hey! would like as many tips as possible

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katelister1
katelister1 Posts: 4
in Introduce Yourself
sometimes i have a really good week! then a bad week were im so hungry! what can i do to balance it? and what workouts can i do at home when i cant make the gym due to work?!

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  • jaysonhijinx
    jaysonhijinx Posts: 663 Member
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    Having some people around either in RL or here on MFP to not only motivate and support you, but also help you straighten up when going off the rails can be extremely helpful.

    With food, I found it easier to stick to things if I pre-logged my food in advance. Always made sure I ate enough and by having it planned out I rarely deviated. If you're finding that you're hungry for extended periods of time you might want to look into your calorie goals cause it may not be optimal for your body and activity level.

    As for home, can always go walking/running locally or do a bit of HIIT. If you don't have any weights you can do bodyweight exercises. Strength cables and a skipping rope are quite handy to pick up and keep at home.

    Good luck :)
  • jersey222
    jersey222 Posts: 11
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    The five things that helped me most with losing 50 pounds (so far) over 18 months have been:
    #1 - selfishness/independence: it doesn't matter what the rest of the world does or thinks (except for anything clearly unwise or unhealthy) I will eat when and what works best for me. I will schedule my meals separately from others, or have fewer or much smaller "meals", and friends/family/party hosts should understand in this day and age (it's the 21st century)
    #2 - portion control, don't let the size of dinner plates or packaged foods or restaurant entrees make you eat more than your daily calories can allow, eat less and save the rest for later or the next day. I found it is really, really important to be frequently eating things I enjoy and that satisfy me, but the trade off is I could not eat large portions without then having to wait longer. I eat all day long, but you would be surprised at the small size of my meals (except salads)
    #3 - not eating what doesn't satisfy my brain/body, meaning some foots (salty, sugary, whatever) just make you want more,whereas some foods delay later hunger. Examples of the latter would be salad sprinkled with bacon, chicken and low fat shredded cheese; or caramel rice cakes, or a decent quality protein bar. I also drink a 24 ounce "cup" of coffee with splenda and half/half at about 3 PM every work day since it seems to eliminate my mid-afternoon munchees totally for the sake of 60 calories. If you are stuck in a convenience store (which is like a barren wasteland for dieters) then consider dark chocolate covered raisins, I find they do not create cravings as much as virtually every other snack food in those stores, but your mileage may vary.
    #4 - aerobic exercise which helped to make me feel better and also nets out (in the MFP phone app) some of the calories I eat making the diet not so strict to stay on in the long haul
    #5 - not everyone can spend the same amount of money on their diet/fitness program, but I spent money on a smart phone for the express purpose of being able to use MyFitnessPal, and also a good quality in home elliptical machine which costs a good bit.

    In summary I can totally honestly say that with the above approaches my 18 months on this diet has not been unpleasant at all, and is now a way of life. I realize some people's lives may not allow them to follow all of those rules, but keep in mind that your health is important, so weight your choices with that in mind.
  • Bibianna2012
    Bibianna2012 Posts: 88 Member
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    thanks to those who have posted tips so far- these will be a big help to me too!
  • katelister1
    katelister1 Posts: 4
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    thankyou everyong! can i add you on mfp?
    x
  • jersey222
    jersey222 Posts: 11
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    Sure katelister1, you can add me as a friend on MFP if you want. But FYI, I spend most of my time using MFP through the phone app, so I only check in on weekends to the Web site and forums.
  • Helen_Luvnlife
    Helen_Luvnlife Posts: 230 Member
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    You should never be letting your net calories get below 1200. If you are exercising a lot you may need a little more food. Also don't let yourself get too hungry. A health snack can go along ways. I always try to keep raw almonds in my purse in case I get hungry. I pre package them in 1 oz. bags so I do not eat too many.

    Another great tip I was given by a personal trainer is to take a free day a couple times a month. Eat what you want and how much you want. That way if you have a craving it is quite satisfying to know you can have it on your free day. I would recommend though, if you want something like a pie or cake, go buy a piece instead of making one. That way you don't have it hanging around the next day.

    If you want to exercise at home go up and down stairs. Turn on some music and dance. Or there are a lot of DVDs available.

