What was some mistakes you made when first dieting?

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13

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  • jackie_van_d
    jackie_van_d Posts: 240 Member
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    ArcticSero wrote: »
    I've been going on and off the horse a lot but so far lost 7 pounds, hoping to lose another 26 though and I hopped back on it again the past two months. Recently I realized I haven't been losing weight despite logging what I eat.

    Until I realized I forgot to log simple things like butter/cheese/tomato sauce (when using it in spaghetti). I feel a "Duh" moment coming on and I'm resisting to slap my forehead. I've been so focus on the bread/meat/veggies/fruit/juices that I forgot to measure and scale the simple things I'm supposed to (like if I'm adding butter to toast or some cheese on my spaghetti).

    Probably why it's extremely slow going process in losing weight.

    Just duh.

    What were some mistakes you made and didn't realize it?

    I wouldn't call it a "duh" I'd call it an Ahha! moment

    My biggest mistake on this journey, was expecting that I would loose weight as quickly as I did in my early 30's. I'm now in my mid 40's awaiting a complete knee replacement. Life has changed!
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
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    Thinking that I would be done once I reached 180lbs/170lbs/165lb/150lb/140lb/130lb. I am finally done now in my 120s, but I really thought I would look great and be done at 180lbs when I first started. I am 5'5", btw.
  • JeffFit70
    JeffFit70 Posts: 41 Member
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    I lost most of my weight in the first year before I discovered MFP and before I knew anything about training and nutrition. However, if I could do it over I would:
    • Begin lifting weights sooner to retain as much LBM as possible. Losing muscle is awful even if it looks good on the scale.
    • I would make small, incremental, sustainable changes rather than drastic 180 of my diet.
    • I would not deprive myself of foods I enjoy. Those cravings can only be ignored so long.
    • And I would keep it simple (for the most part). Control calories and get enough protein and you are 90% done.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,126 Member
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    Two big ones:

    1) Trying to eat 6 meals a day even though it made me constantly hungry and miserable.

    2) Eating at far to large a deficit. I started at 1450 and then dropped to 1200 which is far to low for a male, and I didn't eat bad exercise calories so likely netting 500 or so. Lost a lot of lean mass and ended up putting the weight back on rather quickly.
  • Kathryn41057
    Kathryn41057 Posts: 181 Member
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    I have been on a lot of WL plans in my day. I'd do some plan for a couple of weeks, get bored because I wasn't seeing the results that I wanted, and then I'd quit. It became a vicious circle for me. I still have a hard time. I'm 58 years old, and I've been doing this since I was 21. I'm working slowly into doing some weight training. I do not like tracking, I do not like having to write things down. But....... I know that I need some structure to keep me sane. So.... on I go.... 1 Meal at a time... Try to write everything down... and the most important.... Don't be too hard on yourself
  • khhregister
    khhregister Posts: 229 Member
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    Not putting in enough time to set myself up for success.

    For example - I would put off grocery shopping and I wouldn't buy NEARLY enough healthy choices for myself. So I would have something healthy and appropriate calories for breakfast and lunch one day, but nothing planned for dinner. Or I'd have a great dinner, but not save myself any leftovers for the next day.

    I also tried doing "Lean Cuisine" dinners for a while and they were SO not filling. I felt like I was starving. For some dumb reason it didn't occur to me to supplement them with veggies. Also I really didn't have any idea how many calories I needed to be eating so I would have 1 of those tiny frozen dinners for lunch and one for dinner. I'm sure I ate too few calories and so I had no energy and I thought diets = punishing routine. I just looked up the nutrition info on one of my "favourites" from that time (Santa Fe rice and beans) and it had 290 calories. OMG. What was I thinking.

    I can't believe I didn't start my diet with that very basic piece of information - how many calories do I need in a day.

