Tips from those who have lost weight??

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momtobobby
momtobobby Posts: 22
in Health and Weight Loss
I've not been doing this very long and I was just wondering if those of you who have been at it longer or those of you have met or exceeded your weight loss goals would like to list some of your best tips here for us newbies? Thanks in advance and good luck to everyone!
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Replies

  • momtobobby
    momtobobby Posts: 22
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    I've not been doing this very long and I was just wondering if those of you who have been at it longer or those of you have met or exceeded your weight loss goals would like to list some of your best tips here for us newbies? Thanks in advance and good luck to everyone!
  • bootsnspurs4horses
    bootsnspurs4horses Posts: 76
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    I haven't been at it very long either. But coming here and logging in my food as been a tremendous help !! BE HONEST !! You're only cheating yourself. And every little bit, tidbit and whole heeping bite counts !! i also wear a body bugg. . . just learning to use it too. . . But HONESTY is the best policy and you will see where you are really at in your fitness regimen .

    Good LUCK !!
  • sbacon1203
    sbacon1203 Posts: 307 Member
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    It has been enlightening and a lot of fun :wink:

    I love to give tips and they are:
    1) Log it BEFORE you eat it, this can help you make wise choices :tongue:
    2) Weigh and/or measure everything, my eye was much larger than actual amounts :noway:

    Wishing you much success and you CAN do it :drinker:
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    Hi and good luck :flowerforyou: Here are a few things I do that have helped me:

    -drink water and only water (and occaisionally milk)
    -Learn to use spices instead of sauces/oils/salt
    -Variety! Don't cut out foods just because you think there are lighter options. The biggest example of this is meats- you can still have steak and ham and even bacon, just not in excessive quantities! Chicken breasts get really boring really fast.
    -Try new things. There are a zillion different fruits and veggies out there, try them, you might be surprised.
    -switch to whole grains. They fill you up and have about a zillion more nutrients in them than white. :drinker:
  • our5cooks
    our5cooks Posts: 77 Member
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    I have to learned to say I AM doing this not that I can. I drink lots of water. When I have uncontrollable cravings I drink hot tea and it satisfies me. When I crave sweet things I chew gum. Do a workout that you enjoy! Stay positive and come on myfitnesspal often. You'll get motivation as soon as you put in your first few pounds lost. There's nothing like seeing the "lbs. to go" go down!!!

    76013.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • GIBride01
    GIBride01 Posts: 328 Member
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    I haven't been at this too long either, about 3 weeks. But I have found logging my exercise first thing in the morning helps me. It gives me my total number of calories so you aren't trying to make up exercise calories later in the day and it helps keep me honest with activity. If I have already logged the exercise and eaten some of the calories, I feel like I HAVE to do it!
  • briblue72
    briblue72 Posts: 672 Member
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    * Eat it if you want it, but hold yourself accountable.

    * Be honest with yourself. Grocery shopping is not exercise (to me).

    * Measure your amounts of food.

    * Just like getting help to overcome any other problem, tell everyone important of your intentions - so they can help you!

    * You gotta get up to get down!!!! :smile:
  • rachie13
    rachie13 Posts: 11
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    :cry: I have been doing this for about 3 weeks now. I love the calorie counter part of the program and I always drink tons of water. I lost 4 pounds the first week but now it seems that I am not losing anymore. I have been continuing to eat within my calorie range and I workout 4xs- 5xs a week. I run on treadmill for 40 minutes those times and do strength training as well. I am very discouraged because I don't know why it isn't coming off.. My sister said that muscle weighs more than fat and that I am definitely gaining more muscle. She told me to continue working hard and eating right and that it takes time. ALso, I don't eat bread often and haven't had any in 3 weeks, yet I still feel quite bloated. Could I be carrying water weight? Please I am very discouraged and need some encouragement!! :(
  • briblue72
    briblue72 Posts: 672 Member
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    sounds like you're doing lots of things right!

