But what did you really do to lose weight?
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I'm a single mom who works full time so I don't have time for a lot. I do meal preps on weekends and freeze a bunch of portioned meals to just reheat easily. When I buy veggies I buy in bulk too so that I can cut and prep to just throw in the slow cooker with meat as well. Having to do all that after work is just a pain so if I didn't prep before hand I'd likely just eat something quick and unfilling that would leave to more cravings later
I love red wine so that is something I refuse to give up however I limit it to just weekends or the odd glass during the week.
As for exercise, I work out 15 minutes at lunch (quick cardio or abs) then 30 minutes a day after dinner about 5-6 days a week.
I feel like I need to get on this crock pot hype.0 -
I'm a single mom who works full time so I don't have time for a lot. I do meal preps on weekends and freeze a bunch of portioned meals to just reheat easily. When I buy veggies I buy in bulk too so that I can cut and prep to just throw in the slow cooker with meat as well. Having to do all that after work is just a pain so if I didn't prep before hand I'd likely just eat something quick and unfilling that would leave to more cravings later
I love red wine so that is something I refuse to give up however I limit it to just weekends or the odd glass during the week.
As for exercise, I work out 15 minutes at lunch (quick cardio or abs) then 30 minutes a day after dinner about 5-6 days a week.
I feel like I need to get on this crock pot hype.
It will make your life much easier
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Well, I for one have always found the details of your "CO" very exciting!
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It was pretty easy, followed MFP recommendations and ate back my exercise calories.0
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Well, I for one have always found the details of your "CO" very exciting!
The cycling?
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Well, I for one have always found the details of your "CO" very exciting!
The cycling?
Heck yeah!!!
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I started logging everything I ate, didn't matter what it was, it was logged. This gave me a good indication of the changes that I needed to make. I started moving, I went to the gym 2 days a week, to start, then after a few weeks I went 3 days a week and increased it to 5 over a month and a half. During that month and a half I did cardio 2 days a week, and strength training 3 days a week. That was 4 and a half years ago. I lost 49 lbs.
Today, I workout using home programs such as Jillian Michael's Body Revolution, Les Mills Combat, Chalean Extreme, Insanity (to name a few) and work out 6 days a week, not because I have to but because I want to. I still log and eat healthy as this isn't a quick fix. To stay healthy you need to continue with what you did to get to where you are now.
It's not a pretty process, it's not an easy process. But you need to trust the process.....0 -
Cut my calories down to 1600 a day. Started jogging 4-5 times a week. Also cut out all soda and sugary drinks and it has worked well0
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I aim to eat 1600-1800 calories or so a day. I listen to my body and try only to eat when I'm just starting to feel hunger--so trying not to eat when I don't feel hungry or let it go too long so I'm RAVENOUS and want to eat everything. I tend to work out 3-4 days a week, usually running for half an hour, or yoga for an hour, or the fitness classes the gym offers. If I feel extra hungry I'll eat back my exercise calories, otherwise I don't really.
I log consistently. I try not to stress out about food. Cook healthy things, eat lots of fruits and veggies, but if I really fancy takeout or cake, I eat it and work it into my day. I'm vegetarian, but that has no impact on my weight.
I've never gained or lost big amounts of weight except for when I had a severe eating disorder as a teen. This is what I do when I want to lose the 6-8 pounds I invariably gain when I stop tracking or go on an extended holiday. It usually takes me about 6-8 weeks to lose it, so I guess I lose a pound a week or so.0 -
]What did you REALLY do tobeckyml1980 wrote: »I started logging everything I ate, didn't matter what it was, it was logged. This gave me a good indication of the changes that I needed to make. I started moving, I went to the gym 2 days a week, to start, then after a few weeks I went 3 days a week and increased it to 5 over a month and a half. During that month and a half I did cardio 2 days a week, and strength training 3 days a week. That was 4 and a half years ago. I lost 49 lbs.
Today, I workout using home programs such as Jillian Michael's Body Revolution, Les Mills Combat, Chalean Extreme, Insanity (to name a few) and work out 6 days a week, not because I have to but because I want to. I still log and eat healthy as this isn't a quick fix. To stay healthy you need to continue with what you did to get to where you are now.
It's not a pretty process, it's not an easy process. But you need to trust the process.....
