what worked
bushokie
Posts: 180 Member
Interested to see people who lost a lot of weight.Did you find more success counting calories or low carb or any other eating plan..thanks
0
Replies
-
Interested to see people who lost a lot of weight.Did you find more success counting calories or low carb or any other eating plan..thanks
I have always followed a 50%protein, 30%carb and 20%fat plan myself. I have adjusted my calories depending on the situation; however, I try to stick to that ratio and it works REALLY well for me. Years ago, I was very overweight and that is what the doctor set me up on. I ended up losing 100 lbs that way.0 -
calories in vs calories out... myself sort of in my head before mfp and now on here. I try to eat healthy but dont try to hit any pre determined levels of any thing in the way of carbs/protien etc or in the way of macros or even servings of food groups. I have tried other diets in the past, i am sure they work if you stick with them but problem was i didn't. I find this counting calories is easy (if i dont try to complicate it with macros and food groups) and its more of a life style change and portion size change.
Thats whats worked and is still working for me, others will vary no doubt
0 -
In the end, weight loss is calories in v. calories out. Macro tweaking is then done based on individual needs.
I eat low-carb because I am diabetic and have celiac sprue and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. I don't necessarily think low-carb is the answer for everyone. I've lost weight in the past eating low-fat (which I admit was dreary) and by simply watching calories without any regard whatsoever to macros.
5000 calories of bacon would produce excellent blood sugar readings, but I would still be fat, so I also count calories. I have found a low-carb lifestyle much easier to adapt to then I had even thought possible. Hunger isn't an issue, which is something i couldn't say with simple calorie counting or low-fat eating. The diabetes means I'll be eating this way for the rest of my life.
Throw in exercise to increase calories out and further control blood glucose and I'm golden :-)0 -
What works for me is a "diet" that I can sustain forever and ever amen. I eat mostly healthy stuff, but treats and naughty things too. I can't fathom a life without cookies, so I found a way to include occasional cookies in my life. I don't do one thing to lose weight and another thing when I'm "done". It just is-forever. So that's what works for me-something I can do forever.
I just eat normal food-no low carb/no carb/no sugar/ no this/no that. I eat like a regular person.0 -
thanks0
-
I stuck to calories. When people asked me, they seemed almost disappointed, everyone out there is looking for the "magic pill" or plan. Its whatever works best for you and your life. If its low carb, let it be low carb. I found that calories in vs calories out worked for me. I would also allow myself a cheat meal or cheat day once a week (it keeps me sane). And just start moving, whether its parking your car at the back of the parking lot at work or when you go grocery shopping, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, little things like that. I also learned to enjoy running. Took a while but I look forward to it now. I tell people that what worked for me won't probably work for them, you have to figure out your own motivation and your own plan that works for your lifestyle, and once you begin, don't give up. You WILL have set backs and days you don't feel like doing it. I have those now and I'm 2 years into my journey, but you have to push through.0
-
I lost weight doing a little above what MFP gives me for lightly active and no exercise because when i exercise I gain or stay the same for months0
-
Great question! I'm down 60, hoping to push it down 20 more or so.
Honestly, I just count calories and have added exercise to my life. Some weeks I might get in six days a week. Other weeks I might top out at 3 days a week. I have just spent two weeks packing/moving/settling into a new home so that three days seems very optimistic lately! Honestly, if I want something sweet, I still budget something sweet into my calories. If I want a little salty treat (which is rare because I'm not a salt lover at all), I budget it in. I take the calories in/calories out literally. I don't veg out on celery and lettuce all day, but I do incorporate as many fruits and veggies as possible because they have the fewest calories (so I can eat more!). I've tried to make better swaps on things. Instead of white bread, I go for whole grain/lower calorie bread. I only purchase the leanest ground beef/meats. Instead of whole milk/2% milk, I only purchase 1% milk. Anything that can be substituted for something better, I try to do. I purchase only lower sodium foods that have that option. I do that primarily because my husband has chronic hypertension and he needs less salt anyway. Your taste adjusts in no time.
