How did YOU do it?

First I purchased a bodybugg
I immediately started doing 40 minutes of cardio 7 days per week
I Starteg logging my meals and made sure I was in a 1,000 calorie deficit each day (If I burned 2,200, I ate 1,200. If I burned 2,500, I ate 1,500 and so on)

*NOTE - MFP and some people here on MFP do not agree with a deficit this high but it worked fantastic for "ME". I did not completely restrict my diet but drastically changed my portions. Still had sugar in my coffee, still ate pasta etc.

In the beginning I did circuit training 4 times per week in addition to my 7 days of cardio and after about 8 weeks I started doing standard weight training.

I lost 25lbs in 12 weeks :-) Once I reached my goal weight, I completely adjusted my diet and started lifting heavier which gave me a little more size and definition. I gained a few lbs which was fine because my goal weight was a little low.

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I see all the pictures, the success stories and they are QUITE motivational to someone struggling to get the weight off. But, I'd love to hear how you did it with diet plan, exercise plan, etc. Did you cut carbs at all, just eat your calories, did you eat back your exercise calories? Please - let me see the whole pictures. How did YOU do it with pictures and your story!!!

My resting rate was 110 and I felt like crap but I wasn't that heavy (150lbs)

I ate 1200 calories and first I was starving and then instead of getting comfortable I smartened up and figured out my TDEE. I ate slightly less then that. I ate exercise calories back (I net about 1700). I upped my protein and try to get about 100g (the recommendation here is far to low here to be healthy imo). I cut out SOME carbs but increase them when I exercise since they're great for refueling the body. That usually ranged from 100-200+ for me. I ate far to much fat. I tried to get as many nutrients in my body as I could when I could with food and not pills.

I lost all my weight being mostly sedentary. I'm a full time student so my exercise was walking to my car lol



I lost allot of my muscle mass. I started hiking regularly. I got slimmer but didn't change weight.

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I decided I'm far to skinny and didn't want to lose weight to get more defined and hardly have any muscle mass so I tried gaining weight for a few months (put on 10 lbs) since you can't gain muscle mass on a calorie deficit. I gave the Christmas cookies all I had lol. Just started lifting weights at the gym. This is what it looked like after I gained 10 lbs (of mostly fat I think lol) back. I plan on lifting weights to work off the fat and cutting myself down again).



As you can see there's a line going down my stomach now, which wasn't as visible when I was slimmer, so I'm sure it well work out for the better in the end!

what about 1 or 2 pepsi max or coke zero a day? Do you think they are ok to have. I need to loose at least 100 pounds I am watching my calorie intake.

I'm just simply watching how much I eat and I try to do at least a mile a day. Seems to work fine for me. I have a limit of 2500 or so but I try to eat around 1600-1700 ish which is what I normally do unless like yesterday when I was quite hungry throughout the day and ate like 4-5 meals worth... that was the odd bad day though.

Walking 3 to 4 miles a day. Eating veggies 5 times a day and using smaller plate at dinner. That has benn my main push and I have lost 50 lbs in a year. Also am eating a 1200 calorie day.

water.
raised my protein, cut back the carbs, knocked out processed sugar. no soda, no bottled teas or juices.
more water.
started by taking a walk one day and kept at it, going just a bit further each day.
and more water.
made a "soundtrack" of disco music, walked faster. walked further.
got a heavy bag set up in the garage, beat the snot out of it.
drank more water.
230# to 160#....there's a "before" picture in my profile. check it out.
you can do this, you don't have to go fast, you just have to GO.
and drink water :happy:

I am doing it very slowly...

I have never been an active person. I love stopping to smell the roses, and if I am pressured to do anything in a hurry I get stressed and develop a distaste for whatever activity was stressing me out.

I have tried exercising, but I end up quitting because I find it stiflingly boring and monotonous... and I just didn't eat correctly enough to feel well while I was doing it.

So, this brings me to my point... currently I have only adjusted my caloric intake, without adding any exercise (as of yet). I am sticking to 1 pound loss a week calorie wise (1500), with a lower carb, higher fat/protein macro (don't always stick to the macros, but consciously try to intake protein when I get the chance). I also still eat fast food a few times a week, but I naturally avoid most sweet or fried things ( I hate sugary things and I hate fried, fatty things... so that helps). I also haven't drank soda for 5 years (no taste for it) and don't really have a needy relationship with food (my personality tends to refuse food when stressed, rather than crave it), so that may be different for you.

Sometimes I stick to my maintenance calories (2000) because, hey, sometimes I just want to eat a little more, I'm extra hungry, etc and hitting maintenance level won't hurt anything but the time it takes to lose. Usually it ends up being like this around PMS times, when my appetite is through the roof, I allow myself a little breathing room.

So far I have lost 15 pounds since September, and I took almost the entire month off in December (maintenance levels, because of holiday food!). So for Sept, Oct, and Nov I have lost the pound a week like I am supposed to.

I have chosen this method because I want something *I* can stick to, and exercise puts me off the whole thing. Refusing myself certain foods "because I can never ever have it again" puts me off. I heavily control portion size, because that seemed to be my biggest problem. Other than that, I stay away from things that are insanely calorie dense, like a small item that has 500+ calories in one serving (Cheesecake factory, lots of carb-laden items). Protein is great for feeling full with a lesser calorie intake than carbs, which is why people like to do that... but I don't follow the "omg carbs r bad" style.

One day I will add in exercise, because I know it is good for me and I need to get a hobby that promotes being active... but for now this is what works for me Maybe you can find some helpful info in what I wrote!

I see all the pictures, the success stories and they are QUITE motivational to someone struggling to get the weight off. But, I'd love to hear how you did it with diet plan, exercise plan, etc. Did you cut carbs at all, just eat your calories, did you eat back your exercise calories? Please - let me see the whole pictures. How did YOU do it with pictures and your story!!!

I've always been into exercise and eating well, or at least for the past 14 years or so, but I put on a lot of weight in my 2nd pregnancy and I hadn't entirely lost it from my first pregnancy (kids are 22 months apart) so I knew before my 2nd was even born that I would have a lot of work to do! I was massive after, it was really depressing!

My daughter was born May 12th 2011, and I was back at the gym on July 1st. I started personal training sessions and weighed 218lbs then. I just gymmed 5 times a week and did loads of walking with my kids, and ate healthily. I didn't use MFP then, I only started using it a year later. I didn't cut anything out, but I try to limit myself to 1 slice of bread a day, and don't really eat pasta. I don't eat too many sweet treats, and I rarely drink alcohol.

Now I vary my exercise a bit more. I still do the PT but I also do Zumba, aerobics and spinning. I went back to work when my daughter was 10.5 months old - I work part time as a secondary school teacher so i'm on my feet all day at work.

Ok, pics.

This is my worst photo I have, when my daughter was a small baby and my son was just 2:

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This is a similar time:

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This is mid December 2012:

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Dec 23rd:

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and NYE:

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I still have around 15lbs to go before I'm happy, and some major toning up to do!

I ate at a deficit
Measured things out - >helped me with portion control
Exercised

No shortcuts. No pills. No fad diets. No detox/cleanse whatevers. Just me, myself, and I taking it one step at a time to change not just physically, but mentally as well.

I didn't do the low carb/sugar thing. I eat what I want. True, I eat healthier because that's what I want to do. But I don't stress over a candy bar, fast food, something carb heavy, etc.

I am 5'1 and I eat 1600 calories (1800-2000 on high cal burn days) - and I'm still losing.