How did YOU lose weight?

LennyInFlorida

Law of thermodynamics. I ate less for about 8 months and worked out more. Obviously it was more mental than that with dedication but that's what it boils down too. I didn't follow any macronutrient schedule, just did calories and recorded everything I ate with no cheating. It's not about will power as much as it was I was ready to change...

Garce083

So is it bad to be on a 1200 calorie diet according to MFP?

akilahleemarie

i cocktail waitress 28 hours a week (so i am blessed to have atleast 2,000 extra tdee calories burned a week), mon-friday I do HIIT on my exercise bike 30 mins (burns 300 cal a day/1500 a week) and mon-fri i eat 1200 calories a day. saturday and sunday i do not work or exercise and I eat 3,000 calories a day. I eat all the garbage i have been craving, and then when monday comes i am so ready to go back to healthy. I have 3 different 1200 calories menus that I made that i can choose from. it pretty much is a list of what i am going to eat for the day and i am VERY strict with it. i think what im doing is the perfect plan for someone who struggles with diet because they feel so deprived. when it does feel tough during the week it gets easy because you know you get to pig out on the weekend. but you must make sure you are counting the calories. getting a weekend break really makes you feel like you are only going to be on a diet for 5 days vs. 6 months.

TinGirl314

The only 'diet' I've been on is counting my calories and logging my foods. I log everything...the only exception is if I feel a strong urge to binge eat (restricting my calories makes me feel like I should be hungry and causes me to eat even when I'm not, food was restricted in my childhood.) To get the satisfaction of 'cheating' I will allow myself one thing that I don't log, under 200 calories. Chocolate covered bananas are my current staple sweet food. I've cut my calories down to about 1,500-1900 a day plus half of my workout calories. I only do half due to finding that a lot of the calorie counts are off. Here are some of my staple foods:



Egg whites, Peanuts, Walnuts, Celery, Peanut butter, Apples, bananas, fruit cups, jello pudding snacks (also a sweet tooth food), chicken breasts, whole grain rice, triscuts, and hummus (my substitute for chips and dip.)



I try my hardest not to go out to eat at all. It's SO expensive and there's way too much sodium in those foods. If I go out I'll go to subway and get a six inch spinach and egg white flat bread, or taco bell to get off their fresco menu. I also have diabetes and PCOS, so carb control is essential. I was really sad when I started this because I'm part Italian and I LOVE bread. I have managed to pretty much give up all white carbs (with the exception of a potato here and there... I need to learn to cook sweet potatoes!) I have also limited my red meat intake down to about twice a week or less. I have high triglycerides so this is very important for me too.

I try not to drink soda at all, most of the day is water (especially during a tough workout.) The exceptions are sparkling water and 4C sugarless packets at 5 calories each. I just got some that have caffeine in them, which helps me get my day started without my coffee and 300 calories of creamer. Water is SO important though....if you're eating a healthy diet you should be getting 25-30 grams of fiber. If you don't drink water while you do this, you're in for a world of discomfort. the body also needs water to flush fat away...get the most out of the work you do by helping yourself along.

Pulled all that from a blog post...because a couple people have asked. Your plan is going to be different of course because you have a different body/metabolism, ect. Best advice I can give is to go into your doctor's office and say 'I'm ready to lose this weight, tell me what foods react best in my body.

MuslimFitnessInstructor

got off my *kitten* and started working out.

I was tired of being tired , I was tired of being fat, I was tired of being sick, depressed etc.

I joined my fitness pal, got a gym membership and went. started doing every single class the gym offers and got moving. I work out 4hrs a day. I eat 1700-2000 calories a day or more, i drink 200 oz of water a day, I dont leave the gym unless I have burned a min of 1000 calories. and cause of my work plus training for a tri, I burn 1500 or more calories.

I JUST DONT GIVE UP. I KEEP TRYING AND TRYING.

SoontirFel

Ate less, ran more.

Gharley64

2 things...
-Dukan diet ( I still follow it, even after 1 year)
-exercise....lots of walking 7 jogging

skcardiog

Rode the bike 451 times in 365 days - 50 pds later - hello new me . . . weight goal achieved. Time to maintain.

Bobby__Clerici

I follow the MFP recommendations for steady, safe and lasting results.
Diet:
My diet is spread out over 6 meals per day...3000 or so total calories...30% protein, 40% Carb and 30% fat. I eat lean meats, fruits and veggies, nuts, whole grains and low fat dairy. I supplement vitamins, fiber and protein.
Exercise:
I exercise 2 hours per day.
My training consists of both cardio and resistance coupled with low level MMA and tennis competition.
All Is Possible

lizzybethclaire

I got rid of as much processed food as I could.
I log everything
1600 to 1800 Cals a day
Bike outdoors 10 miles 3x week
Strength and weight training 2x week.

