If you have lost 15lbs or more....

Lconsla

Drinking less of my calories, I don't just mean alcohol. I used to drink a lot of soda and juice. Measuring food to know proper portions/serving sizes. Eating healthier in general. I'm no where near perfect, I still eat plenty of junk but its soo much better than the way I used to eat...a lot less fast food and processed foods. Exercise...mix of cardio and strength training.

^^this is me, 28.8 lbs loss since beginning of November 2012

atb0821

I lost the biggest portion of my weight doing combinations of:

Low calorie
Low carb
Cutting out soda and *most* alcohol
Basic exercise (I started out doing Biggest Loser Cardio Max and some Wii)

That was pretty much it for the bulk of my weight. As I'm closer to goal it's gotten trickier.

steflbrown

Portion control for everything. More healthy food choices. Moving a lot more - whether it be planned exercise or simply getting all pumped up while cleaning. I also found that if I'm craving something, I allow myself to have it in portion. That way I don't get overwhelmed and blow my entire diet.

penrbrown

I lost the first 30lbs by going to the gym for an hour Mon-Fri and eating between 1400-1600 cals a day.

I was 230lbs when I started. I am 5'10 feet tall.

lewcompton

Anyone is welcome to add me... 134 since the first of July. 1. Be brutally honest. Don't be afraid to estimate high on calories and low on exercise. 2. Log everything! If you cheat, count it! 3. Move more!

mychellelynne

1. Measure and log everything.
2. Exercise at least 3x per week but do not burn yourself out by going all out in the beginning. It is a journey and you don't need to do it all in one week.
3. Eat at home more. My new year's resolution was to eat more at home and out less. We have done really well with it and have lost weight in the process.
4. Water!
5. If you can get a heart rate monitor. MFP sometimes gives us way more calories for exercises we do. It is best to know what you are really burning.

butterflyqueen1984

For me it has been cutting out all sugar from cups of tea, finding a sport that I love (swimming) and doing this 3 times a week. I don't drive or get the bus anywhere, I walk wherever I can. Then that good old portion control! Making sure that I only eat the right size, weighing carbs is one of the most important, you should never eat too much pasta or rice!

Most of all it is finding that inner motivation, when you are serious about losing weight you just will do whatever it takes. So good luck on your journey! If I can do it anyone can! xx

ajlandon

I've lost ~36 lb total (10 before MFP, 26 since joining). I bought a food scale and started using my measuring cups to control portions, I eat at a small deficit (no more than 500 cal/day under TDEE) because I was having trouble binging when I tried to eat below that. I quit drinking sugary stuff (I was never huge on soda - I was more of a gatorade, vitamin water, fruit juice person). I cleaned up my diet so I'd feel full longer. If I overeat, I move on and get back on track the next day. I use exercise for health.

irishscootz

The biggest, and probably the most difficult, thing that I have done was switching from soda (diet, and artificially sweetened drinks included) to water. The next step was to take control of my eating habits. It was really a change of mind. I LOVE food, but it had to become less about enjoying the flavors that I was craving, and more about providing my body with the unnecessary fuel it needed to help me burn calories. Eating has really become more of a "oh I should probably eat something" instead of a "I can't wait to eat, I'm starving, so super size it!". The last thing was getting active. This was pretty much a no brainer for me.

SnicciFit

3. Eat at home more. My new year's resolution was to eat more at home and out less. We have done really well with it and have lost weight in the process.

^^^GREAT advice!

Lupercalia

Eat! I eat 1800-2000 (or more) calories/day. Look up IPOARM (in place of a road map) for more info: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I track everything I eat. I eat a low carb, paleo/primal diet. Just whole foods, no sugar or grains, alcohol in small quantities occasionally.

I cook everything I eat from scratch.

I lift heavy weights two or three times per week and train with kettlebells on other days.

I walk or bicycle everywhere.

I REST. Days off from working out are important, but so is getting enough sleep on a regular basis.

I drink water.

I'm not afraid of healthy saturated fats anymore. I mean stuff like butter, coconut oil, animal fat, avocados, avocado oil, olive oil, olives, etc.

I eat two or three meals a day, not five or six.

I try to reduce stress in my life.

david081

I cut out alcohol, and eating between meals. Bought a very accurate kitchen scales to measure everything. Set a realistic exercise routine and stick with it, rain or shine. I only 'eat back' about 10 or 15%, as I found I wasn't losing otherwise...

cwolfman13

25 Lbs down in 5 months...10 Lbs before MFP and about 15 since MFP.

1. ) mindset needs to be in it for the long haul...no quick fixes. Weight loss is slow

2.) taking the time to research what my body actually needs...what my maintenance level of calories is...understanding why I was eating too many calories, what made up those calories, etc. Understanding my deficit and understanding that though I am at a deficit, I still need fuel for daily life and my workouts.

