Tips for someone who keeps falling off the horse

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mistiblake08
mistiblake08 Posts: 80 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've tried several times to lose this weight. I have 53 minimum that I should lose to put me back into a healthy weight bracket again. I've tried all these fad diets and I think that's why I have trouble sticking to it. I've done meal replacement shakes, crazy gym sessions, diet pills, etc. This time I'm doing it by counting calories and doing more exercise.

I got a new job back in December and it's helped me lose 14lbs in three months without extra work outs. I've been doing extra for almost two weeks now and I can tell a difference in the way that I feel physically (even lost 1lb in five days). My pants are starting to fall down at work.

I am looking for tips on staying on the horse this time. I had a bad day on Sunday, but have been under my calorie limit the past three days so I feel that I made up for it. What have you had the most success with and what helps you stay on track?
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Replies

  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
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    Keep a reasonable calorie goal. Understand that any foods can help you reach your reasonable calorie goal. Don't think of yourself as being "on a diet" or "off a diet." You've just got to live life and figure out moderation because once you've lost all the weight, nothing at all really changes except you can eat just a little bit more of it.

    I personally bought a food scale, prepare most of my meals at home, found exercise I actually ENJOY and look forward to doing rather than finding it to be a chore (ie, I don't force myself to run on a treadmill every day because I hate it), and I keep a 99% accurate food diary. My reasonable calorie goal for me is 1500 + exercise calories (I'm 5'0, female, 28 years old, and am down to 153 pounds). I eat all the foods I've always loved, just I eat them less often or in smaller portions.
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
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    well, don't diet and change your lifestyle. then you will never fall off the horse again because you completely changed your eating habits. when I used to have fast food an average of once every few weeks, now will be every few months. changed my salad dressing to walden farm 0 calorie dressing. weighing everything that goes in my mouth. generally making better choices than I used to.
  • mistiblake08
    mistiblake08 Posts: 80 Member
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    I love dancing and I've been doing the Zumba workouts. Plus tracking everything that I put in my mouth. I've never seen that quick of a weight loss, even though it was just a lb. We've been making our meals with fresh ingredients where we can and eating out a lot less.
  • yensidtoon
    yensidtoon Posts: 82 Member
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    Don't give up ANY food group. Just count calories. And keep that job because you are exercising on your job, right? I have found that allowing myself chocolate when I want it (boy was I craving it today), as long as I fit it into my calories, then it is okay. So remember that little tip. Have what you want, but in moderation. Before I would have eaten a whole box of Andes chocolate mints in a sitting. Today I simply had a serving - 8 candies, and it was enough for just 200 calories.
  • OkamiLavande
    OkamiLavande Posts: 336 Member
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    Best advice I can give is eat everything in moderation. Don't cut out any foods you love. Use your exercise calories to save up for a small treat because small treats every now and then are better than a huge binge one day.
  • Mrsfreedom41
    Mrsfreedom41 Posts: 330 Member
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    Eat healthy filling foods, portion control, count the calories, keep your sodium intake low (1500mg a day is what my Dr. told me) and eat the foods you like in moderation. I love pizza and when I have it, I watch my food consumption throughout the day so I stay within my calorie counts. I also love ice cream and who doesn't, when I have it I stick to 1/2 cup of any kind I like. That way I don't feel deprived. If you feel deprived from what foods you like, you most likely will fail at changing your lifestyle of eating. Also exercise at least 3 times a week, whatever you like to do. I walk a lot and also use my stationary bike. Exercise until you feel tired but not exhausted, otherwise you may give it up. Hope this helps you.:flowerforyou:
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    plan ahead. every night, sit at the computer and pre-log what you're going to be eating the next day. i have the most success when i do this. and i always over log, as i usually found that i'd take something off the list.
  • eatspopcorn
    eatspopcorn Posts: 63 Member
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    I am looking for tips on staying on the horse this time. I had a bad day on Sunday, but have been under my calorie limit the past three days so I feel that I made up for it. What have you had the most success with and what helps you stay on track?

    Stop thinking about it in terms of either being on the horse or being off.

    This should be a lifestyle change, not a diet. If you take that mindset, then there's nothing to fall off of. If you have a 'bad' day, log it and move on. Never give yourself the option of "quitting" since this is the way you will eat for the rest of your life. Don't cut out any foods completely unless its for a medical reason, that will help you from possible binges. If you make room in your day specifically for that piece of chocolate, serving of ice cream, McDonald's meal etc then you will succeed.

