Losing weight? Tell me your diet secrets!!

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andreasoulcastle
andreasoulcastle Posts: 478 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello all,

I wanted to see what diets have been working for you. I have a history of bad eating habits...big portions, bad food. I just want to see what has worked for you and use this post to take advice from people who have seen progress in their weight loss journey.

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  • kimwig
    kimwig Posts: 164
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    Hello all,

    I wanted to see what diets have been working for you. I have a history of bad eating habits...big portions, bad food. I just want to see what has worked for you and use this post to take advice from people who have seen progress in their weight loss journey.
    My diary is open if you want to have a look

    No secret really to what I did, though it is not for everyone.

    I stopped drinking my calories (only water, black tea, black coffee). Changed what I eat from to deal with portion control (small plates small bowl). Stopped eating diary (no cheese, milk, yoghurt). Finally got rid of meat. Eat a lot of fruit and veg, and all sorts of other non meat meals. I have a wide and varied diet which I really enjoy and I rarely feel hungry.

    Did this over a 3 month period. Got rid of my food addictions (standard ones of sugar, salt fat). Oh, and make sure to do some exercise every day - no excuses

    I have lost 40lb, my other half has lost over 110lb. Now my diet is not a diet, it is just my lifestyle now, so it is very easy to stick to.
  • fitbot
    fitbot Posts: 406
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    good job kimwig. that sounds really awesome and healthy

    re andrea, the best thing to do is to change one thing at a time. I wouldn't try and remove sugar, soda, large portions AND meat all in one week as you will freak out. :)

    just make one change every week. for instance week 1, shrink your portions by 20%, and start to have some kind of physical activity every day (just 20 min to start)

    week 2- cut out soda from your diet (if you drink soda), and increase your physical activity by 5 min- to 25 min.

    etc
    etc
    etc
  • jAdorelife
    jAdorelife Posts: 95
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    warm water with lemon first thing in the morning boots your metabolism (:
  • dgallienne
    dgallienne Posts: 30 Member
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    Hiya,

    Not a Diet as such, but I live by the statement below:

    Eat Less, Move More.

    That's all I'm doing, I'm not depriving myself of anything apart from bread, which I seem to have an intolerance to. Generally though, if I fancy eating something, I have it, I just don't go nuts on it...and I make sure I log it on here.
    The best thing I've noticed about that is, if I've had something "bad" and I see how many calories are in it, it puts me off wanting to waste that many calories on it again.

    I'm now doing 4-5 sessions a week at the Gym, which is sometimes a struggle, but I feel great when I've finished, so just a case of getting myself there straight after work, instead of going home first and then giving myself the opportunity of not bothering with it.

    ...and don't get disheartened if you have a bad week, I had a really bad one the week before last and put on some weight, but the I doubled my efforts last week, (i.e. punished myself for the lapse) and lost it again, plus another 4lbs on top.

    I've got a very long way to go, but I'm determined to do it, for me and for my gorgeous wife.

    Hope some of the above is useful to you.

    Good luck,
    David
  • kimwig
    kimwig Posts: 164
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    good job kimwig. that sounds really awesome and healthy

    re andrea, the best thing to do is to change one thing at a time. I wouldn't try and remove sugar, soda, large portions AND meat all in one week as you will freak out. :)

    just make one change every week. for instance week 1, shrink your portions by 20%, and start to have some kind of physical activity every day (just 20 min to start)

    week 2- cut out soda from your diet (if you drink soda), and increase your physical activity by 5 min- to 25 min.

    etc
    etc
    etc
    Yep, as I mentioned, did all the changes over 3 months, a change every couple if weeks, which started with the small plate and small bowl, with the final change of no meat by the 12th week.

    It allowed me to get used to each change and have it as my routine before adding (or rather taking away) something else
  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
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    SUPPORT will be your greatest success.

    My biggest weakness is eating well during the day and then blowing it after dinner. My solution?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/165221-february-2011-no-more-junk-late-at-night
    This site has been great.

    Find a thread that meets your needs and goals with people with similar needs and goals, and that will be a HUGE help.

    Do great!!!
  • forestdancers
    forestdancers Posts: 146 Member
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    I was in the big portions and eating bad zone too.
    My biggest thing was to almost cut out all sugars except in fruits. It cut my cravings for sugar hugely it seems like I was sort of addicted to the stuff or something.
    My trick to boosting my metabolism that I got from Dr. Oz, is eating cinnamon. I add it to my water and yogurts.Up to 2 or more tbs a day.
  • andreasoulcastle
    andreasoulcastle Posts: 478 Member
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    warm water with lemon first thing in the morning boots your metabolism (:

    Oo interesting, haven't heard of this tip before..would also help me with drinking all of my water
  • fitgirl4life
    fitgirl4life Posts: 111 Member
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    Ok here's my AMAZING SECRET to weight loss, it's fool-proof, and I'm even going to give it to for FREE!!!!!