    You're sister is right, too. It takes TIME. 3 weeks is totally not long enough to get discouraged.
  • PedalHound
    PedalHound Posts: 1,625 Member
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    - starting my day with 500ml of water and a mug of green tea (sweetened w/ stevia) before I eat breakfast
    - breakfast is my highest-calorie meal of the day and includes oatmeal, egg whites, fruit, flax meal, wheat germ and bee pollen
    - I eat every 2-3 hours and include complex carbs and lean protein at EVERY meal
    - I drink lots of water and tea
    - when I feel hungry I first drink a glass of water then in about 5 to 10 minutes I have my snack
    - if my body is sending genuine hunger signals (an actual gurgling stomach and feeling of hunger even if I've had water) I have a small carb & protein snack even if it's outside of my daily calories (apple and skim milk cheese, for example and always including a cup of green tea)
    - I DO get all servings of my vegetables and fruits in the day and I vary my protein sources (salmon, bison, tofu, legumes, nuts...)
    - I DO NOT put the following into my body
    *artificial colours or flavours
    *trans fats
    *artificial sweeteners
    *"diet" products
    *refined salt or excess sodium
    *refined sugars or flours
    - the only sweeteners I use are agave nectar, sucanat (natural raw sugar), honey, maple syrup and fruit
    - I get 4-6 days of intense cardio a week and 2-4 days of weight training
    - I am becoming very proficient at moving on from lapses in my plan
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    Work as hard as you play.
    Realize what intensity is appropriate for your level of training.
    Don't expect immediate results.
    Buy a floppy tape measure for when your weight isn't moving.
    Drink and eat enough.
    Realize that hunger doesn't relate directly to the number of calories you need.
  • FloridaGranny
    FloridaGranny Posts: 154 Member
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    Raechie13: Try also to take your measurements and before photos. I'm having the same problems with (no) results. Change your exercise routine. Add more variations.... I've increased my calorie burn per day. Also just read to try to have a 500 to 800 calorie deficit per day - don't eat all your exercise calories, just some of them.......

    Hope this helps, that's what I'm going to try...
  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
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    Don't give up... no matter how bad today may have been (or yesterday)- tomorrow is a new day. Remember that saying "a year from now, you'll wish you had started today" - it's SOOOOoooooo true. Even if you get frustrated and aren't losing weight as fast as you like, even if you plateau and don't lose any for awhile, even if you gain a few back - time is your friend. half a pound a week, 1 pound a month - it all adds up, it all counts. It didn't get there overnight, it won't fall off overnight either.

    OK OK OK - enough - you've heard it all before, I'm sure! But it IS true!!
  • Junisahn
    Junisahn Posts: 166 Member
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    I always eat breakfast - fruit and oatmeal, and I always walk at least 30 minutes in the morning to get my energy going ASAP.

    I often input tomorrow's food today - at least the main dishes/proteins so I can plan around that. Veggies and fruits fit around those higher calorie things, and are generally similar in caloric value to each other so I don't usually decide on my veggies and fruit until I eat them - whatever's in the house. Speaking of which - STOCK UP with plenty of fruits and veggies. There's nothing more boring than eating the same ol veggies everyday... asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, salad fixings, green beans, snow peas... go all out!

    I only ever budget 1200 calories (my limit because I'm short) in advance. If I want to eat more than that, I make sure to do the exercise first. So, when I plan out my meals, I only let it get up to 1200. Then, after I exercise, I see how many calories I have left, and that's when I start adding the cheese and chocolate, butter and other nice treats I love...

    I'm new to this to, but have been eating a balanced, all natural diet - I was just eating too much food!

    Best wishes,

    Wendy
  • ellelit
    ellelit Posts: 806 Member
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    i'd recommend:

    - starting a food journal
    - telling someone close to you about your goals so they can help support you and get you through rough times
    - eat what you like, in moderation
    - eliminate fast food. yucky poo.
  • MOMOFTWO29
    MOMOFTWO29 Posts: 8,276 Member
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    Well, I have only been here for almost 4 weeks but this is what I do:

    1.I drink water everyday all day long
    2. I measure all of my food
    3. I enter all my food before I eat it
    4. I exercise everyday
  • rachie13
    rachie13 Posts: 11
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    Thanks! I never get close to my extra exercise calories they give me everyday,.... I barely eat the amount of calories that they allow me on a given day....
  • rachie13
    rachie13 Posts: 11
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    How much fiber/ bread products do those of you that have lost weight eat? I haven't had any bread products, only eat wheat in about 3 weeks
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Well, 55 lbs and 15 months later, I can say it took me analyzing myself and changing emotionally before I could make permanent physical changes.

