What is the best advice you can give others?

kakklespakkle
kakklespakkle Posts: 118 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What are the greatest things you have learned on your journeys?

What information has been the most useful with regard to weight loss, eating correctly, lean muscle gain, exercise ...? What advice can you give on any aspect?

What tips, websites, articles, facts would you like to share with the MFP world?

I would love to hear, and I bet other MFP-ers would too!

My biggest lesson to date is to listen to your body and give it rest when it’s crying out for it. I’m nearly two weeks out of action with an awful virus that I know is a result of trying to do too much and letting my body get run down.
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Replies

  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Do something you can live with.

    Saying you can NEVER again eat this or that, or shunning all the foods you love, or insisting you must do 8 hours cardio a day, every day, etc. will lead to quick failure.
  • Dmarisol
    Dmarisol Posts: 35 Member
    Eat 5-6 small meals a day and your metabolism will work wonders
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and legumes as close to their whole form as you can.
    Eat lean proteins. Eat healthy fats, preferably from whole foods. Don't use vegetable oil (use olive oil, canola or peanut).
    Eat a fat source with Omega 3's at least 3 times per week.

    Grains, fats, and added sugars are the quickest calories to accumulate if you don't watch them. They're not bad in and of themself, but their combination is potent.
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
    Keep at it, don't quit and don't give up...

    you fall off the horse, you get the f*** back on....

    it's not working for you? You tweak it and make it work...

    don't be afraid to change it up, and don't be afraid to try new things, but NEVER quit and never give up.

    Lauren
  • ohmariposa
    ohmariposa Posts: 372 Member
    -drink your water
    -learn to see your excercise time as ME time. I actually look forward to it, being alone with my music
    -smaller portions are the key to losing weight
    -if you slip up, it is ok, this is a lifesyle, not a diet
    -enjoy the journey. You will learn a great deal about yourself
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    As far as necessities go:

    Create a sustainable energy deficit
    Exercise. You should probably incorporate some resistance training.
    Rest
    Repeat
    Do NOT complicate things.


    As far as other notes:

    I would eat "mostly" whole foods for both satiety and nutrient sufficiency.
    I would prioritize protein and fat over carbohydrate but provided you are not doing a low-carb program, carbs can still be your friend and you should eat enough of them to train with intensity.
    I would not eliminate foods that you enjoy. Instead, eat them in moderation and fit them into your daily nutrition goals.


    For research, I would very much recommend anything from the following sites:
    www.alanaragon.com
    www.weightology.net
    www.bodyrecomposition.com
    www.leangains.com
    www.body-improvements.com

    I would absolutely not recommend:
    Gary Taubes
  • riveraphx
    riveraphx Posts: 380 Member
    Put as much effort into maintenance as you did on weight loss. It can be just as or even more challenging than actually losing weight.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    Never go ATM.
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    Eat less, exercise more, and drink water.
  • bassmanlarry
    bassmanlarry Posts: 117 Member
    Learn to cook at home. I think a large amount of my success has come just from eating out less and planning my meals in advance.
  • Anomalia
    Anomalia Posts: 506 Member
    Be kind to your body.
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
    Don't listen to all the noise of the people around you offering suggestions.

    Focus on your self, listen to your body and make slow and steady changes to your life style.

    These add up quickly and the results can be incredible!
  • AggieLu
    AggieLu Posts: 873 Member
    BE SELFISH. Stop trying to please everyone else around you. If someone is to love/like you, they will regardless of whether you're fat, skinny, whether you walk 10 minutes and call it your exercise for the day or hike for 10 hours straight. Listen to your body, do what works for you. Do what makes you happy. Drink lots of water. Don't be afraid to push yourself a little further... what what you think is "beyond your limits" <~~~ you'll pleasantly surprise yourself, I promise.
  • warpedlogic
    warpedlogic Posts: 30
    The best advice I can give aside from 'don't get discouraged when the scale doesn't change' and 'measure body fat percentage' are the biggest things in my weight-loss/healthy lifestyle toolbox:

    1. Learn what full feels like
    2. Learn what hunger feels like
    3. Learn what thirst feels like
    4. When feeling hungry, drink 8 oz of water and wait 15 min. If still hungry, then eat until satisfied. By the time 20 min is up, you're full.

