your secret

cindybpitts

To all the people who post success stories & pictures, please also add what your secret was to lose all your weight!! I would love to hear what your calorie intake was.

gabegrammy

I haven't reach goal yet, but I have lost 31 pounds in 3 months. My success is exercise, exercise, exercise, and more exercise. I also weigh my food when I cook and weight the portions. I carry my lunch to work, even though I work in a great Italian restaurant. I can't control the portions or know the calories. I eat 3 meals a day around 350-450 calories, as well as 3 snacks under 100 calories each. When I binge, and yes I do have bad days, I log everything in my food diary. Hope this helps

taso42

There are so secrets. You either commit or you don't.

Contrarian

I maintain a moderate calorie deficit and exercise. Don't tell anyone.

tiddlebit11

I maintain a moderate calorie deficit and exercise. Don't tell anyone.

Hahaha love it!!!

And yet this really is the 'secret'

jakeVScalories

There are so secrets. You either commit or you don't.

^^^ this dude knows the secret

PikaKnight

There are so secrets. You either commit or you don't.

^This!

IronPlayground

I maintain a moderate calorie deficit and exercise. Don't tell anyone.

^This! And, understanding that you will have good days and some bad days. Don't let the bad days bring you down. Log those bad days, get over it and start fresh the next.

TinaLRoman

I train with weights 4 days a week. 2 days of cardio or yoga if I have time. Keep my calories on the lowish side of 800 - 1000, with the occasional planned high calorie day if I have an event to go to. I do IF 2x each week. As my weight and measurements get lower, I will slowly increase calories. My diary is also public. I may not post everything I eat specifically, but I do track the calories. I overestimate calories eaten and underestimate calories burned. I also don't eat back my exercise calories.

As was said before, there are no secrets. You have to find what works and is sustainable for you.

cindybpitts

There are so secrets. You either commit or you don't.

Im more committed now then ever but Its those confusing moments of am I eating enough or too much. Some say bump calories up, some say have less calories, some say eat back calories burned, some say dont..when you havent lost much and up your calories then nothing happens for awhile...leaves you not knowing what to do. I went 6 wks with absolutely nothing happening..summer will be here and Im still looking at the shorts I cant wear! Just seeing what others did.

MonicaT1972

Mine is simple, I cut out processed foods, sugar and wheat...then I hired a personal trainer. He has gotten me amazing results

AllonsYtotheTardis

sticktoitivness

fortiesgal

Eat when you are truly hungry. Somehow your body forgives when you really need it. I just learned this lately after depriving myself for years.

taso42

There are so secrets. You either commit or you don't.

Im more committed now then ever but Its those confusing moments of am I eating enough or too much. Some say bump calories up, some say have less calories, some say eat back calories burned, some say dont..when you havent lost much and up your calories then nothing happens for awhile...leaves you not knowing what to do. I went 6 wks with absolutely nothing happening..summer will be here and Im still looking at the shorts I cant wear! Just seeing what others did.

Gotcha. I recommend a couple of threads, that will hopefully put you on track...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

Yes you will find conflicting info a lot of the time. But the posts in group the threads above came from are quality. You will soon learn that the "rules" of the game are very straightforward and uncomplicated. You just need to believe in your program and in yourself and you will get there.

JacksMachine

Im good on the diet cuz i just dont keep **** in the house.....but Youtube videos help me stay fired up...

"How Great I Am"
"How Bad Do You Want It" one with a homeless guy and one with ECU Football player
"Hard work beats Talent"
"Rise-Motivational"

Videos can turn an internal fire from a match to a BLAZE!!! Anyone can check them out and let me know what you think.

P90x check, Insanity check- 51 pounds down and still moving forward.

cindybpitts

I maintain a moderate calorie deficit and exercise. Don't tell anyone.

^This! And, understanding that you will have good days and some bad days. Don't let the bad days bring you down. Log those bad days, get over it and start fresh the next.

The whole calorie intake is driving me nuts!! Just would love to know a number to go by...its been almost 4 months and I have only lost 4 or 5 lbs!! I tried 1200 then 1300, now at 1600. I exercise,exercise,exercise!!

cindybpitts

There are so secrets. You either commit or you don't.

Im more committed now then ever but Its those confusing moments of am I eating enough or too much. Some say bump calories up, some say have less calories, some say eat back calories burned, some say dont..when you havent lost much and up your calories then nothing happens for awhile...leaves you not knowing what to do. I went 6 wks with absolutely nothing happening..summer will be here and Im still looking at the shorts I cant wear! Just seeing what others did.

Gotcha. I recommend a couple of threads, that will hopefully put you on track...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

Yes you will find conflicting info a lot of the time. But the posts in group the threads above came from are quality. You will soon learn that the "rules" of the game are very straightforward and uncomplicated. You just need to believe in your program and in yourself and you will get there.

My husband & friends say Im trying to hard. I read all these posts every night...maybe I should stop reading (gets over whelming) and just keep doing what Im doing. Thanks for your help!

dkutnyak

I eat a raw/ plant based diet, log my calories, watch sugar intake specially, I have a cheat day on Sunday..if I want it and faithfully do 40 minutes a day on my excercycle. Also have 2 healthy smoothies a day...veggie forward.

chuckponygirl

Shucks! I thought I was going to see some sharing of moral turpitude. :embarassed:

Rockstar_JILL

There are so secrets. You either commit or you don't.

