Any Tips Please!

Make healthy portioned meals ahead of time this way you have no excuse to eat poor food (I have a food saver and package 4/5oz portions of baked chicken w/ 1/3c Rice & 1C Veggies for lunch- I also do Breakfast meals too eggs(I use egg whites mostly) freeze well) you can freeze these and they thaw by lunch or dinner. This takes maybe 2 hours on a weekend to make meals for a whole week or longer. -- Saves time actually in the long run!

Avoid processed foods - It is loaded w/ sodium and other crap - You will feel so much better with out it! I literally cleared my cabinets of soups, boxed meals, frozen meals - My fridge always has fresh items (I told my husband he is just going to have to deal with all the healthy stuff :P and he appreciates it now)

Fitnessblender.com has free videos you can do at home some(The HIIT training) are as little as 15 Mins long... I think they even have a Mom and Child workout. You can go for a walk with your children (maybe to a park nearby?)

Be honest with yourself as far as your eatting goes... don't skip logging anything!!

Get a heart rate monitor w/ the chest strap for a more accurate amount of calories burned - MFP and the Machines at the gym are always way off for me.

It isn't a diet, so stop looking at it that way... it needs to be a life style change (Unless you want to do this over and over again)

**No Excuses!** I joined a boot camp that requires me to wake up at 4am(I am NOT a morning person) to make it there by 5am 3 days a week and then I have an 8 hr work day that starts at 0700 and ends w/ another small workout & then house chores/entertaining a energetic puppy/spending time with my husband/school work .. if you really want this you will make time for it... to me it is worth all the madness right now... I have a goal and I WILL reach it. No Excuses!

Thank you for the last part. I have so much time, but seems to waste a lot of it and you "No Excuses" really hit home for me. I shall try and remember this when I give an excuse for not wanting to work out.

I have to agree with what everyone has already said but my best piece of advice is to remember that it isn't a diet. It's a new way of living. You're teaching yourself to eat the right food and in proper portions. That means that most of the time you'll eat only what you plan and plan to eat only what's good for you. However, there will always be birthday parties and family get togethers. Just plan accordingly. Don't beat yourself up for having a piece of cake or an extra cookie. Every meal is a new opportunity to start fresh and make good choices. Just don't give up.

I agree with everything above. Plus my new mantra:

"Put it down, put your arms up, and step away from the ice cream!"

Planning and more planning is the key for me. I have to have the right foods in the house at the right time. Stock up on lean protein, avoid carbs, take vitamins and eat clean. I have also been taking a little organic apple cider vinegar. This stuff must have been created by the devil because it tastes like a dirty dish rag. It seems to have many healthy benefits though. Stay strong!

good luck! you got this!

Start by:
*logging consistently! everything you eat - log.
*get a kitchen scale if you don't have one and weigh everything. you may be surprised by some of the results (e.g., i was surprised to learn how much *a* banana actually weighs).
*double/triple cook your foods and freeze in portions (using the afore-mentioned scale)
*figure out your danger times (mid morning? late at night) and change your habits (do you mindlessly munch in front of the tv? so do something else like a mani). Also pre-logging your cals helps to stop (e.g., "oh, that pizza is 400 cals and that will put me over. i'll skip it, or have a greek yogurt with blueberries instead")

Well, It's rough, I'll tell you that. But it DOES get easier. You're gonna be hungry in the beginning but then you're gonna feel full because your body actually FEELS REAL HUNGER. I'm in a rut, but I know what I did in the beginning worked for me real well. I lost 31lbs from January-April. Not bad, it's a moderate loss. You don't want to lose it fast because then you'll put it back on quicker than you lost it. Watch your salt intake. That adds to bloating/swelling, so drink LOTS AND LOTS of water to flush all that salt out (And I'm talking like 3-5lbs of weight being gone just in the salt making our bodies retain fluid). I started when my son was 9 months old and he had a BLAST watching me exercise. Fitness Blender is GREAT. Youtube their channel and if you have a PS3, it's even easier watching it on your tv than the computer and doing it. But, along with all that, don't eat fried food. It's hard sometimes, but with your stomach issues, eliminating fried foods is a must (I have PCOS and IBS so I HAD to quit eating greasy food, I still slip up and when I do, I'm brought to my knees in pain for it hurting so bad, still have my gallbladder though) But eating more green is the way to go. Also, drinking a protein shake helped with filling up calories and helping me in general when I first started. Don't eat below 1200 calories, you will not like it at all. Also, eating 1200 is horrible for your body. You'll feel super weak and sick, and if you're drinking a protein shake and doing 1200 calories, you're going to spend a lot of time on the toilet lol. It's not healthy. But the protein shake helps with not only filling up your calories, but also filling you up and helping you reach your protein goals. Do your TDEE. Look up on here "TDEE Roadmap 2.0(Revised)" It helped me out when I was slowing down in weight loss and I kid you not, I followed the directions there and I lost 10 more pounds that week just by listening to that. Sorry this is so long, I know you're new and I just wanted to cover a lot of basics to help you. Also, if you have back trouble or trouble doing certain exercises, do them on a fitness ball. I can't do regular sit ups, but when I got on that ball, I got to 100 sit ups in one rep and let me tell you. I didn't feel a thing, but the next day I was basically in a fetal position for the most of the day. lol. But it helps when you don't think it is. Push ups on the ball are great as well. Try Pilates. I did the beginning type, but it works as well. Add me, we can encourage each other. Also, most important-- DO NOT GIVE UP. You may feel like you're getting nowhere and it's not working for you, but just take a long hard look at how you got to where you are. If you're like most, you start and quit (including myself as well) and it's not about how many times you give up, it's about how many times you bounce back and strive to better and push yourself to your limits. You have to mentally push yourself and only you will know when enough is enough. Feel free to add me! HOPE THIS HELPS A LOT OF PEOPLE!