If you need any support or would like to add me, feel free!
Ashley0 -
KDIPIAZZ said it well!
I have had success with many different types of plans. I have had success with fad diets like HCG drops, Slim Fast, and ViSalus. However, it was never permanent. I gained it all back each time and my weight would usually creep up even higher than it was when I would start. For 5 years I always maintained within a range of 275-280lbs naturally without "watching what I ate", and going on and off of fad diets here and there made me eventually tip the scales at 295. Calorie counting truly is the way to go, as it makes you certain that you are eating within your "guidelines", if you will. Here's the issues I had with the diets I mentioned above: 1) I was always hungry, so I'd sneak food thinking "oh, a little won't hurt". WRONG. Then on top of that, I would sulk over the fact that I cheated for days, which usually made me depressed, which usually made me eat 2) I felt deprived. I felt like I couldn't enjoy going out with my friends or get a drink once in awhile. Deprivation is key to failure when losing weight. 3) I would follow the guidelines of these fad diets but it didn't give me the understanding of nutrition that calorie counting has. When I was doing Visalus shakes, I would drink my breakfast and lunch shake, then get fast food for dinner. It said to have a "balanced meal" for dinner, so I figured "well, if I don't get fries then you have beef (protein), fat (mayo) and a bun/veggies (carbs), balanced, right?!?" Sure I guess it is, if you want to get technical. But that still didn't change the fact that I was fueling my body with JUNK. 4) I would lose hope, give up, and eat all the foods I missed the most to make up for all the damn deprivation I felt. I have an additional 15 pounds on my already large frame to show for it.
Like many have said ,the macros will vary for each person. I personally am following low carb and it has proven to be helpful for me as I believe I have PCOS., But that doesn't mean it will do the trick for everyone necessarily. Good luck!0 -
I think the science is pretty simple... Burn more calories than you consume to lose weight. The trick is to find and eating style that fits you to do so and an exercise plan that interests you enough to stick to it. The biggest thing.. Don't lie to yourself about what your eating or how hard your working. If your not losing weight, your lying to yourself or maybe there is a medical condition preventing you from doing so.0
-
calories in vs calories out... myself sort of in my head before mfp and now on here. I try to eat healthy but dont try to hit any pre determined levels of any thing in the way of carbs/protien etc or in the way of macros or even servings of food groups. I have tried other diets in the past, i am sure they work if you stick with them but problem was i didn't. I find this counting calories is easy (if i dont try to complicate it with macros and food groups) and its more of a life style change and portion size change.
Thats whats worked and is still working for me, others will vary no doubt
THIS THIS THIS!!! Well said!0 -
I stuck to calories. When people asked me, they seemed almost disappointed, everyone out there is looking for the "magic pill" or plan. Its whatever works best for you and your life. If its low carb, let it be low carb. I found that calories in vs calories out worked for me. I would also allow myself a cheat meal or cheat day once a week (it keeps me sane). And just start moving, whether its parking your car at the back of the parking lot at work or when you go grocery shopping, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, little things like that. I also learned to enjoy running. Took a while but I look forward to it now. I tell people that what worked for me won't probably work for them, you have to figure out your own motivation and your own plan that works for your lifestyle, and once you begin, don't give up. You WILL have set backs and days you don't feel like doing it. I have those now and I'm 2 years into my journey, but you have to push through.
This is true! What works for one won't necessarily work for another. Each person is a little different. Take a plan you like and tweak it to your lifestyle.0 -
thanks guys..i agree0
-
calories in vs calories out... myself sort of in my head before mfp and now on here. I try to eat healthy but dont try to hit any pre determined levels of any thing in the way of carbs/protien etc or in the way of macros or even servings of food groups. I have tried other diets in the past, i am sure they work if you stick with them but problem was i didn't. I find this counting calories is easy (if i dont try to complicate it with macros and food groups) and its more of a life style change and portion size change.
