What small changes are you making to lose weight?

Amberh82
Amberh82 Posts: 468 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm just curious....what small changes are you making each day to help in your weight loss?

For me, besides just trying to make wiser food choices, I'm trying to walk at least 1,000 steps at lunch time (about 10-15 minutes)....
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Replies

  • Quieau
    Quieau Posts: 428 Member
    I eat sandwiches and wraps a lot. I stopped eating potato chips with them and started eating pickle chips.


    Looking for little substitutes so that I'm not just giving things up, but trading things in ... y'know?
  • exquisitelyimprobable
    exquisitelyimprobable Posts: 8
    Less coffee, more water
  • gautamgiri3304
    gautamgiri3304 Posts: 17
    i joined this site.. I come here daily.. I m very competitive guy when i see anyone burning more then me i just do little more then them..
  • bserwack
    bserwack Posts: 51 Member
    I swapped coffee creamer for skim milk! I also try to get in some 'random acts of excercise' throughout the day, I'll do a quick set of squats in my cubicle when no one is looking!
  • NikiChicken
    NikiChicken Posts: 576 Member
    I write everything down before I eat - that way I have to make a conscious decision to put it in my mouth.

    I get some form of exercise at least 5 days each week - and that doesn't mean going to the gym. It means taking a walk, working on a project in the yard, going for a bike ride with my son, throwing the football to my son, etc.

    I look up a restaurants menu before I go out to eat so I can decide what I want to eat before I am ravenously hungry. Then I don't open the menu and just order what I already decided on.

    The biggest change of all and the one that has, I think, had the most impact on my success so far. I do NOT beat myself up for mistakes. Life happens and there are days when I just don't give a s***. When those days happen, I track them no matter what I did, recognize it for what it was and move on without guilt and just get back on the horse the next day.
  • Amberlynnek
    Amberlynnek Posts: 405 Member
    Packing all my meals with a careful balance in mind has made all the difference in the world! No crazy afternoon hunger after lunch, no loss in energy and no bizarre cravings! Once I figured out how to balance my meals, the rest was easy
  • mmsilvia
    mmsilvia Posts: 459 Member
    This week it has been avoiding the Halloween candy...SUCCESS so far!!

    Every other day...increase my water. Working out daily. Cooking healthy meals. Packing healthy lunches and snacks for my work day.

    But, most importantly...if I have a bad day or meal I try not to beat myself up as tomorrow is a NEW day :happy:
  • cdanie13
    cdanie13 Posts: 108 Member
    Gallon of water a day!
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    Basics, really. Walking home from work every day instead of getting a ride; using a food scale to measure appropriate portion sizes; not keeping my starchy trigger foods in the house; stashing bottled water & string cheese at work so I don't hit the vending machines as often.
  • RozayJones
    RozayJones Posts: 409 Member
    Simply watching everything that goes into my mouth - each bite counts....
  • PhoenixWithoutAshes1
    PhoenixWithoutAshes1 Posts: 99 Member
    I'm walking in the morning before I get ready for work. I also plan out and log what I am going to eat each day. This week I started my personal challenge of no beer until Thanksgiving Day.
  • Mommybug2
    Mommybug2 Posts: 149 Member
    I have gradually made many slight modifications to my lifestyle. It started with MFP - logging everything I eat and being held accountable for it! That was really a major change but it has spawned all the little ones such as:

    1) Using the rest room on the other side of the building instead of the one that is 100 steps from my cube.
    2) Swapping my morning Frappacino (180 calories) for Light Iced Coffee (50 calories)
    3) Choosing active activities (Wii, Playing Outside, Riding bikes, Exercise Routine) to do with the kids after work
    4) No munching - only preplanned sit down enjoy my food snacking allowed!
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    The big change for me was bringing my lunch instead of running out to a fast food joint (ouch). The second biggest was adding a Fitbit to get a better activity measure. Smaller changes include:

    - replacing carb snacks with fruit and Greek yogurt
    - walking extra steps at every opportunity
    - cooking more and reducing frozen/canned foods
    - replacing beer with dry wine
    - slowly convincing my husband, who does the grocery shopping, to look for things for me
  • tsmoore925
    tsmoore925 Posts: 98 Member
    Cut out soda and drink only water!
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Just tracking everything I eat and drink, and getting off my butt more!
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    I eat the same foods as maintenance, just 250 calories less.
  • lau444
    lau444 Posts: 120 Member
    Exercising at least 30 min/5 days a week

    Watching my sodium intake CLOSELY

    Making myself go to bed by 10pm (so I can get 6 hours)

    Drinking at least 12 cups of water (even more when I go over my sodium or exercise)

    Packing healthy snacks for work so I don't slip (I work in a pastry kitchen)

    Measuring my food on a kitchen scale instead of approximating
  • 1longroad
    1longroad Posts: 642 Member
    Logging, meaning accountability for what passes my lips!!
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
    i am not exactly trying to lose weight at this point...but for maintenance purposes, i am trying to limit lunches out.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    Learning the power of saying "no", "not right now", and "maybe later".