    Just remember, it takes 20 min for the full signal to get from your stomach to your brain so eat slowly and drink water with your meal.
  • MissBettyBoop2
    MissBettyBoop2 Posts: 32 Member
    Never give up! Get back up on that horse! And no excuses!
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,628 Member
    1. Make the best possible choices at each meal .....

    2. Move a little more each day ......

    3. Just do it !
  • CleanEatingLlama
    CleanEatingLlama Posts: 10 Member
    Make changes to your lifestyle that you are willing to maintain for the long run. Start small and slowly; they will add up over time!

    Forgive yourself if you slip, overindulge, or stray a bit. Don't let one gluttonous meal determine how you will eat the rest of the day/week/month/year! Just keep making positive choices.

    Eat to nourish your body and foster health. Try not to feed your emotions with food. When you do, take a look at yourself and situation, then figure out how to approach it better next time.

    Celebrate your successes, scale and non-scale. All positive changes and efforts are important!
  • gauchogirl
    gauchogirl Posts: 467 Member
    Have patience and then have more patience on top of that.

    Do the best you can with what you have, where you are.
  • Natashaa1991
    Natashaa1991 Posts: 866 Member
    do not what others say you should do (all no carbs drama for me..) but what your body and your life experience tells you that works for you!
  • Tenar13
    Tenar13 Posts: 49 Member
    Measure, measure, measure! - measure what you are eating (weight or volume) and measure yourself the scale does not always give the whole story!
  • hlandry6
    hlandry6 Posts: 230
    Never give up! Even if you feel as if you are making no progress. It takes time!
  • Coffeeholic8
    Coffeeholic8 Posts: 272 Member
    Always spend that little bit extra for the good quality toilet paper.

    That's the best piece of life advice I know.
  • moxiepedia
    moxiepedia Posts: 14
    For me, planning my meals a week in advance has really made a difference. With one trip to the grocery store, I know my kitchen will be well-stocked for the coming days. I no longer find myself trying to figure out what to eat at the last minute, which can lead to convenient and less healthy choices.

    Plan to eat every 3-4 hours to keep yourself sustained and your metabolism going. Also, eating regularly will help to not scarf down your food. Be a mindful eater.

    Drink plenty of water!
  • CoffeeJunkieMann
    CoffeeJunkieMann Posts: 95 Member
    Im sure this had been mentioned .

    You will occasionally fail, and thats alright.
    The key is to learn from that.
  • pissedoffchris
    pissedoffchris Posts: 6 Member
    Hey all im reading about a diet tool call intermittent fasting. You are suppose to choose a window be it 4, 6 , 8 hours in which you have all your caloric intake for that day some people where saying they do it for 24 hours every other day then eating every other day the purpose from what i gather is tap into your body stored body fat after not eating for a long period of time. It suppose help you burn a crazy amount of fat you guys can google it to see if its something you wanna try. I'm giving it a shot :wink:
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Follow the advice on this site.
    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/

    Find an exercise(s) that you enjoy and do them regularly.
  • kt2134
    kt2134 Posts: 45
    Do something you can live with.

    Saying you can NEVER again eat this or that, or shunning all the foods you love, or insisting you must do 8 hours cardio a day, every day, etc. will lead to quick failure.

    I say the exact same thing to my sister all the time. I'll offer that same advice to anyone who asks. It's all about balance and portion control.
  • tammys_changing
    tammys_changing Posts: 657
    Thanks this is great!
  • MandaPaigeSparkles88
    MandaPaigeSparkles88 Posts: 1,289 Member
    Make time for exercise whether it be 5 minutes or an hour make time.
    Take care of your body.
    Don't give up foods that you love, eat it in moderation.
    Drink lots and lots of water.
    Don't get discouraged if the scale doesn't go down because all that matters is that you know you are putting forth the effort in losing weight.
    Remember this is not a diet, this is a journey. Don't get down and discouraged!!
  • doonesbury
    doonesbury Posts: 281 Member
    Eat less!

    Move more!

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