Its great reading seeing success stories but...

auroranflash

thats because everyone does someply completely different.

Even if I do running and you do running - we still eat with different forks and pee at different times.

You know how we all did it?

Trial and Error
practice makes perfect
Just keep swimming
If at first you dont succeed
plan b
plan c
try harder
try something else
eat something else
dont eat something else
plan f
start over and retry all those things
do it again
do it harder
do it faster
do it slower
sweat
cool down
sweat
eat
shower
read
learn more
learn WAY more
trial and error
practice makes perfect
succeed.

Just quoting this so it is forever in my comments log. Carry on.

zyxst

Eat less; move more.

I don't go by MFP. Once I bought a Fitbit, I had a better grasp on what my TDEE is, so I could do TDEE - 20%.

RobinvdM

What has worked for me:

Educating myself on better choices of food and then applying it, despite how much kicking and fussing my entire family does. I buy the food, I cook it, they can eat it or go hungry

Using a food scale is absolutely critical for me, especially at the begining. Its rather eye opening to see how much a portion size is. Some foods I found out I was eating too much, and some! I found out I wasn't eating enough. LUCKY ME! WOO!

Walking every other day (minimum) at least an hour at a time, though now that I am clipping along on a dreadmill at 4mph I only endure it for 45 minutes at a whack (daily though!)

Prepping snacks ahead of time so when the munchies strike I can just grab something healthy rather than kicking into graze mode and nibbling a lil bit of everything while searching for SOMETHING to eat.

I do 3 "meals" a day and 2 "snacks" a day and spread out my calories accordingly. I don't skip breakfast, never USED to be a bfast eater, but am now and kind of appreciate it as working out leaves me FAMISHED even after a solid breakfast.

I follow MFP suggested goals and use them more of a guideline, rather than THE RULE. I do try and stay within the suggested amounts, but I pay attn to as many of my macros as I can, esp the sodium as it plays havoc with my weight. I actually rarely pay attn to the fat on the goal list, :laugh:

While I do a daily weigh in I do not think its necessary for a healthy weight loss to do so, I just do cause I like watching how certain foods impact my weight on a day to day basis. I would caution that it CAN be a bit addictive making plateaus hard to wrestle with emotionally.

Water. I HATE water. I can't stand the TASTE. GACK. However, I drink about 15x8oz glasses per day.

oh, and most importantly. I never deny myself anything. Moderate it, sure. But why deprive yourself of something 'forever' when a taste of it could curb that craving? Frankly, that doesn't mean I go out and hit BK or McDs every day (lucky ppl who can eat that much sodium!) but the times that I do, I just pick what I feel is the healthiest choice, add water, and enjoy it. Dont set yourself up to fail by having freshly made cake sitting around the house every single day, unless you have more willpower than me- but every now and then bake a cake, have a small slice, freeze what you don't eat (in small serving sizes if you want to!)

I have about 40 choc chip cookies sitting on my sideboard right now, and because I had one last night when I was craving them, meh I don't want one right now Last year the cookies wouldn't have made it into the oven >.>

ETA: I suppose I should add that I log every single piece of food I stuff in my mouth on MFP, good, bad, or salty not to punish myself but to keep myself accountable, and see the weight increase/decrease and be able to trace it back to whatever food or non exercise caused it. Plus I use FitBit to keep myself on my own toes activity wise.

bettyzing

Wow! Thank you all for your feed back! Good stuff indeed.

TXtstorm

Joined MFP July 18 and had already lost a couple of pounds before that due to some changes in our household. Set my starting date/weight back to where I knew I was 7/4 or so. I had ~ 85 pounds targeted loss @ 1.5 pounds per week. I chose lightly active since I'm on my feet a lot at work and frequently bend, lift, or squat during the day then stay on my feet part of my evenings with household chores. I took what MFP gave me initially for calories (1350) and macros and set my exercise goals low @ 2 x 30 min per week, because like another poster, I didn't want to set the bar too high initially, fail, and have to push past the psychological barrier of immediate failure. I only count calories burned from intentional exercise or an activity that falls far outside of something I might do on a normal day. (Although, so help me, I seriously considered counting calories burned from spending 2 hours scrubbing down the bathroom my 8-year-old puked all over late last night.)

