Looking for any diet and weight loss help you can give me

Elysia1983 · August 2016

Hello! I'm looking for any diet and weight loss help you can give me. One thing that's so obvious that I learned is "no snacking when I have low energy levels". I don't like raw veggies so I steam them and add them to everything. Even if you think whatever you want to tell me is obvious please share. Feel free to add me as a friend

diannethegeek · August 2016

PAV8888 · August 2016

Dianne I think your post above is suitable for just about ANY question!

Need2Exerc1se · August 2016

My best tips is don't make it overly uncomfortable.

1. Eat at times that suit you.
2. Eat foods you enjoy.
3. Stay active but don't burn yourself out trying to exercise for hours every day.
4. Be patient.
5. If you have a bad day or week and go off plan, shake it off and move on. You can't change the past but the future is yours to control.

Sandra37405 · August 2016

I lost weight on WW and kept it off and I snacked. The key is to have planned snacks. Why not snack on steamed vegetables? Or lean protein? Or fruit? Or yogurt? Just incorporate snacks into your daily calorie target.

alienws1998 · August 2016

Elysia1983 wrote: »

Hello! I'm looking for any diet and weight loss help you can give me. One thing that's so obvious that I learned is "no snacking when I have low energy levels". I don't like raw veggies so I steam them and add them to everything. Even if you think whatever you want to tell me is obvious please share. Feel free to add me as a friend

Well you've already taken the first step, downloading an app and asking for help. Good for you! Here are my tips for what they are worth.

1) Cheese sticks make good snacks, low in calories and 0 carb, just remember 1 or 2 is usually enough. Ditto hardboiled eggs, great source of protein with very little carbs

2) When it comes to diets and weightloss, everyone is different, what works for someone else may not work for you.

3) Weigh yourself daily, and as close to the same time a day as you can. My time is right after my first cup of coffee.

4) Be prepared for anything and don't let it discourage you. You may see bounce-back with your weight, you maybe tired and a little cranky as your body adjusts so give it time.

5) Coconut oil is a blessing. It is a great source of calories without carbs and no carbs, it's also tasteless and will not make everything taste like a Pina Colada. I use it in almost everything (including on my skin as a moisturer).

6) One of my biggest hurdles was with drinks. Sodas, Starbucks, Monster Energy drinks, etc etc. Find a sugar substitute that works for you, I found a Great Value Suclarose that has no carbs or calories and doesn't taste as bad as sweet n low or splenda. Heavy Whipping Cream (not whipped cream! ) make a great subsitute for coffee creamer, you can get sugar - free flavoring at your local grocery store, mix a little with heavy cream and instant Carmel, Hazelnut or Vanilla coffee with only a couple of carbs.

7) Read labels. This has been one of the most eye opening things for me. I never realized I was eating 3 or 4 times the serving size until I really started reading labels. Make sure you are eating and logging the right portions. A food scale helps a lot with that.

8) Small rewards are big motivation. I'm a label junkie myself, so when I dropped under 180 I treated myself to a new pair of Abercrombie & Fitch Jeans. When I drop under 170 I'm gonna get a pair of Prada loafers. Each person is different though so find a reward that suits you.

9) Lastly, (and this is the one where everyone is going to argue with me) you mentioned snacking when you're low on energy, there is nothing wrong with that if you snack on the right thing. Personally I have a quick protein source like a cheese stick and a low - Carb energy drink like a Monster Peach Rehab or a Rockstar Pure Zero. They are both 6 carbs or less, under 100 calories and the caffeine will perk you up a bit until the protein digests. If you have any kind of heart problems watch the energy drinks though, I don't want my advice and opinions hurting anyone.

So welcome and good luck! You can add me as friend if you want.

SueInAz · August 2016

Frankly, when I have low energy levels that is usually a sign I haven't eaten enough today. A snack is usually what's called for, in my case. I actually plan snacks into my day. We're all different, though.

Baby steps are key. Don't try to change your entire life overnight or you'll likely end up frustrated and overwhelmed. Start out by simply logging everything you eat. Every single thing. Logging everything makes it easier to see where you can make simple changes that have a big impact. For greater accuracy with calorie counts, weigh solid foods using a kitchen scale and measure liquids that can't be weighed.

Don't "play" with the numbers, underestimate calories eaten or overestimate calories burned in exercise. You'd only be cheating yourself.

Start strength training as soon as possible. In my opinion it's more important than doing cardio because it is much easier to maintain the muscle you already have than to build new muscle later. When we lose weight it is a combination of water, fat and muscle. If you're maintaining muscle then more of your loss will be from fat!

The measuring tape is a better tool than the bathroom scale for judging your progress. In addition to "Before" pictures, measure your chest, waist, hips, thighs and any other body part you want to track and start recording them in MFP now. When the scale isn't moving your body might still be shrinking especially if you're lifting weights.

Get yourself into the mindset that you're making a lifestyle change and its not something that you will eventually finish. Time-based goals for weight loss often lead to perceived "failure". Keep in mind that weight loss is not linear and you will lose pounds faster at the beginning than at the end.

dbhuff369 · August 2016

There are a lot of 'diets' out there: keto, paleo, atkins, etc. One thing is to find a sensible, healthy program you can live with. I've found that If It Fits Your Macros works well for me and using MFP to track is VERY helpful. Every single bite of food goes in there. Here's the general plan I followed: https://legionathletics.com/flexible-dieting/

I've also had success on WW, Atkins, and especially Medifast (though that last required a few MONTHS of readjustment after reaching goal weight because it is so low in calories).

Its also important to realize you want to lose fat, not weight. In fact muscle loss will only move your goal weight lower. A sensible exercise program will greatly help, and weight lifting is probably the best, but other types of exercise are also good if you don't over do them. (too much can be surprisingly counter productive.)

In the end, I stopped looking at it like 'dieting' and started looking at it like 'body hacking' to get the physique I wanted, that mindset was a lot more useful!

Looking for any diet and weight loss help you can give me

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