All you who did it..whats your best advice?
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stephyj528
Posts: 93 Member
What is your best advice for someone who has 20-25lb weight to lose? it is a struggle and i am quickly put in my place when i read the 100+ lbs to lose or lost. What is the best way to tackle this "small" loss? What worked for you in the times you just wanted another plate full or to raid you cupboards??
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Step 1 if you don't have a food scale, buy a food scale. It makes a world of difference. People don't realize how bad they are at estimating how much they're really eating until they start using a scale. Aside from that, set a conservative, I repeat CONSERVATIVE weight loss goal that you can stick to and stay under your daily calorie allowance every day. I'd highly recommend taking up a lifting program to preserve your muscle mass as you lose weight. It's also a good idea to set up proper macronutrient goals to stick to.0
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Step 1 if you don't have a food scale, buy a food scale. It makes a world of difference. People don't realize how bad they are at estimating how much they're really eating until they start using a scale. Aside from that, set a conservative, I repeat CONSERVATIVE weight loss goal that you can stick to and stay under your daily calorie allowance every day. I'd highly recommend taking up a lifting program to preserve your muscle mass as you lose weight. It's also a good idea to set up proper macronutrient goals to stick to.
perfect thanks and no i dont have a scale but i will get one. i do measure sometimes it gets tedious but then i overeat and feel *kitten* so i am quickly reminded why i do it. lol0 -
My best advice is do some cardio everyday, even if it's just a walk.
Also accept your slip-ups and keep going. Don't use it an excuse to stop trying.
There is no need for hunger-eat at a reasonable deficit.
Include treats in the correct portions.0 -
Big loss or small loss, the formula is the same. Stay diligent and take each day/week at a time. You didn't gain the weight to lose in a day, you won't lose it in a day. But if you stay the course and make it a daily thing, the weight will come off.
I was in your boat as well. I wanted to lose about 25-30 lbs. Very modest goal when I see all the awesome people who've lost way more. Knocked out almost 25 of it since July. I look at every 5 lb increment as a minor victory and don't get down when I stall for a week or two. You can do it!0 -
I'm in the same boat, my goal is to lose 20-25. For me, it helps to make all my meals ahead of time. Most importantly I put them all in containers( yes its a total hassle!! ) but I have zero self control... if I am just sitting with a bowl of pasta in front of me I will over eat. So, if I want a treat I have to go out and get one, which I do, and try to keep it to a small portion. Down 15ish so far, and working towards the end
Good luck!
-lift heavy!!!
-smile alot
-and dont forget to do cardio0 -
get the habit of counting all calories per day. Even if you go over. You'll begin to see patterns....what food fill you up, what doesn't. How much exercise goes along with calories per day. Get over the times when you do have a little extra, shake it off, move on. It's a lifestyle...you'll be fine.0
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I feel like I'm in there with you bc although I have 10-12 to go to get to the original goal I set for MFP, I have always wanted to get down about another 10 from there and see how my body felt, if it would even be maintainable there - so what is that? 20-22 lbs? After taking off 55 or so already, I feel like I've needed to regroup mentally. They say the last 10 are harder than the first 10 so, I'm trying to keep it fresh and remember that each day is a new beginning. it doesn't matter what happened yesterday, good or bad, it's what I do today that counts. And sure enough, all those awesome Today's add up to pounds lost when you stop to look back. But I take it a day at a time, a week at a time, and try each week to improve in some way over the previous week. That's it! Never stop improving.
-Pre-plan your main meals for the week and shop accordingly.
-Weigh/measure everything as much as possible and you will start to train your eye.
-Use fractions/decimals! Look for gram/ounce portions on the food entries you select, so for things like tomatoes, if it's per 100g it makes it easy to say I had .55 or 1.35 of a serving when I weigh it.
Keep at it!
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Journal! Do it at least twice a day if not at every meal. If you do it before supper it will tell you how much you have left for that meal.
Do it religiously, do it accurately. Weigh and measure your portions for a while until you can judge by looking at it.