    Now I eat SO many veggies and I buy enough for ~ 5-6 days at a time. My refrigerator is BURSTING with veggies at any one time. Also I buy bags of frozen Chicken breasts from Costco. There is ALWAYS something in the house to eat which is a good choice for me.
  • joseserpas1788
    joseserpas1788 Posts: 11 Member
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    The biggest mistake I would make was that I would eat above maintnance on weekends and mess up my progress and because of that I would not lose weight.
  • khhregister
    khhregister Posts: 229 Member
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    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    I didn't log vegtables. I thought they were all 0 calories because of stupid Dr stupid oz

    hehe I'm going to call him "stupid Dr stupid oz" from now on. :):)
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    I tried to do too much all at once and ended up injured and sick. (That was what prompted me to start writing the book I'm working on about historical health-fads and diet trends.)
    This time, my doctor recommended using a calorie counting site (his own system that his health group uses) and starting at the top of my TDEE and working downward, cutting out a little at a time until I was losing. I switched to MFP at the end of December, and I like it much better- it's so much easier to work with.
  • IpakDaley
    IpakDaley Posts: 46 Member
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    Before MFP, I didn't have a plan other than to eat very little. I lost weight, but it wasn't sustainable for obvious reasons. So glad I found this app and pulled my head out...
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,573 Member
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    HStheBusyBee wrote: »
    'Rewarding' myself with chocolate or pizza when I had been good on my diet. Rookie mistake! lol

    Hm. I reward myself with treats when I have enough calories left over.
  • Lovee_Dove7
    Lovee_Dove7 Posts: 742 Member
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    Not measuring things (food scale, tape measure, before pics, etc etc etc)
    Being impatient to lose a lot right away, instead of starting in a measured way and finding my "groove" (where I'm making progress)
  • chelseascounter
    chelseascounter Posts: 1,283 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Eating way too much carbs + fat, and very little protein.
  • Lucy1752
    Lucy1752 Posts: 499 Member
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    I will admit my biggest mistake had nothing to do with the actual act of changing my eating habits and being mindful.

    It had everything to do with the realization that...I AM WORTH THE EFFORT!

    My mistake was not believing that sooner.
  • KimmyJaneTD
    KimmyJaneTD Posts: 43 Member
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    Gave up if I didn't lose weight every day. (which usually lead to me eating a whole pack of oreos in one sitting).

    Telling myself if it wasn't a part of my meal, It didn't count (sneaking bites while cooking)

    Thinking Plexus, Hydroycut, medifast, or anything other diet pill, plan, scam was going to work... and somehow I could still magically eat whatever I wanted. Like that whole pack of oreos.

    Not including my family in my goals. My husband is my biggest support system now and my son loves taking walks with my. It makes this journey much easier. Even though my husband doesn't diet, or even really eat healthy..

    I'm sure there is much more. but at the end of the day it's important to remember you learn from mistakes and its about a lifestyle change, so you're going to make mistakes along the way.
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    I didn't log vegtables. I thought they were all 0 calories because of stupid Dr stupid oz

    I still don't log my veggies and not because of Dr stupid Oz
  • Lovee_Dove7
    Lovee_Dove7 Posts: 742 Member
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    Lucy1771 wrote: »
    I will admit my biggest mistake had nothing to do with the actual act of changing my eating habits and being mindful.

    It had everything to do with the realization that...I AM WORTH THE EFFORT!

    My mistake was not believing that sooner.

    That's really cool!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    I tried to lose weight by running and eating "healthy". Even once I figured out I need to be in a deficit and started logging my food, I really forced myself to run even though I hated it. It did nothing for my physique. Once I get up all the steady state cardio I hate, and started lifting in a deficit-I found success.
  • starryphoenix
    starryphoenix Posts: 381 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Well, the Spiru Tein Shake diet worked for me 13 years ago when I was 13. The thing about it was that it didn't teach me how to eat properly so when I got off of it I went right back up.

    Then there was a diet I went on that isn't allowed to be mentioned on here. It worked for me and I lost 25 in a month. I kept the weight off for over a year but I was still lazy 5 years ago so I relapsed and gained it all back.

    Good old fashioned healthy eating is where I am at now. Been going to the gym and being active too. I've had my ups and downs. Last year I got off track and gained 17 pounds back. I then roller coastered for a while after Christmas. I'm still not back to 162 yet, but I've found my discipline again this month and I'm dropping. I'm currently at 173. Could be worse. I weigh myself every day so I can adjust stuff and know what I am doing right or wrong. The scale tells me stuff I can't guess on my own.

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