Within a few days I altered the macros and exercise goals because I was keeping within calories, but the macros didn't fit what I ate nor what made me feel good (energetic and not shaky). I reduced the carb percentage and increased protein and it seems like even the fat just a little. I added 1 more 30 minute exercise session. I believe both of the exercise settings had burn goals set by MFP automatically. I was losing at a rate exceeding my goal and wasn't struggling badly, so I left things that way.

Then there was the weigh-in day where MFP prompted me saying I'd lost more than 10 pounds since my goals had been calculated, so I should let MFP re-evaluate. My daily calorie goal dropped from 1350 to 1270. I thought that a bit much since I was outpacing my loss goals and again I want to ensure the likelihood of success. After all, I've dropped 40 pounds about 5 years ago, but it took a year to do it, I was frequently plateaued, I didn't really enjoy my food much nor feel satisfied very often, and I gained it back plus about another 7. I'd rather go slow and make changes that stick.

So I left the per-week loss goal at 1.5 pounds, put calories up from the new suggestion to 1300, and put the macros back where I had moved them to before. I think I slightly increased my exercise burn goal calories, but left the number of days/minutes the same. I continued to lose. I have made one other small tweak since then. I just hit my mini-goal of 20 pounds down by 9/1, but it took a little extra work. The extra effort didn't kill me and I knew my exercise goals needed improvement, so I increased the weekly calorie burn goal another 100 or 150 I think and set sessions to at least 4 per week. I'm still losing @ a smidge over 2 pounds per week average, which exceeds my goal a little, so I'm pleased.

Other things that seem to affect my progress:
1) Drinking plenty of water. I decided to only count plain water in the tracking tool. If I don't get at least 8 glasses daily I don't seem to feel as well or lose as steadily as I do even if drinking plenty of fluids in the day (I drink some coffee, some decaf iced tea, and the occasional diet soda).
2) Amount and quality of sleep. If I consistently get less than 6 hours a night, I don't feel so great and loss doesn't continue as smoothly.
3) Hormones, but not at my period as I would have expected. There is a specific week in my cycle that I don't tend to drop anything and may even creep up slightly. I have just decided to ignore that week each month. :bigsmile:

I'm hoping to get to my next mini-goal of 30 pounds down by 10/1, but it's going to be pretty tight to get there. If I miss it just a little I'll set a new mini-goal for 11/1 and try to decide what small change to make hitting that goal more likely.

OP, what goals/ideas do you have for your journey?

Lotusstarr

I took it as a slow start... I started making meal plans every Sunday so I knew what I was going to eat for the rest of the week... Picking healthier choices... I don't know much about how healthy it is always going to be until I try, I had a basic idea but also its in the picking of the ingredients.... I use several websites to inspire my tastebuds. Tastespotting being one of them. There are a few out there though that will give you the calorie and nutritional data.

So basically I started out by organizing my meals like I said. Making dinner a 3 course meal like I had growing up, Protein, Vegetable , Grain/Fiber. Sometimes the meals work and sometimes they don't, it just takes trial and error. I'm also learning what kind of Fish I like because I've never really eaten it even though half of my life I lived near a beach.

I mostly have soup or salads for lunch or rather than if I'm out getting the fried or greasy option I opt for a healthier sandwich, I'm not big on dressings/Mayo, I'll do mustard but other than that I'm ok without it. Small good snacks in between meals. I'm not always perfect, but you don't have to be. I want to be happy and make this diet/lifestyle work for me. Not just eat what I'm supposed to all the time or go vegan or cut out dairy, I know that doesn't work with me. I won't stick to that lifestyle, I know because I've tried.

Then I figured I needed some cardio to work into my plan. I started just walking making myself go for at least 3 miles a day. I sometimes now get 6-8 miles. I'm not a runner, so that was totally out of the question at first. But sometimes I just do sprints now.... I make myself run to the next corner or something. Then walk for a little while.

Then there was the toning... well there I started doing more situps and some Yoga. I started looking into Pilates. I think I like that more. I found all kinds of workout videos on YouTube. Then I found Pop Pilates / Blogilates I love it she mixes it up, puts out 2 videos a week, and even sets a workout calendar every month. I'm hoping to get a gym membership soon, but some friends have taken me to spinning, pilates, zumba classes at their gym with them and that was pretty good too. It gives me the chance to choose what I like. Like I said if you're not happy with the lifestyle change... you won't stick to it.