I keep hearing about Les Mills. I ought a try it out. I think videos are pretty fun.0 -
As so many have said, "ate less calories than I burned". Weigh, measure, and log everything you eat and drink, and stay within your calorie allotment.
Simple answer, but it is really all it takes.0 -
I suppose a better question is, how many calories do you tend to stick around and what do you normally eat (I understand everyone is different. I'm just curious. I understand the in and out thing )0
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I've lost 50 total (put on a little bit after the wedding because I was losing a little too aggressively but I am losing it now - about 10 pounds or so, but still within a healthy BMI). I went from obese (I was just on the edge there) to the middle of my healthy BMI. How I do it is:
- Log everything, and WEIGH it
- Log daily, as soon as you give yourself permission not to log the bad days, bad days will creep in and then storm in
- Figure out the amount of calories YOU need to lose. Don't listen to other people, or at least listen to ALL opinions and then form your own. I am closer to the 1,300-1,400 calories a day, but I don't do any vigorous exercise and my body loses weight best this way.
- Figure out why you are overweight in the first place and fix any emotional-mental blocks. Unless you do this you will probably gain the weight back.
- Forgive yourself for choosing to eat over your calories.
- Only do things that you can be sustainable for YOU. I can do this with food, but it is harder with exercise, I yo-yo hard core with my exercise attempts and I am still figuring that out. BUT I don't do it for weight loss, only for health benefits.
- Don't make excuses that involve other people, it is your body, not theirs. They aren't ruining YOUR "diet"
- I tend to eat the same things over and over. My menu changes slowly because I don't want food to go bad and I get really happy when I have tasty things that fit in my daily limit. If you look at my diary, most days are almost exactly the same.
- If you are going to cheat, try and have a cheat meal vs a cheat day. I get so sick when I end up cheating all day and physically feel awful.
- Personally when I cut out alcohol (wine on occasion) I am more successful.
- Try and work on your awareness. Are you actually hungry or do you just want to eat? I struggle with this all the time, but actively working on trying to be better.
- Try and prepare things at home as much as possible and buy smart choices. Substitute things when you can, i.e. I buy veggie straws vs. chips (and I love my veggie straws! I don't feel like I am compromising).
- If you want the half n half, have it! I am done with trying to make almond milk work for me tea and coffee, it does nothing. Just log it.
- Find a schedule that works for you. 1 meal or 6, make it work for you. Personally I don't like to snack because then I think about food MUCH more and I start to anticipate. I like 3 meals a day, and sometimes some cookies with my afternoon tea
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- Please don't follow any "diets". I don't know anyone who was able to sustain them for their whole life. I've tried many when I first started in college, I felt awful and couldn't keep them up.
- Life happens! I'm in medical school and sometimes my focus is not on my diet and exercise and I can't perfectly follow my plan. Don't go overboard and recognize when priorities shift, but remember that your health must still be highly prioritized!
- I do yoga, if I could horseback ride and snowboard I would, but right now I can't, find what works for you for the hear and now.
TLDR: Be happy, and do what works for YOU.0 -
I suppose a better question is, how many calories do you tend to stick around and what do you normally eat (I understand everyone is different. I'm just curious. I understand the in and out thing )
I have been losing for the past three months on 15-1800cal average. Like I said I will eat to maintenance levels some days. I love protein. Every bigger meal consists of some type of meat. Good for me as we raise all our own. So roast chicken, pork, beef, lamb, Turkey, and some fish which we raise in our dugout during the summer or freeze after fishing trips. I aim for 200gm of meat at my supper meal. The rest goes into soups, stew, sandwiches, stirfrys, or just reheated as is. Tons of veggies and salad, sweet potato, zuchinni, squashes, etc, eggs are from my farm as well so that is often breakfast, I love Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, I am learning more gluten free baking as I get migraines when I eat wheat. I am the odd one who really does not care for fruit. Unless they are fresh picked raspberries. I force myself to eat fruit once a day but I think I get enough veg in that it is probably not a big deal.
This app cut off the rest of my post again. Sorry! Anyway, I hope this helps you! I love how everyone's lists can be so different. What is normal for me can be very protein heavy for many.0 -
I suppose a better question is, how many calories do you tend to stick around and what do you normally eat (I understand everyone is different. I'm just curious. I understand the in and out thing )
I tend to stick around 1400 calories or so a day (very slightly under TDEE-20%). I am ten days away from foot surgery, and per doctor's orders (and pain) my exercise right now is very, very limited (yoga and swimming, for example, are both out of the question). For people who are more active and/or have more to lose (I'm about 10lbs away from goal), 1400 calories might be too little.
