How do you lose weight?

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missyanachka
missyanachka Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,
I'm new to this and after having a complete emotional breakdown I'm turning to you guys for help. I feel like for months now I have adopted healthier eating habits, cut out a lot of dairy, sweets, carbs, etc. My daily meals are so bland, mostly consisting of salad without dressings, plain grilled chicken, sushi no rice, zucchini noodles, etc. I don't drink any sugary drinks, only water. Ok so I lost about 3 lbs which is not that much considering I indulged in cheeseburgers and chinese food all the time for years before this.
I can barely make time for the gym, but try to stay as active as possible, and I'm always on my feet.
Obesity runs in the family and although I have never been overweight, I just can't seem to get to my goal weight that would make me happy and comfortable in my own skin.
Its very frustrating, especially since all I want to eat right now is pizza and cheeseburgers again!
If I give myself a cheat day and eat a slice of pizza, I feel like I'm back to square one and my belly protrudes and I feel so bloated and gross.
Can you guys give any suggestions for how to break this plateau and see some results? Also, how do you allow yourself to have cheat days, how often, and how do you break these horrible cravings that literally drive me to tears? :'(
I'm not one of those people that can starve themselves (I LOVE food!!!!) nor can I do fast days or survive on shakes, but maybe you guys can help me figure out a better jumpstart to weight loss.
PS I'm getting married in 3 months and REALLY need to get to my goal weight of losing 15 lbs by then!

Thank you :*

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Replies

  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
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    If you're miserable, you're not going to continue the new healthy eating habits the rest of your life.
    Moderation, grasshopper.
    Don't 'cheat', build things you like into your calorie goal.
    And 15 lb in 3 months may not be realistic.


    Read these:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-dont-complicate-it/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/872212/youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read/p1

    Goal setting, including weight, calories, and macros
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-setting-goals-667045



    "Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
    However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html


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  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited September 2015
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    As for dealing with cravings...
    Give in, in moderation.

    Want chocolate? Have a piece of high-quality dark chocolate & savor it.
    Be mindful of the taste, texture, etc. Revel in it. Ignore everything else.
    Make sugar-free fat-free pudding with skim milk.
    Have a sugar-free fudgesicle.
    Or make hot cocoa (not packaged hot chocolate mix, the real thing).

    Want a cookie? Go to the bakery & buy one very good quality, and again: savor it.

    Want a burger & fries? Fit it into your calories. Instead of the double bacon cheeseburger & large
    fries, have a single & small.

    Want pizza? Make your own, make it as healthy as possible, but make it something you like.


    Or you can tell yourself, "Yes, I want chocolate, but I'm going to wait 5 minutes, and if I still want
    some I'll have a piece." Then go do something else for 5 minutes.
    Repeat as needed, upping the time.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Get a food scale. Eat less than you burn and you'll lose- it's that simple. Good luck!
  • ShashayLee
    ShashayLee Posts: 178 Member
    edited September 2015
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    I don't have cheat days, i work a treat into my daily calories or work out a bit more to get a few hundred extra. I'm eating enough yummy food that i rarely crave anything. I experiment with spices. I weigh everything & pre-log my food each day. I never say i can't have anything, I choose to not have it at this time. If I think i'm hungry I drink water, usually that does it. I exercise 5 to 6 times each week & find it gives me the energy along with the good food to carry on with my day.
    I'm happily down 57 pounds :)
    Make sure you are eating the appropriate calories for your body
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    edited September 2015
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    Like most said, I don't give up foods when I diet. I can have cheeseburgers, or pizza, or anything else as long as it adds up to less than or equal to my calorie goal for the day. I count virtually any calories I consume (I don't get to the point where I weigh condiments, unless I use a large amount in a recipe or something). Anything except for condiments gets properly weighed and logged.

    I plan all my meals out in advance, so I just have to prepare the planned meal rather than debate what to do when I'm hungry. I have everything down to exact portions I'll make. All I need to do is go into the kitchen, prepare the exact amount I planned, and enjoy.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Life is too short to eat bland food! And honestly - are you going to eat that way for the rest of your life? You want to learn to eat in a way that you can stick with - make changes you can do for life, so you drop the weight and keep it off!

    Great links posted up there by MKEgal. Read as many of those good posts as you can. There's a lot of good info to be found here, but sadly some bad info too, and you need to do your best to educate yourself and do this right so you can be successful long term.

    I eat pizza probably once a week, and all my food has flavor! That bloated feeling after pizza? Totally normal - pizza has tons of sodium, so drink more water when you have pizza. And like MKEgal said, make it at home if you can, or allow for the cals in your daily goals if you know you're going out. Pre-log how many slices you'll have and stick with it.

    But be patient - changing your lifestyle and eating habits takes time and is a learning process.

    Another good place for good info is in the Eat More 2 Weigh Less group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3817-eat-more-2-weigh-less Sounds to good to be true, but just read their info. :smile: You don't want to overeat and gain weight, but you don't want to undereat either - both can give you results you are NOT looking for.

  • Steam_Powered_Awesome
    Steam_Powered_Awesome Posts: 301 Member
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    I don't have cheat days.
    The only things I stay away from are fried foods (makes me sick), sodas, and the only meat I eat is seafood.

    I weight all my food and plan out my meals for the day in the morning and any remainder are snack calories. Other then that I eat what I want I just stick to my calories. I have lost 55 pounds over the past year or so (mfp only fallows when I started at the gym)
    I also workout everyday

    And when it comes to stuff like pizza, Chinese, and cheeseburgers. Making it at home will have less salt, less calories, and will be better for you. Never cut out food you love.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    I lose it just like I lost my first wife....ignore it till it just goes away.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    OP, you didn't mention in your post the one thing that really makes a difference - Are you eating less calories than you burn?

    If you don't have one, buy a digital food scale.
    Plug your numbers into MFP and aim for no more than 1 lb per week as your goal.
    Weigh all your food, measure all your liquids and log everything.
    Lose weight, enjoy your food, and have a wonderful wedding!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    You can eat the cheeseburgers and pizza once in a while, if you want. Technically, you could eat nothing but cheeseburgers and pizza and you'd lose weight. Just stay under your calories and you'll lose weight no matter what you eat!

    You've fallen into the common (and unfortunate) trap of thinking that you must eat healthy or eat things you like. This is NOT the case. Healthy doesn't have to be bland, boring or tasteless. Healthy can be very yummy. I'm having a very, very yummy meal - and a very big and satisfying one! - right now and it's pretty dang healthy.

    Learn to prepare healthy foods in ways that taste good! You'll like what you eat as much as those burgers, you'll get your vitamins and minerals, you'll stay full, be healthy and, of course, lose weight. :)
  • soulraver
    soulraver Posts: 17 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    You can eat the cheeseburgers and pizza once in a while, if you want. Technically, you could eat nothing but cheeseburgers and pizza and you'd lose weight. Just stay under your calories and you'll lose weight no matter what you eat!

    You've fallen into the common (and unfortunate) trap of thinking that you must eat healthy or eat things you like. This is NOT the case. Healthy doesn't have to be bland, boring or tasteless. Healthy can be very yummy. I'm having a very, very yummy meal - and a very big and satisfying one! - right now and it's pretty dang healthy.

    Learn to prepare healthy foods in ways that taste good! You'll like what you eat as much as those burgers, you'll get your vitamins and minerals, you'll stay full, be healthy and, of course, lose weight. :)

    Loved this and spot on! I fell into the same trap now i eat chocolate every day work it in with my calories and im still losing!
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    Don't deprive yourself. Make room in your allowance for things you love in small portions.

    Depriving yourself will just lead to you regaining all the weight and then some.

    Make sustainable changes you can live with. Moderation for the win!
  • tinnakriss
    tinnakriss Posts: 5 Member
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    Noooo you have totaly wrong view about diet. Nooo That's not should be punishment. That should be the way of life!!! So google, find recepies, there are so Many tasty recepies outside, you'll be surprised. You gotta love it, or your going to Break down and end up on pizza or chesseburgers and be sad and unhealthy all your life! Do you really want that?? Ofc no...you need to have some balance in your life...create one, eat pizza if you want it, but for dinner eat green and low-fat chesse. Mix what you like, That's not a punishment, That's the way of life!! Good luck!! :)
  • mperrott2205
    mperrott2205 Posts: 737 Member
    edited September 2015
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    This thread right here is why they should teach proper nutrition in school, at least during PE.
  • westminstersociety
    westminstersociety Posts: 2 Member
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    It could be your portion sizes. If you have a big plate of something, chances are you may be over eating. Opt for a smaller plate and eat slowly, it takes your brain 10 minutes to catch up to your stomach. So eat until you feel 80% full, and that gives your brain a chance to say whether or not you're still hungry.

    Also (and I find this really handy) if you're craving something sweet. Peanut butter/cinnamon really hits the spot. If you're craving something chocolatey have one of those 'fun size' chocolates. Just keep track of how many you're eating.
  • rontafoya
    rontafoya Posts: 365 Member
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    I lost 40 lbs. in about a year. Based on my own experience, and what I have read, the only way to lose weight is through a caloric deficit (eat less than you burn). The 'quality' of food you eat is less important than the amount, if weight loss is your goal. You have to start counting calories and taking a weekly average of your weight. Determine the number of calories you need to "break even." Cut that by 20%. Eat that amount of calories every day. Reassess as you lose weight, because you calorie requirements decrease as you get smaller. You will naturally gravitate toward more nutrient dense, satisfying foods. Devise substitute foods that satisfy you that are nutritious, so that you will not over-eat. For example, if you have a sweet tooth, a tablespoon of peanut butter drizzled with a small amount of honey will not kill you, as far as calories but will likely blunt your craving. If you feel like you "need" pizza, eat something starchy and salty and fatty with fewer calories. For me, chopping up a medium sized potato, tossing it with olive oil, baking until crisp then dusting with parmesan gets it done. You need to eat less, but eat things you enjoy, or you will not stick with your diet.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    TL;DR advice: don't look at this as a diet. Look at it as changing your eating habits. Keeping your favorite foods but learning how to eat them in moderation will make you much happier and you'll be able to keep weight off once you get to your goal.


    1. Get a food scale. A good digital one isn't that expensive anymore and will help TREMENDOUSLY.

    2. If you're looking for a way to start, start by weighing and logging everything for a week or so. You will be surprised by the amount of calories when you start weighing, but don't let it get you down. You're going to be changing that. What you're doing for that week is getting a baseline and identifying patterns you need to change.

    3. Start with small changes at first and give yourself time to get used to them. Example: i swapped out soda for lunch for unsweet tea with equal. I like it just as well, but doing so cut 200-300 calories out of my day. Now, I still drink soda, just not at lunch or eating out anymore. I save it for when I'm hanging with friends on game nights.

    4. Figure out when you're hungry during the day, and split up your calories accordingly. There is no magic time of day to eat or not eat for losing weight. If you're hungriest in the morning, make that your biggest meal. My breakfast is a set amount and my lunch falls under a set number so I know how much I have for the end of the day. That's what works for me. You need to find what eating schedule works for you.

    5. There is no magic food to make you lose weight. You don't have to go low-carb unless you want to or your doctor tells you to due to a medical condition. Same with any of the other 'diet' plans out there. See, thing is, you need to make changes you can live with for the rest of your life. If you're someone that's happy to go low-carb and make it a permanent change, more power to you! I'm not, and so I keep carbs in my diet. I don't pig out on breadsticks anymore, but I do still eat them! You need to make changes to your eating habits that will be sustainable FOR YOU. It's fine to try things out, but if you try a new way of eating that makes you miserable, you won't want to make it a permanent change and therefore, isn't for you.

    6. This is a slow process! As I said above, you're not on a diet, you're looking to change your eating habits for the future. You need to retrain your brain and body to what proper potions of foods are, and that takes time to adjust to. However, when you hit your target goal, you will be much better prepared to STAY at that target if you've changed your eating habits to fit.

    7. Don't do 'cheat days'. Lower the AMOUNT of food you eat to fit your daily calorie goal. Now, this may mean swapping some things out, but that doesn't mean you have to give up your favorite foods. You'll just need to find out how to limit them.

    8. You will have days you go over. Accidental overages, unexpected meals out, etc. If you go over, just log it and start fresh next day. It doesn't make you a failure, just human.
  • missyanachka
    missyanachka Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks everyone, its really helpful reading all your comments. Im definitely going to get a food scale and start logging what I eat. And its super exciting to know I can still indulge just in smaller portions. Baby cheeseburger here I come! Hahaha. I'm always eating on the go and basically stuffing my face as quickly as possible so I'm going to try to slow that down a bit and be aware of my portions.
    Let me know if you guys have any more tips. You guys are so inspiring. <3

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