How Do You Do It, and Why Does It Work?

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LizReeb
LizReeb Posts: 17
in Health and Weight Loss
I thought this might be a neat little thread. (Play along if you'd like!) I've seen quite a few folks posting about "Where do I start?" or "I hate vegetables!". As we all have our own unique plan, I wanted to start a thread where we could post what we're doing - and why it works for us as a way to give people ideas. Preferably no critiquing in this thread to keep it as 'pure' as possible, no need to justify other than "why it works for you'. And for anyone reading - bear in mind that 1) Most of us aren't doctors/nutritionists and 2) what one person does may actually work for them, but not someone else. And it's entirely possible that even though someone says "Eating 200 calories a day is working for me!" does not mean it's a good idea. (And they're probably doing a face-first dive towards a plateau/ill health they can't see yet.)

Questionnaire:

What is your objective? (To lose weight, gain muscle, etc.)

What is your goal timeframe? (This is disregarding maintenance after you reach goal)

Why are you doing this?

What do you tell yourself when you're tempted to slack off/cheat? (What is your motivation?)

How do you get “back on the wagon” after a bad day/week/etc? (How do you overcome temptation to just say “screw it!”?)

What has caused you to revert/fail in the past, and how are you overcoming it now?

What are your calorie/exercise targets for each day or week, and why do they work for you ?

Where did you start when you decided to make a change? (How did you come up with your plan? Research, friends, book, etc.)

How do you eat/eating rules for yourself (and drinks!), and why do they work for you? (Do you allow soda, eliminate refined sugars, just eat less of what you really love, etc. Define eating “better” if you do so.)

How do you exercise/rules for yourself, and why do they work for you ? (Gym equipment? Jogging? Wii?)

How long have you kept this up since you started? (This time around!)

Do you allow yourself “Cheat days”, and why does that work for you?

Explain something that you do that you think is “unconventional” in reaching your goal, and why it helps you.

How far along are you towards your goal so far?

How do you feel now (health-wise) versus when you started?

What is your end-game? (What will you do once you reach your goal to not revert?)

Replies

  • LizReeb
    LizReeb Posts: 17
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    What is your objective? (To lose weight, gain muscle, etc.)
    My goal is to lose 65lbs (Down 20.8lbs so far!). Then, hopefully, to lose another 40lbs.

    What is your goal timeframe? (This is disregarding maintenance after you reach goal)
    First mini-goal (65lbs total) is by August.

    Why are you doing this?
    I have PCOS, and I want babies. Badly. Our best chance of getting pregnant is if I lose weight.

    What do you tell yourself when you're tempted to slack off/cheat? (What is your motivation?)
    As odd as this might be, I picture my Dad and my husband holding their first grandchild/child.

    How do you get “back on the wagon” after a bad day/week/etc? (How do you overcome temptation to just say “screw it!”?)
    I realize that if my “past self” had just eaten enough to lose even ¼ a lb a week, I'd be well on my way to my goal already. Heck, if I would have started that a long time ago, I would have been there a long time ago! I don't want to look back at myself now and wish I would have just done something about it.

    What has caused you to revert/fail in the past, and how are you overcoming it now?
    I've failed in the past because of stress. When I get stressed (at work), I tend to go to soda as a comfort food, work more hours, cook less, and stop devoting time to myself. I've gotten my work hours under control, and made a seriously hard effort to keep it that way. My portion sizes get out of whack when I don't track.

    What are your calorie/exercise targets for each day or week, and why do they work for you ?
    Right now, I target 1200 – 1300 calories. As for exercise, I've made myself become more 'generally' active. I've been cleaning more, I've been the one to shovel snow, I'm walking more often, etc. No specific exercise target yet.

    Where did you start when you decided to make a change? (How did you come up with your plan? Research, friends, book, etc.) Due to the PCOS and bad eating habits, I have high triglycerides and bad cholesterol ratios. So when I started, I did a ton of research on how to correct those things through eating. I researched how many calories I should reduce to lose a certain amount of weight (referenced several sites as they're all different), and then researched some more. I love reading success stories, I realize that I could be them.

