What's your secret??

AllNewMelanie

OK, so I have been on my weight loss journey for just about 7 months and I have learned so much and I wanted to see if us olders wanted to help out the newbies ;O) Soooo...share with us, what's something that you do that helps you on your weight loss journey?? Here are a few of mine!

**Every evening when my girls go to bed I do my food diary for the next day...that means all meals and snacks are planned It's a win win because then you even know what your cooking for dinner! This is a huge thing for me and my busy life!

**Have one water bottle that you love and you know how much water it holds and carry it with you ALL THE TIME! I know that I need to drink 5 of mine and thats 10 cups of water!

I hope these tips encourage some of you! I always love new friends so if you need some motivation...come on over and let's do it!!

jhul322

Same thing on the water bottle I carry a 32 oz with me and I need to drink it at least 3 times a day before I sleep.

conniemaxwell5

Mine is to MAKE time for exercise instead of FINDING time. I get up an hour earlier every morning to make sure I get in a workout. For those of you that say you're not a morning person - would you rather be a converted (I am) morning person, or stay the way you are now? I am truly enjoying getting up and going to the gym. I sleep better at night so I'm awake and refreshed every morning. It's worth it!!!!!!

always_smiling_chachita

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/always_smiling_chachita

I wrote a blog on what has worked for me...

Compudad

If you bite it, write it. Log everything that you eat.
Exercise, burn those calories.
Accountability, log your exercise and food on MFP
Find a support group to help you
Get your family involved
If you get cravings at night, go to bed.
When your scale won't move, try on your old fat clothes for encouragement

ElenakiFra

I do the same thing! I plan all the meals first thing in the morning,i allways have water near me,i drink my coffeE in the evenings so i would not snack a lot,i keep my self busy the time that i want to grab some sweat to eat.
The last two months i crave chocolate which rarely did before i start to working out and diet.Mostly happens at night so i think i will plan a meal with something sweat everyday at evenings and hope that will help reduse my sugar intake.
Also i didnt ate my exercise calories and now that i started insanity and see that some people eat them back i do sometimes,doesnt working for me.I have to stop it. I guess you must do what suits for you.

chikoboo

Technically I'm still a noobie =D but I feel like I have found out things that are really benefitting my focus and determination. Like you say I too plan my day out in advance (in the morning though) its easier that rushing around after work trying to update the diary and work out what and how much of something you can eat. Also I picked up an cheap ($10) exercise bike off of Trade Me (New Zealand's version of EBay or Craiglist) and go on it straight out of bed, I moan at the time but found that I still can do it half asleep whilst watching the morning shows for 30 minutes then I can get on with my day knowing that if I don't have time by the end of it to exercise I have already gotten my minimum for the day in, any extra is just a bonus. I also buy at the weekend market a heap of in season root veggies, roast them all up together in olive oil and then blitz them with some chicken stock (low sodium and fat free!) to make a pasta sauce, cook a weeks worth of wholemeal pasta, toss the lot together and when cooled pop in a sealed container in the fridge. After work all I then do it griddle 4 slices of chicken bacon, shred it. Spoon in some pasta into a baking dish, top with the chicken bacon and a handful of low cal cheese and bake, served with salad its super fast, feeds both me and the hubby for at least 4 night and is super yummy. Its going to be my star recipe to lose weight =D

TigerPawsSC

A number of things that I do to get control of my mind and body.

First, you have to remind yourself, almost constantly, that good food tastes just as good as bad food. There is nothing about a Wendy's cheeseburger that tastes better than a piece of broiled salmon. There are taste differences, but one is not objectively better than the other. Once you realize this, the benefits of eating the bad food decrease significantly.

I drink a tremendous amount of green tea during the day.

As for exercise, I try to do things that I enjoy. Exercise is very difficult if you feel like you are slogging through a work session. Do you love tennis? Play 90 minutes of tennis everyday. You'd be shocked how many calories this burns, and it works the core/obliques in ways that most sports do not.

I love golf, and walking a golf course carrying your clubs is akin to hiking 6 miles with a 25-pound sack on your back. It's 4+ hours of constant exercise, and if you have a lot of weight to lose, you can burn 1500 calories doing it. When you get done, you will have had fun, and you won't feel like you've worked out at all.

I try to focus on the positive reinforcement rather than the negative. In my life, when I've been slim, I've been told that I resemble one actor who most people find very attractive. Rather than looking at old pictures of myself and chastising myself for being fat, I create an image of what can be. And I hold on to that image.

Also, fish. Figure out ways to cook fish and it will change your life.

Really, there is no secret. Learn the love the feeling of doing the right thing, and get off not on the weight loss number, but on the feeling of accomplishment that comes with making tremendous choices over and over. It's liberating knowing that you are in control of your body.

dixieracer27

Meal planning is very important! I plan my whole week before heading to the store and nothing extra gets bought that's not on my list.
I've noticed that if food needs to be cleaned, washed, or cut up its probably healthy for you.
I exercise around the same time every morning, being in a routine helps me to not make excuses.
I only weigh once a week at the same time, because the constant fluctuations drive me crazy.

Springfield_Rocks

If you bite it, write it. Log everything that you eat.
Exercise, burn those calories.
Accountability, log your exercise and food on MFP
Find a support group to help you
Get your family involved
If you get cravings at night, go to bed.
When your scale won't move, try on your old fat clothes for encouragement

THIS !!

Also, educate yourself about YOUR body and the true calorie requirements it needs.

I really like this group, the info is amazing!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/7965-in-place-of-a-road-map

:flowerforyou: