How I lost 40 pounds

emilyscott916 wrote: »

I lost 40 pounds (then gained four while on vacation) so am back at it again. I wanted to share some tips with you, that in my experience, has worked. It may not work for everyone but worked for me so wanted to share.

1) reducing sugar cuts out a ton of calories
2) spices are a great way to add flavor to food without calories.
3) eat lots of vegetables, fiber and lean protein...makes you feel full longer
4) delay starting your "eating window" by an hour or two. So for example, eat breakfast at 8 or 9 instead of 7. The less hours in the day that you eat, the less you will eat.
5) eat 2-3 snacks a day between meals but try to keep them at an average of 100 calories each
6) if possible, exercise in conjunction with dieting. More calories burned=more calories you can eat. 7)never exercise hungry. Also when you exercise while on an empty stomach you're burning muscle instead of fat.
8) don't eat less than 1,200 calories a day. 1,200 calories is necessary for proper nutrition and your body holds onto fat if you don't eat enough as it goes into starvation mode
9) don't deprive yourself. Eat a cookie if you want it, but in moderation
10) week two is the worst. In week one you'll lose a lot of weight (mostly water weight). Week two you'll likely not lose as much, might even gain. It'll even out though.
11) "Fit" popcorn is the best snack
12) sometimes if I feel like eating but am not very hungry I'll drink unsweetened herbal tea or chew gum
13) every little bit counts. Cutting 10 calories in salad dressing choice or doing five more minutes of cardio makes a big difference over time.
14) weigh yourself the same time every day (morning is best)
15) try drinking water, unsweetened tea, or flavored carbonated water with meals instead of soda, milk, etc.
16) measure food and try to stick to one "serving"
17) salt has no calories but makes you retain water so make sure you're staying hydrated if eating a lot of salt
18) swap Gatorade for coconut water after workouts. Much less calories, and it's healthier.
18) beware of salads, especially in restaurants. Between the dressing, croutons, cheese and meat, there's often more calories in salad then another entree choice.
19) at restaurants, ask for a to go box at the beginning of the meal and put half of your plate in there right away so you can save it for another time and won't be tempted to eat it all at once
20) only eat until no longer hungry, not stuffed
21) substitute scrambled eggs for egg whites or tofu scramble
22) most of all, be consistent. Find a meal plan and work out schedule that works for you and stick to it
23) make exercise fun - find a sport or activity you like, or work out with friends
24) to lose weight, exercise (cardio) six times a week. To maintain, 3-4.
25) on treadmills and ellipticals, increase the incline, it'll burn more calories.
26) set goals and reward yourself. For example, buy yourself a new workout shirt (or whatever motivates you) after losing 10 pounds.

macr0babe wrote: »

There literally IS such a thing as starvation mode @tpereira333

Congrats on your loss, btw!