    How do you eat/eating rules for yourself (and drinks!), and why do they work for you? (Do you allow soda, eliminate refined sugars, just eat less of what you really love, etc. Define eating “better” if you do so.) I eat almost exclusively whole grains (whole grain bread, pasta, etc.). I've mostly eliminated high fructose corn syrup and trans fats. I try to keep refined sugars as low as possible, and get the majority of my sugar through fruit (Strawberries/bananas/coconut/tangarines). I've been working to eliminate more and more processed 'chemicals', flavorings, etc. While I try to do most of the cooking (I eat a lot of chicken, tomatoes, green pepper, onion, eggs, milk and cheese – I keep my diary open so anyone can look) – I do allow myself some processed food per week. It hits the spot sometimes. For the PCOS, I try to target 30% Protein/30% fat/40% carbs. I keep the saturated fat in target, but I don't worry about some delicious beef or cheese. Oh yea, I drink only water except for some milk. (I try for ½ a cup a day). It works for me because I my blood numbers are going the right way, as long as I keep the fat % up I'm satiated and my hunger is under control (I can even go an hour or two after I start feeling hungry, and I don't have that low blood sugar dip that I used to have – so I don't feel like chewing my own arm off for sustenance!)

    How do you exercise/rules for yourself, and why do they work for you ? (Gym equipment? Jogging? Wii?) Right now, it's to stay active. (Disregarding work) Until 7:00pm, no more than 15 minutes sitting. So I clean, build rabbit hutches, take a walk with the dogs, shovel, whatever. I tend to get sick when I go to the gym, it's happened every other time. Plus, frankly, for right now – I needed to start somewhere. Eating is the easiest for me.

    How long have you kept this up since you started? (This time around!)
    I've been going strong since January 7th!

    Do you allow yourself “Cheat days”, and why does that work for you?
    Once and awhile, I'll have a day I'm just hungrier than others. I try to keep the calories at 1600 or under, even on those days. But if all I can think about is needing more food, I'll let myself go up to that. Beyond this, I won't allow myself a 'eat whatever I want day' because my best motivation is from progress. This might change in the future, just not yet.

    Explain something that you do that you think is “unconventional” in reaching your goal, and why it helps you. I don't specifically make time to exercise. It works for me because right now, my objective is to lose weight and get myself very habituated to this part of a lifestyle change. I also plan to use it when my weight loss starts slowing down as a way to help push through a plateau.

    How far along are you towards your goal so far?
    So far, 20.8lbs down!

    How do you feel now (health-wise) versus when you started?
    I sleep better, I'm less tired, my head feels clear, and I feel leaps and bounds better when being active and don't feel 'sluggish'.

    What is your end-game? (What will you do once you reach your goal to not revert?)
    I'm going to keep tracking. I'll bump my calories up to maintenance level, and keep on tracking because otherwise – my portion levels get out of whack.
  • rashidi731
    rashidi731 Posts: 4
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    What is your objective? (To lose weight, gain muscle, etc.)
    -Eat healthier, learn moderation, develop a health relationship with food, develop an athletic body, run a half marathon. Any subsequent weight loss would be a bonus, not be a slave to the scale

    What is your goal timeframe? (This is disregarding maintenance after you reach goal)
    -As long as it takes.


    Why are you doing this?
    Eating well and exercise makes me feel good.


    What do you tell yourself when you're tempted to slack off/cheat? (What is your motivation?)
    -I am having trouble with this one.

    How do you get “back on the wagon” after a bad day/week/etc? (How do you overcome temptation to just say “screw it!”?)
    -Usually, I say "screw it." Now I say try better tomorrow. Do extra cardio the next day.

    What has caused you to revert/fail in the past, and how are you overcoming it now?
    -Being too extreeme

    What are your calorie/exercise targets for each day or week, and why do they work for you ?
    -Five days of cardio, 60 per session, twice a week strength training, trying to eat 1,200 a day but I am beginning to think that may not be enough. I try have a ratio of 40:30:30 (carbs :fat: protein) Keeps me the fulliest

    Where did you start when you decided to make a change? (How did you come up with your plan? Research, friends, book, etc.)
    -The Zone

    How do you eat/eating rules for yourself (and drinks!), and why do they work for you? (Do you allow soda, eliminate refined sugars, just eat less of what you really love, etc. Define eating “better” if you do so.)
    -Less dairy, less refined carbs, less fruit, more vegetables. I need to get a handle on my caffeine, salt and diet soda fix.


