What advice has actually helped you?

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  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
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    Drink water, log EVERYTHING you eat, move your *kitten*. Those are also listed in the order of importance.
  • pusheen12
    pusheen12 Posts: 192 Member
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    Aside from eating at a deficit and exercising, I'd say finding MFP was the next best thing I did and daily (or almost daily) logging has been eyeopening. Sticking to the daily calorie goal really works for me. To do this I have found it helpful to plan my lunches and two daily snacks ahead of time to take to work. It helps me to stay on track by having those healthy lunches and snack s handy.

    Thanks for posting, always looking for new ideas.







    t
  • katznkt
    katznkt Posts: 320 Member
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    Sleep. I really only noticed this when I started taking classes at night in addition to working. I started sleeping only 4 or 5 hours at night. My body wants 10. In sleep deprivation you have less energy to fight temptation. Your body can also feel starved for energy and hold onto the weight. I began to seriously change my habits this fall and noticed that when I prioritized sleep on my weekends, all of my weight would drop off on those nights. Then it would hold steady with lack of sleep until I slept a ton again.

    But, I would listen to your body and let it dictate your sleep. Sleep won't make you lose weight unless you are doing everything else correctly. It might make your attempt to make good choices easier though.
  • MeredithDeVoe
    MeredithDeVoe Posts: 31
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    the serenity prayer

    God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
    The courage to change the things I can,
    And wisdom to know the difference.
    Yep. Need this every day.

    Thanks for the responses.
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
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    I will note that for me the sleeping thing is a big deal. I used to go a lot of nights with very little sleep and others still with none at all and on those days I would crave fast food like crazy. I would also be too tired to work out and be in an overall f**k this mood.

    Getting enough water and finding methods of exercise that you enjoy or at least can tolerate are also biggies in my book.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Yeah, I agree, getting enough sleep is good!
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
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    it's really just about calories, and wasn't that a hard pill to swallow after struggling and seeing lots of family and friends struggle with the different diets over the years ...

    and reading this

    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Get to know what you're eating. Use MFP to log, and then analyse and see where you can make improvements.

    There's no such thing as bad or good foods, but portion control is everything.

    Get enough sleep, drink lots of water, and do something every day that makes you smile.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
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    The "eat back your exercise calories" thing is the major reason I'm losing weight. My previous weight loss attempts failed because I would feel hungry and deprived and give up. Now, I basically eat what I want in reasonable portion sizes, exercise, and the pounds drop off.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
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    Log all your food. Drink plenty of water. Get enough protein and fat.

    This! And don't deprive yourself, work daily ice cream in and you will still lose and not be miserable!
  • piersonj
    piersonj Posts: 62 Member
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    I have tried the raspberry ketones and the green coffee bean because I always hope there will be some miracle out there. One thing Dr. Oz was right about was the African Mango. When I ran out, I noticed I was eating much more during the day then when I was taking it in the morning. Maybe it was a placebo (spelling?) effect for me, but if it helps me not snack late at night, why not?

    Says the girl with under 1k posts...

    Confused, what does the number of times someone has posted have to do with knowing what works for them? The best advice I ever received was that there is no one size fits all fix to weight loss. The best example of this for me is water intake. For me water acts as an appetite stimulant. I can eat so much I feel bloated, drink 8oz of water and withing 30 minutes feel like I am starving (and bloated at the same time). The journey is about finding out what is best for you.
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
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    Wait till you are actually hungry before you eat.
    Simple but under utilised.
  • lsorci919
    lsorci919 Posts: 772 Member
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    Drink lots of water
    Log everything that goes in your mouth
    Get in at least a little activity daily

    and the key that has worked for me
    Eat what you want just do it in moderation and fit it into your allotted calories.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    Stop waiting until you're happy/comfortable. What if you're never happy/comfortable?
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
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    Keeping it simple. Not obsessing over food or exercise.

    This

    Yep, this

    And keeping it sustainable rather than perfect. What I do to get fit and healthy I have to be willing and able to do for the rest of my life. Sooo, no diets, no beating myself up over Christmas day eating etc, regular exercise but not to the point it controls my life. But most of all, don't quit, just keep going.

    Totally this.
  • jlahorn
    jlahorn Posts: 377 Member
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    If you're hungry, eat an apple. If you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, you're not really hungry.
  • LessthanKris
    LessthanKris Posts: 607 Member
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    Everything in moderation. I love food. Both my husband and I make new recipes all the time. He especially does not really pay attention to the calorie content. I enter the recipe ahead of time so I am aware of how much I can have. Sometimes it is not much but I get to enjoy it and I do not feel deprived.
  • Sharon_73
    Sharon_73 Posts: 189 Member
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    The best advice I received was "Learn to like yourself. Until you like yourself, you won't want the best for yourself."
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Many of my intuitions and observations have been confirmed by articles describing studies or by others who are in a position to see many people develop. They include:

    --Slow and steady weight loss is not for everyone. A short-term diet (10 days max), 2 or 3 times a year is OK as long as you eat in a balanced manner in between. (I don't diet every year, btw.)

    --It helps to weigh yourself several times a week, if not every day.

    --You figure out your calorie max for weight loss by trial and error. If you track faithfully and aren't ill and don't lose weight you're eating too much.

    --Exercise, while very important for health, is not that important for weight loss. It's a waste of time to calculate your calorie burn with specificity. There are too many factors. Just do it, but focus on calorie reduction.

    --Eating breakfast is not necessary for everyone. In fact, it can cause you to eat more over the course of the day.

    --Intermittent Fasting works, if you can find the right style for you.

    --Music helps with intense exercise.

    --A person with a particular body type who is interested primarily in aesthetics needs to watch how s/he does resistance training.

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