What's the single most effective change you've made?

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Replies

  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
    Dropping junk food. Specifically colas and other sugar loaded soft drinks.

    I had a 2 liter + per day habit. Stopped cold turkey. The first 3 + weeks were crazy. For a couple of days I had the shakes, just like an alcoholic.
  • pinkupooh
    pinkupooh Posts: 155
    I might have to make this kind of change as I eat my b'fast at 6:30 am and I am hungry by 9:30 am at work and start eating my lunch...:( I feel hungry all day long too..:(
  • SarahCW1979
    SarahCW1979 Posts: 572 Member
    Giving up diet soda's. Sorted my ridiculously sweet tooth out \o/
  • imkegoal
    imkegoal Posts: 156 Member
    Cut out bread in the week- I just have porridge for breakfast and meal soups for lunch. Worked for me.

    and on a 'keep sane' point of vview- I have stopped exercising every day, like I did before I was on MFP.
    I used to eat anything I wanted 'because I exercise every day'. I now eat less, and exercise less, but allow myself more calories when I do exercise. Far more effective way to loose weight and to keep sane (being in a FT job and having a young family as well).
  • bowser625
    bowser625 Posts: 95 Member
    Measuring out my food servings (portion control) and move more!!! :)
  • DaveBoyle3rd
    DaveBoyle3rd Posts: 2 Member
    Although I have just started using MFP, I know that being forced to record my meals has me thinking I will need to make big food changes in my life to match daily exercise. This will be a challenge with my wife, however hopefully she will be understanding and it can benefit both of us.

    The last time I was a slimmer version of me, the only thing I did was run 5K every morning. Eventually due to the poor weather where I live, and the lack of a treadmill at that time, I gained weight back over time due to not tracking what I ate in the cold seasons.

    Having the numbers shoved in your face makes you more accountable and makes you feel like you should be doing better I have found.

    For example, went to grab some chips last night, remembered I'd have to record it, and grabbed something else instead. :)
  • Missellaneous02
    Missellaneous02 Posts: 70 Member
    No more beer on the weekends :cry:
  • sevsmom
    sevsmom Posts: 1,172 Member
    Becoming a student of healthful activities be they diet or exercise related. I've learned about timing of various macro nutrients for peak benefit. . .various running injuries and how to manage them AND avoid them. . .useful tips in the kitchen to make changes. . .always learning and never believing I have the ONE tip/trick/method that will work the best. Always incorporating new tools! Tha's the most effective change I've made!
  • HotrodsGirl0107
    HotrodsGirl0107 Posts: 243 Member
    Finding out my bmr (in a lab) and finding my true tdee through trial and error. It took away all the guessing and hoping. Now I am able to feed my body and lose weight.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    Exercise. Before when I've tried to lose weight I've done a couple of DVD workouts a week and not got far. Now I do at least 2 a day (often only 20 mins each) and walk more (making an effort to walk at lunchtime, or go for a longer walk at weekends). I still count my calories and won't eat what I don't have calories for (so no nibbling a piece of cheese randomly or a packet of crips with a beer before dinner) but eating back exercise calories gives me the motivation for more exercise (motivation - not reward!). I never thought I would enjoy exercise before breakfast or look forward to doing a good workout after a day at work!
  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
    Actually measuring my food.

    Strength training with the cardio I was already doing.

