What is your #1 rule/life change to weight loss success? And how did you accomplish it?

jcrav77
jcrav77 Posts: 584 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
We read lost of stories and ads for weight loss daily. Just wondering what successful people on this site use as their #1 rule or life change that lead to that success and how they made it work. Maybe you have several rules. I would like to see those too. Wanting to compile a small list of my own real doable life changes that work instead of reading a get slim quick book and feeling failure in the first week.
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Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited December 2014
    Throw away all gimmicks and fads and advice and rules and stick to a calorie defecit by weighing and logging everything
  • RachelYun27
    RachelYun27 Posts: 89 Member
    Weigh everything when possible.
  • allanakern
    allanakern Posts: 245 Member
    consistency.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    edited December 2014
    I focus on habit instead of weight loss (although sticking to my habits leads to weight loss).

    I use an app called "way of life". The free version lets you track 3 things and every day you get to mark each either green, red, or skip.

    I track: tracking my calories, exercising, and steps (10,000 using my fitbit) everyday. My goal is to get as many "green" days as possible. Tracking my calories gets a green even if I go over that day, as long as I tracked it and didn't just throw my hands up and "eff it".

    I like this mindset because it focuses on building the habits that I'll need for the rest of my life.
  • Archerychickge
    Archerychickge Posts: 606 Member
    I have two actually:

    1. Do it for ME. No one else
    2. NEVER give up. It's a journey, not a race.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    Sticking to moderation with a calorie deficit.
    Never depriving myself of the foods that I love.
    Making it enjoyable instead of frowning upon being on a boring diet.
    Not stressing about it and enjoying life.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Weigh your food.
    Don't view weight loss as a wagon you can fall off/get back on. It's about the choices you make right now. Not the ones you made yesterday.
    Eat the things you enjoy, just less of them.
    No one cares about your weight loss as much as you do - don't expect people to notice or compliment you. Find your pride within.
  • BrotherBill913
    BrotherBill913 Posts: 661 Member
    For me the 1st time I ever lost weight was 20 years ago .... My workouts were the same ( was already lifting) but I changed my eating habits. Ditched the spaghetti ( 2nd nightly dinner) and ice cream before bed. Lost over 40 lbs between Christmas and Easter that year..... That was the only change I made and it worked.....
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    rachelandbssst wrote: »
    Weigh everything when possible.
    allanakern wrote: »
    consistency.

  • TopazCutie
    TopazCutie Posts: 386 Member
    edited December 2014
    1. My newest tip - get a food scale!!! I've been using this over the weekend and it has really opened my eyes about the truth of my intake. Seeing the numbers will help me make specific changes to get better weight loss results (i.e. . This is the main tool I'm going to use (along with logging calories on MFP) to lose the last 10 pounds.

    2. Don't give up. It's not about perfection, it's about effort!

    3. Walking is underrated!!!
  • RobinvdM
    RobinvdM Posts: 634 Member
    The scale never lies, but it doesn't tell the whole truth either.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    combination of what's been said above by rabbitjb and SingRunTing.

    Logging and measuring everything that goes into my mouth.

    Making habits that are healthy and become like clockwork...taking the place of old habits. For example, I used to hit up the Starbucks drive thru or grab a fast food breakfast way too often. Now I have a bunch of different breakfasts that I make at home including some that I can prep the night before...key is I truly enjoy these "new" breakfasts, so it's not like turning down a boring bowl of cereal in favor of a latte or burrito. I eat stuff I actually like, egg tacos, fridge oats with Greek yogurt and fruit...if it gets boring I switch it up.

    Basically it amounts to setting yourself up for success. And very actively not listening to people who spout crazy theories about nutrition, dieting, weight loss, etc.

  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    Slow and steady. No fast weight loss gimmicks, restrictions etc. Just making sustainable lifestyle changes for healthy eating and workouts. No guilt. 1 day is just 1 day.
  • samantha1242
    samantha1242 Posts: 816 Member
    KylaDenay wrote: »
    Sticking to moderation with a calorie deficit.
    Never depriving myself of the foods that I love.
    Making it enjoyable instead of frowning upon being on a boring diet.
    Not stressing about it and enjoying life.

    Basically everything here :)

    Also, for me to stop being lazy and get off the couch.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    Move more.

    I accomplished it by dragging out some old exercise equipment (treadmill, step, dumbbells).
  • TopazCutie
    TopazCutie Posts: 386 Member
    Another thing - when going out to restaurants don't treat that as an "all or nothing" experience. In the old days I used to eat enough to get "my monies-worth" but that is just wrong now, I go out to eat so often that if I were to pig out each time I would definitely start gaining just from that alone. So my tip is to see whats on the menu before you go out and have your mind set on it. I usually go for something with protein and veggies.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    jcrav77 wrote: »
    We read lost of stories and ads for weight loss daily. Just wondering what successful people on this site use as their #1 rule or life change that lead to that success and how they made it work. Maybe you have several rules. I would like to see those too. Wanting to compile a small list of my own real doable life changes that work instead of reading a get slim quick book and feeling failure in the first week.

    Actually adopting a healthy lifestyle rather than just giving lip service to it....

    I have found that ultimately it has to be about more than the scale...for me it's all about being healthy and fit...my nutrition and fitness provide for that and being a healthy weight and BF% is simply a bi-product of healthy living, not necessarily my reason for doing so.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I likely have about eight.
    1. If what I am doing isn't working, change it up.
    2. Sign up for bariatric surgery and all the attendant classes and support.
    3. Guilt and beating myself up are wasted emotions. If I can't love myself through this, who is going to stick up for me, failings and all?
    4. Learn to troubleshoot, set weekly goals and re-evaluate (guilt-free change management) from the Stanford University Chronic Disease Self Management Course
    5. Lifestyle change (the only weight loss and management that works) is habit change.
    6. Habit change is gradual, almost invisible.
    7. Do what I enjoy, so I look forward to every day.
  • jacksp73
    jacksp73 Posts: 7 Member
    All great tips! Starting back with MFP after Christmas....and these are great foundation tips. Thanks
  • angelamb1970
    angelamb1970 Posts: 122 Member
    edited December 2014
    Two things have helped me tremendously. Cutting out sugar and processed foods and moving more (parking further away, getting up from desk to take a few laps around every half hour, taking the stairs...etc) The FitBit has really helped me to gauge active versus non active days, and then I eat accordingly.

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