What item did you cut out that made a difference?

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Replies

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Guilt. Once I cut out feeling guilty over eating "evil" things I was able, for the first time in my life, to stick to a diet. I did not even have to cut my portions of "evil" foods that much. I mean sometimes I do, other times I don't, and most times I just have whatever and however much I want of certain things and compensate with filling the rest of my day with lower calorie options. Contrary to what I believed, this no-pressure approach did not cause me to gulp in high calorie food all day every day. It just deals with that desire I get for certain foods every now and then.
  • loribethrice
    loribethrice Posts: 620 Member
    Cutting out soda almost a decade ago made a huge difference for me. All I drink is water and it helps keep so much weight off.
  • libertino85
    libertino85 Posts: 10 Member
    I cut out alcohol. My hubby and I were weekend warriors for years. I feel so much better and started losing weight immediately!

    I didn't cut alcohol out entirely. But I had been having martinis with dinner on an almost nightly basis... I now limit them to weekend dinners and have lost at least two pounds a week!!!
  • GrammyPeachy
    GrammyPeachy Posts: 1,723 Member
    I actually eat more now. I realized, I was drinking about 1000 calories a day in cran-raspberry juice and about 1000 calories a day in flavored coffee creamer,(what a way to get so big). I cut out both of those. I also cut out sweets, accept for skinny cow or weight watcher desserts. I try to round out my diet now and I definitely eat more fruits and vegetables.
  • TMM211073
    TMM211073 Posts: 153 Member
    Naivety....

    I stopped believing all the b*llsh*t and went out there and found out for myself what works and how I am the only person who can make or break my weight loss success....

    xXx
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    Eating whatever I want, whenever I want.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • BeardandBelly
    BeardandBelly Posts: 2
    It may sound dumb, but I just don't eat lunch. It started when I took ADHD meds a few years ago, and I got in the habit of not eating lunch because I got nauseous even thinking about greasy school pizza or whatever they served. Plus I knew I would snack when I got home anyway, so it just seemed like a logical decision. These days I always come out 500ish calories below my daily recommended level without any effort at all.
  • chinook44
    chinook44 Posts: 55 Member
    No pop, no alcohol. Just water, water, water.

    Great words of wisdom I have gotten on MFP is "Don't drink your calories!" :drinker:

    Note: I lost 4 lbs the week I cut out all diet coke and drank at least 8 glasses of water a day.
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
    I cut out being a lazy bum, that made a huge difference.
  • joanna_82
    joanna_82 Posts: 151 Member
    I stopped eating two chocolate croissants for breakfast 5 days a week! That made a huge difference!
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    I cut out the word "diet."
  • AngeliqueAcee
    AngeliqueAcee Posts: 59 Member
    Cookies..

    If I eat one cookie I will eat the whole pack, easier to just not buy them :)
  • ExRelaySprinter
    ExRelaySprinter Posts: 874 Member
    Alcohol!
    I haven't given it up totally, but have cut down a lot.
    I actually FEEL a lot healthier for it, tbh.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I haven't cut anything out, but I have almost totally stopped alcohol. It just isn't important enough to me to figure out a way to fit it into my daily goals, although I do enjoy a beer or glass of wine when out with friends or at book club and work those in.
  • Wookinpanub
    Wookinpanub Posts: 635 Member
    Sweets, high carb heavy foods, fast foods, sugar cereals - cut back about 80-90%

    Alcohol - cut back about 50%

    Diet Soda - cut back about 25%

    Stopped eating the above right before bed.

    Exercise - increased 100%
  • GBrady43068
    GBrady43068 Posts: 1,256 Member
    My answer would be two things honestly:
    1) Any high calorie drink whether it's booze, sugary soda, (excessive) fruit juice...etc etc.
    There are several ways to step it down slowly: If you're a hard-core sodaholic, switch first from the full-calorie version to a "less calorie" version: If they make a 50% less sugar/corn syrup version, switch to that. When you're used to that, switch to the 10 calorie version (they mask the "aftertaste" of the artificial sweetener with just a taste of sugar/corn syrup...down to diet if you can. Better yet, make the soda an occasional treat and switch to water. There's nothing WRONG with fruit juice...but most of us weren't drinking the recommended serving size (HINT: It's not an 8 ounce glass...)
    2) Commit to not having ANY "just sit on the couch" days. Got a dog? Take it for walks more often.. Got a bike? Ride it... Got stairs in the house? Climb 'em during TV commercials Got a gym at work? Use the treadmill/elliptical on breaks/lunch. Don't have a gym at work? Walk around the building on breaks.. Even if you only do 10 minutes every day...that's better than 30 minutes 2 or 3 times a week already...and you can boost the activity from that point.
  • KeysGirl23
    KeysGirl23 Posts: 117 Member
    I simply cut the calories as suggested. Calories in v. calories out. Oh, and I got off the couch and did something, anything...
  • tkillion810
    tkillion810 Posts: 591 Member
    Processed, prepackaged foods and started meal prepping and cooking more.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
    2 liters of root beer a day.
  • ljmorgi
    ljmorgi Posts: 264 Member
    Calories.
  • GBrady43068
    GBrady43068 Posts: 1,256 Member
    It's not about giving up anything, it's about setting goals and sticking within your NET calorie limit each day as best you can. I say NET calories because the way MFP is set up, you have a calorie goal of X amount. If you exercise and log that exercise it removes Y amount, leaving you with Z NET amount of calories.