Having said that, a typical day for me looks something like this:
Breakfast: protein powder in my morning coffee; banana or other fruit (I'm not a big breakfast person)
Morning snack: 1/8C pecans, 1/8C almonds
Lunch: Salad consisting of 2.5C raw spinach, 2tsp olive oil, 5 kalamatta olives, and protein of some sort (today it's 3oz of hamburger, some days it's a veggie burger, some days it's chicken); 1oz Colby cheese
Afternoon snack: 1/2C cottage cheese; veggies of some sort (carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli, etc.)
Dinner: Something. Tonight it's gluten-free (I'm severely gluten intolerant, I'm not doing it because I think gluten is teh devilz) spannakopita macaroni and cheese, with a salad of some sort.
After dinner snack (if I feel like it): Some type of veggie I didn't have earlier.
Occasionally, I will have a glass of wine (or two) on weekends. Sometimes, weekends start on Thursday...
I don't do "cheat days"; I just don't get the concept. If I want something that's relatively more calorie dense/low nutrient (like Butterfinger bites at the movie theatre), I will have it, I will enjoy every bite of it, I will log it in MFP, and I will get on with my life. I ate chocolate cake every day from Christmas through January 3rd or so, and still lost weight over the holidays. For days where I know I'm going to have something that's relatively more calorie dense than normal (i.e., chocolate cake every day from Christmas through January 3rd or so), I will compromise somewhere else in my day - for example, maybe one piece of pizza at dinner, rather than two.
I do not weigh much of what I eat, other than protein or cheese; that said, what I don't weigh, I measure; this works for me. I log everything (other than sugar-free gum). My highest weight was 253, after having my first child eight years ago (I gained 70lbs with that pregnancy, and was overweight to begin with); I lost the better part of 90lbs over the course of four years after having my second child nearly six years ago (average weight loss of about half a pound a week). I tracked what I ate when I was pregnant with my third child, and only gained 30lbs with that pregnancy (I did eat quite a bit more than 1400 calories when I was pregnant) and lost 15 of that this past year. I do not lose quickly; I've gotten over that. I'm happy with what I'm doing, it's sustainable for me, and it's working.0 -
Nutrient dense foods, portion control, no processed foods, planning meals, and consistent workout plan with weight training. Not hard to say, but challenging to do.0
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VERY SPECIFICALLY: I started at 174. If I remember right I tried to eat at the recommended 1200 calorie goal MFP set for me and failed: it was too drastic. So I refocused and decided that I was ok with not reaching my goals as fast as I would like and shot for 1350-1400 calories. This worked for me. After I was able to eat within those calories, I started incorporating 30 minutes of gym time 3 times a week. I told myself that as long as I went for 30 minutes...it was ok if I chose to sit on the floor and stretch as long as I went. Needless to say: once I was there, I ended up trying to make it worth my time and I NEVER spent 30 minutes stretching on the floor. Eventually I enjoyed how good I felt after working out! I hit maintenance in October and figure my calories with consistent exercise were about 1900-2000. Recently I have realigned my goals and have decided on a few more lbs weight loss..thus the calorie drop again. I don't eat "clean," nothing is off limits, and I love McDonalds. I know if I choose to eat there I need to bank more calories and I will probably be hungry before my next meal...so it's all about choices and deciding what's worth it and what's not.0
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ClosetBayesian wrote: »
Thanks for sharing!Breakfast: protein powder in my morning coffee; banana or other fruit (I'm not a big breakfast person)
You know, I don't really drink coffee, but I did decide to try to put protein powder in it one day, but it got all weird and it clumped together and didn't dissolve like I expected it to. Know anything about that?0 -
Thanks for sharing! Do you tend to mix up during your work outs? Are you one of those people who have "leg day" or do you feel comfortable with sticking to one type of exercise?jessicarobinson00 wrote: »VERY SPECIFICALLY: I started at 174. If I remember right I tried to eat at the recommended 1200 calorie goal MFP set for me and failed: it was too drastic. So I refocused and decided that I was ok with not reaching my goals as fast as I would like and shot for 1350-1400 calories. This worked for me. After I was able to eat within those calories, I started incorporating 30 minutes of gym time 3 times a week. I told myself that as long as I went for 30 minutes...it was ok if I chose to sit on the floor and stretch as long as I went. Needless to say: once I was there, I ended up trying to make it worth my time and I NEVER spent 30 minutes stretching on the floor. Eventually I enjoyed how good I felt after working out! I hit maintenance in October and figure my calories with consistent exercise were about 1900-2000. Recently I have realigned my goals and have decided on a few more lbs weight loss..thus the calorie drop again. I don't eat "clean," nothing is off limits, and I love McDonalds. I know if I choose to eat there I need to bank more calories and I will probably be hungry before my next meal...so it's all about choices and deciding what's worth it and what's not.
