So how did YOU lose weight?

The secret to my weight loss has been to modify what is known to work in a way that is personalized to me. The basic principle was achieving a calorie deficit, which I tried to personalize further by testing various strategies to see what makes that deficit easier for me to achieve. Nothing grand or drastic, I just use intermittent fasting sometimes when needed, adjust my meals to fit if I'm planning a higher meal, adjust my activity, experiment with foods to see what satiates me best, arbitrary rules that work (like never buying more than one serving of the foods I tend to overeat)...etc. All food is logged and tracked on MFP of course, eating back any extra activity calories.

In the very beginning, I found the greatest tool to be prelogging my day. I did that for about a year. Having a roadmap and sticking to it made dieting almost effortless. I found foods that satiated me and planned for them. Knowing when and what I was going to eat kept me on track.

The other has been the power of habit. Forming the habit of exercise has been one of the best gifts I've ever given myself. That hasn't been so much about weight loss, but the health benefits have been substantial.

There are two big secrets. CI<CO and taking a multivitamin to keep from getting sick. The CI part of CI<CO took time to figure out. The MFP app gives you the calories you need to eat to lose weight but you must figure out how many calories are in your food and drinks. I used a food scale and measuring cups for this. The CO part was harder so I bought a fitness tracker. Then as I lost weight I would increase my walking distance which meant I could eat more and still lose weight. 105 pounds and one year later I just finished my first 10k Santa Claus Classic run. Aside from a few sniffles, I haven't been sick all year. I'm really loving life!

Alternate day fasting, eating 1200 one day and 500 the next

I wouldn't recommend it, but it gets the job done. It makes figuring out calories to maintain without gaining weight back a complete pain as you don't really learn much by starving yourself the best part of a year,

I'm a newcomer who's lost 12 pounds in 5 weeks logging and maintaining a calorie deficit through diet and exercise. What everyone says here is true: you need to burn more than you take it to lose weight, and at the end of the day, it's as simple as that.

For me, changing how I eat has been helpful in boosting satiety--feeling full longer, so I can meet my calorie goals. It's true that in a perfect world you could eat anything within your calorie limit and lose weight, but some foods will help you feel full longer and some will not. For me, added sugars and refined grains are kind of a waste of calories, which is sometimes absolutely worth it. But as a rule, I try to stick to whole grains, lots of fruits and veg, lean meats, nuts, eggs, and healthy fats in cooking. A handful of almonds or a Quest bar as a snack stays with me much longer than a pile of my kids' goldfish crackers, and that keeps me on target for the day. Willpower is essential, yes, but we can make it easier on ourselves, I find, with what we choose. This hasnt meant eliminating everything I love, it's just meant being mindful about when I choose to add it in to my day.

I reduced the number of calories I was shoving into my mouth. Tracking for nutrition and satiety. Did a lot of reading on the forums here to learn what worked for others, and listened to those who had been around and successful.

I weigh everything I eat to make sure I eat at a deficit. Sometimes I exercise. Down 35+ lbs so far (out of 100).

I needed to change my macros. I failed miserably on a "balanced" diet because my hunger/cravings was too high, and it did nothing for my blood glucose levels.

I switched to a very low carb high fat ketogenic diet and I finally found a way of eating that blunted my hunger. The only time I gain weight is if I choose to eat more carbs, and consequently my calories go up... and my hunger and cravings go up and so I eat more...I find it difficult to stop that cycle. Keeping carbs low keeps it easy, past the first day or two anyways.

I always eat a 500 or so calorie lunch and then go for a walk, And after lunch i pre plan the rest of my night. So i feel good and full still, And i know how many calories i burned so i can wiggle in some yummy stuff, Or feel so good after walking i dont want to waste all the calories and find ill be just fine hitting 1200 only. I found it the best for me to start my day with a little bit of a splurge unplanned meal to make me feel less strict. And always made me walk harder

Power400 wrote: »

I'm curious to know some of your weight loss secrets that I can use to help myself

My secret? I make sure I ate less calories than I burned. Each person has to find their own method to ensure a calorie deficit, so I did this by weighing food, logging everything I consumed, logging cardio calories burned, and being as accurate as posdible.

Accuracy is key to weight management, whether you want to lose,gain or maintain.

Eat less than TDEE
Eat more than BMR
Count calories
Weigh and track food
Get enough protein
Get enough fiber
Eat mostly healthy but have treat foods too (within calories limit)
Cheat days are ok but try to keep them at no more calories than maintenance and only 1 per week
Lift weights
Do hiit cardio
Have rest days too (2 or 3 per week is good for me)
Sleep!
Patience
Determination
When you reach your weight loss goal it's time to focus on maintenance as a goal (not just go back to your old ways)
Keep it simple, don't overthink or over complicate things