    How do you exercise/rules for yourself, and why do they work for you ? (Gym equipment? Jogging? Wii?)
    -Jog

    How long have you kept this up since you started? (This time around!)
    -Two/Three weeks

    Do you allow yourself “Cheat days”, and why does that work for you?
    -Yes, it happens that way but I rather try to eliminate it

    Explain something that you do that you think is “unconventional” in reaching your goal, and why it helps you.
    -I journal the day before. I like knowing what I am going to eat the day before. But I change my mind based on my cravings/mood.

    How far along are you towards your goal so far?
    No where close to it

    How do you feel now (health-wise) versus when you started?
    Feeling great and strong

    What is your end-game? (What will you do once you reach your goal to not revert?)
    I plan to only implement changes I can keep forever
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
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    Questionnaire:

    What is your objective? --To lose about 15 pounds. But I'll reevaluate after 10, and might go on to 20.

    What is your goal timeframe? --I don't care. I set MFP to lose .5 pounds a week, but in 4 weeks I've lost 5 pounds.

    Why are you doing this? --Two reasons: to see if losing more weight makes me a better runner (faster, more stamina) and to try to get rid of my belly and back fat.

    What do you tell yourself when you're tempted to slack off/cheat? --I haven't been seriously tempted. But I plan treats into my daily goals, so I don't feel deprived. Sunday was pizza night. Yesterday I went to Popeye's for lunch. I have a TastyKake almost every day. Where's the temptation to cheat?

    How do you get “back on the wagon” after a bad day/week/etc? --N/A

    What has caused you to revert/fail in the past, and how are you overcoming it now? --In the past, I think I used to restrict myself too much. I have a firmer grasp of calories in/calories out now, eat my exercise calories, and am patient enough not to expect the weight to disappear overnight.

    What are your calorie/exercise targets for each day or week, and why do they work for you ? --My daily base goal has been 1660, but it recently dropped to 1580. 6 days a week I add 400-900 calories through exercise. Since I'm only set to lose .5/week, I don't care if I end the day up to 250 calories short, but anything more than that and I make myself have a snack before bed to get closer to my goal. If I don't, I know from experience that I'll be starving in the morning, and will feel wiped out and hungry all day no matter how much I try to make up for the previous day's shortfall.

    Where did you start when you decided to make a change? --I'm tracking calories to lose weight because it worked before--2 years ago I lost 35 pounds doing this (on another similar site), kept within 5 pounds of that weight for over a year and a half (usually seasonal variation--gain a few in summer when it's too hot to run much, lose in the fall when it cools, gain a few over holidays from indulgence, lose later in winter when I get more serious about training). Came back to tracking to lose this year's holiday weight and continue for another 5-15 pounds, depending on how it goes.

    How do you eat/eating rules for yourself (and drinks!), and why do they work for you? --I do try to eat more veggies and make sure I get enough protein. But I also allow treats--essentially nothing is off limits as long as I can work it into my day's goals.

    How do you exercise/rules for yourself, and why do they work for you ? --I run 5-6 days a week, but I've done that for a couple of years. While I'm on this round of losing weight, I've added Pilates for core strength and some lifting for my upper body. And yes, of course I eat my exercise calories, to keep myself strong and healthy while continuing to lose weight. Running works because it burns tons of calories, and it's both a habit and an activity with its own goals. The other stuff is meant to add strength to the bits of me that running doesn't affect much.

    How long have you kept this up since you started? --4 weeks so far. Last time it took me 6 months to lose 35 pounds.

    Do you allow yourself “Cheat days”, and why does that work for you? --No, I don't need them. See above about working treats into my daily goals. And seriously--on one of my weekend days I run 7-8 miles, which for me burns 750-900 calories. I can eat just about anything that day without "cheating"!

    Explain something that you do that you think is “unconventional” in reaching your goal, and why it helps you. --I think I'm pretty normal for the "eat your exercise calories" and "IIFYM" crowds.

    How far along are you towards your goal so far? --A third of the way, if I stop at 155. I might go on to 150. We'll see when I get there.

    How do you feel now (health-wise) versus when you started? --Fine. I have plenty of energy and am sleeping well.

    What is your end-game? --Pretty much as before. Continue to pursue my running goals, try to eat healthy with occasional treats, pay attention and go back to tracking for a few weeks if my weight starts to go up.

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