99 lbs to go!! How did you do it?

Lexximarie21

I desperately need to get this weight off...

I tried W.W., I've tried extreme dieting...I need a lifestyle change.

Today was day one of a gluten free, sugar free diet for me & it went pretty well! I don't feel starved, I was able to refuse unhealthy food at dinner, and I am really excited about this attempt. I am soooooooo ready to get back to my pre-motherhood weight. I have hit my bottom and I want to change!

Do any of you have any tips? Diet, exercise, anything??!?

What worked for you? What motivated you? Add me please, I need support.

lilpoindexter

Take baby steps, don't make drastic changes you won't be able to keep up for the long haul.
The #1 thing that absolutely made the biggest difference was tracking every single stinking thing I put in mouth, even if the truth was uncomfortable to see how much I was really eating. Tracking my food lead to BIG changes...turkey sausage instead of bacon, no more OJ, eating only a "portion", buying a small scale to weigh my food, etc, etc. etc.
Forget about weight watchers, rasberry ketones or even being sugar free, just don't go over your calories, and you will be fine.
A bunch of times I went to sleep cranky because I thought I was hungry, but I think it was all in my head...by tracking my food intake, I knew I was correctly feeding myself, and I was in no danger of actually depriving my body of it's necessary feeding. After 18 months or so, I don't constantly think about eating, eating, eating...even if I think i feel a little hungry, I have control over my urges, and it's working.
GOOD LUCK!

pjammer10

Im in the same boat! I need some support and motivation to lose 80-100. I have a 5 month old and before i got pregnant i was doing zumba 3_4 times a wk. I saw some progress but unfortunately i didn't change my diet. Thats my biggest downfall especially now that im nursing and kind of need a few extra calories. I just over do it. I'll support you if you support me lol

BlueObsidian

Why did you decide on gluten-free and sugar-free? Do you have a gluten sensitivity or a medical condition that require keeping an eye on sugars? Are these things that you really feel like you can stick with for the rest of your life?

You have to make room in your life for the things you enjoy. Find exercise you like to do, and you'll stick to it. Eat foods you like to eat, and you'll keep going. Personally, I am for making 80% of my food choices healthy. That target still gives me plenty of room to enjoy things I love that aren't necessarily the healthiest choices. I know that this is going to be a long journey for me and deprivation has always led to failure during past weight loss attempts.

_Lori_Lynn_

What worked for me was reducing processed/refined sugar only. I also cut out bread and crackers, bc they process in the body as a sugar. I lost 18 lbs in 5 weeks.

Cindyinpg

Why did you decide on gluten-free and sugar-free? Do you have a gluten sensitivity or a medical condition that require keeping an eye on sugars? Are these things that you really feel like you can stick with for the rest of your life?

You have to make room in your life for the things you enjoy. Find exercise you like to do, and you'll stick to it. Eat foods you like to eat, and you'll keep going. Personally, I am for making 80% of my food choices healthy. That target still gives me plenty of room to enjoy things I love that aren't necessarily the healthiest choices. I know that this is going to be a long journey for me and deprivation has always led to failure during past weight loss attempts.

^^^^
This

nornyb

One stinking pound at a time.....or half of a pound......whatever it takes. Track your food and exercise and be honest! Every action we take has a consequence and the best way to be aware of those consequences is to be honest with yourself. I try not to focus on the big goals because they can overwhelm me.

WeightWatcherCindy

I think it's important to start a plan you can stick with long term . Starting an extreme diet or exercise program usually ends in failure . Track everything you eat . Drink a lot of water . Eat lots of fruits and veggies . Eat lean meats and low fat dairy . Whole grains in moderation . Get moving . Find an exercise program that you find fun . Good luck ! :flowerforyou:

Cindy

MumOfADuo

Baby steps....nothing drastic like cutting all sugar out lol.....unless you feel you can do that easily without feeling like a 'failure' if you have sugar.....for me its a HUGE mental thing.....if I 'forbid' something and I end up eating that 'forbidden' thing that I forbade (??) than I feel like a huge failure because in my head I think, jeez, Kath, you cant even go 1 day without blank?? What is WRONG with you.....blah blah blah....as I continue this journey (and it is a very slow one for me right now) I know that it has to be something I can do for THE REST OF MY LIFE! Can I TOTALLY go sugar free FOREVER??? NO WAY.....but I CAN limit the amount of processed sugar I take in.....will I ever like TOFU?? DOUBT IT....but I can make healthier choices in other areas.
I agree with what everyone else says...journal EVERY bite....no matter what it is.....good, not so good, etc.....if you go back and look at my journals you will see cheetos, mike n ikes, cadbury mini eggs, etc.....not proud of it, but it is what it is...will I eventually get those foods out of my journal, hopefully...and they are getting less and less but still there because I AM HUMAN.....the difference is now if I eat them, I dont totally come unglued and beat myself up and fall on the floor in a heap of guilt dooming myself as a failure and a fatty fatty two by four.....I eat it, enjoy it, log it, maybe exercise a tad more and move on. (most days...there are still days I become a puddle lol) Just know that this is a lifestyle...NOT a diet......figure out what works for you, lean on us, ask questions, and set mini goals....
For me, I have 5 pounds to lose. When they are gone, I will have 5 pounds to lose. When I started this journey a LONG time ago, 115 pounds was WAY too overwhelming.....so for me, I have 5 pounds to lose.....
We are here for you!!! Friend me if you wanna......
Kathey

Crochetluvr

Everyone is right. Don't deprive yourself....you will end up bored and tempted to go off. Eat anything that fits in your macros. Everything in moderation. That and some exercise and you can't go wrong. Good luck!

Lexximarie21

Thank you all for your feedback! I truly appreciate it! :happy:

I want to do gluten free because I think I may have an intolerance to it, so I would like to try it for at least 60 days and see if anything improves & then reevaluate.
Also, when I said "sugar-free" I should have mentioned that I'm cutting out sugar that isn't natural...because typically foods with unnatural sugar = processed foods. I love veggies and fruit, and want to encourage myself to eat more of 'em!

Baby steps are hard for me...but you guys are right, if I don't take it slow and make lasting changes then I am setting myself up for failure.

Thank you again for your sound advice!

thecakelocker

Seriously, entirely cutting out things you love will make it unnecessarily hard on you. Make room for a small amount of "bad" things. Make sure you stick to a single serving when you eat them. You don't have to swear off ice cream, for example -- just measure out a serving and have that. You don't have to punish or deprive yourself to lose weight.

BrennLinn

I wrote this topic on the biggest obstacles of weight loss and how to combat them. It might help.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/925286-ultimate-guide-to-weight-loss-tactics

Just read it and it was awesome! Thanks for sharing!!