What contributed to your weight loss?

I joined 35 days ago and lost a couple of kg. Decided to celebrate, with friends over a meal out and a few drinks...then weighed myself today, and I weigh more now then when I first joined...Ooops!

Eating breakfast has been the huge change for me!

Nutrition is about 80% of what your results are going to be. You'll find a lot of people here on MFP saying "calories in, calories out". But if you think about it, that is SO UNTRUE!!! 1400 calories of good, whole, REAL food is completely different than 1400 calories of junk like pre-made food, processed food, soda/pop, etc. Just focus on eating clean food; that's a good place to start.

Most people who talk about calories in/calories out eat primarily nutrient dense foods...they just don't deprive themselves if they want a little ice cream or something after they've met their nutritional requirements and they have calories remaining that they can use. You don't get extra credit for additional nutrients once those requirements have been met.

A calorie is simply a unit of energy...it has nothing to do with nutrition...in that RE, a calorie is a calorie. Also moderation trumps deprivation for sustainability...always.

So true! I could never sustain a 100% clean diet, whatever the definition of that is. I'd be miserable and back at 300 lbs before next summer.

logging, water, working out! (me personally Beachbody! my first program was Power 90 and I used soup cans)

being realistic in goal setting. I know try to lose 1 pound every week not more than that, because at some point I overdid my exercise and had all leg pain and eventually had to stop. I drink lots of water, take stairs when I can.
Also it is important to realize where is your weak point, mine is dinner and late night snacking. Having realized that, I try to eat less for breakfast and lunch, so I can enjoy a bigger dinner or dessert here and there.
At the end of the day one step at a time can lead to a life style change, but changing everything at once is not gonna work for everyone.

Lots of walking and staying under our calorie goal. By lots of walking, I mean, outdoors on a flat and/or hilly trail like at a partk where you can just go for miles. Walking and talking with a friend really passes the time. Before we knew it, we were walking 6, then 7, then 8 miles a day, 5 days a week. Both of us COULD ONLY DO THAT if we were walking outdoors and walking with someone and talking. It was easy since we both had about 1-1/2 hours dedicated after work. Of course this meant time away from our families but they are adults and they were my motivation. It is not easy if you are walking alone or walking on a treadmill and talking. It seems more laborous, more like a chore then. If you have a good friend or someone you can talk to for hours who likes walking, you have an advantage.

Drinking a lot of water, logging most of the food I eat (which I haven't done in a while)
exercising
not having a lot of sugar or fat in what I eat

my weight loss is due to minor exercise, watching how much i eat, eating very often, drinking plenty of water. That is what i'd like to believe.

Hard work, discipline, consistency.

Oh, and this one weird food tip that will melt fat...

I made sure to fulfill the following each day except Sunday(Rest Day)

a) Calorie Deficit
b) Music + Light Exercise (walking mostly)
c) Water(At least 1 Litre )
d (i) Eat Low Cal Protein foods
d (ii) Meals have been simple -breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. May consider breaking it up when its time to shred but for the most part this has worked out just fine.
e) Medication(Ganoderma) to assist with my knee and asthma issues.
f) On days i over ate, id sometimes do an extra 20mins of walking, the same day or next morning.

trying to stick to calorie goals - spreading out eating smaller things over the day - helps me prevent overeating at lunch and dinner - bringing all food that i eat to work helps me eat healthier

In terms of nutrition: apart from the obvious (more water, vegetables, etc), I never eliminated those things I loved and craved (chocolate, dairy and coffee), and cut out those I didn't love as much (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes). For example, on a "meal off" (once or twice per week) I would skip the french fries (meh!) and ordered a chocolate dessert (yum!). In terms of exercise: found something I really like (love group exercise, dancing classes, etc), started cycling to work 4-5 days per week (rain, hail or shine).

I got sick at the beginning, like a cold that hurt enough that soda felt bad going down so I stopped the soda, by the time I was done being sick I wasn't craving it anymore. Plus I dropped 10 pounds from not eating much while being sick. at that point my ankle pain lessened and I was able to start walking, and dropped about 55 pounds in 6 months, two years later I've maintained and have lost an additional 25 or so pounds with about another 9 to go can't wait to get there!! If I had known soda was causing the excessive foot and lower back pain I'd have quit it years ago!!

Other than the obvious stuff, portion control, eat more veg and lean meat, exercise more, drink more water etc... I think being unflinching in the face of your goals. Even when its awkward, even when family and friends make you uncomfortable, even when you would rather stuff your face with all those bad choices.

Don't back down and keep logging and aiming for under your goals. I now think everything in exchange. I want that chocolate treat? well I need to make sure I exercise TODAY. Its all cost and spend for me and I think if you're honest with yourself and don't give in!

After all the only one who misses out is you.

In this order: logging/calorie control, sleep, exercise, and my MFP pals.

The logging made me realise how much energy was in the food I was eating, and helped me make better choices about what to eat to control the amount of "calories in". I try to log in what I plan to eat a meal ahead of time... and if it is too much, I scale it back and don't eat as much as I'd originally planned. Eating lots of food is something I need to do...so I tend to fill up my days with heaps of veggies and nutrient rich but low-cal food choices; lots of whole foods, and very few pre-packaged foods which can be calorie bombs for very little actual volume of food. I love the ease of use of MFP for logging calories in.

Sleep has been crucial for me in succeeding. I tend to stress naturally, and my job can be quite stressful as well. Creating a nighttime ritual (a cup of valerian tea, a magnesium supplement, turning off the tv and computer an hour before bed, and going to bed early most nights of the week) has helped me wake early, rested up, and energised for my morning workouts. Sleep lowers cortisol (the stress hormone), and when rested, I have a greater general sense of well being because I'm calm rather than cranky and frayed.

Exercise keeps me fit, burns fat, reduces stress, and--best of all-- uses up calories, which allows me to eat more whilst staying within my daily calorie goals. I love to eat, so if I want to eat more on a certain day, I make sure to burn plenty of calories with my daily exercise.

Finally, my MFP friends have been instrumental in my progress. Just knowing that they will see my diary (open to friends) and hold me accountable helps me make better choices. I get great ideas for different healthy meals to make from viewing their diaries. We share tips and life stories. They encourage me when I'm doing well, and question me when I do anything that is counter to my goals. They have been critical in my successes, especially since I live in a remote area and don't have a big network of face-to-face supporters.