Thats whats worked and is still working for me, others will vary no doubt
THIS THIS THIS!!! Well said!
Yep, same for me! Good luck to you, YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!0 -
Not sure if I qualify as losing "a lot of weight" but here I go anyway:
The biggest mistake I made was not having balance. I would restrict too much (calories, or carbs, or cutting out certain foods, etc.) and I could do it for a few days, then I would crash and burn because all I was thinking about was whatever I was restricting. I decided that I will let myself have a break when I REALLY want something. Since these occurrences are few and far between, the cravings for them go down because I do well with my usual stuff (lean protein, oatmeal, greek yogurt, lots of veggies, etc.). This has worked really well for me. It took me about 9 months to lose 30lbs so it's a little on the longer side, but the important thing is that I gave myself enough time to kill all my old habits and create new, healthy ones. That's what it's all about anyway.
Grabbing a hold of my diet combined with exercise 4-6X per week has changed my life in so many ways. When you fall off track, you just have to remember why you started and get right back on track. Losing weight takes a LOT of time and patience, but guess what? Time is going to pass no matter what you do!0 -
I stuck to calories. When people asked me, they seemed almost disappointed, everyone out there is looking for the "magic pill" or plan. Its whatever works best for you and your life. If its low carb, let it be low carb. I found that calories in vs calories out worked for me. I would also allow myself a cheat meal or cheat day once a week (it keeps me sane). And just start moving, whether its parking your car at the back of the parking lot at work or when you go grocery shopping, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, little things like that. I also learned to enjoy running. Took a while but I look forward to it now. I tell people that what worked for me won't probably work for them, you have to figure out your own motivation and your own plan that works for your lifestyle, and once you begin, don't give up. You WILL have set backs and days you don't feel like doing it. I have those now and I'm 2 years into my journey, but you have to push through.
^^this sounds like me other than the running, don't do that just walk fast alot. I'm going into my 2nd year on my journey, but this was really written well, I like that 0 -
I count calories. I eat as healthy as possible. Most everything I have is made from scratch except protein bars. I do occasionally eat out, but I make sure it fits into my calories for the day. I am also in the gym seven days a week and work out with a personal trainer twice a week. I went from being a couch potato to someone who loves exercise.0
-
I stuck to calories. When people asked me, they seemed almost disappointed, everyone out there is looking for the "magic pill" or plan. Its whatever works best for you and your life. If its low carb, let it be low carb. I found that calories in vs calories out worked for me. I would also allow myself a cheat meal or cheat day once a week (it keeps me sane). And just start moving, whether its parking your car at the back of the parking lot at work or when you go grocery shopping, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, little things like that. I also learned to enjoy running. Took a while but I look forward to it now. I tell people that what worked for me won't probably work for them, you have to figure out your own motivation and your own plan that works for your lifestyle, and once you begin, don't give up. You WILL have set backs and days you don't feel like doing it. I have those now and I'm 2 years into my journey, but you have to push through.
and all of this too. i dont do the cheat day now like i used to as i hit a point where i found it being counter productive but for the first few years every week i had cheat days where i didnt worry too much about what went in.