    In other words, Let's assume for the sake of math you were allotted 2000 calories when you set up your profile. You ate 1500 calories worth of food. Now your NET amount is 1500 calories. You have 500 calories left to reach your goal if you want to eat something else. Let's assume you went for a walk or to the gym and burned 500 calories. Now you have a NET total of 1000 calories. Since you burned some off, you are now able to eat 1000 calories in food to reach your goal.

    To some this seems confusing, but MFP is doing the math for you, just log as accurately as possible in both the food area and the exercise area.

    It helps to plan your meals for the week or at least the next day whenever you can. Go ahead and pre-log for the day so you can see where you are. Also, keep an eye on your macros - carbs, fats, protein - and try to get as close to those goals as you can. There are days where a slice of pumpkin bread from Starbucks knocked me right in line with my calorie goals and my macros.

    You're going to have off days where you go over, but as long as that's the exception and not the rule, you'll be fine.

    Give it time, be patient, track your calories, weigh your food, scan packages, do some cardio and lift some weights whenever possible. You won't lose everything in a day or a week or even a month. Be as honest in logging as possible and give it a couple of months to see how you're doing. If you're on track for losing then great. If you're not, then make the adjustments to your calorie goals.
    +1
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I haven't really cut out anything, I do eat less of a lot of things such as bread, for no other reason than I found it a waste of calories most of the time and I went months without a McDonalds and even now they are a very rare treat. I drink less alcohol and eat marginally less cheese.

    The big difference was really in what I started eating and surprising myself by enjoying such as lentils, fruits & veg & even cottage cheese on occasion
  • Aniluz7
    Aniluz7 Posts: 12 Member
    That is exactly how I started.

    My first step - cutting out soda (yes, even diet) and juices. For me, that was a HUGE game changer. I was so addicted to sugary drinks. After a few days, I actually felt really good and it inspired me to keep going.

    I think my switching all drinks to water or tea (no sugar or sweetners of course) was the reason why I lost 40 pounds. Not only that, but it was a huge factor.

    Taking small steps really works well, because it is a way to change your lifestyle, not a quick fix.

    One tip I learned that has really helped is rather than focus on CUTTING out things, try ADDING better options. Once you start adding better options to your diet, you can ease your way into cutting out the bad. It worked for me. I started adding a side of veggies and slowly eliminating rice, pasta and bread. Slow steps = better success rate!

    Another thing I did was every week, I would add a new vegetable to my meals. I grew up hating all veggies so this helped me learn to like them. I would try the vegetable different ways to see how I liked it. One week I tried eggplant, so I made eggplant lasagna one day, eggplant "fries" the next, eggplant burritos another day, etc. Now, I love them!
  • Iri_2
    Iri_2 Posts: 349 Member
    Calories!

    I still eat everything I want and crave, just less of it.
  • LessofBrian
    LessofBrian Posts: 44 Member
    I replaced soda and sugary drinks with water and tea. I was drinking way too many calories.

    This.
  • Ludka13
    Ludka13 Posts: 136 Member
    Calories!

    Less carbs more protein.
  • scrittrice
    scrittrice Posts: 345 Member
    I cut out being a lazy bum, that made a huge difference.

    I cut out thinking that because I exercised regularly, I was entitled to eat whatever I wanted.
  • DonnaAnn64
    DonnaAnn64 Posts: 74 Member
    It isn't so much one item, but I cut out snacking after dinner. That mindless eating, while watching TV. That makes a big difference for me .
  • lizzybathory
    lizzybathory Posts: 229
    I'm only a couple weeks in, and haven't gotten to cutting it out entirely yet, but after looking at my diary for the past couple weeks, I'm about ready to cut out alcohol. Based on what I've been drinking lately, it looks like I could lose a ton by cutting that out...

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