How did you makes those changes?

I did a similar thing… but on a much simplified level. I decided what changes I needed to make… (basically it consisted of three things, 1-eat less, 2-eat healthier, 3-exercise) then I chose ONE thing. The one that would be easiest for me. I knew exercise would be the easiest for me since it would just be a matter of getting into a routine. So I worked on that. I didn't worry too much about my food. Although I did try to "watch it (try to make healthier choices)" so I didn't just sabotage everything I was doing in the gym. But I didn't bother counting calories or anything like that. But after I felt comfortable with my exercise routine, then I started working on the food portion. Again… I wasn't counting calories, but I started paying more attention to portion sizes and trying to eat "like a normal person" (instead of overeating everything just because I could). When I became more comfortable with that… then I started loosely counting calories… just kept a running tally in my head and counting mostly the major food items… not condiments or drinks. When that became comfortable… that was when I joined MFP and started truly counting calories, but using measuring spoons/cups for my portion sizes. When that became comfortable, then I bought a food scale and got precise about portion sizes. At various points in there, I would gradually try different foods. Swapping out white bread for whole wheat for example. I also started paying more attention to my macros to determine what ratios I felt the best at and what foods filled me up the best.

TL,DR: I made changes one at a time, based on what I figured would be easiest for me. Then gradually made more, so I never overwhelmed myself.

MR2Jay77 wrote: »

Yoovie, there is a lot of truth in what you say. Having a plan and acting on it are 2 very different things that have to work together. There has to be a certain amount of planning but saying I have to lose x amount by y is probably the wrong way of doing it. I think my plan simplified is I have to lose 3st (43lbs) and I'll keep going until I've got there....

Earlnabby, great story and you gotta be proud of yourself. Sometimes a step at a time is the best way which is how I gave up smoking. Provided you get the results, one thing that is becoming clear is that you have to pick a way that works for you

So very true! One thing I read in a post on MFP very early in my membership that really resonated with me is "You are not making one big lifestyle change, you are making a series of little lifestyle changes". Based on the amount of weight I had to lose (still have over 60 lb to go) and my lack of physical fitness, this was the best thing to get into my brain so I wouldn't get overwhelmed. Others can easily make a full scale plan and jump right into the deep end.

I did the following:

1) Went to less than 2000 sodium a day. I cut out table salt and cook with low sodium diet as much as I can.

2) I cut real sugar. I use stevia in coffee and tea.

3) Exercise is hard but I am back to 30 minutes 4 times a week and will increase as I get better (I had pneumonia since Dec 20th and back to the exercise yesterday)

4) I drink 1/2 gallon of water each day. This is huge for water retention and of course keeps my body in check (no more sweating, back pain and swelling).

5) I keep about 300 calorie deficit.

6) I do not drink my calories and allow one diet soda a day. I do allow sugar free creamer in my coffee each morning.

7) I do not eat back my exercise calories unless I am going to a social gathering where I want to eat.

When I started my journey, November 2012, I was 321lb - 22st 13lb - 145.6kg and lived a very sedentary lifestyle, including doing a driving job, I walked as little as possible (I have a car, why do I need to walk everywhere) and I just sat about doing little or nothing in my spare time.

Now I am almost at my goal weight, approximately 10lb left to lose, I am much more active and I do a physically demanding job (I'm an agency worker and most of my job allocations are in factories and usually involve standing, walking about carrying heavy loads for 8 hours a day) I go to the gym 6 times a week and I like to go walking when I'm not at work or at the gym, I'm still a car owner, but nowadays I use it much less than before losing weight.

I have made so many changes since November 2012, some are major changes (giving up the driving job and starting factory work) and some are small changes, but all have had an impact on my weight loss journey thus far.

I'll try to list some of the small changes:

1) Getting up in a morning and having breakfast straight after my shower - Instead of getting up, showered and dressed, then dossing about until midday and realising I'm starving and just grabbing whatever we had in that didn't take much cooking or preparation.

2) Going for a walk when I'm bored or got no one to talk to - Instead of going to the pantry, fridge or freezer and finding something to eat, or if I was feeling flush I would go to Morrisons and buy a big chocolate bars, or something equally as calorific.

3) Drinking water, herbal teas and on the odd occasion diet pop/soda - Instead of drinking full sugar pop/soda, fully caffeinated coffee and full fat milky drinks.

4) Going to the gym 5-6 times a week - Instead of signing up for a years membership and using it less than once a month.

5) Eating what I want and recording it - Instead of thinking I've eaten something fattening and now I've screwed it all up, f**k it I may as well eat a box of chocolates/tub of Ben & Jerry's.

6) Having a drink and gauging my hunger when my body tells me I'm hungry & I know I'm probably not - Instead of reaching into the fridge, freezer or pantry at the first hint of a stomach rumble.

7) Looking beyond my physical size and trying to work out why things go wrong - Instead of simply blaming life's injustices on me being fat.

8) Finding fibre and protein rich snacks and food – Instead of just buying whatever is cheapest and contains chocolate.

9) Talking about my feelings, being honest with my family – Instead of hiding my true feelings and secretly eating boxes of chocolates or tubs of Ben & Jerry’s.

10) Going to the gym when I’m upset or angry – Instead of reaching for food.

11) Studying the food labels on my favourite foods and working out if there are healthier alternatives I can have, being more adventurous – Instead of just eating it because it’s familiar to me.

12) Never denying myself a little bit of what I fancy – Instead of blanket banning all things tasty and ending up bingeing out when the cravings get too great.