The biggest shock to me was what a portion actually was and how small it seemed at the time. Now it just seems normal. for example id have a bowl of cereal thinking i was having a serving, where as in my bowls its half a bowl for a serving.
When i stop journaling over the last 3 years or so are the times i slowly start to regain
good luck0 -
If you rely on willpower to lose weight you will fail. You are establishing a new routine for a new way of life. Weigh, measure, and write it down. It works!0
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Dont make up excuses such as the metabolism factor or the make-believe weight loss plateau....0
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I've lost 30 pounds and honestly, its the same concept as losing 100 pounds. Weigh your food, eat less calories, exercise more. The last 10 pounds are the worse and will take the longest to lose.
If you fall off the wagon, get up, dust yourself off and do it all again. And remember everyone here has fallen off the wagon. Its perseverance that makes someone a weight loss success story.0 -
Log everything! You'd be amazed how a "little" cookie or "some" chips or a "couple of" Hersey's Kisses ad up over time. Rule of thumb - If it goes in your mouth - LOG IT!0
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BillRicks1 wrote: »Log everything! You'd be amazed how a "little" cookie or "some" chips or a "couple of" Hersey's Kisses ad up over time. Rule of thumb - If it goes in your mouth - LOG IT!
just this!!0 -
Log everything drink plenty of water and have fun
Good Luck
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Don't be too hard on yourself... or too easy. There is always a reason to take a day off. It's my birthday. It's Thanksgiving. It's Christmas. I'm on vacation. I'm travelling. I have out-of-town guests... and on and on...0
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1. Be brutally honest with yourself
2. Take personal responsibility for all your decisions
3. Have lots of patience
4. Be consistent
5. Log accurately and honestly
6. Don't demonize food groups
7. Don't be overly restrictive
8. Keep it simple
9. Find an activity you enjoy
10. Eat Gelato
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1. Use a food scale for everything. Seriously. It will change your life. I had the opposite problem of most people. I would overestimate my calories ("This pizza slice is 500 calories" when it was really 300, etc.) and then undereat. I was cranky and constantly hungry. I wouldn't stick with it because I was so miserable.
2. Get a food routine. Have a back up snack or simple meal at your house at all times so that you're not tempted to make poor decisions/eat outside of your calorie goal due to hunger. This also means learning when you are hungriest and breaking up your calories accordingly.
3. Exercise makes weight loss a lot easier. Find something that you can do daily or weekly that you enjoy that provides exercise. For a while, for me, that was Zumba. Some people join cycling groups or kickball leagues. Some people add yoga to the end of their day or free weights while watching TV. It's all about finding something you actually enjoy doing. I used to dance, so I got back into my favorite kind of dance, which is a crazy high cardio burn.
4. Don't beat yourself up for big meals. Sometimes, bottomless boozy brunch will call and you will answer and there is no way you're within your calories. Log it the best you can and move on. One day is one day. I've found that I don't impede my own success if I only do the bottomless booze and food thing about once a month.0 -
1. be consistent above all else.
2. a 20 minute workout is just as worth it to keep your momentum going.
3. the days you don't wanna are the days you are just gonna have to.
4. make sure your cardio and strength are balanced.
5. Don't blow off rest days.
6. accept that this is forever, not for a couple months, and most results show up around 4-6 months in.
7. respect your goals and learn how to aim, or you'll just go all over the place instead of forward.
8. dont blow off advice just because you don't like how it was worded - the knowledge is still valid.0 -
Don't be intimidated too much by the sheer # of pounds someone has lost. I have lost 137 lb from my heaviest but the last 20-25 lb have been the slowest and hardest. The less you have to lose, the easier it is USUALLY.
Patience is key. Even if you're down 5 lb in a year, it's progress worth pursuing.0 -
seltzermint wrote: »Don't be intimidated too much by the sheer # of pounds someone has lost. I have lost 137 lb from my heaviest but the last 20-25 lb have been the slowest and hardest. The less you have to lose, the easier it is USUALLY.
Patience is key. Even if you're down 5 lb in a year, it's progress worth pursuing.
1000% true.
the ones at the end are STUBBBBBBBORNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
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