Other than that I have an awesome area around me where there is plenty of hiking trails. My goal was to go to at least one waterfall every weekend. I've found I like the ones that have more strenuous hiking to get to them. Also I've started cycling a bit. It really helps to have friends who are interested in doing these things, but you don't need them. Sometimes I find myself disappointed now not having someone to go with me that wants to do what I want but it's me I'm making happy for the changes and feeling better. I just go do the minimal with them and do what I want later

Make the changes you know you'll be happy with, what makes you excited, what you will want to do for the rest of your life, because really the term diet should've probably been 86'd from the dictionary a long time ago. IMHO Diets are a setup for failure "If you drink only pineapple juice for the next 6 months you'll lose ..." Well what about the 6 months after that? It's great to drop a lot but you can't survive on that.

I almost forgot.... taking a break every once in a while from being perfect is ok too... as long as it's not all the time.... you can't always tell yourself no to whatever it is that's your thing. Mine being a nice juicy steak. Have your day and get back on it the next day. Happiness is key.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

californiagirl2012

Not many have shared HOW you have done it? With so many variables it all gets confusing I would love to know what worked, MFP settings, sticking around BMR etc? Its great to see that something is working tho! :]

HOW to lose 60lbs ---> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

HOW to get Abs ---> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/746754-how-to-get-abs-with-pics

HOW to prepare for vacation body blueprint --> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/745151-i-got-a-compliment-from-rusty-moore-from-fitness-black-book

This is what you did, and it worked, and you look fantastic, but these are not requirements to do it, correlation =/= causation.

You lost fat due to caloric deficit, and maintained, or gained lean muscle by getting enough protein and by incorporating strength training. It is not more complicated than that.

Your route was one way, but you stating How to get Abs, there is only one way to get abs, have a low enough body fat %, no ab work necessary. You did ab work, but the reason you have abs is due to BF%, even if you did no direct ab work you would have had a six pack.

How to lose 60lbs, stay in a caloric deficit and give it time (not too large of a deficit so you don't lose much muscle). No cardio required, but you can choose to use exercise as a tool to achieve the desired deficit, but can be doe on diet alone.

I am not bad mouthing your plan. I just wanted to point out what is necessary vs. specifics that individuals did, which greys the water. But telling people this is how you do something when it will probably work, but what I stated above is how, you just showed them how you incorporated those key things.

You are so right. I'm sure that eating less and working out won't work for anyone else except me. I should never have posted what worked for me. So sorry. I will just go back to living my dream. Have fun with yours.

ShrinkingShona

There are so many things to tweak, and we all have different goals. My goal is solely weight loss as my health is good and I have no injuries. Keep in mind I don't consider myself a success story, only that I have just started down the right path.

SO - I focus on my calorie deficit. I learnt how many calories I needed to maintain my weight & now I eat about 1000 calories less than that each day. On top of that I have made a huge attempt to increase the amount of exercise I do. A minimum of 1 hour a day, often 2.

Perhaps I will care more about types of exercise or types of nutrients when I get closer to my goal, but as it's about 100lbs away, I have a while to figure it all out. Good luck!

CharityPearce

thats because everyone does someply completely different.

Even if I do running and you do running - we still eat with different forks and pee at different times.

You know how we all did it?

Trial and Error
practice makes perfect
Just keep swimming
If at first you dont succeed
plan b
plan c
try harder
try something else
eat something else
dont eat something else
plan f
start over and retry all those things
do it again
do it harder
do it faster
do it slower
sweat
cool down
sweat
eat
shower
read
learn more
learn WAY more
trial and error
practice makes perfect
succeed.

^^^this^^^ ABSOLUTELY!!! And no matter how many times you stumble... never, ever give up on yourself!

californiagirl2012

thats because everyone does someply completely different.

Even if I do running and you do running - we still eat with different forks and pee at different times.

You know how we all did it?

Trial and Error
practice makes perfect
Just keep swimming
If at first you dont succeed
plan b
plan c
try harder
try something else
eat something else
dont eat something else
plan f
start over and retry all those things
do it again
do it harder
do it faster
do it slower
sweat
cool down
sweat
eat
shower
read
learn more
learn WAY more
trial and error
practice makes perfect
succeed.

^^^this^^^ ABSOLUTELY!!! And no matter how many times you stumble... never, ever give up on yourself!

I did like this one too. It really is trial and error. I just hope everyone else does not have to learn the ten thousand ways that do not work first like I did.

originalcookiemonster

I do a Split style workout for strength training:

Chest
Shoulders
Back
Chest
Arms
Legs

I do chest 2x a week because I don't exactly have the best chest genetics. (This was also a recent change, maybe 2-3 months ago)

I also do cardio once or twice a week (maybe more).