13) Taking care of me, learning to understand the subtle (or screamingly obvious) clues my body is giving me – Instead of just assuming I’m hungry or tired.

14) Loving myself and being unapologetically truly to me – Instead of apologising for my existence, being so heavy made me feel guilty for being me and I always tried to hide my true self.

15) Realising I need to do this for me, because I WANT to be healthy and slimmer – Instead of trying to lose weight because other people think I’m too fat or too unhealthy.

My weight loss journey is almost at an end and I can honestly say I have loved every step of it, even the rough days, when emotional eating has blighted me and I have caved in to the cravings for additional chocolates and treats; I don’t believe in deprivation – I am human and I have feelings, needs and desires, so why not enjoy them (providing they don’t harm yourself or other people).

Life can be hard enough, why make it harder for yourself …. Weight loss/management is only a small aspect of life – you need to make it as pleasurable and simplistic as possible.

xXx

MR2Jay77 wrote: »

Just starting out (again) and had to sit down and work out what needs to change? Has anyone else done a similar exercise?

It was obvious that as things stood, the weight would keep on piling on. So I sat down and listed out a typical day. Some of the things I didn't even realise were an issue were blindingly obvious.

For one.... Coffee? I had no idea how much I drank! Snacking is also an issue as I had no idea how bad nuts were My lunch I thought I was doing OK on.... Erm... Wrong! I'd usually skid breakfast or grab a bacon and egg roll.... Both a bad idea.

Exercise is also a problem. I sit at a desk in London drawing all day, not really the best job for exercise. I also leave at 6am and return home at 7.30 meaning during the week is a problem.

So as you can see, it's all a bit of a mess, mainly down to my work life. Change needs to be made.

1. Coffee - I still drink it although I have one cup when I get up (caffeine hit) and one when I get to work. Coffee through the day is now replaced with water

2. Snacking - Nuts have gone, replaced by grapes. I eat far less of them as they are bigger and they are generally healthier.

3. Breakfast - this now consists of an Actimel drink first thing and a porridge to keep me going until lunch.

4. Lunch - now consists of soup... Far healthier, keeps me full and loads of healthier varieties like Minestrone.

5. Exercise - Difficult one but I have now started getting off one stop sooner on the tube and walking that bit further. Need to do more but need to work out how.

So that's my first changes.... It's up for adaption but it is a start. What changes did everyone else make when they started off?

For one, coffee isn't "bad"....cofffee doesn't lead to weight gain. Some of the stuff you throw into the coffee might be calorie dense...but there's no need to stop drinking coffee to be healthy and fit.

For two, nuts aren't "bad"...they are calorie dense...they also happen to be a nutritional power house. A calorie is just a unit of energy...it has nothing to do with whether something is "good" or "bad"...there are numerous foods that pack a huge nutritional punch along with being calorie dense...nuts, nut butters, avocados, olive oil, etc; conversely, there are any number of low to now calorie food items that offer very little to nothing in the way of nutrition. I eat nuts every day...a serving of nuts....portion control. I eat 1/2 an avocado every single day...I regularly cook with olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil...and sometimes even butter

It's good to look at these things, but you should do so in the proper context...look at your diet as a whole...is it balanced...are you getting actual nutrition? From there, it's baby steps...changing little things here and there, bit by bit. Trying to do too much too fast is the downfall of many.

When I started out, my biggest issues were 1) Drinking way to many sodas (3-6 per day), Dairy (not that it's "bad"...it's just that I would pretty much drink 1/2 gallon of milk per day and a good 1/4 Lb of cheese...lots of calories...had to cut back); 3) Unbalanced diet that was seriously lacking in nutrition.

With my sodas, I took baby steps...I cut it down to 1 per day...then 3 per week...then 1 per week...before I knew it I was having a soda only once every couple of weeks or so. Almost 2.5 years later and I will very occasionally enjoy a soda...usually with a cocktail. I think it's been at least a couple of months since I had a Coke.

Dairy I just went cold turkey for a couple of months and re-introduced it slowly...I can still put away cheese like some kind of super mouse so I don't go out of my way to avoid it, but I don't eat it often either.

As far as balancing out my diet, this was a bunch of steps...I set mini goals for myself basically. I set my macros to 40c/30p/30f and tried my best to hit those numbers. In trying to do so I had to seriously decrease the amount of "junk" I was eating and introduce a lot of fruits and veg and lean proteins and healthy fats. Like I said, this was a lot of baby steps...like, OK....this week I'm going to try to get in 6 actual servings of veg per day...

Within months I found myself enjoying well balanced and healthful meals....scrambled eggs and oats for breakfast with 1/2 a grapefruit washed down with a coffee and low sodium v8 (instead of my usual donut(s) and a Dr. Pepper...for lunch, 4-6 ounces of lean protein (chicken, fish, beef, or pork) along side a big garden salad and 1/2 an avocado w/cherries for desert (in lieu of two Taco Bell value meals...yes, 2)...and for dinner, maybe a baked salmon filet with a 1 cooked cup serving of brown rice and some roasted brussel's sprouts (in lieu of...well, actually my dinners tended to be my healthiest meals before).

Where exercise was concerned, I started out doing nothing but walking. A couple of months later and about 15 Lbs lighter I started to throw some running into the mix and started doing a C25K and doing some calisthenics. A few months later I joined a gym and put myself back in the weight room...and about 9 months later I was training for a sprint triathlon...but it was all baby steps.

It's all about baby steps.