^^^^ This!!!

Brownsbacker4evr

The secret is patience. Keep your head in the game long enough and stick with your workouts and you will get the job done. I have been there and done that many times. If anyone knows the secret to beating depression that always causes me to gain the 45-90lbs I always work so hard to drop...that would be the best secret to have. Sometimes working out alone dont keep it away.

bethanykf

My husband & friends say Im trying to hard. I read all these posts every night...maybe I should stop reading (gets over whelming) and just keep doing what Im doing. Thanks for your help!

This is something to be careful of (at least in my experience). Several years ago I lost 70 lbs, but I obsessed about 'dieting' always researched new things. That was my downfall. Instead of sticking with what worked as a lifestyle change I kept moving from one thing to the next and gained all of it back and more. I'm 30 lbs heavier than where I started last time around.

Good luck.

j4nash

There are so secrets. You either commit or you don't.

this. and patience and time.

steadybutsure

There are so secrets. You either commit or you don't.

Im more committed now then ever but Its those confusing moments of am I eating enough or too much. Some say bump calories up, some say have less calories, some say eat back calories burned, some say dont..when you havent lost much and up your calories then nothing happens for awhile...leaves you not knowing what to do. I went 6 wks with absolutely nothing happening..summer will be here and Im still looking at the shorts I cant wear! Just seeing what others did.

me too. i haven't lost a thing since Feb 1st. i have been doing RI30 all through march, i eat clean 95% of the time. so this isn't someone who isn't committed.

NaomiJFoster

I think of the info that I record in my daily diary sort of as a bank account. Income and Expenditure. You keep track of your bank account, you monitor what you deposit and what you withdraw through spending. You try to keep a balance. This is similar. You record what you eat, you record what you burn. You try to keep the balance in your Net Calories. In the bank, if you want to spend it you have to be sure you've earned it first. In the food diary, if you want to eat it you have to make sure you've either earned or saved room for those calories. It's not a perfect metaphor, but it sort of works. It's also not a perfect system. Some days you don't work out, some days you overeat. But you're aiming for The Big Picture, not just one stand-alone day.

Also, patience.

MaraDiaz

I don't give up even when I screw up. Perfectionism is for brain surgeons and rocket scientists, not for people losing weight and getting fit. Best secret ever, I learned it from people on MFP.

Pimpmonkey

To all the people who post success stories & pictures, please also add what your secret was to lose all your weight!! I would love to hear what your calorie intake was.

Everybody's clorie intake is gonna be different because everybody is composed differently. What works for me, may not work for you.

bobf279

I started to watch how much I was eating and lowered the intensity of my exercise so that I could do some everyday without aches and pains. As I got fitter I gradually increased my effort but still staying at a "safe" level. Before my weigh in tomorrow I have shed 25 lbs since December (14 lbs before I joined MFP)

artex1024

I think calorie requirements are different for everyone. There is no hard and fast rule. I stay between 1200-1500 calories a day. 1200 on days that I don't work and closer to 1500 on days that I do, but I have a physically demanding job. I also have a thyroid condition which is why the lower caloric intake is necessary for me. Other people have higher requirements. I think that a lot of people make things more complicated than they need to be. My method is this - eat healthy (lots of fruit, veggies, water, lean proteins, whole grains), exercise for an hour a day, strength train a couple days a week since muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, and pay attention to my body. I know my body needs more fuel when I'm hungry, so I feed it. That's it. Eat right, stay active, build muscle. The weight will come off if your patient. Stressing over it just makes you retain the weight.

lmnconn

You have to really want it. I log everything. I try to cut out all processed foods. I really watch my sodium intake because water retention really makes my weight fluctuate. I exercise at least 30 minutes, at least 6 days a week. Look up
how to figure your target heart rate and make sure you hit it while exercising.

mljacobs23

I agree with other peoples comments about patience and finding what works for you and sticking to it. The basics are eat a little less, exercise a little more. You can make yourself crazy reading all different methods people swear by.

That said, what worked for me personally was joining online WW. I lost over 50 pounds, and kept it off for years, then backslid 20 pounds over the last two years due to work stress and getting lazy with my eating/exercising habits. I haven’t been a member in years, but I still use all the basics I learned from them. When I started dieting I had NO idea how to diet. I tried on my own for several months and was unsuccessful. I just didn’t understand how many calories/fat etc were appropriate in a day, how much (or little) an hour’s worth of exercise actually allowed me to eat, what a proportion size was etc. This was also well before things like MFP were available. WW got me into the habit of weighing and measuring food precisely, I’ve been doing the weighing and measuring for so long that I can eyeball things at restaurants and parties etc. and have a pretty good idea of how much I’m eating. It also helped me with moderation, I can allow myself a guilt free cheat day or two in a week and still lose weight. However, I don’t think that’s “the secret” it’s just what worked for me. Many others have not liked WW at all, and there are so many other diet tools available now. It’s all about finding your thing, and once you do, stop reading about what other people are doing. It will stress you out.