Key Habits of people who successfully have lost weight
wendyallcorn
Posts: 10 Member
Hi,
I wanted to put a list of all the habits / things the people on here who have / are losing weight do. For example keeping a diary of your food, shopping on a Sunday evening for loads of fruit and veg, distraction techniques.
Can you post anything that you think has been key to successfully losing weight?
Thanks
I wanted to put a list of all the habits / things the people on here who have / are losing weight do. For example keeping a diary of your food, shopping on a Sunday evening for loads of fruit and veg, distraction techniques.
Can you post anything that you think has been key to successfully losing weight?
Thanks
0
Replies
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Weigh and Log everything daily
Eat everything (as in don't cut anything out) in moderation
Exercise for cardiovascular health
Enjoy life and don't sweat the small stuff0 -
I think you should consider expanding that out to keep habits of those who have lost weight and not gained it back.
If you slip up put it on yourself but don't carry it with you. Everyday is a fresh start.
Work on your mental, emotional self at least as much as your physical self every day.
Setup rewards for milestones.0 -
Weigh and Log everything daily
Eat everything (as in don't cut anything out) in moderation
Exercise for cardiovascular health
Enjoy life and don't sweat the small stuff
That's basically it. Personally I'll add:
Eating a lot of small meals instead of 3 large a day.
Originally, I used MFP calories and only did cardio so I could get some more calories for dinner, and I thought that was kind of fun. It really helped me eat what I wanted.0 -
Regular exercise.... Being consistent.... Enjoying treats...0
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Everything Ninkyou said is on point but I'll add some as well:
In general:
Workout by doing something you enjoy
Think long-term
Think healthy! (Don't body compare!)
Keep a food journal or use an app
Preparing your own food and doing so ahead of time
For me personally:
Protein, keep adding protein - helps to keep me full and is helping with workouts
Mindfully eating
Planning for social eating (planning ahead in general)
Workout buddy and consistent workout schedule
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wendyallcorn wrote: »Hi,
I wanted to put a list of all the habits / things the people on here who have / are losing weight do. For example keeping a diary of your food, shopping on a Sunday evening for loads of fruit and veg, distraction techniques.
Can you post anything that you think has been key to successfully losing weight?
Thanks
1.) Consistently logging every single day. If I don't log it right after I eat it, then at least logging my foods before bedtime. Seeing my logging streak grow larger and larger is quite nice! I'm close to 140 days straight!
2.) Seeing my current results and knowing that I have a system that works for me pushes me to keep on going! Why fix what's not broken?
3.) Over the summer, I decided to post my Couch to 5k and Couch to 10k results on my Facebook page. Whenever I weigh in and lose weight, my weigh in is posted to my page for all of my friends to see, which keeps me more accountable! It's not for everybody but for me, it's nice to have my friends and family's support!
4.) Consistency with working out. Unless I have a crazy busy week, I tend to work out a minimum of 3 days a week. If I'm lucky, I go every other day.
5.) Knowing that if I go over my calories one day, I can make up for it by cutting back the rest of the week. As long as your total weekly calorie goal is met, you can lose.
Everybody else has posted great stuff! Good luck!
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RE: TIPS . . . . . . I found that entering what I want to have for my evening meal at the beginning of the day helps. It means you can adjust your food intake during the day and eat lower calorie items and you have something yummy to look forward to later!
I also don't add my exercise until last thing at night. This helps me to stick to daily calorie target (without extra for the exercise) and then I have something left for late at night if I feel peckish.0 -
logging, logging, logging
knowing what a serving size of any food looks like0 -
great thanks everyone ; )
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For me these are big helpers to staying on track and losing weight.
1. Be honest with myself and log everything
2. Buy a food scale and weigh everything
3. Only weigh in once a week so not to get upset by the day to day fluctuations
4. I plan my meals for the week on Saturday and go to the grocery store that day and get everything
5. I meal prep everything I can ahead of time on Sunday so it is all grab and go and no reason for me to deviate from my plan.
6. Keeping protein levels around 125g or above a day seem to keep me the most full. (I do lift 5-6 days a week though so that is why I aim for higher protein.)
7. While exercise isn't a must to lose weight I highly suggest it. Your body feels so much better when you exercise and for me it really makes me look at what I am putting into my body. I know how long it took me to burn 400 calories so do I really want that piece of pizza.