    And most important is not to give up. A diet is never ruined in one day.
  • sneakysneaker
    sneakysneaker Posts: 16 Member
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    I second the other poster who said to pre-plan meals. If you enjoy cooking try out some new recipes from places like AllRecipes.com or even get cookbooks from the library (mixing it up will help with the boredom). For workouts, if you can run outside it's a great gym alternative (there are also some couch to 5k apps available). You could also jump rope for cardio or get some weights and start training at home. In about 20 - 30 mins you can do an upper or lower workout that will burn some good calories. I have found that I need to exercise as soon as I get up otherwise I will be too bushed to do it after work.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    You can balance it out by eating more calories every day. Even at 1200 per day, that is way too low and many people find that they end up just plain starving and having a binge day.

    If your calories are set at 1200, consider eating between 1400 and 1500 every day and see if that helps. I promise you will not gain weight, you may even see accelerated weight loss.
  • angbunny22
    angbunny22 Posts: 56
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    Count everything....even that handfull of M&M's :) don't punish yourself on bad days...doesn't do you any good. I do Jillian Michaels when I can't make it to the gym or out for a run, they are only 20 mins but packed full to change your body!
  • Gwen_B
    Gwen_B Posts: 1,018 Member
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    As far as home workouts, you can get workouts on on-demand or you-tube. That's what I do as well as play biggest loser on Xbox 360 and the DVD 30 day shred.
  • checof
    checof Posts: 114
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    The five things that helped me most with losing 50 pounds (so far) over 18 months have been:
    #1 - selfishness/independence: it doesn't matter what the rest of the world does or thinks (except for anything clearly unwise or unhealthy) I will eat when and what works best for me. I will schedule my meals separately from others, or have fewer or much smaller "meals", and friends/family/party hosts should understand in this day and age (it's the 21st century)
    #2 - portion control, don't let the size of dinner plates or packaged foods or restaurant entrees make you eat more than your daily calories can allow, eat less and save the rest for later or the next day. I found it is really, really important to be frequently eating things I enjoy and that satisfy me, but the trade off is I could not eat large portions without then having to wait longer. I eat all day long, but you would be surprised at the small size of my meals (except salads)
    #3 - not eating what doesn't satisfy my brain/body, meaning some foots (salty, sugary, whatever) just make you want more,whereas some foods delay later hunger. Examples of the latter would be salad sprinkled with bacon, chicken and low fat shredded cheese; or caramel rice cakes, or a decent quality protein bar. I also drink a 24 ounce "cup" of coffee with splenda and half/half at about 3 PM every work day since it seems to eliminate my mid-afternoon munchees totally for the sake of 60 calories. If you are stuck in a convenience store (which is like a barren wasteland for dieters) then consider dark chocolate covered raisins, I find they do not create cravings as much as virtually every other snack food in those stores, but your mileage may vary.
    #4 - aerobic exercise which helped to make me feel better and also nets out (in the MFP phone app) some of the calories I eat making the diet not so strict to stay on in the long haul
    #5 - not everyone can spend the same amount of money on their diet/fitness program, but I spent money on a smart phone for the express purpose of being able to use MyFitnessPal, and also a good quality in home elliptical machine which costs a good bit.

    In summary I can totally honestly say that with the above approaches my 18 months on this diet has not been unpleasant at all, and is now a way of life. I realize some people's lives may not allow them to follow all of those rules, but keep in mind that your health is important, so weight your choices with that in mind.

    Excellent post, thanks for sharing! I like #1 most of all. =)
  • katelister1
    katelister1 Posts: 4
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    thankyou everyone!:) im not going to give up :)
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    What a great post!

    I seem to loose more when I don't drink as much alcohol.
  • JuliaNew1
    JuliaNew1 Posts: 4
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    I would recommend though, if you want something like a pie or cake, go buy a piece instead of making one. That way you don't have it hanging around the next day.

    Exactly! I've seen how this tip works for me. If I have a cake at home, I wouldn't stop till it's gone. Too bad I'm talented for making cakes and cookies and I've come up with many recipes of my own, but that doesn't help me lose weight at all.
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
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    I do Jillian Michaels when I can't make it to the gym or out for a run, they are only 20 mins but packed full to change your body!

    Wish I could.. ;)
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    I do Jillian Michaels when I can't make it to the gym or out for a run, they are only 20 mins but packed full to change your body!

    Wish I could.. ;)

    ROFL!

    Just so you know, she dont swing your way. :tongue:
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
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    I do Jillian Michaels when I can't make it to the gym or out for a run, they are only 20 mins but packed full to change your body!

    Wish I could.. ;)

    ROFL!

    Just so you know, she dont swing your way. :tongue:

    Is it just exercise dvd's she makes? :). Lol

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