    Sometimes life gets in the way, we need to adapt to it, not look at it as one or the other, follow the diet or completely get off of it.

    Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
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    try not eating out at all. get your body used to you preparing your own food that way you know exactly what you are eating. My parents are notorious for eating out and getting take out, I haven't been to my parents house in weeks. haha.

    also, I run a lot and burns a lot of calories. that way I can eat more. i still end up eating only about 1300cal per day but that is me being full. not starving at all. i chose foods that will satisfy me and keep the calories down.
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
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    I am looking for tips on staying on the horse this time. I had a bad day on Sunday, but have been under my calorie limit the past three days so I feel that I made up for it. What have you had the most success with and what helps you stay on track?

    Stop thinking about it in terms of either being on the horse or being off.

    This should be a lifestyle change, not a diet. If you take that mindset, then there's nothing to fall off of. If you have a 'bad' day, log it and move on. Never give yourself the option of "quitting" since this is the way you will eat for the rest of your life. Don't cut out any foods completely unless its for a medical reason, that will help you from possible binges. If you make room in your day specifically for that piece of chocolate, serving of ice cream, McDonald's meal etc then you will succeed.

    Sometimes life gets in the way, we need to adapt to it, not look at it as one or the other, follow the diet or completely get off of it.

    Good luck! :flowerforyou:

    I agree but would still skip mcdonalds. fast food is just so bad for you. I would go maybe once every 4 or 5 months. but I don't like how it takes up so much of my calorie budget for such a little bit of food.
  • Tanya949
    Tanya949 Posts: 606 Member
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    Forget all the fad diets... you need to change your lifestyle. It takes several weeks to make a new habit, so it will take that long or longer to make some changes that will stay with you for life. Don't expect things to change overnight. How long did it take you to gain 53 lbs? Then it's going to take at least that long to lose it again.

    I've changed my eating habits, from when I eat, to what I eat, how much I eat, and WHY I eat. I eat only to fuel my body now, and not because I am sad, lonely or bored. I make my own meals, pack all my lunches, plan what I'm going to eat at least the day before. I have been doing this now for 3 months. It's just starting to become second nature. I want to do this for the rest of my life, be healthy, eat healthy and be in total control. I eat everything I want, some things occasionally or rarely and less of it. Some foods I used to love do not even pass my lips anymore because my body would not gain anything positive from doing so. Everything I do want to eat fits into my calorie goal if I plan it out. So long as I keep doing what I need to do, it will work. Maybe not as fast as I would like, but at least I'm moving forward, and that will only bring success in the long run.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    try a pony.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://body-improvements.com/2013/05/24/undiet-your-diet/

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1214490-the-wisdom-of-trogalicious?page=1#posts-19000763
  • erikajurkowski
    erikajurkowski Posts: 5
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    Hunny, we have all been there! it's about learning the LIFESTYLE. Not dieting. Day in, Day Out making good choices! These days ANYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLY BE CRAVING has a clean version!

    Here are some tips I use:

    *Mini/Major goals- set a weekly goal, and a long term goal. (sometimes, esp during my time of the month, my weekly goal isnt a scale # its a promise to myself to ONLY eat clean foods. No reeses cups (my kryptonite!))

    *I always try to challenge to myself. Maybe its adding an additional rep to every set during every workout that week, or to bump up my tredmill pace every session that week. Maybe set a new personal record of a certain exercise. Just little things to push myself.

    *Make cardio fun. I NEVER DO THE SAME CARDIO WORKOUT TWICE A WEEK. i MAY USE THE SAME MACHINE, BUT NEVER THE SAME WORKOUT. (ex. Tredmill- One day I may do an incline of 6 pace of 3.5, the next day maybe a jog at 5.5, the following day HIIT sprints. KEEP IT INTERESTING! I've even used 4 machines during a 40 minute session! 10 minutes per machine.

