151 lbs lost and 1 year on MFP!

151 lbs lost and 1 year on MFP!

I feel very blessed to have found MFP, it's such a great site. I just wanted to pass along some things that have helped me which may also help you. My observations are my own and are maybe not good for everyone or even fitness industry correct but they have worked for me. ***(((ALWAYS CONSULT A DOCTOR PRIOR TO DOING ANYTHING HEALTHWISE)))***

So here goes:

• Chill out - it's not a race you can't lose it all in one day.

• My biggest secret and fountain of youth and success is contributed to this one and really only one thing: BE CONSISTENT !!!!!!!!!! You may have consistently done it wrong, and it worked, you didn't get results right? Now consistently do it right and you will see amazing results - it's a law!

• Food secret: When I started MFP, I didn’t know what to eat. I mean, I knew not a lot of fat, blah blah, right? But I really didn’t know what to eat, so I went on success stories in the community and looked for everyone who had lost 100 lbs or over and asked to be their friends. Then I looked back at their diaries and saw what they had been eating and what their stats were, like protein, sugar, carbs, etc. I then tried to replicate the stats by using foods that they were but only the ones I liked. So if someone was eating bulger or spinach and I didn’t like that, I would seek out something else that others were eating that made my numbers come out good.

• Test your calorie intake. It seems that I lose weight at a certain calorie limit. If I go below, I don’t and if I go above I don’t. You just need to test it out.

• There is no such thing as a cheat day. I mean what’s the point. I know I have had enough trouble sometimes just sticking to what I wanted to eat, not to have a planned cheat day. I know people believe in them, but why would you reward you good efforts with sabotaging them? Sounds twisted to me. So I specifically don’t schedule them. I do sometimes mess up my eating but I am not perfect.

• Weigh yourself every day. Most people I talked to don’t believe in that but, for me, I know if I don’t and tried to do it once a week, I would say, OMG 6 pounds gained, I had no idea, how did that happen. Better for me that I always know where I stand and what I weigh.

• The secret of walking 3 miles every day non-stop is this: walk 10 minutes every day for a week or two, then walk 15 for a week or 2, then maybe 25 or so. Basically the secret is not trying to get to the end in one step, do it slow and gradual. 1 year ago, I used to drive to the park across the street from my house to watch my kids play soccer, now I walk 1 hour every morning, at least 6 days a week and usually 7. When I first started, 10 minutes was extremely tiring for me. I am not kidding. Now I can walk more than 3 miles a day but don’t usually have more than that hour to walk so 3 miles it is.

• If you can, exercise, (walk whatever), first thing in the morning. Why? You never know what your day will be like, how tired you will be later or issues that may come up beyond your control. Take the unknown out of the equation and walk or exercise first thing in the morning before your world blows up  Once done it’s done! I get up every day at 4:30am and work out from 5am to 6:30am. It works for me!!!

• BTW, I didn’t start exercising until I consistently was on MFP losing some weight for 2 months. I don’t know if that was good or bad but by that time I felt better about myself and felt better physically and was ready to walk 10 minutes.

• Even if you don’t do what you plan exercise wise, who cares? You did something and something was way better than you had been doing, right? DO SOMETHING!!!!!

• Introduce weights into you exercise if you can. Building muscle helps to increase your metabolism and helps lose weight. Start small, you don’t have to be the weightlifting champ to start out, better not to hurt yourself. I do upper body one day, then lower body the next giving each set of muscles 24 hours to rest and repair. It seems to have worked and I am increasing weights that I lift and am getting stronger every day.

• I have never used a trainer because I didn’t feel I could afford it without sacrificing other family stuff so never had. The point here is that not being able to hire a trainer is not an excuse, you can do it with or without one. You will probably get better results with one but I am proof that if you can’t afford one, you can still get healthy.

• Make a day on the weekend a stretch your limits day. So on Sunday’s, I usually try and run half of my 3 mile walk or more. I have run 3 miles all at one time and it was a major goal because had not even tried to run in 15 years. On the weekend you may have more time to spend doing something, so walk extra, try and run a block, increase something you do to exercise – you will feel so proud of yourself no matter what you do!!!! DO SOMETHING!!!

• Set a goal, small goals that lead to your big goal. I never thought in a million years that I would lose 100 lbs., but I did set it as a goal along the way, 10 or 15 at a time seemed light years away, but then they all started adding up and soon I reach 100, OMG!!!!!!!!!!!

• Find a saying that you believe in and never forget it. I have a couple: 1) I DO TODAY WHAT OTHER’S WON’T SO THAT TOMORROW I CAN DO WHAT OTHER’S CAN’T – Jerry Rice 2) You can rest when you are dead, 30 minutes will not kill you and may just save your life – unknown.

• It’s ok to stop and maintain. I have gotten to my ultimate goal 150lbs lost. Then I decided I would try 35lbs more for a total 185lbs., but I am not ready to start the last 35 yet, so I am hovering around 151 lost. I gain 2 lose two, gain 3 lose three, gain 1, lose 1. I am just chilling getting ready for my next push at my last 35lbs. Maybe I will start working on it Sept 1 or next week, we will see. Either way, it is best to test and make sure you don’t go back.

• This week I threw away my 4x, 3x and some 2xl shirts and pants. Don’t give yourself a reason or a season to go back. Always look to the future.

• Enjoy your success!!!