Then I simply do calories in versus Calories out, and shoot for 100g of protein a day.

I usually attempt to go 500 under daily.

Nice and simple.

Your chest looks pretty good to me :bigsmile:

Oh! Right, we were talking about exercise/food stuff *fluster fluster* This actually sounds like a solid simple system. Congrats on your successes!

meshashesha2012

nothing too crazy for me..

since december i've been eating a slight calorie deficit (like 300-600 cals below my TDEE) and exercising an hour a day 5-6 days a week. the focus of my workouts are 3 days a week of lifting heavy *kitten* weights (i did NROL4W and not strong lifts) and the other days i do cardio or yoga.

it's been slow going since i've only lost 32 of the 70 pounds i thought i had to lose when i started, but i've gone from a size 20 to a size 12 an i'm ok with not reaching my goal for 12-18 months if it means i can still enjoy alcohol, pizza, popeyes, ice cream while i lose :laugh:

itsmedicinalbacon

5'5".... 162 -> 124

I did the 1200 calorie thing for probably about 2 months straight.. and that's when I lost a bulk of the weight.. but I was so unhappy and felt sickly all the time. So I decided to up my calories. First 1300.. then 1400.. then 1500.. and now I'm set at 1600.
Working out used to be a big part of my routine in the beginning.. but as my life got busier I found it harder to find time. *Big excuse I know.. but realistically I just started my first year as a teacher and I literally have NO time. So instead of focusing on not being able to workout momentarily, I decided to focus on what I could control - my food.
I TRACK EVERYTHING. EVERYDAY (I think I'm almost at 170 days in a row right now). This holds me accountable for EVERY choice I make - which helps me make better choices. If I ever go over on my calories (like 100 or more).. I "roll them over" into the next day.. which means I add them onto the next day so I'll be forced to eat a little less. I HATE when I start out the day with less calories than normal because of this.. so it works as a consequence for eating over. This also motivates me to make better choices so it doesn't happen. This also means I do not do cheat days! The way I see it is that your body doesn't know you're having a cheat day.. it's not like "Ohhhhh okay... cheat day? Then I won't make these calories make you fat!!" - Doesn't work like that. ANYTIME you put food into your body.. it counts. I always remember that it counts.
Really my success has just been constantly making good choices. I do not eat the healthiest (too many carbs.. not enough protein).. I know that.. but it is maintainable for my life.. so I'm happy.
Hope this helped.

this really helped me!! thanks!!

yoovie

Eat less; move more.

WHOA CAREFUL- you dont know how much the person eats or moves and not everyone is an overeater. Some people need to: Eat More Move Different - dont forget!

Always suggesting eat less is dangerous- what if they are on the edge of an eating disorder, or what if they are barely eating 1000 calories a day - dont tell someone to eat less if you dont know what they eat!

escloflowneCHANGED

Not many have shared HOW you have done it? With so many variables it all gets confusing I would love to know what worked, MFP settings, sticking around BMR etc? Its great to see that something is working tho! :]

MFP + eating back all exercise calories...that is all!

zaph0d

It's so simple and straightforward that it's easy to miss....

jillybean_75

thats because everyone does someply completely different.

Even if I do running and you do running - we still eat with different forks and pee at different times.

You know how we all did it?

Trial and Error
practice makes perfect
Just keep swimming
If at first you dont succeed
plan b
plan c
try harder
try something else
eat something else
dont eat something else
plan f
start over and retry all those things
do it again
do it harder
do it faster
do it slower
sweat
cool down
sweat
eat
shower
read
learn more
learn WAY more
trial and error
practice makes perfect
succeed.

^^^ love this

HeinzPrincess

I'm going to sound like a total troll, but here are my two big things right now:

not eating breakfast
not forcing myself to exercise every day

I set my calories higher each day and then realized I have a bunch of weekend things for the next few weeks and I don't count too well when I'm drinking wine, so I eat the 1200 ish cals during the week and more on Saturday. Sometimes more on Friday and Saturday. Sometimes Sunday as well.

My next step is to join a gym or buy a weight set so I can start lifting heavy. Then I will increase my cals, lift heavy, and post bikini pics with a big grin on my face.

danmiller87

This is my 2nd day back using MFP. I am only eating 1500 calories a day and not exercising for the first month. I want to establish good healthy eating habits and a pattern before I start trying to exercise and then get overwhelmed with all the changes and quit. One day at a time.