I never pictured myself as a runner even when i was younger and at a similar weight to now but i love it now, i actually long for it when i cant due to time constraints etc0 -
Interested to see people who lost a lot of weight.Did you find more success counting calories or low carb or any other eating plan..thanks
Both worked for me at different times. I lost a lot in 1996 on low-carb. Gained it all back a year later, then tried again with low carb in 2004... not so successful. Now I've lost it (and even more) on calorie budgeting. I enjoyed low carb but for whatever reason it didn't stick they way this has... maybe I was just too immature? Dunno. Gonna stick with calorie limits for the foreseeable future.0 -
thank you0
-
Don't need to say more except:
I need to journal to see results, everything that goes in my mouth0 -
me too0
-
personally i think it didnt stick, and the reason a lot of "diets" dont stick, is because (at least the ones i have tried over the years) you have to think about them, you have to think about them alot. with this yes you have to enter data in the app, but it does a lot fo the calcs for you. Really all i do is look at the number mfp comes up with for what ever i eat and if it looks reasonable i accept it, if it doesnt look reasonable i do a bit of research. I eat a similar mix of foods in general so after a little while of doing it everything is mostly on the quick lists. I find that for some reason this really has me thinking about portion size and control too and again once doing it for a while i dont even really think about it any more i just do it and then realize after wards what i did lol.0
-
Not sure if I qualify as losing "a lot of weight" but here I go anyway:
The biggest mistake I made was not having balance. I would restrict too much (calories, or carbs, or cutting out certain foods, etc.) and I could do it for a few days, then I would crash and burn because all I was thinking about was whatever I was restricting. I decided that I will let myself have a break when I REALLY want something. Since these occurrences are few and far between, the cravings for them go down because I do well with my usual stuff (lean protein, oatmeal, greek yogurt, lots of veggies, etc.). This has worked really well for me. It took me about 9 months to lose 30lbs so it's a little on the longer side, but the important thing is that I gave myself enough time to kill all my old habits and create new, healthy ones. That's what it's all about anyway.
Grabbing a hold of my diet combined with exercise 4-6X per week has changed my life in so many ways. When you fall off track, you just have to remember why you started and get right back on track. Losing weight takes a LOT of time and patience, but guess what? Time is going to pass no matter what you do!0 -
I love your last sentence. It is so true. Time will pass regardless. Why not do something with it!!0
-
I find that counting my calories and working out works best for me.0
-
I have had great success with low carb! It's mot for everyone but it has worked for me and I feel great and I'm not hungry all the time. I try to stay under 30 net carbs a day but not have more than 10 net carbs per meal or snack. I do plan on doing this the rest of my life. It works for me! I've lost weight, my blood pressure is excellent now and my cholesterol is better. If you are thinking about low carb, I would recommend it. You don't have to go as low carb as I do (I started at 20/day). If its not for you, go back to counting calories. I'm an all or nothing type person so that's why I think I like it so much. It is very clear cut on what to eat and what not to eat at each phase. There are only a few gray areas.0
-
No fad diets, no special supplements. Load up on lean meats, fruits, and veggies. Cut back and limit processed food. Make healthy choices. Research your food, low fat, no fat, light, diet, nutrition added, are all buzz words for healthier food that isn't always healthy. With many things I'd rather cut my portion by 10% then eat whatever they have added to it to make it 10% lower in calories.
Move more, eat less.
Make changes you can sustain long term.
If your hungry your doing it wrong. Aim for a reasonable sustainable calorie deficit. Extreme low calorie is not necessarily the best choice. Eat enough to fuel your body especially if you working out. Set your calorie goal and aim to get as close to it as you can. Don't think of it as a maximum, think of it as a target.0 -
I think the science is pretty simple... Burn more calories than you consume to lose weight. The trick is to find and eating style that fits you to do so and an exercise plan that interests you enough to stick to it. The biggest thing.. Don't lie to yourself about what your eating or how hard your working. If your not losing weight, your lying to yourself or maybe there is a medical condition preventing you from doing so.
Perfectly said!0 -
The calorie count is doing it for me this time... I've done the WW, SW, Slimfast, Cambridge diet......... all worked in their own way for a while...... but the main thing now is a change of lifestyle along with the calorie counting.
I'll have good days and bad days, but as long as I'm honest with myself and log what I've eaten, I can adapt and move forwards rather than look back and give up..........0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 427 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions
Do you Love MyFitnessPal? Have you crushed a goal or improved your life through better nutrition using MyFitnessPal?
Share your success and inspire others. Leave us a review on Apple Or Google Play stores!
Share your success and inspire others. Leave us a review on Apple Or Google Play stores!