I walk or ride the stationery bike while I watch TV)

IF you are asking this question, then you are already on the way to finding the motivation that will work for you. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

AJCM

I lost all of my weight, using MFP, a couple of years ago now, and check in every now and then.

My success was thanks to tracking things on MFP, but really, MFP was just the "training wheels" that helped me to re-train myself, and my habits. Smaller portions, not eating at night, making activity a part of everyday life, and dropping the "all or nothing" attitude. It is a long road, and the weight doesn't come off over night. But for me, that used to mean just giving up. It is now a lifestyle, and I think that is the recurring theme of successful losers.

I read a study once that stuck with me... the people who fail on diets had one thing in common - the used the mentality of "I will start tomorrow" or "I will start Monday" and often engaged in "one last treat" or "one last big meal". The succesful losers (and these losers kept if off for at least 2 years in the study) had a mentality of, "I start right now".

I hope you find success in the new year!

Arlala555

OMG ! ::AJCM:: Your totally right on that study. For the past 4 or 5 years I have been saying to myself, family and friends over and over again. I'll start Monday, I'll start Monday. Monday comes I'd start and then by Wednesday or Thursday I'd start to fail. Then I again would say I'll start again on MONDAY. It was an evil continuous cycle. I noticed that route was failing for years. So I tried harder and say I'll start the first of the month and by the second week or so I'd start to fail again and then the next month would come same thing. That lasted like 15 or so months. Sometimes I would say I'll start tomorrow let me pig out today. By the time I was actually ready no one had the energy to help me or congratulate me if I start to see progress. This weight loss journey is only up to me. No one can ream the benefits but me. No one knows how my body will feel when I lose the weight. My only secret is believing in myself and knowledge to suceed. Without the two I think I will be hopeless. I lost 4 lbs already before MFP and the funny thing is I don't even remember the exact day I started all I did was right the number on a piece of paper with no date just my age. :happy:

itsmenatalie

I'm not sure how to rank these, but here are the things I think made a difference:
-tracking everything I ate and sticking to my calorie limit
-eating 1475 calories (my bmr) instead of the 1200 mfp recommended - I think I would have been way too hungry at 1200 and would have quit.
-quiting all soda - even diet soda
-massively decreasing the amount of fast food I ate (from like 8 times a week to 2 times a month)
-doing my official weigh in on Mondays so I felt accountable over the weekend.

Good Luck!

Arlala555

::itsmenatalie:: I know The MFP calories intake calculator seems a bit off to me. I had to adjust somethings too. I went on several other websites and they told me to have a few hundred more calories then the 1200 MFP had said.

debnu1

Thanks you guys, that is exactly what I have been looking for! This week I am going to start planning ahead and doing it today.

You are all so motivating! I will take any and all secrets to success that anybody has!

arewethereyet

Thank you for this thread Deb.

My success was based on:

Logging every morsal
Eating cleaner
Being aware of WHAT I was eating
Reading the labels
Eating every 3 hours
Eating protien/carbs/fat

Exercise 3-4 days a week for 40-60 minutes.

Thank you. I needed that. Simple to get back to reality.........(damn you Balsout Christmas Cake! )

debnu1

Thank you for this thread Deb.

My success was based on:

Logging every morsal
Eating cleaner
Being aware of WHAT I was eating
Reading the labels
Eating every 3 hours
Eating protien/carbs/fat

Exercise 3-4 days a week for 40-60 minutes.

Thank you. I needed that. Simple to get back to reality.........(damn you Balsout Christmas Cake! )

You are welcome, I want to gleam all the information I can from everyone, to make my journey that much easier... Maybe if I learn what worked for everyone else I can find what will work best for me! I am ready to break that 20 lb lost mark and make it 30!!

Tamishumate

Was it the exercise, measuring portions, logging all of your food? Let me know your success and failure. I am looking forward to reading about the secrets to your success!! :bigsmile:

Thanks in advance.:flowerforyou:

YES! IT WAS ALL OF THAT!! every single day, ( with the exercise 5 x a week) I logged every calorie I put in my mouth, even the ones I drank ( which so many people forget about) if I didnt know how many calories it was, I didnt eat it, period, there was no room for guessing games, not for me. I tracked every calorie I burned in the gym, ( and I only counted to ones that I burned in the gym, I never thought " I cleaned the house today, what kind of calories did I burn" ) I weighed myself every day ( I know , I know, not the best thing, but it keeps me on track and makes me think about what I may have put in my body the day before that made me gain a pound the next day, it really makes you understand how sodium intake affects your body, or that glass of wine, even if you had the calories for it) . It was knowing every single day that I was making a better Tami, for myself, and for my family.
Good luck !!