8. Have something that makes you feel satisfied as often as possible but fit it into your daily calories. I have a 1/2 a cup of ice cream everyday. It is a small enough amount around 100 calories that I can fit it into my daily allowance and it also helps keep those feelings of wanting sweets etc away
I should also add that I am not perfect and I have bad days, we all do and realizing that those days really do help make us stronger is key. We learn from the bad days, what triggered it, what we can do better next time and how to handle them in the future. In the last 3.5 years I have lost 233lbs so far with a goal of losing 300. I have learned a lot about my body and my mind and how to make them work together. I suggest you also take time to listen to yours and learn what is best for you and your body 0 -
Weigh and Log everything daily
Eat everything (as in don't cut anything out) in moderation
Exercise for cardiovascular health
Enjoy life and don't sweat the small stuff
Everything she said. And remember you'll need to keep up with it when you reach your goal so you don't gain it all back.0 -
It's also interesting to think about the habits of people who have never been overweight. Most of them aren't sedentary. Most of them can have a bite or two of something and then leave the rest. Most of them don't binge eat the chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer! I strive to have a moderate lifestyle. I think that will bring me the most satisfaction and hopefully good health!0
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wendyallcorn wrote: »Hi,
I wanted to put a list of all the habits / things the people on here who have / are losing weight do. For example keeping a diary of your food, shopping on a Sunday evening for loads of fruit and veg, distraction techniques.
Can you post anything that you think has been key to successfully losing weight?
Thanks
1. No excuses
2. Learn how to count
That is all that is required, really!0 -
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wendyallcorn wrote: »...I wanted to put a list of all the habits / things...
1. Why do you want to know?
2. You overshot the question. DEVELOPING habits is the point.
Doing something once or over a short time is relatively easy. Changing your neural pathways until you have a habit is the hard part. It is a physical change, as much as building muscle.
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Weigh and Log everything daily
Eat everything (as in don't cut anything out) in moderation
Exercise for cardiovascular health
Enjoy life and don't sweat the small stuff
I couldnt agree more with you I eat what i want within reason I stick to my daily calories and if I want an extra special treat I workout more
I also do my weekly meal plan so cooking dinner is much easier, I started this journey at the beginning of September and have lost 9kg so far,
I also workout and walk until I have done the minimum of 10 000 steps per day
I bought a fitbit a few weeks ago after umming and ahhing over it and it was the best thing I ever did.
Hope this helps
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prepping food for the week ahead of time over the weekend: grill some proteins, cook some veggies, some grains, make a frittata, a pot of soup, etc. things that you can throw together to create new meals are great to have.
Don't give up anything or tell yourself to do anything that you won't be able to do forever. Cutting out food groups, exercise you hate, etc--it's not about reaching a goal and stopping, it's about a gradual downward trend towards what you think is a healthier weight and working to stay there.
Slow weight loss or no gaining is great too! Don't struggle or set yourself up to fail by setting unrealistic expectations.0 -
For me, the most important things to do and keep up with are:
-Eating moderately and being aware of what I'm eating, and when losing weight, logging food very carefully
-Intense exercise several times a week (the more I move, the more I am able to eat and still lose weight, so this is a good motivator for me when losing)
-Being honest with myself
-Having good food options available in the house (when I get hungry, I am HUNGRY and need to eat and it's way easier to deal with that if there are appetizing, lower-calorie snacks)
-I refuse to give up any food. When losing weight I eat way less of certain foods, but I still eat them, and when maintaining I eat them in moderation.0 -
Weigh and Log everything daily
Eat everything (as in don't cut anything out) in moderation
Exercise for cardiovascular health
Enjoy life and don't sweat the small stuff
This. Honestly, I'm not an exerciser at all -- it just does not work for me -- but eating reasonable portions of foods I like works just fine. (And sometimes unreasonable portions. I ate half a homemade pizza yesterday. It was great.)
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Keep the mind focused on your plan. That is, track your progress, read these forums daily, google foods, eating right, new exercises, fat loss, etc to learn new things about diet and exercise and how the body works0
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For me these are big helpers to staying on track and losing weight.
1. Be honest with myself and log everything
2. Buy a food scale and weigh everything
3. Only weigh in once a week so not to get upset by the day to day fluctuations
4. I plan my meals for the week on Saturday and go to the grocery store that day and get everything
5. I meal prep everything I can ahead of time on Sunday so it is all grab and go and no reason for me to deviate from my plan.
6. Keeping protein levels around 125g or above a day seem to keep me the most full. (I do lift 5-6 days a week though so that is why I aim for higher protein.)
7. While exercise isn't a must to lose weight I highly suggest it. Your body feels so much better when you exercise and for me it really makes me look at what I am putting into my body. I know how long it took me to burn 400 calories so do I really want that piece of pizza.
8. Have something that makes you feel satisfied as often as possible but fit it into your daily calories. I have a 1/2 a cup of ice cream everyday. It is a small enough amount around 100 calories that I can fit it into my daily allowance and it also helps keep those feelings of wanting sweets etc away
I should also add that I am not perfect and I have bad days, we all do and realizing that those days really do help make us stronger is key. We learn from the bad days, what triggered it, what we can do better next time and how to handle them in the future. In the last 3.5 years I have lost 233lbs so far with a goal of losing 300. I have learned a lot about my body and my mind and how to make them work together. I suggest you also take time to listen to yours and learn what is best for you and your body
^^^^^This Girl Knows Her Stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you Sarah! 0 -
1. Be honest with yourself. If you bite it, write it!
2. Log as accurately as possible, even on "cheat days"
3. Protein, protein, protein
4. I agree with the pre-logging dinner
5. Keep making new small weight loss/ exercise goals so you always have something new to work for.
6. Don't worry about what other people are eating. Worry about yourself.
7. Forgive yourself and keep going if you slip up.0 -
-Balance your life (work, school, activities, kids, etc) first and foremost. If you're stressed in one part of your life, you won't be successful.