    Be honest with yourself, sit down and think about WHY you over eat, what are you feeling when the need for food come up. Carry a small notebook and write down how you feel (REALLY feel, no holding back, whatever comes into your head) when you are thinking about food and/or eating.

    Many people overeat because of emotional damage. You need to fix the emotional issues if you ever want to fix the physical ones, or at least come to terms with them. Fighting an enemy you can see is far easier then fighting a hidden one.

    That being said, take 1 day a week (sundays for me and the wife) and a whole lot of plastic baggies, and make all your snacks and as many lunches you can ahead of time. I have bags and bags of cheese cubes (I cut them, saves me about 3 bucks and takes like 5 minutes), almonds, carrots and sugar snap peas, and whole wheat pretzel sticks in single serving baggies. When I go to work, I grab what I need (and a container of my wifes low cal, turkey chilli...mmmmm) to work and I get exactly what I need to make it through the day and not eat like crap. This whole process takes about 2 hours on a sunday. No sweat, easy, tasty, and very very good for you.

    Also, Be honest with yourself, Just becuase something is a "100 calorie pack" doesn't mean its GOOD for you. I can eat 100 calories of powdered sugar, and boy would I like to, but it's not a GOOD 100 calories, nor are 100 calorie chips ahoy cookies, don't kid yourself, eating healthy means keeping the "middle Isle" food to a minimum.
  • Leigh14
    Leigh14 Posts: 871 Member
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    *Always start your day with a good, filling, healthy breakfast. During the week, I have a chocolate protein shake with some instant coffee, sugar-free french vanilla creamer and almond extract mixed in (sometimes half a frozen banana, too) and a light multigrain Thomas' english muffin - keeps me full till 10:30 or 11 from 7 a.m. On the weekend, I'll have two eggs with some sage, chopped green peppers, chopped portabella mushrooms and an english muffin with water. Yum!
    *Always drink at least 8 glasses of water per day - more if you exercise (1 glass extra for every 15 min's of exercise) and more if you have over your daily alotted sodium.
    *Eat 5-6 small meals per day.
    *Fill up on fiber and protein.
    *Cut out sodium-filled foods - they make you retain water.
    *Weigh yourself once a week at the same time per day, preferably butt-nekkid. :laugh:
    *Remember that your weight does fluctuate throughout the day! Don't get down if you found you've gained a pound or two and have been doing everything right - it's probably water weight. Drink more water!
    *I know this is going to sound cliche... but, love yourself. I didn't get the true meaning of this until only a few days ago. I always thought... well, duh, of course I love me. But, before I started my weightloss, I would eat lots of bad-for-me foods. I wasn't taking care of my body and that translated into not really having a true love for myself. Now, when I eat, I think... hey! This food is really fueling my body, it's making my skin and my hair look better, it's making me feel better and it's making all my insides work the way they're supposed to! Now that is loving and taking care of yourself.
    *Do other self-care things: take a little extra time to slather on some moisturizer after a shower, use a moisturizer with SPF for your face, get a pedicure/manicure/both!, schedule a spa day as a treat after a certain amount of weightloss, get a new haircut/dye!
    *Don't reward yourself with food.
    *Eat the things you love in moderation! I've found that a teeny BITE or DRINK of something I used to have will satisfy my craving and I won't want any more for a while. But, if I truly want pizza... I limit myself to one slice instead of the 4 or 5 I used to have.
    *This one may be kinda weird, but I drink a lot of water with my meals. I try to take a sip after almost every bite. I've found (and maybe this is just me) that it kinda cleanses my palate and each bite tastes new and I can really taste the food I'm eating!
    *FINALLY... stick with a support group. Mainly MFP. :heart: :wink: :flowerforyou: Everyone here is wonderful.

    Hahaha, okay, that's enough! So I haven't lost as much as most people here... but I am continually educating myself and learning new things about my body... maybe one day I'll write a book!!

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