Good luck. Everyone is different. Just be consistent and persistent.

This

clouxles

Always worked out harder some days than others but lifestyle beer and not understanding how much I should or could eat (calorie wise) not necessarily quality wise.

I went on a diet... I read a lot about the "Ideal Protein Diet" Liked the science behind it.

Lost 50 pounds in 12 weeks.... been a year so far so good...

I feel better - have more energy and look a tad better than Santa ( I have not weighed what I do now since I was 19)

Now I eat\drink within my limits and this site is awesome for maintenance

I say no a lot more than I used to also...

MissJanet55

It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.

Thanks for your excellent and thoughtful post. A lot of it resonated with me, but especially this. I am learning that being a little hungry is not the end of the world. TOO hungry is a problem, but a little is okay. I am also learning to stop eating before I'm full, and I find 20 minutes later I do feel full (just not uncomfortably full).

I think we are so prone to being comfortable, and running from every uncomfortable feeling we have, that losing weight is really hard. Because it entails moments of discomfort, whether it's not being as full as we like or exercising when we're not used it it.

Yeller_Sensation

1. Ate much more protein.
2. Ate far fewer refined carbs.
3. Ate more complex carbs.
4. Cardio six mornings a week.
5. Strength training three afternoons a week.

dharmony1

I have lost weight by following the old line wisdom of diet and exercise or what I consider a powerful combination of "won't power" with "will power." From Day 1 I have used this program and logged 98% of what I have eaten, whether at home or away. I began walking routes in my neighborhood. Then when the weather and shortened days began to work against me I joined a gym .

My appetite has decreased so that I can eat smaller portions and feel satisfied. My physical stamina has increased (and some arthritis pain has decreased). I look forward to my gym time. As of today I have a 13 day streak going of getting there every day.

I am within two pounds of my initial 50 pound goal after four months. With that achieved I will began adding strength training to my regimen and work on dropping another 25 for a 75 pound total loss.

I have had lots of support and encouragement from friends where I am a volunteer. I even received a 500 calorie dinner cookbook from two of them as a Christmas gift (EatingWell.com book). Support, encouragement and now lots of compliments provide the motivation to keep going. It's also been fun rediscovering the wardrobe I have not been able to wear for years. It's also fun to go shopping for new jeans or a new belt and continue to downsize.

Short answer is diet, exercise and support of friends.

Garce083

What is the 1200 calorie trap?

AnJulNZ

What is the 1200 calorie trap?

Can someone who knows please answer this? I don't know what it is either.

Sparlingo

What did you eat? Did you workout? Did you eat healthy or eat bad but just a certain amount of calories? Did you make muscle after? Do you plan on making muscle?

Still a work in progress, but I'm a 5'0" gal doing:

- 1300 calories + at least some exercise calories (how many dependent on hunger)
- focus on hitting 85 grams of protein a day (difficult for me -- but it's my 1 gram per pound of lean body weight)
- Zumba 3x per week
- Weight lifting class 2x per week

UltimateMedu

In 2009 I went to visit the Middle east to see my family, and to be honest I didn't realize I was losing weight but I ended up losing 15-20 pounds in a month and a half. I didn't have any scales there and checked my weight the day I came back. Instead of the 3 meals a day I do here, I had 4 meals (8am, 12am, 3pm, and 8pm, - roughly and a bunch of fruits at about 9pm). I also had more exercise there than I did at home. Over there I was walking everyday, for hours at some times (shopping, or climbing mountains for fun - the mountains are nice haha). It was the best time of my life considering it was my first vacation. I was perfectly healthy, didn't get sick at all, and I had meals which weren't too little and weren't too much. I was 145-150lbs back then, and am currently 126 pounds, still trying to reach about 118.

Angiebabe2

Hello

I watch my calories and log every day. I try and pack in as much nutrition as possible so nothing is wasted and am constantly trying to refine and upgrade the quality of what i eat cos damn it it has to be good - a bit like me in the past trying to sqeeze a lot into a smaller pair of jeans! But it is interesting and fun and as I suffer from an autoimmune i have the added bonus of attacking an illness with my diet as well as losing weight. Just had my bloods done again and it has really paid off I am cholesterol queen with an amazing hdl ratio. I would recommend getting an fbc when you start so you can also watch the progress within as well as the scale and the tape measure. I do exercise as much as my muscles will allow but walk most days and do a lot of strength exercises set by physio but the most important adpect of the exercise for me is the old serotonin boost it leaves you feeling great.

And to the person asking about the old 1200 trap there are a lot of active threads on this so try one of those or stay with us lovely folks this thread is way more real and interesting and friendly.

Oh and just keep at it day in day out and those pounds suddenly start adding up to a big difference never thought i would be at it for seven months and 68 down

bumblbee007

Hi Angie, I also have a autoimmune disease - Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, if you have ANY advice i will very much appreciate it...