-Food is 90% (or some high %) of your weight loss. Focus on this. It's easier than trying to motivate yourself to work out a lot right when you're starting. When you start to see results just through logging your food religiously you'll be motivated to continue. You DON'T have to exercise to lose weight if you are eating at a deficit from your BMR / RMR. If you can't eat at a deficit because you are close to your goal weight and are already at 1200 calories, then yes, exercise is a must.
-You DON'T have to work out every day, and/or to exhaustion. Do it only if you WANT to, otherwise you won't keep it up. Take it slow.
-If you like to eat a lot, that's fine! Just eat a lot of vegetables which are healthy and you can make yourself full with that, plus protein.
-Fad diets and pills are worthless and do not work. Don't buy them. Don't ask people here to give you advice on whether they work or not. THEY DON'T.
-Do NOT weigh every day. Once a month has been working for me, especially as someone who's emotions are greatly influenced by the numbers I see. When you weigh once a month, you tend to stay on track and you'll see a great number rather than fluctuations day to day or week to week (example: you get your period and put on water weight).
-Actually READ food labels. I now try to go for whatever has the least amount of ingredients, or just 1 ingredient…the food itself!0 -
I second that emotion. The only thing I'd add is drink at least half your weight in ounces of water every day.jenjay8045 wrote: »For me these are big helpers to staying on track and losing weight.
1. Be honest with myself and log everything
2. Buy a food scale and weigh everything
3. Only weigh in once a week so not to get upset by the day to day fluctuations
4. I plan my meals for the week on Saturday and go to the grocery store that day and get everything
5. I meal prep everything I can ahead of time on Sunday so it is all grab and go and no reason for me to deviate from my plan.
6. Keeping protein levels around 125g or above a day seem to keep me the most full. (I do lift 5-6 days a week though so that is why I aim for higher protein.)
7. While exercise isn't a must to lose weight I highly suggest it. Your body feels so much better when you exercise and for me it really makes me look at what I am putting into my body. I know how long it took me to burn 400 calories so do I really want that piece of pizza.
8. Have something that makes you feel satisfied as often as possible but fit it into your daily calories. I have a 1/2 a cup of ice cream everyday. It is a small enough amount around 100 calories that I can fit it into my daily allowance and it also helps keep those feelings of wanting sweets etc away
I should also add that I am not perfect and I have bad days, we all do and realizing that those days really do help make us stronger is key. We learn from the bad days, what triggered it, what we can do better next time and how to handle them in the future. In the last 3.5 years I have lost 233lbs so far with a goal of losing 300. I have learned a lot about my body and my mind and how to make them work together. I suggest you also take time to listen to yours and learn what is best for you and your body
^^^^^This Girl Knows Her Stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you Sarah!
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Its a WOE / WOL and you gotta think long term, one day at a time.0
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-I make a point of cycling/walking to the shop every evening for dinner ingredients. I also do all my the rest of my shopping Via bike each week. I have a pannier and cycle to and from each store back to the house with the grocery's.
-I also keep frozen fruit in the freezer in portioned bags for nibbles and I spend a few minutes every morning chopping up some carrots into portioned containers for the fridge. I know I am a grazer and I cannot possibly stick to just eating a few big meals. I need to have a nibble of something every few hours, so having everything all-ready portioned out helps me stay away from grabbing junk in pinch.
-I weigh all my food and I can quite accurately tell how much a portion is now without using the scales if I don't feel like being THAT meticulous.
-I'm not afraid to have a bite of naughty food occasionally, if my DP is eating somthing that looks scrumptious and I want it too, I will take a small bite You can't deprive yourself or else you might end up going a little to crazy if you like to have "cheat days"
And last but not least!
If you feel like its getting to much to handle and you need a break from weight loss or you feel like your letting it take over your life, don't be afraid to take a break, don't go back to your old habits though, try to "maintain" and let yourself rest for a week or two as weight loss can be quite emotional and we all need to make sure we look after our mental health as well as our body's health!
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- Determination
- Patience
- Keeping trigger foods out of the house
- Staying busy
- Preparing salads, etc... ahead of time so when I am hungry it's ready
- Keeping obsessed about losing weight
- Sticking with my shopping list and not shopping when I am hungry
- Chewing sugarless gum to curb the cravings
- Drinking lots of sweetened tea (Sweetened with Saccharin)
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I heard recently that chewing gum while shopping will deter you from putting junk in your cart, because minty freshness doesn't pair well with Cheetoes, etc.
One trick I play with myself regarding exercise is: Put on your workout clothes right out of bed in the morning (or right after work, for instance), but most importantly, I put on my "blinders". For me, wearing blinders means don't think about it, don't hem and haw, just get in the car and GO!0
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