30 pounds down, a list of tips and advice

I've been using MyFitnessPal since last Spring, and I'm down almost 30 pounds (from 191 to 162, and counting)! Like many of you, I've tried many diets; some with a good amount of success, and some with very little. Most diets have a gimmick: pre-packaged food, only eliminate one food group, etc. I've always known that eating fewer calories than I burn was the most sensible way to lose weight, but amazingly, I'd never tried it. This is not a hard way to lose weight, but it does take effort. You have to make a commitment to yourself that you are willing to put in the effort to get the rewards. And, the rewards are plentiful - weight loss, more energy, more confidence, and on and on.

I can say very confidently that, through the many, many diets I've done in my day, this is not only the most weight I've ever lost, but it's the healthiest I have felt about losing weight. Once you find your groove, it's easy to stick with. And, when you fall off the wagon for a week or two, it's very easy to hop back on, knowing that it works, and you'll see results if you stick with it.

I've put together some tips and advice based on my own experiences. I hope you find this helpful!

~The first week sucks. You feel like you are on a diet for the first week. You feel deprived. You may have cravings. You will be hungry. Know that this is how it feels in the beginning, but once your body readjusts from overeating to eating only what it needs, you'll get over it. After a month of doing this, you may be surprised how quickly you get full.

~Forget about the scale. Step on the scale before you start, then don't get back on for 3 or 4 weeks, at least in the beginning. The scale can be frustrating and can contradict how good you will feel, so just forget about it for a while. Instead, find a pair of jeans in your closet that haven't fit in a while, and every month or so, try them on. If you have to weigh yourself, do it no more than once a week, and be sure to do it at the same time of day. If you see more than a 2 pound gain or loss, weigh yourself the next day (it could just be water weight).

~Be patient. This is not a quick fix plan. This is a change in lifestyle, attitude, and priorities. If you need to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, this isn't the plan for you. Remember, the slower you lose it, the harder it will be to regain. Patience is a virtue.

~MyFitnessPal doesn't lose the weight for you. It's just a tool, but it will help you learn and track your good decisions. If you eat 1200 calories worth of ice cream in a day, it's just not the same as eating healthy. When you are counting calories, it's much easier to spend those 100 calories on a sweet, filling apply instead of that half of a cookie.

~Journal on your bad days too. There will be days that you go over your calorie goal - sometimes it's a planned cheat day, sometimes it's not. Either way, don't skip the journal on those days. It's good for you to see what a bad day translates into calorie-wise. Sometimes, it's not as bad as you think. Sometimes, it's way worse.

~Journal every bite. It's those few bites of cookie or doughnut you had a work that creeps up the calorie count. If you commit to journaling EVERYTHING you eat, you're more likely not to have those little snacks - either so you avoid the calories, or so you don't have to bother entering it in. Or if you do, you can adjust your other meals accordingly.

~1200 calories is not enough. I like to come in under my calorie goal, but when I had my goal set at 1200, it told me that I was not eating enough when I came in under it. If you want to keep it low, go with 1250 or 1300, so you have some wiggle room.

~If you aren't sure, overestimate. It's better to overestimate your serving size or calories if you aren't sure. If you underestimate, you may come in under your calorie goal, but that doesn't matter if your body knows it ate too much.

~Complete the entry daily. When you are done eating for the day, click the "Complete This Entry" button. If you do, you're more likely not to eat more or snack after that. Also, it's encouraging at the end of a good day to see where you could be in 5 weeks. On the flip side, when you're laying in bed with a stomach ache from a bad cheat day, it's good to see that if you keep that way of eating up, you will gain 7 pounds in the next 5 weeks!

~Try to cook. I know how to cook, but I've never been very interested in all the time it takes. But now, I enjoy finding healthy recipes and trying them out. It's worth putting some extra time into my food instead of going just for quantity. Buy cookbooks, ask friends, go to the farmer's market.

~Exercise. Really. Just do it. You are going to be feeling better now that you are eating healthier, exercise will aid in weight loss, but it will help you mentally, physically, and in some cases, emotionally. Find something you like and make it happen. In the Spring, I like to take my dogs for long walks. In the winter, I commit to the Wii EA Active Sports 2 programs. It's amazing what 20,000,000 squats and lunges can do for you! If you do exercise, eat more, your body needs it.

What tips do you have for others?