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I suppose a better question is, how many calories do you tend to stick around and what do you normally eat (I understand everyone is different. I'm just curious. I understand the in and out thing )
I made posted a ridiculously long detail process response above, but didn't answer this. After I started on MFP at 1200 net (usually 1500 or so gross) calories, I started moving it up to slow my loss rate (as mentioned). I added 100 calories, monitored for a couple of weeks, then added another 100 or stopped for a while depending on the results.
Now near maintenance, I'm set at 1560 net (it seems smaller than you'd think because I'm lots smaller myself -123 point something pounds at 5'5"), eating 1700-1900 depending on exercise (I also get fewer calories "credit" for the same exercise because I'm smaller, and fewer in general because I'm less active outdoors in winter). Losing about 1/2 pound a week at that level.0 -
I figured out my TDEE (you can google online calculators - I find Scooby's gets the closest for me) and ate 10% less than that - around 2250 cals/day - eating whatever I want as long as I get my veg & fruit, etc., first. Life without wine and chocolate is worthless, in my opinion.
40 minutes of bodyweight exercise (with barbell deadlifts because they rock) 3xweek and rowing or walking for 30 minutes 2xweek.
I've been nursing various injuries and what not for over a year now, so I've been maintaining on about 2000 cals/day, but I'm just a few weeks away from getting back to working out. I can't wait!!!0 -
I have no specifics or diet plan. I just ate less and moved more than I used to.0
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thankyou4thevenom wrote: »I have no specifics or diet plan. I just ate less and moved more than I used to.
I see people say this a lot. And I understand that it is the key for everyone. Specifics would be like: I ate 200 calories less. I moved more by walking around the block twice a day or I moved more by swimming to Atlantis once a week. That's what I mean by specific.0 -
I have a heart anyeurism so I'm not allowed to exercise and my mobility has been impaired.
Lost 52 lbs since November 15 just watching CICO. I stopped ordering pizza and poutine and burgers etc because I can't accurately count the calories plus they are extremely calorie dense.
Stopped eating fast food for the most part but if I want a Big Mac or a subway sub I'll have it and work the cals into my day.
Accurate weighing and counting calories is key and really opened my eyes as to how many calories I was actually eating per day.
Oh and I stopped drinking sugary pop cold turkey. I was a 2L a day man for years and years but the docs made it click that I am the only one that can save my life.
I drink diet pop but not near as much as I did. Sprite Zero tastes amazingly similar to the full sugary stuff.
I'm learning to live with the hunger and listen to my body more.
Hope that helps someone0 -
I lost 50lbs in about 16months (avg rate of loss = 1lb every 10 days like clockwork!)
I logged all my food most of the time.
I exercised (walked) daily most of the time.
I stayed within my calorie budget (TDEE-25%) most of the time.
I spent LOTS of time on MFP, chatting with my FL, perusing the forum, educating and entertaining myself.
I found activities I enjoy doing (walking, hiking, cycling, modest weight training) and incorporated them into my schedule.
Basically I followed my own 80/20 plan.
I try to make good, healthy food choices 80% of the time - the other 20% is life.
I try to fit at least 45min of exercise into my day 80% of the time - the other 20% is life.
I don't freak when the scale moves up a bit, I know it will move back down if I eat less than before and move more than before.
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CICO, I started logging religiously. I lost the first 1/3 of the weight just by changing what I eat. I don't eat breakfast, a salad for lunch, and a healthy stir fry for dinner. After a month, I added in the gym and a heavy lifting routine. I still counted my calories and ate back some of my exercise calories. I cut out drinking, save for 1 or 2 days a week, and allow myself tastes of things I love. If you would like the specific of my workout routine, just message me and I'd be happy to share it. But moral of the story - CICO0
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