how i finally lost weight.. my plan

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  • candican
    candican Posts: 96
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    Congrats on figuring out what works for you! You can certainly lose weight successfully without counting calories. The thing is, you need to have the knowledge of the nutrition and portion sizes to do this successfully. Some people get really obsessive too and the counting overwhelms them. The point I think is that you still have to be mindful of the mechanics of what you need to be doing in terms of portion size, nutrition, calories and exercise.
  • CMAB
    CMAB Posts: 21
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    bump
  • jodiking
    jodiking Posts: 30
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    bump...I want to find this again lol
  • erinlindsay
    erinlindsay Posts: 65
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    and i know how hard it is MENTALLY to force yourself to eat lots when youre trying to lose weight, JUST DO IT.. but make sure its healthy ofcourse lol
  • Amy_B
    Amy_B Posts: 2,323 Member
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    i agree... but you shouldnt obsess over it.. its a lifestyle change so once you know what your doing, trust that you do and let yourself have some freedom
    Very good post! I actually lost most of my weight without counting calories. I do write down everything I eat to keep a check on myself or I do tend to go overboard sometimes. I'm mostly on here for support and to help others, especially with the message board. :wink:

    Something I'd add to your post is to drink lots of water. I average 96 oz per day. :smile:

    Great job!
  • thenebean9
    thenebean9 Posts: 216
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    Congrats to you for your weight loss! Everyone is different, and it took for me to log in and see what exactly i was eating every day to say "Whoa! That's crazy!" and then I learned a true portion control lifestyle. I still eat what I like in smaller portions, and usually on days where I have more calories to spare. I've lost 41 lbs since the beginning of the year when I began my journey (and 31lbs since being on MFP) so I feel that calorie counting can be an important part of learning portion control. Do I obsess about making sure it's super exact? not really! I try to get as close as i can without going crazy. Logging my calories maybe takes 15 minutes out of my entire day. certainly not too time consuming or tough!

    Everyone has a different way to do it - and perhaps beginners should start with logging to get a better idea of what good portion control is. I bet i could spend my day not logging and hit my goals because I've done it long enough to know, but newbies might not!

    To each their own, and to each I wish tons and tons of success on your journey! :)

    Athina :)
  • BrandingMyImage
    BrandingMyImage Posts: 2 Member
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    Thanks ErinLindsay,

    I basically put on the "college year pounds" on. I just recently graduating and I am determine to lose the weight! I definitely felt that the advice you gave, was the lifestyle I use to live before devoting my life to studying at school. You've given me hope that I can do it!

    Thanks for the posting, it is a true inspiration that I can lose the weight I gained these past years.

    Seriously, thanks!
  • lee112780
    lee112780 Posts: 419 Member
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    You have some really great points. I have counted calories and tracked points for YEARS....Im not evwen kidding. I dont know how to live life without counting calories...its sad when you think about it....the TIME I have wasted. Now , you got me thinking, because I was extremely successful 10 yrs ago when I dropepd 80 lbs, and I worked out and ate right...didnt count a thing! Now, I have been counting for the last 10 years and I have gained 40 out of the 80 I lost! I think counting works for most people, but I'm starting to think my counting days might be over....I'll try and see what happens.....thanks!
  • Tamishumate
    Tamishumate Posts: 1,171 Member
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    Lift weights, then sweat for 30 mins a day, increase intensity every week. (when you hit your goal weight, you can take some days off)

    You're completely wrong on this one. Once you hit your goal weight, you better be prepared to work HARDER. As you lose weight, your resting heart rate lowers which means it's harder to raise your heart rate...which means it'll take longer to burn as many calories as it did at your starting weight.... which in turn means you'll have to work out MORE. You can still just do 30 minutes of cardio a day but it's going to have to be more intense. I know this from experience. I used to burn 300+ calories doing 30 minutes exercise...now I'm lucky if I get to 200 depending on what I'm doing.

    Please please research before you post something like this. New people who don't know much will eat this stuff up and you're getting their hopes up for when they're "done" and can not work as hard when it's the exact opposite.

    I also disagree with you about counting calories but I won't go there. I understand everyone's body is different...but to tell someone just starting out "don't worry about counting calories", is dumb. Intuitive eating is great but you have to know what you're doing.

    Well Said!! I agree completely. I still count calories, cause its so easy to forget that one thing. AND I have to work my butt off to get a high calorie burn! nothing like in the begining At the DR yesterday and my pulse was 52. it takes alot to get it to 152 where I like it for a good calorie burn.
  • khk2010
    khk2010 Posts: 451 Member
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    Congrats on your success and glad it worked for you.

    I wish I could go without counting calories and logging food but the fact is that I gained all this weight because I wasn't monitoring myself with portions and food. I kept thinking why am I gaining all this weight--I'm not eating that much. After a week on MFP I realized all the additional calories and high calorie foods I was consuming. Counting calories and keeping a journal keep me accountable and hopefully will teach me to "know" the right portions and right foods to eat (as well as exercise). One of my problems with "crash dieting" is that I lose weight but have no life skills to keep it off. I will probably use this site to help maintain my weight. At least for a while. So while this approach worked for you and thanks for sharing it isn't for everyone.
  • missjo113
    missjo113 Posts: 52
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    Congratulations to you on your success!

    What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. I think everyone should start out with the basics and once you know what you're doing you can evolve from there.

    I lost 40 lbs in 2000 and kept it off by counting my calories, being mindful of portion sizes and exercise. 2 years ago I decided not to count anymore because 8 years of doing the same thing, I figured I had it down pat. I started to s l o w l y gain weight back again. I would forget what I had eaten and my portions were slowly getting bigger. I was still eating healthy but more was finding it's way into my daily intake. Now I'm back to keeping track of what I'm eating and I'm feeling more in control again. I've lost 10 of the 20 lbs that I gained back and have another 10 yet to go but I know I can do it because I've done it before.
  • budgetqueen79
    budgetqueen79 Posts: 310 Member
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    Congrats on your success! Even though everything does not work the same for others for example my husband doesn't have to count not one calorie and the weight flies off. Me because of my PCOS have to watch it more closely. I know plenty of people who do not have to count calories and others that do for various reasons. Great post!

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