    Not a small change, but I've learned the difference between hunger and cravings.

    Shunning any and all dieting advice, no matter how apparently sound, that doesn't make sense for me. Customization is the key to victory.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    Weighing and logging every last thing, good day or bad day, come what may.
  • Steffani911
    Steffani911 Posts: 196 Member
    I cut out flavored creamer. I drink a lot of coffee, and when I started tracking calories, I realized that I was drinking about 500 or more calories a day in creamer. I still have sf flavors once in a while (like this week holiday sf peppermint mocha) but I don't make a habit of it.
  • niricava
    niricava Posts: 89 Member
    1 TB coffeemate per cup of coffee instead of who knows how much...
    counting calories and watching my portion sizes
    planning out my restaurant menu choices in advance
    getting some sort of exercise in every day
    running stairs a few times a day
    moving more instead of sitting all day at my desk job
  • AlyssasDiet
    AlyssasDiet Posts: 120
    -I've entirely switched to diet soda instead of regular, and when I get coffee I get the "light" versions.
    -When my husband and I go somewhere like a restaurant, if it's walking distance (so no more than probably 15 minutes walking one way) we'll just walk. (Which is great right now because it's November in Florida! Amazing weather.)
    -I make sure I know the calories in everything I eat, preferably before I eat it but if not after.
    -And I try to always take the stair now. (When I can find them.)
  • amandarama_
    amandarama_ Posts: 29
    I've made many changes. Aside from calorie counting and exercise, here are some small things I've changed.

    Parking in the furthest parking spot from the mall/store.
    Drinking water before meals.
    Chewing gum when I'm at work and feeling like I want to eat something.
    Waiting at least ten minutes before getting a second plate of dinner. (75% of the time I don't still feel like a second helping after waiting ten minutes)
    And always taking the stairs when given the option.


    And, in my opinion most importantly, ensuring I always make the best decisions possible food wise, without ever making myself feel like I am depriving myself of things. If I want something, I am going to have it. I might have less of it, and I'll make sure it fits into my calories.. but I still have it.

    Seems small, but things can really add up over time!
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    I've made many changes. Aside from calorie counting and exercise, here are some small things I've changed.

    Parking in the furthest parking spot from the mall/store.
    Drinking water before meals.
    Chewing gum when I'm at work and feeling like I want to eat something.
    Waiting at least ten minutes before getting a second plate of dinner. (75% of the time I don't still feel like a second helping after waiting ten minutes)
    And always taking the stairs when given the option.

    THESE ARE GREAT! Packing snacks is also key.

    I've just changed jobs, so my parking lot walk is 10 minutes shorter than it used to be...now to make up that 20 minutes....
  • sierra_leone08
    sierra_leone08 Posts: 10 Member
    Taking my dog for a walk more often for 30 - 60 minutes a day, making smoothies, trying to get back in the habit of using MFP now that I am smartphone less
  • amandarama_
    amandarama_ Posts: 29
    -I've entirely switched to diet soda instead of regular, and when I get coffee I get the "light" versions.
    -When my husband and I go somewhere like a restaurant, if it's walking distance (so no more than probably 15 minutes walking one way) we'll just walk. (Which is great right now because it's November in Florida! Amazing weather.)
    -I make sure I know the calories in everything I eat, preferably before I eat it but if not after.
    -And I try to always take the stair now. (When I can find them.)

    November in Canada, not quite the same... But we do the same when it's not winter! We'll walk to the store to get snacks if we want them for on lazing on the couch watching a movie.
  • judyberkowitz
    judyberkowitz Posts: 3
    I've lost 28 pounds since the 1st of September. I have given up sugar and flour..Period. I found that if I put sugar on my oatmeal I was starving all day--no matter what I ate for lunch or dinner. I went to a wedding (I live overseas) and wedding dinners are really lavish--I probably had a 2000 calorie meal, but just started back the next day. I'm not beating myself up if I blow it. This is for the long haul.
  • sjeanpayd
    sjeanpayd Posts: 8 Member
    For those who have mentioned not using coffee creamer, I've substituted So Delicious coconut creamer. It's got a richer taste than skim milk but 0 fat. It does have sugar, though, but only 20 calories per 2 TBS. Thanks to everyone who has commented, it does help. I have discovered that keeping the weight off is more of a challenge than losing it. Maintenance is much more of a challenge.
    Those exercise and eating habits have stuck, and slipping into the previous habits is difficult. If I slide for a day, there is always tomorrow. The exercise or walking or doing some physical activity instead of eating does help!!

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