    Eat less. Exercise. Drink plenty of water. Make healthy food choices.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    I plan all my meals in advance, and weigh out everything. I don't trust my eyes. I take my food with me to work, or if I'm out shopping. I eat 5 small meals a day. I've written several blog posts about what worked for me, here's one:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/fitgirl4life/view/failing-to-plan-is-planning-to-fail-35760

    You can do it! Just keep your goal in mind, visualise yourself as a confident, gorgeous woman at your ideal weight, and never lose sight of why you are doing this. :flowerforyou:
  • ickybella
    ickybella Posts: 1,438 Member
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    I'm with fitgirl4life here. I always plan my meals,at the latest, the night before. I weigh everything, because, at best, calorie counts are a close estimate, so we must be as accurate as possible. You can't just guess, because you are usually wrong, and cups and spoons can only be so accurate. Find a workout that fits with your needs, goals, and lifestyle. Don't do something you hate. Don't eat something you hate. Find healthy foods that work for you. Sneak vegetables into food if you don't want to eat them, and always log what you eat, even if it puts you over your calories. We all go over every so often, but you just have to learn from it, get over it, and move on. Don't ever let one bad day ruin all your hard work, because it won't, unless you let it.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    I think what has helped me out the most has been to PLAN AHEAD! If you look at my diary, you will see that I have the entire week already filled out through Sunday this week. That's because I wrote recipes into the recipe function here and then I plan to have different ones on different days making sure that the calorie total is around 1500 (MFP gives me 1200, plus I add about 300 back to account for exercise calories). I eat ONLY whats on my list, because that's all I buy at the grocery store. And, because there's those exercise calories already added back in, that's bonus motivation for me to get up and get moving. :flowerforyou:

    And the second biggie was to cut out processed foods. That means I stay away from things that come in bags, boxes, cans, etc. and I only drink water with no diet drinks or things of that nature. Seriously, being completely honest, it was ONLY when I cut out processed foods that my cravings went away. When I allow myself to have just that one thing this week...I ended up having more next week that trips me up.
  • tassles
    tassles Posts: 172
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    Eat Less, Move More.

    That's all I'm doing, I'm not depriving myself of anything apart from bread, which I seem to have an intolerance to. Generally though, if I fancy eating something, I have it, I just don't go nuts on it...and I make sure I log it on here.
    The best thing I've noticed about that is, if I've had something "bad" and I see how many calories are in it, it puts me off wanting to waste that many calories on it again.


    I totally agree with dgallienne here. I have not deprived myself either....I eat everything I used to eat (including bread and sweets) but I log EVERYTHING that passes my lips onto MFP immediately. This has helped me to know what is really worth the calories and what's not! ....and surprisingly it has taught me to make healthier choices!!

    I also found that using exercise to give me back some calories has let me enjoy my food more! so I will exercise more to enjoy my food! "win win"

    Logging exercise has taught me to consciously think of moving more.....I take the stairs now over the lifts, walk to the corner shop instead of driving etc .....and I find I am actually enjoying it!!! .....but if someone had told me that I'd think this way before I commenced with MFP ...I would have just laughed at them!!

    your journey to the new you is just that ...a journey ...you will learn as you go...you may hiccup occasionally....but you WILL arrive at your destination if you stay on the path you are on... and learn from your adventures on the way.

    enjoy your journey to the new lifestyle ahead of you !!!
  • rockabyesarojane
    rockabyesarojane Posts: 471
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    re andrea, the best thing to do is to change one thing at a time. I wouldn't try and remove sugar, soda, large portions AND meat all in one week as you will freak out. :)

    just make one change every week. for instance week 1, shrink your portions by 20%, and start to have some kind of physical activity every day (just 20 min to start)

    week 2- cut out soda from your diet (if you drink soda), and increase your physical activity by 5 min- to 25 min.

    etc
    etc
    etc

    well said! slow and steady wins the race!
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
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    I can't follow any particular "diet" plan because I love a huge variety of foods. Anything that restricts my food wouldn't work for me. What works is measuring your portions and eating 1 serving instead of 2 or 3 like I used to. I love MFP because I can eat anything I want, I just have to watch the portions and exercise like a madwoman if I indulge too much.
    The best advice I can give you is to give up fast food and to only eat out once per week. I actually enjoy my home-cooked food more than restaurant food now. It's also much easier to control the calories, fat, and sodium in meals you make for yourself.
    Another thing you need to focus on is getting your dairy, vegetable, and fruit servings in. I try to do 2 dairy, 3 veggies, and 1 fruit every single day. Balancing your calories between the food groups works. Not all calories are created equal.
  • Gennawest
    Gennawest Posts: 171
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    Hi Andrea!
    I have lost 18 lbs in a little less than a month- three weeks to be exact. I found the best and easiest way to lose is to 1) log all of your food, this helps if you have a phone where you can download an app too 2) excersize at least three times a week 3) stop eating the normal fast food.

    I have replaced frequent McDonalds trips with Subway or Waba Grill/ Flame Broiler. Stopped drinking soda, eating half a gallon of ice cream, eating late at night- ya know all the stuff we really shouldnt do anyways. I started at about the weight you are- minus a few pounds. While my clothes are not falling off- I can sure tell a difference. I am not busting out of them, like I was.

    I also entered a weight losing contest at my church. That helps keep me motivated and accountable as well.

    I hope you are successful in this new venture. You can do it! And the first week is the hardest!
  • DeeDeeLHF
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    bumping to read and comment on later.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    There is no quick fix or diet plan that works.

    It takes hard work, dedication and above all INFORMATION! The more you know the easier it will be to succeed!
  • Dippydog
    Dippydog Posts: 154
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    The biggest thing I have learned so are is that I had no idea what a portion size was. I was shocked!!

    Measure everything is my suggestion, although I am going to try the cinnamon thing too.

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