    Nothing else needed.
  • CarlKRobbo
    CarlKRobbo Posts: 390 Member
    Eating MORE has worked for me!!
  • runfoodierun
    runfoodierun Posts: 59 Member
    I eat my exercise calories. WHICH encourages me to exercise more. I budget my calories for the week, and not daily. Everything in moderation. AND I recognize that I can get back up, when I fall. :flowerforyou:
  • SlimT05
    SlimT05 Posts: 19 Member
    One single thing is hard, but one of the biggest things for me was not giving up. I never felt I would honestly lose weight or would have the motivation to just do it, but was determined to keep at it this time around. Even when I might have gained and was discourgaed or was stalling in my weight for a bit, I keep going despite what the scale said and knew in the end it would get better. Slowly but surely that has changed this from being a process or "diet" to a way of life I am beginning to enjoy. That coupled with lots of support, less bad carbs, lots of water, exercise and no alcohol during the week, has helped tremendously. On track for my best body ever. :wink:
  • Belita38
    Belita38 Posts: 39 Member
    First: Eat more times a day and eat MORE!
    Second: reduce carbs and sugar (breads and fruits) and increase protein
    Third: Logging my meals
  • minikeeper
    minikeeper Posts: 5
    Accepting that I am a "carboholic" and that everytime I give into the sweets craving, that I pay for it for the next 5-6 hours with a huge "sugar letdown", now I try to think about how it's going to make me feel later BEFORE I give in.
  • wormy80
    wormy80 Posts: 64 Member
    bumping for later
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    Writing it all down and doing the math to see that even though I eat pretty clean, my portion sizes were out of whack.
  • rtarpley
    rtarpley Posts: 24 Member
    When I log my food/calories - I lose weight. When I don't track my food/calories - I sneak back into higher caloric intake. LOG EVERYTHING!
  • Belita38
    Belita38 Posts: 39 Member
    Finding out my bmr (in a lab) and finding my true tdee through trial and error. It took away all the guessing and hoping. Now I am able to feed my body and lose weight.

    Sorry, but could you help me? In what kind or lab and with what kind of exam can we know our bmr?
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    I'd say counting calories. Every calorie, as accurately as I can. Yeah, low carb has smoothed the last half and speeded it up and kept me sane but it has to go back to basics and counting calories really showed me what I was eating and what I could stop eating to change things.
  • tmgider
    tmgider Posts: 16
    I did a lot of research and finally stopped kidding myself about how bad processed carbohydrates are, even if they're touted as low fat, etc. So I stopped eating any type of food that was made out of white flour and/or sugar - cakes, cookies, donuts, muffins, 100 calorie snacks, bread, pasta. I also stopped eating sandwiches made with lunch meats and cheeses for lunch. Once I eliminated these types of foods, I started to lose weight consistently.
  • CherieOakley
    CherieOakley Posts: 9
    Eating a protein breakfast EVERY morning.
  • Lyssa62
    Lyssa62 Posts: 930 Member
    my single thing comes wrapped in a package -- I had to get a "routine" down. This includes my meals and exercise along with the rest of my mind, body and soul.
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 900 Member
    Eating "Clean."

    I know clean is a dirty word with a lot of people here (no pun intended). However, my definition is whole foods such as fruits, veges and lean meats and minimally processed foods with very few (if none at all) preservatives, additives, modified fats and sugars, etc.

    By the way, I don't eat clean for weight loss. I eat clean because it gives me more energy and I just feel so much better.

    Also, eating lots of healthy complex carbs such as rice, quinoa, and whole wheat (minimally processed) products. I recently realized that the whole "carbs are bad" trend was a bunch of B S.
  • Catwoman1037
    Catwoman1037 Posts: 102 Member
    The thing that helped me the most is not allowing food in the house I cannot stay away from in my weak times: Potato Chips & Ice Cream! I used to think I just had to be stronger and not touch it, but now I know it's okay to forbid it in my home. Also, being a part of this MFP community has given me so much strength!!! Thanks!!! :wink:
  • 366to266
    366to266 Posts: 473 Member
    There are so many it's hard to choose just ONE as THE most effective.

    Here is one that might help others: I bought a waterproof MP3 player so now I dance on the spot in the swimming pool. I used to just wiggle about a bit. Now the BEAT makes me do a full cardio workout!
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Cutting sugars.
  • Dark_Roast
    Dark_Roast Posts: 17,689 Member
    eating less
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    I get up and exercise. Period. Even if we have something really active planned for the day, I do at least half an hour of yoga or Wii balance games, or a 20 minute Zumba routine, just to stay in the habit of get up, workout.

    I found a good balance of what I call my moderate carb diet. I don't feel deprived, because I get some grains, but I don't have grains like rice and pasta as filler - I use cabbage, spaghetti squash and other veggies for that. A half serving of grapenuts give my yogurt the texture I like; a sandwich thin makes it possible to hold my salad in my hand; fiber one brownies are a reasonable way to have some chocolate.

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