3.) Maintain a reasonable caloric deficit that is sustainable over the long run...see #1. Many people are simply too aggressive and cannot adhere to such substantial caloric deficits and they fail.

4.) Move more...but understand that diet and fitness, while good bed fellows, should have entirely different goals. Exercise for your fitness and use your diet for weight control. Set specific fitness goals that aren't intertwined with weight loss. BTW...you don't have to do a gazillion hours of cardio every day to lose weight...many people simply over train their bodies and get negligible benefits from their exercise routine due to it not really being focused on anything other than burning calories.

5.) Weigh, measure, and log...everything! If it gets in my belly, it gets weighed, measured, and logged. I pre-log my day the night before...this way I know exactly where I am at all times and always on target.

DebbieLyn63

I have consistently eaten 500-700 cals below my TDEE for the past 6 months and have lost 36 pounds. Went off plan for the Holidays for a few days, but other than that, stayed on track.

For me, I find it easier to stay under goal if I stay away from sugar, breads, and junk foods. Other people can handle them ok.

I get moderate exercise in 3-5 days a week, usually.

I eat between 75 and 100 grams of protein a day, and around 60gr of healthy fats, i.e. Almonds and other nuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, avocados, heavy cream in my coffee.
I choose high fiber veggie carbs and stay away from starchy veggies. Or limit them, to keep my total carbs under 75 (net carbs under 50 most days)

My body does much better on a lower carb, higher fat, moderate protein plan. But you need to find what works for you.

I did figure out that adding extra cardio didn't automatically equal more weight loss, and sometimes would even hamper it, so I keep my workouts to moderate amounts now and just try to stay more active thru out the day.

I have physical injuries that limit heavy lifting, or else I would be in the gym doing some heavy workouts 2-3 days a week, but those days are gone for me.

mareromeo

Im at 11 pounds so far, but not done, in past I have always lost 20 pounds or so. Once my Motivation is in gear I start out with only healthy food, incresed veges and fruit, I start by walking for exercise, then progress to light running mixed in, if I feel things are not moving along or platae(Can spell it) I amp myself up more with more exercise. I read every possible thing I can on weight loss.

aliciagetshealthy

I do what I plan to do forever. Eat better (most of the time), get some exercise, don't do anything crazy to try to lose (how would I keep it off?). I log every edible thing that passes my lips, I aim to NET around my mfp calorie goal (anything +/- 100 counts in my book), I eat my exercise calories, and I don't stress/freak if I haven't lost if I did "everything right". It just is. I need to eat right and exercise forever-so no rush. As long as I do those things, the weight comes off when it feels like coming off. Working so far...

^^^Exactly this. My deficit is small. I don't "diet". I cut out nothing. I don't do anything now that I can't see myself doing, always. What changed the most was actually getting rid of the crap in my head...when I fixed the "why", the "how" was/is rather easy.

sunsnstatheart

I cut calories. That is all. I still drink beer, wine and whiskey, and eat pizza, bacon, pancakes, hamburgers, sausage, ice cream and chocolate. Of course, I also eat plenty of lean chicken, vegetables, fruit, dairy, whole grains and sweet potatoes.

_noob_

cutting calories and busting my hump in the gym...

tryinghard71

MFP logging like a mad woman. Even log my vitamins because many have calories. Always try to eat my exercise calories back. When I stayed at just 1200 max and was not getting to 1200 net then the scale stayed still. Eating those back helped a lot. Food is number one. Calories in vs calories out. But a strong strong runner up was when I started weight lifting. When I was just doing Cardio only it was a slow road. When I started doing P90X my body really started changing. You can look at my before and after pic on my profile.
1st picture is me just eating 1200 calories and doing cardio. 2nd picture was when I started eating those exercise calories back and completed my second round of P90X.

Good Luck!!!

AllonsYtotheTardis

portion control is number ONE!

Healthy choices is number TWO!

Moving is number THREE!!

I lost 21 pounds in 2012 and intend to lose 30 this year. I started walking - throw in a couple squats and touch toes and twisty at the waist thingers here and there...moving makes you have more energy. once you see the scale move it gives you more motivation to keep going!

Good Luck!!

Sums it up for me, too.