^^This is a BRILLIANT plan! :drinker:

yeah it is huh? I did this and it totally made losing weight a lot easier!!! 45lbs in 2 1/2 months

Charliebarleymo

I eat what MFP recommends for my height/weight loss goals - 1470 cals. I try to eat good healthy meals, but have no issues with the occasional meal out (even a McDonalds... shhh!). I eat treats almost every day but fit them into my calorie allowance. I have very little desire to cheat or binge as I don't deny myself anything - I just eat less of it. I believe in moderation, so I eat carbs, meat etc. I try to do some form of exercise most days, even if it is just a 10 minute walk, but I also go to the gym or swimming or for a big walk 2 or 3 times a week. I prefer cardio to lifting. I eat back some if not all my exercise calories. I log everything I eat and keep it accurate by weighing food etc.

I have been using MFP seriously for 5 months and have lost 35lb. I have 7lb to go!

Good luck with your journey!

PomegranatePriestess

MY body runs best with sufficient carbohydrates.

Taking a page out of Yoovie's book: I fixed your post for you. Not all bodies run -- or lose weight -- the same way.

Some people's bodies, like mine for instance, run best on fewer carbohydrates. It's genetics, for me. I have grandparents with adult onset diabetes on both sides of my biological family, so I need to watch my carbs.

Please don't read this as anyone telling you that you shouldn't be eating a "carby" diet. Please read this as it was intended: there are people out there who should not be eating a "carby" diet, and I'm one of them.

TheNewDodge

Eat a lot of chicken
Do a lot of blow

TheNewDodge

I've been successful this time because I have been able to make the mental switch. I literally view and understand food, no longer as a source of pleasure, but as fuel for my body.

MFP's tools, tracking everything, etc... has been a huge help in that regard.

BamaBreezeNSaltAire

thats because everyone does someply completely different.

Even if I do running and you do running - we still eat with different forks and pee at different times.

You know how we all did it?

Trial and Error
practice makes perfect
Just keep swimming
If at first you dont succeed
plan b
plan c
try harder
try something else
eat something else
dont eat something else
plan f
start over and retry all those things
do it again
do it harder
do it faster
do it slower
sweat
cool down
sweat
eat
shower
read
learn more
learn WAY more
trial and error
practice makes perfect
succeed.

THIS and I heart you!!! Nice job!

rachelerwin

1200 is what MFP gives me. I never go over that. I workout at the gym seven days a week and see a personal trainer twice a week. So far so good. This is a lifestyle change for me not a diet..

jlapey

I make sure I troll the forums every day and the weight just falls off

Yes, the finger that rolls the scroll bar on the mouse is quite thin now.

dcat4563

.

p_s_a

I will post pics sometime - I promise. But here is what I did.

I too used MFP's calorie recommendation - set to 2 pound weekly loss. I never exceeded the calorie recommendation. Not once. I didn't even really follow the category recommendations on carbs, protein and all that. Just ate "good" food and stayed under the number. As others have said, when you eat healthily, it is remarkable how satisfied you can be on many fewer calories. Can't say enough about fish!

I started exercising again. Running mostly. Started at 2.5 Miles @ 9.5 minute pace with a stop on most runs, kept going. Now usually run 4-8 miles with an 8 minute pace.

In 5 months (March - Aug) I lost a bit over 50 lbs. From 220 to 170. I am 5'10". I have since dropped about 5 more. When I "sorta cared", I was typically around 190 in my adult years. I have never been under 180 sustainably, but this time is fundamentally different. And, I feel a lot better too.

Now that I am on "maintenance", I have it set to lose .5 pounds (better safe than sorry) and I just stay under the bar. I don't eat my exercise calories back, by the way. I will go over the "unexercised normal", but I won't try to eat them all back. I just eat normally (the new normal).

You seem to be about the same size / goal as me and I'm looking for a little more guidance after a long plateau. What did you set your calorie goal at when you were in the bulk of losing? Did you not eat your exercise calories back during this time as well?
Thanks for any info..

TinGirl314

I posted this after I did my 120 pounds gone routine. It has my work out, my diary is open to the public.
I'm not an expert but if people have any questions and I feel like I can help I will. I'm still working on my last 75 pounds so I'm learning too. :0
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TinGirl314

happycauseIride

Bump for keeps. There is some great info here.