What Are Some Things You Wish You Had Known Before You Started?

people make it harder than it has to be

That men can count calories too; it isn't just for girls!

This topic popped into my head during a walk to the grocery this morning. I wish I'd known, and believed, that it is as easy as it is, if you trust the math and the data. For the last 20 some years, I've been doing what many people call extreme sports and workouts to lose weight. Triathlons up to 1/2 ironman, 6 hours of cardio a day in the Tri days, 15 to 50 mile mountain bike rides, 100 mile roadbike rides, very long hikes.... My Strava account has all of the details for the last two years.
None of it caused a single pound to come off, I actually got heavier.

On Jan 30th I injured my knee cycling. I'd just completed a monthlong strava challenge 200+ miles and more than 20,000 feet of elevation. I rested for a month, gained weight (8 pounds), knee got no better.

I joined MFP on March 1(ish) knowing I couldn't workout, and had do do something with nutrition. 58 days later, I'm 21 pounds lighter, and walking a lot.

Some days were hard to stay close to the 1000cal deficit, but I also learned that it's entirely mental, and a lapse isn't the end of all improvements. I've really learned to trust the data, some days I go up, for a couple days, but it's always followed by a bigger loss. The lag in response of the scale is about two days for me.

Weighing/measuring your food is really the key. We eat a LOT more calories than we realize, even when we are "counting calories," because our idea of a serving is really off. Take cereal, for example. If you just pour.yourself a bowl and count it as a serving, you are possibly eat double (or more) of the amount suggested.

I hear people complain all the time, "I'm not losing weight but I'm watching what I eat." How closely are you really watching?

Carbs aren't bad
Sugar isn't bad
Moderation is key
Enjoy foods you love within moderation, there's no need to give up anything

Weight loss is achievable. It requires discipline and effort. Initial and ongoing day-to-day results are not huge, but week-to-week and month-to-month results are quite measurable.

Collect a daily weight value at a consistent point during your routine, i.e. after walking up and going to the bathroom but before consuming anything, even water. Take a monthly picture and body measurements. You may find the month-to-month progress great motivation as it is hopefully providing positive feedback.

Buy, and use a food scale. In a pinch, use the MFP online food database, but create your own food database to ensure accuracy of food data. USDA has a great database at http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods.

Don't significantly and immediately change your eating habits including eating at restaurants. Start by logging the foods you're consuming at each meal. You'll realize how many calories you're currently and most likely have been consuming day in, day out for months or years. Obtain the nutrition information for the foods at the restaurant(s) you're going to at or from. If they don't have nutrition information published then don't eat their foods anymore.

Business travel and weight loss is achievable, even with eating at/from restaurants -- just evaluate their published nutrition information prior to ordering. Take the food scale and other measuring instruments on the road with you. Search out a grocery store nearby your destination before departing, and attempt to your best ability, to duplicate your eating routine(s) while at home.

Exercise such as riding a stationary bike is not easy after two decades of couch-potato existence and growing up obese. Your legs, your heart, and your lungs will all suggest you stop the activity as you're not in a condition to participate. Unless your doctor directs you to not exercise, ignore your body's discomfort and push through it. 150 lb + later, exercise is easier and somewhat enjoyable -- I look forward to it every day. Maybe exercise is addictive, maybe not -- I know it helped me and will continue to help me with overall better health. I ride two 30 minute sessions five days a week, but started off riding for only one 30 minute session for the first two to three months.

A calorie deficit is required to lose weight. Achieve that deficit through consuming fewer calories than your body requires on a daily basis. The key is to understand how many calories your body requires on a daily basis.

You may become frustrated with progress every now and then especially if your weight doesn't decrease after 7-10 days. You'll obsess over it and read anything and everything about weight loss and plateaus. I won't convince you to not waste your time; you've got to check into the information for yourself. Just re-evaluate your current eating habits. Have you accurately recorded all foods? Anything that goes into your mouth except water ought to be logged -- even those low calorie items like a single pickle, tomatoes, or packet of ketchup -- the accumulation of all those items does add up.

Weight loss is not rocket science, but it's not horseshoes and hand grenades either -- accuracy matters. You're only accountable to yourself.

There are many ways of assessing progress and weight is only one of them. Measurements, going down sizes in clothes, how I feel, lifting heavier weights, improving my running times, having to run harder/longer to get my HR up, meeting my macros, getting in fruits and veggies.

That being consistent is the most important thing. Bad days are going to happen, but as long as there are more good ones than bad ones the scale will move in the direction you want. Small goals worked the best for me. For me it was first losing 7% of my weight as I read that provides great long-term health benefits, and then everything else has been in five pound increments. I didn't even think about the big picture. Its been much more manageable.

I also would encourage you not to get too discouraged if other people don't notice the weight loss. Some people will never comment not because they don't notice but because they don't want to say the wrong thing. it took me losing almost 30% of my body weight before I started getting regular comments.

Oh, and finally, start saving your penny's now. I've had to buy an entire new wardrobe down to underwear, because nothing fits anymore.

That I didn't have to be miserable to lose weight.