    *Prep your meals on Sunday nights for the week. Depending what it is, maybe just until Wednesday and then I do a 2nd prep Wednesdays. I have a standing date with Kroger between 5-7 EVERY Sunday. Even the kroger people have noticed hahaha

    *****PROGRESS PICTURES!!! THE SCALE MAY NOT MOVE, BUT YOUR BODY COMPORTITION COULD DEF. CHANGE!!!*****

    Hope this helps!
  • eatspopcorn
    eatspopcorn Posts: 63 Member
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    I am looking for tips on staying on the horse this time. I had a bad day on Sunday, but have been under my calorie limit the past three days so I feel that I made up for it. What have you had the most success with and what helps you stay on track?

    Stop thinking about it in terms of either being on the horse or being off.

    This should be a lifestyle change, not a diet. If you take that mindset, then there's nothing to fall off of. If you have a 'bad' day, log it and move on. Never give yourself the option of "quitting" since this is the way you will eat for the rest of your life. Don't cut out any foods completely unless its for a medical reason, that will help you from possible binges. If you make room in your day specifically for that piece of chocolate, serving of ice cream, McDonald's meal etc then you will succeed.

    Sometimes life gets in the way, we need to adapt to it, not look at it as one or the other, follow the diet or completely get off of it.

    Good luck! :flowerforyou:

    I agree but would still skip mcdonalds. fast food is just so bad for you. I would go maybe once every 4 or 5 months. but I don't like how it takes up so much of my calorie budget for such a little bit of food.

    I agree with that for the most part, but not 100%. If I'm in a pinch, I will stop and get a breakfast sandwich or yogurt parfait in the morning, and I've gotten a smoothie for lunch before. All of those items can be had for 250kcal or less and aren't really that bad for you. I'm not talking about getting Big Macs every day. I do think that the convenience aspect of fast food places is just too hard to combat when you're trying to lose weight and life gets in the way of your supercharged pre-planning of every calorie.
  • commtry
    commtry Posts: 20
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    I just had an entire cheat week. Each day I promised myself not to do it again, and I do it again.
    I knew the problem though, I stay in the kitchen for the entire day, that's my work office, I like the large table.
    I decided from today onwards, I will do all of my work in my room, I will take one bowl per meal and walk away until the next meal.
    Make sure you don't have food that will make you cheat available. Its impossible at my house of 5, I am not the only one who eats, so snacks and sweets and all sorts of concoctions are in the kitchen. I see myself eating a little bit.... and then another little bit, until its almost gone and I tell myself, might as well finish it. And then I regret the whole process. And then I feel like eating again. And so I'd eat again A LOT and tell myself, I could always just start over again tomorrow. And welp, I do it again tomorrow.

    It has been a struggle, but just make sure to not think there's always tomorrow to start over again.
    Think, there's always the next minutes to start over again.
  • asue7
    asue7 Posts: 3
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    I didn't have any progress until I started weighing and measuring my food, eating cleaner, and scheduling my workouts. I started with a program called turbo fire that kicked my butt at first but now it's way easier. Don't stress too much. Have a cheat day. That can help you not eat junk the rest of the week. You'll think "Oh, I only have to wait till friday to have that pizza" or whatever. Treat yourself for a day, but don't over do it. Cheat days can actually help you get over a stagnant weight as well. It's helped me. :)
  • mcd933
    mcd933 Posts: 1 Member
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    keep your heels down
    grip with your legs
    sit heavy
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
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    I just had an entire cheat week. Each day I promised myself not to do it again, and I do it again.
    I knew the problem though, I stay in the kitchen for the entire day, that's my work office, I like the large table.
    I decided from today onwards, I will do all of my work in my room, I will take one bowl per meal and walk away until the next meal.
    Make sure you don't have food that will make you cheat available. Its impossible at my house of 5, I am not the only one who eats, so snacks and sweets and all sorts of concoctions are in the kitchen. I see myself eating a little bit.... and then another little bit, until its almost gone and I tell myself, might as well finish it. And then I regret the whole process. And then I feel like eating again. And so I'd eat again A LOT and tell myself, I could always just start over again tomorrow. And welp, I do it again tomorrow.

    It has been a struggle, but just make sure to not think there's always tomorrow to start over again.
    Think, there's always the next minutes to start over again.

    whats a cheat. you can really eat what ever you want as long as it is within your calorie budget. it's just some choices are wiser than others.
  • asue7
    asue7 Posts: 3
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    Oh also, the important thing to remember is a set back is okay..caving in, not working out a day..etc..the important thing is to never give up.

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