success tips that helped you the most

dustybainter

Slow and steady - Don't get discouraged - It took some time to get in the shape you are in, it will take some time to turn it all around.

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PapillonBleu72

Do not focus on the scale but see what you look like in your old clothes!!!
Take pictures when you start helps see the progress .
SLEEP WELL ( this is when the magic happens)
Do it at your own pace.
No pressure.
Eat things you like.
Do NOT starve yourself ( your body will cling to the fat as a survival effect)
Drink lots of water.

EmilyOfTheSun

To not cut out "bad foods." Eat what you like as long as you stay within your calorie limit.
Buy a food scale to make sure you're accurately logging.

There's lots more, but those were the most helpful for me.

TinaBean007

My personal rules...even through pregnancy they are helping me:

1. Breakfast! Every day with protein and as early as possible.
2. Complex carbs and lean protein (egg whites, chicken and fish) at every meal
3. Drink water in ounces equal to 60% of your body weight in pounds PLUS 1 oz for every min of cardio.
4. Cook meals ahead of time.
5. Measure everything including condiments
6. Eat every 2-3 hours.
7. Log every bite and every sip. (Also, food scale and HRM are my best friends.)
8. What can I do today to exercise!

ron2e

Seafood. Generally low cal particularly shellfish.

hardyjessicag

For me, it was realizing how fast the time was going by, and how I wasn't getting any younger. Time seemed to fly when I was eating bad and not exercising, and now that I'm eating right and exercising it has slowed down a lot (which can be kind of frustrating at times). But I always think of how fast time was going by, and how many of those months I had wasted *wishing* I was fit and healthy, and how I couldn't do anymore wishing; I just had to do it, or it was never going to happen, and I couldn't live with that.

CassandraChloeJ

Patience, patience, patience!! It's not about how fast you lose it but whether or not it will say off. The "slower" you lose it the more likely the loss will last.
It is a lifestyle change.
Find an activity you like! Make it part of your routine. (I bike to work 2-3 days out of the wk. I get my exercise and save gas $.)
Exercise is not an option. It is mandatory. The more you do it...the more you will WANT to do it. It WILL make you feel better!
Drink lots of water!!
Research!! Learn how calories, nutrients and the like support you as well as how your body works. People will tell you things to do and little tidbits of information and they will be wrong!! Learn what is right!!
Don't be afraid to count your calories in public. My family hates it when I research before we go out or at the table! Better safe than sorry I say.
Don't let anybody else make you feel like what you are doing is stupid, won't work, crazy! If it works for you then do it!

soontobemomma

Focus on the process of change...changing your habits, changing your overall dietary lifestyle and fitness lifestyle.

Focus on the change and you will always see the end results; focus on the end results and you will rarely see the change.

Loved it! Jotting it down in my motivation journal right now!

No_Finish_Line

Honestly i think that drinking water is by far the greatest tip.

Often people will mistake thrist (dehydration) for hunger. This sounds really stupid because when you say 'thirst', people of the dry mouth feeling you get from exercise. Dehydration doesn't really manefest itself like that when you are sitting on the couch, and the sensation of needing water honestly seems a lot like being hungry, and you may even crave foods that have a lot of water in them such as an organe or ice cream.

Obviously drinking water will help you stay hydrated and avoid this possible mishap of thinking that your hungry when your really dehydrated.

I'm no doubt in the best shape of my life. But if i don't drink enough water in a given day, i feel like ****.

For that reason, i'd have to say that drinking water trumps exercise and eating right even when i just comes to your overall SENSE of health and well being.

jody664

Stop saying "when I lose this weight, I'll _______ <fill in the blank.> Enjoy your life now....not someday! Don't put your life on hold until you've achieved the body you want. Enjoy it now! Enjoy the process. It's going to take some time, so you may as well learn to enjoy it.

ShannonMpls

What tips have you learned through the weight loss process that would help others

Start, and then don't stop. If you have a bad day, no big deal - get back at it tomorrow. If you let one day become a week, that's when you run into problems.

Live the healthiest life you can enjoy. If your diet is terribly restrictive, your exercise routine too ambitious, you never allow treats or days off, you're going to have a hard time sticking with it long-term. Don't make changes you can't stick with for a lifetime.

Starvation is overrated. Fuel your body.

Timshel_

Changing my internal communication. 10+ years of compromising myself into being overweight by telling myself I was entitled to eat what I wanted and to relax more now that I was getting older killed me. I have to really pay attention to how I talke to myself, and that alone helps me control what I do and the consistency in doing it.

bushokie

great feedback

bateslin

measure, measure, measure!!! I see so many people get discouraged when the scale doesn't go down and quit! I think that measurements are more important that what that scale says!

couldn't agree more. I've stayed plateaued for weeks but I have been measuring all over (arms, legs, chest, hips, stomach, etc) and I've lost 20 inches in the time that my scale hasn't moved...

trin8ty75

Don't force yourself to eat salads (insert you own food aversion here) just because it's healthy. This is a lifestyle change. Forcing yourself to eat foods you hate in order to lose weight will only work in the short term

cathrynfay

Don't give up. It sounds obvious, but if you fall off the wagon for a day, a week, or even a month, get back on.

bearkisses

2 words

Progress. Pictures.

elisabeisme

learn the correct definition of "wasteful"

wasteful is not
- leaving food on your plate in a restaurant because you've had enough
- throwing away food leftover from a party because it doesn't fit your nutrition plan
- discarding the last of the brown lettuce and getting a nice fresh one because you know you'll feel like eating it if it is fresh
- throwing away candy that someone bought for you
- ordering dessert but eating only a couple bites because you just wanted a little taste of something sweet
- buying new pants in the in-between size of your weight loss because looking better will help motivate you

wasteful is
- using too much dressing on your salad because there's a little bit left at the end of the bottle
- buying cookies instead of fruit because you know every single one will be eaten before they go bad
- downing the last mouthful of juice as you get up from the table just because it's in your glass
- emptying the last of the sauce onto your plate because you can't stand the sight of some left in the pan
- saving your fat clothes "just in case" instead of donating them or selling them

"wasteful" is wasting calories and money on stuff that is not good for your body. if you discard something that isn't good for you, then it is not wasteful.

chezjuan

My two biggest have been mentioned before:

1, A food scale is a very good tool to help in the accuracy of your tracking.
2. Don't give up if you have a bad day and go over your target. Also, remember that your target is a deficit, so unless you eat more than your TDEE, you're not really over (you'll just lose slower).

A couple of others I use when I eat out:
1. when you eat out, a good rule of thumb is to plan on only eating half of your order, unless you know how many calories it has and it fits into your daily limit.
2. Do your best to estimate the foods you eat, even when the place you are eating is not in MFP. I generally take the mode (the number that appears most often) for standard-sized servings. For example, if I get an average-sized tuna sandwich at a small diner, I'll check the database and look at several tuna sandwiches. If 400 calories appears the most, I choose one of those. It might not be the most accurate, but it is usually close.

moondawg14

Get control of your fork before you even think about picking up a dumbell. It's WAY too easy to give into temptation and blow through the 300 calories you just burned.

Solve the food problem first, THEN solve the exercise problem, if there is one. By giving each problem your full attention you'll maximize your chance of success.

It also makes it much easier to see "what works" from a food perspective, and then from an exercise perspective.

It also makes it much easier to successfully adjust your food intake to meet your exercise needs.