You won't feel hungry if you are eating the right foods. I never feel hungry b/c I eat meals w/ lots o protein (almonds make good crunchy snacks as well -- just make sure you portion out a serving!)

Absolutely, hunger shouldn't be an issue if you are getting enough protein, fat and fiber. I have lost 121lbs in 15 months. I simply eat at a sustainable calorie deficit and I eat my exercise calories back. However, I weigh and measure everything and I have a Bodymedia Fit, so I have a fairly accurate idea of my intake and my calorie burns. I also do not deprive myself of any foods. If I want ice cream ( and I do, everyday) I have it. But I make sure that I have hit my macro/micro/fiber goals first. At my heaviest, I just did stuff like Aquafit and a recumbent bike, now I am much more active and do kickboxing and have incorporated weight training as well. Exercise is not neccessary for weight loss, but it is important for overall fitness, and you get to eat more! :drinker: Find something you enjoy, go to it and don't deprive yourself of the foods you love, in moderation.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
Edited to add link.

WATER!! Is your friend.. Might always not taste great but it is..
Flushes the fat OUT!.

From what I read, we are suppose to drink half our weight..


I read this in a book once.. Might sound strange. But look at the skinny people habits.
They Always have
1. water in their hand
2. outdoors walking, or working out,
3. Tend to eat more salads and healthier grown products.
4. They take care of their bodies.
5. They make time for themselves.

Good Luck!

lolwut?

Water does not "flush out fat".

Eat at a calorie deficit. Make time for exercise, be it using a running stroller, going for family bike rides, signing up for a gym that has childcare, or doing videos when the kids go to bed or are otherwise occupied. The exercise will make you feel better and help you get that deficit.

For further reading:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Water
Flushes the fat OUT!.

lolwut?

I'm trying to lose weight and get heathy. I have been on every diet there is! For the last 7 days I have been trying something different that my doctor suggested and so far I have felt and seen results. I went out and bought a Nutri-bullet from Bed,Bath and Beyond and have made at least two smoothies a day and then light healthy meals. I didn't know if I would like the taste but was willing to try anything to help lose weight. If you go to their website you can see more about it. I add Kale, bananas, oranges, grapes, nuts, pineapple, apple, mango, strawberries, Fax seeds, berries, vanilla or almond milk, carrots, avocado and greens. Not all at the same time, usually 1/2 greens and kale, 1/2 fruit and a handful of nuts and some flax seeds. I was amazed at how good they are! I have already lost 7 pounds and feel so much better only after seven days! I'm going to keep on it and see how it goes!

I also have had some immune system trouble and thyroid issues this year so I wanted to try this to help. My doctor said that if you break down the fruits and veggies it is easier for your body to absorb the nutrition. Everything gets pulverized in this thing! Seeds , nuts, ice - you name it! It is fun and easy and the drinks are good and fill up up!
Hope this is helpful and good luck!!

Just getting about & moving, whether it's for a walk or doing chores helps so much, especially if you have your activity level set @ sedentary. Have a goal to walk 10k steps/day (5 miles). You can track your calories burned best with a heart rate monitor. Also, planning your meals & drinking water more than 1/2 your body weight in oz does wonders. You can do this....baby steps.

Contrary to what others believe, I weigh daily-just to make sure I'm on the right track. I give my scale about 10 days to behave to drop. Bunny food (salads) work best for me to make the scale behave, as they are high in potassium, as well as potatoes, avocados, bananas, etc. If something doesn't work for an extended period of time, change it up! I lost 16 lbs my first month mostly by eating more salads & cutting out soda, but I weighed 236. Cardio has become my best losing weight activity, whether it's walking or running. I could not run when I first started back in March, but I'm working on my first 10k in May. You can do this, if you put your mind to it.

Add me if you'd like!