What's the single most effective change you've made?

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  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
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    Actually measuring my food.

    Strength training with the cardio I was already doing.

    Nothing else needed.
  • CarlKRobbo
    CarlKRobbo Posts: 390 Member
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    Eating MORE has worked for me!!
  • runfoodierun
    runfoodierun Posts: 59 Member
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    I eat my exercise calories. WHICH encourages me to exercise more. I budget my calories for the week, and not daily. Everything in moderation. AND I recognize that I can get back up, when I fall. :flowerforyou:
  • SlimT05
    SlimT05 Posts: 19 Member
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    One single thing is hard, but one of the biggest things for me was not giving up. I never felt I would honestly lose weight or would have the motivation to just do it, but was determined to keep at it this time around. Even when I might have gained and was discourgaed or was stalling in my weight for a bit, I keep going despite what the scale said and knew in the end it would get better. Slowly but surely that has changed this from being a process or "diet" to a way of life I am beginning to enjoy. That coupled with lots of support, less bad carbs, lots of water, exercise and no alcohol during the week, has helped tremendously. On track for my best body ever. :wink:
  • Belita38
    Belita38 Posts: 39 Member
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    First: Eat more times a day and eat MORE!
    Second: reduce carbs and sugar (breads and fruits) and increase protein
    Third: Logging my meals
  • minikeeper
    minikeeper Posts: 5
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    Accepting that I am a "carboholic" and that everytime I give into the sweets craving, that I pay for it for the next 5-6 hours with a huge "sugar letdown", now I try to think about how it's going to make me feel later BEFORE I give in.
  • wormy80
    wormy80 Posts: 64 Member
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    bumping for later
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
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    Writing it all down and doing the math to see that even though I eat pretty clean, my portion sizes were out of whack.
  • rtarpley
    rtarpley Posts: 24 Member
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    When I log my food/calories - I lose weight. When I don't track my food/calories - I sneak back into higher caloric intake. LOG EVERYTHING!
  • Belita38
    Belita38 Posts: 39 Member
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    Finding out my bmr (in a lab) and finding my true tdee through trial and error. It took away all the guessing and hoping. Now I am able to feed my body and lose weight.

    Sorry, but could you help me? In what kind or lab and with what kind of exam can we know our bmr?
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    I'd say counting calories. Every calorie, as accurately as I can. Yeah, low carb has smoothed the last half and speeded it up and kept me sane but it has to go back to basics and counting calories really showed me what I was eating and what I could stop eating to change things.
  • tmgider
    tmgider Posts: 16
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    I did a lot of research and finally stopped kidding myself about how bad processed carbohydrates are, even if they're touted as low fat, etc. So I stopped eating any type of food that was made out of white flour and/or sugar - cakes, cookies, donuts, muffins, 100 calorie snacks, bread, pasta. I also stopped eating sandwiches made with lunch meats and cheeses for lunch. Once I eliminated these types of foods, I started to lose weight consistently.
  • CherieOakley
    CherieOakley Posts: 9
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    Eating a protein breakfast EVERY morning.
  • Lyssa62
    Lyssa62 Posts: 930 Member
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    my single thing comes wrapped in a package -- I had to get a "routine" down. This includes my meals and exercise along with the rest of my mind, body and soul.
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 909 Member
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    Eating "Clean."

    I know clean is a dirty word with a lot of people here (no pun intended). However, my definition is whole foods such as fruits, veges and lean meats and minimally processed foods with very few (if none at all) preservatives, additives, modified fats and sugars, etc.

    By the way, I don't eat clean for weight loss. I eat clean because it gives me more energy and I just feel so much better.

    Also, eating lots of healthy complex carbs such as rice, quinoa, and whole wheat (minimally processed) products. I recently realized that the whole "carbs are bad" trend was a bunch of B S.
  • Catwoman1037
    Catwoman1037 Posts: 102 Member
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    The thing that helped me the most is not allowing food in the house I cannot stay away from in my weak times: Potato Chips & Ice Cream! I used to think I just had to be stronger and not touch it, but now I know it's okay to forbid it in my home. Also, being a part of this MFP community has given me so much strength!!! Thanks!!! :wink:
  • 366to266
    366to266 Posts: 473 Member
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    There are so many it's hard to choose just ONE as THE most effective.

    Here is one that might help others: I bought a waterproof MP3 player so now I dance on the spot in the swimming pool. I used to just wiggle about a bit. Now the BEAT makes me do a full cardio workout!
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,841 Member
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    Cutting sugars.
  • Dark_Roast
    Dark_Roast Posts: 17,689 Member
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    eating less
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    I get up and exercise. Period. Even if we have something really active planned for the day, I do at least half an hour of yoga or Wii balance games, or a 20 minute Zumba routine, just to stay in the habit of get up, workout.

    I found a good balance of what I call my moderate carb diet. I don't feel deprived, because I get some grains, but I don't have grains like rice and pasta as filler - I use cabbage, spaghetti squash and other veggies for that. A half serving of grapenuts give my yogurt the texture I like; a sandwich thin makes it possible to hold my salad in my hand; fiber one brownies are a reasonable way to have some chocolate.

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