What is your secret to weight loss?

For me, at least 1000-1200 cals a day, mostly protein, and portion your meals. Whenever I eat out at a restaurant, I always box half of it to go to eat the next day. Also, do physical activities that you love so that exercise isn't boring to you! I recently tried Zumba and I love it, I'm not much of a dancer and it's also a good way to start.

I'm glad people can lose without restricting. I'm not one of those. I love too many delicious foods. I might eat a few of those in moderation once I hit my goal, but while I'm losing I'm not eating any sugar, bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. Anything with grains like crackers falls into the no breads category. It's working and I'm finally losing weight. I like watching the pounds fall off more than I want to eat those things. It's not easy...and it won't work for everyone. But it's working for me.

Caloric deficit through intermittent fasting and cutting back on processed foods. Track your calories. Workout.

At age 60, 5'3.5", weighing 237, I quietly decided to lose the weight and told few other than my husband. Instead, being a believer, I prayed for help then started reading about ideas and methods, choosing some and tossing out others. I did not keep any account of what I ate, especially since I discovered this site after I'd lost about 110 pounds.
First thing I did was add fruit to my diet and cut out all sugar-pop. I ended up grazing all day every day -- just grazing on vegies and fruit. I bought and used smaller dinner plates. I ate less beef.
I didn't buy new clothes until the ones I had were literally falling off me, but I don't suggest doing this. It was hilarious, though, when three of the men at the office stood at my desk with their mouths hanging open, silently staring, when I first rose from my desk in clothes that were several sizes smaller (!). Then, I started enjoying the new clothes.
I just relaxed about the weight loss and didn't rush it. I didn't care that my first and second 50-pound loss each took a full year or that the last the last 23 or so took more than a year to stabilize. I still fluctuate between a weight of 112.5 and 115 at age 67. From size 22W - 24W (3X), I now wear size 6 and don't want to go smaller. I even wear smaller shoes.
None of the other diets worked for me, because I didn't maintain my losses, but gained them all back. This was a life style change -- something permanent as far as most of its elements -- but I was not afraid to call it a "diet" when I was losing the weight.

It's not much of a secret. Have a breakfast, not too much and not too little. Have lunch. Have supper. Have a snack. Call it hard work.

I eat whatever I usually do, but I add in some sled drags and farmer's walks.

CondoQueen wrote: »

Curious to know what the most effective diet for you has been in successfully losing and keeping weight off?

CI<CO

Conservation of energy.

I never did any kind of diet plan. I cut way back on the crap I was eating and started eating much more healthfully...I observed the things that my really lean, healthy, and fit friends were doing and I did those things.

I rock my nutrition...I eat 8 servings of veg and fruit daily (most days)...I eat a lot of whole grains and legumes and whole starches like potatoes and sweet potatoes...I eat a lot of lean sourced protein from things like chicken and fish and leaner cuts of pork and beef...I eat a lot of healthy fats from things like avocados and nuts and good cooking oils. I also take time out to just enjoy some pizza (like last night for my kiddos birthday) and other good stuff from time to time...this stuff doesn't make up a large % of my diet and is pretty irrelevant to the whole.

I also exercise on the regular...it's a huge part of my life. Outside of my desk job I just try to be generally active...I don't watch much t.v...maybe 30 minutes per night, and I don't really just sit around...I'm always fixing something or cooking something or prepping for the next day or cleaning something or working in the yard or chasing my kids, etc...I sit enough at work, I don't need to do it at home.

Know what your MACROS should be daily--I don't agree with MFP's -- go to www.iifym.com and use their Macro Calculator to calculate your daily % for Fat /Protein/Carbs

It truly helps knowing these and you can adjust/set your calories & macros on MFP. Tracking is KEY!!