debnu1

Awesome!! Thank you so much for sharing! :flowerforyou:

murvine

Move more and eat the right foods,eat every two hours to keep( burring)and keep cal lower,as too your heart rate up for mim of 30 mints each day X 7 and weigh tranning two days a week .I have lost 60 lbs in 11mo"s.

debnu1

Thanks for sharing, and congratulations on the weight loss!! I have gotten some great ideas! :bigsmile:

MayLan

Hi Debnu,

These are the things that have helped me

-Wanting to lose the weight more than anything in the world; more than food; saying to myself: "Enough is enough"
-Logging in all my foods even on days when I cheat on my meals; i do this so that I am conscious of what I'm eating and I can then review what I have eaten and experiment on how many calories to eat, or how many carbs
-Going to bed by 9:00pm; with no excuses; so that I can wake up early to exercise. I say to myself, deciding to go to the gym starts at night when I decide at what time I'm headed to bed. Because if I wake up tired, I'm not going to exercise. I give myself the weekends off
-keeping foods that are "weaknesses" for me, because I tend to overindulge, "out of the house" I've already told my husband, no ice cream, no cakes, sweets. If there here, they are going in the garbage. I'm working too hard to lose weight, to have these temptations around
-Giving myself a day off the week to rest and eat what I want.
-Reading other people's success and picturing myself accomplishing that same success
-Doing all of the above, "one day at a time" and the rest will take care of itself.

rachi20024

Staying within my calories. I constantly move like when I'm on the computer I'm in a rocking chair (better than just sitting) and rocking. When I clean I blast music and DANCE like a mad women hopefully no ones looking but my son. It also makes me feel good all day. I also dedicate 30 minutes of time 3x a weekto exercise like a walk or a dvd. Oh and pilates I pilates. G-luck:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

debnu1

Thank you everyone, for other ideas you can visit this board, Tamtastic, looks awesome and has some great ideas!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/73722-success-to-hopefully-keep-you-going

arewethereyet

I lost all of my weight, using MFP, a couple of years ago now, and check in every now and then.

My success was thanks to tracking things on MFP, but really, MFP was just the "training wheels" that helped me to re-train myself, and my habits. Smaller portions, not eating at night, making activity a part of everyday life, and dropping the "all or nothing" attitude. It is a long road, and the weight doesn't come off over night. But for me, that used to mean just giving up. It is now a lifestyle, and I think that is the recurring theme of successful losers.

I read a study once that stuck with me... the people who fail on diets had one thing in common - the used the mentality of "I will start tomorrow" or "I will start Monday" and often engaged in "one last treat" or "one last big meal". The succesful losers (and these losers kept if off for at least 2 years in the study) had a mentality of, "I start right now".

I hope you find success in the new year!

Thanks for reminding me Amanda!! RIght now, this minute!!!

j_g4ever

Staying within my calories. I constantly move like when I'm on the computer I'm in a rocking chair (better than just sitting) and rocking. When I clean I blast music and DANCE like a mad women hopefully no ones looking but my son. It also makes me feel good all day. I also dedicate 30 minutes of time 3x a weekto exercise like a walk or a dvd. Oh and pilates I pilates. G-luck:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

I wish I could blast my music when I clean but I tend to get my power hour in at about 2am and I don't think that my hubby whom gets up at 4 am would like that :laugh: I just got a treadmill so I'm hoping with this change I can go to bed earlier. He keeps hinting that I should start going to bed earlier. I think he just wants some. :laugh:

miaangel345

Just keeping track of everything I eat and sticking to the 1500 calories MFP told me to eat. The more you loose the less you eat! When I first started a few months ago I was on 1600 and since I lost about 20 pounds my calories have decreased making it a bit harder to stay on track but luckily MFP is keeping me there!

msh0530

Really, my main attack on the problem has been portion control, logging, and thinking about what I am eating. I do a lot of advance planning. Here's to smart choices!

Tri_Dad

Great Thread- I see alot of reoccuring themes which just proves that the site works.

I can't explain why I was so serious about it this time. I just know that something clicked.

Things I learned-

-Logging food is SOOOOO important.
-Calories arent the only thing. You have to learn to eat things that are good for you and your body. If MFP says to eat 1400 calories a day it should NOT be 1400 calories worth of M&M's
-Dont rely on the scale for all your progress. Measure, measure and measure. Your body goes through alot of positive changes that don't involve weight.
-Find some sort of fitness activity to you love. Something you really enjoy doing. For me that is running and cycling.
-Get more active in general. Rather than sitting on the couch get out in the back yard and kick a soccer ball around with the kids.
-Never say "I messed up, I'll get back on track tommorow." Always get up on the very next oppurtunity. do NOT wait for tommorow when you can improve on today.
-Do it for yourself. This has to be for you. It's nice that those you love benefit, but if your motivation isnt at least a little bit selfish then your doing it for the wrong reasons.

That's what I have learned

:drinker: